Hiring Woes

[Silvercat]

We're hiring me some temporary help and already I'm astonished by the quality of applicants.

Folks, even if you're emailing a resume, spelling and grammar counts. The email counts as your cover letter. Considering how much typing is involved in this job, and how many small details you have to notice, if your email has bad spelling and punctuation, I won't even interview you.

Since when is it okay to have a multi-page resume? I always heard one page only. Except it was more Voice of God "ONE PAGE ONLY."

Furthermore, have someone proof your resume. It should look good, especially for a design position.

Read the frigging requirements! If it requires a certain program (and that program is the FIRST on the list), make sure you can use it. Even just a little.

Considering this is an entry-level temp position, I can't expect a lot, but they should at least TRY, right?

Sorry, I'm cranky and ranting again...

[Worker-Intellectual]

Since when is it okay to have a multi-page resume? I always heard one page only. Except it was more Voice of God "ONE PAGE ONLY."

I've always been told two pages.

[Broomjockey]

I don't think I've heard "one page only" for resumés. It makes sense, but what if you have a lot of pertinent information?

However, I do agree, spelling and grammar count. My absolute favourite gaff is the person who listed "writting" under her hobbies. Hard to take that one seriously.

My question is, what is with this "objective" garbage I see on resumés now. Everyone knows there's three reasons you take a job: 1. Kill time. 2. Earn money 3. Get experience so you can get a better job.
Any other reason is either a subdivision of those three, or blowing sunshine. Do we really need an example of how well you can lie on your resumé? Frankly, if I'm put in charge of hiring ever, anyone with fancy objectives listed will be introduced to my portable modular circular rolladex.

[Gurndigarn]

Since when is it okay to have a multi-page resume? I always heard one page only. Except it was more Voice of God "ONE PAGE ONLY."

One page, plus one page for every 20 years experience, give or take, is what I heard, though in practical usage I'ld probably try for no more than two pages.

[Sofar]

You can fit a lot on one page if you don't use a two-inch margin and twelve-point font. Double-spaced.

[RentalRacer]

One thing I always laugh at is when I get emailed a resume from an address like "bigwangedladykiller@yahoo.com".

Thats fine for your friends...but how about getting a clue and making a more work appropriate email address? Plenty of free email out there....

[Kiwi]

Since when is it okay to have a multi-page resume? I always heard one page only. Except it was more Voice of God "ONE PAGE ONLY."

Not always, my first professionally done resume (cost me $90 but has been worth its weight in gold) was 5 pages long... you read that correctly, 5 pages. Not including coverpage.

But in NZ multi page resumes are the norm, in Canada its 1 -2 pages.

Ive always used the same resume, Ive cut it down to 2 pages now (plus cover page) and used it in NZ, the USA and Canada and have been hired for every single job I have ever applied for (kinda proud of that record actually). 5 jobs I have walked into(as in hired on the spot all retail), and two have gotten me interviews which led to serious full time job offers (one for the post office and another for my current 'art field' job).

[powerboy]

I was told 1 page, and that was by a bitch of a woman, that worked in a temp agency. But, what if you had alot of important information, that the employer might need to know The first resume, I ever did, it was wrong according to that bitchy woman.

[morgana]

Mine's two pages. Seriously, how could you possibly fit 35 years of work experience on one page?

On the other hand, I've been known to rewrite it to highlight certain experience, depending on the job I'm applying for.

Morgana

[tollbaby]

I rewrite my resumé for each job I apply for. I delete experience and education that aren't relevant to the position, and add stuff that is (for instance, I'm an admin for an online book database, and have been for four years... that doesn't mean squat in retail, but if I'm applying for an admin job where they'd like a person who could occasionally update their website, it's useful). I also reword stuff to match what's on the job description for what I'm applying for. (I'm experienced in reception, admin, personal assistant-type stuff, and clerical work, admin-wise, but I also know how to write gov't briefing notes, correspondence, etc. so if someone is specifically looking for someone with strong correspondence skills, I'll highlight that and my editing/proofreading experience and put the fact that I'm a published author in my "additional skills" section.)

Quite often, if they have a lot of resumés to look through, they're looking for specific keywords, and anything that doesn't have those keywords on it goes to file 13.

[draftermatt]

In highschool we were told to put down goals and objectives.

Now as someone who hires people, I laugh at all the ones that do have them. It's stupid and pointless. I want to hire you for a job, not know what you want to do in 20 years.

Length of resume doesn't really bother me. I think 1-2 pages is good, but if you have a lot of things to write down that are relevant then by all means.

However, if my ad says Concrete Quailty Control Technician ACI or PCI Certified and you don't know what it is, don't send me your resume!

[Silvercat]

Okay, I can see two pages IF you have a lot of experience. But most of these people are in college and younger than me (I'm 25). But the one I'm glancing at right now has 8 previous jobs and is only one page. And the two page one looks like 12-14 pt with 1 inch margins. And it's ugly, which is bad if you're going for a design position.

So really, I guess, its not the length I have a problem with but the appearance.

I also have a THREE page one here, which was pasted into the body of the email.

And I agree, objective is stupid. Well, duh, you want experience in this field, otherwise you wouldn't be applying!

Oh and why do people apply to jobs they're not qualified for? Half the applicants don't know Illustrator which is first on my list of requirements!

I'm just waiting to start the interviews. Last time we had a guy that looked like he had just rolled out of bed. And had slept in his clothes. I hired the guy in a suit who had taken out his piercings. (I don't have a problem with piercings or tattoos, but for an interview...)

[bean]

I've had recruiters tell me everything from "no more than 1 page, ever!" to "anything relevant".

My current job? They didn't ever ask me for a resume - I even took it to the interviews and they said it wasn't needed.

For the interview at my current job, I took out my piercings, which makes them look horrible - I have rather large holes in my ears (I can put my pinky finger through them anyway). My future boss was wearing 3 earrings and looked like he hadn't shaved in a couple of days. Turns out they have a very liberal dress code. I did wear clean black jeans and a button up shirt for the interview and also tied my hair back (I'm a guy and it's a bit past my shoulders). Funny thing is, I have the shortest hair out of the 3 coworkers I work with regularly.

[Gurndigarn]

In highschool we were told to put down goals and objectives.

Now as someone who hires people, I laugh at all the ones that do have them. It's stupid and pointless. I want to hire you for a job, not know what you want to do in 20 years.

Human Resources has its fads as much as anything... that was one twenty years ago, and it was something that some HR people took quite seriously.

(Some of the changes in HR decision making is done by fad, some of it is done as a result of changing times and needs, and some of it is done by the latest hot "how to interview/resumé" book. It's an eternal game where HR is trying to find out as much as they can about prospective employees (most relevant, some not), and the prospective employees trying to figure out how to "crib the test", so to speak.)

[Usagi]

Having been a manger for a major temp company, I can tell you that one or two page resumes are both fine. More than that is often seen as just plain arrogant and obnoxious.

That being said - I once had a guy interview for a position we were offering. His resume was 11 page long. Yes - eleven pages!

Funny part - It took him two and a half hours to fill out the application.

Funnier part - It took him two hours to do the skill evaluation on Microsoft Excel (he was applying for a managerial position, so I would have thought he could have done it in the usual 15 minutes most folks took!)

Funniest part - when I tried to get his score on Excel I couldn't. Turns out - he had only finished the practice questions!!!!!!