Professional Help: Why Your Resume is Getting Ignored (Part 1)

28 Jan Professional Help: Why Your Resume is Getting Ignored (Part 1)

To celebrate 2013, I’ve created a new “Professional Help” category on my blog.” These post are focused on providing useful knowledge that can help you improve, grow, or alter your professional career. The start of the new year also ushers in the start of the fiscal year for many companies. And, with that comes new job opportunities. Job seekers will be applying for these positions in record numbers.

As the founder of a temp and full time employment agency in NYC, my team spends a lot of time reviewing resumes (more than 400 a week) and matching clients with potential candidates in various fields. We all know it’s really difficult to find a job this days, so I am always shocked to see how many job hunters sabotage themselves (many times inadvertently). There are lots of qualified candidates out there and you need to make sure hiring managers know you are one of them.

Here is the first of four avoidable mistakes that will get your resume ignored or deleted in a heartbeat:

1 — Not following directions

If the job posting lists steps on how a resume or cover letter is to be submitted (or formatted)…follow them.

I know a HR Director at a reputable company who at the end of every job description asks candidates to list their favorite color and why they selected it in their cover letter. This may seem silly, but it gives her the opportunity to weed out those that are mass applying to positions. It also allows her to focus on those that appear to be truly interested in her opening. Any resume (no matter how qualified the applicant might appear) will be ignored if it doesn’t include that information.

Before you get riled up and balk that this is an unfair request; know that this information is actually used in the company’s New Hire announcements. Their announcement email will actually read, “We have a new hire staring on Monday. His name is xxx and favorite color is blue.”

By not following the post’s directions you are telling the hiring manager that you are not a good fit for the company. They assume that if you can’t or won’t follow simple directions now; you won’t be able to as a new hire.

Don’t give the impression that you are a difficult person to work with, even before someone speaks with you. Follow the posting instructions always.

Here are some other examples of applicants not heeding directions:

• Submitting a PDF file when the listing ask for a Word document or vice versa
• Not including the listed job id number or your documents at all or on the correct document
• Not including your salary range in a cover letter or email, when requested
• Calling to inquire about a position when the posting says don’t
• Not including writing samples/portfolio when the posting request one

There are many other ways applicants disregard posting instructions. What are some the big one’s you’ve encountered? What are some of the directions you’ve chosen to flout (right or wrong)?

-À bientôt