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Why isn't there a universal data format for résumés?

toot.cat

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Re: Why isn't there a universal data format for résumés?

#321

Post by adflux »

vanusa wrote: post #174
moralestapia wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Documents like these shouldn't be automatically processed, they should be reviewed by humans. That's very nice to think about but in the real world if people don't match some exact keywords they get thrown away. HR is looking for "node.js" but you wrote it like "nodejs"? Though luck pal, bye. HR wants a "computer scientist" but you have a degree in "computer science"? Same, automatically discarded. If anything, a st…

That's very nice to think about but in the real world if people don't match some exact keywords they get thrown away. This isn't the "real world" you're referring to here -- it's the fin-de-big-tech bubble world where everyone and their dog is not only sold, smack-down drunk on the idea that Algorithms and Data are the Solution to Your Problems. They aren't of course -- it's just a giant hornswoggle. This "world" nee…

Coming from someone who cant spell "tough luck". Lol

Re: Why isn't there a universal data format for résumés?

#322

Post by JetAlone »

withinboredom wrote: post #297
onion2k wrote: post #291

Earlier quoted context omitted.

HR is looking for "node.js" but you wrote it like "nodejs"? Though luck pal, bye. HR wants a "computer scientist" but you have a degree in "computer science"? Same, automatically discarded. Fixing that would require not only a universal data format but also a universal taxonomy of terms to describe skills. That would need everyone to agree on how to describe what they do. Easy enough when you're describing programmin…

I'm pretty sure my Resume says "crazy outside-the-box madman" on it somewhere near the top. It pretty much guarantees that I work somewhere with a sense of humor while rejected from places that take themselves too seriously. Resumes aren't just a list of skills and work history (education isn't even on my resume anymore), it's also a chance to let a small amount of your personality show through so you stand out again…

>"crazy outside-the-box madman"

I like that so much that I dare not copycat it.

Re: Why isn't there a universal data format for résumés?

#323

Post by pithon »

black_puppydog wrote: post #318
jeroenhd wrote: post #42

In my opinion, there shouldn't be. Documents like these shouldn't be automatically processed, they should be reviewed by humans. Reducing someone's life history to a list of educational institutions and employers feels robotic even for a software developer's mindset. I understand that there are real life problems because companies do use automated processing on applications, but that kind of behaviour shouldn't be en…

I agree they should be read by humans, but (and I feel most comments are missing that point) a standard format would help with that. Having been reading resumes a lot lately, I always breathe a sigh of relief when people hand in the standard latex template, with maybe only the colors changed. The structure is immediately familiar and easy to navigate. I could use a client app that presents a hypothetical standard dat…

What do you mean by "the" standard LaTeX template?

Re: Why isn't there a universal data format for résumés?

#324

Post by OtomotO »

Biganon wrote: post #306
colejohnson66 wrote: post #269

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’d say they are. Who cares if I write “Nodejs” or “Node.js”? The reader knows exactly what I meant, and that’s what matters. Anything else is just needless pedantry.

It's not about communication, here. You want to be absolutely perfect in your CV, to prove that you've spent time and effort making it perfect. It serves no other purpose but to show your determination. If communication was the point, a long rant in which you write "yeah I worked with node.js, it was cool lol" would be OK as well, after all it gets the point across doesn't it?

There is no "absolutely perfect", especially in such a subjective topic as résumés.

Mine certainly isn't, it's like me. Worked out so far.

But then again, I wouldn't want to work for most companies.

Pecunia olet!

Re: Why isn't there a universal data format for résumés?

