Here’s an intriguing mind mapping contest: The author of the eDragonu Blog, Dragos Roua, which covers David Allen’s Getting Things Done (GTD) personal organizational methodology, is holding a contest for the best and most creative resume – in visual map format. The prize is a free license for MindManager 6.
I normally wouldn’t highlight a contest like this, but the focus of it really intrigues me. I’ve often bounced the idea of a mind map resume around in my head, but have never tried to create one. The challenge, I think, is to keep it simple and visually compelling enough that someone who is not a mind mapping fan can read, understand and appreciate the creativity that went into it. Most corporate HR departments like the standard resume format – it’s consistent, and does a pretty good job of communicating a candidate’s experience. But it’s boring as hell!How would they view a mind map resume coming across their desk? Probably with a certain amount of suspicion.
Another part of the challenge is condensing your background and experience into a single-page mind map, while still keeping fonts to a readable size. If you have a fair amount of job experience, that could be a tall order!
I can’t wait to see what the winning entries in this contest look like. Please be sure to read Dragos’ rules before submitting your mind map resume. For example, you must publish a blog, and you must submit your map in native format, not as an image file. The deadline for this contest is April 15, 2007.
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