5 Common Resume Formatting Mistakes - Tips to Create a Clear, Compelling Resume

By JM Auron

In today's competitive job market, job seekers are more concerned than ever before that their resumes will be read -- and get the critical call back. Unfortunately, common formatting errors can produce an unprofessional impression, and lead the Hiring Authority to dismiss your resume - before the resume has even been read.

Needless to say, a lot of resumes cross my desk in a week. I'd like to use that experience to point out a few common formatting issues that can make your resume look lower level, and ensure that your resume clearly represents what you've accomplished in your career.

1) Death by Bullets:

This is by far the most common formatting issue that I see.

The tendency to bullet everything is natural. But, remember the line from the great Pixar classic, The Incredibles - "If everyone is special, no one is." If everything on your resume is bulleted, nothing stands out - there's no simple, straightforward visual cue to separate duties and responsibilities from critical accomplishments.

So be sure to make the distinction clear. One simple solution is to use paragraphs for duties and responsibilities - and save the bullets for the core accomplishments.

2) Unwieldy Chunks of Text:

On the other end of the spectrum is the resume that reads like a detailed essays - no bullets, and long, dense, paragraphs that are difficult to navigate.
This is particularly common in resumes for highly-technical and engineering professionals. This resume presents the same challenges as "death by bullets" - the resume can't be easily navigated for critical information.

But, unfortunately, this formatting may look so forbidding that the Hiring Authority will put off reading it until later. Later, in the hiring process, often doesn't happen.

3) Wasting the First Page:

The first page of the resume is the most critical real estate in the document. It is absolutely critical that the first page is well utilized to demonstrate the unique value you provide to a prospective employer.

But, too often, the first page can be wasted with overly long keywords lists, education, and miscellaneous information best left for the end of the document.

Only lead with education if you're a new graduate, or if you're changing careers and recent education is your most critical selling point.

4) Highlighted Accomplishments:

"Cherry picking" accomplishments seems like a great idea - why not give the reader the highlights upfront?

But this approach has serious drawbacks for most careers. There's no context for achievements - cutting costs by 250% is a very different accomplishment in a Fortune 100 organization than in a startup, for example.

In addition, this strategy is primarily used if a job seeker - for whatever reason - has not delivered great achievements in recent positions. Hiring Authorities are, therefore, wary of this format.

5) Unclear Layout:

Finally, there's a broad range of cluttered, busy layouts. There's the view that this "unique" approach to formatting will get the resume the attention it deserves. Unfortunately, there is often the opposite result - by making the Hiring Authority work too hard to find the critical information, your resume may be "put off until later." As we've discussed, later often never happens.

Consider these common issues when you're writing your resume. A clean, clear resume is an excellent first step to presenting your career achievements. I'll discuss resume content and other resume issues in future articles.

My goal is to help technology's "best and brightest" take their careers to the next level.
As a technical resume authority and former recruiter, I am committed to crafting compelling resumes, cover letters, and other career documents that capture your career essentials, seize and hold the hiring authority's attention, and open the door for the 1st interview.
For more information, please contact me at http://www.quantumtechresumes.com.
Follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/QuanTechResume.

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Tips for Writing a Winning Resume

By Aileen R.

If you want to get the job that you like, remember that first impressions are everything. Details from your resume all the way to your presentation during the interview will be remembered by your potential employer. Since a resume is the first contact any employer has of you, it's crucial that you learn how to write a resume effectively.

The resume format you should choose must focus on your accomplishments. You may use a chronological format and write your employment history in order. You may also use a format where you put the job where you have your most important accomplishment at the top of your employment list. This will help potential employers immediately see what you are capable of doing and what you can contribute to their company. Here are other tips you should remember when creating a winning resume:

1. When your potential employer looks at your resume, they can either be impressed or uninterested with you. Help your potential employer realize your worth by making sure your resume is easy to read. Don't forget to use bullets and numbers when separating parts of your resume. The common font size used for resume writing is 12. You may use Times New Roman or Arial for the font style.

2. The proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation is crucial when writing an effective resume. You can use your computer programs to check for spelling and punctuation, but you can also ask someone else to proof read it twice or even thrice. It pays to be extra careful because it will show your potential employer your attention to detail.

3. Make your contact information as clear and concise as possible. It's recommended to only put the contact information where it's easiest to reach you, such as your email and mobile phone.

4. As you list down your work experience, don't forget to mention your position and your responsibilities. Make sure to write the company's full name, and the dates of your tenure.

