blueskyresumesblog

A Nice Thing Happened Today

I just finished working on thoroughly enjoyable a resume update for a client I first worked with 2 years ago. Why enjoyable?

Well, at that time my client was just finishing college and wanted to start working in the video game industry as a junior marketer. Those jobs are hard to come by, and my client had no experience other than an internship at a financial services company.

To generate interest when you have little or no relevant experience, you have to make yourself stand out from the crowd.

Most graduate resumes - in fact most resumes from anyone - are dull and boring affairs. From the recruiter's perspective, everyone sounds the same.

So with David, I focused on showing what made him the perfect fit for busy company in a creative industry - his energy, bright personality, and passion for the video game industry. To help convey this, I used a number of different strategies, including using a direct quote from David which expressed the value he would add and the energy he would being to any new position. Every word of his resume was designed to show why any video game company would benefit from having him on their team.

As with most clients, I didn't hear from David again once the resume was complete. People always promise to let me know how their search went, but usually they forget in the rush and excitement of a new job. So it wasn't until I started to work on David's update today that I discovered he has spent the last 18 months working in marketing for a video game company!  He got the job almost as soon as he left college.

This is one of those things that makes my job so rewarding. Much of the success is David's, but a little of it at least is due to my resume. Having spent too many years not really enjoying my work back when I was in HR, I like that feeling of having added value.

Beating the Computerized Systems

A reader writes:

I recently bought your book and reworked my resume per your excellent suggestions.  I thought all of your advice was spot on.  Here's my question: I submitted my resume thru a design firms web portal for the position of Director - Client Partner. (Known in my parlance as Account Management)  I was shocked to see that my resume didn't match with that position...instead it got a score of 609 as a match to Jr. Creative Director.  I'm quite sure an actual human would see that 90% of my resume matches with the job description in the listing. 

With so many sites running some program before a human being will look at your resume (Itzbig is prime example), I'm flummoxed.  Should I take exact words from the listing so I get higher match scores, or should I just not worry about it too much?  I'm in a smaller market (Austin), but if the computer program is not matching my actual skills and experience, what can I do to get a higher matching score?

This is really a two-part answer. The first is YES! If the company is using a computerized screening system, then that system can only screen resumes in one of two ways. It will either ask you a series of questions which are designed to screen out non-qualified candidates OR it will scan your resume for keywords to see whether you match the position.

Therefore, it's critical to include the keywords from the job description in your resume. Don't just add a section for keywords - this will annoy the humans who eventually see your resume. Instead, scatter them throughout the document as part of the resume text.

One important caveat: Do not say anything that's not true. If you don't match the qualifications, the job isn't for you.

The second part of my answer is that, wherever possible, you must do more than simply submit your resume to the computer system and wait to hear back. These systems are just not a reliable way of finding the best candidate. (What they are is a time saver for harried HR departments.)

So, submit your keyword-filled resume, and the start doing some research to find out how you can reach a real person at that company. Try to find managers in the department you're applying to. Start with a site like LinkedIn. you'll have to be a member to contact people, but the site allows you to search by company name and then use your own network to make contact with the employees you find there.

You can also check the company's website and Google to find the names of staff members in the department you want to work in. They key is to find the name and email/mailing address of a real person and then submit your resume to that person with an enthusiastic cover letter explaining that you are so excited about the opportunity, you didn't want to leave anything to chance.

By employing both these strategies, you will greatly increase your chances of success.

Inject Some Personality Into Your Resume

When we take on new clients, we try to make sure that they understand (and like) our approach to resume writing, but every now and then we fail.

That happened recently, when a client expressed unhappiness with his new resume because he felt the whole thing needed rewording. I had been pleased with my work on his resume, so I was surprised to see this. But when I reviewed his comments, I saw the problem immediately. My client was expecting his resume to sound formal, to be filled with the types of words and phrases he's accustomed to reading on resumes. Instead, he received a document that told his career story in very natural language - the kind you would use when talking in an interview.

This was just a style mismatch and easy to rectify, but for me the use of natural language is such a crucial tenet of good resume writing that I wanted to take a moment to write this post. I am such a strong believer in this approach that I would rather refund money (as I did in this case) than rewrite the resume in a less effective style.

To believe that formal, stilted language is the right approach on a resume, you have to believe that recruiters and HR folks put their personality in a locker when they arrive at work. But of course they don't. They are real people just like you and me, and they have to wade through piles of resumes that all look and all sound alike.

If you inject some personality into your resume by writing in a natural style, your resume will convey the essence of who you are - the reader will sense your character as he or she reviews your resume, and you will stand out from the crowd because everyone else will be using what some in our industry call 'resume speak' (meaning language that you wouldn't find anywhere but on a resume).

Of course, I'm not suggesting that you use slang, or put jokes into your resume ... just that you review it for any signs of highly formalized language - language that you are only using because you have seen it on other resumes. When you find an example like that, ask yourself 'how would I say this in an interview?' Chances are, that's the way you should write it.

To Thine Own Self Be True

We’ve all heard that phrase a thousand times and we know all that it’s good life advice, and yet, when it comes to marketing ourselves, it’s often a lesson that we forget.

I can’t tell you how many senior executive resumes sound exactly alike. Filled with words like ‘results-focused leader’ and “high-energy executive” - everyone is “dynamic” and ‘proven’ and ‘experienced.’  After reading the same thing 30 times, everyone starts to blur together.

Which is really crazy! Because you are totally unique. You have something that no other candidate has. You will add value in a different way. And yet I am willing to bet that your resume doesn’t express  that unique value.

I speak from experience, because for years, I didn’t know how to express my value either. When I first started my resume writing business, I wasn’t sure who my target audience was and why they should choose my company. As the business grew, I started to figure out my unique value (I have prior HR and recruiting experience, which means I know how to get the attention of HR and recruiters). As I figured this out, my marketing messages became clearer. But I still knew I wasn’t getting to the bottom of what made my business different. And very recently, I was hit over the head with the realization that we have a very obvious selling point – we’ve had it all along but I just took it for granted.

It happened this way. One day, I received a request for proposal from a person in the UK. We don’t write resumes for the UK because frankly I have no idea what works there, so I wrote back to the person and politely declined the project. The same day, I also declined a project from a teacher because no one on my staff has expertise in writing resumes for teachers. The next morning, I had emails from both potential clients thanking me for my honesty and for not just taking their money regardless of whether I could provide excellent results.

And it hit me that we do that all the time – we only take on clients I know we can help. On the rare occasions that we misjudge and don’t get results, we refund money.  Our whole business is built around trust – trust that our resumes get results, and trust that we will treat people fairly. And our resume writing process is also base on honesty – we don’t ‘sell’ what people are not – we help them communicate their authentic unique value.  And yet our branding has never reflected that – at least not as a conscious effort. It should!

If you’re like me, you see other people much more clearly than you see yourself. So when it comes to marketing yourself, you probably fall back on platitudes, or standard ideas of what a good executive does. And the resulting resume is probably flat and boring and not at all reflective of what makes you YOU.

Here are a couple of ways you can fix that right now.

