Your 'Objective' probably stinks.

In all likelihood, you've written a poor cookie-cutter 'Objective' statement at the top of your resume. I'm not trying to be harsh, I'm just being a realist. Consider the following before-and-after examples:

Before: "Experienced Business Analyst looking to utilize my skills and abilities to enhance company operations, while being challenged in a dynamic environment and afforded the opportunity for advancement."

After: "The self-proclaimed "World's Best Business Analyst" is the perfect fit for the Sr. Business Analyst position at Corps Systems. On average, I deliver completed information systems 12 days ahead of schedule, $8,250 under budget, and earn a 98.2% end user satisfaction rating. I'm eager to parlay these results to Corps Systems."

Does your 'Objective' look like my 'Before' example (above)? If so, humor me (and every prospective HR person who'll read it), and change it NOW. If you have trouble identifying success metrics from your own experience, you'd better start paying closer attention to your results going forward. The most important take-away here is that you understand that the employer doesn't care about what you want in a job - especially in this economy! They want to know what you can bring to the table that will benefit them.

Your resume is a failure if you don't do this...

I'm astounded by the fact that 100% of the resumes I receive (pre-revamp) contain long bulleted lists of job responsibilities, and maybe one bullet allotted to an achievement or result. Consider the following before-and-after bullet point examples:

Before: "Tasked with signing new business by reaching out for referrals, hosting info seminars, and cold calling"

After: "Signed a team-high $170,000 in new business in Q1 2009, which resulted in 5% year-over-year growth, despite a lagging economy and fierce competition"

EVERY BULLET should stress an achievement/result, with additional information to put things in context. Is your resume filled with achievements and results?

How Do I Start Networking?

Here's an awesome 1:15 YouTube video clip of the guy who inspired me to get out there and network, Keith Ferrazzi. While you're at it, check out some of his other videos on YouTube. He is THE networking guru. In fact, his book Never Eat Alone is a business classic. I encourage you to pick up a copy and indulge.

Are you networking and building your contact database at an optimal level?

Are you using Google in your job search? You should be...

Below is a blog post dated November 2007 that's more relevant than ever before. Mining information effectively on Google could very well result in your rapid employment. Learn the little nuances of Google's search power and implement them in your job search ASAP.

http://www.onedayonejob.com/blog/how-to-use-google-to-find-a-job/

Are you using Google in your job search? (You should be!!!)

Does your resume POP!?

Considering the fact that your resume is a marketing piece, representative of YOU, I can't imagine why anyone would still cling to a boring black-and-white document. Now is the time to get creative and let your personality shine through on paper.

NotYourAverageResume.com offers colorful outside-of-the-box options for job seekers. If you're not a Microsoft Word formatting whiz, no worries - they've got it covered for you. Their templates are fully-editable, so you can make changes as necessary.

Have you updated the look-and-feel of your resume lately?

Are YOU competent?

I should re-phrase: Are you deemed competent by potential employers? Here's what I feel are "The Big 5" most marketable competencies in the current economy:

Competency #1: Salesmanship ability, in particular, ability to grow existing business, open new business and cultivate relationships. In a poor economic climate, there's nothing like the guy/gal who can CONSISTENTLY 'create revenue out of thin air.' These people are invaluable and directly impact a company's bottom line.

Competency #2: Ability to identify areas for cost cuts and execute a plan to realize the cost savings immediately. If you're not generating revenue for the company, might as well help them save money! Yet another critical contribution to the company's bottom line.

Competency #3: Knowledge of and experience with 'green' or sustainable projects. Sustainability is a HOT topic in business at the moment because of the social benefits it affords the company. A little positive publicity surrounding 'green' initiatives never hurt!

Competency #4: A well-rounded background and skill set for wearing many hats within an organization. As companies down-size, remaining employees often take on additional roles/responsibilities. In other words, a jack-of-all-trades, but master of none.

Competency #5: Technological savvy and propensity for learning new technical skills, regardless of title/role. There's nothing like the ability to leverage software to enhance time management, efficiency and effectiveness across the board. Remember the old addage, "Work smarter, not harder."

I'm graduating in May...how the !@#% do I find a job??

Don't fret. Here are some recommendations:

1) Develop SPECIALIZATION in your chosen field. That could mean seeking additional degrees, continuing education coursework, and/or certifications. Then, build that specialization into your Self-Brand to make yourself more marketable to potential employers.

