Nine Phrases You Should Never Put On Your Resume

Since most recruiters and hiring managers receive far more resumes than they have time to review carefully, they’re forced to find shortcuts that will allow them to quickly sort resumes into Yes, Maybe and No piles.

There are lots of ways to get into the Yes pile — customizing your resume, using strong verbs, giving concrete examples of past accomplishments and showing your value, for example.

But there are also many ways to get your resume immediately consigned to the No pile. One way is to use the wrong words or phrases — often, empty clichés, annoying jargon or recycled buzzwords. In a recent article, “10 Words and Terms That Ruin a Resume,” we highlighted some of the worst offenders. That article really got people talking, so we asked some recruiting experts to share more of these detestable resume terms:

1. “Job Duties”

Heather Huhman, career expert and founder of content marketing and digital PR consultancy Come Recommended, says the term “job duties” is not convincing on a resume.

“List job duties under each position at your own risk,” she says. “Instead, focus on your accomplishments. Ideally, you should be able to use the S-A-R method: Situation, Action, Results. Include up to three bullets per position, and as [few] as one.”

Keep in mind that your job duties are something that happened to you, not something you achieved — and your resume should tell a story of achievement.

2. “Related Coursework”

“Unless you’re applying for your very first internship, remove your related coursework,” Huhman says. All your relevant education definitely belongs on your resume, but a separate section for “related coursework” isn’t necessary. Your resume needs a laser-sharp focus. If you’re struggling to show how a class is relevant to the job you’re applying for, consider removing it.

3. “Proven Ability”

HR manager Jen Strobel views this phrase as just resume filler. “The ability was proven by whom? How is the ability proven? How does this ability compare to those which are not proven?” she asks.

So use your resume to prove your ability by giving specific examples of your career achievements.

4. “Married with Children”

Delmar Johnson, an HR professional with 20 years of experience and founder of HR services firm HR Brain for Hire, says personal information doesn’t belong on a resume. “That’s great you have a family and you’re proud [of it],” she says. “[But] your goal is to reflect a level of professionalism that demonstrates your knowledge, your skills and abilities that are applicable to the job to which you are applying.”

5. “Transferable Skills”

When executive recruiter and career counselor Bruce Hurwitz sees these words, he takes them to mean “I’m not qualified, but do me a favor.” He says the terms “skills” or “skill set” are fine to use, but the word “transferable” has negative connotations.

And this is a great example of why it’s important to show, not tell. Don’t tell a recruiter that you have transferable skills. Show how the skills you have are relevant to the job.

6. “Results-oriented”

Cousin to the term “hard worker,” this is something anyone can say about himself. And as Stacey Hawley, career specialist and founder of career consultancy Credo, points out, that you’ll work toward results “is assumed.” There’s no need to use your resume to tell people things they already know.

7. “Utilized My Skills”

“Who else’s skills would we be using?” Hawley asks.

Stuffy, overly formal language on resumes is out. It’s wiser nowadays to use direct language. Beware of boilerplate phrases that have lost their meaning and that can be replaced with expressive words that say something specific about you.

8. “Had _____”

Career and etiquette expert Sandra Lamb is a proponent of using strong language on resumes. “’Had’ is an anemic and colorless verb that gives the reader the impression you’re submitting a job description,” says Lamb, author of How to Write It. “Don’t use this to start a bulleted item on your resume; you’ll be better-served by a strong, active verb.”

For example, you might say “Managed three people” instead of “Had three direct reports.”

9. Wacky Email Addresses (and Twitter Handles!)

Recruiting and career expert Abby Kohut of AbsolutelyAbby.com says that inappropriate email addresses like “clubhopper@example.com” or “hotchick@example.com” can send a resume to the bottom of the pile, if not the trash. “It’s not so much the email address as it is [the job seeker’s] judgment that I’m concerned about,” she says.

And the same goes for Twitter: More and more recruiters are researching candidates on social sites, so make sure you have a professional-sounding Twitter handle as well.

How the Rich Got Rich

Like to emulate the success of others? If wealth is what you’re after, look to an unconventional source for tips: the IRS.

