In this clip from MTV reality series, The Hills, Kelly tells Lauren about her interview with Lauren’s friend Stephanie. Watch as they discuss Stephanie’s resume and why Kelly is afraid to hire her.
Lessons to take from this video:
Tailor your resume to show why you want to work for an organization.
Avoid using general statements that don’t apply to the job you are applying to.
Yahoo! Contributor Aly Adair shares, First Person: How a New Approach Helped Me Land a Job in This Economy.
Below is an excerpt from Adair’s article. Read Full Article
I spent five years searching for a career job that would last until I retire. Like millions of other Americans in the bad economy from 2006-2010, finding a job was nearly impossible. Despite following all the advice of headhunters, human resource consultants, friends or family members, it was what I term “The AND Factor” job search strategy that finally landed me a job. I am over 50, had a failed business, and an MBA from 1981, when most of my interviewers were not even born! Most human resource professionals looked at me and said, “AND why should I hire you?” Or, “AND what makes you better than these 2,000 other young applicants?”
Many older job seekers share similar backgrounds: we all have some level of college degree; we all have years of supervisory/management experience with a major Fortune 500 company; we have families to feed, we have not had to look for a job in 20 years; we are old-school thinkers when we prepare resumes, go on job interviews, and network. After watching a television show that profiled other older professionals trying to find a job, I realized that we all do a couple of things wrong in our job search.
I decided to try some different strategies to see if I had better results. I call these new job search strategies “The AND Factor” job search strategies. My supervisor told me they received 105 resumes for the management job I applied for at the state agency. How is it they hired me for the job? It is critical to give the hiring manager your “AND factor” – they want to know why you are the best person for the job! “AND what makes you so special?” “AND why should I hire you?” Here are the “AND Factor” job search tips that helped me land a career job against all odds.
In her U.S. News and World Report On Careers article, How to Tailor Your Resume for an Employer, Miriam Salpeter shows job seekers how they can “appeal to your targeted employer“.
Great tips from Salpeter’s article include (Read Full Article):
U.S. News and World Report article, How to Beat 8 Job-Search Time-Wasters, Tim Tyrell-Smith shows you ways to get past common job-search mistakes.
Tips to look for in Tyrell-Smith’ s article are:
The Wall Street Journal’s Elizabeth Garone encourages readers not to exaggerate job responsibilities, titles, or experience on their resume.
Garone gives advice to a job seeker who is nervous about an upcoming job interview because they exaggerated on their resume. Read Her Response.
In her article for U.S. News & World Report, Karen Burns tells job seekers, 50 Buzzwords You Shouldn’t Use on Your Resume.
Below is an excerpt of Burns’ article. Read Full Article & List
You’ve written your resume. You poured a lot of effort into the page that will represent you, and you can’t wait to distribute it far and wide.
Not so fast. Before you send that puppy out, check it for buzzwords. Like “team player.” Or “detail-oriented.” Or “accustomed to fast-paced environments.”
Here’s why you should avoid them: They’re vague. They make your resume look like everyone else’s. They’re probably not among the keywords employers search for. They take up space on your resume that could be used for strong, concrete, specific examples of what you’ve accomplished, the work you’ve produced, and how hiring you would benefit your potential employer. Buzzwords are tired and overused, clichés that have lost their meaning over time.
In his article, Resume Padding: A Dangerous Game, Robert McCauley of Robert Half International warns job seekers of the dangers of adding false details on your resume.
Below is an excerpt from McCauley’s article: Read full article
Fudging your hire date or your end date for a past job. Inflating your job duties. Adding a few tenths of a point to your grade point average.
It’s no big deal when job seekers make these types of adjustments to their resumes, right?
Wrong.
In today’s competitive employment market, every applicant is looking for an edge, and padding your resume may seem like the only way to get a leg up on the competition. At the same time, the chances of getting caught can appear to be relatively low.
But exaggerating your skills and qualifications is a risk you don’t want to take. For one thing, your deception is easier to uncover than you may realize. In the age of lightning-fast web searches, a hiring manager can research your background and discover the fraudulent information with just a few mouse clicks. A quick call to a previous employer or your alma mater can also reveal the falsified details on your resume. And even a small departure from the truth could eliminate you from consideration for the job.
Here are the areas where applicants most often pad their resumes and the reasons exaggerations won’t help you land the job:
Forbes.com In Pictures: Tips for Creating the Best Possible Resume, gives you helpful advice on how to update your resume.
Tips in this slideshow include:
This slide show complements Susan Adams’ Forbes.com article, Give Yourself a Resume Makeover. Click here to read Adams’ article
About.com Guide Alison Doyle gives readers tips to age proof their resume.
Below is an excerpt from Doyle’s article. Read full article here.
Resume Tips for Older Job Seekers
Limit Your Related Experience. Limit the related experience (related to the job you are applying for) you include on your resume to 15 years, leaving older jobs off your resume entirely or include, without dates, in another section.
Your Other Experience. Leave your other experience off your resume or list it without dates in an Other Experience or More Experience category.
