To "Dumb-Down" or Not "Dumb-Down" a Résumé?

A raging debate about how to list credentials on a résumé is taking place right now, and the battle lines have been drawn. In this economy, many people are desperately looking for jobs. Or any job with a paycheck, in fact. This might mean that they are seeking jobs that are vastly below their skills, knowledge, and abilities.

This then begs two questions: What do you do when your credentials seem more of a liability (rather than an asset) for a job application? Should you 'dumb' your résumé down?

It's a complicated answer, and requires some consideration on your end to determine the best way to address it effectively.

The one thing you don't want to do is to convey to a hiring manager that you are far more qualified than the job position, and therefore send a subliminal message that you will literally jump ship to a higher position the next chance you get. Remember, the prospective employers are evaluating you as a candidate to fill the current open position. It is very costly to an employer to have you use the opening as a springboard for your career, which would mean that the training would be wasted and they lose money by having to start the whole hiring process all over again. This is a common frustration of hiring managers and human resource professionals, heard over and over again. And let's face it: Many workers do exactly that just to get their foot in the door!

Conversely, there's another angle on this dilemma: the employer's standpoint: The companies that are hiring right now are also on a shopping spree. It's a buyer's market, simply because they can 'buy' top industry talent that they couldn't have afforded, salarly-wise, just five years ago. Sure, there's the danger that a much-credentialed candidate will move up or out at the first available opportunity. But the company that would make the hire now can definitely reap the benefits from being able to hire an industry expert, albeit for a shorter amount of time. So listing all of your relevant credentials could put you at the top of the pile for some employers who are on the hunt to build company capacity and quality with talented top staff.

It's pretty obvious that there really isn't a right or wrong way to go about it because both sides of the equation have merits. The only real way to try and solve this issue to make your background work for you is to know your audience.

By understanding more about your target company culture and values, especially by doing what you can to get insight from someone on the inside, it will help you evaluate whether you should 'dumb' your resume down or not.

Know what they are looking for by leveraging your network to its fullest, and don't be afraid to call in those favors within your business, professional and social networks. Everyone else is doing the same thing, so you have to be absolutely on the ball by gaining as much intelligence as you can about the open position, and find out what the real objectives of the hiring managers are so you can design your résumé to meet those expectations.

A good rule of thumb is to target your résumé to showcase only the history that is most relevant to the job for which you are applying. You might need to omit accomplishments made in other industries (otherwise known as 'selective omission') but this is where you have to undergo a healthy example of 'letting go'... ask yourself... will this help or hurt me? This isn't as much as you de-emphasizing those accomplishments, but rather not listing them because they are not pertinent nor important to your target job opening.

Listing Education on a Résumé

So you've gone to the time, expense and effort to complete some aspect of formal education. Or maybe you started to work on this, but then inevitably, life happened... had to take a job to pay the bills, got married, had kids, moved, etc. etc. There's a universe of things that life can throw at you that can interrupt even the most well-intentioned plans for education.

There are some rules of thumb out there when listing education on a résumé which should be considered.

1. DON'T list the year you graduated. Unless you are in an education, government, scientific or highly technical field where having a date of graduation is essential, please don't broadcast how old you are by including this information. (Human resource managers do the math!) Sure, if you are an adult learner who just got done with a degree, it's new and important to you just like it is to a person fresh out of high school who immediately went to college. However, resist the temptation to perhaps look younger by listing the graduation date!

With the exception of the four fields mentioned above, the cold, hard truth about education is this:

Most employers really only care whether you graduated... Yes or No.

They don't care what your GPA was, how many times you made it to the Dean's list, what scholarships you landed, and sure, you can list that you graduated as magna cum laude or summa cum laude... but that often isn't a deciding factor as to whether or not to hire you- it just becomes distracting with all of the scholarships, awards, grade points, etc. Keep it clean and simple.

2. A common mistake recent graduates also make is that they want to list their education FRONT AND CENTER... naturally because this is generally the MOST IMPORTANT THING the person has ever done in their lives to date. However, most human resource managers are really probing for what kinds of experience that the person has, not their education. So the best advice is to put the education later in the résumé rather than near the beginning.

3. DO list all of your education. Some people in this economy are becoming sensitive about feeling 'over-qualified' or 'over-educated.' Think of it this way- employers are in the catbird seat right now... they can afford to hire workers that they couldn't dream of hiring just five years ago. So they are 'cherry-picking' the top candidates and if they can find a top leader in a field who is willing to come work for them, they'll gladly take them. Who wouldn't?

Additionally, if you didn't complete a degree, you can indicate: "Program coursework in: (area of study).

Give yourself credit for the time you've put into it, even if the end result isn't what you had hoped for. It shows initiative and a desire to improve your knowledge and skills.

I've had a few clients that I've worked with who had put down a degree name on their résumé, but it turned out that during our consultation, that, well, they never ever REALLY ended up finishing their degree.

