The key to creating a scannable resume is to make sure that it is readable by both
employers and computers. Because these resumes are usually scanned into a company’s
human resources database, some special rules apply.

1. Print your resume on scannable high-quality laser-resolution paper.
2. Do not use colored paper or ink.
3. Send an original document rather than a photocopy.
4. Your name should appear on the first line of your resume with your address, phone
number, e-mail address, and fax number beneath your name.
5. Your resume should include text only. Eliminate all bullets, underlining, graphics,
italics, and boldface.
6. Keep the formatting simple. Use standard paragraphs, traditional fonts (Arial,
Times, or Helvetica), and 10- to 14-point font size.
7. Make sure that you number the pages and put your name at the top of every page.
8. Don’t use headers or footers.
9. Distinguish section headings by using capital letters.
10. Use an outline format (rather than bullet points) for your job responsibilities and
accomplishments.
11. Use job-specific keywords. Industry terms, jargon, buzzwords, and hard skills will
also pass the computer scan test for relevance. You can also include job titles,
departments, key functions, technical skills, degrees, and other relevant information.
12. To adapt your current resume into a scanner-friendly resume, eliminate all the formatting
and add a keywords section at the bottom of your resume.

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Resumes should always be action-oriented. The following list of action verbs is designed
to help you better identify and articulate your accomplishments.

Action Words

Achieved
Acquired
Adapted
Administered
Advised
Advocated
Allocated
Analyzed
Anticipated
Appraised
Arranged
Assembled
Assessed
Assisted
Attended
Audited
Augmented
Authored
Balanced
Benchmarked
Briefed
Broadened
Built
Chaired
Checked
Clarified
Collaborated
Combined
Communicated
Completed
Compiled
Composed
Computed
Conceived
Concluded
Conducted
Constructed
Consulted
Contributed
Coordinated
Counseled
Crafted
Created
Decreased
Defined
Delivered
Demonstrated
Designed
Determined
Developed
Diagnosed
Directed
Discovered
Documented
Drafted
Edited
Educated
Engineered
Established
Evaluated
Exceeded
Executed
Expanded
Expedited
Facilitated
Financed
Foresaw
Formalized
Formed
Formulated
Fostered
Founded
Generated
Governed
Hired
Identified
Implemented
Improved
Increased
Influenced
Initiated
Installed
Instituted
Integrated
Interacted
Interpreted
Interviewed
Introduced
Invented
Investigated
Launched
Led
Leveraged
Linked
Maintained
Managed
Marketed
Mediated
Mentored
Moderated
Monitored
Motivated
Negotiated
Operated
Organized
Originated
Oversaw
Patented
Performed
Pioneered
Planned
Prepared
Produced
Programmed
Promoted
Proposed
Provided
Publicized
Published
Purchased
Pursued
Recruited
Reengineered
Represented
Researched
Reshaped
Resolved
Restructured
Reviewed
Revised
Rewrote
Scheduled
Secured
Selected
Served
Set up
Sold
Spearheaded
Sponsored
Staffed
Started
Structured
Supervised
Surpassed
Surveyed
Taught
Tested
Trained
Transformed
Updated
Upgraded
Utilized
Wrote

Words to Avoid Like the Proverbial Plague

Abused
Accused
Bullied
Burned
Destroyed
Embezzled
Fired
Immolated
Indicted
Maimed
Manhandled
Massacred
Misappropriated
Robbed
Shot
Stole
Squandered
Threatened
Victimized
Violated

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Your resume is a marketing tool that should effectively sell your skills, experience, and educational qualifications to prospective employers. When developing your resume, there are two different types of resume formats you should consider: a chronological resume and a functional resume. Your decision to choose one format over another should be dependent on your career background and personal circumstances. The ultimate decision will be based on that format that allows you to most effectively present your qualifications.

Chronological Resumes

Q. What is a chronological resume?

A. In a chronological resume format, your employment experience history is organized in reverse chronological order so that your most recent job position is listed first. This type of format emphasizes your job titles and employers, as well as your dates of employment with each employer. Your responsibilities and accomplishments should be described in detail for each individual position.

Q. What are the advantages to using a chronological resume?

A. Chronological resumes are easy to read, use a logical flow, and can effectively highlight career growth. Since this type of resume emphasizes the details of each position, using a chronological resume will draw attention to impressive titles and prestigious employers.

Q. What are the disadvantages to using a chronological resume?

A. Because of the format of a chronological resumes, this style easily undercover gaps in your employment history and frequent job changes. It also draws attention to the fact that you may be relative experienced in the workforce or in a particular career.

Q. What types of candidates should choose to use a chronological resume?

A. Chronological resumes are best suited for those individuals whose job history reflects steady career growth, those who are remaining in the same field, and those whose career goals are clearly defined and in alignment with their work history. This type of resume is also suitable for candidates who have prior employment with a prestigious employer that they want to highlight.

Functional Resumes

Q. What is a functional resume?

A. Functional resumes have often been referred to as problem solving resumes in that they allow you to organize your resume by functional skills as opposed to purely chronological order. This allows individuals to make sense of their work history by matching up skills and accomplishments from different jobs that might otherwise be overlooked by an employer in a more traditional chronological formatted resume. The goal is to highlight specific key qualifications which have been demonstrated through a variety of work-related achievements. As opposed to a chronological resume, skills do not have to be presented in the order of accomplished in a functional resume, but instead may be presented in order of importance and relevance to the job for which you are applying.

Q. What are the advantages to using a functional resume?

A. Using a functional resume keeps the emphasis on key relevant skills you possess that make you a good fit for a position. It allows candidates to align accomplishments from several different positions for a more powerful impact, since these skills might otherwise be lot in the shuffle in a traditional resume. Functional resumes also minimize the impact of inexperience in the workforce or field, frequent job changes, and any gaps in your employment history.

Q. What are the disadvantages to using a functional resume?

A. The presence of a clear career progression can easily be lost in a functional resume, as can extended experience in your targeted industry or field. Impressive employers or job titles are de-emphasized, which is a disadvantage if these are strong selling points in your experience. Additionally, some recruiters and managers dislike functional resumes due to their perceived lack of logical flow.

Q. What types of candidates should choose to use a functional resume?

A. A functional resume is a solid option for individuals who are looking to change careers, returning to the job market after a long absence, trying to minimize fair-to-average career growth. This format is also appropriate for new graduates, candidates with limited work experience, and individuals whose work history is a mixed bag of unrelated experience.

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Job-hunting is not the most exciting thing in the world but you can make it easier. The key is organization. Keep a record of companies you have applied and any contacts that may or may not have with them. One of the first things you need to do be creative in your resume writing.

The appearance of your resume is of paramount importance. The most obvious fact is it needs to be neat and all items must be spelled correctly. Correct information is of paramount importance especially if the interviewer decides to check out your information. The format should be simple and plain. It should highlight your accomplishments.

The quality of the paper you use to send out resumes should be of professional quality. Most job seekers use a paper that is not glossy and is a 20-weight paper. You should use the same paper for your resume, your cover letter, and the envelope. It comes across as being more professional.