1. Think back to compliments you’ve received from bosses, co-workers or clients. What do they say abut you? What words do they choose? Don’t get stuck on what YOU think ... in fact, forget that for now. Just focus on what other people say.

2. Looking back over your career, what themes keep re-emerging? Are you always the person brought in to tackle the most challenging problems? Or have you always found new ways to cut costs?

3. What is your management philosophy? Write it down – don’t worry about spelling or grammar or finding the perfect words – just write whatever comes into your head.

Reviewing all this information will help you determine the answer to the most important question of all: “what make you unique?”

Once you have that answer, you can rewrite your resume, you can prepare for interviews and you can create your ‘elevator pitch.’ All based not on what executives are ‘supposed to be like’ but on who you really are.

Please Sir, Can I Have More Words?

Mostly when I write resumes for clients, they have very few changes or revisions. But the most common change request is for more words.

This "worditis" is a common disease among job seekers. It's the desire to tell all the details of your work history in your resume. It can take the form of adding lots of extra bullet points ('you didn't mention the IT project I worked on in 1987'), it can be a desire to add details to projects that are already listed ('I think we need to point out the ad campaign ran for 5 weeks in 6 major markets'), or it can manifest itself in the need to list every skill ever acquired.

But no matter what form it takes, it IS a disease and it must be beaten! No busy recruiter wants to read a pile of dense, wordy and long-winded documents. If you include too much information, the likelihood is that none of it will be read.

Think of your resume as a brochure rather than the product catalog. It should communicate your key selling points in an attractive, easy-to-read format. It should tell the reader who you are, clearly and concisely, and compel him to take action (in this case, calling you in for an interview.) During the interview process, you will have lots of time to explain the details of your projects and to outline all the great things you've accomplished. Your resume is not the place for that.

But how do you choose what to include and what to omit? Two suggestions:

1) Put yourself in the shoes of the person who will read your resume. Ask yourself what his or her chief concerns are. What do they want in a new employee? What problems do they need to be solved? What opportunities do they need to capitalize on? Look for clues in the job posting, or just use your general knowledge of your industry and field.

2) As you write your resume, ask yourself 'does this piece of information make it significantly more likely that I will get an interview, given what I know about my target audience?' If the answer is 'no,' out it goes!

Less really IS more in a resume. By creating a concise, easy-to-read document that gives an overview of your accomplishments, you will make it so much easier for recruiters to understand the value that you bring.

Half Right ... Half Wrong

Seth Godin is one of my favorite bloggers and but in this post about resumes, he's only 50% right.

Seth's looking for an intern and he doesn't like the resumes he's seeing. They're bland and boring and they don't tell him why these candidates are remarkable. Well, that means they're like 99.9% of all resumes out there (which is why people like me get paid to write the other 0.1%).

Seth goes on to say that he wants evidence of what makes a person remarkable.

If you don't have a resume, what do you have?

How about three extraordinary letters of recommendation from people the employer knows or respects?
Or a sophisticated project they can see or touch?
Or a reputation that precedes you?
Or a blog that is so compelling and insightful that they have no choice but to follow up?

Some say, "well, that's fine, but I don't have those."

Yeah, that's my point. If you don't have those, why do you think you are  remarkable, amazing or just plain spectacular? It sounds to me like if you don't have those, you've been brainwashed into acting like you're sort of ordinary.

I absolutely agree that those things are important - that's why I often include glowing LinkedIn testimonials when I write resumes. It's why I advocate for those clients who are good writers to start blogging. It's why I create only portfolios where people can show off their extraordinary work.

That's the 50% that's right.

But it's wrong to advocate for people to scrap the whole idea of a resume, just because the resumes they are writing are ineffective.  For better or worse, almost all hiring managers want to see a resume. Seth might not, but he's unusual and most people won't thank you for mailing in 3 reference letters and a blog URL when they asked for a resume. It'll just make you look like you're too stupid to follow instructions!

Instead, you should look for ways to communicate all those great things that make you special via your resume. You should include quotes from former managers (or peers or employees or clients). You should post the link to your blog and/or Squidoo page and/or web portfolio. You should focus the entire resume on showing how you have made an impact at former employers, how you've shaken things up, what you've contributed ... above all, how each company is different because you worked there.

It's not the resume that's the problem - it's what's on the resume that Seth doesn't like.

Don't Take My Word For It!

Marketers know that one of the most powerful ways to sell a product or service is to offer first person testimonials. ("I'd just like to tell you that my bathroom has never looked cleaner than it does now that I use new Zap!")

This power comes from the fact that we know the marketers will tell us his product is great. He wants us to buy it! But when an outside authority steps up and says they love it, we pay more attention.

We see the strategy used everywhere - quotes from famous authors appear on book sleeves, political candidates line up endorsements from influential people, and Geico uses real customer stories in its TV advertising. So why aren't you doing the same on your resume? You can tell people how great you are, but how much more powerful will the message be if someone else says it?

I use this strategy all the time on resumes. A recent client sent me a reference letter from her former manager that said "If you are lucky enough to have Sally walk into your office looking for a job, hire her on the spot! Trust me, you will not regret it."

Wow! Who wouldn't want to interview Sally after reading that? I put that quote front and center on the first page of her resume followed by the manager's name and 'former manager' (to make the relationship clear).

My favorite new strategy is to use LinkedIn testimonials on resumes. LinkedIn allows you to collect references from any of your contacts and the beauty is that these references can't be faked. Each referee is named and linked to their own LinkedIn page, so recruiter are more likely to trust the source. Plus it's easy to collect the references - just send an email through the LinkedIn system asking each of your contacts if they'd be willing to endorse you.

Here is one of the references from my own profile:

“As a recruiter I need to have someone I trust to help some of my candidates present their skills in the best way possible. Louise and her group are the best resume writers I have ever been associated with. She has the writing skill needed and her experience as an HR VP make her knowledge of what the hiring managers look for and how to arrange the information is priceless!” Jill Zinner, President, Premier Search.

Doesn't that immediately sound more convincing than if I told you myself that I am fabulous and you should hire me?!

Now LinkedIn doesn't allow non-members to look at references like this, so just placing your LinkedIn URL on your resume won't really help you. You need to select 1 to 3 of the best quotes and highlight them front and center just as I did for Sally.

You'll be amazed at the the improved response rate just from this one tactic.

Cross-posted on Career Hub

No One Cares What You Want!

That may sound harsh, but during a job search it's true.

The hiring manager has many concerns, issues, worries and problems - too much work, not enough staff, looming business issues or missed opportunities, a headache, a fight with her teenage daughter ... but whatever is swirling round her mind when she looks at your resume, the very last thing she's thinking is "I wonder what all these candidates want in their next job? I wonder what's important to them?"

(She might care about that later, if she interviews you and likes you and is thinking about an offer, but right now she doesn't give two hoots.)

This is why I hate resumes that start with an objective statement. Even the most well-written objective statement is a waste of space because the employer just doesn't care. But most are not actually counter-productive. This week I came across a resume that had one of the LEAST effective objective statements I've ever seen. One that would surely dissuade employers from ever even picking up the phone.

