Calgary Job Search Strategies Forum Report
Discussion
A participant asked Jeff Summers about scanning technologies for resumés. She said that the advice she had from others had been to stay away from clichés. “Does scanning software look for specific words?” Summers said scanning software does search for different specific words, like when searching on Google. “Most job search engines do the same thing, like Monster or Workopolis,” he said.
Another participant asked if it is possible to make changes after posting a resumé online. “If I send my resumé and later I review it more carefully and decide to do some changes, can I send my resumé again? Is it okay to send it twice and change the wording?” Summers said many big companies will only take a CV once, but some companies will let an applicant edit a previously submitted resumé. Sending the same or a similar resumé twice would not be a problem and would not likely be seen as a mistake. However, if two different resumés are posted, the company will likely not call.
The participant asked what would happen if she was posting for two different positions. “It depends on the company. In some cases you can apply to multiple positions,” Summers said. Dillon told participants to take the time to polish their resumé and then send it in so they put their best foot forward. “You can apply and tailor your resumé to match those jobs,” she said.
Dillon said that as a “best practice participants should send thank-you notes to employers after interviews.” She asked Summers to suggest appropriate wording for a thank-you letter. He said participants could write notes such as, “Thank you for taking the time to talk with me,” or “I appreciate the time you took to talk with me,” or “Meeting with you reaffirms my desire to join your company.” Summers said it is fine to email a thank you letter.