The font should be clear and easy to read. The size of the font is important. Personally I prefer a font of 12. It is clear and the letters are not blurry as they can be with some fonts. The suggested font to use in your resume is a Sans Serif font such as Arial or Verdana. They are clear and stand out better in faxes.

When describing your skills in particular, use strong action words. Instead of starting a sentence with a noun use a strong verb. When using numbers use percentages, dollar amounts when describing money, and the number of people you supervised if this is applicable.

Your resume should be one page only. The information should be presented as concisely as possible. There will be a place in the cover letter and possibly an interview to expound on your skills. Resumes that are too long are often put aside because employers simply don't have the time to read through lengthy dissertations. If it doesn't fit on one page try paring it down to the bare minimum. The information must be relevant to the position you are applying for. Do not forget to attach your cover letter.

There are two types of resume formats that are used. The functional format will put your skills into categories. Your titles are listed on the bottom. This format is used by people who are changing careers and who don't want to draw attention to gaps in employment or a possible lack of direct experiences. The chronological format is used by those on a career path. Your employment and education are listed in reverse chronological order. Outline your skills to show your best accomplishments. The categories that you include on your resume must be relevant to the position for which you are applying.

Your resume will be different if you are fresh out of college and unemployed, if you have been out of the work force for an extended period of time (i.e. to raise your kids), or if you are a teenager going for the first job. A resume is one the most important tools you have to use in your job search.

The categories will be similar for all manner of people seeking employment. The purpose of your resume is to give employers the maximum amount of information in as few words as possible. Some companies receive hundreds of resumes at any given time. Your resume should standout but not be outlandish. Professionalism is the key. Below is a figure showing what a professional could look like. Remember the information is to be clear and concise. It should be easy on the eyes and professional.

JANE DOE
5 Main Street
Anywhere, Any state 00000
jado521@anysite.com
(000) 111-2233

Job Objective: to obtain a position as (name the position)

Education: Any School University B.S. in Anything 2000 -2004
111Any Road
Any-town, USA 88888

Somebody High School High School Diploma 1995 -1999
East Highway Road
Anywhere, USA 88888

Employment: Here list your employers putting the current one first.
If you haven't had experience let them know that. If you were a babysitter you can add that to your resume. It at least will show them your work ethics.

Skills: List some of the thing you do reasonably well that are relevant to the position. Are you going for a position as a teacher's aid? List your duties you had in baby-sitting or if you tutored anybody, list those duties as well.

Related Volunteer Experiences: Here be as descriptive as possible and be as descriptive and exact as you can. Remember be descriptive but concise.

References: Will Be Furnished Upon Request (Be prepared with a list of
three to five people that have consented to give you a recommendation. Include who is familiar with your work as it relates to the position.

Finally the resume is about selling yourself. Give them just enough information to have them come back and want more details. Good Luck!

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Making a strong first impression

A resume is an advertisement for why you are the best choice for the position. Essentially, it is the first impression you make on potential employers, so you'll want to make it a strong one. If you don't put fourth the energy that writing a resume requires, you're only cheating yourself. The truth is, finding the job you are looking for can be easy; getting the job you are looking for takes effort. As you write your resume, keep in mind that you are not the only person applying for a particular job. You will need to set yourself apart from the rest and make an impact that will land you the job. Young Jobs has compiled some ways to avoid any missteps in resume-writing, as well as classic tips that will put you in the limelight...

Getting Started

Determine Your Objective

Definition of Objective: The goal intended to be attained. The first step to creating your resume is to determine your career goals. What kind of job do you want to obtain? What skills do you want to utilize? What are you looking to accomplish within that career? Once you answer all of these questions, you will be able to identify your main objective. You are now officially on your way to finding the right job for you.

Highlighting Your Top Qualifications

Keep in mind, the most important goal of a resume is to obtain an interview. For this reason, it is important to choose powerful words to represent the qualities you feel most confident in. Within the qualifications section of your resume it is best to list each attribute with a single word and in bullet point format. However, feel free to include a few words per bullet point. Try to remember that you need to stand out from all other contenders, so use power-words that will catch the employer's eye. The best way to accomplish this is by writing down all of the positive qualities you feel you embody. From there, put yourself in the employer's shoes and hone in on what you think they would be most attracted to. If the position you are looking to get is in retail, you'll want to highlight you interpersonal skills, or if it is in the restaurant business, you'll want to highlight your teamwork skill.

Concentrate On Related Experience

Before compiling a list that includes all of your experiences, try to focus in on what is relevant to the type of position you are applying for. This can include previous employment, volunteering, internships and organizations. For instance, someone applying for a job at a bank would want to list their experience as student council treasurer rather than their summer job as a swim instructor. Make sure you appeal to the employer's needs. If you are applying for a variety of jobs that differ in requirements, remember to tailor your resume to fit each specific job.

Often times students and young adults worry that they don't have enough experience to create a compelling resume. Don't be concerned. Once you start to really think about your background, you'll be surprised at what you have to boast about. The content of your resume will be determined by your own unique experiences, skills and background but as a general guideline you should include:

Putting It All Together

Content

Once again, you are not the only resume your potential employer will be looking at and while it is important to be eye-catching, you also want your resume to get to the point and be as close to a single page as possible. When employers see a resume with too many words and multiple pages, they often find it overwhelming and move on to the next applicant. The right thing to do is select powerful words that will make your resume shine. The wrong thing to do is fill your resume up with full paragraphs.

Design

In spite of the importance of content, the design of your resume is just as important as the content. Research suggests that a resume has less than 20 seconds to make an impact upon the reader, so it's imperative that you put some extra effort into showing employers that you not only intelligent but creative as well. Variation in formatting (bullets, borderlines, headings, etc.), fonts, font styles and sizes will draw the attention to the most influential information.

Organization

You can organize your resume in many different ways, but the following order is one of the most common. Use it to help you get started. -Objective -Qualifications -Technical/Computer skills -Experience (include tasks completed and skills obtained) -Education (include your GPA if it's over 3.0) -Other related accomplishments (awards, memberships, etc

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You are looking for a job and you are out to land the job of a lifetime. It can happen! Before you consider want ads, job websites, or making inquiries of companies you are interested in, you will need a resume. Your resume writing can either make or break a job opportunity.

The first thing your resume must be is functional. It is to give the employer the most information possible in one page. Resumes that are longer than one page are often put aside. Employers just don't have the time to read every page. At best many just scan your resume and count on your cover letter and maybe an interview to glean anything else about you before you are considered for hire.

In order for your resume to be functional you group your skills into different sections and your titles at the bottom. This is the format people who are changing careers typically use. They don't want to draw attention to gaps in employment or their lack of direct experience.

The chronological resume is well organized listing of skills, education, and employment in order from the most current experience backward or reverse order. The categories of your resume should be concise and relevant to the position for which you are applying.

If you are fresh out of college and unemployed put your education first, directly below the letterhead. You will list your school, your degree, your major and your graduation date. If space allows you can list your relevant course work, related academic awards, and/or your grade point average.

