There’s no other way to title a post like this.  The problem I’m having here is that no matter how close to the edge a possible title comes off, it fails to compete against the unexpected, and somewhat terrifying shock of the actual subject of this blog post — which is the Cover Letter soon to hit your eyes.

The following cover letter was received yesterday (1/16/12) by a Houston area creative agency.  Quick warning, if the “C” word bothers you, then I suggest you stop reading now.

The more I read this cover letter, the more it resembles a mullet.  The front/beginning is all business and appears to be professional.  However, you’re quick to realize by the middle and surely at the end that this email is quite possibly the most unprofessional and ridiculous job search document you you’ve ever read.

Initially, I would have bet my money on an incredibly angry and frustrated job seeker who had been burned by the agency in the past.  I was quickly proved wrong by my contact at the company.

I’ve never met this person, and I searched my inbox to see if I had any previous interaction with them – hadn’t.

The agency is known for being a bit different than the other kids on the block.  If the job seekers goal was to gain the agencies attention by ‘being different’ in their cover letter approach, then they succeeded, but not all attention is good.

I was appalled. As a creative agency that purports a “rebellious” and non-traditional approach, I’m used to irreverence and humor – even in cover letters. I didn’t find anything funny or clever about this message.

So, by now you are probably wondering a few things…

• Yes, the job seeker is a real person.  A Google search led the agency to find their job seeker.
• No, the job seeker didn’t supply their resume and writing samples as promised in the letter.
• Yes, the job seeker really did use the “C” word, AKA the most offensive word in the English language

Hank Clark is a master’s level career counselor.  He is internationally certified as a Career Management Practitioner (CMP) by the Institute for Career Certification International and has been recognized as a National Certified Counselor (NCC) through the National Board for Certified Counselors.  Check out resume examples on his site to improve your resume.

Many job seekers may not realize that subtle changes are happening in regard to the way people need to go about writing quality resumes. Today’s resumes are different from resumes that were written just a decade ago. If you are currently seeking employment, there are some resume developments you should be aware of when you are writing your own.

Clearly State Your Objective

Just a decade ago, it was okay to write one standard resume with a broad objective to send to many prospective employers. This is no longer the case. You need to carefully read the job description for the position you are applying for and create an objective that matches the specific job for which you are applying. Do not use a broad objective statement. Instead, be as specific as you can, so a potential employer knows you did your research, and you know what the job entails.

Rewrite Your Work History

Everybody knows that your resume needs to include your recent work history. However, what you need to know is that you might have to rewrite the parts of your work history that give details about the work you performed while at those jobs. When you list each previous job, you should create a list of duties you were responsible for performing while at that job. This is not the time to be general and say you did clerical work. You could look at resume examples online for ideas on what to write about. This is a time to tie previous job experiences with jobs you will be expected to perform if you get the new job. Look back at the job description for the job you want, and rewrite your work history to show you have experience in those particular areas.

Boast about Your Education

In past years, many people got away with just listing the degrees they had earned. On a resume for today’s competitive job market, you need to list any degrees you have earned, any certifications you have gotten, any endorsements you may have, any professional licenses you may hold, and any other programs of study you have enrolled in, taken, or completed. You may have had additional training or workshops that you have attended, and you need to boast about all the different types of education you have received. This may set you apart from other candidates. If you haven’t taken any, consider enrolling in a few free workshops or community college classes to give your resume a boost.

List Your Community Service

Just a few years ago, a standard resume only included your objective, your employment history, and your educational background. Today’s resumes are different. You also need to add any community service that you currently do or have done in the past. If you volunteer, list the charities or non-profit organization that you serve. List any memberships you have to clubs or organizations. If you serve as an officer in those organizations, list that information, too. You want the employer to realize what a valuable employee you will be for the company. Your willingness to volunteer and be charitable might help you stand out against your competition for the job.

Contact Information

Not long ago, most job seekers only listed one method of contact on the resume. That method of contact was the home phone number. This is an outdated practice. You need to play up your contact information and list as many ways as possible for the prospective employer to contact you. Include your home phone number, cell phone number, e-mail address, and website.

