Sacramento-Résumé .com Résumé Dos & Don’ts

Personal Contact can win the job

Sacramento Bee - Job Market
Sunday, March  

   Your Résumé will do the job-search for you if you “nudge” it a bit, says Dan Greitzer of Résumé s By Design, 3830 watt avenue, suite 3
.

   Greitzer continues: “Whenever I get calls for more copies I know the person isn’t nudging.  These days, competition for jobs is tougher than it was years ago.  Too many people adopt the want ad/blanket Résumé mailing approach to job search.

   “It’s really personal contact, charisma that elicits job offers.  It isn’t track record and college degrees.

   “Personnel managers and position announcements may clearly indicate qualifications, but in practice, hiring decisions are made more on personal chemistry than candidates or hiring authorities admit”

   Greitzer suggests the following agenda for your job search:

   1.  List in order of priority the organizations you would like to work for.  Sources might include the yellow pages, trade publications, etc.

   2.  Get names of the top person you could speak with (note the individual’s title).  Whenever possible, deal directly with decision makers or hiring authorities.

   “More often than not,” says Greitzer, “personnel departments though the prescribed folks to deal with, are not the surest route to a job offer.”

   Decide on a number of companies and hiring authorities to contact per week.

   3.  Telephone the hiring authority.  Try:  “I’m Joe Smith.  The reason I’m calling is, I am very interested in pursuing a management position with ABC Company.  May I stop in and speak with you?”  At that point, stop talking.  “You have, as they say in the sales biz, just asked for the order,”  says Greitzer.

   At this point, the adage “he to talks first loses” applies.  It may take a few seconds, but let the hiring authority speak next.  Likely, he/she will say one of the following:

   Send me your Résumé .
   Stop by and fill out our application.
   We’re not hiring.
   What’s your background?
   Call Ms. Johnson in Human Resources.
   You would?

   OK.

Try these responses:

   Send me your Résumé :  “May I bring one with me?  I’m free Friday and next Tuesday afternoon (don’t answer your own question – wait for an answer).  If you must send the Résumé , send it with a cover letter to the hiring authority.  Mention in your phone conversation that you’re sending one.  A potent phrase in dealing with HR is “Joe Jones, your CEO suggested I give you a call”.

Through this process, take care to return calls yourself.  Don’t suggest your calls be returned.  Always keep the ball in your court or you will lose it.

   Stop by and fill out our application:  “Thanks, I will.”  Plan a visit and ask to see the HR manager.  Bring a Résumé and cover letter for the hiring authority and HR manager.  Consider a follow-up letter and/or phone call.  Use names, titles, company names and addresses on your cover letters.  “Dear sir” cover letters don’t work so well.

   We’re not hiring:  “I’m aware you’re not hiring presently, Mr. Jones.  I was hoping for more of an informational interview.  Who knows where we’ll both be months from now?  What’s your schedule like later in the week or the first week in December?”

   What’s your background:  Your phone calls should never be made without preparation.  Know what it is you can do for this company and have some intelligent questions (good strategy:  ask questions to which you already know the answers).  You’ve got a short, maybe one or two minute opportunity.

   Call Ms. Johnson in Human Resources:  Use the “Mr. Jones suggested I call you” approach.  Send each a Résumé and cover letter.

   You would:  At this point, the hiring authority is asking you for some direction as to date and time.  Say:  “Tomorrow at 9 a.m.?  Or would 3 p.m. be better?”

   OK:  If you need a response to this one, perhaps you’ve been hitting the pavements too hard. Take a break.

   Greitzer concludes:  “There are many very effective avenues to job offers.  The foregoing represents an assertive approach that gets noticed and gets results.  When these principles are used in conjunction with professionalism, reasonable degrees of persistence and networking, they become very powerful job search tools.”   
 

The Washington Post
November 11, 2007 

   Dan Greitzer (sacramento-Résumé .com, Résumé sfornurses.com, Résumé sforsales.com) Sacramento, California-based Résumé service, has been helping nurses craft professional Résumé s for more than 20 years.  According to Greitzer, the basic elements of a Résumé don’t change from profession to profession, although it is more acceptable in health care, he says, to have a longer Résumé if need be.

   The two principal formats for a Résumé , says Greitzer, are functional and chronological.  If you have had the same responsibilities throughout the years, even if at different jobs, choose a functional format, Greitzer advises, which will consolidate your job description.  If you need or want to explain where you worked, then opt for the chronological format.  “In my experience,” Greitzer says, “health care recruiters more often prefer the chronological approach.”

   Besides detailing your nursing responsibilities, highlight “people-related skills”, customer service, computer proficiency, and additional education or training.

   “Today’s Résumé s do not usually include a candidate’s age,” says Greitzer, adding, “if you graduated more than 20 years ago, leave the graduation year off as well.  It’s usually not necessary to go back more than 10 years on job history, unless there’s a critical piece of information a recruiter or hiring authority should know.”

   “Skip personal information such as hobbies, marital status, and so on,” Greitzer advises.

   Even if your Résumé has been emailed or faxed, Greitzer recommends also sending a paper copy in the mail.  “That way, they get to see your name twice.”

   A few other tips from Greitzer:

• Don’t over look the obvious.  Put your name at the top of the Résumé and your degrees and certifications following your name.
• Send the Résumé in a large manila envelope, Priority Mail, FedEx or other “hard” envelope.  These suggest business.  You’d be surprised how often clerks toss pretty looking (Résumé looking) envelopes in the trash.
• Address the Résumé and cover letter to the hiring authority, not just HR.  This effort will prove as successful as it is simple.
• Use a subtly colored or white, good quality paper.  Avoid fancy fonts.

   Finally, says Greitzer, “back up your Résumé with solid interviewing technique, and make sure you practice active listening.