Posts Tagged ‘interview’

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Should you ask about salary, benefits, vacation in an interview?

Wednesday, January 16th, 2013 by Judi

you're not hiredThis isn’t the first time I’ve expressed concern about career advice and those who offer it, but this time I need to make it an example.  It was posted in LinkedIn by a recruiter who, as a recruiter, should know better. 

Toward the end of an interview the interviewer will typically turn to you and ask “Do you have any questions?” It is always good to be prepared for this question and to have good thought out questions to respond with. Things that are always good to ask about are company benefits, pay day schedule, management set-up, what does a typical day in this job look like? – those kinds of questions keep the conversation going and show your interest in the position. 

Can you spot the mistake?   Yes, it’s asking about company benefits and pay schedule. Add vacation and salary to those items.  

The money/benefits/vacation part is a game, but not really.  Some people do make money the priority in their job search, but that puts the cart before the horse.  If you focus on money to the exclusion of factors such as chemistry, company culture, if the job has components that motivate you and make you happy to work there, you might very well find yourself unhappy fairly quickly.  .

Sell yourself to the highest bidder without regard for the other factors and if you’re unhappy, eventually your salary won’t to be enough to compensate you for being unhappy in your job.   And if you were desperate to be employed, once the relief of having a job wears off and reality sets in, that’s what you might discover.

The point of an interview is to find out if both you and the company are right for each other.  Until you each know more about the other party, it’s impossible for either of you to assess the value of the other.  Companies ask about salary early on, but their purpose is to determine if you’re within their range and if you’re realistic about your expectations.    

Value comes with knowing the benefits of having that item and attaching yourself to it.  For instance,    perhaps you’ve decided to buy a car and you’ve capped the price at $30K.  You receive a phone call from someone with a cherry red convertible in perfect condition with a new stereo and white leather seats.  But it’s $37K. 

More than likely you’ll say no, because it has no value to you. But what if you decide to go look at it?  You drive it.  The sun is on your face and the wind is in your hair.  You begin to rationalize why $37K is feasible. 

It’s no different with salary.   Making a decision based on an early salary discussion eliminates discovering the value the company may have to both you and your career.

This doesn’t mean salary is unimportant.  One of my retained clients has an offer for $74K.  In her previous job in slightly different capacity she earned $90K more.  At the onset of her search, she set her bottom line at $80K   But now she’s enthusiastic about both the position and the company and behind the scenes I’m helping her negotiate.  What if she’d learned the salary first and never given herself the chance to learn more?  

Asking the salary at all is not only unimpressive to the company, it’s more than likely to get you withdrawn from consideration.  A company wants someone who wants them for who they are, not for the pay check.  If you’ll join their company for money, you can be hired away for money.   The only companies who don’t follow that are the ones you don’t want to work for.

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Are you making these mistakes in your job search?

Wednesday, June 27th, 2012 by Judi

imagesCAYJS1USThis is a great article by Charles Purdy of Monster.   I’ve added some additional thoughts to each of his points.
  Stupid Job Search Mistakes   (The link opens in a new window.)

1.  RESTING ON YOUR PAST ACHIEVEMENTS:  One of the things I teach my clients how to do in their cover letter, their resume, and on the interview is show how their past will benefit the company interviewing them. In order of interview mistakes, here are the greatest to the least. The first two are the most common; number 4 is what you need to do.

2.  GOING OVERBOARD WITH INFORMATION:  I’ve done a few columns on variations of this. 

  • One version is the person who constantly interrupts, saying “Oh, I know what you mean.  When I was….” or “Oh I can do that.  When I was….” and launching into some long story about what they did with a previous employer  that they think ties in to the topic and is relevant, but isn’t.
  • Another is the person who provides endlessly inane details, thinking they’re relevant to the story, but aren’t.  And the lack of awareness not only impacts their story, but their inability to register that the interviewer is getting bored, is restless, and is looking for a place to break into your monologue.

