Do we really have to go over this again? It amazes me that in today’s world, where nothing is a secret and where background checks are as routine as your morning Starbucks, that people still insist on lying on their résumés.  A recent article by Klaus Kneale on Forbes.com quotes Nancy Davis, a psych professor at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She says that college students are, in some cases, encouraged to embellish their résumés. She gives the example of an intern who runs copies of a manual putting it on his résumé as a manual that he “created.” Now that’s a stretch, and he’d probably end up back-pedaling in an interview. But then again, it happens all the time - and he just might end up getting the job he wants if the interviewer doesn’t probe deeper into that claim. But how long would he be able to fake his accomplishments? Alicia Shepard of The Huffington Post, and author of the new book, Woodward and Bernstein: Life in the Shadow of Watergate, recently wrote about two very successful, accomplished women, both of whom just lost their jobs because they out-and-out lied on their résumés.  The first, newspaper woman Marti Buscaglia, misrepresented her education on her résumé, saying she had graduated from Lima University in Peru. She had that lie on her résumé for 30 years before she finally came forward.  Then there was Marilee Jones, Dean of Admissions at Massachusetts Institute of Technolog. She was forced to resign in April after it was discovered that she had lied on her résumé about her academic credentials. On her résumé, Jones claimed to have degrees from Albany Medical College, Union College and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She had perpetuated that lie through her entire 28-year career at MIT. Recent statistics from Hire Right, a company that conducts background checks, indicate that more than 80% (yes, 80%!) of all résumés are misleading. Better than 20% show fraudulent degrees, 30% have altered dates of employment, 40% of people show higher salaries than they actually earned, 30% exaggerate job responsibilities and more than 25% have falsified references.  Lying on résumés has spawned hundreds of companies that investigate claims made on résumés. And companies, large and small, are paying big bucks to make sure résumés are accurate and the people they hire have been truthful.  You can even send your own résumé to a résumé verification firm and they’ll do the background investigation before you submit your résumé to a potential employer. So what’s the lesson in all of this? You might get away with lying on your résumé, and you might get away with it for years. But it will come back to haunt you eventually. So it’s simple, really. Don’t lie. Don’t do it, no matter how tempting. Your personal and professional integrity is at stake - and integrity, in work and in life, matters more than anything. 

Job Search, Resume Tips | No Comments »

Writing a resume that tells a hiring manager about your credentials, experience and accomplishments is the easy part. Writing a resume that forces a hiring manager to pick up the phone - NOW - and invite you in for an interview - PRONTO - is a much tougher assignment. 

What are hiring managers looking for?  

They want: 

1)     Clarity – they want you to tell your story clearly, concisely and in a format they can easily read.

2)     Criteria - they want a candidate that meets their hiring requirements. They want to see the qualifications, education and experience needed for the job they’re trying to fill.

3)     Correctness – no “gilding the lily”. They want a truthful, accurate picture of who you are, what you can do, and where you did it. They don’t want typos, spelling errors or grammar mistakes. 

So, if all things in the resumes of two job applicants were essentially equal, why would a hiring manager contact one candidate for the interview over another? 

It’s all about how you sell your personal brand. It’s all about how you differentiate yourself in the market. It’s the WOW. It’s the things that make you the “must-have” candidate that everyone wants to interview.  You have to create a sense of excitement – a buzz – around your brand. Remember, a resume is a marketing tool. It has to highlight your strengths and your contributions in a way that make YOU the standout applicant. You have to tell the story of your professional life in a compelling and powerful way.

When I work with clients on rewriting their resumes, I ask them to run the “so what” test on every single sentence. Here’s how the “so what” test works: read each line in your resume, then ask yourself, “so what? Would someone hire me because of this?” If the line is a reason to hire you, great – leave it in. If it’s not, you should probably take it out. 

Your resume has to show that you’re up on the latest technologies, trends and issues in your industry. Show that you’re knowledgeable about the hot-button topics that everyone in your field is talking about NOW.  Let hiring managers know that you’re ahead of the curve. You’re up on the latest developments in your field. You know what the latest and greatest products. You know what’s coming on the horizon. Tell the hiring manager that you’re up on what’s “IN” and what’s “OUT” in your professional arena. 

Hiring managers and recruiters see and scan thousands of resumes every month.  Make your resume the one they actually READ – and GET the interview! 

