Do you have a strong resume? Why your best effort makes a difference!

Is your job resume ready to compete with the competition? 

The power of a strong resume

How much effort did you put into your last resume? Are you proud of your resume, or do you think that it needs improvement in a few specific areas? You would be surprised how often I ask someone about their resume, and I hear the following:

• “My resume sucks.”
• “My resume is terrible; I hate it.”
• “I wish I had a better resume.”
• “I am so worried I have a typo!”

Fear or confidence?

It kills me when I hear the above comments. When I work with a job seeker who isn’t 110% confident about their resume, there is a weak link in their armor. They will struggle with their job search without confidence in this document that opens doors. In the back of the candidate’s mind, instead of looking forward to the interview confidently, the candidate is worried about their deficits. It doesn’t make for a good start to the interview or a conversation where confidence is king.

If you have read this blog, you know I enjoy Malcolm Gladwell and his social observations. I think I have come up with my own Gladwell-esque observation related to resume strength.

Resume strength correlates with many downstream reactions. These include the time between submitting your resume and receiving a job offer, the quality of the offer, and, more importantly, the preconceptions, both good and bad, about your initial performance. Are your peers expecting greatness or doubting your efforts?

Don’t get me wrong, I am not comparing myself to Dr. Gladwell. I want to explain why a solid resume is so important and provide business reasons to invest the time in creating a strong resume that instills confidence in both the candidate and the hiring manager.

Real-life example

I recently witnessed a scene involving two babies that I found fascinating. Living in Seattle, I spend a lot of time at my favorite coffee hangout. Sitting outside my espresso getaway, I saw two mothers side by side with their precocious little sucklings in strollers. The first little piglet was dressed in a matching outfit and looked very “cute and adorable” to passers-by. The baby had a tiny stud earring, and the stroller had enough cup holders to make my SUV jealous.

In comparison, baby number two was precisely that: Number 2. Baby’s hat didn’t match the rest of the outfit; she was missing a sock and rocking an unattended runny nose. Over the course of an Americano and biscotti, I witnessed Baby No. 1 receive a lot of attention from passing coffee addicts. Little mothers cooing and fawning over baby number 1.  Baby number 2, not so much.  Baby 2 received no action, not even a mercy/ pity, “oooh” or “ah.” It was sad.  

Two completely different experiences

This experience made me realize that through no fault of their own, the two babies would grow up with very different experiences. Strangers would treat Kidlet Number 1 better, and this child’s expectations would differ based on first impressions. This kid would get breaks and would take them for granted. Kid number 2 would receive fewer lucky breaks. Through no fault of her own, she would not realize the difference. When the first baby spits up, it’s cute. When the second baby spits up, it’s gross. Shallow, I know, but I am trying to make a point.

Put another way, if you are born in a remote third-world country or America, you have two very different experiences. You won’t know the difference, and it is not your fault where you are born. However, there will be two very different experiences. 

The story’s moral is, don’t let your weak resume be kid number 2. Present a strong resume and expect the “ewws and ahhs.”  You don’t get to pick your birth country, but you can control your resume.

First Impressions

For those of us who think the first impression in a job hunt takes place when we are introduced in person to the hiring manager, we would be wrong. Yes, the suit was nice, and the pressed white shirt was noticed. The first impression was made when the hiring manager opened your cover letter and resume on their computer screen. Your typo made a lousy first impression. Your lined-up margins on both the left and right-hand sides of the document made a great first impression. Are you feeling me?

Some may think that I am shallow. Some may feel that it isn’t what the resume looks like, but the content of the resume that counts. That may be all good in theory, but here in the real world, your resume is the first indication of the quality and effort of your work. I need qualified candidates who present well in person and on paper. There is no use in presenting a resume with great content if the document is difficult to read or the candidate looks like a slob. I don’t need the heartache of making excuses for a candidate to an impatient hiring manager. Most of us want the path of least resistance. I am no different. It’s human nature.

Managers know when I bring in “close enough.”

There are candidates I call when pickings are slim because the resume looks “close enough.” I am calling these candidates with a “What do I have to lose?” attitude. Like any singles bar scene, when the closing time approaches, I take my shot. I might get lucky.

