It’s easy to conclude that taking a lower-level position means putting the brakes on the career track or even taking a step back, but in fact, there can be a lot to gain in such a decision. Sometimes you have to take a step back in order to take a step forward in your career.

There are a number of practical reasons to why taking a lower position makes sense.

Career Changers: A large percentage of individuals changing careers will face the need to start near the beginning with entry level workers. If you make a drastic career change, such as going from ER nursing to accounting on the CPA track, you can’t expect an opportunity to jump right to the top until you have honed skills and subject matter expertise. Of course, if you have transferable skills from a previous career that may help to secure an opportunity above entry level.

Field of Practice Changers: There are many people who choose to stay in their profession, but make a change in their field of practice. For example, you may have started your career in marketing for the travel industry, but decided to switch gears to the pharmaceutical industry. A lateral move may not always be possible because, like the career changer, you may not have the necessary industry knowledge needed in the field, especially if it is a highly specialized sector. For instance, technical language used to market pharmaceuticals in the United States follow strict guidelines approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The approaches taken to marketing may be drastically different between two fields.

Job Changers: Job changers include individuals who want to make a switch in the type of company or organization they work for. Certainly, working for a non-profit is not the same as corporate and going from an agency to an in-house position has its differences. So, while you may take a lower position, the title and associated responsibilities may vary widely between employers – and it is important to consider the experiences and opportunities available with the open position. For instance, you may go from an agency to an in-house position at a lower level. Expectations for formal promotions also may vary given different corporate cultures involved. Essentially, you may start off in what is perceived as a lower position, but you wind up with far more advanced experiences that you might otherwise have.

The (Extended) Unemployed Candidate: The difficult economy has resulted in a large pool of unemployed individuals who are well-educated and qualified for positions. Under such circumstances, it’s not rare if you’ve been unemployed for over a year. There have simply been more qualified candidates than job openings available. So, it may come to a point where you have to make the decision to take a lower position in order to: a) bring home a paycheck to pay for essentials, b) maintain your marketability (after such an extensive period of unemployment, it may be a greater setback to remain unemployed – your marketability withers with time away from the market) and/or c) help secure a better job opportunity down the track (employers typically favor candidates who are already employed).

Regardless of the situation, here are key questions you should ask yourself to help decide whether taking a lower position is the right move for you and your career.

1. Does this type of job fit into my long-term career goal? Essentially, will it get me where I want to be down the road?
2. After taking this position and settling in, if I go back on the job hunting track, will I be able to communicate to a potential employer how the experience has helped me grow and evolve to be prepared for this next position?
3. Do I believe I can excel in the position and create realistic opportunity to advance within the company?
4. Will I be happier with the position? Most people spend a large part their life working, so it is important to be happy with what you do. Be wary of how dissatisfaction with a job can quickly lead to burnout.

If you answered yes to the questions above and can put your ego aside, making the decision to take a lower position can be a rational move to help steer your career forward. You can expect to be happier with life and your career. However, after taking a lower position, you need to maintain perspective on your reasons for the decision. It is easy to let pride get in the way of things. Remember this decision is based on a long-term plan, not a short-term plan for your career.

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Don Goodman, President of About Jobs ( www.GotTheJob.com ) is a nationally recognized Career Coach and Resume Writer. A graduate of the Wharton School of Business and Stanford University’s Executive Program, Don has helped thousands of people secure their next job. Read his blog at www.GotTheJob.com/blog/ or contact him at 800-909-0109 or by e-mail at dgoodman@GotTheJob.com.

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During these harsh economic times, more and more people are getting laid off and looking for that elusive dream career opportunity. When an opening presents itself, you will want to be able to take full advantage of it and hopefully get a job interview and ultimately a solid job offer.

In order to position yourself as the candidate of choice you will need to successfully communicate your value to hiring agents. Having professionally created resume and other job search documents is the best way to achieve this. Your resume needs to be accomplishment-based, key-word rich, visually appealing, and show your unique selling points or personal brand.

