With electronic job applications and ATS systems being the norm, it’s difficult to really make a statement because hiring managers are often viewing stripped down versions of your resume. All that time you spent formatting your resume might not even matter depending how a certain employer receives and processes job applications. 

And even if your expertly formatted resume reaches the intended hands, it’s even tougher now to stand out from the competition when there are more and more job seekers vying for fewer jobs. You really need to do all you can to differentiate yourself.

If you’ve been using the same basic resume for your entire job search and are getting ho-hum results, it might be time to do a gut rehab — deconstruct your resume and rebuild it. Watch this video from CareerBuilderTV to learn 10 ways to get employers to notice your resume:

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But, all too often, if a name isn’t listed on a job posting, the job seeker resorts to an old-fashioned salutation like, “To Whom It May Concern.” What they don’t know, is that this approach can sometimes be considered the kiss of death.

Impersonal salutations like “Dir Sir/Madam” or “To Whom It May Concern,” show an employer two things. The first is that you lack the initiative to locate the appropriate contact; the second is that you show a disregard for any research needed to be done on your part. In short, employers will think you’re lazy and your cover letter will end up in the trash.

One of the most common questions we get is how to find the name of  a hiring manager, particularly at a large company. Here are four ways to find out the addressee of your cover letter:

1. Read the job posting
A no-brainer, but still needs to be mentioned. Sometimes you’ll get lucky, and the job you want to apply for will list a contact right in the posting. But even then, you sometimes need to dig a little deeper. Say, for example, the listed contact is “Chris Smith.” You don’t know if Chris is a man or a woman. If you can’t find that out, it’s safe to address your letter “Dear C. Smith.” That way, you’ve made it personal, but you haven’t offended anyone.

2. Call the company
If a job posting does not list a contact name, call the company. Yes, it really is that simple. Call the main number listed for the company and ask for the name of its corporate recruiter or hiring manager. Or, call and say you were wondering who manages the position to which you’re applying. That way, your materials get sent directly to the person who needs to see them.

3. Look on the Internet
A simple search on your favorite search engine can often do the trick. One search and anything from company directories to employer background information to stock market share could pop up. Try searching “ABC company hiring manager” and see what you find. The Internet is a wealth of information, if you just put in a little effort to find out what you want to know.

4. Ask your personal contacts
We always try to stress the important of networking in your job search. Surprisingly, many people ignore that advice in situations like writing your cover letter. Let’s say you find a job that interests you, and there’s no contact information listed. You go to one of your contacts and have the following conversation:

You: “Hey, do you happen to know of anyone who works at ABC Company?
Contact: “Actually, I used to work there five years ago.”
You: “Really? I’m applying for a position there. Do you know how who I might report to?”

Or maybe the conversation goes like this:

You: “Hey, do you happen to know of anyone who works at ABC Company?”
Contact: “I don’t, but I know my colleague worked there before coming to work with us .”
You: “Really? Do you think I could have his or her name to see if they can help me find out who to send my application materials to?”

You get the picture. The bottom line is everybody knows someone — you just never know until you ask.

If you try all of these methods and you’re still coming up short, Wendy Enelow and Louise Kursmark, co-authors of “Cover Letter Magic” and two of the nation’s most reputable career coaches, examine a few possible salutations and a few key points to remember about each one.

• Dear Sir/Madam. All-purpose and inoffensive, although it might be perceived as stodgy and old-fashioned.
• To Whom It May Concern. Another standard; has the downside of being impersonal and old-fashioned.
• Dear Hiring Executive (or Hiring Committee). Formal, but appropriate.
• Dear Human Resources (or Human Resources Representative). Acceptable only if you’re writing to a “blind ad” that lists only a P.O. box and you cannot call to get a specific individual’s name.
• Dear Hiring Authority. Acceptable only if, despite your best efforts, you have been unable to uncover the name of the non-HR person to whom you’re sending your résumé.
• Good Morning (or Good Day). A bit more up-to-date, but it reminds us of junk-mail greetings that try (unsuccessfully) to be personal.
• Re: Job Title You’re Applying For (leaving off a specific salutation). A useful method for replying to want ads, when you truly don’t know to whom you are sending your résumé. We think it’s preferable to the “Dear Human Resources” greeting.
• No Salutation (begin your letter immediately after the inside address). Again, perfectly acceptable for want-ad replies. Might be considered an improvement over old-fashioned, nonspecific greetings.

