Job Hunting in the 21st Century - The New Reality Perry Newman, CPC

2011-12-27T11:25:00.035-05:00

Best Wishes for a Happy and Healthy New Year; and for those in need I'm offering a 15% discount on my services up to January 7th.

One thing I notice is that person to person communication has started to become a lost art. So here are some Back To Basics suggestions to help your job search and career

1: When you are networking with people, especially those people you do not know very well and those you have never met and who don’t know your from Adam, try picking up the phone to reach out to them rather than email, text, IM’, Linked-In in-mail or other form of non verbal communication.

2: When you do establish a new contact follow up with this person that same week, and again do it using verbal rather than non-verbal communication.

3: Try something unique. Send people a paper copy of your resume and cover letter along with the electronic submission.

4: Send out hand written thank you notes and follow up cards.

5: When you reach out to people ask them how they are doing and what you can do to help them before you even begin to ask what they can do for you.

6: Start an ‘important date’ calendar this year. Mark down peoples birthday (and their kids), anniversary, the day they got a new job or were promoted, and other special dates. Then a week before the date arrives make sure to call them and/or send them a greeting card.

Author

Perry Newman, CPC/CSMS is a nationally recognized resume writer, career transition coach, certified social media strategist, as well as a AIPC certified recruiter and former executive search firm owner known for his ability to get results. You can view his sample resumes and client endorsements at http://www.perrynewman.com/, and request a free resume critique by emailing your resume with contact information to perry@perrynewman.com.

Use Common Sense In Your Job Search

2011-12-27T10:51:00.016-05:00

Who is the MVP (most valuable person) in a successful business? In my opinion it is the VP of Common Sense.

Decision makers, especially in failing companies, have a multitude of advisors with their own agenda advising them.

They are also deluged with a dearth of conflicting information to further confuse their thought process and many allow their egos and emotions to sway their better judgement.

Come to think of it, this scenario sounds very similar how most job seekers I know conduct a job search.What these executives and job seekers need is to have a VP of Common Sense to help them achieve success.

So here are a few common sense tips I hope can help end your job search and get you back to work.

1: Spend more time on establishing a network of people you need to know than people you already know.

Networking is the most important part of any job search, and for many the most difficult. There is an emotional comfort zone networking with family, friends and present and former vendors, colleagues and coworkers. Now don’t get me wrong they are crucial, especially as advocates. But the key to your success is developing new contacts and getting introductions and establishing relations with well connected people you don’t know in your field. As always Linked-In is the perfect tool to use.

2: Determine what the odds are for your finding a job through a job board and that is the maximum amount of time and effort you should expend on this job search modality. In most cases this is 20% or less.

3: Your resume should be focused on who you want to be more than who you were. To do this you need to know your audience, build a profile of the candidate they want to hire, and leave out useless information no matter how much it may make you look good. This information is more likely to make you overqualified or a bad fit for the job than a leading candidate.

4: Make your resume a marketing document and not a keyword dictionary. Again, key words are important but the story you tell is more important. Focus on the quality of the content not the buzz words because most of your competitors do what you do, so you need to let people know why they should interview you and not someone else.

5: Don’t burn bridges behind you. Last week, I overheard a conversation between two men at a networking event where one asked the other why he did not recommend an unemployed former co-worker for a job at his new company that the former colleague was a perfect fit for. His answer was plain and simple. “ He gave me the cold shoulder when I was looking for a job and then bad mouthed me to a few people I know as being just an “OK” boss. Remember the old saying “lose lips sink ships.

I hope these common sense tips help.

Author:

Perry Newman, CPC CSMS is a nationally recognized executive resume writer, career coach, AIPC certified recruiter and SMMU certified social media strategist known for his ability to help his clients get results. You can view his sample resumes at http://www.perrynewman.com/, and email him your resume at perry@perrynewman.com for FREE resume critique.

CAREER PLANNING FOR 2012

2011-12-21T10:45:00.003-05:00

As we approach the end of 2011 its time to reflect on the year that’s ending and plan for the upcoming year. So here are some tips on how to make 2012 a better year.

1: This is the time of year that everyone – whether you are happily employed, looking for a new job, unemployed or even if you recently began a new job – should update your resume.

You should review 2011 month by month to see what you have accomplished over the past year, what new skills you have developed, what new technologies you have learned or become more proficient at and, most important you should qualify and quantify your accomplishments and achievements in 2011. Then determine if you need to add this information to your existing resume, or more likely use it to create a new, more dynamic resume for 2012.

2: Check to see whether you are likely to reach the point of diminishing returns in your career in the coming year if you maintain the status quo, or if you’ll remain safe for one more year. You will need to determine by yourself or with some personal or professional help if you will still be viable to move ahead internally or outside your company a year from now if nothing changes. Look at your current value to your company, the people ahead of you and at your level who want to move up to determine if you can remain static for another year and maintain career security.

3: Set a goal for where you see yourself at this time in 2012 and identify the additions you will need to reach this goal. If you are not sure, look at some job posting for this position and use my coding system.

Additions may include new formal education or certifications, technology or business skills, hands-on experience or a stronger level of expertise in a specific area, and additional contacts and advocates to help move your career in the right direction.

Education can be obtained by making a financial investment and contacts can be made through networking and relationship management. Experience on the other hand is something that you either need to work on internally or by finding a new job.

4: Update your social media profile and set a goal to become more social media savvy in 2012.

5: Look at the Linked-In groups you are a member of and leave the ones that you find worthless and join new ones that may be more valuable in terms of content, contacts, and brand recognition.

6: Increase your brand exposure. Set a goal to start or contribute to at least 3 Linked-In discussions a week and comment on each discussion more than once.

7: Increase your network, Set a goal to add at least 3 new contacts a week to your Linked-In or personal network and set a goal of attending 1 or more networking type events every month. This is good advice for each of you whether you are employed and looking for a new job.

8: Get recommended. Set a goal to add a minimum of 2 recommendations every month to your Linked-In page.

Author

Why December Is The Best Time To Network

2011-12-01T22:19:00.002-05:00

Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? Should old acquaintance be forgot, and auld lang syne?

Just before midnight on New Year’s Eve there is a tradition in America, started in 1929 by Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians during their New Year’s Eve broadcasts from the Waldorf Astoria, to sing this Scottish poem/folk song as we countdown the old year and bring in the new. The song begins by posing a rhetorical question, is it right that old times be forgotten, and is intended for us to remember friendships that have gone by the wayside over time.

The sentiment of the poem is prescient and especially for job seekers at this time of year. Sometimes “when you’re down and out and felling small” (thank you Simon & Garfunkel) as the holiday season gets into full swing you need to look back at your glory days to remind yourself how successful you were in the past, and how sooner or later you will return to where you rightfully belong. Hopefully this will help you refocus on the task at hand and what you need to do to get back on top.

Moreover I suggest that starting today you heed the poem’s clarion call and start to remember past relationships; the long-standing and the newer ones as well.

This is the time of year when it is common to reestablish lost relationships and reacquaint yourself with people from your past; and one of these people just might be the person who will furnish you with the lead or introduction you’re eagerly waiting.

So here are some suggestions;

1: If you’re not already on Linked-In, sign up today! Next make sure your profile is fully completed and you upload a picture (headshot preferred) that conveys the proper professional image you want to make.

2: Then spend 2-3 hours a day (or more) on Linked-In for the next 3 weeks looking for people, companies and jobs. Set a goal to find 10 people a day you knew but lost contact with and send them a personalized invite to Link-Up. It can not be generic, and should also include a request on how you can help them.

3: At the same time find at least 2 people every day on Linked-In who know you well enough to recommend you. You can start with the people you are connected to and then find new people. Set a goal of 20 recommendations between today and January 1, 2012.

4: Look up companies on Linked-In and see who works or worked there and connect with them as well.

5: This year start a Hallmark or a free online card account and send everyone you have an email address for a personalized Seasons Greeting card by December 15th at the latest. Then follow up with them if they don’t contact you first.

6: Now here is an idea, and I can not take credit for it, that is really neat. A few months ago I was invited to join a Facebook group begun by one of my fellow HS classmates for members of our graduating class. I barley remember Steven but I do keep in touch with Diane who sent me the link to join. He limited membership to only students in our graduating class since we had over 1,200 students in our senior class.

You may want to start such a group for you HS and college graduation class, and if you went to a smaller school expand it to include students from the year before and after you graduated; these are usually people who you knew quite well. Use Facebook, Linked-In and your online school alumni directory to find people to join. Send out invites and ask people you invite to reach out to fellow classmates they are still in touch with, or those they knew fairly well back in the day.

Once the group is going start networking. Ask people to discuss what they have done since graduation, what they do for a living now and how the group can help them if they are looking for a job. The rest will evolve naturally, and in our group we have at least 25 new postings every day, and a lot of friendships have been revived.

Author:

Perry Newman, CPC/CSMS is a nationally recognized resume writer, career transition coach, certified social media strategist, as well as a AIPC certified recruiter and former executive search firm owner known for his ability to get results. You can view his sample resumes and client endorsements at http://www.perrynewman.com, and request a free resume critique by emailing your resume with contact information to perry@perrynewman.com.

The Great Resume Debate is Really a No Brainer…

2011-11-20T23:33:00.002-05:00

As you know, I’m an executive resume writer, career coach and blogger and I am not shy about sharing my views on the purpose of a resume, what to include and exclude in it, and especially how important visual appeal is to generating the impact and mass appeal needed to generate job interviews.

To this end, I’ve shared my thoughts on an individual basis with countless readers of this blog who emailed me their resume for a free resume review, and I look forward to exchanging views with many more of you in the weeks and months ahead.

Now about the great debate; recently a discussion on a Linked-In group debated whether it was worth the time and effort to create a visually appealing resume, or if a simple plain text resume would suffice. The initiator of the post was of the opinion that since both versions present the exact same information, there is no benefit to going through the time, effort and expense to enhance a resume’s visual appeal.

Taken at face value this is a valid point, and many who commented agreed. I vociferously disagree and said so in writing. However some responders said I only feel this way because I get paid to write resumes, so naturally my opinion is skewered.

So let me publicly state my case and you can judge for yourself if it is valid or prejudicial.

Last month I happened upon an acquaintance who is a marriage counselor. We got to talking and he said he had a story that would interest me.

Recently a woman came to him who was concerned about her marriage. He told me she works long hours at her job and takes care of a new baby and two other young children when at home. But she makes sure to have a home cooked meal for her husband at least three work nights a week. Most times she cooks his meals ahead of time and either freezes them or puts them in the fridge overnight and reheats it before dinner time. The problem she said is “my husband comes home from work and just picks at the meals and then leaves the table.” So my friend asked her “maybe he has a stomach problem or some ailment that prevents him from eating.” She replied, “No, there is no such problem. As a matter of fact he loves to eat. You should see him at weddings or when we attend frequent fund raising dinners. He sits down and savors those meals. Plus he insists we go out alone to a restaurant at least four times a month and there he finishes every last morsel on his plate.” The counselor was at a loss and did not know how to respond.

A few days later he arranged to casually run into the husband and engaged him in conversation. After the small talk he told the husband about his wife’s concern and asked “is your wife a bad cook, is that why you only nibble at the food she cooks at home?” The husband grinned and said “no, actually my wife is a great cook and most times her food tastes a lot better than the meals I get when we eat out.” Somewhat perplexed the counselor asked, “So why do you enjoy the meals so much when you go out to eat and just nibble at the food at home?”

The husband looked at him and said one word; “Presentation.” Asked to elaborate he said, “My wife means well. But she is so busy with work and the kids that when it comes time for my dinner the table is full of dirty dishes and stains on the tablecloth from the baby and the kids. And although she’s a magnificent cook she just sets out a pile of paper plates and disposable plastic cutlery and plastic cups on the table for me. On top of that the food is left on the table in Ziploc containers for me to serve myself.” “I know it’s wrong, but for some reason, as good as the food is at home it is not appealing, so I just nibble a bit. Now in a catering hall and the restaurants we go to without the kids the food may not be as tasty, but the presentation is elegant and the ambiance makes the dining experience 100% better than the food is.”

Now this might sound strange to you but it is not uncommon. As a matter of fact if you happen to watch Iron Chef, a show I love, you will notice that 1/3 of the score is based on taste, 1/3 on presentation and 1/3 on creativity. Do you know why? Because all the competing chefs are equally qualified, and the dishes they prepare are all delicious. But what differentiates them that night in the minds of the judges is their creativity in using the same ingredients along with the intangible appeal generated by the plating style. I am of the opinion that decision makers will judge one candidate’s resume against another’s in the same manner. The richer the presentation, the better the chance is of being called for an interview.

Now if that analogy does not work for you try this one.

You never saw Avatar in the movies so you rent it from Redbox. How do you think it would be most enjoyable to watch: on a vintage 50” Zenith B&W television with hi-fi sound, on a 9” Coby kitchen model color TV, or on a 42” Samsung 3-D HDTV with a Bose surround system. If you are like me the answer is, hands down, the later. Why? Because the Samsung 3-D HDTV offers the viewer the best presentation of the movie, therefore it is the preferred choice. Again, quality presentation trumps the competition.

If I have yet to convince you on the importance of presentation in a resume here is one final analogy I am certain most of you can relate to.

You have a brainstorm at work that you think will get you noticed and maybe even promoted. So naturally you want to champion it. You spend countless hours trying to pull it together. You create a foolproof strategic plan, research all the facts and figures, and look for any loopholes. The only problem is you never learned how to use PowerPoint or another presentation tool. However you’re too scared someone will steal your thunder so you refuse to ask for help because you are convinced the idea is so good it will sell itself.

Comes the big day and your boss brings the rest of her team along to participate in your presentation. A half-hour later you finish and ask if anyone has any questions and everyone is silent. A few days pass and you have yet to receive feedback. So when you see your boss in the cafeteria you ask her if it is Ok for you to sit down, and when you’re seated you ask her what she thought about your idea and presentation. She replies, “The idea is brilliant. However we thought your presentation skills are very weak and we asked Harry (your biggest rival in the company) to run with the idea because he can get stakeholder buy-in. We’re sure you’ll understand its best for the company.” You take a deep breath and say “But it is my idea, I should be leading the project.” To this she replies “You’re right it was a fantastic idea and we loved it. But based on your presentation we all felt you are not the right person for the job!” End of story; Harry goes on and leads the project, it succeeds, and he earns a promotion and is now your boss.

This is how it goes in the real world and how decision makers and hiring authorities think and how they will judge your resume against your competition. Now as a Brooklyn boy through and through, if you still don’t believe me that people value presentation above all else, “I have a bridge I’d like to sell ya.”

Author

Perry Newman, CPC/CSMS is a nationally recognized resume writer, career transition coach, certified social media strategist, as well as a AIPC certified recruiter and former executive search firm owner known for his ability to get results. You can view his sample resumes and client endorsements at http://www.perrynewman.com, and request a free resume critique by emailing your resume with contact information to perry@perrynewman.com.

TIS THE TIME OF THE SEASON

2011-11-14T12:23:00.004-05:00

The holiday season is almost ready to begin; a time of great joy for many but not for all.

I don’t know about you, but on the resume writing, military and business/industry Linked-In groups I follow the tone of some discussions is showing signs of despondency over the past few weeks.

I understand that many of those commenting online at this time of the year are simply frustrated about spinning their wheels and getting nowhere fast in their job search. Worse yet, many sound ready to give up looking for a new job completely thinking it’s a hopeless situation, and many of their peer responders are fortifying this opinion.

