The Emurse.com Blog

How NOT to Answer "What's Your Greatest Weakness?"

Stephen Lytle — 2009-07-10T00:01:00+00:00

There is one question that everyone hates to answer. A question that is difficult to overcome because you are never sure what the right answer is, never sure how to approach it, and it can be deadly to an otherwise successful interview. This question involves self assessment, a fine tuned answer, and a positive delivery. This question almost always comes up... Tell me...

What is your greatest weakness?

MSN recently surveyed hiring managers across the country and asked them some of the craziest things they have heard in an interview. Some of the answers are silly, some just plain mind boggling, others leave the reader questioning what the candidate was thinking.

Here are our favorite really bad answers:

"I get angry easily and I went to jail for domestic violence. But I won't get mad at you." - Pechstein

"I had a job candidate tell me that she often oversleeps and has trouble getting out of bed in the morning." - Linda Yaffe, certified executive coach

"I am an alcoholic and do not deserve this job." - Deb Bailey, owner, Power Women Magazine & Radio Show

"I'm really not a big learner. You know ... some people love learning and are always picking up new things, but that's just not me. I'd much rather work at a place where the job is pretty stagnant and doesn't change a lot." - Michaele Charles, Voice Communications

How SHOULD you Answer "What's Your Greatest Weakness?"

Based on the horrible and obvious weakness's above, you may think the obvious way to answer this question would be to disguise a positive trait in a negative manner. An example would be to answer, "I am a perfectionist" or "I always like to be the leader" or "I am a workaholic". While these answers seem to be "safe answers" they avoid the question and if you know that, the interviewer knows that. The only careers where being vague or avoiding a question is a positive attribute would be in politics or working as a Tobacco Executive. I'm pretty sure that's not where you are heading.

Additionally, you have to understand that these generic answers are often the same with multiple candidates interviewing for the jobs. Instead of a cookie cutter answer that prevents your from really shining, try answering the question truthfully, but adding a positive spin. The real reason you are asked this question isn't to actually find out your weakness. Instead it measures how you react under pressure and if you can handle difficult situations. A great way to answer this question would be to describe a weakness you have had and then back that up with strategies you have taken to overcome this weakness. An example would be the following,

"After assessing my overall traits and work ethic I have come to realize that my weakness has been that I try to over-extended myself and take on more than I can handle. However, in order to overcome this I have taken classes (or read books) that have helped me to learn the effective use of delegation in the workplace, how to schedule and prioritize better, and how to be more efficient in my duties. As a result, I have found that I have been able to be more productive, while creating less stress for myself, and have actively been able to involve those around me by proactively utilizing their strengths in our projects."

This is a great way to answer "What's your greatest weakness?" because it not only answers the question directly, but also shows how you have had enough self realization to recognize your weaknesses and overcome them on your own. A key point to remember is to not name a weakness that would be an essential attribute related to the job position. If you are a Administrative Assistant do not say your weakness is having a sloppy schedule. Likewise, if you are an Accountant or Computer Programmer it would not be beneficial to mention you lack attention to detail.

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Seven Steps for a Great Interview

Stephen Lytle — 2009-07-09T10:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Interviewing

One job posting and a slew of potential candidates. You were one of the lucky ones who secured an interview. How do you make sure to take the most advantage of the opportunity?

Lock down the interviewer before it is over through proper preparation. Proper interview preparation involves being prepared both mentally and physically. Before you go on your interview make sure you do the following:

1. Get a good nights rest the night before. Nobody likes to interview someone who looks like they haven't been sleeping and has bags under his/her eyes.

2. Research the company and position thoroughly. Make sure to read though the job description, check out the companies website, have questions prepared, and know what it is they are looking for in the right candidate.

3. Know who you are interviewing with. A good idea would be to look the managers name up on LinkedIN and research what they do before you meet with them. Then you have a good idea who they are and what a good match to their team will be.

4. Brush up on the skills needed for the job. Make sure these skills are represented on your resume. You never want to have something listed on your resume, be asked about it, and not know how to answer. Instant interview killer.

5. Dress professionally for the interview. Make sure your attire matches the expectation of someone taking an interview seriously.

