Thursday, March 11th, 2010

What are the best job search websites these days?

November 4, 2009 by  
Filed under Resume Tips

I might have to start job searching in a couple of months due to a potential layoff. I haven’t been in the job market for several years, and I know there are a ton of new job search websites out there since then. Used to be that Monster was pretty much it! I have a bachelor’s and about 20 years experience in the marketing/advertising field. I would appreciate recommendations for professional sites that offer more than just a bunch of entry-level stuff and bogus sales jobs.

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Part 1-milroy takes hidden camera to london job interview

October 30, 2009 by  
Filed under Manager Resume Videos

I take my journey to my London job interview for a sales position. Discreetly filming my random conversations along the way with my phone. Funny job interview, funny job interviews, success at job interview, job interview tips, haha…



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Five Quick Steps to Becoming a Bartender

October 27, 2009 by  
Filed under Resume Tips

While it may seem too easy, the key to finding a bartender job is to focus your search and redouble your efforts. Getting a bartending job has often been shrouded in mystery but it really can be achieved in just 5 easy steps. Follow this outline and you will get a bartending job in no time.
You should focus your job search to places where you would hang out even if you didn’t work there. This will insure that your personality is a match to the establishment and provide some good motivation during your search. Working in a place where you would like to hang out is a great thing and will make you a better bartender.
You will need to write resume for your bartending job search. And not just any resume. The resume should be written exclusively for your bartending job search. Irrelevant details like a mastery of powerpoint presentation will do you no good here. Include only skills that a relevant to bartending. Skills like customer service, money management, conflict resolution and sales are essential to being a good bartender. A good bartending resume will include all of these skills even if you weren’t bartending when you got them.
You should always write a cover letter to go with your resume, even for just a bartending job. Many candidates will not go this extra mile so you separate yourself from the crowd simply by having a cover letter. This letter should be good of course, but the mere act of having one will gain you recognition. A good cover letter should show the reader how you handled a tough situation or how you grew at one of your previous jobs. Be as specific as possible, tell a story if you want to. Its alright to put your personality on display a little bit in your cover letter. Have fun with it and tell a good story. An engaged reader is a hiring reader.
A laborious but completely necessary step is pounding the pavement. You will need to contact the managers of the places on your target list and probably show up at these places in order to do so. Restaurant and bar managers are very busy people. Employees, customers and vendors are all battling for their time. It would be wise to show up during the bar’s slow hours. For a typical restaurant or bar this would be between 2pm and 5pm. The afternoons are usually a slow time where a manager will be able to speak to you.
If you are going to get a bartending job you are going to need to master a bartending job interview. Job interviews are enough to make anyone’s palms a little sweaty and a bartending job interview is no different. You have to fight through that nervousness and put your personality on display. Service jobs are about having a great attitude and personable personality, everything can be taught. Without going out on the limb a little bit you will not get a bartending job.
I hope these tips have illuminated the bartending job search process for you. It really isn’t nearly as difficult or mysterious as bartenders make it out to be. If you develop a plan, show initiative and persistence, and maintain a positive attitude you will easily get a bartending job. I wish you luck o your search. Happy Hunting.

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I need an awesome Objective paragraph for my Sales Manager resume.?

October 24, 2009 by  
Filed under Resume Tips

I have been a Manager Auto Sales for years, but at the same dealer. I need to build my resume and I am a little rusty. Looking for some pointers or just one i can copy to cover my "Objectives"

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How To Format A Career Change Resume

October 20, 2009 by  
Filed under Resume Tips

If you are seeking to change careers, the best resume format to use is the combination resume. This resume format is not chronological nor functional. It combines both. It is extremely flexible and allows you to use strategies in a way that would normally be considered wrong.

The difference between the combination format and the chronological format is that the chronological format resume is very easy to follow. The hiring manager will typically start to read the chronological resume at the bottom of the work history or professional experience section and will continue reading his or her way up towards the top to trace your career history. The heading depends on your career level.

If there are employment gaps, it will be obvious because it is difficult to hide breaks in employment using this resume format. This is why most hiring managers prefer the chronological resume format. It is easy to read and leaves little to the imagination. This can be a great advantage if you have been in the same type of position because it shows continuity and progression in your industry.

But what happens when you have held different types of positions across several industries? Some reasons for gaps in employment or holding too many or unrelated jobs include raising children, caring for a family member, illness, returning to college, corporate downsizing or merger, joining the military, and difficulty finding work for long stretches of time because of a tight job market or weak resume.

