How to Deal with Difficult Resume Requests
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You’ve been on the job market for some time, and most of the job posts you encounter involve similar instructions: submit a resume and cover letter to a specific address or upload these two documents to a company website. Done and done. So far, you’ve had no real trouble responding. But now you find yourself facing a new kind of request, one you’ve never seen before. Although you’re interested in exploring the job, the request is raising some concerns. Here are ways to respond to two different requests you may face.
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The Test of Patience
Instead of being asked to upload your entire document, you have to cut and paste each line of your resume into a separate series of tiny boxes. After each set of boxes, you’re asked to type a free-form answer to an open-ended question about your background or future plans. Halfway through the process, the site freezes, and you have to start over from the beginning. Fifteen minutes into the second try, it happens again. Are these employers testing your patience on purpose? Believe it or not, sometimes the answer is yes. Some employers like to set up a series of tedious hurdles that make the application process difficult to allow non-serious applicants to self-select. Your question is simple: are you really invested in this job? If you aren’t, stop wasting your time and turn your attention elsewhere.
No Instruction
Some employers forgo instructions altogether. If you encounter a post that offers no application guidelines and no contact information, that’s not a problem. If you really want the job, this won’t present an obstacle. Look the company up online and find a workaround. For example, call them by phone or send them a resume by mail. Some organizations have nothing to lose and everything to gain by making the process difficult or puzzling for their potential applicants. Again, before you proceed, determine how badly you want this job. If your interest is genuine and strong, move forward. If not, this isn’t the job for you. No matter which way you’re asked to submit your resume, make it look and read its best through our our resume builder.