6. Seal the deal. When the interview is wrapping up and you have a chance to ask questions you should be locking down the interview.

Ask what the top three qualities they are looking for in the ideal candidate would be. Once you know these, use this to relate how your experience and expertise relate to these skills and how it makes you're a good fit.

Example:

"From what I gather you are looking for an employee who has worked with Excel in the past, is detail oriented, and has worked with accounting systems. I feel I would be a great fit for this position because I have extensively used excel for reporting purposes in my most recent position. Additionally, I created my own spreadsheets to keep my self organized and to track details that could otherwise be forgotten. Finally, I have worked with the Great Plains accounting system two years ago with ABC Company by..."

Ask if there was anything that the interviewer heard from you that he/she thinks would be a weakness. You can then clear the air on this if you have experience with something they thought you lacked. Likewise, if they mention something you are missing that you have similar experience with you can relate your experience to that specific detail and show that you would pick up on it quickly.

You might also consider asking how you compare to other candidate they have interviewed. This may also help you to determine how stand with the company and would give you a chance to ask the question about your strengths or weaknesses for this position.

7. Make sure to thank the interviewer for his/her time. Always send a thank you letter if possible.

Have more tips to share? Disagree with a tip given? Join the conversation in the comments below!

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5 Questions with a Technical Sales Specialist

Alex Rudloff — 2009-07-08T17:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Career Spotlights

Want to go into sales? How about selling technology products?

For our next career spotlight, we spoke with Tricia Tye. Tricia is a Technical Sales Specialist at Satcom Direct. Satcom is located in Satellite Beach, FL along Florida's "Space Coast". The company is a leading provider of satellite phones and broadband services.

What can you tell us about where you work?

Satcom Direct is the leading innovator of satellite voice, fax, and broadband data service solutions for business and general aviation, military, government, emergency response, media, and a growing list of others that demand reliable global communications.

Our office is situated on the beach and includes an in house shower for those of us who like to work out and take walks on the beach.

How did you find your employment?

I found my current employment through a recruiter. I was working at a temp job when the recruiting agency contacted me about Satcom Direct. I was looking to break into a cutting edge company that had excellent opportunities for growth and Satcom was exactly what I was looking for.

What are some of your job functions and responsibilities?

I refer to myself as a Technical Sales Specialist. I handle sales for Satellite Phones and BGAN terminals. I also attend trade shows and provide technical support for our customers. Additionally, I'm responsible for handling paperwork, shipping all sales orders, as well as, keeping inventory of all our equipment, working on our website and helping to market our products.

What do you like most about being a Technical Sales Specialist?

The position allows me to meet different people, travel to new places and learn about different businesses and partnerships that we are involved with worldwide.

Personal Goals?

I'm currently developing my professional skills, while at the same time gaining greater knowledge into our vast and changing industry. In the future, advancement into a managerial position is ultimately what I am seeking.

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How to Negotiate Salary in a Recession

Stephen Lytle — 2009-07-07T14:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Career Advice, Interviewing

Negotiating salary always seems like the most stressful part of the job interview process. You want to make sure you are happy with what you are being paid while simultaneously not pricing yourself out of a great opportunity. Nevertheless, paying your bills and living a comfortable lifestyle are important factors when you think about the hard work and hours you will be putting in to earn all that. Today's economy and tough times have made this process even more difficult.

Here are some tips to help you negotiate your salary in a recession.

Wait until the end of the interview process to bring up salary requirements.

Often times managers have a budget, but if you are an awesome candidate for a job budgets can be stretched if need be. You want to make sure you sell them on your skills, abilities, and that you are the perfect candidate for the job before you tell them your salary requirements. It is usually best to wait until the end of the interview process to bring this up. If it is brought up immediately in the interview process a good way to put this off would be to say,

"I would prefer to hear the complete details and responsibilities of this position, as well as understand the environment and team dynamics before assessing what my salary requirements would be for this role."

This can show the manager that you are more concerned with your professional development and being a cultural fit with the environment rather than simple being paid. Most managers would love someone who is more concerned with the type of project, work involved, and personal development rather than monetary issues bring the lone factor; the reason being that those candidates who are only concerned with compensation are the first to jump ship for a better paying job.