If you have been filling out applications and submitting your resume for months with nothing to show for it, it’s easy to become discouraged. However, the problem could be quite easy to fix. Since your resume is usually your first impression with a potential employer, you need to ensure that it effectively communicates your impressive skills, qualifications, and attributes. If it presently isn’t, then your resume could be standing in your way of receiving call backs. It is highly likely that your resume is not tailored to optimize its chance of being reviewed.

When you are unemployed and have limited funds, spending money can seem like the worst thing to do. However, in order to get ahead and secure a new valuable, appealing position, the best choice is to invest money to secure a profitable and fulfilling future. Hiring a professional resume writer to assist you in developing career documents is the smart thing to do. In the long run it will save you time, money, and assist you to secure the career/position you aspire to achieve.

It can be difficult to develop a resume and cover letter that sufficiently captures your worth, core competencies, and proven accomplishments, that is why professional resume writers exist. Knowing how to display your experience, and extract important information to bring it to the forefront of your resume is critical to a successful job search. Professional resume writers know what the keywords are and what recruitment personnel are looking for, which is invaluable to someone looking for opportunities.

Most companies that offer professional resume writing services will also be able to offer experience within your chosen field. They will know exactly which keywords your resume should contain to get noticed and will be skilled in weaving them seamlessly into the overall document. As well, since most people who create their own resumes use standard templates to help with formatting, most applicants’ resumes end up looking very similar to one another. Professional resume writers are able to create you a unique resume that will stand out from the crowd for all right reasons.

Even though you may hesitate at spending money on your job search, in the end it will pay dividends in the time you will save due to reducing your job search time. It is therefore important that you look at this as a marketing investment – to help market yourself to potential employers. Getting an employer’s attention, will lead to interviews. So, invest in your future.

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Author and Career Management Specialist, Candace Davies, owner of http://www.candocareer.com is dedicated to advancing job seekers’ careers by providing strategic, achievement-orientated resumes and cover letters and proactive interview coaching. First impressions last! Need a little help? For 20 comprehensive answers to the toughest interview questions, grab a copy of Candace’s powerful free interview questions and answers. It’s yours free when you sign up for her free weekly newsletter, the Cando Career Connection. It’s a win-win!

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If you are about to create your resume, you may have searched through the thousands of templates that are available and realized that there are two distinct types of resume formats. They are the chronological resume (which is most widely used) and the functional resume. Functional resumes summarize your successes at the top in a bulleted list and then follow it with a brief work history.

When making a resume, the option of the functional resume may seem like a good option to you. If you have large gaps between teaching positions or there are points you’d like to omit, like titles or length of time spent at each school, you may think that the functional resume will help cover up this information and, instead, bring attention to your skills and knowledge base. This strategy tends to be a poor idea, however, and here is why.

A functional resume is meant to display only functional skills and eliminate all references to previous employment history. The reasons behind this layout were that it would bring more attention to a candidate’s functional and transferable skills and knowledge base without bringing attention to employment gaps or irrelevant work experience.

I must warn you, however, that no employer will be fooled by this. Omitting this important information from your resume will only serve to bring more attention to the fact that it is missing. Employers will be immediately suspicious about why you have chosen to leave this important information out, causing them to dispose of your resume before you have a chance to defend your choices.

As well, functional resumes can be detrimental in the fact that they are confusing to recruiters. The average recruiter spends 15 seconds scanning a resume; therefore, you don’t want your 15 seconds being spent with a recruiter getting frustrated over trying to make sense of your resume. Recruiters definitely will prefer a resume that is straightforward and in a familiar format. Recruiters want to see a resume that visually separates each position and highlights job-specific accomplishments instead of bunching everything together in a single section.

In order to get over any hurdles you may have regarding employment gaps or career changing, include as much information as possible in a combination formatted resume, so that the hiring committee will not be able to reach their own conclusions about employment gaps. Include categories in your resume that are specific to your functional skills, while explaining employment gaps right in your resume by stating things like “left school to raise my children” or “left to return to university”.

