Resume Tips

The Paper Trail

I have policy that I clearly state for each staffing firm that I interview with, "Contact me before submitting my resume to any organization." ALWAYS!

A few years ago I was between contracts and, as usual, I was working with several staffing firms to find a new contract. A firm I had work with before called to discuss an opportunity at the parent company of a place where they had contacted me before. Both the staffing firm and the client were known quantities. So far so good.

I interviewed and they liked me. Even better.

On my first day, however, the HR manager dropped a bomb. Another staffing firm had submitted my 'paper' (an industry term for your resume) without telling me. The HR manager was in a bind; her policy said that the staffing firm that submitted the resume first got the contract but I was already in the door with another staffing firm. Not good. Now the HR manager has started to wonder if I'm some kind of problem.

For a while I wondered if I let two firms submit my resume to the same place!

That wasn't the situation in this case. The other firm did not ask my permission. I had to chew out the firm (gently) that did not ask my permission to submit my paper to the client, ensuring I would probably not get work through them in the future... which is probably for the better.

I think the rule about asking permission is a good one. In the situation described above the second staffing firm messed up. But, there are ways to ensure you don't mess up too.

Keep a log of where your 'paper' has been sent. Every time you send out your resume -- by mail (paper) or electronically -- record it in a log. Use a spreadsheet so you can resort the list. Enter the employer's name, the method you used to submit the resume (e.g. "monster"), the headhunter or staffing firm that submitted your resume, and the date.

Resume Activity Log

Employer	Method	Firm	Date Sent
ABC Computers	n/a	Staffing R Us	11-18-2005
...	Monster.com	n/a	...

With this log in place you can see exactly where your resume has been submitted, by whom, and when.