Job descriptions and resume writing...........

Mike Smith

Mike Smith

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the dealership where I work is undergoing some changes one of which is ownership. I am uncertain at this point if I want to, or will be asked to stay. This is going to be a long process as the majority owner is likely to sell to minority owner/s or upper management employees. I figured I would start looking around to see what the world looked like now since I haven't looked for a job in 30 years. I have never written a resume in my life. The truth is, the job descriptions are unreadable to me......I have no idea what most of it means. I have read up on resume writing and again, it's like a foreign language. I will more than likely start my own business anyway, but I feel for others like me who may not have to opportunity to do that and have to try to find a job. I suppose like all things I could immerse myself if the gobbledygook wording and learn to translate it, but why in the world can't it just be written in easily understandable wording? Im not looking for advice and this isn't a rant, just musings on the world we live in.
 
Have you seen a resume from someone who says that they currently work for a "highly successful" company and you know that company is in bankruptcy from which they won't emerge?
 
What is this "gobbledygook wording" you are referring to?
 
Mike Smith said:
the dealership where I work is undergoing some changes one of which is ownership. I am uncertain at this point if I want to, or will be asked to stay. This is going to be a long process as the majority owner is likely to sell to minority owner/s or upper management employees. I figured I would start looking around to see what the world looked like now since I haven't looked for a job in 30 years. I have never written a resume in my life. The truth is, the job descriptions are unreadable to me......I have no idea what most of it means. I have read up on resume writing and again, it's like a foreign language. I will more than likely start my own business anyway, but I feel for others like me who may not have to opportunity to do that and have to try to find a job. I suppose like all things I could immerse myself if the gobbledygook wording and learn to translate it, but why in the world can't it just be written in easily understandable wording? Im not looking for advice and this isn't a rant, just musings on the world we live in.
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I wouldn't be so sure that a well written, in easily understandable wording, resume is going to work against you. You just may find an employer who has just about had it up to here with all the latest 'catch phrases' du jour. Working for one who thrives on them may not be someone you'd be happy working for anyway.
 
A lot of the gobblegook comes from two sources: HR people who are trained and paid to ensure the employer complies with labor laws, and lazy hiring managers who just take old job descriptions and add one or two lines, if any, rather than thoroughly updating and tailoring for the position they are trying to fill.

Good luck.
 
luvflyin said:
I wouldn't be so sure that a well written, in easily understandable wording, resume is going to work against you. You just may find an employer who has just about had it up to here with all the latest 'catch phrases' du jour. Working for one who thrives on them may not be someone you'd be happy working for anyway.
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Agreed. We don't really expect to get resumes filled with corporate catch phrase jargon, but if I got one, it would go in to the trash. Folder.

If you're a manufacturing engineer applying for a position on the production line, you get a pass for throwing out experience in whatever popular variant of TQM statistical process control methodology is in effect. If you're an executive at a department store chain, you should be laughed at, dipped in tar, and wrapped up like a mummy.
 
Just be clear and concise in what you do at your current job and previous jobs. Work in all your industry buzzwords so you can get past the HR minions.
 
Limit your resume to one page, unless you're a Nobel Laureate . . . don't describe the jobs you held; describe what you did, what impact you had, and some verbiage abut what you know how to do. After 30 years in the work force, no one much cares about your education, unless the job calls for it, or your GPA, or your hobbies. Don't mention references - they'll ask if they want them.

Best place I ever worked, HR was not/not allowed to be in the hiring loop; they set up the job fair appointments at colleges, arranged for advertising, etc. Did not/not participate in interviews or hiring and salary decisions.

HR is your worst enemy - people run scared, thinking "non-HR" folks will ask the "wrong" questions, and get the company in trouble during interviews. That's a crock. One page of guidance, double spaced, covers everything a staff person needs to know to interview candidates without stepping on a land mine.

For old fashioned, or large outfits, you gotta be by the HR screeners - and if they were the brightest lights, that's not where they'd be working, so look at the key words in the job ad, tailor your resume to them. Some places use software to screen, so most definitely include the ad's key words in your response/resume.

Talk to people in your line of work (carefully) - most jobs aren't advertised, and a reference or referral from someone where you want to work is worth it's weight in gold. Just use some care - word can get back to your current employer. Get it done now - be ready to start looking, don't procrastinate. Write it, get a friend to proof-read it. Fix it, and repeat.

The resume gets you the interview, the interview gets you the job. Good luck!
 