Other categories include relevant work experience, volunteer experiences and other skills such as computer skills, any publications you may have written or contributed to, and language skills as they might apply to the position.

Finally, you will list your references or make the statement "References will be furnished upon request. Let me give you important advice about references. Do not list someone as a reference unless you have obtained his or her consent to do so. You will want the person you ask for a reference to be a former boss, teacher, long time friend who is familiar with your abilities, and possibly your clergyman.

The appearance of your resume is very important. The font you use should be clear and easy to read. The suggested font for a resume is a Sans Serif font like Arial or Verdana. These fonts come out more clearly in faxes.

The format of your resume should be simple and plain. It should showcase your accomplishments. The prospective employer should be able to scan the page and get a good grasp on whether or not you would be good for the position.

Another important consideration for your resume is the type of paper you use. The most acceptable colors are white, cream, off white, and gray. They are easiest to read and the font will stand out nicely. You should use the same type of paper for your resume, your cover letter, and your envelope. Many stationery stores have sets of paper and envelopes for your resume. Go in and consult with a sales person to find out what they have to offer. You could always put it on a disk and bring the disk to a printer and have it professionally done.

When describing you're skills, your education, or your experience. Use action words. Instead of starting a sentence with a noun use a strong verb. When you need to put in numbers use percentages, and dollar amounts. List the number of people you supervised as well.

Keep the length of your resume to one page. As has been stated employers do not have the luxury of spending a lot of time on the resumes they receive. Some companies can get a great number of resumes and most of the time they scan the resumes. Include only the most relevant information. You can fill in information in a cover letter or an interview.

An important piece of your resume is the job objective. Are you going for a teaching position? Your resume should reflect your teacher training, your scores on specialty tests. If you were applying for a job in a department store you would list your babysitting experience. It's all relative.

While the cover letter is not a resume, it does give you the opportunity to expand somewhat on the information you put forth in the resume. Here again use strong action words and strong descriptions. Be sure all information in the resume and the cover letter is as accurate as it can be.
There are numerous resources available for you such as pre-employment counselors, the career office at your college, and a number of books on resume writing and how to get a job. Search online, the sources on the Internet are almost limitless. If necessary go to the human resources department of a business that is similar to the one you are interested in.

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In today's competitive job market, it is impossible to stress enough the importance of writing not just a good, but a terrific resume. With job recruiters and human resources managers getting as many as 400 resumes per job listing, it's vital to write a resume that stops them in their tracks.

This means that your resume must be written to fit a particular job listing if you want to even have a chance of being considered for the job you're applying for. This means you need to do certain things such as:

* Read the listing closely and make sure you're the right applicant for the job before applying. Nothing will get your application dumped in the trash more quickly than applying for the wrong position to start with.

* When writing your resume, use as many of the same words and phrases to describe your skills as are used in the ad or posting because many human resources managers now scan resumes looking for keyword matches. This helps them weed out the desirables from the undesirables. So make sure to sprinkle these words and phrases liberally throughout your resume.

* Use concrete examples of your skills, expertise and successes. Make sure these examples are in line with the requirements listed in the job listing.

* Edit your resume for anything that is not relevant to the particular job you're applying for. Recruiters don't have time to waste and will trash resumes with lots of unnecessary information in them.

* Don't use trite phrases such as team player, multitasker, etc., but instead give examples of those skills. Vagueness will not get your resume noticed. Again, relate these to the specific job you're applying for. You may be a great communicator, but if the job you're after doesn't need that particular skill, leave it out of your resume.

* List specific successes you've had that fit the job listing. For example, if you're applying for a sales manager position and at your last job you not only met but surpassed your sales quota by 10%, say this, don't just say something indistinct like "exceeded sales quota." The more specific you are about past successes using direct statements, the more likely it is that those successes will be noted--and remembered.

* Only list past employment and education that is directly related to the position you're applying for. You may have worked as a waiter while you were in college, but unless that has a direct bearing on the job you're applying for, don't list it.

The key to writing a killer resume these days is to be short and to the point, using words and phrases to describe your skills and experience so that they directly relate to the job you're applying for. Don't waste recruiters' time by filling your resume with fluff that sounds nice or creative. This may get you remembered, but not in the way you want to be!

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The hurdles facing today's new technology graduates are the same as with other industries. One of the largest hurdles for new grads in preparing a first IT resume is the "no-experience" fence. A hi-tech grad may not have any formal experience working with technology in a real-world situation. While this hurdle is best handled long before you graduate by seeking part-time or full-time employment in technology or an internship, the fact remains that you may be coming out of college with literally no hands-on experience in your major.

Preparing an IT resume for a target career field in which you have no "real" experience can be a challenge. It's important when outlining your IT resume to keep in mind what the hiring managers will be seeking when reading your resume. In the technical arena, Skills, Education, and Training are high on the list of items for which hiring managers scan the IT resume.

Lisa Lowe sought professional assistance on her resume, realizing that she faced a significant problem by not having an internship in a technical field under her belt before graduation. Additionally, she realized the skills she had gained in college were slightly behind the fast-paced demand of today's market and she needed to attain further training in some of the more modern technologies. These training goals were mentioned in both the lead Summary and in the accompanying cover letter.

By including a Skills category in the top half of the first page of her IT resume, Lisa's resume becomes much more "user-friendly" to hiring managers. Lisa was fairly sure she didn't want to start her career as a programmer, but was interested in working with database technology. To emphasize this, her database-related skills were listed first and a mention of her preference was made in the Summary. By focusing on this direction with her career, she was also de-emphasizing her lack of training in the more modern programming languages such as Visual Basic and C.

Many times, resume books advise new grads to list coursework in the major to illustrate what the job seeker did in school. While this might give an idea of your academic record, it does not help in making you or your IT resume stand out as someone whom the company should interview. It also does not show how you have assimilated and applied the formal education. A Project Synopsis describing how you have applied the skills might better serve to distinguish your IT resume from the resumes of other recent grads. For example, in Lisa's resume, the Project Synopsis was included in the Education section in the top half of the first page and gives some "meat" to her experience.

The Employment History section of a new grad resume is often the most difficult section to compose, especially if you do not have an internship, cooperative, or related experience under your belt. Rather than concentrating on what is not present in experience, try to concentrate on what is present. Look for skills that will be required by employers that may not have been taught in college. More and more companies are looking for well-rounded employees who not only can do the technical tasks but who can work with the public, work in a team, and generally get along in a positive manner. Emphasize your team-spirit, your communication skills, and your enthusiasm to work hard.

"We look for skills but we also look for someone who can get along in the work environment," says Jeremy Hopwood, CEO of Tsaba Networks (www.tsaba.com) in Franklin, Tennessee. "If you have the right attitude to work in our team, we will provide you with the specialized training we need."

Lisa had worked throughout her college career in a high-public-contact position providing Customer Service on technical sales of retail software and hardware. This experience demonstrated that she possessed the ability to work well with people who needed technical assistance or who were in a contentious frame of mind. She had excellent communication skills, good negotiation abilities, and a strong grasp of business operations. By bringing into her IT resume past work history that demonstrates positive skills and work habits, she is shown to be someone who is accustomed to a high stress work environment, who can work with people, and who is probably very trainable for the company's specific needs.

