A Resume Will Never Get You the Job You Really Want

Great post found at: https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140512122551-20017018-a-resume-will-never-get-you-the-job-you-really-want?trk=eml-ced-b-art-M-2-8001154777858896322&midToken=AQGRQim_gd7yaA&fromEmail=fromEmail&ut=2bB4RkSatm26g1&_mSplash=1

You send in your You send in your resume. You include a hopefully eye-catching cover letter. You ask someone to put in a good word for you.

Then you wait. And wait. And don't get the job.

Why? You didn't put in the work.

There are many things you can't control about the job seeking process. Cumbersome application systems, automated filters that identify keywords instead of talent, lazy hiring managers content to simply find round pegs for round holes, people who make the biggest hiring mistake of all....

But there is one thing you can control: the amount of work you put in.

If you're struggling to land the job you want, don't complain. Don't blame others. Sure, the system often sucks -- so accept it sucks and then figure out how to beat it. Commit to doing more. Commit to doing what other candidates aren't willing to do. That's how you stand out. That's how you get the job you really want.

Try this:

1. Determine the company you want to work for.

Obvious, right? Not really. Many job seekers play the numbers game and respond to as many job postings as possible.

Shotgun resume submissions results in hiring managers sifting through dozens of potential candidates to find the right person. (Good luck emerging from that particular pile.) To show the hiring manager you are the right candidate, you have to do the work.

Instead of shotgunning your resume, put in the time to determine a company you definitely want to work for, and then...

2. Really know the company.

Pretend I'm the hiring manager. "I would love to work for you," you say to me. What I actually hear is, "I would love for you to pay me."

You can't possibly know if you want to work for my company unless you know a lot about my company; that's the difference between just wanting a job and wanting an actual role in a business. Talk to friends, relatives, vendors, customers... anyone you can find. Check management and employees out on social media. When you know the people, you know the company. Learn as much as you can.

Then leverage what you learn and...

3. Figure out how you will hit the ground running.

Many companies see training as a necessary evil. Training takes time, money, effort... all of which are in short supply. An ideal new hire can be productive immediately, at least in part.

While you don't need to be able to do everything required in the job, it helps if the company can see an immediate return on their hiring investment. (Remember, hiring you is an investment that needs to generate a return.)

Identify one or two important things you can contribute from day one. Then...

4. Don't just tell. Show.

Put what you can offer on display. If you're a programmer, mock up a new application. If you want a sales position, create a plan for how you'll target a new market or customer base or describe how you will implement marketing strategies the business is currently not using.

A show and tell is your chance to prove you know the company and what you can offer. Your initiative will be impressive and you'll go a long way towards overcoming concerns that you're all talk and no action.

Is it fair you're doing a little work on spec? Should you have to create a mockup or plan in order to get the job? Not really and probably not... but doing so will definitely set you apart.

Never let "fair" -- when the only person "disadvantaged" is you -- get in the way of achieving your goals.

5. Use a referral as a reinforcement.

Business is all about relationships. We've all made made bad hiring decisions, so a referral from someone we trust is like gold.

You may have to dig deep into your network or even forge new connections, but the effort will be worth it.

Knowing that someone we trust is willing to vouch for you is a data point that often tips the decision scale towards giving you an interview... and even giving you the job.

6. Be the one who knocks.

You don't have to wait to be called for an interview. You don't have to wait for an opening to be posted; after all, you've identified ways you can immediately help the company you want to work for. Wrangle an introduction, meet with someone who can actually influence the hiring decision, and pitch away.

Think it won't work? It will -- as long as you show the person you contact how they will also benefit. Say, "I really want to work for your company. I know you're in charge of social media marketing and I've developed a data-driven way to analyze activities, ROI, brand awareness... I'd love to take you to lunch and show you. If you hate my ideas, at least you got a free lunch. If you love them, you learned something. What do you have to lose?"

A friend of mine who runs a tech company has hired four people in the last six months who approached him in a similar fashion. He's a go-getter; he loves hiring go-getters. And he loves when they find him.

Just make sure you go straight to describing how the company will benefit from hiring you. Say, "Your website is good but it could be a lot better. Here are changes I will make in the first month and here is how those changes will improve conversions and SEO results. And here's a mock-up I created of a new site design."

Approach them right and people will pay attention -- especially entrepreneurs and small businesses. I don't know any smart people who won't drop everything to learn how to improve their business.

7. Assert yourself.

Many people are poor interviewers. That's especially true for small business owners; many are terrible interviewers. (As a friend of mine says, "I don't work in HR. I run a business.")

So be direct and to the point. Explain what you can do. Describe your background. Don't talk about what the job will mean to you; talk about how the company will benefit from hiring you. Show you know working for their company is different (every company thinks they're different) and how you're excited by the challenge. Sell yourself: use what you know about the company and how you will make an impact to back up your pitch.

8. Ask for the job.

Most people don't mind being closed. Plus a decision put off until tomorrow is a decision added to the to-do list; no one wants more on their plates.

