SOLVE THE RIDDLE: TRANSLATING A POSITION DESCRIPTION INTO SUCCESS

So you’ve printed out your resume, highlighted key phrases, and written some great questions for each
of the central bullet points. Now we need to take a deeper dive into the position description – section
by section.

The company description section of the position description is a great place to hunt for the values and
hints about the corporate culture. Remember that much time and energy has been put into mission
and vision statements and this is a big clue on how the company wants to be perceived. Think about
the difference between “customer-focused” and “results-driven” in the mission statement. Most
importantly – this changes the lens by which you will create your cover letter and what you will want to
convey during the interview.

The position overview will provide some details about reporting structure and general responsibilities.
One of the biggest flaws I see in position descriptions occurs in this section – it is often quite difficult to
determine what the actual day-to-day responsibilities are. The verbs, or action words, that are used will
provide some additional context. What’s the difference between “direct” and “oversee”? If you need to
pull out the dictionary and look the words up – there are subtle differences that may have some impact
on how you portray yourself.

Human Resources and the employment relationship reflect one of the fastest growing areas of litigation
in the United States today. And with that comes something most HR folks dread – compliance. If a
company has government contracts, they are required to follow OFCCP. Aside from sounding scary,
this alphabet soup has a big impact on your job search. If a company uses the phrase “minimum
qualifications” in the requirements section this means that they are truly minimum qualifications. The
HR representative is not allowed to consider you for the position unless you have these qualifications.
Do not waste your time on applying for positions that you only have 3 out of 5 the minimum
qualifications.

The additional requirements section is where recruiters puts the “nice to have” elements of a job. If
you have many of these skills and abilities, you have an increased chance to landing the position. You
will also notice that many of the “soft skills” of the positions are mentioned here. Be sure to use those
themes in your cover letter, resume, and for your interview preparation. Here’s one way to think
about it: If the company says they are “customer-focused” you will want to prepare an example story
to demonstrate of when you delivered exceptional customer service. Also, sometimes you will see
a requirement such as “must come to work on time and be ready to contribute” – which sticks out a
little bit or doesn’t have the same voice as the other parts of the description. This may be a clue that
the person in the role before you had problems with punctuality or brought problems at home into the
workplace. In these cases, be sure to highlight your punctuality throughout the hiring process.

In summary, use the key words and phrases used in the position description when you are tailoring your
cover letter, resume, and through the interviewing process. Pay particular attention to the verbs being
used. Make sure that when preparing for your interview that you are able to highlight examples in your
work history that reflect not only the tasks/skills of the position, but also the values of the organization.

And finally, remember to use the 5 W’s: who, what, where, when, and why to be able to ask exceptional
questions during the interview. Good luck!

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Angela Harris has a 15 year career in human resources, with several years in management consulting and quality. She current works at ASQ, the American Society for Quality, where she works on the development of ISO standards.  In addition to working at ASQ, Angela owns a consulting practice (ASHconsulting), is a Wisconsin Forward Award Examiner, sits on the SHRM Task Force for Metrics & Measures, is on the Board of Directors for the Wheaton Franciscan Foundation for St. Francis & Franklin, and was Executive Director of Milwaukee JobCamps.  She received her M.S. in Human Resources from Marquette University.

Feel free to connect with Resume Survis Lady:

Twitter:  resumesurvisldy

LinkedIn:   http://www.linkedin.com/in/billye

SOLVE THE RIDDLE: HOW TO READ AND ANALYZE POSITION DESCRIPTIONS

When I work with my job-seeking clients, one of the first skills I teach them is how to read and analyze a position
description.  This is a critical skill that all job seekers must learn.  Once you get the hang of it you will realize it is fun – like solving a riddle.  Think about it this way:  does your resume convey everything there is to know about you and your experience?  Of course not!!  The position description serves the same purpose:  it provides the starting point for a very important conversation.