Be prepared to justify any attempt at a raise.

If you disclose what you made before and are requesting a raise in your salary then you need to have reasons to back up why you deserve that raise. If you made 45k before and are now requesting 55k then you need to explain why this is necessary. If you were hired at 45k and received multiple certifications, have continued your schooling, have taken a lead role in your project/job, have mentored others, etc. then these are great reasons why you deserve more in a new position. Simply stating you were hired at 45k and have been working the same job for 5 years and think you deserve more because you have been there so long is not a good enough reason. Be prepared to back up your request with proof you deserve it.

Do your homework.

Research how much similar position in similar companies pay. Find out how much your position pays at other companies and use this to your advantage. If you are qualified for a position then you deserve to be paid appropriately. Research what is appropriate for your geographic area, company domain, and specific role and use that information to your advantage. If you are asking for more than what is average, then back that up with your reasons why you are worth more.

If you're working with a recruiter, take advantage.

A loophole to waiting to the end to discuss salary is when you work with recruiters. Be prepared to discuss salary on the first call. They are submitting your resumes as a specific rate and have little to no negotiating power once it is submitted. Be prepared to explain why you are worth a certain amount and back that up. Be honest with recruiters and tell them bluntly what you need to make. They will see everything they can send you too and will likely try to work with you on more than one position. If they know what your realistic salary expectations are they can present you with more opportunities.

Be realistic.

Finally, be aware that the current market is not doing very well and many positions are now paying 15-20% less than they did a year or two ago. As more and more companies find themselves in financial trouble they have to find ways to cut their budgets, unfortunately, it often comes down to cutting new projects and reducing human capital. Times will turn around so just be realistic in today's market and hopefully you will be compensated later for your flexibility.

Have any advice to share? Disagree with anything mentioned? Join us in the comments below!

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Unemployment at a 26 Year High

Alex Rudloff — 2009-07-02T10:37:00+00:00

Filed under: News

June payrolls fell by 467,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That was higher than the 365,000 jobs economists surveyed by Bloomberg had expected employers would shed.

The BLS said job losses were widespread across the major industry sectors, with large declines occurring in manufacturing, professional and business services and construction. While the BLS called the 9.5 percent unemployment rate "little changed," the rate did climb from the previous month's rate, reaching a 26-year high. Still, the rise wasn't as steep as economists had projected. The number of unemployed persons (14.7 million) was little changed.

The job search just got that much more competitive. Get that resume together!

Read more over at DailyFinance.com

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Too Short? Too Long? Juusttt Right.

Stephen Lytle — 2009-07-02T09:10:00+00:00

Filed under: Resume Help

One look at your resume and you immediately know that your first job title isn't "Resume Author"... Who's is though? I would venture to say very few people. However, that doesn't prevent you from showing up with a resume that's at least presentable.

A common question I hear is "How long should my resume be? One page? Two Pages? Six???" There is no "right" answer for this, nevertheless, there are some guidelines you can follow.
#1 Make sure your resume represents the extent of your knowledge and experience without being repetitive and boring. A way to accomplish this is to use power words in your resume, paraphrase long paragraphs into bullet points, and to not be repetitive. A resume should typically not 10 pages long because a manager is looking for a resume, not a short story.

#2 Be certain your resume isn't too short. I often come across resumes where a candidate will have been in a job for five to ten years and only have two or three sentences describing his/her experience (and these aren't even run-on sentences at that!). If you can describe the wealth of your experience that briefly don't expect to attain much wealth. Be descriptive and make sure your resume compliments the requirements listed on the job description you are apply for.

#3 A common misconception is that resumes should be two pages long. If you have 20+ years experience odds are you won't be able to represent yourself in two pages. However, you don't need two pages for this. A good idea would be to make sure your most recent jobs are most detailed and the descriptions beyond that taper off a little each project. Anything beyond 5 or 6 pages is getting to lengthy.

#4 The more detailed your job is the longer your resume will be. It is easy for lower level positions to have smaller resumes. However, the more responsibility and detailed your positions have been the longer your resume will be. Nevertheless, as administrative assistant should still come off articulate and descriptive of their duties.