Editor’s note – 2/16/2010: We appreciate all the comments our readers are leaving. To gauge more hiring manager opinions, we took this debate to the hiring managers themselves on our FaceBook page for Employers: http://www.facebook.com/CBforEmployers The verdict so far? It’s not a deal breaker. While using general addresses are not deal breakers, the lesson, however, is to make sure you personalize your cover letter as much as possible when you can because the more you can do to catch a hiring manager’s attention, the better!

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Many factors played into your not being able to find a job  in 2009. While the economy and the job market had plenty to do with it, there comes a point when you have to look at yourself and what you are (or aren’t) doing and how it’s affecting your job search. Let’s start with the most basic thing you need in your job search: a résumé.

Here’s a little résumé 101 to refresh your job search this year, excerpted from “Career Building: Your Total Handbook for Finding a Job and Making It Work.”

Writing your résumé: Hiring managers spend an average of one minute scanning a résumé. You have just a short window to convince them that you’re either fabulous or the most boring person alive. Which is it gonna be?

Here are the elements that your résumé should include:

Contact information: Your name (if your formal name is Abigail but you go by Abby, use Abby), address, phone number, e-mail address and Web site. And make sure to use a professional e-mail address for your job applications. Employers aren’t likely to call HotPants1234@hotmail.com.

Career summary or objective: This gives the hiring manager an idea of who you are immediately — before spending the 60 seconds skimming your résumé and deciding if he wants to bring you in for an interview. Many job seekers equate a summary with an objective. While both are two to three sentences appearing at the top of your résumé, they are different.

An objective states a job seeker’s desired job description, and is often ideal for people who are just starting out in the work force or changing industries. Some words of warning: It could pigeonhole you and limit how employers see you. If you are looking to take the next step in your chosen field, consider writing a career summary instead.

A career summary gives an overview of your work experience and/or relevant education.

Summary of qualifications: This calls out the most relevant information for the job. If you include this, the hiring manager doesn’t have to hunt for your abilities. This is an easy way to tailor your résumé for each job application. Look at the required skills listed in a job posting and use this as an opportunity to highlight the skills needed for the job. If you are changing careers or industries, this section helps you highlight certain transferable skills.

Technical skills: This is where you can show your computer and software proficiency. Are you missing a technical skill listed in the job description? Don’t throw in the towel. Seventy-eight percent of hiring managers report they are willing to recruit workers who don’t have experience in their particular industry or field and provide training/certifications needed.

Work history: This is where you list chronologically any work experience – titles, employer and dates of tenure. List only the most recent and relevant information; no one cares about your ninth-grade babysitting club … unless you are looking for something in child care (even then, save it for your cover letter).

Education: Include your dates of graduation, college major and minor, degrees earned or expected graduation date.

So there you have it; the very basics you should include on your résumé. Other things to remember to include? Keywords, accomplishments and no errors.

If you need some help writing your résumé, check out CBResume, or if you’d like a free critique of your current résumé, click here.

Questions? Just ask us here. In the meantime, here is some more light résumé reading to check out:

• The Résumé Black Hole
• Buzzwords That Can Damage Your Résumé
• HD Résumé: Making Things Crystal Clear

Work history: This is where you list chronologically any work experience – titles, employer and dates of tenure. List only the most recent and relevant information; no one cares about your ninth-grade babysitting club … unless you are looking for something in childcare (even then, save it for your cover letter).

Education: Include your dates of graduation, college major and minor, degrees earned or expected graduation date.

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If an employer is only looking over your résumé for about 30 seconds, you can bet that if what catches his eye in that time period is an error, your résumé is going in the trash. Same with your cover letter — why waste time reading something that you can barely understand?

To shed some light on this important topic, we have a guest blogger today. Nanci Lamborn is a 20-year veteran of human resources and recruiting, and a writer and blogger for BrightMove. BrightMove is a  leading provider of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applicant tracking and talent management solutions for staffing, enterprise, mid-market and outsourcing areas of recruiting software. As a recruiter who has seen it all, her blogs are always insightful, informative and make me chuckle a time or two.

Here’s what she says about  the importance of résumé and cover letter accuracy:

Do Mistakes on Résumés and Cover Letters Really Matter?

