TOP 10 tips to help you get that Class 1 position you want

Before you apply to ONE more job Please PLEASE READ!!!
I am busy! Did you know, in addition to interviews, phone screens, social media management and “all other duties as assigned” I field over 1500 resumes a month, through multiple portals! I want to share what I am looking and how you can stand out from the rest! I am going to be blunt, and hopefully make you laugh with some of the examples that have come across my desk. This is what most of us think but are too polite to say.

1. LOOK AT THE JOB POSTING BEFORE HITTING APPLY!!!!
I cannot even tell you how many times I receive applications / resumes that are not even in the FIELD that I am looking for! Please review the job posting BEFORE HITTING APPLY – Don’t waste time, yours or mine!

2. BUILD A RESUME!!!
Put effort in! I put effort in when I create Job postings. Don’t disrespect my effort by not reciprocating! This cannot be new information.
You don’t have to be perfect. Write it out on lined paper and FAX it to me, legibility will be KEY here- please print clearly
Include personal details, preferably on the top of the page. (YOUR correct number that is IN service would be helpful) I cannot tell you how many wrong numbers, out of service numbers, your moms’ number or your EX girlfriends – she is also looking for you BTW 😉
State your Objective- Looking to continue my Class 1 driving career with a Larger organization. Is an  excellent example.
*HOT TIP* This is NOT an opportunity to slam previous companies- “Looking to stop working for ABC Trucking they pay peanuts and never on time and the owners wife couldn’t dispatch a cat out of a bag if her next meal depended on it and she’s a heifer that doesn’t skip an opportunity to eat”
*I’m not joking quoted exactly as I received*
You CAN be yourself in the objective “I tried retirement. I love my wife. I discovered I don’t like her that much. I’m not ready to commit to living with her just yet. Please let me go back long haul so that I can live in my truck and happily visit my wife as resets allow” That objective is honest and I called him, just because he made me giggle. He still works with us to this day
Include the qualifications in your resume.
*HOT TIP* they in the job posting!
If I have listed Rocky Mountains class 1 driving experience and tarping as an asset: your resume could Read:
ABC Trucking – June 2000 – Jan 2019 Professional Class 1 Driver
Driven Rocky mountain’s to MB Prairies
Full scope service – Tarping, dry bulk, Vans and Oversize
Did you notice the Dates above???
*HOT TIP* I am looking at years of service. Are you a JUMPER? Will you stay with me or jump ship after I have invested time and money into conversations and training?
*HOTTEST TIP* List more than on your resume than “Driver 25 years Call me” “Professional driver done everything call me” or my favorite “want job call plz”

3. BE HONEST IN YOUR OBJECTIVE!!! If you don’t have the qualifications I am looking for?
In the Objective, acknowledge that. “I am a brand-new class 1 driver; I am willing to do anything to get the experience you are looking for. I am looking for a company that will give me a chance to start my career and I will be a loyal and dedicated employee” or “I have just upgraded from a class 3 to a class 1. I have 10 years class 3 and some *unofficial* class 1 experience- willing to take anything” This may not get you the Job but this will get you a response – I WILL forward to any colleagues who may be looking. You took the time, made the effort – So. Will. I.  If you are looking for home time, more money, steady runs, different management, different dispatch, different scope of work … SAY SO clearly and respectfully!!

4. UPDATE YOUR VOICEMAIL!!! When I have selected your resume, I will call you. If I have to leave a message, I want to know I have the right number!
*HOT TIP* Keep your voicemail professional. If you have a mailbox that says “YOU obviously missed ME, leave a message and IF you don’t you can take your head and shove it up your ….”
(You think I’m kidding??) I never left a message nor did I take his instruction on what to do if I DIDN’T.

5. BE HONEST DURING OUR CONVERSATIONS!! -I know this is hard, you think I’m judging you… I am. 🙂  If you’re dishonest I will most likely feel like something is “off” and choose not to proceed. If you are dishonest about WHO you are and WHAT you want, you may get the job but it will delay the inevitable you won’t be happy and this relationship wont work.
Honesty helps me get to know you. I want to know what keeps you out on the road. Why you love it and why you hate to love it. I want to get a notion as to how you will work with my team. How many miles you want? What kind of home life balance you need to make relationships work? How much revenue you need to meet obligations? We will talk scope of work and pay. I want to know if WE are what you are looking for! During this conversation I need to confirm that you have more than a cab drivers’ licence. *Don’t laugh* I received a resume listing 25 years professional driving – I called them – Turns out Professional Cab driver 25 years *Facepalm* I need to know that your “professional experience” is more than Hot shot, 5 ton or Limousine *you still think I’m kidding?* During this first contact I am making you aware of our policies. I am making sure you meet the minimum requirements for insurance and safety standards. Further, I am ensuring that you will be a good “FIT” (more on that later)– Are you OK running the mountains? How do you like to be spoken too? How do you like to receive feedback? Do you joke? Are you serious? What can I tell dispatch and your prospective manager about you to help you?

