Aceing Your Job Interview: Part One - Research

Before you begin preparing for an interview; a word of caution. If you went through this process easily in the past, don’t expect a repeat performance. Moreover if you’re still following the advice of classic coaching gurus like John Crystal and Jeff Allen; don’t. Their advice is now obsolete. In 2009 there's 'A New Reality.' And unless you are mentally and emotionally prepared for it, you are in for a rude awakening.

Whether you acknowledge it or not, your interview begins way before you enter the reception area. From the moment it is arranged you must start researching the company, honing your image, and preparing and rehearsing responses that present your value to the company and relevant accomplishments and short vignettes you can use to highlight and relate them to the job you’re interviewing for.

Telephone Pre-Screening calls are common today and always catch you off guard.
Rule #1: If you are not in a position to speak freely, don’t talk - request a callback number.
Rule #2: When responding, get to the point and be as brief as possible. Don’t oversell yourself.

Rule #3: If asked ”Do you have questions,” say “I do, however I am sure you are busy and we can go over them when we meet.”
Rule # 4: End the call by saying, “I know you are looking for value in this hire, and that is what I have to offer. If it fits your schedule can we continue this conversation in your office tomorrow; I know it will be a mutually beneficial meeting. If that’s not a good time is there a more convenient day and time for you.” Their response will tell you how much of an impression you made.

Research: Once the interview is arranged, immediately begin your due diligence. This increases your chance of a 2nd interview or job offer. You need to accumulate as much knowledge about the company, their culture, the job you are applying for, their competitors, and the industry in general, and the people you will be meeting. This intimate knowledge is critical if you want to impress decision makers. It also helps you build confidence you are the best person for this job.

Step 1: Start by reviewing the job description in the classified ad or job posting you responded to. Then cross reference this with what other companies require in a similar position. Print out copies for use in anticipating interview questions and preparing responses. You should then list all core requirements for the position and note your achievements and qualifications for each, as well as stories that highlight them. Then evaluate the required experience and skills you may lack and describe how you intend to overcome them and list related qualities you have that are relevant alternatives.

Step 2: Visit the company website where, among other things, you should find valuable information about products or services, recent changes, competitors, management profiles and clients. Visit the ‘News & Press Releases’ WebPages. Information contained here will be useful to engage and impress interviewers. Take copious notes that will be used in forming responses.

Step 3: Do a general and News Google search of the company; and for public companies research their online stock ticker. Some of you may want to review their annual report, 10K and 10Q filings. Next do a general and News search of the company’s major competitors and the industry. Remember ‘Information is King,’ and all this effort will differentiate you from your competition. Some of you may want to pay to do a Hoovers, OneSource or LexisNexis search of the company or have someone you know who subscribes to these service do it for you. Think of this investment as doing a CarFax search before buying a used car.

Step 4: Use Linked-In, Faceboook and other networking sites to search for people you will be interviewing with. If they are listed it will give you invaluable insight into who they are, how they define themselves, and it may even provide a photo so you know what they look like before the meeting. Next contact people who worked at this company before and send out Linked-In requests for additional information on the company, and the job,

On an interview, just like in school, the more homework and study you do the greater the results will be.

Perry Newman, CPC is President/CEO of Fist Impressions Resumes in Brooklyn, and has over 30 years experience as a resume writer, career coach and executive recruiter.

If you want professional assitance preparing your resume, have specific questions, or would like to receive a FREE copy ‘Job Hunting in the 21st Century – The New Reality call 646-894-4101

TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE STIMULUS PACKAGE

The Washington stimulus package is in place and ready to roll; and according to my sources the healthcare industry will feel the impact faster than most. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, total employment in the healthcare industry will continue to soar in 2009 and it is now the largest industry in the United States, accounting for over 13 million jobs.