3.  TRYING TO OUTSMART THE RECRUITER:  These include:

  • sending your resume everywhere, then working with a recruiter to get you in somewhere you couldn’t get in on your own
  • trying to find out the company so you can go behind the recruiter’s back, figuring the company would rather hire you if you don’t have a fee attached
  • agreeing to work with one recruiter and their client, then agreeing to work with a second recruiter hoping they’ll do better for you with the same client company
  • not telling them your salary because you think you’ll get undercut
  • play an offer you got on your own off against an offer you got through a recruiter

As a recruiter for 22 years before I became a career coach, the best way to work with your recruiter is to be honest.  About everything.   They’re a partner, not a foe.  Yes, not all of them are good, and many of them don’t “get it.”  But that’s no reason for any of the above – or similar – behaviors.  Here’s what happens when you do that kind of thing:  your file gets marked and no one in the firm will work you for any reason on any search even if you’re perfect for the position.

4.  THINKING YOU’RE TOO IMPRESSIVE TO NEED A DIGITAL PROFILE:  Before there was the internet, companies who were in the news had to manage their reputation.  When there was a problem or something damaging that came out, they had to take steps to control it.  It’s called spin and it means managing your public image, and expressly stated is that you need one.  At the very least, LinkedIn.  These days, no digital image screams OLD more than a degree date that is 1978.

5. NOT ASKING YOUR NETWORK FOR HELP:  Here’s the best way to do that:

  • Remember it’s not always about you.  Pay attention to people and think of ways you can help them by providing information or articles that might be of interest
  • Develop a relationship.  That means take an interest in them.  Take a few notes on things they mention like kids or vacation.  Ask about those things. One of my friends, who also has a sales background, once asked me, “Did you ever notice how many people don’t know how to hold a conversation?”  Yes, I have.  Don’t be one of those.
  • Ask for help.  And make a concerted effort to provide some in return.

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Stop interviewing and get hired! Here’s how.

Monday, June 11th, 2012 by Judi

cross your fingers Teleseminar Tuesday, June 12

Successful interviews aren’t built on hope.  Nor are they built on researching the company online. 

Mock interviews help some, but what if you’re asked a question not in the mock interview?  Then what? 

A successful interview is built on 2 secrets you haven’t heard about.  And those 2 secrets are why my clients typically get an offer immediately, or very soon after, they’ve learned them.

Kelly, in WA, had been on……50+ interviews?  About 2 weeks ago I helped her prep, and last week she got 2 offers.  Sunday we dicussed which to accept and how to turn the other down.   Two interviews, two buyer positions, two offers. 

This is what I did for 22 years.  Set up 15,000 +/-  interviews.  Make sure both company and candidate met each other’s needs so an offer was extended and accepted.  I had repeat clients and sometimes the first person I sent was the person hired.  And they stayed.  That’s why I had repeat client companies who used me exclusively. 

imagesCAXZ4DS2Now you can be just like Kelly.  But you have to attend – or at least register and get the recording – to learn how.  Tuesday, June 10, one full  hour plus Q & A.

If you want to stop worrying if this time,  maybe this time, you’ll get lucky… and want to be one of the select few that interview 1 – 3 times and then are hired, go here for more information and the link to reserve your spot on the call.
http://bit.ly/O3KgVN

questions?  email me at judi@findtheperfectjob.com

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How to get an offer and stop interviewing

Friday, June 8th, 2012 by Judi
not hiredYou didn’t get the offer again?
 
I just did some quick research via Google.  I queried
“average number of interviews before getting a job 2011.” 
 
The answer?  17 – 20.

Here’s what the answer should be:  2 – 3    and mostly dependent on 
if  you want them, not vice versa.

I scheduled a phone consultation with Judi to go over my interviewing
skills… To say Judi knew her stuff regarding conducting oneself during
an interview would be an understatement… The interviewer actually
commented on my preparedness…. The job offer and my acceptance
came shortly after. One resume, one interview, one job offer. 
I know I would not have been as successful had I not had Judi’s help. 
~~Bruce K., Las Vegas, NV

How many interviews do you want before you get the offer? If you’d like to be in the second group, I’ll show you how next week
===========>  Tuesday, June 12 <==========
 
 To learn more:  join my community (your info is 100% private!) - right over there at the top –>
and stay on top of what’s happening, including Tuesday’s presentation.  You’ll also get great advice articles, specials, and other fun things that only my community receives.

Or…..if you want to make sure you at least get info about this class, email me here, right now  judi@findtheperfectjob.com and put “I saw it on your blog!” in the subject line and I promise to make sure you get the info.

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how do you define “employment?”

Wednesday, April 25th, 2012 by Judi

life force energyFrom Abraham & Hicks:
Is employment an opportunity or bondage?  Because what you really want is freedom, many of you equate working for other people as bondage.  But if you would realize that the corporation, as an entity, is not so different from the individual, it might be easier to understand the employer’s decisions.

