Career Bull

Why is Your Resume in the Garbage?

// January 25th, 2010 // Job Search, Job Tips, Phone Interview

Today I had to write a thank you note to one of the executives at the company I work for. Before I began writing I decided to practice my penmanship on a similar sized piece of paper, (as to eliminate the possibility I would screw up the nice thank you note I purchased).

Not thinking twice, I grabbed the resume of a candidate I talked with earlier in the day and cut out a portion of the first page, to make it similar in size to the thank you note. It took me a second to realize what I was doing. In just a few seconds Jessica’s ten years of education and work experience were suddenly turned into scrap paper.

Why did this happen?

Because of her phone interview.

I thought to myself, how did someone’s resume that they had put so much time and effort in now sit in pieces in the garbage.

Below are five tips for job seekers on how to not end up like Jessica:

1. Do your research – I asked Jessica how she heard about us and if she had been on the website. She responded innocently “I saw you were one of the best companies to work for in Cincinnati, so I applied, but I haven’t looked at your website. What do you guys do?” Learn about the company as much as you can. I know websites are full of corporate speak that make it difficult to understand, but do your best to have a general idea of what the company does.
2. Act like you want the job – I know this is a huge DUH, but you’d be surprised how many people fail to execute this. On the phone be enthusiastic, not overly perky, but excited to learn more about the position. The best way to do this is to ask really good questions about the company and  the position. This shows that you did #1, and more importantly that you are seriously considering this position.
3. A.B.C. – Any idea what this stands for? No it’s not Always Be Closing it’s Always Be Checking. During the phone conversation after you answer a question, simply ask the interviewer, “Is that what you are looking for?” or, “Does that make sense?” or, “Did I hit the mark?” This is HUGE because its just like “test-closing” in traditional selling situations, and rarely if ever, does anyone EVER apply this persuasion principle in a phone interview.
4. Close – If you are interviewing for a sales position, you need to concisely sum up why you think you would be good for the job and ask if it makes sense to come in for another interview. As an interviewer I go silent at the end of the interview, that’s my sign that I’m done, and the ball is in your court to move on to the next step. A great question you could ask at this point is, “Where do you think we should go from here?” and then close your mouth. If you nailed it, the phone interviewer will tell you they would like to meet you and BOOYAH, you moving on… If they don’t? Ask another question such as “Is there anything from my background or from this interview that concern you with being a fit for the company?”
5. Follow up – Screeners are going through literally 100’s of resumes for any one job. In order to get your name remembered send proper follow up information. Just the other day I had a candidate re-schedule one of their reserved interview slots for our office. A few minutes later a candidate I had screened earlier in the day sent me a thank you note that triggered my memory. Guess who just got reached out to for the open spot in the schedule?