Tales from the Resume Reef: Focus on Content, not Style

As someone with extensive recruiting experience, I can tell you that I have received resumes in ALL varieties of formats and paper choices over the decade. Ironically, the fanciest of paper and the most "creative" design usually were showcasing the worst resumes: typos, lack of information, lack of clarity, dates missing from employment, etc.

For resumes, substance ALWAYS triumphs over style. In the 30 seconds or so a hiring authority or recruiter looks at your resume, he/she is looking to see if you qualify for something that's currently open.

Things that employers DON'T say-
"Terrible resume, but look at how nice this paper is. I'll call him."
"Man, she spent a ton of time designing this. I have no idea what her skills are, but might as well call her to find out."

While it's admirable to want to have your resume looking sharp, what's more important is what's IN the resume.

In the past, for example, I've worked with placing graphic designers. They managed to use their creative abilities to mix their work history, skills and experience in with some graphic work: freehand sketches or some layout in the margins. However, they kept focus on CONTENT: the INFORMATION the employer needs to see to get to know you!

So, no matter how nice the paper or the layout, your CONTENT is what will drive employers to make positive decisions regarding your qualifications.

Plus, we EMAIL resumes in most cases for “first contact” with employers. That fancy paper or design means even less, then, doesn’t it?

Use your talents to put a resume together that clearly discusses your skills, education and experience. THEN, if you want to add nicer paper for print copy, you are showcasing CONTENT first.

And as far as “creative” design, my suggestion is to leave that to the graphic designers. Use examples we’ve provided or good advice on resumes you can find at helpful sites like the following:
The Riley Guide -
Secrets of the Job Hunt -

Let the content be what ‘sells’ you; it’s what employers are looking for in your resume.

Catches from the Job Posting Net: Are they really ALWAYS looking?

We’ve all seen ads, mostly, where a company or staffing firm seems to recruit for the same positions week after week.

Are there more and more new opportunities, or is something else going on?

Truthfully, it’s usually “something else going on.”

1. The job is VERY hard to fill due to a limited Candidate Pool. There’s just a limited talent pool for this, such as in fields like IT or medical. Chances are, if your resume is on the job boards and you qualify for a position like this, you’ve already been contacted.
2. The job is OFTEN open because there is some turnover. This is particularly true of call centers. Even the best call center environments have a fair amount of turnover. For ANY call center, I’d suggest speaking to someone who works there before you’d interview – find out if the turnover is natural or there are problems that are worse/deeper than that.
3. The job is ALWAYS open because there’s a real problem; employers can’t keep people. I’ve seen this very recently with one firm that keeps advertising the same entry level position: it’s possible that they could have up to 3 people in the role at once. However, they advertise about every 2 weeks for this same opportunity.

Thus, the employer can’t “keep” people. My guess, from experience in dealing with employers who say such, is that this is the attitude there: “We can’t find anyone good.”

Truth is that they do, but they are chased away! It’s a bad work environment with broken promises and unrealistic expectations. And this is well worth avoiding, or you’ll be the next person that they complain about.


Note that #3 above is the MOST common reason that employers keep advertising; there’s a BAD work environment to consider.

It’s in your best interests to look carefully at any job that’s posted “over and over again.”

And if you can talk to someone who works there, get the “skinny” as to why those jobs are open.

If you don’t have that opportunity and do interview for one of these jobs that’s “always advertising,” be certain to ask this key interview question: “Why is this job open?”

Warning sign is if the employer is negative about employees or the person or people you are being asked to replace.

No company can grow to the point where all they do is hire. Growing firms may add a lot of people, but if they are well or at least decently run, they’re going to keep a fair number of those they hire.

So, if someone is “always advertising” be aware that it’s not growth, and, in fact, may be a warning sign. A sign to avoid the job!

After all, you deserve better than to walk into someone else’s failures!

Job Search Tips: Older Board Postings

If you are hunting through Monster, Careerbuilder, Dice, etc., you are probably checking regularly for the newest postings in your field. Certainly, that makes sense!

However, MOST jobs are posted once and not given “refreshed dates” – it’s an extra cost to keep something as a “new” job each day. Most employers don’t pay for this. So, what does that mean?

