The hardest portion for those struggling with their outdated
résumés is delivering a concise message. Every résumé sends a message, whether intended
or not. As I write this, I am looking at an upcoming project that arrived via
email. The unfocused résumé appeared to be little more than a self-styled
obituary. Prior to sending the two-page obit, the client groused to me over the
phone about the lack of responses, and then briefly made reference to the
jobseeker’s age.
It took all of five
seconds to spot several deficiencies. Collectively, they revealed why the
jobseeker was encountering difficulty. The blasé format dated back to the early
1980s, and followed a job-application layout. Nothing stood out or grabbed the
reader—other than the individual’s name and the small type. So, what message
was this jobseeker communicating?
If called upon
to screen hundreds of outdated résumés, how much time would you devote to scrutinizing
unfocused material? Would you even exert the effort to analyze the material to
figure out want a jobseeker wanted to do? If you were busy, would you roll your
eyes, toss the obits aside and move on?
The résumé in
question lacked sophistication. It was neither dynamic nor interactive. It communicated
the message that this was a vintage jobseeker. My mission would be to bring it to
life and strive to keep it real and relevant. While such a task sounds easy, it
requires some measure of skill and client support.
The one element
that never ceases to amaze is the amount of umbrage jobseekers have toward
change. Seriously. Employers are desperate for qualified employees, but you have
to sell them on hiring you. Regardless of your career interest, all hiring
decisions come down to one of three realistic elements:
Can you a) make
them money, b) save them money or c) solve their problems?
If you can demonstrate
one of those potential priorities, someone wants to hire you. All your résumé
has to do is convey that message. If it does not, you are wasting their time
and yours. (That’s today’s résumé reality.)
The days of
grabbing warm young bodies off the street have past. Yes, age can be a factor. Age
is not the sole criteria for which applicants get themselves eliminated. Living
and thinking in the past, however, can accomplishes that. Those who live in
the past are enviably doomed to reside there.
For older jobseekers
who find themselves living in the past, moving forward amounts to a scary journey.
The options amount to learning what works
in the job market, or finding someone who
does. Both options require exercising due diligence, lest you fall victim
to self-ignorance or unscrupulous operators.
The lines of
separation between employment success and failure are remarkably thin. How one
thinks and sees oneself often reflects itself in the individual’s résumé.
Making repeated references to outdated information and technology sends a clear
obituary message to potential employers. Keep your résumé fresh, relevant and
real is where the rubber meets the road.
Copyrighted © 2015 by
Robert James.