Tips from a Recruiter

During a recent conversation with a Recruiter, I learned a couple of tidbits I thought I would pass along. Firstly, he confirmed my belief that recruiters prefer chronological résumés. A Recruiter likes to see exactly what you have been doing and for how long, and if you are applying for a work you haven’t done in awhile, they want to see how long it has been since you’ve done it. Some Recruiters also have a problem with gaps in your résumé. I think they truly believe that no matter how long you were off work or not working, you must have been doing something.

This particular recruiter I talked to said the first thing he looks at is education. Then he will scan the experience, and from there eventually make his way to the cover letter, if the other two pieces of information catch his attention. A large gap on the resume is acceptable if it was time taken to train or further educate you. His advice to any stay at home mom heading back to work is get a couple of upgrading courses on your resume, maybe a computer course, bookkeeping or something that relates to your field of choice. Resumes with recent training send him the message you are investing in your future, which means there is a better chance of him bringing your résumé forward to a potential employer.

Your comments are welcome.
Glen Slingerlands Skills 101/ Job Development