If there is an internship or cooperative learning experience, be sure to include that in the Experience category of your IT resume. Detail project parameters, discuss skills exercised, and outline context of the position in relation to the overall organizational operation. Be sure to highlight what was achieved and what significant contributions were made. When composing the content of the resume, write descriptively to fully cover the work done and the skills attained.

"My internships and cooperatives were my best selling point with my education coming second," states Robert Higgins, a civil engineer with Barge, Waggoner, Sumner, and Cannon in Nashville, Tennessee. "I had worked full-time as an Engineering Technician throughout my entire college career and it led directly to permanent employment. The experience was invaluable."

Other information that is helpful to have on a hi-tech grad resume includes grade point average (if above 3.5), membership in professional organizations, scholarships and honors, volunteer work, and civic involvement. Information of this type on an IT resume shows a well-rounded picture of what type of employee the company would be gaining.

Developing an interview-winning IT resume can be a challenge. Making the investment to market your college education professionally might be a wise decision. We write IT resumes every day for some of the fastest movers in the IT industries. Give us a call if you feel you are ready to advance your high tech career.

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Building your resume, based on a resume outline will give it structure and flow... it provides an outline of all the things you should include in your resume.

A resume is one of the most important documents you will ever create

First you have to decide on a particular format for your resume. The two main formats in use today are chronological and functional format. Which one is best to use will depend greatly on your situation.

To build your resume you can use free resume forms located on the web. This can provide you with directions if you are having trouble building your resume.

A sample resume outline would include the following sections:

The Heading

Your resume should start with the heading. You can list your basic details so the employer can contact you. You can include your name, address, telephone number and e-mail address.

NAME
ADDRESS
PHONE NUMBER
EMAIL ADDRESS

Job Objective

This is an optional section of your resume outline. Here you can tell readers what the objective of your resume is and what you are looking for.

Example:

Entry-level accounting position with medium to large public accounting firm.

The "Body" is the largest section of your resume outline
This is where you can enter details about your education, work experience and additional information. The body contains:

Education

Here you can list your educational background.

Educational Background Format: College, Degree, Major, Honors, Relevant Courses

Sample Education Section: Drexel University
BA Educational Leadership, May 2000

If you have a college education, do not list your high school information. You can also list any honors for academic excellence in this section of your resume outline.

If you are a graduating senior or looking for an internship, you can add a relevant courses section to your resume outline.

Employment History

This is an important part of the resume. Here you can list your previous employment history. If you are using a chronological resume format, you should list the most recent job positions first on your resume outline.

Example:
Drug Emporium, Wayne, PA
Cashier, June to September, 2001
Supervised customer check out
Handled the cash register
Managed and stocked merchandise

You can also list relevant volunteer activities or work experience programs if you do not have much job experience.

Achievements

If you have any special achievements you would like to announce, you can use this section. Maybe you made a suggestion that saved your previous boss a ton of money. You can list it in this section of your resume outline.

Special Skills

The remaining sections of the resume can include additional skills such as fluency in a foreign language.

References

You should leave this section out altogether. References are not required at this stage and stating that 'References are available upon request' is assumed anyway... so you just end up wasting valuable space!

Additional Optional Sections

You can add additional sections to your resume outline such as volunteer work, community involvement or honors. You also have to decide on the layout of your resume.

Choose a common font and medium range font-size, such as 12. Decide how you want to highlight the headings of the different sections. You can use bold, italics or underline to highlight section headings. Some people use bold and a larger font size to highlight their name on the resume.

The last part of your resume will probably receive little focus, so if you have a marketable skill or outstanding honor you should try to incorporate them in earlier sections of your resume.

You can find a lot of resources on the web that can provide you with free outlines and sample resume layouts. Usually an outline will differ if the resume is for a recent college graduate or a long time professional. Choose a resume outline that is specific to your career field and you can build your resume around that outline.

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How many times have you heard someone say, "Just put it on your resume. There's no way they're going to find out"?

It is tempting to put little white lies on your resume. These might include overstating your knowledge of required software ("If they call me, I'll teach myself over the weekend"), a certification ("They'll never go through all that trouble to find out") or extending dates at a former employer ("They can't find out. The company went out of business").

So what's the big deal? It's not like you're claiming to be a medical doctor, right? Who are you hurting anyway? You're just stretching the truth a little to get your foot in the door -- or so you tell yourself. If these are familiar thoughts, you might want to re-think them. Why? Because the risk of getting caught is real. The odds of getting away with listing false information on your resume are probably, well . . . who really knows? Do you really want to find out the hard way?

There are many reasons that could prompt a human resources manager to conduct an employment background check. Maybe you are not performing your job as well as expected. Maybe a co-worker has the same credential and became suspicious when your facts did not add up during a conversation. Some companies have never experienced a dishonest employee who lied on his/her resume, and does not routinely verify work histories and the validity of credentials. In short, they have a false sense of security. Just the same, many hiring managers are keenly aware that lying on a resume is becoming a costly problem for many companies, and thoroughly check all facts even after they hire a candidate.

Sadly, it is quite common these days to learn of employee terminations because background checks revealed dishonesty. Depending on the level of the position or the severity of the falsification, this could sometimes lead to legal actions. So, before you decide to make yourself look better on paper, think again. It is not worth getting the job if you are not going to be able to live up to it or hold on to it.

The moral of this story? Don't risk your future by lying about your past! Honesty is always the best policy!

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Involuntary career breaks, or dare we say it, 'unemployment', can often be a frightening situation for anyone to be in. After the initial shock of unexpectedly finding yourself without a job, it doesn't take long before disillusionment sets in, particularly when days turn into weeks, then weeks into months or even longer, and you begin to panic: how you are going to handle the ever-increasing employment gap on your resume?

The belief that the longer you are out of work, the more difficult it will be to regain employment is understandable. However, it is important to stress that many people at one time or another have found themselves jobless whether through their own doing (such as taking a career break to raise children or scheduling a well-deserved holiday), or in situations that have been beyond their control such as with layoffs, redundancies or company closures.

So if you currently find yourself unemployed, don't be discouraged as many have experienced job losses and have eventually re-established successful careers. Rather than letting fate take its course, they have implemented various strategies that increased their marketability to a potential employer, and believe it or not you too can follow these tactics and hopefully shorten the gap that lays between where you are now and the light at the end of what –seems like a never-ending tunnel.

Following these initiatives should assist you in transforming a potential employment gap into a learning experience, and provide you with marketable solutions for use in your resume.

~ Demonstrate your commitment to remaining current with industry trends through reading publications, periodicals or trade journals, or even researching the internet.

~ Join a professional association within your field and get involved. Not only is this another way of keeping current with industry trends, but also a fantastic opportunity to grow your network; meet and develop relationships with potential employers; and even generate/source some great job leads from other members of the group.

~ Take a class or a professional development course to enhance your knowledge. You may even find yourself developing new skills that can open doors to a new and more challenging career path.

