No matter how large the company, if the HR department does not know the criteria upon which the hiring manager will base their decision in a specific hiring situation, that's trouble right there.
But it's like anywhere else -- if the HR people are motivated to do their jobs, they'll make sure they do indeed understand what the job description means and what kind of person they're searching for. If they don't bother to do that, they'll soon get another opportunity because the position will either not be filled or the hired individual won't work out. I have sometimes received good recommendations from HR, other times off base suggestions of who they thought would fit. When their choices didn't jive with mine, I spoke with them to get us like-minded -- the hiring manager has a responsibility to properly convey their requirements after all. I've worked with good recruiters and bad; the good ones save you time but still can't do the hiring for you. The bad ones complicate an already tough process. Despite all of that, the candidate who presents an application that clearly gets the company's attention and demonstrates that s/he meets their needs is going to be successful more often than not. I got jobs not because I sent a goofy resume, but because I sent a resume that immediately spoke to their needs and culture. Even a thickheaded recruiter or HR department could see that I had something to offer and was worth considering. --Beth -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Gene Kim-Eng Sent: Friday, August 03, 2007 10:53 AM To: tcp@techcommpros.com Subject: Re: [TCP] How long should a resume be? That would include most any company with more than 20 or 30 people, including most of the ones I've worked for. No large company's HR dept can be very well "tuned to the needs of the hiring manager," and with the sheer volume of resumes that come in for every listing, most medium companies' HR can't be either. They have to run with the job description the manager provides, and even some of the best pubs managers I know get all tongue- tied when it comes to describing their ideal writer. I usually tell recruiters and other screeners to send me any candidate whose resume *or* cover letter seems promising, and after all the "promising" candidates have been selected to bundle all the rest up and send them as well. At times this has resulted in my finding someone the screeners missed, but most of the time the result is just a full mailbox and no hidden gems. And even if my "last chance" screen does turn someone up, that person's resume probably isn't going to get seen until *after* I've interviewed all of the initially "promising" candidates and not hired *any* of them. I'd like to think I have the imagination to see a "nonconformist" resume's good qualities, but first I have to see the resume. And anytime I'm in a position to have an opening, it usually means that I'm really short of spare time to read many resumes. Sucks, doesn't it? Gene Kim-Eng ----- Original Message ----- From: "Beth Agnew" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Your advice is good, but not for me. :-) I don't want to work for a company > that has its computers make the first selection, or that has contracted with > short-sighted recruiters, or that employs HR people who are not tuned in to > the needs of the hiring manager. I don't conform well. I make it obvious > with my resume. Some employers see that as an asset, and that's who I want > to work for. ______________________________________________ Author Help files and create printed documentation with Doc-To-Help. New release adds Team Authoring Support, enhanced Web-based help technology and PDF output. Learn more at www.doctohelp.com/tcp. Interactive 3D Documentation Parts catalogs, animated instructions, and more. www.i3deverywhere.com _______________________________________________ Technical Communication Professionals Post a message to the list: email [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, unsubscribe, archives, account options, list info: http://techcommpros.com/mailman/listinfo/tcp_techcommpros.com Subscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Need help? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] Get the TCP whole experience! http://www.techcommpros.com ______________________________________________ Author Help files and create printed documentation with Doc-To-Help. New release adds Team Authoring Support, enhanced Web-based help technology and PDF output. Learn more at www.doctohelp.com/tcp. Interactive 3D Documentation Parts catalogs, animated instructions, and more. www.i3deverywhere.com _______________________________________________ Technical Communication Professionals Post a message to the list: email [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, unsubscribe, archives, account options, list info: http://techcommpros.com/mailman/listinfo/tcp_techcommpros.com Subscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Need help? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] Get the TCP whole experience! http://www.techcommpros.com
