This is a guest post by @AbbyLocke.

The first month of the New Year is always buzzing with activities as we convince ourselves that this will be the year that we finally get it right. You know the usual resolutions, lose those pesky 20 pounds, find a better job, start eating healthy food and exercising.

In fulfilling your efforts to make good on your “new job” resolutions, you have to pull out your professional resume; there is a lot of talk about resume becoming extinct, but here we are in 2013 and employers and recruiters still need your resume before they meet with you or schedule an interview.

I want you to think of your resume as your personal marketing tool – the product it’s selling is YOU, so your career story must be compelling, explain your benefits (not features) and peak the interests of hiring managers.

A tall order for a document, but it can be done effectively if you keep these five resume strategies in mind:

A. Have A Clear Target In Mind

A lot of job seekers kill their job search before it really gets started by casting a super wide net; you cannot be attractive to every employer or be qualified for every job opportunity. So determine your ideal job and tailor your resume accordingly and remember to keep the employers’ needs in mind. Take the time to understand the job/industry requirements and only highlight relevant experience, qualifications, education, training and projects that fit with the job.

B. Have An Opening That Stands Out

Avoid a lengthy, wordy and generic resume summary that uses a ton of keywords, but does nothing for you or potential employers. Combine a title header, personal branding statement and a brief value-driven summary that captures attention and highlights your value in 30 seconds or less. Here’s an example:

SENIOR EXECUTIVE
Delivering High-Level Strategic Vision, “Out-of-Box” Business Innovation And Rainmaker Expertise To Niche Market Companies

C. Learn To Do More With Less

When we start talking about resume length, there’s always that catch-22 – how to make it long enough to cover your work experience, but short enough to not get lost in the pile. For starters, don’t, don’t, please don’t squeeze 15+ years of work experience and achievements onto one page UNLESS it’s a trimmed down networking document.

A standard, two-page resume is fine and yes, even if you have tons and tons of work experience, you can still develop a brief, but effective resume. Consider these quick tips creating an ideal length resume:

• Keep the more current and relevant content for the first page of resume
• Draw substantial content from positions you held in past 15-20 years
• Summarize very early work experience in a brief paragraph
• Put education, training and certifications on resumes first page only if critical to target position. For example, a project manager would list PMP certification next to his/her name
• Take a deep breath and break any emotional ties to career story, if it is not RELEVANT or ESSENTIAL to your job target, be brave and let it go

D. Allow Your Career Achievements To Sell You

Resumes with a laundry list of tasks, responsibilities and “to-dos” are not impressive and don’t speak real value; focus your resume on your career achievement and company contributions as these show how well you have done the job.  

E. Be Prolific With Your Career Story

When conducting your job search, you will always need paper and electronic resumes, but remember to leverage other resources to market yourself, online and offline.

• Develop your resume in Word, PDF, and ASCII (text)
• Extract key highlights of your career background and achievements into a branded LinkedIn profile or networking resume

Remember, the resume is simply the key that opens the door for further in-depth conversation, but it still has to compelling enough to warrant a phone call or a closer look.

Thanks slightly everything for the photo via Flickr

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This is a guest post by Robin Schlinger.

If you are recently unemployed, you are probably feeling overwhelmed by the job hunting task in front of you. Many folks panic when they first leave a job. It’s important to develop a road map and a plan to find the next job. Here are some suggestions to answer the question, “What should you do first?”

Determine your career goals.

You cannot apply for “any job.” You must focus your energies (and your resume) on the job you are qualified for and that commands your interest. It will help you to assess what you have done, your values, your interests, your skills, your requirements, and your accomplishments prior to conducting a job search. If you focus your search, you will generally spend less time to find a job.  This is a critical FIRST step that many job seekers ignore. If you ignore this step, your job search will, in most cases, take much longer, since your search will not be focused. You may also want to select a platform for tracking your job search.

Conduct informational interviews.

Before applying for a job, research. Informational interviews, where you ask folks about their jobs—not looking for a particular job. This will help you while you are determining your career goals.

Network.

Now is the time to talk to colleagues, professional peers, members of your industry’s business groups, and anyone you meet at networking events.

Select a job to apply for.

Pay attention to the job requirements and duties—if you cannot provide examples from your experience that show you meet these, move onto the next announcement. In addition, companies are more interested in what you have done in the past few years, than experience from many years ago. You may need to fill in gaps so you have experience that meets the job requirements.

Prepare a professional resume.

