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A good tip from GetHiredNowTV’s Channel on YouTube:

A few observations from the interviews I recently helped conduct for a technical position.

Overall, this was a pretty good crew we brought in, but each of them could’ve done things a little better. We selected 3 to bring back for second interviews, but one of them, our top candidate informed us that she’s already accepted another position. So that means we’ll only be doing two second round interviews, and one of them will be selected for the position.

Here’s some observations from the first round.

The manager I was working with stated beforehand that since he had to wear a shirt and tie for the interviews, there better be no one that was dressed casually. This position is a professional one, after all.

The first candidate came in wearing a faded polo shirt and jeans, with a somewhat ragged nylon jacket which he never removed. He also smelled very strongly of cigarette smoke. His interview went ok, but his appearance and smell sort of turned us off. If he couldn’t take the trouble to make himself presentable for the interview, what would be like to work with on a daily basis?

The second interview was dressed fine. However, when asked about some of her background, she proceeded to bash several of her previous employers. Not cool.

Our third interview was with an impeccably dressed gentleman who was very charming. Our fears were that he was too overqualified for the position and would quickly be unsatisfied in the position, which is clearly labeled an entry level job. His resume clearly stated that he was seeking a position as a Sr Network Administrator. We still wanted to see if he would be able to accept doing the entry level work, and could see that he was clearly looking at it as a jumping off point, just a temporary stop on the way to bigger and better things. The problem is, there really wasn’t room for that type of growth.

I also had a bit of concern with how he answered some of our questions. He clearly had prepared well for the interview, and knew all the tips and tricks that a site like this, and many books will help you to use during an interview. The problem I had was that it was terribly transparent. His responses were canned, unnatural. He played “by the book” without letting us see more of who he really was. He also showed signs that he could be a bit overbearing, and if that is in the interview process, again, what would be be like in the office.

Our fourth interview started off a little slow, but grew on us as time went on. He didn’t really slip up at all, and is one of our second interview candidates.

The Fifth interview was a favorite coming in based on his resume and the quick phone conversation. He was nervous once he arrived, and had a distracting nervous laugh with many of his answers. Skill and personality wise, he seems a good fit. Our biggest concern is the distance he lives from the site. He’s getting a second interview as well.

The final interview was our best. She was terrific from start to finish and really impressed us with her skills, background and poise. We came away feeling she was the favorite. When contacted about a second interview however, she disappointed us by informing us that she had taken another job.

We’ve had a chance to sit on the other side of the table this week, having been asked to assist in the hiring process for a technical position. We reviewed a few dozen resumes and then selected a half dozen people to interview.

A few observations of what not to do from the resume stack:

• If you’re applying for a computer job, it’s poor form to submit a hand-written (poorly at that) resume on yellow legal paper.
• The application asks the candidate if they have even been convicted of a crime. If the answer is yes, with the exception of traffic violations, it asks the candidates to list these convictions. The wording is such that you should not include your traffic stops. One applicant then proceeded to list out his very impressive history of speeding tickets, dating back to 1978.
• I know you’re very proud of the technical certifications that you’ve been awarded, you even have a prominent section of your resume devoted to it. The trouble is, you spelled the header CERIFICATIONS.

There were a few other gaffes that stood out, but those were the cream of the crop. We’ll have some more observations from the interview process soom…

In the digital age, our resumes like many of our personal documents are stored online and in a digital format. If you belong to a job search site which stores your resume, such as Monster.com, your information is kept in a huge database and is only found when it matches specific keywords. You need to make sure that your resume is found.

Brian Krueger from collegegrad.com offers advice on this topic in this one-minute video tip:

Resume Finesse: Tell Me Again, Why Did You Leave Your Last Job After Six Months?

That’s not a question you want to field during an important job interview, especially if the details are gory. And why would you be asked such a question? Because you included it on your resume so that it would be sure to come up during the interview!

A resume isn’t just a bunch of facts typed up neatly. A resume presents the best picture of you, the professional. A good resume shines a spotlight on your business accomplishments while sweeping your shortfalls and shortcomings under the carpet (or at least putting the best face on these ‘difficult’ resume entries.)

The Fudge Factor

There’s a big difference between emphasizing career highlights and creating highlights that never took place.

During your last semester of college you dropped out to tour as a roadie with Aerosmith. Good times. But, you never quite went back to get that degree. You almost got it, but not quite.

You might be tempted to apply the fudge factor here and claim a degree that you haven’t quite earned. Don’t do it. Your resume must be 110% accurate in every fact. However, what facts are included or excluded and how the remaining facts are positioned are simply aspects of good resume preparation.

Resume Blemish #1: 12 Jobs in Four Years

You quit for a better job, got laid off, downsized, moved across country and picked up an additional certification so your staying power at any one position is rightfully suspect to a prospective employer.