Don’t Include Dates. Don’t include high school and college graduation dates or dates for any other courses, or professional development classes. If you have a college degree, don’t list high school on your resume.
Be Careful About Years. Don’t list the length of experience you have in your resume objective, if you use one. For example, it’s not advantageous to say you have 20 or 30 years of experience. It will flag you as older.
Target Your Resume. Take the time to write a targeted resume that is customized so that it specifically highlights the experience you have that is specifically relevant to the job you are applying for.
Consider a Functional or Combination Resume. Consider using a functional resume, which lists your accomplishments at the top of your resume, or a combination resume, rather than a chronological resume, which lists your experience in date order.
Highlight Your Skills. Promote the fact that you’re up-to-date with current technology, by including the latest programs you’re familiar with and leaving off out-of-date technology.
Show You’re Connected. Include a link to your LinkedIn profile on your resume. It will show hiring managers you’re engaged in current means of communicating and networking.
Polish Up Your Resume. Presentation matters. Make sure your resume is polished and well presented. You don’t want your resume to “look” old-fashioned.
Be Prepared to Email Your Resume. Keep in mind that most resumes are emailed or uploaded to a company web site or job site to apply for jobs. Email a copy of your resume to yourself, to be sure your formatting doesn’t get lost during the transmission. Review these email etiquette guidelines to be sure you’re following the right protocol for emailing your resume.
In Wall Street Journal article, Hiring a Resume Writer? Ask These Questions First. Alina Dizik tells readers what they should look for in a Resume Writer.
Below is an excerpt from Dizik’s article. Click here to read full article.
Five questions to ask a résumé writer before making the investment.
1. Do you know my industry?
While some résumé writers promote their array of knowledge, it’s important to find someone who can also delve into your specific industry. A résumé for a finance role, for example, requires a deep understanding of quantitative skills. Recruiters reading a general, but well-written résumé, may be put off by what appears to be a lack of industry relevance.
This can be especially important for career switchers or others entering a new industry who don’t yet know the ins and outs of their new field, says Stacey Rudnick, director of M.B.A. career services at the University of Texas Austin McCombs School of Business. “Make sure they speak that language,” she says. Look for telltale signs like previous clients or industry affiliations to help gauge their industry acumen.
2. Can I see samples that aren’t posted on your website, please?
After posting his résumé on a job board two years ago, James Wester, a Dallas-based marketing consultant, 41, says six résumé writers contacted him. He chose the one whose work samples he considered most impressive. “They were making résumés that looked different and stood out,” says Mr. Wester, who took time to read several industry-related samples that were emailed to him.
That’s an important step. Go beyond reading a résumé writer’s website and request relevant samples of his or her prior work via email. Ask to speak to references directly – don’t simply rely on written testimonials. While time consuming, talking to others who’ve used the service (and work in a similar field) can give you a good idea of what you’ll be getting and help assuage fears about the finished product, says Ms. Weeks.
3. Are you skilled at working with people like me?
After her initial résumé blunder, Ms. Ray did find someone who was capable of improving her document. Besides being local and available for a face-to-face meeting, the writer also had experience working with candidates looking for mid-to-entry level positions in her industry, the same sort of jobs Ms. Ray was targeting, she says. “It’s a whole different skill set than at the executive level. She needed to tailor it down,” says Ms. Ray, who is still looking for an administrative assistant role.
4. How will you tackle writing my résumé?
Résumés edited or created from scratch by lackluster writers are easy to spot because they often read like the experience is too good to be true, says Richard Freeman, a principal recruitment consultant at recruiting firm Hays Plc. “It’s almost always a series of amazing achievements and it looks like it’s written by someone who is trying sell you,” Mr. Freeman says.
To avoid a résumé that skims the surface and to get one that actually points out your skills and responsibilities, inquire about the professional’s writing process and communication style. Look for résumé writers who do over-the-phone interviews or present job seekers with extensive questionnaires to really get at each person’s experience. Be sure to ask whether the consultation includes any necessary résumé tweaks during the job-hunting process, says Ms. Rudnick.
Since candidates rarely have just one version of their résumé, it’s also important to be sure a writer has the capacity to discuss different versions later on in the job-hunting process, she adds. If the writer promises an overly-speedy turnaround time, or doesn’t ask for information beyond a copy of your current résumé, that’s often a sign that you won’t get a high-quality rewrite in return.
5. So, what did you do before you were a résumé writer?
Before signing over your résumé to a writer, it may be a good idea to ask for some insight into his or her background. While a résumé writer doesn’t need a specific degree, experts point out that previous experience as an executive recruiter or human resources manager is a major asset.
“If someone owned a florist shop for 20 years and decided to go into résumé writing, I’d question how this person is qualified,” says Tom Heard, founder of eSearch Associates, an information-technology recruiting firm based in Louisville, Ky.
To verify, don’t be afraid to do some online snooping, such as by looking up the writer’s name on a search engine or viewing their profile on a business-networking site like LinkedIn. And if the résumé writer claims to be part of a professional association, check the group’s online directory for his or her name.