So if you are planning a career change, or you're just a student planning your future, here are some suggestions

RN’s and CNM:
Registered Nurses and Certified Nurse Midwives are once again a high demand profession all across the nation. Industry sources estimate at current levels demand will out way supply by almost 3:1 or 1.6 million nursing positions and only 650,000 registered nurses. Depending on your state academic credentials will vary, but the higher paying jobs and jobs with a future require at least a BS in Nursing. Midrange salaries are between $50-70K with some OT and most nurses have great company or union benefits

Health Information Technicians:
Beginning later this year the government will be partnering with the healthcare and insurance industries and outsourced technology companies to revamp the patient information highway and HIT’s will be the fastest growing segment in the Information Technology sector. There wil be needs for programmer Analysts, Data Base Administrators and Systems Engineers with HIT skill sets. Depending on skill sets midrange salaries should range form $45-85k.

Dental Hygienists;
If you have gone to the Dentists Office recently for your annual checkup, unless you had cavities or some serious problems you saw the dentist for 2 minutes to say hello and goodbye; it was the dental Hygienist who did the work. This is a high demand job, offers flex hours and most DG’s work part time for one or more dental offices. What is really great Dental Hygienists average around $60-$70K.

Health Service Administrators
Health Service Administrators are the people who run the business side of the healthcare industry which includes medical centers, nursing homes, long term care centers, rehabilitation centers, therapeutic care giver centers, ambulatory care centers, alcohol and substance abuse centers, home health care agencies and a host of other related businesses. Midrange salaries will go from $70k to $150k and higher.

Occupational, Physical and Speech Therapists
These are high demand jobs that require a minimum of a BA/BS degree and most will prefer a Masters once you’re in the field for a few years. In these jobs you will find great flexibility in hours and the ability to work a steady job for 1 employer or be a self employed independent contractor.Midrange salaries will be in the $45-75k range

PC TIPS FOR TROUBLED TIMES

REDWOOD CITY, CA, March 10, 2009 — With a tough economy putting job losses on the rise, many people may find themselves suddenly without a company-provided computer and tech support, possibly for the first time in years. support.com®, the remote technology services company that makes owning and maintaining technology pain-free, is ready to help with tips to make transitioning to one’s own computer and support easy and seamless.

Immediately after a layoff, people might find themselves scrambling to set up their personal technology for a modern-day job search. Here are some tips to decide whether you can make do with what you have, or should consider buying new technology:

Computer Requirements:
At minimum, a computer running either XP or Vista with at least 1GB fot XP and 2GB for Vista; a 1.4 Ghz or higher on the processor and 80-120 GB hardrive with broadband capabilities

Good Quality Printer: Don’t forget to have a good quality printer for presenting your resume or previous work samples in hard copy. Assess your needs before making a purchase. For instance, artists and other marketing or PR professionals may need a photo quality printer, while other professions will do fine with a standard color printer.

PDF: Always convert your resume and other documents into PDF format for emailing to recruiters and hiring managers. This way they can not easily make changes. Primo PDF is free.

Updated Software: Check that you have the most updated versions of office software. Sending an attached resume in Windows 2000 might cause some problems if the intended recipient has a newer operating system, such as Windows Vista. If you aren’t running at least MS Office 2007 make sure to get the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack.

Tips are available at http://www.support.com/blog
On twitter tips are available at: http://twitter.com/layoffPCTips.

In addition to the tips, support.com is offering people who are facing a job transition a 20% discount on any tech support service, including its popular subscription plans, with the discount code FRESHSTART20.

FOR THE OVER 40 CROWD

I hate being a bearer of bad news but this is the New Reality.

There may be a national stimulus package in place, nonetheless, the nation's unemployment rate bolted to 8.1% at the end of February, numbers unseen since late 1983. The actual figures are staggering, as 651,000 more jobs were lost amid a deepening recession.

"There is no light at the end of the tunnel with these numbers," said Nigel Gault, economist at IHS Global Insight. "Job losses were everywhere and there's no hope for a turnaround any time soon."
February's net job loss came after even deeper payroll reductions in the prior two months, according to revised figures released Friday. The economy lost 681,000 jobs in December and another 655,000 in January. Worse yet, economists predict that the trend will continue well into the foreseeable future.