Hey, things happen. That is life. You cannot worry about the past. It is time to think about the future. So, the first thing you will need to do is toss your old resume. It will not help you to change your career. It is time to make a fresh start.

First, create a resume that clearly indicates at the top what type of position you are seeking.

Include a career summary section that highlights where you have been in your career, being careful to only mention what would be of most interest to this particular company. Emphasize your transferable experience and skills that match the qualifications of the position. If there is a job ad, study it and do your best to make a connection between the job requirements and what you have done. Do not use the exact wording.

Use a keywords section to list transferable skills so the reader can find them immediately. This is also important if the company uses resume scanning technology. This will ensure your resume is retrieved from the database in response to a keyword search.

Under your Professional Experience section or Work History. Again, it depends on your background. Then present your experience in functional sections such as General Management, Sales Management, Staff Training and Supervision, Budget Planning and Tracking, amongst many others.

Take all of the experience you have gained over the years and categorize it into skill or functional areas that the new position requires. If the company is seeking someone to manage budgets, and you managed budgets ten years ago and four years ago, but not in your last two jobs, then list the collective experience under a Budget category.

Continue this formula until each respective category has a minimum of four bulleted sentences or two two-lined sentences to support the name of the heading. It is a good idea to have at least three categories to show how well rounded you are.

Below this section, list the companies, locations, job titles, and dates. You can either create a separate section named Work History if you have already called the above section Professional Experience, or simply list the section without a main heading as part of the main section. It will be understood. Or, you can start the section off with the company names and dates followed by the functional categories. In other words, flip it.

The most common problem with this resume format is identifying where your experience was gained. But, that is the whole idea. If they are interested in what you can do, they will call you in for the interview. It is at that time you can explain the how, when, where, and why of it all. It will make for great conversation, which by the way, a job interview should be. A meeting between two people with a common interest, in this case the position, who engage in conversation in a professional manner.

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4 Steps to Increase Your Confidence During Job Interviews

October 15, 2009 by  
Filed under Resume Tips

So, you have finally moved beyond the prescreening phase and have landed the job interview! Your resume set the stage to get you in the door, and now here is your chance to ice the cake. The interview, as you are well aware, is what will either move you towards completion of your goal – or it will be the last step in a lengthy series of steps you have already undertaken. Question: how can you succeed within the interview?

Assuming that you have appropriately prepared yourself for the interview, then the interview should be easy. However, despite all of the preparation, even the best falter when sitting down face to face with a hiring manager or human resources staff. It is one thing to outline who you are on a piece of paper (the resume), it is something else to actually explain who you are in person and face-to-face with another person. The one question most of us dread having to answer is: “Tell me about yourself.” Do they want to know where you previously worked..or where you were born? I mean, there are just so many ways to go with that unbelievably dreaded question. Here is a quick tip: the “tell me about yourself question” is simply asking you to “tell me why you are sitting here, today, interviewing for this specific job?” That is it, nothing more.

So, what are the 4 steps to succeed within a job interview? The best career advice, as it relates to job interviews, career development, etc., is one that encourages the candidate to creatively customize the steps. So the following steps below apply regardless if you are seeking a position as an educator or a computer programmer, a manager or a salesclerk. The most important thing to remember is that every interviewer has a particular goal in mind. If you use these 4 steps, then you are likely to cover all the bases.

The four steps specifically deal with how you manage your response to the interviewer’s questions. Did you catch the word “manage” as it was used in the previous sentence? Yes, I am talking about how you manage the process – - take control of the interview – -. So, when the interviewer asks you a question (i.e., tell me how you handle an angry customer) here are the four steps, as promised:

1) Provide a brief description of the situation: “One of my customers was unhappy with our XYZ widgets.”

2) Add some detail to describe the specific task or role you were assigned to deal with the situation: “I was responsible for dealing directly with our department’s major clients and so, I was charged with turning the situation around for this unhappy customer.”

3) Provide one or two key action steps you took to handle the situation: “I contacted the customer directly and requested feedback. I authorized a refund or future discounts to this particular customer.”

4) As a RESULT of your action steps, what happened? “As a result of the refund and discount, the customer increased their orders by 25%.”

The four steps may be interchangeable – - you describe step 4 (the results) prior to step 1 (the situation), however, the key is to be able to list specific results that were gained. Most importantly, the results have to be tied directly to your action steps. Interviewers are looking for RESULTS, not just generalities (”I think I would make a good employee for your company”; or worse yet, “I am good with clients because I enjoy relating to others.”). They need hard facts, verifiable data. And you are the most qualified candidate who is prepared to give it to them.