Professional Branding, Marketing Yourself, Job Interviews, Resume Tips | No Comments »

Here are some examples of our high-quality work:

Sample 1
Sample 2
Sample 3
Sample 4

Resume Tips | No Comments »

Today, Penelope Trunk blogged about the launch of her new business, BrazenCareerist.com. It’s a really amazing concept - a new network of 50 young bloggers, all blogging about their professional interests, and who have all agreed to be a part of a network of people helping other people with their careers. One part of the company is Coachology, a group of experts Penelope has gathered to provide professional advice on every facet of career development - from email to public speaking and yes, resume development (and yes, The Resume Group is featured on the site).  And I’m thrilled to have been asked to be a part of Coachology and I’m excited to be along for the ride as it grows.  Check it out - look through the categories, explore the options, choose a coach in an area where you think you may need some expert advice and contact them. Penelope is absolutely spot on when she says, “…the right career coach can be the difference between finding a good job and a great job.” After almost 10 years of writing resumes, I know that the right resume can impact whether or not you even get a shot at an interview, let alone a great job. Today’s job market is tougher than ever - and there aren’t any signs that it’s going to get easier anytime soon. If you need resume advice, give us a call - we want to help make sure you get the great job.

Networking, Coachology, Job Search, Job Interviews, Site News, Resume Tips, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Happy New Year! It’s that time again. Time to think about the things we want to accomplish this year, set some realistic goals and put together an action plan to achieve them.

 I decided to write the very first blog post for The Resume Group today, the first day of the New Year, because one of my goals for our company during 2008 is to do whatever I can to grow our business and in doing so, help our clients to achieve their career objectives.

Many of you have made New Year’s resolutions that include expanding your skill set or going after a job promotion. You may be thinking about polishing up your resume and exploring new career options. You might have the goal of increasing your income, relocating, or finding a job that will allow you to spend more time with your family. Maybe you’ve decided to try to find a job that enables you to make a living doing something that’s been a much-enjoyed hobby in the past.

So how do you create that persuasive, keyword rich, forward-looking resume that will make your dream job a reality? It can be daunting to sit down in front of a blank sheet of paper and try to find the right words - believe me, I know - and I’ve been writing professional resumes and executive resumes for more than 10 years.

I love writing resumes and I think I’m actually pretty darn good at it, but it’s not as easy as some might have you believe.   If finding a new job or making a career transition is among your New Year’s resolutions, here are 5 tips that can help you create a winning resume.

1) Your resume has to tell a compelling story that captures - and keeps - the reader’s interest.  It has to contain the keywords and key phrases that will boost your resume’s ranking in the ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) used by companies and job boards. Your resume has to present you, your talents and your achievements in a way that positions you for the next step in your career - not necessarily the job you have now.

2) Take stock - what do you want in your next job? Think about your past jobs - what aspects of your jobs excited you? What did you like? What did you hate? Do you enjoy managing people, projects or special events? Do you thrive in challenging, pressure-cooker arenas or do you prefer more structured situations? Knowing what you want in your next job - and what you don’t - will help you create a focused resume that targets a corporate culture and business environment geared to your needs and desires.

3) Think about each job that you’ve held from several perspectives. Naturally, you want to communicate the responsibilities of each position. But also think about the challenges you faced in your job and the contributions you made to the organization. Did you come up with a process improvement that saved a significant amount of time? Did you help generate revenue or improve the bottom line? Did you contribute to an improved customer experience?  Try to quantify results as much as possible.

4) Don’t lie. I know, every resume expert says “don’t lie”.  I’m saying it too. Don’t lie. Don’t say you have a degree if you don’t. Don’t say you were a Vice President if you were really a Supervisor. Don’t fudge dates. Address gaps in your resume honestly. And make sure that you can put a positive spin on those items when you’re asked about them in an interview. If you need help putting together positive answers to tough questions, get some professional interview assistance before you start scheduling interviews. 

5) Proofread your resume. Proofread it again. Give it to 5 friends and ask them to proofread it, then proofread it again yourself. For heaven’s sake, don’t rely on spell check, grammar check or any other kind of automated check. Make sure your resume has no spelling errors and no formatting errors. Make no mistake about it - hiring managers are looking for a reason to toss your resume on the ‘NO’ pile. A mispelled word or a grammar error could very well give them that reason.

So there you have it. I hope these tips will get you started. Let us know if we can help in any way. We’d love to have the opportunity to help you create a winning resume and get it out there to be seen by the right people at the right companies. I’ll be posting many more resume-writing, networking, job search and cover letter tips in the future. For now, Happy New Year and I hope 2008 turns out to be the best year ever for you - in every way!

Job Search, Job Interviews, Resume Tips, Site News | No Comments »

Check back here often for tips and updates on ways to get the attention you deserve from potential employers!

Job Interviews, Cover Letter Tips, Resume Tips, Site News | No Comments »