In the past month, I have found the hardest hit are employees over 40 years old, who have a lot to offer but don’t know how to market themselves; and because of their financial encumbrances they are pulling their hair out, those that still have some, and getting ulcers and other maladies due to the stress that is upon them.

I can offer you encouragement, and let you know there is a light at the end of the tunnel. You need a torch to lead the way, and I am your torch.

To get yourself, a loved one or a friend out of the dark, call me and let’s talk. Perry Newman, CPC 646-894-4101

What you need to know about job boards

If you are old enough ( if not ask your parents), you may remember how your job search was predicated on getting a head start on the Sunday editions of the NY Times and making a list of all the places you would call and all the resumes you would mail out on Monday morning. Then technology advanced to the era of the Fax Machine. Sunday was still the major day for job listings, but you no longer had to mail a resume; now you could fax it directly to the company at will.

Along came advanced technology, and today information flows instantly 24/7/365. With this new technology came Job /Resume Posting Boards which now proliferate throughout cyberspace. Today there are thousands of places to go online to search for a job and post your resume.

But before you boot up your computer, you need to determine where to search for a job and where to post your resume to be seen by the right decision makers - and not by your bosses. You also need to know which job postings are worth responding to and which ones are long shots at best.

However, before we begin learning about Job/Resume Boards, a word of caution to those of you who place too much dependence on them to find a new job. In Y2K, (only 9 short years ago/how fast time flies) you could submit a resume to a posting board and there was a good chance you would get a response. Today you are in for a rude awakening if you think you will get similar results.

To begin with in 2009 job seekers are more tech savvy and there are special software programs that automatically search the internet and all posting boards for you and automatically submit your resume everywhere that minimally matches your key word and search criteria. The outcome is that companies are inundated with worthless resumes; therefore they depend on technology of their own to screen out well suited and ill suited candidates alike who don’t know how to get a resume past these electronic gatekeepers.

Next we must consider the old equalizer from Economics 101: Supply & Demand. During the current economic crisis there are fewer jobs, especially here in New York, and the number of people willing to accept those jobs is growing exponentially by the week. It is not unheard of today to have a $100k Controller apply for a $50-$60k job as an Accounting Manager; or similar reduction of expectations in your field. I must interject here and say that in today’s market these people are visionaries and realists and should not be pitied for lowering their economic standards; rather we must APPLAUD them for their resiliency in weathering this turbulent storm.

Last but not least, in many cases Job Boards are like loss leaders in retail marketing.
By the time your resume arrives there is a good chance the job has been filled, put on hold or eliminated from the budget completely; but the company does not take it down because it serves their purpose of seeing who is available and accumulating a database for future reference. This is especially true for Job Board posting placed by intermediaries such as Executive Search firms, personnel agencies and interim staffing companies, AKA temporary employment agencies.

Now it's time to discuss the different types of job boards.

Although there are well over 5,000 job/resume boards on the internet, I break them down into five major categories.1: National Job Boards
2: Industry and Profession Specific Job Boards
3: Local, Regional and Geographic Location Specific Job Boards
4: Corporate/Recruiter websites
5: Information Exchange and Networking websites
1: National Job Boards average 200,000+ job opportunities and candidate resumes covering all 50 states in dozens of job categories and sub-categories. Examples of the most populated and the most popular National Job Boards are Monster.com, HotJobs.com and CareerBuilder.com.Pros and ConsThe main advantage of a national board is sheer volume. Or so we may think. From the perspective of the number of online job listings this is indisputably true. However you must understand that while national boards do not charge a fee to post a resume, employers pay a fee to post jobs and access the website resume database. Depending on the board, the fees an employer must pay can be quite steep and this limits the number and type of companies and recruitment firms that are using them regularly or on an as need and ongoing basis. You will find that companies with multiple locations and lots of jobs to fill tend to use national job boards, as well as aggressive private search consultants, and they have a tendency to use ATS and OCR to screen resumes. Also, companies who post are very selective in the candidates they contact for interviews.

