Marshmallow fluff is a pretty delectable treat. Simply sweet and adds height and volume to a scrumptious ice cream sundae… However, you do not want fluff in your resume. Keep it strictly for your ice cream sundaes. How do you know if you have fluff in your resume? To start, if you are listing tasks, initiatives or areas of responsibility on your resume, but you do not have accomplishments corresponding to...

One of our recent interview coaching clients expressed to us how she believes ageism was preventing her from landing a job. So, she hired us to help her beat ageism in her interviews. She wanted to outshine the millennials (aka beat the kids). Okay! I'm game.... We learned that she was reaching out to her vast network, all on her own, to find people at companies where she wanted to work. She had been land...

This post was contributed by Andy Duchow, a freelance copywriter/resume writer. Find him at http://resumesbyandy.weebly.com/ If you’re anything like me (and many of your fellow job seekers) you’re good at selling yourself short. You may not even realize it. Years of freelance hustle and direct sales copywriting have for the most part cured me of my tendency to downplay my accomplishments. And while I can&rsq...

Resume faux pas can really cost an executive the interview. Simply put, at this stage in the game you should know how to write a killer resume, but there’s so much confusion out there that even the most experienced professionals fumble. Avoid the following executive resume mistakes and you’ll be way ahead of the game. Using a photo. There are only two kinds of positions that traditionally require photos...

It is all about results. I’ve written extensively about the importance of developing a compelling resume filled with accomplishments and results rather than job responsibilities. Beyond just a listing of your job history with a few educational details thrown in, an accomplishment-focused resume will help you make the case that you are the solution to the needs of your target employer. The best resumes prove your p...

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...

Q. I’m applying for my first senior level (director) position. I want my resume to show that I’m ready for the challenge. How do I do that? A. Good for you for recognizing that your resume must match expectations for a senior level position. When you are listing your skills, make sure that you feature leadership, financial (profit and loss), strategy, and talent development skills. At this level, no one is in...

Whether you are a seasoned executive or a manager with an eye set on elevating to an executive level role, you need to be aware of how the below resume writing tips impact the effectiveness of your job search. 1. Profile section. According to Dummies.com, “A career summary [profile] section should be a descriptive selling point distilled from your past accomplishments to emphasize your future value to the potent...

This 1 #SMH mistake does not discriminate. Smart people. Not-so-smart people. Executives. Professionals. Entry-level. Corporate. Not-For-Profit. Academic. Military-To-Civilian. Marketing. Finance. Scientific. Law. IT. Highly educated. Not-so-highly educated. This 1 #SMH mistake is committed by everyone at all levels from all walks of life every day. I see this error daily. All. The. Time....

One of the most important things your resume can say about you—before anyone reads a word—is that you are a professional. How does the resume say that? It is formatted cleanly, with your name and content information clearly visible on top and with consistent alignment, font size, and bolding or italics. On closer inspection, it uses standard English spelling and grammar. Once hiring managers or recruiters beg...