Is Your Resume Getting You The Interviews?

Aug 6th, 2008 | By Bill | Category: Employment News



Is Your Resume Getting You The Interviews? by Paul Duxbury

A long time ago in a job far away I lost count of the number of Resumes that I have seen during my career in both learning and development and operational management! Increasingly the ease of analysis which Recruiters gained from the application form approach to recruiting is giving way to the” Return of The Resume” and you need to ensure that yours is getting you past that initial sifting of applications and securing an interview.

One Size Does Not Fit All!

The most well written resumes will tell the potential employer one thing: what you can do for them. Most resumes will give details about your work history, experiences, training, education and the like. But what makes the ordinary extraordinary is the resume that caters to the needs of the employer. You need to customize your resume to fit the needs of the company whose attention you are trying to grab. You want them to know that you are a team player whose skills and diverse experience will fit right in with their organization. Be creative! Keep in mind that for every available position, a company might receive over one hundred resumes.

Be Unique

If you have unique experience or skill sets, then highlight that. Diversity and adaptability are some of the most sought-after skills no matter what the industry. Include relevant facts and figures that are meaningful to your target employer. In this area, it helps to know some basic information about the company and the products and services they offer. You will also need to tailor your individual talents to entice the employer to give your resume a more in-depth look.

The idea is that once they take a closer look, they will become more intrigued and call you for an interview. Don’t forget to double check your spelling and grammar, as these types of mistakes will reflect poorly on you.

Dealing with Big Gaps in Your Resume

Is there a big gap in your resume? You can write your resume to downplay that period, or even turn it into an asset.

Generally, most employers will simply assume that you had difficulty finding a position if there is a gap in your resume of about three months or less. If you have only a short gap, you do not need to address it. However, if you have a longer period without employment on your resume, it is worth discussing.

If you had a specific reason that you were not taking part in the rat race, you may want to list in on your resume. You can rephrase it so that it seems like a job: if, for example, you took off a year to do volunteer work overseas, you can include it in your job history. There may be a reason that you don’t want to list a past employer, as well. You may simply choose to leave them off, or list the experience without the company name. Rather than focusing on the dates of your employment, you should consider structuring your resume to focus on your abilities. A traditional work history includes dates and employers. Instead, try listing out your skills and noting at which employer you used them underneath.

If there is a gap that you simply can’t address in your resume, you have an opportunity to explain the situation in your cover letter. While you do not want to make excuses, you may note the situation and offer a reason to satisfy an employer’s interest. While writing your cover letter, you may also be able to demonstrate the benefits of that time off. If you learned appropriate skills in that time period, you can discuss them.

Resume Lengths

There are horror stories in human resources departments about applicants turning in 11 page resumes, often for entry-level positions. It may sound like an urban legend, but applicants often start thinking in a very specific mindset: ‘If I list out everything I have ever done, the hiring manager will decide that I’m perfect for a job.’ Human resources managers recognize the fact that a single page resume can be a little short and cut off important information. However, the expectation is that a good candidate for a job can sum up his or her experience and that details can be discussed in an interview, after human resources has weeded out the applicants who are obviously unqualified.

Even if you feel that there are plenty of great things to say about your work history, get your resume down to a single page. If you’ve been in the work force for quite a while, it’s acceptable to fill a second page, but only then.

There are a few tricks to squeezing a few more words into your resume, if you just have to write down a few more skills. Some resume writers will reduce the font size or margins of a document, but such techniques are obvious. Instead, consider condensing job descriptions. You might also consider deviating from the traditional resume structure. Perhaps a list of your skills with explanations of related duties might better demonstrate your abilities than a list of the companies you worked with. While you should still include a list of your past employers, you can pare it down to company name and location, along with your job title. As long as a reader can still get a good understanding of your experiences by skimming over your resume, the format is unimportant.

There are a few occasions when you may want to offer up a more extensive work history, although requests for such a document may occur further into the application process than a simple call for resumes. A professor might offer one, for instance, or an individual seeking work with the government. Your resume is the first impression most hiring managers will have of you. Keeping to their expectations will predispose them to prefer your resume.

The Cover Letter Your Calling Card

Many job seekers wonder why a cover letter is necessary in the first place, and they often neglect it. So just what is the purpose of a cover letter? Well, a well written cover letter gives the reader a glimpse of your resume BEFORE it is read. It will also entice the reader to review the resume that follows instead of tossing it to the side.

Through your cover letter, the potential employer has an idea about your writing style, ideas, and what you can bring to the table. Your cover letter will introduce you and your intentions to the reader or potential employer. Remember that you don’t want your letter to be long or too wordy. After all, the idea is for them to actually read your resume. Short and sweet is the name of the game here. Keep it professional and sincere.

Resource Box

With over 25 years of operating at senior level in operational and human resource management Paul Duxbury knows what makes a difference for recruiters! Paul writes extensively on Career Development and Change and you can discover more at How To Write A Good Resume and at Career Advice.

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