February 8th, 2007
I’ve already posted 9 obvious resume rules. Here’s four more “bonus” rules, that might not be quite as obvious.
- Do not fax. Faxed resumes look horrible. They are harder to read, and when you send it in upside down (and therefore the page numbers are upside down), we’ll make fun of you. It also seems to advertise that you’re uncomfortable with email, whether it’s really the case or not. No one should want to give that impression. Emailing your resume makes it much easier to transfer around internally. Keeping your prospective employer happy is always a good thing. My personal preferences for resume submission are:
- Regular mail
- Dropped off in person
- Carrier pigeon
- Tied to a brick and tossed through the window
- Faxed
- Pick up the phone. No one calls. No one. If you just take five minutes to call and express interest in the job, you’ll greatly set yourself apart from the masses. Ostensibly, you’re just calling to make sure we “got your resume” or something else innocuous, but in reality, you’re calling to say hello, and get your name stuck in my head. And that’s a good thing. It shows motivation, which counts a lot more than listing “self-motivated” as a skill.
- Respond courteously. If you are lucky enough that the company puts forth the effort to let you know that your resume was received, you need to say thanks. Much like calling, this distinguishes you from the masses. Everyone who emailed in a resume during this last search was sent a “resume received, under consideration”-type email in return. Only two actually took the time to say “Thanks, hope to hear from you.” Both got bumped up in the queue, and one was selected for an interview.
- Go above and beyond. Rules two and three are simple examples of this, but if you can think of anything that’ll really wow us (in a good way), do it. Don’t show up wearing an I-wanna-work-here sandwich board. That’s bad wow. Good wow is mailing your resume on 100% cotton paper along with 3 sealed and signed letters of recommendation, like one applicant did. Yes, something like that is a little different and surprising, but it’s also impressive. It worked. She got an interview.
I’m all recommended out now, but we’ll be going through a bunch of interviews shortly, so maybe there’ll be some new tips shortly.
30 Comments on “Bonus Resume Tips”
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9 Resume Tips That Should Be Screechingly Obvious (But Apparently Aren’t) « Former Slacker Says:
February 8th, 2007 at 10:24 am[…] I’ve put up four more Bonus Resume Tips. Posted by Derek Park | Filed in […]
February 8th, 2007 at 10:54 am
You’re cocky. Seriously. I understand the need to do certain things to get noticed in the race to win a job, but if an employer is going to laugh at an applicant for faxing a resume over with the page numbers on the wrong side they’re not worth working for.
Companies like these are what’s wrong with job searches. It’s not about what font you use on your resume. It’s about what an applicant can bring to a company. Keep wasting your time picking apart single paged documents… in the meantime, other companies will be getting the qualified candidates.
February 8th, 2007 at 11:04 am
I think you’re taking it a little too seriously. The tips are sound, but the writing style is intended to be entertaining.
We actually did have someone fax their resume upside down, and we did have a chuckle. But we didn’t rule the person out based on that mistake.
February 8th, 2007 at 11:49 am
I’ve worked HR for 9 years for a global organization. If anyone “calls in” just to “make sure we got the resume” it goes straight to the trash.
Don’t call us, we’ll call you. A golden rule in HR.
Noone calls because they’re not supposed to call.
February 8th, 2007 at 12:03 pm
I Say, I’m inclined to say something mean about HR, but I won’t. Instead, I’ll say that while I understand that attitude coming from someone who’s primary job is to sift through applications, I disagree with you.
If Suzie Applicant can get her potential manager on the phone, even in a giant corporation, it’s going to help her. Anywhere that the hiring manager is directly handling the resumes, it’s going to help. And anywhere that the responsibility for hiring is dumped primarily on HR is probably somewhere that I don’t want to work.
February 8th, 2007 at 3:59 pm
Hi. I’m hiring now, and have been a hiring manager in the past, and what I can bring to this conversation is, it is unbelievably excruciating to find good, qualified candidates from the torrents of crap HotJobs leads HR and recruiters deliver. Which is to say, if an HR person in an organization I was involved with tanked a resume because the person bothered to call them to express interest, I’d ask for the HR person to be dismissed.
But, as Derek obviously knows, in modern companies HR is an obstacle to both the job seeker and the hiring manager, and that’s unlikely to change any time soon.
