Interviewing: Practice Really Does Make Perfect

A few weeks ago, I introduced Sara, a recent college graduate, whom I asked to share her job search experience. I have now asked her to follow up on that article. Here is where Sara is today:

Well, I did it, I went on my first, real job interview! It was for a position I knew I was qualified for with a non-profit organization whose cause I was more than familiar with. I actually had given up hope on hearing anything, because they didn’t call me until more than a month after I applied. Imagine my surprise!

The surprise/euphoria quickly turned to dread when I realized I had never been on a “real” interview before. In the days before the big event, I spent much of my spare time reading every “this is how you interview for a job” article I could find. Most of them focused on how important it is to avoid the color red on an interview—apparently it’s a “power color”—or how wearing perfume is the equivalent of the kiss of death. I practiced answering all of the “staple” questions interviewers always ask according to these same articles, and I scoured the organization’s web site, trying to memorize everything it had done in the last six months. Everything I could think of to prepare for this thing, I did. And I think that is what tripped me up.

When the time came to sit down and actually begin the interview, I forgot everything. I was so focused on being the “promising young professional” laid out before me in all of those articles that told me what to wear, what to say, and how to act, that I couldn’t be myself. The interviewer asked me to tell him about myself, and that snappy, 30-second elevator speech I practiced for an hour the night before had flown out the window. All I could tell him were things he already knew, because all I could think of was all over the resume in front of him; I didn’t set myself apart.

Now, do I think the interview was a total disaster? No. But I do think it wasn’t my best work. Fortunately, I was given the opportunity to show the interviewer my stellar, one-of-a-kind skills in a “pop quiz” of sorts rather than tell him about them, so all is not lost. Even if I’m not offered this position, I still gained some valuable insight into the art of interviewing. Although demeanor, appearance, and knowledge all are key parts of the process, the most important thing a person can do is try to relax and be genuine. After all, a genuine person goes much farther and is more unique any day than the every-day, job-searching, clone.

The Plight of the Recent College Grad

Meet Sara. You probably know many others like her. She just graduated from college, and she is facing her first real job search. Not only is she discovering the job market is flooded with thousands of other entry-level candidates, but she is also realizing that college did not really prepare her for answering that all important job search question: “What are you looking for?”

As Sara continues through her job search, I’ve asked her if she would share some of her experience from time to time. As one of our “noddlers” at NoddlePlace.com, we encourage other grads like her to come join us and band together. After all, “two are better than one…[and] a cord of three strands is not easily broken.”

Sara’s Journey:

This past May, I received my BAs in English and Communications. All of senior year, my intention was to graduate and settle into a nice, entry-level, marketing or public relations position with a local company and start real life.

Fail.

I graduated cum laude with a 3.7 GPA, a semester abroad, an internship, a portfolio, as well as some various club and volunteer activities, and I have yet to be called for an interview. My parents’ stress level is growing with each passing week, and they have begun to hint that graduate school may be my best option, despite the fact that, at 22 years old, I have no idea what I want to do with my life.

People have told me that I need to look at this “setback” as an opportunity to experience life before being sucked up into a corporate whirlwind of money, bills, and time-management. Apparently, this is my time to travel the world, meet new people, and discover myself; “live it up,” so to speak. And although that might sound fine and dandy for some people, I’m not too comfortable with such an unpredictable future.

So, for now, it’s me against the job market and who-knows-how-many other college graduates vying for the same position. Resumes and cover letters have been rewritten, revamped, and sent out with little to show for it. I have joined many of the job networking websites like LinkedIn and Noddleplace and scoured the Internet for job leads.

Nothing. Something isn’t working.

It took me a long time and a lot of rejection before I realized why I’m not making any progress: I have no idea what I want to do.
People ask me what kind of job I’m looking for, and I stare blankly at them and stutter. Maybe I do need to go “live it up” in Europe and drink away all of my cares and responsibilities overseas, awaiting the glorious epiphany that will determine the rest of my life.

Or maybe I can make some progress in my job search, by looking for more real-world experience.

Since graduating, I have arranged for enough internships to carry me through the end of the year. If I’m not going to get hired, then I’m going to do everything I can to get experience, which includes working for free, in the industries I’m interested in. These internships are helping me build a network and get me the experience that will eventually give me a leg up on my competition. I’m still applying for jobs daily, but for now, I’m going to take it one day at a time until I figure out what I am supposed to do.

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?
My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.

The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.

In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at NoddlePlace. You can also follow me on Twitter.

Does Your Resume Make You Sound Like a Robot?

Just when I think perhaps I have heard everything, particularly when it comes to resume advice, someone has to go and put something out there that seems to come from left field. The flavor of the moment now seems to be: human-ness, making your resume sound more “human.”

And the pearls of wisdom that seem to go along with this concept are that you should incorporate “I” into your resume more often so that it seems less like a robot wrote it and more like a person, i.e., a human, wrote it.

On the surface, it sounds very nice. After all, we want to put a real person with this cold, hard document. And we want employers to see us on a human level. And, hey, full sentences are much more grammatically correct than the harsh sentence fragments utilized in resume documents today.

The problem is, however, once you start putting this into application, often you just end up with a jumbled mess of a document that says nothing more than “I” everywhere. And pretty soon, although you may very much be “human” on the page, you are also totally off course.

Listen.

Most people fail when it comes to resume writing not because they haven’t cracked some magic code or produced the most amazing document ever written but because they have lost touch with their audience. They’ve made the document all about themselves and who they are. In other words, they have “I’d” it to death (sometimes even without using the word “I”, but just because it is implied with every statement).

Of course, the resume summarizes your work experience and helps shape your image for employers. But all that should be done with an eye not on you but on them. What interests the audience the most? What type of candidate are they looking for?

I’m quite certain that employers are well aware that humans are at the other end of a resume document. After all, they aren’t looking for robots to employ, and if they want you, they are going to call you in to meet you face to face. Furthermore, most employers/recruiters are spending so little time with your document (30 seconds or less) that writing a narrative is pretty much lost on them anyway (the HR pros who keep touting this human voice nonsense should be well aware of that fact!).

So if you want to be special, if you want to make that human connection, through your resume, it isn’t the voice or overuse of “I” that’s going to do it for you; instead, it is recognizing what your audience’s needs are and communicating how your background fulfills those needs.

Tell them what they need to hear most.

Bottom Line: People who spend so much time worrying about human-ness are spending way too much time thinking about themselves. Don’t play that game. When it comes to employment, you will lose every time.

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.

The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.

In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at NoddlePlace. You can also follow me on Twitter.

Hey, Are You Here to Find Great Talent or What? NoddlePlace.com Candidates to Check Out

Although we hear a lot about how tough the job market is for job seekers, we often miss the fact that finding good talent is still hard to come by. Hiring pros are constantly telling me that they can’t find candidates to fill their positions. At NoddlePlace.com (not noodleplace), we bring job seekers together to network with one another. But we also serve as an advocate for them using our social networking presence to help get them noticed.

So if you are looking for good talent to fill your positions, stop whining and tell us what you are looking for. As candidates come on to our site, we will happily refer them to you if they seem like a good fit.

Today I want to highlight 6 of our “noddlers” who also happen to be active on Twitter. All of these candidates are job seekers, active or passive. Feel free to connect with these users directly on Twitter or contact me (@noddleplace), and I will make an introduction.

1. Twitter username: @adreich

Profile

Creative Technical Support Professional with an extensive background in knowledge management, collaborative computing applications and expertise in analyzing, implementing & testing global software solutions.

Location

Located in NC but willing to relocate

Blog

myboxofrain.wordpress.com/

2. Twitter username: @bartfish

Profile

Leadership development and organizational transformation specialist who has worked on a variety of high-impact projects. I endeavor to accelerate better outcomes through expert group facilitation and enhancing multimodal communication opportunities. Efforts included introducing new innovation processes, strategic planning, customer discovery & value pricing, career development programs, sales & marketing training, mentoring programs, and interpersonal skills development.

Location

Located in San Jose, CA

3. Twitter username: @dylanexpert

Profile

Writer and Editor with Broadcasting/Media, Creative/Art, Editorial/Publishing, Public Relations background.

Location

Located in NYC

4. Twitter username: @Som_m

Profile

Materials/Processes/Thin Film Engineer seeking opportunities in PV industry. PV industry. Strong background in semiconductors, nanotechnology, and alternative energy applications. GE Six Sigma Green Belt.

Location

Located in San Jose, CA but is willing to relocate.

5. Twitter username: @GiveMeAChance

Profile

Marketing management and communications MBA; directs strategic to execution; business writer and communicator; consumer and retail specialist; customer marketing; sponsorship and event management.

Location

Located in Atlanta, GA but willing to relocate

Blog

www.google.com/profiles/themilholen

6. Twitter username: @edouble12

Profile

Business Development guru with Business Management, Customer Service, Executive Management, Human Resources, Medical/Healthcare, Risk Management background. MBA.

Location

Located in Overland Park, KS.

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?
My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.

The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.

In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at NoddlePlace. You can also follow me on Twitter.

Why Group Job Hunting Doesn’t Work

For those of you who are familiar with the work that I do (career coaching, resume writing, and promoter of the group job hunting concept), my title probably seems a bit surprising. After all, how can one of the biggest fans of group job hunting claim that there are times when it doesn’t work?

Well, most great concepts require more than just theory to make them beneficial. You can talk all day about how wonderful something is, but without true application, it will fall flat. The same is true for group job hunting.

The idea is that job seekers, who are all essentially in the same boat, will join forces and assist each other through the job search process. This assistance can be anything from swapping leads and resources, making introductions, and even offering referrals.

To me, it’s a no-brainer. In this age of social networking and nonstop talk from career pros about the importance of building contacts during your job search, you would think group job hunting would be taking the Internet by storm. Although we have seen “pay-it-forward” attempts pop up across many social media sites, by and large, you are still hard-pressed to find job seekers really banding together.

Why is that?

To help put some perspective on this, I’ve compiled a few reasons I think job seekers might be struggling to get this concept working for them:

1. Job seekers are worried about competition. I hear this a lot when I speak with job seekers about networking with other job seekers: “But aren’t they my competition?” Of course, you could always meet someone else who is going for the same position as you, but with the amount of virtual social networking websites for job seekers, I think it is a pretty safe bet that you are going to meet candidates from all backgrounds and industries. Many job seekers only look to people in their field for support, but that is a big mistake. People know people from all walks of life. So if you are in IT, don’t be shy about meeting up with another job seeker in marketing. Maybe that person is married to someone with strong IT connections or has contacts in that arena from past employment experiences.

2. Job seekers only want to speak with employed people. We seem to have this perception that currently employed people are “in the know,” whereas unemployed people are “out of the loop.” Considering our unemployment rate at the moment, I would say that this thinking is pretty shallow. In fact, often employed people are the least likely to help job seekers. It is other job seekers who can empathize that are more willing to offer assistance. In addition, it is other job seekers who are hearing about leads and exploring opportunities that are often much more aware of what’s going on in the job market as opposed to the employed professional who spends all day working at his or her desk.

3. Too many job seekers are too worried about receiving help and not about giving help. When people are stressed (and a job search is no doubt stressful), true character often comes out. And sadly, all too often, people only want to be helped. They can’t be bothered with helping anyone else. I see this a lot in my firm. I often will recommend job seekers to connect with one another, particularly if I think they are a good fit for supporting each other. Too often, one client will reach out to the other and then come back frustrated that “she didn’t do anything for me.” It doesn’t take much to find out that this client didn’t help out either. Sometimes it is amazing how they even neglect to respond to each other’s e-mails!

4. Job seekers are obsessed with online job boards. As much as this drives us career pros nuts and as much as we report the appalling statistics (less than 4% effectiveness rate), candidates continue to insist on devoting the bulk of their time job searching to applying for job postings. It doesn’t matter that many of these jobs are not real; job seekers are infatuated with them anyway.

And I can understand why. It seems so straightforward. Company has position available. Job seeker applies. Company calls for interview and makes offer. Job seeker takes the job. But it is a little like playing the lottery. You can spend a lot of resources and never win the reward. At some point, you have to ask yourself, “What are the odds? How can I create a better balance of my resources?” By all means, you can still dream, but you also need to be realistic.

5. Job seekers are afraid group job hunting is too much like a support group. For this last reason, I blame career counseling. Although the intention is nice, helping job seekers, the application often comes off like an addiction support meeting. Job seekers are already often feeling down; they don’t need to be treated like they have fallen off the wagon. Instead they want to attend networking functions with other professionals who are united for a common purpose. That is support and encouragement, but it isn’t patronizing. These people haven’t failed; they are looking for jobs. We tell them to represent themselves as top talent, but then we have meetings where we all sit in a circle and look lost.

It really has become my goal to see job seekers utilize the group job hunting concept with success. I know that it can be a powerful tool in the job search arsenal. But in order for that to happen, we need a shift in mindset for how we go about conducting our job search and where we place our time and resources. Truthfully, without this shift, very few tools will work for us.

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.

The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.

In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at NoddlePlace. You can also follow me on Twitter.

Tough Love for the Executive-Level Job Seeker

I’ve had the privilege of working with job seekers of a wide range of backgrounds and industries. But this past year, I have concentrated much of my time to working with executives and executive-wannabes.

Why, you might ask?

Because I saw that of all levels of professionals, it was executives who seemed to have lost their grasp on how to conduct an effective job search and on how to do it in a professional manner. Honestly, I think many of them simply don’t take their job search all that seriously. At least, they don’t act like they do.

Professionalism…It is quickly becoming a lost art, I’m afraid. From scruffy facial hair to baggy jeans to disastrous cell phone and e-mail etiquette, I’m beginning to think that people view their work environments as nothing more than an extension of their college dorm room.

I can’t tell you how many illegible e-mails I receive on a daily basis from job seekers demanding salaries of no less than $150,000. Right now I have one in front of me from a “whearhouse director” and another from a “hop corporate raider.” Then there is the CEO who can’t attach a file to his e-mail. So every time I send him something to review, he prints it out, writes on it, and faxes it back to me. Now I’m sure he has some great operations skills, but if this is how he conducts business on a regular basis, he must drive everyone nuts! Not to mention the fact that he can’t possibly be giving potential employers the best impression.

For some reason, the more successful we become, the more we rely on our accomplishments to do all the talking and the less effort we put into considering how we present ourselves to the rest of the world. And, to some extent, that is understandable.

After all, we have worked hard. We climbed that ladder. We jumped through those hoops. So who cares about our facial hair? We saved the company $2M last year alone!!

It also doesn’t help matters that there are several top-rated corporations out there who have taken on the persona of their college dorm room CEOs. Their headquarters are virtually playlands of gyms, game rooms, and massage tables. And everyone wears “cas” and looks like they just rolled out of bed.

(I know, I’m a bore. Even worse, I am a…traditionalist, you might say. It sounds like I want us to go back to the corporate Dark Ages. Right?)

Don’t get me wrong…this lifestyle is great while it lasts, but when it is time to move on, reality hits: Not everyone in the world goes to work in their pajamas and straggly hair.

I know, you’re the renegade. You’re worth it, so your beard and tattoo don’t matter. And good spelling? Well, you’re above that. That’s what we have assistants for, right?

