Why is your resume yielding zero response?
Dear Sam:
I would like to get your opinion on how to improve my resume. I am 55 years old with 20 years of management experience in the food and landscaping industries. I have a degree in landscape design. I’ve applied for numerous positions suited to my qualifications and experience, but the majority of the time I get zero response. When I do receive a response, I’m told I am overqualified. Would it be more effective to format my resume differently?
– Chris
Dear Chris:
From reviewing your resume I can see some areas in which you are following the appropriate strategies and other areas that have opportunity for improvement. Let me paint a picture of your resume for readers.
Your resume opens with an Objective Statement communicating you are seeking a challenging position with a company where you have the opportunity for growth. It follows with a Qualifications Summary stating you are an experienced manager, followed by seven bullet points presenting your areas of experience. Next, you present technical skills, 12 years of professional experience and end with your associate’s degree.
Opening your resume with an Objective Statement is a waste of the most valuable real estate on your resume. Instead of telling the employer what you can do for them, it tells them what you want, which does not need to be communicated at this stage. Remove the statement and move up your Qualifications Summary.
Your summary is a good start on highlighting your key value offerings. Based on the feedback you have received, make sure your summary is aligned with the requirements for the positions you are seeking. If you’re being told you are overqualified, I imagine it is due to what you have in the summary — not the Professional Experience section.
I say this as the Professional Experience section is quite brief and likely would not overqualify you for a management role. The summary may be throwing people off with the language, “Experienced manager with multiple years of leadership, technical support and training in the customer service field.”
The reader may see “multiple years” and think that represents more than the five or seven years they want. Review the types of positions you are seeking to see how much experience they are requiring, making sure to position your candidacy at the right level.
Presenting your technical skills next is not an appropriate choice, as they are fairly basic. Relocate this section to the end of your resume.
Your Professional Experience section needs a lot of attention. You described 12 years of experience in only 170 words. You cannot possibly present that much experience and the value you contributed in that few of words.
What’s more, you presented a position you held for 18 months with the statement, “same as above,” telling employers you did not contribute any value and that you lack interest in explaining it differently than your most recent position. While I am sure this isn’t what you were thinking, this is what will be assumed. If you show a lack of interest in developing your resume, the reader will show a lack of interest in reviewing it.
Lastly, you listed the first four positions with very little detail, making me question if they should appear on your resume. Review each position and define not only your responsibilities but also your accomplishments.
I hope you can see your resume has the potential to be great and open the doors for the positions you are interested in. Best of luck to you. Samantha Nolan is a certified professional resume writer and owner of Ladybug Design. She can be reached at dearsam@ladybug-design.com or 614-570-3442. Find out more at ladybug-design.com.