Long before the building or the workers, the visionary of the corporation had an idea for something that began summoning Energy.  So years later may you are hired as part of that team and, without realizing it, you are now the beneficiary of that continuing flowing Energy.

When you step into one of those employment positions, Life Force is summoned through you because of the vision of the founder – unless you’re bucking the current.  Most get into that fast moving stream and paddle against the current – and then complain about it being a hard ride – where they could get into their canoe and easily paddle with the fast moving current. 

You can soar and thrive in any environment as long as you are not seeing things that you are using as your reason to paddle against the current.  And so it doesn’t really matter what others are deciding. 

The question is: “As I am choosing to stand here, it’s a way for dollars to f low through me in exchange for the effort I am offering.  Am I predominatley letting the energy flow through me or not?  Am I letting it in?”

What does this mean to you?

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will protection help?……….or not?

Monday, October 10th, 2011 by Judi

446604344_UnemployedNeedNotApplyIllegal_xlargeIt was about two years ago when I began learning from  emailers and clients and job seekers in general that unemployed job seekers were being discriminated against.  It’s great to see an issue getting national exposure that we in the career niche have known about for awhile.

Obama’s proposed bill prevents companies with 15 people or more from not hiring someone who is unemployed.  Cheers, right?  Advocates of job seekers have applauded the proposed measure.  But others say it fosters discrimination in favor of the unemployed and may well result in unnecessary litigation. 

According to Wikipedia:  “Unemployment (or joblessness), as defined by the International Labour Organization, ocurrs when people are without jobs and they have actively looked for work within the past four weeks.”  Not hiring the unemployed goes back further than you might expect.

Wikipedia also says that in the 1576 Act each town was required to provide work for the unemployed. The Elizabethan Poor Law of 1601, one of the world’s first government-sponsored welfare programs, made a clear distinction between those who were unable to work and those able-bodied people who refused employment.

I googled various phrases to see what’s happened in the past, but didn’t find much.  In 2006, Gary Aguirre was hired by the SEC, but sued them for not hiring him when he earlier applied for the job.  In 2010, a job applicant asked on a Colorado website if he could sue a company for not hiring him when they required a degree, hired someone who didn’t have one, and he didn’t have one either.  In 2004 a male wanted to sue Hooters for not hiring him as a waiter.

In a 2007 blogpost, one executive advises HR people on how to “delicately” handle the subject of why someone wasn’t hired by issuing any number of vague phrases – none of which are new to so many of todays job seekers.   I can’t count the number of times job seekers have asked me what to do when they have the qualifications, are ignored, and see the job ad remain or even be reposted on a job board.

Personally, I can argue both sides of this.  In deference to the job seekers, I’ve written several articles about the stupidity of companies not hiring the unemployed (here’s the most recent: 
http://findtheperfectjob.com/archives/264.html   In deference to employers, I know from having been a recruiter and now from working with my clients there are an awful lot of job seekers who think they are qualified….and aren’t. 

Companies who don’t hire the unemployed are discounting a valuable resource.  After all, it’s not as if it’s a candidates’ market and thus those who are unemployed are, generally, not the cream of the crop.  These days, there are a lot of very good people who were  let go individually or as a group for reasons having nothing to do with their performance. 

On the flip side, there are going to be job seekers who have a history of not accepting responsibility for their actions and aren’t going to change that if this law goes into effect.  In a world where people sue for spilling hot coffee on their lap, for getting cancer from cigarettes and equally absurd reasons that spend taxpayer dollars and tie up the courts, this attempt at fairness will most definitely have its boundaries tested.

It may well be that a few cases have to be litigated in order to set some sort of a precedent, with or without EEOC guidelines.  This issue isn’t really anything new – it just has a different shape to it. So, whether it’s enacted or not is a moot point, really.  Only in an ideal world will companies consider candidates based solely on their capabilities and credentials, and will job seekers take responsiblity for their decisions and actions and not look for the easy way out.

I’m just wondering………so you sue a company for not being hired and then…..you get lots of money for not being hired which underlines your lack of interest in conducting  a  productive job search in the first place (and shows what type of person you really are) or you get to work there after all.  You lose either way , no?  

