Candidate Resources Hiring managers say that most job seeker's do a poor job representing themselves when seeking a new position. Areas for improvement are usually the resume, networking, and interviewing. Below you will find some helpful suggestions in each of these areas. The Resume Your resume is often the only source of information that a hiring manager initially has to judge your qualifications against those of the job they are filling. Surprisingly, most resumes are discounted in the first few seconds of review because they do not quickly and accurately highlight how a job seekers background matches a particular position. Good Resume Characteristics: Applicable to the job you are applying for Simple, flowing and easy to read layout - uses bullets Perfect grammar Not too long, not too short - rather, long enough to detail your background, and not a word longer Not only describes duties of the jobs held, but positive results to the organization in the process (i.e. "streamlined departmental systems resulting in $250,000/yr in savings for the company") Minimal use of industry/company specific acronyms and jargon Easy to find work history, contact information, and relevant skills Tip:  Have as many other people look at your resume as possible. Ask each of them to tell you what they would improve about it. Do not let them tell you it is great, but rather, push for at least one suggestion from each person. Then take the ideas that make the most sense and integrate them.   Networking The best jobs are often the ones that are found through networking, not newspaper ads. The credo that finding a full time job can be a full time job does not need to apply if you use other people and their resources to help you. Networking requires work and follow-up, but the rewards are often a position that you would otherwise not have heard about. Networking Ideas: Attend trade & industry networking meetings/activities and get business cards/contact information Do not be bashful, contact and follow-up with important decision makers Utilize headhunting/placement professionals & their networks Ask folks who they know that might be able to help you  Make it a goal to establish at least one new industry contact per week, then follow-up with them Tip:  The words follow-up were repeatedly mentioned and are fundamental to successful networking. A good way to do this is to ask if it is ok to follow-up when you first meet someone new. Meeting, and getting to know someone can be as simple as a phone call, or even better, a brief face-to-face meeting over coffee or lunch.   The Interview Ok, you have a great resume, have applied to relevant positions and built and utilized a first class professional network. Now you have landed an interview, lets make sure it is a success. Interviewing Suggestions: Arrive early and dress/act like you are having dinner with the President Be honest, forthright, confident, and motivated about the job and company - and then tell the interviewer(s) why you are Smile and exude positive energy Do not speak poorly of old jobs, coworkers, or bosses - tell the truth, but emphasize the positive aspects of things Research the company and tie your background to the firm's needs Listen, and listen closely to the questions being asked Be yourself - after all that is who they are hiring Do not ramble  Tip:  Be aware of and careful in answering, "why shouldn't we hire you" types of questions. These come in many forms like "tell us your greatest weakness," or "what would your last boss tell us you need to improve upon?" All these questions attempt to get you to incriminate yourself and give a reason not to hire you. Don't avoid them, or say, "you don't have any" but rather, answer them truthfully, but with something that is not a potential reason not to hire you. Finally, do not use "I'm a perfectionist, and don't ever consider something done till it is perfect," or a derivative of this answer. It is overused and often seen as transparent.