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I write a blog. That's part of what I do for a living. And yes, thousands of eyes see my grammatical errors every day. Which would be a tragedy, yes, if it wasn't a blog, where people expect these sorts of things as the trade off for rapid, push button communication.

It's exactly the opposite with resumes, however. And maybe it's just that I've been part of the creative & marketing worlds for too long, but it seems to me that these folks have little patience for any error they see on a resume.

Years ago, I was sending Production Artist resumes to a hiring manager who would throw them back at me if the word "QuarkXPress" was misspelled (that would include "QuarkxPress", "Quarkxpress" and "Quarkexpress." She felt that if the person didn't know how to spell the program, they actually couldn't use it. And when I'd try to argue otherwise, say that this particular Production Artist had, in fact, amazing hands-on skills, it wouldn't help his/her case. And, of course, there were no "do overs." Once that hiring manager had seen that mistake, she was done looking at that person as a prospective employee.

Unlike many other things in this life, with your resume, you get one shot at a particular company or department to move ahead or go straight to the "thanks-but-no-thanks" pile.

Yes, I believe that when you've pored over every last inch of your own resume that you deserve a break if you let a errant font slip through, but you'll get no such break from the hiring manager or HR person who is reading it. They want nothing less than perfection. Heck, when you show up to the actual interview you can be less than perfect, but your resume only has a few short seconds (yes, seconds! 10? 15? probably not much more) before it's make or break.

Our advice has always been, take your resume very seriously. Even if it's a "fun" resume, full of wackiness, the hiring manager isn't going to want to see an errant font slip in.

And while we're talking about it, you should check out this AIGA article from Creative Director and Senior Faculty Member over at Art Center, Petrula Vrontikis, "Ten common mistakes in résumés and cover letters." Some of this info is excellent for recent grads who really don't have a heck of a lot of experience to put on their resumes. And, of course, anyone else with a resume sitting somewhere on their hard drive.

Knock knock. It's a lovely Saturday afternoon and you wonder - who could possibly be interrupting your bliss (including a large turkey sandwich and reruns of your favorite 80's sitcom - insert for me - Perfect Strangers). You open the door with your speech prepared for the following:

* Candy/Girl Scout cookie sales - you may budge if they have Carmel deLites. 
* Religious group passing out literature - always a fun bunch. 
* Pesky siding salesman - even though your house is made of bricks 
* WAIT - it could be your Mary Kay order. That would be awesome. 
* Free pizza - you wouldn't be terribly upset if a free pizza showed up.

As you open the door, you find two gentleman representing ABC Landscaping and they have in tow - hedge clippers, a lawnmower, and a bag of mulch. They look legit. And then you ask - "I do need some help with my landscaping - might you have some photographs of past work with you so I can gauge your design style and past successes?" They blink, look at you dumbfounded, point to the hedge clippers and say "We are very good." The door closes and your lawn continues to be plagued by dandelions.

Why? PROOF. We all need proof. We need to believe you are a champion landscaper by showing us the amazing lawn work you did for Johnny Depp - yes I know Johnny Depp doesn't live in my neighborhood but I can dream.

The point you ask? Time and time again I have this conversation with talent and the importance of proof. Being in the business of Interactive Design and Development - the proof is in the portfolio.

Here are my 8 tips to help your job search simply by maintaining a stellar portfolio:

1. Spy. You heard me. Check out your competition. In this world of Internet accessibility, check out who you are going up against in this marketplace. Look at their portfolios... Do you walk away feeling wowed/jealous? What can you incorporate in yours? Creative hotlist, Krop, Behance, Coroflot, etc. Great places to start.

* Simplicity is key 
* Large graphics grab attention 
* Easy navigation - are the arrows easy to find? 
* Basic descriptions of your contribution

Your resume is the key that can open the door to new opportunities and a bright future. A poorly written resume however is a sure-fire way of keeping that door firmly shut.

One question I've been asked repeatedly over the years is, "what's the most important thing to have on your resume?" My answer is simple: a Great Overarching Statement!

Like any piece of effective communication, you need to hook your reader immediately. Call it what you will - Professional Profile, Overview, Career Summary - the GOS is your positioning statement. It's a short, sharp statement that says who you are and what you've done. It can also be used to show the reader where you are heading, particularly if your aim is to transition into a different field.

Career objectives are fine if you are a graduate, however, caution is advised for anyone else. A career objective is all about what you want. In reality, the potential employer doesn't care what you want - they want to know what you can do for them. Show them!

