In his comment, Gregbo asks what I mean by "bad" judgment.

Here's an incomplete list:

• Frequent job changes, at least one job a year for several years
• Months of no discernible work or lag times between jobs.
• Titles that appear to move up and down the ladder.

There are more, but those are the common ones. Sometimes, people take jobs because they need a paycheck or health insurance (or both). Those people tend to feel as if their jobs are sucking the souls out of them. If you see a resume like that, don't discard it. That candidate wants a good job--and may almost be desperate for a good job.

I once had a job for two weeks. The same week I was hired, I got a call to report to headquarters in another state, where they laid me off. I made a bad decision to take that job. Luckily, the hiring manager at my next job thought it was funny, and didn't consider that small interlude a problem job.

So that's what I mean by a "bad" decision. Candidates can't tell if a company is on the skids, or will cancel the project they got hired for. If you're a hiring manager or a recruiter, you have the opportunity to offer the candidate a great start in your organization. Don't let your prejudices about length of service persuade you to avoid this candidate.

Labels: candidate, discrimination, resume

posted by Johanna Rothman at at 1:02 PM | link |

A capable senior manager has been looking for a new job for a couple of months. He's a capable guy, and although two months isn't that long, I was surprised that he's had no nibbles.

Then I saw his resume. His resume was 5 pages long, and had too much detail to read quickly. It also seemed to repeat information from one page to another.

Candidates, remember you don't have much time to impress a hiring manager. Those of you looking for senior management positions--you probably have less time because once the more senior manager takes a look at your resume you may only have 10-15 seconds to impress that manager.

It's ok to have two versions of your resume: the short one that's no more than 3 pages long (one overview page and two reverse chronological pages), and a longer one that you explain is available if people want more detail.

Remember, a resume is a marketing piece. Your job is to whet the hiring manager's appetite, not kill it. Think about how long you really need your resume to be.

Labels: resume

posted by Johanna Rothman at at 2:51 PM | link |