Judged.

I like to think we "evaluate" resumes and candidates rather than judge them. I mean, we're nice people! However, it happens on occasion where things come up which undoubtedly make us judge rather than evaluate. The goal when submitting a resume is to have your experience and credentials evaluated in order to get you sitting in a chair across from your future employer, right?

The last thing you want is for something simple knocking you out of the running before you ever get to sit down in person. There are a lot of resume writing tips out there on the web so I'm not going into those in detail here. However, with new advances in technology there are some tips that haven't been addressed much.

First Impression Tip #1
What's in a name? Well, when that name is in your email address and is coupled with, "TheKegStandKing" or "PartyAllNightLong"... I don't know that I need to finish this sentence. Your contact information should be listed clearly at the beginning of your resume. Because of this, your email address is prominent. Don't let your email address be the deciding factor on whether you'll be a good fit in a company over your actual experience.

You may be thinking, "You're crazy lady! It shows personality and they'll know I have a sense of humor." Trust us when we say it is well worth the few minutes and little effort it takes to sign up for a more professional email address while hunting for a job. I can honestly say that I have never seen an email address with someone's first and last name and thought, "Yawn. How boring. I'm not calling this person." Keep in mind that a seemingly benign email address can also knock you out of the running. You may heart poodles and your email may say so but that HR Executive who has a vicious poodle story in their past may think you're a devil incarnate... it can happen. Why take that chance and miss out on an opportunity?

Tip #1.5
This one is in addition to the above. Set up your own email. Using your spouse's, brother's, sister's or dog's email address sends the impression you are not computer or internet savvy enough to have one of your own.

*It can be confusing on sites such as Monster and Careerbuilder when you use someone else's account to upload your resume. Their email address will show up on your resume and makes contacting you more difficult.

Tip #2
Ahhhh, new technology... wait a minute. Answering machines and voicemail have been around a good while so it so surprising that they get overlooked from a job hunting perspective. They completely do. With major job boards and databases out there that store resumes, job hunting has another side; the passive side. It is possible to make yourself open to a new opportunity without actively "looking". In so doing, a lot of people completely forget they have their resume up somewhere. Whether actively or passively looking for a job, it is important to have an appropriate message on your cell or home phone. I'll leave it to the imagination some of the messages we hear. This goes for answering the phone as well. It's easy to assume that unknown number is a sales call and thus answer with the disdain those calls bring forth. People respond to kindness. If there is a long list of applicants, a rude greeting or recorded message can lead to a very quick, "Sorry, I have the wrong number." Oops! Missed opportunity and you didn't even know!

Tip #3
The option to choose some lovely tunes for your caller while they're waiting for an answer has also been around a while and should be mentioned as well. Personally, I don't have that set up on my phone so I don't know if the volume is controllable on the set up end but it should be if it isn't. It is quite the shocker to have Funky Cold Medina playing at earsplitting volumes when not expected. Musical taste varies and so the only advice I'll give on what kind of music is the best when looking for a job is this; make sure it isn't offensive. By all means if volume is controllable, less is better.

Tip #4
We're going to go back a second to the whole passive job hunt. You should actually always know where you have your resume posted and take it down when you are not interested in a new position. It cuts out some serious confusion when someone does contact you concerning a job. "Huh? I didn't apply anywhere. I'm not looking for a job right now. Why are you calling me?" We actually keep spreadsheets of candidates we call as do many companies. If we've had the whole, "Who's on first, why are you calling me, five minutes of wasted life" conversation with you on the phone, it will simply say, "Not looking" in our spreadsheet. We aren't going to check back in with you on occasion to see if that has changed in the 2 years your resume has sat untouched online. If you are open to a new position and leave your resume posted, keep it current. Take the time to go in and update it periodically.

Tip #5
Don't lie. Ok, so I said I wouldn't go into the things that are on every resume writing site or book out there. I lied. It's not fun to be lied to is it? There is a reason why this tip makes EVERY list. Be honest with your experience. Be careful with your dates. If you have multiple copies of resumes online that don't match up, they do get compared and it does look like lying when most often times, it's simply a matter of forgetting exact dates.

I think that does it for today. If you're preparing a resume please take into consideration the above mentioned suggestions as well as the great tips out on the internet. They're meant to help you get that foot in the door. The job market is competitive and we all know how important first impressions are. It's important to remember that it may be a seemingly small thing that is giving that first impression.

P.S. Tip #6
Photos in resumes. Unless you're submitting a resume for a reality show, modeling job, etc. Leave it out. A picture of your smiling self is not going to make your chances better. Unfortunately, in our society we do judge people by appearances and that stands true no matter what you look like. It's best to leave it out.