Resume or is it to resume?

[OdTech]

Hello to everyone, Happy New Year

Once or Twice even your supervisor asked as employee to interview the candidate for job. I assume you are your own owners of the store and employees.

My Q What do you look for in the interview and resume?

Greatly appreciate and I know having experience is a GOLD STANDARD unbeatable.:D

[Cindy Hamlin]

OdTech,
In my new position I am responsible for sourcing (searching the internet and finding resumes). I literally see hundreds a day.

Here is what I look for:
1. Correct spelling and grammar. Saw one today that was titled (and this was the first image I have of the candidate and causes me to open the resume and look further) "DEPENDENT, Hard-Working Employee". Would you want a dependent employee??
2. Quanitifed stats. Specifics on work history.
3. No long gaps between employment.
4. A reasonable progression in responsibilities. May be still an optician, but want to assume greater tasks in the store (i.e. lead sales, shift manager, ordering, etc).

There is a great book that talks about resume styles, what the various styles are hiding and interviewing. It is called Hiring the Best by Martin Yates.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...95359?v=glance

It is a wealth of information.

At the interview you want to pry for specifics. The resume should whet your appetite, the interview be the icing on the cake. You want to quantify their skills, get their future plans, and find out what makes them tick. I used to instruct managers that no matter the answer ask "can you elaborate?" If you ask it enough times they will eventually say the stuff you really want to hear. Not say that 5-10 times an answer, but throughout the interview.


A good start for the interview is to say "while I review your resume tell me anything you want me to know about you". Then shut up and listen. You will be amazed what you hear. You should talk 20% of the time and they 80%. Most importantly let there be pregnant pauses (lots of them). It gives time for the stuff you really want to know.

And my pet peeve, is telling them up front about the position, your management style and how the office runs. You don't want to give them the answers you want to hear! You want them to talk and see if they "fit".

Hope that helps!

[OdTech]

Hello Cindy thanx for the reply. I will take every bit into my resume

Also since you mentioned that you check out hundreds of resumes. Please share the webpages where it would be more effective to get into a door and hopefully an interview.

Please can you elaborate/explain on #2
I'm guessing- what exactly i was doing in the office.

What about Cover Letter? Is it necessary? if yes
what do you want to see?

:idea:

[Cindy Hamlin]

OdTech said:
Hello Cindy thanx for the reply. I will take every bit into my resume

Also since you mentioned that you check out hundreds of resumes. Please share the webpages where it would be more effective to get into a door and hopefully an interview.

Please can you elaborate/explain on #2
I'm guessing- what exactly i was doing in the office.

What about Cover Letter? Is it necessary? if yes
what do you want to see?

:idea:

OdTech,
The big boards are (if you are talking optical) Optiboard. There is a resume page. Also, here are some good links:

http://www.opt.indiana.edu/news/jobs/resource.htm (It mentions 2020visionsource.com which is no longer viable).

As far as non-optical there is Monster.com, careerbuilder.com and hotjobs.com (there is a link from the yahoo home page). I would suggest that you first look for jobs on them, then decide if there is a need to post your resume.

I was downsized from my job in August and was looking for work for 3 months. I found an excellent book about cover letters and other stuff. It is called Fearless Interviewing by Marky Stein. I started using her model for cover letters and started getting calls.

#2 Quantify stats-use specific numbers, specific cost savings, specific staffing numbers. Never be general. You want your resume to stand out! You want to grab!
Specifics on work history-tell what you did. Don't use the terms you used, tell me what you did.

I will use myself for the example, I had been in the optical industry for 14 years and retail for 24 (including the 14 for retail optical). I noticed that retail was trending away from middle management and decided to get into a new industry. My optical knowledge meant nothing to them! But the skills I developed meant everything. My profit and loss analysis, my recruiting, hiring, employee relations, my training skills, etc.

You can take a skill set to almost any industry and be successful. I hope that answers your question. I am now in the financial industry, but still proud to be a Virginia Licensed Optician! I will keep my licensing and continuing education current. In the current job market you never know!

[OdTech]

Well the econony is riding herself like our beloved #1 Texas Horse. GWB. thanx to him many millions jobs are overseas and many more milions are unemployed.

GWB made a big mystery trick for all of us. I am russian by the way and see news from both spectrums of politics. The american politics says he is a hero and winner; the russian says according to saddam capture. If you look closely to Iraq video on news where saddam was hiding there are some fruits on the trees that don't grow in winter season but spring or summer.Here is a russian clue Saddam is big ticket for GWB to be a Prez of USA 2nd time and :hammer: all of us with again with unemployement. Thus Saddam was caught much earlier than shown on TV I speculate/assume; just right for election.

Sorry i had to rant off topic since you were downsized.
Right now you are in financial industry. Here is something about me, i was'nt always an optician but a barber cutting hair left and rihgt. Good thing about it, the economy, terrorist, etcc.. will never stop growing hair from anyone, thus there is always a job. why i have two jobs look at the economy
:cheers:

[Johns]

OdTech,

As I have stated in earlier posts, I find your post enjoyable because they ask peritnent questions.

However, I am confused by your latest post. You state:

"...millions of jobs are overseas", but then you go on to say,"by the way, I am russian".

Are you a russian citizen that came to the US looking for a job in spite of the robust russian economy ? Or, are you an American of russian decent that is not comfortable with the choice of career(s) you have made ?

You said "...our Texas horse..." so is it safe to assume that you are a Texan from russia ?

As far as what was growing on the trees, I agree with you. It was all a big coverup. The russian goverment/ press (same thing I assume) is much more credible on such issues as the capture and interrogation of prisoners. It is very easy these days to pay off journalists from 28 countries that will report whatever GWB asks them to. GBW should be ashamed of himself. Did you hear about the plastic turkey he served to the troops ? The nerve!

As far as resumes are concerned, I think that in your case, your best bet would be to get in front of your prospective employer for an interview, at any cost. I can tell that you are passionate about your job, and take it very seriously...that is often difficult to convey via the written word, but it would be hard to contain in person. If you were local, I'd hire you.

[OdTech]

Hello John thanx for the reply. I didn't mean to be an "Anti" anything O.k. jut would liked to speak my mind without thinking of anything right.
The story of GWB is somewhat true since i don't who to believe the internet version , paper or TV versions of the news. The rubber turkey you mentioned that i hear 1st time from you.

By mentioning my real geography, i didn't meant anything, just to support the news which i look from russian view and american so i would see the difference.

Also jobs overseas, i was generalizing it, by hearing from close friends that jobs gone and now there are other skills need to be mastered and put into action/market.

Texas horse that how i as pure laymen not a politician see our economy from wall street point of view. For ex: Horse rides high/jumps, market goes up and future economic predictions too and vice verse.
Texas is for Prez since he became the prezident the wall street turned into a horse but it was a bull, i guess when Clinton was prez at the time.

resumes, I understand many emplyees have many skills and long work history.However, i am fresh out of school and no such a long history/experience. I assume employers if see long work history they consider him/her a candidate to work for them; since s/he has lots of experience.