The resume black hole. The abyss. The void. The applicant tracking system (ATS) creates all kinds of stress and irritation for job seekers. Candidates almost universally loathe the experience. The ATS requires them to copy and paste sections from their resume into tiny boxes and answer questions that could be easily discussed in a quick phone call, adding to what is already a user-unfriendly, often tedious experience. While...

Boards of Directors are always looking for strong candidates. Some Board positions, for local nonprofits, companies, or educational institutions may be by invitation or word of mouth. They may be easy to obtain because fewer people contend for a spot. But candidates for Board positions at major companies, institutions, or nonprofits must have a resume and must have a strong network because director positions are not adverti...

What’s a resume worth? It’s just a piece of paper, after all, with a minuscule amount of toner attached, and it can’t be worth more than a penny or so. Perhaps it’s worth two cents if the paper is fancy enough. In reality, though, a resume can be worth millions, even billions. This sheet of paper has extraordinary power. It’s analogous to the well-known calculation of a person’s ele...

Is your resume a turn-off to employers? Chances are that it is. 75% of HR professionals say that they routinely receive resumes that are not on point. That is significant. Are you committing any of these Crimes Against Employability with your resume? You don’t tailor your resume for the job opening. Seven seconds. That’s how long a recruiter looks at a resume before deciding to move the candidate along to in...

The marketing profession leads in many career directions: community and media relations, in-house or agency positions, website or proposal writing, digital or print communications, and so on. However, there are a few common denominators to all of these potential career paths for marketing professionals. Your resume should focus on: Your unique value. For example, have you experienced success in market research or soci...

As we wind down from the Independence Day weekend, let’s celebrate freedom of choice! Recent surveys have found that 80% of U.S. workers would turn down a job that does not offer flexibility with hours and location of work. Choosing a Job and Career with Flexibility If you want a job with flexible hours and/or location, the best way to start is by choosing a career and industry where flexibility is the norm. Job...

Before analyzing the details of state of the art resume building, a bit of context is in order. As a job applicant you need to know how the process really works to gauge your perfect resume’s chance of success. Let’s take a quick quiz. True or false? 1) Your resume took hours or maybe even days to write so it will get a careful look. False: Even your visually appealing resume will get a quick glance. Som...

The following rules are important when considering references for your job search: Always ask a person for permission before you use them as a reference. You want to be sure the person you ask is not surprised by a call and that they are willing to give you a positive report. According to a survey by Accountemps, 34% of job candidates are removed from consideration for a job after their references are checked. Do no...

The Reality of Job Search Patience, Grasshopper: If ever this phrase was more applicable, it is during executive job search. After weeks, or even months of introspection and prep to launch your newly rebranded career portfolio, it may be tempting to expect to ‘rush’ to the results finish line. Landing that first interview seems like it should be just around the corner, now. After all, you’ve been run...

In a perfect world your résumé and LinkedIn profile let the reader know who you are and what to expect from you. Imagine for a moment how easy it would be for a manager to hire the perfect candidate if this were always the case. Unfortunately, just as job descriptions are often difficult for candidates to decipher, résumés often provide few clues about what a hiring manager can expect from the ap...