A frequent theme of our blogs is limiting your resume to information that’s truly relevant to the position for which you’re applying.  You should feel free to leave off your high school job serving fast food or your college job working retail if you have years of subsequent work experience.  Also, listing only the achievements from your previous jobs can actually omit an important component of your career: your personal story.

Many of the clients I work with put themselves through graduate programs years into their career, while they were working full-time.  This is no small feat!  If you know anyone who has gone to grad school while they were working, you probably remember that period of their life as one of high stress and limited play.  However, making this career move almost always pays off with greater career opportunities and a higher salary.  It requires (and displays) real ambition to return to school when you already have a job.  So, if you’re one of the many people who has done this, one way to highlight it on your resume is to stick it right into the job summary:

Manager, ABC Company

Managed a department of 20 employees.  Directed all sales and billing.  Earned MBA while working full-time.

Many job seekers have also performed years of consulting services on the side.  Some do not include this on their resume, as they think of it as irrelevant additional information.  Not so!  If you have the business wherewithal to handle some amount of self-employment in addition to your regular job, that’s a valuable skill.  And even if you don’t end up getting the job for which you applied, you may just gain yourself a new client!

Another way to spark great interview conversation is by including any education or work relevant to your personal passions or hobbies.  I’m not suggesting that you put “likes to play golf” on your resume, but if you’re good enough to have won numerous tournaments, that shows dedication and skill that most people don’t possess.  I recently worked with a woman who had taken more than 30 classes at her local culinary school over the years.  I jokingly asked her if her retirement plan was to open a restaurant, and guess what … it was!

Ninety-nine percent of your resume’s content should relate directly to the position you’re targeting.  However, don’t be afraid to sprinkle in a few sentences that differentiate you from the other candidates in the pile.  After all, hiring managers want to work with interesting people!

For more information about professional resume writing or to read more career and job search related articles visit http://www.greatresumesfast.com

A friend of mine recently left his position at our former company to start his own business.  He has 15 years of excellent work experience, including 10 years of managing others, and an MBA.  His former job is now advertised online, and over the weekend I met a woman who had applied for it.  This woman was unhappy with her current company and had noticed that my friend’s former position paid really well.  Interestingly, she failed to notice much else about it.

I talked to this woman about the position opening at length, and was surprised to realize that she had barely read the job description before deciding to apply.  She told me about her previous work experience, which was only vaguely related to the requirements of the advertised job.  She was stunned when I told her that the position required managing a department of 10 people, and then it started to sink in that her lack of supervisory experience might hurt her chances of getting the job.  She also mentioned that the opening had asked that applicants have knowledge of a specific online database system.  She then asked me the most surprising question of all: “Do you think they’re really serious about only hiring someone who has experience with that system?”

At this point, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for this woman.  So I will offer you the same advice that I gave her.  There are dozens of candidates applying for most open positions these days.  Hiring managers will tell you that one of their main job duties is “shortlisting” these applications into a small pool of qualified applicants—in other words, disqualifying everyone they can in order to whittle the list down to only the best candidates for each job.  Many times, companies find themselves ruling out perfectly qualified candidates simply because they have too many from which to choose.  With this in mind, please do yourself the favor of not applying for jobs if you’re just not qualified.  Employers purposely write their job descriptions in order to attract candidates who are a good match.  If the ad says they’re looking for X, Y, and Z qualifications, I can guarantee you one thing: Yes, they really mean it!

For more career and job search related articles, visit http://www.greatresumesfast.com.

Guest post by: CareerAlley

Author Website: http://Careeralley.com

While unemployment is still very high, it does seem like the job market has opened up somewhat. I’ve been getting regular calls from my recruiter friends looking for candidates for jobs. Seems like they are having a difficult time finding candidates, almost counter-intuitive. High unemployment but we can’t find people to fill jobs? I think that there are several reasons for this. Those of us who either still have a job or finally found one are not as likely to leave a “safe Haven” in this market, so that does limit some of the available pool. Part of the issue is job mismatch in that jobs for those that are looking for work do not match the skill sets of the individuals looking. But the last piece of the equation I believe is due to some individuals not being proactive in getting their information out there in the job search market. Like any successful product or service, you need to market yourself in a way that ensures people know you are looking. Now I’m not suggesting you should do an infomercial on yourself, but I do think you need to conduct a job search marketing campaign. While hundreds of recruiters is obviously too many to work with, less than 10 is way too low. Leverage today’s post to get your name out to some recruiters.