It started with a short description of the type of job being sought, but then it went on: "I do NOT want to work at a company that doesn't value it's employees. I do NOT want to have to ask permission when I have an idea. I do NOT want ..."

It went on a little longer but you get the idea. Not only is this candidate focused only on his own concerns - he's also making himself look like a troublemaker, even though there is nothing inherently wrong with the things he is seeking in his next position - they just don't belong on a resume!

Your resume and cover letters must never focus on your needs and concerns. Every word must focus on showing why you can add value to potential employers. Your introduction should focus on this entirely with no mention of your own desires.

That's not to say your desires are not important - of course they are. You will asses opportunities based on your needs and concerns. You will choose a job that meets those needs. But by focusing your resume on what the employer needs, you will ensure that you have the broadest array of options from which to choose.

Write It Down!

Today I'm working on a resume for a client who is having a hard time recalling details of her prior projects. She's not sure of the results of her efforts and sometimes she can't remember why a project was even started. I'm concerned that her resume won't reflect her true abilities, which got me thinking ...

Do you keep a record of what you do at work? Do you track your impact, make notes when your boss compliments you, or jot down details of projects you're working on? If not, you should!

None of us has a job for life anymore --- when you come to write your next resume, think how much easier it will be if you can refer to a written record.

How Creative Can You Be?

One of the most frequent questions I hear from potential clients is "Can you make my resume look really different from all the others?" Generally the question isn't related to resume content, but to layout and typography.

It's an understandable question - it's certainly tough to get noticed when there are so many resumes for every position - but unfortunately, the answer is no.

In the old days, before email, resume writers had a lot more flexibility for creative design. The resume would be printed out and mailed, so there was no concern about formatting for email. But now, your resume must travel between computers and operating systems and it must retain its formatting even when the recipient has a different version of MS Word to the one you're using.

(And yes, you MUST create your resume in Word. It is the standard word processing program and resumes created in programs like Photoshop or Illustrator will be useless to most HR people and recruiters.)

Therefore, you have to keep your resume as simple as possible. Use only standard system fonts (you can see safe fonts highlighted in blue on this list). If you use other fonts, you run the risk that the recipient will not have that font installed on their system - when that happens, their computer will replace your pretty font with Courier New, and all your careful formatting will be thrown out.

You must also avoid any of the Microsoft Word drawing objects, such as text boxes or lines. This is because they may not show up depending on the settings on the recipient's computer.

You CAN use color to liven up your resume, but be aware that the document will probably be printed and photocopied, so make sure you use colors that will still work when printed/copied in black and white.

I do think resume design is very important - your resume must be well laid out, consistent, easy to read and contain lots of white space - but sadly in this age of email, excess creativity will hurt your job search  rather than help.

The best way to differentiate yourself is through strong content that clearly shows your value to potential employers. If you do that, you won't need to worry about unusual typography and clever layouts.

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Who Are You?

I'm a news junkie. I watch the Jim Lehrer Newshour almost every day. I Tivo Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. I read news blogs every day. And often when I have a few minutes spare, I turn on CNN.

It's a habit really. Something important might be happening, so I turn on the 24-hour news channel. But the fact is that it's less and less likely that 'the most trusted name in news' will actually be showing anything newsworthy.

Last night, in prime-time, the announcer who has recently replaced Paula Zahn (who seemed to replace someone else not all that long ago) breathlessly announced an upcoming segment on a wild dog attack, followed by "... and you won't believe what was happening to these kittens!"

Huh?

They still call themselves the most trusted name in news. Who knows - maybe they have a poll that actually says they are. But as a long-time viewer, it seems to me that it's been a long time since their regular content actually matched the slogans they use.

What's happened at CNN is similar to a process I see happening to many job seekers.

Back when the network started, CNN knew why they were. They knew their audience and they produced a good product. But then they hit problems - Fox News came on to the scene and snatched away some of their viewers. The networks started to mix news with entertainment - especially in the mornings - and CNN lost even more viewers.

I don't claim to be a CNN historian - I'm just a regular viewer and can only speak of my personal impressions and perceptions. To me, it seemed that as these changes happened, CNN lost its way. Instead of clarifying who they were and who they wanted to reach, they seemed to try and please everyone. They made themselves into Fox News Light. They added lots more entertainment. And every time a change didn't work, they fired anchors and hired new ones.

It was almost as if they were just making changes blindly, in the hope that one day ratings would turn around because they accidentally found a magic formula. And that's where I see the similarity with people looking for work.

One of the keys to resume success is focus - knowing what type of work you want so that you can target all your efforts towards finding that kind of work. If you have a clear focus on your target audience, and know what you have to offer, you can create a resume that clearly communicates your value to those employers. You can target your search. You can plan interview anecdotes that highlight your value.

But too many job seekers start out like CNN - wanting to be all things to all people. Others begin their search with a clear focus but then get discouraged by a lack of initial response, and start to broaden their message. The truth is that doing this will never be as effective as having a clear target and sticking to it.

If you find your search efforts are going nowhere, revisit your search strategy. Make sure you clearly understand your target audience. Check that your resume and letters are narrowly focused to address that audience (have more than one resume if you have more than one target). Take a good look at your search strategy to make sure you've identified all the ways to distribute your resume effectively.

There are many things you can do to revive a flagging job search - but the very last thing you should do is pull a CNN.

 

Visit DiversityJobs.com for information on Diversity in the workplace.

Creative Isn't Always Good

Every now and then, I come across a job seeker who is certain that creativity is the key to getting her resume noticed. Today I saw two of them in quick succession.

The first had created a PowerPoint presentation in lieu of a normal resume. The second had created a brochure using some kind of design program. Both looked very nice, but both had been unsuccessful in generating a response. Which doesn't surprise me at all.

It's tempting to think that doing something innovative with your resume will get you noticed. Especially if you've been sending resume after resume and not getting the response you want. Surely if they see how original I am, you think, they will want to talk to me?

Not true. Not usually anyway.

The problem is that the people reviewing your resume - whether they are HR execs, recruiters or line managers - are very busy. They have only a limited time to review all the resumes that are clogging their email inbox, or sitting in a folder on their desk. And they have some clear criteria in mind for the person they want to hire. So when they start reviewing, they don't want to have to try to figure out your resume. Nor do they want anything cutesy or clever-clever.

No, they have a problem - which is why they are looking at resumes - and they want to know if you will solve it. The problem could be "I need to find 10 good resumes" (a recruiter) or "I need to clear up this backlog of work" (the manager) or "I need to find a sales VP who can open up new markets (the CEO). But as varied as the problems are, one or more always exists and is the context for the review of your resume.

This means that the secret to success is usually NOT to create the most unusual resume, or to devise an innovative way to grab attention. The secret to success is simply to show employers why you can solve their problem. And to do it in the quickest, cleanest and most concise way possible.

So instead of spending time trying to design something unique or colorful or creative, focus on the words. Understand the needs of your target audience, and create a resume that shows how you meet those needs. And keep the layout traditional and easy-to-read, so that the busy recruiter doesn't have to try and figure out what you're trying to say.

