Randi Frank HR Consulting

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Resume Tip 4. Highlight the most important work that relates to the position you are seeking.

 

You want to catch the attention of the recruiters so they will continue to review your resume, so highlight the most relevant experiences first.   It is important to list your most recent positions first.  If the most recent position is not as relevant as the previous position, then keep the information short on the most recent position and go into more detail about the previous position. That way you highlight the appropriate experience. If a position you are applying for is with a non-profit, then highlight your work with non-profits or your volunteer work.

Many people put together resumes that highlight their experience/skills first and forget to list the various positions they held.  It is important to catch the attention of the recruiter with a list of appropriate experience and skill, using the jargon of the position. But you must also let the recruiter know the titles of positions, date of positions and brief description of each position. The recruiter needs to know if you have longevity at positions, along with the types of firms you worked for and titles of positions in which you acquired your experience.

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Resume Tip 3. Include your educational degrees – make sure it is clear whether you received a degree or only attended college.

 

Use terms like BA, MBA, AS when you list your education, don’t just list the university.  This will indicate that you have a degree.  Also, list your major if it is not obvious from your degree. For example, an MA (Masters) does not need further explanation, unless you had a specific concentration or specialization that would help your application, such as non-profit administration or other areas that relate to your expertise or the position. Listing your year of graduation is not required until you are selected as a top candidate and the agency will want to verify your degree. Listing your year of graduation could have a negative effect if recruiters assume your age doesn’t meet their requirements.

If you don’t have a degree but want to show some college education, describe the types of courses taken and the number of years attended.  If there is a simple reason why you did not finish your degree, you can add that to your resume. For example: accepted a position before you finished a degree, finished all classes except thesis, or something similar. If you have certifications, indicate the type of certification and where you received it, such as Executive Leadership Certification from John F. Kennedy School at Harvard University.

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Resume Tip 2. Use consistent formatting and indenting, and plenty of white space so it is easy to read quickly.

 

Recruiters may spend only 30 seconds to one minute reviewing your resume to determine if you have the correct qualifications. If the print size is too small and there is no spacing between positions, your resume will be hard for recruiters to read. Besides being pleasing to the eye, the resume needs to be set up so the recruiter can find the important words in your resume such as position title, past employers, projects completed, and the like. If the format is consistent and there is some white space here and there, they will be able to scan quickly and determine if you have the qualifications.

Recruiters also need to see the appropriate words related to the position. For example, if you are applying for a Human Resources Director’s position, they will want to see if you have handled: recruitment, employee relations, labor relations, organizational development, training, employee benefits.  If you are applying for a position in Information Technology, they will want to see your computer certifications, types of software used, whether you handled networks, hardware or software. Your resume must include the key words related to the position in question.

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Resume Tip 1. Make sure you include your name, phone number and email (both of which you check daily especially when applying for new positions).

 

This is important because when Recruiters or Human Resource Directors are working on a specific position, they do not want to wait a few days to receive a reply to their call or email. They have lots of other candidates to contact!  If you don’t return the call or email, they will assume you are not interested and will not contact you a second time.  So if you have sent out a resume, make sure you check your voice mail often and email and junk mail to make sure you did not miss a response.

Some organizations still contact candidates through the mail so your address is also important—although it may not be as important as phone and email in this day and age.  If you think the employer may be concerned about your distance from their location, then you may wish to not list your address during the first stage of the process. Let them concentrate on your qualifications, not the driving distance.

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Interview Tip 9. What to order at a Lunch Interview

If the interview is over lunch, do not order an alcoholic drink or something that is messy to eat. (Choose a salad rather than a huge layered sandwich.)

Lunch interviews are always tricky – “What should I order? Will I be able to really provide enough information while they are eating, or, more importantly, while I am eating?  The first rule is do not order an alcoholic drink, even if the interviewer does. You want to be alert and you want to show your professionalism, which includes not drinking on the job. Make sure you order something you like so you can eat at least a little, but don’t order ribs or messy sandwiches that make it difficult to be neat and professional.  I suggest a salad, soup, or simple entrée that is easy to eat and is moderately priced.  You don’t want to eat like a bird or a pig, so just take it slow and eat when they are talking. Make sure you do not attend the lunch interview when you are starving because you will not be able to concentrate on the interview!  Remember, the real reason you are there is for an interview, not the food.

The advantage of a lunch interview is that it is more casual and less stressful, since there are many others around. You also have the opportunity to be more personal during a lunch interview due to the setting. The interviewer is trying to get to know the real you, but you must still talk about your professional experience, like any other interview, with examples and details.

