You may have received training in any number of subjects, whether on-the-job training (OJT) or training through an offsite trade school, certification course, or college program. Job training usually helps you to achieve at least one of the following goals: Perform your job (for example, safely operating a forklift or using a new software) Prepare for a promotion (for example, leadership training) Improve the way...

Ninety-five percent of Fortune 500 companies use an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) or talent management system to organize and track résumés. Companies readily admit that many qualified candidates, as many as 70%, are screened out before their résumés are reviewed by a human. When you submit your résumé online, it is screened by a bot, if it can’t read the inform...

If job postings are windows into the working world, maybe somebody needs to clean the glass, because it can be awfully hard to know what you’re really seeing! That’s why the first letter in REAL stands for “Read between the lines” when you read job postings. In this post I’ll tell you how to do that, as well as how to Evaluate the fit, Apply with an advantage and Learn from the experience so...

The resume black hole. The abyss. The void. The applicant tracking system (ATS) creates all kinds of stress and irritation for job seekers. Candidates almost universally loathe the experience. The ATS requires them to copy and paste sections from their resume into tiny boxes and answer questions that could be easily discussed in a quick phone call, adding to what is already a user-unfriendly, often tedious experience. While...

Boards of Directors are always looking for strong candidates. Some Board positions, for local nonprofits, companies, or educational institutions may be by invitation or word of mouth. They may be easy to obtain because fewer people contend for a spot. But candidates for Board positions at major companies, institutions, or nonprofits must have a resume and must have a strong network because director positions are not adverti...

What’s a resume worth? It’s just a piece of paper, after all, with a minuscule amount of toner attached, and it can’t be worth more than a penny or so. Perhaps it’s worth two cents if the paper is fancy enough. In reality, though, a resume can be worth millions, even billions. This sheet of paper has extraordinary power. It’s analogous to the well-known calculation of a person’s ele...

Is your resume a turn-off to employers? Chances are that it is. 75% of HR professionals say that they routinely receive resumes that are not on point. That is significant. Are you committing any of these Crimes Against Employability with your resume? You don’t tailor your resume for the job opening. Seven seconds. That’s how long a recruiter looks at a resume before deciding to move the candidate along to in...

The marketing profession leads in many career directions: community and media relations, in-house or agency positions, website or proposal writing, digital or print communications, and so on. However, there are a few common denominators to all of these potential career paths for marketing professionals. Your resume should focus on: Your unique value. For example, have you experienced success in market research or soci...

As we wind down from the Independence Day weekend, let’s celebrate freedom of choice! Recent surveys have found that 80% of U.S. workers would turn down a job that does not offer flexibility with hours and location of work. Choosing a Job and Career with Flexibility If you want a job with flexible hours and/or location, the best way to start is by choosing a career and industry where flexibility is the norm. Job...

Before analyzing the details of state of the art resume building, a bit of context is in order. As a job applicant you need to know how the process really works to gauge your perfect resume’s chance of success. Let’s take a quick quiz. True or false? 1) Your resume took hours or maybe even days to write so it will get a careful look. False: Even your visually appealing resume will get a quick glance. Som...