Posted By Amanda Collins on March 15, 2010

Taken from a recent e-mail from Mike O’Brien at Climber.com.

Did you know 75% résumés are overlooked? If you are like most people, you have applied to and uploaded résumés for dozens of jobs and heard nothing back. This is generally referred to as the “résumé black hole.”

If you do not know how to beat the résumé black hole, chances are your résumé will be overlooked. The root of the  problem is a piece of technology called an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). The ATS was designed to streamline the flow of applicants for companies. This is accomplished by having a central place where all applications and résumés are warehoused.

To further compound the issue, ATSs are only 65% to 80% accurate in reading the information in your résumé. This means that one-fifth to one-third of the time the ATS is just plain wrong in importing data wholly and properly into the ATS. If your résumé makes this cut, the ATS then screens and ranks your résumé against open positions.

Next, résumés that pass the ATS screen are generally sent to a gatekeeper who spends about 30 seconds reading the résumé before deciding to move it along to the recruiter or hiring manager or pass it along to the trash can. About 1 in 10 résumés are passed along to the decision maker who decides if you will be interviewed.

Combat the résumé black hole by:
Loading up on keywords: ATSs rank on keyword density. Keywords should match closely to the required skills that appear in the job posting. The better you score against a jobs skill requirements the higher your résumé will rank.

Bypassing the ATS: Leverage your connections in person and the social media spectrum. Attend networking events and be sure you have a complete profile on LinkedIn. Also, connect with a recruiter (or two!) who specializes in your industry.

Making sure the job fits. Especially in today’s tough job environment, it is even more important to make sure that you have the skills and background required for the job.

Category: Job Search, Resumes | No Comments »
Tags: Job Search, key components in resumes, linkedin, resume, resume keywords

Posted By Amanda Collins on March 12, 2010

I know that I don’t wield ultimate power in getting clients jobs; I write résumés and help to position them on paper. Even though, I’m surprised when a client comes to my office dressed in cut-offs and a rock band T-shirt and tells me all the horrors of her last boss and how she just phoned it in (okay, this doesn’t happen often, but it’s still shocking). Then, when I refer some of my clients to my executive recruiter partners, I hear back about some of the inappropriate stories they’ve shared.

For some reason, job seekers don’t see recruiters as having power in their job searches. I think that’s funny, not to mention a self-defeating stance to take. One of my recruiter colleagues told me that his candidates will often be completely unprofessional with him, telling him things one would never disclose during an interview. When I was surprised at this, he said most of the folks with whom he interacts don’t understand how influential he is in their search. The power of his recommendation can land someone a job. Just as easily, he can close doors.

When you’re looking for a job, every interaction is an interview. You have no idea who someone knows and how much that knowledge can hurt or help your career search. I have an acquaintance I won’t recommend for a position because I would never want to work with him. I wrote his résumé, and I know enough people to get him in somewhere, but that would reflect poorly back on me – and I’m not willing to take that chance. Selfish? Perhaps, but it’s the way the world works, especially when it comes to business.

Complain to your partner or friends about your boss and the job search, but keep that information out of your conversations with recruiters, career consultants, and others who may be able to help you get a job. Remain professional and you’ll see opportunities start to surface because people will want to help you.

Category: Job Search, networking | 1 Comment »
Tags: Communications, interviewing, Job Search

Posted By Amanda Collins on March 5, 2010

It seems a common theme in my résumé practice that my clients have been laid off and are looking for their next opportunities. Often, these folks have so intermingled their identities with what they’ve done that they don’t know who they are without their jobs. They come to my office and have little self-worth, feeling as if they have nothing to offer another employer.

Much like a codependent relationship, when the relationship (with a person or firm) ends, there is a serious sense of loss. Of course, that is to be expected. You feel surprised, sad, angry, depressed – pretty much all of the feelings described so vividly in Kübler-Ross’ grief cycle, which Kerry Scott sums up as it relates to the topic at hand in “Five Stages of Grieving over a Job Loss.” This is all very normal and to be expected. However, just because you’ve lost your job doesn’t mean you’ve lost YOU. That talented, knowledgeable professional is still there under everything – and you need to muster up the confidence to present that person to your future employers.

Tap into what makes you able to do the job you’re seeking. How are you unique? What value can you provide? Present yourself not as “I’m unemployed,” but as “I’m your next [insert your targeted job title here].” At a networking event I attended regularly, a woman would say week after week, “I’m unemployable.” I’m not quite sure if she didn’t realize she’d chosen the wrong word or really felt that way, but no matter what she meant, I sure didn’t want to talk to her about a job potential. Imagine the difference if she had said, “I’m ready to become your next Sales Associate, bringing with me a depth of experience securing and managing million-dollar accounts and increasing revenue 25% year to year.” I want to talk to that person!

Give yourself time to grieve; you definitely deserve it. But remember that you continue to be you – valuable, employable, worthy – regardless of economic conditions. Surround yourself with positive people and keep plugging away. You’ll turn it around!

Category: Job Search | No Comments »
Tags: career identity, ego tied to job, Job Search, laid off workers

Posted By Amanda Collins on March 1, 2010

At an HR forum I attended this weekend, three of the four HR panelists confirmed what I have known for a long while – most hiring managers don’t read cover letters. I remember when I was in that position I didn’t read the letters either. In fact, very few people even bothered to submit cover letters, as these panelists also confirmed. So what’s the point? Why do professionals still suggest job seekers include cover letters?

A cover letter is your handshake, a warm introduction instead of just jumping in with, “Can I have a job?” It’s a way to pull out the most important parts in your résumé, be more conversational, and possibly cover things you can’t in your résumé, which is a more formal document. In your letter, pronouns can sneak in, and with them, personality! You can also tell the reader how you heard about the position, especially if you were referred by a friend or colleague.

If you choose to use a cover letter (and I’m going to be a proponent until I die), make sure it’s personalized. You shouldn’t have it addressed to “To Whom It May Concern” or – worse yet – “Dear Sirs.” Look up the hiring manager’s name on LinkedIn. If you don’t know, at least address the letter to “Hiring Manager” or some appropriate title. Mention the name of the company, position, and how you heard of them. Do a little homework online to see why you’re a fit with the culture or will be able to solve a specific problem confronting the firm. Pull in a few of your major selling points from the résumé as well (aka accomplishments) to really draw attention to your value.

Even though three of the four recruiters didn’t read the cover letter, one did – and one other said he will if he finds something of interest in the résumé. So I’ll continue to advocate for cover letters because you never know who might be reading it.

Category: Cover Letters | 2 Comments »
Tags: cover letter, resume