That will just be a completely unintentional side effect.

I don’t think I am qualified to give any advice on career management, so this post will merely contain my personal reflection on what’s happening recently to me. Today, I got some reply, which is not one rejection letter, from job application, after around one year job seeking.

§Attractive CV/resume

One doubt I have always had is why my resume couldn’t even pass the first round of HR filtering, especially when I heard some of my friends get a lot replies after submitting job applications. Having hubris as one my characteristic, I don’t think I am any less skillful than them as one developer. After receiving tons of rejection letters, I could not stand but asking one of my good friends, who is among the “God favored” group, why this is happening to me. He didn’t provided much valuable info for this issue, but gave his resume to me as one reference. I was impressed by his resume, and couldn’t connect the person this resume is describing with the person in front of me. If I am the HR, I will definitely inform any applicants with this kind of resume. I took one copy of his resume and planed to study it at home carefully.

§Pretend to be attractive

I read through the copy of his resume again and again, trying to identify what’s missing in my resume. One peculiar thing I notice when I read his resume was that I couldn’t remember anything in the resume after reading it. The only thing left on my mind is that this applicant is good somehow, but nothing else. I am not sure why I got this feeling, but, as far as I understand, resume should provide HR with the info about the applicant so that he or she could evaluate if the applicant matches the applied position. If one resume just convey some subjective info like the applicant is good, but fail do deliver any objective info, it shouldn’t be considered as one good one. Once realizing the philosophical difference between him and me, I lost the interest in applying his style into my resume.

§Subjectiveness vs Objectiveness

The two should be complementary, and no one is better that the other. However, it’s very likely, one person is biased to one during certain period of time. I guess I lean to the latter while my friend lean to the formal. As I said, they are different, but no one is superior to the other. If one’s happy with one, they don’t need to switch. Please don’t switch just because the other might lead to quick success.

§Be yourself

I guess I am kind of rational guy, and prefer reading objective info and writing objective info. It wouldn’t be me any more if I merely mimicking others just because this might provide more opportunities. The only valid reason why we are mimicking others should be we admire that person, and see ourselves in him or her. After realizing this, I calmed myself down by saying “There will be bread. There will be milk”. Then I made my mind that I will continue to be myself, keep my principle, and hope for the best. Maybe something good will happen. Who know.

§Attitude

I don’t have any proof that something good will come or this will lead to success even one choose to be themselves. However, one should have such attitude that success is merely one bonus (side effect) to what one does. Be yourself and check for the side effect.