Common Resume Mistakes – Results from the Palladian International 2008 Resume Benchmarking Survey

After conducting an extensive benchmarking review of resumes, Palladian International identified several trends, including common mistakes most job seekers make.

Waynesboro, VA (PRWEB) May 8, 2008 – For an active job seeker, their resume is one of the most important tools at their disposal. Long before the first interview, a job seeker needs to present their background, experience and potential in a one to two page document, and make that document count. Without a good resume, nothing happens.

After conducting an extensive study of resumes currently in use by job seekers, Palladian identified the following trends:

• Format: One third of resumes utilize the wrong structure - either a chronological when a functional would do better or vice versa. The choice of structure can make a significant impact on the effectiveness of a resume.
• Generic Objectives: Almost half of the objective statements did not provide any information on the job or industry that the job seeker was pursuing. Generic objective statements, such as the common “I want to utilize my skills and abilities to the benefit of my employer” serve no purpose and are, at best, a waste of space.
• Accomplishments: 27% of job seekers provided no accomplishments and only 40% of job seekers provided three or more accomplishments for each job held. Most job seekers emphasized their responsibilities. Although responsibilities are important on a resume, they must be backed up by accomplishments. The average resume contained 2.5 accomplishments per position and 3.2 responsibilities per position.
• Personal Information: When personal information, such as hobbies, interests and family status was provided, it very rarely related to the job seeker’s career.
• Grammar and Spelling: Very few resumes have a mistake. Less than 8% of the resumes surveyed contained a single spelling or grammatical error and less than 3% contained multiple errors.
• Continuing Education: 77% of resumes included a list of continuing education activities that the job seeker had completed within the education section of their resume.
• Employment Dates: Only half of the resumes provided both months and years for the start and end date of each position listed, leaving the other half of resumes missing key data most hiring managers want.

The 2008 Resume Benchmarking Survey is available for download on the Palladian International website at www.palladiancr.com/survey.html. The 2008 Resume Benchmarking Survey evaluated resumes from active job seekers within three categories: Manufacturing Executives with more than 10 years of experience, Sales & Marketing Managers with more than 10 years of experience and recent college graduates entering the workforce.

About Palladian International, LLC:

Palladian International is an executive search firm specializing in finding key managers and executives, individuals that clearly standout in their industry, in the manufacturing, distribution and defense industries, with a focus on operations, supply chain and sales careers. Palladian has successfully conducted talent searches throughout the US, Europe and the Middle East. Palladian also offers career coaching services to job seekers, including resume writing and interview preparation.

Contact:
Gary W. Capone, Vice President
Palladian International, LLC
866-766-8447
http://www.palladianinternational.com

Palladian International Introduces Career Consulting

Palladian International, LLC, an executive search firm in the manufacturing, distribution and defense industries, is introducing a portfolio of consulting services targeted at job seekers. These services will provide expert advice and consulting on resume writing and interviewing. Because Palladian is first and foremost a recruiting firm, their perspective is from the employer side of the table.

Waynesboro, VA (PRWEB) April 17, 2008 – Palladian International, LLC is introducing Palladian Career Resources, a career consulting service for professionals who want to gain insight into the hiring manager’s perspective. Palladian, an executive search firm, specializes in finding, screening and attracting exceptional professionals within the manufacturing, distribution and defense industries.

As an executive search firm, Palladian decided to develop their Career Resources services in response to requests from candidates. Mark Henderson, President, explains “Our focus has been on our client’s needs. If we are working with a candidate that is a fit for a client, we do whatever we can to help that candidate. Unfortunately, many great candidates that we meet are not necessarily the right fit for one of our clients. Up until now, there was little we could do to help. With Career Resources, we can provide anyone the one-on-one advice of a professional search consultant.”

The core of the Palladian Career Resources service is the Interview Preparation. This service provides a one hour coaching session and three mock interviews. Each interview will include a thorough assessment with recommendations for improvement. Palladian tailors the interviews to the candidate’s need.

In addition to a full interview prep, Palladian offers individual practice interviews for individuals that just want to brush up on their skills. “Because most candidates only interview every few years, many feel rusty each time the start a search. A practice session can often help get a person back in shape” says Gary W. Capone, Vice President.

Palladian also offers resume writing services. Palladian’s basic service is a resume assessment, offering a 61 point check of a resume, with recommendations for improvements. This service is designed to assist professionals that want an objective opinion of their resume but do not feel they need hire a resume writer. A complete resume writing service is also offered for individuals that want help developing their resume from start to finish. Both of these services are offered at very competitive rates.

More information on Palladian Career Resources can be found at www.palladiancr.com.

About Palladian International, LLC:
Palladian International is an executive search firm specializing in manufacturing, distribution and defense industries. Our core focus is on operations, supply chain and sales careers. Palladian has successfully conducted talent searches throughout the US, Europe and the Middle East.

Contact:
Gary W. Capone, Vice President
Palladian International, LLC
866-766-8447
www.palladianinternational.com

Palladian Moves into New Offices

After two years in Willow Oak Plaza, Palladian relocated to the Hopeman Building in Waynesboro, VA.

Waynesboro, VA January 2, 2008 – Palladian International relocated the operations from their location in Willow Oak Plaza to a larger space in the Hopeman Building. The new space in the Hopeman Building is much larger than Palladian’s previous locations, and will provide Palladian with room to grow as additional recruiters join the firm.

Palladian selected the Hopeman Building as their new home due to the professional appearance of the building and the excellent location. Gary W. Capone, Palladian Vice President explains, “Our offices in Willow Oak helped our firm get started and become successful. We’re now at a point where growth is important and the Hopeman Building is a great match for our long term plans.” Palladian's new offices are located at 435 Essex Avenue, Suite 8, Waynesboro, VA 22980.

About Palladian International, LLC:
Palladian International is an executive search firm specializing in finding key managers and executives, individuals that clearly standout in their industry, in the manufacturing, distribution and defense industries, with a focus on operations, supply chain and sales careers.

Contact:
Gary W. Capone, Vice President
Palladian International, LLC
866-766-8447
http://www.palladianinternational.com