Note: The exception to this rule (and there always is one!) are graphic designers. Their entire job is to design things that are fresh and interesting and their resumes should reflect that.

How NOT to Choose a Resume Writer

If you decide to invest in a professionally written resume, there are many, many good criteria for choosing one service over another.

Examples of good criteria are the quality of the resume samples on their website, or the prompt and courteous service you received when you called, or the fact that the writer you spoke to was knowledgeable about his craft, or the professionalism of the service's website, or the number of great references the writer provided.

But in my experience, many people ignore all these important indicators and rely instead on one deciding factor. Ironically, it's the worst possible reason for choosing one writer over another, but most people don't know that until it's too late.

What's the deciding factor? Money, of course.

Today I received two emails from potential clients rejecting my service because they found someone whose fees were lower. Had I known this was the most important thing for them, I could have saved us all time and sent them a list of hundreds of resume writers whose fees are cheaper than mine. Some charge as little at $99 - which would be a really great bargain if it didn't mean that the resume will be rubbish!

Like most professional services, resume writing is labor-intensive and highly skilled. Just as you wouldn't want a contract attorney who keeps his fees low by speed-reading the contracts you send him for review, you don't want to hire a resume writer who can only spend an hour or two on your resume in order to make his or her business pay. The result will be so much less than you deserve.

That's not to say the price always equates to quality. I believe some resume writers over-charge for their work. I have personally rewritten resumes that clients paid top dollar for, and yet which were completely ineffective.

No. Price is no indicator of quality by itself. You should assess the writer's resume samples. You should determine whether you feel a connection. You should understand their approach. You should ask about their guarantee. You should check them out on LinkedIn and look for reviews from former clients. There are many factors that should go into making this important decision.

When you find a writer who meets all of the above criteria (great samples, good service, a guarantee and solid references) HIRE THEM! Don't make price an issue. A good resume can shave months off your job search. It can add thousands of dollars to your salary. Why on earth would you jeopardize that for a few hundred dollars?

Does Your Resume Tell a Story?

This post about the importance of story-telling in blogging reminded me that I haven't written about this subject for a while.

If I could get all my readers to make just one change to their resume, it would be to add stories. As the post points out, stories allow you to make a connection. Your reader can understand what you're saying, and feel connected to you much more closely when you tell a story than when you just recite facts.

Not sure what I mean? Here's an example.

I received a resume today from a potential client. She's a mid-level marketing manager and she's looking to advance her career to the next level. Her resume included a series of concise bullet points outlining the impact she had made on her company.

Here's one of them:

• Helped increase sales by 10% through new marketing campaign.

Well that's good, right? Actually I'm not sure. Is a 10% sales increase good in her industry at this time? She hasn't told me. Maybe the whole industry is up 30%! And what was the new marketing campaign? Without knowing more about it, how can the reader know whether such results would be possible at his or her company? For example, if his company is struggling and his marketplace is sluggish, he may read that bullet point and say "well, that's nice, but it's not possible here. Things are too tight."

But what if our candidate told a story instead:

• Repositioned outdated service provider by adding and promoting 3 market-leading services - drove a 10% increase in sales after 3 years of decreases. (Increase was achieved despite an overall market decline of 5%.)

Well now our manager would be NUTS if he didn't sit up and pay attention!

Context is key when you are convincing someone else that you can help their company. So go through your resume to check whether you have told a story about each of your accomplishments, as opposed to just listing them.

You'll find an amazing difference in your response rate if you make this change.

He Really Is As Great as He Says He Is!

Marketers know the power of third-party testimonials. You see them all the time in TV ads and on websites. People claiming that this computer learning CD, or washing powder brand or cell phone changed their life. They're ubiquitous because they work. We are all nervous about plonking down cash for something untested - hearing from someone else who has tried it is a powerful persuasive tool.

Why not use the same technique on your resume?

Do you have a great performance review, or a glowing reference letter, or a thank-you letter from a happy customer? If so, consider pulling a quote or two and adding them to your resume.

I just finished a resume for a client where I used this technique. In his introduction, I extolled his virtues in pithy language and created an easy-to-read skills summary, but none of my words were as persuasive as this quote from his former boss (who agreed to have his name used on the resume):

"I was devastated when staffing cuts meant I had to let David go. I did everything I could to prevent it from happening because he is the best assistant manager I have ever worked with. He's a strong leader and a real go-getter and he never seems to get discouraged no matter how tough things get. Hire David! you won't regret it. Feel free to call me for more information."

We then included his name, title, company and phone number so that readers could see this was a real person and not just made-up quote.

My client is thrilled at the response rate to his new resume because he had been getting nowhere previously. Some of it has to do with the new structure and the correct presentation of his background, but I'm willing to bet a large amount of credit goes to that one short quote right in the middle of page one. 

No Cribbing!

I don't know how many people copy someone else's resume, but I can tell you that the percentage is quite high. If you have ever thought about taking someone else's resume and just inserting your own information - DON'T!

A resume is a marketing document. Imagine taking an Apple iPod TV advertisement and then substituting a box of cereal for the iPod. It wouldn't work and neither does 'borrowing' someone else's resume.

I once received an email from a potential resume rewrite client. He had been referred by a former client and wanted a price quote for "touching up this resume." When I opened the resume, I saw that he had taken my client's resume and replaced her career details with his own. The problem was that her resume was designed to maximize her strengths while minimizing some glaring weak spots in her background. Since she and he were different people with completely different work experiences, her resume didn't work for him.

This is not to say that you shouldn't look at other resumes to get ideas - you should and you must. But then you must choose a structure and page layout that highlights what is unique and saleable about you - not someone else.

To learn more about writing a great resume, feel free to visit my free resume help website at www.freeresumehelp.net.

The Secrets of Interview Success - Free eBook

Over on my group blog Career Hub, we've just released our third free eBook. "The Insider's Guide to Interviewing" features articles from 14 of the country's top careers experts. I asked our writers to give readers their best advice for interview success and the answers are varied, interesting and sometimes surprising.

If you don't have our earlier eBooks, you're missing out on similarly great advice about resume writing and job search strategies. Now, for the first time, we're making all our eBooks available without email sign-up. Simply download the PDFs and start reading! And to stay regularly updated with all the best in career advice, bookmark Career Hub, sign up for the RSS feed, or have the articles sent directly to your email box.

Insider's Guide to Interviewing

Expert advice on how to succeed in interviews - topics covered include effective interview planning, tips on taking control of the interview situation, advice on closing the conversation, and the best approaches to salary negotiation.

Download any of our three eBooks here.

Know What You're Writing

I'm working on an editing project today and I've come across several malapropisms. Websters Dictionary defines a malapropism as "the usually unintentionally humorous misuse or distortion of a word or phrase; especially : the use of a word sounding somewhat like the one intended but ludicrously wrong in the context."

This site provides some funny examples, including:

• He had to use a fire distinguisher.
• Dad says the monster is just a pigment of my imagination.
• He's a wolf in cheap clothing.

