The first and most common pile is the Black Hole. We all know what that feels like. You apply for the job but never hear anything. This can be incredibly frustrating--especially when you know in your heart you are a perfect fit for the job.

The second pile is the one in which the potential employer--or recruiter--looks at the résumé and thinks, "This person looks interesting. It might be worth a phone call."

Getting a call is great, but it isn't nearly as good as the extremely rare third category in which hiring managers see your résumé  and think, "This person looks FANTASTIC. How soon can we get him/her in here?"

Creating a résumé that generates that kind of response takes time, but it absolutely worth the effort. It makes a world of difference to have an interviewer who is LOOKING FORWARD to meeting you.

If the possibility of transforming your résumé seems intriguing, keep reading.

Dear job seeker,

I have a few important questions that require thoughtful and honest answers: 

• Do you ever look at your résumé and think: "I need to find a way to make this seem better than it is?"
   

• Are you frustrated with sending out résumés and never receiving a response?
   

• Are you afraid your résumé looks so much like every other résumé that no one will ever call you?
   

• Is just the thought of working on your résumé enough to make you feel insecure and unsure how marketable you really are?
   

• Do you have a nagging feeling you should be doing more to come across well on paper, but have no idea how to do it?

If you answered "YES" to any of these questions, I have news to share.

You are NOT ALONE. In fact, all of these questions are based on the insecurities and humiliation I experienced in my own rejection-filled job search. For over 18 months, I experimented with countless variations of my résumé hoping (and desperately praying) to find one that got results.

I wish I could say I cracked the code at that point, but the truth is I didn't.  I created a version that sometimes worked well enough to get me an interview, but it was still pretty pathetic. It only worked because it was slightly less pathetic than the other résumés. 

Through networking, persistence, and a relentless effort to prepare more effectively for interviews, I finally landed my dream job at Chicago-based advertising giant, Leo Burnett.  I was absolutely thrilled, but couldn't escape the nagging feeling I got hired in spite of my résumé.  Maybe it was insecurity on my part, but it was something I desperately wanted to fix.

I got my chance almost immediately as I found myself facing a constant stream of people who wanted to know how I got a company that reject me the year before to hire me a year later. In almost every case, résumés were foremost on their minds.

Knowing how much I wanted that job and how hard I worked for it, I made a commitment to help anyone who came to me. For almost 10 years, I coached people but didn't charge them. More than anything, I wanted to see if it was possible to systematically and strategically approach the résumé in a way that would work with people across all industries and levels.

Through trial and error, we tested different approaches and gradually improved our results. 

Along the way, I was surprised to discover a not-so-obvious reason recruiters, hiring managers, and headhunters will consciously avoid calling you that has nothing to do with your experience, racial profiling, or any other form of discrimination.

Believe it or not, I'm talking about your name.

If you have a name that seems difficult to pronounce and could belong to a man or a woman, I can almost guarantee you won't get phone calls.

Why? Because employers are human and don't want to embarrass themselves.  The fix is incredibly easy: Include a phonetic spelling of your name and a "Ms." or "Mr." as appropriate. This simple step will tell employers that you "get it" and will leave a lasting, favorable impression.

Of course, the name alone will not get you an interview--you have to back it up with rock solid content. Which brings me to my next point.

It wasn't until I had spent 15 years reviewing, rewriting, and testing countless résumé approaches that I had my single, most revolutionary insight:

Bullet Points Don't Work!

Why?  Because bullets have a fundamental flaw. The vast majority of bullets points--more than 99%--fail to answer the question: "So what?"

More often than not, the bullet point is nothing more than a RESPONSIBILITY. From a hiring manager's perspective, responsibilities are not helpful because knowing what you were responsible for and knowing what you actually accomplished are two completely different things. But even listing the accomplishment is not enough. There is a missing ingredient most people never think to include that can make the difference between getting an interview and having your paperwork thrown in the recycle bin.

These are just a few of the ways my thinking on résumés has evolved since the publication of my book, Getting Your Foot in the Door When You Don't Have a Leg to Stand On (McGraw-Hill). I have always been upfront about this because I am constantly learning and applying new techniques. Knowing this, my clients are always asking me  to spell it all out in one place so they have access to the most current thinking.

That's why I decided to create this eBook, Résumé Bullets Don't Work! (and other surprising issues that may keep your résumé from getting the attention it deserves).