8 Things No Recruiter Ever Wants to See on Your Resume

8 Things No Recruiter Ever Wants to See on Your Resume Your resume is essential to helping you get a job â€" youre unlikely to get far without it. As a record of your achievement, it (ideally) lays out for an employer exactly what you have done and therefore that you can do the job for which youre applying. Sounds simple enough, but occasionally people slip up when they think about their resume as a reflection of who they are. At times, as any hiring manager will tell you, theres definitely a tendency for some people to overshare and, it seems, to put down anything that enters their mind when they happen to be putting together this document. Where the professional and the strictly personal overlap, lets take a look at what you should leave out to avoid a CV TMI! 1. Gaps in work history Its a fact that sometimes even strong candidates have periods when they were not working. And while this may sometimes be due to unemployment, there are many perfectly good reasons why gaps may exist on the resume. Of course, being unemployed isnt always a sign of a dubious candidate, though this assumption can sometimes be made. Employers like to see where all your time went for at least the last few years. If gaps exist, you may need to add a little context, by noting, for example, that you were caring for an ill family member or taking  time to travel, or whatever the case may be. You could also choose to provide only years of employment rather than months in order to hide the breaks in work history. 2. Social media links Its not uncommon, especially among the more tech-savvy generation, to include a link to ones Facebook or Instagram profile to help the employer get to know the real me. This is so rarely a good move that its not even really worth considering. More or less the only circumstance in which including a social media profile might be a good move would be when submitting a creative portfolio â€" in these cases, you might link to a professional Twitter or a creative site such as Behance. Otherwise, it demonstrates a poor understanding of work/life divide and might backfire if your would-be employer discovers those Friday night selfies youd rather they didnt. 3. Your photo While in some cultures, its acceptable or even expected to include a photo with a resume, this isnt always the case. Notoriously, those applying for unskilled work in Los Angeles are often required to include a headshot, so that employers can weigh the odds of their new employee getting acting gigs and leaving the business in the near future. Elsewhere, including in France, Germany and Scandinavia, its seen as a good idea to include a photo. Nevertheless, most other cultures, including the UK and most of the US, certainly dont expect it, and it may come across as inappropriate and naïve to the general business culture. Apart from anything else, employers arent allowed to discriminate, positively or negatively, based on factors such as race and age, factors that your picture would likely reveal. 4. False information Many of us would understand the urge to fudge the details of the resume a little, especially as weeks of unemployment pass and the situation starts to get desperate. It would seem so easy to expand that three-month internship into a year-long position, or fabricate a project or two. But this can lead to problems down the road in all kinds of ways: at interview, these applicants can expect to be quizzed on experience they dont have, and their references wont be able to back them up. They might even find they cant do the job in question as it requires experience that they lack. Of course, to lie on a resume is also morally wrong and it tends to hang over people for years to come as they can be exposed at any time. Stick to the truth and tell your true story as best as you can. 5. References Its very common to include references with an application, but this isnt actually the right stage at which to do it. If an employer wants to get in touch with your former colleagues, they will ask you for contact details but this normally doesnt happen until after at least the first interview. Other applicants reel it in a little by stating references available on request at the end, but why does this need to be included? Its taken as a given that references will be available, and to mention this now can, unfortunately, make you come off as green. 6. Empty adjectives Are you hard-working, honest, successful and intelligent? All fine qualities, but unfortunately they dont mean much on your resume. Anyone can throw these adjectives out there, but the recruiter who has to sift through all these documents doesnt know whether youre making it up, whether you falsely believe it to be true, or whether it is in fact true. Employers much prefer statements that are actually backed up and proven with some kind of evidence. So rather than saying youre a natural leader, say you headed up a team of twelve, increasing departmental productivity 40% within six months of my appointment. Its measurable, specific and can form a natural connection in the readers mind to how you could bring the same success to their organisation. 