This logic may work in the movies, and it may even work for a select few. But I can tell you, executive or not, most people don’t want to do business with a slob and with someone whose grammar and computer skills are worse than a 4^th grader, no matter how fantastic you are.

So let’s get back to the basics. You have the credentials. You have the experience and the metrics to back it up. Now it is time to remember those early days when you first started out: buy a new suit, find your razor, and for God’s sake, learn how to spell!

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.

The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.

In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at NoddlePlace. You can also follow me on Twitter.

The Résumé “Wow” Factor

As a résumé writer, I am always amazed at the amount of time I spend discussing the “wow” factor with job seekers. If any concept has been sold in regard to résumés, it is the idea that a résumé must take on an almost magical quality that casts a spell over the reader, transforming the average professional into the “must-have” candidate of the year!

Of course, this magical quality is a moving target because no one quite knows what the special combination is to unveil this secret spell, and of course, everyone seems to have a different idea of what it means.

Not to mention the plethora of materials that are out there just promising to either create this almost-mythical document for you or to help you create your own.

“Get yours to the top of the pile! Just say our magic chant 15 times, spin around twice, and embed these special keywords behind the text of your document, and employers will be mesmerized!”

Laugh, if you want, but deep down, it is what every job seeker is really looking for…something that will make it easy for them, something that will overcome the fact that, by and large, they are just average working professionals trying to create a solid career that they enjoy.

Listen. I’ve seen a lot of résumés. Pretty ones. Flashy ones. Video ones. Two-column ones. Colorful ones. Conservative ones. Progressive ones. You name it.

Sorry to say, but flashy résumés have not really proven to be anymore effective than traditional professional obituaries. Both can seriously hurt a candidate’s chances if they fail to understand what really makes a résumé work.

So does this mean you can’t use color or get creative with a two-column masterpiece?

No, but a solid résumé must accomplish 3 things: (1) Utilize strong writing skills with solid action verbs, (2) organize the candidate’s information in such a way that a clear picture of the candidate is revealed (scope of knowledge and responsibility), and (3) be attractive without being offensive.

We all like things that look nice, but color isn’t what sells a candidate. Let the “wow” factor be in the strategy employed and the quality of the writing.

On the other side of things, however, don’t be so rigid that you force the writer to prepare a cookie-cutter résumé (Times New Roman, 10-pt, with lots of bullets!!). You’ll just end up with something nondescript, that looks like it came from a Microsoft Word résumé template, and is not much better than anyone with decent grammar skills could produce.

Do you know what really is the “wow” factor for employers? A well-crafted document that highlights the specific skills and accomplishments that they are interested in! Please don’t miss this point. It isn’t the skills/accomplishments that YOU are most proud of; it is the skills/accomplishments that THE EMPLOYER is most interested in for the type of position being filled.

Sadly, most job seekers (and even some résumé writers) are all worked up about the font and type size of the résumé and less concerned about whether they really have the right strategy in place to attract their audience. Yes, a résumé should look appealing, but if you can’t speak to your audience, then it is all just fluff and no “wow.”

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.

The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.

In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at NoddlePlace. You can also follow me on Twitter.

Thinking About Writing Your Own Resume? Think Again…

Before I say anything more, let me confess right up front that I am a certified professional resume writer (CPRW), and that I have experience resumes for professionals of all levels. So, yes, I certainly have a vested interest in seeing people purchase resume services. But listen, if I thought that doing it yourself was a good idea, I wouldn’t be in this business. Period. Why try to sell a service that people can easily do themselves?

When it comes to the resume, there are two extremes that you want to avoid. The one that has you spending all kinds of time and money to learn how to do it yourself. And the one that has you spending top dollar.

Before hiring a professionally written resume service, you need to know what to expect from a resume service (setting the proper expectations), how much you should spend, and what the latest trends are in resume writing. Without a doubt, there are some poor writers out there, and you can waste valuable resources if you don’t know what to look for.

But none of that negates the need for hiring a resume writer.

The main reason that writing your own resume is a bad idea is that no matter how great you are at writing and page layout, you need to be really good at marketing, knowing your audience, and most of all, presenting yourself objectively. That is a tough thing to do when you are talking about you, and it is a really tough thing for your spouse or close friend to do. They know you too well, and they probably don’t know your audience at all.

This may come as a shock, but writing a resume is less about the candidate and more about the candidate’s target market. All writing is about communicating to an audience. If you don’t know how to appeal to that audience, then it doesn’t matter how great the product is!

And sometimes we think we know our audience because we’ve been in that industry or field for a while, but the truth is we probably only know that field or industry from a certain point of view (and it may not always be the most up-to-date; let’s face it, we don’t all working for cutting-edge organizations).

A certified resume writer does this for a living. You don’t. Your friend doesn’t. Yes, you could buy a book or follow a template, but now you’ve reduced the resume-writing process to nothing more than filling in blanks on a page. And you’ve probably spent hours trying to create a document that basically looks like everyone else’s or something you created in Microsoft Word.

Although I definitely agree that a resume is not all there is to conducting an effective job search, you should at least know that you have invested in a top-quality document that has a strategy to how it presents you.

Resumes Are Not About You

I’ve written several blogs and online articles now on this subject because I believe that a disservice has been done to most job seekers, and to career changers, in particular. Somewhere along the way, job seekers have been loaded down with overwhelming advice about how to spiff up their resumes, to create that “wow” factor that supposedly all employers are waiting at the edge of their desk chairs for.

The problem, of course, is that all this advice has done nothing more than cause job seekers to turn their attention away from what should be the main focus of their resume.

So let me cut through all the junk and give it to you straight: A resume is NOT about you!

A resume is about meeting the needs/desires of the audience you are trying to reach.

If you have ever taken any kind of writing course, probably eighth-grade English or something like that, you were told that all writing, no matter what form, is about communicating with an audience. The writer’s sole focus is to impart some kind of information to the reader in a way that the reader can grasp. If the writer fails to do that, it doesn’t matter how articulate, how intelligent, how fancy the writing is…the reader didn’t get it. Nothing was communicated.

This concept is especially true when it comes to resume writing. You as the job seeker want a job in X field in Y industry. You’ve done a lot. You’re an impressive person. You want the potential employer to know all about how great you are. But potential employer Z only has one job to fill, and he or she is primarily interested in whether you have the skill sets and background for that job. Anything beyond that is nice, but not very essential, even though it may mean a great deal to you.

Hopefully, you are catching my drift here. When you prepare a resume, it isn’t about telling potential employers all about you and your career. It is about communicating to them the vital information they are looking for! If you fail to do that, it doesn’t matter how long your resume is, how well written it is, what font you use.

Ultimately, that is why a resume that is deemed “poor” by most resume-writing standards can be successful and while one that is deemed “excellent” can be fruitless. It all comes down to how well the document meets the needs of the reader.

Does that mean I think you shouldn’t prepare a well-written, nice-looking document? No. It just means that I think those things are secondary to targeting the resume as much as you can to the employer you are trying to reach.

Job seekers hate hearing that their resume must be narrowly focused because, quite frankly, it is inconvenient and expensive if they are going to pay someone to prepare separate resumes for them.

But if you try to prepare a resume that is essentially nothing more than a professional obituary combined with your personal wish list (Look how great I am; now I want X job in Y industry for W salary), you are in for frustration, no matter which resume service you order. You’ve totally lost sight of your audience. And although you may have a document you are proud of, no one else really cares.

So take a good look at your resume. Is it all about you and what you want and what you can do or does it attempt to speak to your audience, offering them a solution to their problem?

The Resume Lie: Hide that Entrepreneur Experience!!

Over the past year, I have been on a quest to dispel as many myths as possible when it comes to job hunting, in general, and to the resume, in particular. Unfortunately, with all the online job posting sites available, these fallacies have a way of taking on a life of their own and even manage to fool many good resume writers and career coaches out there.

One of the most frustrating to me is in regard to self-employment and resumes. For years now, job seekers have been told that if they have a self-employment background that they need to downplay it or even leave it off from their resumes entirely. The original premise was that companies look down on self-employment and almost regard it as unemployment. In other words, it looks like a “gap” on your resume between one corporate position and the next.

Now it is true that employers do tend to look skeptically at self-employment, and for good reason. Many job seekers try to pass off periods of unemployment by claiming that they started their own business, which may or may not really be true. I had a job seeker the other day that was trying to explain away 2 years of unaccounted for work history. He claimed that he had started his own business flipping houses; however, during those 2 years, he had only flipped 1 house and that was a house he inherited from his father. It certainly didn’t cover the full 2 years. So he tried to make the most of it on his resume, which truthfully was all that he could do.

An employment gap is just that an employment gap, and you can spin it a thousand ways, but an astute employer will see it for what it is, no matter how savvy the writer.

What I am really referring to here are true entrepreneurs, people who have started, built, and managed legitimate small businesses. These companies have names. They have statistics. They have real clients or accounts.

Corporations would be crazy to turn their noses up at these people, and these job seekers would be equally as crazy to downplay this experience.

Entrepreneurs are some of the hardest working people on the planet. They are driven. They are rainmakers. They know how to wear lots of hats. These are all things that companies love and desire.

As with pretty much anything else, handling situations like these comes down to having a wise strategy. It is definitely true that when you craft a resume, you must always keep your audience at the forefront. And you must balance how much focus you give to different positions from your past. So I am not suggesting that you make a bigger deal out of your business than you should. It all depends on your target and the field/industry you are in. (For instance, if you are going for an engineering position, I might not go overboard on the fact that you operated a cookie business for 5 years; it just isn’t that relevant to the target; nevertheless, this doesn’t also mean that I think you should leave it off the resume completely.)

But somewhere along the line both job seekers and some HR types have spread the word that self-employment is bad news on a resume.

So my bottom-line advice is simple: Stop listening to scare tactics and start employing a clear plan to your resume. Find a good writer you can trust, who can help you assess how your self-employment plays out against your target market. Be smart and make sure that you can talk “corporate speak” and have a clear and focused target. Honestly, if you can do that, you are way ahead of many corporate-lifers.

But whatever you do, don’t go hide in shame because you once worked on your own. Remember that many people out there today who would love to venture out and work on their own, even if it was just for a little while. Whomever said that self-employment is not worthy of merit on a resume apparently never came out of their cubicle.

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.
The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.
In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at NoddlePlace. You can also follow me on Twitter.

The Job Hopper Dilemma

In today’s job market, resumes are being scrutinized like never before. And for good reason, job seekers with many short stints in their work history are concerned. After all, the label “job hopper” is one no one wants to wear.

As a resume writer, it is certainly one of the main concerns that I come across when working with candidates: “What do I do to avoid looking like a job hopper?”

First of all, one of the main problems is in the definition of “job hopper.” Is it two years or less? Is it one year? Is it several short positions in a row? Personally, I don’t believe that one short stint at a company constitutes “job hopper,” and I think it is pretty shallow to suggest that someone is a job hopper because of that. After all, any one of us can lose our jobs these days for numerous reasons, many outside of out control.

Nevertheless, I have to admit that avoiding the job-hopping label is a tricky issue for resume writers because a resume must remain truthful, and there is very little that anyone can do about the fact that a job seeker may have spent less than a year or two at some of his or her positions. However, thankfully, there are some things that can be done in these situations.

1. Focus on position and not on company. Although your work history should be arranged chronologically, there is nothing to say that you cannot group companies together under one position title. Often candidates will have had the same position with more than one place. So why not arrange the work history by title first and then list companies underneath the title? I’ve seen this work very well with contract positions. Maybe someone was a helpdesk support contractor for 2 places from 2001 to 2004 (one for 1 year and one for 2 years). By placing both companies under the one title, then you place less emphasis on the short stay at each and more emphasis on the fact that you did that job for 3 years.

2. Keep dates, but place them in less prominence and avoid months. Nothing says that employment dates have to be front and center or that you have to include months.

3. Use an Additional Experience section for older positions. If some of your shorter stints are over 10-15 years old, then place them under an Additional Experience section. Most companies are primarily concerned with the last 10-15 years of work history anyway.

One caveat that I would like to mention here, however, is that some of these tactics may not always be looked on favorably with recruiters. Depending on which companies the recruiter is recruiting for, he or she might still want to see months or exact dates or want the resume more company focused rather than position focused. Job seekers would be wise to find out in these situations whether this is something the recruiter prefers or whether it is a make or break with the hiring company. There is a difference, and you have a right to put your best foot forward whenever possible. (That’s why you hired the resume writer in the first place. Otherwise, why don’t we all just fill out the same standardized form for every job application and be done with all this? But, I digress…)

Now here are some things you should NOT do when it comes to dealing with potential job-hopping situations:

1. Don’t leave off dates all together. This is just a bad move, and unfortunately, I see job seekers do this a lot. Now you just look like someone who has something to hide!

2. Don’t opt for the functional resume. Again, this is another bad move. Functional resumes just aren’t proven to be that effective. Semi-functionals are sometimes OK, but by and large, companies want to see a chronological work history paired up with job functions and accomplishments. In other words, they want the resume to tell a story. The problem with a functional resume is that it says a lot, but it doesn’t really tell the story. How frustrating it can be to have a job seeker say that he or she reduced expenses by millions but then not match that up with where that occurred. Now the hiring manager has no context for the accomplishment.

3. Don’t lie. How many people lie on their resumes? Many, and companies are getting better at sniffing them out. Don’t stake your reputation on it.

So although job hopping is certainly a cause for concern, there are some things that you can do to lessen the impact on your resume.

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.

The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.

In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at NoddlePlace. You can also follow me on Twitter.

College Graduates Entering the 2009 Job Market

So maybe you or a loved one either have just graduated or are about to graduate from college. What’s your advice?

If you’re like so many out there, it probably goes something like this: “Run, do not walk, to the nearest grad school.”

That is certainly music to the ears of our places of higher learning! “Ah, we get to charge ‘em up the wazoo for a couple more years.”
And for what? A Master’s degree with no work experience that now places them in even more massive debt, has them wanting higher salaries to pay off that debt, and instead of being young and ready to be molded, has them older and less moldable?

I know, I know. There are certainly some professions…like Library Science, for instance, in which you just can’t even think to touch foot inside the building anymore without the prestigious Master’s. (Let’s not get started on that ridiculousness.) But by and large, most of us don’t need a Master’s degree in order to be employable (much less to be successful), even in a tough economy like we have now.

I feel bad for college grads. Their professors, who think that academia is the only place in America to represent the true thinkers, keep telling them to go to grad school or else be subject to a life out there with the masses. Their parents, who are afraid their kids will never find a fantasy job and be able to support themselves lavishly out in the big, bad world, keep telling them to go to that happy, safe place, grad school. And the media, who thinks it has its hand on reality, keeps telling them that grad school is their only option or else they will end up doomed to a life either on the streets or, worse, stuck in some cubicle somewhere never to come up for air.

But is it true? Is grad school the only, best, safest option?

Well, let’s see, what do we end up with…a lot of now mid-to-late-20-somethings back at home, ever thankful for free accommodations and deferred student loan programs. Wow, lucky them. Instead of having a few years to pay down their college debt and build some income (and maybe even, dare I say it, savings) before they marry and have kids, they now are doomed to starting families with nothing but a Master’s degree under their feet, massive debt, a mortgage in their near future, and virtually no work experience. And let’s not forget that they need to start saving for their kids’ college tuition in utero. Gee, that’s nice.