There are many benefits to learning how to read a position description.  You will:

• Only apply to those positions you are actually qualified for – saving time and effort
• Save your reputation with recruiters by not applying to things you aren’t qualified for
• Be able to better tailor your cover letter and resume
• Discover what made your predecessor successful (or not!)
• Be well-prepared for an interview
• Be able to better guessimate the compensation range for the position

So with all those benefits, I know you are ready to take the first step.

STEP #1:  PRINT OUT THE DESCRIPTION

After a quick scan and interest, print out the position description.  This is not a time to worry about trees – most descriptions will be 2-3 pages and the investment you make here is well worth it.  Once you have a job – feel free to make a donation to your favorite environmentally-friendly group.  I have found that I can read more easily on paper versus the computer screen.

STEP #2:  ACTUALLY READ THE POSITION DESCRIPTION

I mean actually READ it.  Not skimming.  Not scanning.  Not reacting.  Read the document for COMPREHENSION.
Pay particular attention to the verbs being used in the general responsibilities section.  The verbs not only give you a clue to actual tasks, but also to the level of responsibility of the position.  For example:  there’s a big difference between “Manage multiple communications projects…” and “Deliver web-based content by target deadlines.”

STEP #3:  HIGHLIGHT THE KEY WORDS

Get out your favorite color highlighter and find the 5 or 6 phrases or sentences that seem to be central to the position.  Use a different color to highlight industry jargon, certifications, or buzz words. You should use these exact key words in your cover letter and resume.  For example:  if the position description says “Must be proficient in Microsoft Office” write “Microsoft Office” – if it says “Word, Excel, and PowerPoint,” write the same.  This will ensure that when a recruiter runs “Google-like” searches in an applicant database, your resume will come to the top.

STEP #4:  WRITE QUESTIONS ON THE DESCRIPTION

In the above example, I would want to know WHO I am managing, HOW many projects, and WHAT type of communications they are referring to.  Back in high school, I remember learning the 5 W’s – who, what, where,
when, and why.  And let’s go ahead and add the how too.  You should have questions for all of the key bullets on the description.  Writing these questions down will have many benefits for the interview process, particularly with the hiring manager.   First, having this completed will show that you took the time to read and understand the role.  Opening the interview with, “I read the position description and I have some questions I really would like to ask you…” allows the interview to become less Q&A style and more like a conversation – which is better for everyone.

In a follow-up blog, I will show you how to look at each of the key sections of a position description and how to use that information to land your next job!

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Angela Harris has a 15 year career in human resources, with several years in management consulting and quality. She current works at ASQ, the American Society for Quality, where she works on the development of ISO standards.  In addition to working at ASQ, Angela owns a consulting practice (ASHconsulting), is a Wisconsin Forward Award Examiner, sits on the SHRM Task Force for Metrics & Measures, is on the Board of Directors for the Wheaton Franciscan Foundation for St. Francis & Franklin, and was Executive Director of Milwaukee JobCamps.  She received her M.S. in Human Resources from Marquette University.

Feel free to connect with Resume Survis Lady:

Twitter:  resumesurvisldy

LinkedIn:   http://www.linkedin.com/in/billye

Hundreds Of Resumes And No Response….

Dear RSL,

I’m in the middle of a job search and I have sent out what seems like hundreds of resumes.  Other than a couple of interviews and a handful of emails letting me know I was not being considered, I have not heard
anything.  Is this normal?

Searching for a new position can be daunting and at times a bit frustrating.  You’re doing a lot of work trying to find a new position and would like someone to acknowledge that they’ve at least received your resume.
So why are you not getting a response?  There could be a number of reasons as to why you’re not hearing anything back.  First of all, take a step back and look at the jobs that you are applying for. Look at the job description and what is stated as minimum or basic qualifications.  Do you have the experience and skills that are required for the position?  Or instead of having the qualifications feel that you could do the job and be good at it?  Chances are if you do not have the experience and skills required for the position and instead feel it’s something you’d be good at, only those applicants that do have what the company is looking for will move to step in the process.

