<Ace Resume Soundoff Blog

For those that are currently out of work, have you thought of volunteering? In addition to building your networking base, most people come away feeling more positive with an improved outlook on life when they help others--which can reduce depression and bring back some much needed energy. It also gives you something to put on your resume during that time period. And who knows, someone may notice your initiative and help you find a job or give you a job. It's a win-win for everyone.

It's been awhile! Busy season hit as always in January. While business remains very strong, I don't want to lose touch for too long. Just read an online article on HotJobs about how to avoid being overqualified for positions. This is tough. You should not ... I repeat ... should not lie to fit the position, but you should focus on the skills and accomplishments they are looking for and show your passion for that type of work. For example, if you are trying to go from management to staff level, while you shouldn't eliminate mentioning you managed people or projects, you should mention in your cover letter that you miss having direct contact with customers or that at this time in your career you prefer working directly on projects--whatever fits the specific job. Employers may not feel so threatened that you are only interested in the job until the economy gets better.

There has been a lot of discussion lately from the resume writers at the national level on the length of executive resumes. While it has been OK to have more than 2 pages at that level, the trend is supposedly shifting. Hiring managers, recruiters, and HR folks want less content--depending on who you talk to.

In actuality, these folks always want the least amount of content with so many resumes to review. But when writing a resume, each situation must be evaluated individually. Executive resumes include a profile, core competencies, and possibly a separate accomplishment section at the top of the resume as well as the education section and possible publications, presentations, and associations etc. at the bottom. That doesn't leave a lot of space for executives to showcase their actual experience and accomplishments for each position.

So if you are an executive, be concise, but do not lose value by trying to limit to 2 pages. You do not want to to lose great accomplishments. If you need the 3rd page, then include a 3rd page. On the other hand if some of the accomplishments in the earlier part of your history are similar to those in your more recent work, minimize the verbiage or take out. Remember, the resume is to entice employers to get an interview, so if you have more than 5 or 6 bullets under a particular position then maybe you can save a few for the interview. You don't have to tell them everything on the resume. It is a balancing act to say the least.

Happy 2010! It is here and the holiday season is just about over. So for those jobseekers that took a break, its time to get serious again.

I want to talk about interviewing today. If you are getting interviews and not the job, you need to take time to improve your interviewing skills. As most of us know, it's not the most qualified candidate that gets the job, it is the candidate PERCEIVED to be the best candidate. Preparation is key.

So what can you do? Read up on the interview process. There are a ton of books as well as Internet articles to help you enhance those skills. Most importantly, review the posting for the position you are interviewing for, pick out keywords that give clues to critical skills they are looking for, and then think of success stories that showcase those talents.

And do not forget to do your due diligence on the company and see how you would fit in and how you would bring value. And, there is always interview coaching services to consider if you are unsure how to do this alone.

I pasted a link below for a list of the 10 most secure positions of 2010. Not sure who or how it was formulated. I was glad to see it wasn't just technology oriented, although database administrator did make the list. Check it out!

I was just reading an article from glassdoor.com and they were interviewing a recruiter. One of the things he mentioned was that he never hired a candidate that didn't provide recommendations from 2 or 3 of their most recent managers. He is just one recruiter, but I do think job candidates should really take time to evaluate who is on their reference list. While it is perfectly fine to mix it up and include customers and colleagues if you like, employers will notice if you don't have a manager or two on your list. If for some reason it will work against you to do so, try to think of and include someone from the management team that wasn't your direct manager ... someone at least a level above you ... that is willing to speak of your contributions to that company.

Everyone having a nice weekend? With the holidays almost here, everyone is scurrying around to do what they need to do.

It's amazing how many times I hear "No one is hiring now, so I will just wait until after the new year to apply for a job." BIG MISTAKE!! There are employers out there who are trying to use up their budget before the end of the year or preparing for new positions with the start of the new year. Its an excellent time to look for a position and MUCH LESS COMPETITION since everyone else is waiting. If less people are applying, the resume piles for positions are smaller. Do you really think you should pass up this opportunity? Go to it!!

Read an article the other day on Yahoo that centered on the top 5 resume mistakes. Once again the myth of having a one-page resume was stated as a "must." Are you kidding me? Please, please, be careful when you read career information. There is so much false information out there. Make sure the person has expertise in the subject matter being presented--which in this case, he did not.

The length of your resume should be dictated by the amount of relevant experience and accomplishments you have. You need to present your unique value proposition to a potential employer and separate yourself from the competition. If you can do that on one page, wonderful. But most professionals can not. And I can tell you with confidence that many, many hiring managers and recruiters will wonder what you have been doing if you are an experienced professional and you only have a one-page resume. And, if you are a senior executive, then it is not unusual to have more than 2 pages.

