Oh, you didn’t know you stepped into the advertising business? No matter what your occupation, once you become a job seeker, you’re in advertising! You have to sell yourself to a potential employer, and in this job market you have to be pretty darn good because the competition is stiff.

Preparing Your Successful Ad Campaign

You’ve probably heard of the famous Mad Men — advertising pros on Madison Ave. in the 1960s. You may even be a fan of the Mad Men TV show. I am! And I love watching the show’s star, Don Draper, come up with a successful ad campaign almost every episode. I like how he analyzes the product and its target audience, then creates a brilliant ad campaign.

That’s what I’m encouraging you to do when you write your resume. Here’s how to think like the famous Mad Men:

1. Define your audience. To do this, you’ll need to know your job objective. Narrow it down as much as you can, even to the exact job title at a particular company or at least a specific role in a particular industry.

For the following points, we’ll assume you want a job in advertising within the beauty supply industry; but you can adapt this info for any occupation.

2. Research the company / industry you’re targeting. For example, you might find an article online that answers questions about the goals of a beauty supply company you’d love to work for.

• What’s the company’s challenge? The article says the company is taking a big hit because last quarter it cut its budget for promoting its brands. They need to turn that around.
• What’s hot and what’s not? The company’s most glamorous brands are losing market share to products that appeal to a more “natural” audience.
• What’s the company’s goal? The company has set a clear goal to broaden consumer targets in terms of price, categories, and geography. To do that, they’re strengthening their media and promotion efforts.

Ah huh! You’ve got it. You know what the employer’s challenge is and their immediate goal for business success. Now you can write a resume that shows how your expertise will help achieve that success.

How to Make a Resume That Works

On your resume, respond directly to the challenges and goals you discovered from your research. Write about achievements from your past where you faced and succeeded at similar challenges. By the way, you can see how lots of other job seekers wrote achievement statements on these resume examples.

For the advertising job in the beauty supply industry, write resume statements that match up to the points from your research. In other words, highlight achievements that show:

• Your advertising copy will bring a good return on investment. The company has said they’re increasing their budget for promotions so make it clear how you’ll make their investment pay off.
• You have experience broadening consumer markets. If you’ve expanded consumer markets in the past, talk about it on your resume. Your prospective employer will assume you can do it again — for them!
• You have the creative know-how to turn around an under-performing product line. Again, if you’ve done it before, you can do it for your new employer.
• One more thing: You love the company’s products and use them all the time. Who better to provide targeted consumer insight than the consumer herself?

You may not be one the famous Mad Men but you can write a resume that works like a successful ad campaign, even in this not-so-glamorous economy.

As I told him, a good resume file name can market you right on an employer’s hard drive. Writing that good file name is easy: just be sure to include your name. For example: Resume-Hank-Hill-Sales.doc.

A Good File Name is Smart Marketing

Here’s how I came to realize the power of a good file name for a resume:

A month or so ago I hired a consultant (we’ll call her Pam Stills) to edit an article I’d written. Pam sent me her edits as a Word attachment to her email. When I clicked the Save button to download the document to my hard drive, I noticed the name of the file was SusanIrelandReview.doc.

“Good heavens,” I thought. “With all the SusanIreland file names already on my hard drive, this one will just blend into the list and get lost. I’ll never find Pam’s document when I need it.” So I renamed her file: PamStillsReview.doc.

Later it dawned on me what a favor I’d done for Pam. Her name is now on my hard drive. Every time I look at my computer files, I see her name and think of the good service she provided me.

Do you see how powerful that file name is? It gives Pam her own free marketing campaign running silently on my hard drive!

That’s exactly how job seekers can market themselves on recruiters’ and employers’ hard drives. Just put your name in the file name of your resume. For example, “ResumeRonSmithAnalyst.doc.”

Your Resume: How To Write a Good File Name

Let’s talk about the file name of your resume: How to do it correctly so you really make the most of this marketing opportunity. Here are a few details to pay attention to:

• Limit the length of your file name to no more than 24 characters and spaces (not including the .doc extension). Many computer systems show only the first 24 characters and spaces. Others allow long file names to wrap to a second line. But you don’t know what the employer’s computer will show, so play it safe. Keep your file name short so it fits on one line on most systems.

