Designing a high-impact executive resume as a CIO, or if you are evolving to become an information technology (IT) executive, is one of the most effective means of communicating your skills, promoting your achievements and demonstrating how you are the best candidate for a coveted CIO role. The key difference in creating an effective CIO executive resume versus a professional-level IT resume is to integrate human capital management skills and fiscal acumen abilities alongside technical hardware, software and cloud solutions throughout the resume. The bottom line is, as an IT executive, you need to demonstrate how you can utilize human and technological resources to improve corporate profitability. Period.

Here are 7 ways you can design an effective CIO executive resume

1. Practice what you preach. 

IT recruiters tell me that nothing irks them more than an IT executive that does not include a website or social media links on their resume. I am told that a CIO or upcoming IT Executive that has very little to no presence on the internet, or worse, a poor presence on the web, demonstrates that either they are not a lover of technology or that they are a poor promoter of themselves.

2. Gravitate from tactical implementation and graduate to a strategic perspective. 

When compiling your CIO resume, be sure that you showcase your corporate contributions to the top line, expense line items, workflow productivity, and the bottom line. Graduate from citing specific tactical skills and responsibilities, that can be common in a staff-level or middle management information technology resume, to outlining initiatives where you have added value and projects that you have led to achieving results. The key with a CIO resume, as with all c-level resumes is to include the long-range effects of your work in addition to the short-term results. You want to show how you can strategize on the big picture and cause movement with what is directly in front of you.

3. Showcase soft skills alongside strong financial achievements. 

Don’t have readers get lost in your resume with a  list of systems, software, hardware and applications in which you have expertise. Your  CIO executive resume will be read by technical and non-technical types and you must cater to both audiences. We know you have impressive credentials and achievements, but don’t let the metrics overshadow your human capital accomplishments. Outline how you incorporated technology and human capital to drive workflow productivity, revenues, and profits for the business.

4. Demonstrate that you can attract high-quality talent and lead teams to achieve results.

Effective IT Executives not only manage technology, but they successfully manage people to manage technology to bring results. Successful CIOs set up deals, influence key decision-makers, nurture vendor relationships, possess sharp negotiation skills and attract key talent. Do not lose sight of the importance of your people skills contributing to your past and future success.

5. Use appropriate context when communicating with prospective employers. Talking about your biggest achievement is not always best. 

Reframing it, however, to showcase your accomplishments in a way that is digestible for the prospective employer is always preferred. If you saved $7 Million dollars on one initiative within a $125 Million dollar employer, but now you are applying to an $18 Million firm, you may be perceived as being overqualified for this next position. Either choose achievements that are within the fiscal scope of the prospective company, or consider using percentages to outline your accomplishments. Another tactic to use is to focus on downplaying or highlighting the size of regional budgets, global budgets, business lines, or other business entity sizes to match the prospects.

6. Showcase results and downplay technical jargon. 

Outline your technical and human capital achievements in a universal language and not just financial jargon. Appeal to the many types of audiences by whom your resume will be read. You may be most comfortable speaking in acronyms or technical vernacular, but not all CEOs and executive hiring teams are aware of techspeak. I suggest that you speak about technology in approachable terms to be understood by many types of executive management. This will demonstrate your ability to work with non-technical types in a subliminal manner.

7. Be what they want but never lose yourself in your resume. 

The content in your resume, social media profiles, and communications should be congruent with your personality, beliefs and work style, while still meeting the needs of the prospective employer. Ensure your resume will be in line with the person who shows up on the interview. Always be who you are on paper, online and in person.

The resume of a successful Chief Information Officer must not only demonstrate that you know the why and how behind the technology, but it also must tell a story on how you have communicated effectively with managers, lenders, shareholders, vendors, and other key partners.  Frankly, the best CIOs will show how they identify and implement current technology that breeds financial benefits that improve the company’s position within its marketplace. strategically, design and implement business plans and inspire leadership within the financial departments and with the executive management team to solidify its company’s future.

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Asking for a salary increase properly is an art and a science. There are many tactics to do to receive the above-average pay raise that you want. However,  during my time as a recruiter and a manager, I have seen many things that an employee should absolutely not do when asking for a pay raise. 

