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The Yes Resume

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Content provided by Ray Zinn. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Ray Zinn or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

If you had more than four decades of experience and knew all there was to know about hiring people for important positions, what would you say described a winning resume? Let’s ask Ray Zinn in this Tough Things First podcast.

Rob Artigo: Ray as CEO of Micrel, I’m very interested in your take on this, and you were involved in management your entire adult life, basically at different levels, and obviously the longest period was as CEO of Micrel, semiconductor for 37 years. So you’ve seen your share of resumes for everything from the entry-level positions to the second-in-command at Micrel, for example. I just want to pick your brain a little bit about the kinds of things that you like to see and you don’t like to see. Are resumes your first impression of an applicant? Or do you get something before the resume that gives you a hint as to whether or not you want to talk to this person?

Ray Zinn: Well, the first thing I do, of course, is look at what the job opportunity is so I can size it. Otherwise, I say, “Okay, this job requires a certain education. It requires a certain amount of experience.” And then I kind of put in my mind what the ideal candidate should look like. In other words, whether they’re going to be a janitor as you would, or they’re going to be a vice president. And so I know in my mind, excuse me, what I’m looking for before I actually begin the interview process. Then getting that description out to the public as you would, whether it be through LinkedIn or X or however you use, whatever media you use to get your job opportunity out there, you want to make sure it properly explains what you anticipate.

So if you over exaggerate what you want, in other words, if you say, “I need a PhD,” when I only need a high school graduate, that’s going to discourage some applicants and knowing that, but you’re liable to attract the wrong kind of applicants. Because an applicant, when he looks at that job description, can say, “Well, this doesn’t require a PhD. This company must be a bunch of bozos.”

So you want to make sure that your requirements, the needs of the job are realistic. In other words, don’t exaggerate what’s required for the job. Because you’re going to get the wrong kind of candidates when you put out there the wrong requirements for the job. So that’s the first key is if you’re the hiring company, make sure that your description is realistic. If you get the wrong applicants coming in, you’re going to be wasting your time and you’re wasting their time also. Okay, so that’s the first thing is make sure that your requirements are properly identified. Don’t underestimate them and don’t overestimate them as you would. Be realistic. Look at other apps that are, I mean, other job descriptions for a similar job, and that’ll give you an idea of some of the requirements of your competitors. Okay, now let’s go to, we’re switch hats here and you’re going to become the applicant for that job.

Okay, so what happens is that remember that the hiring company is going to be what we call skeptical. I mean, the first thing is that remember, they’re going to be skeptical. You’re not going to be preaching to the choir. You’re going to be preaching to people who are not going to believe what they read. And so you want to make sure that you know that you’re preaching to a skeptic, okay? So make sure your resume is very, very, very, very realistic. I can’t emphasize that because they can tell from reading your application or your resume, they can tell whether you’re blowing smoke or whether you’re a very humble person. You want to look humble. So don’t exaggerate what you’ve done or what you can do. Be humble, make the application or the resume, make it look like you think it’s a privilege to go to work for that company and then what you anticipate learning. So again, don’t blow smoke, okay? You want to appear very realistic and very humble in your application on your resume.

Rob Artigo: Is it a good idea to tweak your resume, not just send the same one out to everybody, but know the audience that you’re going to be pitching to, whoever the hiring company is, tweak it, maybe skew it a little bit in the direction of what you believe that company might want as opposed to a different company?

Ray Zinn: Well, sure, because you have the job description, I mean, that’s been posted, so you already know what they’re looking for. So don’t have what we call a canned resume. You want your resume or the application that you send in, you want it to be matched where they’re headed. In other words, what they want to see. Don’t make it a canned resume or canned response. You want to ensure that your capabilities match what the job description is requiring, and they can tell that too if it’s just a canned resume. And so if you’re not skewing your resume or your application to the job, they can know that. Yeah, I would make that very, very specific to the job opportunity.

Rob Artigo: Yeah, it’s worth the time, I think. And also there has to be for you, one of the things that one, two, whatever those things are that you hate to see on a resume that automatically makes you not want to call somebody in for an interview.

