Halx

By Andrew Gonsalves www.andrewgonsalves.com www.tfproject.org

Finding a good job is tough these days! I'm sure it varies from industry to industry, but I've been having a hell of a time! The economy sucks, companies aren't hiring, and there are tons of people out there all looking to cram into the same seat. I've been submitting my resume every morning to every job posting I can find that matches my skills. This all, for the last 2 months. Before that, I was only casually seeking a new job, only submitting my resume to friends and the odd posting that I found when I felt like looking. Still, in all this time, I have only managed to land 1 interview. I await the results of that interview, to be delivered in the middle of next week.

I felt that I should talk about my experiences during my job search and what I have learned from feedback and introspection. To consistently fail for several months is discouraging, but I want to high-tail it out of my current position so badly that I keep on trying. It has become part of my routine and I'm still learning new things every day. Of course, any advice I may give comes with the caveat that I still don't have a job. On the other hand, its not like the professional career guidance counselors go around applying for jobs just to prove that their methods work. What I can claim is that my adjustments to my strategy have netted instant and noticeable changes in the amount and type of responses that I receive.

I'm also able to look at this from the perspective of an employer because during this time, I was also seeking to hire someone in my current position. I saw a lot of resumes and conducted a few interviews. I'll tell you what worked for me and what didn't.

Let's start with what I've learned about my resume.

Resume Tips:

1. One-page resumes are for high school and college grads, not experienced professionals.
My biggest problem with my resume came to my attention when I was browsing incoming applications at my current job. When resumes occupied up to 2 or 3 pages, I found that I was more informed about an applicant. I usually threw away the resumes that were a meager single page because they did not give me any idea as to what experience the person had. After noticing this about other resumes, I realized that my own resume was grossly inferior.

That night, I went home and spent hours rewriting my resume from top to bottom. At the end of that ordeal, I had 2 pages and a satisfied feeling of confidence about my future. In re-writing, I also applied a few more tips that I have picked up from my browsing...

2. Describe your job duties in terms of your accomplishments.
In my old resume, under each position, I had only listed what my responsibilities were and what technologies I used. This was fine when searching for an entry level job, but I've got "Manager" in my title now. I needed something better. When I re-wrote my resume, I decided to outline my job description with the effects I had on my company's performance. It is one thing to do a job, it is quite another thing to make your company better with the work that you do. I recalled how I reformed the development process to increase efficiency. I mentioned the proposals I submitted to reorganize and save money. I described how many times I was called on to perform a specific task, to express how experienced I was with certain technologies. I also had to brag about the effectiveness of my search engine optimization strategies by supplying clean cut numbers to support them.

The next morning, when I submitted my brand new resume to a new crop of potential employers, I had immediate interest that spurred a couple phone interviews.

3. Fill in the blanks, if you can.
Two years ago, I was out of a job. That doesn't mean, though, that I wasn't working. I was actually doing freelance work when called upon, but I never put that in my resume. People would always ask what that big gap in my resume was and I'd always tell them, but it dawned on me that it was a point of concern for them. However, it wasn't until just recently when a recruiter specifically requested that I fill in the gaping hole of time with SOMETHING. I did, per his request, and wouldn't you know it, I received even more attention.

Now, all this attention is great, but I'm in a stuffed market with few openings and a lot of competition. There are still no job offers, but I can tell that I'm getting close.

4. It is OK to describe yourself.
It was a few years ago when I received the advice, "Keep it clean and simple." This means that only the cold hard facts need apply to a resume. When browsing submissions, though, I felt underwhelmed by lists of job descriptions and technical skills. The position I was hiring for also needed people skills. In my own resume, I strived to express WHO I am, because I'm not just another cog in the machine. If I'm aiming high, I need to give my employers the message that I am a mature, responsible guy who is ambitious and clever as all get out. If I wanted to be just another programmer, my personality might not matter and I might save that for my cover letter instead. However, I'm a product manager, so personal interaction and self-motivation is huge.

