Find out who is looking at your resume – and why

 

Your days of playing the guessing game when it comes to employers' interest in you as a candidate are over. Here's why.

You upload your resume. And then you wait. And wait…
And wait.
The hiring process has traditionally been a one-sided affair, with employers having the upper hand -- and job seekers often left wondering if anyone has shown interest in them as a candidate (or has even viewed their resume).
But no more.
As a job seeker, you no longer need to play the guessing game when it comes to employers' interest in you as a candidate. CareerBuilder has just launched some exciting new features that tell job seekers which companies are viewing their resumes -- and more importantly, why.

How it works

After you post a resume on CareerBuilder.com, simply visit the home page to see:

• Your views: Up-to-the-minute information on the number of times your resume has been viewed.
• Your search mojo: The frequency in which the resume has come up in company searches.
• Why employers are viewing your resume: See the search terms an employer used to find you for insight into how and why you're showing up in their results.

Oh, and that's not all: You will also receive weekly emails highlighting the number of times your resume has been opened throughout the past week and which specific companies are looking at your qualifications.
Cue your happy dance.
We're really excited about this new feature, and hope you are, too: It gives you an unprecedented gauge of whether you have the right keywords in your resume to attract desired employers -- or whether you're off the mark and need to rethink your strategy.

Getting some bites?

If an employer has viewed your resume in our database, don't delay: "Quick apply," available on over half of our jobs, enables you to apply with the click of a button through either your desktop or mobile device. (Haven't uploaded a resume yet? It's easy.)
Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder, also gives a sneak peek of more changes to come:
"In the future, we will also be providing recommendations to job seekers on which phrases they should use in their resumes to increase their chances of getting noticed."

Top 5 Keywords: To Use in Your Sales CV

The nature of a sales job means you should be able to sell, so your CV should reflect your skill. If you're having trouble selling yourself, you'll leave employers wondering how on earth you're going to sell their product!

We've compiled the top 5 keywords to include when you're writing a sales CV to help your CV stand out:

1. Financially Motivated

Someone who is inspired and enthusiastic about working hard to receive a financial reward.

Don't be afraid to use this phrase in fear that you'll seem shallow or greedy. The sales industry is all about making money, securing deals and of course; getting that commission! If you're financially motivated; the employer knows you'll be working hard to secure great deals for the company and a nice bonus for yourself too.

2. Resilient

Can recover readily from rejection, adversity or hardship.

Selling a product or service to someone who isn't necessarily interested or doesn't understand your product could lead you to a lot of 'thanks but no thanks' responses; so you'll need to be resilient and bounce back from the rejection.

3. Down to Earth

A sensible and practical person who is without pretence or one who is practical in their decision making and philosophy of life.

Having a down to earth attitude and sales technique will mean you're much more likely to get those sales. It can be good to have a quick anecdote that you can share with potential customers about your own experience, this could help people relate to you; and the product. However; if you don't have your own experience and you have to make one up; make sure its believable - test it on a few friends and see if that would encourage them to buy.

4. Excellent Communication Skills

The art and technique of using words effectively to impart information or ideas.

These transferable skills can be related to a role in any industry, but for jobs involving sales and communicating with clients; good communications skills are a must. Don't put on your CV that you have great communication skills if in the interview you're a waffling muttering mess. When communicating with anyone; be confident and concise.

5. Consistent

Unchanging in achievement or effect over a period of time.

Prospective employers want to know that you're going to continually deliver great sales results, smashing targets and exceeding expectations wherever you can. You can tie this in with your resilience; it's natural that you might have 'off days' where you won't perform as well; but it's important to know that you won't give up and you'll persevere to achieve.

When discussing your previous achievements; use action words. Rather than stating that you generated a lot of income for the company; state the exact figure! When stating that you continually over-achieved sales targets, use words like 'smashed' and 'maximised' to portray yourself as an active worker.

However; it's not enough to just list numerous skills and traits that you supposedly have! Only use these keywords if you actually have this ability. Ask those who know you best to come up with a few keywords to describe your personality and work ethic.

17 Successful Executives Who Have Lied On Their Résumés

Mid-level workers aren't the only ones fudging their experience

Business Insider

By Hope Restle and Jacquelyn Smith

Your résumé is a place to highlight your biggest accomplishments and showcase your most valued skills. It's what hiring managers use to determine whether you'd be good at the job, and whether you're worth meeting in person.