The ones I found today were no nowhere near as funny as this, but they were just as obvious to everyone except the writer. For example this sentence:

"This is often the tact that I take when ..." should actually read "this is often the tack that I take...," "look at this from my prospective" should read "look at this from my perspective," and duct tape is not "duck tape."

Malapropisms are hard to avoid - after all, if you knew you were writing the wrong word, you would choose the right one - but it's important when writing any job search document that you weed them out.

The best way to do this is to choose friends, family members or colleagues who write well - and preferably who read a lot - and ask them to proofread your letters, resume, web portfolio or bio. The more readers the better - although it's wise to set paramaters for the feedback (such as "I want you to check my word choice is correct" or "I want to you to check for typos") because if you do not do this, you will get contradictory resume advice from everyone and in most cases, the people offering the advice may never have hired anyone in their lives.

(By all means seek feedback on your resume content also, but just select a different group - hiring managers, HR people or recruiters for example.)

Seeking feedback on your resume from the right people is the best way to avoid making any embarrassing word choices.

Staying Focused on Your Resume

A potential client just asked me a question that I suspect concerns many people. David told me "I know that focus is important, but how do I stay focused when I have such a varied background with so many great experiences?"

The answer is to start with the end in mind. I asked Dave what type of position he wants and he explained that he has two different targets - one in IT project management and one in technology sales. And he has the experience to do both jobs equally well.

The solution then is to create 2 resumes, each focused on a different career and to stay focused all the way through the writing process. When writing the IT resume, David needs to be single-minded about eliminating anything that doesn't help prove why he'd make a great Project Manager. He needs to focus on the things hiring managers are looking for when they look to fill this type of vacancy.

His sales-related jobs should be minimized as much as possible to make room for lengthier descriptions of the IT-related jobs. The skills summary and resume introduction should be focused on what makes him uniquely valuable for his target position. Everything about the resume should scream "IT Project Manager" - too much focus on sales will cause a concern among hiring managers that he might be a jack of all trades but master of none.

Then, when the IT resume is finished, David needs to go back and create a second resume which is focused like a laser on sales positions. If he is aiming for technology sales, then his IT experience will obviously be useful, but he must be careful to frame that experience in light of his target position.

In other words, as you write your resume, you must keep the hiring manager in your head at all times. picture her concerns. Imagine her workload. Try to feel what she feels as she looks at your resume. Your goal is to make her recognize that you are the answer to her current business problems and to do that you must focus, focus, focus on making sure you get your message across.

 

Choosing a Resume Writer

Two bad resumes came across my desk today. Neither did a good job of selling the person they represented. In fact at first glance, I couldn't even tell what type of positions either of these people wanted.

I see a lot of resumes like this, but what made these two stand out is that they were both 'professionally written.' Both job seekers had paid good money for their resumes and both had been ripped off.

It makes me so angry to see that. Many resume writers do truly excellent work and we hold ourselves to exceptionally high standards. We see ourselves as marketing consultants, not typists. We take great pride in our work and - while we may not be cheap - we work very hard to ensure that our clients get true value for money.

I go one step further than most writers and offer a full money-back guarantee if my resumes don't get results. I feel that's only fair. 

So it just makes my blood boil to see resumes like the ones I saw today. These people have no qualifications to call themselves professionals and no right to take money from people for shoddy work. And when they do, they hurt all of those writers who work hard at their craft, not to mention the poor job-seekers who hired them.

So how can you choose the right person to help with your resume?

1) Gain knowledge: The phrase 'knowledge is power' might be so over-used it's become a cliche, but it's also true. You can't choose the right resume writer unless you know what to look for. Do some research and reading to understand what makes a strong resume. Check out resume books in the library or the local bookstore. Read about resume writing on freeresumehelp.net. Familiarize yourself with what's important before you start looking for a writer.

2) Check resume samples: Any writer worth her salt will let you see samples - preferably 'before' and 'after' so that you can evaluate her work. Look for a clear marketing message - do you understand what makes this person valuable to employers? - and look for variations. If all the resumes have the exact same structure, that's a good indication that the writer doesn't vary her style, but uses the same template over and over again.

3) Check for professional qualifications or association memberships: Just being a member of a professional association or having letters after your name doesn't make you a great writer, but in combination with the other criteria, it can be a helpful factor to consider.

4) Understand the approach and make sure it's right for you: All writers have different styles and approaches. Some make the process very easy for the client, conducting a short phone interview and then creating the resume using the information gathered.

My style is not for everyone. I make my clients work hard for their resumes! I believe that a strong resume is only one element of a successful job search and I put my clients through a rigorous self-assessment process using my proprietary worksheets. I use this information to create the new resume, but my clients also use it for interview preparation and even to guide them in targeting their search. If you hate to write, or don't have time, you won't like my approach. That's why it's important to choose a writer whose approach suits your needs.

5) Don't choose the least expensive: If budget is a concern - and I can certainly understand that as I'm no Bill Gates! - don't hire a professional writer. You truly do get what you pay for when it comes to something as skilled as personal marketing, so if you can't afford to hire a quality writer, you'll get better results by learning as much as you can about writing a resume and doing it yourself.

A good resume is one of the wisest investments you will ever make - so be careful to choose someone who can deliver what they promise.   

Stop Applying and Start Marketing!

When you go shopping for a new car, do you send an email to all the dealers in your area, asking if they'll please let you buy their car? How about when you need a new pair of shoes? Would you walk around the mall looking for a store that would consider accepting you as a customer?

Of course not! You choose the car you want. You look at all the shoes on offer and select the ones you like. You are in control of those decisions, as you should be.

So why is it so different when it comes to job search? Why, instead of shopping around for a position that suits them, do so many people ask random companies to hire them?

And why do so many people jump at the first job that's offered, whether or not it's a good fit?

I really don't think it needs to be that way for most people. I think it's possible to completely change the way you think about your job search - to shift gears from asking someone to hire you, to shopping around for the opportunity that best suits you.

Don't get me wrong. I understand that financial concerns can sometimes force us to take less-than-perfect positions - but in those cases, you can take the emergency job and still apply the principle I'm going to talk about here to find the job that is right for you in the long-term.

The shift I want you to make is to first understand that you are uniquely valuable. You have a set of skills, experiences and accomplishments that no one else has. And somewhere there are organizations who need what you have to offer. This applies whether you are a new entrant into the job market or a seasoned executive.

You goal during job search should not be to randomly fire out thousands of copies of your resume - but to find and contact those companies who need what you have to offer. In other words, look for the people who are buying what you're selling.

There are 3 steps to shopping for the right job:

1) Know who you are.

You can't know who needs you, until you truly understand what you have to offer.

I call this 'defining your value proposition.' To do this, think about what others say about you. Consider when you're at your best. Think back over your work history. Identify exactly how you add value to your employers. As an example, my value proposition is:

I combine prior experience as a Human Resources executive, and my knowledge of marketing, to write resumes that help people get the job of their dreams.

What's yours?