That there are “older” jobs that may still be valid. Monster, Careerbuilder and Dice, etc., normally post jobs for 30 days, possibly more. What about that job that’s 3 weeks old?

True, sometimes those “older” jobs are filled, and the poster just never got to taking it offline. However, in with those “older” jobs are those in your field that are unfilled! Whether an agency or direct hiring employer posted that job, they are still waiting for someone – and it could be you.

Guess what? Most people just pass those older postings by, figuring that the jobs are filled, and they AREN’T! It's an opportunity for you!

Thus, when you are searching online through the boards, don’t always default to just the newest jobs. Choose the option that lets you go back 30 days and see if there are any good jobs you may have missed.

It only takes a couple of seconds to apply for one of these jobs; you may just be one of the few who does.

And one of the even fewer who may hear back from the employer!

Job Search Tip: Stay in Touch!

We've all come close!

Most of us have had good or even great interviews, or introductory discussions, that led us to have interest in a job or company that DIDN'T result in a job offer.

In some cases, through multiple interviews or calls, we've built rapport with hiring types. While we weren't chosen, clearly we were viable, "almosts" who created a positive impression.

SO, what do many people do with those contacts? Nothing.

That's a mistake. Too many times, we think something like "they didn't hire me, so I guess that's it." And that's both a critical error and a loss of resources, too.

Sometimes when we are that "close" 2nd or 3rd, we've sold ourselves very well as candidates. Had there been 2 openings instead of one, we would have been the choice for that 2nd opportunity. Thus, these people are WORTH staying in touch with - you made a very positive impression!

Here's how these folks can be of help:
Resource - they can direct you to OTHERS they know who are hiring.
Friendly Voice - if you are making a lot of call on the job search, you can make some calls to people who you already know. It takes stress away.
Network - they can (and it's happened to me) forward your resume to others who may help.
Employer - the job you didn't get 6 months ago may be opening again soon. You were "runner up." Don't you think that they want to know someone of your quality still has interest?

(All of these situations have happened either to me or people I know, so I know it works!)

Keep track of the folks you've interviewed or spoken well with. People who you liked - who liked you! It's an important part of your network going forward. And stay in touch with those folks as part of your job search. I've mixed between email updates and phone calls so that I can NOT be a pest, but still be persistent.

After all, the folks who know us, even a little bit, will have more stake in helping than a total stranger or the cold efficiency of a job board.

In our search, it's important to use all the tools we can. And to work with ANYONE who may be able to provide us with help in the process.

Like those who know us.

Job Search Tip: Another Reason to Avoid Objectives

We've covered why objectives don't work on resumes, why they aren't needed, and how they can cause trouble for you as a candidate. To "bring that home," I include 2 very recent objectives I've seen on resumes sent for professional positions:

A job that is satisfying at the end of the day, for both of us. To grow and be happy.
Both have enough fluff, don't they? They are trite, silly, weak, and add NOTHING to the candidate's marketability!

(It's kind of like that long party scene in the 2nd Matrix movie: why was it there?)
If the answer is to fill space, that's not something that belongs on your resume. For there are no "rules" as to how much space must be filled. And wasted space (like that movie scene,) just loses the reader's interest.

Remember that employers hire for THEIR reasons, not yours, in this "what have you done for me lately" world we now live in.

That's why objectives on a resume don't ADD anything: you aren't selling specifics and positives. Instead, people write more "polished" versions of the 2 examples above. In the process, they just "polish," not clean up or repair this resume issue. That's what objectives are: simple, useless junk that doesn't belong no mater how much polish is added.

Use your skills, education and experience to sell yourself to employers.
Avoid the junk, and let the good "stuff" speak for itself.

Objectives just get in the way.

Don't Walk Right In...

When I first started in my staffing work in '97, I was amazed at the number of people who showed up unnanounced at our firm for professional positions. Moreover, most (99%) were candidates who were poorly dressed, poorly groomed, had typo filled resumes or had no idea what we did. In 4 years, we had over 400 walk ins: only ONE was "placeable," and we did so.

