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Here is a portion of the actual wording written for an “Experience” SECTION on a client’s resume; her objective was to secure a position as the Principal of an entire school in California (vs. her current position as the Principal of a segment of grade levels at a prep school in California.)

(note: While the actual wording of an actual position follows, the actual layout of the completed resume differs in design from what is shown here)

PREP SCHOOL
Oakland, California
Director of Lower School 2005-present
As the hands-on, ever-present, and actively-engaged visionary at the helm of this college preparatory school’s Lower School, responsibilities entail: curriculum development, instructional/operational/administrative guidance, facilities planning, problem solving, fundraising, and public/community relations. While the size and scope of duties are diverse and all-encompassing, ultimately responsible for providing leadership, cutting-edge initiatives, strategically-mapped directives, and creative solutions as challenges arise throughout all facets of planning, implementing, and evaluating progressive academic programs, staff development programs, technology ventures, and continuous improvement planning processes for the 240+ students enrolled in grades K-5.

 Personally direct and/or acutely aware of every facet encompassing the daily operations of the Lower School, from sound budget management, coordination of scheduling and space usage, and ensuring the physical building and the students are operating in a safe mode, to being ever present for all the staff and the students to see, approach, and engage in conversations.

 Screen, select, hire, assess, and support a team of exceptional teachers; ensure all educators receive training in curriculum, the materials, and resources of the learning environment, benchmarks, and assessment processes.

 On an ongoing basis, lead the process of review, change, and improvement to ensure grades K-5 adhere not only to the established scope and sequence of the school-wide curriculum, but also to the school’s commitment to develop 21st century leaders and inspire students to become effective, environmentally aware, service-oriented global citizens.

To encourage creativity, new and differentiated ways of presenting materials to students, research and promote both on-campus and off-campus professional development opportunities for faculty on various topics, including math, differentiated instruction, multicultural education, and diversity trainings.

 Support off campus experiential learning by traveling with the students and teachers to overnights in the Gold Country, a trip to Redwood Park to experience a wagon train simulation, a ferry boat ride to SF with the kindergarteners, a visit to the Gamalar Sakar and DeYoung Museums, and ventures to service learning sites such as Salem Lutheran Home, Sausal Creek, Children’s Hospital, and a family homeless shelter.

 To address learning differences in students and appropriately design a course of action created a highly-effective Educational Care Team approach for teachers, learning specialists, parents and the students in need.

 Serve on the Admissions Committee along with the Head of Admissions and four teachers in the sifting through hundreds of Kindergarten applications to screen and select students for each year’s 40 available seats.

 Consistently demonstrate a love of young people and an enthusiasm for their events, activities and interests.

There are three possible reasons.

1) Long before they even post the ad, the company has already decided to hire the cousin of the company’s Director of Marketing for the position to which you are applying; they just need to interview candidates at random to appear as if they are really screening for the best possible person. If this is the reason you are not getting called, you will never know it and you have no control over it.

2) Your resume didn’t stand out. Forget about the content (for right now) – if the layout, the paper, and the overall presentation is like the thousands of other resumes coming in for the same position, it’s easy for yours to get lost in the shuffle.

Here are a few quick tips to make your resume stand out:
TIP #1 If you are using WHITE PAPER or OFF-WHITE (natural/ivory) – you are with the 98% crowd who are all doing the same thing. Ever try looking for an important letter on a table or desk that is already filled with tons of mail, letters, and other pieces of paper? There are alternative (yet still conservative) soft colors to use to print your resume that are more effective than the overused white or ivory paper colors. (If you are thinking, “Print? Who prints? I email only!” then you need to change your mindset and START PRINTING your resume and SNAIL MAILING it to positions where you have access to the company’s address.

TIP #2 When you snail mail your resume and cover letter, do NOT fold it. That means, do not put it in a traditional #10 envelope. Having a big crease in the middle of your resume distracts the reader. Send your resume out in a crisp, white 9×12 envelope.

TIP #3 While you want to stick with the same font throughout, do use the BOLD feature and make your headings bigger so that the reader can easily find your education section, awards section, and objective.

#3 Your resume is confusing, boring, too short, too long, contains information that “raises flags” and/or has no objective.
Here are a few quick tips to ensure you are sending the best possible presentation of yourself:

TIP #1 If you haven’t worked in 2010, DON’T put the actual dates of your most recent employment; instead, put the number of years you worked at the company. (So, in place of writing 2006-2008, type: 2 years)

TIP #2 If you majored in a field that has little to do with the position to which you are applying, DON’T include the major or area of focus, simply just state that you have earned a BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (or ARTS).

