Introduction 1 About This Book 1 Foolish Assumptions 2 Icons Used in This Book 2 Beyond the Book 3 Where to Go from Here 3 Part 1: Getting Started with Resumes 5 Chapter 1: Getting a Job in the Digital Age 7 Resumes Are Here to Stay 8 Keeping Up with Resume Times 8 Targeted resume rules 9 Unfit resumes are zapped 10 Tried-and-true techniques remain 11 Technologies Facilitate Job Searching 12 Social networking scoops jobs 13 Mobile''s on the move 13 Quick-change process customizes content 14 Bios gain new importance as profiles 14 YourName.com becomes vital 14 Chapter 2: Enlisting Social Media 15 The Sweeping Reach of Social Networking 16 Eyeing the Big Three of Social Networking Job Searches 17 LinkedIn focuses on professionals 17 Facebook hands adults important search tools 19 Twitter opens quick, slick paths to employers 20 Making Sure Online Profiles Capture Your Best Side 23 Let''s hear it for profiles! 23 Not all profiles should be cheered 24 Great tips for great profiles 25 Writing Your Social Profile 26 Summary section 26 Specialties section 28 Experience section 29 Fine-tuning your profile 31 Putting Your Best Face Forward 32 Chapter 3: Going Mobile 35 Earning New Rewards with Mobile Search 36 Knowing When and Where to Stick to Home Computer Searches 37 Powering a Mobile Search 37 Choose job search apps wisely 37 Watch type size and font 38 Empower RSS to send job news 38 Stay in the running with a rehearsed salary strategy 39 Choose your work site with GPS 40 Score with proven keywords 40 Avoiding Mobile Job Search Mistakes 41 Thinking technology overcomes poor resume quality 41 Going on too long when going mobile 41 Looking naive in following up 41 Chapter 4: Leveraging Familiar Search Tools 43 Plain-Text Resumes Are Still on the Scene 44 Creating an ATS-Friendly Resume 47 E-Forms: Fill in the Blankety-Blanks 51 Online Screening Guards the Employment Door 52 Sample components of online screening 53 Pros and cons of online screening 54 Can your resume be turned away? 55 Blogs Give a Global Brand 55 RSS Delivers Job Alerts on Your Time 56 Resume Blasting: A Really Bad Idea 57 Privacy and identity theft problems 57 Overexposure to recruiters 58 Going directly makes all the difference 59 Making recruiters work for you 59 Chapter 5: Checking Your Online Image 61 Your Online Life Is an Open Book 62 A look at the dark side 62 A look at the bright side 63 Cleaning Up Your Act 63 Restoring Your Online Reputation 64 Keeping Watch on Your Online Reputation 66 Staying out of trouble online 66 Looking like a champ online 69 Look Who''s Talking about You 71 Part 2: Pulling Together a Winning Resume 73 Chapter 6: Selecting the Best Resume Format 75 Resume Formats Make a Difference 76 Reverse-Chronological Format 77 Understanding the RC format''s strengths and weaknesses 77 Deciding whether you should use the RC format 79 Creating a reverse-chronological resume 80 Chrono-Functional Format 81 Understanding the CF format''s strengths and weaknesses 83 Deciding whether you should use the CF format 83 Creating a chrono-functional resume 84 Hybrid Format 84 Understanding the hybrid format''s strengths and weaknesses 85 Deciding whether you should use the hybrid format 86 Creating a hybrid resume 86 Other Resume Presentations 89 Resume letters 89 Portfolios 90 Chapter 7: Understanding the Parts of a Resume 93 Breaking Down the Parts of Your Resume 94 Leading with Contact Information 95 Placing Your Job Target in the Objective Header 96 Grabbing the Reader with the Summary Section 97 Maximizing the summary section 98 Selling yourself in your summary 99 Matching the Job Target with Key Skills 100 Hard skills 100 Soft skills 101 The Proof Is in the Experience 101 Defining the parts of your experience 102 Playing up target expertise 102 When competencies come into play 104 Education Makes the Grade 105 Detailing your degree 105 Featuring your certifications 107 Listing your licenses 108 Gaining Extra Points 108 Activities 108 Organizations and affiliations 109 Honors and awards 109 Endorsements 110 Shaping Your Content on Application Forms 