Your application to a job is supposed to be all about you and your strengths, right? It’s the one time that it’s okay to brag—in fact, bragging is encouraged. That’s right, but only to an extent. You also need to show, especially in your cover letter, why your skills and accomplishments are beneficial to the company you’re applying for. As you write your cover letter, it’s easy to fall...

At a recent breakfast meeting with HR professionals, as we waited with coffee in hand for the program to start, I asked the recruiters and hiring managers sitting at my table about their perspectives on cover letters. Here’s what I learned: If there’s something that needs to be explained—perhaps a gap in employment or why you’re pursuing a job that you’re underqualified for—they&rs...

'I quit my job by email since that's how I normally communicated with my boss. But I've been thinking that quitting by email may not be appropriate...!' Have you had enough? Is quitting the right option? If so, resign with class. But first, know why you're leaving. Do you have patience with customers or co-workers? Are company policies and ethics congruent with your values? Do you have supportive superi...

As a job seeker you probably are well aware of the many obstacles on the road to landing a new job successfully. Knowing the best approach to the process will help your job hunting efforts be fruitful and productive. Whether you are just starting the journey to a new position or you’ve been beating the path for a long time, it’s important to know how to make yourself more hireable and what it is that will open d...

I remember teachers always impressing upon students the importance of being able to write clearly and cogently. I was a strong writer, and banging out a quick five paragraph essay posed no problem for me, only minor inconvenience. I knew that not everyone was as adept at writing as I, but I also recognized that other people were far better at math and science than I. It was not until email became a widely-used tool for b...

I am a huge advocate of networking with new contacts and existing connections to land your next job. Studies from CareerXRoads, JobVite and SHRM and others show networking to be the most effective way to get hired. However, that does not mean a job seeker should ignore job boards in conducting their job search. There is a right way – actually I’ve listed six right ways, and one wrong way to use job boar...

Last week I was reading through LinkedIn’s recent 2017 Global Trends Survey and was intrigued to see that 35% of recruiters stated soft skills assessment as one of the leading factors affecting future recruiting trends. With a more competitive job market, employers are saying that culture fit and soft skills are becoming big game changers in the screening and hiring process. With this in mind, the challenge then b...

In today’s political climate we have no shortage of trolls. The topic does not matter. The side you are on does not really matter either. Diverse, equal opportunity trollage is ever present. Make trolling great again! Well, my little resume writing company is no different as we have our share of trolls. Recently there was a good one. Meet Charles Snell. No, I am not outing him – he trolle...

Over the past 15 years I’ve worked with thousands of job seekers, and I’ve seen a common thread among them all as they set out to job search. They’re very knowledgeable in one area of their job search but lack experience in the other areas. A great resume but a weak interviewer—or really great networking, but they don’t have a solid resume to market their value. To conduct a successful, effecti...

As an executive resume writer I could tell you that a well-written, compelling resume is the golden ticket to make all of your career dreams come true. But then I wouldn’t be a very honest resume writer. Frankly, I’m surprised how many job seekers are under the false assumption that if they just had the perfect resume they’d be able to have the luxury of choosing between job offers, employers would be bang...