When applying for a position in today’s market, do you ever
wonder, “Is my resume really directed to the decision maker?”
Are you concerned that your resume never reaches the true
“hiring manger” or decision maker? Worse yet, are you being
"auto-disqualified” because your resume doesn't speak to the
decision makers needs and never makes it passed his or her
screening process?
How would you know if your resume did or didn’t reach the
appropriate decision maker? You can truly never know for
certain. However, there are steps you can take to ensure that
your resume does not get "auto-disqualified", or provide obvious
reasons not to be hired.
There are several “mistakes” commonly made in resumes that
give immediate reasons why you will not be offered the
opportunity to go to the next step in the hiring process.
The usual first step in obtaining a position is the submission
of your resume. Typically that is to the staff in a Human
Resources department.
Often, HR is given a specific group of parameters the hiring
manager is seeking in a particular applicant. If a resume does
not reflect those parameters it is often filed away and never
given to the decision maker.
Age is often a factor in this process. Age discrimination
happens. It happens to applicants that are too old for a
position or too young. Companies are not allowed to ask an
applicant’s age, but often times they don’t have to. Many people
reflect this information voluntarily in their resume. By giving
a high school graduation year, college graduation year, or even
the dates you attended schools gives the reader ample
information to decide if you are too young or too old for the
position. Age is never a reason you will be hired, but it
certainly could be a reason you are not hired. Why give them
this information?
Many applicants are concerned that they have worked for only
one company or in only one industry and that their skills
are not transferable to other industries. This is when your
marketing skills are truly tested. Marketing yourself is very
similar to marketing a product. Find out what is going to make
you attractive to the employer as a potential employee and
showcase those skills in your resume.
So, how can you avoid "Auto-Disqualifying"
Example: If you are applying for a management position but have
never held a manager’s “title,” showcase the fact that you have
managed others or supervised projects so the person reading your
resume understands that you have the necessary skills even
though you have not held the title. If your resume is not
reflecting your skills, then it is probably being disqualified
before it reaches a true decision maker. This is commonly known
in the employment industry as “auto-disqualifying.”
Education, or lack of, is a tougher hurdle to overcome.
Many positions have an educational requirement that some people
have not achieved. This again brings us to marketing yourself.
Showcase, through your resume, that you have the skills and
knowledge to succeed at the position they are trying to fill.
There are very few “perfect applicants” for any particular
position, as a result decision makers typically must choose whom
they feel is right for the job based on skills, experience and
you’re your ability to fit into their team.
Do you know if your resume is reaching decision makers? Market
your skills through your resume to ensure your resume is
actually reaching the true decision maker and increase your
chances of landing that interview!
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