KQED called me up to be the San Francisco Bay Area career hero on the California Report with Scott Shafer. Scott let me use his own career as an example for how to find a strength in seemingly irrelevant work experience. We also discussed taking a different approach to networking, and some things that employers look for in job candidates.

Check out the podcast; they even included the original take which has plenty more advice for people looking to beat this tough job market.

Comments welcome. Also, let me know what you’re looking to hear more about. In other words, what should Scott and I have been talking about?

This is a great way to see what kind of keywords show up most in resumes, and therefore, what keywords you should think about having in your resume and what skills you should have in your repertoire!

One client, upon receipt of her resume, wanted to forgo the revision process, wanted a partial refund, and asked to “end this relationship” with no further explanation. Wow.

Another resume client refused to do career counseling despite her being completely at a loss for where to go next.

One job-seeker sent us a list of demands and concerns a mile long, and hadn’t even placed an order yet!

A valued former client threatened to stop making referrals if we didn’t get her in our already tight project queue.

Sheesh.

It’s enough to make a business owner want to throw in the towel and go pick Pink Lady apples for a living. What’s going on? Let me make sure we’re doing our job right, here.

Is it our product?

We’ve put together the most talented resume team out there; Seriously, our writers are word wizards; they’ve won awards; they’re nationally certified, even multi-credentialed with certifications, degrees, and relevant career paths. More than that, they take the whole client into account to design a personalized document that addresses every single stated challenge and concern. People would be amazed at how much thought we put into a 1-3 page document.

Is it our process?

We have the most comprehensive information gathering process I’ve seen, comprised of an hour of coaching/consulting and a very well crafted questionnaire to both help clients generate resume content and prepare them for their interview process.

What about customer service?

We’re responsive as all get-out. When I can’t answer the phone personally, our administrative manager certainly does, if only to get back to customers with a real live voice to say “we’re super busy, how can I help”.

Maybe we’re slacking on followup?

Our infrastructure is technologically rich, making it possible to track projects through every step and get back to existing clients immediately to address their needs. At any given time, 3 people are paying attention to a single client.

Am I ranting?

That’s not the goal here (well, not the primary goal). The point is we’re doing all we can to keep customers happy. We’re staying relatively small, offering a high-touch service, and bringing clients into the process all along the way. Put another way, we’ve set up a system to control our extensive resume development process so that nothing and nobody gets overlooked or under-serviced.

But I guess there is one thing that we can’t control:

The economy.

In following up with all of the aforementioned aggrieved clients, this what they had to say

“Things are tight right now.”
“I was really counting on this resume to change everything.”
“I just don’t have the money.”
“It’s hard to justify paying for anything.”
“I need help now, not in a month.”
“No one will hire me no matter what I do.”

The pain is real and it flows amongst anyone involved in the job search process, directly or indirectly. I suppose I need to buck up with my self-absorbed complaints of “difficult months” and instead relish the fact that I’m employed and in a position to help. And although my intentions with BrightSide are honest, simply offering or even successfully delivering, such help may not be enough to make the pain disappear.

Only getting a job can do that.

If I’m truly open to criticism (which I try to be), it hurts a little. And I suppose we’re all hurting at least a little in this economy. If it’s not us, someone we know is out of work and not getting the recognition they deserve–sometimes for no other reason than there are just too many applicants for each job available.

After several months of non-response, anyone–even the most seasoned, well-established career professional–will get discouraged. It’s a lonely, frustrating feeling and it seems to be inextricably linked to looking for work.

At the base of the issue, it just hurts.

And I guess one way to offer support to anyone in this position is to hurt a little bit with them.

Recessions tend to push hardworking people into two groups. On the one hand is the layoff survivor handling the load of multiple former employees. On the other is the hyperqualified job seeker who nevertheless remains overlooked. Both types of people often need to write a new résumé, and neither can afford to do it the same way they might have in the previous millennium. Here are some tips:

Laid off? Tell the truth. Otherwise you risk the job-hopper label. And in fact, there’s no shame in being laid off. During downturns in the economy, organizations shrink, morph, or disappear. So include a one-liner that details the company’s cutbacks. That will keep the “blame” for your departure on your employer, not you. Give the percentage of people that were let go along with you; mention that your boss was laid off, too; brag about surviving previous rounds of downsizing. If appropriate, divulge that the company may have made a poor strategic decision.