• Agra Placements – Specializing in Farm and Ranch jobs, Chemical Sales jobs and Agriculture jobs, Agra Placements’ website has three main links at the top for Careers (which allows you to search for positions that are currently posted), Applicants (which allows you to register) and Locations (where they have offices). At the bottom of the page are additional links for specific jobs (such as Farm Jobs, Sales Jobs, etc.). Additional contact information is available at the bottom of the page.

• Anderson Executive Search, Inc – Based in Atlanta, Georgia (but don’t let their location fool you, they recruit in a broad range of locations), Anderson recruits in a very broad range of industries and functional areas: Manufacturing, IT, Sales and Marketing, Environmental, Engineering, Aerospace and Defense, Human Resources, Operations, Audit and the list continues. Their main page has links on the left for Recruited Candidates (where you can submit a resume and look at job postings), Careers (which is their search engine), Industry Related articles and more. Anderson had 96 job opportunities posted when I checked the site.

• Boston Search Group – BSG is an international recruiting firm. Their main page has links at the top for Practices (industries/functional areas of expertise), Candidates and Blog. Their blog provides interesting information that may be helpful in your search. Clicking on the Candidates tab leads to a page that provides an overview of BSG with links on the left hand side of the screen for Current Opportunities, Submit Resume and Contact Us. Submit Resume allows you to provide a broad range of information which will help them in finding a match for you.

• The Marshall Group – Marshall is a professional search firm with a broad range of specialties. Their website has links on the left hand side of the page for Candidate Services, Submit a Resume, Career Tools, Contact Us and more. The career tools link provides some additional resources (such as salary survey) to help you in your search. The best way to contact them is to either call or email your resume.

• ZNC International Inc. – ZNC is an international recruiter that specializes in Technology. Their main page has a brief overview with a listing of the types of jobs they they place. No listing of open jobs on their site, but clicking their Contact Us link provides email, phone numbers and their address.

Good luck in your search.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Many people think of LinkedIn as a tool to network with individuals.  While LinkedIn is certainly useful for this purpose, it can also provide invaluable information about which companies you should target during your job search.

Did you know that LinkedIn now allows you to follow all the activity related to a particular company?  You do this by searching for the company on the site and clicking “Follow Company”.  This step adds the company’s activity to your news stream on LinkedIn in the same way that adding a connection adds their individual activity.  This is an absolutely invaluable tool for seeing the “comings and goings” at a company you’re targeting.  In addition to giving you a sense of whether the company is hiring at all, it allows you to see the backgrounds of the candidates who are landing jobs there.  Although it may be frustrating—or even painful—to see who’s beating you out for particular positions, having that information is also priceless for knowing how to position yourself as a stronger candidate going forward.  One more bonus: you can tell when someone was hired for a position even if the company doesn’t directly contact or notify you.

The Follow Company feature on LinkedIn also allows you to see how many other people are following that company.  If thousands of people are keeping an eye on things, chances are good that you have a lot of competition for open positions there.  Additionally, LinkedIn includes very useful information such as the average tenure of employees at the company, the male/female ratio of the staff, and the median age of employees.  Larger companies sometimes even indicate which specific universities a high percentage of their staff attended.

The new Follow Company feature on LinkedIn is a fabulous tool for job seekers trying to appropriately direct their career search.  Check it out!

Jessica Holbrook Hernandez is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, speaker and President/CEO of Great Resumes Fast. She creates high-impact, best-in-class, resumes and cover letters that transform job searches into interviews and ultimately job offers. For more information about professional resume writing or to read more career and job search related articles visit http://www.greatresumesfast.com or call 1.800.991.5187.

As we all know, the recent economy has displaced a lot of workers from career paths on which they had been for many years.  At one time, my town had a lot of mortgage professionals; these days, my town has a lot of former mortgage professionals.  If you now find yourself in this situation, don’t be discouraged; there are several ways to move forward.

Find a similar position at a different company

If you enjoyed what you were doing and want to stick with it, you’ll need to make a list of target companies that are still hiring people who do what you do.  If you work in an industry that’s been particularly hard hit with layoffs recently, it’s especially important to include quantifiable achievements on your resume.  You’re going to be competing for a limited number of available jobs—along with a lot of other laid off candidates—so you’ll have to prove to employers that you’re the best thing around.