6. DON” T TAKE IT PERSONALLY!!  This is harder than being honest – applying for jobs SUCKS! It speaks to our worth and it sucks being unemployed or employed unhappily. Adding insult to injury not being chosen or never getting a call from the millions of applications you submit –  Don’t they know how great you are???  There are many deciding factors, not the least of which. is FIT … I may have a team member that I know you will clash with; it may have NOTHING to do with you and more to do with THEM! We may not be able to offer the scope of work you want or the pay you need. We may not be able to accommodate home time needed or miles expected – I will tell you straight up. BELIEVE ME and don’t take it personally.
*HOT TIP* When I am honest with you, don’t swear at me and list all the ways you’re the best, I’m an idiot and I just missed the best driver on the planet then hang up on me. This wastes 7 minutes of your time (and mine) and only confirms that we indeed are not #theRIGHTFit

7. DRESS FOR SUCCESS– nobody likes to talk about it, but we are ALL judged on our appearance. You judge me on my appearance so, we are even 😉. This is an instinctual and part of our mammalian brain. It is our response to anyone who enters into close proximity. We evaluate threats, judge risks and determine friend or foe within the first 30 seconds of meeting. *HOT TIP* I know you work hard for your money and your clothing gets dirty. You throw chains, tarp loads, grease wheels and more. I have SO much respect for EVERYTHING that PROFESSIONAL Operators do. I know you have dirty jobs and you work in the elements. Maybe you don’t have a stain free shirt but find your best one. PLEASE shower BEFORE you come to see me. I know you live in your work clothing and I will trust that you approach me with your BEST
*HOTTEST TIP* If I believe I have met you at your BEST, what will I think you be like in the field? How will you present yourself to my customers? If you do not care for yourself how will you care for my equipment? If I hire you, and for unforeseen reasons you cannot continue employment with us will I have to burn the unit down to get the smell and dirt out?
I also don’t expect you to overdo it! LOL

8. DON’T BE AN ARROGANT JERK- I know you’re a class 1 Professional driver with experience. I know you have seen it all and done it all. Speak to me like I know this already. Try to refrain from peacocking, you have nothing to prove. You can’t impress me with stories *unless you saved a baby or rescued kittens from a burning home. Even then, I have Emergency responders in my family and I’ve heard those stories. Speak in ways that show you are open to learning and new experiences. Be open to training and online courses even though I know you have done them a million times and your bored out of your mind during orientation! Speak to me like I am a lady, and I will reciprocate with the respect that you not only deserve but have earned through the years of experiences you have. Speak to me like I have spent 10 years in the industry (because I have)

9. STOP TRYING TO NEGOTIATE AND MANIPULATE!!
The rates and scope of work are clearly set and communicated as per the division you choose. I understand that you have 25 years of experience and that is valuable. Let me explain the industry you are in, simply put – Rewards LOYALTY If you had stayed with the same company for that 25 years you would have a seniority bonus that would be unparalleled. Every company rewards years of service. Years in the industry are seldom recognized, it is years of service within a company. When you JUMP from job to job you are losing sight of the long-term gain. If you think I have ANY negotiating power on this issue I want to clear that up right now – I AM JUST AS BOUND TO THE CONTRACTS AS YOU ARE. Further, if I choose to hire you and you communicate to your management that I have told you anything to the contrary… you have morbidly underestimated the rapport I have with my team. The only thing you will achieve by making such statements is undermining your own credibility and respectability.

10. ENJOY THE PROCESS I know its long and tedious and it feels like the paperwork will never end. I know it feels like you are jumping through hoops and all you want to do is turn the wheels. I am in this business because I love people. I want to help people find jobs that fulfill them and support their families. Let’s enjoy getting to know each other – the more I can pass on to your dispatch and management team the more they are able to help you achieve your goals and help you as they will know you right out of the yard. I will tell you a secret – I hate the paperwork as much as you do! I need to know that you will complete it with diligence. I need to know this as an indication of how you will fill out your paperwork in the field –Paperwork is how we bill and collect from our customers and is also how we pay you!!!!
I strive for transparency and honesty when describing the positions available. I do not want to deceive you to fill a seat. I would rather have blunt conversations around FIT than to have you in the field talking smack about the nice blonde that sold you on a load of dispatcher brains and sail boat fuel. That kind of attitude and talk is toxic and it is a cancerous tumor in my #workfamily that I do not wish to feed.

In the end, I love my job because I get to be part of changing peoples lives, building their careers, putting food on the table and more. I am part of a great team of people and I want to do my best for them – providing like minded great people for them to work with. I am able to use my coaching abilities to help my applicants uncover and go after what they truly want – I am more than a recruiter, more than a coach more than a marketing specialist and I welcome every opportunity to grow in my field.

Reach out if you would like more info on what most recruiters are looking for but may be too polite to say!