Remember that the more transparent you appear in your teacher resume, the better. You will not fool a recruiter if you are trying to hide something. They will notice what is missing and not bother to offer you an interview so you have a chance to explain. Instead, it is a much better strategy to not be ashamed of any points in your history; show your future employer that you embrace all of your past achievements and prove that you are honest and have nothing to hide. This honesty will pay off in job interviews.

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Author and Career Management Specialist, Candace Davies, owner of http://www.candocareer.com is dedicated to advancing job seekers’ careers by providing strategic, achievement-orientated resumes and cover letters and proactive interview coaching. First impressions last! Need a little help? For 20 comprehensive answers to the toughest interview questions, grab a copy of Candace’s powerful free interview questions and answers. It’s yours free when you sign up for her free weekly newsletter, the Cando Career Connection. It’s a win-win!

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People have been fired over what they’ve said in blog posts or on social media sites. Sharing confidential information or making negative comments about a business have cost many employees their jobs. Some employees have even been fired over making positive comments about their company. What is grounds for termination in the cyber-world and how can social media affect your job search?

Can having a personal blog, professional blog or social media account impact your job search? It most certainly could and probably will. If you post about how you conduct yourself in interviews or if you post about how you embellish your resume, potential employers will be able to see it. You want to have a profile that does not scream “bad employee” and that could be anything from bragging about excessive drinking to how you steal notepads from work.

Is it alright for prospective employers to be reading your blog or social media account? Perhaps not, but, when you post something on the Internet, it’s there for anyone to see, no matter what their motives might be. Some people, who have taken extra steps with their job search, will list their personal site or social media address on their resumes. Again, you should only do this if there is nothing you want to keep from a prospective employer on your site. Who hasn’t Googled someone they were interested in? Well, HR managers do the same thing with prospective employees.

If you have it on your resume, then the employer will definitely look at it. Most hiring managers will look at a prospect’s website if they list it. Others will try to find out as much personal information as they can. This is not the days of “3 references” anymore, now your 3 references are Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

If your blog is hidden or private and people in the office or a hiring manager finds out your identity, they can still look up sensitive information about you. They certainly won’t mind reading it, so don’t put anything negative about current coworkers or any past employers you have had.

Once again, do not include a link on your resume to your social media site or personal website if it contains anything that might be damaging to your job search. Always be careful about what you put online. If you have a social media account, people will probably have no problem reading it, after all, you put your information out there, so it’s public domain now. Even if you think only your friends can access it, you still have to take caution and be proactive about what you put out.

If you’re unemployed, consider putting together a website or social media site that’s specifically related to your job search. You can position yourself as an expert in your field. Attach samples of your resume, portfolio or any certifications you have.

People are searching, so when they find you, what do you want them to see?

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Erin Kennedy, CPRW, CERW, BS/HR, is a Certified Professional & Executive Resume Writer/Career Consultant and President of Professional Resume Services, Inc. She is a nationally published writer and contributor of 9+ best-selling career books. She has achieved international recognition following yearly nominations of the prestigious T.O.R.I. (Toast of the Resume Industry) Award. Erin has written thousands of resumes for executives and professionals.

As a proud member of PARW, CDI, AORCP, Erin also sits on CDI’s Credentialing Committee for new certification candidates and serves as a Mentor for CDI’s Member Mentoring Committee. She also is a featured blogger on several well-known career sites. Reuse of this article is encouraged but must include a link to http://exclusive-executive-resumes.com.

Want to know more about Erin Kennedy, CPRW? Read her LinkedIn profile at: http://www.linkedin.com/in/erinkennedycprw

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As a résumé writer, I hear some of the most dreadful tales imaginable from clients about searching for or changing jobs.

