The letters stand for Applicant Tracking System and companies build/buy them to record candidates applying for jobs. Depending on how feature-rich the ATS is, it's possible for it to store millions of candidate records/resumes over many years, including phone screen and interview notes, time-stamping each submittal for each job at said company. Why should you care and why am I still talking about it? Well, if an internal recruiter sees a candidate applying for multiple jobs spanning multiple disciplines over a short period of time, and you haven't been promoted, changed companies or added educational credentials to your resume, how seriously do you expect to be taken? "But I have a broad range of interests and skills," you say. Great!! Pick the top 2 jobs (max 3, if they are similar) that you're most qualified for, apply for them explaining why you are qualified and interested, and then safely assume that unless something about your skill set changes substantially, you're done for awhile.
I don't mean for this to sound discouraging but mass-submitting (flooding, jamming, spamming, etc) won't help your cause. At best the person reviewing resumes will overlook the fact that you've applied to every job opening they have and give you the call if you're resume suggests you are the absolute PERFECT person for the role. At worst, they may move past the PERFECT resume and jump to the conclusion that the human capital attached to it isn't specialized enough or lacks in decisiveness and self-awareness.
My encouragement is to apply only to positions that map to both your professional qualifications and your interests, remembering that throwing anything 'at the fence and hoping it sticks' smells desperate. Play to your strengths...vinny
Monday, June 28, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
One or Two Page resume? Depends...
This question has been kicked around for as long as I've been looking at resumes and I'll be candid, if you don't have something compelling on your resume to share with a prospective employer it really doesn't matter.
If you're a recent grad and have no industry experience one page should do and even that might be challenging to fill unless you have a list of special projects. Don't be afraid of two if you have enough professional breadth and depth but in both cases, you have between 10 and 30 seconds to get the reader interested. If you lose them you'll likely also lose any opportunity with the company.
What are you currently doing, how will it benefit your next employer, what relevant tools/technologies were involved, who have you worked for, in what capacity and how long were the engagements? These and education are what they're really interested in seeing. With respect to education, my suggestion is within a year of graduation, (BS/BA, MS, MBA, PhD) list it near the top of your resume and after you've been out a year move it to the bottom.
As for formatting stick with chronological over functional because functional makes it harder to connect the dots and see what you did, when and where.
Start with your name and contact information, add a few modest career 'highlight' bullets to give a sense of your achievements (do go easy on the fluff), follow with company names, employment dates, titles you held and a brief one-paragraph description of what you actually did during your time there including any significant contributions, tools and/or technologies used. This is the 'meat' of your resume and what most hiring authorities are focused on, so make sure it accurately reflects your work and accomplishments. Sure, some people are into pedigrees and big name shops but even satisfying those won't get you the nod if the work you did or the tools/processes you used aren't transferable.
When you're finished do NOT forget to proof read it, checking your grammar, spelling and punctuation. Spell check won't catch 'to' and 'you' even though you mean 'too' and 'your' but the person reading your resume probably will...vinny
If you're a recent grad and have no industry experience one page should do and even that might be challenging to fill unless you have a list of special projects. Don't be afraid of two if you have enough professional breadth and depth but in both cases, you have between 10 and 30 seconds to get the reader interested. If you lose them you'll likely also lose any opportunity with the company.
What are you currently doing, how will it benefit your next employer, what relevant tools/technologies were involved, who have you worked for, in what capacity and how long were the engagements? These and education are what they're really interested in seeing. With respect to education, my suggestion is within a year of graduation, (BS/BA, MS, MBA, PhD) list it near the top of your resume and after you've been out a year move it to the bottom.
As for formatting stick with chronological over functional because functional makes it harder to connect the dots and see what you did, when and where.
Start with your name and contact information, add a few modest career 'highlight' bullets to give a sense of your achievements (do go easy on the fluff), follow with company names, employment dates, titles you held and a brief one-paragraph description of what you actually did during your time there including any significant contributions, tools and/or technologies used. This is the 'meat' of your resume and what most hiring authorities are focused on, so make sure it accurately reflects your work and accomplishments. Sure, some people are into pedigrees and big name shops but even satisfying those won't get you the nod if the work you did or the tools/processes you used aren't transferable.
When you're finished do NOT forget to proof read it, checking your grammar, spelling and punctuation. Spell check won't catch 'to' and 'you' even though you mean 'too' and 'your' but the person reading your resume probably will...vinny
Monday, June 14, 2010
Why would you hire You?
"I've improved year-over-year revenues by 120%" or "the processes I put into place enabled the company to realize performance gains of...blah, blah, blah."
I don't want to sound critical or diminish the accomplishments you've had, but what if anything does this mean to me as your future employer? While past successes can be deemed predictors of future performance, please make a point of demonstrating how these accomplishments will apply specifically to me. More simply, if you were interviewing You, would your answers compel you toward giving yourself a 'hire' vote or just leave you with additional questions?