There is also the problem of oversaturation of job listings and respondents, and more so the oversaturation of resumes that are posted. Companies do not have the time or the staff and finances to find the needle in the haystack.

2: Industry and Profession Specific Job Boards
As the volume of online resumes and the competition to find a perfect candidate kept growing, niche boards emerged within specific professions, industries and income levels. Examples of these boards are Dice.com, for IT professionals, and 6FigureJobs.com a site focusing on jobs and candidates with a salary over $100K.Pros and ConsThe advantages and disadvantages here are much the same as generic National Job Boards. But the advantage is having a niche. This makes them easier to search, they attract more companies with specific jobs in your field, and employers are receptive to people who will relocate. They are also great for finding recruiters specializing in your field. From a resume perspective, they are also more advantageous because companies search for key words and if you have the right keywords, you will at least get to first base. Again a major disadvantage is the economy and oversaturation. Companies in industry specific boards look for the Top 5%-20% of available talent, and agents have self interest nott your best interest at heart.A WORD OF CAUTION:It is a waste of your time to submit or post a resume to a National or Industry Board unless it is in ASCII format because it will not enter the database. If you don’t know how to format in ASCII call me.

3: Local, Regional and Geographic Location Specific Job Boards
Most businesses and recruiting companies don’t have the budget, time or staff to receive or search through the volume a national job board can generate. More important, for most jobs the employer and candidate want to narrow the search to a radius of 5-50 miles. This is where Regional, Geographic-Specific Job Boards come into play, the most popular one today being Craig’s List which different websites for most major US cities. Also in the local category are online newspaper classified ad boards.

Pros and Cons

The most obvious advantage is they cater to the area you live in and have a grater listing of mid and lower level jobs, internships, PT jobs and jobs that National boards don’t carry like, caregivers, tutors, driver etc. the main disadvantages is people come to rely on them too much and forget to network.

4: Corporate/Recruiter Websites
Where some companies want their job listings to be anonymous or fly under the radar, more and more companies have incorporated a job listing or career page on their website to beef up their recruitment efforts. You can search for available jobs and submit your resume on these WebPages, and enter your resume into their database for positions that may become available at a later date. I suggest you research potential employers in your field and visit everyone’s web site to see if they post jobs. If they do, bookmark the site and visit it regularly. On the other hand, every good recruitment firm will post some of its jobs and all accept unsolicited resumes.

Pros and Cons
Visiting corporate websites offers an education into the industry and the company, and you’ll have a lot of good information to use on an interview, and if you have something to offer a smart recruiter will contact you to add to their roster and network.

What is also great about these sites is when you do get an interview you will find useful information about the company’s history, corporate culture, employee benefits, products and services and much more. Some of this information is critical to know before you meet with them face-to-face.

A disadvantage is most companies don’t pull jobs that are filled or on hold from their site and some not so scrupulous recruiters will try and pump you for information, you'll know them when you speak to them.

On the flip side permanent and temporary staffing agencies, industry and profession specific recruitment organizations, and executive search firms have access to the largest number and widest range of job opening both nationally and locally, most of which will go unadvertised. They represent the majority of jobs listed on national and industry/profession specific search boards and every one of these firms has a website where you can submit your resume. One word of advice here ‘Caveat Emptor’ beware and submit your resume with caution.

5: Networking and Information Exchange websites
These sites are steadily increasing in popularity with job-seekers and decision makers. Unlike the other websites mentioned above that are impersonal and are 1-way communication, these websites foster communication and help expand business contacts. Another advantage of these sites is they promote audio/visual contact by allowing members to post pictures and online videos that can be viewed by others.

Pros and Cons
Business and Social networking sites are a grey area in the frum community and, although I personally find these sites incredibly useful in business, I understand the reluctance of people in our community to use them. This is true of sites like Facebook and MySpace where you have less control of content and need to be more careful.

