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Resume Mistakes Can Cost You The Job
Recently I
was assisting an employer with the hiring process and reviewed many
resumes that were sent in. I couldn't help but be concerned that so many
people are not having any job search success because they are using a
very poor resume to represent themselves to potential employers. A poor
resume drags out a search for new employment.
A candidate's resume
typically gets a 15-second glance, if it gets looked at all. Employers
complain that they receive hundreds of resumes for any listed opening
but 90% of the applicants are not qualified to do the advertised job.
In recent hiring trends many
resumes are never being seen by human eyes. An electronic computer scans
it, looking at keywords and eliminating all others. Employers confess
to getting so many resumes that the speed of applying is a hiring
factor. Employers told me they look through the resume stack until they
find four or five good ones, call those candidates in for an interview,
and may leave hundreds of resumes unread.
Today it is only a
well-written resume advertising accomplishments and past performance
results that gets noticed. Of course you know that, but when I look at
the resumes being sent out to employers I cringe because so many
avoidable mistakes are causing job hunters to be rejected. In my books
Winning Resumes and Winning Cover Letters, we published a survey of over
600 hiring managers to learn exactly what gets attention and what gets
rejected. A few of the major mistakes revealed included:
- Lying.
Employers reported they are on the lookout for the significant increase
in lies or serious exaggerated claims made in people's resumes. Common
deceptions include accomplishments, salary, or size of the team managed.
Helen, an HR Executive Recruiter inside a prominent company, wrote on
her survey form: "Never, ever, lie. One person I hired lied about having
a college degree when she did not have one. We fired her when the lie
was uncovered."
ACTION STEP: Don't Lie. Most employers catch you in the interview
or when they do reference checks, so inflating your qualifications into
fabrications is NOT the same as using good self marketing to get hired.
- No apparent accomplishments. Employers report that
many people's resumes are just dull job descriptions but candidates do
not list any kind of results achieved on the job. The surveyed employers
heavily criticized generic resumes as a worthless effort.
ACTION STEP: Results sell! Use specific facts noting demonstrated
skills, and past accomplishments achieved. Our formula for success is
using actions=results bullets that command attention. Be sure to include
figures on how large, how many, what you did, and how it turned out.
Stress actions that resulted in an increase in revenues, and any cost or
time savings.
- Lengthy resume. Surveyed managers reported that
resumes only get a 15 second review. "More is not better," noted Martha,
an HR Director. "Long careers often travel into numerous pages and
important accomplishments get lost. We won't read anything beyond a page
especially with so many people applying."
ACTION STEP: Write a concise one-page resume noting top
achievements. Highlight only the relevant recent information related to
doing the targeted job. Use action words to create more powerful
sentences.
- Spelling mistakes and use of micro-type. A top
complaint with every manager and HR person in our survey noted: "I stop
reading when I find spelling mistakes." Employers felt typographical
errors reflect the poor quality of work they can expect from you.
Reducing the font size to cram more into a resume often results in
making it harder to read and many employers noted that they simply skip
reading the ones with very small type.
ACTION STEP: Proofread! Perfection is a necessity to remain
competitive. Use size 12 font and a nice layout that is easily read. Use
clean fonts (i.e. Arial) so phone numbers and email contact information
is easily read.
- No cover letter. Employers report that fewer
candidates today use cover letters since many applicants are just
blasting their resumes everywhere with a quick click on the send button.
Surveyed employers stated cover letters are very influential and can
snag an interview by themselves. They repeatedly noted was that it is a
BIG MISTAKE using no cover letter at all.
ACTION STEP: Take the time to create a targeted letter addressing
the specific employers needs. Opening with a couple sentences that
advertise your top skills and accomplishments is the secret ingredient
to getting your letter read. Then highlight exactly how you can perform
the job and show definitive actions and outcomes.
A great resume is an
essential career tool. It sends an employer this key message, "I'm a pro
in everything I do, and someone you definitely want on your team."