Acquired? Clarify the gobbling order. It’s common nowadays for a company to have changed hands (and names) several times. For a single acquisition, state the current name of the organization with the name of the acquired firm in parentheses. This way, a potential employer can research your company without hitting dead-ends. For multiple acquisitions, lead in with a short paragraph that describes the evolution of the organization and how your position has fluctuated as a result. Remember, being retained through a series of restructurings implies that you’re deeply valued.

Overextended? Categorize your achievements. Hanging on after layoffs usually means that your workload has doubled or tripled—great for your career but often difficult to present on a résumé, because too many bullet points is the kiss of death. So include only the information that’s relevant to your career objective. Then, if necessary, use bold subheads under your official position title to delineate the different genres of your accomplishments. Consider alluding to increases in responsibility, noting when and why you were selected to handle mission-critical projects.

Stay on the BrightSide.

I’m one myself–the world’s best in fact–and though I know my resumes are well worth the $1,000 people pay for them, I understand that my services are not for everyone.

I do agree that you should choose wisely when looking for a resume writers; they come from all walks of life, from word-processors to corporate recruiters to marketing pros to career counselors to (yes) novelists.

Whatever background your writer comes from, make sure they’re a good listener. One thing that’s often overlooked as a benefit of quality resume-writing services is the career coaching and interview prepping aspect of it.

As an ex-corporate recruiter and career counselor with master’s degree in counseling, I fold coaching into my entire resume development process, both in my in-person interviews and through my questionnaire.

It’s not just about a piece of paper.

One of my regular clients always tells me: “Cliff, you don’t sell resumes. You sell lack of aggravation.”

But again, my services aren’t for everyone. Some people prefer aggravation.

Stay on the BrightSide.

As a resume writer, I’ve examined several companies doing video resumes and even considered starting my own company but after a few interviews with HR folks and some introspection (having been a recruiter myself), I realized that the #1 thing that’s preventing these things from taking off is that they force the screener into a passive role.

Paper resumes reign supreme because the reader is in control. The look where they want. They stop reading when they want. They laugh when they want (or cry), depending on the candidate.

Videos–even 10 second videos–shovel information into the screener’s head, a largely unwanted transaction on the part of the screener since it puts the candidate in control.

Ask any seasoned resume reader out there about what they do when they’re looking through resumes, and they’ll say something akin to “read between the lines”. A savvy reviewer will look for what’s not written in the bullet points, or at least look for general patterns strewn across the resume. With videos, it’s impossible to get this 50-foot angle that tells the real story in its entirety.

For this reason, videos will never work. Even when the day comes where you can download a video faster than opening up an envelop or unfolding a nice piece of off-white 24-lb linen paper.

Sorry YouTubers. You’ll have to stick to hamsters on the piano.

Stay on the BrightSide.

The Brazen Careerist makes a compelling argument for hiring a pro, using the analogy of a haircut to drive her point home.

Here’s a piece from her peace of mind:
“Please stop telling me that resume writers are too expensive. Sometimes I hear prices from resume writers and I think, who would trust their resume in the hands of someone who is so cheap? You should be looking for an expensive resume writer. Your resume, more than most things you buy, can earn it’s costs back ten times over” ….[Read orginal article]“

San Francisco, CA — Cliff Flamer, résumé expert and career counselor, was just deemed The World’s Best Résumé Writer” after winning the public vote for the first-ever worldwide résumé-writing contest sponsored by Career Director’s International (CDI).

So what makes his résumés the world’s best?

“The story,” says Flamer, who’s been writing résumés since 2001 via BrightSide Résumés (www.brightsideresumes.com). “Every person has a unique story to tell—the twists and turns in their work history, the timing and pattern of their achievements, the emergence of new credentials, even the time off with their kids—it all comes through on the résumé. And when presented right, you create a compelling, real, and always flattering story.”

The contest was open to 14 countries but the majority of entrants came from the US as well as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Scotland.

“We wanted to find out who the best résumé writer was,” says CDI President Laura DeCarlo, the mastermind behind the competition. “Not just among our members, not just among certified résumé writers, but across the entire English-speaking world. Who really is the best?”

Contestants were given a standardized candidate profile and matching fictional job listing from which to draft a targeted résumé. Their work was then judged by a cross-functional panel of human resources directors, organizational development consultants, senior recruiters, career association directors, job board founders, and a couple of senior résumé writers.