Transfer your skills to a similar position

Many workers with very specialized skills have found themselves out of work.  For instance, my friends in academia are often competing with hundreds of other candidates for one tenure track position.  However, professors can do much more than just teach.  Many work for institutions that have required them to become proficient in online learning platforms—skills which transfer easily to corporate training departments.  Professors with a science background can review scientific textbooks or research papers that require advanced, specialized knowledge.  Most people are qualified to do multiple jobs—you just have to create multiple resumes that highlight the skills and experience applicable to each position.

Turn a hobby or interest into your job

Some displaced workers face the difficult reality that their jobs have been outsourced overseas or that they will have to relocate in order to do similar work.  For many people, this crossroads can present an ideal time to start your own business.  Let’s say you’re a realtor hoping to start a career in photography.  Call up everyone you know and offer to take photos of their pets, their favorite beach, or their family members.  They’ll have wonderful photos, and you’ll have a portfolio with which to showcase your skills.  The key to taking your career in a very different direction is in proving to employers or potential customers that you have the chops to do the new job.

These are just a few of the possibilities for workers who find themselves displaced from their careers.  With the right strategy, it IS possible to move forward!

Jessica Holbrook Hernandez is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, speaker and President/CEO of Great Resumes Fast. She creates high-impact, best-in-class, resumes and cover letters that transform job searches into interviews and ultimately job offers. For more information about professional resume writing or to read more career and job search related articles visit http://www.greatresumesfast.com or call 1.800.991.5187.

I had lunch with a friend the other day who left her job earlier this year.  She relayed to me how she had gotten fed up with a particular client, and so she decided to quit.  She had about four months of living expenses saved up, so she figured she was good to go while she looked for another job.  Four months later, she finds herself running out of money with no prospects in the pipeline.

I was a little shocked to realize that my friend had seriously underestimated the state of the economy.  If, like her, you find yourself in a really unsatisfactory work situation at the moment, leaving your job might be the best thing for your mental health.  However, with nearly 10% of Americans out of work altogether and another 9% working fewer hours than they would prefer to, you simply have to have a plan before you can consider quitting on a whim.

The first step in your employment transition should be to figure out what types of positions you will target in your job search.  It’s very difficult to position yourself as a candidate if you don’t have a specific goal in mind.  Once you determine your career path, carefully consider the people in your network that can help you find another position.  Next, spend a lot of time and thought putting together a polished looking resume.  Have at least two other people review it for you and provide you with feedback.  Even the brightest employees often need help from a professional resume writer to pull together an effective document.

If you’re looking to quit your job, you should begin your networking process while you’re still bringing in a paycheck.  You can upload your resume to job boards so that recruiters will find you.  It’s a good idea to acquire some networking business cards for yourself—in case you leave your position before a contact has time to get in touch with you at your current company.

The last thing you need to realistically consider before quitting a job is what your financial situation will look like.  Bearing in mind that many companies take two months to even respond to an application, and then another month to complete the interview process, many candidates are finding themselves out of work for much longer than they had expected.  Can you realistically survive for the next year if, heaven forbid, you aren’t able to find another position immediately?

I wish I could have told my friend these things four months ago.  Hopefully, you will avoid her mistake: no matter how bad your day is at work, have a solid plan in place before you quit!

Jessica Holbrook Hernandez is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, speaker and President/CEO of Great Resumes Fast. She creates high-impact, best-in-class, resumes and cover letters that transform job searches into interviews and ultimately job offers. For more information about professional resume writing or to read more career and job search related articles visit http://www.greatresumesfast.com or call 1.800.991.5187.

If you’re visiting this Web site, you understand the importance of having a polished looking resume to use during your job search.  Whereas having a marketable resume is extremely important, a fantastic resume by itself won’t get you a job.  So, what do you do with your resume now that it has been tweaked (and proofread three times) and is ready for distribution?

Send it to your references

It’s really helpful to give your references something to reference while they’re recommending you.  It also helps jog a person’s memory about any previous jobs you may have discussed with them in the past.