As you can see there really are no set rules on the length of a resume. It really is dependent on your position you are applying for, your experience, and ability to describe what you have done in detail without being repetitive. A good rule of thumb would to be to reach out to a recruiter, hiring manager, or even a friend and solicit their opinion about your resume. They can let you know second opinions and also edit your resume for typos as well.

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Look the Part, Act the Part, Get the Job

Rigel Celeste — 2009-07-01T07:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Career Advice

Getting a job (or a promotion) is about so much more than just your resume and interview answers, your appearance and attitude play an enormous role also. As a matter of human nature people size each other up in a matter of seconds, forming opinions about you that might be difficult to change later (you never get a second chance to make a first impression!).

So be sure that whether you're going in for an interview at a new company or hoping to land a promotion at your current job you look and act the part that you want, as well as the part you already have.

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Add us on Facebook!

Alex Rudloff — 2009-07-01T06:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Announcements, Code Updates

Emurse now has a fan page on Facebook!

Keep up with the Emurse.com team, join in discussions and meet other users.

Support the Emurse.com cause and add our page. All the cool kids are doing it. ;)

http://www.facebook.com/emurse

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Emurse on Fox 5 in Washington DC Metro

Alex Rudloff — 2009-06-30T14:20:00+00:00

Filed under: Press

We're #2! We're #2! We're #2! ;)

"At #2, a new website that could help get you out of the unemployment line. It's Emurse.com. The service helps you turn that outdated resume into an eye catching one. After you create it, the site helps you market yourself online."

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Stretching the dollar: Between job savings

Randall Bennett — 2009-06-30T13:13:00+00:00

Filed under: Tips & Tricks, Career Advice

So for many workers, like myself, we've never gone through a major downturn in our careers. As a result, our short-sightedness has put us in a difficult position of being strapped financially, which makes life pretty rough. How are you cutting back costs and stretching your dollar?

For us, our first stop is cutting out unnecessary expenses. Think about it, people can spend up to $60 per month on cable / satellite TV alone. Do you really NEED HBO? Or for that matter, do you really need cable TV at all? Cutting back temporarily while you're still in the midst of job searching can create a longer runway to find the right gig, rather than the necessary gig.

Along the same tip, we've started clipping coupons. Spending half the money for a full load of groceries is more than doable, though admittedly for single people, the savings don't add up as quickly as they do for larger families.

What's your dollars and cents savings? How do you lengthen the job searching runway so you end up with the right gig, rather than any gig?

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5 Solid Tips for Landing a Job Online

Michael McCarthy — 2009-06-30T12:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Job Hunting Tips

It's easy to get frustrated with job hunting online. So many postings and applications to keep track of, and most of the time you never even hear back. Just remember that online applications do in fact work. They're not always fast or easy, but they may just be the ticket to your next job.

It will likely take more effort than a couple of submissions, but if you effectively use your personal network, and make sure you are qualified for each job, you stand a good chance at landing a job online.

Here are 5 great tips for successfully landing a job online:

Tip #1. Try to make a connection within the company you are applying to.

Exercise your personal network to get an internal reference or find out what is going on with the job online.
Connect with some local staffing firms to see if they work with the company on a contract or permanent basis.

Tip #2. When you apply online, make sure your resume highlights all requirements of the job. You might realize you have done the work, but if the hiring manager or HR professional that reviews the resume does not see it on paper, they will most likely overlook your resume.

In today's economy, many hiring managers are seeing 50+ resumes per job they have online.
They need to see that you match every requirement for their job in a quick 30 second scan, and that you back up the key words with more detail.

Tip #3. Make sure your resume is text format friendly.

Many types of human resources software import information from the web into a text document.
I suggest pasting your resume into Notepad and making sure it is understandable. If you're using an Emurse resume, you should be covered.

Tip #4. When all else fails, follow your submission up with a phone call.

Call HR or the front desk, and ask who you should speak with about the position. This may show enough initiative to get your foot in the door

Tip #5. Keep track of your submissions

Try an excel spreadsheet or a document with the position and company. Emurse.com mimics this process and will keep track of your applications for you. The site will even remind you when it's time to follow up with the employer.
If you submit yourself twice, some companies will not consider you for the opportunity

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Should I apply to online job postings?