“There’s never been a contest like this before,” says DeCarlo. “This time the judges are actual résumé evaluators—the same discerning executives who’ve screened thousands of résumés to fill real-world jobs.”

Following a 2-month submission period, the panel selected the 3 most outstanding résumés in appearance, content, and strategy. These top 3 résumés were then posted anonymously online, inviting the general public to have the final say in the public-vote portion of the competition—much like the hit reality show, “American Idol”.

Over the next 2 weeks, votes poured in via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other online community forums and professional organizations. Flamer took a sizeable lead halfway through the competition and finished the race with a 60-point buffer. His artfully crafted résumé inspired blog comments that were unanimously in his favor:

“The only writer I’d consider hiring to write my résumé… the best to quickly skim and get the idea of what the person has accomplished…. by far the best…easy to read, succinct, and most notably [putting] the individual’s best foot forward…It had flow and easily allowed you to see accomplishments while giving you the option of reviewing them in more depth… hands-down the best!”

In addition to his trophy, certificate, and coveted logo (now posted proudly at his website), world-leading résumé writer, Cliff Flamer, treasures this unsolicited commentary, which seemed almost tailor-made to his victory.

“I’m honored to have been selected by such an elite panel of judges, but what better landmark for success than reading the unbiased praise from the very people who make up my client base. When it comes to résumés, I write for three people,” muses Flamer. “My client, the employer, and myself. Winning this competition means I’ve satisfied the needs of all three audiences.”

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Let’s start with the most common Resume question: Should the resume fit on 1 page or go to 2?

[Cliff Flamer] Ah yes…the eternal question. For recent grads to mid-level professionals I suggest 1 page. Also, career changers often benefit from a 1-pager; it helps them to avoid seeming overqualified with all the wrong qualifications. If you must go for 2 pages (and some recent grads certainly have the experience to warrant this), make sure page 1 is enough to sell you in itself. (Check out his post on this topic here)

What is your biggest resume pet-peeve?

[Cliff Flamer] Flowery language that doesn’t say anything. Here’s an example: Multifaceted business professional well-versed in developing influential relationships with key decision-makers integral to the inner workings of the prosperity of multi-million dollar organizations that…Blah blah blah. Even professional résumé writers turn out this kind of rigamarole. It may be impressive to English majors but not to hiring managers. (I’m an English major by the way.)

What is the biggest mistake you see on resumes?

[Cliff Flamer] Including generic job descriptions instead of quantified accomplishment statements. If you’ve read even one book on résumé writing, you’ve heard this before but it’s still where most people err. You’re unique, so too should be your résumé. The easiest way to accomplish this is to show the impact of what you do. In other words, what do you see happening as a result of your efforts. For example, anyone can Market products but how successful are YOU at doing this and what approach do YOU take?

With the millions of people applying for the few jobs that are out there, how can you make your resume stand out from the rest?

[Cliff Flamer] You’re going to hate the answer to this but…it depends. There is no silver bullet with résumés but following the above advice about accomplishment statements is a good beginning. That and a clean, sharp format. Never, never underestimate an easy-to-read format. White space is your friend.

A question that has come up a lot is, whether or not you should put your objective on your resume, and change for each position you apply to. Do you think you should?

[Cliff Flamer] I’ve definitely heard this one before. Personally, I think Objective Statements are outdated, just like serif fonts and aol accounts. That said, you absolutely must make 2 things crystal clear within the first 5-10 lines of the résumé:

-What job/industry/functional area of company are you shooting for; and
-Why are you qualified to do it

This can be handled in tons of ways, depending on what experience you have. For recent grads, you can start with your Education. For people currently doing the work they want to do in their next position, you can get right into experience, especially if the job titles match. For someone with a lot of experience or irrelevant recent experience, consider building an introductory section that highlights you relevant skills outside the context of the job you used them in. In Résumé Speak, this is called using a combination format; it’s by the far the most popular format of all professional résumé writers. The word “combination” refers to combining a lengthy skills summary with a subsequent (detailed) chronological work history.

With, a few years of actual experience out of college, how many jobs should you put on your resume (ie. highschool/college part time jobs)? How far back would you recommend going?

