A lot of times when job seekers are getting ready for their initial interview with HR, they try to read their mind. Of course, this ability would be nice in this situation, but I think you’ll find guessing to be a waste of time.

We recently discussed the first 5 of the 10 reasons you aren't receiving phone calls. Here are the next 5 reasons:

Many job seekers leave out the detail of a job title on their resume while applying for jobs. Well, without a job title, how are recruiters or hiring managers going to know what position you’re pursuing? Even if you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for yet, here’s why you should consider placing a job title at the top of your resume:

Approaching an interview intelligently can set you apart from your competition and position you as having the expertise a decision maker needs. Knowing certain things about your potential future employer can be used as interviewing GOLD. These nuggets of info allow you to gain understanding of the employer, and you can use this understanding to help articulate what you can do for them.

Today's lesson is one of marketing and sales - personally marketing yourself during the hiring process. This begins with the resume, continues with the online profile, includes all of the conversations, both by phone and face to face, and concludes with the negotiation process.

Special Reminder:  If January, the biggest hiring month of the year, has passed you by and you're still looking for a job, it will be worth your time to attend my FREE Resume Reboot Workshop happening this Thursday, February 7th, from 1-3 pm. This is an in-person workshop and seating is extremely limited. For more information and to register, visit: http://resumerebootworkshop.eventbrite.com/

One of my current clients is 73 years old. In fact, most of my clients are over 50, and the topic of ageism comes up a lot. In my nearly 10 years of experience marketing clients into six-figure positions, I've really only seen advanced age as a true obstacle in the Midwest at age 58 or older (the East and West coasts are a little different).

To minimize the effect of long term unemployment on a resume, only list your years of employment for each position, and delete the months.

Most of my clients are over fifty, and the topic of ageism comes up a lot. In my nine years of experience marketing clients into $100K+ positions, I have really only seen advanced age as a true obstacle here in the Midwest after age 58.