Last week I covered the issue of Facebook privacy in my article Facebook Privacy? What’s that?  While Facebook raises many privacy issues, your online footprint as a job seeker extends far beyond your Facebook profile. Even if you have avoided Facebook altogether, chances are you have not completely avoided the internet; and this means that you have an online reputation that can be explored—and exploited—by potential employers.

The Harvard Business Review published an article on April 3, 2012 by Michael Fertik entitled, “Your Future Employer is Watching You Online. You Should be Too.”  Before I read this article, I had not fully considered all the different ways employers might be researching candidates. I had seen statistics, which  Fertik also shares, that more than 75% of employers actively research candidates online (note this was a December 2009 statistic from Microsoft and is probably higher now), and that more than 70% of employers have decided not to hire a candidate based on what they have found online. I assumed that recruiters were looking at major social media sites like Facebook and LinkedIn; but according to this HBS article, recruiters dig much more deeply, looking through “shopping profiles, online gaming sites, classifieds and auction sites (think eBay and craigslist) – and even in virtual worlds like SecondLife!”

You are always a shopper – and you are always the shopped

Are you as amazed as I am at the extent of targeted advertising on the web? I get Facebook ads put in front of me for services relating to yoga, healthy diet and personal growth, probably because of the yoga videos, green drinks and books I search for and/or purchase on Amazon. Google has made it spookily easy for advertisers to discover my personal preferences. Clearly, if advertisers can do it, employers can too. There is basically nothing to stop employers from profiling their ideal candidate based on qualities like political inclinations, preferred leisure activities, diet, languages, etc. Of course job history and skills are still the primary considerations, but to narrow down the field, screening for other traits seems a natural extension of what advertisers do every day.

Employers can search for you almost like they would for a pair of shoes. What Fertik drives home is that in today’s world, you are really always a job seeker whether you want to be or not. You *are* being researched. Whether you are found is another story. But if you are, you’ll want to look good when the right company finds you.

Steps to take

In addition to shopping only for items that do not cast doubt on your character, and of course ensuring that your Facebook and LinkedIn profile are professionally presented, there are additional steps you can take to manage your online reputation. Here are three important ones mentioned by Fertik:

1. Check your own Google results. The first five results should make you look good. If they don’t, it’s time for an overhaul of your online reputation. Maybe it’s even time to create a website with the URL firstnamelastname.com or as close as you can get. Does an unsavory character share your first and last name? In that case, address it up front with employers whenever possible so they know to look beyond those initial results.
2. Establish yourself as a skilled professional online. Participate in reputable forums, LinkedIn groups, and anywhere else where you can establish thought leadership online.
3. Don’t assume anything is private. There is always a chance that emails, e-photos, etc. will somehow be discovered or appropriated by a spammer. Privacy settings do not protect you the way you might like.

Have you Googled yourself lately? What did you find? Are you active in online forums? Do you think you would be chosen by an employer for the job you want? Please share your thoughts below.

“I can’t even see it.”

In a Facebook chat with a friend of mine, we were discussing his college-aged daughter’s posts to her Facebook profile. I won’t share the details, but let’s say what she was writing could easily prevent her from being hired if a prospective employer were to see it. I commented to my friend that if his daughter ever wanted to look for a job, she had better delete all those postings. “But her profile is private,” he replied. “I can’t even see it.”

As many people are aware, it has become common practice for hiring companies to view candidates’ LinkedIn and Facebook pages if they are available. This fact causes little concern for most people, since they believe they can keep their profiles, especially on Facebook, private. A private profile is safe from public scrutiny, right?

Wrong. According to a Mesh Report article entitled Job Seekers Getting Asked for Facebook Passwords, nothing could be farther from the truth. In actuality, if you are a job seeker you have essentially given up your right to privacy.

How employers mess with your privacy

First of all, a company might use a third party application such as BeKnown that can often gain access to your profile. You would be surprised how often companies use this tactic. And job seekers might not be aware that when they log in to a company’s website using their Facebook profile, they are likely giving that company full permission to snoop.

