Readers:
Dr. Randall Hansen, a nationally recognized career expert, is the Career Doctor.
Discover more about Dr. Hansen, read about the purpose of this column,
and find previous issues of this column at the home of The Career Doctor.
If you have any college, career, or job-related questions or comments that Dr. Hansen could
provide valuable assistance with, please
feel free to email him at: careerdr@quintcareers.com.
Dr. Hansen writes this column on a biweekly basis.
Maria writes:
I've been job-hunting without much success when a recruiter at a job fair
told me he thought my resume was really bad. I was shocked! I thought
I had a pretty darn good resume. What do I need to write and improve my
resume?
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
You didn't attach your resume, so I don't know for sure what the specific
problem is with your resume, but I have seen enough bad resumes to know
some of the most common problems. And for a recruiter to tell you that your
resume was bad means that it must be really bad. I'm not trying to be overly
harsh, but to add a douse of realism because I find job-seekers often ask for
advice on improving their resume when they secretly love it and plan no changes.
So… here are my all-purposes fixes for resumes.
First, your resume has to have a focus. Every job-seeker needs to be a specialist,
a specialist that fits the needs of the prospective employer perfectly. Sometimes
a job objective or summary of qualifications can give you the edge you are seeking.
Second, your resume must showcase your accomplishments. Employers like
specifics. They don't want to know you saved your former employer money; they
want to know exactly how much money you saved. They want to know the exact
size of the staff you managed, the amount you increased revenues, the level of
customer satisfaction you delivered.
Third, there is no such thing as one resume. Gone is a one-size-fits-all resume.
Every resume you send out should be different from all the others. You need to
use specific keywords and phrases that fit each employer.
Fourth, your resume has to look appealing, welcoming. Yes, it's superficial, but a
plain resume (or worse, from a template) screams plain job-seeker. Take the initiative
to design your own resume style… or hire a professional resume-writer who can do
it for you.
For more information, check out these articles on Quintessential Careers:
Catherine writes:
I enjoy your column. I don't think I have ever seen either of my
questions (or problem) in your columns. Both deal with background
checks.
Recently I was terminated from a position I had held for only a month.
They claimed to have received information from a law enforcement
agency showing that I had committed a crime. After checking with the
agency mentioned, I learned they had no such information. I suspect
that a former employer or someone in his office where I worked previously
made the false accusations. Can I take legal action?
My second questions now that I back in the job market, is that some of the
places I have applied to are requiring that I sign a release to allow they to
get my credit report. I feel this is an invasion of my privacy since none of
positions I have applied for have any connection to money or finances. Is this
something new?
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
Background checks are here to stay, I am afraid. And I don't want to
get angry emails from hiring managers, but I hate how far we've gone
with them. I can certainly understand clearance and background checks
for jobs that involve the nation's security, but what really does a person's
credit score say about their trustworthiness?
When I was an employer, we checked references and that was about it. And
we rarely called all the references. For a more sensitive position, maybe a
drug test. Other employers conducted a battery of psychological and other
personality assessments.
I also believe your very brief former employer was in the wrong in even hiring you
before finishing the background check, and wrong again in the over-reaction to the
false information. Whether what they did was a violation of your rights, I can't
answer, but recommend you consult with an employment lawyer to gather more
information. You can find one by going to the
National Employment Lawyers
Association.
As for credit reports, the group of job-seekers this screening hurts the most are
low-wage job-seekers who perhaps do not even have credit. And I agree with you --
unless it's a job that involves handling money, what business is it of employers?
Q:
Anonymous writes:
I have just completed my bachelor of business administration with majors
in management and finance. I'm interested in positions in human resources
(primarily) but there are also positions in finance that interest me. I've created
different versions of my resume that target the different career fields, each
highlighting relevant experience and accomplishments, and I'm tailoring my
cover letter to particular positions as well. But now I've found two distinct
positions that both interest me, and they're at the same large company with
the same contact person.
How might I gracefully pursue both jobs?
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
First, kudos to you for understanding the importance of developing
different resumes to target different positions.
In this situation, unless the person is one of your network contacts, I
don't think it would be well-received to try and go for both positions.
Employers generally want someone who is focused and knows exactly
what they want. However, if you knew the person -- s/he were part of your
network, then I think you could use the relationship to bridge it. And, of
course, if there were two different contact people, you might go for both
(though even then it can get a little dicey).
So, my best advice, for this situation at least, is to determine the position
you most seek, the one that interests you the most and that you can most
demonstrate that you are "perfect" for -- and go after it with gusto and leave
the other position in the dust (for now, unless the situation changes, or if you
build enough rapport with the contact person to casually ask about the other
one)... but your primary strategy should be to focus on one for now.
And by the way, I have found it more and more common that younger job-seekers
do not want to be boxed into one career field, one career choice -- and that's fine.
But I also think it's important to find the one thing you are truly passionate about
and build your career around that. Business grads often focus too much on
salary, and while we all need to make a living, being miserable in a job that
pays well still results in you being miserable.
Emily writes:
I am starting a new career and have not been successful in landing a job.
I am interested in working for a bank, but have limited experience. About
99 percent of the jobs advertised requires one to be experienced. How
do I get in at entry level with no qualifications? I am a quick learner
and a team player.
I am 50 years old but look about 40. In today's working world, 40 is old
so I have an extra dilemma.
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
I don't think 40 -- or even 50 -- is old anymore. And yes, let me disclose that
I am in my 40's, so perhaps I am too close to the question. But seriously,
from the folks I talk with, I don't think age is or will be as big a factor as it
was for previous generations. People are living much longer, being productive
to much later in life, and with older baby boomers retiring, there is a serious
need for skilled, older workers.
That said, are you going to face situations where you know age was a factor
in not getting a job offer? Probably. But my hope will be those situations are
becoming more and more rare.
Your bigger challenge is making a career change late in your career, which,
by the way, is also becoming increasingly more common. But why are you looking
for an entry-level position? Surely you have many transferable skills that apply to
a career in banking.
What you need to do is develop your network in this new field while gaining
experience any way you can. I would suggest conducting some informational
interviews, where you can learn more about career in banking, and specific
requirements each bank is seeking. By doing so, you will also be gaining network
contacts in the field. To gain experience, explore temping as an option.
Finally, and this advice goes for ALL job-seekers, please do NOT rely solely on job
postings when searching for a new job. Only a very small percentage of jobs
are ever posted. Most still remained closed to the general public and are filled
internally or through referrals.
