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I Don’t Need A Resume – I Can Tell Them
What I Do When I Get There
Gone are the good old days when you could walk in off the street and speak
with the hiring manager for a competitive position. Although some
companies still operate that way, a resume is usually required first.
Pretend for a moment that you are a hiring manager. The receptionist
knocks on your office door and announces that Mr. Smith has arrived to
interview for the currently advertised pharmaceutical sales representative
position. Baffled, the hiring manager states that there must be a
misunderstanding because she never scheduled Mr. Smith for an interview.
She instructs the receptionist to tell Mr. Smith to forward his resume and
cover letter to express his interest in the company and the position.
Some people might think the hiring manager should have interviewed Mr.
Smith since he showed an effort to apply for the position. Others would
have done exactly what the hiring manager did. Why? Because she didn't
know anything about this candidate. She would have been unprepared to
address his qualifications without having had the opportunity to review
his resume beforehand. What's more, she really didn't understand what his
situation was or if he even qualified for the job. For example, does he
have a required bachelor's degree? Does he have sales experience? Is his
background in bio chemistry, pharmaceuticals or in medical equipment
sales? Is he a job-hopper? Was he out of work for many years? Is he
changing careers? Did he recently relocate? These are all very important
factors to consider when trying to paint a picture of a candidate to get a
feel for who they are and how they would be a good fit for the company.
This is why it is so important that a resume is sent first so that the
hiring manager can PRE-QUALIFY a jobseeker. This saves a lot of time and
hurt feelings. After all, why would the hiring manager want to spend a
half hour interviewing a candidate that does not qualify for the position?
If every unqualified candidate showed up unannounced and was interviewed,
there wouldn't be time to interview the qualified candidates! Believe it
or not, there are still occasions when a resume is not needed. But, that
is only when a company invites applicants to fill out a job application
form or if there is a mutual acquaintance who puts in a good word for the
candidate, and the hiring manager schedules and interview without needing
to see a resume. Keep in mind, the hiring manager has been introduced
already by the mutual acquaintance who has done the job that the
combination of a resume and cover letter -- the dynamic duo -- is intended
to do: to introduce them to the reader and to provide a professional
background and expressed interest in a company and a particular position.
Written By
Ann Baehr
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Writers
Profile
Ann Baehr is a CPRW and President of Best Resumes of New York.
Notable credentials include her former role as Second Vice President of
NRWA and contribution to 25+ resume and cover letter sample books. To
learn more visit
http://www.e-bestresumes.com or see view resume samples, visit
http://www.e-bestresumes.com/resume_samples.htm
resumesbest@earthlink.net
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