I’ve spent a lot of time watching the job market, in both good times and bad, and there is one thing I know for sure. There is never a better time to find a job than when you first graduate from undergrad. Period…recession or inflation…either one.

Bottom line: Companies like hiring people right out of school. They come with less baggage. They are perceived to be more willing to learn (not sure that is always true). And they will take less money and be less of a drain on health benefits programs.

Furthermore, all those issues that plague middle managers and older workers looking for jobs: job hopping, employment gaps, age discrimination, unmarketable skill sets, layoffs, firings, and so on, are a nonissue for college grads.

So I say, stop pushing these people into grad programs they aren’t that interested in anyway. (I mean, what happened to the days when grad school was for the crème of the crop, the really serious ones who were passionate to be philosophers and educators and researchers, not just lukewarm runaways trying to escape the inevitable?) And start giving them the truth: “You need to work sometime. Might as well be now.”

I know this may be a shocker, but you can always go back to school. I know, because I did. And boy am I glad that I waited. Was it difficult holding down a full-time job while attending classes at night? You betcha. Did it take a long time? Yep! But I had most of it paid for by my employer, I managed to avoid incurring debt to pay for the rest of it, and I went into it with a much better idea of what I did and did not want to pursue. Plus, in the meantime, I had a job, paid my bills, raised a child, and took care of my house. It can be done!

Yes, certainly right now there may be fewer positions available, no one is arguing that. And, of course, that makes the job market more competitive for college grads, but gee with everyone else running to grad school anyway….problem solved!

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.
The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.
I know that my products will work for you because they are based on common-sense principles leveraged with good, solid expertise and knowledge of the job search process. After working with countless job seekers, I have become more and more convinced that most of them do not properly prepare for a job search and rely way too much on online sites and trendy articles to tell them what to do. Thus, they waste a lot of time, money, and energy.
If you still aren’t sure whether our services are right for you, feel free to give me a call toll-free at 1-866-755-9800 or better yet, sign up to receive my free Job Search Advice eGuide today.

Also, in February 2009, I am launching a new group job hunting networking site: Noddle Place. Check it out at http://www.noddleplace.com.

Job Posting Sites: Are They on Their Way Out?

It seems hard to believe with the plethora of job boards out there and the dirge of them that seem to pop up daily that the actual existence of these sites could be called in to question.

But called into question they should be. After all with an effectiveness rate of, at best, only 4%, it is hard to fathom the mass hysteria that seems to surround them. Job seekers can’t seem to get enough of them, and companies can’t seem to stop giving them thousands of dollars each year.

I have to say that, on the face of it, it is somewhat of a head-scratcher.

Or is it?

There is no doubt that the apparent ease with which the progress of the Internet has made to our lives in many ways is certainly attractive when it comes to the arduous, at best, task of conducting a job search. Who doesn’t love the idea that he or she could just upload a resume, have a company read it, and the phone magically start ringing? The hope, and more importantly, the seeming ease of it all are certainly an easy sell.

The reality, however, is that, despite the intent to make hiring more effective and job seeking more simple, they seem to have accomplished the exact opposite: further alienating prospective employers from prospective job seekers.

Think about it. Job seekers are shunned from calling employers, even their HR departments, which are partly in place to assist with the hiring process. Forget trying to speak with an actual hiring manager. Banned from even touching resumes that haven’t gone through the ritual HR cleansing, he or she is like some mystery figure that only comes out after candidates have been prescreened, screened, and rescreened.

Sometimes candidates are even kept in the dark about to which company they are actually applying, only to be revealed at the last possible second (and then companies wonder, “why doesn’t the candidate seem to know much about us?”).

And don’t even get me started about the resume black holes in which resume after resume just keeps going in. I mean, what are companies doing with all those resumes?

Yet, despite all that, these job boards seem to continue and, even more, thrive. So what should a job seeker do? First of all, get informed! Know what job search tactics work the best and what don’t. Take the time to develop a job search strategy that outlines how you will spend your time and resources. Second, get off the Internet and network more. Repeatedly, statistics continue to show that both employers and job seekers find networking to be the most effective way of connecting. Third, partner with other job seekers, who can align with you to help one another. Look for group job hunting opportunities, both online and in your geographic area.

Finally, stop looking for the easy way out. When it comes to job searching, history shows us that there just isn’t one. Of course, we all hear the stories. And we certainly should have hope. But we should also be realistic. A job search requires action, lots of it. So upload your resume onto some job board if you must, but don’t let that be the breadth and depth of it!

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.
The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.
I know that my products will work for you because they are based on common-sense principles leveraged with good, solid expertise and knowledge of the job search process. After working with countless job seekers, I have become more and more convinced that most of them do not properly prepare for a job search and rely way too much on online sites and trendy articles to tell them what to do. Thus, they waste a lot of time, money, and energy.
If you still aren’t sure whether our services are right for you, feel free to give me a call toll-free at 1-866-755-9800 or better yet, sign up to receive my free Job Search Advice eGuide today.

Also, in February 2009, I am launching a new group job hunting networking site: Noddle Place. Check it out at http://www.noddleplace.com.

Job Seeker Dilemma: Overcoming the HR Black Hole

I’m not sure there is anything more frustrating to today’s job search process than companies that post online for open positions, insist that candidates contact them only via online forms, and warn against trying any other means of applying for the position. Obedient job seekers then follow all the requirements, sit dutifully by and wait, and what happens? Nothing!

I shutter to think of all the resumes that have been submitted into the proverbial HR black hole. They go in, but do they ever come out?

I find it a bit dumbfounding that a company claims it needs candidates, goes through all kinds of measures to insist qualified candidates contact it in a specific way, and then proceeds to disregard the responses it receives or, at the very least, make it virtually impossible for a candidate to get into contact with them.

But, I know, “it’s the don’t call us; we’ll call you” attitude….

I’ve spoken to several HR personnel who loathe candidates phoning them. “I don’t have time to be on the phone with job seekers all day!” they wail. And to some extent, we can all understand that. Who wants to be on the phone saying the same thing over and over again? However, I also find it stupefying that a department that is set up for the sole purpose of supporting corporate employees and assisting in finding suitable new candidates is so averse to actually speaking with them!

The person I really feel badly for is the hiring manager, however. Here is a department that really needs help. It has an open position, and it wants to find a good person to fill it. So they put in a request through HR to advertise the opening. HR complies. After that, the hiring manager is at the mercy of the HR department to send up resumes of suitable candidates that fit the right parameters.

Sounds good, right?

The problem, of course, if that all too often candidates fall through the cracks. Something happens between HR and the hiring manager (the black hole, remember?). I’ve seen great candidates, meeting most, if not all, requirements posted, and yet they never hear anything. How can that be?

Is it that the company posted for a position that is not really open? Or is that HR gave up after reviewing the first 100 resumes and only sent up a few of those to the hiring manager? Or is that something breaks down in the communication between HR and the hiring manager, and quality candidates aren’t properly identified?

Honestly, I am not sure, but one thing is clear, there is a definite disconnect between candidates and companies. Recruiters love it because it makes them look like heroes when they find the best candidate, but it really wouldn’t be that hard for corporations if they would just let their hiring managers do what they should do best, find qualified talent for their team.

Somehow in today’s job search market we’ve all bought into this concept that the best candidates are the ones that most fit a list of qualifications someone drummed up as the “ideal,” which sounds good on paper but rarely works out the best.

Although companies most certainly need a way to screen out unqualified candidates, they also need to be careful that they don’t become so closed off that they impede the possible connection between the hiring manager and the candidate.

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.
The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.
I know that my products will work for you because they are based on common-sense principles leveraged with good, solid expertise and knowledge of the job search process. After working with countless job seekers, I have become more and more convinced that most of them do not properly prepare for a job search and rely way too much on online sites and trendy articles to tell them what to do. Thus, they waste a lot of time, money, and energy.
If you still aren’t sure whether our services are right for you, feel free to give me a call toll-free at 1-866-755-9800 or better yet, sign up to receive my free Job Search Advice eGuide today.

Also, in February 2009, I am launching a new group job hunting networking site: Noddle Place. Check it out at http://www.noddleplace.com.

FB, Twitter, LI, Oh My! Is All This Social Networking Worth It?

Suddenly, or maybe not so suddenly, social networking is everywhere. Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Twitter…and more like them are popping up daily. It seems that we are craving the need to speak to one another virtually. Never mind that we have cell phones, e-mail, IM, and text messaging, we seem to need these sites too.

I recently joined the Twitter craze and the Facebook craze. When I became Facebook “friends” with my neighbor down the street, he remarked (on my wall, of course), “Oh good…now we can keep in touch.” Now we can? The fact that we pass each other every day walking our dogs and driving our kids to soccer practice apparently now pales in comparison to being friends on Facebook.

I have to admit…it is a head-scratcher for me as to why this is such a craze, but craze it is, and now it is taking over the job search realm as well.

On the one hand, I’m relieved. Maybe now we can certainly prune off those ineffective job search boards and whittle it down to just the ones that actually post real jobs with real people at the other end of the Submit button. And God knows that for years us career pros have been shouting “networking” at the top of our lungs to job seekers. Furthermore, who can argue against the logic in building up a network of professional contacts in LinkedIn?

Certainly everyone seems excited by the possibility…dare I say “hope”…that these sites seem to bring to the job seeker. Now that I am on Twitter, I certainly see enough “tweets” going on about it.

So why am I a bit skeptical? Why do I get that uneasy feeling?

1. There are two key rules to conducting effective networking: tact and timing. If you go on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and spend all your time (and it definitely takes time) building up your friends, contacts, fellow tweets, whatever, only to beg them to help you find a job, you probably aren’t going to get far. On Facebook, your high-school and college friends want to talk about what silly things their kids are doing and post old, embarrassing photos of you. On Twitter, you need to be just the right balance of sociable and aggressive to get people to even follow you or respond to you. (You need to find as many witty things as you can to say in 140 characters about what you are doing right now.) On LinkedIn, it is certainly OK to be more open about things, but generally you need to stay professional and make yourself sound as employed as possible (even though you are looking for a job).

2. I touched on this in #1, but it bears more discussion here. These sites are extreme time-suckers…an hour is like a minute and two hours is like a minute and a half. Don’t get me wrong. They can be entertaining and certainly enjoyable, but you need to be careful that all your time isn’t sucked up by them. Resumes still need to get out the door. Phone calls still need to be made. If you don’t watch out, they can give you the illusion that you are doing something toward your job search, when in fact little progress is really being made.

So does that mean I am against them? No, it just means that you need to be careful with them. A little too social, and you will walk away with lots of great tidbits about your friends, but you will have very little to show for it on the job search front. A little too aggressive on the job search side, and you will walk away without any friends.

Of course, all of that has been true for face-to-face networking as well. The difference here is that this type of networking is 24/7 and everywhere, so it makes those issues even more exaggerated in this arena. As a small business owner offering services in this same scene, I am well aware of the causalities in not getting the balance right.

That is why I am so much in favor of group job hunting, both in person (be it local groups, etc.) and online. In these settings, everyone is there for the same person, and the discussion is to the point. Job seekers can put their noddles together, swap leads and resumes, share advice, and so on. And no one is irritated that you are looking for a job.

I am a big believer that job seekers should try all kinds of ways to look for a job and should be aware of and focus the majority of their precious time and resources on those tactics that are the most effective. With that said, give Facebook and Twitter your all, but remember that there are other avenues as well, like group job hunting, that offer you more productive discussions and contacts.

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.

The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.

In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at http://www.noddleplace.com.

Your Career Is Your Business: The Corporate Entrepreneur

A corporate entrepreneur? Although it may sound like an oxymoron, it is a good way of describing the type of mindset that today’s corporate professionals need to have when navigating through their careers.

Essentially, the corporate entrepreneur is someone who applies entrepreneurial-like principles to his or her corporate job, recognizing that in today’s job market, there really is no such thing anymore as being “the company guy” (or girl).

With professionals on average making four job changes over the course of their careers, the days of spending your entire career with one company are long gone (and, really, they have been for a while).

Many people are lamenting this “change,” but I believe they are missing the big picture. It’s true that it is not great news for those of us who like to get comfortable and snuggle into a seemingly safe routine. But as we have seen for probably the last decade, that seemingly safe routine is really just a fantasy anyway. Companies are bought and sold, markets fluctuate, and technology changes. Add to that our new global economy, and burying your head in your cubicle until retirement is no longer an option.

What about loyalty? What about climbing the corporate ladder? Entrepreneurs can be loyal, and they can be ambitious (at least they better be!). For some reason, when I speak with my corporate friends, they all seem to think that entrepreneurs lack these skills.

One of the first things every entrepreneur learns (and every corporate entrepreneur should learn) is that forming and maintaining strategic partnerships are vital. And those that survive in the marketplace are the ones who do that well. Corporate professionals should view companies like partners. To whom do you want to partner up with for a while? What opportunities are available to you through this partnership?

Nevertheless, the second important principle is understanding that even in the best partnerships, business is business. Partnerships can end, for many solid reasons (markets change, interests diverge, etc.) and that doesn’t make someone unloyal. In fact, it would be unwise to continue. Yet I meet many corporate professionals who refuse to read the writing on the wall, mostly because they are a little too cozy in their current situations, and use loyalty as their excuse. What they fail to understand, however, is that when businesses go under or focuses change, it isn’t a question of loyalty, it is a question of making the best business decisions (without that, you no longer have a business, just ask GM). Your partner must make them to suit its best interest, and so should you.

All too often, professionals are bitter that their company hasn’t taken good enough care of them or hasn’t given them the security they think they deserve. What they can’t see is that this reaction is purely emotional and not based on any sense of business reality. Become a true entrepreneur for a bit, and you will see pretty quickly that you can put blood, sweat, and tears into building a business only to have it flounder (we don’t always get what we deserve or want). There just aren’t any guarantees, and you really need to stop looking for them.

The corporate entrepreneur understands that companies are involved in the marketplace, that this marketplace goes through fluctuations, and that he or she must stay vigilant of these fluctuations and adjust with them. He or she knows that eventually changes must be made, and that is OK because that is often where fresh opportunities come in.

Listen…your career is nothing more than a series of partnerships. It’s not a marriage (or several marriages) with a messy divorce. Right there is the biggest difference I see between entrepreneurs and corporate professionals. Corporate professionals often want the fairy tale love story: Boy (or girl) meets company. Company and boy fall madly in love with one another. Company vows to take care of boy till death do you part. Everything is good for awhile until company has to make some tough decisions and quickly realizes that it can no longer support boy in the manner it promised. In the meantime, boy becomes depressed and no longer feels appreciated. Does that sound somewhat familiar? If so, stop looking for another marriage.

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.

The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.

In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at http://www.noddleplace.com.

Job Search Tips: Optimizing Your Job Search Network

For those job seekers that don’t already know, developing and leveraging a network of friends and professionals is one of the most effective methods–aside from group job hunting–for finding and obtaining the job that is just right. However, there are ways to approach your network to make it work for you. So let’s review three critical steps

Step #1: Start Now–Even if You Aren’t Actively Searching

This is an absolute necessity! It is also the area in which most job seekers fail miserably. Think about it. To use a network, you need to have a network in place. This takes time, and lots of it. If you are out of a job today, it can take months to cultivate a network that can start to work for you. For most people, several months is much too long to wait to secure a new position. So, instead, you find most job seekers out there stuck with posting their resume online because they quickly realize that they do not have a network in place at all.