Linked-In and these type of networking sites I find lees problematic for frum and non-frum people alike because:

a: They list actual jobs and you can post your qualifications and ask people if they know jobs you qualify for

b: People who use these sites want to share business contacts, and information. They understand the concept of “what goes around comes around.”

c: They have great professional groups where people will answer your business questions and give you inside information you can use on job interviews.

d: They are great for finding and reconnecting with people you lost tocuh with.Posting Your Resume on a Job BoardAn interesting factor to consider is who is most likely to respond to an online posted resume. This too is not surprising you will get many more sales recruiters responding to your resume than actual employers. The reason is that employers are motivated by the bottom line, and are only looking for serious candidates who are worth there time and effort to interview. This is analogous to a fisherman who uses a rod and reel with bait that will attract the type of fish they are fishing for. On the other hand, sales recruiters view candidates with a different perspective. When they screen resumes online on a national job board they may call you not because of who you are, but to pick your brains and find out what and who you know; Caveat Emptor.

If you would like a no cost resume critique  email me  at perry@perrynewman.com

THE LOST ART OF NETWORKING FOR A JOB

In February the national unemployment rate reached 7.5% and Washington passed an historic Stimulus Package – still many American’s who are out of work are wondering "When am I going to feel the effects of this Stimulus Package; and what should I do in the interim to keep my career and finances afloat in these turbulent times?" There is no quick fix solution; however we can share with you what people who are conducting successful job searches are doing to make it happen.

My good friend and co-author, Meredith Haberfeld, founder of Institute for Coaching, is fond of saying “A job search requires focused intention, directed and diligent effort, a realistic but bright outlook, and patience. People who do not find a job after several months are often not directing their effort most effectively.” People we know who are getting hired approach their search as a full-time job. They wake up early and have a cup of coffee; then they begin networking on the phone and online and browsing the web, newspapers and trade magazines at 9am and continue late into the evening 5-7 days a week.

Having a great resume is essential. It is a crucial marketing document that defines who you are and what sets you apart from the competition. However opinions differ on how to use a resume. Too many job seekers focus their efforts on blindly submitting their resume to job postings, with limited results. They do this because it is easy and impersonal. What they should concentrate on is networking – this is how successful people find a job!

Meredith and I agree that, “the single most important component of a successful job search is making contact with people in the field you’re interested in.” She advises her clients to “make at least three contacts every day. Whether it’s social networking, online or face to face; with people you know or people you don’t - cultivating your network is the best way to get results.”

So, why do so many job seekers avoid networking? That is an interesting question with a not too surprising answer. Most people have a misconception when it comes to networking. Some believe it would be uncomfortable or unprofessional to approach people they know, while others believe it is awkward or inappropriate to get in touch with people from their past. Certain individuals feel it shows a sign of desperation while others believe people don’t care enough to help or are just too busy.” What’s funny is that anyone who has actually networked will tell you these are all good excuses, but the truth is when you ask someone, even a total stranger to help you find a job the universal response is “I would love to help; what can I do.”

So how do you develop a job search network? Networking is a multi-step process of alerting as many people as possible that you are in the job market. Work up the courage up to reach out. Be interested in what each contact is up to. And ask if they know anyone that would be good for you to connect with. In return, be interested in what they are up to and share what you know and look for what you can offer them. If your contact helps you, that's great. If they don't, it's still a pleasant opportunity to link in with them.

Start with your family and friends; call the ones you stay in constant touch with, ones you speak talk to 10-12 times a year, and especially the one’s you only see at special occasions like weddings, bar mitzvahs, communions, wakes, conventions and alumni gatherings. Next, speak with people you know socially in places like your health club, fraternity, church or synagogue, communal organizations and PTA’s. Speak with your doctor, your lawyer, your accountant and even your real estate agent. They are easy to approach and would love to help you. Find friends from your past and reconnect. Find people you went to college with, high-school, even summer camp. “Each conversation is not a desperate plea, it’s an opportunity to connect, find out how they’re doing, share what’s happening in your life and enjoy the conversation. When you get over any fear about diving in this can actually be great fun – and shockingly fruitful,” is another on target piece of advise from Meredith.

