Category Archives: Resume

By Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter

It may seem obvious. You were invited to an interview with the hiring manager or recruiter. They beckoned you because they like your resume and believe you are qualified for the job. At this point, it’s all about the dialogue, and you are a fantastic interviewer, so what else do you need but yourself and your confidence – right?

Wrong. Sometimes less is not more. And, interviews offer an opportunity to strategically slide in a value-add here and there, depending upon the course the conversation takes.

Following are five ideas of value-add items to bring to the interview to help enhance your personal marketing message, compelling your interview forward:

1. Tweaked Resume: Even if you recently updated your resume, assess if a tweaked headline or modified achievement would more perfectly align your message with this specific interview. 

Then, print off five to 10 copies of your resume from a quality printer using good, 24 lb. paper. Use a neutral, earthy tone: off-white, tan, light brown, gray or something similar. Show attention to detail, ensuring the watermark prints in an upright position. With a stack of freshly printed resumes in hand, you are equipped to distribute them to additional hiring decision makers who may unexpectedly arrive, empty-handed, at your meeting.

2. Toot-Your-Own-Horn Book: If you are in sales, this is an especially valuable tool. However, brag books needn’t be limited to sales-oriented interviews. Consider what visual representations of your value you could provide. Buy about a dozen 3-hole-punched sheet protectors in which to display your horn-tooting items. Examples include a thank-you note, a printout of a sales graph, an email from a happy client and a project milestone chart showcasing results of a mammoth project. What this book may consist of is only limited by your imagination and creativity. Think colorful and glimpse-able.

3. Testimonials Page. While you may not be ready to hand off contact information of your valuable references during the initial interview, you could create a ‘testimonials’ page with a list of three to five key people (names only, without phone numbers and email addresses), who are wowed by the value you provide.

Diversify the references to include a client, a vendor, a senior executive, a colleague, a direct report and so forth. Then, organize the page to include three columns: 1. Name of person and their company affiliation; 2. Your relationship to that person; e.g., you and s/he collaborated on a specific project; you provided sales consultation to that person; or, you trained them in their new role, for example; and, 3. What they have said in the past about you or would say if approached today about your contribution to individual or team goals in relationship to saving time, trimming costs or adding to profits.

4. ROI Action Plan. Whether it’s your first interview or your third with the company, come prepared to articulate how you will hit the ground running to make an impact when hired – how you will return the company’s investment. You do this by communicating your action plan for solving their problems.

Naysayers will quip, “I have NO idea what the real problems my target company is facing until I am hired.”

The optimist will take initiative.

Vigorously search the Web using Boolean searches to unearth universal industry and sector issues. Determinedly search the Web for target company tidbits. Research using Glassdoor, LinkedIn or Facebook company pages, and scour online business journals, websites and other resources that drill down to potential challenges.  Then, when building your strategy, speak to specific action plan steps you are prepared to take to resolve those issues during the first 30, 60, 90 days.

5. Marketing (Business) Card: Offered up as a mini-resume of sorts, your business card should include critical contact information such as your name, email, voicemail and your LinkedIn profile. It also should include your tagline, further underscoring your value, as well as a metric-based achievement result to add concreteness. Remember, there are two sides to a business card – use both.

While it is true that in some interviews you may simply be whisked in and out of a rigidly orchestrated meeting with no opportunity for additional information sharing, that is just one scenario.

In others, the conversation is more flexible and fluid. You must be proactive presenting your value through a variety of visually appealing and content-rich items. By preparing the above five weapons for your career interview arsenal, you will walk into the interview office more confident and empowered.

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Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter is a Glassdoor career and workplace expert, chief career writer and partner with CareerTrend, and is one of only 28 Master Resume Writers (MRW) globally. An intuitive researcher, she helps professionals unearth compelling career story details to help best present their unique experience, skillset and interests in resumes and other career positioning documents as well as through social media profiles. In addition to being interviewed for television and radio stories, Jacqui has written for the Career Management Alliance Connection monthly newsletter and blog, ExecuNet’s Career Smart Advisor, The Kansas City Star, The Business Journal and The Wall Street Journal. In addition, she and her husband, “Sailor Rob,” host a lively careers-focused blog over at http://careertrend.net/blog. Jacqui also is a power Twitter user listed on several “Best People to Follow” lists for job seekers.

By Heather R. Huhman

Many job seekers can agree it’s easy to get burned out from their job search. Although job sites are powerful tools for finding jobs and shouldn’t be ignored, job seekers need to be looking beyond the Internet for employment opportunities.

If you’re a job seeker who is discouraged about finding employment, here are four ways to tell you’re spending too much time on job sites and what you can do to improve your job search:

1. You Haven’t Had an Interview. Have you been applying to jobs for months and still haven’t landed an interview? During the job search, it can be easy to get caught up in applying to every posting. Job seekers may think their resume is applicable for the position; however, it may not meet the employer’s requirements.

Job seekers who use job sites to apply to every available position should think about a new strategy. Make sure you are applying to jobs you are qualified for, using the employer’s application guidelines, and following up with each application. Once you do this, you will be able to narrow down your search and focus on the positions you want.

2. You Haven’t Made Time to Network. Job seekers don’t realize how many jobs are available offline when they’re only searching job sites. Many people discover job openings because they have a connection with a company or organization. Whether it’s a friend or relative, many people find jobs because of the people they know. 

