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The big buzz these days when it comes to job search advice is keywords. It seems like every expert out there is shouting YOU MUST HAVE THE RIGHT KEYWORDS OR YOU’LL NEVER GET A JOB. Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration but that’s what it seems like. The basic premise is that résumés are scanned through an applicant tracking system (ATS) and the applicants with the most keywords to match the job description will zoom to the top.

I’ve worked for numerous companies, large and small, in my career. I’ve worked for large, global firms that have sophisticated systems and I’ve worked for startups with no ATS at all and just MS Excel spreadsheets. This has given me broad exposure to several different ATS programs and here’s what you need to know:

They all ...

 There are certain words and phrases that have become very commonplace on résumés over the years.  Like most things in life though, change is a good thing. Ten or 15 years ago, saying that you had “demonstrated success” in a certain skill was completely normal and acceptable. Now, that phrase is so over-used and clichéd that it’s lost its meaning. On a résumé now, a phrase like that shows very little originality and effort.

The good news is that modern résumés allow for a little bit more relaxed language and personalization. I’m going to give you permission to go ahead and throw away the following six phrases on your résumé and cover letter:

Proven Track Record- This phrase absolutely makes my stomach churn because it’s possibly the most over-used résumé phrase. Not ...

For some things in life, we can get by with being a little outdated. Your style of clothes or hair, perhaps. A job search is not one of those things. The modern job search involves more than a résumé. Applicants today are applying to jobs with their LinkedIn profiles and their mobile phones. Just 10 years ago, neither of these were concerns. So if you’ve been in the same job, or out of the game completely for several years, it’s time to brush up!

With the onset of online job boards, hundreds of people are often applying for one position. This means that the modern job search is a very impersonal process. Technology has a way of doing that to many aspects of life. Calling an employer to follow up, or applying in person, used to be encouraged. Today, those actions are likely to ...

Many people are hesitant to invest in a résumé writing service given the amount of free résumé and job search advice that is available on the internet. They are correct, the internet is OVERFLOWING with free “information.” It amazes me that so many people are wiling to put their career prospects in the hands of strangers who happen to have internet access.

So I decided to do an internet search for résumé help and see what kind of advice I could find out there. Should be interesting, right?

What I found was exactly what I expected. If you want a résumé full of over-used, meaningless phrases such as “Proven track record…” or “Demonstrated success...” then  the internet can absolutely help you! These phrases make my stomach churn. Not only are these phrases so over-used that they’ve lost ...

Just like the theory that your resume can only be one page, the use of an objective statement is one of those leftover “resume rules” floating around from years ago. An objective statement is a one or two sentence statement at the top of your resume that summarizes the type of position you are looking for.

It might sound like this: “A hard working sales professional with proven closing and negotiation skills seeking to apply my abilities to a challenging new opportunity.” Yuck. That statement is littered with clichéd resume language and makes the job seeker sound amateurish. That’s the problem with these types of statements. Most of them are inherently cheesy and downright unnecessary. If I can’t tell from glancing at the body of your resume what type of position you are looking for, then there’s something wrong with the resume.<...

Resumes have become known to most people as simply a list of your jobs and the duties you performed. If you think of resumes this way, it’s okay. It’s not your fault. There’s a lot of free advice out there that will tell you that. This perspective, unfortunately, is setting your resume up to be thrown in the trash. And that’s assuming it even gets read by a person after getting through the applicant tracking system.

Yes, you need to list your job history and duties, of course. The overall goal of your resume though should not be to just list your qualifications and promote yourself. The goal of your resume should be to demonstrate what you have achieved and how you can solve your prospective employer’s problems. If you can solve a problem for an employer, you’ll ...

 

The primary service that clients come to WorkSmart for is, of course, the resume. It’s a cumbersome and time-consuming process with so many different “rules” to follow. There is also a plethora of free advice out there that is often conflicting and sometimes questionable. Having a great resume that shows off your strengths is generally the most important part of the job search, but it’s not all of it. What good is a resume if you interview poorly and then don’t get the job? Or, if you don’t know which jobs you are qualified for and where to find them?

Simply put, the resume alone is not enough and this is where a resume writer or career coach can add tremendous value and save you a significant amount of time. Through WorkSmart Career Counseling, I show clients ...

If you had a job interview or a date to go on,  I can guarantee you one thing, male or female, you are not going to walk out that door without checking the mirror first.  Nobody wants to look like they don’t care about their appearance, even just a little bit. So, why would you send out a plain looking resume that basically sends the same message? You can equate a boring, half-hearted resume to not looking in the mirror before you leave the house for somewhere important. It’s just not a good idea.

I have to remember, of course, that not everyone gets excited about resumes and job hunting as much as me. I’m the unusual one here, I know that. Hence, my career choice. So it is understandable that this is a challenge for ...

Almost no one makes it through their career without at least a small gap in their employment, whether it be a voluntary quit, a firing, a layoff or taking care of your kids. Or, if you're like me, you’ve been laid off four times in seven years. As they say, it’s not what happens to you that matters, it's what you do about it. Whatever the reason for separation, there are plenty of ways to overcome it when you do get back in the game.

First, consider volunteering. Yes, your primary task is to apply for new jobs but anyone who's been there knows that after filling out 45 minute applications online (yes, they take that long sometimes), you start to get a bit nauseated. Volunteering will get you out of the house, meeting people and likely you’...

It has been speculated recently that perhaps the traditional resume is becoming obsolete given the onset of social media sites such as LinkedIn. Do a search for the words: “Is the resume dead?” and you’ll get a plethora of results. Job seekers may wonder: All of my information is on my profile, why do I need to have a paper copy? Plus, some jobs now allow you to apply directly with your LinkedIn profile. So where does the fine art of resume writing fit in 2015?

Let’s get one thing straight: the resume is not dead. It’s going through a bit of a transformation, it’s safe to say, given that the way people apply for jobs today is very different than the way they applied 10 years ago. You might not be handing out a lot of ...