I like to occasionally do a column where I handle several short-answer type questions, and that's what this week's column will do. I have edited some of the questions already for length. On another note, in the next few weeks I will be doing a column that will be a follow-up to my recent column on companies and other hiring authorities behaving badly — it will be about actual situations that readers have experienced.

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	Purposes of a resume are to get you in the door and to give the interviewer a reference point or guideline to help them through the interview process.

Q: A recruiter told me that C-levels today want to see a three- to five-page chronological resume that lists your education at the beginning. He went on to say that the reason for the increased length of resumes is that C-levels want to know whether or not you can be effective from day one and not take 90 days to ramp up. Finally, he said that cover letters are passé and not to use them anymore. I have learned, however, to keep resumes to a page or less.

A: I have done columns on resume writing before, so I will be brief. Remember that the purposes of a resume are to get you in the door and to give the interviewer a reference point or guideline to help them through the interview process. Finally, a resume needs to be accomplishment-driven.

I would say that unless someone is in the first few years of a career, a one-page resume might be a little light. On the other hand, three to five pages are a novel. Also, I fail to see where the length of a resume has anything to do with your ability to ramp up. I don’t believe that the bulk of executives I know are going to be anything but bored and put off by a longer resume. They don’t have that kind of time. Thirty to forty-five seconds is the max for their attention spans. I also don’t think anyone cares where the education is, top or bottom, so long as it’s on there somewhere. Finally, I am not a huge fan of cover letters myself (I think they are a necessary evil but very seldom ever read them), but I haven’t seen any evidence they have faded in use or relevance.

Q: What’s the best way to work with a recruiter so that I can get the most consideration?

A: There are one or two people who will say that what I’m about to say is self-serving, but it is based on my experience. The number one thing you need to remember is to follow the recruiter’s lead and interface with him/her however he/she requests. People are different, so each one will have his or her own “peculiarities.” If there is something that is not clear or that they haven’t covered, ask.

While any recruiter works for and is paid by the client company, they still have to place someone. If they have you in an interview process, they believe that you are qualified and will do their best to keep it moving. They get paid upon making a placement, not for interviewing.

If they don’t have you in an interview process, don’t call them every five minutes. Personally, I think you get the best results by emailing them every three to four weeks. Email is non-intrusive, takes the least amount of their time, and yet will still keep you in front of them.

Bill Gaffney has 17 years of experience as an executive recruiter and career coach.

The best recruiters will tell you to follow up on an interview immediately with a call to the recruiter. They are not interested in baby sitting you, so their reason for requesting this is based on their experience of what methods work the best. You will also remember the details of the best immediately afterwards. So follow up with them immediately, whether they ask you to or not.

Finally, don’t fight their methods or try to do it your own way. This many times is the fat lady singing when it comes to working with a recruiter.

Q: I was recently asked by a company to ignore the recruiter who had submitted me for their job and work directly with them. What do you think?

A: BIG-TIME RED FLAG!! What do you think? Unless they have expressed a valid reason or the recruiter has “bowed out,” I think this is trouble. Now, you may say, “What if I can get the job?” I would reply that if they are trying to get around the recruiter (which many times means they want to avoid paying them), what might they pull on you as an employee?

Q: I am currently using a coach to help me in my job search. Should I continue to use him once I am employed?

A: This answer has two components. The first deals just with the transition period. I would recommend that you continue using them during this time. They can assist you through a lot of the bumps in the transition and act as a sounding board.

The second component concerns your career going forward. Again, I would say, yes, it is wise to continue to use a coach. The nature of the relationship will change somewhat, and the timing of your conversations will be different, but many professionals use a coach on an ongoing basis. Of course, your career coach may focus on job transition alone. If they do not do ongoing “career planning,” ask for a reference.

Q: What is the value of professional organizations, how many should I join, etc.?

A: I believe any serious professional should belong to at least one professional association. Some professions, like sales, really don’t have any, so those professionals will have to take a different approach. Many professions (finance, for instance), on the other hand, will have a number of different associations. Pick the one or two that apply most to your current situation and join them.

If your employer won’t pay, join them anyway. Here are some of the many reasons why they are valuable:

• A good source for ongoing career training and development, something most companies have cut back on.
• Great networking contacts
• A focused source for job leads
• A good place to get fresh perspectives and new ideas
  

A Tribute and a Thank You

As I have mentioned in past columns, I have been blessed with a number of good mentors. One of them has been Dr Jerry Kotler. There are probably none of you who will know Jerry’s name, unless there are some MRI people reading this, where Jerry is a legend. Jerry has been one of my professional and spiritual mensches for a good number of years. I can best describe my relationship with him as similar to the relationship Tom Cruise had with his mentor in Jerry McGuire. In his almost 30 years as a recruiter, Jerry has been a leader in raising the level of professionalism in the recruiting industry. Jerry retired from recruiting a couple months ago. He will be sorely missed by clients, candidates, and other recruiters. Thank you, Jerry, for all of your contributions, and may you continue to be blessed and a blessing. L’Chayim, my friend.

Here’s Wishing You Terrific Hunting,

Bill

About the Author

Bill Gaffney has 17 years of experience as an executive recruiter and career coach. Bill can be reached at 937-567-5267 or wmgaffney@prodigy.net. For questions to be considered for this column, please email askamaxa@yahoo.com.

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