Job seekers should also be involved with professional organizations. These are especially useful for people new to their industry. Instead of spending five hours each day searching the Internet for job postings, join a professional organization, build relationships, and ask professionals to meet for coffee. Networking opens the door to many opportunities and is the best way to connect with people in your field.

Keep in mind that although networking may not land you interviews with employers right away, it’s important to build these relationships in order to get your foot in the door. The biggest advantage of networking is being able to know people who can provide advice about finding a job that wasn’t posted online.

3. You’re Only Applying Online. If you’re only considering openings posted on job boards, then you’re holding yourself back from finding more opportunities. Instead of searching board after board, make a list of companies you would like to work for and start researching them. Once you have your list, contact the employer to see if you can send them your resume.

Most employers, even if they aren’t hiring, will hold your resume on file for six months to a year. If you decide to send your resume to different companies, be sure to inform the recruiter or hiring manager about your resume submission. By doing this, the next time you follow up with the company, your name will be fresh in their mind.

4. You Haven’t Built a Personal Brand. This is huge when it comes to the online job search. If you want to be discovered online, you must make a presence for yourself. Every job seeker needs to be on LinkedIn regardless of their field. If you you’re searching for jobs in public relations, marketing, or graphic design, you should also have an online portfolio.

Job seekers whose expertise is in fields such as engineering or accounting can still create an online portfolio. Many employers expect to receive a digital version of your resume and won’t accept hard copies. There are many platforms that allow job seekers to create a simple website where they can display a resume and samples of work. Job seekers who have an online presence will build their name in the virtual job search world and can be discovered by more employers.

No matter how frustrating the job search can be, there are many tools aside from job sites for job seekers to explore. If you’re still unsuccessful with finding employment, try to be creative. Start by thinking of different ways you can connect with professionals in your field, create your online portfolio, and how you can send your resume to companies who you’d like to work for. Remember: it’s not about how many hours you spend looking for jobs that counts; it’s about being proactive during your search.

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Heather R. Huhman is a Glassdoor career and workplace expert, experienced hiring manager, and founder & president of Come Recommended, a content marketing and digital PR consultancy for job search and human resources technologies. She is also the instructor of Find Me A Job: How To Score A Job Before Your Friends, author of Lies, Damned Lies & Internships (2011) and#ENTRYLEVELtweet: Taking Your Career from Classroom to Cubicle (2010), and writes career and recruiting advice for numerous outlets.

By Heather R. Huhman

When you’re looking for a new job, it can feel like a race to get hired. It doesn’t matter if you are unemployed or you just need a change. The more time you spend looking, the more frustrating it can become.

It’s important to take a step back and remember your job hunt does not have to take up all of your time. There are ways stay organized and make your job hunt less time-consuming.

Whether you have another job or are just a busy person, these tips will help busy job seekers:

1. Make a Schedule. Organization is key for an efficient job search. Make a schedule and assign yourself specific job search tasks for specific times during the day. When you have specific times set aside for each task, you can make sure it all gets done.

2. Stop Procrastinating. It happens to all of us, but it is obvious procrastination slows us down. Find a place to conduct your job search that is free of distractions. When you finish the tasks you assigned yourself, you can go back to your television or Facebook or whatever you usually do to waste time.

3. Get Organized. Conducting a job search involves a lot of files and emails that can become overwhelming. Start the organization process by designating a folder on your desktop for all of your job search documents. Add sub-folders for various versions of your resume and cover letters. Next, organize your inbox in a similar fashion. Use filters so that you see the most important emails first. Sort emails into folders so that you don’t lose track of anything. 

4. Be Very Prepared. There are a few things you should already have on hand before you start applying for jobs. Make sure your voicemail message and email address are professional.

Have templates of your resume and cover letter already written. Add new experiences to your resume as soon as they happen so it’s ready when you begin the job hunt. When you apply for a new position, alter the descriptions to match the requirements each specific role (without stretching the truth, of course!).

Create a list of references to have on hand when they’re requested. Make sure you have names, job titles, companies, phone numbers, and email addresses. Bring a copy of this list to all interviews so that you are ready if asked.

5. Use Job Search Engines. Search both major and niche job boards to find the biggest variety of job listings in one place. You don’t have to rule out large search sites, but regional and industry-driven sites can be more efficient. Many of these sites also have features that alert you of new job listings by email. Take advantage of these alerts to find out about jobs as soon as they are posted.

6. Tap Your Network. You already have a network of people who can help your job hunt. Tell all of these people that you are looking for a new job. According to a recent study, more than 30 percent of job seekers credit referrals from professional or personal contacts for their current jobs. It’s perfectly fine to ask for help.

7. Use Social Media. Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are making the job hunt even easier. Follow specific companies on these platforms to hear about job openings quickly. If you’re in a position to advertise the fact that you’re seeking a job, make it known. According to that same survey, one in six job seekers credit social media with their current job.

8. Don’t Give Up. Searching for a job can be frustrating. If you let the frustration get to you, you can make mistakes. Keep your attitude positive and don’t lose sight of your organization. Everyone faces rejection sometimes, but don’t let it stop you from finding even better opportunities.

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Heather R. Huhman is a Glassdoor career and workplace expert, experienced hiring manager, and founder & president of Come Recommended, a content marketing and digital PR consultancy for job search and human resources technologies. She is also the instructor of Find Me A Job: How To Score A Job Before Your Friends, author of Lies, Damned Lies & Internships (2011) and #ENTRYLEVELtweet: Taking Your Career from Classroom to Cubicle (2010), and writes career and recruiting advice for numerous outlets.