Carry it around with you

Whenever you walk into a job fair, networking event, or even lunch with a colleague, you should have several printed copies of your resume with you.  Think about how often the subject of work comes up, and someone ends up saying, “Send me your resume and I’ll see what I can do.”  Giving them a paper copy right then and there emphasizes your urgency and speaks well of your preparation.  Just be sure to follow up with an electronic version that they can forward to their connections.

Post it online

It’s a tedious task, but uploading your resume to job boards like Careerbuilder and specific company Web sites in advance will save you time when you see a specific job for which you’d like to apply.  Plus it gets you into that company’s database, where you may then be searchable to their hiring managers. If you don’t want to spend hours uploading it yourself check out our resume distribution service.

Use it to build your brand

Having a copy of your polished resume in front of you as you create or update your LinkedIn profile, Google profile, twitter page, or any other social media presence will help ensure that you’re conveying a consistent message.  That’s the way to build a personal brand!

A rock-solid resume is essential to any successful job search.  If you work your resume, it will work for you!

Jessica Holbrook Hernandez is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, speaker and President/CEO of Great Resumes Fast. She creates high-impact, best-in-class, resumes and cover letters that transform job searches into interviews and ultimately job offers. For more information about professional resume writing or to read more career and job search related articles visit http://www.greatresumesfast.com or call 1.800.991.5187.

This was one of our most popular blog posts this year, and we think the advice is so good it should be repeated!  If you’re looking for some awesome cover letter advice on how *NOT* to start your cover letter (and some great examples of how you should be starting it) then read on!

On a weekly basis any hiring manager probably receives between 50 and … well, probably hundreds of resumes and cover letters.  The key is to catch his or her attention from the start; and the best place to do that is in your cover letter.  So I am going to tell you about the worst possible way to start your cover letter—and then give you some creative alternatives to use instead.

Here is the most boring intro line because everyone uses it:

Please accept my resume for consideration of the (XYZ) position within your organization.

What a snoozer!  Everyone uses that line; let’s see … being like everyone else isn’t going to get you very far in your job search now is it?  No, it’s not.  So you need to be different.  But not just different—you need to be unique and appear more valuable than the average joe.  Let’s take a look at some more creative and attention grabbing opening lines:

Administrative:
If you are spending too much time compiling tedious lists of general office duties and administrative tasks, then I have the solution for you.  Try this: “My experiences in office administration and client services have equipped me with a multitude of skills including office management, business operations, and exemplary customer service.  I am confident that my application of these and my many other skills would be an asset to your company.”

Customer Service:
It’s twice as hard to attract a new customer as it is to maintain an existing one.  Unfortunately, this fact is often overlooked by many businesses.  So exploit this reality.  Here’s an example of what you should write:  “Delivering high-quality, responsive service is vital in (industry x).  And that’s exactly what you’ll get when you hire me.  As my resume indicates, I have worked in client services for more than (number) years, so you won’t have to incur great expense while training me.

Nonprofit:
Try something like this: “In today’s challenging economic climate, many people will respond to your advertisement.  Few will be interviewed.  One will be hired.

However …

Of the many who will respond, few will be as qualified as I am, having in-depth experience in community and public outreach.  No one else will bring my track record and the expertise I offer—expertise that equips me to immediately begin delivering results for you with maximum positive effect to your bottom line.

General:
“Integrity.  Innovation.  Initiative.

If you have these qualities in mind for the position of (position title) then I suggest we meet to discuss the numerous qualifications I would bring to your organization.  With my demonstrated track record of successfully directing pharmacy operations and introducing initiatives that directly impacted the bottom line, I am confident that I would be an excellent fit for the position at (company name).

Of course, these are only a few sample introductions, and the remainder of your cover letter needs to be just as dynamic as the introduction.  But nothing is more important than that initial first impression; and you are sure to win them over when you choose something unique, creative, and captivating.

Jessica Holbrook Hernandez is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, speaker and President/CEO of Great Resumes Fast. She creates high-impact, best-in-class, resumes and cover letters that transform job searches into interviews and ultimately job offers. For more information about professional resume writing or to read more career and job search related articles visit http://www.greatresumesfast.com or call 1.800.991.5187.

We knew that one day technology would make some significant changes in our lives. But for some reason, it seems that we had visions of flying cars and robot maids. While we haven’t quite reached that stage, we’ve seems some adjustments that were unimaginable in the job search realm only a few years ago. Google, in particular, has been at the forefront of many of those changes.