If you truly know you want the job -- and you should by this point -- ask for it. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Who knows: if you've worked hard to truly set yourself apart, you might get hired on the spot.

I know what you're thinking: That's too much work to put in, especially if there's no guarantee your extra effort will result in a job.

Flip it around. Doing what everyone else does is very unlikely to result in a job. Decide you will be different -- and then work hard to actually be different. Then you will stand out. Then you'll have a much better chance of landing the job you really want.

6 Eye-Tracking Secrets That Will Get Resumes Read

Helpful post on resumes tips found at:

http://www.careerealism.com/resumes-eye-tracking-secrets/

This article is part of an exclusive month-long program on CAREEREALISM to help readers break free of The Golden Handcuff Effect. Click HERE to learn more about the Professional Emancipation Project, a.k.a. The P.E.P. Talk.
Technology is giving us clues into how people read online resumes—how their eyes travel over the page, where they pause, what they move to next. Dr. Jakob Nielsen, a pioneer in the field of usability, conducted an eye-tracking study on the reading habits of web users. The research study displayed that participants exhibited an F-shaped pattern when scanning web content.

With this “F factor” in mind, when you are composing your resume, LinkedIn profile, cover letters, or other career-comm documents, think about how you can position key information and impressive accomplishments in these areas. Doing so will increase the likelihood of readability and comprehension for recruiters and hiring managers.
Here are six secrets to leverage the “F factor” in resumes:

1. Use Keyword In Headings And Subheadings

Choose keywords for headings and subheadings when possible. For example, instead of “Professional Experience” as a category heading on your resume, consider “Sales Management Experience” or “Customer Service Experience” or other appropriate title. As recruiters scan the resume headings, they’ll get an extra dose of the keywords they’re looking for.

2. Position Impact Statements Near The Company Name

Since readers look for company names and dates as part of their first impression, consider adding a key impact statement or accomplishment between the company name (on left side of resume) and the date (on right side of resume), as this example with yellow highlighting shows:

3. Lead With Info-Carrying Information

Front-load paragraphs and bullet points with info-carrying words, accomplishments, and/or numbers. For example, instead of saying “Developed strategy to boost untapped VA contract from $250K to $2.5M”, lead with “10-fold increase: Built VA contract from $250K to $2.5M.”

4. Use Graphics To Convey Key Information

Consider adding a graph or chart to convey important information. A picture IS worth a thousand words!

5. Keep Key Info Above The Fold

Keep the meatiest information up high on the page. Even though many resumes are read on a computer screen, the information near the first third to half of the page is still the most important real estate on the page/screen.

6. Center Important Points Near “F” Bars

Consider centering key information in a text-box, as the example below shows.

Review your resume today and consider potential tweaks to increase its readability. Getting the “F Factor” into your resume may earn you an “A” in your job search!

The P.E.P. Talk

This article is part of our P.E.P. Talk Series. Over the next month, some of the brightest and best authors, business professionals, and coaches are coming together to share their valuable advice for breaking free of “The Golden Handcuff Effect” so you can take full ownership of your careers and experience Professional Emancipation.

Careers author, speaker, and trainer, Susan Britton Whitcomb is a leading authority and media resource on career coach certification via www.TheAcademies.com.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

About Contributing Writer

Our contributing writers are professionals whose content was viewed as valuable and entertaining by our editorial team and deemed worthy of sharing with our readers.

Young And Unemployed? 3 Reasons Why You’re Not Getting Hired

Post that is insightful taken from:

 http://www.careerealism.com/unemployed-not-getting-hired/

About Belen Chacon

Belen is a journalism graduate student at California State University, Northridge. She spends her time interning wherever she can and tweeting her heart out. You can follow her @journobelen.

If you’re a college graduate and you’re unemployed, you might have an idea of what I’m about to talk about. You’ve spent four years of your life hitting the books, getting good grades, participating in relevant extra-curricular activities, and maybe even juggling a part-time job in between. You’ve worked really hard for your degree and you’ve been told time and time again that a degree is essential to finding employment in today’s competitive job market. So, why are you not getting hired?
First of all, you’re not alone. According to this survey by the U.S. Department of Labor, men and women from ages 20-24 are about 70.9% of the total population, but only 13.3% are part of the labor force. Though the unemployment rate has slowly declined for Bachelor degree owners, it’s still lagging. For that reason, the competition is fiercer than ever. This means you really have to re-evaluate your job search strategy.

3 Reasons Why You’re Not Getting Hired

Here are some reasons why you might not be part of the employed percentage just yet:

1. Your Resume Isn’t Job Specific

While it’s good to have a strong resume with all of your professional skill sets, your resume can become generic when all you do is send the same resume to every open position you find. Take the time to rewrite your resume on multiple occasions and use specific keywords that are in the job description.
According to an article on the Job Center of Wisconsin website, gathering information specific to the job you are applying for and matching it with your experience on your resume is what makes a good resume. You have to “Think like an employer,” the article states, “do not give unrelated or negative information.”

