Posted on 14-12-2009 at 10:00
S. Lee Caudle, 63, has been unemployed for a year and a half, during which time she has applied for hundreds of jobs and had a handful of interviews. "What savings I had is gone, and now I will have to work for at least 10 more years to retire," said Caudle, who lives in Annapolis. " I don't mind working, I just need a fair shot at a job."
"Her resume is what I call the kitchen-sink approach, throwing in everything she has ever done," said Donna Brand, a career counselor at the Women's Center in Vienna who also does training workshops and consulting. "Such an approach is not going to work in today's job market, particularly at the executive or mid-level.
"Job hunting requires taking into consideration the employer's needs. Analyze the ad, and look for words that suggest core competencies required for the position. Most organizations identify eight to 12 competencies, such as analytical thinking, initiative, customer service and leadership.
"Construct the résumé outlining the positions one has held that demonstrate experience with each core competency. With this targeted approach, she will confirm to the employer that she understands what the employer is looking for. It isn't necessary to include a lot of extraneous information. Using the targeted approach also means that one doesn't use a static format but revises and reformats the résumé [which is easy to do with a computer] based on the job requirements.
"Check out the company's Web site and see whether the style and terminology you're using are compatible with the organization.
"Don't include anything that might cause an employer to screen you out before an interview. For example, a mature applicant such as Caudle should not include a photograph, which brings undue attention to age.
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"She should include references only if required upon submission of the résumé, and cut the document's length by half.
"Also, I can't emphasize enough how important networking is to a job search. Caudle should develop a target list of at least 50 organizations and work any contacts she may have to get ahead of job openings. A large percentage of jobs are filled without a need for advertising."
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