Ask HN: Fake résumé generator
I'm looking for a job. I've had a lot of conflicting advice from different people about what to put on a résumé, and how long it should be. Although my background is in hardware, I've had more work experience in software, including recently doing some big data processing and machine learning. I feel like my applications are being auto-filtered and aren't even being seen by humans. The only interview I had simply asked questions about each part of the job description.
Therefore I'm considering writing a fake résumé generator. It would take a job description, find key words, and patch together a realistic profile based on a dataset of real résumés.
If my bots could get an interview, I would then attend and reveal my true identity. Having successfully built a machine that passed their HR deparment's Turing Test, I'd hope that some engineers might be impressed with my sheer audacity. However, I'm worried that it might get me blacklisted from some companies. I feel like there's nothing to lose though, because I'm already unemployed.
What's your opinion? Is this a system that's worth gaming? Would you be impressed or offended if you discovered that a shortlisted candidate was AI, not human?
42 comments
[ 4.5 ms ] story [ 83.3 ms ] threadI find many kinds of hacks amusing or impressive. But not lying about your background.
> If my bots could get an interview, I would then attend and reveal my true identity.
So you'd be hijacking the interview of your fictitious persona. I'm not even sure which is worse, but IMO it's a dick move, and I'd show you the door before anything of value was discussed.
Although any place that's doing in-person interviews w/o a phone-call sanity check, and maybe more, isn't a place I'd want to work anyway, because that's un-sustainable.
The HR department is already using AI to filter candidates. It's called Applicant Tracking Systems. It's a thing [1] [2]. If the companies are using bots against the candidates, why should candidates not use bots against the companies?
[1] https://www.analyticsindiamag.com/top-use-cases-ai-human-res...
[2] https://medium.com/@deadlocked_d/to-all-recruiters-use-machi...
I may have to take a run at it just for giggles.
Shifting keywords, re-ordering sections, highlighting specific experience: totally, 100% valid, and if you can automate that, a potential product (it's similar to stuff I banged on years and years ago). It's what people should be doing to their resume anyway.
Companies don't use AI against candidates, they use AI to try to weed through the tens, hundreds, or thousands of resumes they have to shuffle through to find maybe one or two standouts.
You wouldn't be using AI against a company, you'd be using it because (in your view) it's in your, and the company's, best interests to hire you. Guess what: lying and bullshitting to get a foot in the door does not demonstrate that, and only very rarely will it be positively received by the people you lied to.
If you're waiting for a "Ya' gotta lotta moxie, kid, yeeeaaaarrrrhh" you'll probably be waiting a long time.
"Read ad. Send in resume. Go to job interview. Receive offer.” is the exception, not the typical case, for getting employment.
[0]: https://www.kalzumeus.com/2011/10/28/dont-call-yourself-a-pr...
After trying with that method, I experimented with many other routes. Most expect me to already have a work visa. I've been trying since March. I rewrote my résumé twice. I updated my LinkedIn. I asked recruiters for help. I put side projects on the web to try to get attention. I asked friends who I worked with at a local company when I was there before. I found random people on Github and offered to work for free on open-source projects just to get an introduction. I contacted computer repair shops and asked them to put up posters advertising data migration services that I could do with my old Apple II. Nothing has worked. Now I'm spamming every company on the Accredited Employers list (whether in the tech industry or not), just to try to get some new ideas of how to approach the application process in that country.
Writing custom cover letters and tailoring my résumé for each separate application is very time consuming and involves exaggeration to the point of stretching the truth. What I'm considering in this project is to build a bot that could take over that process. Blatant lying, just not in my name. I think that fraud is wrong for a human, but for a bot, passing the Turing Test is a feature.
No, no I won't.
The bot created the resume under your direction: you're not presenting the resume as a science project or submitting it to a Turing Test, you're submitting it to an HR person, or hiring manager, as a potential candidate, and wasting their time. It's just rude.
Uh except for "You’re in the business of unemploying people. If you think that is unfair, go back to school and study something that doesn’t matter."
"A visa too! Wow, a fascinating problem with multiple dimensions to consider. And here at the center of it, a gifted analyst. I wonder what kind of theory or model could be drafted, something that fits the situation like a glove _and_ exposes critical leverage points. If anyone could do it...(points at you)"
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17927183
I haven't cheated yet because I have ethical doubts about it. But my resolve is slipping because I have tried every other conceivable option for trying to get a job.
Also I'm not sure if you tried ever conceivable option. If you know some Latex, fill out this template and you should be off a lot better: https://github.com/xdanaux/moderncv
Thing is, even if the field of work is relevant (AI), most companies consider their HR process as some kind of sacred rite of passage and they tend to be very inflexible in changing their mode of operation per candidate. Not to mention that even if companies advertise otherwise, disregard for status quo || authority is not really a marketable character trait.
To answer your question on a more personal note: actually, I'd at least be a bit impressed if the end product is of high quality, and would like to learn more about the code and your reasoning behind it. Yet I believe this would be an uncommon approach in the industry.
Thank you for your opinion though, I'm trying to evaluate whether this is a situation of Asymmetric Risk [1]. When I have no job to start with, I feel like I have nothing to lose.