John D. Rockefeller, America’s first billionaire, said, “If your only goal is to become rich, you’ll never achieve it.”

Easy for him to say, but his point is well taken: If the only thing you care about is making money, no matter how much money you make it will never be enough.

Still, even though we all define and calculate success differently, most of us would like wealth to factor into our equations.

To find out how, check out the 400 Individual Tax Returns Reporting the Largest Adjusted Gross Incomes, an annual report issued by the IRS. Granted the IRS Statistics of Income division must be where fun goes to die, as my CPA friend Bill Zumwalt (who forwarded me the report) says. But if you want to get rich, there’s interesting data buried in all the charts and tables.

(The latest report is for 2009, which to you and me was a long time ago but to the government is really, really up to date.)

In 2009 it took $77.4 million in adjusted gross income to make the top 400. That might sound like a lot, but it’s down from $109.7 million in 2008 and significantly down from a record high of $138.8 million in 2007.

A mere $77.4 million only got you in, though; the average earnings were $202.4 million, a lot of money but well down from the $334.8 million average in 2007.

Where it gets interesting is how the top 400 made their money:

• Wages and salaries:  8.6%
• Interest: 6.6%
• Dividends: 13%
• Partnerships and corporations:  19.9%
• Capital gains: 45.8%

The top 400 averaged $92.6 million in capital gains income–16% of the total capital gains reported by all taxpayers. (Do the math and the whole 1% thing seems like an overestimate.)

Obvious conclusions:

• Working for a salary won’t make you rich.
• Neither will making only safe “income” investments.
• Neither will investing only in large companies.
• Owning a business or businesses, whether in part or partnership, could not only build a solid wealth foundation but could someday…
• Generate a huge financial windfall.

The data clearly supports the last point. A total of over 3,800 taxpayers have made the top 400 since 1992, but only 27% appear more than once, and only 2% appear 10 or more times.

Clearly, getting rich–in monetary terms–is the result of investing in yourself and others, taking risks, doing a lot of small things right… and then doing one big thing really, really right.

And hopefully achieving other goals along the way–because then, even if you don’t get rich, you’ll still be wealthy.

The 212 Group, Inc. — Happy 4th Of July!!! (2012)

The Management Crew at The 212 Group, Inc. would like to wish EVERYONE a safe and Happy 4th of July!!!

NCAA Presidents Approve Four-Team College Football Playoff Beginning In 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A four-team playoff for college football has been formally approved by a presidential oversight committee, a dramatic change for the sport that will begin in 2014 and continue through the 2025 season. The four teams will be chosen by a selection committee, the semifinals will be held at current bowl sites and the national championship game will be awarded to the highest bidder.

The 11 conference commissioners watched on Tuesday afternoon as Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick presented their proposal to a board of 12 university presidents at the Dupont Circle Hotel. In less than three hours, the group agreed upon a postseason that college football fans have been clamoring for years.

The group of presidents also endorsed a rotation of the semifinal games among six bowl sites and a rotation of the championship game among neutral sites. The semifinals either will be played on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day, and the national title game will be played on “Championship Monday,” the first Monday in January that is six or more days after the final semifinal game is played.

“A four-team playoff doesn’t go too far; it goes just the right amount,” said Virginia Tech president Charles Sterger, chair of the presidential oversight committee. “We are very pleased with this arrangement even though some issues & remain to be finalized.”

There will be three contract bowls — the Champions Bowl, which is a partnership between the Big 12 and SEC, the Rose Bowl, which has a longstanding tradition between the Big Ten and Pac 12, and a bowl to be determined for the ACC, which is likely to continue its partnership with the Orange Bowl.

“In terms of our contract bowl, and our New Year’s Day tie-in, we expect to have an announcement on that jointly in the very near future,” Swofford said.

The three other bowls, called “access bowls,” have yet to be determined, but the decision will force the Sugar Bowl and Fiesta Bowl to become bidders.

Tuesday’s decision possibly could squeeze the Big East out of the postseason, as its champion is no longer guaranteed a spot in one of the six major bowls. The “automatic qualifiers” label also will disappear in the new system and those programs will have no guaranteed access to the new structure. Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby called it an “open marketplace for all schools.”

