The exchange started out innocently enough when the thread starter announced his sister’s new career services web site. Me being me, I chimed in to offer the benefit of my experience with running a similar business (because even though we’re all competing against each other, you’d be surprised how tight-knit and supportive the resume writing and career coaching industry really is.)

That prompted one participant to respond with the following:

“Anyone who needs to hire a “pro” to train him or her to write a resume isn’t intelligent and industrious enough to work for me…”

Oh really now?

One of the most common things I see when I review resumes written by the job-seeker is that many people make the mistake of writing their job descriptions in their resume. 

With the economy being what it is and the job market being more competitive than ever, strategic branding is truly what can set a candidate apart from the pack. 

How does a chef, for example, distinguish him/herself? Cooking great food is just a small part of the picture. So is designing a menu. Additional areas of accomplishments, which many chefs have but don’t think to include on their resumes, include  inventory management, catering planning, kitchen/ restaurant design, quality control, food safety, health inspection, license management, and staff training/supervision.

Here’s where the branding part of the equation comes in. Whereas a lot of chefs might have experience in these keywords, it’s important to clarify the scope of your experience as clearly as possible.

In the chef’s case, mentioning the verage size of the restaurant, the nubmer of tables, thenumber of customers served during a meal shift, etc. begins to clarify the scope of the responsibility for the hiring official.

For instance, if the chef worked in an eatery that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner; seats 400 people, and has an aaverage pre-tax, pre-tip ticket of $75, excluding beverages, those are just some of the elements to include that can help a reviewer get a better picture of the type of eatery the chef has experience serving.

But wait, we’re not done with defining the brand. Consider that there are a hundreds of thousands of chefs out there, so it’s time to become even more creative by mentioning the type of culinary expertise the chef has.

For example…

Artistic, visionary culinary designer with 15 years of experience creating innovative, healthy Asian fare using primarily organic and imported ingredients. Manage electronic inventory planning, menu creation, quality control, and presentation for four-star, three-shift metropolitan eateries averaging 400 seats.

If you’re like the debater who cringed at my flowery use of language (visionary culinary designer), I would tell you this. The description needs to fit the target employer.

In this case, the chef was targeting only the top eateries in a major metropolitan city, and in doing research of similar want-adds for executive chef openings, I actually found a couple that referred to an executive chef as “culinary designers.”

It’s important to adjust the verbiage to the level being sought – a “greasy spoon” serving a lot of customers is probably going to be happy with someone who can keep up with a lot of tickets whereas a more sophisticated place might want someone who works at a different pace and to a diffferent clientele.

The OJSRM credential, which replaces the Certified Internet Job Search Expert (CIJSE) designation, takes the concepts previously taught in the CIJSE program pertaining to tapping into the hidden job market, and expands them with techniques specific to client branding and online networking activities designed to increase a candidate’s chances of finding viable employment leads.

For more information on how Prism Writing Services can help you jump-start your career search and establish a powerful professional online identity for networking purposes, contact us!

Ms. Duckers, who previously held the Certified Employment Interview Professional (CEIP) credential from the Professional Association of Resume Writers/Career Coaches (PARW/CC), re-demonstrated proficiency in employment interviewing through an intensive course of study encompassing all aspects of interview preparation and planning as well as salary negotiation.

The program provided in-depth strategies in the handling of many strategic issues such as different types of interviews, portfolio development, illegal questions, psychometric testing, drug testing and employer follow-up.

Since launching Prism Writing Services, Ms. Duckers has earned numerous industry certifications and credentials, including the Master Career Director (MCD), Certified Expert Resume Writer (CERW), Certified Military Resume Writer (CMRW), Certified Federal Resume Writer (CFRW), Certified Web Portfolio Practitioner (CWPP), and the Certified Internet Job Search  Expert (CIJSE) credentials.

She also received her first TORI (Toast of the the Resume Industry) award in 2010, placing first in “Best Cover Letter” category.

Ms. Duckers, who is also part of the CareerPro Global team where she prepares  federal and military transition resumes, currently services on the CDI Certification committee.  She has also contributed to the development of the CMWR credential as well as the forthcoming Master Federal Career Coach (MFCC) certification.

About Career Directors International (CDI) – CDI is an innovative global organization whose membership consists of career professionals including resume writers, career coaches and counselors, job developers, recruiters and outplacement specialists from civil service, private practice, military and academia. CDI is an international association that provides proactive resources and assistance to empower its members in the undertaking and application of career development, resume writing and employment practices.

Here are some pointers to help you get the most out of your next job fair experience.

• Lower your expectations. Very rarely do people get hired for jobs at job fairs on the spot, which is why the description “job fair” is a misnomer. Typically, a recruiter at a job fair will glance over your resumé, spend about five or ten minutes talking to you, and then move on to other candidates. The idea is to make a positive first impression and get a dialogue going.
• Do some scouting.  The job fair is like attending a singles dance stag — it’s an opportunity to scout what’s out there and pursue what’s interesting. chances are you’ll be given some type of floor plan identifying which employers are attending. Before you start walking round, you might want to make a list of those employers that are most appealing and visit them first because you’re more likely to be ”fresher” at the start of a job fair as opposed to later on, when you’ve been walking around in uncomfortable shows all day.
• Leave your resumé with every employer, regardless of what they’re looking for.  The human resources representatives present at job fairs typically do all the recruiting for their respective organizations. If the company isn’t offering anything in your desired field, it doesn’t hurt to leave a copy of your resumé in case something opens later. Think of it as performing a mass broadcast delivery of your resumé in person.
• Bring a cover letter to go with your resumé. Remember, at most job fairs, recruiters see hundreds of candidates. A cover letter keeps your name fresh in their minds, and helps the recruiter better place you within their company, especially later on if they want to share notes with managers within their companies.
• Don’t grab the goodies. Many companies offer a small premium item to keep their name in front of candidates. If you’re a collector, think for a moment about the message you’re sending. If you show up at a table with a bag full of goodies that you’ve gathered from other tables, it makes you look as though you only came for the giveaways. Still worse, if you approach a recruiter with chocolate, or some other flavored treat clearly visible on your teeth, lips or breath, do you think a recruiter is going to take you seriously?
• Know what you want to do. When times are tough, it’s not uncommon for the person who’s been unemployed a while to be less discriminating about the employment they’ll accept. In reality, your willingness to do “anything” the company has to offer is more frustrating than you realize. You can’t expect the recruiter to read your mind and find the perfect role for you; you need to meet them halfway by offering a hint as to where your interests lie. Further, unless you really mean that you’ll do anything, including standing outside in inclement weather wearing some funky costume to promote a company’s event, don’t put yourself in a position where you’ll have to backtrack.

Career fairs are an excellent way to network, not just with recruiters but with people who might be able to help you advance your career. Make good use of your time and you’re bound to get positive results.

Job boards serve as a good starting resource for people in the market for a new career direction, but they shouldn’t be your only source. Here are some safety tips:

1. Bookmark job sites listed in ads and verify that they are legitimate links to the companies. Many of the Fortune 500 organizations have their own employment databases and some even allow you to upload your resumé to their database.
2. Check for a telephone number. There’s no harm in calling for more information – and making sure the company is legitimate – in order to make an informed decision about whether to pursue employment with the lead.
3. If you do post your resumé on a public job board, limit the amount of personal information you show. For example, instead of listing your address and telephone number, list an e-mail.
4. Mask any potentially identifying information, such as current or most recent employer (you could put COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL in place of the name). Once you determine that you’re dealing with a legitimate recruiter, release your information.
5. Finally, if an ad sounds “too good to be true,” it probably is.