Tales from the Resume Reef: Doublecheck that Content!

True stories abound from recruiters and employers alike. When they've reviewed resumes, they haven't seen the key "needed" skills, experience and education. So, they don't call the candidate.

Invariably, some candidates follow up (and good for them!) and speak to the hiring authority. What they are told is something like "well, we didn't see any Oracle experience" on your resume. What people have sometimes responded with is "Oh, I have that" or something similar. However, the problem is that the information wasn't on the resume.

You gotta have the content.

If you do your own resume, take an extra step. Have someone you know and respect review your resume and "interview you" to find out if you've included EVERY important piece of information. That person can ask you questions like "Is there anything else you've done?" for each job you've had, and can go through your skills section and ask the same. And can also proofread your document.

Here's the reason why. When we write, we tend to "see" things. No, not UFOs, but words or letters we EXPECT to be there because we wrote them. That's why spellcheck picks up a missing "the" or "and" - the words AREN'T really there - we just thought we put them in!

Having an "extra" set of eyes to proofread your resume and to quiz you on content can only help. Such can make certain that you have the "right content" and key information in your resume to market yourself.

After all, why not?

Greg Lachs