It may look shiny and exciting, but under all that glitter, what exactly is a counteroffer? Ultimately, it’s an attempt to entice you to stay. A counteroffer is not typically your employer suddenly reviewing your performance or rethinking budget allocations. Their job is to take care of both their employees and their business productivity. When you leave, you upset the balance between those, which is clearly a cause for worry for your employer.

Counteroffers happen more than you’d think, especially in the IT industry. So be prepared! Consider the thought process of your current employer. They think you’re happy and loyal to the company. When you hand in your notice, they assume that you’re no longer happy or loyal. You’ve taken control, and this may shock them. What will they do with your current projects? How will they find someone new to fill your shoes? The hiring process can be lengthy, time consuming, and costly. Combine this with the fact that they will soon feel the hurt from having your position empty, and you’ve caused a major commotion!

So how do they handle it all? Simple! They will offer you more money, a nice new title with more responsibility, or even extended benefits – basically, something to regain that balance for a while. Awesome, you may think! These new terms might seem tempting enough to reject your new offer.

Wait! Keep in mind that when you first turned in your notice, you were – in the eyes of your employer – communicating unhappiness and disloyalty, and this can never be reversed. Inevitably, this will lead to your employer letting you go a month or two or even six down the road – however long it takes them to find someone to fill your shoes; someone who will be happier and more loyal.

So how do you avoid this whole miserable situation? Think about why you initially started your job search and decided to make the move. A counteroffer rarely, if ever, is a solution to your original problems with the company or your role within it. It’s an emergency fix, and once you get over the surprise and novelty of it, the same reasons for your original leaving will return to haunt you.

Before you even send out your resume for another opportunity, make sure you’re clear about the reasons why you’re leaving. Ask yourself honestly if these reasons could be resolved by some form of counteroffer and don’t let yourself get trapped in a situation where you might later regret it.

In conclusion, counteroffers are all too common and are not special treatment. Be prepared and understand your employer’s motives behind the counteroffer. Remind yourself why you’re leaving in the first place, and be careful not to get trapped by the consequences of taking a counteroffer.

-Teresa Olsen – IT Search Manager at Ashley Ellis

In response to the high number of new IT positions that have opened up in the Chicagoland area, Ashley Ellis is accommodating this increase by expanding its services and reach by taking on additional office space that will include a Corporate Headquarters, an expanded recruiting/sales area and 4 additional interviewing rooms for its clients.

The larger office space in Naperville will accommodate 10 additional recruiters to support the on-going demand to locate highly qualified IT professionals for its clients. “Over the past 6 months job openings have increased to levels that warrants hiring additional recruiters to fulfill our clients requirements,” said Katy Gallagher – Co-owner of Ashley Ellis.

Additionally, the expanded office space will serve as the company’s Corporate Headquarters to support additional branch office openings. In 2010 the company plans to open 4 additional offices with the first one in Atlanta Ga., and 7 more in 2011.

Lastly, the additional office space provides 4 additional interviewing rooms to enable clients to interview prospective candidates in a confidential and uninterrupted environment. “Many employers have found off-site interviewing facilities are beneficial when hiring many employees simultaneously or filling confidential openings within their company,” according to Gallagher.

“Overall, the increased demand for Information Technology professionals is good sign that the economy is healing and we are heading toward bigger and better times,” concluded Ms. Gallagher.

The new address and contact information are as follows:

Ashley Ellis, LLC
184 Shuman Blvd, Suite 420
Naperville, IL 60563

Phone: 630-369-6400
Fax: 630-578-2414
Website: http://www.ashleyellis.com

About Ashley Ellis LLC
Ashley Ellis LLC, a contingency recruiting and contract staffing firm specializing in information technology connecting highly talented IT professionals with reputable organizations.

Built on the foundation of training and career development, Ashley Ellis has assembled a team of highly knowledgeable and professional recruiting staff that caters to the career development needs of the candidates represented and long term objectives of its clients.

