Employers report that most resumes get only a 15-20 second glance. If you don't capture the reviewer's attention and interest quickly they will pass you by and call in someone else for the interview.

There is one effective technique that you can use that dramatically improves your resume. In our national survey of 600 hiring managers, the overwhelming majority said the most important part of your resume is the SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS section. Employers reported that this was one of the very first areas they read and when the summary demonstrates solid ability to perform the job it catches their attention and they slow down and give the applicant more careful consideration.

Hiring managers also reported only about 5% of resumes received contained this key section, and I never write a resume without it. It's just too powerful to leave out. This section usually consists of four to six sentences that present an overview of your experience, accomplishments, talents, work habits, and skills. Think of it as a mini-outline of you; a highly influential summation of the specifics you bring to the job.

Here is a good example from one of the resumes I wrote for a client:

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS

Proven track record serving as corporate counsel with eight years experience dealing with intellectual property and partnerships in a global environment. Responsible for a broad range of legal matters including: copyright and trademark protection, contract negotiations, compliance, and litigation. Led legal team in completing sophisticated joint venture negotiations that delivered millions to the company's bottomline. Recognized for superior problem-solving, project management, relationship building, and strategic planning skills.

It's easy to see by reading this brief summary how this candidate is qualified to perform as a corporate attorney. Indeed, she got several interviews and accepted a Fortune 100 company's offer, which included a very significant salary raise and signing bonus.

The SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS, which speaks volumes by consolidating the best you have to bring to the job, really makes you stand out and pulls the employer in for a closer look. Be sure that your resume has this essential section. It comes right after your name, address and career objective. One caution -- employers complain that many people lie on their resume. Exaggeration! Misrepresentation! LYING is a deadly error. Don't do it! Employers do more background checks now than ever before so when you get caught, and sooner or later you will get exposed, you'll likely be fired. Only solid facts and verifiable experience should highlight your experience and accomplishments.

- Robin Ryan

Career Counselor and Best-Selling Author

America's most popular career counselor, Robin Ryan, is the author of four bestselling books: 60 Seconds & You're Hired!, Winning Resumes, Winning Cover Letters, and What to Do with the Rest of Your Life. She's appeared on over a thousand TV & radio shows including Oprah, Dr. Phil, and has been published in most major newspapers and magazines including USA Today & the Wall Street journal. Contact her at 425.226.0414; email: info@robinryan.com.

Copyright 2012 Robin Ryan. All rights reserved.

Nothing I said changed his mind. He insisted on stretching the truth, his accomplishments, and credentials. Of course, I passed on writing his resume. However, my encounter with him sparked the idea for this article.

What are honest job seekers to do when their competitors persist on using deceitful practices? It's enough to make those who never intended on lying to reconsider in order to remain competitive. Below is career advice to keep in mind during your job search:

1. Not all companies conduct thorough background checks. On the cover letter and during the interview, mention your experience and qualifications are verifiable and encourage the interviewer to double-check the statements on your resume. You don't want to come across as negative so don't reveal that lying on resumes has increased overtime, instead keep the focus on you. You can say something along the lines as, "I prepared a list of references for you. Please feel free to contact my previous employers to verify my accomplishments." A simple statement will do to get your point across.

2. You can take the reference list tip a step further by providing written references. But instead of the references being stock letters where the referent provides a general overview of your qualifications, ask your references to provide a specific information. For example, if you wrote on your resume that you increased sales a certain percentage, the letter should mention this fact as well. That will verify the information you provided on your resume.

3. If you can swing it, hire a reference checking company (the cost is only $35 for a basic reference check) and make the findings available on the resume or cover letter.

4. A resume writing professional like me can turn your history into a compelling resume filled with accomplishments. You may not think you have achievements to tout, but trust me, you do. With my online resume services you can compete jobseekers who are lying on their resume.

You can't control the actions of people who readily lie on resumes. The only thing you can do is submit a resume that speaks to your qualifications and experience. Don't fall into the trap of, "well everyone else is doing it so I might as well lie." You may get away with lying for a bit, but you will get caught eventually.

Following the aforementioned tips will provide credibility to your resume statements.

- Linda Matias

Linda Matias heads CareerStrides Resume Service . You can reach her at linda@careerstrides.com, and you can visit her website at www.careerstrides.com.

 To begin with, there are many differences between the two types of services beyond the superficial difference of how the recruiter is paid. In some ways, a true retained search practice resembles a temp agency more than a perm-placement business, for the simple reason that both use a "division of labor" business model.