Mike Smith said:
the dealership where I work is undergoing some changes one of which is ownership. I am uncertain at this point if I want to, or will be asked to stay. This is going to be a long process as the majority owner is likely to sell to minority owner/s or upper management employees. I figured I would start looking around to see what the world looked like now since I haven't looked for a job in 30 years. I have never written a resume in my life. The truth is, the job descriptions are unreadable to me......I have no idea what most of it means. I have read up on resume writing and again, it's like a foreign language. I will more than likely start my own business anyway, but I feel for others like me who may not have to opportunity to do that and have to try to find a job. I suppose like all things I could immerse myself if the gobbledygook wording and learn to translate it, but why in the world can't it just be written in easily understandable wording? Im not looking for advice and this isn't a rant, just musings on the world we live in.
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Mike, my daughter is VP for HR for a company in BHM. Let me know if I can be of help. She owes me! :)
Went to AU too...
 
Here's a good resume.

willworkforfood.jpg
 
If you haven't done a job search in thirty years, you may very well benefit a lot from finding a career coach. Especially if, as you write, you don't understand the current hiring environment.

Typically, a career coach is a recruiter who also (or exclusively) offers services you pay for. Their job is to help you navigate the morass of the new job-search world and coach you through everything. Even if it is a grand or two, a good one will help you find a job much more easily and smoothly. It's professional coaching. And, even if it is a grand or two, I'm guessing that is a bunch less than you earn per month so if you find a job a month easier, it's a good deal. Let alone the stress and hassle factor.

Interview them thoroughly to make sure they really can help you. They should know the field you are in and, if you want to change fields, the fields you are considering. They should be able to detail what they will and will not do to help you. You can get a professional resume for $100-$200, and services go up from there. The full $2K package (I'm guessing at the actual cost) will include defining what you want to do and can do, lots of candid (sometimes brutal) discussion of the current job market for you, your industry, location, etc., lots of pre-interview prep and coaching, hopefully inside connections to get interviews, in-depth post-interview debriefing, salary and job offer negotiation, etc.

Could be a huge time and effort saver and I urge you to consider it.
 
UngaWunga said:
Just be clear and concise in what you do at your current job and previous jobs. Work in all your industry buzzwords so you can get past the HR minions.
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And especially write what you accomplished.
 
Call me, Mike, and let's talk. I can also meet you at any nearby airport for writing review / discussion, and put out some gentle feelers. But I need to confirm exactly what you're looking for.
 
Let me clear up a couple of things. First, I'm not at actively looking just yet, this thing "could" work out ok where I'm at, I'd much rather stay if I can. Secondly, and I may be selling myself short, but I am a blue collar guy. I have zero higher ed. I guess my post was really just a comentarty on how things have changed. I manage a small department in the place I work, the last few people I have hired I had complete a generic application after they were already hired just to put in their file. Perhaps it's because we are lower on the skill level. Thanks for the offers of help, I appreciate it and will keep this in mind should I need to search in earnest. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to begin writing a resume just to be prepared.
 
Reliable managers who can handle hiring/training along with the business aspects of maintaining inventory and selling are not a dime a dozen. Throw in some customer service skills and you’ve got a lot of possibilities depending on how much business risk you can embrace. At 30+ years of day-to-day grind it can be tough to see the opportunities or have much desire to change gears.
 
Here is one important thing to know, and most people don't: The purpose of the resume is to get the interview. Its purpose is not to get the job. The interview is the second step and it might even involve presenting a second, more detailed and specific, resume at the end of the interview.
 
Well, you're just musing and not looking for advice, so I'll muse a bit with you.

I've never seen a blue-collar resume. All the resumes I've reviewed, and there have been many, have been for professional positions. Primarily engineers. In the past I've been a hiring manager for my company and a college recruiter, so I've seen resumes of everyone from college students to experienced engineers who've been practicing for 30+ years.

What may look like "gobbeldygook" to a non-practicioner may make perfect sense to a fellow specialist, but the HR people who screen the resumes before they get to me can't tell. They simply screen for certain buzzwords and a few other minimums like education, security clearance/citizenship, and years of experience. This saves me from reading tons of resumes for folks who are non-starters.

I suspect in some cases blue-collar resumes would be similar, particularly for highly specialized trades. Even in an office context, a resume may have descriptions of software packages or finance tools that would sound like greek to an outsider. Although an employer might not be looking for a formal degree, he may nevertheless be looking for particular training courses or certifications or licenses. This might also look like gobbledygook to the uninformed.

On the other hand, I do have a rather well-developed BS detector, and a string of buzzwords without a clear description of what the applicant actually did won't get very far with me. I'm also sensititized to frequent job-hopping and large experience gaps without adequate explanation.
 
Don't sell yourself short - if you've managed, at any level, you are a marketable commodity. I'm ex-military, then worked as a civilian for the military - guys getting ready to retire were often scared spitless - they didn't think they "knew" how to do anything - Horse poop! They knew how to lead, knew how to follow, how to build credibility, and could bring laser-like focus to getting the job done.