Another reason that you might not be getting a response to your resume is because of the sheer number of applicants that are applying.  Take one of the positions that I am currently recruiting on.  It’s an electrical engineer position.  In one day alone I received 25 applications.  It is not unusual for me to be dealing with over 100 applicants or more for a position.   Of the applicants that apply to a position, I will only forward the top candidates to the hiring manager for consideration.  If you’re applying to positions that have a lot of applicants, it might be that your application was received too late to be considered or that there were other applicants more qualified.

While it would be nice to receive some type of notification with every resume that is sent, not all companies are set up to respond to the large number of candidates that have applied.  Also remember that if you haven’t received a response to your resume submittal, it’s okay to follow-up to ensure your application was received and to find out if you’re being considered for the position (https://resumesurvislady.wordpress.com/2011/04/19/help-who-do-i-follow-up-with/).

Resume Survis Lady is written by Billye Survis. To have your resume or job search questions answered by Resume Survis Lady, send your questions to: resumesurvislady@gmail.com

Feel free to also connect with Resume Survis Lady:

Twitter:  resumesurvisldy

LinkedIn: Resume Survis Lady

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Resume-Survis-Lady/150368705033497

Who Do I List As My References?

Dear RSL,

I am going to my second on site interview for a position I really want.  The company has asked me for a list of references.  Should I include personal references, peer references, managers or a combination?  What types of questions does a company ask a reference?

Great question!  A company asking for references is a good sign! When you are preparing your list of references, it’s always good to have a combination of people including at least two people who you have directly reported to as well as one or two peers.  There really is no need to add a personal reference unless it is an entry-level position or a first position.

To answer your next question as to what to types of questions a company asks references; that depends upon the company and what type of position you are applying for. Generally, the questions will revolve around work ethic, attendance, reason for leaving, ability to be rehired, etc.

Do you know what your references will say about you? Although my current position does not include conducting reference checks, I have conducted plenty of reference checks in my past.  What always amazed me is those candidates who give me a list of references and one or two people on their list give them a
terrible reference.   Have a conversation with them before adding them to your reference list.  Ask them what they are going to say about you.  Don’t just assume that they are going to give you a glowing reference.  If you’re not sure what they’re going to say when called by a potential employer, don’t include them on your reference list.

Resume Survis Lady is written by Billye Survis. To have your resume or job search questions answered by Resume Survis Lady, send your questions to: resumesurvislady@gmail.com

Feel free to also connect with Resume Survis Lady:

Twitter:  resumesurvisldy

LinkedIn: Resume Survis Lady or www.linkedin.com/in/billye

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Resume-Survis-Lady/150368705033497

Do I Want To Be An Open Networker On LinkedIn?

Dear RSL,

I see you are a member of an open networking group on LinkedIn. I joined that group partly because I
saw you there.  I’ve also joined some other open networking groups, but many of them seem so “spammy” and it seems like all a lot of them do is promote connection invites. I’m not getting the point of that unless that’s the only purpose.  So… which groups do you belong to and why?

You’re right; I am an open networker on LinkedIn.  What that means is that I accept all invites sent to me.  As for the open networking groups, their primary purpose is for open networkers to grow their networkers
and connect with other “like minded” open networkers or LIONS (LinkedIn Open Networkers).  I started off on LinkedIn about 5 years ago and from the start I have been an open networker.  There are different schools of thought on open networker with some wanting to only connect with people that they know personally, others want to only connect with others in their area of expertise and others like myself who will accept invites from anyone.

Why am I an open networker?  As a recruiter the biggest part of my job is building relationships and networking.  Over the years I have recruited professionals with a wide array of skill sets.  By being an open networker I have been able to not only connect with people as first connections, but by connecting it also allows me to be able to contact their connections if I want to.  So, it may not be my direct connection I’m looking to recruit or network with, but their connection.

As for the different groups that I am in on LinkedIn and why, I am in a number of different groups and they primarily fall into 3 categories.  The first category contains groups that are related to the types of positions that I’m recruiting for at the moment.  These categories will change periodically and you will notice at the moment they are focused primarily on Engineering and IT.

