4 tips for an attention-getting résumé

Employers nowadays are generally so overwhelmed with applications for a position that they can't devote a great deal of time to each potential candidate. How can your résumé spark their interest enough to garner more than just a passing glance? Here, experts offer suggestions on gaining precious seconds of "look" time...

Be visually attractive

The old adage to not judge a book by its cover may be worthy advice, but throw the motto out the window when submitting an application. The last thing you want your résumé to do is look sloppy or disorganized among a stack of stellar submissions.

"The 'design' aspect of your résumé has to come across in a clean, refreshing, simple way," says J. Patrick Gorman, co-founder of iFind Group -- a Manhattan-based executive search firm. "In other words, have proper alignment, spacing, grammar, same-size fonts, clear fonts (not fancy), full-looking sentences after your bullet points, no abbreviations and good flow of the information presented."

Know how to catch a reader's eye

Tony Beshara, author of "Unbeatable Résumés: America's Top Recruiter Reveals What REALLY Gets You Hired" and host of the radio program "The Job Search Solution," notes that the biggest fallacy people have is that a résumé is going to be read thoroughly. "It is going to be scanned. If it hits the right buttons quickly, it might get printed and read, but the initial scan is most important."

Beshara suggests providing an explanation of your present or most recent job in the very middle of the first page of the résumé. "Studies show that when people scan, their eyes start in the very middle of the first page, move to the left and then up to the top of the page."

Aim for clarity

Busy hiring managers don't want to have to dig around in a résumé to find out if a candidate is qualified. They want to know quickly which applicants are worth their time.

"Think more 'fact sheet' than 'short story' when writing your résumé," Gorman suggests. "You either prepared financial statements or you didn't; you either installed the IT system or you didn't."

Succinctness is prized, yet it should be backed up with information that gives the prospective employer a vibrant picture. Gorman notes that while readers love clear data points in order to know your specific role, you also need to convey your specific impact. Try quantifying your value in previous positions by providing answers to questions such as:

· How many days did it take to accomplish a project or task?

· How much money did you save the company by changing an existing procedure?

· How many people reported to you directly?

· What size budget did you manage?

· How much did your efforts add to the revenue growth of the division?

· What was your output (such as the number of sales, new clients or successful product placements)?

Also, don't let a desire for brevity lead to a misimpression that keeps you from getting an interview. "Most people write about their titles and functions in terms they understand instead of taking into account if it will be understood by a hiring authority," Beshara says. "Likewise, most people write the names of the companies they have worked for with no explanation about what the companies do. There are 7.5 million companies in the United States ... most of us don't know what any of them do. It needs to be explained in detail."

Focus on achievement

Finally, remember that you are trying to show why you are the best person for this job. Presenting your most relevant skills and your greatest accomplishments is vital.

"An important aspect of an attention-getting résumé is one that is highly targeted and focused for the position," says Abby M. Locke, master résumé writer and personal brand strategist for Premier Writing Solutions in Washington, D.C. "If an employer or recruiter is looking to hire an accountant, he/she will be drawn to résumés that clearly emphasize expertise, relevant value and impressive achievements as they relate to public or corporate accounting. Extra information about skills in another area takes away precious résumé real estate and can also dilute a job seeker's career brand."

Likewise, Locke warns that too many professionals focus their energy on rehashing all their tasks and responsibilities without enough emphasis on how well they have done the job. Including descriptions of honors or promotions, performance-review quotes documenting strengths and quantifiable information about achievements can help convince a prospective employer that your résumé can't be overlooked!

The 10 Most Stressful Jobs In America

Flying miles above the earth with hundreds of people on board, shooting photos in the middle of a war, and saving lives at the scene of an accident. These are a few occupations that are probably higher stress than what you do every day...

CareerCast.com rated the stress level of 200 jobs based on work environment, income, outlook, travel, deadlines, competitiveness and work in the public eye.

This study looked only at white collar jobs, and does not include occupations like deep sea fishing or logging.

1 -Real Estate Agent

Stress score: 38.57

Hours per day: 9.5

Income: $40,357

Real estate agents work erratic hours, often times on nights and weekends. The field is highly competitive, and in the current state of the housing market, selling a home is not easy.