[1] https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/investment-id...
It takes hours or days of clock time to find candidates to bother phone screening, let alone bring in for a face-to-face. Someone comes in that I'm not expecting to talk to... you'll meet the door with some velocity.
(And anybody that wants you to come in for a face-to-face before a phone screen... they deserve whatever they get, because that's dumb unless they're across the street and bring you lunch.)
If you can't figure out what to put on a resume how will you solve an actual problem?!
* Skip the crammed-together logo crap and links on the left.
* More whitepace, it's hard to read.
* Don't jam the position/company/location/dates all on one line.
* It's impossible to figure out what you (think you) know without reading everything: without a summary section you likely won't get past many automated or human systems.
* Even after reading your experience I have almost zero clue what languages and environments you know, have familiarity with, prefer, or enjoy.
* Stop with all the freakin' icons, flags, and pictures.
* References on request.
* Elide all/most of the "Personal Interests"
* Nobody cares about your iBooks in 2005
* I would keep the language, education sections; academic awards, meh; as a hirer, I don't care.
* Add a better summary section.
* Add usable, relevant info to the job history (e.g. "I wrote this", BFD: what did you use to write it?) or add an overall technology section, and don't lie, because if whoever is interviewing you is anything like you, I will ask about the weirdest shit you put on your resume.
Bottom line: lots of wasted space, way too light on actionable data. No clue what you actually know, what you want to do, how any of your experience is relevant to what I'm hiring for.
Tangential: For better or worse, your religious views will raise certain feelings in certain people. And if your life was predetermined, then this is all what's supposed to happen anyway, right? So why complain? Just sayin'.
I won't answer all your objections here, because I fear that it might sound defensive and I don't want to turn a comment thread into a flame war. I do appreciate advice.
It doesn't bother me if you sound, or are, defensive--people are naturally invested in their work, their image, their "self". Won't change my opinion(s), it takes two people to have a flame war, and I'd ignore anything war-like because I have actual stuff to do.
Some people... shrug wth.
This is one of those moments when Hacker News really needs an 'upvote' button and an 'upvote and buy lunch' button. Since I can't buy you lunch, at least accept my gratitude and respect. You're a good man and I have a lot of respect for the way you have handled this.
shrug It takes all kinds and all that :) But thanks, appreciate the appreciation. His knee-jerk reaction was just that, and while annoying, ultimately inconsequential.
Before making a controversial project like this, I decided to weigh up the attitude of the community. If the comment thread were encouraging, then I would probably have done it. But instead it's turned to personal attacks on my existing résumé. I think it's a toxic idea that's likely to breed flame wars, and that's not going to help me find a job.
Intriguingly, nobody doubts that AI could produce these bots. Somebody probably will do this, but I don't think they'll then show it off.
I didn't see anything in this entire thread that was a personal attack. I saw attacks on your idea, because it's deceitful, and I saw criticisms of your resume, which AFAIC, seems pretty valid under the circumstances.
If I write a fake resume generator, it'll be on Github for all to peruse and improve upon--don't know why people wouldn't want to "show their work". It's not like it's going to get a lot of people hired, and even if it did, it'll be rare that they're kept in their position for long.
It's obvious that you're at the point of frustration, and you're taking it personal. It's either affecting your style of communication, or your style of communication is combative as a whole.
Speaking of personal, your resume is very personal, where it should be professional. Reading your resume should be a succinct representation on your professional skills. Your personal style and hobbies are something that co-workers learn during interviews and after you start your job. As other people have said, less is more in this aspect.
Hiring managers find objectives in a resume mostly useless. Even if you insist on including an objective, the current one is weak. It's about as generic as the label you'd find on white bread. It should be a summary of who you are (professionally). For example: "A Software Engineer with over 10 years worth of experience with a track record of delivering exceptional quality on time with a focus on electrical engineering"
Your resume should sell, and you are the product. With that in mind, you should write it in a manner that describes the value you bring, not a laundry list of things you've done at your previous positions. It's great that you wrote driver software, but what impact did it have?
Everything on the resume that adds no value can be removed, that includes all of these 1-2 month long internship (it's ok to combine it into 1 "job" with multiple bullet points demonstrating value). It also includes everything that's extracurricular, hobbies, interests, languages, GPA, etc. (Use judgement here, if the job requires multi-lingual proficiency than you'd want to keep that)
References should not be on your resume. If someone wants a reference, they will ask for it.
You should list major roles and describe you VALUE and not day to day tasks. 3-4 bullet points each one a paragraph elaborating on how your contribution was valuable. Small roles can be combined, but the same rule applies - the place/title doesn't matter only the value.
I use mine as both information, and a "gatekeeper" of sorts, and I believe it's saved everyone involved a fair amount of time in the long run. If they like it, and my skills or aptitude match what they're looking for, it's probably a good fit on multiple levels.
That said: it's a minor disagreement. For most people it probably isn't quite as functional--but I'm a unique snowflake ;)
Saying you have nothing to lose because you're unemployed makes no sense. You would be losing potential job opportunities.
You'd be far better off putting your time into creating a neat, readable resume.