Here are 6 Things not to do when asking for a pay raise

Cite that you work hard with no achievements list

Don’t expect your boss or executive management to keep tabs on what you have done for them. Working hard allows you to keep your job and come back the next day—not get a raise. The results and achievements you accomplish could put you in a position to get a raise. Brag about what you do and let them see your value.

Expect a raise because you deserve it

Don’t demonstrate your entitlement due to tenure versus achievement. No one will give you a raise, just because you think you deserve one since you have been there a long time. It is like the song says, “What have you done for me lately?”

Be unprepared with no data

Before you ask for a raise, show that you have researched salary sites and have done some investigation to see if you are paid below, at or above market value for your expertise and skills. If you expect your employer to do the research to give you what you deserve, you might as well stay home and not ask.

Create a case for fairness  

Don’t demand a raise since you heard others received one or is making more than you. In fact, that is often what can put you on the “Don’t give him a raise” list. I tell my kids, life isn’t fair…what side do you want to be on? And then do all of the right things to be on that side to get the raise you want.

Ask with your tail between your legs. 

Nothing is more unattractive than a lack of confidence. Employers want to know they are giving their money to the ‘A’ players within the organization. If you start off your request with, “I was hoping to chat with you about something when you are not too busy…,” I say pack up and go home. Make an appointment with your manager outlining what you would like to discuss and be confident and prepared. This is a business discussion like all others…so treat it as such.

Outline how you need the raise

To me, this is the kiss of death! 

No one cares that your daughter needs braces, or your son is going to college or that your spouse lost his/her job. Everyone is experiencing a higher cost of living—including your employer. Your employer is not entitled to give you the funds you need for your budget shortfalls. However, if you prove your worth and continually achieve, you may receive a raise that recognizes your merits that your employer would be happy to give to you.

Threaten to quit

Even if you are ready to leave that minute, this is never an effective tactic. 

Whatever time you buy or raise you receive will be temporary while your employer looks for your replacement. No one wants to be held hostage.

Written by Lisa Rangel - Chameleon Resumes

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“How long do recruiters take to read an executive resume and what do you look for when reading a resume?” This is the question I am often asked as a former search firm recruiter. 

The question has an incorrect assumption…

Resumes are not read by most recruiters. They are scanned the way most of us scan websites looking for information. Think about the last time you looked at a website: We don’t read websites, we scan them looking for specific keywords and phrases and assessing the visual feel to decide if we should keep clicking through the website or move on to the next search result.

If we don’t see words we like/need or we don’t like the visual feel of the website, we move on to the next result happily provided by your search engine. That process can take most of us as little as 15 seconds.

When performing the initial scanning of resumes determining which candidates I would call, I always looked for (and trained numerous recruiters to seek out) the following initial pieces of information:

6 Items Recruiters Need to Work on your resume

What Job Are You Applying For? – Have a Target Title: 

In your summary section, have a target title outlining the job you are pursuing. Don’t risk letting the recruiter have to decide what job you are applying for within their company. It is possible they won’t decide and just put you in the ‘no’ pile and move on to the next candidate who spells I out for them. Or they may wrongly assume the role you are pursuing. Or worse, they may realize what job you are applying to but think you are a poor communicator in doing so in an unclear manner.

Where Did You Work? 

Knowing where your work gives the recruiter context to your targeted job title. The Director of Marketing at the local doctor’s office and the Director of Marketing at a Fortune 500 company are two different jobs despite having the same title. Make your employers’ names easy to read and identify, as it helps the recruiter place your experience into context.

How Long Did You Work There & When? 

Recruiters need to know the chronological order of your employment. Period. Functional resumes and any format that disguises the dates do the exact opposite of what job seekers want in using these formats—and it annoys recruiters since they have to work to find the dates and put things in context.  If you were a Director of Marketing 15 years ago versus a Director of Marketing today—those are two different jobs even though they share the same title. If you had the job for 10 months versus 10 years, that tells a recruiter two different stories. A recruiter must have a time frame for your resume to have meaning.

Where Are The Numbers? 

