After talking with so many people, I know many of you work and work to create the perfect resume, only to look it over when you are finished and realize your resume doesn’t say, or reflect, just what you want it to. And often times, that keeps you from being called for interviews.

I’ve included a list of “deal breakers” that might hinder your chances for an interview:

1. Mizspelld Words or Bad Grammar

While spell-check is good, it doesn’t catch everything – there could be a word that’s spelled right, but not the right word for the context of the sentence. Keep that spell-check in action but don’t rely on it exclusively. Misspellings can be the death of your application, no matter how qualified you might be. Think of how embarrassing it would be if you have been a mechanical engineer for 30 years and spell it ‘michanical’ engineer on your resume. Lots of times we accidentally misspell words that are actually words themselves i.e. “manger” instead of “manager”.

There can be other consequences, as well–misspelled words could interfere with resumes being found in the key word search of a resume database. So, proofread your resume yourself – it’s important.

*Be sure to keep tenses consistent and check for the correct word usage (such as “counsel” versus “council”).

2. Using a Vague Job Focus

Be clear on the type of position you want to target – your resume should be geared toward that. If you just say “Medical Field” or “Manufacturing,” the reader does not know what type of position you want, so your resume will probably not be considered. Make sure you are specific as to the type of job you want, such as “Accounting Professional”, “Senior Management Executive”, or “Educator.”

3.  Not Including your Personal Brand, or your Value

In today’s challenging job market, showing your uniqueness – your personal brand; and letting potential employers see the value you bring to a new position is essential. Your resume must reflect why an employer should pick up the phone and call you for an interview over the hundreds of other resumes sitting on their desk. You ultimately get hired for the value you contribute to a company, so make sure it shows on your resume.

4. Including your References on the Resume

YOU NO LONGER NEED TO ADD REFERENCES UPON REQUEST on your résumé. It is a given that you will bring a list of references to the interview. Only provide references when they are asked for. Never include them on your resume. It’s understood that if a company wants your references, you’ll provide them.

5. Adding Pictures to your Resume

This might sound like a good idea if you are good looking, but it can also work against you. Unless you are applying for a job as a model or actor, pictures on your résumé is not a good idea.

6. Making Reference to Political or Religious Organizations

A GIANT NO-NO!! Don’t scare off prospective employers by referring to your political or religious opinions or affiliations that do not directly relate to your ability to do the job. An employer might not agree with your politics or might feel that the workplace is nowhere to display attitudes that might alienate others.

7. Including your Salary Demands

This should not be put on the resume – it’s only used to screen a candidate out of the running or influence the employer to offer less money. Salary should not be discussed until you have had the opportunity to explain your value – in person or over the phone

8. Creating a Resume that’s Too Long

People do not have the time to go over resumes that state everything you ever did in your career. Edit your profile down to the most relevant experience for the job at hand. Employers often gauge whether an applicant can deliver information about themselves in a quick, clear and concise manner to sell themselves.

Your resume must be long enough to show your value, but not too long, or the reader will lose interest.

9. Using Incompatible File Types and Formats

Electronic resumes should be created in the most readable file for most [Internet-recruiting] systems, which is plain text or Microsoft Word.

Today’s resume needs to be readable by machines, which means text needs to have a font size between 10 – 12 and a simple font style, such as Arial, Verdana, Helvetica or Microsoft SansSerif.

10. Stick to the Truth

We’ve seen what happen with CEO’s who embellish on their résumés. If you lie on your resume, you will have to defend yourself and your résumé in an interview. Employers also do background and even credit checks, and inaccurate info could come back to haunt you.

Plus a few more…!

11. Don’t Put your Reasons for Leaving on the Résumé

Save this for the interview. It doesn’t need to be on the résumé.

12. DO NOT Make Changes to the Résumé in Pencil or Pen

Add it to the document on your computer, not jotting it down or crossing something else out. This is never acceptable on a résumé.

13. NEVER send a résumé without a cover letter!

You must always have a cover letter. It states your intention to the reader. It’s expected and is important in job search etiquette. This is a powerful tool that can give you the competitive edge.

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.

With the current state of the economy, jobs are a bit more challenging to come by. For this reason, it is more important than ever that you have a properly planned resume. A poorly planned resume can result in missing out an interview, which can be devastating in this market.

If you are an older job seeker, avoid putting certain dates on your resume. There is no reason to tell an employer how old you are, but if you mention on your resume that you obtained your bachelors degree in 1975, the interviewer will be able to do some quick math and determine that you are very likely in your 50s. Employers are legally not allowed to discriminate based upon age, but there would be no way of knowing that an employer had done so if you don’t get the job. Instead of putting dates on your resume, simply put facts. For instance, list what degrees that you have, not when you obtained them.

If you are an older job seeker, only list relevant information on your resume. For example, if you are a computer programmer, no one cares about how great you were with DOS back in the day. Listing all of the years of experience that you have with DOS only gives hints to your age. Instead, highlight all of the relevant experience that you possess. If you are in the field of technology, generally only the last ten to fifteen years of your experience is truly relevant to your employer. Focusing on the achievements that you have had in this time frame makes you look incredibly marketable while avoiding any possibility for age discrimination.