For those of you reading this that are employed today, start now. There are a lot of resources available to you to help manage your contacts: LinkedIn, FaceBook, Twitter, MySpace, NoddlePlace, and a whole host of social networking sites. Or you can simply have a list of names and numbers in your PDA or in your daytimer. However you manage it, start collecting names, numbers, and email addresses of friends, colleagues, clients, vendors, and co-workers. Then start a routine in which you touch base with them every so often: often enough to stay connected but not so often that you are burdensome. The more social your interaction in nature while you are employed, the easier it will be to discuss professional opportunities when the time comes.

Step #2: What Not to Do When the Time Comes

The biggest mistake the job seekers make when it does come time to tap into their network is to ask for a job. That is the one thing that will absolutely turn off even those ready and willing to help you. There is something about desperation that makes people want to slink away or, at best, say that they will let you know if they hear anything.

Step #3: How to Work Your Network

There are ways of interacting with others encourages them to help you. Of course, not popping up out of the blue and asking for a job is a good start. You can simply tell your network what it is your pursuing and ask whether they know anyone that you should contact. This engages them in a professional manner and makes them want to gather and impart information to help you in your search. Most people will gladly be forthcoming, tap their on sphere of influence, and begin generating leads for you.

So what are you waiting for? Start building your contact base and networking with them today! You will be well positioned for your next job search.

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.

The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.

In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at NoddlePlace.com. You can also follow me on Twitter.

Resume Writing Tips: How Far Back Do I Go on My Resume?

There is a lot of information floating around about how far back a candidate should go on his or her resume. Frankly, much of it is conflicting. In recent years, the trend has been to include about 10-12 years of work history on a resume. For different reasons, many professional resume writers will not include any information for jobs prior to that range. They will cite issues like potential age discrimination, lack of employer interest, and space considerations. All are valid reasons, with the age discrimination argument as the possible exception, but that is a story for another time.

Generally, recruiters will ask you to go back further and add much more detail. This will expand the number of opportunities they have to place you, which may be good for their commission, but may not be so good for you, the job seeker.

You may have friends or colleagues that tell you to include anything and everything since you received your working papers. They will tell you that full disclosure is a necessity.

So What Do I Do?

Look, there is no hard-and-fast rule when preparing a resume. It really is more art than science. It primarily does depend on the type of position you are pursuing, the depth and breadth of experience you have, the quality of accomplishments, and many other facets. I like to include job details going back about 10 or so years and then provide a footnote that lists position titles and company names, nothing else. This strategy provides the reader some context for how you started out and how you got to where you are today. Most importantly, it does so without demanding more time of the hiring manager (who likely does not have it to begin with) and without taking up critical space on the page. And for those HR reps and hiring managers who like to practice age discrimination, which I feel is few and far between, you are not providing them dates by which they can estimate your age.

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.
The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.
In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at <a href= “http://www.noddleplace.com” NoddlePlace. You can also follow me <a href= http://www.twitter.com/noddleplace Twitter.

Resume Tips for Financial Candidates

In today’s business environment, many candidates in the financial services arena, including banking, mortgage, and investment management, are hedging their bets and considering their options in the job market. However, they are concerned that little, if anything, will be available within their own field, so they plan to try their luck in other arenas. So what can you do with your resume if you find yourself in a similar situation?

Don’t Hide and Don’t Explain Away

One of the most common mistakes made by candidates who find themselves unemployed as a result of a bankruptcy, an acquisition, or a major downsizing, as well as candidates who are still employed but by a company or industry that is much maligned, is to attempt to hide information. Many others will spend a significant amount of space on their resume trying to explain how the predicament the company found themselves in was not their fault.

Employers don’t want to read that type of information because they are not interested in the type of candidates for whom nothing is ever their fault. Don’t get me wrong. The fact that your company went belly up or that stockholders demanded a massive layoff to achieve a temporary boost in the stock price is most certainly not your doing. However, employers get the impression from candidates that state that information on their resume that they are the type of person who typically blames things on everyone else. With the number of financial services organizations struggling, going under, or taking massive amounts of government—really taxpayer—money, a lot of job seekers will need to have a strategy on how to address these situations. Most will sympathize and some will empathize with your experience, as long as you don’t come across as desperate. So be straightforward about the companies you have worked for without listing all the reasons why you are no longer them.

Focus Your Resume

Do your best to target your resume for specific types of positions. You may feel like your experience does not translate easily into other areas, but that is simply not true. The more focused you get, the easier it will be to identify what employers are looking for and to gear the content of your resume to match their needs. Regardless of industry, employers today are looking for people that have a track record leading teams, improving processes, increasing revenue, and driving cost savings.

Don’t Lose Hope

I know it is easier said than done, but don’t lose hope. There is tremendous value in what you have done and even in the companies you have done these things for. Be confident in your background and don’t be squeamish about listing all of the information on your resume.

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.
The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.
In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at NoddlePlace. You can also follow me on Twitter.

The Twitter Job Search: Does It Live Up to the Hype?

Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, NoddlePlace.com…by now you have probably been exposed to at least one, if not more, of these sites. If you’ve been keeping up with the latest job search news, you’ve also probably been bombarded with cries to “network, network, network.” Well, networking as a job search tactic itself is obviously not new, but social networking and social media sites like Twitter (and NoddlePlace.com) are. And although these types of sites attract lots of users, not everyone knows how to use them effectively, especially when it comes to the job search.

To help you get the most out of NoddlePlace.com as well as Twitter, and the others, here are some basic tips. Obviously, each site is a little different in its focus, but some similar concepts apply to all of them.

1. Networking is a two-way street. Unfortunately too often we wait until we are in desparate need of something, like a job, to start building an effective network. And once that happens, then we scramble to tap into all of our resources. The problem, however, is that we forget the basic tenet of networking: Give and Take. People who understand that do well at networking in general and especially at social networking in particular. So don’t get on these social networking sites and be a taker only.

2. Don’t miss your chance to be generous to someone else. The main plea we hear at NoddlePlace.com from job seekers is that they don’t have a large network. However, when we encourage them to meet other job seekers and start networking with them, they don’t want to speak to them unless that person “has something for them.” Although it is certainly understandable, after all networking is a long, arduous process, it is also pretty short sighted. So along the same lines as #1, search out people on these sites that you might be able to offer some advice to or throw a job lead to. You don’t have to promise anyone a job, but maybe you could pass along their resume or recommend a headhunter you’ve worked with?

3. Don’t wait around to be noticed. Too often people sign up for social networking sites and then sit around and wait for someone to notice them. Or they simply fail to get involved. It’s kind of like attending a face-to-face event and then standing in the corner refusing to speak with anyone. It won’t be very effective for you. Look for forum areas or groups you can join and participate in. How does that lead to a job, you might ask? Most people on these sites are just like you, eager to meet other people, and they understand the “give and take” principle of networking. You will be surprised at how many people are willing to give you leads, recommend resources/recruiters, and help in any way they can.

4. Fill in your profile. Many people neglect their profiles on social media sites. If you aren’t willing to fill in the profile, then I am not sure you can expect these sites to work for you. Be sure to state clearly the position you are seeking, where, and in what industry.

As you can see, these tips all revolve around a simple theme: You get out of them what you put into them. No one is suggesting you spend all of your job search hours on social media alone, but you don’t want to neglect it either.

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.

The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.

In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at NoddlePlace. You can also follow me on Twitter.

Beginner’s Guide to the Twitter Job Search: Top 5 Essentials

It is hard to imagine a job seeker today who isn’t on Twitter. Like LinkedIn, it is rapidly becoming a must-do social networking tool. And also like LinkedIn, it is rapidly becoming a popular hangout for job seekers.

Unlike LinkedIn, however, Twitter moves at a strange pace. It isn’t just about adding contacts you’ve worked with in the past or with whom you have had some connection. Twitter is mostly about making new friends, be it socially, professionally, or both.

At first it can be a confusing world where you are limited to just 140 characters and are bombarded with “tweets” and “retweets” that all sound like random non sequiturs.

Over the last two months, my partner (@rezlady) and I (@noddleplace) have spent a great deal of time “tweeting” with job seekers on Twitter, and many of them have the same issue. They want a job, they have heard that Twitter is a good tool for finding one, and they have no idea how to use it to accomplish that goal.

So to help newcomers (and maybe those who’ve been on Twitter a while but are now starting to use it for their job search), I have compiled the top 5 things we are often advising job seekers about when they are trying to maneuver their job search on Twitter:

1. Update your profile to include job sought. Many times job seekers will tweet out little laments, I’m assuming in the hopes that someone will notice them. They will say something like “I need a job. Will someone help me?” The first thing I do when I see this cry for help is click on the person’s profile. All too often when I do, I see nothing on there that tells me the type of position sought. If you are going to use Twitter as a job hunting tool, then you at least need to let Twitterville know what you are looking for. Be as specific as you can in the 140 characters allowed. As with anything in the job search, the more targeted the better.

2. Watch your tweets. Once you enter into the job search realm, Twitter should no longer become an avenue for ranting, raving, and misbehaving. I’m not sure it ever bodes well, but it is an especially bad idea if you want hiring managers, recruiters, and the like to speak to you. Before I engage in a conversation with a job seeker, I will often look at the quality of the tweets he or she has posted that day. Sometimes it is amazing how profane or crude they are.

Also, be careful not to go off on your past or current employer. Stop providing details about recent interviews or companies you are applying with. Remember, your “tweets” are public. Unlike LinkedIn, more than just your followers can read them.

3. Start following career pros. Twitterville has so many career pros, from resume writers to recruiters to staffing agencies to placement firms. Niche sites are frequent users of Twitter as well. Looking for hospitality jobs or IT jobs or freelance opportunities? You can find several specialty job boards on Twitter to follow. Recently, a Twitter job board was launched called www.twitterjobsearch.com.

Furthermore, feel free to take advantage of hash tags like #jobangels, #jobseekers, and #jobs. You can post the type of job you are seeking and then use one or all of these hash tags. Your post will then be read by everyone who follows those tags.

4. Find other job seekers to help. Because Twitter is so full of job seekers at the moment, there are plenty of others you can help along the way. As you are going to be tracking job advice, postings, etc., you will see lots of opportunities that may not be right for you, but they might be a good fit for someone else. So “retweet” or pass along those to someone else. After all, that’s how true networking works. If you want to make friends, it’s a give-and-take relationship. If you don’t want to make friends, well, then Twitter isn’t the place for you anyway.

5. Get application for searching. Twitter really opens up to you when you find a good application to use. Twhirl and Tweetdeck are popular ones that help you organize the tweets of your followers by making groups and help you search on specific topics, just as “job search.” They also help you see when someone has specifically spoken to you even while you were away. If you are going to be sending out pleas for a job, you don’t want to miss it when someone speaks back to you!

On a final note, as much as I love Twitter and recommend it for every job seeker, whatever your do, don’t limit your job search to just Twitter. Personal/professional networking is still the best approach. Face-to-face interaction always works best, and no matter how great social networking is, it can’t replace that type of connection. So don’t get too caught up in Twitter each day that you forget to get out there!

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.

The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.

In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at NoddlePlace. You can also follow me on Twitter.

The Great Cover Letter Debate

To cover letter or not to cover letter … that seems to be the question these days. This past week alone on Twitter, my business partner and I must have come across or participated in no less than 30 discussions that started out something like this: “Do I really even need a cover letter? Does anyone read them anymore?”

At one point, someone even started a poll to gather opinions from around the blogosphere.

Responses to these pleas varied from “cover letters are worthless” to “one third of hiring managers say they still read them” to “social media is now replacing the cover letter.”

Whatever your take, there is no doubt that the presentation of the cover letter is changing to suit the varying avenues out there for applying for positions. Some claim that a short e-mail (a couple paragraphs max.) is fine with your resume attached when sending the resume via e-mail. Others claim that the cover letter detracts from the resume and sounds too much like a marketing letter anyway so ditch it all together. Still others think you should direct employers to your blog as a way of “introducing” yourself.

For me, I think this discussion really misses the more important point, which is what is the purpose of the cover letter in the first place? And if you opt out of putting together a traditional cover letter, how are you making up for it elsewhere?

When you speak with hiring managers and recruiters, some of them will tell you that they do not read through cover letters because they all sound like stock form letters written for hundreds of people to read. Other hiring managers will tell you that they might glance at the first sentence or two, figure out whether the letter is pretty pointless, and then quickly move on to the resume.

If all that is true, then what that tells me is that the reason cover letters aren’t often read isn’t because they are antiquated or even unwanted necessarily; it is because they simply aren’t effective and hiring people are tired of reading them.

Too often when job seekers are thinking about their resume and cover letter package, they are thinking about…themselves…and not about the audience they are trying to reach. This is a mistake for both documents, but it is particularly egregious when it comes to the cover letter.

Why?

Because a letter is a method of communication between you and the reader. If you aren’t able to communicate effectively with your reader, then you aren’t communicating.

Listen. A cover letter is your opportunity to showcase to a company what you know about it, be its culture, its needs, or its products/services. One of the biggest pet peeves that interviewers have is that they feel that most candidates don’t even know, much less care, about the mission of the company they are applying to.

So take what you know about the company and line it up with your background and accomplishments. Tell them how you fit in! I heard about a candidate who actually made a two-column table and placed the company’s job posting on the left side and then matched up those desired skills with his experience on the right side.

Personally, I like it when candidates talk about the products or services the company provides or quote from the vision statement of the company and personalize the letter that way. At least it says that you haven’t just sent this same letter to 200 other companies. It says that you want to work with this particular company for a particular reason.

I know, I know. I can hear you now: “It’s more time consuming this way.” But is it really? Think about it. Sure, you may spend less time sending out pointless cover letters but more time on your job search overall. So why not take the opportunity to turn what is a missed opportunity for so many others into an effective tool for you? Even if it costs you a few extra minutes on the front end.

These days everyone is trying to stand out. Maybe the best way to do that is simply to do the basic things well.

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.
The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.
In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at NoddlePlace. You can also follow me on Twitter.

Group Job Hunting 101

What is Group Job Hunting?

Many of you may be asking, “What is group job hunting anyway?” No, it is not like group therapy where you want to share as little as possible with a bunch of people you don’t really know. It is also not anything like group interviewing, where a prospective employer grills a whole group of job candidates at the same time so that they can compete with one another head to head.

Group job hunting is an alternative channel for conducting a job search that connect job seekers with one another and allow them to share contacts, resources, leads, and other advice.

Does Group Job Hunting Work?

OK. Connecting with other job seekers sounds nice, but does it really help? Simply put, yes! Group job hunting has demonstrated a success rate of 84%. Compare those types of results with the success rates of candidates using job posting sites. That avenue is successful only about 4% of the time. Consider the millions who post their resume to the various sites available today. If this describes you, now you know why you probably have not gotten a response to your resume post. The old tried-and-true method of sending a hard copy of your resume in response to an advertisement in the classifieds of your local newspaper has a better chance of getting you in the door than posting to a job site.