Contact Info: Katy Gallagher -184 Shuman Blvd Suite 420, Naperville, IL 60563
Email: kgallagher@ashleyellis.com

1. What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?

Questions like this are almost always asked, and you have to be prepared for it.  It can be a tricky one, especially in regards to weaknesses. Your weakness should be something realistic, though original, and resolvable. Avoid answers like, “I’m a perfectionist,” or “I’m a workaholic.”  These answers imply that to improve your weakness, you have to work sloppily or work less. Be sincere, but be careful: you do not want your weakness to appear so bad that it disqualifies you from the position. Also, remember that no one is perfect, and, in fact, self-professed perfection implies arrogance, so be honest about your weaknesses, and you’ll ace the question!

When discussing your strengths, you want to make sure it’s something relevant to the position. For example, speak about personality traits that have resulted in success in your work, such as great communication or teamwork skills. Do not speak about how you are a great snowboarder outside of work. Your strength should be something beneficial for the company or position. Be relevant, but not generic.

2. Tell us what you know about the organization.

Look at the company’s website and read it!  Make absolutely sure you do this.  A hiring manager wants you to show interest in what the company does. They’re not looking for you to have all the answers or information, but they would like you to have general knowledge. Complete silence in response to this question implies that all you’re interested in is getting a job, no matter who company is. In this day and age, with all the different social media outlets, you can do research on everything from Google and YouTube to LinkedIn and Twitter. Be familiar with the product or service as well as the company’s values, history, mission statement, and major figure-heads.

3. Tell us about yourself.

Many people are unsure how to approach this question. There is a fine line between a short generic answer and a novel-length ramble about yourself. This is one of the most common interview questions asked, so you’re going to have to figure out how to walk this fine line without tripping up. The great part about this question is that you can practice and prepare for it at home.

In short, you should create a 30-second commercial about yourself.  Speak about relevant education, recent work experience and accomplishments, and your current professional goals. As with any commercial, this is not the place for personal information such as hobbies, your family history, or personal opinions regarding politics, religion, etc. Don’t forget, this question is all about you, so be confident in your delivery.

4. Why should we hire you?

Be sure to appear confident, not cocky, when answering this question. This may be the last question in the interview process. Go out with a bang. Hit on 3-5 key points that align your experience, accomplishments, and goals with the company, position or scope of the project. Do not give an unending list of all your attributes! Make sure your answer is clear and concise, and be sure to show your value.

5. Bizarre Questions!

If you were a food, what type of food would you be?

If you had a dinner party and could invite three famous people, who would they be?

What’s the last book you read?

What did you want to be when you were 10 years old?

How many gas stations in the U.S. do you think there are?

Many companies, including big names like Microsoft, use these types of questions. These questions are meant to catch you off-guard, and shows how quickly and creatively you can think on your feet. This also gives them an insight to your thought process, which may help them predict your future job performance. If you’re asked a bizarre question, don’t freak out; just have a little fun with it!

These are just 5 of the many 100’s of types of questions that hiring manager could ask. With all interviews, the main thing is to be confident, clear and concise. Practice in front of the mirror or with a spouse, friend or family member.

-Dina Schweisthal – IT Search Executive at Ashley Ellis

Don’t worry!  There are a few ways you can stand out from the pack so that you can build a great relationship with the recruiter who can help you on your way to a new career.  Pay close attention, so that you don’t find yourself lost in an ocean of candidates.

#1 Know what your looking for and be prepared!

To get the most out of your initial talks with your recruiter, do some research. Make sure you clearly define what you’re looking for in your next opportunity.  In your preparation consider culture, location, career path, technologies, benefits, compensation and any other key factors in your new role. Try to be realistic without being too picky, and be clear with your recruiter about these preferences.  This is the sure fire way to get exactly what you want out of your next career step, without wasting your valuable time.

#2 First impressions are everything!

