New Year 2008

What New Year resolution would you like to see job-seekers make in 2008?

Improve Your Skills
Professionals should resolve to continue enhancing their skill sets and marketability. Start by determining where you want to be at the end of 2008 and list action steps you'll need to take to achieve your objective. Also identify the attributes in short supply in the marketplace, and build your abilities in these areas. This will help you not only stand out during the job search but also thrive once you're on the job. By continually strengthening your abilities and gaining new expertise, you will move forward on the road to success.-- DeLynn Senna, executive director of North American permanent placement services, Robert Half International

Stick With Your Values
Seek out an organization that has the culture and values that are important to you. All too often, we focus on the job itself and don't pay enough attention to the organization. If you're starting a job search in 2008, make a commitment to find an organization that aligns with your personal needs. In the long term, you'll be much happier in your new role and a greater asset to your organization.-- Janice Renock, vice president of North American recruiting, the Capital Group Companies

Do Not Burn Bridges
Do not let a company check your references and make you an offer if you know you will not take the job. It leaves a very negative impression about your professionalism and intentions. Every person you meet in your job search is a new connection and you mustn't burn bridges in the process. Today's interviewer could be tomorrow's employer, customer, or competitor.-- Lindsay Olson, partner, Paradigm Staffing

Present Like a Pro
Join your industry association and volunteer to be a greeter at the next event so that you can meet all the movers and shakers in your field. Join a local Toastmaster's Club and learn how to present like a pro. By the end of the year you just may be the featured speaker at your next industry association event. Invite your boss to the event and see what happens at review time!-- Cheryl Ferguson, recruiter, The Recruiter's Studio

Align With Your Strengths
I would like to see job-seekers stand for happiness in the job by searching for a job that corresponds with their strengths and personality. We see that's where it goes wrong. Do not accept jobs (or colleagues) that do not correspond with who you are. Furthermore do not engage in activities that are not aligned with your strengths.-- Yves Lermusi, CEO, Checkster

Speak Up!
Don't be afraid to say to the recruiter that something's not working or talk about concerns or questions that you have. Even if you've decided that you don't like something about the company, the role, or the process, it behooves you to communicate that as clearly as you know how. And I want to echo my statement from last year: Hold out for your dream job. Either you'll find it or it may find you!-- Ross Pasquale, owner, Monday Ventures

Resume Writing Tips

Business Basics

How To Write A Killer Resume

Tara Weiss, 11.06.07, 5:31 PM ET

If your résumé isn't winning interviews for your dream job, it might be time for a rewrite.
Before you even sit down in front of the computer, consider the type of job you want. Think about the skills you want to use daily, and then determine two or three job titles that encompass them. Also, determine the type of company you want to work for--small or large, private or public--and the preferred industry.

"If you don't have that in mind, you can't focus and present the information that will get you there," says Louise Kursmark, an executive résumé writer and author of several book on résumés. "Everything should be filtered through that lens." Leave items out that don't pertain to your desired position.

The next step is easy: contact info. This might seem obvious, but recruiters report that an alarming number of job applicants don't put their contact information in a prominent location. Many recommend putting it at the top of the résumé. Include your address, e-mail and phone number. "I find some in the bottom of the résumé or not in the cover letter," says Diane Borhani, head of U.S. campus recruiting at Deloitte & Touche. "It's too much work to search, so we go on to the next résumé."

If you're just starting your career and don't have much job experience, include an objective section at the top. For example: "A position as an account executive with a consumer products firm." For those with more than a year in the workforce, a summary is more appropriate. It's broader than an objective--it states what you are looking for and who you are. It might say, "Account executive with a track record of improving business and proven skills in sales." In other words, it's a snapshot of your professional accomplishments.

Speaking of accomplishments, they are what you should focus on in the job history section. It's fine to include a few lines about what you did at work, but the bulk of material should include the things you did that made you stand out. Did you secure several new accounts? Did you have work published? Try to make yourself stand out from other applicants.

"Recruiters know what you do because of your job title," says Kursmark. "Instead of listing your daily tasks, talk about what you did that made your company better or your department more successful. Talk about the unique things you did, so your résumé will not be the same as someone who has the same job title."

The résumé's length is a source of conflict. One thing holds true: If the résumé exceeds two pages it better be worth it. Don't ramble on--the idea is to keep the résumé clear and concise. If your job title is impressive put it in bold. If it's not, but the company you worked for is, put that in bold. The rule of thumb: Only use bold for things you want to stand out. Under the title and company name, use bullet points to explain what you accomplished.

Use keywords--buzzwords--to describe your accomplishments and roles. Not all keywords are the same for all jobs. Therefore, examine five to 10 of the job listings you're applying for and highlight repeated words. Some common words include "leadership," "team player" and "self-starter." Then sprinkle those words throughout your résumé.

For those just starting out in the work world, Deloitte's Borhani recommends putting your education section first. List related coursework to the type of job you're seeking, and include your GPA if it's a 3.0 or higher. (Explain if it's cumulative or not.) Also, if you worked to put yourself through school mention that--it shows initiative. Don't mention every waitressing or store clerk position you had from high school and beyond. Only include it if you progressively gained more responsibility.

Borhani's bottom line résumé advice: "Keep it short and sweet." (http://www.forbes.com/)

What NOT to do

10 dumbest job-interview moves
By Anne Fisher

Don't bring mom to the job interview, warns Fortune's Anne Fisher.

Here are some of the goofiest things job seekers have done when meeting hiring managers.

(Fortune) -- Even in a relatively strong job market, it can be tough to make yourself stand out from the competition. So it seems some job hunters these days are resorting to, um, innovative (or is that desperate?) ways of making sure their interviews are unique and memorable.

In a poll of hiring managers a few weeks ago, Accountemps (www.accountemps.com), a worldwide accounting-and-finance staffing firm based in Menlo Park, Calif., asked them, "What is the wackiest or most unusual pitch you've heard from a job seeker about why he or she should get the job?"

TOP TEN:

The job hunter...

1. "...told me to hire him because he was allergic to unemployment."

2. "... said that we should hire him because he would make a great addition to our softball team."

3. "...said he should get the job because he had already applied three times and he felt that it was now his turn to be hired."

4. "...said we had nice benefits, which was good because he was going to have to take a lot of leave in the coming year."

5. "... drafted a press release announcing that we had hired him."

6. "... explained that he had no relevant experience for the job he was interviewing for, but his friend did."

7. "... delivered his entire cover letter in the form of a rap song."

8. "...told me she wanted the position because she wanted to get away from working with people."

9. "...brought his mother to the interview and let her do all the talking."

10. "...when our company moved to Texas, gave us his resume in a ten-gallon hat."