Why Does it Work?

Group job hunting is successful because it combines elements of networking with target marketing and strategy development. Think about it. You know people, even if they are not able to help you in your job search. Many other job seekers our there are in the same predicament. By connecting with them, you are essentially tapping into their contact base. And oftentimes, it comes down to you interacting with the brother of a friend of a co-worker of a neighbour of someone you used to go to school (you get the picture).

Like many things in life, it’s who you know, not what you know. So what are you waiting for? Start building your network of job seekers today. Happy hunting!

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.
The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.
In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at NoddlePlace. You can also follow me on Twitter.

Recruiters Are Not “Employment Superheroes”

Sadly, this basic concept seems to have eluded many job seekers out there. I’m not sure how it started exactly, but somewhere along the way many candidates began to lump recruiters and headhunters into the same category as social workers, believing that simply out of their own generosity they tirelessly look for just the right job to suit each candidate.

In other words, they are “employment superheroes,” out there doing the work for you.

Now don’t get me wrong…there are many kind-hearted recruiters out there who do care very much about candidates and who would like to see them achieve their goals.

But that’s not what the recruiter is there for…solving all your job search woes.

It’s pretty simple. A recruiter, typically, will only be looking for candidates who fit with the types of positions he or she is being paid to recruit for (or will be paid for if a suitable candidate can be found).

If you don’t fit with what the recruiter needs, then he or she can’t help you. The recruiter might keep your info on file and contact you if anything does come up, but basically it is time to move on.

I’m not sure why this relationship then becomes so complex for many job seekers. Instead they hang on every word the recruiter says. “He told me he would call me in a couple weeks.” “She said my resume doesn’t have enough business development in it.”

They can’t seem to capture the code words here for “I don’t have anything right now.” It’s kind of like the “let’s just be friends” speech so often given at the end of a dating relationship.

Instead of getting the message, the job seeker runs off to their resume writer screaming, “why did you short-change me on business development?” (Never mind that they are looking for a technical job.)

I also find that once many job seekers begin talking to recruiters, they stop putting much effort into their job search. Instead they play the waiting game. (It’s kind of like the job posting boards, where the resumes go in, never to be heard from again. Yet everyone keeps posting anyway and then waiting for something to happen.)

I’m not saying recruiters won’t contact you, but again, only if they have a specific position for which you are suited that happens to come across their desk, not because they are staying up at night worrying about finding a position for you.

This point is very important, especially now when position openings are few and job searches are taking longer and longer. So don’t just talk with one or two recruiters; talk with several. And find ones that work in your field or industry.

But whatever you do, diversify your job search approach. Networking! Group Job Hunting! Every year they consistently rank the highest in effectiveness for job seekers, and every year I have to spend hours convincing candidates of the benefits. Instead I hear, “I just know this recruiter is going to come through for me!” Ah, the employment superheroes…

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.

The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.

In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at NoddlePlace. You can also follow me on Twitter.

Social Networking & Job Seekers: It’s Not a Popularity Contest

Are you like so many other job seekers…on the desperate hunt for more followers and more connections on all the social media networking sites? After all, the more you have, the more you increase your odds of finding a job faster, right?

And certainly the blogosphere is replete with job search advice telling you that social networking is the hot new trend that separates job seekers into two camps: those with connections and those without. And those with the most connections…win?

Aah, so we’re faced with the old quantity versus quality debate once again. Is more really better (or at least as good)? Or maybe in the case of a job search, the better way to phrase the question is as follows: Is popularity on these sites more effective?

Here’s my take:

We all know the old saying that goes something like this: It’s the quality, not the quantity, that matters. Unfortunately, in our society today, that concept has often been lost. We like to talk a lot about quality in all aspects of our lives, from Six Sigma and ITIL quality methodologies in the marketplace to “quality time” with our children and family to quality health/lifestyle practices.

All of this talk is really nice to say and could not be better said; the problem is that quality takes time to nurture, and we live in a fast-paced, want-it-now culture. So how can you truly have quality relationships, products, and lifestyles when you are expecting everything instantaneously?

I used to have a friend who would always say “Fast food isn’t good, and good food isn’t fast.”

When it comes to social networking (or face-to-face networking, for that matter), the same principle applies.

You can rush to build up as many connections as possible, but that doesn’t mean that they will be all that helpful to you. And then you have wasted precious job search time. On the other hand, having the best quality connections makes your job search that much more effective, but it takes time to cultivate.

So what is a job seeker to do? Remember that networking is productive, but you must be strategic about it. Once you’ve tapped into your personal network, begin building connections on social networks with niche people who specialize in your area, have great resources to offer, and provide you with connections to other valuable professionals. Look for group job hunting social networks where you can connect with other job seekers who can profit from your network and vice versa. These methods lead to quality networking results.

Are they fast? No, but neither is the alternative. So you might as well do it right. Besides, establishing a strong network is not just good for this search, but it can be a long-term benefit as well. So in the end, quality wins.

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.

The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.

In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at NoddlePlace. You can also follow me on Twitter.

About to Toss Your Resume/Cover Letter Out the Window?

So there you are…staring at the Microsoft Word page. Maybe it is just a fresh document, or maybe you are trying out one of Word’s overused résumé/letter templates. You’ve read up on all the “rules,” the plethora of do’s and don’ts. You think you have a pretty good handle on how a résumé and cover letter should be put together. After all, people tell you that you’re a good writer. You know all about proper usage of white space on a page.

So why does everything you seem to write come out like a bad marketing promo? It ranges anywhere from bloated to desperate to not bad, but not you. In fact, you’ve pretty much just described everything you aren’t or don’t want to be.

Or perhaps you’ve gone the other way. You thought you created a masterpiece the first time around. It was so exquisite, you were just sure that someone would hire you without even bothering with an interview! But, alas, that did not happen, and the reaction has been lukewarm at best.

What went wrong? Why can’t you seem to capture your professional essence on paper?

Here are my three theories:

1. Self-writing is one of the hardest types of writing there is. A résumé is essentially an autobiography of sorts. (Although, it should by no means be as extensive or as personal as an autobiography!) Ask anyone who’s written an autobiography, and they will tell you that it is one of the hardest things to do. Either you come off sounding too arrogant (and, yes, you can do that with a résumé; marketing does NOT equal arrogance; marketing equals convincing your audience that you can solve its problems) or you come off too flat.

2. Your résumé is too self-focused. To avoid the problem in theory #1, the more you keep your audience at the forefront, the more effective you will be. And the easier the writing process will be. That is why a broad résumé doesn’t work too well for a job seeker. There is no direct audience with whom to connect.

3. All writing takes practice. Résumé writing is so different from any other form of writing. You don’t write in sentences, except with the cover letter. You don’t include the first person, again except with the cover letter (and even then you want to keep it minimal). There is a strategy to organizing the writing that often gets overlooked by job seekers. Contrary to some beliefs, it is not a laundry list of job descriptions. It can all sound simple, but unless it is something you do on a regular basis, it can be hard to implement.

So does this mean I think that a professional résumé writer is your only hope? No. But I do think you need to be realistic about it, and if you are going to do it yourself, you need to ask yourself the following questions:

1. How well do I really know my target market? Have I sufficiently researched my industry enough to know what hiring managers are looking for? Am I up-to-date on the latest keywords and terminology?

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that because you have spent the last 10 years in a particular field, you are necessarily well versed on that field on a global level. Corporations, even very large ones, often have their own verbiage and abbreviations that do not always translate into the field at large. Plus, many companies, again even very large ones, are not always up to the latest standards and trends.

2. Can I realistically match up my skills with the company’s needs? Is my audience too broad?

If your audience is too wide, you are going to end up all over the place, detailing things that no one but you cares about. Job seekers do this a lot. They get hung up on certain accomplishments or attributes that they think are really impressive. And for good reason; these were significant events in their careers. However, that doesn’t mean your target market will put as much emphasis on it as you do. If you don’t have a clear audience, then you won’t know for sure how to approach representing it.

3. What do I know about formatting a document?

Whatever you do, do not follow a Word template. Too many people do; plus, the templates are not very good. Many of them have objective statements, and you should no longer be using objective statements.

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.

The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.

In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at NoddlePlace. You can also follow me on Twitter.

Job Seeker, Is It Time to Change Course?

Across the blogosphere, there has been some buzz surrounding the declaration by a well-known Internet marketer that job seekers should just quit the job search and start their own company instead. The reaction among career support professionals was mixed. Some loved the advice. Others hated it. And many others fell somewhere in between.

As for me, I think it is like so many of these things…it got the reaction it was looking for. In other words, it produced the shock value it needed to get everyone talking about it.

So does that mean I disagree? Not exactly. As a small business owner who left the corporate world to try my own venture (which has thankfully done well), of course I think it is a great decision. But as a job search coach who works with hundreds and hundreds of job seekers each year, I can honestly say that not everyone can or wants to be a business owner. And it is pretty unrealistic to think that will happen. (Not to mention the logical implications of it as well…if we all owned businesses, who would do the leg work…most business owners need support, etc.)

For some job seekers, a layoff, firing, and so on is just the push they need to move forward on that great business idea they have always wanted to try. And with some startup capital available and a good understanding of their market, they go for it.

But for those job seekers who see starting their own business as just a way out of a bad time for job searching and are looking for that interim thing, the plan could backfire. For one, leaving the corporate world is a big decision. Although being a business owner is probably one of the hardest jobs out there, particularly if you have to start the business from the ground up, corporate America does not always value the little guy. So if you want to go back to corporate life a couple years down the road, not everyone is going to welcome you back, happy to see that entrepreneur experience on your resume.

Second, to make a business work, you have to really love at the very least some aspect of it or you will fall flat pretty quickly. For me, I love negotiating and dealing with people. My business partner, on the other hand, loves to make it rain. So after she goes in and creates the possibility (often out of thin air), I like to come in and finalize the particulars. It works great now, but it took a long time to figure that out. And it was only drive and determination (and necessity) that made us figure it out. If we had been in it just to keep us going until we went back to corporate life, it never would have worked.

Still other job seekers out there just want and desire to be part of the corporate rat race. They like support roles. Or they like coming in and learning the structure in place, and figuring out how to maneuver in it. That is where the excitement comes into play for them. They want to see the upward mobility and know the potential. They like being a part of something, a group, etc. They don’t want to start it; they want to make it grow or sustain what’s already in place. I’m not sure how these types of people could be expected to be business owners (unless, like me, they had a real rainmaker at their side).

So the point is that you really need to know the kind of worker you are. I mean, even if you are a business owner, truly, you are always working for somebody. If you need to make cash (and we all do), you need someone to give it to you. And that someone (or someones) becomes your boss, so to speak. So the decision really is whether you have the entrepreneurial temperament combined with a strong business concept, perseverance, and startup funds. If you don’t, that’s fine…just don’t bother.

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.

The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.

In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at NoddlePlace. You can also follow me on Twitter.

Resume Tips for Contractors and Consultants

Independent contractors and consultants often find it difficult to prepare a resume because of their disjointed work history. They tend to have lots of short-term jobs, which usually results in a resume that violates two of the main principles of effective resume writing. They are:

1. Length: A candidate that has numerous contracts or consulting engagements over a 10-year period will want to capture all of them (particularly when they insist on including the month and year of the engagement), which can generate a resume that is five or more pages in length.
2. Longevity: Most job seekers will list the company the contract was with as the “employer” because is it often a company that many will immediately recognize. Although it is important to include brand-name companies on a resume, as they do carry a lot of weight to recruiters, HR reps, and hiring managers, the negative impact the apparent choppiness of experience can have far outweighs the benefit of listing the jobs in this manner.

How Do I Create a Resume for Contract Positions?

As a consultant or contractor, developing a resume for another contract-based position will be simpler than developing a resume for an in-house, corporate position. Recruiters and hiring professionals experienced in the consulting or contracting arena will expect many job entries that are short in duration on a candidate’s resume. As such, you can craft your resume in a manner that highlights your more high-profile engagements as well as those in which you have some special achievement to call out. Longevity should not be a major issue in this type of resume, just length. You want to be sure that the resume is not too long, which can cause the reader to lose interest and bypass you entirely.

How Do I Go from a Contract or Consulting Position to an In-house Position?

Developing a resume for an in-house position when the bulk of your experience is in consulting or independent contracting is the real issue at hand here. Don’t worry. There are ways to communicate your key strengths and accomplishments while meeting the length and longevity expectations of corporate hiring professionals. Remember, HR representatives are the first group to review your resume, and they look for certain “red flags” to eliminate candidates right off the bat, which is somewhat reasonable as they usually have hundreds of resumes to go through. Two of the major “red flags” are employment gaps and whether the candidate is a job hopper.

If you list only some of the contracts you have had, it could very well leave holes in your experience time line. Again, if you include everything, the resume will be way too long. To overcome both issues, list the consulting or contracting firm you worked through, or, if self-employed, the name of your firm (if you did not have a formal name, simply add “Services” or “Professional Services” after your last name to represent your company name) for the main position heading. This is an umbrella entry that should indicate the time period of your contracting history. Then simply provide a general overview of what you did, saving individual engagements for the bulleted list.

If you worked for many different contracting or consulting organizations, my recommendation is to make the umbrella listing with the date range for your position as a consultant. Then you can have a sub-heading that mentions the different consulting or contracting firms you worked with during that time frame. This way, you can combine most things, if not everything, into this one main entry. Provide a basic overview of your duties, like discovery, analyzing customer needs, developing solutions, recommending strategies, etc. and then list major engagements and their positive outcomes in the bulleted list.

This approach will help get your resume through the initial reviews performed by corporate HR folks by overcoming some of the “red flags” that derail so many contractors and consultants when looking to switch to an in-house type of position.

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.

The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.

In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at NoddlePlace. You can also follow me on Twitter.

Is Your Résumé Riddled With Bullets?

I feel I can be silent no more. It is time to stand up for the bullet point.

I review hundreds of résumés per month, thousands per year, and one of the main areas of formatting confusion has to do with use of bullets. I see résumé after résumé with nothing but bullet points.

And I can’t fault job seekers on this one. Many of these résumés are written by certified professional résumé writers!

What gives?

It never fails that whenever someone speaks forth résumé advice, the context always seems to get lost somewhere in the execution. Someone, somewhere, who must have been in the know, said something like this: “Use bullet points in your résumé because they are a great way to add emphasis.”

And thus bullets have been splaying ever since!

First and foremost, people love bullets. And for good reason. They keep things quick and easy and are nicer to peruse than lengthy paragraphs. Second, people feel that when something is bulleted, it makes the statement seem more important. It tells the reader that in fact: “Hey, notice this point!”

The problem, however, is that a document full of bullets looks no more inviting to read than a document full of block paragraphs. And the idea that each bullet has something interesting to see gets convoluted when you are met with two full pages of them. All of a sudden you are saying that everything is of equal importance on the page, so instead of standing out, it now all blends together.

So what is a job seeker or a résumé pro to do?

Make your bullet points count!

Infuse short paragraphs saved for basic job descriptions (up to no ~5 lines in length) and then use your bullets to highlight your most important and pertinent accomplishments). I’m not sure you can put a limit on the amount of bullet points used per position, but 4 is a nice number to go by.

