This week I have had three conversations with different senior professionals who had resumes I evaluated that were unacceptable and all three told me that the resume was composed by individuals or firms that represented themselves as professional resume writers. At first I was shocked and then I realized their problem. Those purporting to know how to write resumes have never been part of the process evaluating, screening or hiring persons and therefore don't have a clue as to what the audience actually wants. They are no different than writers who think they are sportswriters but never played the game let alone are not fans, they don't have an idea what their readers really want to know or what is important.
Here are a few things to ask anyone writing resumes, be they a friend or professional. How many have you written and for what industry or professional level? Have they ever been associated to the decision-making process? What principles in the resume does the writer hold to?
If they haven't written thousands literally this person is not qualified, period. If they have never been part of the hiring and screening process, be it in human resources, recruiting or a hiring manager or executive they have no idea what the discriminating audience is looking for in resumes. If they cannot convey what is critically important in a resume, they don't know what they are doing.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Friday, July 31, 2009
Frustration and Resentment
As I continue to receive resumes for review one thing remains clear, there is a great amount of frustration and resentment with the job marketplace. If one takes a long view during the mid-90's to 2001 if someone simply placed their name and email address somewhere on a resume they often might be called by a recruiter or human resource person. Then the first significant recession hit in 2001 where as one Hedge Fund heavyweight manager America experienced a series of rolling recessions through smaller bubble economies and regions. Often those displaced professionals found a temporary job or secondary occupation but few really examined their resumes or how they were being received and read.
Now today with possibly 7.5 Million jobs lost in just over a year and a half on top of the 3.75 Million already unemployed things have changed, no one seems to being called---or at least only a few and they are keeping that occasion secret! Currently it is estimated that almost 37Million Americans are in what is considered the underemployed, part-time employed or long-term employed who are not counted in the unemployed ranks. Thirty-Seven million workers all seeking a variety of employment.
A friend of mine who is over 50-years old told me today he applied for a food service management position and did not get a reply. I asked him how long ago was it when he worked in the food service industry and he replied, over twenty years ago. I then asked him why would they reply to his resume? He didn't have a good answer except hope.
This brings us back to your resume. Ask yourself, does your resume truly sit on top of the pile of 37 Million other Americans who are seeking employment? Is it structured in a way that is pleasing to read? Is the font and font size appropriate? Is there enough white space? Is the content and narrative compelling enough to tell your story that you are the right person to interview above all others? Does your resume describe you as a doer, achiever, innovator or implementer? Are you a leader or team-member? Are your accomplishments relative to today's marketplace challenges?
My guess is that the vast majority of the resumes being offered in response to the sparse job postings do not. That is why I am offering my services. Unfortunately in today's marketplace self-expression and an abbreviated, uneducated composition of a resume, even one of an exceptional professional is not competitive. Thus, feeding into the growing frustration and resentment many are feeling right now.
Yes, the job market is fundamentally changing as is the entire economy. What was valued five years ago might not be valued today. What was valued ten or twenty years probably is not valued today. Who hires receptionists anymore? How about elevator operators, gasoline attendants or carriage horseman? My guess is that soon even some self-service gas stations will not have attendants working even during day time hours.
Executives and professionals you are essentially paid to think and execute where your composite activity results in revenues generating profitable returns. Corporate America has pretty much done away with mid-level managers and support professionals who have been out-sourced to where now many of those tasks are automated.
Yet, the economy is moving in new directions. Contract law will be at a premium as our nation navigates through a maize of predatory finance agreements for secured and unsecured loans. The Carbon Cap & Trade Law that eventually will be implemented will eventually add a level to economic activity and valuations that will create new marketing and substantiations as to what is the composite carbon footprint of every product and transaction. The new energy economy will work at two ends, conservation and generation where decentralized energy production will finally proliferate like the telecom and distribution computer world. These new marketplaces will need a new workforce.
Will you be part of it or will you be seeking jobs like carriage horseman or stable masters at the turn of the century?
Now today with possibly 7.5 Million jobs lost in just over a year and a half on top of the 3.75 Million already unemployed things have changed, no one seems to being called---or at least only a few and they are keeping that occasion secret! Currently it is estimated that almost 37Million Americans are in what is considered the underemployed, part-time employed or long-term employed who are not counted in the unemployed ranks. Thirty-Seven million workers all seeking a variety of employment.
A friend of mine who is over 50-years old told me today he applied for a food service management position and did not get a reply. I asked him how long ago was it when he worked in the food service industry and he replied, over twenty years ago. I then asked him why would they reply to his resume? He didn't have a good answer except hope.
This brings us back to your resume. Ask yourself, does your resume truly sit on top of the pile of 37 Million other Americans who are seeking employment? Is it structured in a way that is pleasing to read? Is the font and font size appropriate? Is there enough white space? Is the content and narrative compelling enough to tell your story that you are the right person to interview above all others? Does your resume describe you as a doer, achiever, innovator or implementer? Are you a leader or team-member? Are your accomplishments relative to today's marketplace challenges?
My guess is that the vast majority of the resumes being offered in response to the sparse job postings do not. That is why I am offering my services. Unfortunately in today's marketplace self-expression and an abbreviated, uneducated composition of a resume, even one of an exceptional professional is not competitive. Thus, feeding into the growing frustration and resentment many are feeling right now.
Yes, the job market is fundamentally changing as is the entire economy. What was valued five years ago might not be valued today. What was valued ten or twenty years probably is not valued today. Who hires receptionists anymore? How about elevator operators, gasoline attendants or carriage horseman? My guess is that soon even some self-service gas stations will not have attendants working even during day time hours.
