Trimming r & eacute;sum & eacute;s to essentials

Do you worry that your r & eacute;sum & eacute; reveals more than it should? Or that you appear overqualified just by providing your work history?
A man from an Asian country, who does not want to be identifiable to his current colleagues, has asked advice for this very situation. He has worked in the United States for six years as an information-technology project manager and holds a green card.
Before coming to the United States, he worked in his native country in supply-chain management for at least 12 years and earned the equivalent of a master's degree in engineering.
In our brief e-mail exchanges, I learned that he has a good command of English, although he makes errors in grammar and word choice. I also learned that he wants to leave the consulting company where he is working and settle down in a city where his children are preparing to attend college.
To begin his transition, he is circulating two r & eacute;sum & eacute;s. One describes him as a materials management professional with strengths in IT. This r & eacute;sum & eacute; runs six pages. The other r & eacute;sum & eacute; provides more detail about the IT work, while omitting the materials management work. This r & eacute;sum & eacute; is four pages.
The problem? Like many job seekers, this man is getting no bites.
Q. Why am I not even getting an interview?
A. Although I think your r & eacute;sum & eacute;s are too long, I won't blame their length for the lack of an interview. Before all else, job searches are a numbers game, and four responses to posted ads are not enough. So it's too soon to say why you haven't gotten an interview.
Q. Is it wrong that I mention all the projects that I worked on over 18 years for positions that seek three to five years of experience?
A. Yes, it might be wrong to provide so much information when only three to five years of experience is requested. For one thing, 18 years of experience, described in six pages, is overwhelming.
Remember that each employer needs only a small part of your background, so it isn't helpful to describe experience that won't be applied to the job at hand. Instead, describe accomplishments from previous jobs that demonstrate the key skills requested for the position.
Also, although it's important to anticipate the employer's concern about accepting a job below your skill level, I would prefer that you not include your answer in the r & eacute;sum & eacute;. Your comment about being near your children while they're in college only draws attention to the fact that you're downsizing your career.
Q. Most of the positions ask for either an associate degree or bachelor's degree, as opposed to my master's degree. Is this considered an overqualification?
A. For similar reasons, mention only your bachelor's degree on the r & eacute;sum & eacute; if an associate's degree is the education requested. Include certifications that are relevant to the work, but omit the extras.
Q. Though I possess a green card, is hailing from another country a problem?
A. It's difficult to know how employers feel about workers from other countries. You are right to note the green card on the r & eacute;sum & eacute;, along with solid references.
Q. Do these employers consider 18 years of experience as an indication of age?
A. I am almost certain that age discrimination is not a factor here. The problem is more likely a perceived lack of fit between your skills and their jobs. You're simply showing too many skills and not allowing the employer to see clearly the few skills that are actually needed in the position.
What to do
My advice is threefold:
UEdit both r & eacute;sum & eacute;s down to two pages. Put the details of your major projects onto an addendum to be shared at an interview.
UMake contacts within your target companies. This process could take several months or longer, but it's crucial to your success.
UFor future openings, revise your r & eacute;sum & eacute; to emphasize the skills that relate to each job, but don't provide personal information.
Given the tight market in both IT and manufacturing, and this job seeker's very specific target city, this job search could take a while to complete.
Patience, networking and a carefully crafted response to the needs of each position will be key.
XAmy Lindgren, the owner of a career-consulting company in St. Paul, Minn., can be reached at alindgren@pioneerpress.com.