• All letters and numbers can be used.

• Standard keyboard symbols are allowed, except forward and backward slashes (/ and \) and periods (.)

• Spaces between words are acceptable. It’s also okay to insert dashes (-) or underscores (_) between words. For example: Resume-James-Vincent.doc and Resume_Mike_Fro_Sales.doc.

• Capitalized letters are fine and may come in handy for separating words instead of using spaces. For example, instead of: Resume Anthony Lissette CEO.doc (23 characters and spaces not including the .doc) you could write ResumeAnthonyLissetteCEO.doc (21 characters and spaces).

• Words to include: your name and the word “resume”. If you have space: name of job and date. If you list the date, remember not to use slashes or periods.

• Prioritize the words in your file name so the most important word comes first, then the second most important, and so on. This way, if the employer’s computer doesn’t show the entire file name, it will at least show the most important words.

Okay, now you know how to create a resume file name that will help you make the most of it — right on the employer’s hard drive. I hope you’ll try it and let us know if you get more calls for interviews!

If your resume is easy to read, it’s more apt to get read. So use the highest contrast you can get.

The Best Color Scheme: Black on White

That’s right, good ole black text on a white background. And that goes for cover emails and cover letters as well as resumes.

You don’t want the employer or recruiter to have to bump up the size of text on his screen or have to print it out or put on his glasses so he can figure out what you’ve written. If he has to jump through even a small hoop to be able to read your text, he may not do it.

And if you’re tempted to put your name and contact info in the Word header of your resume, don’t do it. Text in the header will be gray when your document is opened in Normal View, which is how most employers will see it on first review.

Why take that risk? Play it safe and make a good impression by sticking to the best color scheme: black on white. Now that’s cool!

Don’t put anything on your resume
that you don’t want to do again.

Raise Your Hand If You Hate Going to Work

Did you raise your hand? Just a little? Look, even people who l-o-v-e their jobs have at least a few tasks they wish they didn’t have to do.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could cut out all the stuff you hate from your next job? Think how happy you’d be to go to work each day. Your wish for a hate-free — or almost hate-free — job could come true if you use this advice:

Before writing your resume, make two lists:
List 1: Things you love about your line of work.
List 2: Things you hate about your current and old jobs.

Now, follow my 10 Steps: How to Write a Resume, paying close attention to the big resume tip:

Your resume is about your future,
it’s not about your past.

Think about how powerful that tip is. If your resume’s about your future, and you don’t put anything you hate on your resume, then maybe your new job description won’t have that dreaded item in it. And then you wouldn’t hate going to work! How cool would that be?

I know you can’t always get around talking about stuff you hate (for instance, you may have taken a sales job only to find out you hate sales). There are times when you need to list a job title in order to avoid a gap in employment. In that case, do your very best to downplay the hated task and highlight the aspects of the job you really liked.

What Joe Hated and Love About His Job

Here’s a story you might relate to:

Joe became a nursing aide in an assisted living facility shortly after graduating college. It didn’t take long for him to figure out he hated all the clean up required of someone in his position. But he really liked the relationships he built with patients, especially the older ones with all the great “war” stories. He had a knack for making even the cranky ones smile (think Patch Adams here).

Over time he became known among his co-workers for being the one to handle Mr. Grumpy in room 203 and Ms. OCD in room 215. His special talent was known among his co-workers and sometimes he was able to make a trade with another aide: he’d respond to a call from Mr. Grumpy in exchange for a nasty clean-up down the hall.

After a year on the job, Joe knew he never wanted to be a nursing aide again. He wanted to move on to geriatric social work.

How to Write a Resume About What You Love

Here’s how Joe talked about his nursing aide job on his new resume for geriatric social work.

2011-present, Nursing Aide
St Mary’s Assisted Living, Trenton, NJ

• Concentrated on care of elderly patients, providing a social company along with standard daily aid.
• Offered a listening ear to elderly patients who were confused, lonely and in physical discomfort.

