I created this community to provide a place for job seekers to ask (and answer) questions, get feedback, share information and support each other. You have your own page; use it to post a traditional resume and a video resume, start a discussion, and keep a blog.

Communities are richest when members contribute.
- If you see something interesting; link to it. Odds are others will find it interesting, too.
- Be interesting, but be honest.
- Write what you know.
- Be respectful.
- And most of all, have fun!

Don't panic--if you don't think your resume is getting the attention it deserves, here are three simple things you can do.

First, make sure you've incorporated appropriate industry, functional and technical keywords so your resume gets noticed by search engines. Keywords are important words and phrases (usually nouns) that describe knowledge, skills or abilities you have or need for a job. If you don't know where to start, find some position descriptions or job postings similar to the job you want. Look for industry and professional terms and acronyms and incorporate them into your resume.

Second...and I know I'm beating this one to death....have someone review your resume for grammar, typos, punctuation, phrasing and other sticky issues. Don't rely on your word processor's grammar and spell-checker, either. English has too many homonyms (there, they're, their) to be sure the software is fool-proof.

Third, make your resume visually appealing and easy to read. American resumes should be no more than 2 pages long. Go easy on the fancy features. Don't underline and don't use both bold and italics. Pick one or the other, please! Use lots of white space, and go easy on lines and borders.

I stopped publishing "Here's What I Think" last spring because I was busy blogging and setting up Working for a Living. Over the summer, I've heard from several people who've asked me when I was going to send out another HWIT, so here it is, back by popular demand.

Whether you're writing a resume or posting a job to be filled, it can be hard to find just the right word. Verbiage has gotten so inflated that it sounds like everyone is a "key player" on a "mission critical team" determined to "implement strategic plans." We facilitate, collaborate, commemorate and authenticate. We "build strong customer relationships", are "acknowledged experts" and "strong negotiators". We want employees who dedicated, loyal, hard-working people, detail oriented with an "excellent grasp of the big picture." Oh yeah, and don't forget about requiring an MBA for a secretarial position. (I kid you not.) George Carlin said it best in his commentary on modern man; if this link doesn't work, search You Tube for "George Carlin", "modern man" and turn up the sound. It's a classic.

For all the dire economic news floating around--and believe me, some of it's pretty awful--people are finding good jobs. Several Douglas Partners clients have embarked on major transitions this year and they've all been successful. Their secret: focus, focus focus.

They were very clear about their overall personal and professional goals--what they wanted to do, why they wanted to do it, and what they hoped to gain from the experience. They researched cultures, industries, companies and jobs until they became knowledgeable enough to do well in interviews. And every single one of them became an expert networker, even the people who hated it. They found other ways to make connections through Web 2.0 tools and technologies like LinkedIn and Face Book.

But here's the secret sauce: they only applied for jobs that fit their very specific criteria. Yes, money got tight and friends and family pushed them to take jobs. Panic set in for all of them, most especially for the American in China whose visa renewal depended on his employment status. Each stayed focused on their personal and professional goals, on their ideal jobs, companies and industries.

I'm tremendously proud of all of them for their successes. When I have a day where I don't seem to get anything done, I remember those three little words: focus, focus focus.

You may remember the brouhaha last year about the Russian guy who posted a 7-minute video resume on YouTube. Great idea, misguided application. He got his 15 minutes of fame, sure, but maybe not quite what he bargained for.

Are video resumes the way to go? There are some factors that weigh in favor of this new way to market yourself:
- Travel, especially during commute hours, is becoming untenable. Traffic is unpredictable; either you get to a scheduled interview half an hour early or half an hour late. Gas is over $4.00/gallon and has flirted with $5.00/gallon in some parts of the country.
- More and more people have access to video cameras, good quality webcams, laptops with video capability, and broadband access. It's becoming easier to record, edit and upload videos.
- Distributing a link to a well done video resume can reach more people faster, and with greater effect, than a paper resume alone.

While we think video resumes are a great idea, our clients have found the following are critical for success:
- A carefully scripted and thoroughly rehearsed message, targeted to the appropriate audience. Don't turn on the camera and start blabbing; few of us are good at off-the-cuff delivery.
- Your appearance, and the appearance of the space around you. Obviously you need to be groomed and dressed professionally, but what about the space in which you're recording your video resume? You don't want refrigerator art in the background.
- Professional editing to balance video and audio quality. You may not be aware of the neighbor's barking dog or traffic noises that will drown your voice out on the video.

With a little bit of planning, a well-crafted message, and some practice you can have a video resume that will showcase your talents and make you shine to recruiters.