Job Search 101 [Part 1]

I have been taking on more outsourced recruiting contracts recently. This means that I’ve been reading more resumes, making first contact recruitment phone calls and conducting aptitude tests for job seekers than previously. And all I can say is ‘Houston, we have a problem’.

When resumes submitted to my office in anticipation for roles, I see three major issues when I review them; most of the candidates are unexposed, unprepared and uncoached.

It’s because of these issues that I have decided to do a series for job seekers. The hope is that they will be more exposed, better prepared and thoroughly coached to give recruiters exactly what they are looking for. By doing this, they increase the probability of securing their coveted job.

It seems like most candidates have fallen victim to the ‘danger of a single story’. They seem to have one paradigm and fail to exhibit their originality and distinction in their resumes. They are trapped in the mentality of the herd. Everyone copies everyone else’s resume and the price they all pay is the loss of individuality.

For instance, you can tell when a circle of friends or alumni group receive a job advert. You will receive resumes that are more or less the same; save the bio data and other person specific details.

Resume format will be exactly the same, ditto for list of competences, statement of purpose and hobbies. Expect to see things like:

Skills & Competences

• Excellent Communication skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Ability to work with little or no supervision
• Analytical skills
• Computer skills (proficient with Microsoft Office Suite)

These are all well and good. But my issue is that sometimes these aren’t the skills sought after for the role the candidate is applying for. Sometimes the role calls for job specific skills like numeracy, social fluency, legal drafting etc. Candidates need to be aware of both general and specific employability skills that organizations are looking for and know how to corroborate their possession of same.

I remember a few years ago, my team was looking to hire a customer service officer for a financial institution. It was an entry level position with on the job training provided, so pretty much anyone could apply. We received a resume from a lady who studied Food & Nutrition. Now I see no problem with her applying for a customer service role if she has the aptitude to do the job. The reason she did not make the cut however was because in listing her skills and competencies she had ‘legal drafting’ as the FIRST on her list.

Many candidates aren’t aware that recruiters have to literally go through hundreds of resumes daily. And this can get pretty boring and tedious. Most times the recruiter knows if you have what they are looking for after a very quick scan of the first page of the resume.

Recruiters will only stop and really consider a resume that catches their attention. And the burden is on the candidates to make their resume stand out.

Resumes do not stand out because of fancy fonts or designs. There are so many things that really do not sway a recruiter, but candidates include them in their resumes because they have seen every other person do so. In a subsequent post on this theme I will share what I believe should be in a stand out resume and what candidates would do well to leave out.

So to open the series, and end this first installment I will share some of the reasons why candidates don’t seem to enjoy any success no matter how many applications they respond to.

1. Your resume is too long. I once got a six page resume from a candidate seeking an entry level role. Once has to ask…what can a person put into a six page resume? HR researchers will tell you that your resume should ideally be about two pages long.
2. Your resume is too wordy. You have large chunks of text, which look tedious to read. And recruiters are scanning the document and cannot slow down enough to read the 8 lines about your communication skills.
3. Your resume does not stand out. You have failed to present your our skills or experience in a way that distinguishes you from other numerous applicants vying for the same job.
4. You have inconsistent information on your resume.
5. Your resume is fraught with grammatical errors, spelling mistakes etc.
6. You are not complying with the instructions given in the advert. For instance, candidates are to quote the job role they are vying for in the email subject. Instead they fail to do this. Other times, the instructions call for a cover letter and candidates fail to attach their cover letters.
7. Poorly crafted cover letters. Many candidates have never taken the time to learn and master the art and style of the cover letter. So they fall by the way side to the advantage of better prepared candidates.
8. The skills you say you have are not relevant to the job advertised. It is helpful to investigate the job and the skills the employer is looking for and present yourself as the best fit for the role.
9. You failed to tweak your resume and cover letter to specifically fit the role you are vying for. A big job application sin is sending the same application to every recruiter.

Are you guilty of any of these? I hope reading this has made you realize that applying for a job must be a well thought out task not to be left to chance.

In the coming weeks, I will share how to present your skills in your resume. I will also offer some tips that could give you an edge in your next application. Feel free to send me any questions you have using this link. Don’t miss out on this series, subscribe to Lizspire and receive the blog each Friday in your email.