You have sent out hundreds and hundreds of resumes with barely a response. You reason that it’s the economy and some other factors that you are simply not aware of. How can this be? No response whatsoever? You have accomplished a lot; you were well liked in your last role and did a number of things for the company that even resulted in a promotion. So what’s going on? I will tell you. It has nothing to do with you. It’s your resume that sucks! What’s wrong with your resume? It may be these top five things:

1. Your Resume Is Not Results Oriented

For reasons completely unknown to me, people like to reference the things they are responsible for rather than the results they obtained! Again, this document is an important marketing and sales tool. The examples of what you have done with the corresponding outcome are paramount to ensure that your resume is considered! If you don’t reference how you drove productivity, revenue, profitability, or added value – some type of value, you will not be successful!

Make sure you provide the reader with the juicy details of how you added value for your employer. Here are a few examples to help you get started:
-    Drafted a full business plan, including the financial forecast to open a new profit center for the company, resulting in a 40% revenue increase in year one.
-    Conceptualized and implemented a team training concept, which reduced production downtime by 35% and increased employee productivity by 50%.

2. You Don’t Have Core Competencies Called Out

This is a quick snap-shot of what you are offering your next employer. This section is critical; it shows the reader at a quick glance what you bring to the table and what you have accomplished in the past. It will help the reader quickly understand the competencies you possess as they connect with the position for which you are applying.

It can be a bulleted list of key words that when scanned by a person or a system will be easily identified as your key attributes. Don’t be afraid to revise your existing, or add new competencies to meet the position description. I would not suggest adding them verbatim; get a little creative in how you write them.

3. You have Grammar And Spelling Mistakes

Grammar and spelling errors plague resumes! I once had a client who indicated that he put a plane in the ‘hanger’. Really, I thought – that had to be some closet! Spell check will not pick up things like this because hanger is a word, the wrong one, but a word nonetheless. Whatever the reason for the mistake - this is a costly error if detected by a hiring manager.

I would like to say that there is a catchall that will help you identify all errors related to grammar and spelling, but alas, I cannot. Of course use spell check. You should also read your resume backwards, yes, backwards to help you catch errors. I also recommend identifying a friend or family member that is rock solid with English grammar and spelling. Have that person review your resume to ensure that all errors are caught before you submit the resume. You should also consider getting The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation, which will definitely put you on the straight and narrow with respect to proper word usage. You will still need to get help with the spelling area though.

4. Your Presentation is Awful

How your resume looks is also important! Do your dates line up? Do lines roll to a second or third page? Consistent and an aesthetically pleasing presentation will help your resume shine. This demonstrates attention to detail – an all-important characteristic. If your resume looks sloppy, what will the hiring manager think? Possibly that you are disorganized and lack focus to ensure the details are reviewed. First impressions are lasting ones, and you want your resume to clearly articulate that you are focused, capable, and able to contribute to positive and lasting change. Choose an updated font like Book Antiqua in 10pts, Cambria in 10pts, or Tahoma in 9.5pts. Times New Roman is an outdated font, so I would encourage you to use something more timely.

Either get your resume professionally done, which will ensure that you are positioned correctly, and all your i’s are dotted and your t’s are crossed. Alternatively, there are many templates available online where you can populate your information into an existing format. This will help you stay on track and generate a document that is consistent and pleasing to look at.

5. You Still Have An Objective Statement

Aside from being complete outdated, objectives tell the reader what you want, not what you offer. A resume is a marketing and sales tool about YOU. You need to offer up information about what you bring to the company – not what you want them to do for you.

Instead, start your resume off with a compelling summary. This is 6-7 sentences about what you offer. Since you don’t have a lot of time to make an impact, reference things that are unique – things where you made a sustainable impact. You can even show metrics in your summary to quickly demonstrate the value that you offer. Your summary is your overview about your key attributes peppered with an example or two to make a swift impact.

There’s my top five for you with some actionable solutions to help you create a rockin’ results-oriented resume! http://resumesdonewrite.blogspot.com/

What are some of the things you are doing to stand out from the crowd? We all know that as technology continues to evolve and there are more and improved ways to communicate, getting your résumé noticed by hiring managers, recruiters and members of the HR community can be difficult. There are human capital management systems like Taleo that abstract the players names and contact info and anonymous job postings that are, well, anonymous; and it can be next to impossible to get the name of someone. I say next to impossible because nothing is impossible! It just depends on how much time and effort you want to expend. Regardless, in the world of career search, you want to stick out like a sore thumb – but only in the most professional and positive way, of course. This brings me to my point, finally. What are some things you can do to make sure you grab the reader’s attention aside from the obvious results dominated statements?

Your résumé through rose colored glasses: Depending on the industry you are working in and the position you hold, adding some color in a tasteful way can make your résumé shine. If you work in marketing, PR, or another related or similar field, adding this dash of flair can illustrate a bit of creativity on your part and will allow you to stand out from the other candidates in the pile. You might consider changing the color of the major headings to a deep maroon or something dark grey. Don’t go too crazy; you simply want to spice up the résumé a bit while keeping a professional and tactful appeal. More

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When applying for a job as a stockbroker, it is imperative that you format your résumé in a way that makes you stand out above the crowd of applicants. Like you, the other applicants will bring their licensing, education, and work experience to the table. It is up to you to add some spice that will make your dish “tastier” than the others.

