Job Seekers: Think Like a Recruiter – Part 4

The last installment of “Think Like a Recruiter” addressed self assessment as a “must have” in preparation for the job search. Once you know who you are and how to present the image of yourself that recruiters want to see, it is time to commit this to writing for the purpose of circulating a written tool to get you in the door. There are new theories which suggest that the traditional resume is becoming obsolete, but the reality is that anyone who wants to get a new job in the current environment must have a resume. Your accomplishments and skills determined by your self assessment provides the foundation for the resume.

There are distinct steps to building the process and it is impossible to hang the roof before laying the foundation. Without fail, the knee-jerk reaction of most people is to begin to write a resume, or dust off an old one, and start submitting it online. On the surface this may seem expedient, but in reality it only feeds our need for instant gratification. Preparation goes far beyond writing a resume. The purpose of the resume is to get you in the door. Period.

There are many opinions on how to construct a resume and who should do it. It seems that everybody who has an opinion has written a book or blog about the subject. Some concepts may be revolutionary, but most are warmed over, meaningless drivel. As stated before, the purpose of this series of articles is not to add something else to the mix, but to refocus the thought processes of job seekers to conform to that of the people controlling the ultimate outcome. So this article will only touch briefly on types of resumes and instead focus on what will succeed in getting the attention of the recruiter.

In its simplest terms there are only two kinds of resume: the chronological resume lists work experience in date order and highlights accomplishments and skills at each position as proof of an ability to perform in similar positions; the functional resume lists the accomplishments and skills which have contributed to job success in the past as indication of future performance of similar functions. There are hybrid combinations of these two which may be justifiable based on certain circumstances. Some advisors mention resume alternatives as a means to overcome job gaps in a resume or to mask experience levels to prevent age discrimination. This theory may work on the surface, but if you are now able to think like a professional recruiting expert you know that this is a ruse that will ultimately be exposed. So what resume elements are recruiters actually seeking?

1. Contact information – Disregard the absolutely horrible advice to leave out phone numbers or addresses on a resume. Recruiters may email or pick up the phone to reach you. You should avoid detailed personal information in a resume such as social security number, marital status or age, however there is absolutely no advantage in leaving out vital contact information on the resume. Protection of your identity is critical in today’s world, but you should not be sending resumes out to unknown sources anyway. There has to be at least a minimal level of trust at this point or you should not even consider sending a resume. You can assume with some certainty that you will not be the only viable candidate for an opening and you can also be fairly certain that the recruiter will probably not bother to take the time to research the missing contact information if you do not provide it.
2. Objective or Summary – There is an ongoing debate as to whether or not this paragraph, which in the past was considered mandatory, is still required in a contemporary resume. There is good reason to conserve space and not clutter the limited space on the page with unnecessary information, but is this really unnecessary? Recruiters may choose to overlook these few lines on the page if they do not want to see it, but few will penalize the applicant for including it. This can be meaningful if it adds value to your presentation. Do not frame this statement in the context of what the company can do for you. “Looking for a management position where I can utilize my skills to take my career to the next level” or words to this effect are a huge negative. Remember that the recruiter wants to know what you can do for the company and not the other way around. Do not make the recruiter guess what you can do or what kind of job you are capable of doing. Use the Objective statement to state this explicitly. It is your job to define your career, not the person reading your resume.
3. Body of Resume – If you want to crack the code as to which resume format a recruiter wants to see, open any online application. Look at the information on the template that would be required to enter a resume manually. It is almost always a chronological resume. Now that you know this, it is always better to stop, go back and upload a resume rather than construct one through the online template. You will have more control over the format this way. The majority of recruiters prefer chronological resumes. They must review hundreds of resumes in a short period of time and can afford to spend only about 30 seconds before deciding to read further or discard you as a candidate. Some claim that they can do this in as little as 10 seconds. The chronological format is preferred because it presents the data in an uncluttered, consistent and easy to follow narrative.  If this 30-second rule ruffles your feathers, remember you are supposed to be thinking like a recruiter. What would you do? You are drinking from a fire hose and must make a quick intelligent decision to submit the applicants for a position who would be the best slate of candidates qualified to do the job. Don’t make the recruiter guess or hunt for obscure information. Readability is enhanced by summarizing key accomplishments in bullet points. Rambling paragraphs are harder to read and ease of access to who you are is essential.
4. Keywords – Thinking like a recruiter does not mean thinking like a computer, but realistically this thought process would include allowing for the standard tools used by a recruiter. It is a distortion of the truth that machines are determining your fate as an applicant, but it is totally realistic to assume that some sort of search engine will dissect your resume. Just as search engine optimization (SEO) is used to attract internet search tools to a particular site, your resume must be optimized to attract someone searching for particular skills and accomplishments. For example, if you are adept at programming in a particular language and you are applying to jobs which require that language, it should be mentioned prominently within the text of the resume. This is not an easy task. To create a resume that flows from top to bottom without the choppiness of a laundry list of buzz words requires attention to detail and flow. Write it and rewrite it over and over again until it is right. Having a spouse or close friend read it critically is a good way to detach yourself from the words and evaluate the total resume.
5. Syntax and Spelling – Misuse of words and misspelling of words can kill an otherwise excellent resume. It shows carelessness and failure to pay attention to details. In a social culture that excuses and even requires standard abbreviations in everyday use, it is important to keep the resume on a more formal and professional level. Do not trust spell checkers because they often miss dual meanings of words. Read everything carefully several times. It is not necessary to write in complete sentences, but it is important to the flow of the document to be consistent in the tense of verbs. Using present tense for some jobs and past tense for others may not be as serious as other errors, but it can subconsciously interrupt from the flow of the document. Each bullet point should contain a strong active verb.

Should you have more than one version of your resume? Tradition suggests that a very professional resume can be a one-size-fits-all approach which will work very well. However, in this age of such technological capabilities it is relatively easy to tailor each submission to match the details of the targeted position. This should not give the appearance that you are more than one person in case your resume(s) end up in the hands of the same recruiter and gives the impression that you are faking the data. There should always be enough similarities to convince the prospective employer that you do in fact possess all the credentials you claim to have. For example, if you have accomplishments in more than one programming language you may want to highlight different skills for different jobs.

Should you consider using a professional resume writer or career coach? Yes, my knee-jerk reaction is to suggest that you solicit as much help as you can get…or afford. If you have done your total self assessment and have something to share with a resume writer, the experience could be very helpful, especially in weaving difficult SEO information into the text. Be cautious about paying huge amounts of money to someone who is simply going to wordsmith your resume. If a resume writer is going to reformat your resume or insert your words into a template, it will appear to be a clone of all others. Recruiters can tell the difference and are not always impressed. Select your coach carefully and get evidence of their credentials before engagement. For executive level positions, it is almost always essential to get professional advice before proceeding. For others, proceed with caution and recognize that there are scam artists who prey on job seekers. You may be better off just doing it on your own.

If you are disappointed that this focus on ‘thinking like a recruiter” failed to give you details on resume types, I suggest that you search online for some guidelines. Doing a Google search on resumes will uncover multiple blog sites that can assist in providing information on formats and guidelines. There will be much conflicting advice, so take each with a grain of salt. Your bookshelf should include a few key books on resumes such as Resume Magic by Susan Britton Whitcomb or Resumes for Dummies by Joyce Lain Kennedy. If you have recommendations for other sources, please add them as comments here to help others.

Part 5 of this series will address cover letters…stay tuned.