In the current economic downturn, more and more Americans are joining in the hunt for jobs. Positions that once received ninety resumes are now seeing applications in the hundreds.

Industry standards that once applied to resumes are now doubly, even triply true. You’d heard that employers skimmed through resumes before? You can only imagine how quickly they toss through the pile now.

With your resume as a single sheet in that huge stack of paper, creating a pertinent, easy to skim document is more important than ever. So more and more people are taking steps like hiring a professional resume writer to aid them in their job search.

Some people question the ethics of enlisting this type of aid, implying that you cannot present yourself in a genuine manner with the use of such a service, or that the need for help is a manufactured need, or even that the type of help provided leads to a non-accurate representation of one’s skills.

However, these statements seem to stem from a misunderstanding of what it is that the professional resume writer does.

To start with, what is a resume, exactly? It’s a marketing tool that advertises your skills and experience.

In your business, is it unethical to hire a marketing firm in order to sell your product? Probably not. It’s only logical to hire experts to help you in areas where their expertise is needed to improve sales.

A proper resume writer won’t represent you in a way that is not genuine. It is against our code of ethics, and would damage our reputations as professionals.

Let’s face it, in a consulting-type business, your reputation is really all you have. Not to mention that representing clients inaccurately would cause real problems for them, once uncovered.

What does a resume writer do? We take information, that you supply, of your past jobs and accomplishments, your education and experiences, your old resumes and supporting documents, job positions you are interested in and anything else you think we will need for resume preparation — and present you with a new document, tailored to the type of job that you’re pursuing while showcasing your strengths and promoting your value.

We have industry knowledge of certain words that will catch the boss’s attention in your line of business, and they know how HR filters documents. For one thing, did you know that these days, resumes are often scanned by computer for certain keywords?

Let’s be honest, the first thing we all do when faced with a huge stack of paper that we have to weed down to just a few sheets, is to get rid of as much as possible, as easily as possible. So, the first scan, whether by computer or an individual is for weeding out the chaff.

Industry hiring experts know what keywords are typically used in the computerized process and can ensure that your resume includes them. We also excel at aiding people in camouflaging gaps in history.

We are resume experts, and we know how to make yours clear and readable — after all, if those two attributes aren’t met, the rest falls by the wayside.

5 Executive Job Boards

If you’re an executive searching for a job, you know how difficult the job search is. You can’t just follow the same rules and patterns that most sites recommend for job searches. Additionally, most sites don’t gear their writing or even dedicate a portion of it to covering what executives need to do to get a job.

When executives search for a job, they don’t look at career web sites. If you’re an executive, knowing where to go can be just as important as who you know. Besides knowing the right people, when it comes to executives seeking to find a job, there is one other place to look:  job boards.

Job boards get a bad rap. I’m one of the many career folks who says, ‘don’t rely on using just job boards to find your next job’. Job search requires a combination of techniques, however, I think using the right job boards can greatly enhance your chance of getting the next job.
What is a job board?

If you’re an executive who climbed the ladder without job boards, congratulations. If you’re an executive needing to get back on the ladder, well welcome to the job board circus. A job board is an online listing where companies seek out top tier candidates. Companies in the know ignore mainstream job sites so they can avoid being inundated with hundreds and even thousands of applications from mid-level candidates who simply don’t have the experience and skill set to be an executive.
In short, a job board is similar to those mainstream sites in that they list executive jobs. They offer the same search and filter features, but only accept jobs for companies seeking executives. It weeds out the riff raff, shall we say.
The second, and most unfortunate, way the job board weeds out non-executives is by a fee. They understand that because there are fewer jobs posted, the payment for access to those jobs must come from the applicants. Since those applicants are executives, the companies figure they can afford the investment.

Below are a few job boards I like and a couple that seem interesting to me:

• Execunet: No job board list would be complete without ExecuNet. Around since 1988, ExecuNet caters to executives making over $100,000 each year. The service offers resume and networking programs throughout the United States. The site made Forbe’s Best of the Web list and has been featured in many magazines.
• Netshare: Anyone that knows job boards may not have heard of this company. They are lesser known, but offer many of the same services as the big executive boards. The service is exclusive to executives making in excess of $100,000 per year. Their site also includes features written by or about top-tier executives that could be helpful and inspirational.

