Archived Newsletter
Resumes: A Commentary
Author(s): Bill Crigger is president and managing partner OI Partners--Compass Career Management Solutions (North Carolina)
Resumes and CVs used to be reserved for senior-level executives; not any more. Even part-time employees are asked to submit a resume to be considered for a position.
There are only two types of resumes--Solicited and Unsolicited--those that you ask for and those that you don't ask for. However, resumes come to us in many different formats. I have seen a number of interesting formats during my tenure in the human resources profession. The traditional formats include: Chronological, Functional and Accomplishment-based. Newer formats are a hybrid of one, two or all three traditional versions. The newest format seems to be a resume based on the behavioral interview--Situation, Action and Result.
A 2003 survey conducted by Account Temps found that 56 percent of executives polled said they spend five minutes or less reviewing each resume they receive for an advertised position. Nearly 25 percent of respondents said they spend no more than two minutes reading a resume. That means that 81 percent of survey respondents look at a solicited resume 5 minutes or less. From my experience, it is actually three minutes or less. And non-solicited resumes get much less attention.
The accepted practice is to limit resumes to two pages in length; some say one page is even better. But recently, I heard an executive of a major company tell the audience that a three-page resume is the new norm.
As career counselors, OI Partners works very closely with candidates to help them hone that specific resume, the one that sells them the best and gets their foot in the door. Candidates spend hours analyzing their skills, accomplishments, reviewing formats and networking to get that "just right" resume. Yet in the time it may take you to make a cup of coffee, the elimination decision has been made.
The more creative companies are in the resume review/sorting process, the more creative candidates are. For example, many companies will use an online resume key word software sorting program. The candidates at the bottom of their resumes, in white font color, list every possible key word for their professions. You do not see the key words, but the computer reads them as if they were in a bulleted accomplishment.
I guess the point is that there is no right or wrong way to complete or review a resume. It just seems that everyone involved ends up getting frustrated over the entire process. Candidates work hard to get a perfect resume that gets eliminated in 5 minutes or less. Employers spend thousands of dollars to eliminate potentially good candidates based on key words; not to mention personal review time.
Several years ago, I had the opportunity to ask 20 CEOs what were the key work-related characteristics they looked for in a new hire. I was surprised by the answer. They said "Enthusiasm, Positive Attitude, Honesty and Integrity; with these traits we can teach them the job." Their response seems to fly in the face of a two-page resume.
Maybe companies should consider a "company-specific" approach:
* Design a template resume that zeros in on company--job specific skills, strengths and traits. Of course, companies will need to document how they identified these items. * Each candidate must complete the template in order to be considered for the position. * The first part of the template is: List your name, address, one telephone number and e-mail address. * Next are two questions: List your 5 top business strengths; list your top 5 personal characteristics. * Those candidates, who list 3 out of 5 of the companies' pre-identified required answers (needs), are prompted by the computer to provide documentation: List in detail, but limited to 300 words, a situation that demonstrates this competency. Three out of five is 60 percent. * Eliminate anyone who exceeds 300 words because they cannot follow directions. The same applies to telephone numbers. * Remaining candidates are then ranked from high to low based on the percentage of "key characteristic" hits. * Interview only the top candidates.
Companies identify the specific criteria it takes to be successful in a specific position, and candidates identify their defendable, demonstrated strengths and characteristics. All that is left is to match and hire. Right?
Bill Crigger is president and managing partner OI Partners--Compass Career Management Solutions (North Carolina). He has more than 30 years of experience in human resource management and career counseling. Bill is president-elect for the Charlotte AREA SHRM chapter, certified as an SPHR and serves on the ACF-DOL taskforce. He can be reached at bcrigger@oipartners.net or 704-849-2500.
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