How does being quoted help a resume?
I was mentioned by a big web site. How can I show this on my resume? How can I make it matter to help me get a job?
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penelope@penelopetrunk.com
You can use a quote from the post as a bullet on your resume. For example, “Cited by CNN as an expert on the semiconductor industry.” Or you can write, “Frequent commentator on the semi-conductor industry [or whatever] for outlets like CNN.” Even if there’s only one big place you were quoted, there are a lot of other smaller outlets, like your mom’s dining room table, so it’s not a lie.
Another idea: If the mention of your name sent traffic to your blog or other web site then you can write on the resume about the amount of traffic you attracted from a given piece of content or an interview you produced. You can have a bullet that says, “Wrote a post that generated XX page views in one day.” Or “Wrote a post that increased site traffic 75%.” The increase could be only one day, and it could be an increase from a really small amount. That’s not a lie, either.
A good rule of thumb when writing bullets on your resume is to think about the story. Each bullet is a story.
Penelope
Or you can write, “Frequent commentator on the semi-conductor industry [or whatever] for outlets like CNN.” Even if there’s only one big place you were quoted, there are a lot of other smaller outlets, like your mom’s dining room table, so it’s not a lie.
As someone who actually hires people, if I happen to probe about this accomplishment and you’re not able to cite the other “outlets” (plural), I’m going to think that you’re prone to inflate other things as well and will question your integrity. Don’t do this. It’s impressive enough to simply tell the truth about it.
You can also make it matter by highlighting the mention in your cover letter. Whether you decide to include it in your resume or cover letter, be sure to somehow link the pertinence of the mention to the job that you’re applying for. In other words, customize the mention in the big web site to the particular job to make the most impact and show why it really matters.