There’s one last day in January, so let’s take one more look at finding a job…Get out your resume, dust it off, find that old computer floppy disk. Do whatever you need to do to get it up to date.

What does that mean? Well, today’s resumes are a lot different than those of old. I remember my first resume was basically my educational experience and some highlights from my experience on the college newspaper. Then I got the first job, the second and the third. But I kept that all-important document at one tight, terse little page. Why?

Because that’s what the “experts” always said you should do. Guess what? New experts are out there. And there are new rules for resumes. Remember Kim Bishop? Our interview was amazing. She talked to me about my resume and what I need to be doing differently. And I was very surprised by her advice. I’ve got to get back into that document and start writing.

“The role of the resume is dramatically different,” Bishop said. “It used to be that your resume was your advertisement about yourself. If the hiring company was interested, they would bring you in for an interview and you could share the rest of your story. Today, the job market is so different and the job market has changed. The resume really has to share all of your skills and experiences.”

Remember Bishop? Her new book, Get Down to Business and You’ll Get the Job, is a practical how-to guide with proven advice to anyone looking for a job, considering a career change or eager to re-enter the workforce. She has more than 20 years of business experience. She is founder and CEO of Kimberly Bishop, a career management and leadership services company based in New York. She also received several top awards and accolades, such as being one of the “World’s Most Influential Headhunters” by Business Week magazine.

So what do recruiters think about a one-page resume? Sadly, not a whole lot, Bishop says.

“(Recruiters) set your resume against the job stack; are you qualified? Then, they’ll bring you in for the interview,” Bishop said. So that means the resume is all-important…And it has to really tell your story.

Hence the myth of the one-page resume.

“People do all of this chopping, condensing to have it all on one page. To do that today I think is a mistake,” Bishop said. “You resume needs to be as long as it needs to be to represent all of your strengths. … What you want to do is to layout what your skills and experiences are in a way that you’re not cutting things out. It needs to be the appropriate length to show what you’ve done.”

Okay. I’ll get to work on it and add more of my best qualities. What else has changed? Forget Elle Woods – remember that character from “Legally Blonde”? She loved to send out her information on pink paper. Today, no one worries about the “nice” paper or fancy colors. Instead, think about your formatting.

“So much is done today online. Most resumes are emailed. Because these resumes are getting emailed and put into databases, some of that fancy stuff can work against you because it doesn’t work in the database. It’s about the content,” Bishop said.

All right. I’m feeling pretty confident that I have done enough in my professional and personal lives that I can fill more than one page. (Thank goodness!) I’m sure you have as well. Get out the resume, sharpen your typing skills and get busy. There is a wide world of jobs out there. There’s no reason you should be unemployed. You are ready to work, girl!

You may be thinking to yourself right about now: “How can a job fair truly benefit me?” If the truth be told, job fairs actually have an abundance of information from different companies that will allow you to submit your resume and establish contacts.  It sounds so much better than going around from place to place submitting your resume and waiting for a follow-up.  At least at a job fair you can check out what is available first.

Recently, after seeing an advertisement on the news about a local job fair I felt compelled to share with you not on the importance of a job fair (providing you are searching for a job), but the many benefits of attending a job fair. Now, I personally have never attended a job fair but I have been told that they are definitely worth your time since there are a variety of companies present for you to get information about.  Sure, this doesn’t guarantee you a job but it’s definitely worth a shot especially if you are currently unemployed and searching hi and low for a job.

What can one expect to see at a job fair?  This is an excellent question.  Here is what I have found:

According to eHow,  “A job fair enables companies, headhunters, staffing agencies, job seekers, prospective employees and career counselors to meet, engage and interact with one another.”  (ehow contributor)

Employers

You can expect to meet an actual employer in person within a job fair stall or booth.  Many employers conduct interviews on the spot with potential job offers to those who qualify. (Having an updated resume handy is of utmost importance.  Expect to make between 10-15 copies to submit to employers).  Go to the employment guide on how you can talk to potential employers.

Job Seekers

You as the job seeker get a chance to scope out all of the available companies within the job fair.  This allows you to weigh your options available to you. For example,  if you are seeking jobs in the science and engineering fields, physics today has a job fair listing available in Texas.

Headhunters/Staffing Agencies

Headhunters and Staffing Agencies expect to meet many people eager to find a job.  These particular job outlets collect quite a few resumes in the process.  When confronting headhunters and staffers there is a great article over at msmoney.com on 6 steps to getting a job.

Career Counselors

Career counselors can be seen at a job fair to help guide those in need of assistance.  Many college graduates usually visit a counselor to help guide them with their career choices. For more information on finding a career counselor go to Career Counselors Inc.