Job Hunting Tips:

1. Diversity is good, but you can't deny the facts.
I'll make it simple: My response rate from jobs on craigslist is about 7%. My response rate from jobs on other job boards (dice, monster, etc): 0%. The only thing that job sites are good at are getting recruiters to see your resume. I've submitted about 50 resumes through Dice in the last month, for instance. Not one employer has contacted me. However, I have gotten about 10 recruiters who call me, wanting to place a position I matched up for. craigslist, on the other had, is absolutely stellar for making your case to an employer. Most of the postings there beg you to give them a sample of your sass. My one actual interview came from a craigslist posting.

2. Recruiters are good friends to have.
Don't let the job board impotency scare you away. Recruiters are vital for informing you about how you can improve your resume. Many of my subsequent resume revisions have come from the insistence of recruiters because they wouldn't submit my resume without certain information. Their credibility depends on the quality of the people who they suggest to their clients, so its in their best interest to set you up with good advice. Recruiters will only contact you if your resume is fresh in the system, so keep updating it to keep getting calls.

3. Be realistic about your expected salary.
If I were to do a little research (Ok, you got me, I did it already) I would find that the average salary for my position in my city is actually TWICE what I am currently making right now. That's incredible, right? If only I could hop over to one of those average companies. Well, in my naive experience, I mention this so-called average to potential employers and they forget to call me back for an actual interview. Employers want to know what you make currently, so they can offer you the same or only slightly more. They're not interested in giving someone a glorious payday, they want to pay you what the market thinks you're worth.

4. Use your contacts.
Many of the people who I have worked with in the past have moved on to bigger and better things. While they were mere employees at the company where I knew them from, they have since made contacts of their own with their new adventures. By getting in contact with them, they gave me access to the people who currently help them out. Some friends knew recruiters who they eagerly submitted my resume to. Some friends had job openings in their respective companies and sent my resume to their HR department. I got a lot of mileage out of the people who I've been graceful with in the past.

Now, if you're wondering, my ONE interview went GREAT. At least, I think it did. I still don't know for sure and I won't know until next week. However, I'm confident that I did the best that I could and here are some tactics that I used.

Interviewing Tips:

1. Ask lots of questions.
Pretend you're on a date. Ask your date about their selves. People love to talk about themselves and the opportunity to do so will help them enjoy their time with you. It also lets them know that you're interested. The kinds of questions that you ask are probably more indicative of your talent than the answers you give. Ask them about the company, about the environment. Ask them where they see you fitting in, about where they want to go as a company, and what challenges they face. If you don't ask questions, you're just a deer caught in headlights and you can't think on your feet. Interviews are nervous things and you need to prove that you can maintain composure under pressure.

2. Smile a lot.
But don't look crazy. Smile to let them know you understand. Smile to show them you're excited. Smile to be friendly and open. Smile to let them know you're alive. It is important to communicate that you're a pleasant person, even if (dog forbid) you aren't. A joke might be advisable, but that obviously depends on if it is funny or not. A lot of people who I've interviewed forget to smile, and that makes me wonder about what they think of me, or my office. Smiling lets them know that you approve.

3. Be completely decent.
I've conducted interviews where the subject sketched aimlessly on a pad of paper while I talked. I've been interrupted by an overzealous applicant who wanted to prove they knew the answer before I asked the question. I've interviewed people who showed up in a t-shirt and jeans. I've sent a guy home that lied about why he didn't call to announce he was late. I ended up hiring the guy who showed up early, in a suit (despite the company's casual dress code) and waited patiently for his turn to speak. None of the stuff that comes out of your mouth matters if you don't have this little detail under control first.


I hope to find a new job soon, and I wish everyone else luck in finding a job as well. Except if you're an internet product manager looking for a job in Manhattan, NY.

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-The Administrator
[Don't Feed The Animals]

Lubeboy

I got to disagree with you on more than 1 page for your resume. From my experience most employers don't want to read pages of fluff. They just want to skim it over and see what you know. You'll talk about what you know at your interview. Short and concise is the best way to go. As for dress code, dress comfortably and accordingly to where you are applying. For example I work at a hip web company and we don't hire anyone who shows up overdressed in a suit. If you're going for a job at Goldman Sachs then obviously wear a suit.

