*Denver Newspaper Agency & HireDiversity.com*
Faced with the cruelest job market in years, some unemployed professionals are lowering their standards for the jobs they are seeking — and even toning down their resume to avoid seeming overqualified.
To try to land interviews, they are mum about master’s degrees they have earned and omit executive titles. Others leave out salary histories
and the year they graduated to appear more attractive to employers.
*Hiring staying slow*
Experts say it is a sign of the tough economy. The Denver metro unemployment rate averaged 7.6 percent through April. Job openings are scarce, competition for openings is heavy and no big hiring changes are anticipated for the area’s third quarter. In the Denver-Aurora area from July to September, 9 percent of employers plan to hire more employees, while 11 percent expect to reduce their payroll, according to the latest
Manpower Employment Outlook Survey for this region. The majority of businesses, 77 percent,
expect to maintain their current staff levels.
So, it is no wonder, that job-hunters are going bland to appear qualified for almost any work available. However, most experts do not think that is a good idea.
There are two primary concerns. Omitting resume information can be seen as:
– Lying. What else is this person being untruthful about?
– Leading to a dissatisfied employee and employer. How can a professional be happy doing work he probably does not like and is not suited for?
“It’s not the best way to start a relationship,” said David York, Denver Manpower branch manager. “We wouldn’t advise it. They could end up in a position that isn’t right for them.”
Instead, his staff would help job-hunters create a competitive resume or steer them to resources for resumes, interviewing and other
job-search information.
It’s hard to say whether leaving information off a resume is unethical. Generally, recruiters say it is smart to tailor a resume to different positions and to play up the strengths that would be a good match. Omitting details is not considered as serious as inventing qualifications you don’t have.
*Improving the picture?*
Some candidates do manipulate their resume facts by leaving some out so they don’t appear to be overqualified or overly expensive for
employers, and so they don’t give the impression they would be dissatisfied with the work and move on quickly. They also don’t want to appear to be qualified only for a small, rarefied niche job that is not in demand.
Some advisers do suggest omitting college graduation dates so hiring managers can’t immediately tell how long an applicant has
been in the work force.
Some candiates will not alter their resume and are holding out for a job that fits, like Lysa Schmidt, 50, who lost her job at Citigroup after 19 years. “I’m not going to take anything off my resume,” she said. “I’m not going to settle.”
Tough job market or not, most recruiters and resume experts agree with Schmidt not to tone down a resume. “You should never apologize for your experience and skills,” said Bill Reading of King Career Consultants. “Our advice is to be somewhat patient.”
It’s also tough to fool hiring managers, who can expose inconsistencies with a quick reference check. And, by including all credentials, recruiters can pair candidates later with a better position when it becomes available.
“As a general rule, I don’t recommend that folks accept jobs where the job requirement is much below where they have been,” said Gerry Kirkland of S.C.-based Global Recruiters Network. “It was a long, hard fight to get to that level. And, it’s going to be a long, hard fight to get it back.”
*Broaden candidate appeal*
– Customize your resume and cover letter for each opportunity. Play up skills and qualifications that would make you a good fit for the job.
– Consider putting your education and work experience on the second page of a resume, using the first page to highlight specific skills and accomplishments.
– Be careful when changing job titles. If your title was well-known or even on your business card, it might be hard to hide. Otherwise, you can make small
changes in how you phrase it.
– Be careful in deciding what information to leave out. Employers say it’s OK to omit work history from more than 15 years ago, for instance. But, if a hiring
manager sees gaps in your work history, or other missing pieces, it will raise questions.
– Don’t be deceptive. Hiring managers are tough to fool.
– Don’t panic. Try to hold out for a job that fits.