[Cliff Flamer] I just worked with a client today who has her Spelling Bee Championship from Middle School on her résumé. And you know what? It’s a darn good idea. As long as it’s not the centerpiece of her résumé (or education section), this award could serve as a hook in that your interviewers might want to “use it” to break the ice or start a “get to know you question.” The other benefit is by saying she was in the spelling bee, you can infer that she had a pretty good work ethic way way back. I mean, how many spelling bee renegades do you know?

The point of my story is go back as far as you need to to dig up relevant or interesting work experience. And don’t be shy about coming out and saying you did something in high school or during the summer before Freshman year of college. Give the accomplishment context so it’s clear you’re not trying to over inflate. Also, it’s always impressive to mention that you worked your way through college or held a part-time retail gig while in school.

In terms of the number of jobs you should put, I’d only limit the amount if you have tons of short-lived positions in your work history. Pick out the jobs you liked or that are most relevant to your new target job, being careful about leaving gaps of more than 6 months between positions.

What about job gaps? Would you recommend taking something small, in the meantime and if so should you include this on your resume?

[Cliff Flamer] The criteria for a job gap is changing. I think it’s okay to have “job gaps” of 3-6 months on your résumé. Honestly, that’s how long a job search can take! But once you’re out of school and out in the workforce, anything over 6 months and especially over a year needs to be addressed.

Again, take the direct route. I worked on a résumé a few days ago for an Operations Manager who took off about a year and a half handling family crises. During this time, she picked up a very simple office manager job (just a few hours here and there). Our solution to this “gap” was to be open and honest about why she took the cut in responsibility. Here is the exact quote from her résumé:

“Accepted temporary office position to keep skills polished while handling a string of family emergencies, offering ongoing support and counsel to each of the partners at this niche-market real estate firm.”

We went easy on the bullet points and just moved on to the next job. That way, we filled the gap and she still comes out smelling like roses. Seriously, who’s going to fault someone for continuing to work while taking care of their family?

What advice would you give to recent grads as they start their job search?

[Cliff Flamer] Create your own luck. Acknowledge the fact that even the best planned job search is no match for happenstance. I got a job at a community college career center from going to an Oakland As game. Make opportunities like this happen to you by getting out there in anyway you can: Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook will hook you up online but also consider volunteering, attending a conference, emailing a book author, going to church, interviewing a friend of a friend….Build a space where opportunity can flourish.

Stay on the BrightSide.

An effective résumé for will balance your strengths (i.e. what you can teach) with your areas for growth (i.e. what you can learn). In regards to the latter, I’m certainly not suggesting you claim ignorance. Rather, consider showing a recently developed interest in a new industry or field.

This is best done by illustrating how you’ve already begun exploring said interest and uprgrading your skills related to this area. Some quick methods to achieve this are as follows:

• weekend or short-term certification course
• self-study (visit a bookstore)
• subscription to trade journals
• membership with a professional organization
• online group affiliations such as with LinkedIn
• internships or apprenticeships
• guided tours (say of an alternative energy plant).

By showing on your resume that you’re enthusiastic about injesting a new flavor of work/life, you’ll present yourself as a hungry, invigorated job candidate who’s not even close to peaking in her career.

Stay on the BrightSide.

Here’s a snippet from the article, and my subsequent retort as to why we should redefine the criteria for a job gap:

“Let’s say you left one job, and then had 3-6 months of down time before securing your next job. In this situation, your primary concern is that the employer will have a suspicion that you were fired from the previous position. The conventional logic is that good people get recruited to their next position; therefore they don’t have gaps in their work history.”

Before you’re scared into thinking you’re a “bad candidate”, let’s challenge the definition of a job gap by this author’s standards.

In my world as both a job seeker and career counselor, a time period of 3-6 months of unemployment should not be considered a job gap. Perhaps 10-15 years ago this was true when we could rely on our company to stick around for a while, give us a pension, promote us consistently, and send a turkey at Thanksgiving. But nowadays, so-called job gaps of 3-6 months are on everyone’s resume. And, quite frankly, they should be.

Job searches, even conducted by “good candidates” with the help of a seasoned career coach take 6 months or more. Especially when we’re waiting to find a job that actually fits us. Just because we’re not working for 3-6 months doesn’t mean we didn’t get any offers for work or that we didn’t get approached by enthusiastic recruiters.

In fact, an employer should look at 3-6 months of in-between time as a good thing–a sign that a job candidate has taken the time to reassess their goals and value offering to come up with the next step in their career. This is the type of employee that has staying power, one who will stick around….even if the company doesn’t reciprocate such loyalty.