So, we discouraged walk ins based on this kind of information. We felt that they were wasting OUR time. Had they called in advance, we could have told them what we were recruiting for, gotten them to send a resume, and set up appointments for viable candidates. Everyone could have benefitted that way.

Some recruiters encourage walk-ins, but many prefer that you set appointments. It helps schedule THEIR day, and makes it easier to spend more time with you.

Employers RARELY have time for walk-ins; the first thing they'll do is give someone an application and that's about as far as things go. Frequently, those applications also make it to the "bottom of the pile."

Being aggressive makes sense in your job search, as does contacting employers.

However, unless told otherwise by the employer, don't just "walk in."

Instead, FIRST call the employer or recruiter. Find out if they have jobs for what you are qualified for, and find out what the best method is for applying. Some folks may send you to their website as a start to fill out an app, while others may want you to make an appointment.

If you get an appointment, make certain to find out what the employer or recruiter would like you to bring:
-Resume
-References
-ID (usually 2 forms)
-Other things (such as copies of diplomas, certificates or awards.)

(And "Dress for Success," too. Even if you are going to a temporary agency just to "sign up.") You never get that second chance to make a first impression!

Remember that being convenient for the one HIRING is crucial.

You deserve the chance to showcase your abilities and talent; just call ahead to find out the best way to do so!

Tales from the Resume Reef: Fill in the Recent Blanks

My car is a 2004. While I’m very happy with it, I could hardly claim it as a “new vehicle.” Put it on a lot with 2008 models, ask people to spot which are “new cars” and mine won’t quite make the list. In “Car years,” 2004 may not be a lifetime ago, but on a resume, if it’s your most recent date of employment/activity, that’s an issue.

If you haven’t worked or worked in your field in at least 2 years, you need to put SOMETHING for your most recent activity. Why? Employers who see a resume with a work history ending in 2004 and nothing since are puzzled, and then they tend to ignore the applicant.

(Please note that this is NOT about re-entering the workforce, and the difficulties you may run into. That’s a whole other issue. Instead, this is about the resume you are using to do so.)

Some brief points:
• If your most recent job isn’t “related” to your field, DON’T remove it completely if it fills in some key time.

Example:

Work History
2004-2007 Greeer/Customer Service Big Mart Austin, TX
1995-2004 AV Technician Al Wright’s Repairs Austin, TX
1990-1994 AV Technician McFloyd’s Zeke, AZ

This way, people see that you have been working, even if not in your field. Otherwise, the question becomes “What has this person done since 2004?”

• If you were in school, use that as a replacement for “blank time.”

Work History
2004-present Studies toward B.S. in Chemistry Don Haas College
1995-2004 AV Technician Al Wright’s Repairs Austin, TX
1990-1994 AV Technician McFloyd’s Zeke, AZ

• If you had a family-related issue, use that.

Work History
2004-present Stay at home parent
1995-2004 AV Technician Al Wright’s Repairs Austin, TX
1990-1994 AV Technician McFloyd’s Zeke, AZ

Now, we’ve previously discussed not giving out personal information; however, we’ve got that “what happened after 2004” issue otherwise. Employers are likely to respect a decision to be a stay at home parent; however, they will not be certain what to do with someone who looks to have done “nothing” since 2004:

Work History
1995-2004 AV Technician Al Wright’s Repairs Austin, TX
1990-1994 AV Technician McFloyd’s Zeke, AZ

Note: Volunteer work can also be a valued “time filler.”

Very few people who have several recent years of inactivity on their resume were really inactive. However, if your resume reads that way, it doesn’t give the employer anything to go on more than “I wonder what he/she’s done since …..” And then set the resume on the road to oblivion, less gently known as a shredder or trash can!

You deserve better! Fill in the blanks!
Employers see a more complete you, and you become a more "complete" candidate!

From the Job Search Tip File: When NOT to Apply.

In an earlier column, we discussed the “50% rule,” which was hopefully a simple way to say the following. Most jobs have MANY more requirements than are ACTUALLY needed. Therefore, if you have “50%” or more of the requirements, your application or resume is not in vain. It very well may be that your 50% is JUST what the employer was looking for!

However, there’s a part 2 to this: When NOT to apply.