Recruiters may not take the time in this initial screen to read every stat and detail, but recruiters want to see numbers on a resume upon the first scan.  When I scan a resume and see no numbers present in the content, it automatically makes me wonder if this person is achievement-driven. Companies do not want to hire taskmasters—they want achievers. Having numerical measurement in some form does not have to only refer to money, can set forth a subliminal impression that you are an achiever and you can express yourself comfortably in that manner.

Where Did You Go To School? 

Again, knowing where you went to school helps recruiters put things in context. This is not to assume recruiters always want to see that you went to an Ivy League school.  If you attended a local regional school and went on to a Fortune 100 management job that tells a great story. If you went to a prominent school and are engaged in a start-up initiative, that tells an intriguing story. All the pieces, of which education is one, contribute a valuable piece to your story.

Does Your Resume Look Good And Is It Easy To Read? 

When a recruiter reads your resume, are they thinking, “What was he thinking with this format?” – Is the format dated, poorly formatted, visually unappealing and simply hard to read or understand? If a recruiter does not notice anything about your formatting, then you are at least not doing damage to your presentation. Ideally, you want something to think, “This person gets it” when they click open your resume. You have less than 5 seconds for that first impression and only one shot to get it right.

By Lisa Rangel, Chameleon Resumes

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The job search game has changed, yet again!  Just as you learned job search tactics for your resume to be digested on social media, your resume has to now contend with being read on iPads, iPhones, Android phones, Blackberries and every other type of old and new tech device in between.

One Sunday night, I had a friend of mine send me their resume in the spirit of networking asking if I could facilitate any introductions. As I opened the document on my iPhone, I noticed that the contact information on the resume was missing. The employer’s information was absent, as well. Just blank spaces on the resume where this information should have been placed. Yet when I opened the document on my PC, the contact and employer name information was where it was supposed to be—it was just placed in a table. I learned (and my friend learned the hard way) that information placed in tables are not read by iPhones.  

While I have been reading resumes on smartphones of some type since 2006 or 2007, it is now apparent the job search and the recruitment model is going mobile like many other industries. How can job seekers be ready for these technological adjustments and what should they expect?

Here is how to get your resume ready for mobile recruiting

Make your communications ridiculously concise

Cover letters should be as short as a screenshot. For certain social media channels, you have to convey your intent in 140 characters or less to get the pingback from the job poster to contact them offline.

Test your resume and cover letters on various mediums and devices to ensure they open and appear properly

I have been opening resumes on PDAs, and now smartphones, since 2006 (maybe 2005).  Some recruiters have been doing it much longer than me. Resumes in dated Word versions have a lesser chance of opening on a newer phone. Are your Mac docs compatible with PC, Droid, and other non-Mac gadgets? Can your PC-based docs open on iPhones and iPads?  Perform some quality controls with your documents and see what can open where.

Use your mobile phone number on your resume—remove landlines from your applications

This will enable you to receive recruiting SMS text messages from employers who use this technology. ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) such as Bullhorn and Bond Adapt house this information in applicant data files and can send out mass job alerts via SMS text, as well as email, automated phone messages, etc.  Landlines cannot receive texts—and who knows if your kids or parents will answer the phone!! Yikes!

Get your QR Code

The jury is out on how these codes will be used en mass by corporate and search firm recruiting departments to benefit from their features in an economy of scale capacity. But until that is figured out, get your code and look like you are cool, hip and happening (without using those words, of course). QR Codes are being used at job fairs for all types of candidates, especially technology and digital jobs, and at various types of industry conventions at vendor booths and promotional venues. Currently, they are in use and can help vying recruiters find you as an early adopter of this technology. 

Engage recruiters online on Twitter, LinkedIn and other appropriate social media venues (blogs, industry groups, networking groups) for your career. 

If a company is seeking a social media savvy marketing executive, they will not post an ad in the NY Times. They will find relevant sources and viable candidates where they expect this next hire to already reside. Be the job you want—and they will find you.

Get your resume posted on online and social media forms 

A paper resume is often the last version of your resume a recruiter will see. Your personal website, LinkedIn profile, Twitter bio, Branchout/Facebook Timeline, About.me or VisualCV may be the first thing they see in searching online for people like you with your credentials. Those virtual documents need to be equally as engaging as your print resume, as they are often the first impression seen by others.

