What is the big deal about Resumes?

Far too many individuals under-utilize this important career tool. I have seen instances where individuals were more than qualified for a particular position, but because their resume did not showcase their qualifications properly they were overlooked for an interview. So what is the big deal about resumes anyway? Today I will share with you how resumes can make or break your job search.

Before I share some advice, I will start with this; there are many resources online, so there are not many excuses you can offer for not knowing what type of resume is required for your specific professional field. I will go further on to say that my experience includes spending a considerable portion of my time on recruiting. Which means that for each of the many interviews and professional screenings I have conducted, there were scores of resumes reviewed. That number has definitely tallied into the thousands to date. Therefore it is out of this qualified experience I present these tips. Here goes:

1. Don't lie - of all of the do's and don’ts this gets you in the most trouble. If you want a definitive statement on this point, I offer this: Assume that every fact on your resume will be checked. There are some instances when a candidate can be forgiven for exaggerating or overselling his/her experience, especially in cases where they were really trying to make something mundane seem really important or significant. Generally a good interviewer knows how to get clarity on these matters. However a full-fledged lie like, graduating from a university that you did not attend or never completed is an immediate disqualification and blacklisting.

2. Be as concise as possible - resumes that are unnecessarily too long can be subject to the same time treatment as a short resume. When faced with a 3 or more paged resume I usually skip through the sections. Quite frankly, I read the current or most recent experience and then jump to the education section. Only if something in those sections catch my eye, then I reluctantly read on. If not, I move on to the next resume. This means that there may be some very qualified persons whose resumes have come across my desk, but because they were too verbose I passed them over. You have to understand that at any given moment there may be several to dozens of resumes to review, so on a light day I may be prone to spend more time on each one, but on heavier days super long resumes have very slim chances if the relevant experience that I need is not on the first page.

3. Tailor your resume to the position applied for - as a follow-up to point 2, if you do find yourself with a lot of facts to showcase pick the ones that are relevant to the position that you are applying for. In other words if you are applying to be a Financial Analyst, that job you had during high school cleaning tables at the local ice-cream shop may not make the cut. The essence of a resume is not to put every single experience you ever had (even though strong cases can be made for junior hires) but to showcase only the experience that help match you to the position that you are applying to.

4. Use a cover letter - there may be some instances that you want to be more verbose in explaining a certain part of your experience. A cover letter as an attachment to your resume is a very useful item. For example, you have taken a year off of work to travel as a volunteer, or you took time off to raise a child. You may want to use a cover letter in these cases as the time gaps on your resume may not translate well with your prospective employer. There was one in particular that I recall who felt the need to explain why they had 4 positions within 12 months, turned out to be for very plausible reasons. Without it, I would have been left wondering as to what took place. A cover letter gives you a chance to answer before any questions are asked, see this as the ultimate fail-safe.

5. Follow up - when the resume is submitted, the process has only just begun. You will be well served to follow up any application with an email or phone call. The follow up is not for the employer, the follow up is for you. Too often people just apply and don't follow up. You are leaving things to chance when you don’t follow up. When you follow up correctly and strategically, then you would not give the impression that you are stalking the individual who is processing the applications. Don't leave your future up to chance; follow up at least for a confirmation of the receipt of your application.

There is too much info on this topic to write it all in one blog, so another time I will probably share from a different perspective. However, I will like to remind you that the interview process begins once you submit your resume and in some instances you are halfway there once you get called in for an actual interview. An actual interview is an opportunity to build upon the initial impression rendered by your resume.

Until next time remember: As long as you have life, you should live it to your fullest potential.