Resume and Interview Hints

This entry is another request. One of my daughters asked me to give a hiring manager's perspective on resumes and interviews. I am by no means an HR expert. The items I list below are things I have seen, look for or talked about with other managers. They may not work in all industries or for all position types. My experiences are in manufacturing environments. There is the possibility that may be useful in other areas.

Lets start with resumes. There are several things that I look when reviewing a possible employee's resume. Some are positive aspects and others are not. I have decided to display them in a list. There will be brief descriptions of the items.

Resume List

1. Don't be afraid to get creative. Use colour, a few graphics or maybe a picture. Do a search for creative resumes and find the aspects you like. 
2. Keep the list of duties/responsibilities to brief statements if you have a lot to list. Don't feel the need to fill a sheet just to fill it.
3. Be cautious when choosing an email address to use. 
4. Be factual. It doesn't leave a hiring manager with a good feeling when they think they caught you bluffing.
5. Keep different formats of your resume and review it periodically. It may turn out that one may be more successful than others.
6. Do not have spelling mistakes. 
7. Be cautious with the use of the recent buzzwords. "Out of the box thinker" or "proficient" at a task are a couple that come to mind. Get ready to be asked how you achieve these if I am interviewing you
8. Keep the format organized throughout the whole resume. A neat appearance goes a long way.

When it comes to interviewing, I don't have earth shattering advice. I tell people to stick with the basics. There is not much else to say. The list for interviews is below.

1. Do your research. Get the common interview questions, know your resume and research the company as much as you can. 
2. Try not to be nervous. I know for some people it is difficult. Some people do not like interviews. I actually had to stop an interview and tell an applicant to take a breath and relax. He did and then performed well after that. He was hired.
3. If you need to think about an answer, say that. You are better off saying it was a good question and you need a second rather than scrambling and saying the first thing that comes to your mind.
4. Make sure you have solid examples to go with your resume. For critical points, most interviewers will question them.
5. Show some energy. I once asked a candidate what he enjoyed about his current role. I got back that it paid the bills. It wasn't just the phrase; it was the way he said it (with 0 energy).
6. Be confident (not cocky). Show the interviewer that you are confident in your abilities.
7. Most importantly - be yourself. 

I hope these items will help folks with their pursuit of their first job or a new job. Feel free to leave a comment if you want more information. Thanks