As potential employers and recruiters see so many resumes, you may only have a few seconds to capture their attention. The top half of the first page of your resume is the most important. Use this space wisely. If you don't engage them immediately, it won't matter what you say on page two or three as they won't get that far.

When writing your resume you should remember CCR (an no, I'm not talking about the 60/70s rock band). You must keep your information Clear, Concise and Relevant.

Be clear about who you are and why you deserve to be considered for a role above your competition. What is your value proposition? Why should you be interviewed and subsequently hired?

Clarity is essential around dates, job titles and employer names. If you've worked for organizations that aren't household names, it can be beneficial to have a brief description of who they are and a link to their website. This is particularly useful if you have worked overseas or interstate. Also include with your qualification, the name of the institution(s) you studied at and the year you graduated.

Be concise - don't waste time and space by waffling. Write with precision. As most resumes are sent electronically these days, you can extend the depth of your resume through embedded links to your LinkedIn or Google profile, online portfolio or other dedicated web pages.

Make sure that what you include in your resume is relevant. If you've been an account manager for years, you don't need to list the duties of that part time burger-flipping job you had whilst you were at school.

There are a variety of styles to choose from when putting your resume together so do a bit of research and see what works for you. Your employment history does not necessarily have to be in chronological order. If you have taken a career break and spent a year rescuing elephants in Thailand or pouring Guinness in an Irish pub, don't put that up front. Break your employment history into 'professional experience' and 'other adventures' (or wording to that effect).

Remember to focus on your achievements. It is benefits that sell products, not features. That same principle applies to you. Sure, you were responsible for doing something, but how well did you do it? Let the reader know.

Resumes do not need to be boring. Make yours come to life by injecting your personality and your personal brand. If you are a designer, don't present a Word document nicely typed in a 10 point Times New Roman font. Include design elements! If you are a copywriter, then your words really should woo your reader.

In today's world we are constantly bombarded by marketing and advertising messages. Your resume is your marketing message so don't let it become part of the clutter - make sure it stands out. After all, it's there to sell the most important thing in the world - YOU!

(As published in Campaign Brief Magazine - March 2010)

I LOVE the movie "Office Space" - a lot (seriously - why are fax machines so tricky??).  And let's face it - it can be easy to slump ourselves into work letting the world around us take over.  And why shouldn't we be sad/mopey/sleepy (or any of the other 7 dwarfs) - just turn on the television.  Tiger Woods - bad guy.  Healthcare - not reformed.  Unemployment - still pretty bad.  Job hunting - pretty brutal.    

Case in point:  One of my dearest friends this week made a video reel to apply to a job - apparently we're "there" in terms of competition and difficulty.  But I have to hand it to her - it was inventive and she was taking BYOBM to the next level and beyond!  And to top it off - she had a blast.  

I will say this:  There is nothing worse than a sad, frustrated co-worker/friend/family member.  It brings everyone down.  So - Here are my tips for keeping your sanity during the winter months.  And be prepared - these are not the normal "imagine yourself on a beach" tips:

1.    Start each day by listening to a commercial from Bud Light's Real Men of Genius campaigns.  I listen to one everyday and have to say - I DIE LAUGHING.

2.    Watch this commercial.

3.    Make your FAVORITE breakfast before work.  Yes you'll have to get up early but seriously - chocolate chip pancakes ALWAYS put me in a good mood.  (Or on the flipside - bring your favorite lunch to work - it will make your morning fly by - Thanksgiving Sandwich anyone?)

4.    Watch a little kid walk down the street.  There is always something uplifting about watching a kid attempting not to step on cracks while wearing GIGANTIC winter boots that makes me chuckle to myself.

5.    If you're a woman, wear a headband to work.  You'd be surprised how many compliments you receive.  Really want to up your game?   Wear a new shade of lipgloss AND a headband.  WATCH OUT WORLD!

6.    If you're a man, wear a brightly colored shirt that you typically wouldn't wear - again - you'd be surprised how many people walk up to you and say "hmmmm.. something is different today."

7.    Attempt a game of Wii boxing before work.  It's hilarious and will get your heart rate up.  Did I mention hilarious?  

8.    Sing along loudly to a Billy Joel song (or Black Eyed Peas.... Or Lady Gaga - my 6 month old nephew LOVES Poker Face) while in your car and don't quiet down or stop when you see someone watching.  You will chuckle about it all day.  Want to up your game?  Wink at your audience and hold out your imaginary thumb microphone as if to say "Want to be my backup singer?"