To give you a better visual of what I mean, look at the following two samples:

Sample 1

Led 40-person team to devise and execute strategies to transform city operations and community satisfaction.

• Engaged residents and businesses through various mediums to identify and address needs.

• Planned and managed annual operating budget and expenditures.

• Directed citywide projects and improvement initiatives.

• Overhauled 26 outdated ordinances, infrastructure, development standards, and financial practices.

• Achieved significant reduction in risk and liability exposure related to OSHA violations, legal and zoning disputes, financial settlements, and procedural documentation.

• Revamped billing and collection processes to improve cash flow, which enabled execution of 10% tax cut and subsequent re-election in 2006.

How do you differentiate from the list above what stands out as the main accomplishments and what are just basic job tasks?

Now look at the next sample:

Sample 2

Led 40-person team to devise and execute strategies to transform city operations and community satisfaction. Engaged residents and businesses through various mediums to identify and address needs. Planned and managed annual operating budget and expenditures. Directed citywide projects and improvement initiatives.

Key Achievements:

Overhauled 26 outdated ordinances, infrastructure, development standards, and financial practices.

• Achieved significant reduction in risk and liability exposure related to OSHA violations, legal and zoning disputes, financial settlements, and procedural documentation.

• Revamped billing and collection processes to improve cash flow, which enabled execution of 10% tax cut and subsequent re-election in 2006.

Now it is clear what the day-to-day focus was for this candidate and what were the main highlights.

I’m not sure where and when the paragraph started getting such a bad rap, but somewhere it started falling under the category of “bad” or “uninviting.” In Sample 2, if you had more context that you wanted to add or just wanted to break up the text a bit, you could do a really amazing thing: Hit Enter!

See what I mean:

Sample 3

Led 40-person team to devise and execute strategies to transform city operations and community satisfaction. Engaged residents and businesses through various mediums to identify and address needs. Planned and managed annual operating budget and expenditures.

Directed citywide projects and improvement initiatives. Proposed recommendations to City Council for approval. Created and facilitated financial training programs to disseminate best practices and standard operating procedures.

Key Achievements:

Overhauled 26 outdated ordinances, infrastructure, development standards, and financial practices.

• Achieved significant reduction in risk and liability exposure related to OSHA violations, legal and zoning disputes, financial settlements, and procedural documentation.

• Revamped billing and collection processes to improve cash flow, which enabled execution of 10% tax cut and subsequent re-election in 2006.

Is it still too much to read for your taste? We could certainly argue that. But at least the bullets mean something now. The document looks well organized and thought-out as opposed to just a laundry list of items.

So whatever you do, consider how you splay your bullets!

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.

The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.

In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at NoddlePlace. You can also follow me on Twitter.

Maximizing The Résumé Profile Section

As a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW), l know I am supposed to say that the professional section is much more worthwhile than the vague objective statements of old that focused too much on the candidate’s needs and not enough on the fulfilling the desires of the potential employer. And for the most part, I do believe that. However, lately as I have been reviewing résumés, all done correctly with profile sections, I can’t help but think they are starting to sound the same. Thus, what was meant to make a candidate stand out ends up making him or her just like everyone else.

So I thought I would take some time today to generate a discussion on how this section might be improved. My goal when working on the profile section is to (1) make the client sound unique (i.e., what are the things in this client’s background that set him or her apart?), (2) embed important keywords and phrases, and (3) properly position the client for the target audience.

I’ve been challenging myself lately to use less adjectives and to get right to the point, kind of like a Twitter tweet in some ways, I guess. I’m just tired of seeing “dynamic” and “dedicated” and so on, which are so overused they have no meaning anymore.

I would love to hear how others approach this section. Do you agree/disagree that clients are all starting to sound the same? What are some tactics you employ to make this section more effective?

Enough of the Resume Advice Already!

Resume advice. It’s everywhere lately. Honestly, there’s so much of it that a job seeker would have to work hard not to be bombarded by it. Do this. Don’t do that. Make sure you have this. Make sure you don’t have that.

Not only is the amount of advice overwhelming, but it is also often contradicting. I actually met a job seeker last week whose first comments to me were “please don’t give me anymore resume advice!”

I can’t say that I blame him. I’m not sure I’ve ever met a profession like ours where we try so hard to turn people into our equivalents. Do lawyers spout forth to you every aspect of the law when they work with you? Do accountants teach you every nuance in the tax code? No, they tell you what you need to know and they respond to your questions, but they don’t teach you how to be lawyers and accountants.

For some reason, us career pros seem to feel the need to turn everyone else into us.

And we seem to feel the need to do that in such a general way that we often put forth contradiction after contradiction. My job seeker from above was mostly frustrated that blog after blog relayed different advice on how long his resume should be, how the summary/profile section should be arranged, and how much to rely on bullet points. Each “career pro” who reviewed his resume had something different to say and, yes, often contradictory. Not only that, but recruiters said one thing, hiring managers said another, and resume writers still something else.

No wonder so many job seekers are skeptical about paying for resume services! We sound like we don’t know what we are talking about!

And they are walking away not appreciating us but holding firm to all these edicts (“resumes can ONLY be 1 page in length,” “resumes should ONLY use bullet points, “resumes should ONLY go back 10 years in work history) that sometimes may have to be adjusted to meet the specific needs of that client’s audience.

Instead of bogging job seekers down in the nitty gritty (and I am just as guilty as the next pro) of resume details and so-called “rules,” maybe we should take another approach and explain all the factors that go into developing a resume’s strategy, which then determines length, number of bullets, and so forth.

Hey, maybe we should actually market our “value,” which is not that we know how to arrange things on a page in a nice format, but that we actually know how to “sell” a client on paper to the audience he or she is trying to reach.

And maybe before we dole out advice on how the resume looks and whether they’ve met all of our edicts, we can remind clients that resume writing, like any form of marketing, is not an exact science, that you are playing an odds game that all depends on how well you can anticipate not just the needs of the reader(s) but his or her preferences as well.

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.

The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.

In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at NoddlePlace. You can also follow me on Twitter.

The Truth About Writing a Resume

So there you are…staring at the Microsoft Word page. Maybe it is just a fresh document, or maybe you are trying out one of Word’s overused résumé/letter templates. You’ve read up on all the “rules,” the plethora of do’s and don’ts. You think you have a pretty good handle on how a résumé and cover letter should be put together. After all, people tell you that you’re a good writer. You know all about proper usage of white space on a page.

So why does everything you seem to write come out like a bad marketing promo? It ranges anywhere from bloated to desperate to not bad, but not you. In fact, you’ve pretty much just described everything you aren’t or don’t want to be.

Or perhaps you’ve gone the other way. You thought you created a masterpiece the first time around. It was so exquisite, you were just sure that someone would hire you without even bothering with an interview! But, alas, that did not happen, and the reaction has been lukewarm at best.

What went wrong? Why can’t you seem to capture your professional essence on paper?

Here are my three theories:

1. Self-writing is one of the hardest types of writing there is. A résumé is essentially an autobiography of sorts. (Although, it should by no means be as extensive or as personal as an autobiography!) Ask anyone who’s written an autobiography, and they will tell you that it is one of the hardest things to do. Either you come off sounding too arrogant (and, yes, you can do that with a résumé; marketing does NOT equal arrogance; marketing equals convincing your audience that you can solve its problems) or you come off too flat.

2. Your résumé is too self-focused. To avoid the problem in theory #1, the more you keep your audience at the forefront, the more effective you will be. And the easier the writing process will be. That is why a broad résumé doesn’t work too well for a job seeker. There is no direct audience with whom to connect.

3. All writing takes practice. Résumé writing is so different from any other form of writing. You don’t write in sentences, except with the cover letter. You don’t include the first person, again except with the cover letter (and even then you want to keep it minimal). There is a strategy to organizing the writing that often gets overlooked by job seekers. Contrary to some beliefs, it is not a laundry list of job descriptions. It can all sound simple, but unless it is something you do on a regular basis, it can be hard to implement.

So does this mean I think that a professional résumé writer is your only hope? No. But I do think you need to be realistic about it, and if you are going to do it yourself, you need to ask yourself the following questions:

1. How well do I really know my target market? Have I sufficiently researched my industry enough to know what hiring managers are looking for? Am I up-to-date on the latest keywords and terminology?

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that because you have spent the last 10 years in a particular field, you are necessarily well versed on that field on a global level. Corporations, even very large ones, often have their own verbiage and abbreviations that do not always translate into the field at large. Plus, many companies, again even very large ones, are not always up to the latest standards and trends.

2. Can I realistically match up my skills with the company’s needs? Is my audience too broad?

If your audience is too wide, you are going to end up all over the place, detailing things that no one but you cares about. Job seekers do this a lot. They get hung up on certain accomplishments or attributes that they think are really impressive. And for good reason; these were significant events in their careers. However, that doesn’t mean your target market will put as much emphasis on it as you do. If you don’t have a clear audience, then you won’t know for sure how to approach representing it.

3. What do I know about formatting a document?

Whatever you do, do not follow a Word template. Too many people do; plus, the templates are not very good. Many of them have objective statements, and you should no longer be using objective statements.

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.

The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.

In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at NoddlePlace. You can also follow me on Twitter.

The Social Media Job Search: Is It All Over but the Shouting?

Lately I’ve noticed an interesting trend when it comes to social media and the employment process. Everyone in the hiring world seems to have something they need, be it a job seeker looking for a job or a hiring pro looking to fill a position, and from both sides, I keep hearing that there is no one out there to fulfill these needs. Somehow there aren’t enough jobs, and yet when there are jobs, there aren’t people to fill them.

How can that be?

I spend a lot of time on the main social media sites. I joined as a career professional, and quickly found that many wonderful recruiters and job seekers are out there. As someone who spends his day trying to help job seekers through the job search process, I saw this as an opportunity to build connections for my clientele as well as for the candidates I meet on these sites. After all, isn’t that what these sites are for? To build connections?

But here is a typical day:

Job seeker: “Looking for PHP Developer position; willing to relo; 10 years exp.”

Recruiter: “Filling PHP Developer posting; must have 5+ years exp.”

Seems like a no-brainer, right? At the very least, these two people need to speak! But I cannot tell you how many times I have tried to be the conduit to make that happen, and I hear excuses from both sides as to why they don’t want to pursue it BEFORE they have even met!

On the one hand, the job seeker is skeptical of the recruiter and, I don’t know, maybe a little gun shy or something. So the job seeker is content to spend all day scanning job boards for positions that are likely no longer even open. Give the job seeker a name of yet another job board, and off they go happy as a clam!

On the other hand, the recruiter really doesn’t want to speak with job seekers after all. The recruiter would prefer someone currently employed or … something. Sometimes they actually seem to want me to screen these candidates for them instead of actually making a phone call and finding out.

I have to admit this is a head-scratcher for me.

To the recruiter: If you’re not there to recruit, what are you there to do? Talk with other recruiters?

To the job seeker: If you’re not there to actually speak with someone, what are you there to do? Shout out how no one is helping you?

Some wise soul out there might argue that this an old conundrum playing out in a new scene, and that is probably true. But it makes me question the ability of social media to really sustain itself as an effective job search tool. And let’s face it, in many regards, job seekers (those active and those “passive”) as well as career professionals are really driving the movement right now.

Of course, I am speaking in generalities here, and people love to tell the news media all the success stories they’ve heard of regarding job seekers finding leads for positions through social media connections, but as someone who is out there each day trying to help foster these success stories, I’m seeing mostly just disconnections. A lot of chirping with very little action behind it.

Believe me. I like a good idea, just like the next guy. I have certainly met some wonderful people through social media, but as a job search tool, sadly, I am not that impressed. And it’s not because the possibility isn’t there for it to be a good avenue. The problem isn’t the technology; its just good, old-fashioned human nature.

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.

The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.

In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at NoddlePlace. You can also follow me on Twitter.

Are Resumes Becoming Obsolete?

Spend enough time on social networking sites, blogs, and career pro networks, and you will be bombarded with information of resume do’s and don’ts. But what is the real future of the resume? Some say a paper resume will be obsolete in 5 years. Others say it will be whittled down to a 140 characters or less. Still others say very little will change.

As a resume writer who lives in a household with another resume writer (God help our daughter), this topic is ongoing. So I thought I would bring some of that discussion to you by interviewing my business partner and my bride, as well as my resume mentor, Sheree Van Vreede (aka @rezlady).

Me: Before we engage in our lofty attempt at discussing the future of the resume, why don’t you start off by giving us your credentials as a resume writer?

Sheree: My credentials? I’m sorry, but I’ve never written a resume a day in my life. However, I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night!

(Me frowning)

OK, you want me to be serious. In that case, I am Certified Professional Resume Writer or CPRW, which means that I have been deemed worthy by the Professional Association of Resume Writers/Career Coaches (PARW/CC) of writing resumes professionally. I’ve been writing resumes since 1995 when I worked for a small research center as a copy editor and was asked to produce resumes for each member of the staff.

Of course, I now write resumes with you as part of our company No Stone Unturned as well as assist our job seekers on NoddlePlace.com.

If you could sum up your philosophy about writing resumes, how would you characterize it?

If I had to do it in 140 characters or less, I’d say it is as follows: “Audience is everything.”

What do you mean by that exactly?

Well, basically, it all comes down to your audience, how well you know them, how well you speak to them, etc. I think I differ with many of my colleagues in that I believe resumes have become too long, too complicated, and too weighty and, essentially, not what most audiences are looking for.

It also doesn’t make sense to me to produce what I call “pretty” resumes, and I know that is also somewhat controversial among our resume-writing friends. Of course, you should have an appealing-looking document, but flash doesn’t really sell. Graphics, color, two-column newspaper style…none of that has proven to be anymore effective. Why? Because at the end of the day, the resume must reflect the needs of the potential employer. Period. Add color if it makes you happy, but it really isn’t about you.

Do you think paper resumes will become a thing of the past?

Definitely not. It’s kind of like the paperless office. It’s a nice thought; everyone says they want it; but it won’t happen. You can send them to your website, attach your electronic file to an e-mail, etc., but what do people inevitably end up doing? They either print it out or ask you for a hardcopy when they meet you. That doesn’t mean, however, that I think tools like VisualCV and even video resumes don’t have a future; it just means that at the end of the day, I still think you will need a paper copy.

So what do you think the future of the resume is going to be?

I have a theory that resumes are going to kind of morph into two documents. Right now there is a disconnect between what HR and recruiters want to see and what the actual hiring manager wants to see. And us resume writers are trying to please both of those groups with one document: hence the 5-minute-long document for the 30-second-or-less read.

The predominance of resume advice out there really appeals to HR and recruiters: strong keyword-driven documents with a narrow focus, highlighting accomplishments. But when the candidate gets past all that, the hiring manager craves more of the details, and it is hard to bring all of that out in an interview. So we try to give a little more in the current resume format, but it often isn’t enough or falls flat because we are really trying to appeal to two audiences. Granted, they may be trying to work together for one goal, but they are coming at it in two ways. The recruiters and HR people are there to weed out, and the hiring manager is there to, well, actually hire you. In my book, that requires two different presentations.

Larger companies, especially IT-focused firms, are already asking candidates who have endured the initial weed-out process to fill out long biographies, detailing the entire span of their career, which harkens to a curriculum vita-style document used primarily in academia or overseas.

