Resume: Network Adminstrator

Professional Credentials

Challenge – Cisco certification  is a requirement for this role. It isn’t clear where this person was certified but it may have been outside of Canada. Would certification outside of Canada be equivalent? Should I screen this candidate out?

Solution – Certification in systems used globally, such as many IT systems, are intended to transfer between geographic locations.

International Experience

Challenge – The candidate is currently in Canada and has been employed at their current job for 8 months. While this role indicates that they likely possess many of the skills we are looking for, they are already seeking a new position, in a new location. Is it possible that the candidate is doing this because they are having difficulty working in a Canadian company? Should I screen the candidate out?

Solution – From the candidate’s resume you cannot tell why the candidate is seeking a new role in a different place. This could be for any number of reasons. The focus at the resume screening stage is to determine if the candidate meets the requirements to proceed to the next stage of the screening process. This should be done based on the overall resume, not just the work experience in Canada.

Challenge – The candidate’s resume indicates that they typically stay an average of one to two years in a role / at a company. They appear to have gone all over the world. Do they have the “travel bug”? Do they bore of a job easily? If I hire this individual, am I going to need to fill the position and re-train again in a year’s time? Should I screen the candidate out?

Solution – Experience in a number of different types of industries, in a number of different countries, and in a number of related roles could lead to positive outcomes for the organization that hires the candidate. The candidate likely has been exposed to a number of different ways to approach on-the-job situations and challenges, has learned how to interact with a range of different cultures, and has built a broad network of contacts.

Again, from the candidate’s resume you cannot tell why the candidate has changed positions and organizations. This could be for any number of reasons, ranging from lack of opportunity to develop to the need to explore a wide spectrum of opportunities before settling down for a longer term role. The focus at the resume screening stage is to determine if the candidate meets the requirements to proceed to the next stage of the screening process. 

I am not familiar with the organizations listed, let alone their reputations, and the role titles are confusing. Should I screen this person out?

If the role titles and job duties outlined appear to match the position posted, consider conducting a phone screening to determine if the candidate should proceed to the next level of the interview process. The intent of the phone screening is to address those aspects of the resume review process that the resume does not address.

Academic Credentials

Challenge – I am unfamiliar with this academic institution. I have searched online and haven’t been able to find a website for it; although I did find several references to it on social and professional networking sites. How can I assess the credibility of the education?

Solution –

First, determine if the educational credential is essential to the role.

If it is and the resume appears to be that of an otherwise qualified candidate, ask the individual to have his / her credentials evaluated. There are a variety of services that can be accessed for this purpose, and they are listed on the Assessing Academic Credentials page.

If you would like suggestions about how to make the request of this candidate, go here: Can I request that a candidate has his / her academic credentials assessed? Who pays for a candidate’s academic credential assessment?

Language Proficiency

Challenge – Overall the candidate’s use of the English language appears strong, but did the candidate write their own resume? The candidate indicates that they have professional working proficiency but there is no language proficiency assessment indicated. Further, they indicate that Arabic is their first language – what if they aren’t as proficient as they believe they are, or if their accent is so strong that it limits their ability to be understood? Do we need check language proficiency?

Solution – The candidate is currently working in Canada in a role which is similar to that for which you are hiring. Further, he has worked in a number of other roles in which English proficiency can be assumed (e.g., in companies that support international clients and for an organization in London). Based on this, it can be assumed that previous employers have deemed the candidate’s level of proficiency to be at a reasonable level of professional working proficiency.

Who pays for a candidate’s academic credential assessment?