Ensure your resume reflects your current skills and accomplishments that show how you meet the requirements for your career goals and job announcements you are interested in; can be read by an Applicant Tracking System; and can be easily tailored to advertised job requirements. If you need more information on Applicant Tracking Systems, see. Be sure your resume has no errors and is in a modern format. You will need to effectively convey your accomplishments along with your skills to be selected for an interview. If you need help with this, you may want to seek a professional for help with your resume. The investment you make here in a professional resume can pay itself back quickly if you get a job even just a week earlier.

Network.

Now is the time to talk to colleagues, professional peers, members of your industry’s business groups, and anyone you meet at networking events.

Get comfortable with your computer.

You need to be on LinkedIn; you need to research companies. Many companies rely on online job boards or their own website for applications and ask for online applications. If you find computers intimidating, seek help. Many public libraries, local agencies, and schools offer free advice and courses. However, don’t spend most of your time on the computer, instead spend much of your time networking and talking to people.

Join a job search group.

Statistics show that joining other job seekers to help each other find a job can also help you find a job faster. It also may help you to gain structure in your job search, which is missing when you are no longer working.

 Thanks WarmSleepy for the photo via Flickr

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Much of the available career transition rhetoric focuses upon how to create a powerful resume, develop a social media presence, get an interview, convince the hiring officials that you are “the one” and be savvy enough to outwit the competition. Yet, there’s so much more to creating a winning strategy that taps into our presence, personal empowerment, energy, and authenticity.

This is a guest post by Joan Ramstedt.

How do you tap into your inner value, strengths and personal power in the face of an economy full of ambiguity and unknowns?

With this knowledge you can turn a lackluster interview track record into a powerful formula for success. So how do you do that?

Be Present.

One of the first rules of interview success is to be present; find your inner harmony and rhythm by staying in “The Now”.

Often we become so fearful and anxious that our true “inner value and spark” is dimmed. We sweat, panic, lose focus and have “out of body” experiences that often blow our chances of figuring out if what we’re interviewing for is an opportunity worth pursuing or something to leave behind.

We also limit our ability to have higher level strategic (crucial for high level positions) and collaborative conversations.

As anxiety (fear) increases the Neofrontal Cortex; the executive thinking part of the brain shuts down and the Reptilian part connected to survival takes over. Our energy and focus becomes tactical and the upper creative and strategic part of the brain locks up. We start listening in a more defensive way and perceive communication from others as more of a threat than invitation to exchange ideas, philosophies and stories.

Neuroscientists and psychologists who examine behavior and study the brain, know the challenges and importance of staying relaxed and present focused during times of high stress. Knowing this makes it all the more important to find ways of soothing ourselves and staying open “in the moment.”

Being in this state of mind allows us to create informational exchanges and increases our ability to intuitively listen for cues that lead to engagement and higher level discussions.

Again, when our Reptilian brain takes over and we become fearful or anxious we create an atmosphere that is low on trust and is more controlling, convincing and forceful. This sends out a subliminal message of distrust and can severely undermine collaborative, engaging discussions that truly highlight personal strengths and value.

Discovering ways to relax and be present so you can hear, speak and intuit while creating a collaborative information exchange is extremely important to your interview success. Some ways to curb the nerves is to spend time meditating (even in your car outside or in the lobby), exercising (exercises that bring you to a present focus like Yoga or Tai Chi), even doing rotational breathing; holding each nostril and breathing out of the opposite one for seven full breaths on each side increases our “brain power”.

Or you may have your own unique way for managing nervous energy in your life skills toolkit.

Another yet importantly overlooked need is to make certain to eat a higher protein meal (too many carbs make you sleepy and lethargic) at least an hour prior to your meeting. Food is like a medicine for our body, it can bring us a to a state of relaxation or conversely poor eating habits or skipping a meal prior to an interview can cause the brain to malfunction and our energy to wane. If you think you’ll be at the interview for several hours bring along a protein bar or snack. You can always slip out for a quick breathing or snack break.

In general, good self care habits such as getting sleep, exercising, eating properly and using your imagination in a productive (imaging positive outcomes) rather than negative ones can turn an interview disaster into an outstanding success.

What are your keys to staying in the moment during a job interview?

Thanks RelaxingMusic for the photo via Flickr

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This is a guest post from Eric Olavson @GiraffeResume.

Great! So you’ve made it past the difficult resume screening process and have now reached round two: the Skype interview. In addition to learning how to interview, there are a few additional nuances that you should know about if you are interviewing on Skype. 