In many ways, it’s more than just a reverse of the “50% rule.” With the “50% rule,” if your resume isn’t quite what someone is looking for, he or she is still likely to hold on to it for future reference. You are, essentially, a good candidate for something in the future – and folks don’t get rid of good resumes (especially if they’ve spent $300-$800 advertising the position online or in the papers – or both!)

However, there are times NOT to apply. Simply, if you don’t have at least 50% of the required skills, abilities or background required.

Here’s why NOT to send your resume or hit the “apply” button on Monster:
1. Employers get 300+ resumes for any good position, and they very much resent having to read resumes from “unqualified” candidates.
2. Thus, you are not only wasting an employer’s time.
3. They won’t read your resume at length, nor will they want to keep it.
4. Instead, they’ll wonder “Why did this person apply?”
5. You are also guaranteeing, for the most part, that your resume is shredded, trashed or filed in some part of oblivion no one regularly visits.
6. And that you’ll never hear back from the employer. If you follow up with them, you’ll find it’s likely they have NO IDEA who you are.

So, you are essentially frustrating the employer as well as yourself. Doesn’t seem like there’s much “up side” to this!

However you search, however you apply, keep in mind that your qualifications are only valuable to a specific employer if they are in that 50%+ range for the advertised position.

Sending a bunch of resumes out or applying for ANYTHING that’s of interest truly wastes your time. Instead, find what you qualify for or who may have interest in what you have to offer. That, and only that, is the best place to send your resume.

Trust me, there are plenty enough of those places if you do the research.

And can get you the best results possible, which WON’T happen if you simply send your resume around as if you were tossing snowballs into the air or leaves across the lawn before you raked.

Rake in a better chance of success. Send your best in a resume to those jobs you have at least 50% of what is required.

Something SMART ventured; hopefully, something GREAT gained!

Tales from the Resume Reef: The Format, Part III: Making your Resume Easy to Read

Let your resume be there to HELP you, not HINDER an employer!

A resume can’t help you if it’s more of an ineptly written novel or poorly designed puzzle than a tool to help employers find what you have to offer.

A reader will initially look at your resume for 15-30 seconds. So, it’s very important that your KEY skills and accomplishments are easy to find, easy to discern and quick to discover. Thus, your resume needs to be easy to read:
1. Fonts sized decently
2. Spacing clear
3. No “puzzle tricks”
4. No “paragraph-itis”
5. Gimmick free

Each of the above is explained in more detail below. It’s the chance for you to position YOUR resume more effectively, by helping the reader more easily find out good things about you – and also by weeding out some “junk!”

1. Fonts Sized Decently: Use fonts from 10-12 point as much as possible.
Smaller than 10 point may be hard for a reader to make out, and larger than 12 point makes it look like you are just trying to fill space.

>If you have the room, you can certainly use a larger font for your name and contact information at the top of your resume; however, that’s really the only place for an overlarge font.

2. Spacing Clear: “Clear spacing means separation BETWEEN elements of your resume, and BOLD in places. Note the following examples:

8/2000-4/2003 Assistant Manager Billfolds Etc., Granbury NJ
8/2000 – 4/2003 Assistant Manager Billfolds, Etc. Granbury, NJ

The second one is easier to read, isn’t it? Everything is not “on top of each other.”

3. No “puzzle tricks:” Also known as “Acronym Fever”

Ever see a list on a resume that looks something like this?

Technical Experience
MS Office, HTML, Windows 98, C#, C++, Lotus Notes, Firefox, Linux, Windows NT, 2002, ASP.NET, Open Office, Networking, Active Directory, MS Project,
MS Workflow, Peachtree, A+, Network+, Routers, Hard Drives, Laptops, MCSE

It’s a whole “crowd” of names, acronyms and tools all put together into one puzzle. If someone wanted to know if this person had Peachtree experience, how easy would that be to find? It’s a “puzzle trick” which puts the onus on the reader.

Take a look at this alternative:

Technical Experience
OS: Windows 98, NT, 2002, Linux
Office Software: MS Office, Workflow, Project, Peachtree, Open Office
Internet/Email: Firefox, Lotus Notes
Networking: Active Directory, Routers
Hardware: Hard Drives
Development: C#, C++, ASP.NET
Certifications: MCSE, Network+, A+
Computers: Laptops

Notice how much more easily information is to find under this “org chart.”
Plus, if an employer was most interested in your certifications, you could easily move that line to the top!