By Nanci Lamborn, BrightMove Team Blogger/Writer

I am unashamed to admit it; I am a grammar freak. Maybe it can be blamed upon genetics (my mother used to diagram complex sentences for fun) or upon my authoritarian yet somehow endearing English professor, Mrs. Stolpe (may she rest in peace). I am also, rather proudly, always able to properly distinguish between there, they’re, and their,  and I will not be affected by the effect of an improper homonym selection. I can spot a typo a mile away.

My own quirkiness aside, it seems I am certainly not alone in my bid for the Grammar Police Deputy of the Year award. The fervently like-minded Jeff Deck and Benjamin Herson have taken their correction quest nationwide http://bit.ly/144CzC , and MSN has joined in reporting on the trend, with mixed feedback http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28900351/.

If my cringes were limited to the lovely hand-addressed letters from my sweet Aunt Mary who fails to remember I’ve remarried and have a new last name (for six years now), the muscles that control my high and mighty eye-rolls would not be so well developed. But how can I not find myself reacting with a vigorous eye-roll head-shake combo move when I receive the following opening line from a candidate? “I seen you’re add on line heres my résumé.”

You just rolled your eyes too.

Please allow me to share a few more noteworthy errors observed on real applicant résumés. Space does not permit me to even scratch the surface of the number of these grammar bombs that I see in one weeks’ time. And since my italicized editorial garnered such feedback in last week’s posting, my snide comments are provided herein.

Experrienced clerrical proffesional (Iss yourr keyyboarrd sstickkinngg?)
I am bright and maybe valuable to the workspace. (Maybe I am a desk lamp.)
Researches And resolves Customer needs For the Area (I Like random Capitals.)
Cashing handling (I’m thinking you’re liking adding ing to wording.)
Assisting manager in creating promoting. (Are you copying from Cashing Handling guy?)

All humor aside, receiving administrative candidate correspondence such as this really does put me in a quandary. Do I overlook the seven separate typos and horrid cover letter grammar to get to the meat of the relevant work experience, giving the poor candidate and my own peeves a break? What if by doing so, I uncover the precise job history that I’ve been unable to find in any candidate so far? How important are spelling and grammar really? If they did not matter, this question may have appeared as “How impotent are spelling and grammar really?”  Important / Impotent… both are grammatically correct, and ironically even the sentence with the mistake poses a valid question.

The worst offenders may chalk it up to nervous haste, or they may claim that grammar and spelling are not their strengths. Perhaps. But the fact that some candidates apparently have not learned how to use the “Spellchecker” function or taken the effort to have colleagues proofread their résumé sends me the message that these candidates are either grossly lacking in basic skills or they are simply lazy. I have even seen candidates misspell their own names. Can my company overlook the results of these traits?

It also makes it very difficult for me to provide honest feedback when one of these applicants inquires as to why they were not considered. I am unsure if it is more heartless to just ignore their inquiry altogether, to generalize about better qualified candidates, or to point out all of their mistakes. Heartless as it may seem to screen out administrative candidates who fail in the basics, if it means that the written communication produced out of my office to the public has a much better chance of being professional and correct, then I must believe I have made the right decision.

Nanci Lamborn is a 20-year veteran of human resources and recruiting. She   currently recruits in the Atlanta area for the insurance industry and recently obtained her SPHR designation.

What do you think?

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Oh, salary questions. It’s the issue that arises with every job search. The first thing you have to decide if it you want to actually list your salary requirements in an application. Opinions vary…Most people say that, no, you shouldn’t list any salary information on the application. Common advice says to ignore the salary request until you’re actually in the interview or to simply write on the cover letter or résumé, “Salary negotiable.” More on that later–first to answer your question…

However, if you’ve decided to give your salary history, most employers want to see your most recent salary, which might be what you’re earning now, depending on your situation. Sometimes they even make a point to ask what your starting salary was and what your current salary is, which gives them an idea of what increases you earned and what salary trajectory you’re on. Sometimes that’s all they want, but if they’ve indicated they want a more thorough history, then work your way backwards. You’re most likely earning more now than you did in your first job, so this build a narrative for your income. You should also list the job title and company with each salary. Because this information will line up with your résumé’s job history, it makes the most sense.

But back to whether or not you want to offer this information early in the application process…

Now, if an employer is really strict and they are demanding salary information at this stage, you have to realize that you  might be removing yourself from consideration for the job. That is a risk you take, and if you’re not willing to make the move, then go ahead and list the salary information.

