5 ms·
A couple takeaways from this post and my most recent search: * The first versions of the CV are so, so bad. Almost parody-level fluff (the rainbow infinity sig
by drc500free 3y ago
A couple takeaways from this post and my most recent search:
* The first versions of the CV are so, so bad. Almost parody-level fluff (the rainbow infinity sign is peak CV cringe) hiding what should be considered some pretty impressive outcome metrics. It would be significantly better if the entire CV was "CEO who scaled startup from $XM Valuation to $250M Valuation" in 72 point font.
* Applying through the front door doesn't work. Only networking is going to get you a job at this level of seniority (and lately almost any level of seniority). Tuning your CV is only helpful for organizing your thoughts for your elevator pitch.
* Being without a job near the top of the pyramid is very bad, and you need a much better story to explain the gap. No one is handing you the keys to their company if you seem like a risk. "I'm a Ukrainian refugee" is a great story and should probably be in there to explain the lack of current employment. Your journey of self discovery is a great story to tell after you land your next role, not while you're looking.
* Probably most importantly, we've been living in a 15-year tech bubble driven by low interest rates and quantitative easing. Valuations have been driven by the insane amount of money flying around, and those valuations have required zero-marginal-cost and infinite TAM to justify the numbers. SaaS, tech, AI/ML are pretty much the only stories that can claim to meet the "zero cost, infinite TAM" investment thesis. Zero interest rate meant you got a super long runway to keep the fantasy going. We have a glut of people who can launch and scale tech companies and there aren't as many opportunities for that as there were three years ago.
- Michelangelo11 3y agoOK I just read the CV and, wow, this is maximum cringe. Some favorite parts: - "Perfectly designed to kick your competitors' asses" - "Jaw-dropping level of systematisation" - the row of logos for various corporate buzzwords and concepts, two of which are so faded it's hard to tell what they're supposed to be But the absolute peak, the cherry on top, is the claim "Zero corporate bullshit" in the section "ABC's of Me" (barf). This CV is -all- corporate bullshit down to the last pixel. It's like saying The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is PG-13. Like calling a ribeye steak vegetarian. Like North Korea calling itself democratic. You get the idea.
- gumby 3y ago> Like calling a ribeye steak vegetarian TBF the steak is made 100% from a vegetarian.
- mirekrusin 3y agoNice one, will steal it on next beer & "veggie" bbq!
- Michelangelo11 3y agoYou have a bright future in marketing (assuming you're not working there already).
- kcplate 3y ago> Applying through the front door doesn't work. Only networking is going to get you a job at this level of seniority (and lately almost any level of seniority) Every board member at an organization looking to find a CEO already knows who they want to put forward or at least talk to about the job, they have known from day one that they were appointed to the board. Networking with board members is what has to happen.
- drc500free 3y agoAnother thing that was tickling the back of my brain while reading this was "the failure mode of clever is asshole,"[1] which is one of the most helpful blog posts I've come across. I personally have to work very hard to mute my initial interactions down to what's appropriate for a low-context introduction. The oddly coined phrases (e.g. "findicators") that others have commented on fall pretty squarely in this category. [1] https://whatever.scalzi.com/2010/06/16/the-failure-state-of-clever/ https://whatever.scalzi.com/2010/06/16/the-failure-state-of-...