Or you can look at it this way – if they don’t want to hire you because you’re unemployed, it’s not likely to be a place you want to work anyway.  Then you’re at a meet up group and run into the hiring manager who put you in the “no” stack because you were unemployed, you can quietly hope he’s learned something from his earlier decision.

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courtesy isn’t optional

Monday, August 1st, 2011 by Judi

bill of rightsOld enough to remember Laugh-In?  “We don’t have to; we’re the phone company.”  Lily Tomlin’s line that reminds you of the pleasures of doing business with a monopoly.  This hasn’t changed much (I have a land line for telesminars) but other things have.  A lot.

I read somewhere today that thank you notes for gifts are old-fashioned and texting or simply saying, “thank you” is sufficient.  I don’t agree.  I may be old enough to remember Laugh In but good manners never go out of style. 

Especially when it comes to the job search.

Before I lambast the companies, a word to the job seekers.  See above paragraph about thank you notes.  They aren’t optional after an interview.  Unless of course you don’t want the job.

Companies – when did arrogance come into the picture?  Back in the days of typewriters companies actually typed responses to job seekers.  There was a lot more effort involved in those.  The 60s, 70s, 80s and on have been good years for job seekers and the companies were the underdog.  Maybe that’s why they did it then and not now. 

(Job seekers – see earlier paragraph on thank you notes)

But even though it’s an employers market, technology facilitates responses and the sheer volume of received resumes is no excuse for not responding, forcing people to figure it out or  putting some inane statement to the effect of “If you don’t hear from us you weren’t chosen” in the ad.

I’ve long said “small things telling” meaning not only do actions speak louder than words, but seemingly inconsequential things are often indicators of bigger positions.  A company that doesn’t bother to let candidates know the status of things is likely to be inconsiderate in larger matters as well.  Like you as an employee perhaps. 

One of the people in my network tweeted a link to an excellent article about the need for a candidate bill of rights.  If you’re a candidate, read it becuase you’ll appreciate the validation.  If you’re a company, read it because you should be mindful of this.  http://fb.me/UrRLSAiq

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fix this interview? what for?

Tuesday, December 14th, 2010 by Judi

imagesCA1QLI3AThe biggest beef I have with most of the advice out there is that I firmly believe you should not – get that? should NOT – try to get every job for which you interview. 

In the radio interview I did this morning with WSBA out of York, PA, in response to one of my answers, Gary Sutton said, “It sounds as if you’re teaching job seekers how to take control of their search.” 

 ”Precisely,” I said, and went on to elaborate a few points.

Why am I bringing this up?  I just read an article by a recruiter in MN which was  about a “jerky interviewer” as he called the person.  He provides direction as to how to bring a very bad interview with a very rude interviewer to a positive note.   ( http://bit.ly/hM76ny )

While I respect his point of view, I see no point to following his advice (In fairness to him, I disagree with a great deal of the job advice principles ”out there”)  The behavior of this interviewer is a HUGE red flag.  There’s no reason to waste your breath trying to bring it to a positive note because the whole thing is a moot point.  The behavior should never have happened in the first place.

Is this interviewer a petulant child that he can’t put aside whatever issue was going on with him and not subject Carol (the interviewee) to this kind of behavior?  I don’t care if he just got served with divorce papers or totalled his new Mercedes.  Act like an adult.

Is he such an arrogant, belittling bastard that  he needs to subject her to one of those awful stress interviews to see how well she handles it?   I niether advocate nor see the need for this type of interview.  They’re indicative of an ego problem.

There’s no excuse for his behavior.  If he permits himself to do that on an interview, just think of what it would be like to work for him.

Rather than trying to bring it round to a positive note, my advice is:  throw that one out the window.   This was a guy to whom she’d be reporting.  He’s done that once  – and in a situation that warrants his best behavior.  So why he acted like this is irrelevant.  It’s not how healthy, mature people act – not to that degree.

At the end the recruiter/author writes:

Carol may still be a strong potential candidate for the role… and then she can decide if it’s a position she would like to accept or not! Hopefully you don’t encounter “The Jerk”. However, if you do, be sure to address the problem and show that you can effectively move a conversation forward in a positive way.

Ridiculous.  I’d tell Carol to withdraw herself from consideration.  Granted, I don’t know the rest of the information, but there’s nothing I can think of – after 22 years of 3rd party recruiting and 3 years as a career coach – that would justify that behavior on the part of the person to whom she’d be reporting.