The first impression you give your recruiter will be the same impression they pass onto their client when presenting you.  That being said, the best way to ensure an interview with a recruiter’s client is to act as if you were talking to the hiring manager from the very beginning.  Paint a picture in the recruiter’s head of how successfully you can handle an interview.  Wow the recruiter with not only your technical skills, but also your character, to show that you will be a great personality fit with the client.  Treat the recruiter as if they were the hiring manager, and chances are, your next step will be with the hiring managers themselves.  Be prepared, professional, and enthusiastic!

#3 Be honest!

You may be tempted to list every technology you’ve ever worked with to show your breadth of knowledge and to bulk up your resume.  However, if the hiring manager or recruiter doesn’t realize that your experience with some technologies is fairly old, you risk getting yourself into interviews where you feel uncomfortable or even embarrassed because your current expertise is in something completely different.

Your best bet is to be entirely honest about your skills and experience, and really focus on making your personality stand out from the flock.  There will always be a position for your level of expertise, especially when you’re honest about your qualifications.

#4 Utilize their knowledge!

How do you make sure you’re working with the best recruiter?  They should strive to provide you with all their knowledge about the company you’re interviewing with.  If they’re not asking the right questions, listening to your questions, or preparing you well for the interview, get a new recruiter!

The more you know about the company, people, and position, the better your interview will go.  Your recruiter should have a wealth of knowledge from the source, including knowledge of the challenges the hiring manager is facing. Ask them particulars. If they don’t know, they may be able to find out prior to that face-to-face interview. In addition, they will know about the culture, personalities, career path, hot buttons to touch on and what other candidates may have been lacking.

Recruiters interview professionals on a daily basis. They are experts on what to say and, more importantly, what NOT to say. Ask your recruiter to role-play with you on questions that may have stumped you in the past. There is something to be said for saying it out loud with someone who has this experience. Ask them questions on what the best response could be to some of the tricky questions. They will respect you and remember you for it.

#5 Stay in touch!

Even when you make a great connection with a great recruiter, realize that they’re still working with a handful of great candidates, including yourself, at any given time.  Stay in touch!

If you see an opportunity you’re interested in, let your recruiter know before you apply on your own.  Chances are, your recruiter already has a contact at the company and can have a direct conversation about you with the hiring manager rather than simply sending out your resume.

If you have applied, or are applying, to places on your own at the same time as working with a recruiter, let them know what these places are.  This lowers the risk of duplication, which is great because duplication often implies desperation and means an automatic pass from the hiring manager.

#6 End the anxiety!

Recruiters work their magic behind the scenes on a daily basis.  So even if you don’t see everything that’s going on, don’t get anxious!  Your recruiter is working to find the perfect match for you, and perfection can take time, so be patient!  If you’ve done your part by staying in touch and being clear in your preferences, your recruiter will be sure to contact YOU when opportunity knocks.

-Jennifer Schmidt – IT Search Executive at Ashley Ellis

Why a negative attitude isn’t worth it

A negative attitude affects more than you may think and it may come across so subtly that you are not even aware of it. Your energy level, confidence, and passion are all affected. All of these are attributes that a potential employer is looking for. The people that get hired are the ones with drive and passion, who, through their words and actions, demonstrate enthusiasm. If your attitude shows that you don’t believe in yourself, then why would a potential employer believe in you?

A negative attitude may not always be obvious. One hiring manager pointed out that in interviews most candidates often start out very positive. The problem is that towards the middle or end of an interview, candidates slowly become more negative depending on the type of questions being asked. Their body language and facial expressions change, even if they are trying to remain positive in their words. The interviewer quickly senses that their true nature may well include a quick temper, lack of patience, or even depressive tendencies. A negative attitude is damaging and cancerous, and you may not even realize you’re falling into its trap.

Turning that frown upside down

So how do you turn that negative attitude into a positive one to ensure your success?

1. Be thankful in the face of adversity
If your negative attitude stems from getting recently laid off, realize that this brief stint of unemployment – compared to the 30-40 years you’ll spend working in your life – is nothing in the grand scheme of things. Looking back years from now, you will be thankful for the opportunity to grow in a new direction. So be thankful now, and let it show in your attitude.

