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I am writing and will soon publish a book: How to Win the War for Jobs.
Am looking for advice and tips from seasoned recruiters and employers who are hiring. What is the one notable thing an applicant could do to get noticed or differentiate themselves from the pack!
With your permission, will quote you in the book if your advice is selected.
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May be a little late, and a little basic, but PROOF READ, then have someone else proof read. Then find someone else to do it again. Make sure you've used the right form of their, there, or they're. Or to, too, or two. I recently read a resume from someone who was trying to say "shift". Etiquette prevents me from telling you what they really said ...
As one who actually appreciates a nice dose of sarcasm - Tom summed it up fairly well. The fact that 95% of resumes are poorly done reflects the complete lack of awareness on the part of many job seekers. Of course, this is my own personal estimate - based on my hands-on "research" since the early '90's.
Many job seekers fail to realize that they are marketing themselves for the perspective of the employer and their business needs - not simply jotting down a collection of random notes about every single task they've completed to earn a paycheck since 1974.
Another issue that arises frequently is lack of focus. I rountinely converse with job seekers who have absolutely no idea how to identify or communicate succinctly their target position(s). They stubbornly cling to their "wide-range of skills" from entirely diverse work experience as if that is going to make them more employable. Actually this does the opposite - employers see these folks as scattered, flaky and confused.
Despite popular opinion to the contrary, the resume remains the primary professional marketing/branding tool. While they have evolved with the times, resumes still carry the expectation of portraying one's qualifications and credentials to reflect a top-notch contender.
Despite the abundance of "free" information on how to do so, job seekers generally are not properly equipped to tackle the task of buiding an impactful, impressive and professional quality resume on their own.
A few key resume elements which are commonly missing are:
Hope this helps... KB
I couldn't agree with Tom more. I'm internal and have the exact same issue. Look hard for jobs that actually fit what you have done in the past. If I advertise for a Project Manager who has worked on a healthcare project (hospital), I will get approximately 500 resumes of Project Managers. To date, about 10% of candidates who apply will have actually worked on a healthcare project before. In our world, if you don't have the specific experience we're looking for then you better have an internal referral to back you up.
At the risk of sounding sarcastic, they could apply to jobs that they were qualified for, and have a resume that reflects that.
Especially today, I get many, many resumes from people who think they "could" do a job, but whose resumes do nothing to help me sell them to the hiring manager. However, an applicant really stands out whose resume shows that they have the skills, experience, and education that the hiring manager is looking for.
It's not that someone can't get a new job in a new career, one that they have never done before. (That's how I got my job!) But, job seekers need to know that a contigent recruiter is being paid a fee to find employees who meet the employer's needs almost exactly. That's why they are willing to pay the fees. If someone wants a job outside of their background and previous work experience, they are best served by using other means of job searching.
Founder & CEO, www.1800JobQuest.com & YogEssence, a Yoga-Based Anti-Aging & Corrective Skin Care line to Yogacize your Skin!
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