With current unemployment levels, one would think the pool of applicants would be so gigantic that those companies looking to fill their open positions would be in heaven as they browse the plethora of applicants.  I have found one main error in this assumption.  Plethora of applicants, yes, absolutely.  Applicants with impressive, well-written résumés, that reduces the applicant pool by at least 75%.

It’s one thing if spelling and grammar are not the subjects that the applicants excelled in.  Spell check can help. Grammar is a bit tougher.  Spell check will not tell you if you’ve chosen the wrong word, which shines the light of a lightening rod on your ability to impress your prospective employer.  Hint: It is not all that impressive to see a sentence that is so poorly formed the reader is actually left wondering what it was the applicant was trying to say!

Don’t get me wrong, I am sympathetic to those on a tight budget who can’t afford to have their résumé professionally done.  In fact, I am grateful for that, because if a true professional put all résumés together, the screening process would be three times as long.  However, you can check out a book from the library on how to successfully write a résumé.  In fact, the library is so full of these books it is overwhelming.  Which means that if you, the job seeker, can’t take the time to do what it takes to put together a well-written résumé, then you are more likely not to take the time to perform your job all that well, either.

Lastly, I think it’s best not to apply for an open position and enter “any” on the application for position desired.  This just says you are desperately searching for a job–any job.   It doesn’t indicate that you are qualified in any way  for the specific job.  So if any of this inspires anyone to go back and redo their résumé, than you’ve made my day.  There cannot be too many articulate, well-written résumés in the world.  In fact, if you are pushed to make the effort, send them along to me!  Now…before I click “post,” I’d better go back and run my spell check!