Legalities in giving resume advice to candidates

Here I am reviewing resumes and prepping them to submit to employers but notice some errors as well as verbiage that could call for more action. So I'm wondering what the legalities are when it comes to giving advice to candidates on revising their resumes? We are not currently working with a resume service company and if candidates choose not to use one, where do we draw the fine line on giving advice? I would like to help them polish it as much as possible and highlight their skills.

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Permalink Reply by Recruitnik on November 29, 2007 at 1:39am

I would be direct with the candidate. Tell them what you suggest. Legalities? Why should that be an issue if you are only suggesting better verbiage. It is your job as the recruiter to verify the information that is on the resume is accurate before submitting it to a client. There is nothing wrong with suggesting things your candidate can do to polish it up. If the resume is really that bad, you may really want to rethink about submitting this candidate to the company, it is your reputation and future job orders at stake.

Good Luck!

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Permalink Reply by Layla on November 29, 2007 at 12:22pm

Thanks for your reply Recruitnik.

People have been telling me I should advise and help polish resumes. It's not that the candidates are not qualified but rather, just need to tighten it together and make it look nice. Anyway, what I'm concerned about is - what if the candidate doesn't get the job? Then he/she comes back and says I gave him/her the wrong advice on the resume and that may be the reason why they weren't hired?? That's just a possibility and I'm trying to cover all my bases.... thanks!

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Permalink Reply by Recruitnik on November 29, 2007 at 1:04pm

Whenever I speak at Universities regarding resumes, the one thing I always tell students there isn't one perfect way to write a resume.

If you are not completely confidant in your advice to the candidate, why should they be? They are depending on you as the expert, you need to be one. You don't have to know everything, no one does, just know where to get the information. Have colleagues take a look at the resume and ask them what they would suggest.

Unless you are providing off the wall suggestions, I don't imagine you are, it is unlikely a candidate will come back to you because they feel that the reason they didn't get the job was because of your advice on the resume.

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Permalink Reply by Layla on November 29, 2007 at 1:14pm

Great, thanks for the confirmation. This will help me confidently move forward.

Aloha!!

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Permalink Reply by Layla on November 29, 2007 at 6:38pm

Yes, thats exactly what I was trying to figure out - we'd need candidate to sign off on my "referral" to use a resume company and that I am in no way responsible for the outcome/results but we are here to do our best to match them with the right employer.

I meant that if a candidate chooses not to use a resume service to revise their resume. Nothing big on that one.

Anyway, this was the answer I was looking for. It's a sue happy world :)