2. You’re Not Applying To Jobs That Are Specific To Your Skills

You have every reason to apply to every job in sight. Our economy, though steadily improving, is still lagging in jobs for recent graduates. Still, it doesn’t do you any favors when you apply to every single job you see and send the same resume to each one.
Apply to the jobs you want and are qualified for. After all, it’s what you studied for. Try to make a list of potential places you’d like to work for and target those companies any way you can. Use social media sites to find people you can network with, and keep an eye out for any open positions. You have a better chance at getting hired at a job where your skills are relevant than at a job you’re 100% unqualified for.

3. You Don’t Take Your Social Media Profiles Seriously

According to an article on the Undercover Recruiter, a survey of 300 professionals by Reppler found that “hirers are using social networks to screen job applicants.” This means you should clean up your Facebook and Twitter profiles to present a more positive, but more importantly, a professional image of yourself.
It might be in your best interest not to post that picture of you doing a keg stand as your default, or Tweet about how you hate looking for jobs because you’d rather be partying with your friends.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock

About Belen Chacon

Belen is a journalism graduate student at California State University, Northridge. She spends her time interning wherever she can and tweeting her heart out. You can follow her @journobelen.

3 Ways To Quantify Your Experience With Numbers

Quantifying the value you can bring to a company is so important in a resume.  The below is a post that has some suggestions how to do this found at:

http://www.careerealism.com/quantify-experience-numbers/

About Jessica Holbrook Hernandez

Jessica Holbrook Hernandez, CEO of Great Resumes Fast is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, and presenter.

If you’ve been doing your homework about how to write an effective resume, you’ve seen a recurring theme: you have to quantify your experience. Although most people understand the general idea of this, I find that job seekers often struggle with applying this idea to writing their resumes. Here are three easy ways to do it:

1. Show How Many

Sometimes our responsibilities don’t sound that impressive until we start detailing how much work we’ve been doing. For instance, if one of your job responsibilities is tracking your company’s compliance with filing a set of forms every year, you could write that two different ways:

Ensured compliance with filing of annual forms.

—or—

Ensured compliance with the filing of 75 annual forms by 7 different company departments.

Doesn’t the second example sound much more impressive?

2. Show How Much

If you have a job in sales, marketing, or any other business where profitability is the ultimate goal of your position, citing exactly how much money you’ve either made or saved your company is the way to go. For example, if you’re an internal auditor, your resume could say:

Saved company money by finding ways to cut costs.

—or—

Implemented new payroll and tax accounting systems that saved firm $1M in personnel costs over the next 10 years.

Estimates are fine when citing these types of numbers, as long as you can justify your claim if someone asks you in an interview.

3. Show How Often

I frequently talk with job seekers who have previously been successful in very high-volume environments. If you’ve worked in this type of setting, please give yourself credit! Even an administrative assistant’s job sounds completely different when given some context:

Answered phones at the front desk.

—or—

Managed switchboard with 10 incoming lines, effectively receiving and routing an average of 500 calls per day.

My goodness, who wouldn’t hire the second candidate?
As you write your resume, ask yourself these three important questions: How many? How much? How often? The key to landing an interview is to answer those questions as you describe your previous professional accomplishments.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock

About Jessica Holbrook Hernandez

Jessica Holbrook Hernandez, CEO of Great Resumes Fast is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, and presenter.

Ariella Coombs gives excellent advice on how to distinquish yourself in a sea of online applicants  found at:

http://www.careerealism.com/applying-online-how-stand-out/


In this day and age, it’s crucial to stand out during your job search. Otherwise, your resume gets buried – unread and unnoticed.
This is a common problem for job seekers. So, how can you stand out from the competition when applying online?

How To Stand Out When Applying Online

Here’s what our career experts had to say:

Research The Company

“Learn everything you can about the company,” says Bud Bilanich, author of Climbing The Corporate Ladder. “Tailor your resume to show what you know about them and their industry. And, more importantly, use key words in your resume that will catch the recruiter’s attention.”
For example, if the ad says they are looking for a “self-starter,” make sure you put the words self-starter somewhere near the top of your resume.
“Sounds corny,” he says, “but it works.”

Create An Online Presence

Rachel Dotson of Zip Recruiter suggests creating an about.me profile, complete with links to your various social and professional profiles online. Include the link in your resume alongside your name and contact information, and also use include under your signature in your cover letter.
“Because your resume will likely be viewed on the computer,” she says, “it will be easy for the hiring to click through to your about.me page, where she can then browse your online presence.”

Beat The ATS

“Before you can stand out to the employer, you have to stand out to the applicant tracking software,” says Kristin Johnson of Profession Direction. ”There’s a real art to getting your resume noticed in today’s technological job hunt.”
Johnson says you MUST read the job description and include key terms in your resume. The resume needs to be in a format that the software can read, too.
“It takes some time, but that’s the way the system works,” she says. “If your resume doesn’t show you’re a match for the job to the ATS, you’re not going to get a call because you won’t stand out to the employer.”
Photo Credit: Shutterstock

About Ariella Coombs

Ariella Coombs is a recent graduate from the University of New Hampshire with a bachelor's degree in Journalism. She currently manages the content for CAREEREALISM.

