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S P O N S O R S

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Counting Your Hits

October 3, 1997

Some people are brave. They put counters on their online resume.

On September 10, 1997, at noon EDT, Robert Farkas‘s resume had 72 hits. As of September 20, at 6:00 pm EDT, there were an additional 33 hits. That's a bit more than three hits a day.

Okay. A few of the hits belong to us, but not even 5% of them. And, it's clear that he hasn't kept looking at and reloading his page or the counter would be way up. Wouldn't it?

So, is putting a counter on your page an accurate way to see how many people are looking?

Could be, if you can resist the urge to turn the 00000s into numbers by viewing it yourself.

But, there's another side, too. You could look at it as a way to market yourself.

There are thousands of recruiters who troll the ‘net at any given time, trying to get a leg up on their competition, trying to find just the right person for just the right job. Some of the techniques they use are detailed in our sister newsletter Electronic Recruiting News. In any event, they do troll. They do find. They may contact.

A resume with a counter at a reasonable level, like not in the thousands, might just create the impression that you and your skills are in demand.

So transform your resume into an HTML file. Consider adding a counter, and set it at - say - 73. Then email the URL to everyone on your mailing list asking them to forward it to anyone they may know who could be even vaguely interested...

What's the Buzz?

October 2, 1997

Remember when your teachers told you to avoid jargon and clichés? Well, clichés are still out, but jargon is in.

With the emphasis now on scanning resumes and searching for suitable candidates via keywords, many recruiters and human resource offices are looking for "standard" terms within particular industries. This means, if you know the language of your field, make sure that knowledge is reflected in your resume.

If you're still a bit of a novice, or just a curious pro, take a look at how much jargon actually exists in the links below.

• Jargon File 3.2.0 for Hackers. A bland, unadorned site, it offers a compendium that introduces you to technospeak and the hacking culture.
• Medical Jargon, arranged in dictionary fashion, makes for dry reading, but clearly explains the words and phrases.
• Babel: A Glossary of Computer Terms is slow-loading, warning heavy, but virtually complete.
• Textile Dictionary contains more than 10,000 words in four languages, but you need to know at least on of them in order to find anything.
• Biotech's Life Science Dictionary lets you search by term or meaning.
• Software Glossary is a searchable database of software jargon.
• Dictionary of Imaging and Electronics shows the words and definitions.
• ArtLex is a dictionary of visual art terminology, in frames that are actually fairly easy to manipulate.

Your Resume as a Mirror (Sort of)

October 1, 1997

It's probably no surprise that the same resume format is viewed differently by different people. (We will ignore our office mates who quietly snicker in the background after reading that sentence.) But what might be a surprise are the findings of a comparison study published in the July, 1997 Journal of Education for Business.

Resumes were prepared in one of three formats. All contained information about work, academics, and extra-curricular activities. However, one resume-type emphasized work experience; another academic endeavors; and the last, extra-curricular activities. The resumes were then sent, along with a questionnaire, to more than 200 recruiters of graduating college students.

Surprise of surprises--students who highlighted work experience were rated as more employable than the ones who didn't. Give us a break, please. TThis is worthy of a multi-page journal article?

There were a few interesting points, though.

First, resumes emphasizing extracurricular activities came in second and, in last place was the format that highlighted academic experience. No wonder. If recruits are aware of the types of "important" studies engaged in by academics, one can understand why academic experience may not be regarded too highly.

The second, though (pay attention, women), showed a gender bias in how resumes are viewed. The authors of the study found that

"a female applicant whose resume emphasized education was judged significantly higher than male applicants with the same resume. In other words, male candidates whose resumes emphasized educational experiences were perceived to provide less adequate information about work experience than female candidates, even though the work experience information was identical."

So women, feel free to ignore the extra-curricular stuff and focus on study and work. Men, get busy. Work a lot; join the debate team, the soccer team, and the student government groups. Study on occasion.

But, for all of you, don't worry over much about your grades. The majority of recruiters (77%) did not request transcripts after the first interview.

Why English 101 Matters

September 30, 1997

The other day the boss laid me out. I'd sent in not one, but a few, columns that I'd neglected to spellcheck. OOPS. It matters.

Whether you're writing on the job or are trying to get one, how you put your words together matters. And although not all of us are natural born spellers, most readers recognize when a word is misspelled and create a judgment about the writer. For instance, when I receive resumes that haven't been spellchecked, they end up in the circular file.

Sure. We all make mistakes--and that's okay--as long as we fix them before sending them out.

So, here's a recap of English 101 and how to edit your resumes and cover letters.

• When you think you're done, you're not.
• Read what you've written out loud. It's quite surprising to find that what you thought isn't always what you really wrote.
• Check for errors. Use the spell checker. Look at your punctuation. If these are tough for you, find someone for whom it isn't. Ingratiate yourself with that person and ask him or her to read your work for you.
• If you know there are certain types of errors you make, like using "there" for "their" or "enviroment" for "environment", make a note of them. Then be sure to check your cover letters and resumes to make sure those errors don't appear.
• Business correspondence is not personal writing. Make yourself quite clear.
• Can you say it more simply? Remember, your readers won't spend gobs of time on your stuff. Say it clearly and concisely.

You might also want to check out the online writing centers. Many of them have helpful suggestions for improving your editing skills. Of the many that exist, perhaps the one at Purdue is most complete.

Formulaic Prose

September 29, 1997

Katharine Hansen of Dynamic Cover Letter fame, has an interesting offer. She'll critique your cover letters at no cost to you.

Of course, if you take her up on her generosity, she might expect that you have followed her cover letter formula, at least somewhat. According to her, a cover letter needs four well-written, well-defined paragraphs.

The first is your opening and you've got only a few seconds to grab your reader's attention by highlighting your amazing strengths.

The second paragraph is often used to describe why you're qualified, in general, or for the particular job you're applying for.

In the third paragraph, she suggests you explain what you can offer to the company. This is where you show that you're not an ignoramus and have studied up on the company from whom you're seeking employment.

Your last paragraph is your final chance. Take initiative. Ask for an interview and say you'll call for an appointment. Then, surprise the employer by actually following through on what you said you were going to do and call.

While we are not particularly enamored of formulaic writing, there are certain standards in cover letters. Many companies receive hundreds of applicants for a single job ad. Clearly they will not spend hours pouring over your carefully written letter. They'll skim it. If you hit the right words and the right tone, you've got a shot. If you do so immediately, in your first paragraph, you're shot's even better.

So go ahead. Write a generic, or specific if you can, cover letter and send it to Ms. Hansen. Listen to what she has to say.

-Jennifer Hicks

More Resources

• Companies with Job Ads (Nearly 1500 Links to Companies and their Job Postings)
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