BTW I checked out your blog and think you should consider getting a degree. Most companies especially in NYC want you to have a degree to even consider you.

Bear Cub

I agree on the one pager, unless you have a TON of pertinent experience that goes above and beyond the average call of duty. I've talked with a lot of HR people, and the last two said the same thing. If you don't have a masters or at LEAST five years of experience directly related to the field you're applying in, the resume doesn't even get looked at if its over one page. Straight to the garbage.

The company that hired me told me their "filtration" process, which to narrow down the candidates started with resume length, then was spell checked (any error, in the garbage it went), followed by graduate GPA (3.5 or higher only). They would then begin screening candidates from there.

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jewels

This depends upon the position. For management and executive positions, they're looking for more meat and are going to actually read these. For hourly and non-exempts, a one-pager is usually preferable since there are usually hundreds of resumes to sort and skim, so you want the criteria quick and easy to spot.

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We are always more anxious to be distinguished for a talent which we do not possess, than to be praised for the fifteen which we do possess.
Mark Twain

shoegirl

I spend the majority of my time working in HR (the other third is spent in PR) for a Social Services Agency. Most of the people we hire should have advanced degrees, very few positions are dedicated to those who don't. If you turn a one page resume into us, we're probably going to pass it around and it will eventually end up in the trash. So, if you have a Master's Degree or above, your resume should be at least two pages. We want to know why we should hire you, and we simply can't get all the information we're looking for when it's condensed down to a single page.

Halx

I read an article today that supported my idea about the one page issue. If you've got the experience, you should definitely put it on there.

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[Don't Feed The Animals]

Lubeboy

Those are called curriculum vitaes not resumes, you should know that.

PonyPotato

The people who get hired at the company I work for (federal consulting/program management/IT) all have resumes in the 4 page range. They have many years of experience (20+, usually) and have worked in challenging positions. Their resumes generally contain very specific achievements, and rather than using just a few lines to describe their work experience they use up to a third of a page for each job position.

So.. I disagree strongly with 1 page resumes, at least for positions above entry level.

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"Without passion man is a mere latent force and possibility, like the flint which awaits the shock of the iron before it can give forth its spark."
— Henri-Frédéric Amiel

shoegirl

You speak the truth. I should've written CV's, but I also should've had coffee.

Lasereth

Resume tips are pretty useless from anyone at anytime due to the fact that employers or anyone in a hiring position will vary wildly from another person in the same type of position. I've heard the 1-page thing and I've heard the 1+ page thing. Be specific, don't be so specific. They care about you also, they only care about what you've done. They've made their mind up about you in the first 3 seconds, except sometimes at the end of the interview.

For my job they had 70ish applicants, approximately 20 who were qualified for the position, and 10 who were more qualified than I was. I had zero experience in my field (meaning this was my first career job). I got the job because they said I did well in the interview and was very excited about the prospect of working for this particular department, not just getting a job in general. My resume was 1-page and they said it didn't really matter at all about my resume besides the fact that I had my degree.

The hiring process is so convoluted with tips and strategies that apply only to a specific type of interviewer that it is staggering.

kurty[B]

Getting the intervieew is tough, and I'm with Lasereth, there is not one trick, but I don't feel a one page resume represents me. Something visually pleasing and easy to read certainly is key to catching someone's eye.

The biggest thing I need to work on is asking questions in the interview. Everytime I have had questions to ask, the interviewers interest seems to peak that I am actually interested in the company I hope to work for. The other thing I've noticed, is being honest. I've tried interviewing and acting like I know everything about the position I'm applying for, and reading up on things and pretending I have experience on those things I read when I don't. I've also tried just being honest "Yes, I know this, no, I've never dealt with that, can you explain it to me?" That seems to work much better than talking myself up.

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In the Absence of Information People Make Things Up.