The Biggest Mistakes 20-Something Job Seekers Make

Excellent post found at:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2012/08/02/the-biggest-mistakes-20-something-job-seekers-make/

There was the young job seeker who showed up at his interview 15 minutes late, failed to apologize, and then asked if the interviewer had a garbage can so he could throw away his gum. There was also the 20-something applicant whose call to the hiring manager went dead in the middle of the conversation. The young woman didn’t call back for two hours, only to explain, without apology, that she had dropped her phone in a tub of water while she was getting a manicure. Then there was the mother who called her son’s boss when he wasn’t hired at the end of his internship, and demanded to know why.
Dani Ticktin Koplik, 57, an executive and performance coach in Englewood, N.J. has lots of stories like these. For the last several years, half of Koplik’s coaching practice has been made up of so-called Generation Y, or Millennial, job seekers. This group, age 20-32, makes a series of job-searching mistakes that stem from their sense of entitlement, lack of deference to authority and over-involvement by their parents. Koplik says in her own practice, parents frequently call and email, and try to micro-manage the coaching process. To run interference, Koplik schedules a monthly meeting with parents, mostly to tell them to stop meddling. She also coaches them to give their kids a consistent message.  Too many parents tell their offspring that they have to earn a living, and then let them live at home indefinitely rent-free. Koplik recommends timetables and limits.
I asked Koplik for a list of mistakes her 20-something clients make, and she had plenty of ideas. Here is her list of the top ten.

How To Write A Cover Letter Susan Adams Forbes Staff

How To Ace Your Job Interview Susan Adams Forbes Staff

How To Make Them Respond When You Apply For A Job Online Susan Adams Forbes Staff

Call For Nominations: The Best Websites For Your Career Jacquelyn Smith Forbes Staff

1.  Acting entitled
One of the consequences of over-involved parents is that young people feel as though they deserve an easy ride. Koplik tells of an intern who, on the first day, informed his supervisor that he had to leave early that Thursday for a horseback riding lesson. “It didn’t dawn on this person that he was being totally inappropriate and sabotaging his career,” says Koplik.
2. Starting the process too late
Ideally, college students should start looking for meaningful internships for the summer after their freshman year. Students who assume that they will get a job without too much effort, wait too long to begin the process.
3. Under-utilizing the alumni network
Though parents and their friends can provide good contacts, the network of professionals that comes through a college or university should be one of the first places a young job seeker turns.
4. Using a résumé that’s sloppy and too self-centered
Young job seekers are often weak on résumé basics, like clear, tidy layout, careful proofreading for grammar and punctuation, and use of keywords from the job description. Another big problem: the “objective” section tends to be too much about what they want, and not enough about the potential employer. For example, young applicants often say, “entry level position where I can use my skills, ideas and enthusiasm and I can learn a lot.” Instead, the emphasis should be on what they can contribute to the employer. Applicants should also leave off menial jobs like camp counselor, unless they can quantify their achievements, like saying they organized waterfront activities for a group of 150 campers.
5. Writing cover letters that repeat the résumé
Many young applicants regurgitate their résumé accomplishments in their cover letters. Instead, cover letters should be short and vivid, and say something particular about what the applicant can bring to the job.
6. Doing poor research
Young job seekers often just glance at a company website before an interview. Instead they should read everything on the site, search for news clippings about the company, and track social media information, like Twitter feeds, on company managers.
7. Failing to clean up their social media profile
All of those drunken, bikini-clad pictures on Facebook should be removed, or locked down with privacy settings. Everyone, including college students, needs a polished LinkedIn profile.
8. Not showing enough appreciation for the interviewer
Young applicants often fail to conclude an interview with an expression of gratitude for the interviewer’s time. Always thank the interviewer in person, make it clear you would consider it a privilege to work at the company and ask about the next step in the process. Then follow up with a handwritten thank-you note or email that references specifics discussed in the interview.

9. Failing to show generational deference
Koplik tells of the summer intern who, at the end of his time on the job, marched into the office of the chief diversity officer at a big company and said, “Could I give you some feedback on my internship?” Young people are so used to being included in conversations, they fail to grasp their position in the pecking order.
10. Relying too heavily on listings and job fairs
I write this in every article about job search mistakes, because it’s a chronic problem. Koplik says that young job seekers are just as guilty of spending too much time applying to online listings, and through anonymous job fairs, as their more senior peers. We say this over and over: People find jobs through people they know, rather than through advertisements. If you see a listing for a job, try to find a personal connection to the employer and use that as your entry point.

Resume Tips For Job Seekers Over 50

Helpful tips found at:

http://www.careerealism.com/resume-tips-job-seekers-over/

While job seekers over 50 years old may have more knowledge and experience in the workplace, that has not helped them come out of the unemployment market any faster.

There are various reasons why an older worker faces a greater challenge securing a job in today’s market than one who is younger. It may include higher pay requirements or because employers view older workers as less competitive with outdated experience and skills.