Then there are easy-to-read resumes in which accomplishments are clearly matched to the job description. My expectations and excitement are high, and I am already eager to introduce this candidate to the hiring manager. How I treat these two candidates SHOULD be the same, but guess what? I am giving MORE leeway to the second candidate. Yes, this is a case of the pretty girl getting the unfair breaks. This is the cute, well-dressed baby.  It shouldn’t happen, but it does. You would think I would give the first candidate a couple of breaks, but remember, the hiring manager is my customer, and like all customers, they are PICKY!

Salary band between $45-$55K

Real-life example number 2: Two openings for the same position. The salary band is between $45K and $55K, depending on experience.

Two candidates apply for two openings in the same department. I know better than anyone that no two candidates are “equal,” but both candidates have similar experiences. 

• Candidate Sloppy Sam has decent experience, but the resume doesn’t present well.
• Candidate Perfectionist Paul has a decent resume and is easy to read. The resume presents well.

No two candidates are equal

The resumes are equal in experience, but the two resumes’ presentation layers are noticeably different. By comparison, there is a stronger resume and a “weak resume.” There is a cute, well-dressed piglet and a runny-nose crumb-snatcher.

• Whose resume should I call first?
• Whose resume am I going to look forward to calling?
• Whom am I choosing if I can present only one candidate to a hiring manager?

With one candidate, I will be in full recruiter mode. With the other, I will kick the tires and cross my fingers.

Because I am in a better, more excited mood, I will give Perfectionist Paul a break. I will make this call, and I am praying they work out. 

Yes, HRNasty is acting shallow, but honestly, there is a lot of human nature at play.  As candidates, we will be better equipped if we hope for the best but are prepared for the worst.

When I present the two candidates (for the two openings) to the hiring manager, it won’t be a question of “If.” The hiring manager WILL ask me, “Who is the better candidate?”  

Even though we have two openings, if the hiring manager can only schedule 1 candidate for an interview, guess who will get the call?

The hiring manager wants to train both new hires simultaneously, but doesn’t want to lose time or budget. We shoot to get one candidate in as soon as possible. Guess which candidate is going to be fast-tracked?

“Two candidates enter. One candidate leaves!”

The bookies have placed odds on this race. There is a clear favorite. This is a classic case: “Two men enter (the Thunderdome), and one man leaves.” I am Tina Turner, the recruiter. Guess which candidate looks like Mel Gibson?

Time and urgency equal money

The quality of the resume affected how long it took for our two candidates to receive a callback. But it doesn’t stop there. The impression from the resume carries into the initial phone interview, and then into the in-person interviews.

The momentum that Perfectionist Paul generated with the resume has the potential to carry over into the offer stage if played well. Sloppy Sam may get an offer, but he will always be compared to Perfectionist Paul.

Quality of the job offer

Remember our two openings? Do we think that with all things being equal, both candidates will receive the same offer? While an average-looking resume won’t swing a vote, a great-looking resume can add urgency (a quick interview loop) and dollars (a more substantial offer). A resume that lacks effort will produce similar results from the hiring company.

If two candidates are hired simultaneously, the resume is one of the significant factors that sets expectations as the candidates go through onboarding and training. The resume set the tone for the interview experience and created momentum. 

Get the confidence!

If you’re not 100% confident in your resume, get a second and third set of eyes on it and ask for feedback. Whenever I work with someone on their resume, I ask them, “What do you like and what would you like to consider changing?”  I want to know what the candidate is unsure about so we can address the weakness and build their confidence. Invest the effort, and your resume will do right for you. How you think and feel about your resume will directly affect your success in the job interview process.

This post explains one signal hiring managers notice.
In the full resume guide, I connect this signal to how resumes are actually read, what it competes with, and when it helps or hurts you.

See you at the after party,
HRNasty

nasty: an unreal maneuver of incredible technique, something that is ridiculously good, tricky, and manipulative but with a result that can’t help but be admired, a phrase used to describe someone good at something. “He has a nasty forkball”.

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