Lubeboy

Best questions to ask is ask them about structure and process. Ask them about how they get projects from done from start to finish. Ask them how the different departments work together.

dlish

for someone in a managerial position who is currently seeking to employ for numerous positions, i can frankly say that if its a 1 pager it will probabaly mean that you wont get the job. doesnt mean that you wont get an interiew to show your stuff, but theres a trend that i see, that people who dont put much effort into their applications, usually dont fare well in the interviews.

i dont want to go through tons of garbage either, but a little more than name age school subjects and why you think you should get the job isnt good enough. and all that crap about character traits - hardworking, asset to the company etc etc..cut that shit out! no one believes it. no ones going to put a negative trait - addicted to porn, procrastinator or social misfit. we dont believe it, so dont waste our time.

relevant details are important, expecially when going for higher positions. and it doesnt hurt to tweak your resume to suit to the job you are applying for. bending the truth is ok with me. outright lying is not.

in short - relevant info, straight to the point, positions youve had and relevant experience, things you have achieved. i can go into more detail if anyone is interested. or just PM me.

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- Filthy

kurty[B]

If I did put "addicted to porn" on my resume, would you think about calling me for an interview? If nothing else, at least to see who would be crazy enough to put something like that on a resume?

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In the Absence of Information People Make Things Up.

dlish

actually probably yes!

but id make sure that your access to any internet was severely limited!

no internet, no email, no dvd drive, and id put you right in the middle of the floor just good measure...

...thats if i gave you the job

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World's King

I don't know. I still feel odd about the multi-page resume.


When I was hiring at my last restaurant I got a few two page resumes in. And it was mostly just filler... Unless you have something actually important to say. It's best to keep it to the point. I'm not about to sit down and read through 50 3 page resumes.

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dlish

did you end up finding a new job for yourself WK?

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I always sign my facebook comments with ()()===========(}. Does that make me gay?
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ratbastid

Okay, how about this question?

I'm revising my resume right now (I'm to the point where I'd trade my freedom for some steady income, and that's not a problem for me). I've got all the really relevant stuff on the first page--work history, education, technical skills--and I'm going to use a second page for website portfolio pieces and references.

Question is: Some sites I'd like to use for my portfolio are NSFW. Would it be appropriate to list them in my portfolio, if I note that? I'm thinking probably not, but the fact is, some of my coolest work has been for my porn clients. Thoughts?

Halx

I don't list my portfolio in my resume. I mention what I did for the site as a business. I don't even mention the site, I call them "Content Subscription Sites" and just treat it like a business model that I serviced.

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World's King

No. And it's completely for a lack of trying. I gave myself a much needed break.

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telekinetic

Here's my tip for your job search: the best possible "what is one of your weaknesses?" answer in an interview is some variation on "I don't work well with people who aren't as perfect as me":

"I sometimes get impatient with people who don't stay on task"
"I don't enjoy working with people who aren't efficient."
"I sometimes feel like I expect too much from my coworkers when collaborating"
"Working within inefficient systems frustrates me, as I have strong urges to fix the root cause problems rather than work around the issue"

etc etc. This can also be spun for 'example of conflict'...a coworker was slacking on a group project and you had to do extra work to stay on track.

Halx

Hmm, I would answer that: "I sometimes get frustrated when I try to teach my co-workers things and they don't want to have anything to do with it. I realize that it might not be their job to know some things, but I figure that if they did know, it could help our communication. When they don't want to cooperate with that, I can get impatient."

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telekinetic

That is exactly the kind of thing I'm talking about. Good work!

Seriously though, what do people want from 'what is a weakness?'..."I steal?"

MSD

They want to see that you can think on your feet and give them a response that doesn't make you look bad.

screamincheetah

I have a question for all of the human resource people on here. What is the most effective way to receive a resume today? Is being hand delivered to the office ideal or is it better through the mail? If doing it over the internet, is it better to email it or apply and send the resume through Monster (or other online services) if that's where you saw the job posted?

Thank you in advance. I'm in the job search mode and am wanting to send the right message and be the most effective.

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Lubeboy

Whenever they ask me for my weakness I say "kryptonite". That always gets a chuckle.