Before Corn on the Job’s birth, I spent many great days as a Corporate Recruiter.  There were a number of joys that go along with a job like that.  Here are a couple…

•  Each time I located talent and turned that candidate into a new employee for the company, it felt like I was giving someone a new life.  It’s a very cool feeling.
• Helping a troubled or overworked hiring manager make sense of an interview process was also very cool

Send Your Resume With a Gift

Does Sending a Gift Guarantee a Job?

Absolutely not, but I promise you’ll be remembered!  Up above I mentioned that not every agency recruiter that sent a gift was rewarded with a job to work on for us.  While that’s true, I was much more likely to return their phone calls in the future and I always remembered their nice holiday gesture.

If you send a gift with your resume, you’re absolutely going to be remembered, and more importantly, you’ll be noticed.  After this point, it’s up to your resume to show you’re the person they should hire.  But even if you’re resume isn’t what they want to read, you just might get a call, even if all they have to say is, “thanks”.

Final Thoughts From COTJ

Think back to your childhood.  I know that when I had my choice of opening up a gigantic wrapped box or an envelope, I always chose the big box with a bow!  Always.Well, while people grow up, some things never change.  Whenever I was delivered a box with my name on it, I’d drop the stack of resumes, pick up a pair of scissors, and run dangerously towards my delivery!

Jason Mollica is a public relations/social media marketing professional that recently branched out to assist clients in maximizing their online presence for better financial results. Jason was formerly the public relations manager at a strategic marketing and PR firm near Buffalo, New York, where he was responsible for educating clients on social media, strategic marketing plans, as well as media training. Prior to this, he worked at Niagara University in the Office of Communications and Public Relations. In addition, Jason has a rich background in traditional media. He worked for Fox News Channel in New York City, and was part of a team that helped to launch Fox News Radio.  Jason blogs over at One Guy’s Journey and you can find him on Twitter @JasMollica

I recently read a blog post that said the resume is dead. Of course, I chuckled because I have yet to hear one human resources professional or hiring manager say this. Kevin W. Grossman, the author of the blog, answered why HE wants the resume to die:

Because it’s a self-serving piece of inconsistently formatted and fudged professional drivel that really doesn’t help me hire true quality of fit.

So, the resume should be dead then? WRONG. Your resume is incredibly important and will continue to be. That’s not saying you should not create an online portfolio, though. A resume is what helps to get you in the door. It’s not drivel.

The resume is something that is part of the entire hiring process. In my field, I look at the cover letter, then the resume. If the candidate gets past this, then I look at a digital (on iPad) or online portfolio. Just like you wouldn’t start a project without a plan, you aren’t going to bring a new hire in based simply on a resume.

Remember, the resume is NOT dead. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

The creativity of job seekers continues to surprise, impress, and inspire me.  Impressive “Hire Me” campaigns have caught most of my recent attention, as exampled by a “Hire Me Chipotle” campaign I wrote about just a couple weeks ago, but today I’m sharing another form of creativity in the job search — QR Code Video Resume

If you’re not familiar with Quick Response Codes (QR), the best way to explain them is to simply compare them to a barcode that can be scanned from your smart phone.  Once scanned, the QR code directs your phone’s internet browser to open up a website, a video (youtube, vimeo, etc), an email subscribe list, or really anything you can imagine.  It’s damn cool, and the QR code has some pretty sweet potential for creative job seekers as shown by the example I’m about to share.

Sweet QR Code Video Resume

Victor Petit takes a somewhat normal PDF resume and transforms it into something extraordinary.  I won’t ruin the surprise QR code ending for you, so go ahead and watch the embedded video.  Oh and shout out to Alstin for making me aware of this!

QR CODE – Content-rich Resume from Victor petit on Vimeo.

As I’m sure you saw, Victor’s use of QR code is pretty incredible.  Here is what I like about Victor Petit’s strategy:

• The QR code is an add on and isn’t his entire job search strategy.  While most of us have smart phones, you still need to account for the person who has no idea what to do when flipping that resume over.
• The QR code helps the viewer finish the puzzle of the resume and makes the experience interactive.
• The video that Victor creates seems to be somewhere between 25-40 seconds at the most.  In this situation, over a minute would probably be too long.

