You can design your resume to appear modern and appropriate for today’s job search, but it is equally important to include relevant content to appeal to the hiring manager. Most companies today are using a computerized system (known as an applicant tracking system, or ATS) to evaluate your materials; this means a human is not likely to see your resume unless you pass the initial, computerized scan. If you do not identify ke...

Age discrimination, unfortunately, is a fact of life for experienced job seekers. However, there is more you can do to make yourself seem modern, relevant, and qualified for the jobs you want than simply dying your hair or updating your wardrobe. One key to job search success: an up-to-date, contemporary resume that doesn’t make the reader assume you last applied for a job in 1995. Here are some tips to help you create a re...

The other day, I saw a message from Quora in my email box. It was a question requesting my opinion: Is it worthwhile to hire a resume writer? I believe that I have written a strong resume; I have received positive feedback for my resumes clarity and content. I am also aware that most employers probably spend less than a minute actually reading a resume. I wonder if hiring someone to write my resume will make a significant d...

Job seekers spend so much time figuring out what to say during the job hunt, it's easy to forget how important it is to know what not to say. Unfortunately, in this competitive job-search environment, one poor response or casual reference can mean an employer will decide not to hire you.The most important thing you can do as a job seeker is focus on the employer's needs before your own and recognize that hiring managers wil...

When you land a job finally, the important work isn't over. It's essential to do your best to impress your boss and teammates right from the start. First impressions count; your supervisor and colleagues will judge you based on how you act and what you do from the very first day. It is much easier to start off on the right foot than it is to change their perceptions later. Holly Paul, PricewaterhouseCooper's U.S. recruiting...

Most people are too busy working to stop and think about how to invest in their careers. You may be thinking, "I'm doing my job, isn't that enough?" However, if you want to make sure you stay on the right career track, it takes more than just getting the day-to-day work done to be successful.Cynthia Good is an award-winning journalist and the chief executive officer and founding editor of LittlePINKbook.com, an online resou...

Ironically, it’s easier to find a job when you already have a job. Unemployed job seekers are subject to a “damaged goods” bias; some employers assume a great candidate would already have a job. A new study, which will be presented at next month’s Academy of Management’s annual meeting, suggests there is evidence that human resource professionals and the general public have a tendency to show a bias against unemployed job s...

Whether or not you realize it, your company may be monitoring what you are doing on your work computer. Even if you think certain personal Web surfing or emails are innocent, if you’re on a company-owned machine or network, that activity may be grounds for dismissal. Especially in this economy, where some employers are looking for reasons to pare down their headcount, you’ll want to understand how and why organizations may...

What happens when you’re looking for a job — pregnant? It’s old news now: Marissa Mayer, an executive who has been climbing the corporate ladder at Google was just named as Yahoo’s new chief executive. What seems to be even bigger news: she is pregnant (it’s a boy) and due October 7th. Reports indicate that she let Yahoo’s board know about her pregnancy at the end of June; they first contacted her to discuss the position on...

Job-seekers and employees acknowledged as being unique and distinct have better chances of landing jobs and are more likely to excel in the workplace. This is an idea touched on in Mike Junge's first book, Purple Squirrel. Junge, a leadership recruiter at Google, titled his book based on the term recruiters use to identify their ideal hires—people so unusual, they are as hard to find as a purple squirrel. His book addresses...