We'll get through it - seasons change.  Jobs will get better.  And if we can have a laugh or enjoy ourselves more in the interim I say - What do you have to lose?

Well here we are in the second half of January (already!). How are you going with your New Year's resolutions? January is usually a busy time in the recruitment industry as often, when people are thinking about the year ahead, they resolve to get a new job.

If changing roles is high on your 2010 priority list, you have some serious thinking to do. Self‐analysis is a critical factor in career planning and one thing you should do before you make any move is to assess is your motivation. Why do you want to do something different?

Think about the 'push and pull' factors as they relate to your situation. Push factors are those things that are pushing you away from your current role and may include:
- My boss drives me crazy
- The hours I'm working don't give me enough free time
- I'm feeling undervalued and/or underpaid
- The two hour daily commute is wearing me down
- There's absolutely no chance of promotion
- There is no challenge left

Pull factors are those that pull you towards a new role. Things like:
- The company has an amazing reputation as an employer
- I'll be working with an inspiring industry leader/mentor
- The company's client list is outstanding
- Great benefits are offered - eg, fully funded study, extra leave, paid maternity leave, etc
- There are realistic career progression opportunities
- I'll work at a location closer to home

Often, when people are motivated solely by push factors, they make decisions they later regret. The grass is not always greener on the other side and many people wish they had looked at resolving issues with their former employer rather than moving onto something else.

So, think carefully about where you are heading and what you want to do. If it's time to move on, the motivation is positive and the opportunity is right, then go for it. Good luck and have fun!

Over here at Aquent we value the amazing Talent we represent and we also recognize that they in fact are the true experts in their fields (SME, if you must) and are far more connected than we can ever hope to be.

So during the past few months we've been developing a referral system that "pays it forward" and hopefully gets everyone more jobs and some extra money to boot!

A couple weeks ago we started offering cash to Aquent Talent based on a point system. We have two different avenues for folks, one is to refer other awesome Talent to us and the other is to refer potential job openings to us. (This last one pays big and fast!)
 
I was excited about this new referral program (we call it Aquent Rewards) and started shouting about it from the rooftops. But I started to notice a trend: People often responded to enthusiastic pitch with a,  "Yeah, that's nice and all, but I really just want a job of my own. I'm not really in the mood to send you names or job openings."

Fair enough. And I do get it. As a company, we want to find an exciting job for every one of our Talent as well!

All this got me thinking about how the referral program impacts people in a way other than the cash that they get. Then I started thinking about karma.

Wikipedia tells me that Karma means a "deed" or "act", or more broadly, names the universal principle of cause and effect, action and reaction that governs all life. If Karma can make things right and good for people like Earl J. Hickey, why can't it work for other folks?

Let me lay it out for you:
 
How exactly would this good job karma thing work?

Case study #1 (talent referral)
You have a friend/acquaintance that is an incredible Online Marketer
You login to your My Aquent  account and submit your friend/aquaintence to us
We call* your referral
 If we place that person, you start accruing good job karma points (and Aquent referral points = $)
 
Case study #2 (business referral)
You are sitting at work, working.
You overhear that the online marketing team (or interactive, marketing, graphic design,) needs someone and they are thinking of hiring.
You login to you're My Aquent  account and submit any information you know about the job and hiring manager's name.
We call* that hiring manager and help them fill that job.
If we fill that job you rack up FAT good job karma points (and Aquent business referral points =$$$)
 
Karma Bonus:
If you send us a business referral and the talent referral that can fill that job, you go straight to nirvana and collect a large sum of Aquent referral bonus points = $$$$$$$$$
 


So let's go back to the initial problem; "Yeah, but I just want a job of my own"

By you building your good job karma and others building up their good job karma, there's a good chance that you will get to work at that job of your dreams - the job someone else recommended.

And heck, the fact that you get points (and cash) for recommending people doesn't hurt, does it?

I was speaking to a great candidate this morning about the job market.  She mentioned that she was a little down on herself for not landing a new job yet after she was laid off 5 months ago.  We recruiters hear this sentiment often from wonderfully qualified candidates, and I always like to offer the following thought: don't be hard on yourself, be patient and flexible.  There are a lot of candidates out there right now and not nearly as many jobs. 

The thought reminded her of this British poster printed (but not fully distributed) in WWII.