2. Take a personal assessment
Ask friends and family if they detect a negative attitude in you. Make a list of all your strengths and accomplishments. Understand that your weaknesses can be improved upon, and bad past experiences and rejections can serve as learning experiences. All of this will help you focus on the positive.

3. Release some endorphins
Releasing endorphins in your brain can go a long way in turning negatives into positives. How do you release them? Regular exercise, no matter how brief, will do the trick.

4. Give, and you shall receive
Volunteering helps a person network, looks good on a resume, helps you focus on others and forget stress, may lead to a long-term opportunity, and, of course, helps a bigger cause. Give a little time, and your attitude will soon become positive.

5. Be goal-oriented
Put together a plan and a system of goals. Following a weekly/monthly plan and seeing on paper how much you’re doing will give you a sense of accomplishment. Accomplishments will create positive feelings and confidence; plus, when you actually write your goals down, the more likely you are to achieve them.

In conclusion

Practicing these techniques often can help turn you into a consistently positive person, building your confidence and happiness. The happier and more confident you are, the more likely you are to snatch up that dream job and be more successful.

A job search requires you to “sell” yourself, and a negative attitude is just an obstruction to the real you. Even if you have a bad day, remember all the positive selling points you have. People, even you, prefer to be around positive people, so keep up those positive vibes, and you’ll begin to attract the kind of people that will help you excel in interviews and find you your dream job. There are many things in life we cannot control, but fortunately, your attitude is not one of them!

- Niki Atherton – IT Search Executive at Ashley Ellis

Swallow this little detail: a large number of hiring managers today receive a couple hundred resumes within days and sometimes even hours of posting an open position, with no regard to company or industry.  Of those couple hundred, hiring managers are seeing more custom tailored resumes than ever.  If you have a generic resume to spam out to companies and job postings, you’re playing Resume Russian Roulette.  Every no-call is another shot until it finally kills you.

Simon Schwarz, VP of Options Xpress says, “I’m more inclined to speak with individuals who take the extra 20 seconds to look over the job description and tailor their resume accordingly.”

If you already tailor your resume to every posting then how do you stand out from the ever-growing crowd?

The Objective

Well let’s start at the top.  Should you have an objective?  Most hiring managers agree that an objective is important but not the type of objective you’re thinking of.  Many hiring managers have indicated that a “personal statement,” a condensed cover letter of sorts, is far superior to your run of the mill objective.

The personal statement or the “why the hell wouldn’t you hire me!?” statement, as I call it, is your vital introduction.  Your resume won’t even get a once over if you don’t grab your reader by the face and never let go.

The traditional “I want to obtain a job in X industry to A, B and C” is crap.  Everyone puts this on their resume, so why should you?  Instead of saying you want a position in X industry tell the reader what role you’re going to be in at their company and how your background will make you successful in that role.  Let’s take a look at an objective for someone applying for the role of Front Desk Manager at a local hotel:

“I want to obtain a management role within the Hospitality Industry to further develop my leadership skills, help the hotel to be more successful and eventually move up to a senior management role.”

Of course you do, but do you have any idea what role this person applied for or where?  Me neither.  Now let’s look at a personal statement for someone else applying for the same role:

“Besides my previous success as a Front Desk Supervisor, due to my personality, attention to details and drive to be the best, I am sure you will find me a great fit for the role of Front Desk Manager at X hotel.”

Now which resume do you want to read?  If you said the first one then you’re the exception to the rule.  For everyone else the second choice is clear.  Your interest has been peaked and you want to find out why and how the person was successful in their previous role.  This is where the meat of your resume comes into play.

The Meat

You’ve whetted the reader’s appetite; now how do you get them to take a bite and invite you to an interview?  The meat of your resume, all of the boring details like “education,” “work history” and “skills,” is your answer.  But we face another issue: if everyone lays out the facts in the meat of their resume, how can I stand apart from the masses?  That’s a great question, let’s answer that and land you an interview!

There are many ways to format a resume, but that’s for a whole other day.  Right now let’s simply focus on how to make the facts stand out from all of the other crap hiring managers see on a daily basis.