A bit of caution: please do not create a script to memorize these 4 steps. Ok, if it makes you feel comfortable, and better prepared, then you can write specific responses to the typical interview questions and follow the 4 steps above. Review it, then throw the script away. What is important is that you remember the 4 steps and can apply them to your own career success stories.

The best type of job interview is one that unfolds into a content-rich discussion of how your specific qualifications match the needs of the company. It is important for the interviewer to be able to see how you fit within the company environment and culture. Of course, one interview may not provide all of this detail – - but you want to give yourself a good head start. Succeeding within the interview requires extensive preparation, an understanding of how to tailor your capabilities within the scope of the company’s needs, and your ability to provide details related to how you can provide desired results as a future employee.

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Fool Me Once, Shame on You; Fool Me Twice, I’m an Idiot

October 13, 2009 by  
Filed under Resume Tips

I got a call earlier today from Robert, a candidate I met a few months ago while conducting a search for a Vice President of Marketing in South Florida. “A recruiter out of L.A. called me about a Director of Marketing position and I have a phone interview scheduled this afternoon with their Human Resources Manager,” he said. “The recruiter told me to be prepared to discuss my work history because she’ll want to go over it with a fine tooth comb. How should I address the fact that I’ve changed jobs several times over past few years, because I know it’s going to come up.”

Looking at Robert’s resume, he has worked in 5 different positions (and companies) since 1998, which not be that bad were he averaging 2 years at each position. But, alas, the last 5 years goes something like this: 6 months at his most recent position, preceded by 3 years of independent consulting, and before that a 1 year and 3 year stint. Not exactly a model of stability.

Depending on how this HR Manager views self-employment, the 3 years he spent working for himself could be viewed as a positive or a negative. The fact that he only lasted 6 months at the position he accepted immediately after working for himself is definitely an obstacle he’ll need to explain away. The first thing any good recruiter or hiring manager worth their salt should ask themselves when they see this on his resume is, “Is this a guy that got comfortable making his own hours while answering to no one, and then balked as soon as he was thrown back into a structured environment?”

Having gotten the low down on the situation from Robert, I do not believe that was the case. I think the company’s president, to whom Robert reported, had an unrealistic expectations as to what Robert alone could accomplish. However, Robert definitely shares in the responsibility. He did a poor job of determining whether or not the appropriate resources required to accomplish the goals of the position would be made available to him. He made false assumptions as to the capabilities of the individuals that would be reporting to him as well as the level of flexibility he would have to either outsource specific tasks or hire additional personnel.

“And that’s exactly what I would tell the HR Manager or anyone who asks,” I advised him.

Employers have very specific (and generally high!) expectations of the positions they hire for, and unless you’ve got a work history that jumps up off the resume and kisses them on the mouth they’re going to question some of the career decisions you’ve made. Get used to it.

Let’s say a hiring manager’s expectation is to bring a candidate on board, wind them up and let them perform in a particular role for at least 5 years. If the last 10 years of your work history is comprised of multiple 18 to 24 month tours of duty, then you’re going to have to come up with a helluva good story as to why you think you’ll be with their company for the long haul.

Why do we study history? So we’re not doomed to repeat it!

For those of you that feel your most recent work history might be your Achilles’ heel when it comes to interviewing is, my advice is:

1. Take responsibility for bad career decisions.

I get tired of hearing: “I was misled!” or “The job was misrepresented to me!” Were you lied to? Or did you misrepresent your capabilities? I mean, come on, even if the hiring manager blatantly lied directly to your face regarding every single facet of the position, there would be some signs that you were being conned. If you think a sales manager is exaggerating the amount of money you can make in commissions, ask to speak with a couple of their reps regarding the position, then ask them a couple questions “off the record.” It’s called due diligence and it’s your responsibility.

2. Quit blaming other people for your failures or lack of judgment.

“I just didn’t have the team in place to support our goals,” does not get you off the hook. If you’re applying for a management position, ask to meet some of the employees that will be working under you before accepting the position. Find out what flexibility you’ll have when it comes to hiring, firing, outsourcing, etc. After all, it’s your job to manage the team and make the right personnel decisions in order to meet your responsibilities. And if you plan on discussing how diabolical the office politics were at your last job during the interview, you might also want to plan on bursting into tears for dramatic effect. You might as well–you’re not getting the job anyway.

