In my 28 years leading Paul-Tittle Search Group, an executive search firm based in McLean, Virginia, I have found that generally only 10% of the resumes screened for a particular position reflect strong qualifications, and approximately 70% are clearly not a fit.

The remaining 20% leave many unanswered questions because they lack clarity. Even finicky hiring executives often revert to lengthy cumbersome tomes when putting together their own credentials.

An experienced resume screener spends no more than 20-30 seconds on an initial resume review. That’s half a minute in which to decide whether or not the applicant is a realistic contender, half a minute in which they hold a human being’s immediate vocational fate in their hands.

Using some simple “code-breaking” skills will help you mine that ambiguous 20% and achieve a much stronger candidate pool without wasting a lot of precious time.

• Disregard stationary. First, the easy stuff. Ignore expensive paper, logos, letterhead and fancy folders. Sometimes the thinnest resumes are on the thickest paper.
• Big-head shots. Unless screening resumes of models or actors, be wary of photos on resumes. Photos are good indicators of large egos.
• Brief Introductions. A short cover letter should indicate that the candidate knows something about your company, the open position, and what skills and accomplishments they bring. Resumes that follow lengthy cover letters seldom get read.
• Name-dropping. Invoking the name of one of the resume reader’s co-workers in the cover letter may or may not be a good idea, depending upon the reviewer’s level of esteem for the individual.
• Long and short of it. There is no right length for a resume, but a single page is generally too short for most people with substantive experience, or the print is too small to read.
• Summing it all up. A summary paragraph should include number of years of experience, special certifications, and a general overview of expertise, accomplishments and management skills.
• Looking back. Experience should be in chronological order starting with most recent. Anyone who lists experience only by skill set may have something to hide.
• Weigh accomplishments, not duties. Bullet points such as “I was responsible for the mid-Atlantic sales region” are tepid compared with “The sales team I led increased mid-Atlantic sales three-fold to $10 million in one year.”
• Go beyond job titles. Titles are often misleading and highly dependent upon the size of the company. Look for the scope of the job, management responsibility and revenues to gauge the fit.
• Sift the dross. Long, run-on sentences and paragraphs are difficult to read and the reader can easily miss key items. Highlight the “buzz words” that are of interest to you. Then evaluate whether the candidate has depth in these areas and is worth talking with.
• Be forgiving. Don’t overact to length of service at previous companies. There are many “reasons for leaving” today that are out of the employee’s control!
• Avoid ageism. Don’t discriminate against people who omit graduation dates; the important information is level of experience. Don’t hide behind the “over-qualified” argument, because your company could benefit from a highly qualified bargain candidate given current market conditions.
• Mass mailing. Resume delivery method shou
  Ebay - Make Money Selling The Most Valuable Commodity On The Planet (And the Banana Skins To Avoid!)
  eBay: Make Money Selling The Most Valuable Commodity On The Planet is about…• How anybody can make their fortune prospecting the eBay goldmine.• Why so many people fall short.• How you can avoid the same banana skins!The most valuable commodity on the planet is of course information and vast fortunes have been made selling it in one form or another. It is the ultimate minimal risk high profits megabucks commodity.But selling information on eBay is not going to rock your world if you can't avoid the following banana skins…Here is
  the resumes screened for a particular position reflect strong qualifications, and approximately 70% are clearly not a fit.

  The remaining 20% leave many unanswered questions because they lack clarity. Even finicky hiring executives often revert to lengthy cumbersome tomes when putting together their own credentials.

  An experienced resume screener spends no more than 20-30 seconds on an initial resume review. That’s half a minute in which to decide whether or not the applicant is a realistic contender, half a minute in which they hold a human being’s immediate vocational fate in their hands.

  Using some simple “code-breaking” skills will help you mine that ambiguous 20% and achieve a much stronger candidate pool without wasting a lot of precious time.