Additionally, not long ago both private companies and government agencies began requesting Facebook login information from candidates. Receiving quite a bit of pushback, some of these organizations have modified their requirement, now demanding during interviews that candidates log in to their own Facebook accounts in order to reveal what they contain. Other organizations require candidates to “friend” the hiring manager or other company figurehead so that their profile can be viewed.

One job seeker interviewed by Mesh withdrew his application when asked for his login information. But as requests for social media access become more and more common, many candidates feel that they can’t afford to refuse.

Privacy rights anyone?

One George Washington University law professor says this practice is “an egregious privacy violation.” I tend to agree, and I am encouraged that Illinois and Maryland have legislation in the works that would make it illegal for public agencies to demand access to candidate’s social media profiles. (Police departments are some of the most active seekers of Facebook login information.)

Whether or not this practice is made illegal for public agencies, it seems private companies will be able to invade candidates’ privacy all they want. If you feel strongly enough that this practice violates your rights, and if you can afford to refuse the request, go ahead. But as the practice becomes more widespread, it might become impractical to do so.

Interestingly, it is against the terms of service at Facebook to share login information. But according to the Mesh Report, the Department of Justice will not be prosecuting any employers for their practices despite the fact that it is a federal crime to enter a social networking site in violation of the terms of service.

What will you do about it?

Perhaps the best thing job seekers can do for now is to make sure to rid their profile of any risqué, drunken or other unprofessional pictures; keep their posts clean and sane; and refrain from making disparaging online remarks about anyone, especially past employers.

It seems the practice of coercing job applicants to reveal their social media profiles, albeit masquerading as encouraging them to “volunteer” this information, is not going away without a fight. If you are a job seeker, prepare to be asked to share—or if you can afford it, perhaps you can fight back!

How do you plan to respond if a prospective employer asks you for access to your social media profiles? I’d love to hear your comments below.

Reasons.

We have so many of them. Reasons to do things, reasons not to do things. Reasons why something is possible, and reasons why it’s not. Reasons to spend money, and reasons not to spend money. Reasons to give up, and reasons to take action.

Pretty much every decision we make is based on a reason of some sort or another.

Sometimes reasons conflict with each other. For instance, when I look at discounted mocha brownies in the day-old bin at my food coop, my brain comes up with many reasons to buy (and eat) the brownies. They are on sale! They will taste so good! I deserve it! Yet on most days, I do not buy them, because my reasons for not eating them far outweigh my reasons for indulging. I feel better. I look better. Kale will serve me so much better in the long run. Who cares if it costs twice as much and takes five times as much work to prepare?

Reasons at work in your job search

If you are a job seeker, you probably have lots of reasons to explain why you chose to apply or not apply for a particular job; why someone will or won’t hire you; and even why you are or are not going to hire a resume writer. You can choose to take the easy road, perhaps your default action (buying the mocha brownies), or you can choose to do something a little more difficult that will serve your career in the long term (invest in the kale).

Annabelle’s story

Two weeks ago I got a call from a woman (I will call her Annabelle) who was referred to me for resume assistance. Annabelle had just found out about a position that was available at a national non-profit in Washington, D.C., and she believed she was perfect for the job. The problem: Through her connections, Annabelle had discovered that the hiring process was quickly coming to a close, interviews were done, and the organization was making a final decision on the person they wanted to hire.

Annabelle had also been told by a friend at the organization, who also happens to be a friend of mine, that the language in her resume was confusing and that she should hire me to get it into shape.

Not giving up

Many people would have given up as soon as they heard the words, “We are too far along in the hiring process.” Others would have given up at the prospect of spending hundreds of dollars unexpectedly to overhaul their resume.

Annabelle could have listened to all the multitude of reasons against applying for this position. But she listened to the reasons to give it a shot.

After all, this was a job she wanted more than anything, and no one had actually confirmed that anyone been offered the job yet. Also, there would be more positions open in the future, so it couldn’t hurt to send in her resume.

Annabelle jumped into action. She hired The Essay Expert for two hours at our RUSH rate, reformatted her resume on her own, and, despite having a family emergency intervene in the midst of the process, managed to submit her materials to the organization the next day.

