| Ask Impressive Resumes: Dear Impressive Resumes, I was called in response to my job application with an urgent request for references. After providing these and attending an interview I simply received an email telling me I didn’t have enough sales experience? Yet I have run my own business for years? I don’t understand, please help. Sincerely, Confused. Dear Confused. Unfortunately you are running into an age old problem here. Many resume clients can’t understand why they have been overlooked or culled from the process when it appears to them that they are perfect for the position applied for. Keep in mind that employers are looking for a way to select you OUT not select you IN. It comes down to a difference in viewpoint. You are looking for a way to have you included in the selection process, the employer is looking for a reason to cull you from the process. After all, they can only employ one person for the job (unless they specify in the job advertisement that there are multiple positions available). Not every employer unfortunately will make the connection between being self-employed, and running a successful sales department. Many will prefer that things are “spelled out” for them, and if they are offered a candidate who has specific, recent experience in a sales representative or account management role; this makes their decision that much simpler. Ensure the wording of your CV is sales focused, and don’t give up! This situation involves persistence, creative thinking, and tenacity. Keep on applying for positions, but also don’t neglect the hidden job market; seek positions with organisations that may not have necessarily advertised – this is where 85% of available positions can be gained. It’s a Numbers Game Yes, you have heard this saying many times, it’s a numbers game. And how true it is. So many clients I meet simply respond to the advertisements in the local paper or online. But why would you want to limit yourself? Think of all the opportunities you are potentially letting slip through the net! What I would recommend is that you get professionally printed (and bound if you can afford it) at least 10 professional CVs then choose and target your employers. That’s right, I said choose your target employers. Business Review Weekly Magazine (BRW) produce a report every twelve months detailing Australia’s top 50 employers. They even go so far as to detail why these companies are employers of choice. So do your research. Decide which company you want to work for. Get a temp job in the meantime. Then pursue the job of your dreams until you get it. Diarise your contact with the organisation and if possible, the dates and times of your calls. Not only will you look professional, but you will prove you sincerely want to work for that organisation. I have also discovered over the years that a good ratio for getting job interviews is 10 to 1. That is, if you submit 10 applications you should get a minimum of one call back for an interview. If not, something is severely wrong with your CV or the way you are presenting yourself. Are there spelling errors in your CV? How is it formatted? Is it professionally presented? Is it easy to make sense of the data? Is it logically presented? Are the grammar and wording correct and interesting? Don’t forget you have only 10-30 seconds to make an impression, especially in this internet age, and anything less than eye-catching simply won’t cut it. It’s not what you Know it’s Who you Know I know sometimes it can seem that this is a tired worn-out cliché. But the number of times this old adage has turned out to be true has astounded me. Your cousin’s son’s neighbour’s friend knows someone who just happens to be looking for a receptionist. And there you have it, a job interview. Yes I know, if I’ve told you once I’ve told you a thousand times, don’t exaggerate. But you get the idea. I have often surprised myself with how clients find me. One client called from Far Northern Queensland saying Joe Bloggs had given him my number. Yet I didn’t even know who Joe Bloggs was!!! This was a surprise particularly as my offices are in Melbourne. However, it seems a fellow networking associate had been a secretary for Joe Bloggs years ago, and this associate had heard about me from our mutual networking group, and there you have it, a new client! The point is, you just don’t know where actions and contacts can take you. And it’s usually those contacts you don’t think twice about. So tell your aunties, uncles, baker, butcher and candlestick maker that you are looking for work and news will travel fast. Job Search and Follow Up I would recommend you keep a diary of agencies and employers contacted, and keep notes and diarise reminders to call back and follow up. In that way do you present yourself as a professional jobseeker, but this also eliminates confusion and possible embarrassment. A number of candidates have told stories of calls received by them, inviting them to attend an interview only to realise with horror that they can’t remember anything about the job they applied for!! Similarly, submit your resume to agencies that specialise in your field. I often recommend that customers go the website of the Recruitment Consultant Association www.rcsa.com.au as on this site they can search for a recruitment consultant and company who specialises in your particular field whether that be engineering, production management, secretarial, mining or teaching. How the Jobsearch Industry has changed Many of my clients complain about the de personalisation of the job seeking industry. Gone are the days of a letter, or telephone call advising the applicant that they have been unsuccessful. With the rising popularity of the internet, most applications are now submitted electronically. This means not only is it quicker and easier to apply for a job, but also the person at the other end of the email has probably been inundated with applications. Don’t feel despondent or let down if you don’t get replies. These days you will usually only be contacted if you have successfully gained an interview. Persistence is key here. Follow up with phone calls or emails. Keep going with application after application, as well as submitting your resume to companies that have not necessarily advertised a position. Be prepared Right here and now I am going to go over some basics. For those of you whose intelligence I have insulted, I apologise. However, I figure all great actions in life start with the basics, or principles from which great things can grow so here they are. Presentation. Presentation. Presentation. Yes it’s all about the way you present yourself. Not just the way you look but the way you sound. No place for ums, nail biting, excessive waving of the hands and arms at job interview time. A simple suit is best, and ladies, don’t go overboard on the make up. And no, this is not the time to pull out your gorgeous dangling earrings with the blue and pink quartz crystals. Whilst they might be gorgeous to you, a more professional understated approach is best. Do not smoke prior to an important job interview no matter how nervous you might be. Volunteer work and Community Groups/Leisure Interests This can be and has been an important factor on many clients resume when seeking to gain “a foot in the door” which is really the purpose of having a resume or CV professionally written. I am yet to meet a candidate who has listed their hobbies as “gambling, horse racing, and drinking wine.” However, by the same token, don’t put down hobbies that you think the employer wants to hear, be honest. This applies to all statements in regards to job history – honesty is always the best policy. Similarly, you don’t want to find yourself in a position where an interviewer starts interestedly chatting about a hobby listed in your CV, only to find your knowledge in the area is limited. Hobbies can be a great icebreaker and nothing establishes rapport like a shared interest. Whilst an employer is looking for the best candidate, it certainly helps if they like you, and think you are a nice person! In this way you can minimise any doubts they may have about your fitting into the new culture. Volunteer and Community Work is also something that should definitely be included in your CV particularly if it is seen as relevant. For example, many stay at home mums contact me as they are feeling discouraged about their job prospects, particularly having stayed at home for the last 10 years to care for their children (an extremely important and challenging positions with limited workplace perks at times) – However upon probing further I discover that they have made a major contribution to several groups, in some cases having completed up to 10 years of volunteer work! This is a valid work history, and should definitely be included in a Resume. Community and Volunteer Work also demonstrates a sense of community-mindedness and spirit. |