What are your thoughts when you see a resume listing the candidate as being on the Cambridge Who's Who list of executives, professionals, and entrepreneurs?  Is it as prestigious as they claim to be?

I'm rather surprised someone would have enough courage to put that up in their resumes... here's a little reading about such things:

Cambridge Who's Who Scam 

In short, the 'nomination' simply a scam.  Just like about 90% of the "Who's who".  As long as the 'participants/meticulously selected candidates' pay (as much as $1000), they can be entered into this 'prestigious' list, which doesn't mean anything.  Just random advertisement.

Perhaps they honestly do not know about these lists.  I'd hope they do and are just trying to pull a fast one on you (because otherwise, I feel sorry for them).  But I'd just dismiss it and ignore such mention, or be highly skeptic about the rest of what's included on their resumes.  It's like saying that you are a candidate to win the $1mil prize from Publisher Clearing House (or whatever the correct name is).

Cheers!

Yup.  It's vanity press: pay to be listed.

Thanks for the reply.  I kind of wondered when was looking at the Who's Who website.  I honestly know nothing from them aside from the fact that when I was a senior in high school, one of my classmates was apparently on the outstanding high school students (or whatever it's called) list.

Vanity lists have really wrecked the ideology originally behind the "Who's Who" philosophy. Back in the "day", industry "Who's Who" lists were, at least, slightly useful as they were almost like Hall of Fame type awards, where those in them, at least had done something worthy to warrant their "appearance". Unfortunately, now, that has all faded, and anyone with a hundred in the pocket can become a "Who's Who of Who Knows Who". :)

 

Cheers!

sreising

I usually get one of these invitations once a year in the mail.  The way I see it:  If I'm special enough to be in a Who's Who list, I'm special enough to not have to pay for it. 

-Justin

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Eat. Skate. Sleep. Repeat.

I just received one yesterday and as I was throwing it in the trash, I laughed to myself and thought of this thread. How timely!