That’s all he wrote for that job! No mention of bed pans, clean-ups, or any of the things Joe didn’t want to do in his next job. The spotlight shines on what he loved about being a nursing aide and what he wanted to do in his next job.

By the way, you can see this technique used in resume examples for career change.

How to Get a Better Job

You may never get a job you love 100 percent but you can certainly try to get one you like more than you hate. Starting with your resume, write about only the things you like to do. When you get into the interview, follow the same guidelines: focus on things you like and want to repeat. Avoid talking about what you hate. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll land a job you truly love.

Have you had a job you hated? What did you do to transition into a job you love — or at least like?

12-Steps to Writing Your Resume

Step 1: Figure out what job you want.
Your next job will be the focus of your resume. So first you need to know what job you want. Then you’ll be set to do the rest of these how-to steps.

Help with this step:
Tests to Know Yourself
Learn Job Titles, Pay, and Skills

Step 2: List key words for your next job.
Make a list of key words that would be typed into a search engine to find the best job seeker for the job. A great place to find those key words is in job posts.

Help with this step:
Make a List of Key Words for Your Resume
Find Key Words in Job Posts

Step 3: Pick a resume format to use.
Choose from the chronological, functional, and combination formats. One size does not fit all. Think through the pros and cons of each so you pick the best format for you.

Help with this step:
Choose a Resume Format
What Is the Top Resume Format?

Step 4: Open a Word doc.
Use MS Word to write your resume. Word docs are what most employers want. You can start with a blank Word doc. Or you can use a resume template that was built in Word.

Help with this step:
Ready-Made Resumes (for a fee).

Step 5: Set up your Heading.
Type your name and contact info at the top of your page. Bold your name and make the font size a bit bigger than the rest of the text. Be sure to list your e-mail and LinkedIn page.

Help with this step:
Create Your Resume Heading
Resume Heading: Should I Use the Word Header?

Step 6: Write a short job objective statement.
A Job Objective near the top makes it easy for employers to know in a heartbeat what type of job you are looking for.

If you don’t want to write an Objective, that’s okay. You could put your profession (such as Law Clerk) near the top. Or, in the first line of your Summary you could make it clear what type of work you do.

Help with this step:
State a Job Objective
Should You Put a Job Objective on a Resume?

Step 7: Write your Summary.
There are two ways to lay out your Summary:
1. Write three or four bullet-point lines; or
2. Write your statements in two short paragraphs, each starting with a key-word term. Those terms should be bold and should suggest what role you would play for your next boss.

Help with this step:
Write a Summary of Qualifications
Turn Over-Used Phrases into Meaningful Phrases

Step 8: Fill in your work history.
List the dates, job titles, and employer names for each of your jobs. Take care to fill in work gaps and work with dates you think might raise an eyebrow about your age.

Help with this step:
How to List Work History on Your Resume
How to Smooth Out a Time of Not Working
How to Not Look Old… at Least on Your Resume

Step 9: Write achievements.
Use numbers to show that you achieved goals and were valued. Be sure to talk about the same skills you used in past jobs that will be used on your new job. And find ways to put in lots of key words from the job posts from Step 1.

Help with this step:
Write Strong Achievements

Step 10: List your education.
In your Education section, list degrees, as well as training that relates to your next job. You can put down dates or not, based on whether those date make you look up-to-date or out-of-date.

Help with this step:
Education on Your Resume
Resume With No Degree But Lots of Coursework

Step 11: Add more lists.
You may have more items and key words that need to be on your resume. See if you can list them in a new section such as Skills, Pro Bono Work, Team Sports, Awards.

Help with this step:
More Lists on Your Resume

Step 12: Proofread.
Use your spell-check and read each word with care. Then ask a friend if she will read it. It’s well worth the time. Poor writing could put off a manager and cost you a job interview.

Help with this step:
Resume Typos Can Cost You the Job

Do You Have a Resume How-To Tip?

Have a tip to add to this 12-Step Resume How-To? Tell us about it!