Start with some basic research.  A measly 5 minutes to glance over the company’s website can yield some vital information on how to present yourself.  Look for the “About Us” sections and read every line.  Typically this alone will give you enough juicy information to set you apart from the pack.  Look for common themes and buzz words such as, “determination,” “passion,” “integrity” and a host of other ones and write them down.  The company is giving you what you need to make the cut.

If the website has information on the company culture or, better yet, on what they look for in their future employees, pay attention and take notes!  These are blatant clues to what they want to see in a future team member.  Now with that being said if their descriptions don’t match you and what you want to see in a company then you should probably look elsewhere for that next great role.

If they match you and what you’re looking for in a company then take those phrases, buzz words and other clues and inject them into the meat of your resume.  Just as cooks season their food to add flavor and appeal, you too are spicing up your resume to hold the readers attention and invite them back for more.

For example, if a line in your resume reads, “Successfully met monthly quotas 100% of the time” and the company mentions “passion” multiple times then use that to your advantage.  Matching what the company wants and values in their team will make you standout.  Try something like, “My passion to succeed allowed me to never miss a quota.”  You’re still presenting the same fact but with a more tailored approach.  Now you’re matching one of your traits, passion, with a trait the company expects, passion.

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is take 5 minutes to look over the job posting and browse the company’s website.  With even those 5 extra little minutes, and the following 5 minutes it’ll take you to tailor your resume, you’ll give the hiring manager something to chew on and a reason to invite you in for seconds.

By Matt Haeussler – IT Search Executive at Ashley Ellis

While knowing what to do during an interview to ensure success is important, too many people forget that what you do in the time leading up to an interview is just as important.  Don’t let any of the above situations happen ever again!  Here are 4 top tips for preparing for an interview that will guarantee triumph.

1. Research the company

So you haven’t researched the company.  Maybe you like to be surprised in the interview; maybe you just didn’t have time.  But what if your success depends upon your answer to a question like, “what do you think of our product/social image/recent news/company/etc?”  Or what if you accept the position, start work, and find out that you hate what the company does?

The more you know about a company, the more comfortable you’ll be in the interview, and the better you’ll answer tough questions.  Get to know the company inside out!  Discover what values and image the company portrays to the public.  Besides the company’s own website, look for press releases, endorsements, partnerships, and social network groups or pages for the company.

2. Research the people

What if you found nothing in your research and you’re still faced with those questions?  Will you panic?  Will you say, “I don’t know…”  Maybe you have no clue who will be interviewing you, and that makes you more nervous than anything.  Should you make small talk, be funny, be serious?

A company is nothing without the people, so the more you know the people, the more you know the company, and the more comfortable you’ll be.  The trick is to find people who work (or worked) in the same department or people with similar job titles within the company. Resources like Facebook and LinkedIn are goldmines for finding these people. Find out about who you’ll be interviewing with, who you’ll be working with, the things you’ll be working on, and other information you couldn’t find online.

3. Get in the mood!

You didn’t get your coffee this morning, your car broke down on the highway, your spilled breakfast destroyed your favorite pants, and you just had a horrible fight with your sweetheart.  Things are going wrong at the last minute, putting you a foul mood.  What if the thought of an interview is the straw that breaks the camel’s back?  How will you act, what will you do?

Breathe, relax, and be yourself!  It’s not unheard of that a positive and enthusiastic attitude will overcome other shortcomings, such as not enough experience.  Stay focused on the thought of the interview, and remain upbeat!  Once you know every little thing about the company, get excited about it!

Of course, don’t go overboard – just be yourself.  We don’t want to hear any complaints from companies suggesting that your over-enthusiasm made them question your sanity! Remain positive and just be yourself!

4. Rehearsal!

Imagine this: you scored the lead role in the play, you know everything about the play and the playwright, you’re excited about opening night…but you get up on stage in front of the audience and you’re hit by stage fright.  You don’t remember one line and you entirely forget about the art of improvisation.  Do you pee your pants, mumble nonsense words, and run off stage?