February 8th, 2007 at 6:53 pm
Good tips. I work as a contractor so I have an extra line of stupid people to get through, agencies. Only if they like me, do they pass me to the client’s HR people and eventually if I pass all their stupid tests I get through to my new boss.
It helps to know who you’re “playing” your resume to and how to get their attention. Agencies like keywords, much like Google, but they also work from their head first so call them. If you’re a manager, ignore HR though and ask the agent for lots of resumes. Only you, as the boss, knows what works in your team and in the position, don’t let anybody else do the work. If a job’s worth doing, do it yourself. I’ve always had more succes with my new hires if I’ve done the work.
February 8th, 2007 at 7:35 pm
I find it difficult to believe that somebody would get bumped to the top of the queue just because they sent their thank-you’s in return to a form email. If I were the HR person receiving all this email, I’d be more miffed than impressed.
February 8th, 2007 at 8:04 pm
I have been hired after responding to internet ads for 3 contract jobs and 2 permanent positions in the last 10 years. All paid greater than 80K and in every case my first contact was through a targeted cover letter in email form with my resume attached in Microsoft Word format. I always try to standout and always send thanks and display enthusiasm for the position after every return contact from the prospective employer. I feel your tips are right on. If my enthusiasm is a turnoff then I’m not interested anyway, someone will be impressed… all I need is one face to face and I will do whatever it takes to make that happen.
February 9th, 2007 at 2:56 am
These are all great points. Having been on two of the three sides mentioned, hiring and seeking, I agree that HR is the great evil in the process. They don’t mean to be, and often they are the necessary evil, but evil they are. In my experience they seem to focus on weeding out rather than pulling in, or they just pass on endless utterly unrelated resumes - one extreme or the other.
All that aside, I’ve got a question… I know you said don’t go for cute, but can I please use those yummy smelling coloring markers my sister has? I think the blueberry blue one for my name and the bubblegum pink one for my email would be just SO cute and really get their attention. That and do you REALLY think it is bad to make all my o’s into little faces (smiling ones, of course! I want them to know what a happy camper I am)? How about dotting my i’s with hearts? Or is that creepy? I hope not cause I just sent out a whole bunch like that and I’d hate to be beat up by my sister for stealing her pens for nothing! She’s a mean one, that sister!
February 9th, 2007 at 7:19 am
Paulus, I agree 100% about optimizing your resume. If you know where it’s going, you should definitely tailor it for that person, even if it means you have to compromise a bit for HR (buzzword compliance and whatnot).
Rainee, I’m not sure why you would be miffed by general courtesy. Would you kick me in the shin if I held the door for you, too? I should also point out the the “form email” was individually addressed to each applicant (e.g. “Ms. Karen Smith, we received …”), and mailed from a real email address.
Joe, I’m with you. I’d rather work somewhere that appreciates enthusiasm. If they don’t, then it doesn’t say anything good about the company.
James, in the future, I’d leave off the hearts and the smiley faces. However, those tasty-smelling markers could be a definite plus if you know that the person reading your resume is either about to go to lunch or (even better!) on a diet. They’ll definitely remember you then. Just stay away from the black. I don’t care for licorice.
February 9th, 2007 at 7:36 am
Mostly, the advice is sound. We have a similar set of advice (not focused as much on the resume) at http://indeco.com/www.nsf/Lookup/appadv . One specific thing I wanted to comment on is submitting a resume in Microsoft Word. If you’re not careful (or don’t really know what you’re doing), your font may come out in greek letters if the recipient doesn’t have that font, page breaks may appear in the wrong places (better use MS-Word headers, not manual headers) etc.
February 9th, 2007 at 11:31 am
My experience with HR: Generally a bunch of snooty bitches who have no sense of humor and can’t do anything that was not put on a checklist. They aim strictly for the fat part of the bell curve. By the time a candidate “clears” HR, the pool is full of cookie cutter retards who can do the job, but bring nothing else to the position.
Long and short: HR people are only there to fuck you. This will go on even after you get the job. So, if you can get a non-HR person on the phone, all the better.
February 9th, 2007 at 1:28 pm
I think I screwed up a potential opportunity one time by calling the company after they emailed me to acknowledge receiving my application.