We all agree that times are tough. But job hunters need to keep the faith and work a lot smarter today then ever before, and some need to also work a little bit harder to achieve their goal.

So if you know a job hunter in a negative frame of mind, give them an early holiday present by tweeting this post and emailing to them as well..

Dr. Glenn Cunningham (1909-1988) was a world-record-holder in the mile race and an unlikely member of the 1932 and 1936 U.S. Olympic teams.

Cunningham was born in rural Kansas in 1909. As a very young boy his mother brought him up to believe in the American Dream and that he could accomplish whatever he wanted to in life as long as he never gave up trying.

Tragically, in 1916, Glen and his older brother Floyd were involved in an accidental fire in their schoolhouse. Glen’s older bother Floyd died in the fire while Glen was rescued, in excruciating pain, suffering from 3rd degree burns over his entire lower body and legs. Medicine being what it was in those days doctors told his mother he would likely not survive. They then told her if there was any chance for him to survive, since his legs were so badly burned they would need to amputate both legs. Mrs. Cunningham would not listen. She refused to accept their diagnosis or allow the amputation to happen.

Glen did survive this ordeal and when he returned home his mother massaged his legs day after day, putting on ointments to soothe the burns, and telling little Glen not to give up. She told him ‘no matter what the doctors, the neighbors or anyone says eventually you will not only walk again but you will run like all the other boys.’

Amazingly sensation began to return to his legs. One morning while sitting outside in his wheelchair during the summer of 1918, Mrs. Cunningham told Glen how proud she’d be if he would just walk to the fence 5 feet away. Glen smiled and said nothing. Then one morning she came out and saw Glen was holding on to the fence crying. In shock she asked him what happened. He said he wanted to make her so proud of him but he failed; he did not walk to the fence, he only took one step, fell, and then crawled on the ground the rest of the way. She broke down crying and told him how proud she was that he tried and succeeded. “You did not fail. This is just the first of many small steps you will take in life to reach your goals.”

That summer Glenn never gave up and soon he started to take one more step, and then another and soon he could walk to the fence on his own. Eventually Glen regained full strength in his legs by running. By the time he was 12, he had beaten all the local high school runners. His legs remained deeply scarred, however. Throughout his life, he would have to massage them and spend time doing long warm-up exercises in order to maintain circulation. In addition, his injuries meant that he could never run smoothly or efficiently; he compensated with endurance and strength.

Dr. Glen Cunningham attended the University of Kansas where he ran for the track team and in the 1932 Olympics, held in Los Angeles, he came in fourth in the 1500 meter race. In 1936 he again represented the USA, this time in the Berlin Olympics, as a teammate of another great world class athlete and role model, the great Jesse Owens. Glen later earned a master's degree from the University of Iowa and a Ph.D. in Phys Ed from NYU.

Dr. Glen Cunningham is just one example of how you can beat any odds as long as you don’t stop trying. With a positive and realistic outlook, the help of one’s family and friends, and lots of perseverance and perspiration no goal is out of reach, no matter how hard it may seem today.

This story has been an inspiration to me and I hope it is for you as well.

Let’s not kid ourselves; job hunting is a hard task in this economy but in the end we will all succeed if we just do the right things and keep on trying with a positive frame of mind.

PS: Join me this Wednesday November 16 at 9 pm Eastern time on http://www.internetvoicesradio.com for an internet radio show with Tome Dezell in which we will discuss networking at this time of year. If you can't listen live, the show is available for download after live airing as well.

Author
Perry Newman, CPC/CSMS is a nationally recognized resume writer, career transition coach, certified social media strategist, as well as a AIPC certified recruiter and former executive search firm owner known for his ability to get results. You can view his sample resumes and client endorsements at http://www.perrynewman.com, and request a free resume critique by emailing your resume with contact information to perry@perrynewman.com.

Open Your Eyes to the Job Search Reality

2011-11-07T08:57:00.003-05:00

A most difficult and frustrating aspect of being a career coach and resume writer is telling people what they need to know, as opposed to telling them what they want to hear.

Especially when you need to tell them what they already recognize, or at the very least surmise to be the truth yet struggle to acknowledge and accept, or flat out refuse to admit.

Over the past year I’ve been in contact with countless people from coast to coast at all levels and in all professions. What I found is more individuals than I expected are totally unaware of, or still not accepting the new realties of the job market in the second decade of the new millennium. Plus many older people are still stuck in the so called glory days of the 20th century and await their return. Sadly they have a long wait as illustrated by Can you still move up in America? the cover story in Time Magazine [11/14/11] written by Rana Foroohar.

So when people in the know offer you the following advice; heed it rather than fight it.

1: If at this time you do not have the requisite skills and experience to get the job you are focusing on rethink what you are doing and why, and try finding a more realistic goal.

2: If your resume is outdated or lacks the proper focus don’t look to justify it just listen and ask how you can fix it.

3: If you no longer want a job in which you have the most recent and relevant experience and instead want to focus on jobs that require skills and experience you last used 5-20 years ago realize that this job search will take a lot longer than you might expect. Also job boards will offer you negligible results, and your resume may need to be unconventional in order to take the focus off how long it’s been since you last held and qualified for this position.

4. If you are expending the bulk of your job search efforts on resume posting, resume blasting and scouring jobs boards and applying for jobs online, stop. This is not the optimal use of your money, time and effort.

5: If you expect people in your network to advocate for you and pass your resume along to people in their company and people they know make sure it is eye-catching, properly worded and has relevance and the right focus.

6: If you do not understand how Social Media works have someone teach it to you.

7: Don’t dwell on why you can’t find a job, why people won’t interview you, why they won’t take your phone call, or on anything that is negative. Keep positive and look for answers on how you can make things happen in the future and don’t dwell on past failures.

8: Don’t justify being frugal because you don’t have a job. If you need additional education, certification or to gain valuable experience as an unpaid volunteer don’t procrastinate, do it. If you need a new interview outfit or a costly visit to the hair salon, need a professional resume and coaching, or need to join an organizations or attend valuable networking event, and then if you need to follow this up by taking someone who can help you out to lunch or dinner don’t think twice about it. Just do it.

Author
Perry Newman, CPC/CSMS is a nationally recognized resume writer, career transition coach, certified social media strategist, as well as a AIPC certified recruiter and former executive search firm owner known for his ability to get results. You can view his sample resumes and client endorsements at http://www.perrynewman.com, and request a free resume critique by emailing your resume with contact information to perry@perrynewman.com.

Client's Level or Desired Level...Getting It Right!

2011-10-31T13:33:00.008-04:00

The following discussion was started last week by a veteran resume writer with MRW, ACRW, CPRW, CJSS, CCM, CEIP, JCTC credentials in a Linked-In group I am a member of. I think there is much for six figure executives, and those wanting to reach this level to ponder when choosing an Executive Resume Writer; and in determining if you’re truly qualified to write your own resume, if this is the option you are seriously contemplating in your job search at this time.

MRW, ACRW, CPRW, CJSS, CCM, CEIP, JCTC’s Discussion:

I have a client who is a Senior Director in a large corporation but wants to move up to an even more senior level somewhere. At this point, the resume I've drafted for him has, according to his former boss, raised him from appearing to be a lower level manager (his initial resume) "to director level in my mind, but not to a high level senior supply chain executive.

The ex-boss said it was "too specific in terms of numbers: ex. number of people managed, $$$ this and that...all mid-level stuff. Senior execs are all about defining and implementing strategies, building and leading teams to success, customer and supplier relationships, interaction with corp. execs...."

To a certain extent, I agreed and am making a few minor adjustments; however, I disagreed with his emphasis on doing what sounds to me like generalizing the areas that should be covered--if we don't give quantifiable, measurable or otherwise clearly valuable aspects to those areas, how does our client really send a stand-out message? After all, anyone can claim to do a good job in those areas, but not everyone really does them or does them well.

My Response:

Without seeing the document I think the ex-boss is telling you that your focus is off base.

A director level resume is not all about #’s and $’s and %’s. Rather this ex-boss hit it on the head, it is more about implementing strategies, building and leading teams to success, customer and supplier relationships, interaction with corp. execs etc.

I think you have a valid point wanting to give quantifiable, measurable or otherwise clearly valuable aspects of a client’s past to send a stand-out message. But this can be accomplished in many ways, not only with facts and figures.

Without seeing the work, I imagine the message your client, and you by extension are being given is not to make the main focus on the value your client brings to the table, but to focus on what the new employer is most interested in. In other words the desired level, not your client’s level, especially since facts and figures can often be misleading

A decision maker in the know, your client's ex-boss feels he and his peers are more interested in seeing what will make your client successful in the more senior role that they will hire him for as opposed to what made him a success in his previous role.

In my senior executive resumes I tend to agree with the ex-boss and concentrate less on the C-A-R points (challenge-action-results) and more on delineating the subtle points that are paramount for a senior executive and use several unique styles to do so.

MRW, ACRW, CPRW, CJSS, CCM, CEIP, JCTC’s GA’s Reply:

“Thanks for the excellent feedback. I’ll definitely give it serious thought. I think my biggest challenge is still how to make the kinds of points the former boss is recommending without having them sound like generic statements that could be made by a host of executives, so I’ll have to work on that.”

Job seekers, especially those who are unemployed, you know as well as I do that in this economy and marketplace there are a limited number of positions available that offer opportunities for upward growth, let alone an opportunity to secure a position at the same level you’re at or just left. Making matters more onerous, today’s candidate pool is oversaturated with qualified competitors. Therefore you need every advantage possible to get yourself noticed and generate interviews.

An executive resume is a much needed tool. However not all resume writers are equal; and most are not up to the task of crafting a marketing document that will resonate with a discerning audiences at this rarified level, no matter how many letters follow our name.

Most resume writers are excellent writing for recent graduates and low to mid-level personnel. Some specialize in certain technical industries such as IT or engineering and some are qualified to write resumes for a management and professional level clientele.

Still, there is a special talent and experience needed to craft an Executive Resume that only a select few resume writers possess. So if you go this route you need to due your due diligence in order to choose wisely.

Also, with this information in mind, if the vast majority of experienced, professional resume writers find it difficult to determine what exactly goes into an Executive Resume and how to pull it all together in terms of content, format, style and visual appeal, what are the odds that you are up to the task of writing your own Executive Resume?

Author

Perry Newman, CPC/CSMS is a nationally recognized resume writer, career transition coach, certified social media strategist, as well as a AIPC certified recruiter and former executive search firm owner known for his ability to get results. You can view his sample resumes and client endorsements at http://www.perrynewman.com, and request a free resume critique by emailing your resume with contact information to perry@perrynewman.com.

I think this client’s former boss may be offering him and you some very good advice.

Job Seekers, R-U Lost in the Shuffle?

2011-10-26T10:49:00.013-04:00

“My concern was always for the nobody, the man who is lost in the shuffle, the man who is so common, so ordinary, that his presence is not even noticed.” Henry Miller Sexus, 1949 This week I came across this quote from the iconic, 20th century avant-garde author in ‘Literary Brooklyn’, a book about famous authors who lived in my hometown. What I found especially interesting is one of the few real-world jobs Henry Miller held during his life was in the human resources department of Western Union as a high volume recruiter / hiring manager in the 1920’s.

Upon reading this quote it struck me, like a bolt of lightening, how much it parallels my first impression about job seekers throughout my professional career after viewing their resumes for the first time. Whether emailed for a free resume critique or for me to edit or write; sent to me when as a recruiter with the intention of impressing me with how viable a candidate they were for positions with my clients; or submitted to me when I was in corporate HR or a business owner and ultimate decision maker.

I can state with absolute certainty that at least 75% of the thousands of resumes I’ve read went unnoticed. I am also convinced that others who review and write resumes for a living will concur that this figure holds true for them as well.

I readily admit that most of the job seekers whose resumes I read can not be classified as being a ‘nobody’. In truth many, if not the majority have something to offer; and in many cases they might bring great value to a job. However for a plethora of reasons their resumes inevitably get lost in the ultracompetitive shuffle because, as Henry Miller so eloquently put it, “they were so common, so ordinary, that [their] presence is hardly noticed.

Whether it’s a computer or human eye judging your resume it must make an immediate and indelible impression on the reader to get you into the pool of candidates called in for a face-to-face interview.

Resume writing today is akin to marketing a luxury product. You need to get a perspective buyer’s attention from the get-go and intrigue them to find out more. You must identify the needs and benefits they seek and how you offer a solution. You need to be brief, but not too brief, and eye catching in getting your message across. Finally, you must come to the realization, like anyone in marketing will tell you, that the same product is not marketed the same way to all audiences. You need to treat perspective employers as being unique with special needs if you expect them to reciprocate and consider you as an individual with something special to offer.

My first and strongest suggestions to you are to avoid using common, overused resume templates or trying to imitate someone else’s resume in your field.

Next, avoid appearing ordinary at all costs (editorially or financially) and dare to be bold and defy convention if you want your presence to be noticed. This is not easy to do but it is essential to your success.

Remember, your primary goal is to get noticed and get people to view you not so much for what you have been in the past, but for the valuable employee you will become for them in the future.

What was true in Henry Miller’s astute perception of people in his day holds true in our times as well. It’s always in your hands whether decision makers rate you as a significant nobody, invisible in a crowd, or if they recognize you as a top-flight candidate whose resume stands out based on its and your merits.

Author
Perry Newman, CPC/CSMS is a nationally recognized resume writer, career transition coach, certified social media strategist, as well as a AIPC certified recruiter and former executive search firm owner known for his ability to get results. You can view his sample resumes and client endorsements at http://www.perrynewman.com/, and request a free resume critique by emailing your resume with contact information to perry@perrynewman.com.

RESUME WRITING \ EASY OR EFFORTLESS?

2011-10-10T16:12:00.005-04:00

Many tasks and projects are relatively easy to perform and complete with the ultimate result being perfection if you have the proper training and experience. On the flip side the exact same tasks and projects are likely to encounter costly errors, and the final result is prone to be flawed if you do not posses the requisite knowledge and skills. How many of you have tried to clear a critical virus from your computer on your own... need I say more?
One example of something that can be easy is resume writing. For me, and equally skilled peers, crafting a resume that enhances our client’s job search is relatively easy regardless of the client’s occupation, profession or level. In other words writing a resume for a marketing assistant, programmer, nurse or nutritionist is just as easy for us as writing a resume for a Director of Finance, VP Marketing or CTO.

Nonetheless when I say “writing a resume is easy for someone who knows what they are doing,” I do not want you to confuse the terms ‘easy’ and ‘effortless’ because they are not one and the same. Most things that are easy for a skilled professional are far from effortless.

Writing a resume is easy if you know what the finished product will look like before you begin; if you are cognizant of the various steps and nuances involved in the process at every juncture; you know how to anticipate and solve problems and false perceptions as they occur; and you have a review system in place to ensure the best possible results.
To make this point clearer here are 2 analogies you may relate to.
For a highly skilled CPA filing a complex individual tax return may be easy. Still it requires an inordinate amount of effort to keep up with the changes in the tax laws, in compiling the proper data, determining which supporting forms the client is required to file, and not withstanding the inordinate number of people-hours that go into meeting with a client, answering their questions, and the time spent actually preparing and reviewing the tax return.