I'd tell them they'd beat the brains out of the competition, 95% of the time; the willingness to commit, work hard, and work collaboratively, is rare and valuable. You can write a check for tech skills; rent-a-geek is common. But solid managers, at any level, man, that's gold!

Anyway, I hope it works out for you, the way you prefer - my intuition, from your posts, is that an employer will be lucky to have you.
 
My next hiring process will have very little to do with credentials, and everything to do with common sense, problem solving, hygiene, temperament, experience, and history.

The company I work for (which I love dearly) has a bad habit of looking at someones credentials and assuming they are the schiznit.
It has backfired big so many times I can't fancy a count.
Like others said, don't sell yourself short.
 
Sundancer said:
Don't sell yourself short - if you've managed, at any level, you are a marketable commodity. I'm ex-military, then worked as a civilian for the military - guys getting ready to retire were often scared spitless - they didn't think they "knew" how to do anything - Horse poop! They knew how to lead, knew how to follow, how to build credibility, and could bring laser-like focus to getting the job done.

I'd tell them they'd beat the brains out of the competition, 95% of the time; the willingness to commit, work hard, and work collaboratively, is rare and valuable. You can write a check for tech skills; rent-a-geek is common. But solid managers, at any level, man, that's gold!

Anyway, I hope it works out for you, the way you prefer - my intuition, from your posts, is that an employer will be lucky to have you.
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Thank you for the kind words, I appreciate and I am humbled by them.

Skyrys62 said:
My next hiring process will have very little to do with credentials, and everything to do with common sense, problem solving, hygiene, temperament, experience, and history.

The company I work for (which I love dearly) has a bad habit of looking at someones credentials and assuming they are the schiznit.
It has backfired big so many times I can't fancy a count.
Like others said, don't sell yourself short.
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This is good to know, but practically speaking, how does one find an opportunity where you are measured by these metrics? I have been updating my LinkedIn account which is what prompted this thread. Reading the "recommended" jobs descriptions.........that's what makes me believe I am way out of touch. I have read some articles as well, I fear I would bomb any interview by not knowing the buzzwords and HRspeak.
 
Mike Smith said:
Thank you for the kind words, I appreciate and I am humbled by them.



This is good to know, but practically speaking, how does one find an opportunity where you are measured by these metrics? I have been updating my LinkedIn account which is what prompted this thread. Reading the "recommended" jobs descriptions.........that's what makes me believe I am way out of touch. I have read some articles as well, I fear I would bomb any interview by not knowing the buzzwords and HRspeak.
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That's where a coach might be useful.
 
Mike Smith said:
how does one find an opportunity where you are measured by these metrics?
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Put your application in, and go fishing (figuratively, but I guess literally wouldn't hurt either). It doesn't have to be the most amazing resume on the market.
You've said you have zero higher education, so anyone looking for big credentials won't keep you on file anyway, and you can't fudge too much just to get an interview or it may put them off about your honesty or integrity.
Be honest, highlight your skills, experience, history, accomplishments, etc. Anyone looking for that will bite.

Edit: Also do a little networking or chatting with others, even competing dealerships? (who may know your skillset and history) unless you are under a no compete clause.

A few free plane rides for the new bosses might not hurt either :p
 
Disclaimer - I don't do this in your line of work. However I review resumes frequently. There are a few simple rules of of thumb for writing your resume -

List jobs chronologically. For you, it's likely that you'll only list one job unless you did some work relevant to what you want to do.
Each job - list the following information
Line 1 - Last Job Title, Company Name, Month/Year to Month/Year
Line 2 - List your job description. The description is what anyone that had your job would have done.
Bullets under the job description - list any major accomplishments that you had while at your job. These should be things that you excelled at or that you accomplished. Include any promotions you got along the way.

The key point that I look for - I make sure that the description is a description and the bullet points are accomplishments which say how the person excelled at the job described above. Do this and you'll be standing out, especially with 30 years at the same place. Loyalty is a good value.

After the job, list education, certifications, etc...whatever else might distinguish you.

Your resume has 2 purposes - get you the interview and then give you a structure to answer questions during the interview. Your resume will not get you a job.
 
Caution - do not BS on a resume. If you list a skill,toss around buzzwords, mention an accomplishment, etc., be sure you can talk about it with confidence and expertise. I consider anything on a resume to be fair game in an interview and I will probe for your depth on the topic. I may have an expert on the subject in the interview with us if it's something vital to the position we're discussing.
 
Mike Smith said:
I will more than likely start my own business anyway
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I've been in business for myself pretty much all of my life. I've always loved the feeling of creating my own destiny. One of my mantras is that you can be a slave, or you can be the slave owner. I much prefer to be the slave owner. ;)
 
I suspect in the strongest terms that getting a new job is going to depend nearly exclusively on who you know. I you really are thinking of moving on now might be the time to step up your game networking within your field. Find out who's hiring what where. I suspect that the time spent doing that will pay off better than the time spent writing resumes.

