We get asked all the time: “How do I get a recruiter to actually care about my resume?”

The answer is simple: you have to pass the “7-Second Resume Test”.

Depending on who you listen to, it is widely believed that an applicant has between 6 and 10 seconds to impress the hell out of the resume reader – the recruiter.

Here, then, is my version of the 7-second test… and exactly what I look for, step-by-step, when I glance at a resume – and determine “pass” or “FAIL”.

Second 1: Humble Confidence

How do you show confidence in a one-dimensional document? Simple!

Start with your name in the header – bold and pronounced. Then clearly show me your contact information, separated by lots of white space so I don’t have to squint to find your email address. Next, show me a bulleted summary of your skills – and not just a bunch of buzzwords; I want a clear indication that you understand your strengths and how those may apply to my company.

Fail to impress me with a clear display of confidence – and your resume won’t last ONE second.

Second 2: Social Media Links

Like many decision makers, I live in a digital world – so I want to see links to your career-relevant social media profiles.

Typically, LinkedIn and Twitter are enough to show a professional presence. If you would also like to send me to an About.me or similar, that’s fine. Facebook and other “personal” sites, however, are of no interest to me – and it’s always a red flag of sorts to see those links on a resume.

Why do I care about your social media presence in second two of my resume review? See step one above… by showing me where you live online, you reveal another level of confidence.

Second 3: White Space

I can’t emphasize this enough… white space counts, a lot.

If your resume is packed into a document at 0.4” margins with no space between sections and paragraphs – this shows me that you are trying WAY too hard. Just like the person who can’t let a single moment go by during a conversation without filling it with inane banter, your resume is screaming “I’m nervous… please like me!”

Don’t kill your resume in 3 seconds… let the recruiter’s eyes bounce from section to section freely, and comfortably.

Second 4: Too Damn Much Text

Similar to the white space issue: the use of way too many words…

Long paragraphs and run-on sentences are another sign of anxiety, even desperation. You should be able to articulate your accomplishments in one line. Period.

Do you really think a recruiter wants to read – or has time to read – a 1,200 word resume? They won’t – and in just the fourth second, that resume you’ve worked on for hours … is in the recycle bin.

Second 5: Numbers!

When I look at a resume, I don’t care WHAT you did… I care about your work ethic – and whether or not you were good at your job. More specifically, I care whether you’ll be that good, or better, at my company.

That means your resume must contain quantified statements like “exceeded quota by 132%”, “Met deadlines in 97% of assigned projects” and “managed highly successful event for 500 donors.” Even a more generic “consistently in the Top 5% of my team…” is better than nothing – and shows you understand how your performance is being measured.

No quantified statements on your resume… in second number five I’m looking for another candidate who “gets it”.

Second 6: Achievement

I have a theory about “inferred contribution”…

Simply put, this theory says that if you won awards, competed on a high level – and were a high-impact contributor at your last position – you will do the same at my company. Some of this can be articulated through the quantified statements above, of course. However, as I scan your resume I look for other signs that you’re a high-achiever; perhaps monthly or annual awards, acknowledgement by an industry expert or academic institution, being named to a “Top” list in digital or social media, or similar.

Show me you are a contributor – and in second six, you are well on your way to impressing me.

Second 7: Leadership in a Team Setting

Ah, the final test… is it clear that you embrace leadership in a team-focused work environment?

This is the last hurdle. Have you been a leader? Do you embrace the idea of being a forerunner? Are you willing to stick your neck way outside your comfort zone to make a team better? Or… are you the type that just does what you’re told in the background?

If I can tell you are the type that leads, regardless of the title on your business card… you have passed my seven second test – and are on your way to a phone interview, and perhaps a job!

Apply this seven second test to your resume. Then ask yourself… does it pass, or fail?

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Job Interview © by bpsusf

 

Most job hunters make a number of mistakes that can cause them to loose their dream jobs. These mistakes can be easily avoided, by knowing “what to do” and “what not to do.”