Michael McCarthy — 2009-06-30T10:45:00+00:00

Filed under: Job Hunting Tips, Inspiration

If you're looking for a job, you probably see hundreds of job postings online every day. Considering people continue to lose their jobs every day as well, this doesn't make much sense. If you've submitted your resume to many of these postings, I'm sure you share the sentiment that many of my candidates do. "Should I really even mess with submitting my resume to online job postings?"

The answer to this question is yes, but there are some important things to keep in mind before you do:

Many postings are automatically populated to the web from staffing firm web sites, or corporate web sites. What this means is, some of the positions may be closed or "dummy postings" for companies to network with candidates for jobs they see on a regular basis.
Some companies are required, by law, to pursue every avenue available to hire a qualified candidate. This means they must internally post a job and post it for the public to view, before they can hire anyone for a specific position. Consequently, a hiring manager may have to post a job for a required amount of time, even though they have already identified someone to hire for a newly created opening.

Many companies hire directly off the postings they post online, and many staffing companies do in fact have the positions that they post as well, so don't be completely discouraged by postings online. This info is useful to explain why you might not hear anything back from those countless submissions.

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Resume Rescue: Use Effective Titles

Rigel Celeste — 2009-06-30T10:20:00+00:00

Filed under: Resume Help

In a job market that's growing more competitive every day, having an effective, impressive resume that stands out from the crowd is key. Looking to fine tune yours but not sure where to start? No worries, our Resume Rescue series is here to help!

Employers skim over resumes so fast it's surprising anybody ever gets a job, usually it's about 5 seconds or less for each one as they get sorted into the sought after "take a closer look" pile or the unfortunate but common "paper shredder and then trash bin" pile.

So you only have 5 seconds to catch a manager's eye, what to do? No, neon paper and sparkly ink is not the answer, but you should use the power of effective titles. Tell them what they need to know and they'll want to read more. So don't say simply "Accountant," but something like "Management of A/R and A/P and Recordkeeping" instead. See? Already they know so much more about how awesome you are.

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Ever Lied on a Resume?

Rigel Celeste — 2009-06-29T15:45:00+00:00

Filed under: Resume Help

Ever lied on a resume?

Statistics show that as many as 40% of us have -- that's almost half! So what are we all saying when we stretch the truth in an attempt to land a job? Employers say it's usually one of these:

Stretching dates to cover gaps in employment
Claiming to have a degree that you don't
Inflating job titles and/or previous salaries
Exaggerating technological/computer skills
Claiming fluency in a foreign language (being able to count to 10 does not make you fluent!)

Just remember: while putting a little white lie or two on your resume might seem pretty harmless (you're a catch of an employee, right? Why not make it look that way on paper?) most employers and HR reps are onto the scheme and if they catch you in a lie, no matter how small, your entire application is likely to end up in the trash bin.

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How to Know When You've Bombed an Interview

Rigel Celeste — 2009-06-29T09:35:00+00:00

Filed under: Interviewing

Those hours, days, and weeks between interviewing and waiting to hear back can leave even the most confident people questioning everything from their people skills to their personal hygiene habits. But how can you tell if you really bombed a job interview? For starters you can ask yourself these questions:

Did you make a bad first impression? Obvious reasons to answer this as 'yes' would be if you arrived late, noticed you were dressed inappropriately, or addressed your interviewer by the wrong name or title.

Did you come off as unfocused or uninterested? Signs of this are if the person interviewing you ever had to repeat questions, ask you lots of follow-up questions on the same topic because your answers were too vague, or if you struggled and were awkward when answering common/simple questions about the job and/or company.

Was there a general lack of rapport? Where you casually leaning back in your chair and cracking jokes when the interview started only to find the other person serious, stiff, and not amused? (Or vice versa).

Read more bad interview clues and tips here, plus remember that even bad interviews are good for something: experience!

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Ask Emurse: Turning to temping, any tips for newbies?

