Q. I have a great resume. It has given me lots of job interviews, but it never persuades anyone to hire me. Once I am in the interview, the interviewer starts grilling me about my resume and goals, and what am I supposed to say? I want to say, “Read the resume, dummy,” and “My goals are to get this job,” but clearly, that isn’t what they want to hear. So what can I do to fix my resume and seal the deal?
A. Unfortunately, a resume by itself cannot guarantee you a job. Your current resume is impressing hiring managers and recruiters enough to ask you in for an interview. However, companies interview candidates because they are also interested in qualities that your resume is unable to convey or that they would like to confirm, such as:
- How honest have you been in your resume?
- How well do you communicate and present yourself during a meeting?
- How do you handle stressful situations (like an interview)?
- Will you personally fit in with the company’s culture as well as its mission?
It would be best if you were perfectly honest in your resume, but you and the interviewer may still have different ideas on what it means to “contribute” to a project, for example. Moreover, space on a resume is limited. The hiring manager or recruiter may want to know more about a particular accomplishment or your abilities in an area that the resume mentioned only briefly.
Your hostility to interview questions is probably evident. Online research about how to answer common interview questions will help you develop polite, informative responses. Then practice. You want to convey your excitement and interest in the position while communicating clearly and professionally.
If you find that you cannot generate excitement or interest, perhaps your resume targets the wrong positions and the wrong companies. Maybe it is time to rethink your career and goals and reframe your resume – or, more likely, to get interview coaching. Your resume may be working, but getting a job is much more than just securing an interview.
A career and transition coach can show you how to sharpen your interview skills and create a resume for the career you truly want. Reach out to Robin’s Resumes® today for the help you need