• Executives Only: This company was included primarily because it is great place for mid-levels supervisors to make the leap into executive status. The reason is the service caters to executives earning over $70,000 annually. The site focuses on providing the educational tools to land the job, as much as finding the job.

• Rite Site: This board takes a different approach. The services offers the same networking and resume services as other boards. In addition, they select certain companies of a high reputation to guarantee the executive jobs being sought are actually available and credible since some top-tier companies post jobs that they, in reality, do not intend to fill. That’s a key component of their operation, but a minor feature, which is why they barely cracked this list of  job boards.

• Executives Network: The company provides the ideal blend of in-person and Internet job search opportunity. The company connects users with other executives in the job field both online and in person. The group offers meetings in most major cities across the nation. The job is primarily for top-tier executives such as CEOs, CFOs and Vice Presidents.

If you know of any other executive job boards, let me know. I’d love to hear!

In 2007, Marilee Jones, called the “most celebrated Admissions Dean in America” resigned from MIT — the reason? A lie on her 1979 job application, fabricating several degrees.

In 2006, David Edmondson stepped down as Radio Shack’s CEO, after he was caught lying about his academic record —again, claiming degrees that he didn’t earn.

Lying on one’s resume can provide rewards unless one is caught, and then the fall-out can be enormous.

Due, perhaps, to the recent rise in applicant lines, more applicants are being caught lying. Experts estimate that as the economy continues to plummet, the numbers of those lying on job applications will increase. Various sources state that between one-third and one-half of all job applicants lie on their applications, even though in some states, it’s illegal.

And, moreover, the employer of a person caught lying on her or her application can potentially sue the person for losses and expenses incurred.

Just ask Richard Clark about his employment at Coopers Lybrand consulting agency in Canada. He lost his employers several clients when they found out he didn’t have any of his three claimed degrees. He paid for his mistake in cash!

According to a study done by Careerbuilder.com, almost all managers who catch a potential hire lying on his resume will automatically cross him off their list of applicants. Nearly half will automatically dismiss him even after he is hired, should such a lie come to light.

And the potential ramifications are even greater than that — once fired for lying on your resume, do you list that job on your resume and have your new boss call and find out the truth, or do you leave it off and just keep lying, hoping that you’re not caught again? It’s a vicious cycle.

More and more managers are doing background checks on employees, so common lies, like claiming a degree that you didn’t earn or inflating your previous title, are more likely to get caught. Another common lie, changing dates to hide gaps in employment, is especially easy to catch.

And the lies aren’t just from the little people. Executives and other high profile personalities are getting caught, too. Laura Callahan lost her senior position in the Department of Homeland Security when her diploma was shown to be a fake in 2004. Experts state that lies about education are often early resume lies that are carried on throughout a career.

In fact, resume-padding has become so popular, not only are there sites dedicated to resume lies, but there are also entities referred to as “degree mills” and “diploma mills” to further aid pretenders in their goals.

So-called “diploma mills” fabricate degrees from real colleges, while “degree mills” refer to colleges that are not accredited (though they may claim to be) and require either no, or substandard, work.

Even a small exaggeration, such as stating that one has already earned a degree that is still a few months away, can be grounds for automatic dismissal. Is it really worth the risk?

The movie Legally Blonde showed Elle Woods, a young woman wowing Harvard Law School with a video résumé outlining her unique and interesting talents. While video résumés are still not the norm, many wonder if the best way to differentiate themselves from others is to use video instead of the traditional paper résumé. While an effective video résumé can help a person seeking a job or slot at a prestigious college, there are definite pros and cons.