~ Consider the possibility of providing advice in your line of expertise through consulting or projects/assignment work performed as part of your own business. This will allow you to develop strategic relationships with other companies, which could possibly lead to full-time employment, and/or allow you to continue developing your network of contacts.

~ Provide your knowledge/services on a voluntary basis. Just because this is on a non-paid basis does not discredit any great results or contributions you may have made within an organization.

~ Become a mentor and support someone else's knowledge growth. Knowing that you have facilitated or contributed to another person's journey of knowledge enhancement can be extremely rewarding.

~ Write articles for a publication in your industry – a great way to portray your expertise and raise your credibility and profile among your peers.

~ Offer your services within family/associates' businesses either on a voluntary or paid basis. Not only will you be contributing to the overall running of their business, but ensuring you skills remain up-to-date.

There are also various techniques you can use when developing your resume in order to draw attention away from potential gaps.

~ Rather than presenting your resume in a reverse chronological format (which is the most common) providing contact details and professional experience with the most recent at the forefront, try the combination or functional formats, which list your transferable skills, competencies and accomplishments relevant to the position at the forefront. This way you are demonstrating at the outset what you can contribute to the position.

~ Another strategy is to omit the months when providing dates, so that instead of stating 10/1997 – 5/2002, you would just write 1997 – 2002.

~ List any education or professional development courses at the forefront as this will demonstrate your initiative and commitment to expanding your knowledge.

~ Treat consulting, assignments, or self-employment as professional experience, as with any voluntary work performed within the community or even for the family business. There is no need to disclose that this was unpaid, nor even the fact that you were related to the manager; only concentrate on your accountabilities and accomplishments.

Your job search should be treated as your full-time job and each day should be organized and prioritized with time allocated to sourcing suitable positions, sending off applications, following up, and continually working and expanding your network of contacts to maximize your overall job search campaign.

Maintain your health, physical fitness and personal appearance to ensure your positivity and enthusiasm do not diminish. Therefore, when finally called into an interview, you will not bring with you a blanket of self-doubt and disenchantment. During the interview remember to portray all of the relevant experience and achievements (gained through the above strategies) with enthusiasm, while demonstrating your ability to continue contributing your expertise toward the ongoing success of their company.

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The employment meeting went extremely well. The interviewer was impressed with your abilities; you answered the questions superbly; and you were able to develop an excellent rapport with the interviewer and other staff at the company.

So, now just the reference checking process, BUT, unfortunately you did not make it to the following stage. Why not? Everything went so well. What possibly could have gone wrong?

How often do I hear similar comments from candidates who are at an absolute loss as to why after such great interviews, their applications have been denied.

Have you ever thought that perhaps your reference may be letting you down?

The general procedure a candidate follows in locating and providing references to support their application is either to:

~ provide a list of contactable references on their resumes at the time they send their initial application, or:

~ provide contact names after being requested to do so at the interview without any prior consideration.

Are these two methods basically what you are currently doing in your career campaign? If so, you need to be aware that both of these methods can be detrimental to your job search.

Unless the application has specifically requested reference details to be included in your initial application do not forward or include details on your resume. As you may be forwarding your resume in response to hundreds of job advertisements this could result in your references receiving numerous calls, which could become quite annoying and ultimately, damaging to your campaign. You want to retain control over who you provide these details to, and presenting a reference list after you have had an opportunity to interview with the potential employer will be far more beneficial. During the interview you may realize that this is not the position you originally thought it was, or realize that your personal values and beliefs would be challenged if you were to become employed with the organization, and therefore there is no real need to provide reference contact details. Your references will not be unnecessarily contacted, affording their valuable time and energy for a position that you are not interested in.

Let's see how we can enhance the entire process of qualifying and contacting appropriate references in order to maximize the reference checking process.

Once you locate a position you would like to apply for, you need to decide who would be the best person to offer as a reference. A human resource staff member who has not worked with you may only be able to confirm dates you worked with them, but not provide details about your performance. A department head may not be able to offer much more information either, however a direct supervisor or colleague who you worked with can present details on your performance, contributions and overall standing in the workplace.

Sadly, we can lose contact with previous employers, supervisors or colleagues, however if you are still in contact with them, or would be able to contact them, then this would be to your advantage. It is far more beneficial to use someone who is able to confirm your abilities within a work context rather than, say, a close friend, relative or neighbor, however for some job seekers this is almost impossible. If either of the above situations ring true for you, there are a number of strategies you can consider:
~ Consider providing the name of your lecturer or tutor if you have recently completed professional development or courses. The course studied would presumably be relevant to the position you are targeting, so your tutor could confirm your academic achievements and knowledge in this area.
~ Voluntary work for a local community organization may allow you to provide the name of the President or other member of the board or committee.
~ A professional or other high-standing member of the community who has known you for many years and can verify your honesty and integrity. These people may include a minister, a doctor or lawyer.
~ Consider putting forward the name of a colleague with whom you have worked if you are unable to locate a previous manager. A colleague would certainly be able to confirm your overall professionalism and experience within the workplace. Perhaps you may be able to provide the name of your direct supervisor, or even a supervisor from another department who has had some dealings with you on a professional level.
~ A major supplier with whom you have previously dealt could vouch for your professionalism and integrity.
~ A subordinate or a member of a team that you were responsible for could also be considered and could vouch for your leadership and management style.
~ Contact a number of your customers/clients to see if they would be willing to act as a reference. Who better than a previous or existing customer to vouch for your commitment and high standard of work ethic?
Once you have decided on the best person to offer as a reference, you need to:

(A) Contact that person to ask permission to provide their contact details and to advise them of your current campaign;

(B)Verify and confirm:

(i)current contact number;
(ii)email address; and
(iii)appropriate/contact time preferred.

Another strategy would be to refresh your reference's memory about previous projects and contributions by supplying them with a copy of:

~ Your current resume;
~ Relevant experience and results achieved with the reference's organization;
~ Overview of your career goals and aspirations so that the reference can provide information pertinent to that goal.

This will allow your reference to gain an understanding of your skill set and what it is you are targeting.

When preparing your references contact list, don't just state the basic details such as the name and contact details, but provide some background details as to how you know this reference and the information they can confirm. Perhaps a succinct list of outstanding contributions that this reference can qualify would be beneficial too. Ensure that the document is formatted professionally and in the similar style (i.e. fonts etc) that your resume has been developed, as consistency in formatting and professional presentation is also important.

If the position and company still sound exciting after the initial interview and you would like to be considered in the next round, try to confirm who will be contacting your references and the approximate timing. This will allow you to touch base (either by phone or email) with your references and advise them of the forthcoming reference check.

At the completion of your career campaign, after receiving and accepting a firm job offer, do not forget to send a thank you card to each of your references to show your appreciation and to advise them of your success.

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It's never too early to update your resume, even if you're not searching for a new job. Why? Updating your resume is a valuable reminder to yourself of your practical value to employers.

Refer to it when preparing your business case for a raise request or when preparing for your annual performance evaluation. Your resume is a good reminder of your achievements for your company as well as your capabilities and skills.