So yes – as I told Gary, the DJ on WSBA this morning, I do teach you how – and why –  to  take control of your career.  Small things are telling.  Don’t put up with that because it’s not going to get any better.  Let some other person land in that job and be miserable. 
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thanksgiving: the power of choice

Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010 by Judi

choiceUnemployment is at an all-time high, and here come the holidays, which means stretching money to buy gifts and answering questions from family and relatives about why you aren’t employed yet and what you plan to do about it.           

Those of you who are familiar with me know that while I provide specific direction and advice, I also believe that what you think is what you create.           

Everything is always in a state of flux, constantly changing into new forms depending on the force of whatever causal elements are focused on them. All objects are made up of atoms, which have energy, and are constantly moving.  Atoms, manifested, become substance.           

Simply put, substance is held in place by the power of your attention until – or unless – you create a new thought or desire. An inhabited house retains its essence much longer when lived in, while a deserted one falls apart much faster. Curse your car everyday, and it will give you problems just as surely as plants respond better to loving attention.           

Recognizing that manifestation is an end-product, be aware of what you give your mental and emotional attention to.  But let me be clear: it’s a conscious choice, which is why I talk about knowing specifically what you want in your job. Focus your desire on achieving it. Know what it must be composed of and what it looks like. We are in complete control of the quality of our experience, and to a large extent, the characteristics of it.  

Your situation is what it is. If you don’t like it, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude, because you have the power to make that choice. Happiness breeds happiness, sorrow breeds sorrow, and conflict breeds more conflict.

So this holiday season, you can stress out, whine, think about how little money you have, and how everyone else is employed and luckier than you, or you can think about something else – like how much you have instead of how much you don’t have.            

Because no matter what’s going on with you, someone else always has it worse. 

Some people who have jobs, hate them and wish they were unemployed, but it’s nice to have a regular paycheck while you’re job hunting, isn’t it?   Others are unemployed and worry about money, but these people have no restrictions on their time.  They can shop in off-peak hours and job hunt full-time.

My point is, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, so take whatever it is you don’t like, and choose to find the good in it.

There is something very profound about gratitude – expressing it for the smallest thing and expressing it often. If you think lousy negative thoughts, you have lousy negative things happen to you. If you think thankful positive thoughts, you’ll find little windows of blessings opening all over. Try it if you don’t believe me.

That’s not to say life doesn’t get hard. Be thankful for that too. It’s in times of crisis that we learn who we are, precisely because we have the ability to choose who we want to be in response to the crazy things that are happening to us. Start looking at problems as opportunities. Make that a conscious choice.

Instead of “Why don’t I have a job yet?” say “Hey great! I got an interview!” And it’s not “I can’t believe they didn’t hire me!” but rather “It’s probably a blessing I didn’t get the job anyway. I know the right one is waiting for me!”

Here’s an exercise for everyone – employed or unemployed, happy or unhappy. Pay attention to your speech. Pay attention to your thoughts. Stay conscious in the moment, and see how many times you think or say something negative. When you catch yourself, turn it positive. 

Every hour, actively look for things around you for which you can be grateful.  Finish every day by naming five things that happened to you that day for which you are thankful. And yes, I do this too, just before I fall asleep. 

It can be as small as discovering you still have strawberries in the refrigerator when you thought they were gone, to suddenly noticing the gracefulness of a bare tree silhouetted against the sky. 

Notice what you take for granted: your car starting, having a house when foreclosures are up, having food to eat. You have friends who care, a place to sleep, clothes to wear, and the ability to breathe.  Be thankful, and stop taking these things for granted.

From a child’s simple prayer to exclamations of “Thanks a lot!” the business of being grateful seems like straightforward stuff. Yet recently, research has increasingly studied gratitude and other positive emotions. People who are grateful experience less stress and depression.  They’re less materialistic and more spiritually connected.

A sense of gratitude also has been found to speed healing for people who have experienced loss or trauma. This holiday season, think of all the things you have to be grateful for, and then when the season is over, keep the gratefulness going.