5. When writing down your past work experiences, summarize the goals for each job. A couple of sentences will do. This will make it clear to them what you were hired to do by your previous employers. Following this, have a short paragraph which explains exactly what you did in order to reach those goals. This is also a good place to write down other accomplishments you achieved during your stay in the previous company. Doing this will show you have the initiative to do more than what was expected of you.

6. You may also include a section in your resume called "Career Highlights" where you can use bullet points to list down all your accomplishments during your previous work experiences. You may also want to do the same for your academic qualifications if you have any outstanding awards or leadership abilities.

7. At the end of your resume, write down credible references with their contact information. If you make it easy for potential employers to contact your references, they will know that you are confident in your skills and have no hesitation recommending a credible person to verify this information.

Creating a winning resume isn't rocket science. If you follow these simple tips and tricks on how to write a resume you're sure to have employers calling you for final job interviews!

Aileen has been a web content writer since 2008. At present, she writes for Adblogcontent, a writing service that offers quality articles at an affordable price.

Know more about her and read her blogs at Muses On Air.

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Tips For Writing The Perfect Legal Resume

By Bhupesh Goyal

You may have the talent, right experience, and whatever it takes to deserve the best legal job in the market, but if you don't select the right words and themes while preparing your resume, top legal firms and corporate legal departments may easily pass you by. Let's face it, in a tough legal job market - such as the present market - you need a precise and focused approach while you apply for jobs in the legal sector. The first step towards this approach is to write a spot-on resume that can catch the eye of any legal employer or legal recruiter.

Great care should be taken by all professionals to create a quality professional resume, but for legal professionals resume style may reflect more on a job candidate than it may for any other profession. Legal professionals are expected to be a master of words: like a mathematician can play with numbers, a legal professional must know how to play with words. An experienced human resources team in a law firm is adept at culling through resumes and weeding out resumes that do not stand out above the crowd.

The three basic formats for resumes are: chronological, (list jobs in chronological order); functional(where job functions are displayed instead of a chronological listing); and the combination of chronological and functional (where functions are listed on the top of the resume and jobs are listed in laundry list fashion below the functions in chronological order). Choosing the format which is best for you will vary based upon such factors as experience, job stability, and the like. A separate article can be written about these formats and, thus, I simply highlight them here.

However, aside from a basic format, there are no hard and fast rules for personalizing your resume in such fashion as to grab the attention of the hiring authority. Keep in mind that each law firm and corporate legal department may prefer different styles and standards. Hence, since writing a resume boils down to as much art as science it is important to develop your own unique style while writing a resume. A fresh style and a résumé that "pops" will always catch the eye of the employer. Nonetheless, there are a few key pointers that one must keep in mind while putting up his/her resume together. Among them a few are discussed below:

1) Avoid Common Traps: Every professional resume should demonstrate a character that is detail oriented; the same applies to resumes for legal professionals.

a) The most common traps while writing a resume is overdoing the detail part, as it is said rightly "too much of everything is as bad as too little." When you describe your accomplishments and achievements in excess detail, your resume can not only become unpleasant to read, but also, very difficult to understand; you can also hurt your professional character by laboring too hard to prove yourself.

b) We discussed above about trying too hard, now it's time to discuss when people do not provide the right information or may even forget to include important details. Legal firms do not want to simply know whether you can do your job, they also seek to determine how well you can do your job. To satisfy this inquiry, you must emphasize the quality of your experience and not simply list the quantity of your experience.

c) The most important aspect of your resume is spelling and grammar. A single typo in your resume can destroy your chances of landing a job despite a display of superior skills and achievements. As a legal professional you are expected to be well versed in the written language- spelling or grammatical errors can be fatal.

2) Emphasis on Abilities and Recent Achievements: Think about what you are good at and emphasize it. A resume is not a simple autobiography where you can write everything you have ever done in your life. Rather, it's a summary of your professional accomplishments and collection of skills. Employers are interested in what you bring to the table now. Therefore, omit or briefly mention your accomplishments that are more than 10 years ago. Instead focus on your recent achievements and work product. The best resumes are those that perfectly match the set of abilities and skills that the employer seeks. This is why it is highly recommended that you tailor your resume for the specific position that you are applying for.

3) Choose the Right Words: Make sure your resume is well written, a clumsy worded resume suggests that you are a bad communicator and you miss a key skill required to be a legal professional. Your resume speaks your voice and if you sound awkward you will end-up in lower level jobs. Also, avoid clichés like team-player, self-starter, motivated, etc. these make you sound too common. Your goal is stand above the crowd not with it. It is a given as a legal professional that you are "motivated." Instead use words that capture the true essence of your character and you will shine.