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Interview Tip 8. Understand the responsibilities of the position – for example, if position title has the word supervisor or manager in it, be ready to explain your past experience in supervising or managing people and projects.

 

Research the position and know what is expected of the position for this particular organization. What are the responsibilities, the qualifications required, and the special projects?  Once you know these, demonstrate your abilities to meet the requirements and special duties of the position based on your past experience in similar positions or your education.

I once interviewed a candidate for a position called Laboratory Supervisor.  When the candidate was asked about his supervisory experience, he said he didn’t know the position we were interviewing for was a supervisory position.  I did not listen to anything he said after that, and neither did any of the other panel members. When applying for manager and supervisory positions, provide examples of how you have done this in the past, or demonstrate that you know what you need to do if you become a supervisor.  For any position, you need to know what it entails so you can provide example about your background to prove you can handle the responsibilities.

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Interview Tip 7. Explain why you are qualified for and excited about the position. Show your enthusiasm and interest during the interview.

 

A typical question at the end of an interview is, “Why do you think you are the best qualified person for the position?”  Or they may provide you an opportunity to summarize.  You should always be ready for this type of question. Based on what you have learned in the interview and the information you gathered about the position and organization; highlight at least your top 5 characteristics, traits, skills or experiences that make you a good fit for the position. For example, if a Master’s degree was preferred and you have one, then stress that because it shows you have more than the minimum requirements.

You must demonstrate your enthusiasm for the position and real interest.  Do this throughout the interview, of course, but at the end of the interview make sure you state that you are really interested and excited about the opportunity.  When an employer has a choice between two candidates who have the same experience and knowledge, they will select the candidate who is enthusiastic over the quiet candidate.  If you are shy or nervous, pump yourself up for the interview so you can show your confidence and excitement.

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Interview Tip 6. Be ready to provide examples of how you handled situations in past positions.

 

The best indicator of future behavior is past behavior, which is why interviewers want to know how you handled situations in the past.  It is important to provide detailed examples of how you dealt with stressful situations, irate customers, and poor employees. They also want to know how you handled projects, with descriptions of the steps taken, mistakes made, solutions found.

It is hard to provide examples to assist you with this without knowing something about the position in questions or about your previous positions.  But I can tell you this: don’t say, “I just try to calm down a customer who is irate.” That answer is not detailed enough. You must explain why the customer was irate and exactly what you did or what you said to calm him or her down. Provide detail so that the interviewer can get a good picture of the situation.  That said; don’t go on for 10 minutes.

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Interview Tip 5. Review your resume and letter before your interview, so you don’t have to refer to them to answer questions like, “How long have you worked for ABC Agency?”

 

In most cases, the interviewer will have a copy of your resume and letter, so you need to remember what you sent to this specific organization. In some cases, they will not have your resume and letter, so bring an extra copy just in case. You need to be able to talk about your past experiences without having to look continually at your resume. Review the materials so you can provide dates of employment and/or how long you worked for a specific agency.  If you have to look at your resume, the interviewer will wonder if you really have the experience you claim.

If your resume says as an office manager you handled accounting, purchasing, and recruiting, then be able to provide examples of those activities with some short details. It is impossible to describe everything you did in each position without creating a 10-page resume, so have additional examples for each position, such as “assisted the organization with the implementation of a new Health Insurance Program.” Make sure you can provide details of your role and responsibilities.

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Interview Tip 4. Ask who will be at the interview – how many people, their titles, format of interviews, and timing of interviews.

 

When you are called for an interview, make sure you get all the details: location of office, specific room of interview or where to check in, parking arrangements, time and who will be involved with the interview.  Ask how many people will be conducting the interview and their titles. Interviews can involve many formats, including:

  • One-to-one interview.
  • A round robin interview where you meet one-on-one with various people in the organization.
  • A panel of 2 to 10 people.
  • An interview over lunch.
  • A tour and “meet and greet” scenario, where they observe how you handle yourself in different situations.
  • An in-box exercise where they present you with sample in-box memos and ask you to prioritize them and respond to them.
  • Assessment Center interviews that bring you and other candidates in the same room to deal with sample problems that are typical of the position – they watch how you work as a leader and team member in these situations.
  • Practical exams such as a driving test, written test, computer test, or any test that has you actually completing tasks that would be assigned to your position on a normal day.

As you can see, understanding the format will enable you to be prepared and be less nervous, and to know how much time to allow for the interview.

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Interview Tip 3. Obtain and review the organizational chart of the department or division for which you are seeking a position.

