Résumé-writing tips for managers and executives

Lori Michelle Ryan, JIST Publishing

Job seekers often communicate a first impression through their résumés. In the newly updated edition of "Expert Résumés for Managers and Executives," authors Wendy Enelow and Louise Kursmark stress the importance of a strong résumé for all applicants.

"A vital component of your career management plan is your résumé, which must instantly position you as a well-qualified and highly competitive candidate," the authors say. "The easiest way to accomplish that objective is by developing a powerful, performance-based résumé."

In their book, Enelow and Kursmark provide numerous résumé samples, divided by career field, that are aimed at people at all levels of management, from front-line supervisors to top-levelexecutives. They also offer nine strategies for writing effective résumés:

1. Write for the job you want: "You cannot write an effective résumé without knowing, at least to some degree, what type or types of positions you will be seeking."

2. Sell it to me, don't tell it to me: "If you 'tell it,' you simply state facts. If you 'sell it,' you promote it, advertise it and draw attention to it."

3. Use keywords: "Keywords are ... specific to a particular industry or profession. When you use these words and phrases, you are communicating a specific message."

4. Use the "big" and save the "little": "Try to focus on the 'big' things -- revenue and profit growth, new initiatives and ventures, special projects, cost savings ... then save the 'little' stuff -- the details -- for the interview."

5. Make your résumé "interviewable": After "you are contacted for a telephone or in-person interview, your résumé becomes all-important in leading and prompting your interviewer during your conversation."

6. Eliminate confusion with structure and context: "Be consistent, make information easy to find and define the context in which you worked."

7. Use function to demonstrate achievement: "A résumé that focuses on your job functions can be dry and uninteresting and says little about your unique activities and contributions."

8. Remain in the realm of reality: "Do not push your skills and qualifications outside the bounds of what is truthful."

9. Be confident: "There is only one individual with the specific combination of employment experience, qualifications, achievements, education and technical skills that you have."

"Your résumé can have tremendous power and a phenomenal impact on your job search. So don't take it lightly," Enelow and Kursmark say. "Rather, devote the time, energy and resources that are essential to developing a résumé that is well-written, visually attractive and effective incommunicating who you are and how you want to be perceived."
Lori Michelle Ryan is the marketing communications specialist at JIST Publishing, America's Career Publisher. In this role, she helps job seekers, career changers, students and working professionals develop the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the job market and world of work.

Grammar lessons all job seekers should know

Kaitlin Madden, CareerBuilder Writer 

When applying for a job, there are few faster ways to get your résumé and cover letter thrown out of contention than by making a glaring grammatical error.
These days, human resources departments and hiring managers are flooded with résumés. They have to be narrowed down somehow, and grammatical errors are an easy way to eliminate applicants.

"In an era of spell check, easily edited documents and instantly shared 'can you give this a look' emails, typos and grammatical errors on résumés and/or cover letters are pretty much unforgivable," says Sean Smith, president of Third Street, an Indianapolis-based marketingcompany. "The message sent by typing 'too' when it should be 'to' can literally be the difference between getting the nod or getting a no."

Here is a proofreading checklist for your résumé and cover letter.

1. Know your homophones 
Homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings, like too, to and two. Using the correct version on your résumé is crucial.

"The misuse of your/you're, there/their/they're, and to/too/two occurs more times than I care to dwell on," says Marisa Brayman, a Web developer and blogger for Stadri Emblems, a company that designs embroidered patches. "If someone uses one of these incorrectly on a cover letter, he can say goodbye to his chances of ever landing a decent job. If this is due to a simple typo, that is one thing; however, in my humble opinion, if the individual doesn't know the difference between these basic words and has never bothered to take an hour out of his or her life to learn it, he or she is not deserving of landing a decent job."
A quick refresher:

Their, they're, there
Their: The possessive form of "they." ("Applicants submitted their error-free cover letters.")
They're: The contraction of "they are." ("I think they're getting the hang of this grammar thing.")
There: A location. ("The pile of cover letters is over there.")

Two, too, to
Two: A number. ("There are two applicants in the lobby.")
Too: Also. ("I'd like to be interviewed for the job, too.")
To: A preposition or infinitive. ("I'm going to apply.")

Your, you're
Your: The possessive form of "you." ("Don't forget to proofread your résumé.)
You're: The contraction of "you are." ("I have a feeling you're going to get this job.")

It's, its
The best-selling grammar bible, "Eats, Shoots, and Leaves" by Lynne Truss, best describes the difference between these two words:

"To those who care about punctuation, a sentence such as 'Thank God its Friday' (without the apostrophe) rouses feelings not only of despair but of violence. The confusion of the possessive 'its' (no apostrophe) with the contractive 'it's' (with apostrophe) is an unequivocal sign of illiteracy and sets off a simple Pavlovian 'kill' response in the average stickler. The rule is: the word 'it's' (with apostrophe) stands for 'it is' or 'it has.' If the word does not stand for 'it is' or 'it has' then what you require is 'its.' This is extremely easy to grasp."

Some other common homophones you should know:

Whose and who's
Every day and everyday

2. Use apostrophes properly
Apostrophes are used for a few reasons:

• They indicate the possessive: "In my last job, I managed the CEO's calendar."


• They indicate the omission of letters in words (i.e., in contractions).


• They indicate the exclusion of numbers in dates: "I graduated college in '05."


• They indicate time or quantity: "I must give my current employers two weeks' notice."