For example, in a large retainer practice, a search director will delegate the research and screening to a support staff, in much the same way an account manager or sales manager will delegate the "recruiting" function to a staffing coordinator. In contrast, the vast majority of contingency recruiters do their own research and screening to fill their job orders.

Regarding payment terms: A retained executive search is defined as an exclusive project undertaken on behalf of a client to identify and screen suitable candidates for a particular position. Typically, the estimated fee is prepaid in three 30-day installments. An open-ended payment schedule with the majority of the fee contingent upon "successful completion" is not considered a retained executive search. So, if you receive a $1,000 "engagement fee," your service is really a contingency search with a cover charge.

Before you decide to offer retained search services, first look at the level of candidate you're associated with. Rarely are retainers paid for positions that pay less than $100,000 annually. So if you deal in mid-market or "commodity" candidates such as engineers, accountants or programmers, it's unlikely you'll do much retained work. And you should consider yourself lucky.

I've found that retained searches to fill mid-level or non-management positions usually aren't worth the trouble, and often end in disaster. From an economic standpoint, you're risking an open-ended commitment of your time, but at a fixed rate. The money may be guaranteed, but if the search bogs down, you're stuck working for a dollar an hour. To complicate matters, many lower- or mid-level hiring managers fail to put forth the effort necessary to attract suitable talent, and lack the sense of urgency to effectively close qualified candidates.

- Bill Radin

Bill Radin is one of the most popular and highly regarded trainers in the recruiting industry, and has trained many of the largest independent and franchised recruiting organizations, including Management Recruiters, Dunhill, Sanford Rose, Snelling and Fortune Personnel. His speaking engagements include the NAPS national conference, the annual Kennedy Conference, and dozens of state association meetings and network conventions, including Top Echelon and Splits.org. The Radin Report is published monthly.

Who do they let through?

1. People who have been to the castle before.

2. People who can serve the king.

   Who will they keep out of the castle? Those who have fear and uncertainty in their voice.

Don't ask. Tell.

Don't ask for the person you are trying to reach. Tell the receptionist you need to speak to that person. Don't ask, "Is John Smith there?" Instead say, "Scott Love calling for John Smith." This works for two reasons:

1. You don't sound afraid or fearful or timid or unsure.

2. It sounds like you have been to the castle before.

I'll never forget the time that a recruiter told me she closed a $35k fee from learning this one little tip from me during an in-house training session. About two months after I spent a day in her office, she called me to tell me that this one little tip changed her entire desk and was able to get her access to hiring managers and high performing candidates. Without that knowledge, she wouldn't have been as far along. Most of the quantum changes in your performance stem from small incremental improvements like this, which is why you need to study your craft every day. Most of the improvements in my training and coaching clients come from little things like this.

- Scott Love

Scott Love

Sign up today for Scott's Online Recruiter Training Center subscription at Scott Loveto receive a monthly training video, free training conference calls, free access to all his webinars, product discounts, access to Scott's question and answer forum and much more!

Copyright © 2012 Scott Love

Two bills before Congress, known as the Protect IP Act (PIPA) in the Senate and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House, would censor the Web and impose harmful regulations on American business. Millions of Internet users and entrepreneurs already oppose SOPA and PIPA.

The Senate will begin voting on January 24th. Please let them know how you feel. Sign this petition urging Congress to vote NO on PIPA and SOPA before it is too late. Go here to learn more and sign the petition: End Piracy, Not Liberty

What are SOPA and PIPA exactly?

With 150,000 job boards and social media sites now in operation, it's difficult to know where to go online to get the best support. The 2012 winners of the WEDDLE's User's Choice Awards solve that dilemma. They are the choice of job seekers, employers and recruiters alike.

Winners of the User's Choice Award are selected by HR professionals, recruiters and job seekers through year-long balloting at weddles.com. Thousands of unique ballots were cast and only the top thirty vote-getters were awarded. These sites represent the elite of the online employment community.

Sue Booth, president of Net-Temps, stated, " search mark.? the hit have clearly job their in need jobseekers resources and tools customers staffing our for services recruitment outstanding deliver to efforts continuous Our award. this of winner a selected be again once pleased very are We

About Net-Temps
Net-Temps is the leading job board for temporary, temp-to-perm and direct-hire employment through the staffing industry. Since 1995, Net-Temps has consistently ranked among the top Internet job boards. The Net-Temps Job Distribution Network is one of the most cost-effective approaches to talent acquisition on the Internet and is comprised of some 20,000 employment-related websites. Through this Network and extensive advertising programs with top search engines and portals, Net-Temps is able to assist staffing companies in sourcing and hiring the most qualified candidates. Job seekers can search jobs in more than a dozen career channels, post resumes and take advantage of all the available career resources for free. Further information about Net-Temps is available at www.net-temps.com.

