One person's "coordinator" can be another's "manager."
That can be a big problem if you list your job titles on your resume, or on an application, and they give the wrong impression to a screening recruiter. The answer, say experts, is to emphasize competencies gained through work, training and education.
In some cases, an individual has a wealth of relevant experience but the titles they have held appear to be too junior to make them eligible for a higher level position. "It's important for such candidates to emphasize the scope of the responsibilities they've had," says Abby Locke, president of Premier Writing Solutions, LLC, an executive resume-writing and personal branding services company located in Washington, D.C. "If they can provide information about the staff size, budget, the number of programs they have put into place and their accomplishments it can show impact they've made," she says.
"Candidates can also explain in a cover letter that they have done senior work with junior titles," says Susan Geary, owner of 1st Rate Rsums in Prescott, Ariz., and vice president of public relations for Career Directors International, a professional association for career professionals.
When individuals have non-traditional or specialized titles that fail to align with those common to the HR position being sought it is particularly important for candidates to make their experience clear to the person who is reading the resume, Locke says. For example, she says people sometimes get overwhelmed by military lingo. "You can put a comparable title in parentheses," she says.
"Some companies have strange titles," agrees Geary, who suggests using the phrase "also known as" when providing a comparable title.
Geary suggests that job seekers also add a keyword section to the resume that highlights duties and skills in hopes that it will be picked up by electronic resume screening systems.
Education and training must also play a primary role in demonstrating qualifications when an individual's titles may fail to impress recruiters, Locke says.
The same is true when a candidate has ample education and training related to HR but no direct experience. "When I write any resume for new college graduates, I go through the curriculum class by class, asking about projects they have done that are similar to real world experience," Geary says. This strategy can be used by those trying to make a career change into the HR profession or those who are trying to change from one specialty area of HR to another.
Job seekers should also look beyond their day jobs for proof of transferable skills. "Emphasize other leadership roles held outside the office, such as being in charge of fundraising," Geary says. Demonstrating the skills gained and results achieved from those external roles is particularly helpful when there's a lack of paid experience.
Locke says candidates should consider if other volunteer opportunities exist that can provide the same skill set and experience that employers are seeking, such as running the personnel committee for a religious organization.
When all else fails job seekers may have to consider whether they can take a lower level position to get into a particular industry or profession, Locke says.
Some may also want to get help from a career counselor. "An assessment can help underline and highlight the transferable skills they have," says Linda K. Rolie, principal of Career Services, a management consulting and counseling firm in Ashland, Ore. "That's one way in which a professional career counselor can help package their skills," she says. "Oftentimes candidates do have a wealth of experience, even through education, that they just haven't put the vocabulary to."
Networking naturally takes on special importance for those who have troublesome resumes. "HR job seekers need to maximize relationship-building within the profession," Locke says. Learning as much as possible about a profession like HR can help job seekers impress those with whom they interact.
"An organization like SHRM can help people who have performed HR tasks but who don't have the education or titles to demonstrate that experience," Geary says. After all, the best time to find a job is 10 minutes after someone quit, died or got fired.
Rebecca R. Hastings, SPHR, is online writer/editor for SHRM.