4. No “Paragraph-itis” It’s a common resume problem. Instead of writing short, bulleted statements, people want to write “novellas” about their experience.” It’s VERY time consuming and most employers don’t read their way through.

See the following example:

Working with the ACCUGUESS Global Vice President and the ACCUGUESS South America Coordinator of Finance to develop and implement a business controllership plan encompassing business and financial controls, business and control focused financial reporting and analysis, process and systems development and improvement, and productivity initiatives. Leads all controls activities for ACCUGUESS South America $245 Million business. The role works with all functions and across all ACCUGUESS South America regions to improve strengthen internal controls in support of Moogle-Zorch requirementsments and in compliance with Mootleson, Ambrose and Florb policies and procedures. Responsible for driving financial/accounting process improvements to advance controllership, drive productivity and eliminate rework and manual efforts. Identify control issues, assess risk, and implement solutions by working in a teaming relationship with ACCUGUESS management, as well as ACS management. Direct accounting staff to ensure financial controllership responsibilities and processes are compliant, and consistent with Mootleson, Ambrose and Florb policy, applicable laws and regulations. Assist/Direct regional controllers by improving core processes, reducing complexity and increasing accountability. Monitor and improve internal control processes, support Four Sigma initiatives and provide financial process support. Interface with internal and external auditors. Provide guidance to management on appropriate tax, legal and accounting treatment in all regions. Work with the ACS Controller and ACCUGUESS Global Controller to provide central point of contact for ACCUGUESS regional controllers for review of application of technical accounting for transactions in the areas of restructuring and repositioning, asset impairment reviews including Asset Retirement Obligations, revenue recognition matters, purchase accounting, divestiture accounting, investment accounting, foreign exchange and other areas as warranted. Establish ACCUGUESS South America policies and practices consistent with ACS and Corporate policies. Perform Balance Sheet reviews. Coach and develop staff for growth opportunities. Work with a team of individuals located in geographically diverse locations. Support the integration of acquisitions including working with ACS Controller to review all ACCUGUESS purchase accounting related issues. Responsible for ACCUGUESS repositioning process. This includes working with regional controllers and operations staff to ensure appropriate documentation is created to propose potential restructuring projects. Ownership over Restructuring (Repositioning) support website and ongoing monitoring of reserves recorded.

It’s quite long, isn’t it? Hard to find out what’s important when there are no breaks of any kind. So, let’s try creating 6-8 bulleted items, trim a bit and see how this looks:

• Working with the ACCUGUESS Global Vice President and the ACCUGUESS South America Coordinator of Finance to develop and implement a business controllership plan encompassing business and financial controls, business and control focused financial reporting and analysis, process and systems development and improvement, and productivity initiatives.
• Leads all controls activities for ACCUGUESS South America $245 Million business. The role works with all functions and across all ACCUGUESS South America regions to improve strengthen internal controls in support of Moogle-Zorch requirementsments and in compliance with Mootleson, Ambrose and Florb policies and procedures.
• Responsible for driving financial/accounting process improvements to advance controllership, drive productivity and eliminate rework and manual efforts. accountability. Monitor and improve internal control processes, support Four Sigma initiatives and provide financial process support. Interface with internal and external auditors.
• Provide guidance to management on appropriate tax, legal and accounting treatment in all regions. Work with the ACS Controller and ACCUGUESS Global Controller to provide central point of contact for ACCUGUESS regional controllers.
• Establish ACCUGUESS South America policies and practices consistent with ACS and Corporate policies. Perform Balance Sheet reviews. Coach and develop staff for growth opportunities.
• Responsible for ACCUGUESS repositioning process. This includes working with regional controllers and operations staff to ensure appropriate documentation is created to propose potential restructuring projects. Ownership over Restructuring (Repositioning) support website and ongoing monitoring of reserves recorded.

Much easier to read, isn’t it? Keeping the bullets to 3 sentences or less makes the statement that this is “short and important.” Remember, you don’t have to tell EVERYTHING – include what’s IMPORTANT and edit out the rest!