2) Create a PROJECT out of thin air and solve a problem for someone (pro bono). Do your research about a potential employer by reading all you can about them (company Web site, Hoovers, Vault, Glassdoor, etc.). Identify a problem and think outside-of-the-box, as to how they might solve that problem. For example, if a company is losing market share to a major competitor, develop a 'Regain Market Share' plan with innovative ideas. This will get you a) professional experience on your Resume and b) possibly, a new job.

3) It's OK to move-in with Mom and Dad again. In fact, I'd venture to say, that's becoming more of the norm these days, as inflation firms its grip on our economy and salaries don't adjust enough to cover cost of living. While living at home, chase your dream. Always wanted to open a doughnut franchise? Work at Dunkin' Doughnuts and LEARN THE BUSINESS. Work on your business plan every day when you get home from work. Once you've read some books on Entreprenuership, you're comfortable with the business plan and you've saved some money, START YOUR BUSINESS.

4) On the other end of the spectrum...VOLUNTEER. Join the Peace Corps or Habitat For Humanity (or similar). You'll gain valuable 'real world' experience that everyone will respect, while giving the economy a chance to recover. Who knows, maybe you'll even get a job through your new volunteer network?

5) Network, network, network, network, and network. Join groups, create groups, talk to everyone everywhere - don't miss an opportunity. STAY CLOSELY CONNECTED TO YOUR UNIVERSITY'S ALUMNI PROGRAM!!

People are actually getting hired in this economy??

"O.K., you just got laid off. Once you get over the shock, here's some good news: Millions of people were hired last month!"

CNNMoney.com / FORTUNE micro-site (click link)

Eternal optimism is contagious. Spread it instead of the swine flu :)

hr@company.com...

When applying for jobs on Monster, CareerBuilder, or Hotjobs, I advise my clients to focus on job listings that provide the applicant with a real person's email address to submit their resume to, as opposed to a generic email address (john.smith@company.com vs. hr@company.com). I can't help but think that emails sent to a generic address end up lost in cyberspace for all eternity. Furthermore, once you've applied for a particular position, if you have a real person's email address, you can follow-up a week later (or send relevant links you find in the news, befriend them on Linked In, etc.).

Are you applying for jobs on major job boards that provide you with a real person's email address?

Evidence LEADERSHIP on paper...

1) "Championed the Sustainability Committee at XYZ company, which resulted in a 50% reduction in office waste, 30% reduction in energy, and a significant reduction in the company's overall carbon footprint."

2) "Led a team of 5 to design, develop and implement a new process, which resulted in 50% time savings."

3) "Winner of the Excellence in Leadership Award"

4) "Motivated a team of 5 to make cold-calls for two weeks, which resulted in 25 new prospects, and 3 new customers, and $60K in new revenue."

5) "Recruited 5 new volunteers, provided direction and action plans, and raised social awareness of Global Warming."

LEADERSHIP comes in many forms...just like water (solid, liquid and gas).

How to nail an interview (.com)...

Hopefully, this video will afford you a good gut laugh this Monday morning.

To view additional videos and interview tips, see howtonailaninterview.com.

If you don't ask, you don't get...

Take a look at the following two questions, each of which are being asked by the same unemployed person to a close friend:

1) "Is your company hiring?"

2) "When you get into work on Monday, can you take a look on your company's Intranet and see if there are any openings? If you find some, would you mind copying and pasting them into an email for me? I'd like to apply by Wednesday, if possible."

Which do you think is more effective?

The Art of War...

"The general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple ere the battle is fought." (Sun Tzu)

What are your "calculations"? Do you know what you're up against? Do you know where you're headed and what your end goal is? Do you have a plan to get there and achieve your goal(s)? Are you utilizing the tools at your disposal at an optimal level? You MUST answer these questions before attacking the job market.

I can tell you what you're up against: According to the Associated Press, the jobless rate bolted to 8.5% in March 2009, with the economy losing 663,000 jobs. Many economists predict the unemployment rate will hit 10% at the end of this year, and The Fed says unemployment will remain elevated into 2011. In fact, the job market may not recover to a state of normalcy - meaning a 5% unemployment rate - until 2013.

That's what you're up against. You know what to expect. Now, begin planning your attack and execute flawlessly. Don't give up. You CAN be employed NOW, so long as you think outside-of-the-box, which is exactly what this blog promulgates.

A rather "healthy" sector in a dour job market...

With an aging Baby Boomer generation and a strong demand for care, the Healthcare sector is adding thousands of jobs each month, despite the labor market turmoil. If you are looking for "greener pastures" but are unsure of where to turn, let this blog post be your roadmap.