Mentally rehearse the interview over and over.  Anticipate the questions and know how you will respond.  Visualize the interview going perfectly; the more you believe it, the more likely it is to happen.  Understand that you do have a little freedom in your words – you don’t want to sound like you’re reading a script.

Don’t forget that an interview goes both ways – they may want to find out if you’re what they want, but the vice versa is true also.  This means that you will always have a certain amount of control over how the interview goes, and rehearsal will help you deal with this too.  Make a list of open-ended, dialogue probing questions to ask, and act as if the interviewer is your co-lead in the play.

In conclusion, no matter where you’re interviewing, you can vanquish nerves and fear by these few simple tips.  Feel comfortable and successful in every single interview by researching, remaining positive, and rehearsing.  Take these tips to heart, and we guarantee you will ace any interview you walk into.

-Clare Webster – Interactive Copywriter at Ashley Ellis

Tell me about yourself
Make a short, organized statement of your education and professional achievements and professional goals. Then, briefly describe your qualifications for the job and the contributions you could make to the organization.

Why do you want to work here?
Few questions are more important than these, so it is important to answer them clearly and with enthusiasm. Show the interviewer your interest in the company. Share what you learned about the job, the company and industry through your own research. Talk about how your professional skills will benefit the company. Money is never a good answer. Remember that during the interview, your goal is to demonstrate why you are an asset to the company, not why you need a job.

Why did you leave/leaving your last job?
The interviewer may want to know if you had any problems in your last job. If you did not have any problems, simply give a reason, such as: the company relocated, the company went out of business, you were laid off, you want a position that is better suited to your skills, etc. If you did have problems with your past employer, be honest. Show that you can accept responsibility, regardless of who is at fault, and learn from the past. Avoid too much detail and avoid negative comments about your last employer. Demonstrate that you are not a person who is caught up in the past or one who holds grudges.

What are your best skills?
If you have sufficiently researched the organization, you should be able to imagine what skills the company values. List them, then give examples of where and how you have demonstrated these skills.

What is your major weakness?
Be positive and up-front about areas that you would like to improve. All of us have some sort of weakness. Briefly state an area where you are striving to improve, and what actions you have been taking to improve in that particular area. Demonstrating that you are aware of some areas that need improvement and are taking action to improve in them, shows that you are aware of your abilities. Avoid the standard answer, “I work too much.” It is either a lie (in which case you have lost all credibility) or it is the truth (in which case improving upon the weakness means you will work less).

Do you prefer to work by yourself or with others?
The ideal answer is one of flexibility. However, be honest. Provide an answer, then follow-up the answer with brief descriptions of times you have worked successfully both alone and in a group.

What are your career goals? Or, what are your future plans?
The employer wants to know if your future plans match the company’s future plans. Let the employer know that you are ambitious enough to plan ahead. Relate your answer to the company and position, not that you want to open a restaurant or relocate in the future. Talk about your desire to learn more, improve your skills, contribute to the company and create a rewarding career.

What are your hobbies? Or, do you play any sports?
The employer may be looking for evidence of your job skills outside of your professional life. For example, hobbies such as bridge or chess demonstrate analytical skills. Reading, music and painting are creative hobbies. Sports show determination, teamwork, stamina and competitiveness.

What salary are you expecting?
You don’t want to answer this question directly. Instead, deflect the question back to the employer by saying something like: “I am open on salary; what were you planning on paying for the right candidate?” or “I want to earn as much as I am qualified to earn. What would you offer someone with my skills?” or “I am currently making $_______ and would like to earn more than I have in my last position. What kind of pay were you thinking for this position?” ]]> http://www.ashleyellis.com/2009/09/interview-questions-to-prepare-for/feed/ 0 http://www.ashleyellis.com/2009/09/how-long-should-your-resume-be/ http://www.ashleyellis.com/2009/09/how-long-should-your-resume-be/#comments Sat, 19 Sep 2009 04:51:52 +0000 admin http://localhost:8888/ashleyellisdev/?p=10 Whether it’s outsourcing, the tech bust, or the influx of new job seekers, competition for IT positions has dramatically increased over the past few years. To stand out from the rising tide of competition, it’s essential to make sure that your resume clearly demonstrates professionalism to a prospective employer.