Be sure to check your résumé for proper use of apostrophes, as well as for any erroneous punctuation. Apostrophes do not, for example, indicate the plural form of a singular noun. It is incorrect to say "I developed orientation programs to help new employee's get acclimated to the company."

3. Keep tenses consistent
"Building lists correctly is important," says Christina Zila, director of communications at Textbroker.com, a Las Vegas-based content-creation firm. "Use consistent verb tenses: If you start your job duties with 'managing multiple employees,' don't have your next point as 'prepared annual reports' but 'preparing annual reports.'"

Similarly, as a general rule, all activities or accomplishments that you completed in the past should be in the past tense. Activities that you perform now should be in the present tense. This should be kept consistent throughout your résumé.

4. Proofread and then proofread again
The bottom line is that proofreading your application materials before submitting them is a must.
"There are enough people with bad grammar pet peeves that there is virtually no position out there where grammar doesn't matter," says Debra Yergen, author of the "Creating Job Security Resource Guide." "Since a basic search-engine inquiry for 'grammar pet peeves' nets more than 400,000 returns, it's safe to say that hiring managers are paying close attention to grammar and other résumé and cover-letter errors. Read and reread everything you write for a job application, and if you doubt yourself even slightly, run your submission past someone you trust."

Kaitlin Madden is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues. Follow @CareerBuilder on Twitter.

Qualifications versus duties: Why knowing the difference matters

Justin Thompson, CareerBuilder Writer

Some job seekers have problems selling their skills. They list their basic duties, which most job seekers have in common. You can stand out in a job search by positioning those skills so they set you apart.

Think of how a salesperson sells a car. He doesn't tout the fact that the car has four wheels, windows and functioning lights, because you'd expect that from every car. Instead, he sells the unique points of the car -- design, safety, mileage -- all of which make the car appealing to a potential buyer.
Job seekers need to do the same when selling their qualifications. Instead of saying you've used Microsoft Excel, tell the employer how you've solved problems or increased efficiency by creating a basic accounting process through Microsoft Excel.

Kyra Mancine, a professional copywriter with a career development background, says a list of job responsibilities is her biggest résumé pet peeve. "The key is to take a simple job duty and expand it to match the [job posting] with quantitative evidence of accomplishments," Mancine says. "It may take some thought and creativity, but it can be done for any job, no matter what the level. I don't care if you're a sanitation worker, CEO or seamstress; anyone can do this."

By adding numbers, statistics and adjectives applicable to the posting, job seekers can set themselves apart from others who have submitted more generic résumés.

How to quantify accomplishments
To give an example, here's a real job posting from a bank looking for a call-center representative:

• Serves as first-line response for incoming customer calls.​


• Accurately and expediently answers inquiries from customers on all types of new and existing products and services, drawing on a detailed knowledge base of bank products, services, policies and procedures.​


• Sells and cross-sells bank products and services to new and existing customers who have contacted the bank by telephone.​


• Efficiently performs routine follow-up work and initiates requests for detailed follow-up work.​


• Relies on excellent verbal and written communication skills to fulfill customer requests and to ensure customer satisfaction.​

If you're applying for this job and all you've listed on your résumé is that you answered phone calls in a call center, you probably won't get an interview, Mancine says. Instead, she suggests rewriting your résumé to match the bullets listed in the job posting, quantifying your successes. Mancine shares this example of how an applicant could restructure her résumé to address the posting above:

Primary call-center contact for a high volume of customer service inquiries, ranging from orders to returns.

• Successfully handled hundreds of incoming consumer calls daily from across the country.


• Received recognition for product upsells, resulting in a 5 percent increase in weekly sales.


• Tapped into strong base of product knowledge on thousands of product stock-keeping units, quickly and courteously relaying product information to existing and new customers.


• Consistently acknowledged for speed, accuracy to details and follow-through on catalog requests, Web order processing, batches and data entry.


• Committed to going above and beyond to ensure customer satisfaction, resulting in being named Employee of the Month for June 2011.

Here's another test that can help determine if you've listed qualifications or just duties: Look at each bullet point on your résumé and ask yourself, "So what?" If you're not impressed, why would a recruiter be?

Don't neglect the cover letter
"Cover letters are most often left out or even sent as generic notes with résumés," says Tiffani Murray, a résumé writer and career coach. She says that the cover letter is a great place to sell your personality and breathe life into your application.

"If a job posting specifically asks for a cover letter, this is a great opportunity to match up your skills and experiences with the requirements of the job," Murray says. "Make sure to detail how you can perform the tasks of the job you are applying for, but also add to the company, team or overall business with your knowledge and success in similar roles."

Justin Thompson is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

Eight Ways to Maximize Your Cover Letter's Power

Like peanut butter and jelly or bacon and eggs, résumés and cover letters go hand-in-hand. Although both pieces are valuable on their own, they pack the most punch when served together. But while all job seekers know the importance of a well-organized résumé, many don't understand the power of a strong cover letter. In addition to reinforcing key skills and experience, a cover letter demonstrates your desire to work for the employer and the specific ways in which your expertise can benefit the firm. More importantly, it helps differentiate you from other job seekers and provides incentive to contact you for an interview. Even if composition isn't your forte, you can still create a killer cover letter.
Here's how:

1. Know your stuff. |
Before you begin writing, learn as much as you can about the potential employer. Visit the firm's Web site and scan industry publications to familiarize yourself with recent news about the company, such as quarterly earnings, and to learn about future plans, like expansion into new markets. The more you know about an organization, the better you can tailor your cover letter to the firm's needs.