This is not to say you shouldn't be concise. You definitely should be. But do yourself a favor by including the critical experience and achievements that will entice an employer to bring you in for an interview.

I was just reading an article by Liz Ryan (a former HR leader) and she was talking about how HR folks focus on weeding job candidates OUT. I thought it was important to remind everyone that if you are trying to gain access and talk with someone about a particular job at a particular company, you want to find out who the hiring manager is and talk with them. Stay away from HR. To access hiring managers, call the company and ask the receptionist if they know who the head of the department is for ______________. (fill in the department you want to work for.) Or you can use LinkedIn or research the company-- which you should do before calling so you are familiar with key aspects of the company--its direction, products and services, and current climate.

Do you know about www.twitterjobsearch.com? You can search for available jobs posted on Twitter. I doesn't appear you can sort by location which makes it a little frustrating. You can sort by relevance or date. I tried a few job titles to see what would happen. Put in "sales representative" and only a dozen or so came up. Put in general manager and it was a very long list (from all over the country and some international). So one more option to add to your job search pursuit.

Thought I was done for the day but immediately following, I received an email from a colleague that provided a story of success through Twitter. This person just landed a primo senior engineering position at Honeywell. Her advice: " Follow your Target Companies (on Twitter)." I do want to emphasize this person was also going to job networking meetings and pursuing all avenues to find a job, which is what I recommend highly. Twitter happened to be one that worked for her.

So here are my last thoughts for now on networking. These are ideas that job seekers sometimes pass up because there is a cost involved. But, if you do it right, it could be an excellent advantage.

So, first is joining a national organization within your industry ... which may have a local chapter to become involved as well. Most of these organizations will have elists that you can join to share thoughts, list or talk about employment opportunities, as well as offer industry information that can keep you current. Take advantage of it all. Many times you have the gurus of the industry giving advice on the elist or giving a teleclass for you to learn a new topic or enhance your existing knowledge. And, you can develop a presence by participating on the elist, giving advice or asking questions.

Lastly, find out if they have an annual connection. If they do, plan to go. What better way to get in front of the right people and to show your interest in the industry--this can be of critical importance for career changers or those returning to the industry.

Check out the list of attendees and see who else is there from your geographical area. Try to meet. Of course, don't limit yourself to locals, particularly if you are trying to move out of state. Start building relationships. Try to find 3 or more people you feel would be beneficial to stay in contact with.

If the cost to attend is of concern, see if you can volunteer at the event and if that will "credit" you with a lower cost. Some organizations will do that. Volunteering can be a great move in general since you can have a better chance to interface and get to know organization members. Make yourself memorable with these people and keep in touch. You will be the first person they contact if they have a job lead or connection.

When I look back on my career prior to opening my resume business, networking was key to advancing my career. I found three out of my four jobs from networking.

There are a number of ways to get started with networking. Of course online social networks are the big rage, like LinkedIn, but that discussion is for another day. (Or you can pick up a LinkedIn for Dummies to get started.)

Then there are more traditional ways to network. You can make a list of all the people you know, from your relatives, to your friends and colleagues, to your hair stylist. Make sure they know you are searching for a job and ask for any contacts they know who may have an open position or who come in contact with the right people to help you. Once you get a contact follow through and call. Some jobseekers get networking business cards that state their contact information and a quick summary of skills and experience to pass out for networking purposes. Get yourself out there. Attend local networking groups to get the word out to those you don't know yet.

There are some in-depth job search books that talk about the intricacies of networking, such as the The Very Quick Job Search by Michael Farr. Or, do a search on the net for tips on networking for job seekers. Learning the craft of networking can maximize your results.

Its almost the end of the year. So hard to believe! So many people will be glad to see this one go! Are you one of them? A chance for a fresh start. That's what is needed. So let me ask two questions to help ensure you don't waste the upcoming opportunity.

First, what job search strategy do you use the most? I am going to assume most of you are saying what my clients initially say -- "I use the job boards."

If you are posting on job boards all day you are not making key networking connections that can get you a job. There has to be a balance in how you spend your time and you have to use a multi-faceted job search approach.

Don't get me wrong. Job boards can work. (Just last week, I had a client who quickly got an interview for a great management-level healthcare position after I prepared her resume and she posted on CareerBuilder.) But you don't want to put all your eggs in one basket. Particularly in this economy, you need to use all available resources to find a position.

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