Last October, Uzbekistan-born Yale student Aleksey Vayner learned his lesson on submitting multimedia resumes the hard way—and that is putting it mildly. In addition to having his 7-minute video resume, originally intended for securities firm UBS, posted on YouTube and mocked by all on the Internet, Vayner did not get the job he was applying for. In his motivational-esque presentation, which he titled "Impossible is Nothing," Vayner claims that he is a professional athlete and dancer, the CEO of two companies, an investment adviser, and even a Chinese medicine healer. While watching scenes of Vayner lifting 495-pound weights, karate chopping a stack of bricks, hitting tennis balls at an alleged 140 miles per hour, and ballroom dancing with a woman, one has to wonder if this guy is for real. In accordance with Vayner's reputation at school for being an incorrigible storyteller, it has been proven that the 23-year-old is not a CEO or an investment adviser and that certain footage in his video was faked, making the veracity of the rest of it questionable. The lesson here is that there is a fine line between creating an interesting and original presentation and creating a ridiculous, over-the-top mess. Perhaps if Vayner had not lied and had stuck to his career objectives throughout the presentation, rather than lecturing and advising on what it takes to be a success, he might have saved himself from the wolves.
Anique Gonzalez, a writer for resume services Legal Authority and Attorney Resume, advises, "If you do decide to use a nontraditional resume, you must keep in mind that although it may stand out to some employers, demonstrating one's innovation and creativity, other more conservative employers may desire a traditional cover letter and resume and will discard it without even looking at it. You need to understand that you are taking a risk by going against the grain. While it may stand out in a good way, it can also stand out in a bad way."
Although Vayner's experience ended in horrific humiliation, some wacky concepts can be successful. Take, for example, the case of now 28-year-old Peter Shankman. According to The Wall Street Journal, Shankman wanted a public realtions job in the New York City area, but he did not want to send out reams of resumes and cover letters. Using his keen instinct and publicity skills, Shankman had his resume printed on two four-foot by three-foot poster boards and sandwiched himself between them; he then stood on a corner in Manhattan from 6:00 a.m. to 7:15 p.m., handing out 1,000 resumes. After receiving 200 phone calls, 45 interviews, and 20 job offers, Shankman took a position as Director of New Media for the New Jersey Devils hockey team. Shankman thinks his tactic worked well because employers were able to see and meet him before they even read his resume. "At least they could see I was a nice nutcase," he explained. He was also dressed in a business suit and overcoat that day. His personality and demeanor, combined with his professional manner and inventiveness, are probably the reasons he received such an enthusiastic response.
Job seekers need to make sure they are in tune with what will be a hit with employers and what will turn them off. It should be a rule of thumb to only send "risky" resumes to companies at which applicants have already established personal or professional connections or when applicants are very aware of how employers will respond to outlandish antics; otherwise, why risk it? If you're trying to land a job that you genuinely want, it is better to be safe than it is to be sorry. Above all, use your best judgment when it comes to conveying who you are as a person and the potential and skills you have to offer as a professional.
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