And I must say, as an entrepreneur, I picked an awesome one to re-break my cherry on.

OK, there was really NO reason for me to say that apart from finding it humorous.

Anyway, it was really educational, and if you have a small business, a micro business, are really any type of entrepreneur, there’s some valuable information there that you do not want to miss. So here’s the next best thing to being there: a re-broadcast.

You can rebroadcast the Network Solutions Grow Smart Biz Conference in your blog too. If you didn’t know. And you can find more information about Grow Smart Business at their site.

Think keywords.

We talked about it before, but I can’t say it enough. Find out what the buzz words and expected skill set is in your industry and get them on your resume. Sometimes you can work it in even if you don’t have those skills yet. It’s cheating a big to get HTML for dummies and then put beginner level in HTML on your resume when you’ve yet to crack the book, but if you’re in the process of learning, sincerely? Do it.

By the time you get the call you’ll have enough skill to say you’re learning, and if the interviewer finds you teachable, they might fill in the rest of the knowledge for free.

I got my first help desk job after building a small network in my house. We talked about that in the interview for about five minutes, and it was during this time window that I bonded with the lady I later found out that I’d be working for directly. All of this little stuff counts, often in a big way.

Think “look and feel”.

Stand out but don’t overdo it. According to Monster.com, you may also want to use a font other than Times New Roman.

I’d suggest using an off-white resume on any paper but laser printer. Cream colors seem to float to the top of the pile. Don’t ask me why, it’s probably shiny thing syndrome, and all humans have it. You don’t want to put it on fancy parchment, people who have to sort through paper, and potentially feed them into fax machines or printer/scanner combos don’t like it, especially if they cause problems by getting stuck.

But do get a slightly higher grade of paper that’s softer to the touch. Also, use paper clips, not staples. The first thing I had to do when I was an HR assistant was manually separate stapled resumes.

And when we were in a hurry we just threw them away to save time. Unfair and possibly counter-productive, yes. Did anyone care besides me? No.

Also, since you have to get paper clips, and you’re already using cream colored higher grade paper, spring the extra bit for the gold-look paper clips. It’s a nice touch and it makes you stand out. Anything that makes you stand out even a tiny bit is in your favor.

Keep It Simple for the Stupid

If you have a name that’s harder for people in the country you want to work in to pronounce, put an easy-to-say nickname on your resume. On the one hand, an interesting last name makes you stand out. On the other hand, it seems that no one wants to be the one to massacre someone’s name on the phone. That person who calls may not be the decision maker, but let me put it this way:

Before I worked in the not-to-be-named Human Resource company, they routinely “misfiled” resumes with names they couldn’t say.

I am dead serious.

And having a “difficult” name myself? I wasn’t pleased about it, but it’s a reality. Some of my fellow Yorubas adopt an English name or use their Christian name on their resume, and worry about correcting folks after they get the job. I suggest you do the same if it applies.

This counts for every aspect of your resume. If it’s not an industry term, take out the four syllable words and be frank. If they feel dumb reading your resume, you’re headed for that over-qualified trap. Only the smartest people want people smarter than them working for them.

Yes, that’s nutty, but think of all the jobs where you were unhappy and all bosses you ever had there, and tell me how many of them had jobs you couldn’t do with both hands tied behind your back and an eye poked out.

Think convenience.

Put in all the contact information that it’s professional for you to have.

Bring your resume with you to the interview. You’d be surprised how many interviewers either lose them, or purposely don’t bring them. And then somehow manage to pair your face/name with the wrong sheet of paper.

Think format.

There are several different types of resumes. Which is right for you depends on where you are in your career search.

Think balance. Don’t overshare or undershare. Be specific but succint.

I wrote about this before in How to Find the Best Work References. In it I talked a lot about where to find more receptive references if you have burned bridges in your department, or if there’s simply no love lost between you and the group you’re working in.

Here are ten quick areas to explore - for each group, think of who applies and just start writing down names for three minutes each. Why three minutes?

Because there are ten of them, and after demanding information from the brain on a specific problem for about 30 minutes, the brain seems to keep on working on its own. I learned that from Allen Says and it works, but I don’t know where he got it from.

These alternate sources for references are also most likely to accept your coaching on what to say about you.

See also Listing Education: Free Online Resume Tips & Advice.

Once again, I’m not a resume expert or job hunting guru. This is all based on my experiences from working in HR, and as a person who hires people to work for me. You’re taking my advice at your own risk, so please do your due diligence - that’s why I’m including links for further study.

If you’ve got a strong resume, you may be able to leave this out of the offline version of your resume you can hand off in person, IF you’re including information about your skills in the Responsibilities section. Just make sure you also have an internet ready version.

You see, some larger companies scan your resume and make the text searchable, even those that don’t take resumes electronically. Why do they do that? And don’t you wonder why this is a section on Monster.com?

When I was an HR assistant, we searched resumes by keyword online. They’d often had me search by certain types of programs, like Microsoft Word or Access. And if you didn’t include that in your resume, I didn’t see it, which means the HR manager didn’t see it, which meant you had zero chance of being considered for interview, never mind being hired.

Instead of trying to figure out every single keyword they could throw at you, browse job listings and learn the buzz words. Describe skills in detail, list programs, programming languages, and other resources that you know how to use.

See also Listing Education: Free Online Resume Tips & Advice.

Once again, I’m not a resume expert or job hunting guru. This is all based on my experiences from working in HR, and as a person who hires people to work for me. You’re taking my advice at your own risk, so please do your due diligence - that’s why I’m including links for further study.

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.