My resume bullshit detector is always on. Whether I am looking for an intern or an employee, the red flags stand out in glaring relief. And anyone experienced in the art of resume review has the same talent. Plus, the entertainment industry may seem vast to you when you are on the outside, but it’s really a small town where everyone knows everyone, if only by reputation.

For instance, no one is going to believe an intern was left alone to cover the desk of the president of Universal Pictures. We know all about her. She wouldn’t allow for it and you wouldn’t last for four minutes without your arm being chewed off because you weren’t dialing the phone fast enough.

So when I see a resume which says that you, as an intern, “covered president’s desk when her first assistant was on vacation,” I set it aside. In the round bin next to my desk. Or, if I am really interested in you based on other impressive items on your resume which look less suspicious, I dash off an email to the assistant to one of the other executives over there asking about you. If she confirms your story, I will be shocked. But most likely, she won’t.  And you just blew your opportunity to interview with me.

Rookie mistake.

Related posts:

1. The 5 Commandments Of Getting Hired in Entertainment Thou Shalt Not Lie on Your Resume - Longtime readers...

Tags: resume advice

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 10th, 2009 at 9:45 pm and is filed under career advice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.