Inaccuracies on Your Executive Resume May Come Back to Haunt You!

The New York Times > Sports > Baseball
"Medical Adviser Says He Regrets Resume Errors
By DUFF WILSON

Published: March 31, 2005

Elliot J. Pellman, the medical adviser to the commissioners of professional baseball and football and the Jets' team doctor, said in a statement yesterday that he regretted what he called discrepancies in his educational and professional credentials and would correct them."

Laurie's Comments:

This is yet another in a series of recent incidents that have proven extremely embarrassing if not catastrophic to the careers of high-profile professionals and executives. Multiple survey results have shown that 50% or more of resumes examined contained inaccuracies, while anecdotal testimony of hiring managers indicates figures as high as 80%.

Inaccuracies can range from creative embellishment or exaggeration to blatant lies. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found in a survey late last summer that 3 out of 5 HR professionals identify discrepancies in resumes after conducting background checks, in a study reprinted on AICPA's CPA Career Center.

Consequences of discovery of inaccuracies on a resume include summary dismissal and loss of all earned benefits such as retirement, pensions, or stock options. This can and has on a variety of occasions included employees of 20 years or more, even those in academia or government who otherwise enjoyed exceptional job security under the umbrella of tenure.

Presentation of credentials on the executive resume, executive bio, and official employment applications is a situation in which an executive's integrity is routinely put to the test. Amid the plethora of corporate scandals in recent years that have put integrity at the forefront of public scrutiny, it is now more than ever inadvisable to be found wanting in this area.

My position on this is as it has always been: It is dishonest to exaggerate or lie on a resume, and clients who knowingly attempt to materially misrepresent their qualifications or accomplishments will find themselves looking for another executive resume writer. Not only is honesty the best policy and healthy for your career, it is also the only ethical course of action.

Urban Legends of Resume Writing

The Ladders.com

"URBAN LEGENDS OF RESUME WRITING
by Mark Bartz

Pop quiz, folks! Are these true or false?
Open your cover letters with an explanation of what
you bring to the table -- not what you want from
the employer.
Put all your contact information on your resume,
including street address and zip code.
It should be exactly one page long.
Off-the-shelf resume writing software will help you
get a great resume.
The Cubs will be the 2005 World Series Champions.
So what do you think? In a way, it's a trick question
-- it's not that they're100% false (forgive me, Cubs
fans!), but none are absolutely - or even mostly-
true. These notions have lingered on for years, like
the Loch Ness Monsteror Bigfoot, despite all evidence
to the contrary."

Laurie's Comments:

In order to read this entire article, you'll need to subscribe to The Ladders premium service (not a bad idea - I've received substantial positive feedback on the site as a resource for $100K+ jobs).

Mr. Bartz interviewed various recruiters and HR professionals regarding some persistent myths about resume writing. First among them was opening your cover letter with an explanation of what you bring to the table. This is fine for "cold calls," but when you are applying for a specific position opening, SAY SO, and do it right up front.

Secondly, in today's job search world where resumes are often posted where virtually anyone could access them or dispersed to people you do not know, including your street address may not be such a good idea. Including your street number and name could potentially expose you to security or identity theft. The author also points out that by not including your address, you can avoid the "Dear John" letter regarding a position for which you interviewed, by basically forcing them to notify you by telephone. (I'm not quite sure this is entirely true, since I suspect in many cases you would just hear nothing at all. Business etiquette seems to have gone out the window long ago with regard to this.)

The third myth Bartz cites is that a resume should be exactly one page long. For an executive resume to cover 15-20 years of complex and highly accomplished experience in a single page is rather ludicrous when you think about it.

Myth number 4 is that off-the-shelf resume-writing software will help you create a great resume. He says, "Call us anytime and we'll talk to you in detail about how awful this software is, and why candidates who use it typically don't get good responses." The generic, cookie-cutter resume produced by such programs will utterly fail to "brand" you or convey your unique value. Whether you write your resume yourself or use the services of a professional executive resume writer, I urge you to avoid jeopardizing your employment search success through use of one of these programs!

Do You REALLY Want Recruiters Reading the "Markup" Comments on Your Resume?

Bite of Advice: Un-"markup" your resume before sending it off!

"If you use “Markup” in Word to track changes and edits to your resume or cover letter, but sure to remove all the comments before emailing a softcopy of your resume to potential employers."

Laurie's Comments:
From the blog of a Microsoft technical recruiter, this is a real cautionary tale! Executive resumes naturally tend to go through a series of edits and fine-tuning to get everything just right. Unless you want to risk your recipient seeing all of your changes and comments, you'll want to be sure that all comments, change-tracking, etc. are removed from your document before you send your file to a recruiter or target company!