TIP #3 Include an objective at the top of your resume. It tells the reader what you want to do; otherwise, the reader has to guess if you are looking for the exact same position that you just left, or if you want to do what you did 8 years ago.

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You really have no other choice.

Being depressed, negative, or pessimistic about the status quo of your life is not going to solve anything. It’s not going to help get your creative energy flowing (that you need to continue to come up with new ideas and solutions). And it’s not going to help you reach your goals (that you need to keep in mind so that you continue to look forward instead of backwards).

If you have sent out so many resumes by now that you’ve lost count and can’t remember where you’ve even sent them…

If you feel like a hamster on a little wheel going nowhere – fast…

If you find that napping throughout the day beneath your comforter seems to be more appealing than getting up and going outside into the fresh air…

or

If you find yourself crying more than laughing…

Here’s what will help (in no particular order since they are all equally important to return joy and faith back into your life):

1) Get organized. Spending half your day looking for the most recent version of your resume on your computer (or where you put that overdue electric bill) can be frustrating and draining. Spend a morning (or however long it takes during a day) to get organized. Having organized surroundings will help organize your thoughts.

2) Do (a little) something toward reaching your goals every day. No matter what your goals are, or how big them seem, do SOMETHING each day toward achieving them. If you’ve been meaning to read that book by Joel Osteen and keep putting it off for when you have time, read a page a day! If you’ve been wanting to get in shape but don’t know where to start, do 5 situps a day. If you want to start your own online business, do something – anything – toward achieving that goal – EVERY DAY. Before you know it, you’ll have read the book, you’ll be able to sport those favorite jeans without holding in your gut to zipper them up, and you’ll have customers calling for your services.

3) Focus on solutions vs. problems. If what you are doing, thinking, talking about, or wasting your time worrying over is NOT helping you to SOLVE your current issues, then let it go and concentrate on things, ideas, and efforts that will help solve the problems instead. You can choose what you allow to take up space in your head.

4) Count your blessings. When you find yourself starting to list what you don’t have or what you haven’t done, count your blessings. You have more blessings in your life than issues.

5) Don’t waste your most valuable commodity – your most important asset – your time. Stop posting every last boring (and TOO personal) minute-by-minute schedule on facebook, stop checking your email throughout the day, stop spending hours playing video games that lead you nowhere, and stop watching TV shows and movies you have already seen. Embrace your day and spend your time wisely – purposefully.

6) Forgive (yourself and others) for what they/you haven’t done or did or said or didn’t say. Let it go. “Fuh getta bout it!”)

7) Pray. Pray to your God. Pray to your Higher Power. Pray to the Universe. Get on your knees and pray. Pray for help. Pray in thanksgiving.

And there you have it. The recipe for joy and serenity in your life. Now, get off the Internet and give someone you love – a hug.

A resume’s objective is a critical part of the presentation.

Without one, you are leaving it up to the potential employer to try to figure out what it is you can do, want to do, and will do. Unless you have focused all your studies, certifications, and employment endeavors on ONE FIELD your whole career (like dental hygiene), you MUST include an objective on your resume.

Even if it is not specific.

You can’t depend on your cover letter to explain what it is you want to do now in your career because often times your cover letter gets separated from your resume during the “forwarding” process of your materials at corporations. Maybe you addressed the cover letter and the resume to one person in particular at the organization. Then that person sends just your resume to another person (along with 40 other resumes) – yours is the only one without an objective and now it is also cover letter-less. Thus leaving it up to the new reviewer to figure out if you want to do what is stated as your most recent experience on your resume (telemarketing), or if you are applying for a job with their company in the field where you earned your degree (business marketing).

Include an objective on your resume.

It should be ONE line – with ONE end mark (a period.) Writing anything more than one line transforms it into an “executive summary” or a “professional summary” – and that’s something different.

Here’s an example of a poorly-written and ineffective objective:

I want to get a job with a Fortune 500 company where I can advance in my career and gain experience in my field.

Here’s why it’s a weak objective:

1) It includes the personal pronoun “I” which does not belong anywhere on a resume – save that for the cover letter.

2) It mentions the type of company (Fortune 500) where the person wants to be employed. That’s unnecessary. Simply SEND your resume and cover letter to the (types of) company(ies) where you want to work. If you only want to work at a Fortune 500 company, then only send your resume to Fortune 500 companies.

3) The whole gist of the objective here is geared toward what the potential employee wants and makes no reference to what the potential worker bee can and will do for the company. Remember, employers are thinking “What can this person do for my profit margin?” and not “How can I help this person learn his field and then move on to another, bigger company?” If you want a job where you can get promoted AND YOU STATE THAT in your objective – then obviously you DON’T want the job to which you are applying – you only want to use it as a stepping stone. That may be true, and that may be ok, BUT DON’T WRITE IT in the objective. (And don’t mention that fact/goal in the interview).