Also not involved in the automatic postseason picture is the Mountain West Conference, which did not receive a waiver to automatically qualify for the next two years.

Football Bowl Association executive director Wright Waters said in a statement: “Today is the beginning of an exciting time in the future of college football and we are committed to continuing the rich tradition of the bowls.”

The championship game will be managed by the conferences and will not be branded as a bowl game. The presidents also announced the creation of a selection committee that will rank the teams to play in the playoff, “giving all the teams an equal opportunity to participate.” The committee will consider win-loss record, strength of schedule, head-to-head results and whether a team is a conference champion.

The two main topics that still need further discussion are how teams will be selected and how revenue will be distributed. The commissioners have agreed in principle as to how the revenue will be divided, according to Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany, but that has not been made public yet. The commissioners also still need to decide a name for the playoff.

The decision is subject to passage of appropriate legislation by the NCAA Board of Directors to permit the two semifinal winners to play an additional postseason game.

ACC commissioner John Swofford called it “a milestone” for college football.

“The access for conferences throughout the FBS is going to be better in this system than the current system,” he said. “That’s an important part of this. But you have to play your way in. That’s a plus.”

***** Here are a couple of links that talk about it more.  I can say that I’m excited for this!!! *****

***** http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSYFdm6oBU4 *****

***** http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8099187/ncaa-presidents-approve-four-team-college-football-playoff-beginning-2014 *****

What The Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast

Mornings are a great time for getting things done. You’re less likely to be interrupted than you are later in the day. Your supply of willpower is fresh after a good night’s sleep. That makes it possible to turn personal priorities like exercise or strategic thinking into reality.

But if you’ve got big goals–and a chaotic a.m. schedule–how can you make over your mornings to make these goals happen?

Because I write about time management frequently, I’ve gotten to see hundreds of calendars and schedules over the years. From studying people’s morning habits, I’ve learned that getting the most out of this time is a five-part process. Follow these steps, though, and you’re on your way to building morning habits that stick.

1. Track Your Time

Part of spending your time better is knowing how you’re spending it now. If you’ve ever tried to lose weight, you know that nutritionists tell you to keep a food journal because it keeps you from eating mindlessly. It’s the same with time. Write down what you’re doing as often as you can. Use my spreadsheet, a Word document, or a pad and pen.

While measuring your mornings, try tracking your whole week. The reason? The solution to morning dilemmas often lies at other times of the day. You may be too tired because you’re staying up late. But if you look at how you’re spending your nights, you’ll notice that you’re not doing anything urgent. The Daily Show can be recorded and watched earlier–possibly while you’re on the treadmill at 6:30 a.m.

As for the mornings themselves, you can be organized but still not be spending them well. Question your assumptions. You may believe that “a man who wants to keep his job gets into the office before his boss” because that’s what your father did, but your boss may be disappointed that he doesn’t get the place to himself for an hour first! If you decide that something is a top priority, do it, but understand that we have to do few things in life.

2. Picture the Perfect Morning

After you know how you’re spending your time, ask yourself what a great morning would look like. For me, it would start with a run, followed by a hearty family breakfast. After getting people out the door, I’d focus on long-term projects like my books. Here are some other ideas for morning enrichment:

For personal growth:

• Read through a religious text: Sacred texts can teach us about human nature and history, even if they’re not from a religion you subscribe to. If they are, pray or meditate and get to know your beliefs in a deeper way.
• Train for something big: Aiming to complete a half-marathon, a triathlon, or a long bike ride will keep you inspired as you take your fitness to the next level.
• Do art projects with your kids:. Mornings don’t have to be a death march out the door. Enjoy your time with your little ones at a time of day when you all have more patience.

For professional growth:

• Strategize: In an age of constant connectivity, people complain of having no time to think. Use your mornings to picture what you want your career and organization to look like in the future.
• Read articles in professional journals: Benefit from other people’s research and strategic thinking, and gain new insights into your field.
• Take an online class: If a job or career change is in your future, a self-paced class can keep your skills sharp.

