Don’t Overlook The Person With The Scrappy Resume

The most unlikely job candidate may turn out to be the best worker you’ve ever hired. Here’s why you should give the person who has a less-than-impressive resume a chance.

Interview process image from Shutterstock

UPS director of human resources Regina Hartley said that she puts interviewees into two categories: Silver Spooners, individuals who have had the best education and are destined for success, and Scrappers, those who have had to fight against tremendous odds and may not have the best resume.

Scrappers may be people who have struggled to hold down a job, have a learning disability or have had to experience many hardships in life. According to Hartley:

“A resume tells a story and over the years I’ve learnt something about people whose experiences read like a patchwork quilt that makes me stop and fully consider them before tossing their resumes away,” Hartley said. “A series of odd jobs may indicate inconsistency, lack of focus, unpredictability — or it may signal a committed struggle against obstacles.
 
“At the very least, the Scrapper deserves an interview.”

She believes Silver Spooners are less prepared for the hard times they may encounter and some would consider certain types of assignments beneath them.

Hartley noted that some of the most successful entrepreneurs and business leaders were Scrappers, including Steve Jobs who had dyslexia, a scattered work history and never finished college. Hartley herself was also a Scrapper, having had a tough childhood, and has emerged as an executive at a major US organisation.

“I want to urge you to interview the scrapper,” Hartley said.

[Via TED]


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