The way your resume is crafted can quickly reveal to an employer your age or signal to an employer you are not current with today’s competitive workplace. The following are sure fire signs to an employer about your age and outdated skills and experience you may have.

1. Contact Details

Every resume is complete with contact information such as your name, address and mode of communication. However, when you list a fax number (rarely will an employer contact you by fax) or e-mail address that indicates digits that can signify a year, such as “molly55@… ” it can signal to an employer you are from the old-school. Some employers consider @aol.com e-mails as old school

Tip: Keep your contact information on your resume simple. Stick to one phone number and a professional e-mail address that may simply be your name. Also, do not label “Phone” or “E-mail” on your resume; that is obvious.

2. Education

Your education can be particularly important to an employer depending on the type of organization and position you are applying for. While you should list degree(s) obtained, do not include the year it was obtained. Simple mathematics can tell the employer how old you are.

Tip: Include the degree you obtained for a particular study, institution attended and the city and state of the institution. Leave out the date of attendance and when you obtained your degree. That information can be supplied to an employer if it is needed later on.

Also, keep in mind that your education becomes less of a highlight on the resume for most employers when you have five or more professional year of experience in the particular field. This should be on the lower part of your resume.

3. Experience

Having 30+ years of experience in the workforce can be valuable and impressive to an employer, but it can also come off negatively on your resume if the information is not presented and laid out effectively. Most employers focus on the most recent five years of experience so if you have experience that dates back to 20 years ago, it may do you more harm than good, especially if it is irrelevant to the position you are applying for.

An employer does not need to know you worked at McDonald’s 20 years ago as a cashier if you are applying for a job related to business development in pharmaceuticals or an entirely different field.

Tip: Even if you have over 25 years of experience, just summarize that as “Over 15 years.” Focus on the most recent 5 to 10 years of work experience particularly relevant to the job you are applying for. If you have other experience that is relevant past that time, include it to a separate category you can call “Other Experiences” on your resume where you can summarize the experience without giving dates.

4. Technical Skills

Technical skills should be specific to the field, such as unique programs and applications for the profession. Listing programs such as Word, Excel or PowerPoint will not impress employers; these have become standard programs in most workplaces where employers expect employees to know them – and to use them well. Do not list skills that are outdated; listing dBase3 immediately shows your age.

Tip: Do not include a section on technical skills to your resume unless it is unique to the field, such as a graphic design program for designers or SAP for accounting and finance. Also if you do list any technical skills, help the employer understand how adept you are by highlighting what you have done and achieved with it.

A resume shouting out your age or years of experience is not going to help you secure a job in today’s market. You need a resume that demonstrates you are effective and have achieved results in “recent years” that can be applied to the position you are applying for. Demonstrate to employers you are current, up-to-date with today’s approaches and a candidate that can achieve results by demonstrating accomplishments from recent employment.

Remember, the “outcomes” are what matter most at the end of the day.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

About Don Goodman

Don Goodman, president of Resume Writing Service - About Jobs is a nationally recognized career expert. Get a free career assessment from Don here.

3 Reasons Why Your Resume Isn’t Helping You Get Hired

How effective is your resume?  Check out three basic problems with resumes that may be contributing to why you are not getting interviews with potential employers found at:

http://www.careerealism.com/resume-isnt-helping-you-hired/

A resume is a critical element in your job search. In fact, it is the key to helping you to get hired for a position.

It’s important to emphasize “help” because the resume typically doesn’t get you hired—but it does help you to score an interview where you can then impress employers enough so they want to offer you the job.

So, if you’re not getting called in for interviews, what is it about your resume that isn’t doing the trick? Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why your resume may not be helping you to get hired.

1. It Never Makes It Past The Scanning Technology

As a persistent job seeker, you may be aware that many companies utilize scanning technology that helps them to eliminate resumes that don’t fit the criteria of the position. With so many applicants submitting resumes, it can be challenging and time consuming to sift through dozens that won’t make the cut.

The scanning technology helps to eliminate this problem by filtering out resumes that don’t list specific words or phrases that align with the position. For instance, in the nursing field, you might work in a health care facility, participate in transplant procedures, or work with people with mental illnesses. If this is true, these phrases should be listed in your resume to identify you as a qualified candidate.

As you write your resume, be sure to review the job posting thoroughly for these keywords, and list them strategically throughout your resume. This way, you won’t be bypassed in the very first step of the hiring process.

2. Your Resume Isn’t Targeted

If you’ve written a resume that incorporates the correct keywords, it may just make it past the scanning technology. In that case, great job! But your work is not finished. Another reason why your resume may not be getting you any interview calls is that it isn’t targeted.

A targeted resume is one that was written specifically for the company you’re applying with. If you search online, you’ll find a multitude of resume samples and templates to help you get the process started. But they aren’t authentic—it’s up to you to create your own resume that speaks directly to a company.

So if you want to use a template for inspiration, there’s nothing wrong with it; however, you need to create your own original resume in the end. Doing so proves that your skills and accomplishments directly align with the qualifications each company is looking for.