That said, when your career moratorium exceeds a year, you probably have some explaining to do–explaining you can do on your resume and of course in the interview.

Let’s cut us all a break and admit that work is no longer a linear process where one job leads to the next in a logical and predictable sequence. We’re constantly having to reinvent ourselves, even if we’re staying with the same career. Again, this type of behavior should be applauded, not condemned. Introspective, patient, future-focused job candidates make the best employees but to foster these attributes in ourselves, we need some time between jobs, to do research, redo some self-assessments, network with new and old contacts, and complete formal and informal training.

Put another way, these job gaps that appear on our resumes are most often NOT OUR FAULT as employees, and yet we’re still put on the defensive in the interview to explain them. Perhaps hiring staff need our help in reminding them of this: Time off is not necessarily time squandered.

Stay on the BrightSide.

You read correctly: Career expenses, including fees incurred for career counseling, professional resume writing, and job-search coaching, are tax-deductible for everone with only a few exceptions:

Your are NOT eligible for career-related tax deductions if:

1. You’re looking for your very first job
2. You’re looking for a job in a different line of work
3. You’re looking for a job after a substantial break from your last job

Otherwise, you’re golden.

According to IRS Publication 529–which deals primarily with job-search expenses–a job seeker can deduct certain expenses related to looking for a new job, EVEN IF he/she never actually lands a new job. These expenses should be listed as “miscellaneous itemized deductions” on Schedule A (Form 1040)

Check with Publication 529 from the IRS to see just how much you’re allowed to deduct.

Among the approved expenses are

• Resume Services. Eligible fees include costs to pay a professional to develop your resume as well as paper, ink, and mailing expenses.
• Career Consultants & Outplacement Agencies. Hourly charges and packaged prices for personal assessments, counseling, coaching, consulting, advice-giving, and the like are all tax deductible.
• Travel & Relocation Expenses. Any trips, including international trips, airfare, hotels, and car rentals are tax deductible as long as they’re related to your job search. Relocation expenses for a family move are acceptable as well as long as it’s due to your job situation changing. Even the (overpriced) gas you put in your car and your mileage is fair game–if only to drive across town for an interview. Check IRS Publication 463 for more on these rates.

The government wants you to get back to work doing what you do best to make a contribution at the city, state, and/or national level.

Take them up on their offer. Hire a professional to help sort you out and expedite your journey back to employment.

Stay on the BrightSide.

More and more career professionals and job seekers are making complaints about The Ladder’s resume-critique and job-posting services, often claiming this household name in job boards to be a scam.

As you’ll see, his article evokes equally frank reviews and experiences from resume-writers, career counselors, coaches, recruiters, and regretful clients of TheLadders. The message is clear: TheLadders came up with a concept on which they can’t deliver.

I agree with the overwhelming response of careerists to spend time networking and doing company research as a job seeker, instead of posting resumes. The facts are there: online job applications account fro 2-5% of job offers.

That said, if you find a suitable company through your networking and research, chances are they are going to ask you to apply online, even if you claim an inside contact. So you’re stuck being just one more needle in the hiring person’s haystack. Here are some quick tips to make your online resume stand out from the rest of the chaff:

• Make sure it’s clear your objective lines up with the job requisition, and within the first few lines of your resume. With online applications, there’s a lot of “misfire” candidates due to the ease and safety of the application process. You want to show respect for the hiring manager and their organization by helping them see you’re on target.
• If you’re short on qualifications, be honest about where you are short and explain why the hiring person should still consider you. For example, if you don’t have a degree but have double the years experience plus professional training, make sure you state this early and clearly.
• Create an ASCII or “text only” resume, especially if the online application process involves cutting and pasting your resume into a web form. This will make your resume easier to read. For more on ASCII resumes, read a quick article on what they are and why they’re essential.

In following these three guidelines, you’ll win some good will from the often overworked, blurry-eyed hiring manager who’s tired of sifting through poorly formatted, unfocused, and irrelevant resumes.

Be the breath of fresh air amongst all that online resume pollution and you can beat the odds.

Stay on the BrightSide.

Although we didn’t take home the gold, instead placing second, a case could be made that BrightSide got the most positive and enthusiastic commentsfor from both the staff at Jobacle and the general public, including a podcast declaration from Andrew himself that he’ll definitely be using his new BrightSide resume if and when his search for work commences.