From the gentleman in Los Angeles who lost his job (and his wife lost hers in a similar layoff at the same time), then moved to Portland, OR, found work, but then was laid off 8 weeks later… to the general manager of a high-end Florida restaurant who was lured away from a stable, good-paying job to open a new place in the mid-Atlantic region only to be handed a pink slip two months later from an unstable business partner (who became erratic just shortly after my client’s arrival).

Then there’s the boss who is just peachy in the interview and turns into Bosszilla the day you report for work, and your life has been miserable ever since. (Lots of people can relate to that scenario, unfortunately!)

As anyone who has looked for a job knows, there is no such thing as a ‘sure bet’ for employment. A lot of what goes into accepting an employment offer means exercising your ‘best guess’ because, just as you are on your best behavior, the company for which you are interviewing is usually on their best behavior as well.

There are exceptions, of course. Case in point: Many years ago, I was on the fast track to getting hired on to a company which was, quite attractively, less than a mile from my house. (I had been commuting 30+ miles each way and had horrible traffic to contend with – which made this opportunity all the more attractive.)

However, little ‘red flag’ indicators along the interview process started to pop up. Probably the most blatant one was when the human resource manager leaned over in one of my several interviews, and told me that the person I would be reporting to was a real hothead. Really? Wow.

Several other things came up as well that put me at unease, and in the end, I actually took myself out of the running because I could see a very unhealthy workplace in the making. And I walked away, secure in the knowledge that I made the right decision. If the HR person told me that the boss was a hothead IN THE INTERVIEW… things weren’t going to get much better once I came on board!

The point is that there are several things you need to be thinking about when jumping ship or accepting employment at another organization. If you keep these critical points in mind, you’ll be just a little more secure when making a big decision to go to work for a different company.

1) Do your due diligence – check the company’s financial status.

Many larger companies are often in the news. Review company stock reports and read up on the company mentioned in news articles – many times, these business publications provide tips and clues about company fiscal health. Don’t be afraid to ask questions in the interview about the financial health of the company. Some companies are currently at a balancing point that a few more financial hits might send them tumbling into bankruptcy or even closure, and you’ll want to be well aware of their situation before signing on.

2) Conduct a culture check.

Hopefully, one of the reasons that you landed the job interview is by way of someone who is an internal contact or has insider knowledge of the company. Make sure you plumb your connection’s insights as to the organizational culture. Sometimes, they can provide valuable insights as to personalities to avoid, core organizational challenges, and internal politics. What is the morale like? Are employees energized or cringing? Asking questions such as “What kinds of professional development does your company offer?” can also tell volumes about how a workplace might value employees- are they willing to invest in staff to improve their job duties?

3) Turn your radar on.

One thing that many job seekers fail to do is realize that they are interviewing a company just as much as they are interviewing the job seeker. You may be in a bad situation currently, but can you afford to jump ship… literally from the frying pan into the fire? Be alert and watch from cues… if you are in a panel interview with the boss plus several peers, watch the interactions closely to see how people react to the supervisor. Are sideways looks exchanged, body postures tense, or are answers clipped / restrained? Observing employers in the laboratory which is the job interview can provide valuable insights on what might be going on in the background, and those are absolute indicators of what could be problems in the future.

Before you consider accepting employment in another firm, you need to do research… and a lot of it, beyond just understanding what the target company is all about.

The old axiom of “Last hired, first fired” carries a lot of weight. Just as I mentioned earlier, there are no ‘sure bets’ when it comes to finding ‘secure’ employment, you definitely want to do your very best to ferret out any potential problems with a prospective new employer before committing to jumping ship.

You could just save yourself a whole lot of aggravation and will make a much more informed decision as a result.

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Dawn Rasmussen – CTP, CMP
President
Pathfinder Writing and Career Services
PO Box 20536
Portland OR 97294
503-539-3954 phone
503-408-4894 fax
http://pathfindercareers.com/

Advance your career with a professionally-written resume!