The second set of groups that I belong to on LinkedIn is centered around my resume writing business so you will notice that I belong to a few groups for Resume Writers.  These groups allow me to connect with others in my industry where we exchange ideas and ask each other’s questions.   I also belong to various job seekers groups and HR groups.

The third set of groups that I belong to on LinkedIn is related to my blogging.  These groups are for people like me who keep up with a blog and enjoy writing

To make LinkedIn Groups work for you is to determine what it is you want to do on LinkedIn and from there join appropriate groups.

 

Resume Survis Lady is written by Billye Survis. To have your resume or job search questions answered by RSL, send your questions to: resumesurvislady@gmail.com

Other ways to connect with RSL:

Twitter:  resumesurvisldy

LinkedIn: Resume Survis Lady

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Resume-Survis-Lady/150368705033497

What Do Recruiters Look At When Looking At LinkedIn Profiles?

Dear RSL,

I hear you mention LinkedIn quite often, that you use it to recruit people.  What do recruiters look for when they are looking at people’s LinkedIn profiles?

You’re right; I do use LinkedIn very heavily!  What can I say; it’s been a great recruiting tool for me to find great candidates.  It’s also worked out very well for me as my profile on LinkedIn has led to 2 jobs finding me.

LinkedIn is a tool that should be used by all job seekers.  Think of the profile you create as a ‘casual’ resume.  What I mean by that is you will still want to have all of the relevant information contained in your resume as part of your LinkedIn profile including work experience, significant accomplishments and education but you also are able to be more casual with things like your summary.  For example, in my summary I state that in addition to being a recruiter/resume writer/blogger that I am also a superhero wife and mother 24/7.  Now that might make you laugh, but
quite often I will get comments on it and people remember who I am.  Just today I received an email to connect with the person requesting the connection saying they always wanted to know a superhero.

In addition to the typical “resume info” you will want to make sure that your LinkedIn profile is 100% completed to increase your visibility to those looking for people with your skill set.  This will include making sure you have a summary, list specialties, have contact information and references and belong to LinkedIn groups.  LinkedIn gives preference to those users who complete their profile by listing them higher in the rankings during searches and enable more people to find you.

As a recruiter I look at the groups that people belong to. I like to know that people I am recruiting are active networkers with others in their chosen profession.  It’s always good to show that you are keeping up on current industry standards and I think that belonging to and contributing to appropriate groups is extremely important for not only potential employers to see but to also network with others in your field.

Bottom line with LinkedIn: make sure you include all of your career history/education and include personal referrals.  If you don’t currently have any referrals, ask current and former colleagues/managers/clients if they will write a referral for you.  Make sure your profile is 100% completed.  If you’re interested in what a completed profile looks like, feel free to view mine:  www.linkedin.com/in/billye  Also make sure you have joined groups appropriate for your profession and are active in them.

Lastly, let me know if you have any questions and how it’s working for you.  Good luck!

Resume Survis Lady is written by Billye Survis. To have your resume or job search questions answered by Resume Survis Lady, send your
questions to: resumesurvislady@gmail.com Feel free to also connect with Resume Survis Lady through twitter:  resumesurvisldy her LinkedIn group: Resume Survis Lady and on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Resume-Survis-Lady/150368705033497

White Texting Is Like Hiding Your Vegetables….Huh????

Dear Resume Survis Lady,

I just read your post about adding keywords to your resume and I understand the concept.  What is your opinion on “white texting” within a resume?  Will that help me get noticed?

First of all, for those of you that don’t know what “white texting” is, it’s the practice of adding a bunch of keywords at the base of a resume and having the text be colored white so that the words are invisible to the naked eye but a computer will hit on them and pull back the resume during a keyword search.  Now as for if it will help you get noticed, it will but necessarily in a good way.