The Power of a Confident Cover Letter

When given a choice between wording that’s “iffy” and wording that’s confident, pick the latter. After all, if you don’t sound like you believe in yourself, you can’t very well expect a prospective employer — someone who’s probably never met you — to believe in you. Your cover letter is a preview of who you are and how you approach challenges (you know, those times when confidence really comes into play!).

Whether you’re making your initial introduction with a lead sentence, delivering your sales pitch in your middle paragraph, or initiating action at the end of your letter, use power words and power phrases to convey confidence.

Examples of Power Words and Phrases

The following examples contrast insecure and powerful confident approaches. Notice, how replacing words like “if” with “when,” and “I hope that” with “I am confident that” changes the tone from insecure to confident.

Insecure
If we meet to discuss the project…
Confident
When we meet to discuss the project…

Insecure
I hope that I meet your qualifications for the job.
Confident
I am confident that I can do the job.

Insecure
I might be a good candidate for the job.
Confident
I am the candidate for the job.

Insecure
Hopefully we can get together to talk.
Confident
Let’s get together to talk.

Insecure
Perhaps I might meet with you.
Confident
I’d like to meet with you.

Insecure
Maybe sometime next week we could find time to meet.
Confident
Next week is a good time for me to meet with you.

Insecure
I was wondering if you have any job openings in sales.
Confident
I’m inquiring about job openings in your sales department.

Want to see more confident phrases in action? Go to 50 Cover Letter Examples.

For that reason, always have someone else proofread your resume before you send it off to a potential employer.

Too Close to See Resume Typos

It’s commonly known among professional writers that one never makes a good proofreader of one’s own work. Even manuscripts of highly regarded authors get proofread before they’re sent to press (or posted online).

So don’t be embarrassed that you need someone to check your writing. It is far better for a friend to point out resume typos so you can fix them than to have an employer toss (or delete) your document because it isn’t perfect.

3 Proofreading Techniques

Here are some tips for getting your writing right.

1. Turn on your word processing program’s proofing tools to check spelling, grammar, double spaces, and repeated words.
2. Slowly read the document out loud. Carefully check contractions and plural words to see that you didn’t get them confused with each other. And think through words such as “there” and “their” that sound alike but have different meanings.
3. Ask a friend or family member to proofread your document.

Some people say that reading a document backwards, word by word can help detect a misspelled word. That technique doesn’t work for my brain, but maybe it will for yours.

Do you have any proofing tips you want to share?

Here’s the “no degree” question:
I have over 120 college credits (3.5 years) and no degree. During my career I have always been hired based on my experience. I want to update my resume, however, I’m not sure how to reflect my college education accurately. The last time I needed to update my resume, six years ago, I was instructed to list the dates I attended college. Is this right? Due to space, listing my coursework is not an option. It’s important to me that this is represented correctly.

A Resume With No College Degree on It

No matter what your job objective, having college education — even if you didn’t earn a degree — is valuable. Now let’s figure out how you should state it on your resume. Here are some possibilities:

If you’re still pursuing your degree, you know your major, you’re currently enrolled in the college that will grant you the degree, and you anticipate finishing your degree program within a year, present it like this:

Business Management, BA anticipated 20xx
Austin College, City, State

Note: Even if you went to several colleges prior to your current one, you don’t need to list the other schools. You only need to list the school that will grant you the degree.

Listing College Coursework

You may not be planning to get your college degree but still want to show that you’re college educated. I agree, that’s a good idea. Here are some ways to do that:

If the courses you took over the years were within a major, were all taken at the same school, but you don’t intend to complete your degree program within the next two or three years, present it like this, without any dates:

Business Management coursework
Austin College, City, State

If the courses you took were not directed toward a particular major, were all taken at the same school, and you don’t intend to complete your degree in the near future, present it like this, without any dates:

Austin College, City, State
Relevant coursework in: Accounting, Business Management, Human Resources

If the courses you took were at various schools over the years, and you don’t know when or if you’ll complete your degree, present it like this, without any dates:

Relevant Coursework:
Austin College, City, State
list only courses that are relevant to your job objective

Lyndon College, City, State
list only courses that are relevant to your job objective

Billings College, City, State
list only courses that are relevant to your job objective

Note: You don’t have to list all the colleges you attended. Mention only the colleges where you took relevant classes.