And if you suddenly find your company, or life, in upheaval and need to start searching for a new job, preparing your resume is one less stressful activity to worry about. You've kept your resume current so it's nearly complete. Just polish it, print it and add a cover letter targeted toward each individual employer and position. Then drop it in the mail, fax it or e-mail it per the potential employer's preference. It's so simple, right? Hardly.

If you could really capture your essence in a bottle and send it to the prospective employer, you'd certainly get the job. Why? He'd know how polished, enthusiastic, well-qualified and perfect you were for the position compared to the other trillion candidates applying too. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. Your "essence" has to go into the brief resume and cover letter versus a bottle. And that's how the potential employer knows he or she just MUST meet you in person.

"Your resume is a snapshot," says Anne McKinney, author and editor of "Real Resumes for Administrative Support, Office & Secretarial Jobs" by PREP Publishing (www.prep-pub.com). "And when a resume is a great resume, from head (its objective) to toe (its personal section), an employer can really feel that he has met you. He might not know exactly what you look like but it's a photograph of you in lots of ways that you've brought to life. And that's not easy for most people to create since they're not writers."

Here is advice McKinney shared that should help make your next resume and cover letter writing experience easier and more focused:

Cover Letters:

1. Don't write anything that will get you screened out. For example, don't write that you've just finished having your ninth child but your mother-in-law takes care of the children during the day. Most employers will think your life is too busy to truly include them in a reliable fashion.

2. Be careful when you introduce personal content. But don't exclude it in your cover letter if it might be of interest to that particular employer. For example, you mention your youngest child has just left home for college, you're newly single and you're psyched for this position that possibly entails traveling as a personal assistant. That employer is looking for someone who is willing to travel or relocate and focus on him predominately. You're in.

3. Write positive statements. Don't start with 'I've been out of the job market for 15 years...' It doesn't inspire confidence. See the tip above for a better way to phrase this.

4. Stay away from touchy subjects unless it's positive and useful information. Religious matters wouldn't likely be appropriate for a cover letter unless, for instance, you're applying to work at a nonprofit organization of your faith. Then it might be to your advantage to mention something relevant.

5. Use the cover letter to address questions or discrepancies that the employer might have about you. Make employers aware that you do know what job you're applying for and you're not just littering the universe with your resume. That might mean writing that 'I'm writing to you from Missouri but I'm planning to be in North Carolina where you're located upon my husband's retirement from the military when we return to our home town.'

6. Communicate three main concepts in your cover letter. The prospective employer wants to know anything that might help her make money; cut a cost; attract a new customer; retain an existing customer; or solve a problem. Make your self-promotion do that and you'll be on the DO CALL list.

7. Flaunt it, baby! If you're a whiz with computer skills, don't be shy about saying so. Whether you learned a skill on the job or went to school for four years to learn it, you do have the skill. It doesn't matter how you acquired such valuable skills--just mention that you have them.

Resumes:

8. Write a single resume that is suitable for multiple employers.

9. Make your resume one page. Start by writing everything you want to say; then edit and cut. A two page resume can work too. Just remember, prospective employers are reading a lot of cover letters and resumes. Concise is better.

10. Put the juicy stuff on page one of a multi-page resume.

11. Break the resume into sections: education, training, computer skills and so forth. Your 'experience' section is the prime real estate and should be half or more of a one page resume.

12. Write in chronological order. Start with the most recent information.

13. Go back in your employment history as far as beneficial to you. Ten years is good. Experience beyond that can go in a summary under 'highlight of other experience' section, hitting just the highlights without dates. This is where you can mention you've also worked in CPA and law firms, giving the employer an indirect reminder that you're versatile.

14. Write a broad objective statement. Make it all purpose enough so that somebody reading it won't immediately say 'we're not what she's looking for.' Accentuate your personal qualities and some of your skills in the statement.

15. Don't highlight that you've primarily worked in one industry or write that you're seeking an entry-level position. You may be looking for an administrative assistant job in the aerospace industry but would you consider office manager in the company's automotive industry sister company if offered to you?

16. Write your accomplishments. Your resume should mostly describe what you actually accomplished on the job. Don't be boring! Say 'trained approximately 30 employees in the word processing department in operation of Microsoft Word...' not 'responsibilities included switchboard, computer operations and customer service.' That first sentence says you trained people, communicated, presented in front of a group, worked one-on-one providing individual assistance and have lots of computer experience. The second phrasing just says you're boring. Yawn!

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Resume writing is not to be taken lightly. I have seen resumes that look like a sixth grader wrote them with blatant spelling errors, incomplete information and poor grammar. Why? Most of us do not write resumes on a frequent basis yet this most important piece of paper markets you!! Nothing else substitutes for the first impression that a resume makes. This is your self-designed marketing piece that advertises (truthfully!!) what you have actually done, for whom and what credentials you have-- NEVER, EVER lie. It catches up to you like lightning and no one will touch someone that has misrepresented themselves, their degrees or experiences!! Yet lying seems to be more prevalent in resumes today according to hiring managers and recruiters.

Your resume needs to start with a professional image on high quality paper, although initially your resume is often reviewed via email; hence all the more emphasis on how it looks and what it says about you.Forget "MY OBJECTIVE"--it knocks you out more often than not because a hiring manager may look at your resume, think of another opening but decide not to pursue you because your objective indicates that you are only interested in "marketing"---The objective is just one more thing to change with every company, interview etc. I have seem resumes forwarded to me with an old objective that states this individual is "excited about a career in Operations Management with X Company" while I have asked them for a resume to present to ABC Industries for a Finance Director's role. SKIP THE OBJECTIVE! Format: Your resume should utilize a business font (Times New Roman is good), in a readable point size (11 or 12 pt) There really isn't a 'right format style' to use--just ensure it looks professional from a business perspective. Too many times a resume suffers from the need to stand out which becomes a negative. Your name is usually larger, in bold type followed by your address and all contact information. You can center or split your name on the left margin and contact information at right. There are numerous appropriate business styles here; the operative word being "business" styles. Be sure to include mobile phone and personal email address----never use your employer's email for numerous reasons. List in order: Your title(s) with dates of employment in chronological order, most recent/present position is listed first. Next is Company name, (a sentence describing what the company does/provides), and a detailed but not wordy description of your job responsibilities and specific accomplishments. If you work for a Division of General Electric for example, list the Division's name first, then "Division of General Electric Corporation. Indicate the location where you worked: city/state. Success, Accomplishments---focus on that which makes you stand out among other candidates. Quantify; what numbers did you achieve? Out of how many? Did you manage a budget, revenues, P&L? Supervise? How many? To whom did you report?--(use your manager's title.) How was your position strategic? Tactical? Too many resumes state what the job entailed but do not quantify how/what was accomplished! Honors, Awards and significant outside leadership: List all honors and awards after your work history--List any volunteer leadership roles you hold; e.g. President of Springfield's American Heart Asssociation, 2004. Don't trivialize this section; use it to show your leadership, management ability, as well as your ability to effectively manage multiple priorities. Degrees should be listed at the very bottom of the resume: Bachelor's of Science, Management; University of XXXX, New York, New York. 1997. List degrees in chronological order so a Masters would be first, then Bachelors degree etc. Length: 1-2 pages depending on level of experience. A Vice President would be expected to have a two page resume but not a candidate with five years of work experience out of college. ***Have someone proof your resume for spelling and grammatical errors after you use spell-check.