3. Your Experience Isn’t Convincing Enough

Another issue that could prevent the interview callback is a lack of convincing experience. You may be accustomed to listing skills but haven’t shown that you were a leader who initiated projects or worked above and beyond the call of duty in your previous positions. So take time to list specific accomplishments that show you made a difference.

Once you target your resume, add keywords, and list top-notch experience, you’re on the right track. Taking these steps is a tremendous aid in getting you the interview callback.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

About Jessica Holbrook Hernandez

Jessica Holbrook Hernandez, CEO of Great Resumes Fast is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, and presenter.

Resumes 101: Swap a Stale Objective for a Fresh Branding Statement

Excellent suggestion found at:

http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2013/01/15/resumes-101-swap-a-stale-objective-for-a-fresh-branding-statement

By ARNIE FERTIG

January 15, 2013 RSS Feed Print

Arnie Fertig

Back in the "old days" resumes began with a now obsolete objective statement. The underlying message was: "Here's what I'm looking for. If this is what you offer, give me a call." It was common to see a wish list in such statements, like: "Seeking long-term job with excellent benefits, yearly bonus, and promotion potential at stable employer with wonderful work environment."

Duh! Who wouldn't have this objective?

These days, any resume reader assumes that their job is your objective. Their selection process, however, is not necessarily about fulfilling your wants and wishes. Instead, it is about meeting the employer's needs. A successful resume today replaces the "this is what I want" objective statement with a "this is the value that I offer" branding statement.

Your branding statement should be very brief. It's not your job title, nor is it a list of your skills. It should provide a description of you, your attributes, the value that you provide to your employer, and things that differentiate you from your competition.

Think of it this way: Your 30- or 60-second elevator speech is a condensed, restated version of your resume. Your branding statement, in turn, is a condensed, restated version of your elevator pitch. It is the briefest possible answer to the question: "Tell me about yourself."

Your attributes: Think about things that describe you. What are you professionally passionate about? Make a list, and then narrow it down to the key things that would make you appealing to a new employer.

Your value: Think about the results that have come about due to your actions, like mistakes avoided, improved productivity, costs contained or saved, revenue increased, or processes improved. These all relate to the value that you will be able to provide.

Your uniqueness: Think about the role you've played, rather than the job title(s) you've possessed. What differentiates your professional experience from that of others? How do you approach problems differently? What have you done in a way that no one else does it? What have you achieved that no one else can claim? You likely have had a similar titles and responsibilities as many other individuals, but how you responded to them in your context is something that only you can speak about.

Here are three sample branding statements: 

• Passionate humanitarian with commitment to achieving social justice through the development of international literacy projects. Skilled in program management and project development with expertise in nonprofit administration, board and volunteer development, marketing, and human resources management and staffing.
• Award-winning newspaper and website editor, adept in community relations, managing staff, and growing print circulation and online readership, with a flair for identifying important local stories and building community awareness.
• Talented educational leader with teaching and administrative experience dealing with students, faculty, and staff at all levels. Served students with diverse backgrounds and abilities as teacher and mentor. Possess special expertise and experience in music education. Experienced working in public, religious, and correctional settings.

Often it's best when writing a resume to leave a blank space at the top. When you have finished everything else, you can look the document over and draw from it key points that you want to utilize in fashioning your branding statement, and then insert that into the space.

In the end, you will likely see that your objective of obtaining that great job will be achieved when you have formulated a compelling brand.

Happy hunting!

Arnie Fertig is the head coach of JOBHUNTERCOACH.COM, where he utilizes his extensive background in HR Staffing and as owner of a recruiting company to help mid-career job-hunters land their next job. Arnie provides one-to-one coaching services to individuals throughout the U.S. in all aspects of the job hunt, including: resume writing, personal branding, utilizing social media, enhancing networking skills, preparing for interviews, and negotiating compensation.

The Resume of the Future

A helpful perspective to be aware of and track taken from:

http://www.careerealism.com/resume-future/

What will the future hold for the traditional resume? According to a report by the Career Thoughts Leaders Consortium, the resume, as we know it now, is not likely to exist in the future. Some believe that the resume will be replaced by a social media profile such as LinkedIn. Yet others believe that if the resume does survive, it will be very short and concise, possibly even suitable for a 140 character tweet.

How Does That Affect Me?

Currently, a resume is still needed; however, a LinkedIn profile is also becoming an essential tool for the job seeker. Social media is not a just a fad, it is here to stay. More and more recruiters depend on the information in LinkedIn to help them make a decision on whether to interview a candidate. If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, start now to build one. If you do have a profile, review it to make sure it ranks 100% complete and that it is well written. LinkedIn really allows you to showcase your skills.

The Trend For Resumes Is To Be Short And Concise

A survey of recruiters on LinkedIn revealed an overwhelming preference for shorter resumes (1-2 pages). Some experienced professionals believe they have too much experience to fit into two pages but this is a mistake. A long resume turns off many recruiters. Take the time to edit your resume to include only the most essential ingredients.
On the opposite side, some job seekers think they are required to have a two-page resume. If you don’t have a lot of work experience yet, it is perfectly acceptable to have a one page resume. Again, unnecessary information will turn off many recruiters.