Sometimes networking can be done using conventional methods and sometimes you need to be creative and a little out of the box; so in addition to business contacts, you should be networking with people who provide you services.” Give some copies of your resume and talk about your job search with your dry cleaner, hairdresser or stylist, personal trainer and all the business owners and service providers you regularly patronize. When you think about it, this makes perfect sense. They are friendly, service oriented people and have long established relationships with hundreds of customers. More so, they know you, want to retain your business, and will gladly help you in your time of need.

Then reacquaint yourself with old business and social contacts. Touch base with prior bosses and co-workers. Contact clients and vendors you worked with in the past. Go through all the business cards you accumulated and call everyone in your personal and business address books. If they’ve moved on, Google them and look them up on Linked-In, Facebook and other social networking sites and in telephone and business directories

Finally, discreetly use social networking sites like Linked-In, Facebook, Myspace and others to obtain new contacts. Don’t post a resume, post a job wanted. Reach out to friends of friends and get to know them. Join networking groups online and around the city to meet people who can hire you and expand your network. Go to job fairs and contact social organizations and go to their websites, job posting boards and job seminars.

Once again the key to a successful job search is to carve out dedicated time each day to making contacts with 3 new people from your life.

1. Find out how they are doing; and be genuinely interested.

2. Then share:
a. what is happening in your life and how feeling

b. succinctly what you're looking for (major hint: practice this so you are clear and specific about just what you are looking for!)

c. make sure to ask the open ended question "who else do they know that may be good for you to speak with". (missing this question, or asking the closed question of "do you know of anyone/anything" misses the mark by a mile)

As Meredith says, “Reconnecting is actually a great experience. Don't worry about getting a job from any given contact, just follow the prescription above. It's a two-way street and involves being a good listener and giving back. If you make 3 contacts like this every day, enjoy the connections, and hold yourself to this commitment day in and day out, you'll be impressed with the results.”

People putting in patient effort and executing what we suggest ARE FINDING JOBS, even in this economy.

Perry Newman, CPC is President/CEO of First Impressions Resumes in Manhattan Beach, NY, and has over 30 years experience as a resume writer, career coach and AIPC certified executive recruiter. To get a copy of Job Hunting in the 21st Century - The New Reality compliments of First Impressions, call 646-894-4101 or email blog@firstimpressionsresumes.biz

This article is co-written by Meredith Haberfeld an Executive and Career Coach in Manhattan, and President of Meredith Haberfeld Coaching and co-founder of the Institute for Coaching. Meredith can be reached at (800) 347-0522 or meredith@meredithhaberfeld.com

WRITING YOUR RESUME - THE STAKES ARE TOO HIGH TO LEAVE IT TO CHANCE

Imagine yourself a business owner who provides an incredible service; however the market is saturated with your Competition. What’s more, customers have no clue about the value of what you have to offer; it’s as if you don’t exist. Still, you are undeterred. You know that all you need to succeed is a sizzling brochure with focused introduction and follow up letters, and a way to get them into the hands of important decision makers. Once accomplished, you’re confident you will be able to set up meeting and people will hire you. The all important question is where you should go to prepare your marketing kit. A Madison Avenue advertising/ marketing executive, Oscar Madison, or maybe you can save some money and do it yourself?

For a job hunter this is no hypothetical case, it is a true life story. Whether you acknowledge it or not, you are a business with lots of Competition with a capital C. And your resume, cover letters and thank you notes are the door opening marketing tools that facilitate getting calls from all the right people.

A fellow resume writer, Don Mennig of Executive Resumes in Pennsylvania says it best, “Resume writing is marketing; a resume is ‘pure and simple’ a sales document. “ This is so true. The fictional Oscar Madison from the Odd Couple was an acclaimed sports writer, you may be a great creative writer as well; but this does not necessarily qualify either of you to write award winning ad copy. To write a resume that will propel you forward, you must have special writing skills and a thorough understanding of how employers think.