Was it worth it?

The day after sending in her application, Annabelle got an email: the organization wanted to talk to her. She was put through an expedited interview process, and during one of the interviews she could hear one of the managers there going through her resume line by line. He was impressed.

Annabelle moved forward with confidence, incredibly well-prepared for her interviews after having talked to me about every bullet on her resume.

Yesterday I received a call from Annabelle, who told me with great excitement that she had received an offer last Monday for her dream job. A job, you will remember, that was not available until the hiring manager saw Annabelle’s resume.

Annabelle’s job search, beginning to end, for a job at a national non-profit in Washington, D.C.: 4 days. Wow.

Annabelle did have a leg up because she had met the hiring manager at a prior event; her network played a crucial role in opening up this opportunity, as it does for many job seekers. She also believes, and I agree, that “a network can only take you so far; the resume is the only way others can justify your consideration to those who might not know you; it’s your only real voice in the matter.”

She continues (and I promise I did not write this), “No matter how well you think you fit the position, no matter how well you have your contacts lined up, if your resume does not accurately reflect your level of professionalism or capability, hiring managers will never see the true candidate that you are. Having an ill-prepared resume should be the last reason why you don’t go after or get considered for a job. There’s no reason you can’t have a great resume to represent yourself!”

Where are you stopped?

If you are a job seeker, where are you getting stopped? Are you letting reasons keep you from applying to jobs you are qualified for? Are you using a mediocre resume in applications for your dream job because you don’t want to hire someone to bring it up a level or two?

Do you believe that you can find a job in 4 days or do you think such a thing is impossible?

What reasons are you listening to? The ones that have you give up (the equivalent for me of eating mocha brownies) or the ones that will move you forward in your career?

I encourage you to believe that you can turn impossibilities into possibilities if you put your mind to it. Please use Annabelle’s story as an inspiration. And if you have a voice in your head saying, “That could never happen to me,” don’t give up. There is always a different set of reasons you can listen to, if only you are willing.

Last week I introduced you to Loft Resumes, a service that provides custom-designed resumes to job seekers in a variety of industries. I also provided sample formats from some of The Essay Expert’s successful resumes. I then asked you to vote on which you preferred.
Here’s what the survey looked like for those of you who missed it…  I’d still love your input!

Thank you to the 25 people who responded to my survey! Here’s the tally:

“Do you prefer the designs of Loft’s designs or The Essay Expert’s?”

1 person preferred Loft Resume’s designs. [This person was in the insurance industry]

17 people (68%) preferred The Essay Expert’s designs.

1 person liked both equally. [This person was in the IT industry. Note that The Essay Expert has some  other formats you might like better!]

1 person did not like either one. [This response came from an attorney. I agree none of the formats presented would be appropriate for an attorney. For attorneys we use much more straightforward designs.]

5 people chose “Other” and provided the following feedback:

ATS Concerns - Essay Expert’s designs are better, but I fear the inserted box and other graphics might skew an Applicant Tracking System preventing the information from being read and stored, costing an applicant the job by not registering properly within its system. If physically scanned, the Essay Expert is more professional and provides information employers want. [from a career professional/resume writer]

My response: It is true that text boxes and graphics can skew an ATS system. Please rest assured that before a client submits a resume through an online system, we test the resume to make sure it is being parsed correctly by the ATS systems. We do this using Preptel, an online program that mimics the three major ATS programs widely used by large companies to screen resumes.

After posting my article, I was contacted by a representative of Loft Resumes who stated that their resumes do well in Applicant Tracking Systems as well. I would have to test a resume myself to know if that is an accurate statement (Loft does not advertise that their resumes are ATS-friendly).

Keep in mind that every job seeker must have TWO resumes: one for the computer robots and one for humans. Hiring managers, in my experience, really love The Essay Expert’s resumes. I do not have any information on their response to Loft’s designs.

