Computerized applicant tracking systems are great at pulling out resumes that fit the skills and achievements that a company wants in its next employee. Then that resume goes to the hiring manager or recruiter who is also looking for certain intangibles, like a sense that the applicant will be successful in the job if hired. One of the big forecasts of future success is current enthusiasm. In fact, the Department of Labo...

With all of the leadership books, seminars, blog posts, webinars, and MBA courses out there, you would think “leadership” would be clearly defined by now. But it isn’t. What makes a leader beloved might not make him or her successful; what makes a leader noteworthy might not make him or her admirable. However, when it comes to your resume, showing leadership potential is a bit more straightforward&mdash...

Repetition on your resume is good when it involves keywords, skills, accomplishments, and education that applicant tracking systems, recruiters and hiring managers are using to identify what they want most in a new hire. But repetition is not good when: Repetition takes up valuable space you could use for new information. You repeat duties or tasks you mastered long ago without showing any progress. However, if a j...

Every so often I like to celebrate Halloween by reviewing some resume nightmares. This time, let’s focus on the resume monsters who lurk within us all (cue Phantom of the Opera music). Take the Verb Vampire. This is the guy who leaves every verb in the present tense for a job that he last held 10 years ago. The Verb Vampire forgets that updating a resume means more than just adding his latest position; he has to go...

In June this year, I published a blog post on mistakes that do-it-yourself resume writers make, including mistakes with numbers, punctuation, spelling and factual information. Lately I’ve seen a few more mistakes which would be easy to avoid or fix: Overloading the resume with exclamation points (!) and adjectives. Exclamation points have no place in a resume (unless they are part of a title). Adjectives are fine...

Technology today changes rapidly, and every company realizes—or should realize—that they might as well wish on a star if their list of technical skills is long and complicated. Finding one person to fulfill every technical need is unlikely. Smart companies are recognizing that soft skills are as important as specific technical skills. If a high-tech applicant has shown the ability to learn new technology, app...

In the midst of a job hunt, you can easily become frustrated or off track if you ignore these five tips: Organize, organize, organize. You need to remember which jobs you applied for at which companies, which version of your resume you sent (if you have multiple versions), and who you spoke with when. You cannot rely on companies to contact you when they promised—or at all. So if you mentioned in your cover let...

Volunteering for a nonprofit has many benefits both for the people you help and for your own well-being and sense of self-worth. But it also has benefits for your resume.If there is a cause dear to you or one that you can relate to, consider volunteering. If a position is open on a specific committee where you have skills they can use, volunteer for that committee. Most nonprofits are eager for individuals willing to work o...

Numbers are important in resumes as they make your information and accomplishments more specific, whether the numbers are the dates of employment or the dollar amount of sales you contributed to your current company. Mistakes in numbers can undermine your resume and prevent that vital call to an interview. Here are four mistakes to avoid:• Transposed numbers. You know your telephone number or zip code so well that it is eas...

A resume cover letter or email is always a good idea. It might not be read, but you fail to send one, you could lose a great opportunity to make yourself stand out.Your resume cover letter or email should be in the same font as your resume and should contain exactly the same content information. The subject line or reference line should include information identifying the job you are applying for: the job title or job refer...