Personal Branding

Liar Liar Pants on Fire: Resume Fibs Increase

Wendy Terwelp 3 Comments

I know, you heard it before, don’t lie on your resume. Now you can hear it from the employer’s point of view — and what they’re doing about resume fibs.

Here’s what Net-Temps In-Focus Recruiter News said:

Resume Fraud Is On the Rise

Former FEMA director Michael Brown is not the only person accused of fudging his resume. In a survey of 414 staffing and recruiting firms conducted by StaffingU, 92% reported a significant increase in fraudulent information being included on resumes and employment applications. That survey echoes what background search firm ADP Screening and Selection Services found in a 2003 study. Their research revealed that more than 50% of the people on whom they performed employment and education checks had submitted false information, an increase of 10% over the previous year.

The incidents of fraud are not limited to one or two groups, but are occurring at all levels, including staff, management, and executive positions. The most common “lie” is degree-related, with applicants claiming credentials they don’t have or misrepresenting the type of degree they earned. In 2002, Bausch & Lomb CEO Ronald Zarrella was found to have falsified his credentials by claiming to hold an MBA from the Stern School of Business, a school he attended without earning a diploma. The same year, Kenneth Lonchar, CFO of Veritas Software, was forced to admit that his highest educational accomplishment was an undergraduate degree from Idaho State University and not the Stanford MBA he listed on his resume.

Read on to find out what recruiters and employers are doing to uncover these fibs.

Career Exploration: One-Week Gigs

Wendy Terwelp Leave a comment

Sean Aiken - one week jobCheck out Sean Aiken’s blog – one candidate’s innovative technique to explore careers at: http://www.oneweekjob.com/.

This guy’s getting a lot of play and some interesting offers. Here’s what I like about this concept:

1. He’s exploring all types of careers and trying to discover his passion

2. He’s creating a terrific online identity and a strong brand (passion for travel rules “dude”)

3. He’s getting tons of press and links to the blog

4. Along the way he’s raising money for a good cause, “Make Poverty History.”

4. He’s getting paying sponsors for trying to figure out what he wants to be when he grows up!

A few suggestions:

1. Obviously this is a guy who likes to experience things in order to determine what he wants to be. I can also recommend some cool assessment tools to help him along his journey.

2. Express strong interests. If travel’s what you love, explore more travel-related careers, rather than a flower shop.

3. What a way to network – build and solidify those relationships. One never knows where it will carry you next. (For more networking tips, check out: Rock Your Network.)

I think it will be interesting to check in on Sean and see where he lands next.

Online Brand: Nasty or Nice?

Wendy Terwelp 1 Comment

This week’s WXP News had a great article that also relates to the job search process – and your online identity. If you were not aware, about 35% or more of recruiters and employers check your online identity before they meet with you. It’s amazing what a quick Google search can find out.

Also, much of job searching today is done via email. Quick, email your resume to an ad or online post. Before sending, check out your subject line. Is it relevant and attention-getting in a good way? What’s your cover letter or intro like in the email? Does it portray you in a favorable way, while addressing the needs of the employer? Have you spell-checked it?

Think about email ettiquette throughout the job search process, not just in the first email. How do you respond to their request for more information? For clarification? For setting up the interview?

And sadly, how do you respond if you are rejected?

Suggestions: Keep cool. Ask for suggestions. If this is the type of career you wish to persue, perhaps they have some tips for you.

Here’s a link to the WXP News article: Flame Away: Does the ‘Net Make People Nastier?.

Recruiters: Don’t be afraid of Video Resumes

Wendy Terwelp Leave a comment

Just recently we had a big story on the news, “Throw out your resume. There’s a new way to job search.” So, I waited through all the commercials and other stories until finally, the big career story! I mean hey, writing resumes is part of what I do, so I need to know why they’re throwing them away.

On with the news. What’s the news? Video resumes! Sheesh. This is OLD news. Plus, the one they showed during the broadcast was poorly done and had the oddest lighting. But the new twist was posting it on Jobster and YouTube. That part was very new.

After the “non-news” of video resumes, I wondered, “Hmmm, what do employers and recruiteres think about them. What about the EEOC?” And then, I received this in my ERE (recruiter themed) ezine today.

Here’s what one recruiting industry guru said about video resumes:

Author Dave LefkowDon’t let the big, bad EEOC scare you

Wednesday, March 21, 2007 | by Dave Lefkow

Video resumes and video interviews are here. Yet some employers, afraid of the legal ramifications of reviewing videos of people in the hiring process, are curling up into the fetal position and taking steps to avoid them altogether. Here’s why you should do the exact opposite and fully embrace them.

I recently had a conversation with a director of recruiting at a large organization who said that he had just put a policy in place to reject all video resumes. “And why would you do that?” I asked.

“Because I don’t want the EEOC or OFCCP breathing down our necks and want to be protected if we are ever sued for discrimination,” was his response.

As I’m about to illustrate, legally protecting yourself from video resumes or interviews would require locking all of your recruiters and hiring managers in a broom closet with a copy of the Journal of Corporate Recruiting Leadership.

I also fully expect pigs to fly well before the EEOC or OFCCP can develop sensible regulations that address the unique challenges presented by these new tools. This is exactly why you should embrace them for all of the benefits they can provide to hiring managers, recruiters, and candidates.

Read on!

The Power of Nice – and Your Career Search

Wendy Terwelp Leave a comment

Check out this quiz and see how nice you are. Click here.

So, are you naughty or nice? Why am I asking? When you’re in career search mode, nice finishes first. People love helping people who are nice. Nice is not sappy, smarmy, or in-authentic. Nice can be:

1. Sending an article to a friend related to his/her career.
2. Referring a friend, if the job’s not right for you.
3. Connecting two people you know in complimentary busineses so they can team up on sales calls.
4. Asking good questions and listening to how you may help.
5. Volunteering for a favorite organization or charity.

When looking for a job, it’s sometimes hard to remember to be nice. Trying a few of these ideas can lift your mood, put you back on track, and increase your network connections. Networking’s a two-way street. If you help enough people get what they want, you’ll get what you want — a job.