Any problem "testing" resume at various companies?

[wealthviahealth]

I will soon be applying to my top " dream jobs" which has taken a lot of focus in order to get my resume dusted off and my mind in the right place.
My resume is not exactly at the final stage I would like it to be at but is certainly a decent snap shot of work history/ experience.

I am wondering if their are any major issues/ problems with giving it a few trial runs at some of the companies that are positions I would potentially accept but are a ways down on my list.
I,e applying for some jobs with my current resume and a cover letter that might be more on the generic side.

[madmax]

I feel this is the right way to go and I've done this in the past. I start with my B/C list for interview practice and then make my way up to my A list.

[Axecleaver]

My two cents, don't do it.

I worked for a Fortune 500 for 7 years and did a lot (100's) of hiring. You only get one chance at a first impression. I would recommend you wait until your resume is as good as it can get, and swing for the fences. The problem with sending a "test" resume is that people will remember you.

Although I looked at many thousands of resumes, I remembered names I had seen before, even years in the past, and I kept records of everything. You don't want a potential employer looking at a year old resume and seeing a totally different (inconsistent) story.

If you apply for positions lower on the list than what you really want, the risk is that people will typecast you in that role forever, even if you never interviewed. Better to wait until you have all your ducks in a row and then apply. If you get an interview and don't make the cut, you can always drop back to "I'll consider positions that match my strengths, and work hard to demonstrate that I'm capable of the ___ position in the future." Good luck!

[CommonCents]

To add to Axecleaver's points -

If you know you want to improve your resume and how, why would you wait to do so?  In the course of interviewing you will likely decide you want to adapt your resume anyways; it's an ongoing process.

You also won't get full "practice" unless you are working with your best effort.

There's also a timing issue.  If you apply to the farther down ones first, and then to the higher up ones, what if you get a job offer from a lower down place that you turn down in hopes of the dream place.  Then, you don't get a dream job offer and you're left with nothing.

[NumberCruncher]

Congratulations on this exciting point in your career!

+1 for refining resume first then applying for dream jobs.

I'd also question - how would your resume benefit from applying to lower positions or interviewing at other companies? It's not like interviewers give you a detailed resume critique. It sounds like you'd save yourself time, and hiring companies' time by just focusing on editing now. You wouldn't want to spend time interviewing for positions you're not really interested in while the dream jobs are being filled, anyway.

[Mother Fussbudget]

+1 to Axecleaver's statements above.  I've also been on the hiring side of the desk at several high-tech firms.  In that role, I liked to see people with what I call "hunger" - the drive, persistence, and grit it takes to swing for the fences, and get results.  You seem to be thinking 'outside the box' in wanting advice on this topic - that shows initiative.

Once, my company hired a new CTO - someone who when in-house was clearly not a good fit for the company.  I got a copy of their resume, and from that 2-sided piece of paper could see "why" they got the job.  He told a great story.  I took out my resume, re-wrote it in the CTO's resume style, did a test submittal to a job that paid $20K more than I was making, and had a job offer within 2 weeks.

I would also suggest writing to your "Dream Job Hero" - someone you know (or know of) who's already doing your dream job.  Tell them frankly about your admiration of their work, their results, and your quest to be doing the same role somewhere.  Ask them if they'd be willing to send you a copy of THEIR resume.

But don't 'carpet bomb' your resume around your targeted industry - it's a small world (of work) out there, you run into the same people again and again in any given industry.  Be selective, and VERY selective if you're only 'testing' your resume.

[NoraLenderbee]

I second the advice to polish your resume first, then apply to the jobs you want. When I hire, if a resume doesn't meet the needs of the job I'm hiring for, I just go to the next one. I don't give feedback to the candidate about improving the resume.
If you want feedback, ask someone (preferably a manager) who has worked with you to review it.

[Syonyk]

I'm happy to take a look at it, if it's a vaguely tech related resume.  I've done a decent bit of resume filtering in my time...