Too Dense - I don’t like either one, they are both too dense with info, the eye doesn’t know where to go to quickly pick up the pertinent details. [from someone in the High Tech industry]

My response: Thanks for your feedback. Thankfully the hiring managers who looked at The Essay Expert’s resumes appreciated something in the resumes, since both of these candidates got job offers for their targeted positions! Neither was in High Tech, and we would certainly use a different format for a high-tech position.

Industry-Dependent Design - It greatly depends on the industry/position. If in creative industry would prefer LOFT.  AND…
- I think Loft’s resumes are a little too designy — the design has more impact than the information contained within it. But Loft’s could be very good for people in the arts, film production, etc.

My response: In fields like marketing and sales, you might be right that LOFT resumes could be viewed more favorably. In a field like graphic design, of course, it would be preferable for the candidate him or herself to design the resume!

- It’s position AND audience specific.

My response: I couldn’t agree more. We use different looks and feels for every industry we work with.

As stated above, if the audience is a hiring manager a highly formatted resume is generally viewed favorably; recruiters hate them.

Even The Essay Expert’s samples here might be too “fancy” for an accountant, although two responders in Accounting and Finance stated they were very likely to purchase an Essay Expert resume and very unlikely to purchase a LOFT resume.

One responder whose industry is aerospace/defense wrote, “The Loft’s [formats] would never work in my industry.”

And I received one response from a person in “consulting” who stated he or she would be very likely to purchase from The Essay Expert and very unlikely to purchase from Loft.

- I like LOFT designs for their uniqueness. They are probably appropriate for someone in more in a creative field versus an executive position. I like Essay Expert’s designs for their clean, uncluttered appearance. They are easy to read and probably more scannable than the LOFT design.

My response: Thank you! I believe I addressed this comment above.

“How likely would you be to purchase a resume design by Loft Resumes, The Essay Expert, or Another Service?”

Overall, my readers (who I admit might be predisposed toward resumes by The Essay Expert) are much more likely to purchase a resume designed by The Essay Expert than they are to purchase a resume from Loft or another service. It was also striking to me that 50% were very likely or somewhat likely to purchase a resume from The Essay Expert.

A gift to you!

Thank you for your support, and if you responded to this survey and are considering purchasing a resume package from The Essay Expert, I will be happy to offer you a 20% discount on any package (maximum discount $100), offer good through April 30, 2012. Note you must complete the survey to qualify for this offer! This is your reward for being a loyal reader and participant in my interactive media opportunities – and for reading to the end of this lengthy article!

Resume format is a personal preference, and also a way to make an impression on hiring managers. A poorly formatted resume might be overlooked regardless of its content, and a beautifully designed resume might get positive attention because of its strong marketing value. If your design is bland, your resume could be met with a yawn; yet if you go overboard with graphics, you could turn off the very people you’re wanting to impress.

How do you want your resume format to stand out from the crowd?

On-Line Formatting Services

I was recently offered an opportunity to refer clients to Loft Resumes, a website specializing in professionally formatted resumes. I am honestly hesitant to recommend this service for many reasons, but I thought I would get your opinion before passing final judgment. Do you think this design service would be valuable for The Essay Expert’s clients?

Let’s go to the website for Loft Resumes to check out their offered formats.  Here’s what I found (please click to explore):

LOFT Resume’s formats are visually more complex than those provided by The Essay Expert. But are they better?

Resumes designed by  The Essay Expert

(Click to view full resume samples)

Which do you prefer between Loft Resumes’ formats and The Essay Expert’s?

Your opinion is requested…

To make this fun, I designed a survey! Please check the boxes below to share your opinion. Thank you!

Thank you for answering this survey! I’ll let you know when the results come in!!

In February 2012, the Career Thought Leaders Consortium published their Findings of the 2011 Global Career Brainstorming Day: Trends for the Now, the New & the Next in Careers.

My particular interest lies in resume trends, and you as my readers expect me to be up to date on these matters!  Here are the Top 12 findings in the resume category from the best of the best in the career industry:

1. Resumes are not dead!

Every job seeker still needs one to present to employers, recruiters and network contacts. That said, the LinkedIn profile is becoming as important if not more important as an entry point and must be crafted to complement, NOT duplicate, the information in the resume.