2) Define your Target Market

Now that you know what your strengths are, you can start to select companies who value those strengths. For example, if you're a retail employee whose biggest strength is being able to connect with customers and make them feel good, look for retailers who truly value customer service - not just in their slogans but in their actions - and then write a resume that highlights your customer service talents.

If you're an executive whose strength is turning around struggling operations, research to find companies in need of those skills and approach them directly with a resume that highlights exactly what you have done in those areas.

If you're a web designer with a special talent for designing websites that sell, highlight that as your value proposition and create a resume centered on that to send to all the web design agencies in your area. Your resume will appeal to the agencies who value and need that skill set.

Will you eliminate a lot of possibilities this way? Absolutely! But they're the wrong opportunities anyway, so they'll eat up a lot of your time and should you be unlucky enough to get the job, they won't make you happy.

3) Communicate Your Value Proposition

Don't try to make your resume and cover letters a catalog of everything you've ever done well in your career - instead focus on communicating why you are uniquely qualified to meet the company's needs. If customer service is your message, make that the focus of your resume and cover letter. Quote from customer 'thank-you' letters or performance reviews to support your claims. Highlight accomplishments that relate to good customer service. Use every word to show why you are the PERFECT fit.

And carry this over into your interviews. Make customer service the focus of your answers to questions like 'why should we hire you?' and 'What's your greatest strength?'

This approach would be cold and manipulative if you didn't start from your own strengths. It would be wrong to just identify what a company wants and then target all your communications towards showing you have those skills if you don't. But when you're starting from your authentic self - your unique value proposition - this approach is not only the most likely to secure you a position quickly, it's the most likely to secure you the right position.

Why I Hate Microsoft Resume Templates!

I have no idea who created the resume templates that come with Microsoft Word, but I know two things for sure.

1. The person who created them had never been involved in hiring anyone, and
2. They were designed a long time ago

I always tell people that including an 'objective' on your resume is outdated and unhelpful. Employers don't want to know your career goals - not at this stage anyway. At the resume screening stage, they want to know if you are qualified for the position and whether you seem like the kind of person who will add value.

But there's no wonder that so many people start their resume with an objective when the resume templates provided by MS Word (the word processing program most people use) include a section entitled "objective."

It's there, so you have to fill it in right?

No!

Delete it altogether and replace it with a profile that shows how you will add value.

Better yet, shut down the template and start from scratch. An MS resume template will make you look like everyone else. The people reading your resume see a LOT of resumes. They've seen this design before. Thousands of times. So the message you're sending instantly is "there's absolutely nothing special about me."

And when you add the objective statement, you're actually saying  "there's absolutely nothing special about me but here's what I would like to do with my life."

Is that really what you want to say when you apply for a job?

So please scrap the Microsoft Word resume template and write a resume that focuses on showing employers your unique value proposition - how you will make their lives easier or their companies more successful.

If you'd like help, don't forget to check out my free resume writing site.

Focusing Your Resume

I recently worked with a client who perfectly illustrates one of my golden tenets of resume writing: Know Who You Are.

Most people see resume writing as simply listing their career history, but this is such a shame. A truly effective resume - one that communicates exactly who you are and what you have to offer - will immediately generate lots of interest in your target audience.

My client (let's call him Brett) is an HR executive. He has extensive experience in small and mid-size companies that are experiencing massive change. He's done it all - start-ups, rapid growth, downsizing, mergers, and company liquidations. That means he's flexible, able to cope with rapid change, talented at managing through troubled times, willing to work in an unstructured environment - and someone who can be relied upon to quickly put all the necessary procedures, systems and structures in place. These are Brett's selling points.

But there are also some things Brett is NOT - he's not a Fortune 500 guy - he's never had that experience and he'd probably feel stifled in a big company. He's always been the lead guy and has had to figure things out on his own - he's never had the budget for expensive consultants and he's never worked with a truly leading-edge HR organization. This means he may not be up-to-date on the very latest in the HR field.

Therefore, Brett should target his search on the types of companies who will find his experience especially valuable - small or mid-size companies who are experiencing (or plan to experience) change. Lean, entrepreneurial, fast-paced organizations who need a strong leader to help them get to the next level.

His new resume openly states that he's an expert at 'change leadership' and emphasizes start-ups and turnarounds in the positioning statement. All the way through the new resume, I emphasized Brett's experience in building teams, establishing HR policy for the first time, aligning HR with business goals and managing organizational restructuring. I want CEOs of mid-size organizations to be *wowed* by Brett's resume - and it doesn't matter that larger organizations won't like it, because he doesn't want to work for them anyway. Deciding what to include and what to omit became easy once I knew Brett's value proposition.

If you're not getting a great response to your resume, ask yourself whether your resume conveys exactly who you are and what you have to offer. If not, rework until the document is sharply focused. It's a little scary to narrow your focus ("what if I miss a great opportunity?") but the more specific you are in your resume, the more people will react positively. I promise!

Choose Words Carefully

While reviewing resumes the other day, I came across a few words that reminded me I've been meaning to write this post for a while.

When writing a resume, it's a great idea to use dynamic and even unusual words if they can help catch the eye of the reader and IF they convey the right message. But that's where you need to be careful.

One executive resume I read recently contained this bullet point:

• Conspired with company lawyers to create new and innovative stock option plan.

According to dictionary.com 'conspired' is defined this way:

–verb (used without object) 

1.	to agree together, esp. secretly, to do something wrong, evil, or illegal: They conspired to kill the king.

2.	to act or work together toward the same result or goal.

–verb (used with object) 

3.	to plot (something wrong, evil, or illegal).

So, according to #2, 'conspired' can mean something that's not harmful or evil, but what comes to mind when you hear the word? And especially in the context of stock option plans, which have been coming under a lot of scrutiny recently, the overall impression is of something a little shady. In this case, 'worked with'  or 'collaborated' would be far better word choices.

Here's another recent example:

• Made drastic improvements in margin and sales.

Drastic is defined by dictionary.com as meaning "acting with force or violence" or "extremely severe or extensive." In other words, it has negative connotations and yet here it is being used to describe a positive. A much better word choice would have been "dramatic."

This may just all sound like a writer splitting hairs over things most people don't care about, and I admit that I have more of a fascination with words than most people. But the fact remains that many impressions during the hiring process are made in a split-second.

I truly think the wrong word choice can hurt - not because the reader will say "well THAT was the wrong use of the word 'drastic' - I couldn't possibly interview this person!" But because words have greater impact than we realize, and the reader who skims your resume may form a quick negative impression without even really knowing why.

So if in doubt about a word, consult the dictionary just to make sure that you're conveying exactly what you intend.

Need Help with Your Resume? Check out Freeresumehelp.net

I have been remiss with my blogging recently and I apologize. It's just that there are only so many hours in the day and I've been focused on launching a new resume help website. But it's finally done. (Phew!)

www.freeresumehelp.net is totally devoted to resume and cover letter writing and I tried to make sure it covers the needs of people at all levels. There's a free 7-part resume writing course and lots of articles and links to other resources.

