Dubin & Lee Blog

Top 5 Pet Peeves of Your Resume Readers

  

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Do you know that your resume gets 7 seconds before the reader (a hiring manager, recruiter or resume screener) decides either to delete the resume or keep reading? 

Well, let me clarify.  Studies show that it is actually now 6.5 seconds. Also, there are 3 options; delete, come back to, or keep reading. “Come back to” is the same as “delete” because they usually have no need to go back as they have too many on the short list already.

So what makes a resume reader hit “delete” or “next?”

I ask my corporate clients that question all the time, so I have listed the most frequent answers.

Here are the top 5 ways to annoy your resume reader and get the “delete” button.

5. Not enough quantitative information about your accomplishments. Generic, short bullets that are worded like a job description do not tell your resume reader the detail they need to know about what makes your accomplishments special.  The Recruiter is going to need to give the hiring manager valid reasons why you are worth talking to and these reasons must be quantifiable.

4. Typos and formatting errors. This just screams “sloppy.” At the very least, it is a sign that you lack attention to detail.

3. Intangibles on the resume. “Hard working,” “self-motivated,” really? Anyone can say that but it does not mean it’s true.  Save it for the interview.

2. Fancy formatting. Graphics, designs and Excel spreadsheet cells (just to name a few) do not always translate well and just make it more difficult for your reader to find the skill set they want.  Avoid anything that eats into your 7 seconds.  Make your resume clean.  Use bullets instead of a block of text. Also, if you do end up on the short list, your resume will most likely need to be reformatted for their system.  Make it easy for them by putting your resume on a clean Word document and not Excel or PDF.

And the #1 resume reader pet peeve is...

1. Functional resumes.  Face it!  It is a resume trick. Tricks do not work.  Some professional resume writer told you that if your most recent experience is not relevant, disguise it by using a functional resume.  When recruiters see a functional resume, they assume your most recent experience is not relevant.  That is how tricks work. That will get you deleted faster than anything.

For a complete guide on how to update your resume, download the Quick and Easy Resume Updater Guide now.  This guide will walk you through updating and cleaning up your resume in 30 minutes or less.

Do I Tell My Current Job I'm Interviewing?

  

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A colleague of mine overheard some women talking at a coffee shop about whether or not she should tell her current employer that she was doing a job search.  She said it felt like she was going to tell her boyfriend she wanted to date other people.

It is a dilemma!  What would you do?

First of all, there are some psychological similarities with dating and interviewing but they are NOT the same. As much as an employer might tell you, when you give your two week notice, that they wish you would have come to them first, it is not actually considered professional to walk around talking about how, someday soon, you are going to “blow this pop stand.”

Believe it or not, it is expected that you do a job search confidentially until you find a new one.

The proof:  If your boss was looking for a new job, would he/she tell you?

Once you tell your boss you are looking, your current employer is going to start to prepare for your departure.  This may or may not coincide with your finding a new job but you can bet, as soon as they are prepared for you to go, you WILL be gone.  Any loyalty they might have had to you is gone after they know you are not committed to them. It is the same reason you should never accept a counteroffer.

If you find yourself out of work before you find your next job,

you will find it harder to get work. 

Here are 3 reasons why it is harder to get work while unemployed?

1. You will need to count on a spectacular reference from your most recent job if you are no longer there.
2. The companies in which you apply will question your professional judgment for leaving a job before you have another.
3. Potential employers assume something negative has happened before they even speak to you.

The best reasons to stay with a company long term are because they have your best interest at heart, they want to see you grow professionally and they value your loyalty.  If that is the case, they will make effort to make sure your salary remains competitive, you are recognized for your work and have plenty of opportunity for career progression while you are still committed to them.  If your current employer only attemps to show you how much they really value you when you are on the way out, this is most likely not the company that has your best interest at heart and will not be the best vehicle for your career progression.

For more on how to go about a job search while working, read this post.

So, you are not sure and you want to test the waters...

Disclaimer: I have only known one person that tried it but it did work in his favor.

Show up to work one day in your best professional attire and take off a couple hours in the middle of the day and if someone asks, just say, “I had a personal matter to attend to.”

Now what?

Update your resume!

Download the Quick and Easy Resume Updater Guide to get the task (that you have procrastinated on long enough) done in 30 minutes or less.

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Why Networking is Vital to Your Career

  

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Does the word “networking” give you a pit in your stomach or are you so busy that networking seems like a waste of time? 

I’m sure at one time or another you were told you should network but you still might have been missing a little on the “why” it so important for your career path and the “how” networking really should be done.

I do see the scenario quite often where a professional cannot justify hanging out and socializing when there is so much work to be done.  I have to admit, I see this most often with females.  The concept of creating alliances seems to be more natural for men whereas the majority of women that I come across in the workforce seem to have the attitude that they are on their own.  I truly believe that if women spent more time creating alliances, we would have more women in C-level positions.

The most successful people I know have attributed so much of their success to their network.

What is networking?

Networking is more than just “hanging out and socializing.”  It is about making connections with people outside your daily routine…a different industry, different department or connecting with people who share a common interest…a profession, a cause.

What does it mean to “make a connection?”

Making a connection is not just swapping cards, especially in this job market.  It is about listening and understanding what the person you’re talking to does and is looking to do and thinking of ways you could help that person through people you may know.  Also, to make a connection you must make a positive impression by being sincere.  It is also about staying connected.  We are so lucky that we now have tools like LinkedIn to make this so much easier. If you don’t feel like you are getting the most out of LinkedIn, inquire about our upcoming workshop.

Yes, networking is about building alliances. To create these alliances, you have to enter into a networking situation with the attitude of helping and not the expectation of being helped.  That is why there is so much danger in waiting until you are unemployed to start networking.  It is sort of like the relative that only calls when he needs something or trying to get flood insurance in the middle of a hurricane.

If you are unemployed:

Networking is still very important to finding a job but you should still go into every networking situation with the attitude of wanting to help others as well.  Also, at Dubin & Lee we are going to be holding some networking events with our local hiring companies and jobseekers, so get on the list for those invitations.

If you are working:

Don’t wait until you need a job to network. Start from now building strong alliances of professionals that……

• Know what you do
• Have a positive impression of you
• You have tried to help at one time or another
• View you as a subject matter expert in your profession

We have learned with this past economic environment, one can go from employed to unemployed with no warning in an instant.

Also, I have seen it time and time again that networking lands someone their ideal job even when they LEAST EXPECT IT!

If you feel you could use some hands on tactics for networking in person or on LinkedIn, get the workshop alert to find out when we have a workshop near you.

What Job Interview Questions Have Tricked You?

  

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This week, I would just like to pose a question.

What job interview questions have you been tricked by?

Joyce Lain Kennedy, author of “Job Interviews for Dummies,” wrote a fantastic article titled “10 Interview Questions Designed to Trick You.”

This is a fantastic list but there are plenty more trick questions and we, at Dubin & Lee, are in the process of writing an eBook just on answering tough job interview questions.

Please comment with questions that you felt might have been asked to trick you.

If you wish to comment privately, you may as well.