Already, I’ve been preparing clients to have two documents, a short summary that helps position the client clearly to the gatekeepers, the HR and recruiting people, and a longer career bio that gives the hiring manager a solid view of their career span. Of course, I still think we need to be careful to not write career obituaries, and to keep the bio focused and to the point. After all, hiring managers don’t have all day. So I would recommend focusing much of the document on your involvement in the latest advancements of your industry. Here is where you really get to speak with “your peeps,” your colleagues, to get into more detail about your skill set and knowledge base.

Do you think our resume-writing colleagues will agree with your assessment?

Probably not! But that is OK. I’m not a prophet. I’m just an observer of the market. Some people say resume writing is not a science, and I agree it is not. Instead they say it is an art form. I say that is more like a psychological evaluation. How well do you know your market and how well can you speak to its needs? Right now I believe the resume market as a whole is in flux, and we need to figure out how to fulfill its needs.

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.

The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.

In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at NoddlePlace. You can also follow me on Twitter.

Some of My Favorite Twitter Job Seekers

I joined Twitter in January of this year to help promote my new social networking site for job seekers called NoddlePlace.com. What I discovered was so much more than just an outlet for all of us Internet marketers. Instead I found a talent pool overflowing with highly qualified professionals that any organization would be privileged to work with.

I don’t know about you, but I am tired of hearing that the best talent are those currently employed, not those looking for jobs. Considering how random layoffs often are these days, I’m not sure I understand the logic in that thinking. Plus, after having spent several years in corporate America, I can honestly say that the crème of the crop is not always the most appreciated. Often it is astonishing who stays and who goes.

So as we go into this holiday weekend, I wanted to take a few minutes to highlight some job seekers I have met on Twitter.

1. @squill1: IT Technical pro with vast knowledge Nortel telecommunications systems. Primary voice contact as well as videoconferencing/WAN experience. Located in Phoenix, Arizona. Connect on Twitter or on NoddlePlace.com.

2. @UncleRick: Marketing and Business Professional with 15 years of domestic/global experience. Expertise in the creation and management of successful programs and promotions that meet customer needs and sales forecasts. Located in Cleveland, Ohio (but willing to relocate). Connect on Twitter or on NoddlePlace.com.

3. @DavidGraziano: Professional Sourcer & Talent Acquisition Specialist located in Exeter, Rhode Island. Experience in Contract, IT, Pemanent, Staff Augmentation and Corporate Recruiting with extensive Virtual Recruiting and Web 2.0 technologies expertise.

4. @Devoted2HR: HR and Business Development expert with 15 years in sales, marketing, recruitment, benefits administration, and employee relations fields. Located in Orlando, Florida. his job seeker has been a generous volunteer on @jobangels and has helped many job seekers get direction, advice, and leads for their search.

5. @TriumphCIO: VP / Director of IT, Applications; CIO / CTO of SMB, Division, Startup; Consulting Practice Leader. Seeking opportunity in Finance, Defense / Intelligence, Strategic Management Consulting, or Aerospace industries. Located in Chicago, Illinois. This job seeker also has been a generous volunteer on @jobangels and has helped many job seekers get direction, advice, and leads for their search.

6. @Som_M: Lead Materials Engineer looking for opportunity in solar, lighting, energy, electronics, and nanotechnology arenas. Located in Houston, Texas, but willing to relocate to California. Connect on Twitter or on NoddlePlace.com.

Like what you see here? Then connect with these users or contact me at @noddleplace, and I will be happy to introduce you to these job seekers.

Obviously, there are so many others I could mention here. If you are a recruiter or hiring pro, and you have positions to fill, please get in touch with me at steve@noddleplace.com. Perhaps we have some job seekers that fit the bill. I’d hate to see this great talent go to waste.

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.

The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.

In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at NoddlePlace. You can also follow me on Twitter.

Always an Interview, Never an Offer?

For some reason, lately I have been meeting up with several job seekers who have all had the same dilemma: many interviews without an offer. When I say “many,” I mean anywhere from 5 to 7 within a 3-month period. By and large, that is a good amount of interviews for this economy, and if you are obtaining this many without getting to an offer, it may be time to take stock.

Of course, industry and level of position come into play here as well as amount of competition for the position. However, the job seekers I have met with have cut across several industries, management levels, and regional markets. And when I have probed just a little bit, it hasn’t taken long to discover some of the potential issues.

Although each person is different as well as each situation, in almost every case, there are some similarities to watch out for.

Before I list these similarities, however, I want to make a general observation. If you are a job seeker and you are in this situation, many interviews with no offer, then if you are like my job-seeking clients, you probably aren’t going to like or even accept what I have to say here. Period. And that, of course, is what leads me to issue 1.

1. Inability to be objective. Many candidates forget that an interview is as much a personality contest as it is a discussion about ability. Of course, you are capable, but are you likable? For certain personality types, who don’t like “playing the game,” this can be tough news. This type of candidate comes into the interview even resenting the need for the interview or the need to “play the game.” What he or she fails to recognize is that this attitude is annoying, and no matter how much someone tries to hide it, it isn’t hard to uncover.

2. Denial about bitterness (and desperation). Like the resentful attitude in issue 1, bitterness and desperation are pervasive, whether you realize it or not. Although not the same things, these two attributes often take the job seeker to the same place: without an offer. Before you tell yourself you are good at covering it up, think again.

I spent hours with a candidate recently trying to convince her that her bitterness was pouring out of her like a bad perfume while she categorically denied it. She refused to see what everyone else could.

To help you uncover whether the two issues above could be affecting you during the interview, here are some questions to ask yourself (or better yet, why don’t you ask someone you trust to answer them on your behalf?):

• Are you spending a lot of time during your job search feeling down or sorry for yourself?

• Do you find yourself often talking about how you were wronged by this economy or your past employer?

• When you are in an interview, do you sometimes reach a point of frustration that you have to try and squelch?

• Do you often walk out of the interview feeling badly about the interviewer/company?

3. Failure to seize follow-up opportunities. Very few negotiations are secured in one meeting, even two. Sometimes it is the work you do between meetings that makes the difference. I am still amazed by how few candidates send thank-you notes to interviewers or follow up afterward. When an interview is over, they shrug their shoulders like they just finished taking a college exam. “It is what it is. What can I do now?” A lot!

4. Misplaced trust in references. For some reason, job seekers trust their references implicitly. But in many cases where offers are not being extended, it can be the result of those whom we believed would give us a good reference. Think about it. Almost no one will say “no” when you ask them to serve as a reference for you. And we think because they are seemingly nice to our face and willing to do it, that they will then be a good reference for us. Sorry to say, but this is not always the case. Unfortunately, it may not be that easy to figure out who is the weak link for you either if you are providing 3 or more references to a potential employer. However, if you have had several interviews and have handed over your reference names, only to not receive an offer, it might be time to try out some new references.

5. Forgetting that people lie. Just because a company didn’t disclose to you a bad reference, doesn’t mean you didn’t receive one. And just because a company tells you that you are under/overqualified doesn’t mean that is the real reason you didn’t get the job. Companies are made up of humans, and most humans don’t like confrontation. So instead of telling it to you straight, they will come up with a plausible excuse. Believe me, if you are the one they want, they will overlook a multitude of things to make it happen.

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.

The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.

In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at NoddlePlace. You can also follow me on Twitter.

Twitter Career Pros Who Don’t Just Tweet but Converse

Job seekers often lament to me that they cannot find people, career pros especially, who will actually help them, much less speak with them. In today’s social networking environment, there is no longer any reason for this. However, people are still people no matter what the technology is doing. And it can be tough, even on Twitter, to get some career pros to speak with you.

Believe me, I am a career pro on Twitter (@noddleplace), and I have not always been successful at getting other career pros to engage in conversation with me. Apparently, some are only there to give out information, not to actually interact.

But that’s OK. Twitter can be an instrument that’s left up to the user to wield. If you just want to pontificate, I say go for it!

But for job seekers who are still wondering whom they can meet and not just follow, but actually speak with, I’ve decided to put together a top 5 list of some of the most engaging Twitter pros I’ve come across:

1. @imjustagoyle: Cofounder of JobShouts.com along with @Tall_Geek, this career pro offers resume advice, job leads, and other advice, not to mention a valuable job board that actually posts real job postings!

2. @eExecutives: Meet Harry Urschel, a recruiter. Harry has his own blog called The Wise Job Search and is very approachable.

3. @juliaerickson: Julia is a career coach in NJ. She is also a member of the @careerealism team, which helps answer job seeker questions.

4. @ATLrecruiter: Stephanie is a talent acquisition consultant who writes for Examiner.com and offers lots of great tips.

5. @rezlady: OK, I know, she happens to be my wife, but she also happens to be a great Twitter resource who spends a great deal of her time tweeting with job seekers, offering them direction and advice.

If you know of others, please feel free to comment on them here. If I agree, I will add them to my next list.

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.

The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.

In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at NoddlePlace. You can also follow me on Twitter.

Job Search Distractions

As I work with job seekers of all levels and across multiple industries, I have come to realize that they all have one thing in common: They are all human. “Well, that’s obvious,” you may say. But what I mean by that is that they are all faced with distractions that can prevent them from conducting an effective job search.

Why are distractions more prevalent in a job search?

Some of you may be wondering why distractions are more of an issue during a job search compared with everyday life. Different people have different reasons. For some, just a change in the routine is enough to get them off balance and easily distracted. For others, it is a simple case of dreading the “unknown”—and let’s face it, there are many unknowns in the job search process—and those that dread the unknown will either procrastinate or simply find other things to do so that they don’t have to do the uncomfortable things.

What are some of the “Unknowns”?

Well, let’s see. Where should I start? For beginners, putting together a document that presents your work history and positions it so that it is meaningful to prospective employers is not an easy thing to do. So many job seekers will delay their search until their resume is perfect, which it never is. Deciding what you want to be—and how to position your information accordingly—is another difficult decision that prevents many from moving on to the actual search part of the job search process.

Some of the other unknowns and fears include questions like “what if my current employer finds out I’m looking,” “what if the recruiter tells me I’m not marketable,” “what if ABC Company doesn’t like my resume,” and “what if I send this resume and never hear back from anyone?”

Common Distractions

For job seekers that are employed full time, there are obvious challenges to conducting a job search. However, what most don’t recognize is that it takes a tremendous amount of discipline to be able to conduct an effective, efficient job search when you are a full-time job seeker. Why is that? Well, for one, most full-time job seekers conduct their search using their home as their “office.” For those that have never tried working from home before—and by that I mean actually performing work at home, not just checking voice mail and email—distractions are abundant.

I am always amazed at the number of job seekers on Twitter, who go there because they have heard it is a useful resource for conducting a job search, that do not really use the forum to do anything but talk about the fact that they are in a job search and that they hate it. As I write this, I am doing a search on the term “job search” in Tweet Deck. I have come across numerous entries from regular job seekers. Refreshingly, the first one I see says “I’m up early and plotting out my job search strategy.” Another, more typical post, says “Day 2 of search for job. 90% of plans for the day are unrelated to this goal…” Many posts will talk about doing the laundry, washing the car, cleaning the house, going out to lunch, and any other activity that can take a person’s time away from having to actually perform the job search. In fact, one post even says the following statement that I think is even more true than the author realizes, “I need more discipline to get this job search going! please send some positive thoughts and energy to help me fight the lazy demon. hahaha.”

How Do You Overcome the Distractions?

The key to removing, or at least limiting, the distractions that prevent you from conducting your search is in planning from both a strategic and tactical level. Put simply, you must prepare a high-level plan to define your end goal (that’s the strategy part). However, you must also map out a path for how you will achieve that goal. This pathway includes all the little steps that must take place along the way, including things like defining your job target, preparing a resume, identifying companies you would like to work for, determining the different search techniques you will use, and setting daily goals to make sure you stay on task.

As one of the tweets indicates above, you need to plot this thing out, and better early in the process too. If you are not a really self-disciplined person, than it is even more important that you do so, or you will find that the little distractions eat up 5, 6, or more hours of your 8-hour day, which was supposed to be spent as a full-time job seeker.

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?
My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.

The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.

In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at NoddlePlace. You can also follow me on Twitter.

Why the Interviewer’s Social Media/Online Image Is Important Too

We’ve heard so much lately about the importance of the online image of job seekers and why it is imperative for them to clean up their reputations before any potential employer searches them out. Niche businesses have even cropped up to help with this process and to turn a negative image into a more positive one.

Many companies are also spending significant resources to monitor and “fix” their online image, overcoming negative customer reviews and competitor backstabbing.
Nevertheless, although we are starting to hear more about companies cracking down on the online output of their employees, for the most part, few companies have the time and energy to devote to monitoring their employees’ online reputation. So, what about their employees who represent them to the public? Or their employees who represent them to potential talent? And furthermore, the recruiters, headhunters, and staffing agencies who actively assist in attracting top candidates? Is anyone considering the online image of these individuals and the effect it can have on job seekers?

I started researching this issue after an experience I had with a resume client of mine. She was an MBA project manager out of Atlanta with top-notch credentials. She was currently employed and was heavily recruited by a large recruiting firm for a Fortune 500 company. My client was approached about setting up an interview with the company through one of the primary recruiters for the firm. Before she agreed to go on the interview, she asked for the name of the company interviewer. She then began to look up not just the company but the interviewer and the recruiter as well.

Let’s just say that she didn’t like what she saw. And it made her question the professionalism of the parties involved.

So it made me wonder whether a poor online image of an employee was 1) really being considered by companies in regard to the company’s overall image and 2) really a fair (or valid) tool for a job seeker to use (anymore than it is for a company) in assessing a potential employment relationship.

Many of my social media career pro friends will tell you that ALL professionals, whether active job seekers or not, need to be using social media to their advantage in today’s marketplace. Yet when you consider that both employers and job seekers alike could be using this material to weed out people, it is going to cause a certain amount of backlash.

I am already coming across candidates who refuse to use social media, despite all the praise it receives, because they don’t want to worry about their image. Nevertheless, according to some “gurus,” not having a social media image can be considered a big negative too. So not playing the game can be just as hurtful, even more, as playing it, or so it appears.

Listen. “Personal branding” is all the rage these days. It is basically common sense wrapped up in a shiny, new term. And professionals across the ages have always had to be concerned about their reputations and the image they portray to the world around them.

In today’s market, however, what you type, the pics others take of you, what you say on a video, and so on can all be made available to the universe in perpetuity. Not to mention the comment you made on someone’s political blog, the tweets you twit, and the status info you share…all of which become available for public consumption. And although companies may seem to have the upper hand at the moment when it comes to employment, job seekers can turn the tables on them as well.

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.

The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.

In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at NoddlePlace. You can also follow me on Twitter.

Job Seekers on Edge – My Top 5

With unemployment rates soaring and job seekers in abundance, is it just me or have we all started this year a little on edge? As a career services professional, I have come across more manic, depressed, and generally angry people over the last several months than I have ever experienced. And I have to say that I am starting to get very concerned.

Don’t get me wrong. I love working with job seekers. That is why I do what I do! Each year, I have the privilege of serving about 600 people. And it is very rewarding to know that I can play a part in assisting someone in finding their next job, be it through creating a resume, setting a job search strategy, or working on retainer as they go through their job search ups and downs.