If you took lots of courses at lots of schools over the years and none of the courses are relevant to your job objective (although I would find that hard to believe but I guess it’s possible), list it like this:

College coursework included:
Austin College, City, State
list a few courses that might trigger interesting conversation at the interview, or show that you’re a person with curiosity.

Lyndon College, City, State
list a few interesting courses

Billings College, City, State
list a few interesting courses

Note: In this case, be sure not to overwhelm the employer with too many schools or too many subjects that aren’t relevant to your job objective. Too much variety might make you look scattered.

I hope one of these scenarios fits your situation. If not, leave a comment and I’ll try again. Good luck!

Lindsay (not her real name) asked me a similar question that had a twist: Shortly after her job interview the employer called one of her references, which led Lindsay to believe that she would be offered the job. But now, after two weeks, she still hasn’t heard a peep from the employer.

Let’s look at Lindsay’s question, followed by my answer.

Should I Follow Up on a Job Application?

Exactly two weeks ago I had an interview with a great company. I left feeling very optimistic, and the company expressed interest in hiring me for the job. Within the next few days I heard from my previous boss that they had already contacted him as a reference.

I am anticipating a response as to whether I got the job or not, and would like to send them an email concerning my application status. How do you think I should approach this question through email? –Lindsay

Setting Expectations During the Interview

Lindsay, how did you leave things at the end of your interview? It would have been good to clarify the employer’s hiring process and timeline so you could set realistic expectations.

If the employer had said, “We’ll be making our decision in two weeks,” then you might have asked, “Will you be contacting me or would it be alright for me to contact someone on your staff two weeks from now?” This sort of respectful closure to the meeting would have told you how and when to communicate appropriately with the manager.

Immediate Thank You Email After the Interview

Then, immediately after the interview, you should have written a thank you email, which could have restated your intention to call in two weeks, or expect an email from the employer in two weeks, or whatever you and the manager agreed to.

How to Follow Up Now

At this point, your best bet is to send a belated thank you email that also asks if a decision has been made.

However, before sending that email, check your spam folder to be sure the employer hasn’t already sent you an email about the status of your application. Maybe a job offer (or rejection) was sent and you simply didn’t get it in your in-mail box. If, there’s no email from the employer, then go ahead and send that short, polite thank you email that expresses your continued interest in the job.

So that’s my answer to “How Should I Follow Up on a Job Application?”

Good luck with this application, Lindsay. I hope you get the job!

If you’re one of those fibbing 70%, read on before you send out another resume.

The Big Deal About Lying on Your Resume

You can get terminated from a job because of a lie on your resume. Let’s look at a few “what if’s”:

• What if your employer wants a legal excuse to fire you? He could investigate details on your resume, find a lie, and then have legal grounds to get you ousted.

• What if your resume is examined as part of your promotion review? A detected falsehood could make you lose your job all together.

• What kind of job reference will you get if you’re fired for lying on your resume? The next time you apply for a job and your prospective employer runs a reference check he might learn you got fired for lying. That’s not the way to win a new job.

The Personal Cost of Lying

A lie on your resume can undermine your self confidence during a job interview. Picture yourself in the firing line of questions from an interviewer, knowing that you might be asked something related to your deception.

Unless you’re an experienced liar, this situation will probably make you nervous. If your anxiety is noticed, it will most likely make an unfavorable impression. Now that’s a big deal!

A Better Solution to Lying

There are creative ways to present your information without lying. Here are a few examples:

• Under Education, instead of saying you got a college degree you didn’t, you might state your area of study at the school you attended.

Business Management program, XVZ College

• When you list your experience, instead of fudging on a job title, list your real title and put your functional title in parentheses.

Administrative Assistant (Project Management)

• Instead of exaggerating the dates you worked at a company to disguise a period of unemployment, list the true dates and fill the unemployment gap with unpaid experience.

20xx-xx Full-time parent
20xx-xx Registered Nurse, DEL Hospital

It’s better to leave out information than to lie on your resume. There’s always a creative way to market yourself without lying on your resume.