Having done it many times before, being familiar with similar cases and knowing what must be done makes the CPA’s job easy. However the complexity of the project and the need for perfection requires a tremendous amount of effort on behalf of the preparer to make certain the finished return comes out perfect in every way. This is why most people who have a lot to lose or gain when filing a tax return don’t risk preparing it themselves. Instead they entrust the task to an accounting professional with a proven track record.
Next let’s look at an auto mechanic. How many of you feel comfortable changing your car’s oil? How many of you are equally comfortable doing a brake job or tuning up your car? Now how many of you amateur mechanics would feel qualified to rebuild your motor or transmission if that is what is needed to get your car back on the road?

To a truly skilled mechanic all these are easy. However the more complex ones require a concerted effort to get it done right. Dare say maybe 40% of us would change our oil and less than 20% would attempt a brake job or tune up on our cars; and I think very few of us would even consider working on the engine or transmission. Universally, I find when it comes to automobiles people leave the work to a professional because they have the know-how to do the job right and we don’t.
Now I’m not brazen enough to say a resume is the most important component in a successful job search, but it is a necessary document in a job hunter’s arsenal. The more professional the resume looks and reads the better your chance is of getting the job you want and speeding up the time to find it.
So if you’re trying to decide if you need a professional résumé or whether you can write it yourself consider these three things:

1: Is there a lot at stake if you submit a mediocre or sub-par resume?

2: Can a professional resume writer do a substantially better job than you can?

3: Is making an investment to get your stalled career back on track as important or even more important to your future than making an investment to maintain or repair your car?

If in your mind you think there is little to lose having an OK resume or you don’t care how long you remain jobless, and you feel confident you can write a passable resume I suggest you go for it.

For those of you who hire an accountant or auto mechanic because they offer better results than you would get as a do-it-yourself kind of guy or gal, I recommend using a professional resume writer as well.

Perry Newman, CPC CSMS is a nationally recognized resume writer, career transition coach, former AIPC certified recruiter and executive search firm owner, and a certified social media strategist known for his ability to get results. You can view his sample resumes and numerous client endorsements at http://www.perrynewman/.com, and you can receive a free resume critique by emailing your resume with contact information to perry@perrynewman.com.

The 4C's of Resume Writing

2011-10-04T10:31:00.003-04:00

In a discussion I am following on the Career Link Linked In group – “What are the 4 Cs of business communication?” – a respondent said she believes they are Concise, Correct, Clarity and Complete. You can also say these are four keys to writing a successful resume and conducting a successful job interview.

CONCISE:

Forget the debate about should a resume be 1 page, 2 pages, or can it be more. For each person the answer is dependant on what they bring to the table in terms of knowledge, experience, education, skills and achievements and how they choose to get this information across. For me a 1 page resume is optimum for those in the earlier stages of their career; 2 pages is best for job seekers with 10+ years experience who have a lot to offer, and some cases require going beyond 2 pages to get the full message across, and I have no problem with that.

No matter how many pages you have, the key to success is to be concise with your sentences words and avoid useless information. If in doubt consider whether the information is relevant to the job you’re applying for and see if you can include it on a social media page and direct people there instead of adding extra weight to the resume itself.

In an interview you need to make a conscious effort to be concise with your answers and avoid rambling on and on and going off topic.

CORRECT:

This is especially true in terms of listing verifiable information such as dates of employment, titles, responsibilities, education, GPA, and most important when detailing achievements i.e. if you were part of a team that accomplished something great do not overstate or understate your contribution to the project.

The same holds true in an interview, and I will take it one step further. When asked a specific question only give the correct answer. If you don’t know an answer say so and don’t try to bamboozle your way around the question.

CLARITY:

This to me is the real problem in most resumes I see. Somewhere in the document there is useful information I am looking for. The problem is without a knowledgeable resume wordsmith and someone who knows how to format a resume for optimum effect the information gets lost in the miasma, and the reader is left out in the cold and thought of as being merely mediocre, whether this is true or not.

In an interview clarity is essential. When asked a question you must be clear in your answer and your tone of voice.

Clarity is often a by-product of practice and helps exude confidence. It helps if you think ahead about the questions you are likely to be asked and practice your answer so that they are crystal clear.

COMPLETE:

My take on the final Big C is a resume takes a lot more effort than sitting down at the computer and updating what you wrote in the past. There are numerous steps involved including identifying a core audience, determining value, knowing exactly who you are and who is your main competition, identifying your accomplishments, verifying all your information, getting recommendations, creating a dual (employer/employee) profile and matching it point by point, proofreading and editing the document, and seeing what tweaks need to be made for a particular job. When you have done all of this you can say the work is complete.

In terms of an interview, when you speak to the interviewer you must speak in complete sentences and complete your thoughts. Don’t assume they know what you are talking about and leave important points unsaid.

The Oscars 2011 – Lessons From The Best

2011-03-03T09:12:00.007-05:00

Last year I had fun using the Oscars as the jumping off point for this blog. So by popular demand here is the 2011 update.

TRUE GRIT
True Grit is exactly what it takes to find a job in today’s job market whether you are a six figure executive, a minimum wage worker, or you fall somewhere in between. The rules in résumé writing and job hunting have changed dramatically since the days of John Wayne, as they have in film making as well. Like the Coen brothers you need to understand what appeals to the audience in 2011 and how to package it so people will buy it. But just like this remake, the work ethic of our parents and grandparents which I have come to think of as a True Grit mentality always remains in vogue.

So here are 3 lessons from this then and now blockbuster. To write a successful résumé and conduct a winning job search requires self awareness and dedication to purpose just like Mattie Ross; confidence in yourself and your abilities like Texas Ranger LaBoeuf; and just the right dose of moxie, cockiness, and a larger than life presence like Sherriff Rooster” Cogburn. These 3 attributes will make you a winning ticket at the job search Box Office.

THE SOCIAL NETWORK
I can stop writing right here because the name “The Social Network” says it all. But I would be remiss and misleading some of you if I stopped because as much as Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook changed the way people communicate all around the world, Facebook is lower down on my list of social networking platforms for job hunting. My suggestion is this, if you do use Facebook be extremely careful to keep it restricted to business content and not your social life. After all you don’t want a prospective employer to know that your Aunt Tilley’s pet cat had a litter of 14, or even better that your girlfriend is going out with your soon to be former best friend and the comment came R rated from someone you don’t even know. Both are true stories I read on people’s Facebook pages.

However as the title and movie imply social networking is the wave of the future. Plus as we see daily social networking is such a powerful tool it can topple governments in a matter of a few weeks, or get people killed for their efforts.

So if social networking is powerful enough to change the course of history, it is certainly powerful enough to help you find a new job or grow the business you are ready to launch instead of going back to work for someone else. Now a word of caution, if used unwisely social networking and social media can start a lot of fires and burn bridges behind you that may never be repaired.

So as with any new super power tool, learn how to use it properly or you’re liable to cause yourself some serious harm. What I suggest is you learn how to harness the awesome power of Linked-In, Ecademy, You Tube, Facebook and other Social Networks for your job search before rather than after you start using them. Networking has always existed in business but today it has become much more sophisticated and wide spread.

As I have always said in this blog I am a big fan of Linked-In. It is a relationship management tool and is in my mind the #1 business social networking site. I spend a lot of time coaching people on how to use it and it has paid off handsomely for them

127 HOURS
In my professional opinion this is the minimum number of hours a month you should devote to a job search when you are unemployed, and half that if you’re employed but serious about making a career move.

From a time management perspective you need to divide your time each week into researching companies, recruiters and people in your field to network with and spending quality time networking by talking to people and asking for endorsements.

You also need to spend time sending out strategic emails, searching for and applying for jobs on job boards and tweaking your resume and perfecting a cover letter for the jobs you’re apply to. In addition you need to allocate time to physically and mentally prepare for a job interview so you’re confident and at the top of your game when someone expresses an interest in meeting with you.

I have said this more than once and will say it over and over because it is that important. Being out of a job, even if you’re collecting unemployment, is not the same as being on vacation. You may think you are out of a job but your not. Your job is to get back to earning an income ASAP; and at the very least job hunting requires 127 a week each and every week until you land that new job.

THE KING'S SPEECH
This title is also self descriptive. Being able to communicate verbally is an immeasurable asset for every job seeker. I have seen verbal and non verbal communication change a hiring authorities mind on more than one occasion. The point of this movie and for job seekers is in knowing how important your image is to achieving your ultimate goal, being willing to admit that you need help, and not being afraid to try unorthodox methods to get what you want.

As far as verbal communication is concerned you need be prepared and confident enough to strike up a conversation with someone in line for instance at the supermarket or at the movie theater. You never know who can supply you with the lead that lands you your next job, and don’t laugh because I have found great candidates I’ve placed in high paying jobs during my career in both venues. I’ve also done well starting up a casual conversation with people on the subway, in Central Park, and while shopping at Brooks Brothers, Borders and at the gift shop at the MOMA (Museum of Modern Art).

The reasoning for this is common sense simple. Find places where people who can advance your career are likely to be. For instance here in New York as I am sure in many places around the country people in specific professions like banking, marketing and PR, education, healthcare etc. frequent certain places, events and establishments.

Being seen appropriately dressed and just happening to have a copy of your resume or a business card on you is the first step. Asking around and getting to know who the players are is the next step, and the final step is striking up a conversation with the right people and having them introduce you to their circle of friends. If you do this enough you immediately expand your network, you gain much needed confidence, and you will eventually hit pay dirt.

As I said, from personal experience I have found countless contacts this way. Equally important I kept up with, and in some instances ahead of breaking business news and trends and found out little know pieces of information that made me look like a SME and a person in the know who people want to stay in touch with. This was an important part of my success as a recruiter and business owner, and in my current practice as a résumé writer and coach. Being comfortable speaking with people, especially in public or in pressure filled situations is a skill every job seeker must perfect to the best of their ability.

Now that you have heard what I have to say leave a comment and vote for which piece of advice was most helpful for you

Author

Perry Newman, CPC CSMS, a nationally recognized executive resume writer, career transition coach, former AIPC certified recruiter and owner of Harrison Dane Associates, and an SMMU certified social media strategist, is known for his ability to get results. You can view his sample resumes at http://www.perrynewman.com/, and email him your resume at perry@perrynewman.com for a FREE resume critique.

2011-02-28T07:32:00.001-05:00

It just dawned on me how many times a week I hear “that makes a lot of sense” and “I never thought about it like that” from people referred to me by satisfied customers and the countless professionals who take advantage of my offer for a free resume critique. I always spend the first 15-20 minutes on the phone getting to know them, reviewing the material they sent me, and going over the process of what I do and comparing it to what they have done or should be doing, and WHY; and inevitably these words are said to me several times during each new conversation.

By no means does this make me a genius. Rather, it indicates too many people in job search mode are grossly misinformed today or are engaging in the process without the requisite knowledge and life experience to write an effective resume and conduct a successful job search.

So here are some six of the many pieces of information I share with people every day that elicit these responses.

1: This is a no brainer. Your resume is a marketing document pure and simple. It is not an autobiography or a historical novel, and the focus in writing a resume should be with an eye towards the future rather than dwelling on the past. With this in mind I also caution you not to concern yourself about the controversy surrounding the proper length of a resume.

There is no universally accepted answer. For me the proper length of a resume is however long it takes to get all of the vital information that makes the case why someone should want to get to know you better down on paper. The actual length of the document depends on who you are, how extensive and complex your background is, and how much information you need to include that is relevant to the job you are applying for. A 1-2 page resume is optimal; however a more senior person or solid professional with a lot to offer can easily fill up 2 to 3 pages. If it runs over 3 pages put the information on a social media site like Linked-In and use a hyperlink to send people there.

2: You know all about who you are and the value you have to offer; but do you know what the companies you’re applying to look for in a new hire, and what they value most. Before you start to write go online and find 5 jobs that fit what you are looking for and see what it is that these employers want to know about. This is what your resume should focus on. And if your research shows different companies on this list are looking for somewhat different things, or some place a greater or lesser value on a tangible or intangible you have to offer, or you are looking at different jobs that require somewhat different skills sets and experience, this exercise will show you how to customize your resume for each one.

3: Don’t count on cover letters to make your case. Customize your resume. I will guarantee you that 99 our of 100 people who receive your resume with or without a cover letter will read or at least skim it; while my research tells me that at the most 60% of the people who will read your resume will also read the cover letter and only half of this 60% will forward it up line along with the resume to the next level of decision makers.

4: When you write a resume your goal is not to produce a dry and boring technical manual that is chock full of facts that are intended to educate the reader. A resume should be written with the mindset of a top selling author. It should capture the reader’s imagination by painting pictures with words of a hero leading man or lady who is going to burst onto the scene out of nowhere and save the day, and it must tell its story in such a way that the reader feels compelled to actually read it rather than just skim through it to get raw data.

5: Taking the point #4 one step further, you need to remember that in every case your resume will be in a pile of 30-100 others so instant comparisons are inevitable, especially since most of the resumes in that pile will contain much of the same basic information. So what can you do? Let me share with you an analogy from someone I met recently who subscribes to a local newsletter I contribute to along with 10-15 other writers where each week we submit an article on the same topic. He said “Perry, I really enjoy this newsletter. Every week I skim through the articles and I learn something new. But I have to tell you that when it comes to your article I read every word rather than skim through it.” I am far from the brightest and most knowledge writer out of the group so naturally I asked him why. What he told me is the lesson you need to learn if you want to be a good resume write. He said “Perry the other writers offer great information and that is why I skim their articles. But I truly enjoy the way you write.” Remember it is not raw information that counts when writing a resume; or a cover, follow-up or thank you letter. What matters are how it resonates with the reader and makes them want to read rather than skim through it.

6: When you buy a product and you are not 100% sure how to put it together and how to get the best use out of it, how do you think you would feel if it came without an instruction manual and had no follow up customer support? This is what you get with a lot of resume services. If you are going to make the investment make sure that you get some coaching on how to use and customize your resume when the need arises (because it does on an ongoing basis) and try and work with a writer where the relationship begins rather than ends once the check has been cashed.

YOUR RESUME – is it an investment in your future or an unwarranted expense?

2011-02-09T15:19:00.001-05:00

“Is there really a difference between a $400 and a $10 resume? What are your thoughts?”
Once again this topic emerged on one of my Linked-In groups; this time around Faisel posted it on Indeed.com, and I thought I would share and expound on my reply to him today on Career Rocketeer.

Faisel:

In answer to your ambiguous question, I have a few questions of my own for you!

1: Is there a difference between a Casio, Timex and Rolex watch? After all, they all display the same
time.

2: Is there a difference between a Kia Rio, Ford Taurus, Corvette, Escalade, Porsche and a Bentley?
After all, these cars all get you from Point A to Point B.

3: Is there a difference between Johnnie Walker Red, Green, Gold or Blue Label, Lagavulin 16 Year
Single Malt, Bruichladdich 30 Year Islay malt, or an $18 bottle of Lauder’s? After all, they are all
Scotch whiskey.

4: Is there a difference between a Target, Wal-Mart, Sears, Dockers, Brooks Brothers, Marc Jacobs,
Armani or a custom made men’s or women’s business suit? After all they’re all just articles of clothing.

I firmly believe the answer to all these questions is a resounding Y-E-S; there is a difference, and the same holds true in every aspect of commerce including resume writing,

What interested me was the vehemence and smugness of some responses like Kevin C., President of a consulting company, who wrote “I would never consider paying $400 to have a resume done unless there was a guarantee this would land me business / jobs,” although I did not see that same guarantee offered on his website. Or other responders who thought they did not need to pay for a resume because “after all people only spend 20-30 seconds looking at it” so why spend a lot of money for something that will get me so little face-time.