I don't work in HR but the best way I have found is to send your resume is through email in either the body or a word doc/txt attachment directly to the HR department of where you are applying. Don't bother going through online services like Monster.

dlish

im not in HR either. but the most important thing i feel is that people remember you and your resume.
sometimes i recieve an email with a resume and i dont really want to open it. maybe im too busy, or just not in the mood at the time.

if someone walks in with a resume and is looking for work, it shows initiative, and it gets noticed. plus we'll have a face to the name. so its easier to remember and more likely to get a call back. that way even if im not in the mood, i still have to look at it.

i know id rather recieve it by hand. that way it sits on my desk and ill be forced to have a look at it, rather than get buried under a pile of emails.

if you can try and meet the company first. one thing is for sure, you need to be able to catch their eye and have them remember you

__________________
An injustice anywhere, is an injustice everywhere

I always sign my facebook comments with ()()===========(}. Does that make me gay?
- Filthy

Jove

I like the tips everyone has provided and I decided to fix my resume as well, but am having trouble wording "re-organized messy ethernet and phone cables in server room".

PonyPotato

Try "Established a system of organization for server room to increase efficiency" or something big-sounding like that.

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"Without passion man is a mere latent force and possibility, like the flint which awaits the shock of the iron before it can give forth its spark."
— Henri-Frédéric Amiel

dlish

"established efficient cable management system for server room" maybe?

__________________
An injustice anywhere, is an injustice everywhere

I always sign my facebook comments with ()()===========(}. Does that make me gay?
- Filthy

digme

I'm in the middle of a job hunt, and I am finding it very frustrating. I have opted for a 1 page resume that is short and to the point. In the cover letter I try to tell them why I am interested in the job and why I would be a good fit.

I haven't had any bites, and its complicated by the fact that I am looking for jobs 2000 miles away. Its hard to stay positive and keep going when no one writes back.

PonyPotato

I didn't get any calls back for jobs when I was moving to VA from OH until I started putting my future local (VA) address on my resume. Then I got more attention. Many places that are not willing to pay for your relocation will not reply to a non-local applicant. Why should they invest their time in you only to find that you are not relocating after all?

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"Without passion man is a mere latent force and possibility, like the flint which awaits the shock of the iron before it can give forth its spark."
— Henri-Frédéric Amiel

digme

Yea, I realize that might be part of the problem. But I don't have an address there yet. Should I just leave off an address? I don't expect relocation assistance.

asaris

Do you have any friends and or relatives there who might be willing to get mail for you?

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"Die Deutschen meinen, daß die Kraft sich in Härte und Grausamkeit offenbaren müsse, sie unterwerfen sich dann gerne und mit Bewunderung:[...]. Daß es Kraft giebt in der Milde und Stille, das glauben sie nicht leicht."

"The Germans believe that power must reveal itself in hardness and cruelty and then submit themselves gladly and with admiration[...]. They do not believe readily that there is power in meekness and calm."

-- Friedrich Nietzsche

dlish

get a PO Box in the state that you're looking work in if you know you are definately going that state anyways.

when you move you can always cancel it. just make sure they dont mail the employment offer letter to the PO Box if you are not there to check it!

__________________
An injustice anywhere, is an injustice everywhere

I always sign my facebook comments with ()()===========(}. Does that make me gay?
- Filthy

digme

no family in Portland, unfortunately. it all may be moot anyway. Its going to be impossible to sell our house in this market.

/me feels defeated

Halx

I wanted to post a little update. In my article, I noted how unsuccessful I was in my job search. Well, the last 2 weeks have seen a complete reversal of my fortunes. So far, I have scheduled 3 phone interviews, 6 in-person interviews, 2 second interviews. It seems like my tenacity is paying off and I'm nearly at the end of my search. On the other hand, it is almost blatantly obvious to my current employer that I have one foot out the door, based on the number of phone calls I've been fielding.

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[Don't Feed The Animals]

dlish

persistance pays off

i guess tully can back me up on this one..

if you fish once a year, fat chance you'll catch the big onr.

fish everyday, and your 'big one' just gets bigger.

sorry for the pun halx. especially in your case!

__________________
An injustice anywhere, is an injustice everywhere

I always sign my facebook comments with ()()===========(}. Does that make me gay?
- Filthy