3. Think Through the Logistics

How could this vision mesh with the life you have? Don’t assume you have to add it on top of the hours you already spend getting ready or that you’ll have to get to work earlier. If you fill the morning hours with important activities you’ll crowd out things that are more time intensive than they need to be. Map out a morning schedule. What time would you have to get up and what time do you need to go to bed to get enough sleep? As for the mornings themselves, what would make your ritual easier? Do you need to set your easel next to your bed? Can you find a more cheerful alarm clock or one you can’t turn off so easily?

It’s easy to believe our own excuses, particularly if they’re good ones. Come up with a plan and assemble what you need, but whatever you do, don’t label this vision as impossible

4. Build the Habit

This is the most important step. Turning a desire into a ritual requires willpower. Use these fives steps to optimize your routine:

• Start slowly:Go to bed and wake up fifteen minutes earlier for a few days until this new schedule seems doable.
• Monitor your energy: Building a new habit takes effort, so take care of yourself while you’re trying. Eat right, eat enough, and surround yourself with supportive people who want to see you succeed.
• Choose one new habit at a time to introduce: If you want to run, pray, and write in a journal, choose one of these and make it a habit before adding another.
• Chart your progress:Habits take weeks to establish, so keep track of how you’re doing for at least thirty days. Once skipping a session feels like you forgot something–like forgetting to brush your teeth–you can take your ritual up a notch.
• Feel free to use bribery:Eventually habits produce their own motivation, but until then, external motivations like promising yourself concert tickets can keep you moving forward. And keep in mind that your morning rituals shouldn’t be of the self-flagellation variety. Choose things you enjoy: your before-breakfast ritual has the potential to become your favorite part of the day.

5. Tune Up as Necessary

Life changes. Sometimes we have to regroup, but the goal is to replace any rituals that no longer work with new ones that make you feel like every day is full of possibility.

That is ultimately the amazing thing about mornings–they always feel like a new chance to do things right. A win scored then creates a cascade of success. The hopeful hours before most people eat breakfast are too precious to be blown on semiconscious activities. You can do a lot with those hours. Whenever I’m tempted to say I don’t have time for something, I remind myself that if I wanted to get up early, I could. These hours are available to all of us if we choose to use them.

So how would you like to use your mornings? This important question requires careful thinking. But once you decide, small rituals can accomplish great things. When you make over your mornings, you can make over your life. That is what the most successful people know.

***** http://www.fastcompany.com/1839987/what-the-most-successful-people-do-before-breakfast *****

Bill Stewart dies at age 59

Bill Stewart dies at age 59

RIP Bill Stewart —  You will be missed!

Nail the “Tell Me About Yourself” Job Interview Question!

The “tell me about yourself” job interview question isn’t just a warm up question, but, as with the other questions, a chance to sell yourself as the perfect candidate for the job. Prepare your best answer with this three-part statement approach.

The Personal Branding Blog recommends you craft your answer to include a summary of your career history (one sentence), an example of one career accomplishment (one or two sentences), and a summary of what you want next in your career that’s relevant to the position at hand (one or two sentences).

Here’s the example given:

“I am a chemical engineer with eight years of experience, four which were in process engineering at Clorox working on improving plant productivity and four in specialty resin chemical sales where I help customers develop new products that improve their competitiveness in the marketplace. (Part One)

“Recently, through networking, I learned of a company that had great products except for their concrete coating line. I knew that we had a resin that would enable the company to develop a faster drying concrete coating, thereby improving the company’s ability to compete more effectively in their marketplace. I called on the decision-makers, got their interest, worked with R&D and helped them develop a product line that resulted in $2 million in new sales for the company in the first year, which meant $400K in new sales for us. (Part Two)

“For the next step in my career, I would like to be with a larger firm with more resources so that I can continue to drive business and grow sales for both the company and my customers in a wider variety of applications. Once I have proven myself and earned the right to get promoted, I would like to use my skills to lead and develop a sales team.” (Part Three)

Note that the answer is targeted to the job, not a personal biography—because hiring managers don’t really care where you grew up. What matters most is how you’ll contribute to the company.