Proud member of the National Resume Writers Association

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Just when you think you’ve aced the interview and have reference contacts lined up with many good things to say about you, take a deeper look. The fact is many employers today are resorting to social media sites to screen candidates. In fact, recent studies indicate that 85% of employers and 100% of recruiters will look you up on LinkedIn before calling you. So if you are a user of any one of the social networking sites that have proliferated in recent years, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter, there’s more than a likely chance potential employers have scoped you out.

You may conduct yourself well during an interview, but how do you appear online? Even simple things like the profile photo you have up on your Facebook page can leave employers with different impressions. Do you portray an unprofessional image in any way? You need to be very cautious about what the Internet is showing and saying about you.

Internet screening may occur before or after an interview. If your account setting on social networking sites is open to the public, think twice about what you write and post. For instance, if you tend to keep your network of contacts informed about the status of your job hunt and interviews, you may have just shared the update with the potential employer screening you.

Think of the impression the employer will form if they read your status post saying, “Job interview tomorrow – not really the type of work I want to do, but I know it will pay well” or “Just completed an interview – hated the HR contact, but loved the team.” These simple updates that were meant for your personal circle of friends may have just ruined your chances of any opportunity at the employer.

There have also been cases of employees having been fired from the job or reprimanded because of inappropriate postings to a social networking site that their boss just so happened to come across.

Here’s some insight to how employers are using the Internet to screen you – and what you should review to ensure your Internet presence shows your best front to potential employers.

· Google yourself. If you haven’t searched your own name on the Internet, Google it and see what shows up. You are likely to appear with your public LinkedIn profile page (if you have one), blogs you may have authored, photos and other information. Try to eliminate or change privacy settings to certain websites so that you do not present any information that may be damaging to you.

· Facebook: This social networking site has over 600 million users. If you are one of them, review what your profile page presents and restrict public access to your profile, postings, photos and friends list, if necessary. You can make changes in Account Settings to control who may view your account. If you have a relevant and professional blog or website to share with employers, you may consider adding it to your Information page and making that particular section open to the public.

· LinkedIn: This is one of the more professionally-oriented social networking sites. Employers are particularly interested in viewing recommendations from your colleagues and managers. Any information offered on professional groups you are associated with and questions answered or asked can help an employer learn more about your character and knowledge.

· Twitter: What issues are you tweeting about? Have you established a presence as an expert in any particular area? How many people are following you?

It’s important to keep information appropriate and professional. Even with the 140-character limit per tweet, you can face a lot of damage with an employer when you write something inappropriate. By default, all accounts on Twitter are set for public view. Note that you can change your account settings to “protected” so that anyone who wishes to view your profile or follow you needs to be approved by you first.

As more employers rely on the Internet to obtain a more accurate picture and understanding of candidates, it is important that you err on the conservative side of what you write, post, and share on the Internet. In many instances, what you post on the Internet will remain there indefinitely and is accessible to everyone, so make sure it is consistent with your overall message.

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Don Goodman, President of About Jobs ( www.GotTheJob.com ) is a nationally recognized Career Coach and Resume Writer. A graduate of the Wharton School of Business and Stanford University’s Executive Program, Don has helped thousands of people secure their next job. Read his blog at www.GotTheJob.com/blog/ or contact him at 800-909-0109 or by e-mail at dgoodman@GotTheJob.com. 

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20 seconds. That’s the average amount of time that an employer will spend scanning your resume. The phrase “Less is more” has often been used for design purposes, but it can apply just as well to your resume. The point is to keep only information on your resume that is clear, simple and that supports your brand /message. It is a balance of having just enough information to draw the interest of an employer, while leaving room for you to further explain during an interview. The more irrelevant information you add to your resume, the more it dilutes your key message. Employers today also look right through fluff words and are rather annoyed by them.

So, you ask, “How can I power up my resume and make sure it contains the precise balance of information?” Consider the following:

Replace the “Objective” statement on your resume with “Professional Profile.”