My allergies are absolutely killing me.  The battle of my body versus my environment has now reached an annoying three weeks.  What’s worse is that this is the first year I’ve ever experienced an allergic catastrophe like I’m dealing with now.  Seriously, it just came out of no where.  But enough about me, time to talk about what might be killing you!

For several years, I’ve been thinking of writing about the horror that a PDF resume can bring to job seekers.  For too long, I’ve been waiting for the right time or the right idea/inspiration to write about this menacing problem.  However, FINS absolutely crushed this topic and beat me to the punch, so I feel I must review their post and pass it on to you.

I was recently quoted in FINS in a Cover Letter story, and while there, I noticed their very strong PDF v. Word post.  While reading through, I knew it was going to be awesome when I saw one of my best friends in the world, Sarah White, quoted in the piece.  She’s brilliant and shows off her HR technology brain in the article.  You can read the full post by clicking here, and I invite you to check out my review of the post below.

Important Point #1

If you weren’t aware already, most companies these days use an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to receive, organize, review, and search the resume that you (and everyone) send in for the job.  Ever apply to a job and receive an almost instant email back?  Yep, that’s the ATS saying “howdy” to your face.  As Sarah White mentions in the article, about 61% of North American companies have an ATS now, and job seekers will find that more and more companies will start using them.

Important Point #2

There are roughly 55 different ATS vendors on the market.  Of those 55, only a few are able to translate the information from your PDF resume into their system.  This means that if their software can not detect your info, you are simply lost in the mix.  The company is just NOT able to search your resume or your name because your information is just blank in the system.

Time For An Awesome Sarah White Quote:

I think you’re always safer using a Word document than a PDF, as well as sticking to .doc instead of .docx extensions.  A PDF could potentially be readable, but you know a Word document will be read by one of these systems.

Important Point #3

Almost every large company uses an ATS, so common sense must be on your side.  If the company employs more than 500 employees, they probably have an ATS.  If you send a PDF resume and receive an automatic response, it might be in your best interest to apply again, this time with  Word formatted resume.

Final Thoughts

I know that the PDF resumes can look fun and make you seem techy and innovative, so use them when the company is also techy and innovative.  Perfect example would be for a startup.  Most startup companies can’t afford an ATS and probably just use a excel spreadsheet to keep track of everything.  Feel free to send them your wacky and wild or pretty and fun PDF resume.  Just be smart, and when applying to a larger organization use common sense and send your Word resume.

Need help with your resume?  Click here to check out my resume and cover letter writing service…

Writing a resume sucks.  It does.  The process is never fun, and most people have trouble knowing how to start, where to begin, and what information should be included.  Whether you’re getting ready to start your first resume, or you’re about to make some edits to an existing document, the following 15 resume tips should give you the basic knowledge you need to get moving!

1.    Determine the resume’s purpose and direction.  The primary purpose of the resume is to attract the employer and get an interview. If your resume’s purpose is to get a marketing job, then  you’ll want to try to aim your resume to focus on marketing.  Seems simple, but many people fail at customizing their resume.

2.    Pay attention to typography. It would be best to stick with 11 or 12 font size and use either Arial or Times New Roman. I don’t believe in going too crazy with font.  Simple is best.

3.   Don’t ever mention any negative information on your resume, including that of your previous employer.  Stay positive, champ!

4.   Avoid color — unless you’re a graphic designer or photographer.  Color might be alright for startup tech firms, but never for corporate jobs.

5.   Use bullet points.  Avoid using long texts or paragraphs. Keep in mind that employers don’t have the time to read a bibliography. Just highlight the most important ones.

6.   It’s OK to go over one page.  This is maybe the largest myth with resumes.  Just make sure that if you go over one page, all of the information is valid and shows your value to the company and the open role.  Here’s a long post, with about 100 comments on this topic!

