Call rewrite when resume doesn't lead to interviews

Marie McIntyre

Q: Despite sending out dozens of resumes, I have never been called for an interview. Since I have 12 years of professional experience and excellent educational qualifications, I don’t know what the problem is. I even paid an expert to prepare my resume, but that hasn’t helped. Do you have any suggestions?

A: A resume is a sales tool with a single purpose: to convince an employer to talk with you instead of someone else. So even though you had professional assistance, the absence of interviews may indicate some deficiencies. Consider these questions:

Do you customize your resume for every opening? A generic resume might fail to convince employers that you’re interested. To make a stronger impression, highlight the most relevant aspects of your experience for each position. The job description may suggest key words to include.

Does the resume include everything in your background that might favorably impress an interviewer? Training, certifications, assignments, leadership roles — even volunteer work — can all help you get noticed.

Have you double-checked for mistakes and misspellings? A single slip-up can make you appear careless and raise worries about the quality of your work.

When sending your resume electronically, do you know how it may look on the receiving end? One applicant learned too late that her fancy bullets had turned into tiny lips! Stick with standard fonts and formats, and then email some friends as a test.

If you know folks who work in management or human resources, ask them to review your resume from an employer’s perspective.

Finally, take time to network with people in your field. Connect with contacts from the past 12 years and make new ones through professional associations or interest groups. Interviewers often give first priority to applicants referred by someone they know.

Q: Our human resources director informed me that my bosses were concerned about my coming in late. As an administrative assistant, I report to two different managers who have never mentioned this issue.

After I sent an apologetic email, both my bosses said the complaint was based on the HR director’s own observations. If my being late doesn’t bother them, I don’t see why it’s any of her business. What’s your opinion?

A: While your HR director may have slightly shaded the facts, her department is responsible for seeing that policies are applied consistently. So it doesn’t really matter where this complaint originated.

The good news, however, is that you can easily solve this problem with self-discipline and planning.