2. Brevity Reigns

The 3-page resume, however, is going extinct. Keep your resume succinct and preferably to one or two pages, even if you are a high-level executive. This means concise writing, short paragraphs, brief lists of bullet points, and good organization and branding to assist the reader in quickly assessing your strengths. The top third of the first page is prime real estate.

3. Extra Extra! Leverage Addenda

Addenda are welcome attachments to short resumes when you have additional accomplishments to convey that did not make it onto the two-pager.

4. Keep it Chronological

Stay away from functional resumes. Hybrids are okay but reverse-chronological resumes are still the preferred format for recruiters and hiring managers.

5. Smart-phone Savvy

Keep in mind that some people will be reading your resume on their phones. This means you need good headlines and a compelling top third to half of the resume to encourage scrolling down.

6. RoboResumes

Keep ATS systems in mind. Preptel is a good way to make sure your resume is formatted properly to make it through the system.

7. Retro Resumes

Resume paper is still in style for when you present your resume in person! And it’s “retro” – you can send your resume in an actual envelope and perhaps get some positive attention for taking the time to do so in this email-centric world.

8. Hyperlink it!

Put links on your resume. QR codes are becoming popular, as well as other URLs that link to additional material about the job seeker.

9. Be human

Don’t skip the community service, continuing education, civic background, etc. Your character is being evaluated more than ever! And you are encouraged to put a testimonial on your resume. Why say it yourself when you can have someone else say it for you?

10. There’s no one-size fits all.

You need a different resume for each position you apply for, and then you need separate versions for the recruiter, the hiring manager, and the ATS software. How overwhelming can that be? That’s what career professionals and resume writers are here for. Hopefully we can make the process just a bit less overwhelming.

11. Vital Stats

You don’t need to include your street address in your resume header anymore! DO include your LinkedIn URL, web address if you have one, your city and state, ONE phone number and ONE email address.

12. Ever heard of Twitrez?

If you are media-savvy, you may have used the Twitrez tool to communicate your value proposition in a series of 10 tweets, 140 characters each. The idea is that each message can stand on its own and the combined 1400 characters “create a cohesive overview of a candidate’s core qualifications and value.” Or maybe you’ve tweeted your twesume?

I can see what’s next for The Essay Expert – it’s writing Twitter resumes!  Stay tuned…

“Resume Oblivion” has been a hot topic in the news. The Wall Street Journal published an article, Your Resume vs. Oblivion, reporting that the percentage of large companies using computerized Applicant Tracking Systems to screen candidates is in the high 90%; almost all Fortune 500 companies rely on these programs.

The article points out that “the systems, which can cost from $5,000 to millions of dollars, are efficient, but not foolproof.”  Specifically, “Tracking software …  may miss the most-qualified applicant if that person doesn’t game the system by larding [sic - I think they mean loading] his or her résumé with keywords from the job description.”

The article offers advice, which I recommend reading, on “How to Beat the ‘Black Hole.’” However, the advice is not comprehensive.  The first item, for instance, instructs job seekers to “mimic the keywords in the job description as closely as possible. If you’re applying to be a sales manager, make sure your résumé includes the words ‘sales’ and ‘manage’ (assuming you’ve done both!).”

Pardon me for saying so, but the above advice is 1) rudimentary, 2) a no-brainer and 3) limited in its value. The problem is that 99% of the people applying for a sales manager job are going to have the words “sales” and “manage”  in their resumes! Therefore, you will not get higher on any list by including these keywords. The same goes for most of the keywords in the job description, since many job seekers are getting savvy about matching their resumes to the posting.

The Wall Street Journal is not the only major news provider who delivered misleading or incomplete information on this topic. Take NPR’s 16-minute segment entitled Keeping Your Resume Out of Online Oblivion, where callers related stories of how they got interviews despite the reign of Applicant Tracking Systems.  View it here:

You will hear some creative solutions in this spot on how to make it past the computers. You will also hear something misleading:  that hiring managers (i.e., human beings) program the ATS software to screen for certain terms.

