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• Always proofread your resume thoroughly before sending it out. Spelling and grammatical errors indicate that you did not spend time to make sure your resume was clean and error free and is also one of the biggest pet peeves for employers.
• Make it visually appealing. Misaligned indentations and double spaces can make your resume appear sloppy. But also beware of getting too creative. Bright colors and funky fonts are not what an employer is looking for. Your resume should look professional and be easily readable, so use no more than two different fonts and styles (bolds and italics).
• Leave the cartoon pictures or decorations off your resume. Those things can make you appear immature and unprofessional.
• Don’t be mainstream with your formatting. Formatting can be tricky, but using a common template in Word can also be your biggest downfall. Employers look at tons of resumes and seeing the same format over and over again will result in those getting tossed to the side. Format your resume for each job you apply for by using the language of the job ad and highlighting your experience most relevant to that job.
• Do not leave out key information from your resume. Employers may view missing information as being sneaky, such as missing dates or gaps in employment. Be as straightforward as you can possibly be on a resume.
• Last, but not least, remember to always include a cover letter.

Job hunting can be tricky but with a just a few easy steps you can help ease the pain. They say you have 5 to 10 seconds to capture the attention of a possible employer and using these tips can greatly increase your chances of that.  Good luck out there and happy job hunting!

Corrections officer Robert Collins was asked for his Facebook password in a job re-hire interview. Collins first reaction was “one of disgust and shock,” he told a Baltimore Sun reporter. He said he felt like he was being treated like a criminal and if he didn’t comply, he would be passed over for the job. According to the Baltimore Sun, the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services claimed that the practice was simply intended to help identify applicants with criminal affiliations or connections.

As technology grows at a continually rapid pace, legislation has failed to keep up and leaves cases like this without a clear answer. While asking for a Facebook password might seem questionable, anything posted on Facebook, or anywhere else on the internet for that matter, is public property. Prospective employees must understand how to navigate the difficult job market while being smart with their social media and internet presence.

Here are some surprising things that employers are allowed to ask about during the hiring process:

• Verifying a college degree: Although it’s easy to validate, fibbing about which school you attended or the degree you earned is somewhat common.
• Running a credit/background check: Prospective employers can get an in-depth snapshot of prospective new hires. This gives them insight not only into your legal and criminal history, but some say credit scores allow employers to get an idea about your character and sense of responsibility.
• Previous salary: Employers typically use this as a negotiation point for your new salary. Although some consider this practice to be in poor taste, it is legal for them to do so. Some potential employers may even ask to see a prior W2 to verify.
• Examples of previous performance: If you tell your prospective employer that you increased productivity by 50% at your previous job, be prepared to show them the facts and figures- and don’t be surprised if they call your previous supervisor to see exactly what role you played in the project.

While there are many things employers are surprisingly able to inquire about, several questions are also 100% off limits. Asking a person about any of the following is illegal and considered discrimination – age, race, religious or sexual orientation, national origin, disability and marital/family status. Asking about native language, length of residency in an area, weight, recent illnesses and plans for children are also not allowed. In addition, there are special restrictions on questions for members of the military. Inquiring about honorable/dishonorable discharge is not allowed, and you cannot be asked if you are a member of the National Guard or the Reserves (HRworld.com).

Have you ever been surprised by an interview question? What questions are too personal and cross the line? UniversityDecisions.com wants to hear your opinions! Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Preparation directly correlates to performance at a job interview. If you’d like the encounter to be successful and translate into an offer, it is important to rehearse. While it is impossible to exactly replicate the interview scenario, simulating the experience is important and will make a difference.

Nerves can really wreck an interview. Practicing ahead of time can reduce jitters and allow you to be more confident and calm. Have a friend, relative or other professional you trust do a trial cross-examination with you. Here are some of the most commonly asked questions:

• Describe yourself.
• What do you consider to be your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
• Do you have any hobbies? What do you do in your spare time?
• Why did you choose this career?
• What two or three things are most important to you in your job?
• How well do you work with people? What is your management style?
• How do you deal with conflict?
• What are some of the professional accomplishments you are most proud of?
• Describe a difficult work situation and how you overcame it.
• Why did you leave your last job?
• What would your previous supervisor say about your work performance?
• What do you know about our company?
• Why did you decide to seek a position with us?
• In what ways do you think you can contribute to our organization?
• What are your long-range career objectives?
• Where do you see yourself in the future?
• What makes you qualified for this position?
• Why should we hire you?

About a week in advance review the organization you are meeting with, also be very familiar with the cover letter and resume you submitted. It is also helpful to do a little research on the latest industry news—these tidbits can turn into great talking points. The more knowledge (and practice!) you bring to the interview the more likely the outcome will be positive.

By: Karen Lefkowitz, Professional Career Counselor

1. The job posting: Print a hard copy of the job posting. Read all the skills and qualifications they require and underline the ones that you have. Then include these in your resume. For example, if one of the qualifications is completion of a particular accounting class and you have completed, mention this in the education section of your resume. See the below example.

                            EDUCATION
                            Arizona State University        Tempe, AZ       Sept. 2004 - May 2008
                            Bachelors Degree of Business
                            Coursework includes: Principles of Accounting

2. The company website: Sometimes the job description is limited. Review the company’s website to learn more about what they do. Consider how your skills and qualifications would fit for them.

3. Review similar job postings. Reviewing similar jobs postings can help to learn more about the type of position and increase your knowledge of the language used in the industry. Be sure to use this industry language in your resume and cover letter.

4. Organize your information and put the most important first. The Experience section of a resume can include anything that is paid or unpaid. It is written in reverse chronological order (most recent first). If your experience alternates between work you have done that is related to the position, and work that is unrelated, then create two sections for Experience. This way, you can move the more important to the top for the employer to read first. See the below examples.

                            RELATED EXPERIENCE (More specific titles might be Teaching Experience, Management
			                Experience, Accounting Experience, etc.)
                            OTHER EXPERIENCE

5. Use strong action verbs when describing the tasks you performed in positions. Rather than ‘responsibilities include’ use words like ‘created, managed and compiled.” Quantify when possible. How many people did you supervise? What percent increase in sales did you achieve? How many documents did you process? It allows the employer to have a sense of what you achieved.

There is no one right way to create a resume, but there is a better way. Keep it simple and easy to read. Absolutely no typos, misspelling or uneven formatting. Have at least one other person read your resume. And, follow the directions for applying.

By Sheila Benko, MS, MFT, RPCC
Professional Career Counselor