So, it's no surprise that a majority of people lie on their résumés. A 2014 poll from CareerBuilder found that 58% of hiring managers caught applicants exaggerating or fudging details about previous roles, skills, or awards. And entry- or mid-level workers aren't the only ones guilty of fibbing. Top execs have done it, too.

Here are 17 successful executives who were caught or admitted to fudging, exaggerating, or straight up lying on their résumés.

Vivian Giang and Jhaneel Lockhart contributed to an earlier version of this article.

David Tovar, former VP of corporate communications for Wal-Mart

1/17

In September 2014, David Tovar, the vice president of corporate communications for Wal-Mart, resigned from the company after it was discovered that he had not, in fact, received a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Delaware, like his résumé stated, according to Bloomberg.
The New York Times reported that he didn't remember what he had put on his résumé. He said, "I definitely didn't disclose that I didn't have a degree, and there were times where it was probably an error of omission." He said he was a few credits shy of his degree, and had even participated in the graduation ceremony.

Sandra Baldwin, former president and chairman of the US Olympic Committee

2/17

In May 2002, Sandra Baldwin, the first woman to be appointed the president and chairman of the US Olympic Committee, resigned after admitting she had put false information on her résumé, according to The New York Times.
She had stated on her résumé that she received her bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado in 1962, and her doctorate from Arizona State University in 1967.
She eventually admitted that she only attended the University of Colorado for three years, but received her bachelor's from Arizona State — and that she never actually earned her doctoral degree because she didn't have time to finish the dissertation.
Baldwin came forth because a University of Colorado student interviewing her for an alumni publication intended to disclose the truth, according to The New York Times.


Read more #@>  17 Successful Executives Who Have Lied On Their Résumés

5 Resume Mistakes That Scream 'Narcissist'

Let the recruiter decide if you truly are creative, innovative or exceptional.

Inc.

By J.T. O'Donnell

Most people hate writing their resumes. The idea of having to sell yourself with a piece of paper can feel really intimidating. Between the formatting and the content, creating the perfect resume can feel overwhelming and frustrating. Even worse, as you send out the resume and receive no responses back, you start to doubt your design. Next thing you know, you're making tweaks and changes, obsessing over why the resume isn't making your phone ring.

Resume trends have changed dramatically in the past few years. Recruiters have high expectations. They're also time-crunched. They need resumes they can quickly skim to determine if you're a fit. Did you know that studies show recruiters spend an average of only six seconds on your resume to determine if you're a fit? Which means that first impressions matter.

Unfortunately, many job seekers aren't getting a second opinion on their resumes, ultimately creating one that mistakenly screams, "I'm a narcissist!" to recruiters. I spoke with TopResume's job search expert, Amanda Augustine to get her take on how job seekers are going wrong. Here are five things she says you should never do on your resume:

1. Leading with a "me, me, me" objective statement.

Recruiters don't care about your career objectives. They have a job to fill and you are just a potential service provider. Augustine explains, "When the first thing a recruiter sees on your resume is what you want from them, they're turned off." Ditch the wordy, self-important objective statement and free up that valuable real estate on your resume for proven accomplishments instead.

2. Overselling yourself with subjective text.

When you use words like "creative," "innovative," and "exceptional," you're sharing opinions of yourself. The recruiter sees it as his or her job to determine if you are those things. When you say it about yourself, you sound cocky. Augustine says a good test is to ask yourself if you'd say these things when speaking face to face with a recruiter. "Hi, I'm fantastic Amanda!" would sound pretty silly. Tone down the language and stick to the facts instead.

3. Adding a picture.

While a photo is normal to add to a social media profile, it's not acceptable on a resume. Augustine says recruiters don't want to be distracted by the photo. Plus, you could be setting yourself up for discrimination. Let your accomplishments speak for you, not your looks.

4. Getting too personal.

Recruiters don't want to know about your wide-variety of extracurricular activities. Augustine says, "It's a resume, not a dating profile." Recalling that recruiters spend only six seconds skimming your resume, it's better to leave off anything that isn't truly relevant to your professional experience.

5. Showcasing quotes and references.

Testimonials are for book covers, not resumes. First, recruiters have no way to prove if they're real. Second, they take up valuable space on the resume. Augustine says featuring references from co-workers and managers screams, "I'm trying too hard to impress you." If the recruiter wants them, he or she will ask for them.

If you're guilty of any of the above, you may want to rework that resume. Also, consider seeking out some tools to help you evaluate objectively what else might be missing the mark with recruiters. Think of yourself as a business-of-one and the resume as the brochure. The messaging needs to resonatewith your intended audience, or you'll be dismissed.