Job seekers are accustomed to making themselves look good on paper but it is harder to make yourself look good on video. Paper résumés make your case before you walk into the interview. It is easier for a recruiter or interviewer to forgive any fidgeting in person because your paper résumé has already told them that you have the skills for the job. If the interviewer has to sit through a video with several minutes of rambling dialogue, accompanied by nervous tics, and the sound of traffic or air conditioning in the background to be able to hear your skill set, you may not get to make your case before you lose the interviewer’s interest. Since video résumés are still new, there is no real standard set yet as to how these résumés should appear and how information should be presented. It can be easy for applicants to go wrong.

Additionally, video résumés pose a risk to companies that paper résumés do not, legal risks that have caused some companies to discard all résumés that are accompanied by videos. When some companies these days black out names on résumés to avoid potential race or gender bias among those who review résumés, video résumés open employers up to potential claims of race, gender and age discrimination—even how the applicant looks in the video résumés, in some instances, can clearly cause more problems for the applicant than they solve.

Additionally, if companies are reluctant on a legal basis to view the video résumés sent to them for specific job openings, such companies do not go to online video hosting sites to view video résumés in the hopes of somehow finding the perfect person for their job. They are even less likely to search online when it means sifting for job candidates amongst films of people’s pets and music videos.

However, technology has changed much of how people search for and get jobs, and as online video becomes more and more ubiquitous, some companies are changing the way they handle video résumés.  Job listing sites have combined forces with social networking sites, and online résumés in such venues are often combined with video résumés. Sites that specialize exclusively in hosting online and video résumés make it far more palatable for employers and recruiters to search for résumés.

Some companies have popped up to help interviewers and job seekers make the most of this new technology. These companies help applicants put together a professional, edited video. Some have contacts with specialized areas of the job field – engineering firms, non-profits, etc. – and can send your video résumé to companies interested in such résumés. Many employers are opening up to video résumés because in some cases they serve as the “first round” of interviews, saving the company money and time.

Properly used, video résumés can be an excellent format to showcase job experience as well as polished communications skills. There is still a novel aspect to video résumés so making still shows a willingness to embrace new technology and think outside the box. As long as applicants understand a company’s résumé submission policies, as well as ensure that their video is professional and in a venue a potential employer may frequent, it increases the chances this new form of résumé can help and not hinder their chances of finding employment.

Everybody knows about the traditional job search web sites online. We won’t mention them by name because you’ve seen their ads on TV probably more than you’d like. Most people know them because they’ve had negative or unfruitful experiences. Let’s try something new. Have you tried The Wall Street Journal Online? Most people use it for news on stocks, finance, business and some of America’s best feature writing, but not for jobs. Below you’ll find how a click of your mouse to the “Career” tabs can enhance and expedite your job search with The Wall Street Journal Online.

Wall Street Journal Jobs

The Wall Street Journal Online is a trusted financial resource and while their job search may appear similar to other sites, one thing is different: content. When it comes to the media, marketing and advertising, they all have the same mantra: content is king. The Wall Street Journal’s job search understands that premise. Not only does the site offer a premium selection of jobs, but also helpful advice from experts. Many other sites don’t use journalists and experts to give advice. The Wall Street Journal Online’s job search does.

Analysis and understanding

The Wall Street Journal Online offers supplementary content that analyzes the issues in the economy and the job search so readers understand what’s going on in the market. The Wall Street Journal Online’s jobs search provides articles on job trends, career strategies, educational opportunities and adjusting to office life and management positions. If you don’t have time to read all the selections, you can just browse the best as picked by a Wall Street Journal Online editor. The columns from Wall Street Journal Online writers are like a career coach. The writers have a voice so it doesn’t feel like words on a page, but you’re actually talking to someone about your career. Try to find that for under $20 an hour.

Not to be forgotten, The Wall Street Journal Online offers an assortment of calculators to understand how your job search impacts your finances.

Top-tier jobs

Most executives and high-level supervisors must turn to executive job boards for jobs. The Wall Street Journal Online combines a traditional job search board with an executive job search board. No worries though, the content is pre-filtered with the click of a mouse. The Wall Street Journal Online’s audience exceeds traditional workers and many are top-tier executives. They turn to the most trusted resource in financial news, as The Wall Street Journal has been for decades. The site compiles the jobs that pay over $100,000 from across the United States, so you can look everywhere with a few mouse clicks.