Which, by the way, as the man said should be one page in length. Oh, you can have more, but the first page should tell your prospective employer what they want to know. It should be laid out in an appealing and early read form, and should be attractive and informative.
 
steingar said:
... the first page should tell your prospective employer what they want to know. It should be laid out in an appealing and early read form, and should be attractive and informative.
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This.^^^^

When I'm looking for a new employee, I might get a stack of 20 resumes from HR and if I'm lucky I'll be able to set aside about 30 minutes to review them. I'll spend about 10 or 15 minutes going through the stack and select 3 or 4 to review in depth. I'll then spend 5 minutes or so on each resume on the short list, reading it in detail and making notes for a phone call.

The point is, if your resume can't hook the prospective employer in the first 30 seconds, you're toast.
 
Half Fast said:
This.^^^^

When I'm looking for a new employee, I might get a stack of 20 resumes from HR and if I'm lucky I'll be able to set aside about 30 minutes to review them. I'll spend about 10 or 15 minutes going through the stack and select 3 or 4 to review in depth. I'll then spend 5 minutes or so on each resume on the short list, reading it in detail and making notes for a phone call.

The point is, if your resume can't hook the prospective employer in the first 30 seconds, you're toast.
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You are utterly correct. The resume has to be very eye-catching. It shouldn't look like anything else. My company resume, when I was looking for a job all those years ago, had a hand-done letterhead. I also inserted photomicrographs of my work. That resume had a 100% return rate, everyone who got it wanted an interview. You must remember, your resume is going to be part of a big pile. What will set it apart?

Of course, if you've done your networking correctly I suspect you'll never need a resume.
 
Sending a resume to HR is for chumps and isn't how you get the good jobs. Hell - the good jobs don't even exist yet and sure the hell aren't posted.

Ask yourself these questions...

What skills do you have?
Where can you deliver the most value with those skills? Really spend some time exploring this in your head.

Now that you have that figured out. Figure out who at that company would have the capability to hire you and pay you what you want even if the job doesn't exist. You need the person that has the authority to create the job. Now shotgun all of those opportunities and repeat until you get what you want.

I decided to take my chances at the job market about two years ago. I was somewhat concerned because I had worked for the same company for so long (9 years) which made for a pretty short resume. I did not search for any job postings anywhere. I literally made a list of the companies that I thought I could bring the value to. Then I wrote an e-mail to the CEO & CTO of each one of those companies. In that e-mail I introduced myself, complimented their accomplishments, and explained the value that I could bring to their organization.

Believe it or not - EVERY SINGLE ONE of those CEO(s) responded to me personally. Generally I'd speak with them - then I'd end up speaking with their team. I didn't get job offers from all of them...actually a little less than half...but the point here is that I literally created the job I wanted with nothing more than a couple hours of effort.

In the end I accepted a position as a remote engineer for a company on the other side of the country. Within a month of working for them they told me to launch an engineering office and build them a team in the midwest. So that's what I did. My job didn't exist before I created it. The idea of a team being here didn't exist until I made the team.

Don't do what everyone else does...don't "get into line" to interview..don't waste your time with HR robots tossing your resume. Be creative.

Hell you've got to be creative when you're a high school dropout like myself. I skate around the HR drones.

Just my opinion :)
 
mscard88 said:
Interview_3.jpg
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That was the interview that landed my first job. One Japanese guy (sitting in the middle) asked all the questions, one translated both ways, and one only took notes on a legal pad. I think I had a stool to sit on, not a chair . . . .
 
@Mike Smith. I hear what your saying and instead of thinking about a resume, I’d think about this: in 30 years, who have I met that needs the skills I have? Who do I know that knows what I can do for them? How can they help me if I decide to do something different?

I doubt you’ve spent your career in a vacuum. You know people and they know you. You have a brand, and in times like this, you quietly ask folks you know and trust they know someone who can use someone like you. The best positions aren’t advertised and a reference or network connection and a conversation gets you the position, not a resume or application.

Want to do your own thing? Who do you know that’s already been successful doing that. Buy them a cup of coffee and ask them where you need to grow to be successful if you struck out on your own.
 
Hank S said:
That was the interview that landed my first job. One Japanese guy (sitting in the middle) asked all the questions, one translated both ways, and one only took notes on a legal pad. I think I had a stool to sit on, not a chair . . . .
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I think I would have walked right back out after seeing that. In my biz interviews are also recruiting visits. If they treat you that poorly at the interview how are they going to be to work for?
 
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