2. Personalize it.
Never begin a cover letter with "Dear Sir or Madam" or "To Whom it May Concern." Correspondence with generic salutations often signal to potential employers that you lack the initiative to locate the appropriate contact. If a job listing does not include the name of the hiring manager, call the company's receptionist and explain the position you are applying for to see if he or she can help you fill in the blank.

3. Start strong.A good cover letter begins with a powerful opening paragraph. Your goal is to briefly describe how you heard about the position and why you're interested in it. Skip cute introductions: "Teamwork is my middle name" or "I am smart as a whip," for example. A "catchy" opening can appear stilted and insincere and offers little, if any, value to the piece.

4. Offer an enticement.
The body of the letter should expand upon -- not simply repeat -- the key points in your résumé. Highlight those skills and experiences most relevant to the job opening and provide concrete examples of how you can benefit the company. For example, if you are applying for a management position, share how turnover within your department decreased by 20 percent during your tenure. Or communicate how your attention to detail and ability to adapt quickly to new environments allow you to deliver first-rate client service.

5. Be bold.
In addition to expressing gratitude for the hiring manager's time and interest, close your letter by outlining your next steps. Be proactive by stating when you will contact him or her to follow up. Doing so is a great way to reinforce your enthusiasm for the job. However, don't forget to include a phone number or e-mail address where you can be reached in case the firm wants to get in touch with you first. In addition to following best practices, you'll want to avoid common pitfalls when composing your cover letter:

6. Getting ahead of yourself.
Focusing on matters such as expected salary and title can come across as presumptuous and untimely. Wait until you have secured a meeting and become better acquainted with the hiring manager to mention these topics.

7. Goofing the proof.
Our company's research consistently shows that one or two typographical errors are enough to discourage a hiring manager from calling you back. Utilize your computer's spell-check function, but also ask friends and family to double-check your work. You don't want a small mistake to call your professionalism or attention to detail into question.

8. Forgetting the format.
If you submit your application via e-mail, make sure to prepare the file as a plain text document so it is universally compatible. Remove all formatting enhancements, such as underline or boldface, and replace bullets with asterisks or dashes. If you fail to do so, your recipient may receive a bowl of alphabet soup. Also, paste the cover letter into the body of an e-mail to save hiring managers the worry of corrupt or unreadable attachments. Some job seekers spend hours assembling a résumé and only a short amount of time on the accompanying note. Submitting a thoughtful and well-written cover letter, however, can help you outshine your competition and get you one step closer to an interview.

6 ways hiring managers are spotting résumé lies

Mary Lorenz, CareerBuilder Writer

Thirty-eight percent of employees have embellished their job responsibilities at some point, and 18 percent have lied about their skills, according to a CareerBuilder survey. Other common lies surrounded information about employment start and end dates, academic degrees, previous employers and job titles.

Here are six ways employers might be evaluating your résumé in today's digital world. These are not only good reminders that you shouldn't lie, but they'll also help you avoid mistakes that might make hiring managers question your honesty.

1. They're performing a standard background check. Employers check on things such as work history, residences, dates of employment, etc. Managers look for discrepancies between what the candidate submitted and what the reports reveal.

2. They're checking for red flags. Unexplained gaps in employment, a reluctance to explain the reason for leaving and unusual periods of self-employment can be a tip-off to false employment history. Since even references can be fake, employers might check the websites of previous employers and use the phone numbers found online for employment verification.

3. They're using social networking sites. Social networking profiles contain public information that may help employers verify certain information such as a candidate's work history or education credentials. Both job seekers and employers should be aware of the possible legal ramifications of using social media to screen applicants.

4. They're testing your skills. Knowing that employers use keyword searching to find and qualify their résumés, applicants may include keywords for all skills required for the job -- regardless of whether they have them or not. To confirm any embellishment, employers might ask specific technical questions about the candidate's stated skills or test the candidate's computer skills.

5. They're willing to hear an explanation. Mistakes and misunderstandings do happen. If managers find a discrepancy, they might give the candidate an opportunity to explain. If this happens, have a good explanation for the error.

6. They're following their intuition. When it comes to the difficult task of hiring a new employee, employers have to trust their intuition and experience. If something doesn't seem right, they'll probably follow up on it.
Mary Lorenz writes for The Hiring Site, CareerBuilder's community for hiring professionals and other curious-minded individuals to discuss the attraction, engagement and retention of their #1 asset -- their people.

Transforming Your Résumé From Military to Civilian

Beth Braccio Hering, CareerBuilder.com writer

Duncan Mathison, co-author of "Unlock the Hidden Job Market: Six Steps to a Successful Job Search When Times Are Tough," recalls working with an ex-Navy SEAL who was trying to land a civilian job.

"He realized that most people thought his skills consisted of landing on beaches and blowing things up. Impressive skills, but not really needed in the business world," Mathison says. "As a result, we reframed his experience to highlight his abilities to lead small teams as well as creative problem solving and planning in the face of uncertainty."

While civilian employers may respect military experience, they may struggle to see it as relevant to their workplace. The challenge for veterans is to present their background in ways that civilians can understand and appreciate.

Talk the talk

The first thing that must go is military jargon. Job titles and codes that are second nature to military personnel are like a foreign language to many hiring managers, so translation is essential.

