Dear Sam: I was contacted by someone via email who claimed to be an executive headhunter. In the email, the headhunter states that a private equity firm has retained them to source someone in my field. There are few details about the position because the email states they want to see my résumé first. I imagine the person found me through LinkedIn. When I sent my résumé for consideration, I received a response that my résumé was not ATS compliant. I don’t understand why it would not be because I researched how to create an ATS friendly résumé, removed all formatting that could create issues, and essentially created a plain text version as I have seen you instruct readers to do before. When I replied to the headhunter saying that my résumé should be ATS friendly, they responded by telling me to format my résumé through a specific website. Have you seen this practice before? I don’t understand what they are asking me to do, so I am forwarding the emails to you. – James
Dear James: Thank you so much for forwarding the email chain so I could see the back-and-forth communications. Obviously, you understand the importance of creating an ATS friendly résumé, but in this particular instance, the emails you have received are a known scam. If you click on the website they suggest using to create your ATS résumé, it immediately asks for payment to turn your résumé into that format. Not only is the website completely outdated and full of misleading information, but a quick search online identifies the specific name of the sender in your emails as one of the known senders of the scam. I have seen this before under different company names and senders. Given the content’s nonsensical nature, you did the right thing by questioning the email’s validity. This is an excellent lesson for job seekers: if something doesn’t make sense, it probably isn’t accurate or real. Unfortunately, there are a lot of predatory practices in this industry, and thankfully, you didn’t fall victim to one of them.
Dear Sam: I am writing my resume and am receiving conflicting advice about what to include. I am reading through job postings and the position requirements and ensuring I include all the requirements pertinent to my background. When a posting calls for a college degree—which I do not have—should I list my high school diploma? Also, I do not possess all the technical skills required for some roles, but I am sure I can learn them quickly; what do I list in those instances? — Joe
Dear Joe: When reading through a job posting, be sure you are scanning the “requirements” but paying most attention to the actual description of the role. That section of the posting will represent the “language” you need to speak on your resume. The requirements are just that: requirements. A “qualified” candidate is expected to possess those requirements, so if that is indeed the case, you and your qualified competitors will be competing based on the uniqueness of your experience. That is the case 99% of the time, Joe. Requirements are “check the box” qualifications—you have them, or you do not. Your candidacy should be built on the uniqueness of your experiences, presenting those experiences in a “language” that closely mimics the job posting of interest or the theme of positions you are applying for.
Lastly, consider this: when it comes to technical skills, sometimes, less is more. If your technical skills are not your strongest suit, it might be better to omit them entirely. This leaves the question open as to whether or not you possess those skills. Similarly, with your education, stating your high school diploma doesn’t just say ‘I graduated from high school’; it also says ‘I did not attend college.’ Be strategic in what you include and what you leave out to ensure you’re not inadvertently disqualifying your candidacy.
