By Sara Schorr
I’ve had a lot of candidates contact me and ask, “What can I do to improve my chances for an interview with your company?” We get hundreds of resumes every day for the positions we have open and everyone always wants to get a leg up on the other candidates. We have blogged in the past that employee relationships with an employer can be viewed as a marriage and that there are necessary steps to grow the relationship before you can “tie the employment knot”.
So how can
you improve your chances for a first “date” with a potential employer? Start by taking a look at how you are representing yourself to employers. Online dating services have you complete a profile, the first thing that potential suitors see, and typically the first impression is the only chance that you get. The same goes when submitting your resume, or your profile, to a potential employer.
How can you set yourself apart from the herd? How can you improve your chances for a more thorough profile review? Even the most qualified and sparkling resumes may get overlooked because of something you may not even realize you’re doing. Here are a few quick things to double check before sending your profile to the masses:
Profile Photo: We are not suggesting that you include a profile photo, but if you are going to submit a resume through a social media networking or email site (i.e. LinkedIn, Google+), you need to make sure your profile picture is reflecting you in a positive, non-offensive way. Pictures of you partying with friends or flipping the bird to the camera will appear in many email systems. Not the best way to portray yourself as a hardworking, dedicated professional now, is it? What you may view as ironic or fun may come across as inappropriate to a potential suitor/employer.
Spelling/Grammar: Coming from a Journalism School Graduate, poor grammar and misspellings are not only one of my pet peeves, but they are a distraction hard to look past when reviewing resumes and emails of applicants. I cannot stress the importance of proofreading your resume or having someone else review before you send in an application. If you are applying for a Health Care position and you have “Heath Care” written throughout your resume, it’s hard to share your resume and have employers take you seriously. Spell Check and Auto Correct are there to aid in making your life easier, but they cannot replace a simple proofread. Read your email or resume out loud to yourself, it’s amazing what you can catch when you do. If you’re still unclear, ask someone for help.
On the same lines, NEVER send an email, questionnaire or a resume in with text lingo. IDK may look cute in a text to a friend, but if you can’t take the time to type out “I don’t know” then we may not have the time to move you to the next interview phase.
Just a Tease: See Resume. Why, does it do tricks? Of course we are going to review your resume, but if we have basic questions on an application we expect you to answer them. Why? Because it’s something the employer wants to know and doesn’t want to spend a ton of time deciphering a resume to find it. (Time = $$) Also, it shows if you really are interested in the position or if you are just completing X number of applications a day. We want serious candidates and don’t have time to look through your resume to find the deeper meaning behind your skills and experience. We’re not psychic…if you don’t tell us, no one will. And please don’t include the “open for discussion” line…you may not get the opportunity.
The Overshare: Everyone wants the opportunity to tell their story and we are more than happy to listen. However, you need to be careful to not overshare. If you are applying for a job and you start talking about how horrible your cheating ex-spouse is, you have overshared. Keep it simple and to the point. Explain why you are the most qualified candidate for the position. Leave off your entire health and relationship history. There is a time and a place for everything.
Patience is a Virtue: Waiting to hear back about a potential job interview (or date) can be very frustrating, I get it. Unfortunately not all of the hiring decisions can be made at the snap of a finger. There are several steps to the interview process on the back end and employers want to make sure that they see the most qualified candidates before choosing their top picks for the position. If you call or email everyday checking on the status (or worse, demanding an update), it just delays the process for everyone. A simple follow up or two is completely welcomed, just don’t let it border on obsessive.
Your online dating profile is the first thing that potential suitors see when they are looking for their soul mate. The same goes for your resume. If you want to get noticed, take the time to present yourself appropriately to the world. Provide enough information to intrigue an employer to make them want to find out more about you. You get one chance, make it your best.