The Case for Job Seekers Practicing Radical Honesty

There's understandable temptation for job seekers to stretch the truth in their resume and interviews. But in my PsychologyToday.com article, I argue that not only is that unethical, it's likely to backfire. HERE is the link.

The Hail Mary Cover Letter: For when you're a longshot job applicant

If you're a longshot job applicant it may be worth a Hail Mary resume and, the topic of my post today on USNews.com, a Hail Mary cover letter.

Storytelling: A Great Tool for Getting Hired and Getting Ahead

Many employers wonder how much BS is contained in resumes and cover letters.

Yours will be more credible if they embed stories of your successes and failures.

Senior career counselor at the Oakland Private Industry Council, Maureen Nelson, gave me a heads-up on a forthcoming book: Tell Me About Yourself: Storytelling to Get a Job and Propel Your Career.

Here are types of stories you can embed in a cover letter and resume :

- Stories of early interest in your career path and determination to reach your career goal.

- Stories that depict your motivation, enthusiasm, and passion for the job you seek.

- Stories describing specific projects you've led or collaborated on, including results.

- Stories detailing problems you've solved for your employers.

- Stories describing other accomplishments and successes.

- Stories that reveal your personality.

- Stories describing long-term interest in, knowledge of, and admiration for the organization you're targeting.

- Stories that describe how well you fit in with the organization's culture, values, and mission.

- Stories -- for new graduates -- of how your education has prepared you for the targeted job.

- Stories that touch the heartstrings.

- Stories to back up your claims about yourself.

- Stories that tell how you are uniquely qualified for the targeted job.

- Stories that capitalize on networking contacts.

- Stories to explain unusual or potentially negative situations.

- Stories to explain a career change.

- Future stories that address employer needs and challenges and tell how you would address those issues.

See how to deploy all these types of stories at: www.quintcareers.com/cover_letters/

Amazing Resume Software

I just got a copy of the latest version (version 15) of ResumeMaker. ($29.95) In addition to being a superior tool for creating or revising your resume, it

• helps you create cover letters
• automatically posts your resume on 80 major job sites
• blasts your resume to a zillion employers (Actually, very occasionally, you can get a job that way--and because the risk is so low, why not try--unless you need to keep your employer or others from knowing you're job searching.)
• Prepares you for your interviews with a video tutorial in which you can record and listen to your practice answers.
  

Candidly, I have not yet had time to try this latest version out and am swamped, but I'd bet anything, it's well worth the $29.95.

If you've tried ResumeMaker, feel free to post your reviews as a comment here.