Like any job that deals with the public directly, however, you always come across a few candidates who, let’s just say, have much deeper issues than needing a new job. It’s one of the challenges of my line of work. But starting back in October 2008, right about when the big bank bailout bash came to a head, I started noticing a disturbing trend. Clients were facing more strain and anxiety than ever before.

And with the freedom that e-mail seems to bring to people, they started coming out of the gate, swinging, not just at me but at anything they could get their hands on.

To give you an idea of the kinds of things I’ve seen, here are the top 5 e-mails I’ve received. (Keep in mind that in each of these cases, these conversations took place before any service was delivered. We were in the “getting to know you” phase.):

• Job Seeker #1: He had a unique request for his resume:

“I’ll give you bonus points if you use the word ‘beguile’ in my resume because that’s what I do, deceive prospective clients into buying whatever [expletive] I’m asked to sell.”

At first, I thought he was joking, but no, he insisted that beguile be used in the resume.

• Job Seeker #2: He sent me a breakdown of his employment history:

“2006-2007: RECOVERING FROM SELF-INFLICTED GUNSHOT WOUND. God IS CRUEL – why didn’t he take me?”

Sadly, he too was not kidding.

• Job Seeker #3: This client decided that the upfront approach was the best way to start out our relationship together:

“Let me be clear. I’m only doing this because my wife thinks it can’t hurt. I’ve been out of work for 4 months. I just gave you the grocery money, so my kids are now starving. I bet you think that is pretty funny, huh?”

Let’s just say that I promptly returned this gentleman’s money.

• Job Seeker #4: Apparently, this client was looking for converts:

“This may not help my efforts with you but: May you come to know the love of Satan. Best regards, Joe”

• Job Seeker #5: In response to a question that I posed regarding his goals:

“I love nuclear weapons. Maybe I will get to see one go off someday.”

And just for good measure, here is one more: Job Seeker #6, another one who wanted to let me know the terms upfront:

“I placed a curse on my last resume writer. I told him that when something terribly bad happens to him, he should think of me.” Of course, as with any form of e-mail correspondence, you never know how seriously to take these things, but unless I am just experiencing some kind of Twilight Zone moment in which I just happened to enter into the realm of craziness, I suspect that these correspondences (and other milder ones I’ve received) are just a reflection of the general frustration that has swept many people, job seekers in particular.

As a resume writer and job search coach, I’ve been through unemployment highs before. And they are always difficult, to say the least, but one thing I know for sure: bitterness, extreme anxiety, paranoia, rage…bad characteristics to bring into a job search, even if you are just speaking with your resume writer.

You know, maybe now more than ever is the time for job seekers to come together, to put into action some of that spirit of unity that was so highly talked about on during Inauguration Day. After all, group job hunting has consistently been touted as one of the most effective ways for job seekers to find out about job opportunities and to build their network. So why not channel that frustration into something productive?

When You Thought the Job Was Yours, But…

Here is the fourth entry in our entry-level job search series by Sara, a recent college graduate who has been facing the tough job market. Since May, we have been following her plight, and this latest installment highlights an all-too-familiar lesson that many job seekers have had to learn.

For the past several weeks, my job search has been put on hold because it looked like the light was finally making an appearance at the end of the long, frustrating tunnel. After all the aggravation of weird interviews and ignored cover letters, I essentially was being guaranteed a position with one of the only growing organizations in my area. This was it; it was my time to move up in the world.

During my first interview with the company, I was told flat out that I was the number one candidate for the position, and needless to say, I was feeling pretty confident afterward. While waiting to hear about the next step in the hiring process, I completely stopped applying for anything else. Instead, most of my free time (and money) was spent preparing for my big step up in the real world.

Then a month went by without a word from anyone. I followed up with the organization twice only to be given the vague generic answers you say to appease someone and get them off your back. Slowly, my confidence started to dwindle, but I held out hope that it was just paperwork holding them up.

More than a month after my initial interview, I was scheduled to meet with the vice president—the last hurdle standing between me and my future. When I got to the meeting, I spent barely 15 minutes with the VP, who seemed bored and disinterested the entire time. From the moment I sat in the office, something seemed off; the entire situation seemed exponentially more awkward than my previous interviews, but I powered through and did my best. I wasn’t feeling great about the meeting after the fact, but I held out hope that I would get an offer soon—I was essentially promised the position earlier, after all.

A few days after that last interview, I got a rejection letter in the mail with no explanation as to what happened to the job that was mine to lose. That hurt. For six weeks, I had been under the assumption that it was only a matter of time before I was offered the job and had completely turned my back on applying for other positions and other organizations. Now, I had nothing to fall back on.

Somehow, logging back onto those job boards and scouring the want ads seemed like a hopeless option that would lead to nowhere, but what else could I do? I was back to square one.

I guess the moral of the story is that, when it comes to a job search, a “sure thing” doesn’t exist. No matter what an employer tells you, until that job offer has been handed over, don’t stop looking for more options. Keep pounding the pavement and applying for jobs. If I had done that, I’m sure that losing out on this particular job would not have been such a blow.

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.
The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). I am also an Academy-Certified Resume Writer (ACRW) through the Resume Writing Academy. As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.
In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at NoddlePlace. You can also follow me on Twitter.

Employers: Let the Cover Letter Do the Work for You

These days, whenever employers post a job opening, their inboxes are flooded with responses from a variety of job seekers with varying levels of education and experience. Needless to say, it is an ordeal for employers to weed through the pool of candidates to find not only someone who is qualified for the position but also who fits in with the corporate atmosphere.
I recently went through this process in an effort to find a new assistant to join our small office team. Without an HR staff to support me and with resumes pouring in, I quickly realized that I needed a system for sifting through candidates. Unconventionally, perhaps, I decided the cover letter was my starting ground.
I read through the cover letter, assessed whether I liked the approach the candidate took in reaching out to me, and determined whether I was interested in knowing more about him or her. If I liked what I saw there, then I reviewed the resume. It turned out to be a great way to sift through the candidates because it allowed me to look for a few key things before I moved into the realm of examining resume qualifications.
Many of my recruiter and business owner friends toss out or ignore cover letters completely, but I think this can be a mistake. Unlike the resume, which is meant to dazzle and “wow” you with accomplishments, the cover letter, theoretically at least, is meant to be more personal. The candidate is speaking directly to you (or to your company at least). So in my mind, I wanted to see what he or she had to say first before I assessed each person solely on experience.
To give you an idea of some ways I found the cover letter invaluable, I comprised the following list of things to look for in these documents. Without a doubt, it made the weeding out process much simpler for me and I ended up with an assistant who met my qualification needs and demonstrated the attitude that best suits my environment:

Get a sense of the candidate’s personality. What is the tone of the cover letter? Is it friendly and professional, or is it casual and unorganized? How does that meet up with type of workplace you have to offer? These factors could be key indicators of the candidate’s personality, and paying attention to these aspects helped me weed out individuals that wouldn’t mesh well with my company.

Get a sense of the candidate’s written communication skills. Was the letter filled with grammatical errors? Does he or she know how to use punctuation properly? Does he or she know the correct format for a business letter? Strong communication skills were an important part of the job I was looking to fill, and the cover letter was a good way for me to see the candidates’ writing abilities.

Get a sense of whether the candidate knows how to tailor the cover letter to speak directly to your company. Did the job seeker take the time to research and write a thoughtful, creative cover letter tailored to reflect your company and how each of your goals match? Whether the cover letter is an obvious copy written to fit any number of organizations or is unique to your company reveals a great deal about the candidate’s work ethic.

Get a sense of whether the candidate has a good grasp of professional etiquette. Did he or she reveal unnecessary personal information? Was the language formal and polite? The professionalism displayed in a cover letter is a good indicator of the type of professionalism to expect from the candidate in person.

Get a sense of whether the candidate has a good grasp of the position and its required skills. This is a good gauge of a candidate’s intelligence and comprehension skills. Did he or she read and understand the job posting carefully? Does the candidate have an accurate idea of how to match qualifications with the job requirements? Several people who responded to my posting were overqualified for the position, and reading about their experience in their cover letters allowed me to remove them from the pool of potential candidates. Also, several people didn’t even use the correct title when discussing the position.

Listen. No one likes to reject people; as a small-business owner, it is my least favorite part of the job. To ensure that I wasted as little of my time as well as the applicants’, I used the cover letters to assess the candidates and found it an effective method to ensure that those I did choose to interview already were a good fit for the position. Of course, it is always possible the candidate did not write his or her letter and paid or had someone else do it. But overall, they really can be an important tool for both the employer and the applicant, and employers should invest the time to read them to ensure that they are left with the strongest candidates.

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.
The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). I am also an Academy-Certified Resume Writer (ACRW) through the Resume Writing Academy. As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.
In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at NoddlePlace. You can also follow me on Twitter.

Making the Switch: Tips for Veterans to Remember When Transitioning into the Corporate World

For thousands of men and women who have spent years serving their country in the armed forces, they often struggle with transitioning from the military into private and corporate enterprise. In continuing the spirit of Veterans Day, here are some guidelines for helping these individuals making this switch to avoid common job search mistakes.

1. Know when to play up your military experience and when to adapt it.

Many military veterans often try to hide their experiences in the armed forces from potential employers when, in fact, they should be highlighting it. Recruiters and employers usually are impressed with a military background and value the discipline and skill that usually accompanies such experience.

With that said, however, veterans want to be careful not to distribute a resume written in “military speak.” Most employers do not understand the technical jargon and vague titles that are typical with a military background. No matter where a job seeker comes from, if an employer cannot understand his or her resume, then he or she is going to move on to the next candidate, so it is important to be as clear as possible when detailing past experience. Veterans need to adapt from the military jargon to the corporate lingo.

If the titles and positions held in the military sound vague or unreflective of the actual job description, they should be changed to convey expertise better. Overuse of acronyms and abbreviations should be avoided. Qualitative results need to be highlighted.

2. Focus on the relevant facts.

Another trap veterans can easily fall into is including extensive descriptions of all the past trainings an individual has accumulated. The military provides training in abundance, but not all of it is relevant to the position. So when applying for a job, stick only to those experiences that support the specific job being applied for. Everything else is extra and distracts away from what the employer needs in the perfect candidate.

3. Keep your focus narrow and your target clear.

Often when veterans leave military service, they want to keep their options open and utilize all those skills they earned. The problem, however, is that their job search becomes too broad and unfocused.

When preparing for a job search, a great place to start is by considering the industries and companies that actively recruit ex-military members, such as defense contractors or nonprofits that support the Armed Forces. This step will help narrow the field and give some flexibility in how military experience is presented. Another good tip is to look for companies that value individuals with special security clearance. Many military members have already gone through this process, which can make them attractive to potential employers.

However, equally as important as identifying those companies that look for ex-military members is recognizing the type of resume the organization is seeking. Different companies look for different types of “resumes.” For example, a defense contractor may be looking for a federal resume, which is much different than a corporate resume. So veterans need to know the type of document these military-friendly companies are looking for and that should adjust their resumes accordingly.

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.

The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). I am also an Academy-Certified Resume Writer (ACRW) through the Resume Writing Academy. As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.

In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at NoddlePlace. You can also follow me on Twitter.

The Importance of Resume-Writing Credentials

Hiring practices have changed enormously over the last decade as employers gravitate to online postings, resume databases, and automated screening software. Combine these changes with the recent surge in unemployment, and job seekers face a complex and challenging task to create their marketing materials and manage their job search for best results.

Now, Stephen Van Vreede of No Stone Unturned and NoddlePlace.com is better prepared than ever to provide job seekers with the powerful tools they need in today’s highly competitive job market. Stephen has completed a rigorous training program to earn the Academy Certified Resume Writer designation – a new, high-level certification that signifies mastery of best-in-class resume strategies.

Earning the ACRW indicates that a resume writer has successfully completed all components of The Resume Writing Academy, an intensive and comprehensive training program that teaches the following skills and concepts through classroom study, training assignments, independent learning projects, and intense individualized feedback:

* Resume Strategy & Client Positioning
* Resume Writing Styles, Trends & Techniques
* Cover Letter and Thank-You Letter Writing Styles, Trends & Techniques
* Personal Branding for Resumes
* Resume Formats, Designs & Structures
* English Language & Grammar

“My clients are facing steep challenges in the employment market these days,” says Stephen, “and even after 8 years in the career field, I wanted to be sure that I was preparing them with the very best strategies and documents. My investment in the Resume Writing Academy and the ACRW means that my clients can enter the job search with confidence, knowing that they have the very best, most powerful, and most up-to-date resumes to accelerate their search.”

In addition to the ACRW, Stephen has an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. He is a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). Stephen paid his dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and he has spent the past 8 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.

In February 2009, Stephen launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and job seekers have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at NoddlePlace. You can also follow Stephen on Twitter.

The Resume Writing Academy (www.resumewritingacademy.com) is the first comprehensive, strategically focused resume training program that teaches writers of all experience levels how to develop resumes that get noticed and get results. Founded and led by industry leaders and multi-published authors Wendy Enelow and Louise Kursmark, the Resume Writing Academy is recognized for its rigor, high standards, and accomplished graduates. Stephen joins an elite group of only 30 ACRWs nationwide.

Congratulations, You’re Perfectly Adequate. When Can You Start?

This entry is the third in our series by Sara, a recent college graduate who has been facing the daunting task of finding her first “real” job. The other two posts are “The Plight of the Recent College Grad” and “Interviewing: Practice Really Does Make Perfect.”

In this post, she talks about receiving her first official offer and discovering that sometimes even when you do get an offer, it isn’t exactly what you were hoping for.

Here’s Sara:

Well, it finally happened; after a strange interview and an extended round of phone tag I came home to a voicemail that offered me a position with a local web-marketing company. It was a full-time job in my field where I would spend most of my time writing and corresponding with other web marketers—what a great opportunity to network and earn money simultaneously!

Too bad I turned it down.

Sure, it was nice to see that someone, somewhere thought I would be an asset for his organization, but too many factors sent up red flags and made me too uncomfortable to accept the position.

First flag, a company that built up clients’ web presence, yet it did not have a website. I spent a half hour before the interview trying to do research on the company, and the only thing I found was a logo. At the interview, I asked why the company didn’t have a site and was told that the company did not need to advertise. It has all the clients it needs and has actually gone so far as to try to avoid picking up a new client. Clearly, the company was not growing—if it was, no one knew about it—which brings me to red-flag number two.

One of the first things out of my interviewer’s mouth was that he “wasn’t looking for a shining star. I don’t want someone to go above and beyond the call of duty, I just want someone to do the work.” Well, if that’s the case, I guess all of my past accomplishments that I’ve spent my life working to achieve mean nothing, so we can just get down to whether I can handle mediocrity.

Another major issue I had with the position was the fact that I had no room to grow. I would be stuck in a tiny office, performing the same task for eight hours a day, with no hope of advancement. What was this job going to do for me other than add another bullet to my resume?

The more I thought about the position, the more I realized that it was a step backward. If I were still in school, then it would have been the perfect position for me to earn money and some basic marketing experience, but it definitely was not the way to start a career. So, instead of settling, I chose to count my blessings, trust that I was better than “perfectly adequate,” and hope that the right position will come along soon.