Networking

Networking has become a big part of the business world.  Meeting with those of the same career interests helps individuals learn from each other, etc.

What kind of questions should you ask at a job fair?

According to Randall Hansen Ph. D. over at Quintessential Careers, there are four categories of questions that any job seeker should ask a potential employer:

Categories

*Strategic Comeback Questions- Examples of some of these strategic comeback questions may sound like this:  “What skills do you look for prior to hiring?”  “If I pursued an advanced degree would this allow me to advance in your company and if so, what kind of degree?”

*Strategic Planning Questions- Examples of some strategic planning questions would something like: “How long does a hiring process within your company take?” “What percentage of employees are actually hired after an interview?”

*Key Company Information- Key company information questions could be something like: “What is the average length of time an employee stays with the company?” “Upon hiring, do you expect your employees to be willing to relocate or travel?”

*Recruiter Information- When asking a recruiter of the company questions, keep the them simple yet pithy like: “What made you want to stay with the company?”  “How long have you been with the company?”

These are excellent and very beneficial questions as mentioned by Randall Hansen Ph.D. and ones that we should definitely take note of upon attending a job fair.

A few more points and tips I would like to throw in is remember to dress to impress and have a neat and professional resume available.  You want to look like you are serious about getting a job.

Have you ever attended a job fair?  What was it like and what can we expect if we ever choose to attend a job fair?  Did you get hired from a company at the job fair?  We would love to hear from you.

Following are some tips on how to build a resume that will get you that job interview before you graduate:

Make wise course choices

You may not know in the beginning what your final career path will be. But you can make wise choices when deciding what courses to take in college. If you are leaning toward a business career (although you may not know yet which path you will take), choose business related courses. Populate your electives with courses that compliment the business objective. Likewise, if you are headed toward a career in the graphic arts, use the course offerings to compliment that path—choose art appreciation, photography, and design as electives. Although it might be tempting to take pottery making or fencing, stay focused on the bigger picture—presenting yourself as a focused job candidate.

Pay attention to your grades

If you thought grades only mattered in high school, you are wrong. Naturally you need passing grades to stay in college. But prospective employers will look at your GPA to compare you with other candidates. The only way to keep a good GPA (3.0 or higher) is to maintain good grades in all the courses you take while in college. If your GPA makes the grade, you can proudly include it on your resume and know that it will communicate accomplishment, hard work and career focus.

Get involved in organizations

Start by getting involved in campus organizations. Every student run organizations has leadership positions and positions that can enhance your resume. These organizations provide opportunities to discover your leadership potential and in the end, show potential employers that you are capable of working in a team-focused environment.

Work at some internships

Employers like to hire people who have job experience related to the line of work they are pursuing. Since it’s difficult to have an extensive chronological work resume while attending college, internships give you the opportunity to work in the field or fields you are interested in on a part time basis. For example, a future fashion designer might get an internship working with a buyer from a clothing store. Or those pursuing a career in marketing might get a summer job working with an internet marketing company. If you’re interested in social media, look for internships related to blogging and updating a company’s social media accounts. If you want to learn more about the benefits of internships, U.S. News just published an article: 10 Tips to Get the Most Out of your Internship.

Get some relevant job experience

Part-time jobs during college definitely serve to subsidize your income and often help pay for your tuition. Make wise choices when you pick those jobs, and they will be an added bonus when you sit down to prepare your post-graduation resume. Last month, U.S. News and World Reports published an article: 10 Paying Jobs that Look Good on your Resume. U.S. News pointed out that, “These 10 jobs are great choices for students because they look good on a résumé, work around class schedules, and offer decent pay. Keep in mind that if you work on campus, your boss may be more sympathetic when you need time off to study for a sociology exam or finish that chemistry lab.”

Use your study abroad experience

Studying and living abroad builds life skills that are attractive to employers. Living abroad requires the ability to have good interpersonal and communication skills, not to mention the ability to create relationships with diverse cultures. Such skills will not necessarily find their way onto your resume, but they will speak volumes during an interview. Some of the skills that an astute employer will pick up on when they see your study abroad experience from your resume may well derive from time spent traveling and working abroad. Employers see those experiences as added value, especially in today’s global economy.

You must have both a professional resume to present your career qualifications, as well as qualitative experience to include in it. If you start early and stay focused, your resume will be the one that makes it to the top of the pile (or inbox) and get you that job you deserve after all your hard work in college.

Do you have a resume tip you would like to share? Please leave us a comment.