Check out all of the entrants in this one-of-a-kind contest to read about the diverse range of resume writers’ processes, qualifications, and perspectives. This is perfect cross-section of our industry, a rare insight indeed, into how we work and why we do what we do.

Stay on the BrightSide.

“This resume doesn’t say anything about me.”
“They left out the most important part.”
“They just didn’t get me.”

The common thread? Each of these three people paid $150 or less for their resume. They went the inexpensive route, a seemingly smart maneuver when money’s tight. But now, they have a resume that isn’t serving their needs, and they’re out 150 bucks.

Anyone of sane mind, wants to save money when they’re out of work or under the ominous shadow of looming unemployment. It’s hard to justify shelling out $400-$1,000 on a resume when there’s no revenue coming in. Ironically, it’s those who attempt to save money up front who end up spending more in the long-run.

Allow me to explain:

1. If you’re used to making $50,000/year and you’re out of work, you’re losing $1,000/week. The average job-search takes 3-6 months which puts you $3,000 in the hole at the minimum. With an optimized resume written by a quality professional, you’ll expedite your job search, lessening your time out of work and halting the negative cash flow.
2. If you opt for a cheap resume writer at $95-$150, chances are you’ll get a cheap resume and wind up spending either more of your time rewriting it OR more of your money paying another professional to rewrite it for you. In the end, you spend more and waste more time–the two activities unemployed job seekers loathe most.
3. When you do land a job, a professionally written resume will help you negotiate a higher salary, earning you thousands more dollars in the long-run–more than paying for your initial investment.

So take the wiser (and predictably less expensive) route: Opt for a seasoned, quality resume writer with the credentials, years’ experience, and personal touch to make you look good on paper. You’ll be glad you did.

Stay on the BrightSide.

State your objective.
You needn’t have an “objective” section per se but HR reps agree that they want to know right off the bat that you’re well aware of the position for which you’re applying. This may seem like common sense to you but to someone with a stack of 100 resumes, it’s an important distinction.

Avoid functional resumes.
Whenever possible, use a reverse chronological format and make sure to highlight the last five years of your work/life experience. The panel agreed, it’s fine if your recent work is irrelevant; you should still discuss it.

Consider combination and hybrid formats.
If your most impressive work accomplishments are earlier in your work history, add a highlights section to the front of your resume but make sure to limit it to the top 1/3 of the page at the most. Another option is subtitling your bullet points with headings that are relevant to the reviewers’ needs.

Don’t stress over job titles.
Titles mean different things at different companies, depending on size, industry, and location. For this reason, resume screeners pay less attention to job titles and more attention to job responsibilities.

Compensate for a missing degree.
Not having a degree is NOT a deal breaker. Some advice to those without degrees is to play up personality traits and soft skills. Degrees denote commitment, follow-through, and organizational ability (to name a few). If you illustrate your talents in these area, you’ll hit an emotional chord with your reader, and they’ll want to interview you.

Keep fonts traditional.
Unless you’re in an unconventional field, use Georgia, Times, Courier, or Arial (10-12 point) font.

Remain sincere.
Verbosity, excessive confidence, hyperbole, and over-inflated language were all greatly looked down upon. Stick to the point and you’ll win every time. Better to explain a shortcoming than try to cover it up.

Lose the keyword section.
Running lists of keywords are so 1990s. A successful resume will integrate keywords throughout all of the sections, not try to lump them all together in a desperate attempt to attract as many different job opportunities as possible.

Include links to your online profile.
Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other networking sites provide valuable information to complement your resume. Panelists agreed that recommendations and comments from these sites prove helpful in evaluating candidates.

Keep links “hot”.
Some resume reviewers enjoy moving from the resume to your online profile to your employer’s bio. Supply these links to make surfing easier for them. The more time they spend learning about you and your work history, the better off your are.

The above information was taken from a 2-hour seminar as part of the National Resume Writers’ Association annual conference in San Diego, CA, 2008. There were 6 panelists comprised of recruiters and HR reps, representing a broad range of multi-national corporations and small businesses.

The key is recognizing and remembering that your work experience can play a *supportive* role as well as a leadership role with organizations. The two need not be mutually exclusive.

If you’re over 50, you’ve probably had the experience of being labeled as overqualified. And in response to this unwanted job-search slur, you’ve probably done what any intelligent, ambitious individual would do: Dumb yourself down (on your résumé, at the very least).