4) Make it Attractive: A resume is the first impression that you convey to your prospective employer. By submitting a "normal" resume you blend in with the crowd. However, an attractive eye catching resume instantly allows you to gain an advantage over your competitors. It is not about coloring your resume everywhere like a play-school kid, but it is about using your imagination to turn a sheet of paper into a creative masterpiece. A properly designed professional resume will always have advantage over usual white paper with words on it. Consider, therefore, employing a professional resume writer as the investment is small in comparison to the benefits received.

5) Be Honest: By boldly describing yourself as "best in market", "born leader", or "a visionary" without the corresponding substance, you will raise questions about your character. Ben Franklin once said "that well done is better than well said." By illustrating what you've actually achieved in past positions will aptly demonstrate the relevant qualities that you truly possess. Killing resume space won't help you get a rewarding job in the legal market. Be honest about what you are and what you can do, this not only helps you answer the questions, but also, sets a positive background of your character.

Key points to writing a winning resume for Legal Jobs are not limited to the above list, and you may with your own experience add to this list. Start today by posting a resume to abovealllegal.com

You may want to apply for rewarding jobs on our legal jobs listing - http://www.abovealllegal.com/legal-jobs-listing/

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The Resume Writing Tactics Every Hunter Must Have

By Lizel Tyson

The majority of position seekers can just imagine what transpires with their resumes soon after they mail them or activate the send button. People frequently imagine the hr person is sitting in anticipation ready to receive the job seekers' carefully planned resume writing and then reads the letter with fervor. Currently, the majority of resumes are obtained by computers. The computers scan the files for the qualification keywords programmed by the selected employer. The top rated selected ones are sent to a particular man or woman and the remainder are regularly lost in the deep dark digital binary code caves in no way to be seen again. Previous to being buried the creator is from time to time notified with a letter of rejection and condolences and sometimes they are not. When you hear absolutely nothing from an employer after a couple of weeks you are able to at most hold a vigil for that resume and move on.

Resume writing includes multiple variables that are significant to the applicant selection undertaking. Job applicants eliminate themselves, frequently without being conscious, and repeat the exact same blunders repeatedly. Looking for work for weeks or months is a tiring process and sending resumes is likely to will feel as if buying worthless lotto tickets day after day. You place your hard earned cash and precious time into searching for work only to hear scratch. Envision if you bought hundreds of lottery tickets all with the exact same numbers for one drawing! You would be throwing away mounds of cash and time. Nevertheless this is what job seekers do every single day when they distribute the identical resume to every business. I know that tomorrow morning there are millions of job hunters who will rise and shine and email the exact same resume they forwarded today to other employers tomorrow. And these job hunters will go through the exact same outcomes and then repeat the full process often for months.

Although including the appropriate resume keywords for your competencies in your resume writing is critical, and is able to get you through the scanning guards, that is not sufficient. If your resume lands in front of a human being, your talents should be reinforced with statements that tell about how you have employed them on past positions, in the course of volunteer tasks, in academics, or in extracurricular encounters. Corporations want to know you can employ your skills to their benefit. Craft declarations that present what you did using the skill and how that performance was a benefit to the organization. This is where you can use numbers to make your point. Employers appreciate numbers that measure the worth of your competencies.

Focus on the requirements of the unique position and outfit when resume writing. Express the title of the occupation you are seeking in your cover letters and resume objective. Your background, education, and capabilities must meet the employer's bare minimum specifications. You must prioritize your skills by significance for each position. Employers only glance at resumes around 20 seconds so you would like to have a fresh format and spotlight your key skills and abilities. Do not use formidable words that do not aid your goal. Straightforward phrases with power words and industry specific verbiage that describes your knowledge and things you did in the most desirable way will get you awareness. Point out how you will be an advantage to them.

Have you been including everything you can into your resume writing? What if your lifestyle depended on it? The actuality is your life may possibly rely on the standard of your resume. The fact is when you are aiming for jobs that you are competent for and being rejected then your resume is not accomplishing the task. You need to uncover why and now. The prime reasons resumes are tossed aside are due to the fact the skills and abilities do not align the employer, the content is undesirable, the structure is not enticing, or there are too a number of errors. Matching skills normally requires studying the open position posting and utilizing the exact same words in your resume writing that the business has used. There is no excuse for punctuation and grammar mistakes. If you have inadequate English skills, request buddies to assist or hire a proofreader or professional writer. A traditional and clean page structure will prevent rejection based on a messy appearing paper.

The author has more than ten years of resume writing experience. A good and popular Resume Writing resource is the Resume Dictionary.

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New Job, New Company, New Industry - A Tall Order in 100 Days?