Traditional features

The Wall Street Journal Online offers all the traditional job features you’d expect:

• Resume posting
• Job searches
• Filtering by locations, company, career, keyword, pay etc.
• Saved searches
• Systems for employers and recruiters
• An easy-to-use register and sign-in function

Try the Wall Street Journal online. You will be amazed at how it can help your job search!

I see/hear lots of people debating about “objectives” versus “career summaries” on resumes.

For those of you who don’t know the difference, here is a quick explanation.

Starting back in the stone ages, when a person created their resume (typed, written by hand, chiseled with a sharp stone and slate, etc.) they would typically start the resume with an objective statement like this:

“Objective- to obtain a challenging position where I can utilize my skills with a company that provides opportunity for growth“. Or something similar. What exactly is this telling the employer? “What can you do for me? How much will you pay me?”

It’s important to remember the main thing when creating your resume… it is not what the company can do for you, it’s what you can do for the company! Frankly, when a hiring person is going through a stack of resumes, they really aren’t caring what your goals in life are, or how you would like the company to open up opportunities for you. You have to prove to them that you are there to HELP THEM. Remember, it’s not about you. It is the first thing the reader will see, and I guarantee that you will NOT leave a lasting impression. Your resume will most likely end up in the circular file.

An objective statement by itself doesn’t do that.

A career summary explains what it is that you can do for the company, what your expertise is in, your brand, your strengths. All of these things tell the employer that you can DO THIS FOR THEM. If the career summary is followed by bulleted keywords, keyword action phrases, core competencies, etc., even better. The first half of the page is the area that gets looked at and decided upon instantly. Better to pack a punch. Here is an example of an effective career summary:

“Dynamic executive leadership career in international, billion dollar organizations with a rich mix of finance, operations, internal/external processes, technical savvy and business development. Intimate knowledge of financial processes, operating results and profitability. Expert in executing team-driven process improvements to increase revenue growth operational efficiency, and overall profitability. Executive MBA. Expertise in:

*Financial & Procurement Controls
*International Sourcing, Operations & Finance
*Contract Negotiations & Procurement Controls
*Technology & Process Implementation
*Strategic & Financial Planning
*Start Ups, Turnaround & Revitalization”

Much better, more impactful, don’t you think?

Now, I have seen (and written) some resumes where it says something like, “Objective-Executive Finance Position” that was followed by a career summary. In that case, it was/is more like an introduction to the person, their brand, and the position they want.

Go over your resume thoroughly and remove/rewrite your objective so that it is speaking to the employer telling them what you can do for them. Replace it with a fresh and dynamic career summary. You need to sell yourself on your resume and a one liner objective isn’t going to do it.

It’s that time of year again, folks!

September is International Update Your Résumé Month, officially proclaimed by Career Directors International (CDI). During the entire month, CDI members will dedicate their efforts to boosting industry awareness and encouraging the public to update their own résumés.

Since most careers require a résumé in order to gain employment, it’s important that job seekers take a proactive approach in order to be ready for any and all opportunities that crop up. Too often people try to write a résumé at the last minute, which is the worst time to prepare a document that needs to be perfect. A well-crafted résumé takes time and research, and Update Your Résumé Month is a perfect reminder to be prepared for new opportunities.

If you aren’t living under a rock, you have been hearing lots of buzz about “branding“. So, what exactly IS branding and how will it help my executive resume? What will it do for me?

With the tight job market today, and thousands of qualified senior level candidates, employers can afford to be picky. How do you get to the top of the pile? How are you going to stand out? Your brand.

Your personal brand is the promise of the value you bring to the company. Your unique-ness. What makes you, you.

Think “Heinz”. When I say that, what immediately comes to mind? Ketchup. You know exactly what it will look like, taste like, smell like, etc. Heinz’ brand offers the promise of tomatoe-y goodness on a french fry or hot dog, right?