Ray Zinn: Well, sure. I mean, if you exaggerate your work experience, and I can tell that, I mean, I can see, especially if I really have done my job description properly, I can tell if you’re exaggerating your education or your experience, and I’m also very dubious people who puff themselves up as you would that pump and dump thing where you just pump yourself up. Because you’re not going to sound humble. So the last thing I want to see is a resume from a person who’s just pumping themselves up.

Rob Artigo: It can be a minefield in that respect because some people feel like, well, you have to go in there and show confidence, but you don’t want to go in there and show overconfidence. Obviously, somebody who goes with a has salary range that they want on their resume. I’ve seen that. I don’t know why people do it. The job description probably already has a salary range on it. You don’t need to put it in there. That can be a problem. But also if you really don’t do any work on your resume and it’s just a bland, flat piece of paper, you didn’t work at it. I’ve noticed also, what do you think about length of a resume if it’s three pages long.

Ray Zinn: One page. Okay, one page. And you want to hit the highlights of what you can do, avoid overstating what you have done or what you can do. You want to come across with just the simplest, straightforward details that will catch the eye of the reader and invite you in for a resume or personal interview. So one page, the best resumes are a page long.

Rob Artigo: I want to also say that you mentioned that before you even do the job description, you’re getting an idea of what that person looks like. And by that you mean the whole person. You’re not talking about what they physically look, but what they, is this person going to be right for these jobs? And it has nothing to do with race or gender or anything like that, and it’s just your standard operating procedure is make sure I know what kind of person’s going to fit well in this position.

And I just wanted to point that out for our listeners. There was also something that I saw once in a resume where the person at the start at the top of the resume talked about goals. It said, “I don’t want to work with a team that has a certain number of race color people, white people or whatever on it.” They wanted to work with a diverse team that had a transgender person and an alternative lifestyle people, depending on how you want to look at it. But it was a very odd thing to have on a resume. Does that concern you deeply when somebody puts that kind of demand?

Ray Zinn: Yeah. I mean, well, again, you don’t want to talk about what you do and don’t want. You can’t say, “Well, I want to work for a company that’s ethical.” I mean, that’s obvious. I mean, don’t state the obvious and also don’t state things that are going to raise a red flag like I only want to work for a diverse team. I don’t want to work for all white or all black or whatever. You don’t want to state what you want and what you don’t want. Just stick to the facts, as they say, “Stick to the facts, buddy.” And they’re going to do reference checks on you anyway, and you want to make sure the reference checks match what you’re saying, who you are. And so again, just state the obvious, how it matches the requirements of the job, and then hopefully they’ll bring you in for a personal interview.

Rob Artigo: Yeah, Concise resume that is tailored to the job you’re applying for. So tweak your resume and of course, don’t make any of those major mistakes that’ll raise red flags that you might be a difficult person.

Ray Zinn: Let’s bring up another comment because of the oftentimes is a Zoom type of interview as opposed to a personal. So in a Zoom, make sure that where you are, where you’re doing the Zoom properly reflects how you want to project. I mean, if you’re, you’re doing it from your home and it’s a mess in your house, that’s going to be a turnoff. So make sure that whatever location you’re using to Zooms the interview gives a proper indication of who you are. So I’ve heard a lot of Zooms that find out pretty clearly what kind of person this is, how they’re dressed, and I’ve even heard of them doing a Zoom with their pajamas on and with their hair up and curlers, so to speak. So make sure that how you come across in a Zoom, especially if it’s a video Zoom, not just on audio that, your room, the location that you’re doing the interview from is proper and that you’re dressed properly.

Rob Artigo: The listeners can join the conversation at toughthingsfirst.com. Questions and comments are always welcome. Follow Ray on X, Facebook and LinkedIn, and of course, pick up Ray’s books, Tough Things First, and the Zen of Zen series one, two, and three. Also on sale now, The Essential Leader. Ten skills, attributes, and fundamentals that make up the essential leader. Thanks, Ray.

Ray Zinn: You’re welcome, Rob. Thank you.