Lisa Rosser, author of "The Value of a Veteran: The Guide for Human Resource Professionals to Regarding, Recruiting and Retaining Military Veterans," suggests converting military skills to civilian equivalents using a tool such as O*Net Online. "The service member can type in his or her Military Occupational Code and see what a civilian equivalent would be and some alternate civilian job titles. The civilian job description will also list skills, knowledge and attributes commonly held by someone in that position. So, for example, a 90A (army logistics officer) would be a logistician or, alternately, an integrated logistics support manager or a production planner."

Armed with this information, Rosser then recommends job seekers "get busy on a site like CareerBuilder and search on the very general and the very specific job titles." Reading through ads will give the applicant a better idea of qualifications needed for various civilian jobs and will provide insight about key words to use on a résumé.

Putting your best self forward

"Military professionals are groomed to lead others and excel in a team-oriented environment," says Abby Locke, master résumé writer and personal brand strategist for Premier Writing Solutions in Washington, D.C. "Consequently, they find it hard to really market and promote themselves as effectively as they should in the job search process."

Experts offer these tips to help veterans sort through their experiences when creating application materials:

• Focus the cover letter on skills most pertinent to the given position; don't give a generic summary of everything you're qualified to do.


• Tailor the résumé to the specific job, and keep it to a maximum of two pages.


• Scour military performance reviews for relevant achievements (and to jog your memory).


• Use numbers, percentages, statistics and other concrete examples when possible to demonstrate competencies.

Education and training

Locke notes that military professionals often have completed hundreds of courses, training assignments and certifications. Instead of turning the education section of the résumé into a laundry list, however, she recommends "cherry picking" to make sure the training that is most relevant to the given position is apparent.

Mathison suggests listing any training that is applicable to the job whether or not you have a degree or a certificate. "For example, you may have had one class in wireless communications and another in management out of 355 hours of training on a wide range of topics. In the résumé under a training or education heading, write 'More than 350 hours of professional development training including wireless communications and management.'"

Remember you're a civilian now

While a veteran's military background will always be a part of his identification, it is important to keep in mind that hiring managers encountered for civilian jobs may not have the same thoughts or experiences.

"Everyone has an opinion about the war," says Michael Coritsidis, a career coach from Lido Beach, N.Y. "Keep emotion out of the equation, and stay neutral."

Experts generally recommend avoiding potentially charged words such as "war," "warfare" or "weapons" (unless applicable to the specific industry). Likewise, it is better to concentrate on your skills and why you are the best candidate for the position rather than focusing on the military conflict or combat.

Remember, though, that military experience has helped you become who you are today, so bring confidence to the civilian job hunt.

"Most, if not all, learned skills can be transferred to any company or industry, whether it is around the block or around the world," Coritsidis says. "The armed forces also instill the highly regarded qualities of being all that you can be as well as being a team player. What company wouldn't want to hire a person who can communicate how their military skills and qualifications can save time, save money or make money for their business?"Get the latest job search news and advice on CareerBuilder.com's job blog, "The Work Buzz," and follow us on Twitter at Twitter.com/CareerBuilder

How to write a cover letter for a sales position

Susan Ricker, CareerBuilder Writer 

A cover letter is your first opportunity to impress a potential employer, and when you work in sales, you know how important a first impression can be.

While the goal of a cover letter is to introduce yourself, explain why you're a good fit for the position and express your interest in the company, a cover letter for a sales position will be more targeted. Are you unsure if your cover letter can close the deal? Read on for tips on what to include.

Strut your sales statistics
If you've already held a sales position, this is your opportunity to show off your winning numbers. Sandra Lamb, a career, lifestyle and etiquette expert, says to include your most important achievements:

• Sales success rate, expressed in numbers.
• Customers or clients retained and converted to new product areas.
• New customers or clients gained.
• Increase in profits and sales levels.

Being specific has more impact than simply saying you were one of the best sales team members at your company.

"Stats have to be included," says Marcia LaReau, president of Forward Motion LLC, a career strategy firm. "If they are going from small-number tickets to much higher tickets, they should use percentages rather than the numbers, or at least give context, such as, 'In year two, brought in $800K in contracts, which represented 30 percent of market share in the region, up from 18 percent in year one.'" The company's size doesn't have to determine how well-qualified you are for your next position. By assigning numbers to your past successes, you're giving the hiring manager an idea of how you would perform if on his team.

Share stories of your success
Sometimes, stories can better express success than numbers can. While you should include your sales stats, incorporating a story of how you overcame a challenge or closed an important deal can be just as informative.

"Be specific and provide examples," says Keith Wolf, vice president of marketing at Murray Resources, a Houston recruiting firm. "Include clear and measurable proof, like the number of new accounts opened. Also, consider including a brief story about a particularly difficult sale you made. Perhaps it was a cold call that you turned into a large account. Hiring managers love to hear stories of perseverance turning into results."

Prove you have a plan
While it's important to include your sales records and stats, it's also crucial to show that you understood what you were doing in your role. "A key element in the cover letter for a sales position would not only be the metrics -- increase in sales percentage, overall sales, etc. -- but the how; how did you achieve this success?" says Beth Carter, executive recruiter and certified executive, business and career coach at Carter Consultants Ltd. "Write about your sales tactics; for example, 'I increased sales in two years by 20 percent by identifying an untapped market in this industry.' Companies want to understand how you can replicate your past success for their company." By showing that you understand the market, can spot an opportunity for a sale and can reproduce your sales accomplishments at a different company, you're marketing yourself as a flexible and experienced sales representative.

Reiterate your interest in the company
After you've proved your sales skills, discuss why you want to join the team. A cover letter should strike a balance between introducing yourself and expressing your interest in the company. Prove that you've done your research, and give examples of why you admire the company, what made you interested in working for it and how you could contribute to its goals.

