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Quintessential Answers:
Q&A's with Career & College Experts

 

Questions and Answers with Career Expert Jared Fletcher

 

Please note: On a somewhat infrequent basis, Quintessential Careers asks noted career experts five questions related to their expertise and publishes the interview in the current issue of QuintZine, our career e-newsletter. Those interviews are archived here for your convenience.

 

Jared Fletcher is Founder and CEO of ResTrust Certified Resumes.

 

Q:

Can you explain the concept of the "certified resume?"

A:

Given the proliferation of resume fraud, I developed the certified resume concept. A "certified" resume is one that contains information that an individual has authorized to be verified as factual. At ResTrust, we verify a client's information relative to employment history, education, and credentials (e.g., professional certifications). The result of this process is a resume that has now had its contents officially certified as factual.   Nine out of 10 hiring managers say they would rather review a certified resume versus an uncertified resume. A certified resume not only produces a better candidate, but also helps streamline the hiring process by reducing the cost of hire. A certified resume also provides the individual with a way to differentiate himself or herself from the competition.   ResTrust utilizes the latest technology to stamp the resumes. Each resume includes a ResTrust stamp with a unique I.D. number.

 

Q:

How did you initially recognize a need for certified resumes and decide to establish your business? Are there other businesses that do what you do?

A:

I initially recognized the need for certified resumes five years ago when someone asked me why resumes are not certified. I was unable to answer the question, and realized that people on average change jobs every 2.5 years and frequently update their resumes. This question of why resumes are not certified, coupled with the fact the resume fraud takes place daily, is the reason for starting ResTrust.   I hear stories daily from human-resource professionals regarding their experiences with fraudulent resumes. In many circumstances, it becomes an embarrassment for the human-resources department as a candidate may have interviewed multiple times with high-level executives, only to later find out that the person lied on his or her resume. The process then has to be restarted.   To the best of my knowledge, there are no companies in the market that currently both verify and stamp a resume similar to ResTrust.

 

Q:

What do you feel is the most disturbing trend in job-hunting today?

A:

The most disturbing trend is number of sites on the Internet that have job opportunities posted on them. There are general sites, niche sites, company sites, blogs, association/organization, and social networking sites. Plus, every day more and more sites are coming on line. Everyone seems to be trying to make money offering an opportunity for employers to post a job. This proliferation causes serious confusion and inefficiencies for the job hunter. Given that a job-opportunity posting can average $200, most companies don't even post all their job opportunities and don't necessarily post all their jobs on one site. They may spread the jobs out on various Internet sites. The effect of the randomness of all these "job boards" that there is a small probability that an active or passive job-seeker actually finds the job opportunity that he or she is looking for, which is certainly frustrating for a job-seeker and inefficient and ineffective for an employer.

 

Q:

What are the top 5-10 skills that most employers are REALLY looking for these days? What are the key skills that make job-seekers employable?

A:

Financial skills Team work skills Project management skills Problem solving skills Ability to travel, given the international economy we are living in   The key skills that make job seekers employable are people skills, a positive attitude, and problem-solving skills. The ability to get along with people is key to the success of the individual and the success of the organization. Poor people skills, which often are accompanied with a negative attitude, not only affect the individual, but have a profound effect on the company. This type of negativity spreads like a wildfire. People skills and a positive attitude, coupled with strong problem-solving skills are key ingredients to becoming an employable candidate.

 

Q:

What's the biggest mistake job-seekers make that your advice could correct or prevent?

A:

One of the biggest mistakes a job-seeker makes is reliance on the Internet to find a job. A person can spend hours and days either posting resumes or looking through job opportunities on the job boards. Many jobs posted may have already been filled. If you post your resume with a large job board, more often than not it is never viewed because (a) your resume is in a pile with millions of other and/or (b) another individual may be willing to pay extra to have his or her resume seen first... a service that is commonly offered with the big job-board companies. This is often referred to the "move your resume to the top of the pile" service. The best way to find a job is through networking or finding a good executive recruiter.

 

 

Jared Fletcher is a founder and president of ResTrust Certified Resumes. ResTrust is embarking on a number of current projects. The top two projects are the marketing of the resume service to employer and the development of the first-ever certified resume board. ResTrust's main project is the resume certification project. Employers are signing up with ResTrust weekly. A formal sign-up process is not in place; rather companies will add language to their career web pages that they "welcome" or "encourage" the submission of a certified resume. The trend is catching on, and Fletcher predicts that many employers will no doubt look at a certified resume before an uncertified resume.

 

 

Check out all our interview with career experts in Quintessential Answers: Q&A's with Career & College Experts.

 

 

Maximize your career and job-search knowledge and skills! Take advantage of The Quintessential Careers Content Index, which enables site visitors to locate articles, tutorials, quizzes, and worksheets in 35 career, college, job-search topic areas.

 

 

 

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