…   continue reading

90 episodes

#Marketing #Ray Zinn #Business #Entrepreneur
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The Yes Resume

Tough Things First

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Manage episode 504174912 series 167730
Content provided by Ray Zinn. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Ray Zinn or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

If you had more than four decades of experience and knew all there was to know about hiring people for important positions, what would you say described a winning resume? Let’s ask Ray Zinn in this Tough Things First podcast.

Rob Artigo: Ray as CEO of Micrel, I’m very interested in your take on this, and you were involved in management your entire adult life, basically at different levels, and obviously the longest period was as CEO of Micrel, semiconductor for 37 years. So you’ve seen your share of resumes for everything from the entry-level positions to the second-in-command at Micrel, for example. I just want to pick your brain a little bit about the kinds of things that you like to see and you don’t like to see. Are resumes your first impression of an applicant? Or do you get something before the resume that gives you a hint as to whether or not you want to talk to this person?

Ray Zinn: Well, the first thing I do, of course, is look at what the job opportunity is so I can size it. Otherwise, I say, “Okay, this job requires a certain education. It requires a certain amount of experience.” And then I kind of put in my mind what the ideal candidate should look like. In other words, whether they’re going to be a janitor as you would, or they’re going to be a vice president. And so I know in my mind, excuse me, what I’m looking for before I actually begin the interview process. Then getting that description out to the public as you would, whether it be through LinkedIn or X or however you use, whatever media you use to get your job opportunity out there, you want to make sure it properly explains what you anticipate.

So if you over exaggerate what you want, in other words, if you say, “I need a PhD,” when I only need a high school graduate, that’s going to discourage some applicants and knowing that, but you’re liable to attract the wrong kind of applicants. Because an applicant, when he looks at that job description, can say, “Well, this doesn’t require a PhD. This company must be a bunch of bozos.”

So you want to make sure that your requirements, the needs of the job are realistic. In other words, don’t exaggerate what’s required for the job. Because you’re going to get the wrong kind of candidates when you put out there the wrong requirements for the job. So that’s the first key is if you’re the hiring company, make sure that your description is realistic. If you get the wrong applicants coming in, you’re going to be wasting your time and you’re wasting their time also. Okay, so that’s the first thing is make sure that your requirements are properly identified. Don’t underestimate them and don’t overestimate them as you would. Be realistic. Look at other apps that are, I mean, other job descriptions for a similar job, and that’ll give you an idea of some of the requirements of your competitors. Okay, now let’s go to, we’re switch hats here and you’re going to become the applicant for that job.

Okay, so what happens is that remember that the hiring company is going to be what we call skeptical. I mean, the first thing is that remember, they’re going to be skeptical. You’re not going to be preaching to the choir. You’re going to be preaching to people who are not going to believe what they read. And so you want to make sure that you know that you’re preaching to a skeptic, okay? So make sure your resume is very, very, very, very realistic. I can’t emphasize that because they can tell from reading your application or your resume, they can tell whether you’re blowing smoke or whether you’re a very humble person. You want to look humble. So don’t exaggerate what you’ve done or what you can do. Be humble, make the application or the resume, make it look like you think it’s a privilege to go to work for that company and then what you anticipate learning. So again, don’t blow smoke, okay? You want to appear very realistic and very humble in your application on your resume.

Rob Artigo: Is it a good idea to tweak your resume, not just send the same one out to everybody, but know the audience that you’re going to be pitching to, whoever the hiring company is, tweak it, maybe skew it a little bit in the direction of what you believe that company might want as opposed to a different company?

Ray Zinn: Well, sure, because you have the job description, I mean, that’s been posted, so you already know what they’re looking for. So don’t have what we call a canned resume. You want your resume or the application that you send in, you want it to be matched where they’re headed. In other words, what they want to see. Don’t make it a canned resume or canned response. You want to ensure that your capabilities match what the job description is requiring, and they can tell that too if it’s just a canned resume. And so if you’re not skewing your resume or your application to the job, they can know that. Yeah, I would make that very, very specific to the job opportunity.

Rob Artigo: Yeah, it’s worth the time, I think. And also there has to be for you, one of the things that one, two, whatever those things are that you hate to see on a resume that automatically makes you not want to call somebody in for an interview.

