Resume Do’s and Don’ts

Every person that has put together a resume knows the basics, no spelling errors, limit to two pages, chronological format, use keywords and so on, but there are other basic issues that candidates do and don’t do that  have a big impact on getting their resume noticed. By getting noticed I mean read and ultimately you get a phone call or email.

Lets all agree there is only one reason for a resume, and that is to get an interview. That is it — PERIOD. A resume isn’t to get you a job, it isn’t a networking tool, it isn’t a bio and most important of all a resume  isn’t ABOUT YOU.

A resume is about the person reading the resume. If the only purpose is to get you an interview, then the resume better stand out so they take the time to read the resume. Standing out doesn’t mean gimmicks, highlighting or other tricks that only make you look desperate. Standing out means they see what they are looking for and want to read on and ultimately engage  you.

I believe candidates need to realize how people review resumes or take a step back, be very objective, and think about how they reviewed resumes when they had a stack of 100+ resumes sitting on their desk.

I know for me it starts with the 10 second review.  I’m looking for a few box checking items or points and if they are missing, or aren’t a fit, I move on. For example:

• If my client isn’t going to relocate, and you are from out of the area, you are gone.
• If I’m searching for a VP of X and you are a VP of Y you are gone.
• If for whatever reason you have to have experience in a specific industry and you don’t, or haven’t at least worked in an industry that is a close fit, you are gone.
• If my client is a small entrepreneurial company and you have only worked in very large companies you go into the “B” pile.
• If you have had 8 jobs in the last 8 years chances are you are either gone or in the “B” pile.
• If the scope of your positions don’t align with my client’s you are gone. For example,  if I’m searching for an International X and all your resume discusses is domestic, I think you know what is going to happen.

A recruiter, HR person or hiring manager can determine these in 10 seconds or less. Once all of these fundamentals are box checked then I’m going to take the time to read the resume in more detail. It is here that the rubber meets the road. This is where the resume needs to be about my client, NOT YOU. It is here that I’m making the decision of whether to pick up the phone and call you or not.

So it is critical under the “do” column of “Resume Do’s and Don’ts,” that you meet these basic screening issues or at least in one fashion or another address them.  For example, if you are open to relocation and willing to pay your own relocation expenses that should be in the cover letter. This could help level the playing field with local candidates,  if other points on your resume are compelling. You may go to the “A” or  “B” pile instead of being eliminated.

Under the “don’t” column of  “Resume Do’s  and Don’ts,” you need to make sure that when the person gets to the reading stage of your resume that you don’t discuss  irrelevant issues or accomplishments. This is the time to stand out, differentiate yourself and hit a home run.

The biggest “don’t” is don’t try to get by with a one-size-fits-all resume. These resumes are so generic it is impossible to know exactly what the candidate actually did. The bullet points don’t include results and are so vague the reader could change the name at the top and the resume would be like all the rest.

Don’t regurgitate the duties, tasks and responsibilities of the job in bullet point format.  Most companies will not consider you a great hire if all you do are the very basic duties of the job. Your bullet points should demonstrate the exceptional work you have performed. The resume bullet points should sing out loud and clear, “Here are the benefits to you if you hire me.”

Change  your perspective on the resume. Stop thinking of it as a resume about you. Start thinking of it as a marketing document or advertisement. These are generally about the targeted audience and designed to get their attention.

Join our Linkedin Job Search Networking Group along with over 3100 others. Exceptional articles and discussions are all free. CLICK HERE to join.

To help  you build a great resume, we have a put together our “Complete Resume Writing System.” Everything  you need to make sure  your resume is compelling and about the reader is included. Candidates spend hundreds of dollars on resume writing  services when they don’t have to. Our Complete Resume Writing System is available for just $39.95. CLICK HERE to at least see if it can help you. It will save you hundreds.

Three Most Important Words In a Job Search Radio Show

These three simple words have the biggest impact on your job search. They can make the difference between getting a job or not. That is the power they have. If you don’t know what these are then this is a MUST listen to. We not only give you the words but discuss how to ensure you implement them. Make sure you are the one that wins the interview and then the job. We are serious about the power of these on your job search.

Download the audio at http://www.impacthiringsolutions.com/index.php/candidates/free-resources/free-audio-programs

Download a sample cover letter the gets results at http://www.impacthiringsolutions.com/index.php/cover-letters

Join our LinkedIN Job Search Networking Group http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1781587&trk=hb_side_g

Job Search Mistakes – Part Two Radio Show

Are Your Job Search Mistakes preventing you from conducting an effective job search? Is your job search taking too long? Learn how to overcome the Top Ten Job Search Mistakes to reduce the time it takes to find a great job. In a previous radio show, we discussed the first 5 of the Top Ten Job Search Mistakes. In this radio program, we discuss the back half of the Top Ten Job Search Mistakes. Stop falling victim to an ineffective job search, a job hunt that takes too long, and a lack of job leads and referrals. Discover the Top Ten Job Search Mistakes and the steps to overcome each one.

Join us every week Monday 11 AM PDT on http://www.latalkradio.com

For more free resources to help with your job search go to http://www.impacthiringsolutions.com

Mastering Your Job Search – Radio Show

We discussed how to master your job search in our weekly Internet Radio Talk Show on LATalkRadio.com. We’ve posted the audio file on our website in the FREE Audio Library at http://www.impacthiringsolutions.com/index.php/candidates/free-resources/free-audio-programs

If you can master your job search by becoming an expert at resume writing, interview preparation, job search personal branding, and job networking, you have the opportunity like thousands of other candidates to dramatically reduce the time it takes to find a new job.

Thousands of candidates who have employed the simple, but effective strategies of our Career Success Methodology, have reduced their job hunting time by 30%, 40%, and as much as 50%.

