Staring at a blank document for an hour feels like a waste of time

Downloading templates that never quite fit right

I sat down yesterday to redo my resume because the one I’ve been using for the last three years started looking a bit dated. I thought it would be a quick fix. I ended up browsing through Worknet and a couple of other job boards, trying to find a simple resume template that didn’t look like it was designed in 2005. The issue is that most of these ‘standard’ forms are cluttered with unnecessary fields like family background or home addresses that I don’t really want to disclose. I eventually opened up a blank file in HWP, the classic Hancom Office format that everyone in Korea seems to force you to use for formal applications. Trying to get the margins right so that everything fits on one page without looking cramped turned into a two-hour ordeal of messing with tab stops and font sizes.

The struggle with AI-assisted drafting

I saw an announcement about some AI integration for document services recently, so I briefly experimented with using an AI tool to generate a self-introduction section for my resume. Honestly, it was pretty hit or miss. The text it produced sounded way too professional, almost like it was trying to sell a product rather than describe my actual work history. I spent more time editing the AI’s output to sound like a human who had actually held a job than I would have spent just writing it from scratch. It made me realize how strange it is that we’re moving toward these hyper-polished, robotic-sounding documents when what most hiring managers probably want is just a clear, honest summary of what I can do.

Saving files in ten different versions

By the time I finished, I had about six different files on my desktop: resume_v1, resume_final, resume_final_real, and so on. It’s annoying how everyone asks for different formats. One place wants a PDF so the layout doesn’t break, another insists on the raw HWP file so they can feed it into their internal HR database or recruiting solutions like Greeting, and some just want you to copy and paste everything into a web form that strips all your formatting anyway. I paid nothing for these templates, but the cost in mental energy felt significantly higher than if I had just spent a few dollars on a pre-made clean design. I still have no idea if the version I finally uploaded today will actually display correctly on their monitors.

The feeling that it is never truly finished

Even after saving the final version, I keep staring at the document and thinking I should change a word here or there. I looked at some examples of ‘expert’ resumes online, and half of them suggest things like drawing a ‘genogram’ or adding detailed career timelines that honestly feel excessive for an entry-level or mid-career pivot. I left out the extra fluff. Maybe that was a mistake, or maybe it was the right call. I ended up sending the file off around 11 PM last night, and now I’m just waiting to see if I get a generic rejection email. There’s no perfect way to do this, and looking at the document now, it feels like it’s missing something, but I really don’t have the patience to open the editor again.