7.    Avoid using a PDF.  While it looks nice, try to stay with .doc’s.  The reason being is that most organizations use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to review and receive resumes.  Not all systems will scan the PDF for information.

8.    The sections you should include are:  Name/Contact Info, Education, Career History, and Skills.  Some people like to use an objective statement, but I believe that is best for the cover letter.  Instead of an objective, try maybe adding in a profile section, or an area that you can highlight a few of your skills or accomplishments up top that you’re most proud of.

9.    Whenever you write down your strengths or good qualities, you have to back it up with work experienced or real life situations.  If possible, look for quantifiable information.  Example, “Helped raise $400,000 in one year.  This was a 150% increase from the previous year”.  Remember, it’s almost always about money and what you can bring to the organization.

10.   Title your resume in a way that it is easy to find it for the employer.  If you email it as an attachment, don’t save it as “MyResume”.  Try using your last name, position title, etc.  Some examples are DeMatteoResume, SmithMarketingResume, and LarryDavidResume.  Make sense?

11.   No pictures.  Keep pictures off of your resume.  If a company really wants to see you, they may head over to your LinkedIn profile, where pictures are acceptable.

12.   When putting information under each position, the most valuable information should come first.  Basically, your top bullet points should be most directly related to the company.  Doing this will ensure they are seen.

13.   White space is critical!  Please make sure to go easy on your reader’s eyes.  Adding white space between each section will help your reader distinguish between each grouped section.  It may force it to go over one or two pages, but that’s OK.

14.   Keep personal information out.  Information about your family, religion, sexual preference, is right near the top of what’s not needed on the resume.  It should be strictly business.  Once you’re hired you can open up a bit about personal matters if you’d like.

15.    Resume paper is not needed.  We don’t care what kind of paper you use.  As long as the information is solid, we can clearly read the resume, and  you have the skill we need, then we really don’t give a damn about the paper.  Save yourself some coin, and use regular white paper for your resume.

If you’d like more focused help with your resume, please see my Job Seeker Services page for information on my resume review service, as well as other services I provide.  Here are some reviews from recent clients:

If I were to ask 10 job seekers what frustrates them the most about their search, my guess is that at least 9 of them would say not hearing back after submitting a resume.  Am I wrong?  Am I?  I’m not.  I’m very right.

During our little recession, recruiters and HR professionals were tossed from their jobs, leaving less manpower to handle recruiting and at least triple the amount of resumes they used to see.  Honestly, as bad as I feel for job seekers, I  feel worse for the one or two lonely recruiter’s that have 1,000 resumes to try to get to a week.   It’s just a broken system and it sucks.

In order to cheer everyone up, I’ve come up with a list of 5 things you can do to make sure your resume is noticed.  Keep in mind, this is mostly just for laughs, and while some of these might actually work, I really suggest thinking about it long and hard before applying these to your search.

Here they they are…enjoy!

5. Put 500 Copies Of Your Resume Around The Office Parking Lot

It’s obsessive, creepy, and definitely shows you have stalker like tendencies, but you’ll get noticed.  Put your resume in an envelope with a note that makes sure folks know who to direct it to.

4. Use a Hideously Bright Color For Resume Paper

It’ll be hard to miss the fluorescent orange paper sitting on the corner of their desk.  It’ll get noticed, but I can’t promise they won’t be annoyed by the headache it causes.

3. Organize a Flash Mob

Your recruiter or hiring manager is working hard in their office and it has been a long and terrible day.  While checking to see how much longer they have to stay in the office, they hear coworkers screaming, “There is a flash mob outside!”  Your recruiter runs outside with a smile on his or her face and heads out to see the ridiculous scene.  At the end of the Flash Mob, each participants passes out YOUR resume to the event spectators.  Your recruiter will absolutely get your resume and he/she won’t soon forget you.

I might have just been looking for a way to toss in a clip from Modern Family. Greatest show ever.