I know what you're thinking: "It's too late to go back to school to become a doctor!" Consider the plethora of (well-paying and flexible) alternatives: healthcare administration, nursing, pharmaceuticals, biotech, medical equipment, consulting, healthcare technology and software, health insurance...just google "healthcare jobs" and you'll see, the list goes on and on. Additionally, President Obama has made healthcare a key plank of his administration, and as such, the sector will be infused with plenty of government cash for years to come.

Have you considered furthering your education and obtaining employment within the Healthcare sector?

Where have all the jobs gone?

In an article written by Ayesha Khanna (Forbes.com), Ayesha professes that "networking or resume buffing...tweeting on Twitter or taking a tutorial on how to connect with people...will only get you so far." I must agree. It may seem like a futile effort if you're using all of the aforementioned tools, to no avail. Please keep in mind, that the economy is ever-changing. Some jobs that are lost, are gone forever. Technology and globalization are rapidly changing the landscape of our economy, and I encourage the unemployed to go where the jobs are. Which begs the question...where are the jobs?

Read the article in-full here to find out where all the jobs have gone and are going.

Are you adapting to the ever-changing economy and shifting your job search/skill set accordingly?

Trade Publications...

It is of the utmost importance that you keep a pulse on your industry at all times, as "knowledge is power." The best way to do this is to read trade publications. In addition to the Wall Street Journal, many Investment Bankers read titles such as American Banker, The Bond Buyer and Financial Planning. In New York City, real estate professionals read The Real Deal. Chief Information Officers read CIO Magazine. Doctors read The New England Journal of Medicine, and so on and so forth.

By keeping a pulse on your industry, you'll be ahead of the curve as opportunity emerges in niche areas. Furthermore, you'll be able to speak intelligently about the minutiae of your craft; very impressive (and attractive) to potential employers. Find a trade publication, subscribe to it, and start reading and internalizing!

Are you reading at least one (1) trade publication from your industry?

Keywords / "Buzz" words...

Writing a resume is formulaic. Key to the formula, is having the job description for the position you're applying for in front of you, while you tailor your resume to meet the job requirements. I encourage and advise you to pull many or all of the keywords listed in the job description, and craftily insert them in your resume. This ensures two things: 1) the database (a.k.a. "gatekeeper") will likely recognize your resume as a strong fit for the position, by using optical character recognition (OCR) to count how many keywords were present, therefore, landing it in the hands of a human, and 2) upon human review, they'll find comfort in the fact that you use the same language they do (a very good thing). Have you ever read something that just struck a chord with you? It's the same feeling. It's the feeling of, "Finally! Someone who would be a perfect fit. Let's get them on the phone."

Job hunting is a game of probabilities. It's time to sway the odds in your favor.

Are you customizing every resume you send out with keywords from the job description?

The Patron Saint of Stray Careers...

Staying motivated and mining for nuggets of insight while traversing your job search path, are important to sustaining that all-pervasive and contagious positive attitude that employers tend to eat-up. Dale Dauten, the self-proclaimed, "Patron Saint of Stray Careers," offers a FREE audio/e-book on his Web site (narrated by Dale); a perfect addition to your iPod motivational audio collection. Download it, listen to it, internalize it, and take action to better your career path.

Are you doing everything you can to stay positive in these turbulent times?

Alumni Network...

Every school has an alumni network. Plug yourself in. Go to your school's Web site and read through the alumni section(s). Find out when the next gathering is. Attend the gathering, and bring your portfolio with you, which should contain extra copies of your resume - just in case. Establish some meaningful connections with alumni, past and present. Learn as much as you can about each person you meet with and collect business cards at every turn. Send each individual a personalized email after the event. 'Friend' them on Facebook and/or Linked IN.

Also, Facebook and Linked IN have some great alumni network tools, often allowing displaced alumni to meetup in disparate cities. There is no excuse not to be leveraging your alumni network.

Have you leveraged your alumni network yet?

JobFox...

According to their Web site, it's "the fastest growing job site in America." What sets JobFox apart from traditional job sites? For starters, they have a 1) unique job-matching process and 2) employer introduction service (direct access to the people doing the hiring). According to JobFox, their users are "3x more likely to get an interview"! A pretty staggering statistic, which warrants you giving it a shot. See JobFox.com for more information and to set up a profile.

Have you set up a JobFox profile and leveraged the technology yet?