Some Perspective

The Current Marketplace – Several years ago a GM automotive brand had a commercial that said "This is not your father's Oldsmobile".  Today the Olds is no more, GM has/is changing. One thing that will not change is the requirement for transportation although the type is and has always been in constant flux. The same principle in the transportation industry applies to the Recruiting, Job seeking marketplace. It's "Not your father's Marketplace. Name brand companies go through acquisition, loose market share, consolidate, close or take a different direction with management change. Employers are made up of people and people change. The business process is not the same as it was yesterday nor what it will be tomorrow. While many people do not like change, it's inevitable.  As someone told me "Deal with it". Become a member of change and in the process understand "the Market Place". Just remember, it will change.

On Resumes - Often I say "that there are as many ways to write a resume as there are people who write them". Many of my peers will probably disagree with the way I feel about resumes as well as many HR Professionals employed in industry. I have never known a company to hire a piece of paper nor a Recruiter to place a piece of paper with a client. Some thoughts of mine are listed below.

Contact Info: Needs to show name, mailing address, phone number (one which has voicemail or an answering machine), personal email address (not one at work please). You need to respond to messages left in voicemail as well as email messages. Often I hear job seekers complain about companies not responding to email. Life is a two way street. I have deleted many resumes from my data base because they did not respond to a message left or sent within 5 days.

Objective: Personally, I do not like them. Your Objective may not meet My Needs if I am a hiring authority who is attempting to do more with less including time to scan resumes. I may not need a Manager, Sr. Engineer but the open position could take someone there. Life is full of trade-offs. Your current title in your current/former employer reflects their market place and not the market place of a new employer.

Education: Degrees (2/4 yr. or more) are important and some people bury them at the bottom of a resume. If you have one, put it at the top under the contact info. Today's Global Marketplace demands more education in order to be competitive, we have all heard this.

Experience: List the web site address of your employers below or after the name of the employer. If they closed then say that after their name. Should they not have a web site then say "no web site available". Hopefully the others you list will have a site.  Reason, we all have a tendency to hire people just like us. Not smart, however it's human nature.  Whomever is reading the resume needs to relate their marketplace with your experienced marketplace. So much for resumes. Have a question about yours? Send it to me with the question and I will offer my opinion at no charge. That and .50 in today's marketplace will buy you a cup of coffee.

The Current Candidate in The Marketplace. - Two types, Employed (referred to as passive) and Un-Employed (referred to as applicants). Passive candidates have a position. Applicants are looking for a job. I submit to you that this attitude needs to change!  A job pays the bills and offers mostly status quo or limbo. A position is a base from which to advance your career. Perhaps you had one before you became an applicant. Who has the right to say you cannot have a position again? Mostly it's a matter of attitude and understanding " The Marketplace".  Look for a Job and that's what you will find. Approaching an opportunity to determine if it may be a position before the actual interview is an art applicants must develop in this marketplace.

 – Bob Simril