Ray Zinn: Well, sure. I mean, if you exaggerate your work experience, and I can tell that, I mean, I can see, especially if I really have done my job description properly, I can tell if you’re exaggerating your education or your experience, and I’m also very dubious people who puff themselves up as you would that pump and dump thing where you just pump yourself up. Because you’re not going to sound humble. So the last thing I want to see is a resume from a person who’s just pumping themselves up.

Rob Artigo: It can be a minefield in that respect because some people feel like, well, you have to go in there and show confidence, but you don’t want to go in there and show overconfidence. Obviously, somebody who goes with a has salary range that they want on their resume. I’ve seen that. I don’t know why people do it. The job description probably already has a salary range on it. You don’t need to put it in there. That can be a problem. But also if you really don’t do any work on your resume and it’s just a bland, flat piece of paper, you didn’t work at it. I’ve noticed also, what do you think about length of a resume if it’s three pages long.

Ray Zinn: One page. Okay, one page. And you want to hit the highlights of what you can do, avoid overstating what you have done or what you can do. You want to come across with just the simplest, straightforward details that will catch the eye of the reader and invite you in for a resume or personal interview. So one page, the best resumes are a page long.

Rob Artigo: I want to also say that you mentioned that before you even do the job description, you’re getting an idea of what that person looks like. And by that you mean the whole person. You’re not talking about what they physically look, but what they, is this person going to be right for these jobs? And it has nothing to do with race or gender or anything like that, and it’s just your standard operating procedure is make sure I know what kind of person’s going to fit well in this position.

And I just wanted to point that out for our listeners. There was also something that I saw once in a resume where the person at the start at the top of the resume talked about goals. It said, “I don’t want to work with a team that has a certain number of race color people, white people or whatever on it.” They wanted to work with a diverse team that had a transgender person and an alternative lifestyle people, depending on how you want to look at it. But it was a very odd thing to have on a resume. Does that concern you deeply when somebody puts that kind of demand?

Ray Zinn: Yeah. I mean, well, again, you don’t want to talk about what you do and don’t want. You can’t say, “Well, I want to work for a company that’s ethical.” I mean, that’s obvious. I mean, don’t state the obvious and also don’t state things that are going to raise a red flag like I only want to work for a diverse team. I don’t want to work for all white or all black or whatever. You don’t want to state what you want and what you don’t want. Just stick to the facts, as they say, “Stick to the facts, buddy.” And they’re going to do reference checks on you anyway, and you want to make sure the reference checks match what you’re saying, who you are. And so again, just state the obvious, how it matches the requirements of the job, and then hopefully they’ll bring you in for a personal interview.

Rob Artigo: Yeah, Concise resume that is tailored to the job you’re applying for. So tweak your resume and of course, don’t make any of those major mistakes that’ll raise red flags that you might be a difficult person.

Ray Zinn: Let’s bring up another comment because of the oftentimes is a Zoom type of interview as opposed to a personal. So in a Zoom, make sure that where you are, where you’re doing the Zoom properly reflects how you want to project. I mean, if you’re, you’re doing it from your home and it’s a mess in your house, that’s going to be a turnoff. So make sure that whatever location you’re using to Zooms the interview gives a proper indication of who you are. So I’ve heard a lot of Zooms that find out pretty clearly what kind of person this is, how they’re dressed, and I’ve even heard of them doing a Zoom with their pajamas on and with their hair up and curlers, so to speak. So make sure that how you come across in a Zoom, especially if it’s a video Zoom, not just on audio that, your room, the location that you’re doing the interview from is proper and that you’re dressed properly.

Rob Artigo: The listeners can join the conversation at toughthingsfirst.com. Questions and comments are always welcome. Follow Ray on X, Facebook and LinkedIn, and of course, pick up Ray’s books, Tough Things First, and the Zen of Zen series one, two, and three. Also on sale now, The Essential Leader. Ten skills, attributes, and fundamentals that make up the essential leader. Thanks, Ray.

Ray Zinn: You’re welcome, Rob. Thank you.

…   continue reading

90 episodes

#Marketing #Ray Zinn #Business #Entrepreneur

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