 

In addition to learning about the firm or agency, you will need to understand the organizational chart of the organizations so you can determine which department or division you will be working with if you receive an offer. Find out the name of the Department/Division and its function related to the other departments/divisions.   How many people work for the department/division, and what types of employees work in the department/division?  Is your position one of many, or is it unique?  What type of management structure has been established for the department/division?  Is it divided into sub groups?

If you are unable to discover this information from your Internet search, then ask Human Resources for more information. If you know someone who works for the agency, contact them. If you understand more about the department/division and the position, then you can provide better answers to the interview questions and show that you have done some research. If you are unable to gather this information before the interview, use some of these questions at the end of your interview to ask the person(s) you meet with. This shows your interest in the specific organization and position.

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Interview Tip 2. Research the company/organization or firm before the interview – understand their product or service.

 

Before your interview, research the firm/organization and find out whether it is non-profit, government, corporation or small business. The best place to look is their web site—look at all the pages on the web site to determine what types of services or products they offer. The web site will also provide some of the organization’s terminology that might come up in the interview.  For example, if they are in the health care business, are they selling health care products to doctors and hospitals, or are they selling to the general public? If they are in the insurance industry, do they only provide one type of insurance (such as health insurance) or do they provide homeowners and automobile insurance? Who are their customers?

You should also find out the names of the officers or board of directors in case their names are discussed in the interview. Research the size of the organization, the budget, how long they have been around, and their financial status. All of this will prepare you for the interview and assist you with determining if the organization is the right fit for you. In this day and age, you need to know if the firm will be around for a while – you don’t want to be looking for a new position next year.

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Interview Tip 1. Prepare questions you would ask if you were the hiring manager – and then be prepared to answer the questions.

 

A few days before the interview, brainstorm a list of questions you think they may ask you. Prepare the answers and then practice them.  Ask yourself what you would want to know about candidates if you were the hiring manager. The day before the interview, review the questions and answers again to make sure they are clear in your memory.  This will help you remember the important things you want to tell the hiring manager about yourself, even if he or she doesn’t ask the same questions.

Some typical questions or issues to think about include:

  • Why are you interested in this position?
  • What are your strengths and weaknesses related to this position?
  • What experience do you have that makes you qualified for the position?
  • If you are a recent graduate, explain how your education prepared you for the position or what you learned in your classes that would help you with this position.
  • Why should we hire you? (This is an opportunity for you to sell yourself!)
  • Be able to use the jargon related to the position.
  • What did you like or dislike about your last position or supervisor?
  • How did you handle a difficult situation or customer?
  • What project management skills do you have that will help you be successful in this position?
  • Why are you a good team player? Give examples.

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Recruitment Tip 1. Review all materials on position; develop or revise job description to meet the real need.

The best time to review a position is when you have a vacancy. If there is an existing job description, make sure it is accurate for the position today and the needs of the organization. This is a perfect time to decide if the position is still the right fit for the organization or whether it is time to change the position to meet new and growing needs of the agency.

Talk with the other members of the department and management staff to make sure you know what is needed for this vacant position.  Then develop or revise a job description that reflects the changes, to include:

  • appropriate equipment used
  • education and experience needed
  • skills, knowledge and abilities
  • the responsibilities and objectives of the position.

Take a look at what work was completed by the previous employee.  Is that what the organization still needs today?  Is it time to increase the responsibilities of the position to a supervisor or management level?  Do you need more technical experience for this position to meet the needs of your customers/clients?  What were some of the complaints from the department in the past that may mean you need different resources?  If you make a change in the position, make sure you research the salary and whether you have enough funds in the budget for the change.

Now you are ready to continue with the recruitment process.

View 10 Tips to Remember About the Recruitment Process

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Recruitment Tip 2. Develop profile of position to mail and email to potential candidates.

 

Question: Why do you need a profile for the position?
Answer: To make your position stand out among all the other advertisements.

A profile tells candidates that you have really thought about the position and the type of candidates you want for your organization. The profile can be put into many formats depending upon the specific needs and type of media. The Profile can be a colorful PDF attached to an email, or a color brochure that is mailed or shared at meetings. You can also refer to the profile in your advertisement, giving the URL address where it can be found on the Web.  That way you spend less on the advertisement and more on the development of the profile.

The profile will enable candidates to really get to know your agency. It should use colorful pictures and catchy phrases to capture readers’ attention so they want to read more—more about the position, your organization, and why they should be interested in your exciting opportunity.

View 10 Tips to Remember About the Recruitment Process

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