 

1. Not Focusing On Accomplishments and Results

Hiring executives usually search for key terms, when viewing a large number of CV/Resumes.  One of the most important areas hiring executives usually turn to is the “Job Description” section.  The “Job Description” section usually details the role or description of the job function.  Using generic descriptions will will not separate your CV/Resume from the rest of the pack.  Be more specific and focus on what you had accomplished in your previous job position.

2. Not Sending A Personalized Cover Letter

This is mistake, not sending a personalized cover letter , is most often made when applying for job electronically. This is a crucial mistake as it can determine whether or not job hunters are called from an interview.  One option to consider is to create one document that includes both the Cover Letter and the CV/Resume.  Also, job hunters should personalize their Cover Letter, and CV/Resume, to ensure that the documents presented are tailored to the specific Company and Job Position.

3. Making A Poor First Impression

Because hiring managers will often interview a large number of candidates, for a job position, they tend to rely on their first impressions of each person interviewed. This means that job hunters need to do everything possible to ensure that they make a good first impression.  Dressing in a professional manner, giving solid handshake, and display a confident appearance are all examples of how to make a good impression.

 4. Not Being Prepared To Answer Questions

During the job interview, hiring managers will ask a number of questions to ensure that the candidate is appropriate for the particular job.  This means that as a job hunter, one must be prepared to answer all questions confidently, and accurately, without hesitation.  It takes only one single question to be answered inappropriately for the hiring manager to quickly determine that they are speaking to the wrong candidate.

 5. Asking Mundane Questions

One of the most important part of the job interview is when the job hunter has the option to ask the hiring manager questions about the job, the company, the co-workers etc.  Rather than just stating that there are no questions, a job hunter should take the time to ask about the specifics of the job including; the supervisors, the culture of the work environment, any direct reports, what happened to the previous employer etc.  By asking questions, the job hunter demonstrates a number of key traits that may be essential to the job.

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Here are some really great tips for grabbing that next big job. The folks at resumeshark are providing some great insight. #5 is so important. After you get an interview and the hiring managers asks “Do you have any questions of me?” don’t ask a canned question … think on your feet (or on your seat) and try a ask something specific for this company or job.

18 Interview Questions You Must Be Prepared to Answer · Download Your Copy »

While professionals ages 50 and over may have more knowledge and experience in the workplace, that has not helped them come out of the unemployment market any faster. In fact, statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reveal older workers remain unemployed longer than those who are younger.

There are various reasons why an older worker faces a greater challenge securing a job in today’s market than one who is younger. It may include higher pay requirements or because employers view older workers as less competitive with outdated experience and skills.

The way your resume is crafted can quickly reveal to an employer your age or signal to an employer you are not current with today’s competitive workplace. The following are sure fire signs to an employer about your age and outdated skills and experience you may have.

Contact Details

Every resume is complete with contact information such as your name, address and mode of communication. However, when you list a fax number (rarely will an employer contact you by fax) or e-mail address that indicates digits that can signify a year, such as “molly55@… ” it can signal to an employer you are from the old-school. Some employers consider @aol.com e-mails as old school

TIP: Keep your contact information on your resume simple. Stick to one phone number and a professional e-mail address that may simply be your name. Also, do not label “Phone” or “E-mail” on your resume; that is obvious.

Education

Your education can be particularly important to an employer depending on the type of organization and position you are applying for. While you should list degree(s) obtained, do not include the year it was obtained. Simple mathematics can tell the employer how old you are.

TIP: Include the degree you obtained for a particular study, institution attended and the city and state of the institution. Leave out the date of attendance and when you obtained your degree. That information can be supplied to an employer if it is needed later on. Also keep in mind, your education becomes less of a highlight on the resume for most employers when you have five or more professional year of experience in the particular field. This should be on the lower part of your resume.