Embrace the use of job search apps on your phone

These are very much in development for many companies and organizations. The major job boards and social media channels all have a mobile version (Monster, LinkedIn, Facebook, Indeed.com, TwitterJobSearch, etc…). These can help you keep track of responses on your submissions and comments and stay up to speed on new job openings posted by the recruiters you follow.

Mobile recruiting is still in its infancy for many industries and companies. But if you are in a progressive industry or profession, it is paramount that you embody these new trends into your daily job search activities.

By Lisa Rangel, Chameleon Resumes

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When applying for a job with a new prospective employer, it’s usually a good idea to send a follow-up or thank-you email, assuming you really want the job. There are a number of reasons for this: for one, it shows that you really enjoyed meeting with the people at the new company and that you really want the job itself. Second, and perhaps the most important, it puts you back into the minds of these prospective employers, as they are undoubtedly sifting through a number of other resumes and interviewing other job applicants. The more you can stay on all their minds, the better chance you have at getting the job above another applicant who is just as qualified and charming as you. The follow up / thank you email is an ideal way to do this without going overboard by sending, say, a thank-you gift basket.

However, the follow-up/thank you email also needs to be properly written, which is probably another reason people avoid taking this extra step when applying for a gig. As with anything written, there is a proper structure for these follow-up / thank you notes to prospective employers which should be followed if you want the best chance at getting the job. This structure is broken down below, based upon the example letter included here.

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How to Properly Write a Thank You Letter / Follow-Up Email

1. Address the Meeting Briefly

Off the bat in this follow-up/ thank you email, you will want to recall the interview, what you enjoyed about it and what your impressions of it were. This example letter instills confidence in the person writing it from the outset by reminding the reader of their talents, yet also thanking the reader, or more specifically the prospective employer, for being straightforward and clear about the job that needs to be done. By doing all of these things, the employer is reminded of how well the interview went.

2. Compare and Contrast

People who are interviewing for new jobs at big companies are usually working somewhere else that is similar or have worked in that field for a similar company. As is the case in this example letter, the candidate delves deeper into the discussion about the state of the IT industry they are working in, recalling a conversation that was clearly had during the job interview. Yet the candidate moves on to compare the company he has worked for in the past doing a similar job but how he could do much more for the company who he is applying to, demonstrating value as an employee, if they are hired. In fact, the candidate even goes as far as to say “we” in the letter, making the assumption that they are already a team. By doing this, the prospective employer is already envisioning the candidate as being part of their team, albeit for the purposes of the letter. However, the candidate takes this strategy to the next level by outlining how they will help the company if they are hired, without coming right out and saying that.

3. Outlining Strategy

The prior paragraph goes directly into a list of ways they will help the company to succeed. This is risky, as they may say something that the candidate may think won’t work, but it also displays honesty and transparency they will have when working for the company, which an employer greatly values. However, as long as the project strategy, as bullet-pointed here, is well-defined, it doesn’t necessarily matter to the prospective employer if it will actually be implemented—they just like to see that the candidate will have thought everything through if they are a part of the team. This is important for a worker in general in the IT industry, as business climates are constantly changing and the employee, company, and methods for attaining goals will have to adjust.

4. Closing with Anticipation

After outlining what they would do if part of the company team, the closing is a paragraph about anticipation for the future. There is a brief recap of their skills and the fact that there is much more to the industry that they would be happy to talk about. The second to last lines is also one of the most important, as they finally come out and say how interested they are in working for the company, basically “asking for the sale.” This is much like presenting the ring after a long time living together—you want to work for this company and you look forward to the next steps.

While this candidate is not guaranteed the job by writing this follow up / thank-you letter, they have definitely helped their chances and left a good impression on this prospective employer. And this is really all they can hope to do.

 

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A few years ago, a good friend of mine gave me this piece of advice after she had been released from a position unexpectedly.  I find senior managers can be released from a position if they do not share in the management philosophy leadership promotes or believe in the plans the company is implementing to grow. Being fired is not only related to poor performance, which is something I have learned from working with candidates over the years. It can take one by surprise.