Have you ever heard a story about how someone’s child hid their veggies in a napkin or fed them to the dog because their parents told them
they had to eat them but they didn’t want to? Maybe you did this as a child? To avoid actually eating them they come up with a way to conceal the evidence so to speak to make it look like they ate them and appease their parents.  White texting is a little bit like that food hidden in a napkin.  It’s a dirty little secret way of trying to cover up experience that one might not actually have and make themselves look better to a potential employer.  When I pull back a resume and I cannot find the keywords or experience that I am looking for, the first thing I do is go to
the bottom of the resume and highlight it to see if there are any hidden words there.   9 times out of 10 the key words I was looking for can be found this way.   Are you getting the picture that I don’t like white texting?

When I come across a resume that contains white text, the first thing I do is scrutinize the resume.  If the keywords I’m looking for are not actually in the resume does this candidate even have the experience that I’m looking for?  Chances are they do not.  My next question as I’m looking through the resume is: “what else are they hiding or being dishonest about?”  Job seekers, if you have certain experience, put it in your resume, don’t hide it.  If you’ve taken the time to research what keywords are important and want to include them so your resume will get hits, find a way to incorporate them into your resume.  This could be in your objective, work experience, technology; adding them to any of these sections would work.  If you’re not sure how to do incorporate the keywords you’ve identified, consult a resume writer.  I happen to know a  good one.

Resume Survis Lady is written by Billye Survis.  To have your resume or job search questions answered by Resume Survis Lady, send your questions to: resumesurvislady@gmail.com or on twitter: resumesurvisldy or connect with her directly on LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/Billye

How Do I Get Started With My Job Search?

Dear Resume Survis Lady,

I’m just starting my job search and not really sure how to get started.  Can you make some suggestions?

The start of a job search can be scary and a bit intimidating but it can also be exciting and a little fun if you do a little research and planning.  There are a lot of questions you need to determine the answers to at the start such as:  Are you staying in the same field?  Are you looking for a lateral move or a promotion?  Are you looking for a higher salary?  Are you open to relocation or do you prefer to commute from your current location?  Is your resume up to date?  Once you have the answers to these questions you are ready to move on to the next step.

The next step in starting a job search is once you’ve determined what you want to do and what type of position you want to target, start doing some research on companies that you are interested in.  When I say research, I don’t just mean going to their website and looking t information and open positions listed there.  I mean also going to LinkedIn and looking up employees that work there.  You will want to take special note of any that appear to be in the field or department you are interested in or Human Resources/Recruiting for later use.  Take a look at their  LinkedIn profiles to find out what their upward mobility has been with the company.  Do they appear to have an upward trajectory or do they seem to be stagnant in their current position?  That will give you a good insight the list of companies you are interested in to 10.

Once you have your top 10 companies identified, the fun begins.  Visit their career websites to see if there are any positions posted that you are qualified and interested in.  While on their career website, check to see if you can create a profile and set up agents to be notified of new  positions as they become available.  Once you’ve found a position, make sure to submit your resume and cover letter, YES COVER LETTER with both of them customized to the position.  Congratulations, you have completed the first step in the application process.

What?  Only the first step?  Yes.  Once you submit an application, you’re not done.  Remember researching LinkedIn to find people that work at the company?  You will want to use that information here.  Use LinkedIn to email those that appear to be a part of the hiring process for the position that you applied to and network with them.  Send them you resume and let them know you are interested in what they do for the company and what the culture is there.  Build a relationship with them.  It’s always a bonus if you have an internal cheerleader!

Best of luck on your job search!

To have your resume or job search questions answered by Resume Survis Lady, send your questions to: resumesurvislady@gmail.com or on twitter: resumesurvisldy or connect with her directly on LinkedIn by sending her an invite to connect:  resumesurvislady@gmail.com

Help!!! Who do I follow up with?

Dear Resume Survis Lady,

I’m totally confused at this point on how and who to follow-up with directly after filling out an application and submitting a resume online.   Aside from following-up with HR to be sure they have your information, what advice can you give on taking it a step further?