Pick the jobs that are most relevant to the one for which you’re applying. No lies. Just put your relevant experience to the forefront.

Provide accurate employment start and end dates and when the subject comes up during an interview, you’ll be prepared to explain the holes in your work history. This brings up blemish number two.

Resume Blemish #2: Holes in Your Work History

Prospective employers like to see a nice, steady work history with nice, steady advancement as you move from company to company: more responsibilities, more varied experience, and greater impact on the company’s bottom line. (It all comes down to the bottom line.) That’s what your next employer is looking for.

So how do you explain the fact that you left your last job in the previous millennium? Or that two year block of time when you hiked through the Andes?

Holes like this stand out, but they can be addressed in your cover letter. Again, honesty counts, so be truthful. You’ve been out of the workforce since 1999 raising your family, and now, you’re ready to re-enter the job market (with your completely up-to-date skill set). Or, you wanted to follow your dream to trek the Andes before you got too old. Straight up, tell the truth.

The Resume Statute of Limitations

Typically, you can leave off anything older than 10 years. In today’s job market, anything before that is ancient history. So, if you had a few “misfires” early in your career, leave them off.

Also, if your most relevant experience also happens to be your most recent (usually the case as you work your way up the ladder), you can omit that old two-year stint as a bank teller before you got into marketing. Again, the key is to choose selectively the information that best demonstrates your value as the company’s newest employee.

Finally, the Details

Read it. Reread it. Read it again. Have your spouse read it, the kids, or your mother-in-law – anybody you can collar. You’re looking for input and reaction. Does it grab your attention? Does this sound right? Edit and polish each entry accordingly.

Proof it. No mistakes. No spelling errors, grammar’s up to snuff, proper format. If it’s professional, it’s perfect.

Don’t Try This at Home

If you don’t have a clue how to structure your work history and play down your job-jumping binge, hire a professional resume preparer. It’ll cost a few bucks, but it’ll be the best investment in your future you ever make.

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Teena Rose is a columnist, public speaker, and certified/published resume writer with Resume to Referral. She’s authored several books, including How to Design, Write, and Compile a Quality Brag Book, 20-Minute Cover Letter Fixer, and Cracking the Code to Pharmaceutical Sales.

The folks at GetHiredNowTV have this quick video explaining why it is a good idea to include a postscript (PS) in any cover letters that you send out.

It makes sense, doesn’t it?

The Boston Globe this week had an article from Don Aucoin, who profile six people in the Boston area who are working their dream jobs.

It is interesting to see the differences in the professions here, which include a dog walker, a director of communications, a dean of a technical college and a director of new media. Each person explains why this is their dream job, compares it to a nightmare job that they’ve had in the past and offer advice to others seeking their own dream jobs.

Just a quick post today, and it’s and oldie, but goodie. Last summer, Bhuvana Sundaramoorthy put together the top 50 questions that you are likely to get in a job interview. There is also advice on how to best address each one of those questions.

Very useful!

A new website, Jobs In Pods offers a new way to search for jobs…through podcasts.

Now you can download the podcasts to your iPod or MP3 player and listen to job descriptions while in traffic, at the gym, or anywhere else. While this might seem like a strange way for a company to post a job or for a job seeker to look for employment, there is quite about this concept that makes sense.

From the site’s “Why Do It” page:

What makes podcasting an attractive recruiting tool? The format offers a way to get candidates to listen to what organizations have to say. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but nothing speaks like a human voice.

Portability and flexibility are also factors. Because podcasts can be downloaded to portable, lightweight devices, the technology provides an opportunity to reach an audience at their convenience–which means they’ll be more inclined to really listen.

Podcasts are particularly appealing to younger candidates. Perhaps it’s not surprising then that recruiting sites aimed at this audience have been among the first to add podcasts.

Try it out!

A terrific post on Randsinresponse walks us through the process the author uses when reviewing resumes.

We’re told which parts of the resume are skimmed and which ones are skipped altogether. Two passes are made over the resume, with the second pass in a little more detail than the first.

The post concludes with these words:

A resume will never define who you are. It’s not the job of your resume to give me a complete picture, and if you’re struggling to include every last detail about who you are, you’re wasting your time. Your resume should be designed to give me a glimpse and a hook.

The glimpse is a view into the most recent years of your professional career. It should convey your three most important accomplishments and it should give me a good idea where your technical skills lie.

The hook is more important. The hook will leave me with a question. Maybe it’s something from your other interests section? How about an objective so outlandish that I can’t help but set up a phone screen. I’m not suggesting that you make anything up, I’m asking you to market yourself in a way that I’m going to remember. A resume is not a statement of facts. It’s a declaration of intent.

The entire article is absolutely worth a read.