Why Free Resume Software, Templates, And Pretty Resumes Don’t Work
Why Free Resume Software, Templates,
And Pretty Resumes Don’t Work
With today’s technology and Google’s wealth of knowledge, anyone is able to just about learn and produce anything, making an air conditioner with some ice, a bucket and a fan just from a Facebook post to creating complex documents with youtube “how to series”. However there remains one subject, Résumés, which you cannot learn in 2 minutes or by using Free Resume Templates, this is due to the extreme volume of advice and texts which is usually outdated and not relevant to the particular industry or method of you application. With the influx of computer assisted technology to assist Human Resources with their job roles, which does not consist of reading 100’s of resumes day in and day out, in fact Healthfield (2014) explores what Human Resources actually do and states “A Human Resources generalist, manager, or director plays a wide variety of roles in organizations. Depending on the size of the organization, these HR jobs may have overlapping responsibilities. In larger organizations, the HR generalist, manager, and director have clearly defined, separated roles in HR management. These roles bring progressively more authority and responsibility in the hands of the manager, then the director, and ultimately, the Vice President who may lead several departments including administration.” In relation to the responsibilities of a Human Resource Executive, Healthfield states “Depending on the size of the organization, the HR manager has responsibility for all of the functions that deal with the needs and activities of the organization's people including these areas of responsibility. Recruiting, Hiring, Training, Organization Development, Communication, Performance Management, Coaching, Policy Recommendation, Salary and Benefits, Team Building, Employee Relations and Leadership. When you ask the question, what does the HR manager, generalist or director do, as you can see, the answer is a lot. The role bears responsibility for all of the processes and systems related to people in an organization. The role must support the work of managers who supervise and lead the work of these people.” (What Does a Human Resources Manager, Generalist, or Director Do?, 2014)
The situation was that I was looking for a resume template to do up my resume for a position I would like to apply for, during which time I encountered through a Google search the Microsoft Resume App, which was on special for $2.99 with a saving of $7.00. Being Microsoft I knew it was going to be of value however on the second look this is what I found. (Microsoft, 2016)
In the reviews we see the comment title “Nice Looking Resumes” which was submitted by Mark on the 4-9-2016. Immediately, my radars are alert and this creates concern. What is referred to by the general public as pretty or nice, generally is not going to be compatible to import with the particular software used, unless you are applying in person for a multimedia and graphic design position or as an emerging contemporary artist. (Microsoft, 2016)
As explored and noted by Forensic Wiki (2015) - “Software such as OpenOffice.org and Inkscape can import PDF files into their native formats” which is the same as the software systems used by recruiters also note directly after that “Unfortunately, this option can be quite cumbersome.” Meaning it is going to cause issues. If we look deeper we discover that the method used is referred to as Document Metadata Extraction, where the Belkasoft Evidence Center stated that the method “Extracts metadata from various Microsoft Office files (both 97-2003 and 2007-2013 formats), as well as Open Office documents. Besides, can extract plain texts (combining all texts from all XLS/XLSX/ODS pages and PPT/PPTX/ODP slides) and embedded objects. The tool can visualize pictures embedded in a document” (Document Metadata Extraction, 2015). Hence why you need a clean cut resume as the pictures effects the text which is being extracted.
Interesting to point out is that the same person Mark who rated the resume software 4 stars of out 5, comments “Wish it had better categories and resume type descriptions” this is also a concern as it will not be updated with the latest terminology which plays a vital part in achieving a successful application (Microsoft, 2016).
Another example of an intergraded software program is Alex Desktop for which notes the software is not intended for inexperienced users and “is an innovative and unique parsing solution that offers recruiters and other staffing professionals the ability to leverage Microsoft Outlook and manage all resumes, contacts, and candidates through their existing contacts folder. Put simply, ALEX runs within Outlook to convert all resume attachments into Outlook Contacts (vCards). After it is downloaded, ALEX searches through email attachments and parses resumes into categorized contacts within the user's Microsoft Outlook contacts folder. All contact information, including name, address, phone and email are included in the contact entry, with the full resume included in the contact notes. ALEX Desktop is compatible with Microsoft Outlook 2000-2007, with enhanced features being added on a regular basis. Currently in BETA, ALEX is now available as part of a free trial to all staffing and recruiting professionals. Up to 100 resumes converted to contacts per day” (Download.com, 2009).