Then again some hit the nail on the head when they responded that the value of a resume should not be judged solely on its cost, rather the criteria to base cost on is the qualification of the resume writer and the product they produce. In spite of everything, all resumes are not equal and certainly the writer’s individual skills and qualifications are less so.

In retrospect, what I noticed from online discussions on this topic and speaking one-on-one with hundreds of people about their resume needs in 2010 alone is this: People’s point of view about the intrinsic value of a resume is based in direct proportion as to whether they believe a resume is an investment or an expense in their life.

I dare say if you are reading this blog post you may be wrestling with this same question in your mind, and if so you need to answer this question for yourself, ‘Is my resume an investment or an expense.’

So you may ask, “What is the difference.” Well if a resume is an unnecessary or burdensome expense in your mind your main concern will be price over quality, or even “do I really need to spend the money at all.”

Then again, if you view a resume as a necessary expense you know you need some help but will be more prone to make your decision based on competitive pricing, you will be more prone to consider a resume a generic document, and you will have a lesser regard to the qualifications of the writer and the value-added service he or she may provide.

Finally, if you are of the belief that a resume is a marketing document and an integral part of your job search portfolio, you understand what a professional resume can offer in terms of generating job interviews with you as a preferred candidate, and you appreciate how a resume can aid you in salary negotiations, then price is important but takes a back seat to the over all quality of the product and ancillary services you receive.

One last common sense thought I have for you to ponder on concerning the About.com question is this: $400 is an exorbitant price for a recent High School graduate without experience to pay for a resume to apply for a Cashier position in the local Piggly Wiggly or Vons supermarket, however $10 is a ridiculous price to pay for a resume if you are applying for a position as a VP or CXO at a Fortune 500 company.

In the past I have written about why I view a resume as one of the best investments that many of you reading this post will make in your lifetime, and maybe I will revisit this topic in 2011. However I will leave you with this one final thought on how you may want to determine the value of a resume for YOUR job search.

The average length of a job search today is a minimum of 15 weeks and twice that long for many senior level professionals, especially those in the 40+ Club. Now statistics say 87% of the people who use a professional resume will return to work two or more weeks sooner than those who do not. So using this as a benchmark a fair estimation of the maximum value you should place on a resume is the equivalent of one week’s salary. If you do this you are almost assured breaking even with your investment, and more likely to come away with a return on your investment of 100% -500% or more.

On the flip side, for many of you being shortsighted and viewing your resume as meaningless, or as a burdensome expense, at the end of the year you folks are prone to be in the red to the tune of $1000 to $20,000 that you will never see again.

Getting Fired Wasn’t Your Choice – What You Do Now Is

2011-02-09T15:00:00.002-05:00

By John P. Strelecky , Author - The Why Café

You might have seen it coming or it might have been a big surprise, but the truth remains - losing your job wasn’t your choice. What happens next, is. You can either wallow in misery and collect unemployment for the next 99 weeks, or make being fired the best thing that ever happened to you.

Why It’s Not So Bad

A recent study found that only 45 percent of Americans are satisfied with their current job. That was the lowest level ever recorded by the Conference Board research group in more than 22 years of studying the issue. Unfortunately, this also explains why so many people are collecting unemployment. It’s not that the jobs aren’t out there; it’s that some people would rather get paid for doing nothing, than do something they hate for 40 hours each week.

What Now

If you find yourself in the nine percent of Americans who are unemployed, don’t despair. You can still get back in the game and actually make being fired the best thing that ever happened to you. Here’s what to do now:

Do something you love. Most people don’t realize that instead of spending time and money to be immersed in the things they love, they can get paid to be immersed in those items. And that is the case whether you want to work in sales, customer service, accounting, marketing or any other position.

Just as they give samples at the grocery store hoping you’ll like it and come back for more, job seekers must do the same thing. Find ways to give samples of the value you can bring to the place or industry in which you want to work. Volunteer for a half day, or one day per week in the industry you want to work. Write articles on the topic, or blog about it. Give, give, give. And if you give enough value, someone will give back to you in the form of a job offer.

It’s amazing how many people think filling out an application or sending in a resume and cover letter constitutes applying for a job. That’s not enough anymore! Make the focus on how you can improve the company’s bottom line. If you are applying for a $60,000 per year job, you have to be bringing at least $60,001 in great ideas and results to the table, or there’s no reason for anyone to hire you. Obviously, it should be a whole bunch more than just that one dollar. That value needs to be reflected in what you submit to a company when you apply for a job.

If you weren’t satisfied with the type of work you were doing previously, taking a job in the same field isn’t going to fulfill you now- or in the future!. Use this down time to expose yourself to different situations that will help you figure out your purpose for existing. Volunteer, backpack around the world, read books on topics that interest you. Do whatever you can do to experience new things, so that when you choose your next job, you are fired up to be there every day.

Only You Can Make It Happen

Our education system is broke, the economy is stagnant, and unemployment is still high. You may have taken classes you didn’t care for and entered a field that didn’t fulfill you. It’s a shame that’s the way things are, but that’s the reality. And right now you have a choice.

If you are in the nine percent of people who are not working, it’s time to figure out what you want to do, find a way to do it, and bring tons of value to the table. Nobody is coming to the rescue, so you must build your own ship and take control of your life.

Laying you off was their choice. What you do after that is yours. If you do it right, becoming unemployed can be the best thing that ever happened to you. They chose, now you choose.

John P. Strelecky knows what it’s like to be laid off. It happened to him during the last economic crisis. That experience launched him on a whole new path in which he has inspired millions of people to live life on their terms. He has been honored alongside Oprah Winfrey, Wayne Dyer, and Deepak Chopra as one of the one hundred most inspirational thought leaders in the field of leadership and personal development.
Visit www.whycafe.com

Trick or Treat

2010-11-02T18:20:00.000-04:00

Halloween just ended so let’s talk about a part of the job search process that reminds me of going Trick or Treating: the Screening Interview.

As most of you know from personal experience, interviewing is the most difficult and stressful part of the job search process and it requires lots of research and preparation whether you are looking for a professional job at a blue blood Wall Street law firm or your first job as a stockroom clerk at Wal-Mart.

In the job search process the screening interview is usually the first contact between an employer and a candidate, and screening interviewers are quite often the toughest ‘people’ you will meet, and I use the word ‘people’ loosely.

And what is it about a screening interview that makes me think about Trick or Treating. Well in both cases you leave your home not knowing what to expect from the people you meet, you need to be constantly on guard, and one false move can be the difference between coming home empty handed or ecstatic.

SCREENING INTERVIEWS

So you ask, what is a screening interview and what is its purpose? Companies that conduct screening interviews do so to pre-determine if a candidate meets the basic criteria for a job, and should be passed along to HR or line decision maker. You noticed I said to take the word ‘people’ loosely. This was not meant to disparage people who conduct screening interviews; quite the contrary.

Today in many large and midsize, and even in small companies, the initial interview screening process is automated, and every resume is scanned and parsed into ATS software systems and the screener inputs keywords and other criteria so the data base can spit out compatible candidates who meet minimum standards for the position.

It is for this reason that a large percentage of highly qualified candidates are left out of the game before they can even get in it. They are the candidates who submitted resumes that got lost in cyber space and never get eyeballed by a human being.

To avoid this happening to you I suggest you have a specially constructed, computer friendly, ASCII formatted digital or electronic resume in your portfolio that is expertly written and covers all the bases.

Now if you were lucky enough to get called in for a screening interview, what do you need to know?

First off the people who conduct a screening interview are less prone to be professionally trained interviewers, and in many instances they act as gatekeepers. In addition their task is not so much to look for reasons to open the door for you to walk through and meet the decision maker on the other side, but to find reasons to show you the front door and ask you to shut it on your way out.

Screening interviewers do not ask questions with the intention of determining if you have the best skills, experience, and intangible assets for the position. This is the job of the next level interviewer. When conducting a screening interview they act more like farmers at the beginning of planting season and try to dig up all of the dirt about you and use this against you.

They will scrutinize your resume and delve into the negatives such as gaps in your work history, and grill you on specific dates in your employment, “I see here that you worked for ABC from 2006 to 2007. Was that 2 years 1/06 to 12/07, or was it 2 months or 2 weeks 12/20/07 to1/4/07 that you worked there.” Then they will grill you as if you were trying to pull the wool over their eyes and mislead them. You need to anticipate this line and manner of interrogation and remain cool, calm and collected when answering to defuse them. I worked there for 12 months, from June 06 to June 07 and I listed it this ways in order to keep continuity with the rest of the dates on my resume” The way you answer the question is just as telling to them as the response itself, and more so if poor communication skills is a trait they are looking to screen out.

They will also scrutinize the statements and adjectives you used on your resume, and ask questions like, “I see from your resume that you have expert level ability in both Excel and PowerPoint.” Then you reply, “Well not quite expert level but I am really good at both.”

When I asked screening interviewers they told me two things that turn them off on a candidate are people who overstate their value and worth on paper, and candidates whose resumes say they have a level of competency that excites them, and then let them down by not living up to their PR in the live interview.

This is one reason I stress you use accurate, descriptive adjectives on your resume and don’t try to oversell yourself by overinflating your worth and ability. Because poor use of language can turn around and nip you in the butt…

Next week I’ll continue on the topic and discuss other types of interviews and interviewers you are bound to encounter.

Contrary To Public Opinion

2010-10-17T20:40:00.006-04:00

GET A FREE RESUME CRITIQUE mailto:perry@perrynewman.com

I recently wrote a resume for a candidate who worked for an investment company founded and run by one of the worlds most renowned and successful contrarian investors. We discussed his boss’s investment philosophy, especially in a distressed economy, and then I explained how I approach resume writing in a distressed job market. Not to my surprise, my client noticed how similar his boss’s investment philosophy and my resume writing philosophy and modus operandi are and, I am proud to say, the similarity in our results.

For those who do not know, in finance a contrarian investor is one who attempts to profit by investing in a manner that differs from the conventional wisdom, when the consensus opinion appears to be wrong. A contrarian believes that certain crowd behavior among investors can lead to exploitable mispricing in securities markets. For example, widespread pessimism about a stock can drive a price so low that it overstates the company's risks, and understates its prospects for returning to profitability. Identifying and purchasing such distressed stocks, and selling them after the company recovers, can lead to above-average gains.

Conversely, widespread optimism can result in unjustifiably high valuations that will eventually lead to drops, when those high expectations don't pan out. Avoiding (short-selling) investments in over-hyped investments reduces the risk of such drops.

These general investment principles can apply whether the investment in question is an individual stock, an industry sector, or an entire market, or any other asset class; and over the past few years contrarian investors are being viewed in a new light by the mainstream based on their success in managing portfolios that out produce the conventional wisdom in today’s bear markets.

I believe this approach applies to resume writing as well when it comes to finding a job in an oversaturated market.

In critiquing my work many resume writers refer to me as a contrarian, and I agree 100% with their assessment. Moreover, I am proud to say that by using a contrarian approach in my practice more of my clients experience success in securing interviews and job offers at a rate well beyond the norm, and in less time than their peers who submit a conventional resume.

So what is my contrarian philosophy and approach?

I believe that in today’s job market 80% of the conventional wisdom in how to write a resume and conduct a job search is outdated, and slowly but surely astute job seekers are coming to accept this truth and adapt. This is especially true in how they prepare their resume and in their use of social media, and in how they now seek out professionals who are cognizant of the new reality in order to get the competitive edge.

As a contrarian my core belief is this; if your resume looks similar to your competitor’s resume the odds are you’re going to have a long job search with lots of heartbreak, and the odds increase exponentially depending not so much on the quality of your competition, but on the quantity of people vying for the same positions.

So, as a contrarian before I write a resume I first look at 6-12 resumes of candidates who share key similarities with my client to see how they present themselves. I also research how resume mills and other resume writers present people who resemble my client’s job title, skills and experience, i.e. a CXO, a VP Business Development, a Project Manager, a Senior Relationship Manager, an HR Generalist, or a recent MBA.

Then I collaborate with my client to produce a resume whose look, feel, format, style, presentation and content will least resemble their competition’s resumes. The less it resembles the accepted norm, the better my client’s chance at success.

My thought process here, which has been validated by numerous decision makers I have polled on this matter, is that if a resume stands out visually in the crowd it will not get passed over and will often be given a valuable extra 10-60 seconds of read time than the rest of the resumes in the pile.

A contrarian resume also alerts the screeners and decision makers that this candidate considers himself or herself someone special who is beyond standard classification, and the reader will focus on identifying these difference and how pronounced they are.

So when you set about to write your own resume or choose a resume writer to help you in the process, I suggest you consider whether you want to follow the crowd, be another beautiful face in the crowd, or if you want to stand out head and shoulder above the crowd. If it’s the latter I wholeheartedly suggest you follow my modus operandi and write a contrarian resume for yourself.

Perry Newman, CPC CSMS is a nationally recognized executive resume writer, career coach, former AIPC certified recruiter, and an SMMU certified social media strategist known for his ability to help his clients get results. You can view his sample resumes at http://www.perrynewman.com, and email him your resume at perry@perrynewman.com for a FREE resume critique.

Job Search Advice + Bonus FREE Resume Critique AT THE MOVIES: PART 2

2010-05-11T15:41:00.004-04:00

I'm back, and once again I want you to know if your résumé and job search are off to a rocky start you can send your resumé to perry@perrynewman.com for some expert, free advice.

Now to help you further understand what a job search entails we will continue our tour of the silver screen and see what we can learn “At The Movies.”

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND - MEETS – THE COLOR OF MONEY
Ok, the HR department loved you and the hiring manager did too. He even asked you how much you will accept, and then told you he wants to make you a fair offer. All you need to do is “come in and see my boss, the VP, for a 10 minute meet and greet and it’s a done deal.” You go home and tell your spouse and best friend that the long wait is finally over, a new job is in the bag. Two days later you go into this meeting over-confident that the job is yours and you let down your guard. You dress and act a little more casually; you speak to the manager as if she is your life-long friend; you say things that contradict what you said before; and when she asks you how much you want you ask for 10% above what you told her manager. A few days go by and you have not heard back from the company and they did not reply to your follow-up emails. Then when you call and are lucky enough to get the manager on the phone, not wanting to hurt your feelings he says “’I’m glad you called. I just got out of a meeting with the VP and was told the position you interviewed for was just rescinded” or, “I’m sorry but a great candidate internal candidate just surfaced and the VP offered her the job.”

The scenario I just described in some form or another plays out every day at every level in the fickle word of job search. So whatever you do keep the words of Yogi Berra in mind, “It aint over till it’s over.” Remember to keep your guard up at all times; treat every interview as if it’s your first interview and you have to sell the heck out of yourself to this person; and be very careful how and with whom you negotiate salary. In my experience a new job is never in the bag until the day you start work, so beware of what you say and do every step along the way.

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET
Most people I question tell me that interviewing is the most frightening aspect of their job search. Quite a number of them tell me that they are happy to get a chance to sell themselves, but once they walk in the door they are as comfortable as they would be alone, in a dark alley at midnight with Freddy Kruger. For most of us this is only natural; no one enjoys being on the hot seat, and many people on job interviews today are more accustomed to being on the other side of the desk asking the questions, as opposed to having questions directed at them by someone they feel is their inferior. To improve your interviewing skills, I recommend you put together a “Board of Directors” consisting of professional people who know you well (try to include a few from your field) and who you trust and will not feel embarrassed in front of.

