Resume Clarity, Interview Techniques and Dogs
So this week I have been working with my team to do some interviews with contractors. It hasn’t been all that fun and this is because like wild dogs, the market is bad so they all come running when there is food to offer. We have actually had some great filtering by our HR department, but reading resumes and interviews has made me want to post this as a way to remind people some basic information when giving out your resume and interviewing.
This could also be some good information for those who do interviews as I am also relying on them to help with guiding the candidates.
Clear and Concise
Resume: A resume is a representation of yourself in short form. It is there to capture the reader in a short amount of time and easily achieve your message without a lot of time and decoding of the message within. I rifled through a half dozen resumes that were novels. Some of those folks made the cut, but trying to then do the interview with 10 pages to flip through can be quite cumbersome.
Interview: When you are asked a question in an interview, do your best to stay on topic. Too often I hear people try to over explain a simple question and that begins to trail off into the distance. This muddies the water on what you understand and what you are trying to fluff.
Be Honest
Resume: Seriously… do you know every single language that is out there? If you put it down on your resume, expect that you will be quizzed on it. If you are the interviewer, you had better be sure your candidate didn’t just read a book or hear about the technology in passing. Have questions and dig into detail.
Interview: It is OK to say “I don’t know” in an interview. Not all interview questions are must have questions. If you try and be the all knowing interview candidate, you will sound fake and will most likely miss out on the opportunity. It doesn’t benefit you or the company you are interviewing for to lie and force an awkward termination soon thereafter.
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The short of this all is don’t be a dog coming too hungry. Pick and choose your battles in your resume and your interview. I will agree that you are trying to sell yourself in a resume, just don’t be the greasy car sales person.