Tag Archives: Job Search

Apr20

What should I put on my resume?

Posted on by
What should I put on my resume?

I am often asked – what are hiring managers looking for on a resume?

There is not a generic answer to this question, and it tells me that the questioner is trying to create a “One size fits all” resume.  Nearly every resume you send out will need to be tweaked for the position you are applying to – PERIOD.  Which is not to say that you shouldn’t have a master resume with everything on it, so you can customize it more easily when you are submitting it for a position.

In this day and age, before you send your resume to a company for consideration – you should do some homework.  What you are looking for in your research is the answer to the question you have posed to me – with a more specific focus – what are THESE hiring managers looking for?

And if you are into nuances, what have these hiring managers expressed to their HR or recruiting professionals about what they are looking for?

If you are responding to an ad, make sure that any and all key words in the ad are in your resume (if you have those skills and experience).  Don’t assume that the experience will be inferred, because not everyone who is screening the resumes will recognize that if you did a certain kind of job, you most likely have X skill or experience.  Your best bet is to make sure it is a match.

If you have the opportunity to speak to someone on the phone or in person prior to submitting your resume, ask about the skills, experience and/or training that is being looked for or is in the job description (notice I didn’t say the job posting – they are not always the same).

Ask about the hiring manager.  How long have they been a manager there?  How many other people have they hired? How high is the turnover?

What kind of team is currently in place?  What is the character of the team or department - serious with loads of education/certifications,; strongly team oriented; mostly a loosely assembled group of individual contributors (to name a few styles)?

Customize and edit your resume accordingly.

Some things that I personally do not like to see on a resume (and remember it is different for each and every hiring manager):

  1. I don’t want to see what you did in High School unless you are still in college applying for an intern position or unless it is so unique that you can be googled as some sort of record-breaker or had your 15 minutes of fame with the activity.
  2. I don’t need to see all the part-time and temporary jobs you held, unless they are germane to the position I am looking to fill.
  3. I don’t want your personal references – they are your friends, and by definition think highly of you. They rarely will be able to tell me how your experience makes you the right person for my job.
  4. And last, but not  least, I do not need to see the minutia of your daily activities in your resume.  High level please, believe me, I will drill down if I am interested.

Hope this helps you in figuring out what you should put on your resume – the short answer is: Tailor it for each position you are applying to.

 

 

Apr16

Give me an example of…

Posted on by
Give me an example of…

As a hiring manager, and when I was a recruiter, I often asked questions that began with “Give me an example of…”.

There was and is, a method to my madness, and very few of the candidates I spoke with answered satisfactorily.

So in the spirit of “Processes for Success” April, I thought I would share the logic behind what I am asking for.

When you are in an interview and someone asks how you would handle some situation or task, they are offering you an opportunity to make your personal experience relevent to the position you are applying for.

Let me say that again – you have the chance to tie in your experience to the answer in order to show that you can do the job – even if that experience is not exactly the same situation.

I give more clues about what I am after than most interviewers, with my “Give me an example of…”.

My questions often sound like this: Give me an example of how you have handled an unhappy customer.

This is a straightforward request for YOU to tell ME how you dealt with this or a similar situation.  I do not want to hear what you WOULD do, I want to hear what you HAVE DONE.

The distinction may be subtle. But it is a distinction that tells me whether you have experience that I can use or if you are only theorizing, based on classes or what you have read.  Not that there is anything wrong with that – but if I had two candidates with fairly equal qualifications, my choice will always go to the one who has DEMONSTRATED their experience, rather than someone who has a theory about how they MIGHT handle something.

It also tells me about the candidate’s confidence level and whether their comprehension of questions is strong or if they are making assumptions.   The most successful candidates know how to get more clues to what I am after in a question, by asking me a question while they are thinking about their answer, and then leaving some silence while they formulate their answer.

You don’t have to talk non-stop.

It makes you sound more nervous rather than allowing the interviewer to consider what you have said or have a chance to take notes.   In the above: Give me an example of how you have handled an unhappy customer.  You might answer with “Are you asking about a situation where the customer was unhappy with my performance or with the performance of the company I was working for?”  In other words, you are asking me if the customer was unhappy with something YOU did, or if you are the person taking a random unhappy issue.  That tells me you are thinking about my question, and searching your memory for experience that fits the situation.  I will then tell you that it is an unhappiness with the company.  You can then formulate an answer that addresses that.