#325

Post by berkes »

bruce511 wrote: post #267
kortilla wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> That's what resumes used to be, after all -- a kind of a take-home test where you really do have enough time (and perfect knowledge) to get everything 100 percent right. The only thing this filters for is people who have been looking for a job for a long time and/or are people focused on presentation instead of content, good luck with that. We’ve hired incredible engineers across that have had typos and major resum…

It's not about communication, or spelling, or grammar, it's about attention to detail. I've seen my fair share of resumes and hired my fair share of people, and I've come to the conclusion that sloppy, error-ridden, CVs are a sign of a lack of attention to detail. Here's a candidate with all the time in the world, and huge motivation, and they still can't complete this task correctly. It's not a good look. I'm not sa…

Why can you assume a candidate has 'all the time in the world?'

Re: Why isn't there a universal data format for résumés?

#326

Post by [deleted] »

JetAlone wrote: post #322
withinboredom wrote: post #297

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm pretty sure my Resume says "crazy outside-the-box madman" on it somewhere near the top. It pretty much guarantees that I work somewhere with a sense of humor while rejected from places that take themselves too seriously. Resumes aren't just a list of skills and work history (education isn't even on my resume anymore), it's also a chance to let a small amount of your personality show through so you stand out again…

>"crazy outside-the-box madman" I like that so much that I dare not copycat it.

[deleted]

Re: Why isn't there a universal data format for résumés?

#327

Post by berkes »

jfengel wrote: post #63

I used to work in ontologies, and what I learned is that people would rather get an 80% heuristic solution for dirty data rather than a 100% correct solution for data they have to clean. The big job sites have resume parsers that work well enough from a PDF or Word doc, and then they don't have to worry about you forgetting a close tag or a mandatory field. Sure, stuff gets lost, but they get 80% of a billion resumes…

This hinges on a false dichotomy.

You can have the current sloppy parsers AND a jsonresume.org parser besides each other.

You can even hide the latter behind a tiny 'other upload formats' link, if you are afraid this option deters uploads of PDFs or docxs.

Re: Why isn't there a universal data format for résumés?

#328

Post by berkes »

tomcat27 wrote: post #296
CalRobert wrote: post #22

There is! https://jsonresume.org/ But nobody really uses it for data interchange. I use it to render my resume in new layouts now and then. Although, it does let style dictate content sometimes (some templates force you to have dates down to the day for job start and end dates, etc.)

I came across this before. wish it's an accepted format on job portals. A challenge I see is -- resumes change wildly by industry. a tech resume is totallly different from an actor's resume.

Do you think this is so different that no formal spec can ever carry the common denominator?

Re: Why isn't there a universal data format for résumés?

#329

Post by hunglee2 »

The tl;dr is because we do not have one world government.

The universal data format for resume has attempted - both by public and private sector actors. The Europass CV is a good example of the former, a universal profile for all EU citizens, which can used to apply for any job posted on the platform. LinkedIn might be considered a private sector attempt of the same.

The issue that confronts both is adoption rate.

Without forcing it through via mandate, employers will continue to accept resumes in whichever format and so job seekers will continue to optimise for the format they think will give them the best chance with said employer.

Diversification comes from the simple fact that there is no single authority enforcing standardisation

Re: Why isn't there a universal data format for résumés?

#330

Post by berkes »

freddie_mercury wrote: post #250
CalRobert wrote: post #22

There is! https://jsonresume.org/ But nobody really uses it for data interchange. I use it to render my resume in new layouts now and then. Although, it does let style dictate content sometimes (some templates force you to have dates down to the day for job start and end dates, etc.)

That's not really a "universal format", though. That's an "English language format". Actually, it's an "American format" since I see it specifies "organization" instead of "organisation". Why should resumes in Vietnam or China be using English, after all.

Doesn't that hold true for any standard though?

In HTTP we have Get, Put, Post, Delete, Patch or Options and not obtenir, mettre, poster, supprimer, corriger, options. Yet the French use the web all the time, as do Chinese or Maui.

It would not be about how the fields are named, but about localised concepts. Maybe there are societies that have some educational concept which western Americans cannot fathom, but which is crucial on a CV there.

This,implies the standard needs to be flexible, extensible and localised. Which kindof defeats having a standard.

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