Installing Skype and Selecting a Username

Skype is a program that allows video calls across the world for free. When installing Skype, choose a username that is professional—preferably your first initial and last name. (If that name is taken, find a variation using a middle initial or middle name.)

Avoid unprofessional names like SexySally or GangstaGuy. Also avoid putting a number at the end of your name (e.g. Bob1942). If your username is unprofessional, create a new account.

For your picture, select a professional profile picture of you wearing a suit. If you don’t have a professional profile shot, don’t use a picture at all.

No Distractions

Make sure that your roommates, children, friends, spouse, and pets are instructed not to enter the room in which you are interviewing. Use a “Do Not Disturb” sign if you have to. Make sure all programs on your computer that might create a sound or distract you are turned off.

Internet Connection

Check your internet connection and run a test round with a friend the day before. There is nothing worse than conducting a Skype interview with both parties saying, “Can you hear me now?” If your wireless internet connection is unreliable, use an actual cord, or go somewhere where there is a stable internet connection.

Setting, Background, Lighting

Have the lighting in the room shine on your face. Add a plant or a bookcase to the background. Make sure the area around you is clean and organized.

Dress Like an Interview in Person

Dress to impress. Wear what you would wear to an actual interview.

Skype Mock Interview

Make sure to do a mock interview on Skype with a friend a day before the actual interview, double-checking the technology, lighting, and the angle of the camera.

During the mock interview, make sure to practice the three interviewing themes that you’ve developed.

Small Talk at the Beginning

Make sure you’re smiling when you answer the interviewer’s call. Say “hello!” Ask how the interviewer is doing. Say you are doing “great!” when the interviewer asks how you are doing. Be enthusiastic.

While some career coaches argue that you shouldn’t be afraid to mention that this is your first time interviewing on Skype, that kind of admission just sets a bad tone for the interview and makes you seem “outdated.” There is no need to mention that this is your first time being interviewed on Skype. (And it won’t be your first time, because you’ve already done a mock interview.) If you’ve prepared properly, the Skype interview will go just fine.

Also, don’t feel pressured by the technology to start talking. Let the interviewer lead the conversation and the interaction. That’s the interviewer’s job.

Be prepared at the beginning of the interview to answer the infamous tell me about yourself question with an engaging story.

Don’t Look into the Camera When Speaking

Many articles (e.g. this one) from career counselors advise looking into the camera when you are speaking, so it looks like you are making eye contact with the interviewer. While this advice is well-intentioned, it is incorrect. Here’s why.

First, if you’re focusing on looking at the camera, you’re using precious intellectual power to stay focused on the camera, which means you are less focused on what you are saying. Second, unless you’re a television anchor, most people are not used to looking into a camera, and doing this will make you feel nervous (and thus make you a less effective speaker). And third, human interaction is dynamic, and in order to appropriately respond, you need to be focusing on the other person.

(Additionally, if you are looking at the camera, then looking away to observe the interviewer when they are speaking, you will look like you are only sometimes looking at the interviewer.)

The correct solution is to angle the laptop or place the camera so it’s right above the screen. If you angle the monitor or laptop screen correctly, you will not even need to look at the camera to make it look like you are looking at the interviewer’s face.

Practice with a friend beforehand so you know the best way to angle the screen and camera so you don’t have to worry about this.

Smile: You’re a Talking Head

When interviewing on Skype, you are a talking head. You need to make sure that you smile. At minimum, make sure you smile at the beginning of the interview and at the end. Since the interaction is not in person, smiling is a secret weapon that will help the interviewer like you and bring you into the office for an in-person interview.

Answer Questions Using the “SARS Method” and “111 Technique”

When answering interview questions, make sure to tell memorable stories. To make your stories more structured and concise, use the SARS technique (Situation, Action, Result, Sell). Describe a problem you had to solve (the situation), then talk about how you worked to solve it (the action), what the positive result was (Result), and how that experience offers value to the employer (Sell).  

You can make your answer even more concise and polished if you apply the 111 Technique, where you limit your answer to 1 minute for the Situation, 1 minute for the Action, and 1 minute for the Result and Sell. You can learn more about applying the SARS Method and 111 Technique by visiting this interviewing tips article.

Don’t Follow-Up with Chat

Make sure once the interview is completed that you never follow-up with chat over Skype. This comes across as unprofessional. Instead, send a professional thank you letter by email.

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