Randall Bennett — 2009-06-26T12:48:00+00:00

Filed under: Freelancing

Temporary workers come with an obvious stigma. There's this thought that rather than find a "real job," these temporary employees mozy from workplace to workplace, but I don't think that's true. I look at temping as the best way to make ends meet while still looking for that mythic "dream gig," and I myself am about to head down that path.

For me, I've been on the freelance / temporary circuit this year, and while I'd absolutely love to find the ideal gig for myself, it's really difficult. You see, I sort of paint myself into an ideal-career corner, as I've got a very specific set of skills that aren't exactly in demand right now. (I'm a technology video producer, and I do a show called TechVi which is brilliant and amazing, but doesn't pay the bills.)

As the bills pile up, I've started to realize that relying on my sugar momma isn't going to cut it. TechVi doesn't exactly take up all of my time, but since I'm aiming to be an extremely credible journalist, I can't go the tried-and-true route of journos looking to jump ship and head to PR. That puts me square in the sights of temp agencies. Right now, I've started to check out some agencies in my area (New York) but am only in the beginning phases.

Seeing as how you, mythical reader, and I are going through pretty much the same thing, are there any pitfalls you watch out for when moving temp? Any resources you love? I'm going to be documenting the process thoroughly here on Emurse, so expect the resources to pile up as we go through this together.

Oh did I mention, I'm looking for work? Yeah, I know you are too, but there's gotta be someone out there looking for the smartest, most interesting yet-to-be-discovered technology writer of his generation, right?

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6 Tips for Relocating

Stephen Lytle — 2009-06-25T15:18:00+00:00

Filed under: Job Hunting Tips, Career Advice

Living in Alaska? Think Florida would be an ideal location to relocate to but have limited contacts there? Or maybe you simply want to move to another city in the same state but aren't getting any calls from employers in that market.

Don't fret. There are a few simple tips you can use to help you find proper employment in whatever region you are interested in.

Tip #1: Put your resume on the local job boards in the area you are interested in. It seems like a basic idea, but just saying you would relocate to an area doesn't mean you will get contacted. When recruiters/hiring manager search the resume databases they typically do not have a field that searches for where relocation will be. Most search engines simply give the option of whether the candidate is open to relocation, not specifically where to though.

Tip #2: Consider using a local address on your resume and profile. Though you may not be living in the area this will help when recruiters/hiring managers search for city, zip codes, etc. on a resume. If you do not currently have a residence there, ask a friend if you can use their address or set up a PO Box in the local area. This will go much farther than saying you would relocate to an area. Most employers look for local candidates because it involves much less preparation before employment. This will help you get the initial call and you can go from there.

Tip #3: Be aware of the potential cost of living adjustment. If you are moving out of NYC and looking to move to Texas the cost of living is very different. Likewise, your salary will change accordingly. Be aware of this and set realistic expectations for what your hourly/salary range is. You don't want to price yourself out of a market.

Tip #4: Be open with a recruiter/hiring manager about your desire to relocate. If you are moving to get closer to family, move to a better market, or for any other good reason it goes much farther in terms of understanding your motivation than simply stating you are just open to relocation for no reason.

Tip #5: Be willing to relocate on your own dime. Most companies prefer local candidates, however, if you are a super star and willing to pay for your own relocation your resume will be considered like any other. Having a clear plan and time line of how relocation will occur will also be very beneficial to the conversation you have with the recruiter/hiring manager.

Tip #6: Reach out to local recruiters. Let them know all of the above information. They will be your best resource to talk to about opportunities in that market, the rates for positions, and places you could potentially relocate to.

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Craigslist: The bane of my existence

Randall Bennett — 2009-06-25T13:03:00+00:00

Filed under: Job Hunting Tips

Craigslist has taken down the newspaper industry fairly rapidly due to the decline of classified ad revenue at most regional newspapers. Whether you love them or hate them, classifieds, and now Craigslist, are often the first source of leads for job hunters, but as any hiring manager or experienced job seeker (read: unemployed for a long period of time) will tell you, the results are often meager. So how do you get through the average and rise above the sheer volume of applicants?