3. Convince them you have learned your lesson(s).

Hey, we all make mistakes. I guarantee you the same HR manager that’s grilling you on why you left some joe-job 10 years ago has a couple of 6-month jaunts in her closet as well. Sometimes we take a job simply because we need a job. No, it’s not a strategy for long-term career success, but it keeps the lights on and the mortgage man at bay for a while. Employers just want to know that you’re not going to bide your time on their job until you find the one your really want, or that you’re taking the position because you’re desperate for money.

It’s important that you recognize and understand why certain job decisions were mistakes and what you could have done differently, either by qualifying the position further or by not taking it in the first place. Show them that you are going to do your due diligence when it comes to their position and then most importantly, DO IT!

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Getting A Job Through Cold Calling

October 12, 2009 by  
Filed under Resume Tips

It sounds a little like a telephone on ice, but the cold call is actually an important tool of networking. Cold calling is calling a person or business without prior contact in order to inquire about employment opportunities. For many, the idea of cold calling is chilling. Dialing up a complete stranger doesn’t seem like a logical way to carry out a job search. Yet when done correctly, a cold call can showcase some important professional traits, including resilience, determination, and interpersonal skills. In the best-case scenario, it can also lead to an interview.

Cold calling is a salesman’s device. The premise is that the more people you contact, the better your chances of scoring a deal. In a way salesmanship is integrally connected to the job search, only instead of selling a product or service, you’re selling yourself. Specifically, you’re selling the notion that you would be a valuable addition to a company’s team. And therein lies the key to the cold call. When you pick up the phone, you must think of yourself not as a nervous jobseeker eager for a lead, but rather, as a confident professional who has the qualifications that would benefit an employer.

How do you make this leap? It’s not easy, admits one woman in retail who had taken off several years to raise two children and wanted to rejoin the workforce. She admits the cold call took some practice. “I was much smoother on my eighth or ninth attempt than I was on my first…. I called up many businesses, and the majority of them didn’t take more than fifteen seconds to decide they weren’t interested. Finally, I caught one man who asked me where I’d gone to school. As it happened, we’d gone to the same college. He took a liking to me after that. I was asked in for an interview the following week.”

This woman’s example shows that it helps to make a connection with the person you are cold calling. However, this is not always possible. The plain truth about cold calling is that the failure rate is high. Yet the rewards can be great if you encounter even one person who recognizes your potential. Below are some techniques for making the cold call a little warmer.

* Write a script for your cold call, outlining one or two of your most valuable Key Selling Points (see chapter 7). Remember that you are trying to impress the person on the other end of the line. Modify your script so that these selling points are in sync with each company’s specific needs. A customized delivery is crucial.

* Be clear on your goals and what you have to offer. Nothing will turn off an employer faster than a person who is not clear about his objectives.

* Introduce yourself in a way that will spark interest. Saying your name immediately followed by your area of expertise might do the trick.

* Work on your voice-make sure you sound professional, sharp, and cheerful, but never insincere or calculating. It helps to practice both your voice and your script on a trusted friend who can offer you feedback and suggestions.

* Figure out who is on the other end of the line. Receptionists and other gatekeepers will usually pick up the phone before hiring managers will. Be prepared to answer gatekeeper-type questions such as “What is the reason for your call?” and “What company are you with?” A confident answer and an assured tone might allow you to pass through this initial screen. No matter who picks up the phone, be professional. Treat everyone with equal courtesy and respect.

* Use the “rule of three.” If you’ve tried calling three times, or left up to three messages with no response, throw in the towel. Calling any more than that will only irritate the person you are trying to reach. Says a senior human resources consultant with a wellknown mutual insurance company: “Candidates can call me and leave a voicemail message, but it’s hard for me to do callbacks due to the volume of calls I receive.” She goes on to say she does follow up with many people who leave inquiries, but that repeat messages “are more burden than value.”

* Substitute your e-mail account for your phone. These days many businesspeople are more apt to answer e-mails than voicemail messages anyway. E-mailing requires less effort on both ends because people don’t need to think and speak on the fly; they can actually take the time to word their correspondence carefully if you’re better at written communication than you are at oral communication, consider sending “cold e-mails” rather than making cold calls. In this case, though, you’ll need to address your e-mail to a single person. Consider calling the company gatekeeper, who may be more inclined to pass along the e-mail address of the hiring manager than the phone number. Blindly e-mailing a company at a general address can pretty much guarantee a lack of resultsunless the company happens to be very small.

* Keep track of your phone calls. If you leave a message, you’ll want to know the name and title of the person who is returning your call and what information you’ve already provided.

