The TRUTH of Resumes

Are resumes still relevant in today’s job market? The short answer is yes, but their use has changed. They are used differently than in the predigital age. Although many of us still treat them as being about selling ourselves, and our abilities and experiences. The job market and the way in which people are hired has evolved.

Resumes have been a cornerstone of job applications, offering a clear overview of education, work experience, skills, and accomplishments. A well-crafted resume showcases a candidate’s qualifications and creates a strong first impression, helping employers assess whether the applicant is a good fit for the role. How they are being used today is, however, entirely different based more today on our entire on-line presence and the application of AI and computers searching through thousands of resumes and profiles for a limited number of available jobs.

I have experienced long periods of unemployment like many people today. Sending out hundreds of applications for what sounds like the perfect fit opportunity, only to hear nothing. Or even worse, to get the dreaded “phone” interview only to be ghosted or ignored. There is nothing to prepare us for this process or lack of results, and of course, the “panic” that sets in.

There is no lack of on-line services that both try to “match” you with “so-called” available jobs or are available to help you craft the perfect resume.? How many pages should there be, what do you include, and the look that separates you from the crowd? Are these for real? How can you stand out and be recognized?

One of the best items of advice I have found comes from Alex HM Smith, a business strategy genius from England. He advises “don’t tell me what to think about you – prove to me why I should think it.” He contends that if you are truly what you say you are, in terms of the requirements of a position, you don’t need to say it.

I have read so many resumes, including mine, that say…” I am a creative individual, expert in many fields, innovative in the ways I approach things, providing great service, trusted, etc., etc., etc. The proof, he would say, is “in the pudding.” The right approach is to show me something I have not seen before, teach me something I did not know, show me how you have changed the game, help me in an unexpected way.

So much of this process is about finding the right fit, with the right people, for the right job. There might be thousands of great candidates with just the right qualifications, but they need to have the right attitudes, a similar philosophy, and a commitment to getting the job done, and done right.

One such method is employee referrals. Your staff knows the company's needs and culture, which is why they can be an invaluable tool during the recruitment process. Referrals come with several benefits. For example, they are typically:

• A great fit I ideal for the company culture and the specific role, because your employees want to work with the right people.
• More engaged because referrals already have inside information about the company and job.
• Greater happiness because they have a friend that already loves the company working there.

Referrals, after all, are endorsements from someone that knows you and can vouch for your ability to do a job, in a company that they know about. This points to the importance of networking and reaching out to the people you know in the process. They might even be in the position of connecting you directly with the hiring manager.

Another important step involves improving the recruitment and interview process. It does not require much to respond to every candidate or applicant, no matter the numbers, in a positive way. Candidates or potential employees talk. Online forums share information, both positive and negative. Companies acquire well deserved reputations. Why would the best candidates want to work for a company that treats people by ignoring them or giving them the courtesy of a simple follow up? It is the way companies handle the basic things that says how they will operate in the long run with employees.

Unemployment is hard enough, why make it more difficult. People deserve more for their efforts. Human dignity demands it. Almost everyone has been in a similar position sometime in their life. It might not have been unemployment, but it could have been under-employment, a bad fit, taken for granted, or just underutilized or even abused. Life is too short to be doing something, including looking for a job, that you do not enjoy. Keep the faith and make your resume a vehicle that best represents you and what you can do for a company.

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