Susan Ricker is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

Lie on your résumé?

One job-seeker's moment of truth

Steve Blank, author of "The Startup Owner's Manual" and "The Four Steps to the Epiphany" 

Getting asked by a recruiter about where I went to school made me remember the day I had to choose whether to lie on my résumé.

When I got my first job in Silicon Valley, it was through serendipity on my part and desperation on the part of my first employer. I really didn't have much of a résumé: four years in the Air Forcebuilding a scram system for a nuclear reactor and a startup in Ann Arbor, Mich., but not much else.

It was at my second startup in Silicon Valley that my life and career took an interesting turn. A recruiter found me while I was working in product marketing and wanted to introduce me to a hot startup making something called a workstation. "This is a technology-driven company, and your background sounds great. Why don't you send me a résumé and I'll pass it on." A few days later, I got a call back from the recruiter. "Steve, you left off your education. Where did you go to school?"

"I never finished college," I said.

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone. "Steve, the VP of sales and marketing previously ran their engineering department. He was a professor of computer science at Harvard, and his last job was running the Advanced Systems Division at Xerox PARC. Most of the sales force were previously design engineers. I can't present a candidate without a college degree. Why don't you make something up?"

I still remember that exact instant of the conversation. In that moment, I realized I had a choice. But I had no idea how profound, important and lasting it would be. It would have been really easy to lie, and the recruiter was telling me to do so. "No one checks education anyway," he said. This was long before the days of the Internet.

Making the choice about my résumé
I told him I'd think about it. And I did for a long time. After a few days, I sent him my updated résumé, and he passed it on to Convergent Technologies. Soon after, I was asked to interview with the company. I can barely recall the other people I met, but I'll never forget the interview with Ben Wegbreit, the vice president of sales and marketing.

Wegbreit held up my résumé and said, "You know you're here interviewing because I've never seen a résumé like this. You don't have any college listed and there's no education section. You put 'Mensa' here," he said, pointing to the section where education normally goes. "Why?" I looked back at him and said, "I thought Mensa might get your attention."

Wegbreit just stared at me for an uncomfortable amount of time. Then he abruptly said, "Tell me what you did in your previous companies." I thought this was going to be a storytelling interview like the others. But instead, the minute I said, "My first startup used CATV coax to implement a local-area network for process control systems." (35 years ago, pre-Ethernet and TCP/IP, that was pretty cutting-edge.) Wegbreit said, "Why don't you go to the whiteboard and draw the system diagram for me?"   

Do what? Draw it? I dug deep and spent 30 minutes diagramming, trying to remember everything. With Wegbreit peppering me with questions, I could barely keep up. And there were a bunch of empty spaces where I couldn't remember some of the detail.

When I was done explaining it I headed for the chair, but Wegbreit stopped me. "As long as you're at the whiteboard, why don't we go through the other two companies you were at." I couldn't believe it. I was already mentally exhausted, but we spent another half-hour with me drawing diagrams and Wegbreit asking questions.

Finally I sat down. Wegbreit looked at me for a long while, not saying a word. Then he stood up and opened the door, signaling me to leave. He shook my hand and said, "Thanks for coming in." What? That's it? Did I get the job or not?

That evening, I got a call from the recruiter. "Ben loved you. ... Congratulations."

Epilogue
Three and a half years later, Convergent became a public company and I was a VP of marketing working for Wegbreit. Wegbreit ended up as my mentor at Convergent -- and for the rest of my career -- my peer at Ardent and my partner and co-founder at Epiphany. I would never use Mensa on my résumé again, and my education section would always be empty.

But every time I read about an executive who got caught in a résumé scandal, I remember the moment I had to choose.

Lessons learned

• You will be faced with ethical dilemmas your entire career.
• Taking the wrong path is most often the easiest choice.
• These choices will seem like trivial and inconsequential shortcuts -- at the time.
• Some of them will have lasting consequences.
• It's not the lie that will catch up with you, it's the cover-up.
• Choose wisely.

Steve Blank is a retired serial entrepreneur and author of "The Startup Owner's Manual" and "The Four Steps to the Epiphany." He lectures at Stanford University, the University of California Berkeley's Haas School of Business and Columbia University, and is the author and architect of the National Science Foundation Innovation Corps curriculum. He blogs about entrepreneurship atwww.steveblank.com.

How to get that computer to send your résumé to a real person

Interview with a résumé expert

Debra Auerbach, CareerBuilder Writer

When you submit a résumé online, do you ever wonder where it goes, who reads it and -- if you're lucky -- how it gets picked? In today's electronic world, many companies use keyword-search software or applicant-tracking systems in their hiring process. These systems scan résumés for keywords related to the open position to find the most relevant ones for the next round. This helps companies, especially large ones, sort through a high volume of résumés quickly and efficiently.

Knowing that your résumé may meet a computer system before it meets a human, how do you get it noticed? The following Q&A with Ramsey Penegar, executive-résumé consultant, career strategist and certified résumé writer for cbResume.com, provides helpful tips on how to make your résumé stand out to a computer -- and a company.

Q: Now that most résumés are submitted/reviewed online, what implications does that have for how a résumé is written?
Penegar: Now that the majority of résumés are submitted and reviewed online rather than in print, there are new things to consider in writing a résumé. Will your résumé be viewable online? Will it look the same as it did on your computer when prospective hiring managers read it? Job seekers need to keep in mind that format, keywords, search optimization and file type are all just as important as content, good grammar and correct spelling.