5. Gimmick Free – There are some things that simply aren’t needed on a resume, but folks put them there anyway.
• “References Available Upon Request”
NOTE: It’s REDUNDANT, as no one puts “No References Are EVER Available” on a resume.
• Personal Information.
NOTE: No one can ask you your age, religion, marital status, etc. So, put NO SUCH information on your resume. I’ve seen resumes where people have put birthdate, name of spouse and kids and wedding dates – and I’m not making that up!
• Junk Phrases such as “Hard Working, Team Player, Well Organized, Dedicated….”
NOTE: Those are “Junk Phrases” because they are YOUR opinion. Only through your references could someone perhaps find out about your best qualities. It’s very hollow boasting and means NOTHING. More importantly, employers have seen these types of phrases and wording so much on a resume that they don’t take them seriously.

Sometimes, it’s what you DON’T have in your resume that matters more. And by avoiding these “readability” traps and following our suggestions, you have a better chance to have a resume that’s reader friendly and easy to navigate.

Remember that every time you make things easier for an employer, you give yourself a better chance.

So, why not?

Phone Tuning: Leave that Name and Number Twice!

Leaving a voicemail message? Here’s a tip I learned in sales training years ago: put your name AND phone number in TWICE!
• Near the beginning of the message
• Near the end of the message

Sample:
“This is Greg Lachs at 813-555-1212. I really enjoyed meeting with you on Tuesday and am very interested in joining your team. I’d very much like to find out what the next step is in the process. Again, Greg Lachs at 813-555-1212. Thanks.”

Why put both in twice?

Here’s the reason, and it’s simple: people can’t HEAR fast.
So, at the end of the message, they know you’ve called and may have written your number down or have it available. However, if they don’t have such, they only have to listen to the BEGINNING of the message to get the name and number again.

Such makes it EASIER for someone to get back to you!

And that’s always a good thing!

Job Search Tips: Lessons from the Movies

Don’t be the next Dewey Cox!

Like a much smaller number of people than expected, I went to see the "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story" when it came out several months ago.

Heavily promoted, decently reviewed, with backing of known talent, the movie BOMBED. Much money was lost on this, to the surprise of MANY. It lasted about 3 weeks in the theatres and went to that great “it’s not yet a movie you can get at Netflix” oblivion very quickly.

And it ties in very directly to job search issues - and provides important lessons.

1. The movie wasn’t particularly funny for a “supposed comedy.”
Jokes were sporadic, to my taste. In fact, when the first 10 minutes of the movie were put online for public view, I went to the site for a preview. It seemed like a LONG ten minutes.

The Job Search Lesson - Things NEED to be as advertised. Interviewing, you can't try to be funny, offbeat or a different person from who you are. For one thing, people notice. For another, you'll be very uncomfortable. Be energetic and upbeat, but you need to be YOU!

2. To follow this movie, you would have had to seen "Walk the Line." This movie was an attempt to parody much of "Walk the Line," which I thought was a pretty darn good flick. However, not everyone saw "Walk the Line." So, jokes tied to it would have made no sense to the audience who hadn't seen the Johnny Cash biopic where Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix had been so stellar.

The Job Search Lesson - Obscurity doesn't help. This is particularly true for resumes. One thing I've seen people do is go into what I'd call "acronym fever," and list a number of acronyms that someone reading the resume may not understand. In fact, I've seen such in a number of military resumes. Since the reader wasn't likely part of the same military unit, you need to "break down" acronyms into "every day" terminology.

3. The lead actor wasn't a "name" actor.
I'm not knocking the lead's talent, but who lines up to see a John C. Reilly flick? He was great in Chicago and in Talladega Nights as a SUPPORTING actor.
We often gravitate to that film with Will Smith, Will Ferrell (who would have been my choice for this movie) or Jack Nicholson - we know they are likely to be entertaining films.

The Job Search Lesson - You need to be a "name," and not just blend in. How? Well, from a stellar resume to great interview skills to an aggressive and effective job search.
That's what differentiates you from others, and makes you a "marquee" candidate!