Executives and professionals you are essentially paid to think and execute where your composite activity results in revenues generating profitable returns. Corporate America has pretty much done away with mid-level managers and support professionals who have been out-sourced to where now many of those tasks are automated.
Yet, the economy is moving in new directions. Contract law will be at a premium as our nation navigates through a maize of predatory finance agreements for secured and unsecured loans. The Carbon Cap & Trade Law that eventually will be implemented will eventually add a level to economic activity and valuations that will create new marketing and substantiations as to what is the composite carbon footprint of every product and transaction. The new energy economy will work at two ends, conservation and generation where decentralized energy production will finally proliferate like the telecom and distribution computer world. These new marketplaces will need a new workforce.
Will you be part of it or will you be seeking jobs like carriage horseman or stable masters at the turn of the century?
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
A conversation with my friend
Tom is a old friend of mine. He tells me that he sends out resume after resume and not even a nibble, no reply at all. This of course is nothing new. I tell him my last interview I was told that 525 responded with resumes and credentials and ironically the posting that I responded had a typo in their email address. Of those 525 respondents I was one of five individuals whom they interviewed. The odds were less than 1%, actually 0.00952% just for an interview.
We are both over 50-years old and a cursory review of the resume could determine that but why is he not even getting a nibble? I reviewed his resume and within five seconds could tell him, his resume is of a style and belief thirty years ago, one page, abbreviated experiences and credentials. My friend is simply mailing it in and before someone can sneeze it is discarded into the pile never to be looked at again.
Why? Because of competition. Resumes must speak specifically to the job (if you have a posting) or the company (if you are sending it unsolicited) and not a broadcast flier. Resume expectations have changed over the years and decades because in many ways the tools and capabilities have changed. But those who haven't changed their attitudes, are clearly showing their work ethic, not how hard they work, but how smart they are working towards their approach for this prospective job. By not responding smartly they lose, it is that simple.
Unfortunately, my friend still believes in his own old fashioned methods thinking that people who are doing the hiring think like him. I tried to inform him they do not. So he will continue to waste his time in a futile effort.
I then tried a metaphor: If you were fishing up at his parent's old Wisconsin vacation home near Eagle River and for weeks you put on your fishing pole the same bait as you had for years but you didn't get a nibble. Let us say you try every fishing spot you had known as a child and nothing, not a nibble, I asked what would he do? He said he would go to the bait shop and find out what is working? Precisely, and if they said you were using the wrong lures, that the fish had gotten smarter over time and that they were smelling you or hearing you and you had to approach them in a new way. But because you didn't like the idea of changing you waved off the expert and went back out with your old lures and wasted your vacation.
Then upon being invited to the new neighbors you had a fine dinner of freshly caught fish where you had to hear how easy it was to catch the fish right out in front of the pier. How foolish would you feel?
We are both over 50-years old and a cursory review of the resume could determine that but why is he not even getting a nibble? I reviewed his resume and within five seconds could tell him, his resume is of a style and belief thirty years ago, one page, abbreviated experiences and credentials. My friend is simply mailing it in and before someone can sneeze it is discarded into the pile never to be looked at again.
Why? Because of competition. Resumes must speak specifically to the job (if you have a posting) or the company (if you are sending it unsolicited) and not a broadcast flier. Resume expectations have changed over the years and decades because in many ways the tools and capabilities have changed. But those who haven't changed their attitudes, are clearly showing their work ethic, not how hard they work, but how smart they are working towards their approach for this prospective job. By not responding smartly they lose, it is that simple.
Unfortunately, my friend still believes in his own old fashioned methods thinking that people who are doing the hiring think like him. I tried to inform him they do not. So he will continue to waste his time in a futile effort.
I then tried a metaphor: If you were fishing up at his parent's old Wisconsin vacation home near Eagle River and for weeks you put on your fishing pole the same bait as you had for years but you didn't get a nibble. Let us say you try every fishing spot you had known as a child and nothing, not a nibble, I asked what would he do? He said he would go to the bait shop and find out what is working? Precisely, and if they said you were using the wrong lures, that the fish had gotten smarter over time and that they were smelling you or hearing you and you had to approach them in a new way. But because you didn't like the idea of changing you waved off the expert and went back out with your old lures and wasted your vacation.
Then upon being invited to the new neighbors you had a fine dinner of freshly caught fish where you had to hear how easy it was to catch the fish right out in front of the pier. How foolish would you feel?
Friday, July 24, 2009
Into the Future with a Radical Price: FREE
Inspired by Chris Anderson, publisher of the magazine Wired and author of a ground-breaking book: Free: The Future of a Radical Price, published just a few weeks ago, I am going to begin formulating my new business under this model precepts by offering all initial reviews of a person's resume FREE.
Yes I will review their resume no different than an HR or recruitment professional and then submit my report to them. If I think there are substantive and important modifications or think an entire re-write is in order I will say so in a FREE report.
This will be my marketing pivot where I can offer something tangible to the market place and those serious customers who think they will benefit from my services can do so and those who just want a review can get one without charge.
Yes I will review their resume no different than an HR or recruitment professional and then submit my report to them. If I think there are substantive and important modifications or think an entire re-write is in order I will say so in a FREE report.
This will be my marketing pivot where I can offer something tangible to the market place and those serious customers who think they will benefit from my services can do so and those who just want a review can get one without charge.
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