2-Emergency Medical Technician

Stress score: 39.68

Hours per day: varies

Income: $30,168

EMTs are the first people on the scene of a medical emergency and are the "lifeline" of the patient from the location of the emergency to the hospital. EMTs also work long, often overnight shifts.

3-Stockbroker

Stress score: 39.70

Hours per day: 8

Income: $67,470

Stock brokers are responsible for facilitating the stocks and bonds of their investor clients. With the stock market always changing, rapidly, keeping track of investors' money, can be very stressful.

4-Architect

Stress score: 39.93

Hours per day: 8+

Income: $73,193

Architects work under tight deadlines as they plan, design, and oversee the construction of commercial, and residential spaces. The future safety of buildings rely on their careful planning. 

5-Advertising Account Executive

Stress score: 41.05

Hours per day: 9.5

Income: $62,105

Account executive's work requires creativity, attention to detail, and self-motivation, all while managing major accounts for the company, under deadline. The field of work is also very competitive, and often, ads are a company's main source of income. 

6-Newscaster

Stress score: 43.56

Hours per day: 8

Income: $50,456

Newscasters compete against each other to be the first to get the story out to the public. Often, reporters work from inside a studio, but many times reporters head out to the field, where the action is occurring. This puts newscasters in potentially dangerous situations. 

7-Photojournalist

Stress score: 47.09

Hours per day: varies

Income: $40,209

Photojournalists are always right in on the action. Whether it's a time of war, a shooting, or a natural disaster, photojournalists are there, in dangerous conditions capturing the news to share with the world. 

8-Senior Corporate Executive

Stress score: 47.41

Hours per day: 11

Income: $161,141 

Corporate executives wear many different hats. They are  expected to have knowledge in every department of the company so they can make company wide decisions that affect many employees. They also work long hours. 

9--Public Relations Officer

Stress score: 47.6

Hours per day: 9

Income: $90,160

PR executives often have to give presentations and make speeches in front of large crowds. It is a highly competitive field, and executives are expected to create and maintain a good image for the company, something that is essential for survival.

10-Commercial Pilot

Stress score: 59.53

Hours per day: 9

Income: $106,153

Airline pilots are responsible for the lives of hundreds of people while flying miles above ground at high speeds. Pilots often have to fly through inclement weather, and work long hours.

5 Tips for Executive-Level Job Seekers

Recent economic woes have struck a severe blow to the nation's work force -- penetrating as high as the top tiers of corporate America. As the economy becomes increasingly shaky and companies are forced to trim budgets, executive-level and management positions have become more vulnerable than ever...

Considered by many to be "untouchable," thousands of upper-level professionals have been thrust into unemployment and have discovered that today's job market is much harder to navigate than in previous years. Now, the market is flooded with candidates just as highly skilled and experienced as the next. In addition, finding a job that can match -- if not improve upon -- a prior position can seem incredibly daunting due to many companies' growing financial limitations.

To stand out from their competition and prove that they offer a high return on investment, executive-level job seekers need certain tools, including the essential job-search documents needed to market oneself in the job hunt, plus a few others to achieve an advantage over competitors.

"There's no question that the executive résumé and cover letter are the foundations of your career-search plan. However, you'll want to give careful consideration to some additional tools that are capable of providing significant leverage in your search," say Louise Kursmark and Jan Melnik, co-authors of "Executive's Pocket Guide to ROI Résumés and Job Search."

In their book, Kursmark and Melnik encourage job seekers pursuing leadership positions to create and implement the following tools in their job search:

Elevator speech
An "elevator speech" is a 30-second summary (the time you have if you run into a potential employer on an elevator) that briefly introduces individuals to those who can help them in the job search. Many managers and executives have probably already developed and delivered this type of speech to people several times throughout their careers, but may need to adjust it to reflect their new goals.

According to Kursmark and Melnik, job seekers must convey four key elements throughout their introduction, including who they are, what they do, what they're seeking and any other key information relevant to their experience or job search goals.

In addition to knowing how to develop this tool, it's essential for job seekers to know when to use it. A good rule of thumb is to always be prepared with an elevator speech. They can be useful at networking events, clubs and associations; during "cold" phone calls; as well as at personal events such as weddings, dinners and any type of impromptu opportunity.