  • Disregard stationary. First, the easy stuff. Ignore expensive paper, logos, letterhead and fancy folders. Sometimes the thinnest resumes are on the thickest paper.
  • Big-head shots. Unless screening resumes of models or actors, be wary of photos on resumes. Photos are good indicators of large egos.
  • Brief Introductions. A short cover letter should indicate that the candidate knows something about your company, the open position, and what skills and accomplishments they bring. Resumes that follow lengthy cover letters seldom get read.
  • Name-dropping. Invoking the name of one of the resume reader’s co-workers in the cover letter may or may not be a good idea, depending upon the reviewer’s level of esteem for the individual.
  • Long and short of it. There is no right length for a resume, but a single page is generally too short for most people with substantive experience, or the print is too small to read.
  • Summing it all up. A summary paragraph should include number of years of experience, special certifications, and a general overview of expertise, accomplishments and management skills.
  • Looking back. Experience should be in chronological order starting with most recent. Anyone who lists experience only by skill set may have something to hide.
  • Weigh accomplishments, not duties. Bullet points such as “I was responsible for the mid-Atlantic sales region” are tepid compared with “The sales team I led increased mid-Atlantic sales three-fold to $10 million in one year.”
  • Go beyond job titles. Titles are often misleading and highly dependent upon the size of the company. Look for the scope of the job, management responsibility and revenues to gauge the fit.
  • Sift the dross. Long, run-on sentences and paragraphs are difficult to read and the reader can easily miss key items. Highlight the “buzz words” that are of interest to you. Then evaluate whether the candidate has depth in these areas and is worth talking with.
  • Be forgiving. Don’t overact to length of service at previous companies. There are many “reasons for leaving” today that are out of the employee’s control!
  • Avoid ageism. Don’t discriminate against people who omit graduation dates; the important information is level of experience. Don’t hide behind the “over-qualified” argument, because your company could benefit from a highly qualified bargain candidate given current market conditions.
  • Mass mailing. Resume delivery method shou
    Where To Find Prospect?
    With that end in mind, I offer you the following 22 prospecting sources to help stimulate real growth within your territory and your business—ME INC.Newspapers Review the business section, want ads, and business articles to get company names and ideas as to whom you might want to approach. Look for corporate announcements as well. The newspaper can provide lots of ideas.Industry Associations Get a listing of companies and individuals who belong to specific associations—legal, medical, engineering, and so on. Consider offering yourself as
    Ignore expensive paper, logos, letterhead and fancy folders. Sometimes the thinnest resumes are on the thickest paper.
  • Big-head shots. Unless screening resumes of models or actors, be wary of photos on resumes. Photos are good indicators of large egos.
  • Brief Introductions. A short cover letter should indicate that the candidate knows something about your company, the open position, and what skills and accomplishments they bring. Resumes that follow lengthy cover letters seldom get read.
  • Name-dropping. Invoking the name of one of the resume reader’s co-workers in the cover letter may or may not be a good idea, depending upon the reviewer’s level of esteem for the individual.
  • Long and short of it. There is no right length for a resume, but a single page is generally too short for most people with substantive experience, or the print is too small to read.
  • Summing it all up. A summary paragraph should include number of years of experience, special certifications, and a general overview of expertise, accomplishments and management skills.
  • Looking back. Experience should be in chronological order starting with most recent. Anyone who lists experience only by skill set may have something to hide.
  • Weigh accomplishments, not duties. Bullet points such as “I was responsible for the mid-Atlantic sales region” are tepid compared with “The sales team I led increased mid-Atlantic sales three-fold to $10 million in one year.”
  • Go beyond job titles. Titles are often misleading and highly dependent upon the size of the company. Look for the scope of the job, management responsibility and revenues to gauge the fit.
  • Sift the dross. Long, run-on sentences and paragraphs are difficult to read and the reader can easily miss key items. Highlight the “buzz words” that are of interest to you. Then evaluate whether the candidate has depth in these areas and is worth talking with.
  • Be forgiving. Don’t overact to length of service at previous companies. There are many “reasons for leaving” today that are out of the employee’s control!
  • Avoid ageism. Don’t discriminate against people who omit graduation dates; the important information is level of experience. Don’t hide behind the “over-qualified” argument, because your company could benefit from a highly qualified bargain candidate given current market conditions.
  • Mass mailing. Resume delivery method shou
    Secret Shopper Jobs
    With the growing importance of customer care and service, companies are hiring more Secret Shoppers and evaluators. The Secret Shopping industry has also become a convenient way of making extra money and there are numerous Jobs available to Secret Shopping aspirants in business setups such as restaurants, convenience stores, movie theaters, financial institutions etc.Before applying for any Secret Shopper Job, make sure that the hiring company is a genuine Secret Shopper Company. Keep in mind that legitimate hiring companies for Secret Shoppers don’t charge any fee fo
    most people with substantive experience, or the print is too small to read.
  • Summing it all up. A summary paragraph should include number of years of experience, special certifications, and a general overview of expertise, accomplishments and management skills.
  • Looking back. Experience should be in chronological order starting with most recent. Anyone who lists experience only by skill set may have something to hide.
  • Weigh accomplishments, not duties. Bullet points such as “I was responsible for the mid-Atlantic sales region” are tepid compared with “The sales team I led increased mid-Atlantic sales three-fold to $10 million in one year.”
  • Go beyond job titles. Titles are often misleading and highly dependent upon the size of the company. Look for the scope of the job, management responsibility and revenues to gauge the fit.
  • Sift the dross. Long, run-on sentences and paragraphs are difficult to read and the reader can easily miss key items. Highlight the “buzz words” that are of interest to you. Then evaluate whether the candidate has depth in these areas and is worth talking with.
  • Be forgiving. Don’t overact to length of service at previous companies. There are many “reasons for leaving” today that are out of the employee’s control!
  • Avoid ageism. Don’t discriminate against people who omit graduation dates; the important information is level of experience. Don’t hide behind the “over-qualified” argument, because your company could benefit from a highly qualified bargain candidate given current market conditions.
  • Mass mailing. Resume delivery method shou
    Cardinal Sins of Shipping
    The following are typical scenarios encountered by common carriers by customers who wish to ship a package. They are affectionately known as the "Cardinal Sins of Shipping." Find out what you should and should not do when preparing your packages for shipping.Q) Should I wrap my package in brown paper before bringing it to the store to ship?A) NO, NO, NO! Brown paper is cardinal sin #1 in shipping. The ONLY thing on the outside of a box should be the label that is printed with the "ship from" and "ship to" information on it. If you wrap a package in brown paper,
    responsibility and revenues to gauge the fit.
  • Sift the dross. Long, run-on sentences and paragraphs are difficult to read and the reader can easily miss key items. Highlight the “buzz words” that are of interest to you. Then evaluate whether the candidate has depth in these areas and is worth talking with.
  • Be forgiving. Don’t overact to length of service at previous companies. There are many “reasons for leaving” today that are out of the employee’s control!
  • Avoid ageism. Don’t discriminate against people who omit graduation dates; the important information is level of experience. Don’t hide behind the “over-qualified” argument, because your company could benefit from a highly qualified bargain candidate given current market conditions.
  • Mass mailing. Resume delivery method should be appropriate to your company, and e-mail is perfectly acceptable these days. But be wary of the generic resume and “Dear Employer” cover note spammed to every company in your vertical market.
  • Extra credit. Give extra credit to those who say they will follow up and really do, and particularly to those who persist. A medium talent with enormous enthusiasm trumps a high talent with no enthusiasm nearly every time.