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Scary Resume Tales

It is time for our annual review of scary resume tales and horror stories.

“It’s My Right”

You have a lot of rights, to be sure, but so do employers. Ralph applied for a job that required applicants to work weekends, wear a mask, and know how to create a spreadsheet. Ralph got the job, but called in sick every weekend and regularly “forgot” his mask because he had a right to relax on weekends and take care of his health the way he wanted to. He was fired, still grumbling about his rights.

If you cannot meet the stated requirements of the job, do not apply.

“But It Sounded So Good”

Anna found a perfect sample resume on the internet—and copied most of the content. Sure, some of the information did not exactly match her experience or skills, but the resume sounded so good. Unfortunately for Anna, employers do check the information that applicants provide, if only by asking probing questions at the interview. Anna could not answer questions about or demonstrate the skills on the resume, and the company rejected her for the position.

Do not lie on your resume.

“Company Revenue Soared from $200 to $450 Million”

Many years ago, Cal paid for a professional executive resume. Now he was job hunting again and updated it himself. One of the updates he made showed an increase in revenue under his guidance, “from $200 to $450 million.” His very familiarity with the facts made him overlook the missing “million” after “$200.” Mistakes that you miss will catch the fresh eye of an interviewer.

Check your resume each time before you send it out, especially after making any changes.

“Torpils? What Are Torpils?”

When a company interviews you for a job, they expect at a minimum that you will know what the company does and where it is located.

Sybil sent resumes to every company she could find online that was looking for a marketing copywriter. Unfortunately, because she barely read the job postings, she often applied to companies that manufactured products or delivered services she did not understand or had terrible reputations for how they treated interviewees and employees. As a result, she wasted her time and the hiring manager’s time.

The internet has quantities of information about individual companies and their products or services. Online reviews will tell you about a company’s reputation. Make use of that information before you apply.

To avoid scary resume tales like these, work with Robin’s Resumes®, where you will find professional writing, career coaching, and expert guidance.

Federal Resumes: What You Might Not Know

Applying for a job with a federal government agency or office is quite different from applying for a job with a private company.

The federal resume, in most cases, will be considerably longer than the resume you would send to a private company, in part because of the added information the federal government wants, including detailed contact information for each company you worked for and your supervisors, hours worked each week, and salary. There may also be considerable duplication because of the need to meet every application requirement. You must address every single question you are asked in the Online Questionnaire in your resume, or your score will most likely be lowered.

Furthermore, you cannot omit any of the information requested in the application requirements; if you do, your application will be rejected.

In addition to a resume, a federal job posting may require KSAs (knowledge, skills, and abilities statements), ESQ (executive core qualifications) essays and other highly structured materials.

For more information and examples, please visit the Robin’s Resumes® website. With decades of experience preparing resumes for federal job applicants, I will be happy to help you in your quest for a government job.

How Do Employers Find Their Ideal Candidate?

Recently on LinkedIn, someone asked how business owners, recruiters, and HR executives find their best candidates. The answers to that question are valuable for anyone who is searching for a job. There are five key steps that employers take in evaluating a candidate:

  1. Check the resume for job history and skills. Recruiters eliminate people who are clearly job hoppers, with one position after another that lasted less than a year; they also eliminate applicants who lack the vital skills they need.
  2. Check the resume for intangibles. It may be important, for example, that the candidate likes to work alone or travel out of the country or make presentations.
  3. Look at social media. A Facebook or Twitter page may reveal that a candidate has a problem the company does not want to deal with, such as excess drinking or anger toward co-workers. Or a company where volunteerism is important, for example, may look for evidence of a candidate’s volunteer activity.
  4. Pay attention to the job candidate’s attitude during the interview. If a candidate arrives late, texts during the interview, treats the receptionist rudely or gives inappropriate or flustered responses to questions, that candidate is considered a bad choice.
  5. Be prepared to train the right person. For some companies, a demonstrated willingness to learn is more important than current skills.

Robin’s Resumes® can help you anticipate these steps when you are looking for a job. I write resumes that put your job history in the best light and make it clear that you have the right skills and attitude. The resume also indicates whether you are a good candidate for training, if the company offers it. Together, we can evaluate your online presence for consistency with your resume.

Let me help you become the ideal candidate for business owners, recruiters, and HR executives.

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