Why do so many people suggest you don’t give salary information, then? Salary information can take you out of the running for a job, too. For example, if you say your last salary was $50,000 per year, the hiring manager might think you’re not going to take the job if it only pays $40,000–so she passes on your application. Or maybe they’re prepared to pay $75,000 and your low salary makes you appear cheap, as if you’re not worth much. Or you could be locking yourself into that salary. If they’re willing to pay more but they see that you’re making $25,000 less than they were going to offer, they think they can offer a similar amount to your current wage and still woo you. You get a tiny pay bump; they save thousands of dollars. All the power goes to them when you put the salary information on the page. (To be fair, at this stage in the job search process, they are the decision makers–regardless of what you do.)

When you push the topic away until you’re at a good stage in the interview (most likely when you’ve been offered the position), you can have an actual conversation where you give your requirements and they offer theirs. It’s easier to find a common ground verbally than via text.

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Anyway, while sifting through Tweets this afternoon, I came across a link to a great blog posted on BrightMove, a provider of Software-as-a-Service applicant tracking and talent management solutions.

Nanci Lamborn, the blog’s author, wrote about an applicant who effectively ruined his chances of getting hired, despite his impressive qualifications. It touched on some things we’ve talked about recently, like employers getting back to you, the “resume black hole” and the things employers consider before deciding to go forward with an interview.

Lamborn talks about how she was sorting through hundreds of applications and sending out a quick reply that basically said, “We got your resume; don’t call us, we’ll call you.” (Much more professionally, obviously.) She assumed this was better than hearing nothing at all, but it seemed that one applicant did not agree.

The subject line of his e-mail was one word, which I can’t republish in its entirety, but I’ll give you hint: “BS!” Lamborn paraphrases his e-mail nicely:

“Please allow me to paraphrase the flipper’s dissertation (my editorial commentary in italics for your amusement): I know your position isn’t real (then why did you email me?). You posted it to cover your arse. And schmucks like me trying to support a family waste allllll this time and energy responding to the job, only to get a BS reply like this (so writing this reply isn’t wasteful?). Why don’t you have the decency to call and tell me if I’m seriously a candidate or not? (Maybe since I’m not Superman I cannot effectively screen 528 resumes in 36 hours?) I am sorry for being so unprofessional (Oh, um, thanks?), but I am perfect for this job (Sure you are! Why ever did I not see it before?). I keep getting responses like this, and you high and mighty HR jerk offs deserve a piece of my mind. (…crickets… I got nothin’…). You better hope this Karma doesn’t catch up with you (Why, did he apply too?). Best Regards, Mr. Nicely Wonderful, Managing Partner. (Managing Partner of what, Psychotic Inc?). There was more, quite a bit of it. But his point is made.”

The worst part is, Lamborn notes that this person was actually pretty qualified for the position, but due to his less-than-appropriate bedside manner, she decided against moving forward with his candidacy.

The way some people behave in their job search never ceases to amaze me. Read Lamborn’s full blog here to learn a few lessons and see how she responded to the situation.

What would you have done?

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Mark

Oy, the dreaded moment when reality meets the rules. Guidelines are great, as we’re proponents of them ourselves, but they don’t lend themselves to all situations. For example, sometimes you shouldn’t wear a suit to an interview. You know, the exceptions to the rule.

Mark’s dilemma with his résumé is one many professionals face once they’ve gathered substantial experience over the course of their careers. In short, you can exceed the one-page rule. There are pros and cons to doing so, and I’ll break down each side:

When you should go beyond one page:

• The position demands a wide skill set.
  If you’re applying for a position that requires a variety of experience and expertise in several fields, of course you want to include all relevant information. Don’t leave off important parts of your work history that could seal the deal just because you want to keep it to one page.
• You have the right experience.
  I don’t care how important you think your childhood lemonade stand was, it doesn’t qualify as an entrepreneurial characteristic. If you’re going to make the hiring manager turn the page, make it worth his or her while. Your experience must be relevant to the position, not just any experience will do. If you’ve been in the work force for 20 years, your high school job is probably not worth mentioning. That means relevant experience that began 10 years ago is still worth  mentioning. The rule with keeping experience only to the last five years is often to remind applicants to keep their information fresh and updated. Sometimes that works, but other times it’s worth expanding.
• Everything’s digital anyway.
  This is a generalization, so keep that in mind: With so many employers only wanting online applications, concern about reading more than one page of writing isn’t as important. You just keep scrolling on an online application. The rules about relevant content don’t change, but the stigma toward turning the page is dwindling.
• Lengthy résumés are the norm for my industry.
  I know people who have been in management and sales for decades and their résumés are two pages. On the other hand, I know people in education who have been working for a decade and have four pages. Their résumés, or more commonly CVs, tend to be longer for a number of reasons. It’s the industry norm and getting everything to one page would probably not be a good career move. Know your audience.