7. Too long If youre a job hopper, or have had a particularly long career, your resume could potentially go on for several pages. Thats a big turn off to recruiters under pressure however, who really dont have time in the day to read novel-length resumes from every candidate. Some trimming will be necessary if your resume is longer than two pages of A4. You dont need to provide full details of every job youve had going back decades â€" just short summaries will do. All education before undergraduate level, and the less significant or recent roles, can be cut altogether. (Does your employer need to know about a two-month gig in a different industry in the eighties?) 8. Too short At the same time, of course, a resume really should cover at least an A4 page…even for somebody just starting their career. Any less than that, and the recruiter will feel they really dont know you at all. Avoid the temptation to pad the document out with double spacing or large font or margins but instead focus on making the content go as far as possible without relying on filler. If youve just left high school, consider how the skills and experience you developed will help you in the workplace. You might also include a personal statement â€" though its often discouraged at a higher level â€" as its not yet clear to employers what you want out of a career. This should help clarify your worth to an employer. Author:  Liam Coleman is Co-Founder and Joint Managing Director with online recruitment agency Blue Octopus Recruitment  in Leeds, UK. RELATED: How to Impress Recruiters: Resume Do’s and Don’ts

Personal Branding Success Come From Within - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding Success Come From Within - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Today, I interview Joe Vitale, who is a top internet marketer, author, actor (The Secret) and most importantly, an altogether good guy. Aside from telling you that you need to discover your brand before you mess around with this web 2.0 stuff, Joe will endorse it and show you the way. He believes that success comes from within. I agree and think that most of success is a state-of-mind because we each define our path mentally before we put it into action. Enjoy the interview! When finding happiness and true success, why do many people do the right things but get the wrong results? You have to take care of your beliefs first. If people dont feel they deserve success, unconsciously they will do things to assure they dont achieve it. You have to get clear of the counter intentions within you, which is why I wrote The Attractor Factor and later The Key and then recorded The Missing Secret. If you dont get clear of limiting beliefs, you can do all the right things and never achieve success you seek. Why do people have to focus on the inside first before they create the outside (self-discovery vs creating their brand on the web, etc)? The inside creates the outside. It doesnt seem that way because we have it backwards. The outer is a mirror reflection of your inner. Change the inner first and the outer changes almost by itself. What are your 5 steps for people becoming self-aware and happier? In the Attractor Factor I say the steps are Know what you dont want Turn what you dont want into an intention of desire Get clear of all the limiting beliefs about your desire Nevillize your goal, which means feel as if it has already come to pass Let go of your attachment to the outcome while taking inspired actions to make it happen. What is the connection between success, wealth, and happiness? In short, happiness is what you want. When you are happy, you tend to attract success and wealth. Beginning with the end in mind is a great wy to achieve what you want. Be happy now, and then do the next thing for you. How have you built your personal brand over time and what lessons can people learn from your experiences? Consistency in the marketplace helps build a brand. After I came out with my first e-book, Hypnotic Writing and it became a success, I followed it with more hypnotic oriented books and started my company as Hypnotic Marketing Inc. Ever since I was in the movie The secret, Ive been recreating myself as a spiritual teacher/mystic. Again, staying consistent helps so people dont get confused about your brand. Joe Vitale is a hypnotherapist and bestselling author. Joe is the President of Hypnotic Marketing, Inc., an Internet marketing consulting firm. He is one of the stars of the hit movie, The Secret. Joe has been called The Buddha of the Internet for his combination of spirituality and marketing acumen. His published books include The Attractor Factor, Zero Limits, Lifes Missing Instruction Manual, and The Key. Joe has also created software, such as Hypnotic Writing Wizard and Speak and Send. He recently created a home-study course titled, Spiritual Marketing: How to Earn $1,000,000 or More This Year Alone. His famous marketing course is Hypnotic Selling Secrets. He blogs in his spare time as well.

