I have spent years compiling data about my reactions and responses to resumes and job applicants.
Most people do their best but are generally ineffectual. Their resumes don’t do a good job of selling themselves but their behavior does not fall into the realm of annoying.
People reflecting “the hot skill du jour” can be problematic. Their desire to be catered to is high but usually just reflects not knowing me, not learning to trust me yet . . .that seems to change pretty quickly.
No, the category of people who seem most annoying are the people who should know better are hiring managers.
Hiring managers should know better than to send resumes that don’t make a case for their qualifications for a job but still send it anyway. Thinking that I should read between the lines and know that they really did this 10 years ago.
Or when I send a few questions to them, reply with, “call me” instead of answering my question. After all, they are too busy watching tv to respond to my four questions.
Or my favorite, “I have that information on my website. Why don’t you read it there.”
I can only respond with, “As someone who has hired people, I’m sure you expected people to clearly lay out their qualifications in their resume before inviting them to meet with or speak with you. My client conducts themselves in the same way as you do.”
“As things stand now, your resume does not make the case for your qualifications for the position. Please revise it and re-send it to me.”
And then the entitled attitude really starts!
I’ll spare you the details and simply say that your resume needs to make the fit obvious between your experience and your qualifications for the position as defined by the employer.
Without the case being made, your resume will be ignored . . . and rightly so. After all, it is no better than spam.
As a manager who does this, whether you like hearing this or not, you are being lazy or asking to be treated as special for no other reason than the fact that at your current employer, you hired people.
It is like trying to cut to the front of the line without earning the privilege.
Is that how you want to be seen?
Is that how you expect your next employer to conduct themselves– accommodating every person who thinks that they are special?
Now, to me, this is different than having an employee refer you and cutting the line that way. In that case, there is an earned privilege (someone knows you and can vouch for you).
So, for those of you who want to be seen as “special,” you are . . . but not in the way you want to be seen
© The Big Game Hunter, Inc. Asheville, NC 2012, 2015