This kind of misrepresentation is one of the oldest tricks in the job search book... if this sounds like you, it would be in your best interest to be as forthright as possible about your educational background. Human resource managers are well aware of this trick!!! Quite honestly, the EASIEST background check to do in the world is to verify whether a person graduated or not from a particular institution. Fudging it or trying to convey a different impression is a fast-track to the trashbin for your résumé.

So this is an 'either' or an 'or' situation.

EITHER you got the degree OR you took program coursework in a field.

If you are currently in progress, you can indicate:
Degree name (spelled out, please): area of study (anticipated completion date: ______)

As for the rest of your education, anything else that is not from a formal, accedited institution or career school falls into the 'professional development' category, and can include everything from industry certifications, workshops, trainings, continuing education units (CEUs), conferences, seminars, conventions and the like.

You'll want to call this specific section "Professional Development," which conveys to an employer that you are always actively taking steps to improve and hone your skills so you can do your job better.

Not working right now? Have some resources? Try keeping up on industry trends by registering for a class in your field through a trade association. It's a great way to keep your 'toe in the pool' and stay current.

Keeping your mind engaged while looking for employment is very important. Sometimes, being laid off is the very opportunity needed to open a new chapter for professional enhancement... there simply wasn't time for it previously. You never know where this can lead to! A recent client of mine spent the money to get certified with another industry credential. One of the requirements of the certification was to take an exam. When she showed up at the exam location, she found out that she was the only unemployed person there- everyone else was there through their company. The amazing thing was that she got three highly-qualified job leads by talking to the people there at the exam location... and she was so thrilled that the exam itself wasn't the highlight of the day!

POINT OF VIEW: FROM THE RECRUITER’S SIDE OF THE DESK…

This week's blog post is courtesy of Donna Valente, president of Leadership Placement International, based near Philadelphia, PA. Donna has almost two decades of sales leadership and management experience with software companies in the financial services, education and insurance industries. She oversees LPI’s vision and drives the strategic direction of career coaching and recruitment practices for senior executives and general candidates, reflecting today’s complex and competitive business environment. She maintains LPI’s valued client relationships to ensure candidates significantly contribute to the corporate culture through exceptional leadership and innovation. Donna earned her degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
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In any situation, when we engage with others, it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it and present it. This shapes how we are perceived and inherently builds our reputation both personally and professionally. In the career search, how you say it and present it verbally or in print makes the difference between success and failure.

As a recruiter and career coach, I interview at least 20 candidates a day. I have noticed a few unfortunate common patterns with the “saying it and presenting it”, even among senior level individuals, and the top issues include:

Candidates are unaware how to effectively approach a recruiter to network for new opportunities

-and-

Candidates do not effectively articulate to the recruiter their career path, successes (verbally or otherwise), or even put forth their business expertise and value proposition in a compelling manner

I can and will give some folks the benefit of the doubt regarding missing the mark, simply because writing may not be a skill set that they possess. Truthfully, I find it is common that people are simply not objective nor creative when it comes to writing about themselves. But the good news is: All is forgiven - not everyone is an expert writer of career documents!

But what is not forgiven is not taking the appropriate action steps to remedy a bad résumé. A career search is one of most important activities in our lives. In today’s economy, an investment in résumés and personal branding is something I highly recommend to candidates.

All said, however, the résumé does not replace the “emotional intelligence” needed in a candidate’s career networking effort and interviewing, especially as it relates to seeking help from recruiters. Here are some helpful tips for readers seeking on some insight and practical advice on communicating with recruiters, the role they play with organizations, (not all the negative market perceptions) and recommendations on how to engage with recruiters in career search efforts.

The real role of recruiting/search firm

Search firms are in the business of helping an organization reach their talent management objectives: Finding and placing the right people with the right set of business and interpersonal skills into the appropriate positions. This, in turn, will significantly contribute to enhancing the corporate culture. Sounds simple, right? It’s not. It is a huge challenge. (For more detail read “Talent on Demand: The Talent Management Problem” by Peter Cappelli)

Search firms behave as an extension of human resource departments, boards of directors, and executive teams. Recruiters work closely with these entities to understand their total talent management strategy, and then determine the specific skill set and competencies a specific candidate must possess in order to be successful. The goal is to retain this new staff member for a long period of time.

To that end, a recruiter’s objective is finding the top talent within a respective industry i.e. someone with solid industry history, expertise and reputation. Because search firms have built solid relationships within their industries, it enables them to quickly identify candidates that meet the precise business requirements outlined by their clients. The net result: A shortened selection process and reduced cost-per-hire.

Over the past few years, search firms have seen a shift from a candidate market to an employers’ market. Before, recruiters mined for passive candidates. Today, candidates are reaching out to recruiters for assistance with their job search, often responding to job posts for which they aren’t even qualified as a desperation measure. It’s extremely disheartening to the candidate that recruiters are not always the viable option for them in their search effort. However, the problem could be that candidate doesn’t quite understand the role of the recruiter and the services they provide. Hopefully, this role has become more clear!

