Sending your resume in response to that coveted marketing executive or operations management posting, even when you don’t have sufficient experience?
You’re committing what recruiters call a “Hail Mary”—applying to a job when it’s clear that you lack the minimum requirements.
David Perry, a professional headhunter and author of Guerilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0, has coined this term for a resume that meets less than 60% of the stated skills needed for an open job.
In fact, a recent survey of recruiters on resume problems revealed that the biggest issue for most job hunters is that they are applying—in droves—to positions that fall far outside their qualifications, with unfocused resumes that fail to make the connection between skills and job requirements.
Jillian Zavitz, Programs Manager for TalktoCanada.com, says that she sees many issues with applicant submissions. One of the most important requirements of employment is that the applicant “must be a Canadian,” she says, and when non-citizens apply, it’s obvious that they didn’t take the time to read the job requirements thoroughly.
Zavitz also notes that your resume should be “specific to the position that you are applying for,” with elimination of unrelated experience and emphasis on how your skills will benefit that particular employer.
“Make it easy for me,” agrees careers expert Connie Thanasoulis of Vault.com, who previously led campus and executive recruiting teams at Citigroup, Pfizer, and Merrill Lynch. Spelling out the relationship between your skills and the job at hand can make it easy for a recruiter to select you, she notes.
Both Mitch Beck of Crossroads Consulting and DeAnna Radaj of Bante Design LLC, agree that it’s obvious when job hunters apply and have “no concept as to what the company actually does.”
“You can tell that they didn’t even read the ad,” Beck says. Radaj recommends performing “basic research” on the company’s mission and business before even submitting your resume.
Zavitz seconds this. “Do some research about the company before you apply,” she says, by reading the company website to find out if their business is of interest to you.
Greg Syzmanski, an HR Director with 14 years experience recruiting real estate development, financial service, and telecommunications professionals, adds that the resume objective or summary should avoid using phrases that are “boilerplate and not tailored to the position that the candidate is interested in” in order to be selected for consideration.
Mary Truslow, Team Lead in the Creative & Marketing Division for Boston-based recruiting firm Hollister adds that a “laundry list” of skills often elicits a quick no. Instead, she says, qualified candidates should produce a “strategically written resume that is specific to a posted position” in order for it to generate interest.
Pam Witzig, Executive Recruiter with Witzig Group Ltd, reminds candidates that resumes are used to screen candidates out, rather than to include them for consideration. In other words, resumes are NOT studied closely to determine the reasons for selecting the applicant, and are instead quickly rejected when a fit isn't apparent.
Perry also counsels job hunters to avoid a “narcissistic resume” that contains the word “I” more than once. The resume, he explains, isn’t about you: it’s about the recruiter or client company and what you can do for them.
He recommends a simple change of “I have 15 years experience with ….” to “You will benefit from my 15 years experience…” in order to make a significant difference as to “how you’re perceived and if you’re considered.”
Radaj agrees. “State why or how hiring you will benefit me,” she says, in order to stand out from other candidates, dispel any concerns about your qualifications, and show that you’ve done your homework.
Laura Smith-Proulx, CCMC, CPRW, CIC is a published, award-winning resume expert and former recruiter. The principal of An Expert Resume and author of Solve Your Toughest Resume Challenges to Win More Interviews, she is a triple-certified career coach and global resume authority who has worked with thousands of clients in executive, technical, sales, marketing, and operations leadership roles.
Comments
I am a six year military vet with tons of experience in law enforcement and security. I have a degree from UNCC in Marketing. I currently work in sales (but it's not a promising job.) So I continue to update my resume and apply for new jobs. Is there a rule of thumb for military experience when it comes to resumes, especially if the experience has nothing to do with your current career search?
Latisha,
Great question, and the answer is yes. You’ll need to help employers understand the connection between your former experience and the job you seek.
For example, if you guarded highly private systems as part of your work, you could add information on the resume that shows the relationship to a marketing role. “Enforced security for competitive intelligence with lockdown measures on 20,000 volumes of private data” might be one way to put it.
Even if you can’t draw this type of correlation, you’ll at least want to translate military jargon so that others can appreciate what you did. As an example, terms such as “combat” or “billet” are more meaningful when converted to “operations” or “facilities.”
Be sure to include NCOER and other military performance review data on your resume – these reports are often written in a clear, concise manner with plenty of metrics to support individual accomplishments.
- Laura
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