Not many people follow a seamless, unbroken career path. Many job seekers end up with an employment gap to explain at a job interview. And there's a simple, three-step method to explain this to your potential employer: acknowledge, reassure, and redirect.

Here's how it works:

1. ACKNOWLEDGE

Describe the situation very briefly and factually, and acknowledge that it is a valid concern. Keep your emotions out of it. Don't be detailed, defensive, or apologetic. Just stick to the facts.

Example:
Between 1999 and 2003, I was _____.  I can understand that the situation might concern you, Mr. Smith.

We all want to be honest and forthcoming in an interview. So when the question “What are you making now?” or “What kind of salary are you looking for?” comes up, it’s tempting to just cite a number or a range and move forward – but try to resist the urge. If you reveal your salary expectations too early in the process, you lose two big opportunities:

1. The opportunity to make them love you before they know your price.
2. The opportunity to demonstrate your ability to handle an uncomfortable situation confidently and respectfully, without caving (a prized skill in most jobs).

To Answer or Not to Answer?

If you’ve done your homework, you should have a fairly good idea of the typical salary range for someone with your level of experience in the kind of position you’re seeking within your market.

If you feel it’s in your best interests to avoid the question, your reply should respectfully and professionally communicate three general principles:

• Your interest in the opportunity;

• Your expectation to be paid in line with market conditions and your experience level; and

• Your willingness to discuss salary history once you and the company decide you’re the right person for the position.

If these five resume errors were rare, there'd be no need to discuss them. Unfortunately, they're not only common, they're also forehead-slappingly obvious, once you think about it. So, in the sarcastic spirit we give you five really common Did you REALLY do that on your resume? resume mistakes that you really don't want to make.

1. You listed your email address as howruhoney @ howruhoney.com. Really!?!
Great job, Honey! Personal branding is important, and every company needs a real "Honey" on staff!

2. YOU WROTE YOUR RESUME IN ALL CAPS. REALLY!?!
NICE MULTITASKING! YOU ASSERTED YOUR AUTHORITY BY SHOUTING AT THE HIRING MANAGER WHILE DEMONSTRATING YOUR POOR TYPING SKILLS AT  THE SAME TIME.

3. You skipped the Professional Summary. Really!?!
Smart move! Make the hiring manager search for the stuff that's relevant. Your time is too important to spend it highlighting your unique value at the top of your resume.

Ever wondered what happens to your resume when you apply for a job online through a company's website?

Does your resume have keywords?

The above two questions my seem different however are very closely interrelated. 

Almost all organizations today use an Applicant Tracking System also known as ATS. An ATS is a database-type program that helps employers store, organize, screen, sort, track, and reply to all the resumes they receive. Small organizations don't use ATSs yet, but all of the really big employers—and a growing number of mid-sized organizations—use these systems. For each job opening, the employer programs specific, job-related words and phrases into the ATS. Roughly, what happens is your resume goes into the ATS, gets scanned, and if it doesn't contain enough of those words and terms, the ATS smacks you with a generic rejection email and stores your resume in the dreaded "future consideration" bin. End of story.

We know the average CV gets reviewed in less than 30 seconds. We also know the average CV does not get to interview. The question this newsletter looks at, therefore, is how to ensure a recruiter or employer spends 5 minutes getting excited about your CV then 25 minutes talking to colleagues about what a great candidate they are about to meet.

If you can achieve this, not only will you (to state the obvious) get to interview, but the interviewer will be willing you to succeed.

Before sending off another CV, run through this quick checklist and determine if it needs adapting or re-writing.

Check your profile

Does your CV open with a list of skills and keywords? Don’t bore your reader. Employers want to know how you can solve their problem right now. Don’t annoy them by failing to answer this urgent question.