It is human nature in job search – as in dating – to want to keep your options open. Many job seekers, whether early-career and fairly inexperienced or 15+ years in and heralding a plethora of different functional strengths, feel they will limit their opportunities by narrowing their job search target. In fact, just the opposite will happen. Broad Resume Nets Don’t Work. By casting a broad net, job seekers drown out their u...

While the futurists vie for the first-place ribbon in having predicted the resume’s demise, the resume heart beats strong. Social Profiles Are Modes of Transportation For Your Resume The primary challenge with many articles written by these forward-thinking bloggers is that they want to present a replacement to the resume when, in fact, they’re simply suggesting methods to modernize the vehicle in which your ‘career story’...

While I write resumes for a living, I realize (and prefer) that it isn’t “my way or the highway.” How bland of a career marketing world would it be if every resume was written by some formulaic approach? Unfortunately, though, myriad people seem to want to legislate resume writing into a tiny pigeonhole. As well, many social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Google Plus) conversations center on Do’s and Don’...

It’s overwhelming, discouraging, frustrating and exacerbating – the quantity of blogs and articles telling you how to job search. By focusing on the latest ‘trends’ and progressive strategies, self-anointed experts continue to use their megaphones to sell their own ideas. The following list of 10 trends is designed to help you separate the wheat from the chaff, identifying those activities or rules of thumb you should consi...

Most people fear that colorful resumes will risk rejection. The fact is, more people lose opportunities to other candidates because they cave into that fear. Because of their unease, many people flail when it comes to building persuasive resumes. Resumes are marketing documents. And marketing requires creativity along with a willingness to get uncomfortable. Following are three resume missteps that job seekers make every da...

Some people meticulously write their resume but then treat their cover letter as an afterthought, resulting in a mistake-riddled, dull and underperforming document. It is important to ensure your job search tool kit is fully equipped with high-quality, well-honed marketing messages that are blunder-free. The following four cover letter mistakes-and accompanying remedies-will help sharpen your cover letter saw. 1. Using a Ge...

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...

Has your resume run amok? Has attention-deficit diluted your writing prowess as you seek for the latest, hippest ways to market You, Inc.?If you have watched television programs or read articles from some of the major media lately, you’d think that “resumes gone wild” is the way to go. Here are three examples:1. Six-second “Vine resumes” have crept through the latticework of the career landscape.2. An Amazon resume develope...

“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” This Shakespearean quote resonates as I ponder the value of networking. If only networking were under the guise of a different name. Personally, I bristle when someone uses the word, ‘networking,’ an odd reaction considering the line of work I am in. I use the term, because of its universal appeal, but sparingly, as I believe there are better ways to articulate how to forge,...

Finding the wind is essential to sailing. Without wind — the boat’s natural engine — your sails begin to luff.Similarly, in our careers, without motivation — the human’s natural engine — our energy droops.In sailing, when this happens, we start looking for wind. This means scoping out wind ripples on the water and navigating toward it.Careers that start luffing require the same initiative. Without it, your career begins to...