For any resume, a key to success is length – or lack of it. In an industry like IT, it’s critical to understand not only how a resume is reviewed, but what its length says about your professionalism.

Most Human Resources departments are understaffed and overworked. When a company posts an opening, it’s often mere hours before HR is inundated with resumes. Most get a cursory pass, lasting between 10 to 30 seconds. Yet, it’s at this stage that a resume deemed too long or too crowded will almost certainly be rejected.

So, what’s the appropriate length? Does your resume have to fit onto one page? Are two pages acceptable? What if you’re an executive with 25 years of relevant experience? Can you use three pages then?

When considering these questions, remember this: The goal of a resume is to help you get an interview. While there are always exceptions, the majority of candidates applying to a company cold should adhere to the general tenets that define effective resumes. These are the guidelines most HR staffers are familiar with, and while few hard and fast rules govern the world of resume writing, following this general advice can improve your chances of creating a great resume.

A Resume, Not an Autobiography

The freshman mistake many candidates make is to submit a document that’s more autobiography than resume. To help focus – and determine the correct length – pay close attention to:

• Years of experience
• Industry
• Title/Position
• Number of employers
• Career objective
• Education and additional training
• Accomplishments

Of these items, experience is often the defining element when it comes to a resume’s length. For most, a one-page resume should be the goal. If you’re applying for a position cold and it exceeds three pages, your resume’s length alone will probably lead HR to reject it.

What are the exceptions? Candidates in academic or research fields often use resumes that exceed three pages. (At that length, they’re often called CVs.) If your company went public when you were 19 and you earned your first million just after graduating high school – but before embarking on your Rhodes Scholarship – three or four pages may be necessary. And, it’s not uncommon for some headhunters to encourage candidates to throw in everything but the kitchen sink.

The Guidelines

Before you sit down and begin writing your resume, carefully consider these guidelines:

• Exclude superfluous information. You might like to play the drums on weekends, but potential employers don’t need to know it. During college, you may have been in a fraternity or sorority, but unless it was an academic-related organization, there’s no need to list it. And don’t mention race, religion, political affiliation, or gender unless they correlate directly to the position you’re applying for.

• Practice word conservation. This is a key tenet of good writing, whether it’s a resume or a screenplay.

• Make sure that you have a powerful Objective (or Headline) and a strong Summary of Qualifications (or Executive Summary). This is the first thing, after your contact information, that a hirer will see. Your best selling points need to be at the top of the document.

• Make sure the formatting is crisp and clean. Keep your point size to no more than 12 and no less than 10. Even if you’re struggling for space, don’t reduce the resume to 8- or 9-point type. That will make the document difficult to read. Instead, reduce the top and bottom margins to 0.5 inches.

Remember, a great resume can help expedite your job search and quickly demonstrate that you’re focused and take your career seriously. While both the advent of the fax machine and the emergence of the Internet have changed the way candidates research and apply for positions, the fundamentals that have traditionally defined a great resume still apply: It must be visually appealing, have a well-designed layout, be easy to follow, adhere to word conservation and, most importantly, demonstrate why you’re the best candidate and should be called in for an interview.

By Warren Simons | October 2007

Warren Simons is a freelance writer living in New York City.
Resource http://career-resources.dice.com:80/articles/content/entry/how_long_should_your_resume

The problem? “We fired him after three months” because he missed more than five major deadlines, says Mr. Levine, president of the economic marketing-development firm. He merely confirmed the man had worked there. Since that October call, the dismissed employee repeatedly has offered Mr. Levine as a reference — without his permission. And the exasperated executive hasn’t been able to contact the fired staffer about the situation. Mr. Levine’s advice to job seekers: “Seek references from someone besides the boss who fired you.”