I ensure that clients have two versions of their résumé. [One is] the utilitarian text version for easily posting to Internet job boards or online applications. Since the majority of businesses use Microsoft Word over other word-processing programs, send your résumé in a file format their system will open. The Microsoft Word version is formatted using universal fonts to ensure that the recipient can read the résumé.

Q: Why is it important to include keywords from the job description in a résumé?
RP: An effective résumé has a tight focus and is targeted to the job or job types the client wishes to seek. This targeting includes keywords from the job description to improve search rates. Keywords are usually the hard skills, industry-specific qualifications and job-specific terms or phrases that employers look for in a job candidate. If your résumé doesn't have the keywords that match their job requirements, your résumé may hit the "no" pile early in the process.

Some companies search Internet job boards and résumé databases using keywords to find job candidates, while other companies use this technology to streamline their hiring process. If your résumé doesn't contain the right keywords, your résumé may be rejected even if you have all the experience and other qualifications. As a job seeker, using the right keywords in your résumé is crucial if you want to land the interview.

Q: How can you integrate keywords so they sound natural and not forced?
RP: The best way to incorporate keywords into your résumé is by writing concise action statements regarding your achievements, skills and experience and implementing the keywords naturally within those bulleted statements. An effective résumé is achievement-focused, not task-based. Start each statement about your career achievements with an action verb, followed by a keyword and ending with specific facts and figures resulting from your actions.

Simply creating a list or block of keywords may work to snag hits on the software seeking those words. However, if your résumé lacks a professional, aesthetically appealing look, doesn't explain why you are the ideal candidate or how you benefited your previous employers, you still won't get the interview.

Q: What types of keywords should job seekers include in their résumé?
RP: The best keywords can be found right in the job descriptions and ads of the jobs you want to land. Evaluate 10 job postings with similar titles and make a list of the five to 10 most frequently used words throughout all of them. These are the words you should use in your cover letter and résumé.

Here is a list of general skills and qualifications to consider as keywords:

• Degrees or certifications
• University or college names
• Job titles
• Product names
• Technical terms
• Industry jargon
• Job-specific buzzwords
• Company names
• Professional organizations
• Technology

Q: What are some pitfalls of relying too much on keywords?
RP: Integrating keywords is only one important aspect of developing an effective résumé. Too many buzzwords can be overkill, and a long list of keywords on a Word document will not land you any interviews. Remember that keywords are primarily for the computer software scanning your résumé; the written content is for your human readers. Quality is of utmost importance in your résumé.

Q: What other ways can a job seeker get his résumé noticed by an employer?
RP: Make certain [that] your résumé is visually appealing by using appropriate formatting and white spacing as well as correct spelling and grammar. Your résumé is more likely to be read if it's appealing to read. Don't clutter your résumé with irrelevant or outdated information and, ideally, keep it to two pages or less. College students or those with fewer than five years of experience may use a one-page résumé.

A job search should be directed in the same manner as a sales or marketing campaign. Use all [of] your resources, connections and networks. Get your résumé into the hands of people who can help you in this quest, including friends, family, colleagues, alumni or professional association members, acquaintances at Chamber of Commerce and other business community events and job fairs. Promote your résumé online using LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and even your own professional blog. Rather than sending your résumé to a company or job posting cold, conduct research to find out the name of the person who would be most interested in your résumé, and get the résumé into her hands. Taking the time to develop and work your job-search plan will help you to achieve better results faster.

Debra Auerbach is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

How to write a cover letter for a marketing position

Debra Auerbach, CareerBuilder Writer 

If you're a marketer promoting a product, you'd try to sell the customer on why the product is unique, why it meets a specific need and why it will make a short- and long-term difference in the customer's life.

If you're seeking a marketing position, you should market yourself just like you would a product. While your résumé should include all the details about your experience and successes, you can use your cover letter to sell yourself and hook the hiring manager into reading your résumé.

"In my opinion, cover letters are the 'first impression' for a potential recruit," says Tracey Gould, director of marketing at Baskervill, an architectural, engineering and interior design firm in Richmond, Va. "This is the opportunity where a candidate should wow the potential employer with a summary of who they are and what they are passionate about in terms of marketing, display their successes in terms of qualitative and quantitative results, and demonstrate the value they ... would bring to the particular role and organization for which they are applying."

Here are tips on writing a cover letter for a marketing position:

Treat the employer like your target audience
"Just as when creating marketing materials, when you create your résumé or cover letter, it should be based on a clear focus on the end user's needs, concerns and interests -- in this case, your potential employer," says Linda Pophal, marketing communication consultant at Strategic Communications LLC. "Think of them as your target audience, and consider what they might be looking for in a new employee for this position. What skills are critical both in terms of professional [or] educational experience and interpersonal experience?"

According to Pophal, hiring managers want to know that you'll make them and their department successful and that your performance will help drive the company's success. "Be clear about what it is you will be able to contribute that is valued by the organization."

Include your own marketing materials
If you're in marketing, hiring managers want to see that you're familiar with marketing and social-media tools, and that you use them not only at work but in your personal life, too. In the cover letter's contact information, include links to your online social-media profiles, such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook. Just make sure that you're comfortable with a prospective employer viewing the contents of those pages. If you're not, clean them up before they're included.

If you don't have a personal website, consider creating one and using it to market your achievements. "If you're a marketing person, build a website to market you," says Mike Schultz, president of sales training and consulting company Rain Group and author of "Rainmaking Conversations." "Position the cover letter as a marketing letter or email that directs them to your website. Then, really blow them away with your marketing video, your content, your design skills, your search-engine skills, your results and so on."