Counter questions, when they are thoughtful and probing, or restating questions to be sure you understand what is being asked, are both win/win processes.  As an interviewer, I win because I am given the impression that what I am asking you has importance to you, and that you are giving careful consideration to my questions, and that the questions are thought-provoking.  You win because you are presenting yourself as a confident, intelligent and insightful potential employee.

If you are applying for an entry-level position, and have only college work or summer jobs to draw from, listen to the intent of the question. You may be applying for a research position, and when given the question about how you have handled research for something obscure under a deadline you should be able to apply your experience to that question without hesitation.  “Yes, in my last semester of X class, we had a particularly difficult X subject to research for the paper due on X date.  That left me with 3 weeks to find the data, confirm it, cite the references, and build the paper – which I did successfully and received an A for…”

I hope this helps. I’d love to hear examples of this in action for you. :-)

Feb6

The Devil is in the Details

Posted on by
The Devil is in the Details

Potential clients and potential employers are inundated with resumes.  Before you add yours to the fray, run down this checklist and make sure you have taken care of the details:

1.  Don’t forget a cover letter.  Make it short and sweet.  Tell them why you are submitting your resume, a summary of why you think you are a match for their position and what you would like to get back from them (Phone call? Appointment? Interview?)  If they have asked for salary information – make sure you have added it.  If you know you are not what they are looking for right now, ask them for a time frame to check back with them for openings.

2. Spellcheck AND grammar check AND have someone who writes well double-check your resume.  Some of the mistakes people have left on their resumes are the stuff of urban legends – check and double-check.  That goes for the cover letter, too.

3. Ditch “Objective”  and “References”- they take up real estate on your resume and don’t offer any value.  Everyone assumes that your objective is to get a job.  If you say too much there, you may talk the reader out of looking further.  And “References”, if the employer wants them, will be asked for, no need to share contact information up front.  Plus, anyone who has agreed to be your reference will undoubtedly have nice things to say.  Most high level jobs will call your references, AND call your previous employers to see what might get volunteered.  Your best reference is to try to always leave or complete assignments on good terms.

4.  KEY WORDS – if the position or assignment has specific requirements such as “MS Project ” or “Quickbooks” then make sure that those words are present in your resume! If they are not, the person(s) screening the resume will not assume that you have those requisites, they will move on to a resume that has them stated.  And remember, sometimes it is not a person, but a software application that does the screening…if the key word is not there, the resume doesn’t make it through the screening – period.

5.  Depending on the conservative level of your potential employer or client – and this is a judgement call based on your research about them – you may wish to leave off employment that is not germane to the position you are applying for.  Some companies only want to see what applies to their industry, and do not care about your previous careers in other fields…and some understand that skills can be transferred across industries (some of them anyway) and will appreciate seeing them.  Think hard about it before you go one way or the other.

Does it sound like you must have multiple versions of your resume?  The answer is YES.

Plus you should have one “Master Resume”with your entire work history on it to use as reference when you are asked to complete an application – which many companies still require even after they have viewed your resume.  The application should be complete with your work history, as often it is used for background checking.

Good luck and Happy Monday!

Jan5

Unemployed or underemployed

Posted on by
Unemployed or underemployed

I am talking to nearly everyone I know when I use these terms: unemployed or underemployed.  The workplace has changed, the effect is heart wrenching in some cases – and what we all have to remember is that while we all have stories of how it was in the past, we need to focus on now.  Things I know from being on both sides of the job search (looking for work, and as a recruiter):

1.  A resume is not just an introduction to a potential employer, it is a screening tool.   More often it is used to rule out a candidate rather than a flag that says “here is the perfect candidate – hire him/her now”.  This is why you will see the more savvy experienced applicant leaving off some of his/her experience unless it is specifically germane to the job at hand, so that the employer will not screen them out for age or “over”qualification.

2. Knowing someone personally or having a reference that is personally known to the potential employer is helpful.  If you are one of those folks who believes that jobs are awarded by merit, and not by a few other various and sundry criteria, then you need to go find a good therapist because you probably are still hung up on how unfair life is….yes, I know that sounds harsh but reality is that humans are looking for humans that they feel good about to hire, whether that is because of trust in a third party’s opinion, or the fact that you go to the same church, or went to the same college or know the same golfing buddies – all people are looking for someone they can relate to as well as if you can do the job.  Obviously this can be distressing if you are a rocket scientist and you know that there are few rocket scientists with your credentials, but I assure you that unless you are the ONLY one with your credentials and they meet perfectly what the employer is looking for,  you will need at least one more item in your favor.