By Hilda Goold

We are currently working with the HR director of a financial services company. Henry was one month in to his new position when we began working with him. He faced the extra challenge of adjusting to the banking industry after 20 years in FMCG. At this time he was struggling to cope; he was failing to build relationships with his team and was having difficulty asserting his leadership. While the team he had inherited was competent, the legacy of his predecessor was a point of constraint; his team were wary of his mandate for change.

We encouraged Henry to approach his first session with us as a fresh start. We worked with him on a one-to-one capacity and developed a 100 days plan, with particular emphasis on team management and relationship building. We encouraged him to start with the end in mind, by identifying his own clear vision for the role. And to be realistic; to exercise patience and resilience with his team.

We met with Henry at 30 days to review his progress against the 100 days plan. Had his patience paid off? Had he avoided de-railement? Henry found that he had finally started to come out from under the shadow of his predecessor, so now it was important to build the health of his team. And to seek out opportunities to fast forward the team by assessing if the right people were in the right places. After a full review of his progress in the first 30 days we asked him to reset his actions for the next 30 days.

At 60 days, it is likely that the 100 days plan will have been long forgotten. Henry needed to take stock and review his progress. Was he on the way to achieving his desired outcomes for the first 100 days? Was the performance of his team improving? Henry felt that though he had by now asserted his leadership there was still a problem with his team; an individual who was impacting negatively on their performance. This person had already been reassigned to a new role, but it was not working. We encouraged Henry to make a difficult personnel decision. While this was not easy, it was important for the performance acceleration of his team.

The first steps in a new role are about actions, and at 90 days outcomes need to be assessed. It is essential to have a clear indication of what is working and what is not working. This week we met with Henry again. We asked him if he was on track to achieve the desired outcomes for the first 100 days. Henry now feels that his team is working and his leadership is confirmed. He feels he has the confidence to move forward into a new phase, and start the rest of the year in his new role.

The capacity to build healthy relationships with your team is crucial to the success of you first 100 day in any new position. Henry's ability to start afresh, stick to his plan, and make difficult personnel decisions allowed him to make his first 100 days a success.

Hilda Goold writes on behalf of First100™. First100™ focuses on the leadership development and performance acceleration required for a new leader and/or new team in that critical first 100 day period. The First 100 Days of a new role has a major determining factor on overall leadership performance and impact in the first 12 months and beyond.

For further information on leadership development please visit http://www.first100.co.uk/

To pre-order the new book by Niamh O' Keeffe of First100™ please click here http://www.amazon.co.uk/Your-First-100-Days-Leadership/dp/0273751328/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312979341&sr=8-1

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Are You A Problem Solver or A Complainer?

By Madeline Frank

At our Company we have a dream employee, I will call A. When I have a problem I will discuss it with A. We will brain storm the problem for a few minutes and then we will each check out a few more facts on the problem and discuss our findings an hour later. At that time we will make a good decision on solving the problem.

A is an "indispensable member" of our team. A is intelligent, well- organized, is honest, full of integrity, fair- minded, always listens to others carefully, will always do the right thing and can be relied on to help solve problems and take responsibility for his or her actions at our company. In other words A is a leader.

Do you have a team member like A on your team at work? Wouldn't you like all your team members to be just like our "team member A?"

Remember leaders take responsibility for their actions and when a mistake is made they admit it and correct it immediately. A leader takes a stand for honesty and integrity and accepts responsibility for his or her actions and does not pass the blame on to someone else. President Harry Truman said it best. "The Buck Stops Here!"

What are the five things you can do to solve problems and promote leadership at your company?

1) Be a leader who has the courage of your convictions, the honor, integrity, morality, is fair- minded, well-organized, listens to others, will always do the right thing all the time, has a code of ethics and a clear and decisive passionate belief in the right way to conduct business.

2) Always have a paper and pencil ready, where ever you are, in case you think of a solution to your problem. Think of yourself as a detective like Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson and look for your solutions at work or at home.

3) Every day give yourself time to ponder your problems. Be observant and a good listener. Start thinking how to solve your problems today! Have a burning desire to solve your problems and Never, Never Give Up!

4) Continue to increase your knowledge in your chosen field by taking continuing education courses each year to improve your skills in your chosen field and read books by experts in your field each month to improve your expertise in your field. Never stop learning. As Dr. Einstein says, "The most important thing is not to stop questioning."

5) Surround yourself with experts your "Brain Trust", competent people who know your business and markets are of like mind, and have a strong firm intellectual capacity to help you accomplish your goals. When you have a problem ask your experts what they would suggest by going around the table and listening carefully to your experts. Then make informed decisions.