They were a small outfit, and the CEO answered the main phone line when I called them. I was expecting to get an employee who I was talking to previously and who I was going to sell on my resume because I was not a typical candidate (career change).
The CEO demanded to know what I wanted and said quite briskly “I’ve told you we got it, I’m on a conference call, is there anything you want?”…
I’m not sure I’d like to work with the guy anyway, but I’d have preferred to find that out in interview rather than screwing up my chance so early.
February 9th, 2007 at 2:12 pm
Amd, it happens. Sometimes we hit on a patch of bad luck. Or good luck. Maybe he would have hidden his personality better in an interview, so maybe you lucked out by getting it over the phone.
February 9th, 2007 at 8:13 pm
I agree with the the advice 100%. I can’t say that nothing is the subject of opinion, but it is obvious that it is thoughtful guidance and will be good advice most of the time. An applicant should follow this guidance, knowing that even if they apply with someone who disagrees with one or two items, the rest are home runs and ways to avoid mistakes of the masses.
February 9th, 2007 at 9:46 pm
I very much like your tips. Tailoring your resume is *crucial* even for positions that are the same. The position may be the same, but the company is not. Knowing who you are applying to and tailoring your resume to fit it like a glove is the best way to get a call back. Also, a caveat to the “don’t be creative” rule doesn’t apply if the position is in a creative field, such as digital arts design, etc.
I’d also suggest another resume tip for a future edition, and that is *never* use the Word Templates for a resume. It smacks of unoriginality and lack of effort. They are good for inspiration, but as a hiring manager, if you have tons of resumes coming across your desk, it is easy to pick out the templates and place in the trash…
February 9th, 2007 at 9:46 pm
Great Tips Derek,
I am a 1L law student that recently landed a coveted summer associate position at a big firm this year. Although I didn’t read this until after I got the offer, looking at your tips, it’s remarkable how I “followed” every single one of them (with the exception of calling). Although I only have experience from the ‘being hired’ end, I can definitely say this is good advice. Keep up the good work!
February 9th, 2007 at 10:46 pm
John, I agree that sometimes the “no creativity” rule can be bent. Depending on the circumstances, several of these can be bent. I was definitely going for general advice.
I’m glad you guys like the tips. Hopefully some people will find them handy.
February 10th, 2007 at 3:14 am
Regarding Word as a resume tool:
I once sent out a resume. I wrote it using OpenOffice. I converted it to Word2K to make sure it looked similar. Then I printed it to PDF, just to make certain it was okay.
I sent the actual Word file (against my will, I prefer to send PDF) to the headhunter, who requested Word format specifically.
So, after getting an interview and being hired, I get the question: ‘So what was up with the blue background, anyway?’.
Say wha?
It seems that Word 2003 converted the Word 2000 document into something with a nice, light blue background. I never did figure out why, as, being a software developer, I prefer to debug my OWN code, not microsofts.
Moral: Kinko’s lets you rent PCs. If you don’t have (or refuse to pay money for) the latest Office software and you might be sending the raw document, make sure that you convert it and check it USING the latest Office version, or the version(s) that is most likely to be used by the company.
February 10th, 2007 at 11:14 am
OpenOffice, which is free, can be used to directly produce both MS Word (.doc) and Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) files. I agreed with the poster who said the best choice is probably to send both. The whole idea is to provide an attractive document that the recipient can print and read.
February 10th, 2007 at 3:05 pm
Nothing wrong being courteous. But do you really want hundreds of one line emails, thanking you for telling the
applicants that you received their resume? If I sent you
my resume by email I know that you received it (otherwise it would bounce back). Since your blog is about productivity. Its your job to screen my resume. And if you see a match you contact me because this makes your boss happy. It is not a courteousy of yours. All those thank you notes to the HR manager are just to massage their ego, and keep them from doing their job.
February 11th, 2007 at 9:01 am
SL, responding to the we-got-your-resume email is definitely the least important of these. If we were actually getting everyone responding to them, then we wouldn’t like it. However, virtually no one does respond to them, which is why it makes those who do stand out. It’s not at all vital to respond to those, though, but it can be a nice touch.