Finding out who the hiring manager is and following-up directly with that person seems to be logical, but isn’t always the best scenario. I’ve had some people react very badly (rude and abrupt reaction to a direct call) and that has kind of made me think twice about this approach.

This is a great question and one I get often.  I hear from many clients that they have been told to find out who the hiring manager or decision maker is regarding the position they have applied to and contact them directly.  From my experience working with hiring managers, this is only a good idea if you either know the hiring manager personally or if you have a direct connection to the hiring manager through a friend or acquaintance.  Typically, hiring managers are extremely busy and don’t like dealing with tasks that they consider to be “HR’s” responsibility and that includes communication with candidates and status updates. 

Candidates that have interviewed for a position are a different story.  If you’ve already had an interview with the hiring manager, it’s completely acceptable, in fact I encourage for you to follow up with the hiring manager by sending a Thank You note after your interview thanking them for their time and letting them know your interest level in the position.  Now days, in the age of technology, it’s completely acceptable to  send a Thank You note via email if you have their email address or via professional networking such as LinkedIn.  Once the Thank You note has been sent, your next follow up is with the recruiter or the person that made the initial contact with you for the position.

I got sidetracked, back to the original question of who to follow up with.  If you’ve submitted your resume/application and have not heard anything back after 1-2 weeks, it is acceptable to follow up with the HR department/recruiter to make sure that your application has been received and to ask where your resume is at in the process.  During this initial follow up, I would also ask the recruiter if for future communication they prefer to communicate via email or the phone.  A rule of thumb with this is that if the recruiter’s initial contact with you is via email, they probably prefer to communicate via email and if their initial contact is via phone, they probably prefer phone.  Moving forward, you’ll know which method of communication to use with them.

To have your resume or job search questions answered by Resume Survis Lady, send your questions to: resumesurvislady@gmail.com or on twitter: resumesurvisldy or connect with her directly on LinkedIn by sending her an invite to connect:  resumesurvislady@gmail.com

Addresses on resumes?

Dear Resume Survis Lady,

With everyone using the internet to submit their resume and email to communicate, is it necessary to put my full street address on my resume?

I have to say, this is a question I have never been asked before in my 10+ years of resume writing and recruiting.  I have always included full addresses on resumes that I have written, so I needed to do a bit of research before I felt I could answer this question.

I went through and read everything I could on the pros and cons of including the full address on a resume.  It really is a personal call as to if this information should be included or not.  After I finished reading up on the matter, I asked some hiring managers what their thoughts were regarding addresses on a resume, but more on hiring manager’s views in a moment.  First I will address the cons of including addresses on resumes.

The biggest negative I could find with including addresses is around privacy.  If the resume was to fall into the wrong hands, there’s the possibility that their privacy and/or security could be breached.  I have to admit, the only resumes I have ever seen without an address are those received from an agency recruiter who doesn’t want me to contact the candidate without their knowledge.  The second negative I found was that including the street address on a resume could be seen as being outdated, not technically up to date and instead just be sure to include cell phone, email and LinkedIn profile addresses.  The final con that I was able to find was for candidates that want to relocate to where the position is located and do not want to be removed from the applicant pool based on where they currently live.

By including an address on a resume, you are providing the recruiter and hiring manager a complete picture.  When there are pieces missing off of a resume that are usually there, I start to think that the candidate is trying to hide something and there resume gets extra scrutiny.   I also spoke with a few different hiring managers regarding their views of including or excluding addresses on a resume.  What the overwhelming consensus was is that they want to see the address on the resume.  Without that address, many hours could be spent on the candidate before realizing that relocation might be needed or that the candidate is interviewing with the hope that they will be able to work remote within a few months of starting.

I’m curious as to your thoughts.  Do you currently have your address included on your resume?  Until I have a compelling reason not to, I am going to continue including addresses on the resumes I write for my clients.

To have your resume or job search questions answered by Resume Survis Lady, send your questions to: resumesurvislady@gmail.com or on twitter: resumesurvisldy