The next time you decide to whine and complain instead of being a problem solver I want you to ask yourself the following question: "If I take this action will it make me proud?" This is the No. 1 question I ask my children and my students to remember to ask themselves before they make a serious error in judgment.

So, train your team members at your business to be problem solvers and before hiring a new team member for your business ask them how they would solve a particular problem. What steps would they take to solve a difficult problem? Their response will tell you if they are the right person for your company, a problem solver, a leader.

Remember you want to hire problem solvers, leaders, who take responsibility for their actions.

Madeline Frank, Ph.D. is an Amazon.com Best Selling Author, sought after speaker, business owner, teacher, researcher, and concert artist. She helps businesses and organizations "Tune Up their Businesses". Her innovative observations show you the blue prints necessary to improve and keep your businesses successful. She writes a monthly newsletter "Madeline's Monthly Article & Musical Tips" and a monthly radio show "Madeline's One Minute Musical Radio Show". She has just published her new book "Leadership On A Shoestring Budget".

If you need a speaker contact Madeline at: mfrankviola@gmail.com

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How Groupthink Can Sour the Participative Process

By Ralph Twombly

Crazy things are happening out there in the world of business. I recently witnessed a discussion about the use of text messaging in the workplace. One employee was concerned that their subordinates were texting and weren't getting their work done. They weren't really sure but it felt like "keeping up" with friends was more important than the task at hand. Next came a suggestion from the most vocal person in the room that personal phones should be banned and then something curious happened. One by one each person began to agree. When asked if the texting was important to the work they did, all agreed that it was not. At this point, the manager in the room called a break. At the break the manager confided in me that he felt uncomfortable with the direction they were taking but didn't want to squash the participative process.

This phenomenon is called "Groupthink." Here is how it is defined at psysr.org...

What is Groupthink?

Groupthink, a term coined by social psychologist Irving Janis (1972), occurs when a group makes faulty decisions because group pressures lead to a deterioration of "mental efficiency, reality testing, and moral judgment". Groups affected by groupthink ignore alternatives and tend to take irrational actions that dehumanize other groups. A group is especially vulnerable to groupthink when its members are similar in background, when the group is insulated from outside opinions, and when there are no clear rules for decision making.

Back to the situation above. After a few minutes of discussion we decided to talk to the group and explain that eliminating personal phones is like taking candy away from a child. While time consuming, it is better to teach good balanced eating habits than to take away something that the child will seek out once out of your sight. After all, we are not dealing with children and good sense should prevail if priorities are set and success is related to the priorities.

More important to me was why the group fell into Groupthink? Over the year, I have seen this behavior more times than I can keep track of and a cynic might say that the audience is ignorant or worse. In our society we even have clichés that describe the behavior. We say they were, 'Going along to get along' or 'Choosing the path of least resistanc.' So this article is not a call to arms implying that each of you dispute every point in a meeting or take a contrary approach every time someone has a suggestion.

Some ideas to consider:

To those who run decision making meetings:

1. Have a clear decision-making process in place. Understand directive, consultative and collaborative approaches and the responsibility of each.
2. Make sure that there is enough background and in-depth discussion about decisions so people are fully informed.
3. Discuss the pros and cons of any group decision before deciding what to do.
4. Know Groupthink when you see it and educate the group on it.
5. Install a devil's advocate in your group to challenge any decision the group would like to make to test its relevance.

To those who attend and participate in decision-making meetings:

1. Try to push beyond the inclination to agree. We all feel it and, if you can resist, you can trust your judgment.
2. Squeeze your brain to think of alternatives to any suggestion.
3. Return to organizational values or culture as a check on decisions being made.
4. Get permission to pass in a "spin around" decision to allow time to watch others, listen to their rationale, and think.
5. Trust your judgment if you think the group is moving too fast and ask the group to move more deliberately.

Groupthink can ruin your day and sour the participative process. I think it is because most of us like to avoid any sort of conflict and because we want to be seen as team players, especially, if someone of credibility makes a suggestion we feel compelled to agree. Decisions are a big piece of the morale of any organization and, the more involvement you can afford, the better. Time is also a factor it seems. Clearly, no one likes meetings and from the moment they arrive it is a race to get out the door and back to work. The truth is that meetings are the most important way to gather the collective power of all the good brains in the room.

Talk about Groupthink and make it part of the vocabulary of the organization and watch how it goes away as a problem.

Ralph Twombly - Priority Learning
Ralph is the founder of Priority Learning. He has 20 years of corporate training experience and has conducted training for thousands of managers and leaders for client companies all over New England and the U.S.

To visit Priority Learning's website please go to:
Organizational Development

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