Randy’s Career Tips

In today’s job market it is a good idea to have more than one email format when responding to a request for your email resume. The marketplace almost demands that you do so because of viruses floating around the Internet, and the importance for you to follow exact instructions. Anything less might imply that you do not know how to read and follow instructions.

You really need 4 different email resume formats in two different versions to cover all the possible requests you might encounter in the hiring process, allowing you to read and respond immediately to exact instructions.

You need 4 different email resume formats because about 50% of companies and organizations will accept email resume attachments and 50% will not. For those companies and organizations that will accept attachments to an email, you should use the attachment format, especially when you are dealing directly with the company or organization looking for a new hire.

Use the attachment version because it should look like the original hard copy version of your resume and cover letter. All of the formats you use should be in Microsoft Word for easy down loading. Using PDF files might be popular but they are not nearly as practicable. Everyone may not know how to down load PDF files but almost everyone can down load a word.doc file. Be smart, not sorry; format your versions in MS Word.

You should have two formats of the attachment version. One should be the resume followed by the cover letter, and the other should be the resume only. When personnel types ask for an “email resume” it is best to send the resume only format.

This is because specialists that screen email resumes consider the cover letter unnecessary, and they may not be doing the actual interviewing and hiring so they could care less whether you or another more qualified applicant is interviewed. (more…)

There was a time, many years ago, when a potential hire seeking a job went to a company or organization, filled out a hard copy job application, went and interviewed when called and, if they did not receive an offer, repeated the same process until they were hired. That was then. This is now.

Now you just don’t drop in on companies unannounced and present yourself for employment. When you read job announcements in the paper or postings on the Internet, it is rare if ever that a company invites you to bring your resume to them in person. Companies do not want to pay personnel to collect resumes at the counter as an additional duty.

Companies now want more and better production out of their employees from day one.

Some potential hires are under the mistaken notion that dropping by a company unannounced and presenting themselves with their resume is a good idea. They think that their presence will make such a great impression that this may give them an advantage in the hiring process.

The fact that they might be giving their resume to a clerk behind the counter who has no influence in their hiring does not occur to them. More often than not, the clerk could care if they drop dead. All of which is to say, dropping by companies unannounced is not a good idea-it is generally a waste of time and gas.

When a company announcement says “Send your resume to:” you should be thankful that you can get a hard copy of your resume and cover letter into the hiring mix. Sometimes potential hires are hesitant to send their resume to a company “P. O. Box” number. Do not be hesitant.

Company managers may be using a third party agency to assist them in the hiring process, and therefore do not want to expose their intentions so an existing, soon to be replaced employee will know they are about to be replaced. There is nothing unusual or s (more…)