Being a part of a technology-driven society that regularly encourages electronic communication, it makes sense that a job seeker would feel justified in handling any part of a job application process in this manner. However, after a job interview, it’s important to note that the rules change a little bit.It DependsWhen it comes to choosing whether to follow up an interview with a phone call or an e-mail, it may be best to...

When sifting through executive resumes, many hiring managers decide that they will choose six candidates to interview for a position. Of course, this number fluctuates depending on the circumstances, but for many companies, six is the magic number.So how can you increase your chances of becoming one of the top six candidates—those who are most likely to be called in for an interview?Make No Mistakes on the ResumeAt your le...

Clients often ask us if they should follow up after an interview. There can be a lot of doubt and confusion about whether following up is a proper job search strategy. But the answer is:YES!The majority of candidates will never follow up after an interview. I would say that for every ten people I’ve interviewed, only one has followed up after the interview. Job seekers as a whole underestimate the effectiveness and bene...

What is a Master Resume?When applying for multiple jobs, many job seekers find themselves at a strange crossroads: They know they need to create unique resumes for each job but are tired of recreating similar documents over and over. If you find yourself in this predicament, you might want to consider a master resume.The Basics of the Master ResumeA master resume is a document that functions as a source to help you create...

It’s important to express in a resume the unique skill set, expertise, and knowledge that you can bring to the employer. It is commonly referred to in the career world as your unique promise of value. Essentially, what you’re communicating to the employer through this unique promise of value is exactly that—the value that you offer the employer if they choose you over another candidate. So what are some elements in your res...

Each week, I critique a new resume on-air over at www.jobtalkamerica.com. And over the past couple of months I’ve started to notice some of what I like to call “terrible resume trends”. They’re common mistakes that everyday job seekers are making—and they have no idea that they’re making them! (How can you fix what’s wrong if you don’t even know what that is!) Well, I’m here to open your eyes and (hopefully) start getti...

If you’re wondering how important it is that you have a strategic resume, then let me ask you this: How important is it for you to be employed? What most job seekers don’t realize is that a resume isn’t simply a list of your past positions. Your resume is a strategic document that positions you for job search success.We often tell our clients that nothing about the resume development process is arbitrary. We have a strate...

Let’s face it, a blanket cover letter just isn’t going to cut it these days. So how can you make the best use of your time while maximizing your results? Here are a few simple steps to customizing your cover letters. (And if you don’t think you SHOULD customize your cover letter for each application you submit, then we have bigger problems than I thought …)A MEMORABLE OPENERHere’s a mistake I see more and more job seeker...

It has been no secret in advertising and marketing for some time now that you need to know your target audience. And it really isn’t any different in a job search. You need to know who you audience is, what their needs are, and how to communicate the benefits of what you offer.Last autumn I jumped head first into a huge conversion rate optimization project. I was doing hours of research and work to figure out everything...

Entry-level professionals often have a hard time trying to determine which information to include on their resumes. While you obviously want to include any education or degrees, the other stuff from college gets a little trickier. Do employers want to know you were in the photography club? Would a hiring manager care you were membership chair for your fraternity?RelevanceAs with many things in resume writing, the answer is:...