If you’re ready to make waves in your executive job search then it’s a good idea to include Google in your process at some stage. Let’s look at three ways that Google could enhance your executive job search and get you that much closer to snagging the job you want.

Google Searches Make Researching Easier
One of the most obvious ways to make the most of your executive job search is to conduct Google searches. When it’s time to apply with a company, you don’t want to just work from the perspective of a job posting or tip from a recruiter. It’s good to conduct an investigation of sorts to learn more about the company.

There are a few ways that you could do this. Of course, you could Google the company to see if they have a website and also take a look at other links that pop up about the company. But where Google really comes in handy is via news and blogs. If the company has been in the news, you want to know so that you can begin mapping out just how beneficial your services could be if they’ve had some sort of trouble over the years.

Google Alerts Improve Resumes, Interviewing and More
Another great benefit of using Google in the midst of your executive job search is the Google Alerts feature, which offers updates on what’s going on in the news as determined by the keywords you set up as your alert criteria. For instance, if you want to keep track of updates with a few companies that you’re applying with but you don’t have time to manually search for information every day, you could set up alerts in Google that would keep you updated.

In setting up your alerts, you get to choose as many keywords as you like and also determine whether you want news, videos, blogs, discussions or everything. In addition, you decide the frequency by which you will receive your alerts (as it happens, once a day, once a week) and how many per email will show up in your inbox.

A Google Profile Adds to Your Online Brand
Another great way to make use of Google is to get a Google Profile. The profile allows you to set up a resume of sorts that is guaranteed to be one of the top listings in the search engine under your name. This is a great feature to take advantage of because it helps to build your online brand by giving recruiters a source of information while helping to guide them to sites you’d like them to visit to help them know more about you.

Google offers great resources for enhancing your executive job search. So if you have not yet taken advantage of them, now’s the time to get started.

Jessica Holbrook Hernandez is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, speaker and President/CEO of Great Resumes Fast. She creates high-impact, best-in-class, resumes and cover letters that transform job searches into interviews and ultimately job offers. For more information about professional resume writing or to read more career and job search related articles visit http://www.greatresumesfast.com or call 1.800.991.5187.

Your personal brand is nothing more (or less) than the image you project to others. It’s the whole (although abbreviated) picture of who you are and what you do–professionally. Online, it’s the sum of the parts. A large (maybe the whole) purpose of creating and maintaining an online brand is so that people who don’t know you (employers or potential clients/business partners) can find you, evaluate whether they want to meet you/work with you/recommend you. And that’s why it’s a big deal.

Be the candidate who stands out from the crowd.

Your online brand is your first impression for people, job leads, or opportunities that you might miss if it’s not everything it could be. And, it’s definitely a piece of the puzzle for those who have met you in person and are looking to find out more. If you don’t think a hiring manager is going to look around online for more information about you before they make the offer, you are seriously misguided.

So, what can you do to make sure your online brand identity is a strong recommendation for why someone should hire you?

1. Use every opportunity to establish a presence. Although LinkedIn is my favorite online networking site, you should also incorporate Twitter, Facebook, Visual CV, and others. (One article says that you should “cybersquat as much social real estate as possible” to both strengthen your online brand and to combat social identity theft.) Make absolutely certain that every site provides a professional profile with dynamic words that describe who you are and what you do.

2. Make sure your photos are professional and consistent. Attach a head-and-shoulders professional photo to each of your online pages. Having the same photo on all sites will help those who don’t know you recognize you. And please remove the too-personal photos of you with your friends at the party, or you at your political function, or anything else that could cause controversy. If you’re trying to land a job in medical or health care sales, you want potential employers to concentrate on your job skills without anything else getting in the way.

3. Participate. Join groups and discussions, and try to share something of value to help others. Always keep your brand in mind as you contribute your thoughts and ideas. (It’s not hiding the “real you,” it’s simply keeping a public face that’s separate from your private one. Or, to put it another way…there’s a lot you wouldn’t say in front of your grandmother that you wouldn’t hesitate to say in front of your friends. Think of cyberspace as your grandmother. ) You decide how you want people to see you, and develop a consistent theme. It presents a unified, clear, positive image to the rest of the world that will pay off for you in your career.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Author Byline: Peggy McKee
Author Website: http://www.career-confidential.com