One of the first steps in mastering your job search is to uncover all the best practices known in the core areas of conducting a job search, such as developing a job search plan, preparing a resume, interview preparation, job networking, and job search personal branding.

If you would like to immediately reduce the amount of time it takes to complete your job search, get a copy of  our popular job search book. You can download it right now at http://www.impacthiringsolutions.com/index.php/candidates/candidate-products/not-the-position-i-accepted-

You’ll be working on mastering your job search within minutes.

There is no reason you need to conduct a prolonged job search – if you apply all the job search techniques we describe in our book, you’ll stun your peers by dramatically reducing the time it takes to land a great job.

The Barry and Brad Job Search Show

Put On Your Sales Hat in Your Job Search

I just conducted one of our regular weekly Internet Radio Talk Shows. You can download the new audio broadcast from our website in our FREE Audio Library.

In this program we discussed the following topics and took questions from our audience regarding their job search issues about “Putting On Their Sales Hat”:

Plan Their Work

1. Networking Plan
2. Target Plan
3. Group Participation Plan
4. Research – hot industry’s/goggling hiring managers

Numbers Count!

1. Well-Prepared to being their sales efforts
2. Documents lined up
3. Details/Research/Comparative Information – armed with right info
4. Rehearsed and polished

The Interview/Presentation

1. Quick Rapport/First Impressions
2. Solution Selling – what’s your pain (should know this in advance – top 4 typical problems/issues for that role
3. Enthusiasm/Energy – show your passion

Follow-up after the interview

1. Thank You Notes
2. Sending relevant information
3. Networking
4. Finding backdoors

We’ve got a wealth of tools on our website to help you Put on Your Sales Hat. Check out our Candidate Product Library – where we’ve taken this concept and built a structured workbook, templates, and audio programs.

Take a look at our Job Search Service Catalog where we’ve developed a series of coaching and assessment tools to determine if you’re effectively applying the concepts and methodology behind “Putting On Your Sales Hat”.

Finally, join our LinkedIn Discussion Group which provides a vibrant forum for posing questions and getting answers from other candidates conducting a job search and how their applying each of the key steps of our Career Success Methodology.

Barry

photo credit JL McVay

Building Your Personal Brand- Audio File

Being different from the rest of the crowd is critical, not important – critical, during a job search. We discuss not only how important it is to develop a personal brand, but the steps to doing it and finally how to get your brand into the market place.

If you want to get noticed by recruiters, hiring managers, CEO’s and referrals, you have to brand yourself so people remember you and refer you. We give two resources in this talk that will make sure you are different from the rest.

Don’t be the same- – be different and download this show.

Every Monday from 11-noon Pacific time on www.latalkradio.com we talk about what’s important in your job search. To download this show or any of our radio shows go to our audio library. CLICK HERE.

Resumes Are Worthless – Audio Program

“Why Traditional Resumes are Worthless” is because they leave off vital information. This is all about resumes and why many never get noticed. Why do some work and some don’t. What special information is required for Sales and IT people. Why the resume isn’t about you. How to focus on benefits and not features and why most resumes never get past the 20 second review. I answer emails about how to show 30 years of experience, should you use functional or chronological resumes and whether or not to use a professional resume writer. If you want answers on what to do to get your resume noticed all you have to now is listen.

On our radio show heard Monday’s from 11 – Noon PDT on LaTalkRadio we discuss why most resumes never get past the 20 second screen. They are missing vital information that the reader needs to make a decision. In fact, cases such as sales and IT require special handling.

You can just click the link below to hear the complete show and find out if your resume is missing this information. If you have been sending out resumes to jobs you are a perfect fit for and not getting calls, then you should consider if you a missing some of this information.

resumes_are_worthless just click this link to hear the complete show.

Using Social Media in Your Job Search

Using social media sites such as Linkedin, Twitter or Facebook to find customers, new employees or a job is new to most people. Today’s show is all about how you can leverage these sites to get what you are looking for. My partner Barry Deutsch and I discuss all the reasons to begin using these sites but most importantly how to use these sites to accomplish your objectives.

Social media sites are all the rage but few know how to use them to drive business, sales or sourcing for people or a job. Most become overwhelmed and just give up. We will show you how to start, which sites are best suited for your needs, how to engage people and the real purpose of these sites. Social media may be right for some and a waste of time for others. Find out which category you fall into to most effectively leverage your job search.

You can listen to or download our Career and Job Search Radio Show in our FREE Audio Library.

Building Relationships Gets Job Leads

STOP NETWORKING TO FIND A JOB. Instead learn how to develop relationships so you have people marketing and selling you. Interview with Dave Elliott. Learn how to convert networking contacts that forget about you, into a relationships that become advocates for you. The key to successful networking is getting a 100 or 200 people that know you to become your sales team. Dave Elliot will show you how he does it and how you too can take networking contacts and turn them into relationships.

Every Monday from 11 – noon Pacific time, on www.latalkradio.com you can listen live as we discuss every aspect of your job search.

To download and listen to this show and all our radio shows just go to our audio library.  CLICK HERE

STOP Job Search Networking: Complete Waste of Time

Networking is one of the most important first steps in a job search. However, the manner in which most candidates approach job search networking is horrific. It’s useful, ineffective, and frustrating to watch. STOP conducting traditional job search networking — it is a complete waste of time.

In our LIVE Interent Radio Talk Show, we’ll show you how to build a powerful job search network that quickly begins to yield an abundance of job search leads, referrals, and opportunities. If you missed our LIVE Internet Radio Talk Show which we conduct every Monday 11-Noon PST on LATALKRADIO.com, you can still listen to the audio recording. We post all our Job Search and Career Management Radio Broadcasts within 24-48 hours after the LIVE show in our FREE Job Search Audio Library.