Employment

I am currently trying to hire people at work. I thought I had all the positions filled, but people got other offers or weren't completely honest about when they could start.

I have looked at tons of resumes, called lots of people and done about a dozen of interviews with more to come. I start to notice patterns of things I dislike in prospective new hires.

If you are looking for a job, here are a few basic tips that might help you.

1. Learn how to create a resume. A simple google search brings up tons of sites that give tips for resumes. If you are still at a university, I am pretty sure most offer classes on creating a resume. Also, get a friend to proofread it.

2. A resume should only be one page long. When I have to go through 50+ resumes, I don't care that you have written a 3 page essay on why you want to work for our company. (True Story)

3. Don't put interests on a resume. Being interested in ballroom dancing and canoeing doesn't matter to me when I am hiring for a sales position.

4. Please don't put every single job you have ever had on a resume, especially if it doesn't apply. Again, I don't care that you have been part of a dance company for 10 years and include every production that you have been in. Again, this is a sales position.

5. When someone calls to schedule an interview, don't ask if they can call you back later because you aren't sure if you want the job. Why submit a resume if you aren't sure?!

6. Don't ask if you should dress up for the interview. Just do it.

7. Don't ask the secretary of the company to print off your resume. Come prepared. There's something called Kinkos where you can take a jump drive and print off anything.

8. In the interview, don't say that you will just be in the current position until something better comes along.

9. Prepare for standard interview questions. "What are you weaknesses?..."

10. Don't call the company a million times after they didn't offer you a job.

11. Don't expect a company to hold a job for you when you tell them you are entertaining other offers. Especially when it is a small business.

Those are a few of my gripes. It is so easy to look and act presentable so just do it. You are trying to sell yourself and coming off as sloppy and unprepared is annoying.