***** Thanks John for the contribution to our blog!!! — Here is the link for people that are interested…it’s a great article and The 212 Group would like to give recognition to the author: — http://lifehacker.com/5911124/nail-the-tell-me-about-yourself-job-interview-question-with-this-three+part-answer *****

May The 4th Be With You!

May The 4th Be With You!

Is Starting a Business an Art or a Science?

Business as Art
Fact: Entrepreneurship is an irrational pursuit. Founding a company–much less one that could “change the world”–entails insane amounts of risk, ridiculously low chances of success and zero work-life balance.

Nevertheless, the value of risk-taking is incalculable, insists Steve Blank, professor of entrepreneurship at Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley, who pioneered the Lean LaunchPad course that the National Science Foundation adopted for its new incubator boot camp, I-Corps. Blank started a total of eight technology companies–two of them massive failures, one that set him up for life–before turning his attention to the next generation of visionaries, to whom he’s been extolling the virtues of embracing his particular brand of irrationality.

Why? Well, Blank says, illogical ideas are how society achieves progress.

Every great entrepreneur, from Richard Branson to the late Steve Jobs, made decisions that seemed crazy to the rest of us. But those decisions did eventually change the world. And almost every great entrepreneur, when asked to share the secret behind such success, chalks some of it up to “gut instinct.” (Seriously, check out their quotes.)

“It’s a survival trait,” says Blank, who believes that entrepreneurs are wired to think differently and to see things most people don’t, so they should be encouraged to act on their instincts. In fact, he maintains that a good chunk of what people call gut instinct is really a mesh of experience and a data-driven way of thinking about things. “Entrepreneurial brains are like full-time pattern recognizers,” he explains. “People attribute radical decisions to their guts, but there is actually a lot of hard thinking and information processing that goes on subconsciously before there’s a pattern match.”

Of course, that doesn’t mean they always get it right–quite the opposite, in fact. Blank says 90 percent of entrepreneurial ventures fall prey to “noise and hallucination,” but the impact of the remaining 10 percent is so valuable that it warrants setting up an environment in which more entrepreneurs can thrive.

“Ultimately, entrepreneurship is more of an art than a science,” he declares, comparing the revolutionary beauty of Facebook and Google to Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony­­ or Van Gogh’s The Starry Night.

Makes sense. Starving artists and budding entrepreneurs always did have a lot in common.

Business as Science
Not so fast, says Kay-Yut Chen, principal scientist at Hewlett-Packard Laboratories. When it comes to starting a business, he proposes taking a more methodical approach.

Trusting your gut sounds great, says Chen, co-author of Secrets of the Money Lab: How Behavioral Economics Can Improve Your Business, but if entrepreneurs are indeed irrational, it stands to reason that their instincts can lead them astray. Chen’s proposal: more science. Besides, he says, from a numbers perspective, it’s only logical that if enough people are out there pumping resources and energy into entrepreneurial pursuits, good things will happen.

“Think of an investment portfolio,” he says. “There are methods of managing risk and increasing efficiency, but you cannot get away from the fundamental fact that you need to diversify for the overall portfolio to win.”

If the underlying objective is for entrepreneurs to drive progress in society, then it’s important to tweak and test the system to get better results, faster. The prevailing view among behavioral economists like Chen is that if people understood their mental limitations as well as their physical ones, they could design products and companies more efficiently. Indeed, if people are irrational, then instinct can certainly lead them astray.

“There isn’t enough emphasis on science and analytics at startups,” he says, noting that once entrepreneurs are aware of irrational behavior–theirs or their customers’–they can make smarter decisions in every aspect of business operations.

For instance, you might think customers will appreciate more choices or features. However, Chen says, many studies have shown that when there is too much variety, people become paralyzed by the options, and often walk away without making a purchase. Knowledge like that can have important implications on marketing and product development.

A more scientific approach can even help answer bigger “gut” questions, such as when to call it quits if things aren’t going well. Chen notes that entrepreneurs often feel a sense of pride and attachment to their companies, and usually end up wasting money on an obviously sinking ship. But looking through a more rational lens, it becomes apparent far more quickly when to start over, or “pivot,” as they say in startup circles.

