“It’s a typical story for many job seekers. You apply for a bunch of jobs. You get some interviews, but can’t understand why you aren’t hearing back from so many of these companies. Whether it’s to actually get a job interview or to be called back for a second interview, oftentimes, you may come to the conclusion that you just aren’t as qualified as many of the others.

Other times you know you are qualified, so what gives? While there are many factors that come into play here, it is a fact that some less qualified candidates are chosen over more qualified candidates simply because they have stronger soft skills than their more qualified counterparts.”

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“You sent out the resume – you’re a perfect fit – and yet no one calls. Sound familiar?

In fact, a majority of candidates today do not receive a response on a submitted resume.

So the big question is, “When is it appropriate to follow-up with an employer on my submission and how do I do it?”

There is no answer that will fit every scenario, but there are some good rules you should follow.”

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“You’ve probably heard it a million times: Personal branding is important to the success of a job search. Why is it so important? Because as a unique job seeker, it helps define you as an individual and makes you stand out as a prime candidate.

There are aspects of your background that make you incredibly unique and highly qualified—and your job is to highlight those aspects so that hiring managers don’t have to guess whether you’re perfect for the job.

To help you get started, here are five personal branding techniques to try when working on your resume.”

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“If you’re an executive planning your next career move, it might surprise you to learn you’ll be judged by more than just your resume during your job search.

In other words, a full resume is NOT necessarily the best fit for every job search contact.

Surprised? You’ll find recruiters, company owners, Boards of Directors, and other hiring decision-makers often look at your experience through a series of interviews and investigations—which means your executive resume is just one part of the process.

Here are 4 must-have documents for an executive portfolio designed to capture attention at all the right levels…”

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“Many people writing a resume for their first job make these mistakes:

• They try too hard to be clever and stand out by using fancy fonts, colors, clip art or even video resumes.

• They think volunteer work, summer jobs and school honors or adult-ed courses do not count.

• They are not clear about their career goals; they apply for everything and expect their resume to get them “any job.”

• They do not research what employers want.

Your resume helps you land your first job by presenting you at your best…”

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“Many job-seekers spend time, worry and money on their resume, trying very hard to make them perfect. They agonize over each line and each word.

What makes it worse is that everyone thinks they are a resume expert. Headhunters say one thing. HR professionals say something else. Your brother-in-law thinks he has the perfect resume style. There are thousands of templates on the Internet, in bookstores, and even on MS Word. How can you know which one is right?”

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“Your resume is a company’s first look at what skills and accomplishments you might bring to the job. Don’t make it their last look!”

Click here to read the 5 major resume mistakes to avoid

“Have you done an audit on your e-mail address lately? I don’t mean opening up your account and looking for messages. I mean taking a closer look at the actual e-mail address you are using.”

“…an e-mail address could potentially torpedo your job search before you even get it off the ground because the one you are using doesn’t project a professional image.”

Click here for 5 Crucial Email Address Naming Tips for Professionals.

“If you’ve constantly looked at other resumes to get ideas, you might find employers are on to your game. Weary of reading the same phrases over and over again, hiring managers are starting to expect more from top candidates who want to stand out in the crowded job market.

Here are 7 phrases that appear far too often on resumes, with recommendations on how to improve your wording for a sharper, more professional message”

Read 7 Overused Phrases

Thanks for stopping by Theresa

Your resume is always developing – always a ‘work in progress’. That being said it should be reviewed regularly – I’d say every 6 months or so. If you are interested in different positions, you’ll need to have more than one (and update regularly) – so you will properly target what a perspective employer is looking for in a candidate.Sprucing up your resume regularly is not really a big deal, all you’re doing is adding any notable successes and maybe tweaking your “action verbs”. Here is a great article on the basics of a good resume – it’s good every now and then to review the fundamentals of a good resume. – Theresa

Here are 6 great tips on the elements of a great resume. And as a bonus you can also get 6 easy tips to spruce up your résumé in minutes. Good stuff… – Theresa

By CAREEREALISM-Approved Expert, Heather Huhman

You want your résumé to impress the future employer reading it. It’s the first impression you’ll get to make, but it’s amazing how many people continue to gloss over errors. In the job market today, you need to ensure your résumé is going to be read rather than quickly scanned and thrown away.

So, do you know what your résumé really says about you? Here are some typical mistakes job seekers make—and what they can make future employers think of you:

To get that great job you’re after, you need your resume to stand out.To get your resume to stand out, you need to intrigue the hiring manager.

To intrigue the hiring manager you need to use captivating words.

You need a list of good action verbs that you can incorporate into your resume. You don’t want to use the same 5 words throughout. Here are 20 words to help you build a resume that stands out. – Theresa

By CAREEREALISM-Approved Expert, Jessica Holbrook Hernandez

Every resume should have strong action verbs strategically placed throughout—most importantly, at the beginning of the majority of your bullet points and accomplishment-based statements. Please do yourself —and every hiring manager out there—a favor; do not start your sentences with: Responsible for…Worked with…or any other opening that lacks power and punch.

“Brushing up” your resume is a good habit to get into. Maybe even making it a New Year’s resolution, so you can remember. If you get into the habit of adding in recent accomplishments, it doesn’t seem like such a large task if you unexpectedly need it. Below are some great tips to freshen up your resume and make it ‘pop’. – Theresa

7 Ways Your Resume is Just as Boring as Everyone Else’s

June 15, 2010 by sparktalk

By CAREEREALISM-Approved Expert, Jessica Holbrook Hernandez

The economy seems to be picking up a little, and more and more job seekers are coming to us and letting us know about internal opportunities within their organization they would like to apply to. But even as more opportunities open up, the competition is as strong—or stronger than ever before. Here are seven ways your resume isn’t quite cutting it. So take it out, brush it off, and let’s kick it up a notch.

It’s still sporting that outdated objective.

If your resume is utilizing an objective, you really should trash it and start all over with a fresh, powerful introduction that incorporates a personal branding statement. A tailored career summary and polished personal branding statement will catch the employer’s attention and give him or her the best information up front—the information he or she needs to make a decision to call you to schedule an interview.

The design/format is generic or elementary for your professional level and experience.

There is a strategy behind resume formatting and design. If you are an executive, yet you are using an entry level resume format, you will look unprofessional and under-qualified.

It’s missing important keywords.

Omit keywords and the software system scanning your resume can’t find you. The recruiter giving your resume a quick once-over is looking for specific keywords as well. Leave them out and you’ll be left out of the interview process.

Generic and/or vague statements.

Avoid using the same old terminology that everyone else uses in their resumes.  Yes, we know you can problem solve.  But instead of telling me you’re a problem solver, show me the result of a problem you solved.

Soft skills vs. hard skills.

And the championship goes to…hard skills. I used to be a full-time recruiter, and I used Monster and CareerBuilder to search for candidates. Not once did I ever enter the search terms: great communicator, excellent verbal skills, detail-oriented. These are universal statements millions use to describe themselves. Give me something tangible and relevant to the position I am trying to fill.