About WEDDLE'S
Since 1996, WEDDLE's (www.weddles.com) has conducted ground-breaking research among both recruiters and job seekers on the Web. Its findings are widely regarded for their analytical rigor and often cited when identifying the Best Practices in online recruitment and job search. WEDDLE's research has often been reported widely in the media, both in the United States and around the world. In addition, WEDDLE's is the largest publisher of guides to the 100,000+ employment-related sites currently operating on the Internet. The American Staffing Association has called WEDDLE's Publisher Peter Weddle, the "Zagat of the online employment industry."

So, you've 2 weeks left to capitalize on this opportunity!

Social Media is Key. This time of year is perfect for using your Facebook and LinkedIn contacts. You have the perfect excuse to touch base and remind people you are looking for a job.

Holiday Parties. In addition to spreading good cheer, use your family and friends and new acquaintances to network. Ask them if anyone has a connection at companies you have applied to or are interested in. Be prepared to tell new people you meet about yourself - the classic elevator speech.

Work the Email and Phones. Employers may not be as distracted or focused on other priorities and you may actually get through to them on the phones. Don't pester them, but make at least one attempt to connect. Keep your emails brief and to the point. Don't forget to ask for the interview. At this time of year they may actually have time to read all their mail.

Don't Forget the Recruiters. Make sure you are in regular contact so that you are in the forefront of their minds for when they get new search assignments. Send them a holiday card with your business card inside.

Stay Flexible. At this time of year hiring managers or recruiters may be out of the office for off-site holiday events or for personal reasons - like getting that last minute gift. Therefore they may need you to come in for an interview at odd times.

Don't fall under the temptation to sit back during these last 2 weeks. Let your competition do that for you while you leap to the head of the line.

Happy Holidays and Good Hunting!

- Jean Vosler

Jean is the Director of Marketing at Net-Temps, an online job board for jobseekers and staffing professionals.

www.net-temps.com

1. Go back only 10-15 years. Your most recent experience is the experience that will be most relevant to a hiring manager. Most likely you've worked your way up in the job-seeking world and up the ladder. If you started at your company as a file clerk and now you are a manager, you're going to be seen as a manager. The job as a file clerk from 1995 is no longer necessary for hiring managers and human resource managers to take into account when evaluating your skills and abilities.

2. Remove dates from education. There is no rule that you must say when you graduated. HR cannot decide to hire or not to hire you based on when you graduated. In addition, so many people are returning to school now after being in the workforce for a good solid 15 years that they may have a Bachelor of Science degree conferred as late as 2005, for example.

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At that point I questioned whether or not I should have joined an industry that seemed to enter business relationships with trepidation about the truth. But I learned that when it comes to this business of recruiting, the candidates and clients probably aren't intentionally lying to us to make our lives miserable. It's more like they're playing poker with us and we have to know how to read them so we can take them to the next step which ultimately benefits them. And if you approach it this way, then learning about human behavior and trying to figure out what is really going on beyond the surface level of facts becomes both intriguing and interesting. And when you get good at it, it gets fun.

Don't think of people as lying because then you'll turn into a washed-up and cranky low-billing cynic and you'll lose all your friends. Instead, learn how to read the 'tells' of candidates and clients to help you learn when they are bluffing and what type of hand they hold. They don't lie. They're just playing poker with you.

Here are eight considerations in determining whether or not you can get to the real truth with a candidate or client:

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Unfortunately for many have been out of work so long they've destroyed their credit, a credit check strikes fear in their hearts. What if the company rescinds the job offer? It becomes a catch-22. You can't repair your credit without a job, and you can't get a job without good credit.

The solution for some candidates is to confess immediately. This results in eliminating them from consideration, which perpetuates their fear. To make the credit check issue virtually non-existent and remove the fear from the entire equation, let's factor in some basic psychology.

As humans, we have the inclination to rationalize what we want. The more something is of value to us, the more we exclude from the picture anything that might impede our ability to obtain it. When you apply this to the hiring situation, it means that a job seeker, about to receive an offer, has value to the company. Consequently, the candidate's bad credit becomes relative unimportant to them.

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