Licensing

In order to be a stockbroker, you must pass the Series 7 and 63 exams. These securities licenses allow you to trade stocks and bonds. If you already have these licenses, be sure to list that in your Summary of Qualifications. If not, emphasize your commitment and willingness to obtain the licenses within a specified amount of time set by your potential employer.

Education

You should list any postsecondary education on your résumé. This is especially important if you have a degree in Finance, Economics or Business Management. If you have obtained other certifications as the result of completing additional training courses, list those as well.

You should also consider listing the kind of education that is attained outside of the classroom. Are you a member of an investment club that meets on a regular basis to discuss different investment topics? Do you meet with a mentor on a regular basis to get tips on working as a stockbroker? Meeting with others that are in the business is a great way to learn and network. In other words, you should tailor the education section of your résumé to portray yourself as a person with a dynamic personality, one who is ever willing to learn and can easily adapt to the ongoing changes in the financial services industry.

Work Experience

The best kind of education is most often obtained “on the job.” Having the necessary securities licenses and a college degree will certainly set you apart from others who do not have these certifications. However, firms want to see what you can and will do with the tools that you have. Highlight the following when drafting your résumé:

• Your track record –Which firms have you worked with? What is your sales experience? What was your sales volume?  What kind of revenue did you generate? Remember, this job is mostly about numbers.
• Your customer service skills – It is vital that you are able to connect and develop relationships with your clients. This connection will facilitate gaining the clients’ trust and locking in sales.
• Your systems knowledge – List all systems experiences. An employer is more likely to hire someone who does not need extensive training on their systems as this translates to a quicker transition in getting you “on the floor” to generate sales.

As a stockbroker, you will be required to have a vibrant sales “mentality” and be a person of quick decisions and action. Therefore, you should use action verbs when listing your work experience. If you do not yet have experience as a stockbroker, highlight transferable skills from other jobs you have had or volunteer work you have performed. The ultimate goal is to sell yourself to your potential employer. If you can do that, there is a greater chance that you will be allowed to sell their products.

In a world where Millennials are taught that “everyone’s a winner” and no one loses, instant gratification in information and entertainment is provided via the Internet, and students learn to work on homework while listening to their iPod and gossiping on Facebook Chat, it’s no wonder why Generation Y is facing strife in the workplace. It’s time to wake up and smell the Starbucks, Gen Y, because with the current jobless rate hovering around 10%, we need to change some of our attitudes or we might find ourselves throwing a pity pink slip party or not getting a job at all.

Even as I write this, the Gen Y in me is creeping up and saying, “I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings!” and I’m tempted to reassure myself and my Gen Y readers how awesome we still are. But we may have to let go some of the need for constant reassurance. In this blog, I will focus on what Gen Y can do to improve work performance while relying on our inherent traits and actions, but stepping outside of our comfort zones and adopting some other generation-approved behaviors.

In many job settings, Gen Y is working side-by-side with Gen X peers and Baby Boomers. We might encounter Gen Xers who prefer an independent work approach and Baby Boomers who value face-time. I will discuss some of the other ways we can adapt to our generational differences in the workplace in a later blog; but for now, realize that some of your workplace peers might view you as a stereotypical Millennial. Many workplace environments value your technological savvy, your teamwork skills, and your desire to be personally connected to your job, but some work peers might find you scattered, needy, and lacking loyalty. Balance your behavior to find success in the workplace.

When applying for any job, the short term goal is to grab the attention of the employer. Using a canned cover letter or traditional resume may not allow you to accomplish that. It is crucial to your success that you take the time to make sure your cover letter and resume specifically highlight your experience that relates to the role. To highlight your qualifications when applying for writing jobs, keep in mind the following considerations for your writing experiences.

Volunteer Writing

Never underestimate the effect of describing your volunteer experience as a writer. Many people don’t consider mentioning their volunteer work when applying for a job because they don’t think it’s worth it. But remember, the employer wants to know that you are an effective writer, not if you made money doing it. Noting your volunteer experience serves two purposes. It shows that you can write well and that you are passionate about a given cause.

Freelance Writing

Many freelance writers deal with a great dilemma when deciding to abandon the life of a freelancer and embark on the journey of a full time staff writer. Some freelance writers work from home, while some full time staff writers work in the company’s office. This in itself can be quite an adjustment. But more than that, many freelance writers stumbled upon the profession because they have a natural love of writing, not years of formal training or knowledge as a staff writer, and so their resumes may reflect this. Keep in mind, most employers don’t read every line of every resume they receive. They quickly scan them to make sure you have the skills they are looking for. If you find yourself in the category of one who has served as a freelance writer, and the rest of your employment history in a field or industry that has no relation to writing, consider creating a “writing credentials” section and list it before the “employment history”. You have a better chance of “standing out” in the mind of the employer.

Full Time Writing

It goes without saying that you want to list your previous full time writing experience when applying for a job as a full time writer. But, don’t assume the experience will speak for itself. You have to make it “speak”, make it colorful, wow the employer with your writing style, clarity, and effective vocabulary when describing your role at your previous company (ies). Going the extra mile when writing your resume is another way of showing the potential employer that you have the skills to go beyond the call of duty, which can be an asset to any company.
When writing your resume to apply for a job as a staff writer, be sure to include all of your experience that relates to what the company is looking for. No matter how minor you think it may be, include it. Who knows, that little blurb about you “volunteering at a summer writing camp for 3rd graders” could be just what you need to get to the top.