Experience

Having 30 years of experience in the workforce can be valuable and impressive to an employer, but it can also come off negatively on your resume if the information is not presented and laid out effectively. Most employers focus on the most recent five years of experience so if you have experience that dates back to 20 years ago, it may do you more harm than good, especially if it is irrelevant to the position you are applying for. An employer does not need to know you worked at McDonald’s 20 years ago as a cashier if you are applying for a job related to business development in pharmaceuticals or an entirely different field.

TIP: Even if you have over 25 years of experience, just summarize that as “Over 15 years.” Focus on the most recent 5 to 10 years of work experience particularly relevant to the job you are applying for. If you have other experience that is relevant past that time, include it to a separate category you can call “Other Experiences” on your resume where you can summarize the experience without giving dates.

Technical Skills

Technical skills should be specific to the field, such as unique programs and applications for the profession. Listing programs such as Word, Excel or PowerPoint will not impress employers; these have become standard programs in most workplaces where employers expect employees to know them – and to use them well. Do not list skills that are outdated; listing dBase3 immediately shows your age.

TIP: Do not include a section on technical skills to your resume unless it is unique to the field, such as a graphic design program for designers or SAP for accounting and finance. Also if you do list any technical skills, help the employer understand how adept you are by highlighting what you have done and achieved with it.

A resume shouting out your age or years of experience is not going to help you secure a job in today’s market. You need a resume that demonstrates you are effective and have achieved results in “recent years” that can be applied to the position you are applying for. Demonstrate to employers you are current, up-to-date with today’s approaches and a candidate that can achieve results by demonstrating accomplishments from recent employment.

Remember, the “outcomes” are what matter most at the end of the day.

Don Goodman, president of Resume Writing Service – About Jobs is a nationally recognized career expert. Get a FREE Career Assessment from Don or read his career advice blog. You can contact Don at 800-909-0109 or by e-mail at DGoodman@GotTheJob.com.

Older job seeker image from Shutterstock

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The job market for people over 50 is not dead! We just need to learn the tips that hiring managers are looking for. Great Article. Keep that resume short and focus on the last 5-10 years of job history.

A healthy leadership team is a prerequisite to a healthy growing church or organization. This is nothing new – first the leadership, then the church. There are several factors that make up a healthy team and they can be summed up in one word: unity.

Healthy teams speak the same thing, showing unity of heart and mouth. Healthy teams are perfectly joined together in relationship, share the same mind (philosophy of ministry), and share the same judgment (principles of ministry).

This healthy team will set the pace for the healthy church with these four principles.

1. Diversity of Ministry

Even though there is one leadership team, there are still many members on that team, each having various strengths and specialties. The leadership team models that more than one person, more than one personality type, is required to successfully lead a group forward. When the church sees that, they are inspired to contribute to the church, seeing that they play a necessary part on the church team.

2. Unity of Purpose

Those who plant and those who water are one. Paul, Apollos, and Peter were not competing with one another. Rather, each was assigned his task under the lordship of Christ. Diversity of ministry must maintain unity of purpose and unity of principles. All works by the same Spirit and the same vision. Servants with various functions are really one being united in God’s work.

3. Individual Responsibility and Reward

Though all workers are one in the work, they are individually accountable to God and responsible to Him. God ultimately rewards workers according to their faithful labor. What others think of our ministry is not important. What God thinks is of supreme importance.

The individual responsibility is “labor.” God wants us to produce much fruit. To do that, we must constantly care for the soil of the church and plant seeds. It requires diligence and hard work to produce a harvest!

4. Recognition of God’s Ownership

The local church belongs to God and we are His workers. We should never forget that our part is to obey His mandate to work in the field, but ultimately, His part is to make the fruit grow. We plant, we even harvest, but God changes the nature of the soil from barren to fruitful through our work of prayer, sharing the gospel, and loving people.

Set the pace for healthy church growth with these four principles today.

This post was taken from the new leadership training notes: “Team Building in the Local Church,” now available at our store! Please click on the links below to learn more about our leadership training materials.

