That's how much time an employer might give your résumé. Start with this advice.
Crafting a good résumé for a job search is difficult enough. Doing so in later life—when issues like age discrimination potentially come into play—is tougher yet.
To get a better idea of how job seekers age 50-plus should approach
this task, we spoke with Don Weintraub, managing director of performance
improvement and career services at ExecuNet, a business and career
network for senior-level executives.
Here are edited excerpts of that discussion:
WSJ: Who needs a résumé? Is it necessary for someone who has reached the top of his or her industry?
MR. WEINTRAUB: I think sometimes the
person at the top really needs a document of this type more so than
perhaps less senior folks. In the past, people came after them. Now
they're finding that the phone isn't ringing.
WSJ: What should older job seekers keep in mind when writing or revising a résumé?
MR. WEINTRAUB: A résumé has become a
document that's intended to brand, package, market and presell. And so
folks need to think about this as their personal marketing brochure.
Our research shows that you have less than 45 seconds to capture the
attention of the reader. What's most critical is the top half of the
first page. You should have four or five accomplishments with metrics,
literally spelling out what you did. Up on top [you need] about 12 to 15
core competencies, like "strategic planning" or "mergers and
acquisitions."
If I'm doing a search [to fill a position], I tell the software to go
out and find me candidates who have certain keywords in their résumé.
The software…searches [résumés], looking for these keywords.
WSJ: That raises a good point: Most résumés today are submitted online. Is there any need for a paper copy of a résumé?
MR. WEINTRAUB: There are two schools of
thought. One is that it may help get the attention of the reader if
they get something in the mail. But at most companies [an application]
has to go through the résumé database system. Even if you sent a paper
copy to someone, they would more than likely ask you to repeat the
process [online]. They need to have it on file in a common system.
WSJ: Where does the cover letter fit into this?
MR. WEINTRAUB: The question is, will it
be read? When I was a recruiter, I would skip the letter and go
straight to the résumé. But if it was someone whose résumé really
captured my attention, I'd go back and read the letter. Experienced
applicants are more likely to have skills relevant to the companies
doing the hiring. They have an advantage in the cover letter. If they
match up their experience and accomplishments, they're more likely to
have stuff to say.
WSJ: What are some of the biggest mistakes that older job seekers make?
MR. WEINTRAUB: They use words like "seasoned," or start out with "over 35 years of experience." You're immediately playing the age card.
I eliminate dates of education. You don't want to put that in at all.
List the schools, list the degrees—[but] no dates. Never go back more
than 20 years [unless] you did something really interesting and/or you
worked for a company that has real impact in the marketplace like
General Electric.
WSJ: What mistakes are made when it comes to getting a résumé into the right hands?
MR. WEINTRAUB: They assume, "I'll go
out and look at job postings, do a little networking and ask my buddies
if they know of any jobs." The higher up you go in terms of role and
salary, the less likely it is that the job will be posted anywhere. If
you aren't making it easy to be found, like being on LinkedIn or
ExecuNet or one of the other executive-level sites, you're eliminating
92% of the job possibilities.
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