OT: Resumes are useless....(applying for jobs in general)

[The_Kid]

RANT:

Resumes are the most pointless thing when applying for most jobs on the internet. First of all, they require you to create an account at every freekin company you apply for a job at, then they ask if you have a resume to upload so they can extract information out of it. You end up having to fill all that information in because it didnt extract anything.

I just spent 45 minutes filling out all the information that was on my resume, taking their damn tests for me to qualify if I'm even capable of doing the job I'm applying for. It's no wonder I get lazy and dont want to apply for jobs, its a pain in the ass....as complicated and time consuming as it is...



RANT OVER:

on to your regularly schedule shred drills

 

[Scott Ians Beard]

Ive always found its easier to find the names of people and contact them directly. A few minutes of research can be much more fruitful sometimes.

You have my sympathy, Ive just started a new job after a bunch of time off. I know how frustrating it all is!

 

[vultures]

I'm right there with you, I hate doing online stuff for jobs. So impersonal and pointless

 

[King Guitar]

Here is tip... Apply for the United States Marine Corps.

They don't ask too many questions and I promise you, you won't be bored.

Brad

http://www.marines.com/rmi

 

[broknstuff]

Here is a tip, if you have a facebook or myspace account (etc), you better clean them up. Whenever I interview a candidate, I do a google search and find EVERYTHING I can. One wrong thing on one of those peer sites could cost you a good job.

Or at least limit it so only your friends can view your profile (you can do that on facebook, not sure about myspace since i"m not on it).

 

[cyndicate]

Here is a tip, if you have a facebook or myspace account (etc), you better clean them up. Whenever I interview a candidate, I do a google search and find EVERYTHING I can. One wrong thing on one of those peer sites could cost you a good job.

+1

When I was first job searching those online things lead to nowhere, the jobs where I got a offer and quick interview I called the recruiter or HR directly, there are probably hundreds of job applicants for that position and it will take them forever to sort through them all. Showing initiative may get you to the top of that stack quicker.

 

[duodecim]

Here is a tip, if you have a facebook or myspace account (etc), you better clean them up. Whenever I interview a candidate, I do a google search and find EVERYTHING I can. One wrong thing on one of those peer sites could cost you a good job.

If you don't judge me on merits but rather try to find dirt on the internet, I don't think I would want to be working with you anyway.

I've noticed, just like the OP, that every company now has their own little annoying database system with stupid forms so nobody at HR has to do any work except you. So you're stuck with your decently written and laid-out CV, and have to try and fit stuff in plain text in little pathetic textboxes with the spacing all messed up. Bah.

 

[The_Kid]

^^^^^^^

thats kinda my point.

To me a resume says a lot more about me than plain text that will be sorted and spit out by an auto-HR bot.

As for the myspace and facebook stuff....I keep mine pretty clean. I use it more for a way of keeping in contact with band friends and all. I'm not posting porn vids of myself there or anything.

I just think that a lot of this is useless bandwidth being taken up. I mean, the whole point of an interview is to see whats behind the paper. it seems now its more of the resume is whats behind the bland boring text fields, I mean even the resumes that you upload, the interviews that I've gotten they dont print it off, they just print the information that you type into their site anyway.

 

[LedZep77]

I really think job fairs are where it's at. You get to talk to potential employers face-to-face and get a much better feel for, not only the job you are looking at, but the people you will be working with. Granted, I've only been to 2, but the first one got me my internship and the second, my full-time job where I am currently working.

 

[The_Kid]

yeah i havent searched job fairs, usually there dont seem to be too many around....

 

[vultures]

I just think that a lot of this is useless bandwidth being taken up. I mean, the whole point of an interview is to see whats behind the paper. it seems now its more of the resume is whats behind the bland boring text fields, I mean even the resumes that you upload, the interviews that I've gotten they dont print it off, they just print the information that you type into their site anyway.

That's exactly what grinds my gears too. I like going in, introducing myself, talking to the person in charge and making a name for myself. Give the guy something to think about so when he looks at the paper he knows I'm worth it. When you do this shit online... what? Who the hell are you supposed to talk to?