So back to the advice.  She told me, “The best thing you can do, Lisa, is to pretend you were fired today. You would start to make a list of all the activities you would do to land your next job. Take that list while you are working and do one item a week to ensure your bases are always covered.”

She formulated this golden nugget of advice in hindsight.  She thought she was secure with her firm since she was growing revenue.  So she never went to lunch with people in her network. She did not have a resume ready or even loosely constructed.  She did not make calls to former colleagues or school mates in business to stay abreast of their progress. I mean she was too busy working hard in her job.

She did not see that the direction of management was changing and, essentially, she did not share in this philosophy of this new direction. And one day, she was let go. She was blind-sided.  She shared this piece of advice with me to ensure that it did not happen to me. And I have shared it with countless people over the years to pay it forward.

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So let’s pretend you’re let go today.  What would you do? Here are some things I would do to get myself back in the saddle again (this list is by no means exhaustive or in any particular order):

Step by Step Job Search Advice

Step 1

Pull out the resume and ensure it is updated and reflective of my achievements (not just a list of tasks. Be sure I have a cover letter that can support my resume

Step 2

Make sure everyone I worked with at any level is connected to me on LinkedIn

Step 3

Get recommendations on LinkedIn where it makes sense. 

Step 4

Put my vendors, clients, prospects and other external corporate connections into LinkedIn to connect with me.

Step 5

Devise a target list of companies where I would like to work based on industry, geography, discipline, or benefits needed

Step 6

Shore up on certifications and necessary professional development requirements in my field

Step 7

Look up when conferences related to my profession are taking place and make plans to attend

Step 8

Join profession/industry-related association to network with like-minded individuals

Step 9

Brush up on interviewing skills through a course and/or with friends that I trust to help me

Step 10

Make coffee/lunch appointments with friends, former colleagues and other professional connections to stay current on what is going on in their lives, at their companies, and in a global sense.

STep 11

Help someone with their professional goals: maybe introduce two people that can help each other; get your former colleague into a company he has been looking to gain as a client; mentor a student that is looking to obtain their first job

STep 12

Get a massage—in other words, do something to take care of yourself physically and mentally

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Now take the list---and start doing it now while you are working.  Don’t get overwhelmed. Just put in your schedule one item per week to start.  Call a former colleague and meet them for breakfast. Arrange to meet someone from another department you have not seen in months for your 3 pm Starbucks run. Contact a local college for an interviewing tactic class.   Is there a college grad in your extended family or neighborhood that needs help finding a job? Call them and ask what you can do to help. Helping people makes you feel good, allows the person you are helping get what they need and they will remember you when/if you need help in the future. We must give to get.

But Lisa, I am already not working…what do I do?  Let’s audit the list. How many of the items above are you doing?  When was the last time you invested in yourself – professional conference attendance, skill certification or personal care (you feel tired and spent, yes?—so take care of yourself to have all your energies to focus on the search).  Have you created a target list? Are you marketing yourself using LinkedIn connections you know and those you do not know? Or are you just responding to job postings…you need to network and market yourself to land your next job. Passive searching will not work in this economy.

The bottom line is this. You do not need to practice this concept perfectly.  And you certainly do not want to be so on top of networking for your next job (unless you are not working) that you lose your current job.  But the key is to build your network in a genuine manner by helping and giving at a time when you do not need it, so if this happens to you, it will already be in place – or at least started – to help you when you do need it.

By Lisa Rangel

 

I’ve received a number of emails from disgruntled job seekers who feel discriminated against because they are not currently employed.  This disconnect between employers looking for qualified candidates to fill demanding positions and available candidates to take those roles is increasing.  It is painful to hear qualified candidates complain that they are not employable because they aren’t working.  

First of all, that bitter attitude is not going to get you anywhere.  I know not working is painful, not just financially but also on your self-esteem.  I get it, I’ve been there.  All is not lost, here are three suggestions on how to changing your status from Unemployed to Employable Candidate.

TURN THAT FROWN UPSIDE DOWN.  Nobody wants to bring in an employee in a bad mood.  I’m actually surprised at how many cover letters we receive where candidates blatantly discuss their disgruntled feelings over being passed over because they are unemployed.  If you’re depressed and show it, you will be disqualified regardless of your employment status.  