Apparently, poster was printed and on-hand in case the German Nazis took control of the UK.  Click here to read the full history.   I loved the simplicity paired with the irony of using red when the message was to "keep calm."

From there, the candidate mentioned that "my designers" would get a kick out of the Brit who recently enjoyed the poster as well and made a play on it with this one:

Read his blog here and you can even get a t-shirt! 
 

If you happen to be in the Windy City (or, if you must, the City of Big Shoulders or the Second City) next week, you're in luck! Aquent will be partnering with @chicagotweetups for a, well, tweetup.

I don't know if the folks at Clark Street Ale House serve either Chicago style hot dogs or pizza, but if they do, nab one for me, an I'll pay you back when it arrives in LA intact.
 
When: Thursday, September 24
Time: 5:30-8:30pm
Location: Clark Street Ale House, 742 N Clark

All the details are here.

(Photo by David Paul Ohmer)

God do I hate resumes.

Distilling your entire career into one page? 
Maybe two pages if you have over 5 years experience? 
12++ pages if you're a C++ Developer?
Creating a first impression on paper?
Engaging an audience of one from a sea of other resumes?

You have a 30 second window to convince the reader to spend another 30 seconds reading more.  And don't get me started on cover letters.

The problem is there are no silver bullets, golden rules or magic tricks.  Anyone that tells you they exist is selling you something.  Your resume is ultimately only as good as the pair of eyes reading it.

The biggest favor you can do for yourself is abandon the old rules, start fresh and create a document you're proud of.  That way you're at least assured to please your most important critic, yourself.

Let's tackle this practically speaking.  You're more likely re-writing an existing resume than you are writing a resume for the first time, right?  Wrong.  

Every time you think it's worth your time to write a new resume, WRITE A NEW RESUME.  Don't slap a bandage on the old one.  If you add a new paragraph every time you complete a new position your resume is going to sound iterative.  Like a collection of snapshots.  Unrelated, unstrategic, where's that next resume again...?

If it's time to update your resume, it's time to re-evaluate your goals, reflect on how you've evolved and apply all of that to your resume.  BTW, if you haven't grown in your last role? 

That might explain why you're looking for a new job.*

From there, redefine the purpose of your resume.

Your resume is NOT about the work you've done.  
It's about the work you want someone to hire you TO DO.

Your resume is a marketing piece; your annual report, your homepage, an iPhone app all about you.

You need to aim this tool at the right audience and orient it to meet their needs.  You know what this means?  You're not just writing a resume.  You're writing multiple resumes.

Most job searches include a variety of roles.  If yours does not, see above.*

Do you want to create a blanket resume that encompasses all of your experience or do you want to create a line of sight right through your career that leads the reader to the conclusion, This person solves my problem!  If you carpet bomb with your resume you're going to get the sloppy results that follow.

One final thought.  Tie everything to revenue that you possibly can.  In this economy, more than ever, you want to help the employer see how you've enabled your previous employers to either generate or save money whenever possible.  These numbers are often available to you; most folks just don't think to collect the data.  

If you're a designer and you brought projects in ahead of a deadline with fewer revisions, how much money did that save your client?  
If you're a copywriter, how did enrollments increase after your brochure was shipped?  
If you're a project manager, how did your procedural adroitness impact the bottom line?

If you can insulate your already impressive experience and skills with some impressive numbers you make a critical double impression.  First, look at the money you saved/generated for your last employer, wow!  Second, this candidate was savvy enough to think to include this information, now that's impressive...

Lastly:

I assume you have references available upon request, if not.*

No one cares what you did in high school, no one cares about your hobbies and interests, no one wants to see a picture of you on your resume.

That's why they have Facebook.  

That's a whole other story.

I'm reading Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman (I tend to read the hot books about five years late) so I'm thinking a lot about feelings this week.

Interesting bit from the book: Martin Seligman conducted a study of MetLife salespeople. He convinced MetLife to use a different screening process than usual, and screen for optimism. The people that scored high on optimism but failed their usual screening process ended up selling 21 percent more in their first year and 57 percent more in their second year compared to those who passed MetLife's typical screening process and considered themselves pessimists.

 When I was agenting, I found talent with average or slightly-above-average skills with upbeat attitudes and flexible workstyles to be more successful on assignment for us than the gurus who were cynical or jaded.

So does attitude matter more than ability? You tell me, folks.

image by Mr. Benn