Here’s an example of a strong objective:

To secure a challenging position where my successful experience in initiating and developing long-term business relationships while maintaining the loyalty of established accounts will be fully employed to deliver professional and profitable results.

Here’s why it works:

1) The adjective “challenging” suggests that the job seeker is solution-focused and is ready and willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done.

2) It states “successful experience” which implies that the potential employee has proven success in the field and is not seeking employment to get that experience.

3) The job seeker obviously has exceptional communication skills because he/she can not only secure new business for the employer, but also keep the clients he/she has already established. That’s impressive and not something everyone can do.

4) Finally, the objective states what the results will be – FOR THE EMPLOYER – profitable and professional.

Write an objective. Place it on the top of the resume just under all your contact info.

And while you are at it, write an objective for your life. It will remind the reader (you) what it is you want to do, who you want to be, and what you want to accomplish in your life.

It says a lot of positive, great stuff about you if you are able to embrace new opportunities, learn new things, and fearlessly go where you have not gone before; however, it also has some negative connotations. If you have gone back to school for a (yet another) degree in a totally different field than what you originally studied, or if you have now chosen to attend some sort of technical school or 18-month certification program in something ~ it may raise flags for the reader. Are you unable to make decisions? Are you unsure of who you are or what you want? Do you even know what your strong skills are?

The good news is ~ the ONLY way for the reader of your resume (that is, your potential employer) to know that you earned your undergrad degree in Accounting, went back for your Master’s in Education 10 years later, and got certified in Cosmetology last week ~ is if you include it all on your resume.

So don’t.

If your goal TODAY is to secure a position at a beauty salon or cosmetic counter ~ then your resume and your cover letter needs to look like THAT is the career and field of study you have been passionate about your entire life! You need to look focused, concentrated, and certain that now THIS is what you truly want to do. While you should certainly add your other academic achievements, you don’t need to say, specifically, WHAT your baccalaureate was in or what you focused on for your Master’s.

The point of a resume, AS ALWAYS, is to get noticed. To get a phone call. To get a shot at talking with the hiring manager so that YOU can see if you even want to work for the company afterall.

Remember that the next time you are interviewed over the phone or in person.

YOU are interviewing them too.

So, if you just earned certification in motorcycle maintenance, congrats! Just don’t include that you also happen to be a surgeon on your resume! (You can save that info for the coffeebreak room, the company picnic, or if someone needs medical attention at your new job!)

John “Jack” Edward Fassinger, Sr. ~ cofounder of Blue Flamingo Productions, avid golfer & proud father of PGA member, and grandfather of baseball pro in-the-making – died before his natural time.

“No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent; a part of the main…any man’s death diminishes me because i am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.” (John Donne, Meditation 17) The tragic and recent demise of Rocky River native John “Jack” Edward Fassinger, Sr. has profoundly altered the chapters in the Grand Book of Life from this moment forward; our loss now becomes everyone’s loss – whether directly or indirectly – all of our lives have been diminished. Jack’s awesome and love-filled life had such a wondrous and grand impact on those who loved, respected, and adored him that now the loss of that life utterly affects us forever beyond description or comprehension. . Blue-eyed, charismatic Jack Fassinger graduated from Rocky River High School and did his undergraduate studies at Miami University. He proudly served in the Army Air Force, earning the rank of Captain; his military endeavors took him across the oceans and to foreign lands. Following an honorable discharge, he returned home and worked at the Cleveland Arcade site of his family’s Chicago-based business. It was there at the Arcade that he met and fell in love with Victoria Casini – the woman who was to become his soulmate, his life’s partner, the devoted mother of their three children. Like his father, Jack became a member of the oldest and largest fraternity in the world – the Masons; as a 32nd degree Mason of the Scottish Rite, Jack gathered with fellow members at an early age to learn and discuss the great lessons of life – the importance of honor and integrity, of being a person on whom others can rely, of being both trusting and trustworthy, of realizing you have a spiritual nature as well as a physical nature, and of knowing how to love and be loved. These virtues were evident throughout Jack’s entire life. Though his family owned a successful business and he had traveled the world, he was neither a pretentious braggart nor a materialist; he respected everyone who came upon his path straightaway – never judgmental, never condescending, never doubtful of the innate goodness in everyone.

