I've actually gone so far as to have a mostly modular resume. There is no static document, per se, but a giant list of resume "modules" that can be picked and compiled into a coherent resume when the time comes.
Some modules are used pretty much all the time (name, address, education, previous jobs and titles). Others are swapped in or out (bullet points under each job, interests if applicable, etc.). I've found that customizing the resume to fit the job is worth the extra 30 minutes of hassle to compile it.
[Note that I do not advocate making shit up. Rather, I've found that sometimes even the same bullet point, phrased two different ways, can have positive or negative outcomes at two different job openings. Or sometimes Job X considers Accomplishment A very important, but Job Y considers A irrelevant. Etc.]
My university required my resume to be in HTML for applying through their system, so I used to have everything in one HTML file with irrelevant sections just hidden with CSS.
(I also exploited the ability to link external CSS to make a script that tracked everyone who viewed my resume, with a reverse DNS on their IP.)
This is a really good idea - like having a master license agreement (reads like a play book - think 50 pages of options and possible negotiation tracks for what starts as a 5 page agreement).
Of course, an army of lawyers put that together - is there an equivalent group to do that for technical resumes? A resume coach at the VFW wouldn't cut it...
I'm sure there is a cool, hacked-together way to automate the process. And that might actually be a great idea for an app or utility of some sort.
My system to date has been very paleolithic. I keep a spreadsheet with all my bullet points, categorized by job and mapped to different Skills and Experiences (i.e., the things to be demonstrated via the bullet points). When compiling a resume, I cross-reference by job description and its keywords, skills/experiences to be shown, etc.
Then I sort of treat the process like a compilation of overlapping sets, i.e., "The job requirements are A, B, and C. I want to show that I've done X, which demonstrates A and B. Then I want to show that I've done Y, which demonstrates B. But maybe Z demonstrates B and C in a more effective way, so I'll use X and Z as my bullets." There is definitely an easier and more automated way to do all this, perhaps with databases, but I still value the organic process of poring over everything myself and gut-checking if the overall narrative flow makes sense.
As you might imagine, I played too many RPGs as a kid.
'make' and a 'resume.d' directory tree with a vanilla and variant resumes works pretty well. Put the whole shebang under version control.
You can output various formats (HTML for web posting, PDF for distribution/printing, .DOC for recruiter's resume-uptake systems (many are based on MS Word / VBA macros). This is also handy for stripping your personal and/or contact information from resumes posted online (to keep annoying contacts down).
This sounds very clever and well engineered. And let me just say that I pray to all the gods I hold holy that I never be forced into a situation where I'd need to use such a thing.
Viewed from outside the box: this is a classic example of a clever hack to work around the wrong part of the problem.
This sounds like the way to go. Thanks. Especially because, as modular as I like to think my resume is, there really kind of is a vanilla/standard version from which all subsequent versions are really just mods. Might be less legwork than recompiling from basic modules each time.
Yea, you don't want to automate this. You need to keep your resume personal and truly tailored to the job. Unless you really work on natural language parsing the job description and the "about" pages of the company website, it's going to be a lot easier to do those little modifications yourself.
And as you said, you want to make sure the overall narrative flow as well as the overall design of the document makes sense for the job.
Some modules are used pretty much all the time (name, address, education, previous jobs and titles). Others are swapped in or out (bullet points under each job, interests if applicable, etc.). I've found that customizing the resume to fit the job is worth the extra 30 minutes of hassle to compile it.
[Note that I do not advocate making shit up. Rather, I've found that sometimes even the same bullet point, phrased two different ways, can have positive or negative outcomes at two different job openings. Or sometimes Job X considers Accomplishment A very important, but Job Y considers A irrelevant. Etc.]