The “don’ts” of engaging a recruiter:

Let’s add some humor into this article. I’d like to share an example of a common type of email I receive from many candidates, including job seekers in leadership roles:

“Dear Donna,

I have attached my résumé and provided my LinkedIn.com profile. Let me know if you have anything for me.”

Then there are always the phone calls:

“Hi Donna, I sent you my résumé last week. I was just wondering if you have any contacts in my field or job openings that fit my background. I look forward to hearing from you.”

Hmm. This is not exactly a successful networking approach, albeit common. Why are these people losing the attention of me and other recruiters? Simple. They are not selling us on why we should talk to them. They haven’t proven their value, and exactly why we should take time from our additional business obligations to read their profile. Rather, they have emailed me, and are asking me to research them, then align my job openings to their skills. Sorry, it doesn’t work that way!

The “do’s” of engaging with a recruiter:

When it comes to a career search, it’s about likeability! I don’t like being told by someone whom I don’t know or trust yet to go and “do research” about them. Candidates need to get away from this informal email communication style. It may save time in their present work environment. But in this market, candidates need to get back to relationship-based selling! Networking with anyone, especially recruiters, is about talking, building rapport, and getting people to want to work on your behalf. Hopefully, it will become mutually beneficial for both parties.

So how can candidates work more effectively with recruiters? Here are a few “Smart Tips” from my viewpoint as a career coach:

Be prepared like a politician! Have your résumé smart and professionally prepared. Make strong value statements, and ensure that your accomplishments are summarized and memorized. This is not limited to sales and marketing, either. This approach needs to be followed in all industries and for all functions. Know why you are powerful to an organization and be prepared to say it.

Storytelling matters. Don’t assume the recruiter or the hiring authority understands what you do just from your title. Be prepared to succinctly tell specific stories around the accomplishments you listed in your résumé. Storytelling demonstrates your ability to communicate. It engages people, and that’s how they will remember you.

Keep in mind the recruiter’s responsibility is to the client organization. Remember: Finding and placing the right people with the right business and interpersonal skills into the appropriate positions who will significantly contribute to the corporate culture is the recruiter’s mandate. You need to prove to the recruiter why YOU are that person they should be present and hire.

Treat the interview with the recruiter as if you are interviewing with the CEO and/ or the hiring authority. Demonstrate that you understand your market, the industry trends, and the critical business issues you have solved in your role.

Stay formal. It may be natural to want to be familiar or loose with the recruiter, when responding to tough interview and business questions, which is an all-too common occurrence. You also might feel that you want to save your “good” answers for the real hiring authority, but be very careful in this area. Part of the recruiter’s role is to pre-screen candidates and eliminate those that are not articulate and aligned with business requirements. Remember: you need to sell your business skills in every conversation!

Sell and motivate recruiters on your business acumen, your accomplishments, and your business value proposition. Your goal is to get the recruiter excited about presenting you into their network. The recruiter has a reputation to maintain with their clients, as they are being paid top money to find TOP candidates. You need to demonstrate why you are the top candidate and why they should present you when the right opportunity comes along.

Be prepared to discuss positions that you are best suited for you and can make impact with the recruiter. Share with the recruiter the companies that you are attracted to in the market, and why you feel you are the perfect fit to be presented to them.

Full disclosure. If you have sent résumés to other companies in your industry which are competition to your current employer, make sure to disclose this to the recruiter, to avoid possible missteps during the candidate presentation process.

Hopefully, you found value in these tips/strategies. If you need more advice around effective career strategies, I invite you to contact me at donnam (at) lpifirm (dot) com or call (610) 449-5653.

Looking for Work? Don’t Write Off Temporary or Contract Positions!

With the economy as nervous as it is, employers are equally on edge. Many are unwilling to take on the liability and risk associated with another full-time employee’s salary, healthcare and benefits. As a result, some companies have resorted to hiring people on a temporary or contract basis, simply because projects still need to be completed and there aren’t enough existing staff members to get it done.

I’ve talked to several clients who were rather disdainful of taking on a temporary or contract position, citing that this could be a barrier to them finding a better-paying full-time position with full benefits. Or, they just felt as though it was below them. “I don’t ‘do’ temporary work,” one client said. “It’s a dead-end.”

But it isn’t a dead-end. It can actually be a new connector to a future full-time job. The way that things are these days economically, having flexibility in your employment approach can have a big payoff later on. Think of it is this way: Some employment is better than no employment. And when the economy does start to recover, who do you think that the employer would be more likely to hire when they have that opportunity? An unknown quantity, or someone who has been already working with the company in a contract or temporary capacity?

The answer seems pretty clear, doesn’t it? You never know where opportunity might pop up, and right now, it is all about creating as many openings as possible. If you create the opportunity for possibility, instead of shutting yourself off from it, there is a higher likelihood that something will come along that you couldn’t have anticipated! So don’t write off something just because of some preconceptions… you need to be as flexible and receptive to opportunity as possible. You never know where it might take you!