Creating multiple resumes/CVs with Text Blaze

Hi all,

If you're job hunting, you might be using multiple CVs tailored for targeting different jobs or industries.

Here are some tips on how to use Text Blaze to make this process easier.

First of all, if your CVs are radically different, you might want to create a different snippet for each. However, there's always going to be certain parts (like your name, address, phone number etc) that are going to be the same in every CV.

For bits like these, I recommend you use the {import} command. Just put the "standard" information in a separate snippet, and then import it into your CV snippet accordingly. This is convenient in cases where you need to change the standardized content and want it updated in every other snippet.

Next, you're probably going to be cherry-picking skills according to whether they fit the job application. Here, I recommend using a {formmenu} command with the multiple setting turned to yes.

Here's what that would look like:

{formmenu: multiple=yes; default=Javascript; default=HTML; C++; Python; Ruby; PHP}

If there are items that you always want to include, you can use the default setting with each of them.

Another useful command in this scenario is {formtoggle}, which allows you to turn on/off a specific bit of text.

Let's say you want to list your hobbies, but this section isn't always appropriate for every job application. In this case, you could create another {formmenu} listing your hobbies (which allows you to select only the ones that you think are relevant) and put that inside a {formtoggle} to include/exclude at will.

Something like this:

{formtoggle}
My hobbies include {formmenu: multiple=yes; default=crochet; knife-throwing; tightrope walking; default=reading; default=writing fiction}
{endformtoggle}

So, if I decide that hobbies aren't relevant to the application, I can leave the section out entirely. But if I decide to include it, I can then pick whatever hobby I want. I might want to refrain from selecting "knife-throwing" and "tightrope walking" as it might reflect negatively on me. But if I know that my prospective employer is looking for someone who's determined and daring, those hobbies might pique their interests.

There's a lot more you can use of course, but this post is already pretty long, so let's take it to the comments and discuss more specific scenarios in there.

Hope this helps :slight_smile:

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