3 Ways to Get a Leg Up in Job Searching

• SEO your resume:

For those who don't know, SEO is an acronym for Search Engine Optimization. SEO is a marketing tactic aimed to rank websites higher in various Google (and other search engine) searches.

As a job seeker, you have to make sure your resume is "optimized," which is to say that it has the keywords most commonly searched by users of Monster, Hotjobs, CareerBuilder, TheLadders, and other resume boards.

Therefore, if you're looking to switch industries, make sure that you know about the industry you're targeting and make sure that you have the right buzzwords throughout the document.

• Know how people read websites and individual webpages:

Job seekers often mull over whether they should have a one or two page resume. The choice is entirely up the job seeker, as each person who reads a resume has different preferences, but a mere lack of a page or addition on a resume has never hurt too many employment seekers. They key is that the information on your resume is high-impact and descriptive. If it takes you more than one page to accurately (but efficiently) describe your duties and talents, so be it.

Whether you go with one or two pages on your resume, know to omit lines on your CV. Studies have shown that when people read websites or documents on the web, any form of line on the page gives a signal to the brain that it is time to stop reading.

Take a closer look at the NYTimes website. You don't see too many lines, do you?

Moreover, it is important to mention that people rarely scroll down when reading a webpage or web document. Knowing this, if you want to focus on your last job or the job before that, make the first description brief.

Conversely, if you wish to hide your last job or the job before that, fatten up the content for your current (or latest) position.

• Treat the assistant as if he or she was higher than the CEO

The more talented job seekers are able to look at an office situation from their manager or interviewer's perspective.
An assistant, by definition, is one who helps, therefore making their lives easier.

For their work, the executive whom he or she helps holds them in high regards and the individual is typically invited to family functions and sometimes helps mentor the individual whom they report to.

Being anything but courteous to an executive assistant is the professional equivalent of telling a dinner host that their chicken is dry.

If you are rude to an assistant, that manager, if they were to now hire you, would be writing apology notes, as this is a great sign of disrespect.

If an assistant is friendly and outgoing upon meeting you, stay very professional and simply listen to what the individual has to say. The worst thing to do is to get caught up in any personal talk with the person because that leaves you open to judgments.

How does the following sound:

Assistant: "You liked Judy. You know you're going to be working with a Falcons fan, right?"

This small tidbit can immediately trigger negative responses in the manger's head.

Again, when it comes to the assistant, be cordial and professional. If he or she digs for personal information, be vague and just ask the question back, sit and listen until the meeting is ready.