I created the site because so many people need help with their resumes and don't know where to go. And there's more - not only do most people not know how to write a great resume ... they don't even know that they don't know how to write a great resume! And for that reason, many don't even consider hiring a professional writer to help them - they just do some searches online, or buy a book and do it themselves.

And the information they find is all over the place. Some of it is good advice and some of it is bad advice. I see the results every day when people send me their resumes for review, and it's a crying shame because most people would see an immediate increase in their response rate if they could just create a compelling resume.

Hence, my new resume help site. I'd love to know what you think, and whether there is other information you'd like to see, so drop me a comment or an email.

Resume Writing for Students

I talked with Andrea Browne of The Washington Post a couple of weeks ago about the challenges facing students who need to write their first resume.

Many recent graduates assume that they don't have anything to say, but this is actually not true. As I told Andrea, students can write a strong resume if they approach their resume in the same way any other person would. Namely by looking at things from the perspective of the employer.

I recently talked to a small business owner who had advertised an entry-level position with her PR firm. She eagerly sat down to review the many resumes that flooded in - after all she really needed the help! But she was discouraged very quickly because every candidate focused on what he or she wanted from the job - not on what value he or she could add the the business.

Here is a section from Andrea's article:

[...] when it's time to start writing you should take an employer's point of view, says Louise Fletcher, president of New York-based resume writing firm Blue Sky Resumes. Ask yourself: What is the company looking for? What skills do they need? How can you show them you're a valuable asset?

Before applying to a job, Fletcher suggests reading the job description carefully, highlighting the key requirements -- then address them right away at the top of your cover letter. "Show them that you have what they want," Fletcher says.

You can read the whole article here.

Free Resume Writing eBook

So you've all heard what I have to say about resume writing, but what about other experts?

As some of you know, I am the Managing Editor of Career Hub, which is a group blog focused on job search and career management. We just released a new free eBook entitled "The Insider's Guide to Resume Writing." Several leading career experts have contributed excellent articles on all aspects of the subject, so head on over there now to download your copy!

How do you get keywords into your resume?

You've heard of keywords right? You've heard that you might miss out on interviews if your resume doesn't contain the right keywords, because it might not be found when someone searches the resume database. And therefore, you may have wondered whether you should include a keyword summary in your resume.

My answer is no. And I see that HR Guy agrees with me. He writes:

I don’t know about other recruiters but I think keywords are awful. Whenever I see them, they seem… oh how to put it… tacky? And while Jimmy’s idea is pretty slick, if your recruiter doesn’t have an application tracking system (ATS) that parses the resume with the included summary, you are out of luck. I would guess that would be a good guess if the company has less than a 1,000 people and would almost be a sure thing with less than 500 people. So that can help you get a job at the big companies but there are better ways to do keywords that will help you get a job period.

I know it is a radical idea but how about including some of those keywords in the actual content of your resume. If it isn’t important enough to be even be mentioned, it is unlikely adding the keyword is going to help that. If you have sales experience but you don’t mention sales in your resume, what makes you think that adding “sales” to your keywords is going to help you land the job.

I could not agree more!

Yesterday, I gave an interview to the Washington Post for an upcoming feature about graduate resumes, and as I was talking, I realized that I kept hitting on the same theme (sounded like a broken record actually!) That theme is this: Be honest.

If you include all your skills and accomplishments in your resume, you will be discovered for relevant positions during a keyword search because you have the skills. You don't need to create a fake summary or worry about keywords at all actually. You just need to focus on putting your best foot forward by telling employers what you have accomplished in a compelling manner.

(If you need help, sign up for our free resume writing e-course. There's no spam and no content-free emails designed to get you to spend money! This is good solid content because I know how much most people struggle with their resumes.)

The bottom line, as I told the Washington Post is that recruiters like HR Guy are far from stupid, They have seen every trick in the book a thousand times, and not surprisingly, they resent attempts to pull the wool over their eyes. So honesty is always the best policy when it comes to keywords, or any other aspect of your resume.

Resume Writing Mistakes - #1

Don't assume everyone is like you.

This might not actually be the #1 mistake, but it's the one that's on my mind today because I just had a conversation that reminded me of it.

I wrote a resume for a client who has been in the same industry his whole life, and with the same company for 20 years. He has never looked for a job before. His new resume was pretty great, even if I do say so myself. But, to my surprise he hated it. When I talked to him I found out that he hated it because it's not the kind of resume he likes to read. In accordance with our policies, I gave him a full refund, but asked that he please try out the resume anyway because I KNOW it will work. I've been doing this a long time and I am very good at it.

His answer was "absolutely not. I don't like to read resumes like this so I'm going to write my own."

Can you see the problem here? The person is putting his own preferences over and above the advice of an expert, and over and above the facts - which are that this type of resume works. Even when it has cost him nothing, he's still not willing to try something new and different.

I can picture the resume he's going to write and I would bet large sums of money that it won't market his skills as effectively as the one I created. But he will be happy with it because it's the kind of resume he personally likes to read.

Please don't make this mistake with your resume. Professional resume writers can only maintain a successful business over a long period of time if their resumes actually work. Without a record of success, they wouldn't receive referrals and they'd have so many customer complaints that they'd close up shop. By all means shop around if you're going to hire a professional writer:

• Look at references on Linked In.
• Examine their resume samples.
• Read their blog to see if you like their approach.
• Ask what makes them a good choice.
• Choose someone who's been doing this a while.

But once you've chosen, trust that the expert knows more than you do about this particular subject and put yourself into their hands. Because it's a simple fact that not everyone reads resumes the way you do and your personal bias could cost you a great job.

The Myth of the One Page Resume

I worked at a job fair on Monday, doing free resume critiques for military veterans, and I learned that military career offices give REALLY bad resume advice!

In just 5 minutes per-person, my colleagues and I were able to help almost every person see their resume through new eyes. It was great to see the excitement in their faces as they grasped the concept of self-marketing and I know their new resumes will be much better than the ones they walked in with.

But I found the experience frustrating as well as gratifying, because I realized how many myths there are surrounding resumes - and how damaging so many of them are. And the #1 culprit as far as I'm concerned is the idea that everyone should have a one-page resume.

This is Just. Not. True!

I met with one veteran, a senior executive, who showed no accomplishments on his resume. I explained that it's crucial to write action-packed accomplishment bullet points to show employers that you can add real value - especially when you're applying for jobs that pay upwards of 150K. He nodded as I spoke, but when I was done, he explained that he didn't include that information because it wouldn't fit on one page.

Gah!

All the good stuff had been removed from his resume and all that was left was a series of brief descriptions of his jobs. If I were hiring a new Vice President of Operations, I would have no reason to interview this gentleman because he didn't give me one. Yet as we talked further it became clear that he had an impressive record of accomplishments - he had cut costs, streamlined operations and improved productivity in each of his positions.

Please do not believe anyone who tells you that your resume has to be one-page long. It is a myth. No one ever rejected a resume because it was two pages long - and if they did, you wouldn't want to work for them anyway, because it would make no sense (and presumably they would make no sense in other areas of life!)