3. I know that in many cases of desperation, we are all willing to take ANY job.  The great frustration about this is that employers are not always willing to hire us for a position they think we will get bored in, or is less than our previous salary….it is an awful position to be in, and I have been in it.  This is where we all have to be creative, and know when to walk away and find something else to apply for, which is often one of the hardest things to do.  I am going to be 55 this year… I don’t feel old, but I know some employers see me that way because at my age – benefits are more expensive, the potential for illness and time off are more probable, and younger employees and clients may have difficulty relating to me and I to them.  The point here is to not fixate on the jobs you cannot get, but to continue to search for ones you can get, or to find ways to be entrepreneurial and either work or sell for yourself.

I fully believe that the next big thing will be cottage industries – especially with the trend to buy locally to alleviate dependence on oil, help conserve resources, and to be greener.  People who find ways to help others be green, upcycle old items, organize recycling where it really makes sense – those are the folks who will help re-establish small businesses and therefore create jobs.

Good luck out there.  If you are self-employed because of unemployment or underemployment – drop me a note and share your experience. We all learn from each other.  Thanks!

Jul15

Things that make you go “DUH”

Posted on by
Things that make you go “DUH”

I recently read a series of articles on things NOT to put in your resume. In this day and age it merits restating that there are some things that are just not going to aid you in getting a job. For example, if you are older than 24 and have worked in a real full time job, including your experience at fast food restaurants and baby sitting while in high school is not helping you.
Sounds obvious? Believe me, it isn’t. Remember that common sense is not really all that common. I have seen resumes for technical positions that included in the body of the experience that the person spent a year as a Boy Scout Troop Leader. While admirable, and perhaps appropriate in an area of interests, listing it as part of the experience for a position not related to the Boy Scouts is not helping your cause.
Most people forget that the resume is not only your marketing tool, letting the potential hiring entity know what great experience and qualifications you have – BUT IT IS ALSO a tool that the same entities use to SCREEN PEOPLE OUT of the running for a job.
Before you send in your resume, take a look at it from a “stranger’s perspective” and see if there are items listed that would be reasons to say NO to you.

Oct22

Ten Tips for Successful Job Hunting

Posted on by
Ten Tips for Successful Job Hunting

Whether you are looking for a new job, your first job, or re-entering the job market – following these ten tips will help you achieve your goals!

1.  Don’t rely on “spell check” alone!  Have someone with excellent writing skills take a look at your resume and your cover letter.  Just because it is spelled correctly doesn’t mean that is the word you wanted to use.  The wrong word can make you seem ignorant at best and at worst – incapable of writing at all!
For example: Then and Than; There and Here; Not and Note – if it is a real word and not misspelled – it will pass spell check.  

2.  READ the job posting carefully.   If specific skills are asked for, be sure they are easily found in your resume and you mention them in your cover letter. For extra help with writing a cover letter, we highly recommend  ”Amazing Cover Letters” - For more information:  Click Here!

3.  Do NOT use “text message contractions” under ANY circumstances when communicating with a prospective employer.  EVEN if they do it in email to you! 

4.  NEVER use a career objective in your resume unless the position you are applying for happens to match exactly.  Career Objectives are viewed as “filler” and are disregarded or used to screen you out of the position.

5.  Once you have an interview scheduled, do some research on the Company.  You should know what they are in business to do. 

6.  Dress for business whether they are business casual or not.  You want to make a good first impression.  You want to let them know you are serious about finding work.

7.  Have one or two questions ready to ask the hiring manager or the human resources person.  At the end of every interview, you have an opportunity to make an additional impression, make it a great impression with a thoughtful question about either the position or the company.

8.  When you are talking about your previous salary (if that is applicable) remember that your compensation should also include the value of your benefits – so if your previous employer paid for your medical and dental coverage, add that value in to your overall salary requirements. 

9.  If you are asked what your salary requirements are, be ready with an answer appropriate to your situation.  In other words – if you want to negotiate for the best deal – your answer should be open-ended.  For example: What would your best offer be?  If you are not in a position to negotiate, but still want to get the best possible offer, you can ask “what were you planning on paying for this position?”.  The trick is not to be the first to name a number, if at all possible. 

10.  Always say “Thank you” for the interview, and if possible write a “Thank you” note.  It is one more opportunity to differentiate yourself from the competition.

Good Luck!