* Be prepared for standard responses from human resources personnel and other hiring managers. You will probably receive some brush-off responses like, “The only thing you can do is send your resume to our HR department,” or even, “We are not currently hiring.” However, some responses will allow you more opportunity to sell yourself Be prepared to sell yourself if you hear a question such as “What kind of experience do you have?” or “What attracts you to our company?”

* Don’t become discouraged. Cold calling isn’t easy, and a few hang-ups can make even the most stalwart person question himself Take breaks and keep in mind that the process isn’t personal.

* Remember that your ultimate goal is to get an interview. To that end, if you do speak with someone who has hiring power and if you establish a rapport with that person, ask outright if you can come in for an interview. The question might seem presumptuous, but it’s been known to work.

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The fire alarm rings during your presentation

October 8, 2009 by  
Filed under Resume Tips

About eight minutes into my breakfast presentation to the local chamber of commerce at a fancy restaurant the fire alarm rang. The alarm was annoyingly loud so naturally I stopped speaking and forced a smile.

You can imagine my first thoughts. They were angry selfish thoughts. Why now? Why me? However I did not convey those thoughts on my face.

We were not immediately able to discern if the fire was real, however I did smell smoke. After the alarm stopped and started two more times over the next five minutes we left the room and several folks moved outside the restaurant. No one panicked. For some reason I was reminded of the scene on Seinfeld when George noticed what he thought was smoke at the children’s house party and ran out of the house yelling, “Fire, Fire”. In his panic he trampled the old lady. Of course I didn’t think that anyone would see the humor at the moment so I said nothing.

After about 10 minutes we learned that there was a kitchen fire that was extinguished. We regrouped in another room that was free of smoke and I resumed my presentation. Of course I had to shorten my presentation to finish on time. Yes I left some things out. Always to be prepared to shorten your presentation.

There is no question that the talk of everyone that day was about the fire at the breakfast presentation they attended. Perhaps they also talked about the great speaker.

The fire might have been a strange blessing because it made the breakfast presentation much more memorable.

What should you do when the fire alarm rings during your presentation?

Stop speaking and look calmly at your audience.

Stop thinking about your presentation and think about their safety and comfort.

Make eye contact with the meeting MC or chair and ask him/her to check it out.

When the alarm stops announce that we are checking it out and will let you know immediately if there is any danger or need to leave the room.

Do not ignore the alarm. It might be a real threat.

The audience is looking at you as the speaker to take charge and some of them will be mildly concerned or even deathly afraid.

Point out the exits to your audience and remind them to move calmly if they need to leave.

State the oblivious – “We don’t yet know the nature of the problem and anyone who wishes to leave is welcome to move calmly to the exits”. Give permission to people who want to leave. The folks in the back corner will be most nervous.

Select two or three other people to check out the hall ways and exits and report back to you.

If you don’t have solid answers after about five minutes direct everyone to leave the building. If you see flames or heavy smoke – that is a solid answer. Then move people quickly.

I hope that this presentation disaster never happens to you but in case it does – be ready to act appropriately. Lives could be a stake. The most important lesson for you is that your presentation is not that important.

About eight minutes into my breakfast presentation to the local chamber of commerce at a fancy restaurant the fire alarm rang. The alarm was annoyingly loud so naturally I stopped speaking and forced a smile.

You can imagine my first thoughts. They were angry selfish thoughts. Why now? Why me? However I did not convey those thoughts on my face.

We were not immediately able to discern if the fire was real, however I did smell smoke. After the alarm stopped and started two more times over the next five minutes we left the room and several folks moved outside the restaurant. No one panicked. For some reason I was reminded of the scene on Seinfeld when George noticed what he thought was smoke at the children’s house party and ran out of the house yelling, “Fire, Fire”. In his panic he trampled the old lady. Of course I didn’t think that anyone would see the humor at the moment so I said nothing.

After about 10 minutes we learned that there was a kitchen fire that was extinguished. We regrouped in another room that was free of smoke and I resumed my presentation. Of course I had to shorten my presentation to finish on time. Yes I left some things out. Always to be prepared to shorten your presentation.

There is no question that the talk of everyone that day was about the fire at the breakfast presentation they attended. Perhaps they also talked about the great speaker.

The fire might have been a strange blessing because it made the breakfast presentation much more memorable.

What should you do when the fire alarm rings during your presentation?

Stop speaking and look calmly at your audience.

Stop thinking about your presentation and think about their safety and comfort.

