Many of you know from my postings that I am working with a client who is doing a ton of temporary hiring for a project. So I am seeing a lot of resumes. And then came the big blitz of discussion about web opportunities with all its permutations. So here are some observations which I hope help.

1. About 40% of the resumes I get do not have a job or even a job type in the subject line. About a third do not have a cover letter -- just a blank email with an attached resume.

These people have made my job harder. Plus, despite having my name and email address and what I am looking for, they have done nothing to tell me where they fit in. Do you think those emails go to the top or bottom of the thousands we are dealing with?

What you can do to help yourself:
- Identify the job or type work you seek in your subject line. This gets you into the right pile faster so you are more likely to be called.
- Write a short cover memo that sells your skills for the job. This says you are someone who does their homework and indicates you are interested -- which tends to encourage a hiring manager that you might be a good worker.
- Tailor your resume for the job you are applying for. Doesn't have to be a whole new resume but just some different highlights. Changing your objective if it not right for the job you are applying for is one of the easiest changes -- yet amazingly few do.

2. Think about what is most important in relation to the job you are seeking. Lots of resumes are unfocused and have everything the person ever did in them. If you are not able to pull out the skills and achievements that are important to the job you seek, why do you expect a hiring manager to weed through your resume and do so?
Probably 65% of the resumes I have seen recently are job descriptions -- they tell me little about what the person achieved. Achievements give a much better sense of who you are and what you can do for the hiring manager/organization.

Temp Work
3. If you are unemployed, think about what you can do to get through the period in larger terms than just your target job. Maybe you can do temp work -- in your own field or another. Maybe you can afford to do volunteer work that will increase your portfolio or skills. If you need to work to pay your bills, think carefully about what you will accept as a minimum in terms of skills and $ and location and organization. Then assess whether you really need income or you can afford to work only on your preferred terms, rather than the minimum ones.

4. If you take a temporary position, keep up your job search. Many hiring managers prefer to hire someone who is employed so you can use your temporary job, even if it is not in your field, to your advantage. You can be busing tables but when you say you want an interview at the beginning or end of the day if possible due to your current job, you are obviously employed. And do not be ashamed of whatever else you do. Most hiring managers know that there are a glut of people in certain fields compared to the number of jobs open. Sound positive about whatever you are doing and the interviewer will usually see it as a positive. Whine about it or say something negative and the interviewer will see you as negative -- not exactly what s/he wants to hire.

Work is always a series of choices. Yet many people make them with less thought and time than they spend researching a new car purchase. If you are looking for work, I encourage you to look at my DCWW Jobseekers columns. Salary issues are also covered. The columns have links that may be useful whether you need to learn how to write a more effective cover letter or talk about pay.

Patricia A. Frame
STRATEGIES FOR HUMAN RESOURCES
HRStrategy@aol.com