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keywords and resumes: don’t miss the point

Thursday, July 15th, 2010 by Judi

keywordsKeywords.  The very phrase is enough to freak job seekers out.  “Does my resume have enough?” “Is there any such thing as too many?”  “Should I change it for every ad?”  Conventional wisdom says a resounding YES for the last question.  Consequently, job seekers end up with multiple resumes.  The average number is 4.  This week I had someone come to me with 8.  Absurd. (And they were all poorly done, too)

Job seekers want to know what hiring authorites think.  Since I’ve worked with hundreds of them over 22 years – I’ll tell you.  They want to know your story.  But first, they want to know if your story is worth their time.  

Unfortunately, job seekers and professional resume writers think keywords are more important than - and will substitute for - the story.  Too often the keywords are there and the story is missing.

First, the principle behind keywords is screening.  Even in times of average unemployment there are people who apply for a job becuase they think they can do it, they’re willing to learn it, they did something like it……but they haven’t actually done it or anything close to it.  When the unemployment rate soars – like now – the percentage of unqualified people soars.  Keywords – or rather, the absence of keywords – weeds these people out. 

Second, lately “professional” resume writers like to just plop a huge group of keywords somewhere on top of the resume, and tell you this is good….because they’re getting all your keywords in there!  But more often than not, that section is overdone and takes up space.  Keywords should be present in your resume via a STRENGTHS section on top but more importantly, used naturally throughout the resume within context of your career.

Third, resumes in general are usually poorly written and that includes many by ”professional” writers who proclaim their CRW (certified resume writer) status makes them an expert while they may just be looking at a bunch of different books and repeating what someone taught them.  But keywords don’t take the place of a poorly written resume, and 99.9% of self -done resumes are horribly ineffective while many professional ones aren’t always much better.

Where does the story come in?  A well-written resume isn’t a  list of your employers and what you did in each place.  Nor is it a brag sheet.  Rather, it tells the story of who you are,  what you can do, how you’ve made a difference, how you’ve grown, how you make decisions, what your level of motivation is – all within the context of your career.  The companies for whom you’ve worked and what you’ve done there – typically boring job d escription stuff – is the least of it.  With or without the keywords. 

My point is – if your resume is well written, and tells your story thoroughly and effectively, both general and specific keywords will be present because it’s pretty hard to present your career without keywords.  So on some level, it’s even difficult to write a resume poorly and not use applicable key words.  

If you’re a medical device sales person,  can you write a resume that doesn’t mention any of the following  relevant to what you’ve done: medical device; territory; accounts; capital equipment, disposables, or both; physicians (and relevant specialty); the applicable hospital department….etc

If you’re an IT project manager, common sense says you list the hardware, software, and programs that you’ve experience with and whatever experience you focused on.  You may have a poorly written bullet that’s a job description:  Negotiated with vendors to procure best prices for hardware, software, and services or you may have a more effective, accomplishment-oriented bullet that tells how you benefited the company:  Saved company over $15k by renegotiating vendor contracts as they came up for renewal.  Either way – you’ve got negotiate with vendors in there.

What if you don’t have the experience? Then it’s very difficult to use the primary keywords, and you have to find something you did that’s parallel, utilizing general keywords.  If you’re answering an ad for wholesale sales of men’s clothing but your experience is in wholesale furnishings, the primary keywords won’t fit – no matter how hard you try.  Your experience isn’t in selling men’s clothing wholesale.  So you better have bullets that relate not just your sales awards, but how you sell, if you build relationships, what your methodology and philosophy is.  Although again, here is mostly where there’s only a job description and a list of sales awards.  Something like

  • Sold home furnishings to Fortune 500 companies and developed key accounts.
  • Took territory from last place to first place  2008
  • 2 sales person of 25 for northeast region
  • Cold called to develop new accounts

Keywords?  men’s clothing, wholesale, Fortune 500, sales, territory, new accounts, cold call, key accounts.  Good, right?  Nope.  No story.  How do you sell? How did evolve the territory?  If it was a new market base for you, how did you learn it?  What was your selling method of cold calls to developing accounts? Who were your clients? What problems did you solve for them?

Do you see the correlation? The worry about keywords is not only overhyped and overdone, but misplaced.  Keywords are about experience.  And if you’ve got the experience, you’ve got the keywords.  The real job – and the most effective use of keywords – is to make sure those keywords tell your story and your story encompasses the keywords.  Without the full context, keywords might get you past the the first few cuts, but if your resume can’t substantiate your story and leaves it untold, you may not get past a phone screen.  If your interview skills aren’t well developed, no matter how many keywords are on your resume, keywords alone won’t carry you through.

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