His people skills and his ability to establish long-term business relationships made him a natural success in sales. Shortly after his family sold their business, he built his career in the automotive industry at Fairchild Chevrolet in Lakewood where he earned numerous awards for his commitment to exceed client & corporate expectations. Several years later, after putting his three children through college, he retired from Tim Lally Chevrolet. Immediately Jack secured a great part-time job doing what he loved most -being on and near a golf course. For the past several years, Jack has worked as a starter, tee master, and golf pro shop associate for the Metro Park Sleepy Hollow Golf Course in Brecksville. He was a well-respected co-worker, and while maintaining his coolness and sense of humor (even during his physical pain) was always able to keep the golf patrons (even some of the seemingly-inpatient ones) – happily teed off!

With the spirit of a true entrepreneur, Jack encouraged and guided the start-up & development of America’s best professional & creative writing service – Blue Flamingo Productions©.

Jack was very wise and yet humble. He knew a lot about a lot of things, yet he modestly shared his vast and incredible knowledge of a myriad of topics only when called upon. So unless you were talking about motorcycles, travels ventured, or skiing, you would never know that he has ventures with a 1946 Indian, lived in Germany, and once left his skis on a mountaintop. He has a wide range of interests, was free-spirited, and open to new experiences. He was a great cook. He not only made thee best turkey dinner anyone had ever tasted, but also the most delicious gyros, Greek salads, peanut butter sandwiches, and Japanese steaks! Jack was a great blackjack & poker player, pinochle partner, and tricial pursuit opponent. He enjoyed a great match of tennis on the tube, playing golf on the course, and cheering for his favorite wrestlers in the ring. He often went to sporting events, local and national music concerts, fairs, golf tournaments, and seminars; he even ventured to Columbus to hear a spoken word gig by Henry Rollins! He enrolled in Qi Gong classes, climbed mountains in Arizona, drove to Las Vegas with his wife, and relentlessly strove to hit at least one good shot a round. He loved golf, and he loved the new King Cobras his kids got him. He loved golfing with his son, John, Jar.; they regularly golfed at SLeepy Hollow and surrounding courses. For several winters, Jack and Victoria vacationed in Scottsdale where they stayed with John, their daughter-in-law Jennifer, and their grandson Brandon; together Jack and JOhn, Jar. often hit the links at Arizona’s renowned Troon, Desert Mountain GC, Paradise Valley GC, and Boulders. This past season Jack happily and patiently golfed with me several times at Sleepy Hollow and Stonewater. He had an uncanny way of putting people at ease; he had unconditional love and acceptance for his family, his friends, the world, and life. He readily acknowledged and appreciated the beauty of a deer on a deserted golf course near sunrise, and the magnificence of the first site of spring. He never had an unkind word to say about anyone, and confrontations were never part of his style. He was easygoing (unless, of course, the ice trays weren’t filled, he couldn’t find the remote, someone left the light on in the family room, or you didn’t return his favorite pen.) He loved dogs as much as I do. He loved dogs as much as I do. I write that twice because I am certain my love for animals comes from him. Through all my travels, schooling, experiences, and employment endeavors, I have never met anyone like my dad, Jack Fassinger. There are so many awesome aspects of his complex simplicity that I admire and yearn to emulate. My loss is profound. Our loss is profound. In addition to a family golfing/sightseeing trip to Australia this upcoming fall, Jack and Victoria had planned to retire to Arizona as soon as he felt better.

Jack is mourned deeply by his beloved wife of 42 years (this May 26th), Victoria; his loving daughter, Jackie (husband: Brian), a teacher in Virginia and the mother of his first two grandsons – Dustin: a baseball pro hopeful who wanted his grandfather to see him in the Majors; his adorable garndson, Scottie; Jack’s beautiful son, John, Jr., (wife: Jenniofer) a professioanl golfer and former staff member of Jack Nicklaus’ Desert Mountain, and Brandon Fassinger, his two-year-old grandson; his two labrador retrievers, Perpper and Fido; and me – his favorite.

On Monday, February 2nd, 1998 the world profoundly changed; John “Jack” Edward Fassinger, Sr. – surrounded by the love, prayers, and tears of his immediate family at his hospital bedside – took his last breath. Though he had seen numerous doctors during his stoic struggle with chronic arm/back pain since January ‘97, he was neither tested for nor diagnosed with cancer until January ‘98. He died at University Hospitals of Cleveland just five days after being admitted through ER.

Friends & family were invited to his services and to celebrate his life on Saturday, February 7th, 1998 at the 19th hole at Sleepy Hollow Golf Course on Brecksville Road in Brecksville. Tee time – 4:00 P.M. sharp.

happy father’s day popeye.
by: Vicque Fassinger

Behavior-based interviews were developed many years ago yet continue to gain popularity because of the tight labor market and the growing cost of high turnover rates at companies across America.