 

[GRK]

Here is a tip, if you have a facebook or myspace account (etc), you better clean them up. Whenever I interview a candidate, I do a google search and find EVERYTHING I can. One wrong thing on one of those peer sites could cost you a good job.

Errr. That's pretty creepy, to be honest.
Everyone has their private lives. No boss will judge me for what I do in my free time.

PS: No boss that is a decent person, i should say

 

[D-Rock]

IMHO, applying online is lazy. Applying for a job after 12:00 noon is bad too. Nothing's better than going in person at 9:30am with a professional resume and detailed cover letter.
Those are the people I look at when I have to hire.

 

[NewWorldMan]

IMHO, applying online is lazy. Applying for a job after 12:00 noon is bad too. Nothing's better than going in person at 9:30am with a professional resume and detailed cover letter.
Those are the people I look at when I have to hire.

I disagree. Applying online is probably how you would have access to 80% or more of decent jobs out there anymore. Being a "walk-in" is hit and miss. If I'm doing proposal work and I'm slammed, you're out of luck. Catch me on a good day and I might entertain you.

Detailed cover letters are pointless. Actually, I'd say about 90% of the time, cover letters in general are pointless. I don't read them. I flip right past them and your resume has about 20 seconds to catch my attention. If you want to get a call, focus on a good resume. If I think you're qualified and you look interesting, I'll probably shoot you an e-mail and give you a call. If you're still on my "like" list, I might go back and look at your cover letter in the future. If every cover letter was read, no one would ever get called for jobs because that's all people would get done doing.

Yes, online applications at company websites are painful and time consuming. It's not for the "here and now," it's more for tracking purposes and having you in their database for future reference.

Yes, you should make your online profiles at sites like Myspace and Facebook confidential. People will check them. Remember, background checks are comprehensive and you always sign up giving people to right to evaluate your character. Don't be surprised if your online profiles don't factor into that, especially if you're applying for any type of job requiring a clearance. Use a different e-mail addy for business than you do for personal stuff, and make sure it's not offensive. Make it plain like john_smith@e-mail.com or the like.

 

[D-Rock]

IMHO, applying online is lazy. Applying for a job after 12:00 noon is bad too. Nothing's better than going in person at 9:30am with a professional resume and detailed cover letter.
Those are the people I look at when I have to hire.

I disagree. Applying online is probably how you would have access to 80% or more of decent jobs out there anymore. Being a "walk-in" is hit and miss. If I'm doing proposal work and I'm slammed, you're out of luck. Catch me on a good day and I might entertain you.

Detailed cover letters are pointless. Actually, I'd say about 90% of the time, cover letters in general are pointless. I don't read them. I flip right past them and your resume has about 20 seconds to catch my attention. If you want to get a call, focus on a good resume. If I think you're qualified and you look interesting, I'll probably shoot you an e-mail and give you a call. If you're still on my "like" list, I might go back and look at your cover letter in the future. If every cover letter was read, no one would ever get called for jobs because that's all people would get done doing.

No walk-ins, jobs posted online say apply online, or in person. As an employer, I want to see how you put together a resume. Applying in person shows you want that job rather than just clicking away in your underwear to various employers.
Cover letters are required for many high profile, high responsibility, high paying jobs. People would be surprised at how many resumes get thrown away based and their presentation rather than their content. Remember, just because you don't care about them, doesn't mean that other people, who do hiring for other lines of work, don't.
Also, if they want to contact you, your email and phone number should be on any respectable resume.

 

[NewWorldMan]

No walk-ins, jobs posted online say apply online, or in person. As an employer, I want to see how you put together a resume. Applying in person shows you want that job rather than just clicking away in your underwear to various employers.
Cover letters are required for many high profile, high responsibility, high paying jobs. People would be surprised at how many resumes get thrown away based and their presentation rather than their content. Remember, just because you don't care about them, doesn't mean that other people, who do hiring for other lines of work, don't.
Also, if they want to contact you, your email and phone number should be on any respectable resume.

If you show up without an appointment, you're a walk-in. It's that simple. The majority of upper tier jobs will never, and I mean never...ask you to apply in person. If we're talking about manual labor, retail, and other blue collar work, then it's a different ball game. For most white collar jobs, that's not the case.