A good move but what’s this do to your career confidence?

If today’s market is telling you repeatedly via carefully worded form-letter rejection emails, “We don’t care about your lifetime achievements or your obsolete business management model”, it’s no wonder a breech in your armor develops.

As an “over 50″ job candidate, you have a unique challenge to grapple with–and unfortunately this wrestling match often occurs in a very public arena: The Interview.

The main event?: A paradoxical tug of war which stems out of your being told you’re overqualified but feeling dramatically underqualified.

You’re overqualified because of the simple length of your resume, the style of your suit, color of your hair, and lingo in your business repertoire–or so they tell you.

You’re underqualified because you may lack some understanding of today’s rapidly evolving technologies, flattened infrastructure, and business culture.

As you sit there in the interview staring back at your Gen X boss-to-be in his hybrid sneaker-sandals and ironic T-shirt, you’re torn between standing up and screaming “I could do your job in my sleep” and humbly whispering “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Coming to terms with this paradox (before you enter the interview) is an essential component to building back your career confidence.

The next step–and no small feat–is to figure out how your strengths (i.e. what you can teach) *as well as* your weaknesses (i.e. what you can learn) match up with your targeted companies. It’s important to know both of these aspects of your professional self prior to your job search, and it’s important to know how to present them to your next employer—on paper and in person.

Stay on the BrightSide.

• I am too old
• I’ve never managed anyone directly
• I don’t have Microsoft Excel experience
• I have a job gap from 2002-2004

You’ll never see these above items on a resume because the purpose of the resume is to put your best foot (or feet) forward and to downplay your potential weaknesses.

Adding an easy reference to your age is the same thing as saying “I am an older adult.” Unfortunately, this can be viewed as a weakness by many hiring managers and recruiters.

Let me be clear: Don’t put your graduate date down unless it’s within the last 10 years or will be obtained within the next 2 years. As long as you have dates for your experience, your candidacy will not be dismissed simply for leaving out a graduation date.

Recruiters may tell you to include the graduation date and to “just be direct and honest about your age” but they don’t have as much to lose–that being the interview, your interview. And your interview is your chance to help the hiring manager get past his/her prejudices. Everyone limits him or herself through stereotypes–which originate as part of basic survival skills. People—all people—generalize and categorize to make their life easier (and in some cases safer). And we all miss out on great opportunities by holding to these beliefs.

Recruiters succeed because of their talent in matchmaking, which is why they’ll encourage you to include your age (so that you can find an employer who prefers hiring older workers and a true-love match can be found). Just remember, that some employers may need a little more help in seeing the match. Oftentimes older workers’ enthusiasm, loyalty, and work ethic far exceed that of the younger competition but it’s only in the interview where these attributes can truly shine.

As long as your skills are updated, your mind is open, your ego is checked, and your health is satisfactory–you’ll win the employer over in the long run.

Stay on the BrightSide.

I can think of at least 3 things your LinkedIn website offers that a resume does not:

1. Who you know. At even a glance, hiring managers can see how engaged you are in the community, what type of people you commiserate with, and what industries your circles touch. Remember, your next employer is hoping to benefit from not just you, but your professional network as well.
2. Who knows you (and likes you). Recommendations on LinkedIn are invaluable because they are unable to be edited by the flatteree. Also, recommendations often touch on soft skills rather than specific accomplishments. As a resume writer, I often look at my clients’ recommendations to get a feel for their personality. Even over inflated recs start from truth.
3. Questions & Answers. One way to show further expertise, as many of us have done on this thread, is by asking and answering questions. An intelligent and insightful comment goes a long way. Why do you think so many people respond to these things?

For those hiring managers that are unaware of what LinkedIn is, they’ll most likely be intrigued or intimidated, but not disgusted. Is a little ol’ link really going to turn someone off completely?

Nonetheless, your LinkedIn website should only seek to complement your resume. Never leave something off the resume with a link saying “click here for more info….”

I suggest including your LinkedIn web link at the bottom of the resume (instead of in the header). It can be used as a sort of new-wave “References available upon requests.” Use the entire last line of a resume to be specific about what the reader will find at the other end of the link. Say something like “Professional recommendations, industry-specific advice, and extended list of affiliations available at ….” This way, the reader knows whether it’s worth their time to take a peek.

And this question is really all about respecting the readers’ time isn’t it?

Stay on the BrightSide