Networking script
Networking is the key to finding good jobs quickly, which is why having a plan for networking situations is critical. While these conversations will all be unique and should feel genuine, it helps for job seekers to outline a few key points they'd like to address during the conversation. For example, job seekers will want to ask questions such as, "What ideas or referrals might you have for me?" "What related industries can you think of, and contacts do you know, where these skills might prove valuable?" or "Who in your network might be interested in someone with my leadershipexperience and background?"

Leadership initiative document
This one- to two-page document is a relatively new tool job seekers are using to further market their achievements and leadership experience. Typically, this document lists three to five career-defining stories that describe a specific situation or challenge, tactics and actions implemented to address the problem and results achieved. Ideally, these stories should reflect what the job seeker would hope to accomplish in the new position.

After crafting this document, job seekers can use it several ways. It can become a leave-behind document following interviews or meetings, a follow-up piece to a résumé and an additional component to the traditional résumé/cover letter package.

Professional biography
This tool provides more extensive information about the job seeker; it is ideal for portfolios or personal Web sites and used as a tool for recruiters to use when introducing or advancing the candidate to a company or organization. After the job search, this document is still useful and often used for company news releases, marketing materials and Web sites, as well as for public-speaking engagements.

Targeted search summary
This document identifies employers and industries in which the job seeker is interested. This tool comes in extremely handy at networking meetings where others may appreciate a visual reminder of where the job seeker's interests and opportunities are.

While each of these components of the job search can be extremely beneficial to job seekers, Kursmark and Melnik warn not to overload hiring managers and recruiters with too much information. "Instead, carefully select and present only the documents that will stimulate their interest in you and your professional capabilities."

How to triple your chances of getting a job

As a job seeker or someone trying to flourish at work, ever wonder, out of the hundreds of "expert" tips, which ones are actually proven to work? Here's what 98 percent of top employers worldwide say and groundbreaking research studies prove makes all the difference…

Mindset trumps skill set

Give employers what they want. When forced to choose, "Who would hire, A) the person with the perfect skills and qualifications, but lacking the desired mindset, or B) the person with the desired mindset, but lacking the right skills, 98 percent picked mindset over skill set.

Mindset means money

When forced to choose, 91 percent of employers say they will grant a pay raise, as well as a promotion, to the person with the right mindset over the person with the right skill set. And, an independent study shows, those who score the strongest on mindset make the most money.

Use a winning mindset

Mindset is not about attitude. It's deeper. It's the lens through which you see and navigate life. It therefore affects all that you think, believe, say and do. Breakthrough research reveals that there are 72 qualities that make up a winning mindset, or "3G Mindset."

Global mindset -- think big picture!

It's not about multicultural sensitivity (which can't hurt). It's about time and distance. It's about pulling your head out of the weeds and tapping the horizon. Global is your vantage point, or how well you lift your eyes beyond the immediate here and now, employ curiosity and openness to reach out, connect with and draw from a broad array of ideas and people to arrive at superior solutions.

Good mindset -- good guys finish first!

Turns out integrity and kindness -- doing what's right and being good to others -- pays off, big time. Good is the bedrock of a winning mindset. When the news is packed with mounting immorality and ethical implosions, employees with a good mindset are gold.

Grit mindset -- take on the tough stuff!

This is the fuel cell of a winning mindset. It powers all the rest. See, it's all about adversity. Employers want people who flourish even in the worst weather. Good news is, in most jobs, there's plenty of it. Your capacity to not merely survive or cope, but grow with and harness the tough stuff really sets you apart. Grit fuels pay, promotion, retention, performance, engagement, energy and more.

Tap the top hits -- mindset matters more

Open, curious, big-picture, connecting, considerate, agile, adaptable, resilient, growing, focused, tenacious, moral, honest, trustworthy, authentic, kind, compassionate, generous, other-minded, contributing, tenacious, improving, fair, courageous, creative and determined is a short list of winning mindset qualities. Embed them in all you say, think and do.

The 3X factor -- give your résumé the mindset boost

Which résumés win and which ones lose? Mindset gives you the edge. An independent study of 30,000 résumés shows A) the conventional wisdom (standard tips) do nothing. In some cases they backfire! But, the "Mindset-in-action" formula does.