Don’t Get Left Behind

Prepare  now by investing your time in what is trending now – concise resumes and well written LinkedIn profiles.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock

About Stacy Harshman

Stacy Harshman, founder of Your Fulfilling Life Career Coaching, brings her experience as a recruiter for a Fortune 500 corporation to her work as a career coach.

Top 10 Resume Tips

Helpful tips found at:

http://www.careerealism.com/resume-tips-top/

How many times have you picked up a magazine while waiting for an appointment and flipped through the hundreds of pages of articles? How long did it take you to decide whether or not to turn the page? Studies show that most people make this decision in less than five seconds. This is the exact same scenario with your resume—it can be discarded within a matter of seconds.

Your resume is a marketing document, a convincing reason to want to meet with you for an interview. Without an appealing and marketable resume that contains information employers require, you will not get the job you want. Of course, never forget the complementary role a cover letter plays. A cover letter goes hand in hand with the resume. A good resume but a bad cover letter will ultimately end up in the same place—the trash bin.

Top 10 Resume Tips

Remember, your resume is the greatest asset you have—don’t forget this!

1. Keep It Professional

Keep it professional. Your resume is a business document, so it must be professional. Your resume is no place for gimmicks, pictures, or funny e-mail addresses. Although you may think you look great in your picture or your e-mail address is funny, this is not required on your resume. You may think it looks great, but your employer may disagree. Stick to the facts and keep it professional!

2. Make It Targeted

The more targeted your resume is, the better you have at landing an interview. Employers want to know exactly what you can do for their company. It is important you tailor each resume to each job (it will only take a few sentences to do this). Get rid of any information that is not required for a particular job. This will alleviate the tendency to overcrowd your resume with too much irrelevant information.

3. Make Sure It’s Well-written

A well-written, concise resume will make a greater impression with your employer than a long winded “padded” resume. Use positive action words such as: enhanced, influenced, restructured, and attained. This will add that extra boost to your resume. On the same hand, avoid everyday buzz words. Remember, your resume needs to focus on your key skills and achievements. Words such as “hard worker,” “reliable” and “ambitious” can have a more detrimental effect on your resume as these words are seen as adding no value to resume.

4. Self-Promote

Your resume is a marketing document. Promote and sell yourself! Do not be scared to sell your skills, accomplishments, and abilities. If you don’t tell the employer, no one else will. Focus on what you can offer the business rather than what the business can offer you. Emphasise your skills, especially the ones the job is asking for. An employer wants to know you have the relevant skills for that particular job. If a coffee shop is hiring a barista, and you’ve already worked as one, make your skills stand out and take centre stage. Just like with the example of skimming over the magazines, you need your employer to take one glance at your resume and want to read on.

5. Make It Tailored

Very important – one size fits all approach does not work here. Every job is different, and depending on what the job is, you need to make sure you tweak your resume (and cover letter) for that particular job. Ask yourself, “What job am I going for, and does my resume have the skills and strengths required to present to my future employer?” Tailoring your resume to the specific job you’re going for will show the hiring manager you are serious about working for their organization.

6. Remember: Quality Over Quantity

Quality not quantity! Your resume is not a life story. Stick to the facts— using irrelevant data, waffling, and padding your resume are detrimental. Let your skills and experience do the talking for you.

7. Keep It Simple

Forget about fancy fonts or clever uses of italics. Keep it simple. Your resume is not meant to be a work of art to be displayed on the wall. Not only can it be hard to read, but there are multiple scanning software programs that might be unable to read it, meaning it will end up being deleted before even being opened.

8. Have Correct Spelling / Grammar / Punctuation

Every word program these days has spell check—USE IT! Poor spelling and grammar will immediately land your resume in the “deleted items” box. It is a hard enough to get aninterview—do not let yourself down with basic spelling mistakes. Re-read every word yourself, and get someone else to read it as well.

9. Keep It Consistent

Be sure your resume is written in a commonsense way—in order, logical, and easy to read. Be consistent throughout your resume with your margins, fonts, and line spacing. Don’t be scared to accentuate your skills or achievements with a different style of font or by using a bold font (but remember keep it simple. There is a fine line of going overboard when using different font styles). Consistency shows professionalism.

10. Don’t Mention Money

Unless you are directly asked about money, do not mention it. Keep your cards close to your chest. Do not rule yourself out before you even begin because of money.

Do we miss anything? Are there other resume tips that should have made this top-10 list?

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

About RedStarResume

RedStarResume has written hundreds of resumes for candidates across the globe. Theirresume writing service generates unique job searches to satisfy their clients.