Master Zen  Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hahn suggests pausing to cultivate joy by putting a smile on your face.  My smiling, you’re bringing in joy whether or not it is present.  It sounds silly but this really works.  If you feel yourself fretting and frowning, stop, let it pass and put a smile on your face.  I swear this actually makes you feel better.

I like to invite positive messaging into my daily thoughts.  If I feel myself grunting through my day, I pause and remind myself, “I deserve to be employed, my job is coming.”  If you’re playing a negative tape over and over in your head saying that you’re not getting a job because you’re not working, you are manifesting this as a truth.  Cut that mental bad thoughts habit by inviting in positive messaging.  Simply reminding yourself you’re talented and deserve to be working will change your attitude.  It takes practice but it works.

And if this doesn’t work, rent a really funny movie and watch it over and over, read The Onion, download a jokes app on your phone, whatever will make you Smile again. 

GET SMART.  You've got the time, why not head back to school  Whether it be a class or a full course load, being in school is a great explanation for why your'e not working.  Taking time from work to get academic is an empressive endeavor.  The government offers grants to the unemployed to go back to school, most schools have a decent financial aid offering or check out the offerings at your local community collge.  Considering learning a trade?  Go for it!  Why not learn about how to repair a car or oil paint.  Keeping your mind sharp by expanding it with new skills can be very rewarding.  Pick a subject that interests you and go for it. 

CREATE YOUR OWN JOB.  So you don’t have formal job, create one!  Yes, create your own job.  I do it all the time.  Isn’t that the mark of a good marketer?  When I’m in between jobs, I do some consulting.  Over the past few years, I’ve developed a personal brand to impress marketability and hire-ability.  I get out there and create jobs, even if it means working for friends and small businesses at a discounted rate, working is better than being depressed about not working.  Make yourself look busy by being busy.  If I know small businesses that need marketing, I barter my services or work cheaply to keep the work ball rolling.  You’re not getting paid right now, so don’t worry so much about the money as getting yourself off the pity pot and back into work mode.  

DO SOMETHING NICE. You have skills and talents, don’t let them go to waste.  Get out there and offer yourself to companies who need you.  How about volunteering what you do at a non-profit organization.  When I was in between jobs once, I did some volunteering for a local food pantry.  They desperately needed help with marketing, social media, Facebook page creation and all kinds of stuff.  It was a pleasure going into work a couple of days a week to help them out and kept me working while hunting for a more permanent position.  It felt good to do some community service and to suit up and show up to an office that appreciated me and needed me.  

Of course, none of these are a substitute for an actual real job, but at least smiling and filling your days with meaningful work oriented tasks will feel a lot better than intimately learning the OWN programming schedule in your pajamas on the couch with a bag of chips.  Manifesting busy work and joy will give you some things to put on your resume so that potential employers can see you’re working and that you’re willing to do positive deeds for others.  You might be surprised to discover what comes your way when you’re presenting yourself as a busy person in the world.  Go get em tiger… and SMILE!  

Keep up on all the latest news, career advice, over 150+ job listings and more when you follow J. Patrick + Associates on Twitter @JPatrickJobs

 

Today's HR professionals can feel the constant shifts of the ground beneath them. Everything is in flux.  The job market has shifted dramatically over the past few years. As AI takes center stage in both the tech world and everywhere downstream of it (which is, you know, everywhere), recruiting professionals are left with the dizzying task of finding qualified people to fill jobs that are no longer what they once were, and won’t be what they currently are for long. 

In case you’ve never thought about it, HR professionals post jobs that thousands of candidates peruse and submit resumes to. They then sort through those thousands of resumes in search of a diamond. The problem here is that diamonds are small and easy to miss when they’re hidden in mountains of coal and cubic zirconia. There must be a way to make your resume shimmer enough to catch these prospectors’ eyes. 

If you’re a graphics person, you can always send out cleverly branded and watermarked resumes, but what about the rest of us?  How can we stand out? We need an “it” factor, the written equivalent of a pocket square. 