When you meet for the first Board Meeting discuss general and specific questions you might expect on a phone or live first interview and brainstorm what you think are the proper responses. At the next meeting conduct mock interviews around a desk or table. Appoint a ‘Director’ to handle the video camera and the rest of the board members can take turns interviewing you. Practice 15-30 minute interviews having members ask you the same and different questions in different interview roles. One scenario is a friendly HR first interview and another is a hard-nosed interrogation style first interview. In future sessions your can conduct technical and/or line manager interviews, the let’s get down to brass tacks interview, the final decision maker interview, and finally the salary negotiation interview.

At the end of each session, or the beginning of the next, review the tape and judge several factors: How did you answer the questions; how was your body language; how was your eye contact; how was your voice modulation; did you come across as convincing, nervous, unprepared, cocky, too light weight, too overqualified, too arrogant, or too humble. Another thing is when you go on a real job interview, as soon as you can jot down the questions, your responses and any notes that stick out in you mind. After a number of mock and real interviews you will hopefully find your comfort zone and confidence, and get job offers instead of rejection notices.

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
Didn’t you love how the clothes changed Ann Hathaway from being an outcast who was taken lightly into a career woman who people took seriously? A job seeker may have the brains, the skills and the experience an employer wants. But I have found that in most job interviews just like in your looking the part will be an equal if not a deciding factor in the decision-making process, especially in certain fields where you are in the public eye such as retail, fashion, sales, and even public accounting. My suggestion is to choose in your current wardrobe at least one outfit and accessories (shit/blouse, tie/scarf, earring, shined shoes) for use almost exclusively for interviewing. If you don’t already have proper interview cloths go out and buy some. If you are short on cash arrange with a friend or family member to borrow a suitable interview outfit, or check the web to see if there are organizations in your area that loan people clothes for job interviews.

Author:
Perry Newman, CPC CSMS is a nationally recognized executive resume writer, career coach, AIPC certified recruiter and SMMU certified social media strategist known for his ability to help his clients get results. You can view his sample resumes at http://www.perrynewman.com/ and email your resume to perry@perrynewman.com
for free resume critique.

Job Search Advice + Bonus FREE Resume Critique AT THE MOVIES: PART 1

2010-05-11T15:26:00.015-04:00

Job hunters must take their résumé writing, job search strategy, and time management skills as seriously as I do. So if your résumé and job search are off to a rocky start you can send your resumé to me at perry@perrynewman.com for some expert, free advice.

To help you understand what a job search entails here are a few more tips offered in a way I know you can relate like Andrew C who said, “Being in the careers space myself, I read a lot of content that is helpful for job-seekers… yours is pure genius though.” Sometimes to understand a set of circumstances better, you need to compare it with other situations that you’re familiar with. So today I will share my movie buff side with you and take you on a tour of the silver screen and see what we can learn “At The Movies.”

LOST IN TRANSLATION
You know how great you are! Your former boss – the one who regretted laying you off – is going to miss taking credit for your ideas and accomplishments! The team members you led for the past X years know how valuable your leadership skills are and how sorely you will be missed! The vendors you dealt with will miss your problem solving and relationship management skills! The receptionist will miss your warm smile and kind words of encouragement! The accounting, IT, sales and marketing departments will miss the little things you do that make their work product better than it will be without you! As a matter of fact everyone you have come into contact with in business knows that you are no Average Joe, and they can all attest to the fact that you are one of the best in the business at what you do. The only people who will think of you as just another one of the myriad number of average out of work employees, managers and executives are the people who judged you by your resumé.

So here are two suggestions I think all job seekers, and especially mid level to senior level managers and VP and CXO level executives should take to heart. One is to make sure you look as good on paper as you do in person. Be very selective when choosing someone to help you write your resumé. Make sure you are an equal partner and can collaborate freely with the resumé writer; be careful what information you agree to put on or leave off your resumé; and most important make sure your resumé looks and reads crisp, clean and clear so you come across as a candidate every prospective employer must meet.

My second tip is to accumulate as many written recommendations as you can from people who will confirm your achievements and the truthful claims to greatness you have made on your resumé. Post them on your linked-in page or personal website. Then direct people in your network and prospective employers to them by hyperlinking them to your resumé or by word of mouth. If you are really bold you might even put two or three select references or quotes from them on your resumé as validation of who you are. What ever you do make sure the’ story you tell about a great prospective hire does not get lost in the translation. (Take advantage of my free resume critique offer above)

NETWORK
You have heard and read this a hundred times before, however not every job hunter heeds this advice. A job search is in and of itself a full-time job that requires serious game planning, meticulous execution, and a minimum commitment of 30 hours every week.

So how much time and effort do you put into your job search? Be honest now. Are you unemployed, slacking off, and putting golf, the gym, watching TV and personal tasks ahead of your job search way too often? If you are, I suggest you go to the nearest mirror, look yourself straight in the eyes and shout at the top of your lungs “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it.” Then promise yourself that “from now on I will elevate my job search to the top, and not keep it in the middle or at the bottom of my list of “Important Things to do Today.”

FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL
Gotcha…. you thought the previous tip was about networking for a job; well you were wrong, this one is. Being a Certified Social Media Strategist I am one of the biggest proponents of using Linked-in, Twitter, Facebook, blogs like this, and any quality social media outlet to network and show your bonifides. Still equally important is the need for face-time. This is why you need to get out more and attend weddings, funerals, chamber of commerce meeting, alumni gatherings, CPE courses, network nights, workshops, and even religious events so you can see and be seen by the right people. As you can see I did not mention job fairs as I find them to be cattle calls, but there is a place for them as well.

You might have an outstanding virtual image but there is nothing like being out there and having people see you as a human being. Social media, websites, emailing and texting are all nice networking tools to use, but meeting with people face to face as often as possible should have a place near the top of your job search list of ‘Things to Do.’

Author:
Perry Newman, CPC CSMS is a nationally recognized executive resume writer, job transition coach, AIPC certified recruiter and SMMU certified social media strategist known for his ability to help people get results. You can view sample resumes at http://www.perrynewman.com/ and email your resume for a free resume critique to perry@perrynewman.com

AT THE MOVIES – Job Search lessons from the Silver Screen

2010-05-07T14:31:00.011-04:00

A few weeks ago I thought I would have some fun and write a post on job search tips I gleamed from American Idol. In response I got this comment from Andrew C.; “Being in the careers space myself, I read a lot of content that is helpful for job-seekers. The correlation with American Idol was pure genius though. Sometimes in order to understand a set of circumstances better, you need to compare it with other situations that you're familiar with.” So today I will share my movie buff side with you and take you on a tour of the silver screen and see what we can learn from some famous movies and movie titles.

I also want to remind you about my standing offer of a FREE RESUME CRITIQUE when you email your resume to perry@perrynewman.com

ACTION / CAMERA / ROLL UM

Lost in Translation
You know how great you are! Your former boss - the one who regretted laying you off - knows how innovative you are! The team members you led for the past X years know how much your valuable leadership skills are going to be sorely missed! The vendors you dealt with will miss your problem solving and relationship management skills! The receptionist will miss your warm smile and kind words of encouragement! The accounting, IT, sales and marketing departments will miss the little things you do that make their work product better than it will be without you! As a matter of fact everyone you have come into contact with in business knows that you are no Average Joe, and they can all attest to the fact that you are one of the best in the business at what you do. The only people who will think of you as just another one of the myriad number of average out of work employees, managers and executives are the people who read your resume.
So here two suggestions I think all job seekers, and especially mid level to senior level managers, VPs and CXO executives should take to heart. One is to make sure you look as good on paper as you do in the flesh. Be very selective on who helps you write your resume. You should be an equal partner and collaborate freely with the resume writer; be carful what information you put on or leave off your resume; and most important make sure your resume looks and reads crisp, clean and clear, and makes you come across as a candidate every prospective employer must meet. My second tip is to accumulate as many written recommendations as you can from people who will validate your achievements and the honest claims to greatness you have made on your resume. Post them on your linked-in page or personal website. Then direct people in your network and prospective employers to them hyperlinked to your resume or by word of mouth. If you are really bold you might even put two or three select references or quotes from them on your resume as validation of who you claim to be. What ever you do make sure the Hero Story you tell about a great prospective hire is heard loud and clear and does not get lost in the translation. If you are not sure where your resume stands ask for a free resume critique by sending me your resume at perry@perrynewman.com

Network
You have heard and read what I am about to say at least a thousand times, however not every job hunter does this. A job search is in and of itself a full time job that requires serious game planning, meticulous execution, and a minimum commitment of 30 hours every week.
So how much time and effort do you put into your job search? Be honest now. Are you unemployed, slacking off, and putting golf, the gym, watching TV and personal tasks ahead of your job search way too often? If you are, I suggest you go to the nearest mirror, look yourself straight in the eyes and shout at the top of your lungs “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it.” Then make a commitment to yourself that from now on you will elevate your job search to the top, rather than keeping it in the middle or at the bottom of your list of “Important Things to do Today’.

Four Weddings and a Funeral
A’cha - gotcha…. you thought the previous tip was about networking for a job; well you were wrong, this one is. As a certified social media strategist I am one of the biggest proponents of using Linked-in, Twitter, Facebook, blogs like this, and any quality social media outlet to network and establish your bonifides. Still equally important is the need for face-time. This is why you need to get out more and attend weddings, funerals, chamber of commerce meeting, alumni gatherings, CPE courses, network nights, workshops, and even religious events so you can see and be seen by the right people. As you can see I did not mention job fairs as I find them to be cattle calls, but there is a place for them as well.
You might have an outstanding virtual image but there is nothing like being out there and having people see you as a human being. Social media, job boards, emailing and texting are all nice tools to use, but meeting with people face to face as often as possible should also have a place near the top of your job search list of ‘Things To Do.’

Close Encounters of the Third Kind MEETS The Color of Money
Ok, the HR department loved you and so did the department manager who asked you how much you will accept and then tells you he wants to make you a fair offer. All you need to do is “come in and see my boss, the VP, for a 10 minute meet and greet and it’s a done deal.” You go home and tell your spouse and best friend that the long wait is finally over, a new job is in the bag. Two days later you go into this meeting over-confident that the job is yours and you let down your guard. You dress and act a little more casually; you speak to the manager as if she is your life-long friend; you say things that contradict what you said before; and when she asks you how much you want you ask for 15% above what you told the department manager. A few days go by and you have not heard back from the company and they did not reply to your follow up emails. Then when you call and are lucky enough to get the department manager on the phone, not wanting to hurt your feelings he says “’I’m glad you called. I just got out of a meeting with the VP and we were told the job you interviewed for was just rescinded” or, “I’m sorry but we had a great candidate internally and offered him/her the job.”

The scenario I just described in some form or another plays out every day at every level in the fickle word of job search. So whatever you do keep the immortal words of the Baseball Hall of Famer Yogi Berra in mind, “It aint over till it’s over.” Remember to keep your guard up at all times, treat every interview as if it’s your first interview and you have to sell the heck out of yourself to this person, and be very carful how and with whom you negotiate salary. In my experience the job is never in the bag until the day you start work, so beware of what you say and do every step along the way.

A Nightmare On Elm Street
Most people I question tell me that interviewing is the most frightening aspect of their job search. Quite a number of them tell me that they are happy to get a chance to sell themselves, but once they walk in the door they are as comfortable as they would be alone, in a dark alley at midnight with Freddy Kruger. For most of us this is only natural; no one likes to be on the hot seat, and many people who are going on job interviews today are more accustomed to being on the other side of the desk asking the questions, as opposed to having to answer them for someone they feel is their inferior. So if interviewing is not you strongest point, and even if it is, I recommend you put together a “Board of Directors” consisting of professional people who know you well (preferably including a few from your field) and who you trust and will not feel embarrassed in front of. When you convene the first board meeting the agenda should be to discuss what general and specific questions you might expect on a phone or live first interview, and brainstorm what you think should be the proper responses. At the next meeting begin your mock interviews around a desk or table. Appoint a ‘Director’ who will handle the video camera and the rest of the board members will take turns as the interviewers. You can then practice 15-30 minute interviews having them ask you the same and different questions in different interview roles. One scenario is a friendly HR fist interview and another hard nosed HR interrogation style first interview. In subsequent tapings you can conduct the technical and/or line manager’s interviews, the let’s get down to the nitty gritty interview, the final decision maker interview, and most important a salary negotiation interview. At the end of each session, or the beginning of the next you need to review the tape and judge several factors: How did you answer the questions; how was your body language; how was your eye contact; how was your voice modulation; did you come across as convincing, nervous, unprepared, cocky, arrogant, or too humble. Another thing is when you go on an actual job interview, as soon as you can jot down the questions you were asked, your responses and any notes that stick out in you mind. After a number of mock and real interviews you will hopefully find your comfort zone and confidence, and get job offers instead of being notices.

The Devil Wears Prada
Didn’t you love how the clothes changed Ann Hathaway’s personality in this movie, and took her from being an outcast who was taken lightly to a real up and comer who looks the part of a subject matter expert who should be taken seriously? A job seeker may have the brains, the skills and the experience an employer wants. But I have found that in most job interviews looking the part will be an equal if not a deciding component in the decision making process, especially in certain fields where you are in the public eye such as retail, fashion, sales, and even public accounting. My suggestion is to have or go out and buy some interview cloths and keep them only for this occasion. If you have no interview cloths I your closet or you are short on cash arrange with a friend or family member to borrow a suitable interview outfit, or check the web to see if there are organizations in your area that loan people cloths for job interviews.

I hope some of these points help you. If they do, leave a comment.

Author:
Perry Newman, CPC CSMS is a nationally recognized executive resume writer, career coach, AIPC certified recruiter and SMMU certified social media strategist known for his ability to help his clients get results. You can view his sample resumes at http://www.perrynewman.com/, and email him your resume at perry@perrynewman.com for FREE resume critique.

Resumes Mills & The High Cost Of Free!

2010-04-21T22:48:00.033-04:00

If you don't already know me, when it comes to resume writing I firmly believe "One Size Does Not Fit All." This is not a slick marketing slogan, but a highly effective approach to writing custom resumes in a field dominated by resume mills fronted by job search engines. To spread this mantra to the uninformed I critique resumes sent to perry@perrynewman.com for free; and instead of emailing my critique I offer it to you live over the phone. This way you can ask me questions about how you can make it sizzle and sell.

What I find disheartening is nearly half the people I critique resumes for already paid $399 to $999 for a resume the salesperson said is THE ONLY RESUME FORMAT that works, only to find out the resume is well written but underperforming. What I and most people who review resumes for a living find laughable is we can look at these resumes and 90% of the time tell you who it was purchased from.

Is this ESP? No. Its simple; most of these companies write resumes using only one style that describes a generic person holding a job title (i.e. CEO, CIO, CFO, President, Marketing Director, Operations Manager, lawyer, civil engineer, auditor), rather than describing the special attributes of the person who is paying the bill. I admit these resumes are well constructed; and the words, grammar and sentence structure are erudite and very professional. The problem is these resumes are sterile and lack a personal touch.

What I also found alarming is when I asked "how were you referred to this service," I was told it was from the resume critique offer they accepted after they registered to get access to the jobs posted on the parent company's search engine. They told me that after attaching a resume they received a pointed email critique with a nice sales pitch and no guarantee. I asked for a few people to send me the critique and I registered with a few services submitting resumes they wrote changing the name and email address.

What I found was that each critiqe used the same boilerplate generic format and suggested the exact same problem in each resume with slightly different words for each. They all read something like this: "This is a straightforward assessment of your current resume, and not a judgment of your skills and qualifications. Here’s the good news, my first impression of you is that you have an impressive array of skills and experiences. You’re a qualified (widget maker) with a lot to offer an employer. Now, here’s the bad news: Your resume and the content is not up to the standards one would expect from a candidate like you.