I encourage my coaching clients to think in terms I call differentiators. I'm not talking about buzz words that can be found on your resume but real-world examples describing how you've addressed similar situations and turned them into 'wins'.
I worked recently with a senior executive and in her words, not unlike your math teacher in school, "you need to show your work" for me to understand what it is you do and how that relates to what I need done.
Clearly, before you can do that you need to do your homework and understand what your prospective employer does, what the role they need filled does and then be able to succinctly explain why hiring you is the solution they're seeking to do it better.
I touched on this briefly in an earlier post but to recap, mentally switch chairs with the interviewer and ask yourself, "if I were interviewing Me what answer(s) would I need to hear?"
Do be prepared for some text book questions depending on the discipline (Project Management, Computer Science, Accounting, etc...), but beyond that they're probably more interested in hearing why you believe yourself to be the best candidate. Answers that illustrate your unique and individual offerings with respect to logic and problem-solving will give a future employer an idea of how you use the skill set you've acquired.
Respectfully, don't expect to be singled out in a good way if you show up to the party bringing the same chips and dip that everyone else does...vinny
I don't want to sound critical or diminish the accomplishments you've had, but what if anything does this mean to me as your future employer? While past successes can be deemed predictors of future performance, please make a point of demonstrating how these accomplishments will apply specifically to me. More simply, if you were interviewing You, would your answers compel you toward giving yourself a 'hire' vote or just leave you with additional questions?
I encourage my coaching clients to think in terms I call differentiators. I'm not talking about buzz words that can be found on your resume but real-world examples describing how you've addressed similar situations and turned them into 'wins'.
I worked recently with a senior executive and in her words, not unlike your math teacher in school, "you need to show your work" for me to understand what it is you do and how that relates to what I need done.
Clearly, before you can do that you need to do your homework and understand what your prospective employer does, what the role they need filled does and then be able to succinctly explain why hiring you is the solution they're seeking to do it better.
I touched on this briefly in an earlier post but to recap, mentally switch chairs with the interviewer and ask yourself, "if I were interviewing Me what answer(s) would I need to hear?"
Do be prepared for some text book questions depending on the discipline (Project Management, Computer Science, Accounting, etc...), but beyond that they're probably more interested in hearing why you believe yourself to be the best candidate. Answers that illustrate your unique and individual offerings with respect to logic and problem-solving will give a future employer an idea of how you use the skill set you've acquired.
Use your own verbiage, plug in the relative data points to build your story and now you've given a prospective employer a short essay as opposed to a multiple-choice answer in defining you and what you do."interesting that you ask that Ms/Mr hiring authority. When I was with ABC company we were faced with a similar set of challenges and I was able to leverage the existing resources and knowledge base to create an effective solution..."
Respectfully, don't expect to be singled out in a good way if you show up to the party bringing the same chips and dip that everyone else does...vinny
Thursday, June 10, 2010
9243...
Is how many M&M's I had in a jar in my office (don't ask how I know that ;). As a problem-solving exercise for PM's and Software Engineers, I'd ask job seekers (in this case RainMan) the obvious question, to which he replied, "9243"... yep, just like that. No preamble, no qualifying questions regarding volume measures, whether I'd hidden a golf ball inside, nothing at all. I was amazed and impressed at the fact that he knew the answer (frankly still am even though I was disappointed he didn't suggest it was "three minutes to Wapner.") ...right up until I asked him how he got it.
"I don't know", is what he said.
"What do you mean you 'don't know'?"
"It's 'right' though, isn't it?" he countered
"Yes, the answer is 9243, but how did you know?"
"Doesn't matter, just as long as I'm correct" was how he left it.
Do you want to work with someone like this or are you someone like this?
Working with someone like this is akin to getting in a car with a driver willing to take you to NYC, knows that it is your destination but doesn't have a map, doesn't ask any questions and can't give you any specifics on how they're getting you there from where you are.
Do yourself and everyone you interview with a favor by asking good qualifying questions and then talking through your solutions. It speaks to effective communication, will give them an idea of how you process information and how you'll work in a collaborative environment ...vinny
"I don't know", is what he said.
"What do you mean you 'don't know'?"
"It's 'right' though, isn't it?" he countered
"Yes, the answer is 9243, but how did you know?"
"Doesn't matter, just as long as I'm correct" was how he left it.
Do you want to work with someone like this or are you someone like this?
Working with someone like this is akin to getting in a car with a driver willing to take you to NYC, knows that it is your destination but doesn't have a map, doesn't ask any questions and can't give you any specifics on how they're getting you there from where you are.
Do yourself and everyone you interview with a favor by asking good qualifying questions and then talking through your solutions. It speaks to effective communication, will give them an idea of how you process information and how you'll work in a collaborative environment ...vinny
"right answer, right solution...same thing..."
Actually heard this from a candidate I was prepping for a Microsoft interview. I nicknamed him 9243 or Rain Man but I'll get back to that later. I asked if he actually believed that a 'right' answer and a 'right' solution were the same and he answered..."yes". At that point I asked him how many ways he could drive to work from his house and he offered "four" as his answer. Then I asked him which way was right and he looked at me like I had twelve heads.