Mindset-inaction

Here's how it works:

Mindset quality>>>>put into action>>>>>to achieve a specific outcome.

Example (tenacity): Pioneered, piloted and proved a new customer response system and cut complaints by 87 percent.

Example (generosity): Volunteered to mentor new hires before and after work hours and cut first 90-day turnover by 72 percent.

Triple (or better) your chances with 3G mindset

Here's the breakthrough finding: Résumés with one "Mindset-in-action" statement are three times (3X) more likely to win the job. Those with two or more are 7X more likely to get the offer! The proof is in. Mindset helps you stand out from crowd, get paid more, be promoted sooner, be retained when others are cut and win the best jobs, even over people with better qualifications. Remember: skills matter, mindset rules!

Top paying jobs for the class of 2011

Historically, college graduation has been a time of celebration. The years of hard work and studying have come to end, and life in the real world -- with a real paycheck –

can finally begin. Yet for the students who graduated from college over the past three years, leaving the safe haven of a university campus and entering into the unstable job market was more panic provoking than festive.

Hiring of new college graduates began to decline in 2008, when companies first started feeling the effects of the recession. By 2009, the graduating class was faced with industry-wide hiring freezes. Things started to look up for the class of 2010, but companies -- many of which had gotten used to doing more with less -- were still hiring cautiously.

Now, in 2011, we can at last say that things are really and truly looking up for new college grads. According to the annual survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, overall, employers plan to hire 19.3 percent more new college graduates this fall than they did in the fall of 2010, the first double-digit percentage increase since 2007. In comparison, last year, hiring managers reported that they would be hiring 6.9 percent fewer new grads than the year prior.

There's good news on the pay front, too. Salaries for the graduating class of 2011 are up from the previous year for the first time since 2008. On average, students can expect a starting offer of around $50,462, 5.9 percent higher than the average offer of $47,673 that 2010 grads received. Plus, 75 percent of employers surveyed said they planned to offer higher salaries to this year's graduating class.

Like every year, though, certain degrees command a higher salary than others. While graduates from a variety of majors and disciplines have a shot at a decent salary in 2011, almost all of the top-10 offers will go to engineering and computer science grads. According to the NACE survey, the following are the highest anticipated payouts:

1. Chemical engineering

Average annual salary offer to 2011 grads: $66,886

2. Computer science

Average annual salary offer to 2011 grads: $63,017

3. Mechanical engineering

Average annual salary offer to 2011 grads: $60,739

4. Electrical/electronics and communications engineering

Average annual salary offer to 2011 grads: $60,646

5. Computer engineering

Average annual salary offer to 2011 grads: $60,112

6. Industrial/manufacturing engineering

Average annual salary offer to 2011 grads: $58,549

7. Systems engineering

Average annual salary offer to 2011 grads: $57,497

8. Engineering technology

Average annual salary offer to 2011 grads: $57,176

9. Information sciences & systems

Average annual salary offer to 2011 grads: $56,868

10. Business systems networking/ telecommunications

Average annual salary offer to 2011 grads: $56,808

For those who aren't graduating with an engineering or computer science degree, however, all hope for a high salary is not lost. There are other majors that can expect offers of more than $50,000 per year. Here are 10 more degrees that will pull in the big bucks.

1. Nursing

Average annual salary offer to 2011 grads: $55,774

2. Mathematics

Average annual salary offer to 2011 grads: $55,300

3. Economics

Average annual salary offer to 2011 grads: $54,634

4. Management information systems/ business data processing

Average annual salary offer to 2011 grads: $$54,372

5. Finance

Average annual salary offer to 2011 grads: $53,048

6. Agricultural sciences (not including plant science, animal science or conservation majors)

Average annual salary offer to 2011 grads: $52,934

7. Human resources

Average annual salary offer to 2011 grads: $52,532

8. Logistics/materials management

Average annual salary offer to 2011 grads: $50,602

9. Accounting

Average annual salary offer to 2011 grads: $50,316

10. Liberal arts & sciences/general studies

Average annual salary offer to 2011 grads: $50,313

Unfortunately, not all new graduates can expect high salaries right away. Those who might have delayed gratification when it comes to compensation include students who majored in elementary and secondary educationcommunications, journalism, social work, visual and performing arts, plant sciences and animal sciences -- all degrees with an average starting salary of $35,000 or less.