I got the same remarks for a low level candidate with limited experience, a mid-level manager who is subpar at best, and for a seasoned executive who was fired from his last two jobs for just cause. Sound familiar.

So what can you do to avoid getting a pedestrian product for a king’s ransom?

1: Get a verbal critique of your resume, not just a cursory written email review.

2: Inquire as to the exact qualifications of the person who is critiquing your resume, and ask for specific examples of what they feel needs to be changed, why, and how they would handle it.

3. Ask how many different styles of resumes they work with, and which ones would be best for you and why.

4: Avoid layers; make sure the person who critiques your current resume is the same person who will write your new resume.

5: Your resume is not like receiving Social Services. You should be the one to choose who writes your resume instead of having someone who you don’t know and does not know you arbitrarily say “we are assigning writer XYX to your case.”

6: Ask if there is a money back guarantee of at least a partial refund if you are not satisfied with the final draft and a free rewrite if you are not getting results after a specified period of time.

7: Have someone you trust who knows you professionally look at the resume and see if it captures what makes you unique and special and then discuss their opinion with the resume writer.

8: If you want someone to critique your resume with you over the phone and tell you if it needs minor adjustments you can do on your own, major revisions, or is good as is, email a copy with your phone # to perry@perrynewman.com

Author:
Perry Newman, CPC CSMS is a nationally recognized executive resume writer, career coach, and certified recruiter and social media strategist renowned for his ability to produce resume, social media profiles and job search strategies that get results. You can view sample resumes at http://www.perrynewman.com/ and email him your resume at perry@perrynewman.com for FREE resume critique.

FIND OR BE FOUND

2010-03-01T23:00:00.003-05:00

I don’t mind repeating this point over again due to the inordinate number of ultra qualified job seekers who have been referred to me by friends, clients, my blogs, and my standing offer of a free resume critique [see http://www.perrynewman.com,], that still don’t get it. The rules of resume writing and conducting a successful job search have changed dramatically since 2008, and most job seekers with three or more years experience who are imminently qualified for a job in their field are clueless and have failed to change with the times.

For example, when I ask perspective clients who are actively searching for a new job what their goal is 7 out of 10 tell me “Perry, I need a new resume”. Most are telling the truth - they certainly need a new and improved resume, however as Richard Dawson on Family Feud said, “Sorry, wrong answer.” What they want is not a new resume, after all a resume doesn’t pay the bills. The right answer is “I want a new job or career that I will enjoy and will pay me what I am worth.”

While their answer and mine might be a matter of semantics to you, to me it is a matter of perspective, or rather a lack of perspective. Simply put what I have found is this (and most resume writers and career coaches agree with me); if a job seeker does not have an above average resume the odds are they also don’t know how to conduct a job search in the age of social media networking.

As a matter of fact what prompted me to write this blog today is my newest client. Lisa is a very successful executive level Corporate Communications professional who has outstanding skills in business communications, marketing, pr and branding. When she contacted me the conversation was short and sweet. Very straightforward she told me she has not been in a serious job search mode for awhile, she knows the process of conducting a job search today has changed, and she is not prepared to make a serious effort until she has acquired all the prerequisite tools and up-to-date knowledge she is missing. Lisa is one of the job seekers out there who gets it! She has the right attitude and perspective and is not embarrassed to admit she is not all knowing, or foolish enough to think she can go it alone without some professional help and a mentor. In other words, Lisa knows what she doesn’t know, and she is intelligent enough to realize how much harm she can cause herself by undertaking a job search without being at the top of her game.

Now what is it that Lisa comprehends and the vast majority of job seekers don’t have a clue about?

I can sum it up in 3 words; ‘The Visibility Factor.’ Let me hypothetically explain what this means. Before I take you on as a new client, I do some homework on you because your electronic life is an open book. I review your resume and Linked-in profile; I check you out on Plaxo, Facebook and Twitter, and Google, Yahoo and Bing you. And I am not the only one doing this. A savvy recruiter, HR talent acquisition specialist and, believe it or not most hiring managers and decision makers today will do this as well because it only takes 15 minutes and yields tremendous results.

Doing this daily for the past two years I found the following trends:
1: Most job seekers 35 and older resemble the H.G. Wells character Dr. Griffin, The Invisible Man
2: Regardless of age 15% of all job seekers are highly visible in a positive way
3: Job seekers age 21-30 tend to have mostly perfunctory, or worse yet unflattering information for a job search publicly available about them.

When I started in the career services business many moons ago, most years the economy was strong and the process was designed for job seekers to find a new job. Then you wrote a factsheet resume and sent it to recruiters and HR departments blindly or in response to their job posting. In those days only 20% of the job seekers and recruiters I met networked. Most depended on the supply and demand system. Lots of jobs, not enough qualified candidates. The goal was for 3-4 companies to respond to a resume, schedule an interview, and then you wade through multiple job offers. This was still working for a lot of you up to 2007. In 2010 this is Old Skool, and as passé as disco balls and bell bottoms trousers.

What every job seeker has to realize is for the foreseeable future the objective is not to expend time, effort and money looking for a job, because the numbers game is now like playing a slot machine. It is stacked against you as much as 500 to1.

The formula today is to network and be found, and this starts with your resume. Most unprofessionally written resumes, and from what I’ve seen nearly 50% of professionally written resumes make the candidate they represent invisible in the crowd. This is unhealthy if your goal is to find a job; and it is the kiss of death if you are looking to be found. For you to be found your resume has to appear in the right places and get into the proper hands; and it must tell a story of a candidate who is like olive oil, which when placed with other liquids separates itself in the crowd and rises to the top.

Next, you must become an expert in the use of social media like Linked-in, Plaxo, E-cademy, Twitter, Facebook, blogs and Web sites so you can be found, and control the public image you portray. These are the tools of the 21st Century and I only see them becoming more sophisticated in the years to come. This is why I recently completed an intensive certification course at Social Media Magic University to improve my already considerable skills in these areas. What I learned here convinced me more than before that social media is here to stay and it will change your life and mine in ways we could not image a mere 5 years ago. This is especially true for anyone in need of a permanent job, a consulting gig, or looking to start or expand a service oriented business.

A most important lesson I learned from this course is, with effective application of social media techniques you can turn the odds in your favor no matter what your competition has to offer.

So if you are still concentrating your efforts on finding a new job, I suggest you take what I say to heart. You will find it takes a lot less effort, and it is a whole lot more fun and rewarding for you to be found, and with the proper guidance all of you can turn your old fashioned job search strategy around 180 degrees in under 10 days.

Executive Resumes & Job Search Tips

2010-02-16T17:09:00.003-05:00

Since this week is Presidents Week, I thought it apropos to offer some insights into executive resumes and some tips on conducting a job search for high level professionals looking to get back in the game. If you have not found out the hard way, resumes of people who lead entire companies, subsidiaries, divisions or departments are like Hebrew National hot dogs; they are “held accountable to a higher standard.” So I hope this information is helpful for you, and if you are not sure if your resume is as solid as it can be you can always send it to me for a complimentary resume critique. perry@perrynewman.com

If you are a 6-figure executive looking for a new job you already know the ubiquitous job profile for positions at this level, and the criteria you are judged by are the ability to interact with boards of directors, business owners, oversight committees and fellow executives in the company, along with the ability to ensure a businesses meets profitability goals, and having a track record of promoting a positive corporate image in the eyes of customers, business partners and investors.

Candidates are also judged on their ability to provide vision and leadership to an organization, manage and inspire direct and indirect reports, be accountable for day-to-day operations, and ensure productivity and profitability under all conditions. In other words, as President Harry S. Truman is famous for saying, “The Buck Stops Here”, and your resume needs to shout this message out loud and clear to perspective employers.

Taking all this information into consideration, an executive’s resume can not gloss over these key points nor be overly expansive or contain useless or repetitive information. All these fine points must be covered with clarity and directness, and the resume must focus on accomplishments as opposed to rote responsibilities. Don’t be overly concerned about the number of pages; concentrate on what each page says about you and it will be OK. As I tell all my clients at this level, “decision makers do not care what you did in the past; their interest is in knowing how well you did it and can you repeat this success again for me.” Getting this across in writing is what differentiates a well written from an amateurish executive resume.

As part of the preparation process make sure you complete a thorough resume building exercise to gather the necessary substance for your executive resume before you begin writing. Then go over this information and find the right words and phrases to convey this information. Once you have done this it is time to work on style. As I mentioned above, just as your candidacy will be judged on how well you have promoted a positive corporate image in the eyes of customers, partners and investors, so too decision makers will judge your resume, and by extension your viability as a top candidate, by the image your resume and social media conveys.

This is why I recommend using either an Executive format or a Leadership format depending on how conservative or modern an image you want to portray. Both formats contain a powerful profile statement that highlights your strengths and value for the position you are applying for, along with a table of core competencies. Each format presents the same information, but with a much different visual appeal. Then it is time to list your employment history with a delicate balance of responsibilities and achievements for each position. This is the tricky part, especially knowing how far back to go if you have over 15-20 years of experience.

To fill out the executive resume you need a section on your academic credentials, licenses and certifications, another on business related affiliations, and one on publications if they are relevant. I recommend incorporating a section for professional endorsements, but consider them optional based on your personality and comfort zone in using them.

As for your Social Media image here are a few things you must know. First off you need a business oriented, friendly picture of yourself and it must be consistent on all your Social Media. Another important factor on your social media is that it is not a clone of your resume. Whereas a resume is a more formal document, your social media is just that. It needs to show people your human side and should not be 100% about business. Let people get to know you on a more personal level. Again I tell my clients over and over, “decision makers do not hire qualifications and skill sets they hire people, and more important they hire people they like.” So use your social media to make yourself not only a great candidate, but a likeable one as well.

BONUS HINTS FOR PRESIDENTS WEEK

The following search tip was recently forwarded to me by one of my clients and I think it is worth passing along to you as well.

Use you voicemail messages as a 30-second radio commercial.

What was suggested is you script out and rehearse a voice mail messages so you come across as natural and spontaneous before you leave a message on a decision maker’s voice mail; the odds being 25-1 you will reach VM rather than speak directly to the party you have called.. And what ever you do, don't try and simulate a phony voice-over announcer’s tone of voice, just practice your promo until you sound upbeat and ultra professional. While your competition is leaving spur of the moment and often rambling messages, you can gain a competitive edge by leaving a voicemail message that make people want to call you back.

Appearances Count

2010-02-09T18:50:00.003-05:00

Keep those resumes coming my way, because I learn as much about improving my craft from critiquing your resumes as you learn from me about how to improve your resume’s presentation and apply /interview ratio. For a FREE resume critique submit your resume to perry@perrynewman.com.

Also before I delve into today’s topic I’d like to offer congratulations to the New Orleans Saints on winning the Super Bowl; and my condolences to the Colts who lost a great game. Now for all of you job seekers (football fans or not) there is a lesson to be learned here. The goal of a football team is not to get to the Super Bowl it is to win it. Conversely the goal of your resume is not to just generate job interviews; it is to get and accept a great job offer.

Talking about resumes, which is something I love to do, when I read ‘Dress to get the job!,’ Harry Urschel’s Career Rocketeer blog piece last Wednesday, it struck me how much the information and advice he offered is interchangeable with how to write a winning resume.

So pardon me Harry if I take what you wrote and put a different spin on it. After all imitation is the best form of flattery.

To begin his blog Harry wrote, “From time to time I get asked about what’s appropriate to wear to a job interview, networking meeting, or other event. The answer varies based on the circumstances and type of position. The key to keep in mind at any time, however, is that first impressions do matter and dressing appropriately and professionally is a prime component of that first impression.”

Well I too am asked a very similar question all the time concerning how to make a favorable first impression with a resume, and what information, style and format is appropriate too accomplish this. Just like Harry, I answer this query with “One size does not fit all. A resume must be made appropriate depending on the position and company you’re applying to.” Moreover, just like job seekers need different outfits to present distinct images on interviews, many of you will need more than one resume to appeal to different companies and decision makers who will judge the resume you submit.

Harry then continues with the following advice to his readers, to which I’ll substitute some words to make clear my point on how interchangeable our advice about dress codes and resume writing are.

HARRY: The way you dress (the way your resume looks) can tell someone a lot about you:
Do you pay attention to detail (Did you research your audience and what they want to know about you before you began to write)
Do you think this meeting (resume) is important
Do you care about the impression you (your resume) make/s
Do you care about being current (is your resume format dated or inappropriate)

Harry then goes on to say, “Some rules apply across the board. Regardless of the role you’re pursuing, certain rules apply to every situation:”
Clothes should be clean and unwrinkled (your resume should contain only useful information)
Pants (your resume) should be neither too long nor too short
Shoes (the wording and visual appeal of your resume) should be clean (crisp) and polished
T-shirts and jeans (writing too casually on your resume) are almost never appropriate
Neatness counts! (did you proofread your resume to make sure it contains no errors)

Harry closed his piece by saying, “Appearance does matter, and dressing appropriately and professionally regardless of the position you are pursuing can have a tremendous impact on your success. Don’t make the mistake of not taking your appearance seriously enough!’

When it comes to your resume I offer the exact same advice. “The visual and professionalism and appearance of a resume is tantamount to its success… and it is imperative that you take this advice seriously.” After all as I said about the Saints and Colts, the goal is not to get to the Super Bowl or just get interview after interview. Your only goal is to have the winner’s ring on your finger – YOU WANT TO START A GREAT NEW JOB ASAP!!!

The Con's & Pro's of Dumbing Down A Resume

2010-02-01T15:33:00.011-05:00

Over 75% of job seekers I come into contact with have 2nd thoughts about their resume. They are unsure if it is a 20th Century fact sheet or a 21st Century marketing document, and if it exudes an aura of professionalism or makes them appear pedestrian. Furthemore, most job seekers want to improve their submit-to-interview ratio and be able to tweak their resume for different jobs but are stymied when it comes down to the nitty gritty of how to accomplish this.

The smartest ones seek out Subject Matter Experts to see what seasoned pros have to say. This is why I encourage people to send me a copy of their resume for a Free Resume Critique. (perry@perrynewman.com)

But let’s be honest, professional resume writers do not all agree on what constitutes a great resume. However I believe I can put down in writing -and I will - that 95% of us agree on these two points: There Are No Universal Rules and One Size Does Not Fit All.

So just like wise job hunters network and seek answers from other professionals on how to improve their job search efforts, so too professional resume writers and career coaches must ask questions in order to improve the relevance and quality of their work.

Which brings me to this week’s topic: “When is it a smart move to Dumb Down your resume – if ever?

During the Q&A session of a national webinar I conducted last week, I was asked by an entry level paralegal job seeker with a Masters degree in Education whether she should leave her advanced degree off her resume and only list her BA and Paralegal Certification. She said she was told by people in the field that her Masters degree makes her appear overqualified.

My immediate reaction (and that of others in the audience) was to leave it on because a Masters degree in and of itself indicates value, whether it relates to the job directly or not; and this was how I answered the question.

Nevertheless when I got home I had second thoughts about my answer in this context and whether it applies universally. So the next day I posed this question to some of my Linked-In contacts to get their reactions. They ran the gamut from fellow resume writers and career coaches, to HR professionals and direct hiring authorities in different professions and industries. Some had an undergraduate degree, some postgraduate degrees, some were MBA’s, and some even had PhD’s.