People may say cover letters are required, but they're simply not read. I'm not basing my opinion on just me. I'm basing my opinion on 10 years on hiring and consulting for Fortune 500 companies and just about every branch of the government you can name, which includes networking with recruiters from just about every walk of life.

As for contact info...if you have to tell someone to put contact info on their resume, they don't deserve a job.

 

[LedZep77]

People may say cover letters are required

It's amazing how many people say this. I never understood why. Admittedly, I've never sat on "the other side of the table", but everybody says to keep your resume short and sweet. What's the point of adding a cover letter which would take up even more time to read? Perhaps its solely for cosmetic purposes - to look more professional

 

[NewWorldMan]

It's amazing how many people say this. I never understood why. Admittedly, I've never sat on the other side of the table", but everybody says to keep your resume short and sweet. What's the point of adding a cover letter which would take up even more time to read? Perhaps its solely for cosmetic purposes - to look more professional

Well, the advice I give people at workshops regarding resume length is to keep them relevant . The shorter the better, but make them long enough to show what you're capable of doing. If you're a new grad with a couple years of experience, you have no need for a 5 page resume. Where as if you're a VP with 20 years of experience, it might take you 8-10 pages or more to cover what you've been done as 2 pages won't cut it.

So, you can get away with a longer resume as long as you have the experience to justify it. I always tell people that "resume paper" is a waste of money, and by far and away more companies are utilizing the net to hire candidates, so keep your resume current and refresh it weekly on online job boards if you're actively searching. Print media is slowly becoming a recruiting tool of the past.

Cover letters aren't read most of the time because everything a recruiter would need to know is in the resume. If you need a cover letter to explain yourself, then your resume isn't written well enough. Some positions - especially entry to mid level positions - get so many applicants that the last thing someone wants to do is read a cover letter when everything they should need to know is in the resume itself.

 

[LedZep77]

It's amazing how many people say this. I never understood why. Admittedly, I've never sat on the other side of the table", but everybody says to keep your resume short and sweet. What's the point of adding a cover letter which would take up even more time to read? Perhaps its solely for cosmetic purposes - to look more professional

Well, the advice I give people at workshops regarding resume length is to keep them relevant . The shorter the better, but make them long enough to show what you're capable of doing. If you're a new grad with a couple years of experience, you have no need for a 5 page resume. Where as if you're a VP with 20 years of experience, it might take you 8-10 pages or more to cover what you've been done as 2 pages won't cut it.

So, you can get away with a longer resume as long as you have the experience to justify it. I always tell people that "resume paper" is a waste of money, and by far and away more companies are utilizing the net to hire candidates, so keep your resume current and refresh it weekly on online job boards if you're actively searching. Print media is slowly becoming a recruiting tool of the past.

Cover letters aren't read most of the time because everything a recruiter would need to know is in the resume. If you need a cover letter to explain yourself, then your resume isn't written well enough. Some positions - especially entry to mid level positions - get so many applicants that the last thing someone wants to do is read a cover letter when everything they should need to know is in the resume itself.

As a recent grad, I always tried to keep my resume to 1 page. I listed my two internships, and the job at the golf course that I had kept for 6 years (to show I can keep a job), so it wasn't too hard to keep relevant information to 1 page max.

I remember sitting in the computer lab next to a kid who had (he still hadn't graduated or had any relevant work experience) a 3 page resume. I knew him, so he let me look at it - he had listed every job he had ever had, regardless of what it was. He also listed all his college courses within his major

 

[NewWorldMan]

As a recent grad, I always tried to keep my resume to 1 page. I listed my two internships, and the job at the golf course that I had kept for 6 years (to show I can keep a job), so it wasn't too hard to keep relevant information to 1 page max.

I remember sitting in the computer lab next to a kid who had (he still hadn't graduated or had any relevant work experience) a 3 page resume. I knew him, so he let me look at it - he had listed every job he had ever had, regardless of what it was. He also listed all his college courses within his major

Haha, yeah...that's a bit much. You're definitely on the right track. Other random things..."objectives" are optional, and if you use one, rewrite it for each position you apply for. Some of this stuff may seem like common sense, but you'd be amazed at how often it goes overlooked.