When you should keep it short:

• You’re just starting out.
  I’m not saying young people don’t have experience, but most graduates straight out of college don’t have a strong enough work history to warrant two or three pages. At that age, the bulk of your résumé concerns your course work and maybe internships. It’s not uncommon for new graduates to have a tough time filling a full page.
• Most of the space is taken up by wide margins and borders.
  You want to present yourself as a professional, not as someone trying to pad the page and force multiple pages. If you have colorful borders (BALLOONS! SOCCER BALLS!) and absurdly wide margins (like the one you used to meet the 5-page minimum on that history report), edit yourself. Get rid of the clutter and see how much actual content is left.
• The experience doesn’t match up.
  This is the flip side to that second bullet point at the top of the page. Who cares about experience if it doesn’t have any relevant to the job posting? It’s great that you were a line cook, but it doesn’t have much to do with your desire to teach a communications class at a community college, does it? (If you can draw a compelling connection between the two, then be my guest.)

Don’t forget that there are also different types of résumés. You’re probably most familiar with the chronological type, which lists your experience from most recent to oldest. You can also use functional, which means you group experience by skill set rather than in a timeline.

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I’ve repeatedly told readers to update your résumé frequently, whether or not you are in the market for a new job. And by frequently, I mean at least every few months. Why? Because you’ll likely forget key details of the things you are most proud.

That’s the situation I’m in now. I’m trying to retrace my professional steps, piece together my key accomplishments and find the data to back them up. I did rewrite my résumé about two years ago (following my own advice, thank you very much) but a lot has happened in those two years. Thus my task is becoming a bit daunting and taking longer than I would like.

If you are like me and need to refresh your résumé, or just haven’t taken a look at it in several years, here are some quick tips for revising that document that is your No. 1 marketing tool:

Focus on quantifiable accomplishments. Use specifics when detailing your past accomplishments — the amount of money you saved the company, the number of employees you managed, etc. Rather than saying you saved the company millions, state precisely that you “saved the company $2.4 million.” Actual numbers and percentages sound much more credible.

Avoid half-truths and gross exaggerations. Most hiring managers and recruitment professionals have had their share of résumés pass across their desks during their career. So they are usually adept at deciphering embellishments in a résumé. They know that spending the last 10 years as a “domestic engineer” means you simply were home with your kids.

Use keywords. Rather than embellish your titles and accomplishments, use recognizable industry keywords that will jump out at hiring managers reading your résumé and communicate exactly where your expertise lies. Keywords also help your résumé get flagged if you’re submitting it electronically or posting it on a job site.

Change titles only if it clarifies your position. If your title uses little known, company-specific jargon, such as being called an “office contact,” when you performed duties consistent with an “administrative assistant,” then go ahead and use the better suited title. You could list your title on your résumé as “office contact/administrative assistant.” Of course that doesn’t give you the latitude to promote yourself to “vice president of administration.”

Address gaps in your résumé. Instead of fudging the dates of your past jobs to cover an employment gap, address the lapse in your résumé or cover letter to maintain chronological clarity. Hiring managers understand, especially in this economic climate, that workers sometimes encounter extended periods of unemployment for a number reasons.

Half-finished degrees should not be listed. If you “almost” completed your degree, you cannot list it as an earned degree on your résumé. Nevertheless, no education is ever wasted. Be sure to give yourself credit and list any completed coursework in a particular major or concentration.

Discard irrelevant information. It  keeps the reader from seeing your selling points. Weigh each portion of your experience from the hiring company’s perspective to decide what to include and what to emphasize. If you’re applying for an engineering position, for example, don’t devote a whole paragraph to your job as a camp counselor unless the position has elements that are transferable to the engineering job. And never include information about your marital status, personal situation, hobbies or interests unless they are relevant to the job for which you’re applying.

Still not sure about your résumé? Click here to get a free critique from CareerBuilder.

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