Company profile
Lowe’s
Lowe’s Home
Improvement
Many companies have recognized the importance of
sustainability and diversity issues to their recruiting
success. How important are they to your company’s
business operations?
Nora el-Khouri spencer, senior College Recruiter,
Lowe’s Companies, Inc.
Nora.spencer@lowes.com
A
lot has changed in the world of home hand with our commitment to Diversity. If looked at 100 other resumes that day. For one
improvement since Lowe’s started as Lowe’s is going to remain competitive, we thing, formatting is important. A good resume
a small-town hardware store 63 years have to have a workforce that reflects our doesn’t need to be “fancy”, but it’s vital that it
ago. Some trends have stood the test of time broad array of customers. be easy to read and follow. A common fault of
while some have left us wondering what our MBA-level candidates is to “fluff” the beginning
mothers and fathers were thinking! (Plush How would a candidate impress you? of the resume, either with a wordy objective or
kitchen carpet?) I’m asked this question frequently, and the a laborious listing of all their qualifications.
But with all the changes we’ve seen, the answer depends on where you are in the Keep your intros simple and relevant.
most important part of Lowe’s business that consideration process. As for resume content, less is more. That
has evolved over our history is our customer. First, the resume… As any recruiter will doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to keep
Today, Lowe’s customers are men and women tell you, one requisition could potentially draw the resume to one page, but do try to keep it as
from all backgrounds, so we are challenged hundreds of resumes, many of which are concise and understandable as possible. Most
daily with providing a broad range of products highly qualified. So the question becomes, recruiters like looking at a chronological work
and services that will appeal to everyone who how do I stand out in the crowd? history because it’s simply easier to scan
walks through our doors. The fact is, not only Since most application systems (including through. Remember, recruiters are the front
do we value diversity, we line, and your resume has to
rely on it. pass through them to get to the
From a recruitment hiring manager. While the
standpoint, Lowe’s hiring manager may be
recognizes that a workforce impressed by a wordy
with diverse talents and explanation of what you did at
thoughts will be better able your last internship, the
to live up to our vision, which recruiter isn’t trained (and
is to provide customer-valued likely doesn’t have the time) to
solutions with the best prices, decipher the jargon and will
products and services to simply move on.
make Lowe’s the first choice Keep in mind too that
for home improvement. A when your crafting the
few years ago, we made a descriptions of your
decision to change our experience, be sure to think in
slogan from “Improving terms of “key words” (as in, the
Home Improvement” to one exact words that describe your
that better reflects our knowledge, skills and talents
commitment to helping and are applicable to what the
people not just improve their homes, but Lowe’s) are automated these days, the job posting requests.) For instance, if you’re
enrich their lives. We settled on “Let’s Build important thing to do is to look at it from a applying to a management level position, you
Something Together”. That concept of recruiter’s perspective. Ask yourself how you can bet that your resume won’t get a second
building something together goes hand-in- would view your resume if you’d already look if you don’t have the word “manage” in
38 TopMBA CAreer Guide www.topmba.com

TopMBA CAreer Guide www.topmba.com 39
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