This may just be the No. 1 question I am asked regarding resumes. People seem to think that the length of a resume plays a key factor in whether or not the resume gets read.But the reality is that resumes rarely get read, no matter how short or long they are. At least not in their entirety. The length of your resume is not what’s most important. What’s most important is the quality of the content.Most hiring managers scan r...

I review a lot of resumes. And most of them have at least one of four major problems related to content, style, and form. Does your resume fall into one or more of these categories? If so, it may be time to perform a checkup on your resume to improve the overall health of your job-search campaign.The job description. These resumes list job responsibilities galore and often look like the writer literally cut and pasted their...

My son has a name that is very common in some parts of the world but not very common in the United States. When you hear a person’s name, do certain thoughts and associations come to mind? I started thinking about how birth names might affect a job seeker’s candidacy and wondering if they can actually play a role in the hiring process or lead to discrimination. Here are three situations where I think in some cases, a job se...

Online networking has revolutionized the way people build and maintain relationships and search for jobs. Imagine being able to go into the offices of everyone you know and search through their Rolodex or have a conversation with dozens of people from all over the world, all from the comfort of your keyboard. That is the power of online networking.Here are some tips on how to maximize your online presence, build meaningful...

Deciding how much of your career chronology to report on your resume can be a tricky thing. If you focus on information too far in the past, an employer may quickly figure out how old you are and possibly discriminate against you based on your age. But if you don’t report early career experience, a hiring manager may determine that your omission was deceptive once they meet you, and this could damage your candidacy as well....

Networking is the exchange of information and the cultivation of productive and authentic relationships. Some people would rather go to the dentist than go to a networking meeting or event. Many avoid it altogether throughout their careers and find themselves in a bind when they are in a job searchand aren’t connected to anyone who can help.Flossing your teeth daily is proactive and preventive dental care. Networking on a r...

My three closest friends don’t participate in any form of social or business networking. You’ll never find a business profile, status update, family photo, or even a poke from any of them on any online networking platform. While I ponder a “social media intervention” I continue to reach out to my friends on their terms which includes email and phone contact and an annual snail mail holiday card. I have to admit, it’s a lot...

Getting face time with networking contacts and hiring authorities just got easier. Facebook recently announced the launch of Skype-powered video chat and I’m predicting that this will be a huge boon to job seekers and hiring managers alike.Facebook claims collective usage of over 700 billion minutes per month and more than 700 million users and this presents a goldmine of opportunity for job seekers. With the new video chat...

Time magazine editor-at-large and MSNBC analyst Marc Halperin, botched an interview yesterday on Morning Joe when he made a derogatory remark about President Obama during a discussion about Obama’s press conference earlier this week. Halperin thought he could say what he was really thinking about the president and his speech and “take it back” at the same time because of the network’s 7 second delay. But that was not the ca...

I’ve been writing about employers who Google candidates prior to interviewing them or hiring them for some time, but the stakes on using information found online to make a hiring decision just got higher.AOL recently reported that the Federal Trade Commission recently granted background check company Social Intelligence permission to search information from people’s social networking sites as part of routine background chec...