This article, written in 1899, talks about how difficult it is to find a truly effective and trusted employee, and how once that person is found, they'll never be let go. A Message to Garcia, written by Elbert Hubbard.

Labels: Job Hunting Advice

In this current economic climate, job insecurity and a climbing unemployment rate means more resumes are flooding in to answer job ads. Since sending a resume takes just a click of the finger, you can just imagine how many people send their resumes to jobs that they don't qualify for. But you qualify...why don't you ever hear back? It may have nothing to do with the way you say it. It could be as easy as this: THEY DON'T KNOW WHO YOU ARE.

There are lots of opinions on the subject of writing resumes. These tips have nothing to do with how you say what you do. They have to do with getting your resume to first base: under the nose of a live human being.

First, you need to name your resume with your NAME. I'm talking about the name of the document, which has to be simply, your NAME. So the first DON'T is this: DON'T name it "Resume" or even worse, don't call it "Resume 6" or "Tech PR Resume" or something like that, which would indicate that this version of your resume is slanting your experience in one industry or discipline, and that you have several versions floating around. I'm not saying here that you should not emphasize different areas of your resume for specific jobs. I'm just saying that you shouldn't let everyone know that. Every hiring manager dreams about that special person out there that has everything they're looking for in the perfect proportion. Definitely show them that you are that person by adjusting your resume for the job. But don't advertise that you're morphing yourself into a "square" but also could be a "round" for another job, by naming each version of your resume. Just name your document with your own name, and use a sneaky code of some sort (not too obvious of course) to help you quickly determine, for your own records, which version you're sending. Keep in mind that the name of your document is not a field used only for your own internal filing. It is the name of the document that also gets filed in the potential employer's system.

Big DON'T #2: Don't put your name and address in a header. It's true that headers make the resume look more professional. But think about whose hands we want this resume to get into before using headers. Headhunters and HR professionals use software programs that pull information off resumes and put it directly into a database. The resume is saved and inserted in the record with the information pulled from the top few lines of the document. Information in a header is not 'seen' by these programs so your resume is saved with no name and address on it. Your great credentials are stored in the database that way: a homeless soul with no name.

Keep in mind that especially in times like this, an HR person or the hiring manager may be receiving hundreds of resumes and it's overwhelming. Make it easy for them. When there is a volume of responses, something that could take as much as two minutes to correct is not worth it and they'll just hit delete. It's sad, but true. And that my friend, may be why you never hear back even though you were perfect for the job. They didn't know who you were.

Labels: Job Hunting Advice

Lots has been said about how to write a resume, and there are lots of opinions and rules on the subject that people can argue about. But here is some basic advice without which your resume may never even be noticed. It's so obvious you're going to kick yourself for not realizing it sooner.
You need to NAME your resume with your NAME. The name of the document has to be your NAME. Plain and simple. DO NOT call it "my resume" or even worse "consumerPR resume 6". Here are the obvious reasons: When the HR recruiter is looking through her saved documents (resumes), unless your name is "Resume" she's not going to find you. Another obvious reason: it looks silly.
I agree it's important to tailor your resume to the job you're applying for. But don't advertise that. Let them know that this resume represents purely and totally who you are. They want to know that the skills on that resume are really your true and unaltered abilities-- neither watered down nor spiked up. Every hiring manager dreams about the person who is out there that has everything they're looking for in the perfect proportion. So don't advertise that you're morphing yourself into a "square" when you're really a "round" by naming each version of your resume. Just name your document with your own name, and use a number or code of some sort (not too obvious of course)to help you quickly determine which version you're sending.

Labels: Job Hunting Advice

Every time I speak to a PR group about job hunting, the audience gets most demonstrative about their frustration with the job boards. It seems that each person has had the same experience: They email out a resume for a job which they feel they are PERFECT for, and they never hear back. Not even an automatic reply…nothing.
I am going to tell you why.

Sitting in front of a computer screen in the cubicle of the company that placed that ad is a person in HR. She's working on lots of job openings… for computer analysts, salespeople, accounts receivable, communications… Every hour or so she hits a certain key to download the 20 or 30 resumes that were posted to her mailbox. She may scan through them quickly but more likely she puts them through a resume mill where they are scanned for key words. This process eliminates a significant number of resumes. If she’s looking for someone who knows C++, only those resumes that say C++ ever make make it to that coveted space under her nose. If they’re looking for someone who does “media relations” your perfect resume probably wont be seen if you say you “develop relationships with the press.”

So here’s my advice: dumb it down. If the job description calls for crisis communications, say “crisis communications”. Even if you devote a paragraph of your resume to your award winning program that turned around a potentially explosive situation – they still need to see those words “crisis communications” somewhere on the page. It's impossible to find the perfect candidate by manually going through dozens or hundreds of resumes. Every HR Specialist today makes use of software that scans and extracts key words from the resume and then organizes it for search and retrieval. Impersonal, YES, but vital given the high-velocity nature of today’s lean, mean and demanding organizational climate.

It’s impossible for HR Specialists to understand the subtleties of so many different jobs. So make it easy for them. Tell them what you do, in their own terms and your response rate is sure to increase.

Labels: Job Hunting Advice