Employers today are not that interested in what you want. Your opening paragraph needs to be a strong message that summarizes your background and indicates what you are best at. That creates a theme that is then followed by your ‘proving’ that you are great at these things by showcasing supporting accomplishments in each job.

Eliminate superfluous, or “fluff,” words.

I can’t tell you how many resumes start with “Dynamic visionary…” I call these fluff statements as anyone can make them and they add no real value to your resume. Keep your message on point and stick to the facts. If you want to express these traits, demonstrate it with what you have achieved or accomplished.

Watch your grammar.

Sentences in resumes are written like headlines and are in the first person. In other words, the statement “I am known for consistently exceeding my sales quotas” becomes “Known for consistently exceeding sales quotas”.

Another one of the biggest mistakes when writing a resume is when people mix first person and third person. For example, although “Easily learns new software” sounds right, that is the third-person (“she learns”) and should really be “Easily learn” (“I learn”). Small but important point, as you do want your resume to be grammatically correct.

Include one telephone number rather than multiple numbers.

If you must list more than one number, make sure to specify under what conditions the other numbers should be used.

Do not include discriminating information.

Avoid information that can lead one to discriminate against you, including age, sex, religion, marital status, and ethnicity. This includes the use of photos that should never be on a resume unless your face is an important part of your job (e.g. modeling, TV, etc.). In fact, some employers are forced to ignore your resume if it contains such information because of the chance that they may be accused of discrimination later in the process.

Keep information on your education specific to the degree received, major, institution attended, and if appropriate, your GPA.

You do not need to reveal your graduating year, the institution(s) you transferred out of or high school attended.

Include only experiences that are relevant to the job.

Employers are not interested in achievements or abilities that are not applicable to the job. If you are in sales and you helped develop an Access database to track supplies, that’s nice, but not relevant. Also be cautious about listing your associations or volunteer work that is irrelevant or may be in conflict with the potential employer.

Eliminate technical skills for basic software programs.

Most employers today expect you to be familiar with the basic computer programs, such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Do not include references unless requested.

Employers today expect you to offer references when requested, which is typically during the latter part of the interview process. A Top 5 Peeve of recruiters is seeing “References available upon request” on the resume. Do you really know anyone who would refuse to give references?

Maintain a reasonable length for your resume.

If you are a recent graduate, most employers do not expect your resume to be more than 1 page. However, if you have had considerable professional experience that your resume should be 2-3 pages. Note that the notion that all resumes should be 1 page is not true especially in this market. Resumes need to have enough detail to support your positioning so a 2-3 page resume is acceptable. I always tell my clients that a resume has to have a compelling message and be easy to read, so after you have tightened up your content, format it to have a decent amount of white space.

Finding the right balance of information for your resume can make it impactful. It’s not about how long or short your resume is or how many employers you’ve worked for, but finding the right information and words to present it in the best light to demonstrate that you have the specific experiences and skills the employer is seeking. So, keep in mind the phrase, “Less is more” when creating or updating your resume.

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Don Goodman, President of About Jobs ( www.GotTheJob.com ) is a nationally recognized Career Coach and Resume Writer. A graduate of the Wharton School of Business and Stanford University’s Executive Program, Don has helped thousands of people secure their next job. Read his blog at www.GotTheJob.com/blog/ or contact him at 800-909-0109 or by e-mail at dgoodman@GotTheJob.com.

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It’s often difficult for job seekers to consider spending money when they are jobless, their career prospects seem poor, and their emergency funds are shrinking. Rivalry is stiff in the job market these days and it is likely that there are far more professionals applying for positions than there are vacancies. But from a different angle, remember that the more time you are unemployed the more it costs you. If you would usually bring home $50,000 a year you are losing almost $1000 every week that you are jobless. There are professionals available to help you secure a new job, but they necessitate a monetary investment. If spending money is likely to pay returns greater than the amount paid, rather than an expenditure, shouldn’t it be taken into account as an investment? When you compute exactly how much it is costing you to be unemployed, would an investment in expert assistance be a smart one? This is a question that increasing numbers of job hunters are asking themselves, especially when it comes to preparing their resume. Many people are surprised to learn that there is such a thing as professional resume writers. So if you are wondering about that, you aren’t alone. But, just as there are marketing professionals who specialize in promoting products, there are marketing experts who focus on promoting people within the job market.