3 Sure-fire Ways to get the Job Interviews you Really Want

An excellent post taken in it's entirety from:

http://www.steamfeed.com/3-sure-fire-ways-to-get-the-job-interviews-you-really-want/

I just came off a 6-month job hunt in October, when I got employed by InNetwork Inc. as an Influencer Relationship Manager. After a lot of researching, networking, and sending out tons of job applications over the summer, I finally landed my dream job. It wasn’t an easy task, but the hard work definitely paid off.

photo credit: lumaxart via photopin cc

It was also a great learning experience in the process. Some tactics brought in more interviews than others did though. I’ll share with you some of the tactics that worked best for me.

1. Get Email Access to the Hiring Manager

I quickly learned that sending in a job application through a job bank site simply doesn’t work. Your application ends up in a general jobs@company.com email, along with hundreds or thousands of similar applications. Recruiters scan quickly, and only pick the ones that really stand out. But what if you had access to the hiring manager? – You could completely skip the recruiters, and go straight to the person that makes the final decisions.
I decided to invest in LinkedIn Premium for Job Seekers so I could have that access to hiring managers. I did a quick search on the companies I wanted to work for, and found out who the manager was in the department I wanted to work in. I then proceeded to send an InMail to them, knowing it would go directly in their LinkedIn inbox. What’s nice with this approach – they can click on your LinkedIn profile, and pretty much get your résumé right there and then.
Another way you can get access to their email, without having to pay for a premium LinkedIn subscription, is to do a little Google search on what the company’s email structure looks like. Do some research on LinkedIn or the company’s website to find out who’s the manager you want to contact. Write down their name. Then do a Google search for “Their name @company.com email”. If they ever published a press release, their contact information will most likely appear in a Google search. If they haven’t, no worries, you can still figure it out. Do a Google search, and try to find an email address from someone at the company. Take a look at the structure of the email – it might be firstname.lastname@company.com or firstname@company.com. Just plug in the name of the hiring manager you want to contact in the same format, and chances are that’s their email address.

2. Get a Recruiter’s Attention from a Creative Campaign

In a busy world, where there are thousands of people searching for jobs, you need to stand out. I had a success story with getting the attention of recruiters at Radian6 back in February. The position didn’t work out because of timing, but I definitely left an impression on them.
Just remember a few simple rules before doing a creative job hunt campaign:

• DO YOUR RESEARCH! Find out everything that you can about the company you’re trying to reach before you start the campaign. This will help you guide your message, and even the channel you chose to use. If the company you’re contacting is not very active on Social Media, there’s no point in doing a social media campaign – they’re not listening! If the company you’re contacting is on social media, don’t send them something in the mail. Know your audience.
• Do a search on what has already been done – you don’t want to be viewed as a copycat. You can look at previously successful campaigns for inspiration, but don’t copy it! Be yourself.
• Fully plan your campaign before you launch – this includes which channels you will use, who will be involved, who you’re trying to get attention from, timing, etc. When you hit the go button on your campaign, you should have an idea how everything is going to map out. Be ready.
• Get other people involved. The more people who are promoting you message (both internally and external from the company), the more chances your message will be seen by recruiters.

3. Use a Combination of Online and Offline

The tactic that worked best for me was using a combination of online and offline. This strategy got me the most interviews, and ultimately landed me my dream job.

• Get a bunch of personal business cards. Make them as visually impressive as possible. I used MOO.com – they’re a bit more expensive, but the quality of the card is remarkable. Everyone I give a business card to tell me how great my cards look – and excellent conversation starter for sure.
• Do some research on who you want to contact. Get their name, mailing address at the company, and email (using the tactics in point #1). Write them a small, hand written note, wrap it around one of your business cards, and send it to them in an envelope (addressed by hand, not type-written). They’ll remember this later on.
• Follow up a couple days later with an email. Explain who you are, and why you’re contacting them. Tell them a bit about what you can offer them, but keep it short (no need to attach a résumé, they can look you up on LinkedIn, or ask you questions during the interview). At the end of the email, say you will follow up and call them in a couple days. They won’t view any of this as spam, because they remember your name from that hand written note and business card you sent them.
• Call them a couple days later, and ask them if they received your email. If they haven’t, tell them you’ll resend it, and call back. They’ll read it. When you call back, try to set up a meeting with them outside the office – they won’t be in interview mode if you’re having coffee at Starbucks (makes for a much more casual, friendly conversation).
• At the meeting, try to get a sense of when they’re hiring, and what their hiring budget is like. Get as much information as you want from them – remember, you have to make sure they’re a good fit for YOU as well, not just the other way around.
• At the end of the meeting, if they’re not interested in hiring, always ask for two things: 1. Ask if they know anyone that’s looking for someone with your skills, and 2. Ask if you can keep in touch through LinkedIn. This way, the meeting wasn’t a waste even if you’re not getting a job at the company. You’ll be expanding your network, and always have another meeting setup with someone else, until you find your dream job.

Well there you have it! It’s a bit of a long post, but I would have LOVED to get all of this information before I started job hunting – it might have saved some time. Remember, job hunting is like a full time job, and treat it like so! You need to be spending 8 hours a day researching and networking. If you’re working a part-time job, you won’t find your dream job – you always need to be ready for meetings and interviews.