It’s more about action, rather than words. What you can do for the company? I talk to my clients about that all the time. In promoting your executive brand on your resume, you are stating to the company, “This is who I am, these are what my strengths are, and this is what I can do for you.” You have to uncover your assets and cultivate them in order to drive credibility and increase your professional/executive presence.

There is so much to be gained from branding your executive resume for the job search. One of the main reasons I like branding resumes is because there is no guesswork involved in what the person does, what their strengths are, and what they are recognized for. Any recruiter out there would agree– there is nothing worse than getting a resume that has no identifiable statements at first glance of what they do– you have to read line by line halfway down the page to figure out, “Ohhhhh, they are Senior VP at the firm, OK.”

I will get more into executive branding in future posts– how it can help you: increase your visibility and online presence, differentiate you from your peers, help you achieve professional success, realize how people will be drawn to you, want to follow/listen to you, and more.

So, in the mean time, dig deep, discover what makes you tick– your strengths, drive, and interests– and start building your brand.

This was from a call I took yesterday. The conversation went something like this:

Caller: “Hi, um, my name is Bob.  I want to know about your resume service and when you can finish it. Because I need it soon.”

Me: “Hi Bob. Well, let’s skip to your most important question. How quickly do you need it?”

Bob: “I need it by tomorrow. I saw a job position I want to apply for at Johnson & Johnson and the position closes tomorrow.”

Me: “Oh! Tomorrow. Has the position been open a while or did you hear about it from someone?”

Bob: “I heard about it through a buddy of mine who works there. It’s for Regional Sales Management position– my dream job with my dream company. He told me about it awhile ago, but I didn’t really think about it much until last night when we met for a beer and he reminded me it was still open. But it closes tomorrow. He said to send my resume in to the HR person sometime in the morning.”

Me: “Well, it’s 4:30 in the afternoon and I leave my office in an hour and a half. I won’t be able to do it in that amount of time…”

We talked for a little bit more and Bob even emailed me his resume. It was pretty bad (think Microsoft Word’s basic resume template… lots of white space, left-aligned, bullet-ridden and worse, hadn’t been updated since 2001).

The thing that got me was that he had known about the position for a month, assumed he’d have time to fix up his resume, then consequently forgot about the position, and was now in an all-out panic. We’ve all done it with one thing or another–putting off something we really shouldn’t have, and then regretting it later.

I felt bad for Bob because I knew his chances of getting the job with the old resume were slim to none. Worse, when he started talking about his experience and his excellent accomplishments I thought he would have probably had the chance. He said he was going to work on it himself and hope for the best.

So, the moral of the story is UPDATE YOUR RESUME TODAY. Don’t wait until your dream opportunity passes you by.

I have several resumes a day emailed to me for review. Some are just not good. However, I do come across some that aren’t that bad. They need work, but the basic bones of it is there. It just needs some optimizing.

What do I mean?

When writing your resume keep in mind that you are writing for someone else. Someone who does not know what you did at your last job. They don’t know the challenges you faced in the last position, or how you increased productivity or revenue.

Sometimes I get to talking with clients and am awed at what they did during a particularly challenging phase and am shocked it isn’t found on the resume. The best way to optimize your resume is to talk about your accomplishments and be detailed about it.

Don’t just say, “Added $700 million in funding over a 3-year period”

Instead say,  “Secured over $700 million in funding over a 3-year period after thorough analysis and assessment on LAN and WAN connectivity for the nation’s largest telecommunication facility”.

See the difference? Which sounds better to you?

Optimizing your resume really means adding more detail, highlighting your accomplishments, and solidifying your value. Add more detail, talk about what you did, get the reader interested in what you have to say. No one wants to read short little bullet points. Boring. Keep “how did I do this?” in your mind when writing because that is what the reader is thinking, “Hmmm, how did he/she do this?” and then of course, “Can they do this for our company?”.

It may require a little bit of digging into your accomplishments to bring out the little gems of information, but it will be very worth it in the end–when you are called in to interview.