Resume clients often give me a copy of an outdated resume to serve as a starting point for creating a new, more powerful resume targeted to their current job search. Lately, some preventable writing and proofreading mistakes have been cropping up in those old resumes crop over and over again.For example, Marine Corps has appeared in more than one resume without the “s” in Corps. The word “corp.” is an abbreviation for “corp...

After a speech, I often encounter someone from the audience who approaches me and asks: “What do you think of my resume?” I smile and ask: “What job are you applying for?” More often than not, they respond with: “Nothing in particular. I just want to know what you think of it?”I give it a cursory look for achievement metrics and style points and usually say, “It’s fine as is; but I could give you a better critique if you we...

The other day, I was reading an article on LinkedIn about gender equality at the executive level. It was written by a female executive who noted that there are very few female C-level executives in any size company and that diversity only helps companies to succeed. The article was in no way inflammatory, and it was very well written. However, a quick scan of the comment section was horrifying.I am alternately amazed and d...

We’ve all heard and read the millennial-bashing. Millennial employees want free food; they want unlimited vacation; they want to run the company two days after they arrive; they want to be coddled and given a trophy. If you’ve read my blog before, you know that I’m definitely not in the millennial-bashing camp.Why am I always so bullish on this generation? Because if you look past the stereotypes, you quickly see that mille...

Success is measured by your results. You’ve had this ingrained in you:. It follows that if you didn’t get an offer after your interview, you failed. Your self-esteem takes a hit and maybe even depression sets in. “Nobody wants me.”You make all about you. You all have heard about how much a “bad hire” costs the company. Well it costs you as well. Your zeal to get the offer by overselling yourself with the “right answer...

If your career is a car, are you driving down a straight road? Or, do you picture yourself going around a rotary, seeing a number of exits, and then selecting one? In other words, is your career path more like a straightaway or a rotary? This is an important question to understand as you go about your personal branding, executive resume writing, and career management.Let's imagine you are a VP of IT. Did you get there by st...

Many technical resumes suffer because engineers, developers, researchers, and other technical job applicants have trouble communicating what they do. Many of them are more at home drawing a diagram than writing; and many are used to communicating with their peers at a level where a hiring manager or recruiter is simply lost. Still, the hiring managers and recruiters are the ones who will ultimately examine a resume and deci...

Interviews: They’re all about pressing the flesh or running for office, or a first date. You are talking to a complete stranger. Sweat comes out of glands you didn’t know you had.Relax: It’s probably easier to just blow them off. If you want to know how to “blow” an interview, be sure to take any or all of the following actions:» Don’t prepare. Your intention to be spontaneous is important. Let them talk about their com...

No employer is going to hire you because you’re a good person–likable, presentable, etc. Not even if you really need a job, sad to say. You’ll have to do better than that if you want to land the new job you’re after.What you need to consider is why the prospective employer should care, why they would think you could be the answer they’re looking for. That’s it, pure and simple. Of course, it’s really not quite that simple.Y...

Interview preparation is hard work. You need to practice your STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) responses. You have to vet out possible behavioral questions and craft compelling responses to them. You must ensure that your image reflects your professionalism—your shirt must be ironed, and your shoes must be polished!Be sure that you are focusing your efforts in the right area, by narrowing in on what the interviewer i...