- Robin Ryan
THE JOB INTERVIEW IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE JOB DUTIES
Are you stuck in the notion that the
job interview is just about the job duties - it's NOT! Here is what
the interviewer is really looking for. [ Read More]
Resume Mistakes Can Cost You The Job
Recently I
was assisting an employer with the hiring process and reviewed many
resumes that were sent in. I couldn't help but be concerned that so many
people are not having any job search success because they are using a
very poor resume to represent themselves to potential employers. A poor
resume drags out a search for new employment.
A candidate's resume
typically gets a 15-second glance, if it gets looked at all. Employers
complain that they receive hundreds of resumes for any listed opening
but 90% of the applicants are not qualified to do the advertised job.
In recent hiring trends many
resumes are never being seen by human eyes. An electronic computer scans
it, looking at keywords and eliminating all others. Employers confess
to getting so many resumes that the speed of applying is a hiring
factor. Employers told me they look through the resume stack until they
find four or five good ones, call those candidates in for an interview,
and may leave hundreds of resumes unread.
Today it is only a
well-written resume advertising accomplishments and past performance
results that gets noticed. Of course you know that, but when I look at
the resumes being sent out to employers I cringe because so many
avoidable mistakes are causing job hunters to be rejected. In my books
Winning Resumes and Winning Cover Letters, we published a survey of over
600 hiring managers to learn exactly what gets attention and what gets
rejected. A few of the major mistakes revealed included:
- Lying.
Employers reported they are on the lookout for the significant increase
in lies or serious exaggerated claims made in people's resumes. Common
deceptions include accomplishments, salary, or size of the team managed.
Helen, an HR Executive Recruiter inside a prominent company, wrote on
her survey form: "Never, ever, lie. One person I hired lied about having
a college degree when she did not have one. We fired her when the lie
was uncovered."
ACTION STEP: Don't Lie. Most employers catch you in the interview
or when they do reference checks, so inflating your qualifications into
fabrications is NOT the same as using good self marketing to get hired.
- No apparent accomplishments. Employers report that
many people's resumes are just dull job descriptions but candidates do
not list any kind of results achieved on the job. The surveyed employers
heavily criticized generic resumes as a worthless effort.
ACTION STEP: Results sell! Use specific facts noting demonstrated
skills, and past accomplishments achieved. Our formula for success is
using actions=results bullets that command attention. Be sure to include
figures on how large, how many, what you did, and how it turned out.
Stress actions that resulted in an increase in revenues, and any cost or
time savings.
- Lengthy resume. Surveyed managers reported that
resumes only get a 15 second review. "More is not better," noted Martha,
an HR Director. "Long careers often travel into numerous pages and
important accomplishments get lost. We won't read anything beyond a page
especially with so many people applying."
ACTION STEP: Write a concise one-page resume noting top
achievements. Highlight only the relevant recent information related to
doing the targeted job. Use action words to create more powerful
sentences.
- Spelling mistakes and use of micro-type. A top
complaint with every manager and HR person in our survey noted: "I stop
reading when I find spelling mistakes." Employers felt typographical
errors reflect the poor quality of work they can expect from you.
Reducing the font size to cram more into a resume often results in
making it harder to read and many employers noted that they simply skip
reading the ones with very small type.
ACTION STEP: Proofread! Perfection is a necessity to remain
competitive. Use size 12 font and a nice layout that is easily read. Use
clean fonts (i.e. Arial) so phone numbers and email contact information
is easily read.
- No cover letter. Employers report that fewer
candidates today use cover letters since many applicants are just
blasting their resumes everywhere with a quick click on the send button.
Surveyed employers stated cover letters are very influential and can
snag an interview by themselves. They repeatedly noted was that it is a
BIG MISTAKE using no cover letter at all.
ACTION STEP: Take the time to create a targeted letter addressing
the specific employers needs. Opening with a couple sentences that
advertise your top skills and accomplishments is the secret ingredient
to getting your letter read. Then highlight exactly how you can perform
the job and show definitive actions and outcomes.