By and large out of the responses I received the vast majority stated that as a general rule a Masters Degree should be included on you resume under all circumstances, and all agreed this is the case if the degree is an MBA. Most told me that it’s impractical to “Dumb Down” one’s education on a resume, and not surprisingly this group believes a resume is not the forum to address being overqualified. Some answers were based solely on the basis of academics while others were based on whether the degree left an employment gap on the resume.

If you’re also struggling with this dilemma, let me share a few of the actual responses so you can get a better feel on how it applies in your unique situation.

1: Keep it on, especially if you have a work history, if even a retail job, while completing your degree full time. I did my MBA full time while working a retail gig 30+ hours a week. Prospective employers were impressed by the drive I showed by continuing to work while getting my degree full time -- especially since my retail gig involved training younger associates.

2: I don't believe in ever ‘dumbing’ down educational credentials. In every job scenario it is important to show exactly who you are so that in a hiring situation the hiring manager knows what he or she is hiring. It is the hiring person's decision IF a person is overqualified or not!

3: Speaking as a college recruiter, consultant and former senior business leader, NEVER omit any educational experiences. Completing any advanced degree or even a certificate shows your investment in yourself and your desire to acquire knowledge to do a better or more efficient job. Improving one's critical thinking skills and abilities is never a bad move. The term "overqualified" is an excuse used by some managers to limit any perceived "issues" later in the employment. It indicates an organization's inability to grasp the whole situation and underscores their shortsightedness. It can also be the easy way out when explaining a rejection. With so many people retooling and moving laterally or even in reverse to get a better shot at the top, any feedback that reads like over qualified suggested the hiring manager is under qualified.

4: I always go for completeness and transparency when it comes to the resumes I do for my clients. I encourage them to directly address the question that might arise ("Why would you be applying for this job with an advanced degree?") in a cover letter or certainly in an interview. There are lots of positive reasons that might be plausible (trying to break into a new field, trying to fill in a gap in your experience, trying to find a job with regular hours since your spouse travels a lot, etc.).

However the minority of the respondents - as of now 71% said keep it on - those who took the other side in this query, made a very compelling case for their point of view as well. ().he So let’s hear what they have to say.

1: I've been in career coaching, hiring, and marketing for 20+ years... The only time your degree is really important is when they request a specific one or you are looking for an academic position. ALWAYS take off a PhD. The only legitimate Masters degree is an MBA, unless you are applying for an MSN, or MSW position, or a position that states specifically that you must have it.

2: It depends on the work history listed on the resume and the potential position. As a former hiring manager for administrative positions, I would wonder why someone with a Masters would apply for an administrative job.

3: I have Three Masters degrees Msc Engineering, MS, Finance and Technology and an EMBA and will be done with my course work for a Ph.D. this summer. Every small consulting job I got stems from my non degreed resume. Most jobs I have applied for with my full degree, I have been interviewed by people who become defensive and say “you are not Strategic enough”, or “you are not tactical enough,” “You are too strategic,” etc. confusing contrasts. So I think if the job does not want a degree really don't put it there

4: I guess it depends on what the rest of the resume looks like. If she has a history of working as a paralegal, I would leave it on. If she is in a different position in between jobs, I might leave it off as it may send the message that this job is just a temp way to pay bills until something more suitable opens up.

As you can plainly see, the opinions expressed on this topic - as in most resume related questions - are purely subjective. There is no one universal response; with the closest one to universal being not to omit an MBA off of a resume.

If you’re struggling with this question, or any question relating to a job search for that matter, I suggest you do what I do. Seek out Subject Matter Experts, ascertain their opinions, and after examining their outlooks see what makes the most sense for you. Remember the answer is not determined by ‘Majority Rules.’ You can do decide to do whatever you’re most comfortable with even if it is not the most popular opinion.

PS: If you have any topics you want me to discuss in future blogs, please tweet me at perrynewmancpc

Attend A Free Resume & Cover Letter Writing Webinar January 26, 2010 at 5:30 PM EST

2010-01-19T16:10:00.005-05:00

On Tuesday January 26th at 5:30 pm I will be conducting a FREE 'Job Hunting in the 21st Century - A New Reality' webinar on How To Prepare Winning Resumes & Cover Letters.

This live webinar and seminar at 11 Broadway in NYC is sponsored by OUjobs.com and First Impressions Resumes, and is geared to increase your Response to Apply ratio by up to 100%.

I can guarantee you that the material we will cover during this hour is not be a rehash of outdated information that you have seen over and over in books, blogs and You Tube.

What we will delve into is the minds of the screeners and decision makers who will be reading your resume and how to get them to react.

We will discuss style over substance and I will share with you some of the new resume formats I use with my clients that get results!

To register go to http://tinyurl.com/y9nzjoo

HUNTERS OR FARMERS - WHO IS GETTING HIRED

2009-12-23T22:10:00.009-05:00

Statistics indicate there are at least SIX unemployed Americans for every new job opening; and this figure does not take into account the employed-but-searching for new job candidates who are competing for these jobs. However, in my practice I see many success stories, and helped people just like you get hired into good-paying jobs at their level, and ones that are strategically selected to serve as launch pads to even higher-paying opportunities along their career

So, what is the difference between job seekers who achieve success and those that keep toiling away day after day, week after week, and month after month without landing a job? It is whether you approach your job search as a Hunter or a Farmer.

When compared to Farmers, Hunters are 87% more likely to find a job in this economy with key differences being in their qualitative approach to pursuing opportunities and their prioritization of using a professional network. So who are the Hunters and who are the Farmers - and which one are you?

Hunters are extremely focused and very selective; they stalk few opportunities and only ones they consider just right for them; and most important they effectively leverage their professional networks to work for them.

Hunters expand and leverage their professional network every day of the week to find opportunities and consider time spend networking exponentially more important to their job search than depending on job sites.

Hunters use online social media and profiles, with references and testimonials, as tools to enable their networks and develop a brand and Subject matter Expertise in their field.
Hunters manage their contacts personally and independently, outside of company systems.
Hunters are more selective and apply for fewer opportunities and only those opportunities considered fulfilling or critical to their career roadmap, and they are twice as likely to follow up interviews – and even after being rejected..
Hunters will tailor their resumes and cover letters for each position to stand out in a crowd, and they will focus on showing not only why they are qualified, but more so why they are the most qualified candidate for that job, and why they want to work specifically for that company and not its competitors.
Hunters cultivate, grow and contribute to their professional networks on an ongoing basis, and they place as much iff not more emphasis on helping others rather than only looking to only themselves.
Hunters are more than twice as likely to consult mentors on their job search, and they are likely to seek out and pay for a resume and professional advice and attend paid seminars and networking events, rather than basing their job search exclusively around free advice, services, job fairs and no-fee events.

Farmers are seed-sowers; they cover a lot of ground, exploring numerous opportunities and place more value on broad, rather than qualitative searches.
Farmers are more conscious about key-word searches and not whether this is a job they will qualify for and enjoy.
Farmers use job boards to find opportunities and consider jobs sites more important than networking
Farmers may use online profiles, but primarily to market themselves
Farmers keep address books or contact lists on company servers, making the data vulnerable to loss
Farmers post and pray; apply for many jobs, even those perceived as low matches
Farmers are more likely to use the same all-purpose resume and cover letter for each applied-for position
Farmers only use their professional networks as needed
Farmers rarely consult others on their job search or pay for a professional resume or valuable career advice.

The bottom line is the Farmer generally works twice as long as a Hunter and a Hunter works twice as smart as the Farmer.

Now considering that a successful job search requires 400-16000 productive hours, you will see why it pays to become a Hunter, and if you are already a Hunter why you should improve work at improving your hunting skills.

RESUME & CAREER COACHING DISCOUNT GIFT CERTIFICATES

2009-11-30T17:44:00.006-05:00

Spread the word. Between now and January 7th we are offering a FREE RESUME REVIEW AND A 30% OFF GIFT CERTIFICATE ON ALL OUR SERVICES. Just send your resume to review@firstimpressionsresumes.biz, and tell all your out of work friends, neighbors and business associates about this amazing offer. This might just be the best holiday gift you give or receive this year.

Talking about holiday gifts, here are some novel ideas about what you can give someone you know who is having a hard time finding a job this year?

A: One of the best gifts to offer job seekers at this time of year, and one you can afford to give to everyone you know in this situation, is some support and encouragement. Being unemployed during the holidays many job seekers tend to dwell on the negative and lose self confidence. A kind word from a friend or colleague goes a long way. A printed or e-holiday card with a personal note or a phone call will help to lift their spirits. Staying in contact throughout the holiday season and getting together face-to-face a few times in December is even better.

B: Buy a gift to help upgrade their image. The old tie and shirt gift seems pretty silly, however if you know someone who is out of work and projecting a poor image on interviews, a nice power shirt and tie might be just what the doctor ordered to change their outer image and self perception from dull & boring to dynamic. Depending on how close you are and your finances you can add to the wardrobe upgrade, or maybe get a few mutual friends to chip in for a nice business suit for the job seeking man or women.

C: Keeping with this theme a gift certificate for a beauty makeover or a hair salon for a woman who is job hunting may be just the right gift to perk up her spirits; so why not give it to her.

D: Here’s a novel gift, why not network for them. Don’t wait to be asked, take the initiative and make a few well placed phone calls and send out some emails and their resume to people you know telling them how great this person is and how much you would appreciate their help in passing the word around within their circle of friends. You can even go so far as to setting up a network night where you get several people together in pleasant social setting and introduce them to one another and let nature take its course.

E: Get them the professional help they need to find a new job or career. Many people are lost when it comes to knowing how to conduct an effective job search, write a professional resume, or figure out what to do next in their professional life; especially people over the age of 40. So maybe you can give them a Career Services Gift Certificate. At this time of year I offer discount certificates on resume writing and coaching services and I am sure if you speak with some of my colleagues they might do the same.

In a year when unemployment hovers from 8%-18% depending on your field and the city you live in, and when he average time in between good jobs is 26 weeks or more, helping someone progress their job search can be just the right gift to spread holiday cheer this year.

Take the 6R's Resume Quiz and if you come up short request your Free Resume Review

2009-11-23T12:53:00.021-05:00

Take the 6R's RESUME QUIZ and if you fall short of your expectations(and even if you don't) email your current resume to review@firstimpressionresumes.biz to request a FREE LIVE RESUME REVIEW and specific tips on how to improve your resume and job search.

Here are the 6R’s: Research, Relevance, Resourcefulness, Riveting, Readable, and Reaction. Score Each R on a scale of 1-10 / Perfect Score = 60

RESEARCH: Before writing your resume, how in-depth did you research the job market in your field, and your competition to see how your qualifications compare to theirs? How much effort did you extend researching your value to a new employer and anticipating key questions you will likely to be asked in an interview; and making sure the answers are alluded to in your resume? Score:

RELEVANCE: Review your resume and assess every word and keyword, sentence, paragraph and fact for its relevance to jobs you’re applying for. Then judge whether it’s perfectly on target, or if it is top heavy with useless information about prior jobs and responsibilities which are irrelevant to the jobs you are now applying for. Score:

RESOURCEFUL: A resourceful resume is imaginative, creative, inventive, and captures the attention of the reader. Out of a pack of 30-50 resumes (which is where yours ends up) does your resume stand out or does it look and read like the majority of the others? Did you use a clichéd template and replace someone else’s information with yours, or is your resume captivating and a breath of fresh air? Does it create an image of your being another pretty face in the crowd, or is it crafted to make you look special and unique Your Score:

READABLE: People who read your resume have a checklist of fine points they look for in the 15-30 seconds they will spend screening your resume. Do you know what these fine points are, and can they be easily found in your resume? If they are easy to find the reader will use the entire 30 seconds - and most likely more - to read your resume. If not, its 15 seconds max and on to the next resume. Take the test yourself. Write out 6 points a screener is looking for and give them and your resume to your spouse or a close friend and time them for 20 seconds and see how many points they found. Score:

RIVETING: Your resume is pure and simple a marketing document, and should be written to read as such. Therefore your resume must immediately peak the reader’s interest, captivate their imagination and fascinate them with the possibilities of what you alone bring to the table and can contribute to their company. PS: The antonym for riveting is BORING. Score:

REACTION: Last but not least, a well written resume creates a call to action from the reader to follow up on the work of art they just read. Sequels are common practice for best selling authors and moviemakers. Why? Because they told a good story, made a connection between the reader and the main character, and left the reader with a desire to find out more by buying the next book or movie. In the case of a resume, the sequel and call to action is an invitation for a personal interview. Is your resume getting people to reach out to you? Score:

In reality there is no universal passing or failing grade for this test; each of you sets his or her standards based on your position and what is personally at stake for you in finding a job. However a word of caution is in order; all 6R’s carry equal importance and cumulatively impact your chances of being interviewed and offered the job you desire, and most important being offered that job at your full market value. So be very honest with yourself when you score this quiz, and have 1 or 2 other people score it for you as well. Then if you’re not happy with the results and don’t know how to improve them, you can reach out to me for some professional help. I am more than pleased to help you any way I can

Executive Resumes: Selling the Person or the Product

2009-11-10T09:34:00.004-05:00

Some resumes are comprehensive fact sheets that educate the reader, and others are polished marketing documents that exude personality. Which one is yours?

You can find out where your resume stands by emailing a copy to review@firstimpressionresumes.biz for a Free Resume Critique. You’ll get an honest appraisal and some career counseling tips on specific measures that can help you jump start your job search. Now for those of you who can’t decide which of these two resumes is better, here’s a hint.
No doubt you have heard this hundreds of times before, but it still bears repeating one more time. The golden rule of being a successful salesperson is recognizing that “people buy people before they buy the product.”

Ask any sales trainer and we'll tell you that in order to get a foot in the door and close a sale, the person/s you are selling to must buy into you first.

The same holds true in my profession as a resume writer and executive career coach, as it holds true for you as a business executive, project manager, or career professional whose success depends on positive interaction with others.

I am certain that most of you know from personal experience that it is near impossible to implement a strategic plan, no matter how flawless or well documented it is, unless you first achieve unanimous stakeholder buy-in. Unless people buy into you, the project is flawed and will get off on the wrong foot.

In the case of a job hunter it is a little trickier because you are both the salesperson and the product. That is why I advise my clients that it is incumbent on them to first sell yourself and only then should you begin to sell the product; and in a job search the first place to start is in your resume. You must then continue this tactic during each successive interview, and throughout the salary negotiating process.

This brings us back to our initial question; is your resume a comprehensive fact sheet that educates or a polished marketing document that sells; and which is better.

If you think about it the answer is self apparent. When you fill your resume up with data about you “the employee” and what you did on a daily and per project basis focusing on responsibilities and useless information, you are subconsciously selling the product and not the person. What you can expect is that the reader will focus on determining if you are a superior product than the 20-50 similar product options (resumes) they have to choose from.

On the other hand a polished marketing document sells your personality and what makes you unique and worth the time meeting. It will present much of the same material; but this resume will focus on achieving stakeholder buy-in that you are above all the others. It will convince them that without question you not only can do the job, but you have the personality they seek as a part of their leadership team, and you are going to deliver the desired results while the other 20-50 people may or may not be able to do so.

A few ways to incorporate the personal approach into your resume are:
A: Give it a heading that tells people WHO and not what you are.
B2: Make it reader friendly so that all their checkpoints can be easily found
C: Give it a personality by avoiding overused resume templates and clichés.
D: Project yourself as more than qualified, show how you are “Best in Breed.’
E: Create a unique brand that focuses on how professional you are.
F: Choose your words, style and image carefully so you don’t look like a drone or a clone.
G: Don’t feel embarrassed if you can’t write a great resume. Be smart and get professional help.