The stakes are too high in your job search to leave it to chance. This is why I suggest that, before you begin, get some professional assistance in writing your resume and conducting your job search. You can pay resume writers and career coaches who have a track record or consult with someone you know that screens resumes and interviews and hires people as part of their job. They all have hands on experience and know what sells and what will turn off people who will screen your resume and interview you. Depending on your industry and level of experience you can ask a co-worker, an accomplished writer or a professor to help you write your resume. As a last resort you can use a professional resume guide and write it yourself. However if you write it yourself, do not submit it without someone else checking it out first. Take it from me writing an interview generating resume is a complex responsibility and, unless you are a professional, proofreading and critiquing it yourself can bring about some disastrous results.

Now let’s get down to basics: 1: begin by gathering your facts and dates, and use the PAR system to jot down your accomplishments and selling points. 2: Resumes are snapshots, not full length movies. One page is enough for most resumes, two pages max; even for top executives. 3: Remember you’re writing a sales brochure, not your autobiography. 4: Focus on positions you seek and what makes you special. 5: Describe your accomplishments, not responsibilities. 6: Insert keywords to bypass ATS and OCR scanners 7: Prepare an ASCII resume for job board and online submissions. 8: There is no excuse for spelling and grammatical errors.

According to Robert Mandelberg, CPRW of Creative Edge Resume & Writing, “the sooner you get to the point the better off you are.” What decision makers read in the first 10 seconds determine whether you go in the keeper-file or the circular file. The catch here is, not all readers start at the top. In fact, most busy recruiters and hiring authorities don’t read resumes. They scan the sales document for key words and accomplishments. If what they are looking for is omitted or does not sell, you can kiss that job good-by.

Throughout your resume avoid trite and overused adjectives like hard working, dedicated, bright, responsible etc. These words are meaningless. Seeing is believing! Show people what makes you special, don’t tell them. SELL, SELL, SELL!!!

Resumes follow three basic formats 1: Chronological: This is best for people with stable job histories, and up to 4 jobs in their background. 2: Functional: This is best for older people and people with numerous jobs or glaring gaps. 3: Combination: This is a mix of both styles to fit your specific needs. Your age, industry, job title and accomplishments will dictate the format that is best for you. Details on each style can be found online or in resume books at the library.

There are two main sections in a resume; Experience and Education. There can also be sections titled: Objective, Profile, Skill Sets, Summary of Qualifications, Accomplishments and Licenses. Depending on industry, position and the over abundance or the lack of sellable content, you may want to include one or more of these sub-sections your resume.

Under Experience, for each position write 3-5 lines that describe value and add 2-4 accomplishments in bullet points. Edit it, re-edit and proofread it until every word and sentence is perfect. Here are a few examples.

Wrong: Responsibilities included reorganizing the company’s bookkeeping and collections procedures, AR, AP and payroll.

Right: Personally revamped company financial procedures resulting in a cost savings of $10,000 in the first year plus a 6%-15% increase in collections from delinquent accounts in the fiscal years 2002-2007.

Wrong: Aggressive and hard working salesperson who thrives on new challenges.

Right: Through effective use of newsletters and direct marketing, increased annual sales production from $145,000 to $375,000 annually in the years 2002-2005.

If you are older or had a lot of different jobs, you need not go back to the beginning of your career or include them all. Focus on the past 10-15 years and use a section to expound on your accomplishments and selling points, and then just list employers, titles and dates.

A resume should be written using Times New Roman, Ariel, Century Gothic or Tahoma fonts in 11 point typeface. Use italics and bold when highlighting words or phrases for additional visual emphasis.
You may use a second font with 14 point type to emphasize headings.

Some resumes must get past automatic tracking systems (ATS) and optical character recognition (OCR) scanners. ASCII format and imbedded keywords are helpful here.

Perry Newman, CPC is President/CEO of First Impressions Resumes in Manhattan Beach, NY, and has over 30 years experience as a resume writer, career coach and AIPC certified executive recruiter. To get a copy of Job Hunting in the 21st Century- The New Reality compliments of First Impressions, call 646-894-4101 or email blog@firstimpressionsresumes.biz