Most job hunters grasp that basic maxim, yet many still fail to make the most of their references. As unemployment soars and hiring shrivels, you must carefully cultivate your endorsers. Businesses looking to hire are pickier than ever. As for Mr. Levine, he requires 12 references from every finalist, asking each referral, “What is wrong with this candidate?”

Going the extra mile with references may enhance your chances of landing a job. “That means caring enough to do more than just asking for permission,” emphasizes Randy Street, an Atlanta partner for ghSMART & Co., a management-assessment firm in Chicago. He co-wrote “Who,” a book about successful hiring methods.

Here are some ways to make sure your references take good care of you:

Create and maintain an up-to-date “bank” of referrals.

It’s a wise idea to collect recommendations when you quit a well-done job. Don’t limit yourself to written tributes, however. Consider video testimonials, which you can post through VisualCV, a free service for job seekers that lets them craft online résumés.

LinkedIn, a professional networking site, contains a “recommend” feature where prior colleagues and superiors can sing your praises. By reaching out to such contacts while he was still fresh in their minds, marketing manager Steve Boudreau increased his LinkedIn endorsements to 21 from three soon after a Chicago executive-search firm laid him off in March. “Having many endorsements will help set me apart,” he predicts.

Prepare your references for hiring managers’ tough questions.

Anyone vouching for you needs gentle reminders about your shared work history, your most memorable achievements, their relevance to the desired job and a detailed description of that spot. Anticipate negative queries by telling references about your corrected shortcomings.

You might say, “Back then, I wasn’t as organized as I am now,” Mr. Street advises. You also could ease a reference’s discomfort over describing your biggest flop by noting “some outcomes were good,” adds Sean Kenney, a partner at Essex Partners, a unit of outplacement counselors Keystone Partners in Boston

Contact references after they’ve spoken on your behalf, and use innovative methods to stay in touch a few times a year.

“You want to make sure your references are doing a service for you,” says David Marshall, a credit analyst. In following up with three references for a job with GMAC Commercial Finance LLC, he learned they gave the right answers about him — and gleaned insights about that business.

He joined a GMAC Commercial unit in Greensboro, N.C., last May after being jobless since October 2007. Mr. Marshall treated his endorsers to a mea

There are other ways to show your gratitude. Send references a card on Thanksgiving Day, a holiday when people rarely receive greetings, notes Oscar Adler, a career and communication coach in Deerfield, Ill. “Yours will be appreciated,” he says.

You also might set up “Google Alerts” to monitor Internet mentions of your references, proposes William Arruda, founder of Reach, a New York personal-branding concern. Email “Bravo!” after you spot a referral’s latest article citation, speech or promotion.

Don’t clutter your résumé with unnecessary verbiage about contacts.

The popular phrase, “references available upon request,” wastes space on an obvious point. Instead, you should write up the names, titles, email addresses and telephone numbers of five references, then hand them over after every job interview, Mr. Adler recommends.

Don’t offer outdated references or “big names” who barely know you.

Your boss from 1999 may still think you’re wonderful. His endorsement means little in today’s harsh job market, however.

Similarly, “proximity can trump prestige,” because your immediate supervisor is well aware of your achievements, says Marilyn Machlowitz, a New York executive recruiter specializing in nonprofits. She isn’t impressed by “big name” references who only can spout glittering generalities about candidates they hardly remember. Such name dropping “comes across as bragging,” she adds. On the other hand, “a big name who can really talk about your work can help.”

Don’t seek endorsements from the same person again without describing the outcome of your last request.

When a California accounting professional sought a newspaper job last year, a former supervisor provided a glowing recommendation. She turned down the offer because she was afraid to join a sick industry.

But the woman neglected to alert the ex-boss, who she thinks would have appreciated knowing why she rejected the job offer.

The best way to repair a gaffe like that? Simply apologize.

By Joann S. Lublin | April 2009

Write to Joann S. Lublin at joann.lublin@wsj.com
Resource Printed in TheWallstreet Journal, page B9