As the months roll by and the economy does not rebound, many companies have had to reduce their workforce. Perhaps you have been one to loose your job or a close family member or friend has been the victim.
The newly laid-off workers join a very large group facing unemployment for the first time in years, decades or their lifetime. And with this increase in unemployed workers, the competition to gain new employment is more intense than ever.
Do you need to brush up on your resume and interviewing skills? Here is a quick list of common resume/interviewing tips:
Resume Tips:
- Do not use jargon or acronyms on your resume. Your resume may first go through the Human Resources Department who may not know FAS106. Instead, be clear for any reader by indicating “FAS 106, Employers’ Accounting for Postretirement Benefits other than Pensions.”
- Arrange your resume in chronological order from most recent position to oldest. List company name, title, and dates of employment. It is wise to give a short description of the company. For example:
Wytuba Co. (Lexington, KY)-$50 million internet marketing company
- Address gaps in employment or the layoff of your current position briefly. The employer will notice the gaps, but may arrive at the wrong assumption. For example:
Wytuba Co. (Lexington, KY)-$50 million internet marketing company 5/00 – 02/09
. (Shut-down of KY division)
- Show multiple positions at one employer in a clear way so as not to confuse the reader into thinking you have changed jobs. One presentation style is shown below:
Wytuba Co. (Lexington, KY)-$50 million internet marketing company 5/00 – 02/09
Chief Financial Officer- 2/07 -2/09
– Summarize duties
Controller- 5/00 -2/07
– Summarize duties
- Make sure the skills you want demonstrated for a position are on the resume. Don’t count on cover letters to be read for additional skills and information not in the resume. Tailor your resume to a specific job and be sure to maintain copies of which resumes were sent to which employers.
Interviewing Tips:
- Do your homework before your interview. Check out the company website. Understand the products, customers and locations of their factories, offices etc. Do additional research on the web. Perhaps they were just awarded a Top 100 Places to Work Award.
- Be aware there are two very different types of interviews. The interview by the Human Resources Department will be very efficient, smooth, and highly skilled. Each question will have a definite purpose and even the sequence of questions may have a purpose. This interview will have more behavioral type questions such as, “Tell me about a time you had to manage difficult employees?” These open ended questions get you to demonstrate skills pertinent to the job from a real life situation.
The interview by the Hiring Manager will be much different. These very capable people will not have spent much time preparing for the interview. They will tell you more details about the position and allow you opportunity to correlate your experiences to the position. Their focus will be on competence and topical issues relative to the position.
Do not ask about salary/benefits on the first interview. The focus of the interview is to determine if there is chemistry between you and the employer and if your skills translate into usable skills to the employer.
- Watch your body language! Most people will be somewhat nervous. Don’t overcompensate by trying to act too casual.
- Do not speak negatively about any prior position or employer.
- Be prepared to discuss gaps in employment. Be honest, but there is no need to go into great detail.
- Relate skills you have as the conversation advances. Perhaps the Hiring Manager talks about times being tough with the merger. Relate a time you were in charge of merging the finance department of two branches. This could be a skill that wasn’t in the job description, but could help you stand out in the crowd.
Finding employment is stressful and especially difficult for those finding themselves out of work for the first time in their lives. The best advice is preparation. Through preparation you will be more relaxed yielding a better interview. Find guidance for resume writing and interviewing online or at your local library and have confidence in yourself when you arrive for the interview. Be resilient during these tough times and your strength will show in the interview. Good luck!
Search open jobs with Talis Group and submit your resume to us online. If your skills fit those requested by our client, we may contact you. It could be a great start to a new career!
Written by: Renee Fulton, Talis Group, Inc.