I write one-page resumes when that's all the space I need to market someone, but if I need two pages, I use two pages. That is almost always the case for senior executives. Occasionally three pages are appropriate, although this is rare.

If you find yourself eliminating key information in order to squeeze your resume onto one page, then you need two pages.

What Does it Mean to be Positive?

During a job search, you'll inevitably hear the advice that you must always be positive about your former employers. Good advice! You should never bad-mouth a company or manager that you worked for. It always makes you look bad.

But it's important to distinguish between being honest about challenges and being negative about former companies. I say that because I am currently working on a resume for a client who is worried that I am being too negative in my portrayal of her former job. I had written:

"Assumed responsibility for delayed project and overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles to bring the software in on time and within budget."

She felt that the word "delayed" and the word "insurmountable" were negative and wanted me to put a more positive spin on the situation. But I don't agree that those words are negative in the context I've used them. They are just factual and they help to tell her story. If I simply said that she delivered a project on time and within budget, without the additional information, it would not be nearly as impressive as this story.

An interviewer will want to know "what were the seemingly insurmountable obstacles" giving my client a further opportunity to impress (because they were some monumental obstacles!) As long as she doesn't say "well my boss was an ass and the company was stupid enough to think they could do the project on a shoestring" she is not being negative.

So avoid bashing your former employers at all costs - but don't confuse telling the truth about challenges with being negative.

People Who Read Resumes Are Not Stupid! (How to write a career change resume the right way)

I recently received an interesting email from a potential client looking to make a career change. She asked whether a functional resume would be better than a traditional structure. She's thinking that she needs to distract employers from her background in one industry so they can imagine her in another ... I know we're not supposed to use capital letters on the Internet because it means we're shouting, but in this case, I am shouting, so my answer is "NO!" (Imagine lots of underlines underneath than "no").

Any trick to distract recruiters from the truth is bound to fail.

Why?

Because they're not stupid and they've been doing this a long time.

They've seen every trick you can think of. They know that the functional (or skills-based) resume is a ploy to hide something. The only thing they don't know is what you're trying to hide. If they have a few minutes to while away, they might try and figure it out. But this is just for sport, you understand, because they've already decided they don't like you very much.

The truth is that if you want to make a career change, you really need to go about it very differently from a normal search. Check out my article on career change for more information.

The key isn't a clever resume or a great cover letter, although these can't hurt. Successful career change requires a proactive strategy and an aggressive networking and personal contact campaign.

And resume-writing for career change requires that you 'fess up to your lack of experience right upfront and quickly show why it shouldn't matter. For example, once upon a time, I might have said started my resume with a headline:

Career Target: Resume Consultant / Career Coach
Experienced HR executive looking to transition to career marketing - offers 15 years
real world hiring experience, plus exceptional writing and marketing skills.

This approach would be honest, straightforward and truthful, and would be much more effective than a "clever" structure that tried to cover up the truth.

It seems that policitians and celebrities never learn, but maybe job seekers can: Tell the truth!

Put Some Personality Into Your Resume - Please!

Today I'm writing a resume for a young man who's applying for a job within his existing company. I have his old resume in front of me and I'm reviewing the worksheets he completed. The difference between the two is unbelievable.

His existing resume is stiff, stilted and boring. He used one of Microsoft's Word templates and he simply listed his positions and responsibilities, as most people do.

But his self-assessment worksheets tell another story. Let me show you what I mean with a couple of excerpts:

"I wanted to be a production assistant when I joined the company, but got stuck in clerical work. When the opportunity came to apprentice without pay, I jumped at it. I did my real job and this at the same time. I came in 3 hours early every day to work at the production job, then went to my normal job at 9 am and worked until 6. When I got home, I'd read up on production to learn more. I was obsessed!"

Wow. He worked for free just to get experience in his desired field -- and then did extra reading at night? Who wouldn't want to hire someone like that? Of course that information is nowhere to be found on the resume he's currently using. Here's another quote:

"I came into this position as a new supervisor launching our biggest product to date. The launch was very problematic due to poor planning, and required massive amounts of hours to get it off the ground. I came in early and worked late for 6 months straight, 7 days a week. I was still trying to find my way and learn the ins and outs, but I knew we had to get it done. It was crazy and I loved every minute of it! The day we shipped the product was the proudest of my career."

I want to hire this guy now! (But that information isn't on his resume either.)

My job is to instill that personality into his resume, so that readers have the same reaction you had when you read those quotes. Your job is to look at the resume you're using, and ask yourself if it really communicates what makes you unique and valuable. If not, inject some personality!

(If you need help, sign up for the resume writing course on the left-hand side of the page.)

Focus, Focus, Focus!

This week brought evidence of the value of a clear resume focus.

I worked with a client who wanted to leave one industry and move into a very different one. The work would be the same and the two industries actually have a lot in common once you understand how they work, but you wouldn't know that on the surface.

Luckily for me, this client knew not only the field he wanted to work in, but also the specific company he was targeting. He gave me the website URL and links to to some of their media coverage.

Once I understood their strategy and their organizational values, it was easy to position my client effectively, and show them why they should pay attention to him.

Yesterday, he dropped me a note to let me know that the President of the company contacted him within 2 hours of receiving his resume, and he has a series of interviews scheduled for next week.

Of course, it's not always possible to focus quite this intently on just one company, but the lesson is clear - if you understand your target audience, you have a very good shot at crafting a message that resonates with them. And if you're applying for a specific position, there's no reason not to adjust your resume to appeal to that company.

Why a Professional Resume Makes Sense

I just finished a resume for Heather at Dream Big Coaching. I wouldn't normally tell you that but Heather wrote about it in her own blog, so I figure she won't mind. I loved all the praise Heather heaped on me, but that's now why I'm telling you this (No. Really. It's not!)

I liked this part of Heather's post:

Getting the information to the writer that she needed to create a killer resume was not easy for me. You may recall me whining quite a bit about this in my post. But now that I have my new top-quality resume in hand, I feel somewhat like a proud mother with my newborn baby. Sure, it took some work on my part to get this kid out, but who cares about that now! There's no way on earth that I could have crafted a resume as effective as my new one. This is crystal clear to me now. I could no more have written this resume than have built my own house or have landed a plane at the airport. This is because good resume writing is a specialized skill that takes training, experience, a particular knowledge of recruiting and marketing, and plain ol' talent to do well. I can write, and I've seen about one bazillion resumes in my career, neither of which means I can create a top-notch resume. Especially my own top-notch resume.

You don't have to hire me to write your resume - indeed, our services won't be for everyone - but you should consider hiring someone. If an experienced career coach can't write a compelling resume for herself, what makes you think you can?

Be Honest!

The resignation of David Edmondson, CEO of RadioShack, has revived the age-old conversation about whether it's OK to lie on your resume.

According to News.com the practice is much more common than we might think. Unfortunately, this site links to the awful Fake Resume Guide, a website I refuse to link to again, which actually recommends lying on your resume.

See Louise Kursmark's excellent post on Career Hub for alternative strategies for polishing up your resume while remaining truthful. Honesty is always the best policy. Just ask David Edmondson.