"They're all right" he said.
"How can that be?" I asked. "How can you have more than one right answer?"
He looked at me and started his sentence with, "because it depends..." at which point I stopped him.
The 'depends' is what separates the correct answer from the correct solution. The solution can be comprised of multiple 'right' answers to counter the 'depends' part, and what kind of value-add might you be to an organization if your solution has answers more correct than what a hiring manager is expecting?
If you only have a correct answer and a 'depends' happens (budgets get slashed, functional spec's get re-written, teams get whacked...) your 'right' answer isn't 'right' any longer, but I'm guessing you get my point.
I'll share the 9243 reference in a later post...vinny
"They're all right" he said.
"How can that be?" I asked. "How can you have more than one right answer?"
He looked at me and started his sentence with, "because it depends..." at which point I stopped him.
The 'depends' is what separates the correct answer from the correct solution. The solution can be comprised of multiple 'right' answers to counter the 'depends' part, and what kind of value-add might you be to an organization if your solution has answers more correct than what a hiring manager is expecting?
If you only have a correct answer and a 'depends' happens (budgets get slashed, functional spec's get re-written, teams get whacked...) your 'right' answer isn't 'right' any longer, but I'm guessing you get my point.
I'll share the 9243 reference in a later post...vinny
"If you just get me the interview I'll get the job!"
As a recruiter I actually stopped counting the number of times I've heard this from job seekers and while I applaud their confidence, it's usually not a true statement.
How can someone possibly know this for certain if they don't know the people interviewing them, the specific competencies being measured, the caliber of the other candidates competing for the same position or what kinds of questions they will be asked? You can't.
I don't suggest being pessimistic, I actually encourage going in with confidence since you probably wouldn't be getting an in-person interview if someone at some level didn't think you capable of doing the job. In a dozen years of coaching job seekers I've found a little nugget of truth I'll share and that most job candidates have never heard before...hiring managers want to hire, most just don't like interviewing. Go in focused on demonstrating your ability to do the job during the course of the interview and you'll likely be the one coming out of it with the offer.
Don't think of it as an interview, interrogation or inquisition although it may feel like all three. Instead, pretend it's your first day on the job as a consultant meeting with a hiring team on how to help them solve their problem. Clearly they have problems or they wouldn't need to hire you, so be sure to ask good qualifying questions before offering up answers.
I'll end this post with a question. What answers would you give during an interview if the hiring team was paying you for them? vinny
How can someone possibly know this for certain if they don't know the people interviewing them, the specific competencies being measured, the caliber of the other candidates competing for the same position or what kinds of questions they will be asked? You can't.
I don't suggest being pessimistic, I actually encourage going in with confidence since you probably wouldn't be getting an in-person interview if someone at some level didn't think you capable of doing the job. In a dozen years of coaching job seekers I've found a little nugget of truth I'll share and that most job candidates have never heard before...hiring managers want to hire, most just don't like interviewing. Go in focused on demonstrating your ability to do the job during the course of the interview and you'll likely be the one coming out of it with the offer.
Don't think of it as an interview, interrogation or inquisition although it may feel like all three. Instead, pretend it's your first day on the job as a consultant meeting with a hiring team on how to help them solve their problem. Clearly they have problems or they wouldn't need to hire you, so be sure to ask good qualifying questions before offering up answers.
I'll end this post with a question. What answers would you give during an interview if the hiring team was paying you for them? vinny
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Everyone you've ever met has interviewed you...
Now so are people whom you've never met!
That's the new way of life thanks largely to social networking and the whole 2.0 wave. What isn't new is that you still never get a second chance to make a good first impression. So before you hit 'send' on that resume submission for that perfect job, first ask yourself if there is anything on your Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. pages that could be misinterpreted or misconstrued and potentially cost you an interview or job offer.
The power of these social networking sites can definitely work for you but, as with most things, can have an equal and opposite effect. Your friends and family are looking at your profile but so are prospective employers. The humor points you lose with your buddies by having that un-expressed thought or not posting the compromising photo of you and your friends may help advance your career.
We're considerably past 1984 but I assure you people are definitely watching how you go about claiming your 15 minutes...vinny
That's the new way of life thanks largely to social networking and the whole 2.0 wave. What isn't new is that you still never get a second chance to make a good first impression. So before you hit 'send' on that resume submission for that perfect job, first ask yourself if there is anything on your Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. pages that could be misinterpreted or misconstrued and potentially cost you an interview or job offer.
The power of these social networking sites can definitely work for you but, as with most things, can have an equal and opposite effect. Your friends and family are looking at your profile but so are prospective employers. The humor points you lose with your buddies by having that un-expressed thought or not posting the compromising photo of you and your friends may help advance your career.
We're considerably past 1984 but I assure you people are definitely watching how you go about claiming your 15 minutes...vinny
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