What do employers really want in a resume?
Resumes & Interviews 1 `+ j9 w2 I* }# K
What do employers really want in a resume?
% i% R( |( z: n+ s: o5 Yby Wendy S. Enelow of The Advantage, Inc. used with permission
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6 V6 \2 K/ @7 C, }& l) u4 f9 z2 zAt the September 1994 Professional Association of Resume Writers' Annual Convention in St. Louis, Missouri, the group hosted four Human Resource executives for a panel discussion entitled "What Do Employers Really Want in Resume?" Panelists included Kathy Soonlau, Human Resource Manager of Weyerhauser Company; Gaya Cross, Employment Analyst with Mercantile Bank; Doreen Neiseslan, Human Resource Associate with Homedco, Inc.; and Michael Herring, Executive Vice President of The Impact Group, an HR consulting firm.
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In a question and answer forum, the panelists presented valuable information regarding resume review and their specific hiring processes. This information that everyone who is actively job searching should consider and put to use in planning their employment campaign.
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! Q+ K3 s% R1 N6 z% {( pBypassing Human Resources: We've all heard the adage that the best thing you can do in your job search is bypass "HR" and get your resume directly to a decision maker (e.g., VP of Sales & Marketing, VP of Finance, CEO). Well, the adage is true. All panelists confirmed that although they are not pleased when a job search candidate goes direct to the hiring authority, if that senior manager wants to hire a specific individual, they generally get the position. The panelists' concerns, aside from that individual's attempt to bypass their authority, were primarily related to reference checks. If a senior manager selected a candidate and then references were verified after the individual was offered the position, there was the potential that references would not be positive and the offer would have to be reneged. From a personal observation, I believe that the HR executives were insulated by being kept "out of the loop." The end result, however, was an offer! , U! A! ]% K- H. U/ \- f
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Cover Letters (and Salary Requirements): Each panelist confirmed that cover letters (even handwritten, if a must) were essential. Letters are expected for all positions. Of particular note during the cover letter conversation was reference to salary requirements. What do HR executives think when salary requirements are requested in an advertisement but are not provided in the cover letter. Unanimously, the panelist agreed that if the candidate appeared qualified for the position, they would offer the opportunity for an interview, despite the fact that salary requirements were not included. This is a critical point. Often it is difficult to determine what a specific position will pay. Although you may be interested, you are concerned that your recent salary may be too high or too low for consideration for the advertised position. We now know that it is either acceptable to either (1) not include the salary requirement, or (2) state the salary requirements arenegotiable. ' R$ s9 G" q" w$ p
( |, y- V7 n4 k4 HLatest Trend in Resume Scanning: We all hear that the latest trend in the HR field is resume scanning. However, only one of the four companies represented by the panelist (Mercantile Bank) has begun to utilize this technology, and only on a limited basis. In addition to scanning each resume, they also maintain a paper copy to supplement the scanning system which still is fraught with problems. To enhance the "scan-ability" of your resume, Gay Cross of Mercantile, recommends the following: F. \8 C! }2 K
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Do not use line or borders 4 q" q' q4 k7 k' E# E1 r4 l
Do not use bold print, italics, or underlining
, m' }4 i: P$ Z6 j) aUse Large and clear typestyle 6 m; Y) Q* f* h$ N3 q# ]
Leave large margins all the way around the resume
2 W( O: g9 F( W- W8 dDo not use any color paper other than white or very light ivory.
. k; G- {2 E4 d: l9 V* R. b2 wBe sure to center your name, address and phone at the top.