Behavior-based interviews require a structured procedure that incorporates a prescribed method of questioning to provide a scientific evaluation of the applicant’s responses.

Who does best in these types of interviews? The candidates who have anticipated the questions prior to the interview and thus preplanned and practiced their answers before even arriving at the interview site!

For starters, you need to be able to explain what you did in your last job with a great degree of confidence, clarity, and common sense.

What are some other tips to prepare for a Behavior-based Interview?

1) Analyze the position you’re interviewing for and identify the skills required for that particular position.

2) Evaluate your own background to match your skills and your experiences to the position.

3) Develop and practice brief scenarios about how you applied your skills to accomplish objectives to complete a job you’ve held that is similiar to the one you are applying. Each anecdote you share ought to explain the challenge, your solution, and the results.

4) Prepare examples of times when results exceeded expectations and when they did not meet expectations. Your ability to address, handle, and talk about failure will most assuredly be a topic of discussion.

5) Identify and share 4 specific top points about yourself – attributes and characteristics that distinguish you from all the other candidates.

With a behavior-based interview, candidates have more of an opportunity than in a traditional interview to talk about what sets them apart from other people. Thus, it’s imperative to embrace the opportunity and shine in a behavior-based interview!

Once you land a job, it is essential to keep networking and building a portfolio of diverse contacts through your job. Most people don’t do this; they stop networking once they’ve been hired. To ensure your career continues to move forward, getting to know people, connect with people, remember people, and network both in-person and via technology will help you build a solid foundation in your field and a portfolio that can lead you to wonderful places and opportunities in life you never before imagined.

Networking is relationship building. It’s knowledge building. You are connecting with people and learning from them.

It is important to know the people you work with and what their roles are in the corporation. Information you obtain through networking will help you not only understand the corporate culture and the political infrastructure at your company, but also identify your key points of contact. You won’t waste time tracking down the wrong person for a project; you’ll know just who does what and how they connect to your role.

Networking doesn’t mean knowing (or sharing) everyone’s personal business outside of the work environment. It means learning about each person’s position at work, understanding how each person’s role connects with yours, and how your skills and role may be able to help another person do their job better.

Networking is successful if you maintain a “being of service to others” perspective. Rather than thinking “How can this person help me in my career ?” It needs to be, “What skills and knowledge do I have that can help this person?”

While people remember those who have wronged them and used them, people respect and refer people who have helped them. Which would you rather be in your network of contacts – in your portfolio of people who have come upon your life’s path?

Remembered for being a user?

Or respected and referred as being a kind, helpful, and skilled team player?

That’s right. Let it go and move on.

Many of the jobs posted on the Internet aren’t actual jobs anyway. They are postings from people in your very own field who want you to send them YOUR resume so they can see how you are presenting yourself in THEIR same field. Perhaps the posting demands you send your salary history or they won’t even consider you at all. That’s someone wanting to know how much you made so he can compare it to what he thinks he ought to be making. Maybe the job was posted by a Recruiter who needs to make his monthly quota for resumes received. There’s really no job available, but he has to accept so many resumes per week to show he’s doing his job.

Maybe it’s a real company you responded to and finally got invited to an in-person interview. You did well, you answered all their questions, you were presentable, sharp, and prepared. You had a strong handshake, you looked them in the eyes, you laughed at the right moments, and came up with excellent examples of how you would handle specific scenarios they threw at you. You left feeling confident and hopeful. As soon as you got home, you sent thank-you notes to each person who interviewed you at the company.

Little did you know that they already had the ideal candidate picked out but simply had to go through the motions to show in their documents that they actually really did interview 15 candidates. The friend of the cousin of the brother-in-law of their top sales executive got the job.

Meanwhile you’ve received no word. You rehashed the last few words of the interview over and over in your mind. You are certain they said they would make a decision in the next few days and get back with you.

It’s been a week. A month has gone by. Still no word. Are you really still thinking about it?

After you have sent the thank-you note, you turn it over to God and move on. You pray, you send out more resumes to different postings, and you move on.

You do NOT become one of those people who wastes precious time WEEK UPON WEEK complaining over and over again to others (whether over the phone or on some forum on the Internet) how you are still waiting for them to call you back and offer you the job.

Forget about it.

Let it go.

Turn it over to God.

Put your energy, your thoughts, your prayers, and your time into other things – sending your resume to new postings and places where you’d like to work even if they aren’t posting, starting your own at-home business, visiting your Grandpa, walking your dog, going to the beach, setting a crab free, praying.