Job and Resume Must Match

by Ruth
(Ontario, Canada)

I am a principal of an elementary school and have been involved in hiring teachers, secretaries, custodians and educational assistants. I am the primary reviewer of all resumes and take the ones I believe meet the job requirements to the Human Resources Committee.

The best advice I can give to people when writing their resumes is to be clear, be correct and be honest. I don't have the time or the desire to decipher what you are trying to say.

Most jobs postings list the expected certification or experience of potential employees. If you belong to an organization or have a certification, list this clearly, I am not going to try to figure out your qualifications. If you don't meet these expectations, don't try to fudge this on the resume. If I even think someone is trying to fluff up their resume, that resume goes to the bottom of the pile.

Recently I have noticed that people are sending out mass resumes, applying to many jobs with the same resume. How do I know this? The objective line is either vague or does not relate to the job for which I am hiring. On a recent resume for a Grade 3/4 position in our school, the objective line stated the applicant was seeking employment in a high school. Obviously we were not interested in this candidate! Tailor your resume to the job you are applying for, read through it carefully and highlight anything that makes you appealing in that area. I am not going to read through you entire career history back to high school part-time jobs, just tell me related experiences.