If you're applying for jobs and not getting any feedback, it could be that you’re using a cookie-cutter cover letter and resume that are also being deployed by thousands of your peers.  HR people are painfully aware that most people blast off the same content to dozens of jobs without stopping to consider their target audience. They’re sifting through 1000s of resumes for haystack needles, for the candidate who looks like they were ready to begin yesterday. 

The question, then, is how to create that impression of readiness in a way that is eye-catching without being so eccentric that it’s repellent. For starters, consider taking the following suggestions:

1. Read the Job Description.  This seems too elementary to explain, but many people apply for jobs that sort of look like they might be right for them. This is understandable if you are looking for a job because you don’t currently have one. Unfortunately, shouting “please just give me a job!” at the sky and blasting reems of resumes into the void doesn’t work that well. Read the fine print, see if the job is really the right fit for your skill set, expertise, experience, and interests. If so, take the time to customize your resume. If not, forgo the spray-and-pray and continue your search. 
   
   
2. Write a New Cover Letter.  You've read the job description and decided that the job is as good a fit for you as you are for it. GREAT!  Now, write HR and tell them.  Be straight up. Point out all the outstanding reasons why you'd be the perfect candidate for the job.  Not any job, but their job. Note the details they mentioned in the job description and demonstrate how you're a match.  In other words, make their job easy.
   
   
3. Show, Don't Tell.  Your resume is a highlight reel of your career.  Show that you really fit their description. If the company wants to know if you've worked with big budgets, show them by highlighting when and how you've worked with big budgets in your resume.  Include specifics. By highlighting your specific experiences as they relate to their position, you're making it easy for them to want to meet you.
   
4. Trick Out Your LinkedIn Page.  I can't tell you how many people don't take advantage of all the cool features LinkedIn offers.  You can upload portfolios, graphics, job descriptions, get recommendations, and more. Just make sure all the details are up to date and match your resume.  

Take your time while you search for work.  Think quality, not quantity.  By refusing to contribute to the deluge of mediocre matches, you are taking a strategic stance with your career search that will put you in a much better position than the alternative approach. Keep in mind that you deserve to find the right fit.

Feeling a little uncomfortable in interviews?  Don't feel like you're getting the respect you deserve?  Might be time for a little training in interview etiquette.  Don't worry, it isn't hopeless, here are a few ideas to get you back on your toes and earn the attention of your interviewer positively.  Tell employers to pick you, after fine tuning your interview skills.

1. Time to have dinner with fussy Auntie Judy.  Let her make comments on your table manners.  These days, table etiquette seems to take a back seat. You want a stickler for rules to spot the bad manners that could trip you up in an interview. You might have developed some bad habbits, sitting with your feet tucked under the chair, elbows on the table or slumped over.  Aunt Edna would never stand for this would she?  Earn the respect of interviewer and improve your image by sitting up straight with your hands nicely folded in your lap.


2. Tape a formal practice conversation.  A lot of us have developed the habit  of saying "like" too much. "I, like, can't believe, like, the job market is so, like, bad" or my personal pet peeve, "yah know what I'm saying?" Studies prove that interviewers were more likely to perceive a job candidate as less professional if the person said "like" too much, as compared to "uh." This is a habit that needs to be broken. Like, NOW.  Ya know what I'm sayin'?


3. Practice wearing your nice clothes.  Many of us work in more casual environments, where nice clothes are optional.  If you've been out of work, then you probably haven't put on a nice pair of slacks in a while.  I don't know about you, but after a long period of time, that pencil skirt and black pumps kind of make me feel uncomfortable if I haven't worn them in a while.  Time to go out to a nice restaurant, the opera or anywhere else where people dress up. Guys should know how to handle a tie when they eat (no, you don't flip it over your shoulder), and girls should know how to sit properly and not flash half the town when they get out of a car. No one wants an interviewer distracted because you can't walk in those shoes and find that suit jacket too tight.  Take your suit out and break it in before your next interview.  It's nice being comfortable in your own second skin.

In conclusion, sit up straight, speak clearly and dress to impress.  Remember you want your employer to be to meet a comfortable, confident, professional You so they pick YOU for the job.


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