The highest quality professional resume writers are serious about their profession, have merited certifications and participate in regular training to make sure that that they are on the leading edge of their profession. While, at first glance, hiring an expert to help you write your resume might seem an unnecessary expense, the truth is that it is usually far more accurate to think of it as an investment with a high potential for excellent returns. Having your resume professionally written could pay you back many times over, as it helps you to increase your competitiveness, get your resume attention, win those interviews, and secure a job faster, many times at a higher salary than you might have anticipated.

Here are some guidelines as you contemplate working with a professional:

* Look for references.

Don’t expect to find references from past customers complete with their individual details and phone numbers. Professional ethics and confidentiality agreements prevent resume writers from divulging any personal information about their customers and you should be cautious of those who do. However, the best writers will have letters of reference that have been altered to not disclose the identity of their clients. You can also try to find references on LinkedIn, in which case the cutomer’s providing the reference may have voluntarily given up their identity.

* Review some examples of their resumes.

Look for resume writing companies or private practitioners that create a one-of-a-kind resume for each and every client. By looking at past examples you can get a sense of their style and see just how much attention to detail goes in to the finished product. You can also search for published examples on the web and many of the most talented resume writers have examples of their work published in books about resume writing.

* Check out credentials.

There are several credible, well-established professional associations for resume writers. Membership shows that the writer takes their profession seriously and is dedicated to excellence. These organizations offer education and credentialing programs. The most stringent exams have preconditions, assess various areas of skill, use a blind grading system, and have CEU requirements.

* Take time to review and understand the contract.

Many professional resume writers use written project contracts that explain policies and procedures as well as outlining the bounds of the project. This will help you to grasp the depth and breadth of services provided and what you can do if you aren’t happy. You will also find out how change requests are processed, the turnaround time, and what the payment process is.

* Finally, don’t disregard that your professionally written resume is an investment and you should remember this when you consider the payment terms.

Be cautious of resume writers who have little or no experience. Look for membership in professional associations, connections, established web presence, proof of training, and solid examples.

While fees vary, with more experienced and accomplished resume writers able to ask for more for their expertise and quality, generally the range should be somewhere between $300 and $1200, frequently depending on the complexity of your project. Keep in mind, a bargain is not a bargain if the quality of the delivered document is not what you hoped for and your job search suffers as a result. Your career is at stake here and you shouldn’t cut corners! Done properly, your professionally written resume is an investment that can produce extraordinary results.

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Michelle Dumas runs of one of the longest-standing and most respected professional resume writing firms on the internet. Since 1996, Michelle has empowered thousands of professionals with resumes that get results and win jobs fast. Get insider resume writing tips that you won’t find anywhere else at her website. Go now to www.distinctiveweb.com

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Oh, the power of a quality resume! If you’re new to the job market, and you’re busy applying for open positions but aren’t hearing back – your resume is most likely is the culprit.

What are employers looking for in a quality resume? How do you possibly compete with other people with your skills and experience, and come out as the winner?

Here are three tips you can “take to the bank” when it comes to giving your resume a most-needed make-over.

1. Don’t get fancy – just get dancey! Use easy-to-read fonts when creating your resume. Choose to use bold letters to highlight important information only. Candidates who attempt to write their own resume tend to believe the more ornate fonts will impress the hiring manager. Make it readable, or don’t get hired.

2. One size does not fit all. It seems like a good plan to create a generic resume, and then email blast it to every employer on the planet. Guess again! In today’s job market, your resume must be customized for each position you apply for. The prospective employer wants to know about your relevant skills and experience – and most importantly, what you accomplished during your previous jobs. Give them what they want.