Give examples of marketing successes
No matter the position, a cover letter should include key successes that are worth highlighting beyond your résumé. Kyra Mancine, job-search strategist and résumé writer, recommends showcasing one or two examples of how you've proven yourself, as related to the specific job opening. "If the job entails [public relations], add a line about how you 'garnered your company 25 media placements in print, online and television over the past three months' or a similar success story," Mancine says. She also recommends sharing quantifiable successes whenever possible. "You need to show results -- not just vague, flowery language that does not show how you have impacted the bottom line."

Show off your writing skills
A well-written cover letter can make a difference between being passed over and being picked. This is especially true for a marketing position, because you're expected to be good at expressing yourself and articulating a message.

"Writing is a central focus and core skill set of every marketing-related position, and the cover letter is an ideal place where a marketing candidate can shine," Gould says. "Does the cover letter take a different approach than most canned or dry cover letters? Does it use impactful language? Does it want me, as the reader and hiring manager, to want to read more and learn more about this candidate?"

Don't forget about the basics
While it's important to customize the letter for the role and to highlight key examples of success, don't slack on the basics. "It should go without saying to check your spelling and grammar, above and beyond what spell-check will do for you," says Nicole Krug, owner of Social Light, a business-strategy company specializing in brand marketing and social media. Krug also suggests that your cover letter be no longer than one page, so you don't lose the employer's attention. "This goes back to giving an indication of how you will perform in your job, and you need to have the ability to make your message succinct and relevant.

"The bottom line is, you need to realize that your cover letter is a marketing campaign, and you are selling your services," Krug continues. "If you can approach [it] with the understanding that you need to target your audience, create credibility, but also make it creative and unique, you should find success."

Debra Auerbach is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

Quiz: Do you know when to rephrase your résumé?

Susan Ricker, CareerBuilder Writer

Sometimes a résumé was once good, but now it's stale. Sometimes it was never that good to begin with. Either way, how do you know if it's time to rephrase your résumé?

Below you'll find five sentences commonly found on a résumé. Each sentence could be rewritten to better reflect the job seeker's skills. Choose the option you think best describes why and how the sentence should be reworded. Once you've finished, review the results to see if you know how to write a winning résumé or if it's time for some rephrasing.

1. "Objective: To obtain a challenging position in leadership that will allow me to apply creative problem solving to achieve optimum results."
A. The objective is pretty vague; it should also include the company or position title, as well as a desired salary.
B. The space for objective statements could be better used if replaced with a summary of your job-seeker brand, or a one-sentence statement that summarizes your expertise and skills.
C. Simplify the objective statement and use language from the job description.

2. "Summary of qualifications: Maintained strong business relationships with new and old clients, and cultivated strong connections with team members to create strong communication at our company."
A. This could be separated into three bullet points to make a stronger statement.
B. The repetitive language should be removed, and there should be individual bullet points with clear descriptions of each qualification.
C. Leave this as is.

3. "Professional experience: Independent business consultant at ABC Co., 2006-present; account executive at JRR Sales Co., September 2000-April 2006; cashier at Jerry's Ice Cream Shop, June 2003-April 2006."
A. Bullet points should follow each title, as well as daily tasks performed.
B. The only work experience listed should be relevant to the job you're interested in and should include three to four bullet points of major accomplishments that relate to the position for which you're applying.
C. This is fine, as long as the location of each business is also included.

4. "Education: College University, Class of 1998."
A. Include the school's location.
B. Include the school's location, your degree information and any training or certificates received. Revise the title to say, "Education and training."
C. Leave this as is.

5. "References: John Baker, supervisor at ABC Co., phone and email included; Linda Cook, manager at JRR Sales Co., phone and email included."
A. Leave this as is.
B. Leave references off of the résumé, and use the space for something else.
C. Use the line, "References available upon request."

Results

Mostly A's: You're on the right path, but most of your answers would make the résumé too wordy or unorganized. You may want to edit your résumé so it's more concise. In each section, ask yourself if the hiring manager would find that information helpful, relevant and easy to understand. Résumé space is too valuable to be wasted on unnecessary information.

Mostly B's: Your résumé rephrasing skills are top-notch. You clearly took the time to research the position you're applying for, and you're able to communicate your personality and experience in your résumé. You've likely included only relevant information on your résumé and everything included supports why you're the best candidate for the job.

Mostly C's: Although minimalism can be an attractive quality in business, your answers indicate that you're holding back on your résumé. Hiring managers can go through thousands of job applications when searching for the right candidate, and it's important that you stand out from your competition by showcasing your individuality, experience and personality. If you don't have much work experience, include information that's relevant to the position of interest, and communicate why you're right for the role.

Susan Ricker is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

What questions do employers want to hear in an interview?

Justin Thompson, CareerBuilder Writer

Once you've received the call from an employer inviting you in for an interview, the real preparation begins. Prior to an interview, candidates should research the company so they can not only answer questions, but have questions ready to ask the hiring manager as well.

The interview is where the job candidate and employer get to know each other. Think of it like dating. While a job interview is in a professional setting and the outcomes are different, the intentions are the same. You've exchanged information because you think there might be a connection, and now you're ready for your "first date." As much as you want to make a good first impression, the employer needs to make a good impression, too.

Just like a first date, you don't want one person to dominate the conversation and ask all the questions. It should be a balanced dialogue, and you should ask questions that get to the heart of the matter: Who is this employer, and why should I work for this company?