Do you really think that a company like Google or Starbucks is going to have a human being sit there and punch keywords into a computer for each of the thousands of jobs they post every day? Think again.

No, human beings do not program these systems — the systems program themselves! The keywords the computers are looking for are determined by the computers. And this is why qualified candidates are so often overlooked.

In my estimation, to beat a computer you need a computer. That’s why I make sure that every one of my clients who applies to a mid- to large-sized company puts his or her resume through a computerized system, Preptel’s Resumeter. I have written about this program before (see How to Write a Resume that Beats the Computers), and I keep becoming a bigger and bigger fan. Preptel gives an actual view of how your resume is read by the computers, and, starting later this week, will coach you step by step through the process of fixing the formatting. Isn’t that better than the vague advice given in the WSJ article to “keep the formatting on your résumé simple and streamlined”?

Preptel will also tell you what keywords the computers have deemed important. Trust me, you won’t figure these out on your own. Here’s a sample:

adding creative input
bim publishing software
or ad tags
the bim publishing
widgets pages content
with station contacts

If you include even one or two of these wacky strings of words in addition to the ones in the job description, your resume will move up in the pile. Add three of the strings and you will have a great chance of success, especially if you also meet the other qualifications in the job description. If you’re not sure how to incorporate the keywords you need, and don’t want to register for Preptel yourself, The Essay Expert will be glad to work with you and give you a free report on how your resume is stacking up.

If you’re a do-it-yourself-er, sign up for Preptel’s Free Trial and get a reduced subscription price of $19.99/month. I can’t think of a better investment to make in your job search.

Many people are flummoxed when it comes to choosing a LinkedIn profile headline.  What keywords should they include?  How do you get that up and down symbol ( | )?  (Hit shift and the backslash key.) Is it more important to have keywords or a Tagline / Unique Selling Proposition (USP)?

This article will mainly address the last question:  Keywords or USP?  The answer to the question depends on your main goal with your LinkedIn profile.

Below you will find several situations you might be in.  Find yourself as closely as possible and handle your headline in the most appropriate way for your situation.  If you don’t find yourself exactly, find the nearest match and adjust from there.

1.  You are a job seeker and you want to be found in searches.*

If you are a job seeker, your main goal is probably to be found and contacted by recruiters and hiring managers.  If so, you need to focus on keywords in your headline.  Keywords are the terms a recruiter would be searching for if looking for someone like you.

The prevailing wisdom is to choose 4-5 words as keywords and leave it at that.  Adding extra words or extra characters like your email address may serve to dilute the effectiveness of your headline.

Examples of good headlines are:

Manufacturing & Supply Chain Executive | Asia

Procurement & Contract Specialist | Treasury Manager

Account Executive | OEM Sales | Field Sales | Territory Manager

Director Communications | Branding | Online Marketing | Social Media

Note these headlines zero in on the most essential keywords and do not add any fluff to dilute their impact.

Some job seekers write “Open to New Opportunities” in their headline.  Some recruiters actually search on the term “opportunities” and might find you that way.  Other recruiters will skip over you if you put that phrase in your headline.  My advice is to try it one way, and if you’re not getting the attention you want, try it another way.  That’s the beauty of social media …  nothing is ever engraved in stone.

2.  You are a job seeker and your main goal is to look good when people find you.

Perhaps you are currently employed and doing a very selective and confidential job search.  Or perhaps you want people to look for you primarily after you have contacted them.  If so, you may not particularly be looking to be found in searches.  In this situation, you have more flexibility when crafting your headline.  I recommend that you write your job title and a catchy phrase, tagline, or Unique Selling Proposition.

Examples:

High-Powered Financial and Analytical Trainer | Propelling International Business Teams to the Top

Program, Process and Project Manager | Creating and Implementing Innovative Technological Solutions

Managed Care Professional | Building relationships with attention and integrity

For more ideas on catchy headlines, see my article, Your LinkedIn Profile *HEADLINE* – What Would Draw You In?