2. Send Your Resume With A Gift

People love chocolate.  They also love those fruit baskets that are shaped like flowers.  I once had a client send me “12 Days of Christmas”, and each day of Christmas they sent a different gift.  The one day I received 2 dove chocolate squares.  I was really wishing that Turtle Dove’s were on the 12th day of Christmas, because two chocolate squares was not nearly enough.  Imagine if your resume came with a Godiva box of chocolates?  Winner Winner Godiva Dinner!

1. Send Your Resume via Singing Telegram

How hilarious would this be?  You send a singing telegram to the corporate recruiter or hiring manager.  Make up your own “hire me” jingle and then have the person singing hand them your resume. Here’s an example of a birthday singing telegram, however, I don’t suggest the chicken suit…

A Corn on the Job reader sent over a little gem of an email today.  She had found something that she thought I could possibly use on COTJ.  She was right.  Jackpot!

Please remember, I’m not making fun of this job seeker.  I don’t know who they are, and if I did, I’d offer them my advice/guidance/coaching.  But I don’t, so I’m merely poking fun at them and hoping it teaches the rest of us a big lesson.  Never mind, I MIGHT be making fun of them a little, but it’s totally warranted.  Promise.

Bullet points are supposed to be simple, right?  Their purpose is to point out important information on a resume and lead the reader’s eyes to where they should focus.  This is pretty much standard information that we’ve learned since before even comprehending what a resume is.  You know, like 3rd grade stuff.  Well apparently, not everyone is aware.

You are now about to see part of a resume that clearly shows the job seeker utilizes hearts for bullet points.  Sigh.

There’s not much to say.  She used hearts for her bullet points and because of that, I can’t look at anything else.   Maybe this would be a bad ass idea if she was applying to work for a dating site, but there aren’t many other examples where I’d say it’s a good idea.

I’m kind of at a loss for words, so how about you take over from here.

What do you think?  Do you think recruiters will laugh at this?  Did you laugh at this?

Jodi Glickman is a former Peace Corps Volunteer (Chile) turned investment banker (Goldman Sachs’) turned communication expert. She is the founder of communication training firm Great on the Job, a regular contributer to the Harvard Business Review Blog and the author of the upcoming book: Great on the Job: What to Say, How to Say It, The Secrets of Getting Ahead (St. Martin’s Press, May 2011). You can follow her on Twitter at  @greatonthejob.

With 84% of the workforce saying they’ll look for a new job in 2011, there’s a good chance you’ll need to dust off that old resume and cover letter. And while a single resume may suffice for the dozens (if not hundreds) of positions you apply for, one or two cover letter templates most certainly won’t do the trick.

If you want to stand out from the pack, your cover letter is your shot at the title. If you want me to read it, it can’t be a standard form letter that simply repeats your resume. Here are three pitfalls to avoid if you want me to read your cover letter:

It’s Generic

It’s not hard to understand why recruiters ignore standard form letter emails. The worst thing you can do is start your cover letter with: Dear Sir or Madame or To Whom it May Concern. With social media platforms today, it’s almost inexcusable to not find a direct name at the company you’re interested in. Once you’ve got a name, then tailor your cover letter to the specific job and organization at hand. Don’t simply talk about why you’re great at sales or business development, highlight why you’d be great selling my product or winning new business for our specific target audience.

It’s not Impassioned

The last thing I want to do is hire someone who is wishy-washy about my company or organization. I want to know that you believe in our products or mission wholeheartedly. I want you to show me that you love what we do and that you’d be an amazing addition to our team. Go ahead and make it personal. Use a story or anecdote to convince me that this role is a perfect fit for you and me. Make it hard for me not to respond to you.

It’s Too Long

If you’ve grabbed my attention, you’ve got to hold it for the balance of the ¾ of a page you’ve got available to you. Don’t waste my time repeating your resume. Be short and sweet and to the point. Give me just enough information so that I’m intrigued. The goal of the cover letter isn’t to get you a job; it’s to get you past the front door, through to the interview stage.

At the end of the day, if you grab my attention, convince me that you are passionate about this role or position, show me that you’re the absolute right person for the job, and prove that you love my company; I will no doubt read your cover letter. It’s a lot to ask (in ~350 words or less), but it works.