A great resume is an
essential career tool. It sends an employer this key message, "I'm a pro
in everything I do, and someone you definitely want on your team."
- Robin Ryan
Source: "Winning Resumes" and "Winning Cover Letters" Books by Robin Ryan.
P.S. Here's a Cover Letter Secret that Grabs the Eyeballs!
Have you ever written a letter or email
and after you signed off, suddenly realized you have one more thing
to say? Or you wanted to remind your reader of something already
stated? It's easy to remedy. Just add a P.S. (short for
postscript).
This powerful little addition is also
an effective tool to use in your job search cover letters. Oftentimes
the P.S. will be the first line to grab the hiring manager's
attention. These two letters of the alphabet strategically placed at
the end of your cover letter can be more powerful than all the
paragraphs that precede them. Decide now to add a
P.S.-intentionally. Why? Because it's impossible not
to read it and it's your chance to call your reader to action once
again- namely to make an appointment with you for a job interview.
Saying Something Again
in a New and Fresh Way
Add a bit of pizzazz to all your cover
letters by using the P.S. to restate what you've already said in a
way that will attract attention, motivate action, and promote
connection between you and the hiring manager. Here are two examples
to follow. Use your own wording, of course, so your reminder is
unique.
P.S. On June 10
I will follow up with a phone call to be sure you received my
application. I look forward to meeting with you in person and
interviewing for this position. Feel free to call me at 555-555-555.
P.S. Thank you
for taking the time to read my cover letter. I honestly believe I'm
the perfect fit for this position. I'd welcome the opportunity to
schedule an interview at your convenience. Please call me at
555-555-5555.
P.S. Keep in mind that people will
never skip a P.S. so be sure to include one in your next cover
letter.
Jimmy Sweeney is the president of
CareerJimmy and author of the new, Amazing
Cover Letter Creator. Jimmy is also the author of several
career-related books and writes a monthly article titled, "Job-Search
Secrets." Visit Jimmy on the web at Amazing
Cover Letters.com for your 'instant' cover letter
today. In just 3 ½ minutes you will have an amazing cover
letter guaranteed to cut through YOUR competition like a hot knife
through butter!
How to ACE the Second Job Interview
Congratulations!
If you made it through your first job interview and got called
for a second you should be feeling pretty good. This means you're
high on the list of candidates to fill the position you're
targeting. The hiring manager is interested in you and wants
to spend a little more time with you before offering you the job.
What can you expect from this next go-round? How can you prepare so
the session will be successful for both you and the interviewer?
- Ask
for an agenda from the person who set up the interview.
This
will help you anticipate questions and plan your answers. Second
interviews often involve people from various departments of the
organization so you'll get a chance to meet and speak with people
you'll be interacting with if you land the job.
-Learn
even more information about the company.
Check
the web site, company blog, message boards, etc., whatever venue will
lead you to information about management, staff, promotions, company
contracts, and so on. Then you'll be able to speak with knowledge
and confidence during the second interview.
-Review
the questions and answers from your first interview.
It
will be worth your while to give yourself another practice round with
a friend or relative. This will help you relax, take your time, and
focus on the essentials before you walk into the interview room.
-Freshen
and update your responses.
If,
after the first interview, you realized you left something out or
since that time you thought of something else you'd like to say,
here's your opportunity. Reread your notes from the first
interview, checking for anything you'd like to add or clarify.
-Follow
up with a 'thank you.'
As
you did the first time, send a thank you by note or email to each
person you met with and restate your interest in the company and in
the position you're aiming for.
As
the saying goes; "the harder you work, the luckier you get!" Jimmy
Sweeney is the president of CareerJimmy and author of the brand new
"Secret Career Document"
job landing system. Jimmy is also the author of several career
related books and writes a monthly article titled, "Job Search
Secrets."
Visit
our friends at Job
Interview "Secret" and
discover Jimmy Sweeney's breakthrough strategy that will have you
standing out from the competition like a Harvard graduate at a local
job fair? DURING your next job interview.
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