3.  You are a business owner or professional and you want people to find you.*

If you are a business owner or professional wanting to attract clients, stack your headline with the keywords your clients would be searching on.  My headline says:

Essay & Resume Writer | Executive Resumes | Personal Statements | LinkedIn Profiles | Web Copy

The result of having these keywords in my headline (and also in my summary, specialties and job titles) is that many people find me when they are seeking the services I provide.

During admission season I change my keywords to emphasize college essays and MBA Admissions consulting.

Change your keywords as much as you want until you get the number of visitors to your site each day that you’re looking for.

4.  You are a business owner or professional and you just want to build a close network of solid business connections.

If you are laying low on LinkedIn and selectively building a network, really all you need is your job title and organization.  LinkedIn will take care of that for you.

*NOTE TO THOSE IN CATEGORIES 1 & 3:  Remember that the number of hits you get on your LinkedIn profile will always increase when you increase your number of connections.  For more on that topic please view my signature webinar, How to Write a Killer LinkedIn Profile.

BEWARE of the LinkedIn Default! 

If you update your current job position, LinkedIn automatically changes your headline unless you catch the box that lets you opt out.  If this happens, take control and change your headline if you want it to say something different!

Like so many things, there is no “one size fits all” answer to the LinkedIn Headline question.  If you’re not sure what the best way is to approach yours, comment below or contact The Essay Expert for assistance in crafting a KILLER LinkedIn Profile!

On December 13, 2011, LinkedIn released its “most overused” buzzwords list for 2011.  Here is the list of the top 10, with “creative” reigning at the top.  When a particular country or countries stood out for overuse of a term, the country name(s) are listed in parentheses:

1. Creative (Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States)
2. Organizational
3. Effective (India)
4. Extensive experience
5. Track record (Singapore)
6. Motivated (Ireland)
7. Innovative
8. Problem solving (Italy)
9. Communication skills
10. Dynamic (France)

The good news?  Some people heeded last year’s list and stopped overusing at least some of the following 2010 Overused Buzzwords:

1. Extensive experience
2. Innovative
3. Motivated
4. Results-oriented
5. Dynamic
6. Proven track record
7. Team player
8. Fast-paced
9. Problem solver
10. Entrepreneurial

The four exact matches between 2010 and 2011 years are “motivated,” “dynamic,” “innovative” and “extensive experience.” There are also some near matches with “problem solving” vs. “problem solver” and “proven track record” vs. “track record” (I personally have tired of all of these terms).

I believe job seekers and career professionals have done some good work changing the landscape — four of the terms on the list have changed, and all of them have changed rank.   Let’s face it:  There will be overused words every year.  I’m just glad to see we’re learning lessons along the way.

How Creative are You?

This year’s primary lesson:  Don’t say you are “creative” – demonstrate your creativity!  Design and upload a PowerPoint presentation to SlideShare and post it to your LinkedIn profile.  Give examples of marketing strategies you devised.  Include your artistic portfolio in your profile.  And don’t use the same words everyone else is using!  We now know that asserting you are “creative” is a sure way to prove that you are not.

Met or Exceeded Organizational Goals?

“Organizational” is a bit tougher.  How do you say you met organizational goals without saying you met organizational goals?  One thing to keep in mind is that of course you are going to strive for and meet organizational goals!  What other goals would you possibly want to report?  I admit I will be a little sad to let this term go, but I see the point of finding alternatives.  “Meet targeted goals” would be just as effective (oh did I say “effective”?  Send me to India where I’ll be in good company!)  Or perhaps a chart of goals vs. accomplishments would obviate the need for the term “organizational.”  I predict that next year “goal(s)” and “target(s)” will top this list.

Devise an Effective Strategy Lately?

Thankfully there are a multitude of ways to convey the concept of “effective.”  “Successful” is the clearest alternative, followed by “winning,” “profitable,” “lucrative,” “productive,” “fruitful,” “targeted” and even “efficacious” (I don’t love that last one as a resume/profile adjective).  Take your pick or find another way to say what you mean!  (Sometimes you can just leave out the adjective completely, as I did by avoiding “find another effective way” in that last sentence.)

