Grace is a marketing executive from New York City who is amazingly well connected in her industry. She recently reached out to us to help her create a brand-driven resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile that reflected her career story and passion for helping companies succeed in their marketing efforts. Once Grace had her resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile ready to go, she really didn’t know where or how to job...

Why It’s Important to Separate Yourself from Other CandidatesFar too many job seekers do not see the value or the importance of setting themselves apart from their competition on their resumes. They get stuck thinking they’re supposed to blend in or look like other ideally qualified candidates. What they miss is the importance of being who they are and showing the employer the unique value they offer that other similarly qu...

If you want a chance at a good job, tell a story.No, I’m not talking about “Once upon a time,” or “In a land far away.” What I mean is a story that tells about who you are, what you have done with your career so far, and what you can bring to a new position.C.A.R. StoriesWhat I am asking you to do is create a CAR story. It stands for Challenges, Actions, and Results. In short, what you do is look back over your career and t...

So, you have a great resume that showcases all your achievements and your educational background. But is it relevant to the position you are applying for?Relevance simply means a connection between who you are, what you want, what the position you are applying for is, and what the company offering the position wants.Is Your Resume Relevant?If you have the experience asked for by the company, and you have shown it on your re...

You have to love keywords. OK, you don’t have to LOVE them but you do have to know how to use them, because if you have the right keywords, employers will find you on LinkedIn, and their algorithms will find you when you submit a resume. If you are not using the right keywords, no one is going to find you. And that’s not good.So, how do you know which keywords to use on your resume? Which ones will get you noticed, and whic...

If you are submitting your resume online, then you need to know about ATS. It is an abbreviation for Applicant Tracking Software, and it is a catch-all term for programs that allow employers to upload your resume that you have created in Word or plain text, and then deliver it to a database that searches it for keywords. Large corporations often use ATS to weed out suitable resumes and identify the candidates that they want...

You know the myth—a good resume should be no longer than one page. Why in the world should that be etched in stone?Maybe one page is not the right length. You might have a lot of accomplishments to share. You might have a very long career history. And it might not be even remotely reasonable to expect you to sum yourself up in one page.Now, that said, how long is too long?Best Length for a ResumeHere is my best advice … Say...

It is important to include your education on your resume, even if you have none.Now, how did that statement even make sense?Well, having no formal education doesn’t mean that you have never learned anything during your lifetime. There has to be something in your background that is relevant to the position you want. You just have to make it fit your resume.Where Do I Put My Education?Okay, the good thing about education is t...

Why is it important to use numbers on your resume? It’s simple. Numbers tell your potential employer where, how, and why you have succeeded. You can always make general statements. For instance, I could say “I have helped a lot of people create resumes that got them interviews and jobs.” Is that quantifiable?No, it is not. But if I say: “Of 1,000 clients who came to me for assistance, 85% had multiple interviews in under tw...

Creating A Brand-Driven ResumeIs your resume brand-driven? In other words, does it market you as a brand, in the same way that companies market a product or service? A brand-driven resume will make it easy for an employer to see the differences between you and another candidate.Types of Personal BrandingCommunicating your personal brand can be accomplished three ways; visually, verbally, or through strategic, targeted conte...