Recruiting 101: Reading Between a Resume’s Lines
Have you ever wanted to hire someone from the first glance at his or her resume? Sometimes a well-crafted resume is a huge relief during a drawn-out hiring process. But how do you know if a person will hold up to the promise of a good resume? Here’s 3 questions to consider:
1. How do they describe previous jobs?
Perhaps the area where you can get the most insight into a candidate is in how they describe his or her previous jobs. A resume isn’t complete without listing the most important responsibilities at previous position (and if this is missing it should be a red flag!). More specifically, descriptions of previous jobs should prove that a candidate made a significant contribution to the company and performed skills relevant to an apartment job.
2. How has their career progressed?
A resume may be perfectly formatted with a long list of skills; however, if a candidate has not demonstrated progress within their career—movement up the career ladder—then you may need to reconsider. A pattern of stagnant professional growth in the past could (and most likely would) continue if you hire a candidate like this.
For example, if a candidate has spent many years in leasing is there a reason that they never moved up to a management position? On the other hand, if only high-level positions on a resume are listed you should be curious how they got there. Applicants may have great reasons for a lack of natural progression on his or her resume; but if they haven’t shown growth in their career then it would be a good idea to ask why.
3. How is their resume formatted?
The typical resume follows a template listing education first, or if not then the candidates most recent job. Some applicants may also include an ‘Objective’ or ‘Career Summary’ section first. While there are many ways to write a resume, applicants with an unclear, distracting, or completely unconventional resume should be examined closer.
Standard resume formatting works well for a reason—employers know what to expect and where to find certain information. Dates of employment, job titles, and listing a city (Houston, Austin, etc.) or address should be clear at first glance. If a resume is unorganized then it could be foresight into an applicant’s work habits.
Good-looking resumes can be persuasive, but if you read between the lined you may discover that a candidate who looks perfect at first glance isn’t right for the job at all. Consider these 3 questions before hiring, and ask about a resume’s details during the interview process.