As for “extensive experience” and “track record,” these terms are like nails on a blackboard to me.  I see them a lot and make short work of them on my resumes.

How many of these top 10 overused words show up in your profile?  Please share below.

And  if you want expert assistance to craft a LinkedIn profile that stands out in a sea of 135 million LinkedIn users, contact The Essay Expert through our Web Form or at 608-467-0067.

Like this article?  You might also enjoy Ten Buzzwords to Take Off Your LinkedIn Profile Now published by Time Newsfeed.

Your Resume:  Humans vs. Computers

When I give webinars on writing resumes, one of the topics I cover is how to make your resume visually appealing.  I often get this question:

Why would I want to spend so much time and money making my resume pretty if it’s just going to confuse the computers?

My answer is that yes, the computers are important, and that you ALSO need to have a resume that’s designed to be read by human beings.  We all know that you are most likely to find your job through networking or the “hidden job market.” When you send materials to someone in your network or to a decision-maker in the hidden job market, you want to include a professional-looking resume.  And when it’s time for an interview, it’s also advisable to have a nicely formatted resume to hand across the table.

For those of you who are hoping to get those interviews by applying online, the question still remains: How can I write a resume that makes it past the computers?  In other words:  How can I raise my odds above 2%?

Keep reading.

There are two issues with submitting online resumes.  One is the format of the resume; the second is the keywords it contains.

Formatting for Robots:

ATS (Applicant Tracking System) software is not the smartest software in the world.  It gets confused by bullets, non-traditional headings, graphs, tables, and text boxes.  So you need to have a version of your resume that is stripped down and organized just for the computers. We call this your “text-based” resume.

Your text-based resume should follow these guidelines:

1. Create it in (or copy it into) a text editor such as Notepad, SimpleText or TextEdit.
2. Use easily understandable headings like “Summary of Qualifications,” “Professional Experience” and “Education.”
3. Don’t get fancy or creative with your headings, and don’t put two categories together in one section.  Do NOT, for instance, use the heading “Education & Certifications” or “Skills & Interests.”
4. Use dashes or asterisks instead of bullets.
5. List your address in standard “tombstone” style, one line on top of the next.
6. Put spaces between sections.

Here’s what your text-based resume might look like (beautiful, isn’t it?):

Robots Beat Robots

Now, you’ve done your best to create a resume the computers will understand.  But how will you know if it really worked?

The best way to find out what a computer understands and what it doesn’t is to use a computer program that tells you.  Thankfully, there is a service where you can put your resume into a box on your computer screen, and the program will tell you what information is recognized and not recognized by the ATS software.

Here’s where you can find out about it:

How will you know what keywords to use in your resume?

Just because the computers can read your resume doesn’t mean you will have the right keywords to make it past their screening systems. Perhaps counter-intuitively, the keywords that truly make a difference with computer scanners are the ones you have on your resume that not everyone else includes.  Preptel’s service (called “Resumeter™”) will tell you what those unique words are so that you can add them to your resume.  All you have to do is paste a job description onto the page, and you will get a list of the keywords you MUST include in your resume for it to be viable.

Example:  One of my clients was applying for a job with INTUIT.  When I put his resume and job description into the Resumeter™, the resume was rated as “Weak.” I discovered that he needed to have certain keywords in his resume, including the phrase “QuickBooks, Quicken.”  We added a line about how eager he was to market QuickBooks, Quicken and other INTUIT software through compelling graphic design.  His Resumeter™ grade changed from “Weak” to “Strong.”

Without using Preptel, this client wouldn’t have stood a chance.  As you know, the online job search market is highly competitive and statistics are not encouraging.  You can change your odds of making it past the ATS systems with just a few clicks and adjustments.

Please do yourself a favor and try out this service, Preptel’s Resumeter™, for 7 days for free.  It is normally $25/month after that but with the link provided here it is only $19.99/month.

I have no doubt that you have great experience that qualifies you for many positions. If the computer can’t understand and rank it properly, it won’t help you a bit. Please check out Preptel and let me know what difference it makes!