Applying more analytics to entrepreneurship isn’t expensive, but Chen concedes that entrepreneurs have limited resources and attention spans, and there’s not a lot of time to learn the science surrounding every decision. Still, it doesn’t change the fact that entrepreneurs could benefit from being a bit more cautious. After all, gut instinct may be a survival trait, but so is prudence–and the latter doesn’t have a 90 percent failure rate.

***** Here is the link for the article — http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/222795 *****

Business Etiquette: 5 Rules That Matter Now

The word “etiquette” gets a bad rap. For one thing, it sounds stodgy and pretentious. And rules that are socially or morally prescribed seem intrusive to our sense of individuality and freedom.

But the concept of etiquette is still essential, especially now—and particularly in business. New communication platforms, like Facebook and Linked In, have blurred the lines of appropriateness and we’re all left wondering how to navigate unchartered social territory.

At Crane & Co., we have been advising people on etiquette for two centuries. We have even published books on the subject—covering social occasions, wedding etiquette and more.

Boil it down and etiquette is really all about making people feel good. It’s not about rules or telling people what to do, or not to do, it’s about ensuring some basic social comforts.

So here are a few business etiquette rules that matter now—whatever you want to call them.

1. Send a Thank You Note

I work at a paper company that manufactures stationery and I’m shocked at how infrequently people send thank you notes after interviewing with me. If you’re not sending a follow-up thank you note to Crane, you’re not sending it anywhere.

But the art of the thank you note should never die. If you have a job interview, or if you’re visiting clients or meeting new business partners—especially if you want the job, or the contract or deal—take the time to write a note. You’ll differentiate yourself by doing so and it will reflect well on your company too.

2. Know the Names

It’s just as important to know your peers or employees as it is to develop relationships with clients, vendors or management. Reach out to people in your company, regardless of their roles, and acknowledge what they do.

My great-grandfather ran a large manufacturing plant. He would take his daughter (my grandmother) through the plant; she recalled that he knew everyone’s name—his deputy, his workers, and the man who took out the trash.

We spend too much of our time these days looking up – impressing senior management. But it’s worth stepping back and acknowledging and getting to know all of the integral people who work hard to make your business run.

3. Observe the ‘Elevator Rule’

When meeting with clients or potential business partners off-site, don’t discuss your impressions of the meeting with your colleagues until the elevator has reached the bottom floor and you’re walking out of the building. That’s true even if you’re the only ones in the elevator.

Call it superstitious or call it polite—but either way, don’t risk damaging your reputation by rehashing the conversation as soon as you walk away.

4. Focus on the Face, Not the Screen

It’s hard not to be distracted these days. We have a plethora of devices to keep us occupied; emails and phone calls come through at all hours; and we all think we have to multitask to feel efficient and productive.

But that’s not true: When you’re in a meeting or listening to someone speak, turn off the phone. Don’t check your email. Pay attention and be present.

When I worked in news, everyone was attached to a BlackBerry, constantly checking the influx of alerts. But my executive producer rarely used hers—and for this reason, she stood out. She was present and was never distracted in editorial meetings or discussions with the staff. And it didn’t make her any less of a success.

5. Don’t Judge

We all have our vices—and we all have room for improvement. One of the most important parts of modern-day etiquette is not to criticize others.

You may disagree with how another person handles a specific situation, but rise above and recognize that everyone is trying their best. It’s not your duty to judge others based on what you feel is right. You are only responsible for yourself.

We live in a world where both people and businesses are concerned about brand awareness. Individuals want to stand out and be liked and accepted by their peers–both socially and professionally.

The digital landscape has made it even more difficult to know whether or not you’re crossing a line, but I think it’s simple. Etiquette is positive. It’s a way of being—not a set of rules or dos and don’ts.

So before you create that hashtag, post on someone’s Facebook page or text someone mid-meeting, remember the fundamentals: Will this make someone feel good?

And remember the elemental act of putting pen to paper and writing a note. You’ll make a lasting impression that a shout-out on Twitter or a Facebook wall mention can’t even touch.