There is alot of BAD advice floating around. You do not need to hire a professional to write your resume; with some thought and today's Microsoft Word you can do this; ----if you can't write your own resume, you probably are not ready for the interview questions! Keep your resume up to date since you never know when you will need it. Finally, employers and hiring managers prefer this type of chronological resume to all other styles by a HUGE MARGIN. Forget the essays describing your skill set; keep it concise and to the point.

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Employers and recruiters receive hundreds of resumes for every position they are trying to fill. To select their shortlist of candidates to interview, they look for the most common resume mistakes most applicants make and eliminate them first.

To increase your chances of getting an interview, make sure you avoid these common mistakes.

Ten Resume Mistakes to Avoid

Whether you've been downsized, are looking for a career change or are just starting out, your resume speaks volumes about you. If your resume doesn't make it past the first cut, you're doomed; no matter how qualified you are. Below are ten common mistakes to avoid when putting your resume together. Remember, you only get one chance to make a good first impression.

1. Multiple pages – You need to be concise. Keep it to one page and one page only. If you can't highlight your talents on one page, you're giving the message that you are unorganized and tend to go on and on.

2. Fancy paper – If your skills don't speak for themselves, then your fancy paper isn't going to make a bit of difference.

3. Fancy font – Same as above. Don't try to set yourself apart with a different font on your resume. Set yourself apart by being uniquely qualified.

4. Irrelevant info – No one really cares that you were a singing waiter if you're applying for an accountant job.

5. Outdated information – Does it matter than you had a newspaper route and were on the high school cheerleading squad 24 years ago? No, not in the least. Leave it off.

6. Typos and misspellings – You would think this is an obvious one, but you'd be amazed at the number of resumes received with big blaring mistakes.

7. Falsified information –Greatly elaborated credentials are the same as lies. Do not list diplomas, certifications, affiliations or awards that you did not earn. Just don't do it. It'll come back to bite you in the butt.

8. Attachments – At the resume stage do not send any attachments, whatsoever. If you are granted an interview, at that time you could bring in whatever it is you're so hot to get into the selecting official's hands. The person accepting the resumes will likely just throw it in the round file.

9. Elaborating too much – Place of employment, job title and brief, very brief description of job responsibilities are all you need. Don't complete a whole paragraph for each job you've held.

10. No cover letter – Writing a good cover letter is a bit of an art. However, any cover letter is better than none. Just keep the same principles in mind with your letter: Brevity, relevant and free from typos.

If you can avoid these simple ten resume mistakes, you're more than half way there to getting an interview. Once you have your foot in the door you can really shine for the boss. If you don't make it past the first cut, due to any of the above fatal mistakes, your beautiful resume will be used to wipe up coffee spills or will be added to the recycle pile! Don't let that happen to you.

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Purpose of Resume:

The purpose of the resume is to describe your life-work experience to best advantage for the perspective employer. it should be a precise description about accomplishments, skills and experience so that employers will want to know more in a n interview. You may need more than one version of a resume for different jobs.

The Resume should Indicate:

In you resume include, contact information - your name, address, phone number, fax and e-mail Resume should include background information in a summary or brief overview Resume should include education, training, employers, and dates of employment Resume should include specific accomplishments related to performance on the job and leadership activities, in professional, civic, or community affairs In your resume, list employment experience and education, in reserve order (highest degree or most recent jobs)

Resume Should Omit:

Resume should omit, names and addresses of references. These can be supplied at the interview. Listing "References Available on Request" is not required; it is assumed Salary information if requested, include in cover letter resume should omit, personal data such as age, marital status, height, weight, etc. Perspective employers must consider you solely on the basis of your qualifications. It is illegal to request picture or information related to race, religion, or national origin. Resume should omit, personal pronouns, they weaken statements Objectives, narrow your statement, your objective is to get an offer form the company.

Resume should Include:

Resume should include what you have done and how you fit the needs of the company Resume should include the business environment experience, personal characteristics and industry keywords Resume should include unpaid experience as well as paid employment if it is significant, professional, pertinent to the industry Resumes placed on the internet must follow company format. Avoid bullets, italics, underlines. use HTML format Careful editing to check for typos and grammatical errors. This may suggest to perspective employers that your work is careless Resume may be more than one page with experience, but not more than two

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One of the unfortunate realities of the job search process is often, people who are a good fit for a job get passed over because of an inadequate resume. In this age of online recruitment, hiring managers and recruiters may review a hundred or more resumes before deciding on who they want to interview. Given this high volume, they are only able to spend 30 seconds (or sometimes less) scanning a resume to determine whether the candidate could be a good fit for the position.

When a recruiter sees your resume, they want to quickly determine which of the following four categories the resume belongs in:

1. Resume is not appropriate for the job at all - for example, a bookkeeper applying for an accounting job. Recruiters hate it when job seekers send in resumes for positions they're completely unqualified for. Some job seekers think it doesn't hurt to send a resume even if the position isn't a match. They think maybe they will be considered for other positions they're qualified for. A recruiter's attitude is often that if the job seeker can't read directions and applies for the wrong position, the person can't be a great candidate anyway and will throw the resume in the garbage.

2. The person is not experienced or skilled enough to do the job. For example, if the job calls for someone who can work independently and the resume only shows experience working as part of a team.

3. The person is too senior or too expensive. This is kind of the "overqualified" scenario. If you apply for a job that pays $50,000, but the recruiter thinks from looking at your resume that you could make $60,000 -- or thinks from looking at your previous positions that you had been earning $60,000 in the past, they will shy away from selecting you. Recruiters don't want to place someone who will end up leaving for a better paying position after just a couple of months on the job. With third party recruiters, they don't get paid their placement fee if this happens, plus it may ruin their relationship with the client company. With direct employers, they will incur the opportunity cost of having to get another person up to speed if you quit prematurely.

4. The person's background matches the position and they would be happy to take the salary being offered. This is the category you want to fall in.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR RESUME FIT THE POSITIONS YOU'RE APPLYING FOR

Your most recent job title should be about the same as the position you're applying for. If you're applying for a position as a Senior Accountant, your last position should ideally have been a senior accountant. Or if your last position was slightly junior to the position you're applying for, the recruiter will be looking to see that you spent enough time in that position to learn the skills and gain the experience someone with the more senior title would be expected to have. Your most recent job title should *not* be more senior than the position you're applying for. If it is, you may want to consider "downgrading" it. While lying on your resume is generally a bad idea, this kind of presentation change, which does not promise that you're qualified for something you're not, may be necessary to overcome the "overqualified" reaction.

If the position you're applying for requires specialized experience or knowledge, it is important that your resume communicate that you have that experience and knowledge. Here is where going into details is helpful. Going into details about work you did that is not relevant to the position you're asking the recruiter to consider you for could be detrimental because it can make your resume seem dauntingly long.