111 Notable Content to Leave Off Your Resume 112 Avoid addressing the salary question 112 Hold off on providing your references 113 Chapter 8: Making the Details Shine 115 Getting Started by Gathering Data 116 Compiling the Content for the Basis of Your Resume 117 Starting with your employment history and responsibilities lists 117 Going down the rabbit hole to identify challenges 119 Showing how action and results overcame challenges 121 Taking the Next Steps 123 Considering other accomplishments 123 Brainstorming your way to success 124 Your Core Resume: Turning Your Data into Dynamite 126 Assembling the bones of the resume 127 Tackling your most recent professional or job-related experience 128 Focusing on older positions 129 Playing up other experience 130 Building your brand in the summary section 130 Polishing Your Core Resume to Hand Out in Person 131 Chapter 9: Using the OnTarget Approach 133 Is Targeting Your Resume Really Necessary? 133 Why One-Size-Fits-All Never Works 134 First-line human resume screening 135 First-line computerized resume screening 135 Final destination with decision-maker 136 Taking a Custom Approach 137 Drawing words from job descriptions 139 Using crossover language to be OnTarget 139 Part 3: Resume Strategies to Wow Them 143 Chapter 10: Working Wonders with Wow Words 145 Bringing Good News with Wow Words 146 Wow words for administration and management 146 Wow words for communications and creativity 147 Wow words for sales and persuasion 148 Wow words for technical ability 149 Wow words for office support 149 Wow words for teaching 150 Wow words for research and analysis 151 Wow words for helping and caregiving 152 Wow words for financial management 153 Wow words for many skills 153 Helping Recruiters Find You 154 Keywords for administration and management 156 Keywords for banking 156 Keywords for customer service 156 Keywords for information technology 157 Keywords for manufacturing 157 Keywords for human resources 158 Finding Keywords 158 Using Keywords 160 Getting a Grip on Grammar 161 Focusing on Spelling 162 Chapter 11: Refining Your Design 165 Leaving Space 166 Measure your margins 166 Balance blank space 167 Employing Basic Design Elements for a Readable Resume 168 Come on, break it up! Avoid blocky text 169 Group content under a job description 169 Draw attention with text boxes, charts, and graphs 170 Create eye-catching headers 172 Have fun with fonts and font styles 173 Consistency, consistency, consistency 174 A few more tips on appearance 174 Tips for Printed Resumes 175 Chapter 12: Opting for a Creative Resume 177 Understanding Why Creative Resumes Are Game Changers 177 Defining creative resumes 178 The yes and no of creative resumes 179 Using Design Strategies That Pop 180 Lines and shading 181 Text boxes 181 Charts and graphs 182 Monograms and logos 184 Graphics and icons 185 Chapter 13: Dealing with a Major Life Change 187 Scoring Big with Your First Gig 188 Promoting your strengths 188 Recognizing your rookie soft spots 188 Demonstrating how recent graduates add value 189 Avoiding gaffes common to new graduates 193 Moving Beyond "Too Old" to "In Demand" 195 Selling your strengths as a seasoned worker 195 Busting myths about seasoned workers 196 Tips for the seasoned worker 197 Taking a lower-level job 199 Watching out for gaffes common to seasoned workers 201 Moving from Military Work to Civilian Employment 202 Highlighting your military strengths 202 Identifying potential strikes against you 202 Tips for transitioners 203 Getting the message about milspeak 204 Chapter 14: Overcoming Career Roadblocks 209 Navigating Job Gaps 209 Viewing a gap as a good thing 210 Minding the gap 211 Returning to the Workforce after Being a Caregiver 213 Seeking a Job When You Have a Disability 215 Deciding whether to disclose a disability 216 Explaining gaps in work history 216 When substance abuse is the problem 216 Seeking a Job When You''re an Ex-Offender 217 Negative info kills your chances 217 Avoid the chronological format 217 Present prison experience in nonprison terms 218 Get help.