Chances are you have filled out a job application at least one in your life. You probably filled in a section on that application asking you to list professional references. You sat and thought for a minute before writing down the name of a friend that you worked with at your last job that would give you a glowing recommendation if and when the HR manager called them. What you really want for a reference is someone who can speak to your strengths but also be honest about potential areas of growth. A manager with whom you worked closely on important projects fits this role perfectly. Let's look at a slightly different scenario. You're scoring the internet job boards for your next new job and find one that looks perfect. Before submitting your résumé, you add a list of four people you would consider quality references at the bottom even though the job paying didn't specifically ask for references. One you're satisfied, you post your résumé to the job site and start the clock waiting for someone to call you for an interview. I see two potential problems here. First, there was no mention of references being needed in the job posting. If the hiring manager needs them, they should be included as a requirement as you apply. Providing extra information only serves to muddy the waters and in the long run can create confusion. If your résumé confuses the person reading it, there is a good chance it will end up in the "no" pile. The second concern I have is the placement of the references. By putting them at the end off your résumé, it may send the message that they are not as important as the rest of the document. If you are placing the references in you résumé because you feel they are important, make sure you put them in a place that shows that importance.
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I posted a note about this on the Best Word Forward Facebook page yesterday but wanted to make an official post about it on the blog. I originally wanted to make posts here at least three times a week, but that proved to be far too much to handle. For the time being, I will be making weekly posts every Friday, alternating between an editing topic and a résumé topic each week. Hopefully this will keep the blog moving forward and will help you the reader know when to expect new content each week. If there is a topic you have questions on regarding your own writing or résumé, please leave a comment below or email me and I will do my best to answer your question in an upcoming post. Thank you and keep working to put your BEST WORD FORWARD! I mentioned in the Job Hunt Series last week that it is important to have a master résumé that has your entire work experience on it. The question I have received is “should I keep my entire work experience on me résumé when I submit it for a job?”
The short answer is “No.” Let’s look at a few examples.
The other piece that should be updated for each application is the Objective or Introductory statement. Putting an objective that simply states “To obtain a job where I can succeed and make money” is not enough. This too needs to be tailored to the job. Gone are the days of one size fits all résumés. If you really want to be noticed, you need to customize all parts of your résumé to the job that you want.
Photo Credit: Colin Brough via sxc.hu
Congratulations! You've finally landed yourself a new job! My last piece of advice is to keep updating your Master Résumé on a regular basis. Set a reminder for the first of every month or every six months and when the reminder comes up, pull out your master file and make sure everything is still accurate. Don’t stop preparing for interviews either. Put in a practice round every few months to keep your skills sharp. If you are lucky enough to be in a position to conduct interviews, pay attention to people that you interview and what catches your attention in their answers. You can learn just as much from being on that side of the table as well. Don't forget to read the previous parts of this series: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
Photo Credit: Razvan Caliman via sxc.hu
We've all heard the saying “practice makes perfect” but when was the last time you practiced a job interview? If you’re like most people, it was probably DURING your last job interview and you were sweating the entire time because you felt you were out of practice. Don’t let that happen again. If you’re on the hunt for a new job and see yourself interviewing in the near future, set some time aside to do some practice interviews. It doesn't have to be anything too structured. Ask a trusted friend or mentor to be the interviewer and generate 5-10 sample questions. Make sure it’s someone that will not go easy on you since the actual interviewers sure won’t. Practice this even if you are only looking at a phone interview to start with. Having possible answers lined up for questions that might come your way will make a better impression on the interviewer whether you are meeting with the face to face or just speaking with them over the phone. When you’re on the phone, you can also use any notes that you may have made prior to the interview. (I recommend NOT bringing a list of notes to a face to face interview however) Finally, regardless of the interview being in person or over the phone, do jot down some questions to ask the interviewer. Keep them specific to the job and definitely avoid asking about benefits of the position like pay rate, vacation, and sick time. Those are questions for when you are signing a job offer or even when you start a training period. Asking what challenges the company or department face, the specific types of work that you’ll be doing, and what the goals are for the position are all good starting points. Don't forget to read part 1 and part 2 of this series. Continue on to part four. 10-15 years ago, when the economy was booming and companies were hiring at a rapid pace, job hunters would often receive calls for interviews within days or even hours of an application being submitted. Not so anymore. Because there are often dozens if not hundreds of candidates applying for jobs both in person and online, only people who are being selected for interviews are contacted. This often leaves everyone else wondering what their status is. Some firms have sophisticated online systems that allow candidates to log in to websites and see the status of their applications but if you have applied for a position that does not have this luxury, what can you do once you’ve submitted your résumé? Give the employer some time after your submission, but make sure you follow up with them. Find a contact name or phone number on the company’s website or networking site such as LinkedIn. Call the number you find and ask to speak with someone in Human Resources regarding your application. This will often force the HR representative to pull out your application and look at it if they haven’t already. Sometimes it can take more than one call to get to the right person, but stay persistent. Give the company a few days between calls so they can see that you are being persistent, but not pestering them. Lastly, once you do reach someone, be sure to pay attention to what the timeline looks like for the hiring process. If they say that it will be 2-4 weeks before you hear something back, don’t call them three days later looking for an update. Don't forget to read part one. Continue on to part three. One of the most common mistakes regarding résumés is to assume that one size fits all. In the competitive job market that exists today, updating your résumé and applying for jobs can be a full time job in itself. I personally recommend generating a “Master Résumé” that has all of your work history. That includes the job you had at McDonald’s in high school or the overnight shift you worked at a warehouse on weekends in college. Put EVERYTHING on this document. Once you have this file created make sure to store it on a cloud drive like Google Drive or Drop Box or on a flash drive that you keep in a safe place. Better yet, use both! Once you find a job that you want to apply for, open your Master Résumé file and find all of the job functions from your job history that apply to the job in question. Applying for a training position? You will probably want to include information on the Lab Assistant job from your college days. Never been a manager before but interested in a leadership position? Make sure you have a note about being the captain of your high school soccer team. Save a copy of the Master file with the name of the position you are applying to in the file name. That way you can go back and reference it as well as print out a copy when you go for your interview. Finally, if you're done with your résumé and need someone to look it over, please visit my information page for résumé review services. Continue on to part two.
Photo Credit: Martin Boulanger via sxc.hu
Are you on the hunt for a new job? Did your employer just post a promotional opportunity that is the role you’ve been waiting two years for? Did you pull out your old résumé and realize that it hasn’t been updated since you took your current job? Now is the time for you to update your résumé so that it pops and gets your foot in the door for that critical first interview. Check out the information page for my résumé service for more information. |
AuthorJonathan Ytreberg is the owner of Best Word Forward, committed to providing the best resume advice and services to clients around the globe. Archives
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