Luck, for one. Obviously something I can't really help with. Cover letters, which we talked about yesterday. But even more than that, it's doing intelligence checking. Use Craigslist as a lead, but don't just hurl an application or resume the second you see an opening, use that as the starting point for an in-depth check. Do you know someone at the company? Can you get a vibe for how the company operates? Do your research, and you'll come away with a better picture of what the opening truly means, and that means you'll have a better shot at the job, and potentially coming away with job satisfaction-- something that lasts for a lot longer than the initial research process.

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Cover letters: The fastest way to the top (or trash)

Randall Bennett — 2009-06-24T14:58:00+00:00

Filed under: Job Hunting Tips

Prepare a Cover Letter using a Job Description

Some people think cover letters need to be a well thought out, lengthy bit of prose on top of a well crafted resume. Turns out though, that people on both sides of the hiring equation think less is more.

For me, a cover letter shouldn't be a restating of a resume, or some sort of long, drawn out explanation as to why a candidate is perfect for the job. Instead, a cover letter should be short, sweet, to the point, and should break down why a candidate is perfectly matched for a job in ways a resume can't.For instance, if you see an overwhelming list of qualifications and preferences for a job posting, pick a few that line up with your skill set and preferences, and focus on how you fit the job better than anyone else. I, for instance, tend to be a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to content production, and I've had some extremely limited experience managing people. If I were applying for a job as a worker in IT support staff, a job to which I'm not perfectly suited, I might pick out the requirements mentions a strong ability to communicate. I'd take that chance to explain my background is in communication, and while other candidates might have stronger IT backgrounds, few of them will have the communication skills that I do. I might rinse and repeat with other areas where I'd be uniquely suited to do a job, and make the potential employer feel like they know me, more than a bullet-list of places I've previously collected paychecks.

Cover letters should be a chance for an employer to pre-screen you for the good or worse. In the previous scenario, I might rise to the top as a fully communicating IT support staff member, or they might say "y'know what, we prefer someone who's lived and breathed this stuff day-in and day-out." Either way, I'd likely put myself in a position to fit the right job.

Amy Middleton, a friend of mine, did some research and created the killer presentation at the top of the post that gives the brief rundown of a quality cover letter. It'll help you out, promise.

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Resume Best Practices

Stephen Lytle — 2009-06-23T20:50:00+00:00

Filed under: Resume Help

With the job market being flooded with candidates, both qualified and unqualified, now is the best time to proofread your resume and make sure it gives you the best opportunity at attaining an interview to prove yourself.

Here are some common best practices for resume writing and an example of a resume to help get you going!

Overlooked Best Practices:

Make sure all fonts on your resume match. You want your resumes to look as clean as possible and flow articulately. A constant switch in fonts, sizes, colors, etc. becomes an annoyance to the reader and is just one more reason for the hiring manager to place your resume to the side. (Note: Often times, an exception to this rule are resumes for creative positions, i.e. Graphic Artist, Marketing Professionals, etc.)

Make sure any bullet points you have all line up through the entirety of the resume.
Include all contact information, but most importantly your email, physical address, and phone numbers that you can be reached at by at recruiter or hiring manager.
Include months, in addition to years, in your experience. You will want to have an accurate representation of your experience. 2005-2008 could be as little as two years and a month or as long as four years. It helps to explain fully your years and level of experience.
Your summary should accurately reflect your experience as it relates to the requirements of the position. Objectives are typically no longer necessary on resumes as a summary broken down into bullet points will provide that information.
Be sure to include all educational and certification credentials you possess.

A Well Formatted Resume Outline:

NAME
Address
Phone numbers and email

SUMMARY

Details in bullet points describing experience as it relates to the job requirements and responsibilities

EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATIONS
Degree attained, School #1
Degree attained, School #2
Certification #1
Certification #2

TECHNICAL SKILLS/ADDITIONAL SKILLS
(as necessary depending on your career and experience, see example of tech skills below)
OS: OS1, OS2, OS3
Software: Software1, software2
Languages: language1, language2, language3

EXPERIENCE
Name of company #1
Dates of employment
Title
Project or company description

Responsibilities in bullet format

Environment/Technologies: (typically for technical resumes)

Name of company #2
Dates of employment
Title
Project or company description

Responsibilities in bullet format

Environment/Technologies: (typically for technical resumes)

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