Surviving the upcoming holiday season

2009-11-03T10:54:00.002-05:00

Does your resume impress important recruiters and decision makers, or are you putting them to sleep? If you're not sure of the answer, take advantage of my offer to critique your resume for FREE.

Email a copy to review@firstimpressionsresumes.biz for an honest appraisal and some specific tips on how to stand out in a crowd.

Moreover, if you need help but can’t afford the prohibitive cost, you can still receive a 25% discount on my services until November 8, 2009. This way you can get the help you need at a price you can afford.

Which brings me to today’s topic: Preparing for the upcoming holiday season.

In a few short weeks we'll celebrate Thanksgiving, then Christmas/Chanukah, and before you turn around its New Years day and the beginning of a new decade, 2010.

So you ask, “Perry, what does all this have to do with me and my job search.”

In my years as a recruiter, career coach and resume writer, I’ve noticed two consistent phenomena’s at this time of year. One is that many job seekers convince themselves that this is the absolute worst time of year to look for a new job, and therefore they will take a hiatus from their search.

The other is that many out of work professionals drift into a state of job search depression and lose perspective of their intrinsic value as the New Year approaches.

So here are my ‘Top Three’ suggestions to institute in November and December.

Suggestion #1 is that you adjust your thinking!

Contrary to misguided beliefs, the end of the fourth quarter is one of the best times of the year to be aggressive in your job search and interviews. Many companies put off hiring as long as possible, and decision makers must pull the plug before their budget expires; and senior management wants to have the new hire signed, sealed, delivered and on board by the middle of January at the latest.

Also consider this, as the holidays draw near, decision makers are more likely to be in a jovial mood; and you can further contribute to this by being upbeat and offering novel solutions to pressing existing problems. You can help them enjoy the upcoming holiday season knowing that if they hire you their plate will be emptier and they can now concentrate on new and more pressing challenges with your able assistance.

Suggestion #2 is that you update or totally revamp your resume.

There are two essential reasons for doing this. One is that to change your resume you must first rethink your accomplishments, and reevaluate what you have to offer. I suggest doing this using a C-A-R exercise that I discussed in previous articles. As you do this you will begin to see that the problem is not you. You may find it wise to be pragmatic to alter your expectations based on the current market, but you will definitely regain some lost confidence by restating your intrinsic value to a new employer.

Also if you are smart you will come up charismatic way to present yourself in your new resume. And just like the confidence you gain when you buy and don a new designer outfit (an elegant and coordinated suit, shirt, tie, shoes and briefcase) that fits you to a tee and exudes an image that says WINNER!!!, you will get the same emotional lift and reinvigorate your job search with a stylish new professional marketing portfolio.

Suggestion #3 is Network, Network and Network some more.

An inordinate number of clients and individuals I speak to or receive emails from are uncomfortable networking with people from their past because they think they’ll be perceived as insincere or self-serving. I consider this foolish, but it is understandable.

What’s great is that even if you have not spoken with someone who can help you since the beginning of 2009, or even for two or even the last twenty years, this season is nostalgic; and getting a shout out from a long lost friend or former business acquaintance will be looked at as a sincere effort at this time of year. So reach out and extend best wishes and catch up on old times with everyone you know since you graduated elementary school.

If you show a genuine interest in the other person, and begin the conversation by sincerely inquiring as to how their life has progressed since you last spoke, and ask them if there is anything you can do to help their career, such as a linked-in recommendation or an introduction to someone in your network who can further their career or social life, you will be able to ask them to help you without feeling guilty and get a positive response. And who knows, you may discover that you should both now keep in touch with each other on a regular rather than an occasional basis.

Take these suggestions seriously and you will improve your chances of 2010 being a year to remember.

If You R Over 35 - Read This!

2009-10-27T09:56:00.003-04:00

Is your resume well written AND well edited? If you are not 100% certain, take advantage of my standing offer to critique your resume for free. Just email a copy to review@firstimpressionsresumes.biz and I will let you know if your resume is impressive enough to influence busy recruiters and key decision makers; and if it is not, I can offer specific tips on how to make it stand out in the crowd.

Moreover, if you need professional help but can’t afford the prohibitive costs many services charge – my offer of a 25% discount on my services has been extended another week until November 8, 2009. This means you can finally get the help you need at a price you can afford.

Which brings me to today’s topic: Why unemployment is a poor excuse for not investing in your job search, especially if you are an executive or professional over the age of thirty five.

At no time in modern history have career professionals, mid-level managers and C-level executives had their careers so susceptible to change. Since the events of September 11 rocked the financial world, and more recently the mortgage crisis of 2007/2008, American business leaders in unprecedented numbers have been put into the unaccustomed position of having to reinvent themselves in the job marketplace.

Executive resumes have changed since many of you were last called upon to write one, and the old boy network that worked so well has dried up and you are now depending just like everyone else on the job boards and social media sites to generate leads.

Moreover, executive interviews have always been more challenging than interviews at lower levels. Executive candidates face a longer interview process, must demonstrate a vision to meet the prospective employer’s challenges, and undergo intense vetting before receiving a job offer. Are you as comfortable at this as you once were?

If your next step is a junior executive, senior-level, or C-level position you must know how to reinvent yourself on paper, and in your image and physical and verbal presentation one or more times a week. For a great many of you reading this, this is a daunting task.

That is why I suggest that some former executives and you know who you are, should swallow your pride and open your wallets to hire a professional resume writer and career coach. In your past when you were an up and coming high 5 figure rising star, and later on a 6 figure executive looking to climb the corporate ladder, this investment was a no brainer. For many of you the only thing that has changed is your job status. Your need for professional help still exists; and as a matter of fact it is greater today with your being unemployed than it was in the good old days when you were happily employed.

If you want to really open your eyes consider this: you are now very likely applying for jobs with an annual salary of $75,000-$250,000 a year, or a consulting gig that pay $60-$150 an hour. This means that each and every day you are unemployed or under-employed you lose $250 - $1,200 in cold hard cash that you will never recoup.

Then consider this; if a professional can get you back to work even one day sooner, what is this worth to you; let alone if he or she can help you get back to work a week or a month or two months sooner?

Do the math and you will agree that at your level professional a modest investment in your future is a prudent business decision, no matter what finances are.

Imagine how much benefit you will get by working with someone who can help you put together a marketing package that appeals to a new breed and in most cases a much younger group of initial screeners and decision makers.

Imagine how much better you will interview with someone by your side helping you define what your value is and how this get this across to interviewers and decision makers who may look at you as a little long in the tooth, or not as up to date on modern business strategies and technologies based solely on conjecture about your age.

Imagine how much your job search will gain from having an expert available at your beck and call who can impart pearls of wisdom and useful tips and critiques on how to land an interview and conduct pre-interview research; on the importance of nonverbal behavior and attire; and on how to use social media to network and establish your personal brand.

You do the math and see if it is worthwhile for you to be “penny wise and dollar foolish.”

The 80/20 Barrier – Can Your Résumé Get Beyond It?

2009-08-12T09:33:00.003-04:00

A recent client of mine confirmed two points I believe are valid and I think you should take to heart if you are going to write your own résumé.

This senior level HR executive wrote a fairly strong résumé, but she was not getting the results she envisioned, and the few interviews she had were not going as well as she had hoped . When I asked how she arrived at the résumé version she showed me, she told me this was her 4th revision based on résumé books, blogs and articles she read, her years of experience as an interviewer, and critiques from members of her networking group.

Adding to her frustration, the outsourcing counselor assigned to help her was vehement in how she should change her résumé and represent herself and she did not agree with his judgment. This friction and the conflicting opinions she heard was driving her crazy.

A mutual friend referred her to me for a free consultation and during our initial meeting I told her straight out what I thought. “For a self written résumé this is a good textbook exercise in gathering the information a résumé should contain; however in my opinion it lacks a professional feel that one would expect from a Human Resources executive at your level.” Furthermore I told her, “It will not harm your job search, but there is a lot of room for improvement to make you stand out and establish your personal brand.”

Then I asked her if the outsource coach had as much business experience as she did; and, more important I asked her if “in your position as an HR exec would you ever hire him to work for you.” I asked the same about the people in her networking group putting in their 2¢. To both questions the answers were an emphatic NO & NO!

Then we spoke a few minutes about what it takes to write a good résumé like the one she has, and what skills and knowledge is required to write a great marketing document like the one she desires.

At the end of our 45 minute conversation she told me what I think every job seeker who is writing their own résumé needs to consider.

She said, “Conceptually I know how to write a great résumé and with every new revision I can get it to within 80% of where I want it to be; however my problem is that no matter how hard I try I can’t get it beyond the 80% barrier. Although what I write is good, it is just not good enough for me to succeed in this job market with the intense competition that I face.”

So if you are going to write your own résumé consider these 2 points very seriously.

1: Make sure that you respect the people who are advising you in your job search! Then ask yourself if they know more about résumé writing than you do, and whether they have as much business experience as you do to justify whether their advice is worth following; especially if it goes against what you believe to be true. Finally, ask yourself “would I hire them if I could - or would I tell them where to go?”

2: Honestly ask yourself, and if you're married ask your spouse, by writing your own résumé can THIS résumé surpass the 80% barrier without professional help or guidence? Then ask yourself whether getting this far on your own will get you as far as you want to go, and as fast as you want to get there; or do you need to exceed the 80% barrier to expedite getting the job you want.

There is no shame in not being able of write a great résumé. However I can attest to you from my clients’ experiences, there are times it can be embarrassing and even detrimental to a search when the résumé you submit falls short of the mark.

Job Hunting in the 21st Century - The New Reality: This week - " Brick & Mortar vs Cyberspace"

2009-05-11T16:45:00.004-04:00

One of the problems I face as a career coach at First Impressions is dealing with older people (40+) who do not have the proper academic credentials for the job they seek. Most of these folks began working when a college degree or graduate degree was not required, just preferred for their job. Today this same job requires a minimum of a 4-year degree, and a post-graduate degree is mandatory in many cases, or at the very least it is highly preferred.

Thankfully these clients were able to climb the corporate ladder in their company based on a combination of loyalty and industry expertise. However, today that is no longer the case, and they don’t know what to do. The obvious answer is to go back to college and complete or even start as a freshman and earn a 4-year, Masters or MBA degree.

To expedite matters, one of the best options for these men and women is to get a degree online. However many of them, and unfortunately some old fashioned or uneducated HR types feel this is a waste of time and money and the degree is useless.

So last week I posed the following question on Executive Suite another Linked-In group that I am a part of, and I would like to share some of the responses with you as part of my Job Hunting in the 21st Century – The New Reality series.

QUESTION: Online undergraduate and post graduate degrees, how do you view them?

“Personally I find that a lot of recruiters view "online" degrees with some skepticism, however what a lot of people do not realize is that these degrees often take a much higher level of studying and effort to pass than a traditional class setting. (One does not have a lecturer to go to each day, one rather has to physically find time and sit down and really work at achieving a great result.)… The downside is that there is often no one to turn to, no one to study with and often families do not understand that studying online is a gains to a real degree.” Astra Bester, CIPP & CIPP/C Regulatory Compliance Specialist

“I decided to "repair" a mistake and return to school to finish my degree. I chose The University of Phoenix and I must admit that this was the only decision I could make to complete my degree. Work life balance and traveling for business made a bricks and motor school out of the question. My first impression was that my degree will be "devalued" because it was EARNED online. However; my degree is something I am very proud of… My work ethic and dedication to complete the degree is the passion and dedication a company can expect me to give them once they realize the degree is a statement of not only my abilities but also my character and commitment to the company." Robert Smith, Sales Professional

"I completed my MBA online within the last month. Prior to starting this program I preferred a traditional classroom environment because of the interaction that takes place there. Though, I pursued online education because a heavy work and travel schedule made classroom attendance impossible. Now that I've completed the program, I do not think it was a mistake to use the online format. Like any program, you get out of it what you put into it. Anyone can learn just as much from an online program as they can from a classroom if they're interested in learning and disciplined. I think some employers are reluctant to fully recognize online programs because of the many "degree mills" out there. When discussing your online program with an employer, it's important to highlight the school and its credentials. Reputable online programs are regionally accredited just like traditional programs, and their degrees are recognized equally. My experience with online education is manifested in the fact that I'm planning my next pursuit in education (DBA), and I'm only looking at online programs." Steve Bailey, Global Supplier Manager

"I am a product of the traditional brick and mortar educational route, but I'd like to share some thoughts. As someone who has filled positions, I am no more likely to hire a traditional candidate to an online candidate. One purpose of the curriculum is to teach one how to think, but it should not be taken for granted that possessing a degree does indeed demonstrate one can think. The analogy I have used with my direct reports is the assembly line worker in corporate America - one who knows how to replicate but may not understand the underlying essence. At the margin, one who has some seasoning followed by an online degree is more likely to possess the deeper understanding.

In general, a degree is important but the kind of degree is not dispositive. It is one of a number of attributes that reveal the caliber of the individual." Andrew Paluszek, Director - Planning & Analysis at a Major Bank.

If you have a strong opinion, pro or con on this subject let me know; if you’re thinking of going back to school and torn between a brick & mortar classroom or learning in cyberspace, I hope this will help you decide.

Author:

Perry Newman, CPC, is President/CEO of First Impressions Resumes and can be reached for a no cost consultation at 646-894-4101.

WHAT'S HOT & WHAT'S NOT

2009-04-01T10:45:00.006-04:00

The next Jobs Report is due this Friday, and the unemployment rate is expected to soar even higher. In anticipation of more bad news, Bill Shrink www.billshrink.com passed along the following details on what industries are in fact GROWING to help brighten your day in hopes that it may offer some hope for those looking for jobs or fearing their jobs may be in jeopardy.

Retail
Failing: Traditional Retail (500,000 jobs cut in 2008, and 100,000 more in 2009)
Thriving: Discount Retail (33,000 new hires between Sept. 2007-Sept. 2008)

Building and Infrastructure
Failing: Construction (111,000 jobs cut in January 2009 alone)
Thriving: Public works ($27.5 billion for transportation from the stimulus bill)

Production
Failing: Manufacturing (1.2 million jobs cut in the last year)
Thriving: Clean Energy ($47 billion for renewable energy from stimulus bill)

Personal Care
Failing: Hospitality and Leisure (210,000 layoffs since Q3 2008)
Thriving: Health Care (30,000 new jobs were added in Feb. 2009 alone)

Finance
Failing: Banking and Investment (130,000 jobs cut since Q3 2008)
Thriving: Debt Management (Americans owe $968 billion in credit card debt)

Thank you Bill

Aceing Your Job Interview: Part One - Research

2009-03-15T13:44:00.016-04:00

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

2009-03-12T18:04:00.008-04:00

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

2009-03-11T11:53:00.008-04:00

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

2009-03-06T13:40:00.004-05:00

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

ALL ABOUT JOB /RESUME POSTING BOARDS

2009-03-03T01:42:00.015-05:00

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 Cons
The 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 Cons
The 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 Board
An 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 have questions or suggestion of topics you would like me to discuss drop me a line at blog@firstimpressionsresumes.biz.

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

THE LOST ART OF NETWORKING FOR A JOB

2009-03-02T22:09:00.002-05:00

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

2009-03-02T21:42:00.002-05:00

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.