You develop in Linux and are looking for work, and are requested to provide CV as a .doc file - what would you do?

[Etzion Bar-Noy]

On Mon, Aug 16, 2010 at 12:44 AM, Omer Zak <w1 at zak.co.il> wrote:

> On Mon, 2010-08-16 at 00:13 +0300, Etzion Bar-Noy wrote:
> > Why? Can't your OpenOffice create doc files?
>
> Actually, whenever I am due to send a .doc file, I send a .rtf, figuring
> that it is a more reliable way to preserve the document styling.
>

RTF would probably mean:
a. formatting would be ruined anyhow, as MS Word cannot handle it very well
(and in many cases, such is the case with OO)
b. You still avoid the automated filtering systems, and require human time.
Human time means you will almost always be at the bottom of the list.

>
> > It you are to make a war about it, fine, but you might miss some of
> > the better jobs because the subcontractor's HR are not technical
> > people, and if your CV is a little more difficult to open in their own
> > software or whatever, your loss. Next.
> > If you do it because it doesn't look good (it might look different as
> > DOC created by OO), then know they don't care. They feed the doc into
> > their software and look for keywords, pretty or not.
> >
> >
> > So... What is your motive? What is your war?
>
> I am not fighting any wars.  It is a filtering criteria, and my question
> is really whether it is a valid filtering criteria.
>
> Are you positive that good work (i.e. no WTF stuff, project manager with
> a clue, high caliber co-workers, good technical challenge, adequate
> opportunity for professional development, you name it) can hide behind
> HR which insists upon getting .doc CVs?
>

Yes. I am positive. And not only because of the HR, but even because me, as
an employer, would not have hired you if you have acted up just to make a
point where it is so insignificant. Work places are no place for "Holy Wars"
(TM). They are focused on product, on time tables, on money. Hiring someone
who has the ability to perform a task but won't, just because it's
not aligned with his agenda, is, well, not common. The employer does not
wish to have fights. (s)he wants a working person, who would think, but
obey.

Your method of trying to work around the rules (hiring rules, that is) tells
an employer things about you.

Now, that said, I am one who sends his CV in PDF formats, because I *dont'
care* about HR responses. I hardly ever get to them. If this is your case,
there is no point in the question, is there? If this is not your case, you
should, to my opinion, play by the rules, even if you don't like them. This
is such a small effort, after all.

Ez

>
>                                              --- Omer
>
>
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