Digital Marketing Is it for you

Digital Marketing Is it for you If you’re thinking about  a career, have you ever considered digital marketing? Its an ever expanding industry that rewards both analytical and creative minds alike. If youre looking for a career that encourages you to be creative, inventive and passionate, then  Emma  Davies of Croud suggests that  the world of digital marketing has a lot to offer. What is Digital Marketing? In its most simple form, digital marketing is the promotion of services, brands or products across various digital spaces. However, its so much more than that. Every client has different goals. Some companies want to expand their brand awareness and increase traffic, while others want to target new audiences. Similarly, there is no one method of digital marketing. The internet is full of blogs, advert campaigns, viral videos and more. People browse the internet on their laptops, tablets and phones, so there’s a range of advertising approaches to make the most of this vast potential. All of this requires digital marketing specialists. This is where companies like Croud come in. The Current State of Digital Marketing There has never  been a better time to join digital marketing. The industry is very relevant in the twenty-first century.   Entire businesses  operate online and even those that have a physical presence (such as high street retail chains), are increasingly relying on their digital presence. Digital marketing is an ever evolving landscape. It incorporates some very technical and fluid aspects, such as SEO (Search Engine Optimisation).  These  change regularly enough to keep the industry fresh and alive. Companies need to compete against each other and digital marketing offers a way to react dynamically, taking into account the latest industry updates. It is pretty clear that this industry is only going to grow and expand. The internet is moving into everything â€"   the Internet of Things  is the most common term for this phenomenon â€" and with it, digital marketing needs will only increase and develop. When the World Wide Web moves beyond phones and laptops to home appliances, cars and more, the ability to reach people will expand exponentially. Clients will want to capitalise on this and we will be there to help them! PPC One of the methods of Digital Marketing that Croud specialises in is Pay Per Click advertising, or PPC for short. This is a digital advertising model that typically displays on search engines, using the entered keywords to deliver the targeted messages. The most common and primary example of this is Google AdWords, which is the system behind the paid adverts which appear on Google search engine result pages or SERPs. Clients pay for each click, as this represents a possible customer moving directly to their website. Naturally, this represents huge opportunities for clients looking to get high positions on SERPs. This would require a PPC account and the creation of targeted adverts, keyword selections and the creation of various campaigns, all designed to match the client’s given products and services. For this to happen, an executive or specialist would oversee this entire process, working with the customer to deliver the best and most eye-catching adverts available. PPC represents a strong return on investment for companies, and as each keyword can be measured for success there are many opportunities through data analysis to continually implement new strategies. Career Opportunities Croud is an independent digital marketing agency that has been named Google’s fastest growing agency for the last two years.  There are opportunities for  PPC account executives to join their team in the Shrewsbury office. As there are currently no degrees in PPC marketing the Croud recruitment process involves looking at the candidate’s transferrable skills. These would primarily be: An analytical mind-set, coupled with the courage to take a calculated risk. A creative flair to allow projects to be approached in an abstract manner to achieve new results. Meticulous attention to detail to ensure clients brand messaging is correct and trends can be detected and acted on. Exceptional time management skills to ensure tight deadlines are met and clients’ expectations are exceeded. Excellent communication skills to allow writing of useful insight on client reports, presenting performance data to internal and external clients as well as aiding with building rapport. What does the job of an account executive  involve? Writing engaging and effective PPC adverts, using keyword research to get the best results Adjusting your bid strategies to get the best results and reacting to new developments Being aware of the client’s needs, looking out for potential trends and taking action when needed Blog writing and helping with training materials Analysing and optimising existing accounts to make them more effective Working with our Croudie Network, the Croud network of over 500 freelance digital experts located globally, to complete all tasks associated with campaign management. Alongside this, you get to work in a business that encourages self-discovery and the ability to always learn something new. You also get to be part of a passionate company that has offices in Shrewsbury, London, Sydney and New York, as well as businesses and clients from all over the globe. This video that features some of the team members at Croud highlights why Croud is a great place to work as well as a great company to do business with.