If you are a younger job seeker, play up all of your experience, but leave your high school and college graduation dates off of your resume. There is no reason to give your interviewer a reason to write you off based upon your youth. As with the older job seekers, it is illegal for employers to discriminate against you, but if you don’t get the job, there would be no way for you to know that you were discriminated against. Be certain that you mention all of the clubs that you are or were a part of, especially if you held an office or leadership position within the clubs. Play up any volunteer experience that you have.

All job seekers should focus on listing their skills and accomplishments on their resume as opposed to simply listing their job responsibilities. Being a cashier does not sound like it would have much relevance when applying for a management position, but you can show how being a cashier brought out your abilities to multi-task and manage large sums of money responsibly if you play up those skills on your resume. Be sure to remember that your potential employer wants to see how you, your personality traits, your knowledge, and your skills will enable you to be an asset to their company. If you explain how you will be an asset to the company in your resume, then you are much more likely to grab the attention of recruiters, land an interview, and get a job. Don’t give the HR staff at your dream job any reason to write you off before they’ve even met you.

Recently, I was at the Career Directors International Empowerment Summit in Orlando, Florida.

While I learned lots of interesting things, probably one of the most surprising for me was the talk on Federal Jobs.

Barb Adams, the President & CEO of CareerPro Global Inc., taught us what agencies were hiring  and how the Obama Administration is growing government. There are plans to expand services for many agencies and fund new programs including expansion of of the FDIC and SEC. There are thousands of jobs available for financial, lending and banking job seekers.  Even more at the highest levels of government that are looking for CEO, CIO, & CFOs. You can find these jobs at www.usajobs.com

Here are some tips you need to know that I learned from CareerPro Global:

• The government will be hiring over 293,000 mission-critical jobs in the next two years in over 2,000 different departments, agencies and career fields. (Woot!)
• More than 40% of the 1.6 current federal employees will retire within the next 5 years. (hint: thousands of open jobs)
• Thanks to the Obama Administration and the Stimulus Plan, more federal positions are opening every day to manage grants and contracts associated with these projects.
• Obama Stimulus Plan will create 5 million new green jobs by investing in biofuels and fuel infrastructure, manufacturing new technology, and green technologies.
• Department of Defense has 3,000 open jobs for Admin positions and 1,000 for IT (cyber defense and security).

According to Barb, the government is looking for “new blood” and are hiring new employees at the Upper-Level grades starting at GS-11 and above. What’s more, the SES is looking for new leadership outside of government walls with strong core executive competencies. According to Obama’s budget, it will increase the number of civilian employees in the Executive Branch to more than 2 million workers– for the first time since President Clinton took office in 1992.

Lastly, did you know that federal jobs will pay up to $60,000 in student loans?

What are you waiting for? Go here to find the job and go here to have CareerProGlobal write your KSA!

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.

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.

Every once in a full moon a client will say to me, “I love this. I love how it sounds. I am so happy with this resume, I would hire me!” and then, “I told my brother-in-law’s friend’s boss’s wife that I would let her look at my resume when you finished it. She manages Applebee’s and she has seen a lot of resumes in her time.”

Okay.

I get that people want to show off their resume and hear what other’s say. I do. If a person tells me that someone they know is in HR and they want to send it to them, I understand. You want to show your friends. You want to hear their take on your resume. But not all friendly advice is good advice.

Case in point: I had a person call me up and ask me questions about my process and my resumes. She was referred to me by a senior level client of mine. This person was in IT (network analyst) and had 5 pages of experience and technical jargon as her current resume.

She said, “I don’t see any objective statements on your sample resumes”.

I said, “True. You won’t. I use a career summary and branding statements”. I then started to explain career summaries to her when she stopped me dead in my tracks and said, “I don’t want a career summary. I need an objective”. I asked her why she thought she needed an objective and she said because her friend’s aunt worked as an HR person for a small manufacturing company and she said that a resume was no good to her unless it had an objective. I had heard of this company, so I was surprised that the HR person had such strict, outdated, and ineffective rules regarding the types of resumes she wanted to see.

As I was trying to educate her about the power of branding and career summaries vs. objectives, she was pretty adamant that she wanted the objective statement. So we moved on to a couple of other things and I was surprised at her ‘demands’ which weren’t really demands, just antiquated resume ‘rules’. “I absolutely CANNOT have 2 pages” and “I have to list every application, hardware, device, etc” (even though most she said she hadn’t used in 10 years), and “It HAS to have the little ‘references upon request’ thingy at the bottom”, etc. because her friend’s aunt said so, and so on.

I think you get the gist of the conversation. Finally, I gently asked her, “Why don’t you have your friend’s aunt write your resume? Or at least you write it and have her add her two cents?” and she said, “But I was referred to YOU and I want YOU to write it!!”

I politely declined the job and vaguely suggested a few other sites that might appeal more to what she wanted. I’m sure she will find someone who will give her an objective and keep her 15 yrs IT experience to 1 page.

So my point is this– your friends/colleagues may have great intentions to help steer you in the right direction, but may not be doing it effectively. Their advice might actually hinder your efforts, not help. Better to leave it to those of us who are trained and have built careers around writing dynamic and effective resumes. Do your homework. Call around and talk to different writers until you find someone who you are comfortable with. Let them know what your expectations are and listen to what they have to say. Your friend’s aunt might be trying to help, but her help might stop you from getting the job.

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.