Is there a place in particular that resumes could be posted for critiques? They are as much an art as any other form of writing, but we don't seem to have a home for them. As writers (and English majors in general) a strong Resume/CV/Cover Letter can make or break a job opportunity.
Non-fiction would be your best bet at present, Kyle. That said,there have for a while been considerations of setting up a forum/sub-forum specifically for cover letters.
Resumes are business writing. There are sites that specialize in business communications. But if you really want to post if here for critique, Nonfiction would be the place.
if a section for 'cover letters' is being considered, shouldn't it be for query and cover letters, since query letters are more often needed period, and being well-written is more important for them, than for the much simpler cover letters?... the other two writing sites i help out on both have such a section and i can't understand why we don't have one here, since query letters are a vital part of the writer's 'job'... now, the most relevant place for them would be 'publishers' as it's the first step in that process and that's the most appropriate place for a new sub-forum... i agree that a section for writing resumes wouldn't fit in here as well, since writers don't need resumes unless they're trying to get a salaried job as a staff writer, or whatever... and they can be dealt with well enough in 'non-fiction' if help is needed... but i don't see why it would be, since there are standard forms for creating professional-looking resumes available with a bit of googling and all that's needed to fill them in is personal info and decent 'spag'...
Good resumes are a little more involved than "fill in the blanks and don't have any comma errors." I would think that a section (or sub forum of non-ficiton) that caters to cover and query letters would also be a good place for resumes. They all pertain to the 'business' of writing. I understand that this site is mostly for creative writing, but we have a non-ficiton section already and our URL is WritingForums, nor CreativeWritingForums. I'm fine either way the decision goes, I was just making a suggestion.
Well actually this side of the Atlantic a query letter is called a covering or introductory letter and more and more agents/publishers asking for a CV (resume) and/or author biography to the point the websites of the agents that don't specify not to include one. This has been added to a number of websites to either include or not since I first started submitting my work in September last year.
The url was registered years ago, but Daniel recently retitled the site to Creative Writing Forums. I'm not saying that resumes cannot be posted for critique. What I am saying is that there are sites dedicated to business writing, and even sites focused on resumes and cover letters specifically. You'll get feedback on such sites that is much more effective. With resumes, the esthetics are not as important as how effective it is in achieving your objective - convincing an employer to bring you in for an interview. That is also why I don't recommend posting query letters for critique. They are business communications, and there are other sites that specialize in writing effective ones.
this is one of the exremely rare times i must disagree with you, cog... and strongly! book queries are not mere 'business communications' by any stretch of the imagination!... to writers of all breeds, the query letter is just as important a 'creative writing' endeavor as the ms itself, since it must be written every bit as effectively and 'creatively,' to amply display the talent and skills of the writer... and writing the inclusive compelling summary of the book being offered for representation is even harder for many to do, than writing the book!... same goes for writing synopses... so if we offer help here for writers in re their stories, books, articles, screenplays, etc. and in getting same published/produced, how would it make any sense to not include helping them with those two most vital parts of the process?... and basing your opinion on the changed name of the site with its added 'creative' qualification makes even less sense, unless you also intend to exclude/eject any who aspire to journalism and scholarly or technical writing and other non-'creative' kinds... most [if not all] other writing sites i've been on over the years have had a section for queries/synopses... i can't understand your reasoning for not supporting the inclusion of one here... love and hugs [anyway! ;-) ], m
I agree with Mammamaia on this one - the introductory letter is argueably the single most important piece any fiction writer hoping to be published will ever write, if you get that wrong it doesn't matter how good your manuscript is it won't be looked at. Although it should be approached in a business like fashion it also at least here holds the blurb/short synopsis - and the hook line. I think it is also important that we can share information at a time when the publishing industry is changing what it requires in those letters and synopsis. I am seeing shifts in the past six months of checking agents websites on a regular basis waiting to see when they open their books. Things have changed with the really big agencies here. Particularly in relation to author biographies (I know some US publisher/agents are starting to ask as well), length of synopsis, they are cautioning against the blanket bomb approach and requesting you know why you are applying to that particular agency etc. Fact is Harry Potter has changed things, along with ebooks, amazon etc
Resume critiquing is business communication. A query letter or cover letter is also under "business communication" in a technical sense, although I agree with Mammamia and Elgaisma that much creativity is involved in its creation. In fact, query letters rather terrify me. And I'm sure we would agree that this is what this forum is really about--supporting writers with the areas of writing that are most terrifying or difficult for them and also supporting their progress in the publishing industry. BTW--I'm really happy to be a part of this forum. It is really helping me get some inspiration. Also BTW--I actually was critiquing a fellow teacher's resume today, which goes to show that even the most intelligent and educated of people may be a little confused as to the format and wording of resumes. I recently read an article saying that the "objective" of the past is obsolete and that it should be replaced with a section of "competencies" It also said that the resume is not at all limited to one page anymore. Major tips: keep your verb descriptions using the same tense and don't overload your resume with different types of bullet points. Use one and stick to it. Try to maintain consistency of formatting and keep it in a font that can be emailed to any computer without format changes such as Times New Roman.