4. The lead character wasn't that interesting (and this is the most dangerous “job search area.”)
Dewey Cox was a mix of a number of people who added up to someone we probably didn't care about all that much. Not a bad guy, not a great guy – yet, there was no magnetism in the character the way we saw Johnny Cash's intensity or Ray Charles’ brilliance in "Ray." Not much depth. In the movie, by the time the much advertised “Dewey Cox meets the Beatles” scene took place, I was getting bored. As a result, the "what happens next to this character" thoughts we might have when watching a movie turned into "I don't really care much about what happens to Dewey Cox" for me. Hard to pay as much attention, isn't it?

The Job Search Lesson - We tend to "hide" behind generic resumes and don't always interview as well as we'd like. You HAVE to be interesting to the employer. However, you don't need to entertain in order to do this.
How?
-Wear your best “professional” clothing.
-Arrive 15-20 minutes before the interview.
-Shake hands firmly, but not in “bonecrusher” fashion.
-Ask “open ended” questions about the job, company, training, etc.
-Let the interviewer speak! Don’t interrupt with your questions.
-Have great eye contact with the interviewer.
-Smile!
-Sit up straight and stand up tall.
-Show interest and pay attention! If your eyes wander around the office, you will seem to be “drifting” out of the interview. I’ve noticed such in candidates before, and you need to stay focused on the interviewer.

“Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” was not an awful movie, nor stellar. It just “didn’t have enough” to make it as either a “critical smash” that doesn’t make money but people love for years (think “Shawshank Redemption.”) And it wasn’t a smash at the box office.
It was just there, and not for long.

You have much more to offer. Use these lessons to strengthen your “box office potential” to get great “reviews” from interviewers and top the charts by getting the position you are looking for!

(and special thanks to Melanie Lachs for her editorial genius!)

Phone Tuning: When they Don’t Call Back

We’ve all been there: an interview, perhaps a second, and then it becomes silent and still. Employers don’t contact us, nor do they return calls.
I’ve often stated that this is simply unprofessional behavior on their part, which is not that rare.

In fact, I’ve even heard of situations where people will call back multiple times, days apart, and still hear nothing in return. In these cases either the contact person is “unavailable,” “in a meeting” or you are sent directly to voicemail.

As someone who was on a job search 4 months ago, I experienced such as well. Frustrated me no end, too!

In that quite rare instance where George Costanza was right about something, “It’s not you; it’s them!”

As important as it is to do phone call follow ups after interviews, here are some VERY important things to remember about such:
• Most employers DON’T operate this way; we just remember our “best” and WORST experiences more clearly.
• Someone not calling you back is NOT always a reflection of no interest; some people simply DON’T return phone calls. I’ve had contacts who I had to get “live” or I’d never get them at all. (As a backup, I’ll try to email them directly; that’s worked sometimes.)
• If folks aren’t getting back to you, that’s a reflection of THEIR unprofessionalism. • Don’t take it personally. Take it as a challenge to do better when you are in a hiring position to treat people with the respect and dignity they truly deserve.

• Most importantly is this: employers who do not returning your follow-ups are losing access to your talent, skills and abilities.

It’s truly their loss and not yours!

Job Search Tip Update: Those "Refreshing" Resumes

A friend of mine does just what I’ve done in the past re: posted resumes – updates them on the job boards each day!

I heard from her yesterday; an employer had called her based on her resume posting on Monster or Careerbuilder (I have forgotten which) and asked her if she had just posted her resume. Her response was that it had been on the job board, but that she updated it each day.

The employer’s response was very positive – the equivalent of saying “so, you’re trying to stay ahead of the others.” He was quite positive about that, and was very impressed with my friend’s self-marketing efforts. What resulted was a very positive initial phone interview for a position my friend has very much interest in.

Would she have gotten the same reaction if her resume’s last post date was 3 months ago?

It may be that she never would have been called!

If an employer can find good things about you in your resume, why not make it easy for him/her to find your resume on the job boards? REFRESH your resume several times a week for each job board you’ve posted on.

Of course, according to my friend, refreshing your resume EACH DAY on every job board isn’t such a bad idea, either.

And it's something that will take about 5 minutes of your time on a daily basis.