HOW TO GET HELP IMPROVING YOUR RESUME

The best ways to get advice on improving your resume are to talk to recruiters and hiring managers. And not just any recruiters and hiring managers: they should be people who are currently hiring or have recently hired someone with your background. You can find these people through networking with people you know, or through cold calling/cold emailing. With hiring managers, you can contact a company that hires people with your skills and try to get an informational interview with someone who manages people with your background. Even if this person is not hiring at the moment, an informational interview will give you a chance to learn about the industry and for you to ask them to critique your resume. You could present it that you want to learn about their company for future employment opportunities, even if they're not hiring now. People feel flattered if you tell them you like their company and want to learn more about it.

With recruiters, you can probably find one in your field by networking. You can also access directories of recruiters on sites like these:
http://www.recruitersonline.com
http://www.topechelon.com

Another avenue for networking to find hiring managers and recruiters is through the various professional networking online forums. With these forums you can contact people working at specific companies and sometimes you can connect with a hiring manager or HR rep who might be willing to help give you feedback and information. WetFeet's site has some good forums along these lines:
http://www.jobsearchinfo.com/wf.htm

While not as good as getting information from the "horse's mouth," another option is to connect with someone who recently landed the same kind of job you're going for. You can do this through networking. After looking at their resume, you may notice things that may have given them an edge in getting noticed and considered by the employer who ultimately hired them.

Resume writers and job coaches can be another source of information. The caveat here though is that many resume writers and job coaches have expertise in only certain fields. The ideal situation is to find a resume writer or job coach who has recently helped someone get placed in the same position, or at least the same field, that you're going for. You may be able to get a prospective resume writer to let you talk to someone they helped get placed recently as a reference to vouch for the quality of their services.

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Take the jobseeker in Alabama who, knowing that his IQ was far above average and that in the course of his life had learned valuable skills allowing him to function at a very high level, embellished his resume by adding a doctorate that he had never earned. And knowing that because he had never graduated from college or earned a degree he was forever kept away from the best jobs and the highest salary. So it seemed only a little white lie to add Phd., to the academic credentials on his resume. After all he could talk the talk and walk the walk in his defense industry specialty.

The gentleman was so wrong – in any high security position a background check will be a priority and he, of course, did not survive his. Now, he may have had a good job for a short time, but because of this indiscretion, could be forever ruined in that industry. Fortunately for him, his employer did recognize his value and decided to keep him on and send him to school. This story has a happy ending but it is certainly the exception rather than the rule.

The truth is, lying on your resume is just plain stupid, and ranks right up there with the other 10 most stupid things people do in their lifetimes. In fact, lying at any time is the single act that gets most people in the most trouble - trouble in work, in relationships, trouble everywhere.

If you have weaknesses in your work history, references, or credentials before you lie about it consider that a skilled resume development specialist can assist you in highlighting what you can do, have done, and will do well for an employer. That same specialist can assist you in ways to overcome other weaknesses on your resume such as age and termination.

All employers are looking for the right person to solve a particular problem. Your job is to convince that employer that you are the right person – most employers know that there are very skilled job seekers out there, not all of them with impeccable credentials, and will be willing to overlook certain weaknesses if everything else is in place.

I had the opportunity to work several years ago with an attorney who was let go from a very high-level state government position because a lie he had told on his application 20 years prior had surfaced. None of us want that kind of skeleton to come back and cost us our jobs.

A job application is a document that may never go away, they can remain on a persons record the entire length of their work life. Make sure that you understand how to fill them out properly. Once again a skilled career specialist can assist you in answering questions on an application in the most positive light without dredging up old issues that you may not want to deal with today. Employers will almost always hold an employee responsible for entries on an application regardless of the circumstances.

The bottom line is don't lie about your ability, background or credentials, certainly paint the best possible picture of yourself, but don't go over the line – it just isn't worth it.

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There are several types of online resume formats that can be used when contacting potential employers. When you search for job openings online, some companies will have on their websites which online resume format is acceptable.

If you don't know which format is acceptable to a certain company, call them and ask. The worst thing you can do is send an online resume in the wrong format and have it ignored.

PLAIN TEXT RESUME

This format is also referred to as ASCII. Many companies used to accept this type of resume a few years ago when searching for a job on the internet was still new. When this format is used, the resume is written in plain text with no formatting. The resume is sent in an email to the employer.

Unfortunately, because the resume is unformatted, it looks pretty ugly and is hard to read. With the advancements in word processing and email functions, companies are turning towards more professional looking online resume formats.

PDF RESUME

This type of resume is delivered to the employer in PDF format (Portable Document Format). You write your resume in Microsoft Word or some other word processing program, format it, convert it to PDF and save it. The file can be sent by email as an attachment. The employer needs to have a PDF viewer or Adobe Acrobat in order to view it.

Sometimes this can pose a problem because of computer viruses. People are wary about opening attachments to emails. If the employer wants you to submit your resume by this method, go ahead and do it. More than likely, they have software that can detect viruses in attachments.

WEB PAGE

Some people use a single web page to display their resume. You have your own personal website. You write your resume in HTML format, upload it into your own website and give the URL address to employers so they can visit your web page and read it. This takes care of the problem of email viruses. Make sure this is acceptable to the employer.

FILL-IN-THE-BLANK RESUME

This type of resume is used by online employment sites and employers' websites. You just fill in the blanks and the information is sent electronically into a database. There's not much room for creativity as with your standard mailed-in resumes. The way to get your resume noticed is to use keywords.

Keywords are nouns that describe your skills and achievements. "Product development", "project coordinator", "Excel", "Powerpoint" are all keywords. They describe what your skills are and what duties you performed on your previous or current job.

This last online resume format is the one used most often by employers. The rule you should remember however, is if you don't know which format to send your resume, go to the employer's website. If that doesn't work, call them and ask.

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A lot of places around the world call it A Curriculum Vitae, in North America, it's a Résumé. This is definitely one of the most important tools that any jobseeker has at their disposal. You may be THE best candidate for a particular job by a long way, however, if you don't make it to the interview stages the company will never know.

Many companies (especially the larger corporations) will use computer software to "read" all the résumé's and reject any that don't fit a particular template. This may seem unfair, but it's cost effective.

So, for some jobs you have to beat the computer and still read well enough for someone who may not have any knowledge of the position you are applying for. It is definitely worthwhile to adapt your resume for the position that is advertised. There may well be some of the "buzz" words the "filter" is looking for mentioned in the job description. It is very important that you can substantiate all the claims you make, preferably with physical examples or letters. This will be essential in any in interview situation.

There is now a wealth of information available online, from books, local employment offices and with professional writing agencies. You can also access other people's résumé's that are posted online which will give some great ideas for style and content.

Professional writers may seem the answer, but, all the research I have done seems to lean away from them.

I have never used one and feel that it will give a good impression if you have written it yourself (this will display literacy). Apparently, if they are professionally written, they are easy to spot; however, they may be worth the expense if you are stuck. You can always "customise" what has been written to make it your own work.

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