3. Use keywords in your resume. Review the job description for the position you’re applying for. You’ll see there are select words and phrases the employer uses to describe their ideal candidate. Take those very words and incorporate them in your resume. You’ll be amazed when the phone rings and you’re invited to interview.

Remember, only apply for jobs that you are qualified to perform. If you don’t meet the minimum qualifications for a position, don’t waste your time. If you’re not happy with the positions you are qualified for, consider going back to school, or enrolling in occupational training.

Create a custom cover-letter for each job you apply for, too. Speak directly to the hiring manager, and articulate why you’re the best person for the position. Employers are most interested in what you’re going to accomplish for them, and not just what tasks you performed in a previous position. Think outside of the box as you write your cover letter, and let your personality come out.

Focus on creating a high-performance resume and cover letter, and you’ll be interviewing in no time! Be prepared to “wow” the hiring manager during the interview, and you’ll be starting your new job, lickety-split.

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Christina Archer is an Executive Recruiter, Resume Writer, Social Media Consultant and Author based in Palm Harbor, Florida. To receive a complimentary resume analysis, please contact her at christina@i-careersearch.com, or visit her website at http://www.I-CareerSearch.com.

Woody Allen is famous for saying “Eighty percent of success is showing up.” A similar sentiment is often assigned to the thank you note during a job search; a common rule of thumb is that a follow-up note should be sent via U.S. mail or e-mail within 48 hours of an interview. (The e-mail thank you note–once viewed as a bit of a cop-out–is now commonly accepted. In fact, it is recommended that you write thank you notes via e-mail if you know that the hiring decision will be made within a short time span.)

As a stand-alone communication, a thank you note is a testament to your knowledge of etiquette, interest in the position, and capacity to follow-through. A great thank you note also demonstrates your communication skills and business acumen. Here are three tips for writing effective thank you notes:

1. Demonstrate your ability to be an active listener and to synthesize information by keeping good notes. Immediately following your interview, take careful notes on your conversation with each person you meet with-than mention topics you discussed in your follow-up. (If you mention web resources of interest to your interviewer, shorten your links with online resources such as TinyURL.)
2. Make it personal. If you met with more than one person, ask for business cards during the interview and resist the temptation to write a “group” thank you note. Instead, opt for short messages written to specific individuals. This is particularly true for e-mail: a mass e-mail to multiple parties can do more harm than good.
3. Use it as an opportunity. If you forgot to include information during your interview–or would like to expand upon a question asked during your interview-you can use the thank you note as an opportunity to provide further information. Just be careful not to “dwell”-two or three sentences should suffice in addressing any gaps.
4. Err on the side of formality. Avoid abbreviating words or phrases and pretend that you never learned to write text messages–a thank you note is a written manifestation of your knowledge of grammar and ability to write effective business communications. Make sure to check your spelling and grammar before you send your note.
5. Be genuine about your interest. Remember that the process of interviewing and applying for a job is one of mutual selection: you pick the employer and the employer picks you. If you interview for a position and your interest is further strengthened by the interview, reiterate your interest and state what excites you most about the position. If, on the other hand, you decide you are not interested in a position, thank your interviewer for their time and interest and be candid that the opportunity is not the right match for you.
6. Be specific. Use the thank you note as an opportunity to be specific about what you most enjoyed learning about during your interview-or the most attractive aspects of the potential position. Focus on “internals” rather than “externals”: Avoid stressing your interest in the food or the location-and focus on the function of the work, the environment, or the people that you will be working with.

Once finished, make sure you mail your thank you notes promptly. Then rest assured that you have done all you can.

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E. Chandlee Bryan, M.Ed., is President and Founder of Best Fit Forward, a boutique resume writing and career strategy firm. A former Ivy League career counselor and recruiter, Chandlee specializes in providing services and career advisement to emerging professionals; she also recently served as the “Resume Specialist” for Microsoft’s “My Resume Talks” campaign.

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