“Team Building in the Local Church,” leadership sermon notes: click here

“Lead,” leadership sermon notes: click here

“Leader as a Gatekeeper,” leadership sermon notes: click here

Culture of Leadership Growth, leadership sermon series: click here

Tagged as: leadership, Team

Frank Damazio makes it simple … first the leadership, then the church. Churches that empower their leaders to think outside the box and communicate that vision without repercussion see healthy growth. –wg

As part of our ongoing efforts to expand our global network, we are honored to have Villanova University as a new partner and guest blogger. Make sure you check out their contact details at the end of the post!

 

Can you remember the excitement of getting together with your childhood friends to set up a lemonade stand? That feeling of accomplishment when the first customer stepped up was exceeded only by counting your take at the end of the day.

As kids learn valuable lessons through operating their own sidewalk ventures, these enthusiastic little entrepreneurs can also teach us what it takes to be a great leader. Regardless of your field, you can apply these five “lemonade leadership lessons” to your own work, at any stage of your career.

1. Have a Positive Attitude

Have you ever seen a lemonade stand where the kids aren’t enjoying themselves? Their happy attitudes are a good reminder that when you enjoy your work, you’re more productive.

So it is with great leaders: they are seldom described as “pessimistic” or “dispassionate.” They bring a high level of energy, enthusiasm and excitement to their work – and inspire their teams to do the same. Even when things aren’t going well and there’s no proverbial line at the lemonade stand, leaders know it’s important to stay focused, productive and positive.

2. Focus on Communication

Lemonade stand kids are masters of communication. They naturally organize themselves, prioritize tasks and delegate responsibilities. They interact with each other and their customers. When they have a question, they ask it; and when they have a problem, they jump at the opportunity to work it out. Solid communication skills like these are a must for any leader, and a hallmark of the great ones.

3. Branding is Important

Put two lemonade stands on the same street, and you can be sure the kids will find a way to differentiate – or brand – themselves. Whether they offer a lower price or perform magic tricks, kids are willing to try almost anything to stand out and attract customers.

It’s just as important for leaders to create and maintain their own brand. Your personal brand helps your staff, supervisors, clients and peers know who you are and what to expect, day in and day out. Plus, with a positive brand, you’ll differentiate yourself from the competition when seeking advancement or a new position. Develop your brand by focusing on your competencies, achievements, and the value you bring to the organization. Incorporate it into your professional bio or other messages you present.

4. Be Flexible

What do lemonade stand kids do when business is slow? Some just stay in the same spot, waiting for things to change. Others create change by moving to a location with more foot traffic, adding new products to the mix or expanding their reach through creative marketing. The lesson here is that being prepared to try a different approach to a problem will garner better results than doing nothing.

5. Be Confident and Courageous

Kids know that taking on the risk of running a lemonade stand takes more courage than staying home and playing video games. The ones who step up have confidence in their ability to meet objectives and overcome obstacles. Taking on a leadership role is the big kid’s version of opening a lemonade stand: you need courage to handle bigger responsibilities, and confidence to face challenges. Sure, it’s easier to stay where you are, but if you’re a leader, the status quo will never be enough for you.

For Lessons on Leadership, Look to a Lemonade Stand

While the lemonade stand hasn’t changed much over the years, the business world certainly has. To be successful in a competitive environment, you’ll need a solid set of leadership skills and personal attributes to ensure you perform at your best. When you need inspiration, look to the nearest lemonade stand, where you’ll find important, timeless leadership lessons. And you just may make a child’s day!

 

This post was provided by Erin Palmer on behalf of the online programs from Villanova University. To help expand your  own lemonade stand, Villanova University, in partnership with University Alliance, offers leadership training courses and to hire and manage your team, consider a Masters in Human Resources.

These are some really quick lessons that all of us can use to sharpen our leadership skills. Take the risk of trying something different. Look to a Lemonade Stand!