Every so often I like to celebrate Halloween by reviewing some resume nightmares. This time, let’s focus on the resume monsters who lurk within us all (cue Phantom of the Opera music). Take the Verb Vampire. This is the guy who leaves every verb in the present tense for a job that he last held 10 years ago. The Verb Vampire forgets that updating a resume means more than just adding his latest position; he has to go...

The abyss. The black hole. The Great Emptiness. These are just some of the terms I’ve heard for applicant tracking systems (ATS). They are not unwarranted. Many, if not most companies use ATS software to automate their recruiting processes by scanning the applications for keywords and then assigning a score to them. Only those profiles that meet a certain scoring criteria will be forwarded along to an actual human. Th...

Whether you are a seasoned executive or a manager with an eye set on elevating to an executive level role, you need to be aware of how the below resume writing tips impact the effectiveness of your job search.Here Are 5 Important Resume Must-Haves For Better Pizzaz 1. Profile section.According to Dummies.com, “A career summary [profile] section should be a descriptive selling point distilled from your past accomplishments t...

You may have found yourself in the same boat as many of my clients when it comes to the frustration of filling out job applications online. It can seem like an effort in futility—attempting to navigate a potential employer’s ATS software just to get your resume uploaded and then praying a real person calls you for a follow-up interview. I’m going to tell you what I tell my clients: Don’t agonize over online applications bec...

Once upon a time, you probably received only a handful of emails per day, so you could read each one and quickly dispose of those you weren’t interested in. Then the deluge hit! Now you’re likely to miss something important because it’s buried in the flood of irrelevancy.Something similar can happen with your job search. Your submissions for job opportunities can disappear in a sea of competing job seekers. Companies don’t...

A resume cover letter or email is always a good idea. It might not be read, but you fail to send one, you could lose a great opportunity to make yourself stand out.Your resume cover letter or email should be in the same font as your resume and should contain exactly the same content information. The subject line or reference line should include information identifying the job you are applying for: the job title or job refer...

You get a call from a recruiter, and he tells you about a position with a great company. The role sounds exciting, and, from his description at least, seems like something you’d be interested in pursuing. He sends over the job description for you to review, and you are crestfallen. They say that the candidate must have a very specific certification and an advanced degree, neither of which you have. You decide that you are n...

Creative job titles are becoming normal. I’ve come across job seekers with the title of “Chaos Manager,” “Strategy Partner,” “Growth Hacker,” “Sustainability Advocate” or “Director of Corporate Responsibility.” Many of those titles reflect recent business trends, such as those toward disruptive technology, collaboration, social responsibility, and marketing with stories (“Chief Storyteller”). Others are simply misguided att...

Grace is a marketing executive from New York City who is amazingly well connected in her industry. She recently reached out to us to help her create a brand-driven resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile that reflected her career story and passion for helping companies succeed in their marketing efforts. Once Grace had her resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile ready to go, she really didn’t know where or how to job...