Recruiters Having a Hard Time Finding Qualified Executives

"The Herman Trend Alert - Feeling the Pinch
March 9, 2005

Employers are beginning to feel the tight labor market. Our ongoing research with a wide range of employers throughout the United States and in a number of other countries confirms that finding, recruiting, and hiring qualified people is becoming more challenging. Stories we hear move us to say, 'MUCH more challenging.'

The number of job openings is increasing---at all levels. Recruiters are more aggressive now, seeking qualified people to work as executives, managers, technicians, production workers, salespeople, drivers, mechanics, and many other jobs. One FORTUNE 500 company has 7,000 openings; another needs 8,000 over the next six months. Retained search firms have difficulty finding qualified senior executives [emphasis added]."

Laurie's Comment:

This is really good news! Signs have been indicating an up-tick in the executive employment market for a while now, and it seems that the market is beginning to really break loose.

Frustrated executives and managers unhappy with the way they've been treated in recent years are actively circulating their resumes. Those who have been afraid to "rock the boat" are now testing the waters. With position openings steadily increasing, we seem to be shifting back toward an employee's market versus the employer market we've seen since 9/11.

It may be time to consider dusting off that old document and putting together a polished and impactful executive resume that will make recruiters and employers sit up and take notice!

Reducing Your Work Hours Isn't Always a Career Killer

"Study: Reducing hours isn't always a career killer
By Kathy Gurchiek
Society for Human Resource Management Online

Choosing to cut your workload to three or four days a week is not a career killer for top-level employees, according to Crafting Lives that Work: A Six-Year Retrospective on Reduced-Load Work in the Careers and Lives of Professionals and Managers, a study that was released Feb. 16.

'Many leading employers have been formally and informally offering alternative work arrangements such as reduced-load work for many years,' according to the executive summary of the report by McGill State University, Canada's leading research-intensive university, and Michigan State University (MSU)."

Laurie's Comments:

If you are an executive with major health challenges that limit your ability to work, elderly parents who require substantial attention, young children who require parenting, or simply are at a stage in your life where quality of life and personal pursuits weigh heavily in the equation of work/life balance, this is great news.

This study shows that, even in the demanding executive arena, part-time work can be a feasible option for many that allows time for a fulfilling personal and family life. As your executive resume should focus on communicating accomplishments and results of your efforts, that those were achieved in a limited timeframe should certainly be no detriment to your marketability!

Weddle's Top-Rated Employment Websites for 2005

Weddles User's Choice Awards
"Recruiters & Job Seekers Pick the Top Sites on the Web

Who has the best insight on which employment sites are most helpful? We think the answer to that question is obvious - it's you, the recruiters and job seekers who have used the sites. And, that's what the annual WEDDLE's User's Choice Awards are all about. They recognize the elite of the online employment according to the most discerning judges around - that would be you!

WEDDLE's User's Choice Awards recognize the Web-sites that provide the best level of service and value to their visitors, and help others make the best use of the best employment resources online."

Laurie's Comments:

It can be difficult to discern in which among the plethora of job boards and employment sites out there your time is best invested. Given the fact that as an executive employment candidate you do not have unlimited time to conduct your online search, it is good to know where your efforts in posting your executive resume or browsing listings are likely to yield the best ROI.

This annual survey conducted by Weddle's ranks more than 150 job boards and career portals based on the input of more than 15,000 users, and produces a list of the top 30. I find it interesting that ExecuNet, a site used and recommended by many of my executive clients, once again ranks as one of the elite in the online employment industry - as it has since the inception of the awards.

For a list of online employment resources that is geared specifically to the executive candidate, see Creative Keystrokes' Web Resources page at: Creative Keystrokes Executive Resume Service.

The Herman Trend Alert Niche Job Boards Filling a Need

Niche Job Boards Filling a Need

The Herman Trend Alert
March 2, 2005

"With the increasing use of the Internet for purposes of job-seeking---and by employers searching for just the right candidates, there is a growing trend toward the use of niche job boards. The relative popularity of these services, particularly compared to the more general job boards, is fueling expansion of Internet use in the re-energized employment market."

Laurie's Comments:

What a revealing set of statistics! Niche job boards are preferred by 78% of corporate employment specialists, while only 17% prefer mega-sites like Monster and Career Builder!

As an executive resume writer, I have for quite some time advised my clients to make sure their executive resumes are posted to appropriate senior-level boards such as www.theladders.com, www.6figurejobs.com, www.brilliantpeople.com, www.christian&timbers.com, and www.atkearney.com, as well as consider membership and posting at executive networking sites such as www.netshare.com and www.execunet.com.

With this trend driving increased use of the Internet for both recruiters and candidates in the current employment market, it behooves executive-level candidates to take notice.