Creative Job Search Strategies for Career Changers

Most people who have made the decision to change their careers face the same problem: How can I get hired when I don't have relevant experience?...

It is true that not many companies will hire you as a graphic artist if you simply send a resume outlining your ten-year career in tax accounting! Even the best resume cannot hide the fact that your previous work experience has not qualified you for the position you seek.

The good news is that there are ways to gain entry into your chosen profession.

As Nicholas Lore explains in his exceptional career change book, The Pathfinder, "you gain admittance into any group, social or professional, by creating agreement." In other words, people are accepted into a group (or career field) because other people agree they belong. Agreement is developed through the things we say, the way we act, the knowledge we have etc. If a struggling, unpublished writer says "I hope to be a writer some day," she has already made it clear that she does not consider herself to be a writer. Others will agree with her categorization and accept that she is not a writer. But if she writes every day, submits short stories to small publications, attends writer's conferences and writes free articles for websites and local newspapers, she is now beginning to create agreement that she is, indeed, a writer.

The goal therefore is to become your new profession. Don't wait until someone hires you before you think of yourself as a computer programmer. Start to think of yourself that way now. Begin gathering the knowledge and experience you will need. Surf websites and chat rooms. Join associations and networking groups. Talk to other programmers. Read books. Practice. And most importantly, build a body of work.

The key then is to act as you wish to be perceived. Jeff Davies is a perfect example. A nurse by profession, Jeff was also a talented musician. He wanted to get into the video game industry, writing soundtracks and creating sound effects but he had little success when he first sent out his resume. The few responses he got were standard 'no-thanks' emails. Eventually, a friend suggested that Jeff take a different approach. Instead of sending in his resume, he created a demo reel of music he had written for famous video games. In each case he replaced the existing soundtrack with his own music. Then he started to network his way into the industry, attending game industry conferences and trade shows. He met people and kept a database of his contacts. He subscribed to industry newsletters to keep up to date with technological and industry developments. He created a website and sent a link to key industry figures. He received several calls praising his creative approach although no immediate job offers. Once a month, he stayed in touch with his network of contacts by sending a short email with a snippet of new music attached as an MP3 file. After four months, Jeff was called in to interview for a position as an entry-level sound engineer with an independent game developer. The call came from the company's creative director who had met Jeff a year earlier at a trade show. The company is not Jeff's ideal employer as they make games for children and Jeff is much more interested in role­playing action games, but he plans to stay there for a year learning all he can and then start to apply to the larger game companies.

Jeff's success was well-deserved. He took a proactive approach to his career change and dedicated much of his spare time to demonstrating his skills. By the time he was hired, he already thought and spoke and acted as a video game sound engineer.

Jeff's story highlights that career-changers must take a different approach to job search. If you are frustrated with your own job search, try following Jeff's example:

1. Get started. Don't wait for someone to pay you to be what you want to be. Just do it! If you want to prove you can design logos, for example, volunteer to redesign the logo for your friend's small business. Or simply redesign some existing corporate logos for demonstration purposes.
2. Learn everything you can. Read books, join associations, go to education events and trade shows. Read newsletters. Visit industry web sites and chat rooms. Learn the language and jargon of the industry you want to enter. Stay up to date with the newest trends and technologies. Become an expert.
3. Make contacts. Build a network of influential people within the field you want to enter. Find creative ways to approach them and maintain the connection once it is made. For example, why not offer to write an article for a trade magazine or website? You can choose a topic which gives you a reason to contact key people within the industry.
4. Find Creative Approaches. Do not rely on the standard resume and cover letter. This will almost always fail when you are trying to make a shift to a new career. Most people will scan your resume to see how your past experience matches with their current needs. Therefore, applying to job postings is unlikely to help you make the change to your new field.

Making a career change is both challenging and exciting. The biggest problem you will face is the resistance of others who doubt your qualifications in your new field. The key is to stop looking for your dream job and start doing it. Eventually ­ like Jeff - you will gain acceptance and your transformation will be complete.