Another option, I encountered from a website which looked great, very professional and tidy. Until I looked a little closer and noticed the formatting was an overseas model, the telltale sign here is the date. American Dates are generally displayed differently mm-dd-yyyy, and are generally to the right of the page and the English usually is displayed at the bottom of paragraph or information. Australian formatting is that the Date is the first information to be displayed (Super-Resume, 2016). This assists with psychological perceptions and elimination of negative thoughts for the employer should the application be made to a small business owner, just listing the name of the course you did is not acceptable, for all the employer knows is you completed 10 years ago and only remembered the name of the course as it was on your old resume.
Another difference with Australian resumes is they are meant to by designed to show a story so to speak, this displays how you have reach your current employment position, this is why being involved in community organisations and volunteering is an asset to your resume, it shows your selfishness, willingness and desire to make the world a better place. Also it displays your integrity and self-ambition to learn new things. Whilst the fact you are involved in community organisation provides you with a huge range of skills and abilities, including the ability to work for free within a sociological context, which for an employer can be a great asset and morale to the team.
Meanwhile what was once an effective way to manipulate potential employers by selling yourself in a classic novel or essay form this proves to be detrimental as the fill in words prevent the skills, abilities and tasks being display from the software extraction, so should you be applying for an aged care position, the hirer search results will display “With my first aid skills I was able to help others by providing first aid to colleagues and customers who injure their self within the store, I also maintained the first aid box and promoted a safe working environment to prevent any injuries to colleague to ensure no workers compensation cases which could cause detrimental effects to the business and result in people suffering unnecessary ” so when the hirer searches for first aid the search will return and display on the screen “was able to use my first aid skills to put him into the recovery”, rather than having a skill based resume whereby you list the skills and abilities you have used in the position. Which would result in the search for first aid to bring up “First aid, developed interpersonal and communication skills, empathetic and understanding”.
Which of the following to statements provides the most information for a hirer?
“With my first aid skills I was able to help others by providing first aid to colleagues and customers who injure their self within the store, I also maintained the first aid box and promoted a safe working environment to prevent any injuries to colleague to ensure no workers compensation cases which could cause detrimental effects to the business and result in people suffering unnecessary” OR
“First aid, developed interpersonal and communication skills, knowledge, understanding and ability to implementation of WHS policies and procedures, ensure quality control standards are implemented, use of manual handling techniques and customer service skills, ensure compliance of company values and maintain professional development through relevant subscriptions Did you end up with a list like this? 1. First Aid, can count and order products, knows what a safe environment consists of, cares for others 2. First Aid, is aware of interpersonal and communication skills, knows WHS policies and procedures, understands quality control, has experience in manual handling and customer service, has professional conduct and abides by code of ethics.
On this note who would you call in for an interview?
Works Cited
Document Metadata Extraction. (2015, 07 29). Retrieved from Forensics Wiki: http://forensicswiki.org/wiki/Document_Metadata_Extraction
Download.com. (2009, 11 23). Alex Desktop for Outlook. Retrieved from Download.com: http://download.cnet.com/Alex-Desktop-for-Outlook/3000-18484_4-10966639.html
Forensic Wiki. (2015, 12 05). PDF - Forensics Wiki. Retrieved from Forensics Wiki: http://forensicswiki.org/wiki/PDF
Heathfield, S. M. (2014, 12 06). What Does a Human Resources Manager, Generalist, or Director Do? Retrieved from About Money: http://humanresources.about.com/od/jobdescriptions/f/hr_job_mgr.htm
Microsoft. (2016, 05 30). CV Resume Builder. Retrieved from Microsoft Store: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/apps/cv-resume-builder/9nblggh3g4lp
Super-Resume. (2016, 05 27). Free Resume Builder. Retrieved from Super-Resume: http://www.super-resume.com/
© Australian Online Résumés and Career Consultancy 2016 Created 30/5/16 Written by Patricia Gorman