Make eye contact with the meeting MC or chair and ask him/her to check it out.

When the alarm stops announce that we are checking it out and will let you know immediately if there is any danger or need to leave the room.

Do not ignore the alarm. It might be a real threat.

The audience is looking at you as the speaker to take charge and some of them will be mildly concerned or even deathly afraid.

Point out the exits to your audience and remind them to move calmly if they need to leave.

State the oblivious – “We don’t yet know the nature of the problem and anyone who wishes to leave is welcome to move calmly to the exits”. Give permission to people who want to leave. The folks in the back corner will be most nervous.

Select two or three other people to check out the hall ways and exits and report back to you.

If you don’t have solid answers after about five minutes direct everyone to leave the building. If you see flames or heavy smoke – that is a solid answer. Then move people quickly.

I hope that this presentation disaster never happens to you but in case it does – be ready to act appropriately. Lives could be a stake. The most important lesson for you is that your presentation is not that important.

Article Source: http://www.articlewarehouse.com

©AW George Torok delivers inspirational keynotes and practical seminars. He trains managers and sales professionals how to present million dollar presentations. Arrange for George to work with your people by calling 800-304-1861.Register for your free presentation tips at <||!prliignore1||> Arrange your presentations skills training or coaching at <||!prliignore2||>

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Your Resume and What Employers Want to See

October 6, 2009 by  
Filed under Resume Tips

The recruiting industry has changed dramatically since the mid-90s when the Internet began to catch fire as a networking tool. Prior to the advent of online job boards such as CareerBuilder and Monster, your local newspaper had a monopoly on “help-wanted” advertising going back pre-Industrial Revolution (I remember a few years back being quoted $450 to run a 3-line ad over the weekend–for $50 more I could add a black border around it).

Resumes came to you via mail or fax and the ones that got your attention arrived on expensive paper with signed cover letters–the presentation gave you as much insight into the candidate as the resume itself did. As an independent recruiter you were only as good as your database of candidates (which for most recruiters consisted of a Rolodex of business cards or a drawer full of resumes). You actively sought out individuals to network with, collecting every resume thrown at you regardless of the positions you were working on at the time. “Got a cousin in advertising sales? Have him give me a call!”

I think employers were more willing to take risks with less qualified candidates then (let’s say, pre-1998) than they are now. Hiring managers and recruiters recognize that online resources can provide them with exponentially greater access to candidates today than in years past. It’s not that the talent pool is deeper, it’s just more accessible (and more public) than it’s ever been. So the same company that might have been willing to take a chance on a good candidate from a different industry ten years ago now wants someone whose experience matches their position as closely as possible.

I am a big believer that the best candidates for a particular position are the ones who would be taking a step up in their career by accepting. They are inherently motivated because they’re improving their pay, adding to their responsibilities and increasing their exposure. But today employers want over-qualified candidates; people who are actually taking steps down in their careers or at the very least, making lateral moves. Most employers will not admit to consciously doing this, mind you; but they do. They want to know with as much certainty as possible that the candidates have “been there and done that.” They want people with track records that mirror the exact challenges and expectations of their opening, particularly if they’re working with a third party recruiter to fill the position. The employer feels they’re paying big bucks for the recruiter to minimize their risk; therefore they should deliver candidates that are tailor-made for their role.

As an independent recruiter, it is my job to provide the client with the candidate solution they want. Every client knows the type of person they’re looking for, even if they’re not always able to describe them in great detail before we begin the search. They may need to evaluate a couple candidates before they can put into words their exact preferences, particularly when it’s a new position. Keep in mind the candidate solution our firm provides is the one defined by the client, and in my opinion it’s not always the one that may be the best long-term employment solution.

As I discussed in a previous article (Remember: You’re hiring them to work for you, not to date you), many hiring managers allow their own personal biases to influence they way they evaluate candidates (often referred to as “gut instincts”) resulting in bad hiring decisions. My job is to provide the client with candidates that have a documented track record of success. The majority of companies we work with want candidates either from their own industry or industries that are a close parallel. Drilling down even further, they want to know that the candidate’s daily, weekly and monthly activities overlap with the expectations of the new position. This is why having a thorough, well-defined resume is imperative for today’s job seeker looking to advance their career.

I believe the criticism that most resumes are long-winded, over-inflated exaggerations of unspectacular accomplishments is completely unwarranted. Coming from someone who looks at thousands of resumes a month, the average person is more likely to sell themselves short, thereby limiting their potential opportunities than they are to misrepresent themselves on paper.

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