The right questions to ask
Alan Guinn, managing director and CEO of The Guinn Consultancy Group, works with employers every day. He recommends that recruiters listen for these 10 questions from job applicants to see if they've done their homework and truly want the position:

1. I've been told that I work very well as a team member. What are some of the ways your company encourages teamwork?
2. We all know how important job satisfaction is to everyone. I want to be happy in any role. Is the company committed to promotion from within, whenever possible?
3. I love your published mission and values. How are these reflected in day-to-day life at the company? Can you share some examples with me?
4. If your son, daughter or a friend was looking for a job, would you recommend working for this company? Why?
5. What do you think distinguishes this company from its competitors, both from a public and employee perspective?
6. How often do you speak with your C-level officers? When you do, what do they normally ask you? Do they ask for your opinion?
7. How does the company demonstrate a sense of pride in its employees? Can you help me understand what it looks for in return?
8. Are there paid, ongoing learning opportunities offered at my level of job responsibility? What obligations do I have if I elect to take advantage of them?
9. What does the company expect in the way of personal and professional growth for a person hired into this position?
10. Does the company value a difference in work and personal time, or does it blur the responsibilities between the two?

Think about your goals first
Don't feel obligated to walk into the interview with a set number of questions, but these give you an idea of the right questions to ask. Also think of the questions in terms of your career and personal goals. If you're moving into a role with more responsibility, how will that affect what questions you ask? If you're starting a family soon, what do you want to know about the company's commitment to work/life balance?

Thoughtful planning and preparation for an interview will not only help you feel more confident but will also leave a great impression on the person interviewing you.

Justin Thompson is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

A balanced approach to phone interviews

Phone interviews lack many of the qualities that can make an in-person meeting with a potential employer so stressful. You don't have to make your way to an unfamiliar location and hunt for a parking spot, meet -- and impress --prospective colleagues in the hallways, or figure out an elegant way to hide that spot on your shirt.

As a result, some job seekers approach phone interviews less seriously. That can be a risky move in a job hunt since acing the phone interview is often your ticket to an in-person meeting.

This article outlines a few guideposts to help you walk the line between overpreparing and not being prepared enough. Stay within these lines, and you'll have a better chance of making it to the next round in the hiring process.

Be professional ...
From the beginning, you must present yourself as polished, considerate and professional. That means greeting the hiring manager with, "Hi, Joanna, this is John Douglas. It's a pleasure to speak with you" as opposed to the kind of casual greeting you reserve for close friends. And if your outgoing phone message is casual or goofy, change it in case the employer's call goes to voice mail.

Just before the scheduled interview time, disable call waiting and get set up in a distraction-free environment with a strong cell signal or landline connection. Have your résumé and the job listing in front of you. Smile as you talk to give your voice confidence.

At the end of the call, thank the hiring manager for her time. If she hasn't mentioned the possibility of an in-person interview, ask politely about the next step.

... But be yourself.
Being overly formal can have the opposite of your intended effect. Needlessly officious language can create a barrier between you and the employer. Ideally, you want to find common ground. The same holds true for projecting too much enthusiasm if these feelings don't come naturally for you. It can come across as insincere.   

In the likely event that the hiring manager is calling several similarly qualified candidates, he will most remember the one where the conversation was easy and friendly.

Prepare yourself to answer thoroughly ...
Research the company and its current challenges, just as you would for an in-person interview. Swallow your pride and ask a friend to conduct a practice phone interview with you. Ask your friend to prepare standard-issue interview questions as well as a curveball or two.

This dry run can give you invaluable practice talking about yourself while helping to identify weaknesses ranging from the technical ("Your headset sounds terrible") to the substantial ("You seemed evasive about your last job").

Afterward, make a list of key talking points that match up with the position's requirements. Keep it handy during your interview to use as a reminder -- but not as a script.

... But don't overdo it.
During in-person interviews, nonverbal prompts make it easier to carry on a natural conversation. You can generally tell when the interviewer wants you to talk and when to wait for the next question.

That distinction is trickier over the phone; a few seconds of silence can turn you into a radio DJ scrambling to fill dead air. Keep in mind that the interviewer may simply be taking notes, so don't talk just to avoid silence.

Follow the interviewer's lead ... 
During the interview, you'll need to pick up on not just the content of the hiring manager's questions but also the tone. Don't be so fixated on your talking points that you miss these cues.

If the interviewer seems relaxed and open, you can take more time answering the questions. If her tone is matter-of-fact and abrupt, focus on getting your points across quickly and economically.

In either case, make sure you're listening, not just waiting for your next turn to speak. Asking a salient question in response to something the interviewer has mentioned can demonstrate your ability to think and talk on your feet.

... But don't lose the thread.
The interviewer may establish the tone and structure of the discussion, but it's your responsibility to tell your story -- however briefly -- within those confines. Make sure your answers don't stray too far from how your skills and experience meet the employer's needs.

These tips may not be black-and-white, but neither are today's phone interviews. In fact, if you take part in several interview calls, you might find that they bear little resemblance to one another. In some cases, you might even be vastly overprepared after the call. If that's the case, consider your preparation a head start on the next round. Just be sure to get that shirt dry-cleaned first.

Robert Half International is the world's first and largest specialized staffing firm with a global network of more than 350 offices worldwide. For more information about our professional services, visit www.roberthalf.com. For additional career advice, view our career bloopers video series at www.roberthalf.com/bloopers or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/roberthalf.