Is it possible for a recruiter or hiring manager to get the impression you are arrogant when reviewing your resume? Is it possible that your answers to typical interview questions, even the classic “tell me about yourself," leaves the interviewer the impression – maybe just a first impression – that you a self-absorbed – and arrogant?
The answer is yes – but it's not that easy because the lines can be very hard to define among confidence, humility, and arrogance.
Related:Would HR Managers Review YOUR Resume?
My interest in this is prompted by several resumes that I've been asked to critique recently – the last one in particular. The individual's resume was not very well constructed – but buried in document were some indications of a very accomplished individual. But what stood out on the resume on both my first (“first impression") read through and second very careful examination was my conclusion the person is clearly motivated by receiving formal recognition. The impression I could not ignore after multiple readings was that this person might be “arrogant," or at a minimum, is convinced that formal awards are a key part of his experience.
The conclusion that he's strongly motivated by formal rewards is good information – if I'm recruiting for an organization that, in fact, provides a high number of formal rewards. If not this might be a person to become quickly dissatisfied without receiving formal, “employee of the month" type awards. I believe there's a strong link between recognition and retention and a key part of that is knowing how an employee wants to be recognized.
Specifically, in this particular case, the resume listed six specific “awards." They were not included as the result of something he accomplished – although in fact they had to be. They were listed as specific “Experiences." He actually listed receiving the same award three different times. I'm personally familiar with this particular reward – but I'm proud of what I actually did to receive the award – not just that I received it. In this particular example, I can speculate from the “experiences" what led to the awards – but I can't be sure when multiple “experiences" are listed along with the award.
Recognition and awards should be on your resume
I am absolutely not saying that recognition and awards should be deleted from a resume. But they should be part of the results of something you did to earn the award – not just earning the award. Winning Sales Person of the Year is significant but that's not the job. How about these:
Generated $200+ million in sales in each of the last two years, increasing sales in one territory by 20% and opening a new territory the second year, earning Sales Person of the Year award both years.
Developed, implemented, including training 125 member sales force, an Excel-based sales reporting system that featured pivot tables and macro-based generation of reports. Decreased monthly reporting time by 8-10 hours per salesperson. Received annual “Sales Innovation" award.
These statements tell a recruiter or hiring manager what you did, specifics on the results, and how you were recognized for it. The second example also shows how you actually used an MS-Office tool –not just that you're “experienced" with it. It also prompts a recruiter's interest in wanting to know more about what you did and even what the competition for the award might have been.
What about the interview?
In some ways, the interview provides a clearer answer to this question of “arrogance." A candidate is asked the all-time classic question (and not particularly good question) to open the interview: “Tell me about yourself." The candidate responds, “Well, in my last job I won “Employee of the Month" three different times."
Or let's consider a really good interview question: “In your current position, tell me about your most significant accomplishment." And the response is, “Just last month, I was awarded the company's “Innovative Idea" award." Huh? I think it is clear these are not strong answers to either question.
Job seekers are encouraged to prepare and practice answers to possible interview questions. One of my mentors encouraged career seekers to prepare 40-50 shorts answers, C-A-R Mini stories, for each area of their careers, including school. These short answers should contain the Challenge, the Action Taken, and the Result. The result can certainly include any recognition received – but notice the recognition comes after stating the challenge and the action taken.
Another note
It should also be pointed out that they might be some suspicion about rewards and recognition – which further justifies including the information but not giving it primary focus. “Employee-of-the-Month" programs have been criticized by management gurus and ridiculed in television and films. Even some top notch award programs are viewed as “political" by some.
By simply acknowledging an award or recognition as part of a significant accomplishment, you are giving the recruiter or hiring manager the choice of following up on the details if desired. That puts the presentation of the recognition in a more “humble" perspective – and that itself deserves an award!
Jim Schreier is a management consultant with a focus on management, leadership, including performance-based hiring and interviewing skills. Visit his website at www.farcliffs.com.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by a CAREEREALISM-approved expert.
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.