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E-R é sum é s: Focus on Format or Content?

E-R é sum é s: Focus on Format or Content?. Dolores Lehr La Salle University EAPSU Conference October 23, 2003. Types of Electronic R é sum és. A r é sum é that is sent to an employer via e-mail A r é sum é that is pasted into an online application

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E-R é sum é s: Focus on Format or Content?

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  1. E-Résumés: Focus on Format or Content? Dolores Lehr La Salle University EAPSU Conference October 23, 2003

  2. Types of Electronic Résumés • A résumé that is sent to an employer via e-mail • A résumé that is pasted into an online application • A résumé posted on the Internet with hyperlinks to other sites

  3. How an Electronic Résumé Differs from a Traditional One • Text flushed left • No highlighting (no bolding, italics, underlining, or bullets) • Key word summary • Plain text (ASCII) or rich text file

  4. Preliminary Research • Consulted Career Services • Interviewed 10 recruiters—La Salle University’s CareerExpo, 2003

  5. Questions to Recruiters • Does your company scan and store résumés? • Do you search through keywords? • Do you prefer résumés to be sent electronically?

  6. Results • Many of the companies did scan résumés. • Some did search with key words. • Many preferred résumés either e-mailed directly or submitted through Internet sites (e.g., monster.com or hotjobs.com). • All wanted to discuss CONTENT in addition to FORMAT.

  7. Survey • 10 questions ( 2 background, 4 format, 3 content, 1 format & content) • 5 additional “skip logic” questions (3 on format and 2 on content) • Both close-ended (multiple choice and ranking) and open-ended questions

  8. Survey • Created online • Sent as a link (http://www.surveymonkey.com) in e-mail to 205 recruiters • Received 59 responses

  9. Respondents’ Background 1. In what department do you work? Human Resources, Accounting & Auditing, Sales, Finance, Marketing, Information Technology, Insurance Claims

  10. Respondents’ Background 2. What is your position? Director of Recruitment, HR Rep, Vendor Relations Manager, University Relations Liaison, Finance Supervisor, Shareholder, Systems Analyst, Marketing Director, Vice President, Director of Knowledge Management, VP Finance, Partner, Dept. Head of Application Testing,Senior Recruiter, Director of Logistics, Tax Manager

  11. Format 1.  Does your company request résumés to be sent electronically? 71.2% Yes 27.1% No 1.7% Don't know

  12. Format 2.Does your company request cover letters to be sent electronically? 59.3% Yes 35.6% No 5.1% Don't know

  13. Format 3. Do you prefer letters and résumés to be sent electronically? 84.7% Yes 15.3% No

  14. Format • Does your company scan and store résumés in a database? 40.7% Yes 50.8% No 8.5% Don't know

  15. Format • If "yes, my company scans and stores resumes,” what software program(s) does your company use to scan résumés? Resumix, PeopleSoft Database, Brassring

  16. Format • If "yes, my company scans and stores resumes,” does your program(s) allow for résumés to be sorted by key words? 68.2% Yes 4.5% No 27.3% Don't know

  17. Format • If "yes, my company scans and stores resumes,” does your company use the key word feature? 54.5%Yes 4.5% No 36.4% Don't know 4.5% (Not applicable)

  18. Content 1. Is it important to include an OBJECTIVE statement on a résumé? 62.1% Yes 34.5% No 3.4% Not sure

  19. Content If you think it is important to include an OBJECTIVE, please explain why. • so we know what your target position is • helps to determine area a student may wish to specialize • identify candidate’s goals

  20. Content • first key factor we scan for • gives us an idea of what the applicant is looking for • says something about the person’s level of ambition

  21. Content If you think it is unimportant to include an OBJECTIVE, please explain why. • cover letter is more helpful • it’s a statement the candidate writes to impress • objective can hurt more than help

  22. Content (cont.) • so generic. . . . they usually stand out only when there is an error in them • everyone wants to find a position that is team-oriented or has great room for advancement • most graduating seniors aren’t 100% certain what type of opportunities are available

  23. Content 2.  Using the numbers 1-8, with 1 being the highest, rank the following experiences listed on a résumé in the order of importance to you:    • Courses in the field related to the position sought    • Employment in any field    • Employment in the field related to the position sought   

  24. Content 2. (cont.) • G.P.A.    • Participation in student activities • Participation in student activities with leadership position(s)    • Participation in sports    • Participation in community service

  25. Content • 1.92Employment in the field related to the position sought • 3.75 Employment in any field     • 3.83 Courses in the field related to the position sought • 3.88 G.P.A. • 3.94 Participation in student activities with leadership position(s)

  26. Content 2. (cont.) • 5.62 Participation in student activities   • 6.04 Participation in community service • 6.83 Participation in sports

  27. Content 3.Using the numbers 1-5, with 1 being the highest, rank the following skills listed on a résumé in the order of importance to you: • Business    • Computer or Technical    • Interpersonal    • Oral Communication    • Written Communication

  28. Content • 2.17 Interpersonal    • 2.43 Business    • 2.87 Oral Communication    • 3.47 Written Communication • 3.87 Computer or Technical   

  29. Format and Content Please list anything else you think is important for the format or content of a résumé. • organizational/time management skills • list ALL work experience • BENEFITS derived from experience along with results • easy to read

  30. Format and Content • don’t overstate a title • get to the point • no more than 2 pages • no more than 1 page • some sense of the person’s interest outside of work • multi-tasking

  31. In conclusion . . . • Formatting résumés electronically is important because companies prefer to receive them online. • Most companies are not yet scanning résumés (less than half); however, those that do scan them (more than half) are searching for key words. • The majority of employers want to see an objective on a résumé.

  32. In conclusion . . . • Employers value unrelated work experience slightly more than related courses, and they value GPA’s only slightly more than leadership in activities. • Interpersonal skills are valued more than computer/technical ones.

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