Recruitalicious

I’ve got a story for just about everything at work; my first employee relations issue as an HR Representative, my first foray into the world of passive candidate cold calling, and my most annoying encounters with job seekers. The latter is probably a larger topic of conversation among recruiters than you believe. I think that those that I might classify as annoying just don’t realize that they are being annoying. So, I have a little advice for those on the job hunt. You would think that much of this is a “no brainer”. In fact, this is stuff that we encounter every day and maybe stuff that you don’t think about.

1. If I left you a message to schedule an interview or discuss a position and you’re calling me back; if you don’t reach me, please leave a message. DO NOT repeatedly call me and not leave a message. I have caller i.d. and can see that you called.
   Psst- If you engage in the above behavior you’re heading down the road to being a stalker. Blocking your number and calling doesn’t work either. I still know it’s you.

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Looking for a new job? Landing interviews but not offers? Apparently, your resume has caught many peoples’ attention, so why aren’t you closing the deal and getting that offer you deserve?

Could be…….Negativity. When you talk yourself up by putting others down, it damages the perception others have of you.

Here’s a story about yours truly.

I had a job that I didn’t like anymore for a variety of reasons. One of the largest, was my direct manager. I was looking for a new job. I hadn’t interviewed in a couple of years. Let me rephrase that, I hadn’t been the one to sit in the candidate seat for a few years. I landed an interview at a good organization and was excited. I scheduled it for the end of the day so I didn’t have to skip out on work and planned to bring a suit along in the car and change on the way there. Oh, I had it all planned, right down to accepting the job offer they were surely going to extend.

The morning of the interview, my work cell phone rang. It was my father. He called to tell me that my older brother had died. Pause for a moment and let’s talk about what this post is NOT about. It is not about my loss; who, what, when, where or how. It’s about getting through an interview and remaining positive.

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One page, two page, or *gasp* MORE?  Do I list an objective?  Education or Employment first? How closely do recruiters look at my resume?  What does it really say about me?  After all, it’s all about ME! 

In his recent blog post, “If you’ve got it, flaunt it”, Rich Dematteo addresses the topic of resume length and receives several interesting comments from his readers. I agree with Rich.  Brag about yourself.  Don’t be shy.  Get my attention!   Personally, length of a resume doesn’t matter to me, unless the content is garbage.  You have about 2 seconds to grasp a recruiter’s attention with your resume.  Recruiters are people.  Yeah, I know sometimes we’re called a few other things that are not appropriate to discuss at this time.  But, as many options as there are for resume formats, there are even more recruiters’ opinions.  But I’ve got one, and I like to share. 

Hints:

• Use spell check.  I’m not an English major, but probably should’ve been.  That aside, with all the technology available, most programs do it for you and can check your grammar, too.  If you can’t even spell or abbreviate your job title correctly, you’re out.  Do not pass go, do not collect a paycheck.  I’m serious.  Ask anyone that’s looked at a resume or application for an Assistant Manager.  Really!?!
• No experience? List your education loud and proud and include any activities you’ve been involved in.
• Lacking the formal degree?  Tell me about your great experience and save your high school diploma for the end.
• Balance the page so that it’s pleasing to my eye.  Don’t use 8pt font and expand your margins to nothing just to put it on one page.  Conversely, don’t use 16pt font to make your resume two pages long because someone told you .   

What matters to this recruiter is that the information is logical, easy to follow and pertinent.  So, if you need two pages to share 20 years of experience, by all means, please do so.  I’ll be reading it.  Be warned though, if it’s a formatting nightmare, my attention span just decreased and I’m moving on to someone else. 

What about your thoughts?  Have you helped someone fluff a resume to make it longer, chopped it to bits to make it a “desirable” one pager?  What do you prefer and why?

Peter Bregman recently blogged about managing the time in your day.

My coworkers frequently say to me, “ I don’t know how you get everything done”.  The truth is, I follow something  similar to what Peter Bregman suggests in his article.

You may remember my previous post about working from home and juggling the kids. I’m still doing that.  And my day starts with a list, as Peter suggests.  It’s either on the top of my desk, so I see it first thing in the morning, or directly on my calendar blocking time so that I won’t schedule something else that’s less important.  Oh, and I add deadlines on my calendar before they’re actually due.  Then if I put it off, it pops up as a reminder and it’s never late.

Take a peek at Peter’s article.  You might find an opportunity to accomplish more in your day with a little less stress.

The office phone rings at 3:00am.  Do you answer it?  Why are you in the office  at 3 o’clock in the morning anyway?  I hope you’re not.  Admittedly, I have been. Read the rest of this entry »