The Resume Question

To resume or not to resume, that is the question.

It seems like just recently I've gotten an influx of questions regarding resume submissions. 

Here are some questions you can ask yourself and identify if you require a resume.

1. Will you wear business casual or professional clothes to work every day?
2. Will employees report to you?
3. Is it an entry level hourly type position - like warehouse, retail, or service industry?
4. How long have you been in the workforce?

Based on the responses that you provide above will help identify if you need a resume or if you can fill out an online application. 

1. Office environment dictates a resume. If you are going to work in a position that you are required to sit at a desk and have intangible personal assets like organizing skills, customer interaction, coordination between departments - you need a resume. A resume allows you to elaborate on "wins" that you've had in previous employment that fall outside of the normal "I created and maintained spreadsheets", "Worked with customers daily", etc... You want to highlight what responsibilities the position covered, but you should elaborate in a short paragraph how your contributions in your position furthered the mission of the company (saved money, 100% customer satisfaction, "Attaboy's", etc).

2. Middle management and above dictates a resume. If you're seeking any type of position that "manage or supervise" is in the job description - you need a resume. Similar to #1 - you'll want to include how many employees you've supervised in the past, but you'll have to add in information that supports what made you a good manager (low turnover, high production, management style, etc). 

3. Entry level hourly type positions. If you are going to wait tables or load trucks, the trend has been you don't need a resume. Most companies recognize that entry level candidates or hourly types don't always have a resume. They address this issue by having a "long" application on their website that allows you to do a traditional type application - online. A lot of times they are asking you questions in the application process that are qualifying / disqualifying you to assist them in identifying the most qualified candidates before they even look at the application. Companies that cater to retail, warehouse & distribution, and entry level service industry jobs (like restaurants and hotels) are utilizing this trend more often because of the need to ramp up quickly due to high turnover. 

4. How long have you been in the workforce determines your need for a resume. This one is kind of a gray area. Based on the scenarios I've laid out above determines your answer. If you're trying to get a job as a file clerk in an office, you'll definitely need a resume. Your resume will not have a lot in terms of work history - but it can be a brag sheet of software or technology you are familiar with, volunteer positions you've held and intangible personal assets you possess (time management, people skills). If you're just getting started and you're trying to work at a restaurant - no resume needed. 

There are companies that have not made the technology commitment of an online application system yet - so, if you are in a situation like #3 and don't have a resume, but the job is saying "submit your resume for consideration"... write a cover letter expressing your interest for the job and just type out the name of your employer(s), your job title(s), dates worked and any certifications you acquired. It doesn't have to be fancy.

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Which ever way you are applying - above all be consistent. If you are saying in your resume "strong attention to detail" yet you have multiple formatting red flags and spelling errors - you're going in the bottom drawer archive. If you are submitting an online application, make sure you are using proper capitalization and grammar. You are representing yourself and things like that are HUGE when you are being evaluated. 

Right now the job market is considered an "employer's market". That means companies can cherry pick candidates. For every 1 job, there are at least 30 candidates. For every entry level job, there are at least 100 candidates. If you are seriously looking for work - be smart, be unique, but most of all, use common sense.

Working in HR has been a lot of fun for me. I kind of equate it with driving a cab. There are all types of people in the world, which is a beautiful thing... but the stupid ones - they make the hiring process quite humorous!

And one other thing - DO NOT EVER use texting abbreviations like BTW, IMO, LOL. I mean NEVER EVER, EVER. Kapish?