If you're an HR professional, a recruiter or a hiring manager in the beverage industry, then you have certainly sifted through thousands of resumes looking for that ONE candidate to fill that ONE spot. Undoubtedly, you take five to ten seconds scanning an applicant's resume to determine their worthiness to receive another five seconds of your time. But, as you scroll through pages of submitted resumes and nothing seems to jump out at you, you wonder how on Earth every single resume can make the same dumb mistakes.
I'm not here to tell you the "five fatal mistakes to resume writing". There are recruiters who claim they have read tens of thousands of resumes in their careers and they've decided to give job seekers advice (sell a program for $49 to $300) that will help them
avoid the most common resume mishaps. Whatever these mistakes are, these guys know how to avoid them. I liken them to the IRS Debt companies on TV; "John L. from Texas owed $149,000 in back taxes but the IRS settled for $457." I can't knock them, though. Something is only worth as much as someone is willing to pay.
If recruiters are tired of reading lame resumes, I bet applicants are equally tired of reading lame job postings. Incomplete job descriptions, over the top qualification requirements, "road warrior" travel status and the ever secret "confidential employer" are trademarks to a position that is more than likely a revolving door for the recruiter than a quality job worth pursuing further by the applicant. The overly-burdensome "Responsibilities" column is often filled with such mundane acts as "talking", "reaching", and "dialing a phone". Do you think you ever weeded out anyone after they've read those job duties? "Oh, dialing a phone. I'm not very good at that. I better pass." And do you think you've covered all your bases in case you get sued by an employee later? I can see it now; "Your Honor, the Plaintiff was told in the job listing the job included breathing and speaking, so we are asking the court to dismiss without prejudice." And the educational requirement is just as laughable. It says right there in the job description the role is "entry-level sales". Of course you'd like a person with a Bachelor's or Master's degree. Why not? But, is it necessary to list that requirement, even though you know the person you hire more than likely wont have that, or need it? Again, did you weed out any non-worthy applicants or did you eliminate potential quality hires?
Spelling errors are probably the most egregious and annoying. Especially when the person reading and critiquing your resume is the same person in charge of posting the job listing. I know, it's very easy to point out someone elses' mistakes while glossing over your own. But, you're asking for someone to bring their "A game" (and Bachelor's degree) and you can't even use the correct form of a verb in explaining the job description. Sometimes a job posting is cut-and-pasted so much for the same position, the mistakes are multiplied two and three times in the same listing. It really leaves the candidate shaking their head knowing someone of lesser attention to detail is deciding their future.
I'm not attacking recruiters here. I'm just tired of reading how there are so many experts out there who can help the job hunter. I guess when the national unemployment rate is above 8.5%, recruiters are holding the cards when it comes to hiring. There is such an unlimited pool of candidates that the recruiters' own inadequacies are hidden under a high volume of endless resumes. If the same standard was applied to their own work that's applied to the scrutinizing of resumes, perhaps the unemployment rate would be a bit higher.
This blog is the opinion of the author. None of the companies mentioned here have any affiliation with this blog,
nor do they endorse its contents...but they should. Gregg W Shore is a 23 year beverage veteran who writes his blog @DrinkPro, A View of the Beverage Industry, from the Inside Out. Connect on LinkedIn and follow on Twitter @DrinkPro
It's a sad commentary on employment opportunities, or lack thereof. When the applicant knows more than the person doing the hiring, its a sure bet that the applicant won't get an interview, much less the job. It's called "job security" for the recruiter or HR manager. But, lest we forget, "the private sector is doing fine". -Barack Obama
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