February 11th, 2007 at 2:24 pm
Almost all of the information you have here is excellent, save perhaps that some of it needs a little tempering based on where its going. For instance although a call might be well appreciated in some businesses where the front line contact number is a qualified receptionist who can direct you to the office of the hiring manager. In other instances it’s not a great idea, if I call a 5-Diamond hotel and ask for their hiring manager or front office manager, there’s a good chance that a poor front desk clerk will drag their manager away from something important to deal with what sounds to them like an important call, but which is only a courtesy.
My favorite over time has been an employee who hand delivered a resume to us at the desk while I was speaking with the FOM. It was on very presentable paper, and its top left corner had a 1″ star punched into it, through which she’d fed a pink silk ribbon and tied it carefully in a bow. To the both of us it communicated not only that she was artistic, but that there was still a sense of passion and light-heartedness about her. We insisted that the general manager push her up in the stack.
You might also want to add a comment about being careful when you drop off resumes in person. And by careful, I mean careful to impress the person you -hand- it to. Even if they’re only a desk clerk, having the good word of a front desk rep can mean the difference between a resume stuffed into a cubby hole or mail slot… and a resume carefully laid atop the manager’s keyboard and a comment the next day about how professional they looked when they dropped it off!
(This, of course, is more tailored towards small to medium businesses, where you’re dealing with a close enough group of staff that interaction is possible.)
February 11th, 2007 at 4:06 pm
Bradley, your advice sounds good to me. Definitely, the job hunting effort needs to be tailored to the location.
As for the hand-delivered resume you mentioned, that’s a perfect example of above-and-beyond. I wouldn’t normally recommend a pink ribbon, but when you do something like that, and it’s well-received, it definitely makes a good impression.
February 13th, 2007 at 4:10 pm
I stopped calling in after half the job listings I looked at said “Do not call”, “Please no calls”, “NO CALLS!”, and “Calling in will get your resume discarded.” When I got the jobs, it became clear there were 100-200 applicants, and getting calls from any portion of them would have taken a ton of the already-overwhelmed HR lady’s time.
The “no resume in the body of the email” has me scratching my head, too, since a lot of people specifically ask for it (”No attachments!”). I usually did both, and in-email text version and a pretty PDF attached “for printing”. When I went into interviews, guess which one was always printed out? (Not the pretty one.)
Of course, you should always follow instructions. My experience in applying for highly popular (several hundred applicant) jobs indicates that companies *love* to filter out applicants by laying out specific instructions (email this address with a PDF resume with this as the email subject line followed by your last name and then first) so they can toss everyone who doesn’t follow those guidelines to the letter.
February 13th, 2007 at 4:31 pm
Calling in and talking to HR probably won’t help (maybe if it’s a very small company). HR is just interested in whittling down the pile of resumes. However, if you can get to the hiring manager, I think calling is a definite plus. It gets your name in the manager’s head which, unlike the heads in HR, is more interested in hiring the best than just whittling down the pile.
If someone asks for no attachments, or a specific format, then give them what they want. A nice-looking plaintext resume can be quite a feat, though, so I’d avoid it unless I couldn’t.
March 1st, 2007 at 8:35 am
This is what kills me. Who do you believe? One person says call, another says never call. One person says reply to email, another says not to reply. Who the heck are we to believe. One wrong follow up call or email can take someone to the top or to the trash. I think there is too much ego involved in this process. I found this site when trying to decide if I should follow up on an emailed resume. Now it seems that it is a gamble, damned if I do, damned if I don’t.
March 1st, 2007 at 9:36 am
This is just general advice. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t follow one of these tips, or one of someone else’s. Unless you violate a big rule (pink paper with unicorn stickers, or numerous typos), you’re unlikely to be eliminated out-of-hand.
If you don’t bother to call, we’re not going to drop you from the pile of resumes. If you were definitely in the top picks, you’ll stay there. Most tips are for those borderline cases, where we’re not sure whether we are interested or not. If we’re not sure, you need to give us a reason to interview you, because otherwise we’ll probably decide that you’re just not worth the time.
July 23rd, 2007 at 11:19 pm
The hoop jumping in corporate job seeking is ridiculous. When I hire someone, I look at their work. Have good samples and I don’t care if your resume is in txt format. I don’t care what your email looks like, as long as its direct and literate. If you are truly good then you don’t have time for fiddling with your resume anyway.
Jerks in HR who set you up to lose, are doing so because they are losers themselves.
September 7th, 2007 at 9:54 am
Thanks for all the helpful tips!