Job Searching Do's and Dont's

I was recently in the position of reviewing many resume submissions. I found myself surprised at the lack of plain common sense present in the applications I received. It inspired me to create a post for basic resume and interviewing etiquette.

There are fundamental standards every professional should know. This is the art of presenting oneself. As in many social settings, a first impression, whether in person or on paper can make or break your chances for further consideration.

In order to provide expert advice, I turned to an "industry specialist" to provide key points. Allow me to introduce guest blogger, HR professional (and my former boss), Dustin Knievel. He was kind enough to draft some candid and fundamental advice. Each of these tips is based on actual situations he has encountered.

• Never, ever, type your resume in all caps. I DON'T NEED YOU SCREAMING AT ME!
• If you are light on experience, don't think that typing your resume in a GIANT FONT is going to make that any less noticeable. Just because you filled up a page, doesn't mean you filled it up with quality information.
• Select an e-mail address that will give you a professional representation. In most careers, "stoner420" or "mistressleather" are not going to be perceived as being professional.
• It is 2010, do not use an objective on your resume. Especially, if your objective is "a challenging role as an Accountant" and you are applying for a Business Analyst job. The reviewer has no choice but to assume that you applied for the wrong job. Thank you for playing....moving on.
• Proofread! Proofread! Proofread! PROOFREAD! Did I mention you need to proofread? Your resume and cover letter/e-mail are your personal marketing tools. If you can't take the time to produce a quality product for those documents, are you giving me any reason to believe that you would produce a quality product on the job? Even after you have read it ten times, hand it off to a fresh set of eyes. I guarantee they will find something you overlooked.
• If you co-habitate with others and are job searching, make sure that they know you are looking for a job and know how to take messages. The following will not work in your favor "We are really bad at taking messages here. Can you call back and leave a message for her." My reply was "I suggest you get really good at taking messages because this is regarding a job interview and I am not calling back."
• I realize that it is a pain to tailor your cover e-mail to a specific job posting. However, it shows that you are interested and willing to go the extra step. One time a candidate mailed her resume and cover letter to me. The cover letter contained blanks in it. For example, I am applying for the position of _____. She was kind enough to fill in the blanks. In pencil nonetheless.
• Don't attach your list of demands in your cover letter. "I am willing to work for 40 hours a week at $X.XX; however, I am willing to take $X.XX if you offer full benefits but only if you relocate me from LA to Seattle...." The list went on and on of the demands and conditions. I never read the resume. The cover laid conveyed one thing to me: giant pain in the arse.
• Dress appropriately for the interview. Remember that wearing a really short skirt and pulling a Sharon Stone a la "Basic Instinct" during the interview may not score you points with everyone on the interview loop.
• NEVER, and I do mean NEVER address a cover letter/e-mail with Dear Sirs. It may not be Sirs in the decision making role. As a matter of fact, many women I know who have worked damn hard to get to where they are and overcome many gender biased obstacles find it very insulting when the assumption is made that it is a man is in the decision making role. Rightfully so, I say! You are better off to use "Dear Hiring Manager" or "Dear Hiring Committee" or "Dear HR Professional" if you don't know the name of the contact.
• Remember that from the moment you reach the front desk you are under observation. Everyone you come into contact with is sizing you up to see if you are good fit for the team and the organization. I was in one job for 11 years and we had the same receptionist the entire time. I always asked her for her opinion on the candidates. She was a class act and a professional. If you have the nerve to think you could treat my receptionist as "less than", I have news for you: you WILL NOT advance further in any interview process that I am running. It speaks volumes about how you treat people in general.