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November 26, 2005

Activist Job Search

I just caught up with my blog reading and came across a great piece by Anthony J. on Recruiting.com .(This is a blog that all job seekers should read as it gives great insight into how recruiters work.)

Anthony talks about the importance of an active versus a passive job search. I recently had a client tell me that she didn't think her new resume was working because she had submitted it for 12 positions and hadn't heard back from one. Most people will get very few responses if they apply for jobs this way, and this client was even less likely to hear back because she was trying to enter an industry in which she had no prior experience. As Anthony points out:

Resumes are scanned to in order to be stored in applicant tracking systems which are used by HR departments to, well, store resumes. This is fine if your goal is to be stored in the electronic equivalent of the HR department's filing cabinet. This is only helpful to you if the HR group is proactive about mining this resource (my experience is that most of them aren't). But is your goal to be stored in a file folder or to get a job?

Read the whole post for some great advice on networking, attending trade shows and cold-calling. Hey, no one ever said looking for a job was easy.

Posted by Louise at 10:11 AM | Permalink

November 24, 2005

No Functional Resumes

Back when I worked in HR, I used to toss functional resumes on the "no" pile without even trying to figure out if the person was going to be a fit.

A "functional" resume is structured based on skills sets rather than career chronology and it's a favorite tactic for covering up an undesirable background, lack of experience, major gaps in employment, or any other problem.

Which is why I always threw the resumes on the 'no' pile. I knew the candidate was trying to hide something from me and I couldn't be bothered trying to figure out what it was.

So, don't waste time sending out functional resumes. They just annoy recruiters and don't get you any closer to your goal. If you have a problem with your background or want to make a career change, hire a professional resume writer to help you craft something that will work for you. Trust me, a functional resume isn't the answer.

Posted by Louise at 09:42 AM | Permalink

November 15, 2005

Are you at Your Max?

I found this great entry on Seth Godin's blog about Local Max vs. Big Max. I can't excerpt because it won't make sense until you read it. Then it will.

Posted by Louise at 12:31 PM | Permalink