We all hear about how unemployment is rising. The unemployment rate in the United States is near 10% (closer to 20% if you include the people that have just stopped looking). So if you are looking for a job in this time of economic recovery, then you must market yourself appropriately. This is especially important if you are big as many employers will equate fat with lazy. Tall people have their own set of issues as they may come off as intimidating. This is unfortunate, but it is a reality. They also look at both groups as a potential for rising insurance costs. So presentation is key.
If you haven’t had to look for a job in the last 10 years, then this is truly a whole new world for you, and as such, you need to be re-educated on how to apply for a job. For those of you that have applied for jobs in the last decade, you would be surprised at how many faux pas you actually make when submitting a resume. As a result, I have consulted a human resources professional and I will present some tips that were provided.
Applying For the Job
Make sure you are qualified for the position you are applying for. If the job states you need 5 years of management experience in an information technology environment, you are unlikely to get the job if you have 10 years of fast food management experience. If you think that you can translate your skill sets into the job you are applying for, you can certainly try to include that in the cover letter, but you must remember, the HR profession is a “gate keeper”. It is their job to screen out anyone unfit for the position. They are fully aware of what the company is looking for. Also, do not try to do an “end run” around HR by contacting a vice president, president. CEO or other company officer (unless you know them personally-even then tread lightly), it does not endear you to the human resources and that flavors their opinion of you during the hiring process.
Also, one of the big misnomers is that advanced degrees qualify you for a job immediately. This is an utter lie that is manufactured by universities. A master’s degree or PhD does not in any way substitute for real world experience. So do not expect a director’s position straight out of school. If you get one, you may have a hard time keeping it as education coupled with experience is king.
Creating A Cover Letter
There is nothing that screams “I am lazy” more than presenting a resume without a cover letter. A cover letter should be personalized for each company you apply to and should include the position you are applying for, the name of the company and a summary of how your experience meets the needs of the position. Therefore, make sure you do not say the wrong company name! (You would be surprises how many people actually do this.) It is ok to copy and paste from a template, but insure that the cut and paste job is properly formatted. This is your introduction to the company. The last thing you want to do is set a bad impression from the get go. The result will be your resume going into the recycle bin.
When writing your cover letter, do so in a legible font. This includes size. Nothing annoys an HR professional more than having to read a cover letter or resume in 6pt. wingding font. A 12pt. font is appropriate. Anything less is too small and anything more is obnoxious.
Also, NEVER refer to yourself in the third person. This is not only irritating to an HR professional, but make you look arrogant and even more obnoxious than using a 36pt. font. You are not “The Rock” or “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Save the third person references for those in sport entertainment and those who wire references for you.
Creating A Resume
First, avoid online resume websites. HR professionals want a resume they can print and mark on. The website resume feeds into the idea that you may be lazy and will make you less marketable. (This being said, posting your resume on a job site is a different.)
The font rule applies here too. A 12pt. font is standard. Do not use fancy script. If you are using a template, I would recommend using one that has one for both cover letters and resumes for a clean presentation. Do not worry about the resume being one page. That is passé.
Do not include personal information in your resume. This includes your marital status, parental status, disability status, height, weight, race or national origin or anything that could be brought up as a point of discrimination for being rejected. It is fluff and HR professionals do not like fluff. Also, information like Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers or other personal details should not be included (unless you are applying for a government job that specifically requires it on a resume).
Unless you are applying to be a model or actor of some sort, do not include a picture on your resume. It screams desperation and makes you come off as creepy.
Sending The Resume
For those of you who have not had to apply for a job in the last decade, this is especially applicable to you. No longer are companies accepting walk-in applications (unless you are applying for a fast food job, but even then). Everything is done online, mostly via e-mail. As such there is a resume e-mail etiquette that HR professionals look for. Here are some finer points.
- Take a look at your e-mail address. If it is an inside joke, has a sexual or drug reference, or has some famous person reference, get a new one. There are plenty of free email services out there. Try something with your first and last name. Getting a job is serious, and something with luvbunny@loveshack.com is not going to get the HR professional to even open the email.
- Do not send a .zip file containing your resume and cover letter. HR professionals will trash it as spam if their email system doesn’t do it automatically. Use a format that is common, such as .doc, .txt, or .pdf.
- Put the name of the position (and any job reference number) in the subject. That way an HR professional will know way they have a resume in front of them.
- Paste your cover letter and resume into the body of the email. Yes. It is okay to attach the pretty, formatted Word documents to the email, but a plain text version of both need to be in the body so they can get an overview.
After You Apply
If you are contacted for a phone interview, be available at the scheduled time without distraction. Landline phones are the preferred method of communication as an interviewer will tend to get annoyed by dropped calls and interference that can accompany a cellular phone.
If you are granted an in person interview, bring plenty of printed copies of your cover letter and resume. You may have to speak with several people, so be prepared.
Following up
After your interview, follow up with the HR professional. If they determine you are not qualified, ask them specifics, you may be able to offer a rebuttal to their objections and successfully maneuver yourself back into consideration. But do so respectfully and take their apprehensions seriously and respectfully. Coming off as defensive and offended will not get you in the good graces of the HR professional and may kill your chances if another position that you qualify for comes up.
In the mean time, I have a few sites on here that you may want to look at for job listings. Click on the links, post your resume and search some jobs. If you get a response, put this article into action.