A List Apart Web Design Survey, 2007
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Audio from IA Roundup
Here’s the recording from the IA Roundup: Panel and Workshop on IA Resumes that I participated in last week:
Download the recording (52MB, 76 minutes, Mp3)
PLEASE DO NOT LINK TO THE MP3 FILE. LINK TO THIS POST INSTEAD
- [00:00] Olga Howard & folks introduce the organizations that supported the event and panelists introduce themselves
- [09:37] Olga introduces the panel
- [11:12] We talk about what challenges us during recruiting
- [17:44] I talk about how to get a job
- [21:00] What I want to see in a resume
- [47:50] Looking up people online
- [54:17] What we look for in an interview
- [48:12] Relevance of Educational background, transferable skills & how people get into IA
- [64:34] How to get into IA and other Q&A
Here is the resume template (36KB, Word Document) that I mention during the panel. If you read my notes and recommendations for writing a successful resume and getting the job you want while you listen, it will be easier to follow.
I received great feedback from the people who attended the panel and workshop saying they got great value out of it, so I’m extending my offer to you, reading this blog: I’d be happy to review your resume and give you advice. I only ask you to first listen to this recording, read my recommendations and re-write your resume before you ask for help.
Many thanks to Olga for making this happen!
Also, today Crystal asked me if I would be interested in doing another one of these panel/workshops (possibly for PHICHI). I’d be happy to do it again, but are you interested? Let me know (leave a comment)!
What I want to see in a resume
Tomorrow I’m speaking at the IA Roundup - Panel and Workshop on IA Resumes. Olga approached me to participate asking what challenges I’d come across in finding the right information architects for my team. The challenges were many, but poor resumes (poor quality, not lousy professionals) certainly makes my life harder than it needs to be. This is what I want to convey tomorrow:
How to get a job
- Have a sense of purpose
- Have a truthful resume that promotes you
- Have a portfolio (online preferably)
- Build professional networks
How to write a resume
- Use a plain, 10 point Serif font.
Resist the urge to design your resume. - Name, address, phone, personal email, portfolio and URL.
Centered and bold at the top. - Write up your job history, presented in reverse chronological order.
- Each job has Start-End Dates, Your Title, Company Name and Location.
- Follow with 2-3 sentences describing responsibilities.
Answer the question, What job did you have? For example, “Responsible for conducting user research for e-commerce and financial clients”, “Responsible for managing team of 27 information architects and researchers across 3 satellite offices in Mumbai, New York and Sidney, as well as coordination of $1MM research budget for remote and in person usability testing”.
- After responsibilities, list your major accomplishments using bullet points.
Answer the question, How well did you do your job? This describes how well you fulfilled the responsibilities you spoke of before. Example: “Drove satisfaction metrics up 10% over redesign goal by utilizing a fast iterative approach to collaboration with developers”, “Nominated for the IA Institute board of directors by my boss for my leadership and community commitment”, “Nominated most valuable contributor across design teams worldwide in ‘04-’06″, “Improved efficiency by creating reusable patterns with Visio stencils and training all IAs across the organization to use them”.
- Lastly, two lines for your education. Degree, Year and Institution
Note: A GREAT resume is one-page long.
Here is a template I put together (Word document).
Tips on what to include in the responsibilities:
- How large was the audience for the work you did - hints to the kind of impact you can make and how comfortable you are working with large scale initiatives
- How large was the group you worked with - hints to the types of interactions and demands you are subject to depending on size of team
- How large was your client (for consultants), employer (for in-house employees) Example: “Fortune 50”, “$200MM annual revenue” - hints to the level of business challenges you’re exposed to and the risks you were subject to while working with them
Tips on what to include in your accomplishments:
- Activities that resulted in cost saving and efficiency gains (better performance, less people/hours on projects, etc)
- Activities that resulted in increased value (explicit satisfaction score gains, increased revenue and profit margins, etc)
- Company and industry recognition (awards, nominations, remarks from annual reviews, etc)
Anything else you may want to promote about yourself goes in the portfolio. Anything else you may want to say about what you want and expectations for future jobs goes in your cover letter.
Interviewing to get the job
- Ask Name and title (responsibility) of the people who will interview you
- Google their names and learn about them before the interview
- Learn about the company and their current situation before the interview
- Dress professionally
- Be on time
- Bring your portfolio (preferably printed).
- Prepare questions about the things that are important to you in working day-to-day (you should be interested in the company and work dynamics)
- Be honest
You’d think that dressing professionally, being on time and being honest were obvious. You are right, they are. But it’s because we don’t re-state the obvious assumptions that people forget them and then I’m faced with a guy in flip-flops telling me some story about being late to the interview.
When I return from the panel and workshop I will elaborate a little more on some of the points.
