I was surprised recently when a candidate applied for about eight positions with two employers in a matter of 5 minutes. Even though we advise candidates to tailor each resume for each job application….we really need to stress that advice with greater impact.
When I see applications being logged with great rapidity, I will ask a candidate to “send me your resumes of submittal along with each job description” so we can determine if LEAD will send a heightened endorsement. Even though a candidate has been endorsed by his/her panel of interviewers, HR Manager Stephanie Valadez will only send a personal endorsement when she sees the match between the job description and resume that was submitted.
This week, one candidate emailed me two resumes that were submitted for six job applications. I asked for the other four, but they did not exist. The highlight of the week came when another candidate who had applied for multiple positions with one resume wrote back: “…after doing a resume modification specific to the job description I can clearly see why I have not even received a phone screening. I am grateful for this assignment you asked me to complete. This has been an excellent training for me.”
I will never forget the young man who (within 30 minutes) applied for 124 positions at Lockheed Martin a few years ago. The jobs were so varied requiring skills ranging from legal to aeronautical engineering. I called him and advised him there was no way he could do EVERYTHING at Lockheed.
Always remember, one resume does not fit all. Unless the job descriptions are identical, applying for five jobs with one company will likely require five different resumes.
Job-seeking has changed in recent years. We are all familiar with the housing industry’s description of buyers and sellers’ markets. For us, we find ourselves in an employers’ market. Improve your chances to get noticed by submitting resumes conveying impact. A resume that conveys proven effectiveness will win out over one that conveys hope and dreams any day of the week.
