Examples are: leaving dates from employment or education, or omitting employment prior to a certain time. Typically this done for fear of age discrimination. Sometimes jobs are ‘left out’ because the person was terminated, or forced to resign. The reasons may be honorable or not, but in the end keep these points in mind:

• Whether a person outright lies to deceive another, or deceives by omission: it’s still deception. The intention is to mislead another.
• By trying to hide information on your resume, you’re actually calling attention to it. It’s like screaming out “Don’t look at the giant package on the table! There’s no birthday gift on the table! Nothing to see here!” While trying to hide the gift.  When I see gaps in employment, or missing dates, or dates that overlap, that’s the first thing I address.  The person you’re hoping to interview with is not a fool, don’t treat them like one.
• Address any issues up front and be clear about it. Reference it in your cover letter, or for gaps of unemployment; write on your resume why this was. Use italicized or bold font.  Your honesty will be appreciated, and often rewarded.
• The idea of deceiving on resume ‘Just to get the interview’ with the intention of coming clean once you’re sitting in front of them is absolutely terrible. People may not remember what you say, they remember how you make them feel. When I find out that someone lied to me, directly or otherwise, that leaves a lasting impression.

I have seen many employers not make an offer, or even rescind offers because the candidate inferred things that were not true. With a few off the record phone calls, or a few key strokes, I can prove or disprove most things on a resume. So can any decent employer.

When in doubt, tell the truth.

The same holds true when you’re looking at new employment. Whether you’re working or not, you’re doing what you say, when you say you’ll do it, speaks volumes about you, as a professional and as a person. Now, things come up, we all know this. Fires need putting out, impromptu meetings pop up, people get sick. But repeated occurrences pain a picture that’s not flattering. If you aren’t finding time for the ten minute call, or getting your resume updated,  or finding time to interview, it’s probably because making a change is not a priority to you.

The principle is: The things we really value, we prioritize, and make time for. Whether it’s a girl/boyfriend,

a commitment, a phone call, or an interview.

]]> http://rickiswalt.wordpress.com/2011/05/03/what-response-time-says-about-you/feed/ 0 Rick http://rickiswalt.wordpress.com/2011/01/25/resume-tip/ http://rickiswalt.wordpress.com/2011/01/25/resume-tip/#comments Tue, 25 Jan 2011 15:06:13 +0000 Rick Iswalt http://rickiswalt.wordpress.com/?p=255 ]]> If your resume talks more about your employer and what they do, than you and your achievements; it’s time to rewrite your resume.
When you talk about your employer; keep it as brief as possible. If the person reading your resume wants know more about the company you worked for, they can Google it, or better yet …Ask You.

What we focus on in our resumes, reflects either the focus of what we do, or the focus of our interests. (which ideally are one in the same) So, *focus on the focus of the job*, to get the job. If you are applying for a job which is focused on speaking at engagements, or heavy on client presentations, by all means tout your skills as an orator. If the job you’re salivating over is mostly Search Engine Marketing, focus on SEM; for a Web Analytics position, focus on analyzing website and campaign data, and so on.

For most other positions; while speaking engagements are nice accompaniments, Quantifiable Accomplishments are the Pièce de résistance of any resume, without question. They show *results*; what you can do for an employer, which is key.

The S.T.A.R. technique helps illustrate your Quantifiable Accomplishments very clearly and concisely. Situation, Task, Action, Result. e.g. “Designed and launched Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter pages that are updated in real time with new job postings. This has resulted in a 70% increase in website traffic; a 30% increase in candidate applications; and an average of 2 additional placements per month, or $25,000 in revenue”. Tying your accomplishments to actual Dollar numbers is so powerful. Because, in the end, isn’t that the ultimate metric??

That’s just my two cents. I hope it helps.

Rick Iswalt

Philadelphia Perm Division

Global Employment Solutions

One Presidential Boulevard North, Suite 310

Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004

(610) 822-1230 (Direct)

(610) 668-5000 (Fax)

riswalt@gesnetwork.com

www.gesnetwork.com

http://www.linkedin.com/in/rickiswalt