Resume Critiques by a Professional in Human Resources

How Does a Resume Get You the Job?

I recently read an article written by Tom Lamont. Lamont interviewed the head of Google’s people operations, Lazlo Bock. The piece largely focused on Google’s work culture and ridiculous odds on actually getting hired. However, a section on Bock’s hiring criteria stood out to me and raised a question. How does a resume get you the job? To summarize, Bock indicated that he cares about four things when assessing a candidate:

  • General Cognitive Ability or how quickly a candidate can learn
  • Emergent Leadership – knowing when to take the lead on a project and the ability to know when to let it go
  • Cultural fit within the organization
  • And finally, expertise

His list was made in order of importance with expertise bringing up the rear. It’s not uncommon to hear this from a talent acquisition manager for an organization with a positive work culture.  You always hire someone who can learn, lead, fits in with the organization, and isn’t a jerk! After all you can teach someone the company software system as long as they learn quickly. Teaching someone to not be an a**hole can prove to be a bit more difficult.

How does your resume help communicate these requirements? I often tell my clients to relate their resume back to their skills, qualifications, and accomplishments then connect them to the requirements of the position. I would also ask you to understand the role that your resume plays within the hiring process. A resume’s purpose is to state your qualifications and boost your brand. It’s important for you to approach the task of resume writing strategically. Think about the unwritten messages that you are sending your perspective employer.  If you don’t address the specific qualifications listed in the job description in your executive summary, you are telling them that you didn’t care enough to read the job announcement and personalize your resume accordingly.

How many people feel that it’s appropriate to submit the same resume for every position they apply? I encourage my clients to have a base resume and then personalize that resume for every job opening that they pursue. Make the effort to individualize your resume and it will speak to your cognitive ability, emergent leadership, and cultural fit. The only thing left is to prove your expertise.

Prioritizing cultural fit, leadership, and interpersonal skills are nothing new within a successful company’s hiring philosophy. Keep this in mind when you are drafting your resume and be strategic with your content and formatting. If you need to enlist the help of an expert to provide you with an extensive critique at an affordable rate, please contact me today.

Tom Lamont’s full article can be found at – https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/apr/04/how-to-get-job-at-google-meet-man-hires-firesgoogle chrome

Paige