Friday, October 31, 2008

Nursing Honor Society Seeks Publisher

Sigma Theta Tau International, the Nursing Honor Society, seeks a publisher for its journals, newsletters, and books in Indianapolis. Here are the details:

Job title: Publisher
Pay grade: 5
Dept: Publications

Summary:
Oversees an expanding program of periodical (journals and newsletters) and nonperiodical (primarily books) publications, both in print and electronic format. Serves as the developer and manager of the Society’s intellectual property. Responsible for the identification, evaluation, development, and production of publications which meet the strategic goals and business objectives of Sigma Theta Tau International. Since publishing is a collaborative art, requiring major contributions from volunteers, staff from many different departments, and third-party partners / vendors, the Publisher must be the catalyst for bringing these individuals together to achieve the common goal of creating successful publications.

Major Responsibilities:
1. Develop, implement and evaluate
a. Publishing goals, business objectives and strategic publishing plan (short and long term)
b. Publishing policies, procedures and processes
c. Annual sales and financial goals for the publishing program overall with attention to the sales and revenue goals for the individual publications in a given year
2. Oversee and establish priorities for Society’s publications reflecting the Society’s mission and the slate of initiatives of each Biennium.
3. Prepare Annual and Biennial Publications budget and be accountable for achieving the financial goals expressed in these financial management and strategic documents.
4. Supervise and support the editorial staff charged with acquiring, developing and producing the publications forecast for each annual and biennial budget.
5. Serve as chief liaison to the Society (and vendors) for key volunteer leaders responsible for major publications, informing or reminding key volunteers of the Society’s mission, philosophy, policies, and publishing goals as appropriate.
6. Manage the overall relationship with key publishing partners, such as Wiley-Blackwell, informing key partners of the Society’s mission, philosophy, policies, and publishing goals as appropriate.
7. Chair interdepartmental meetings for the purpose of
a. new product evaluation
b. assessing and managing production issues (new product launch, pricing / print run / reprint decisions)
8. Coordinate with acquisitions editor, development editor, authors, reviewers and vendors to acquire and publish the targeted number of book projects per year.
9. With Finance, establish and review on a biennial basis a financial model to measure the success of existing periodical publications and a financial model that all nonperiodical projects presented for approval must adhere to.
10. Publish at least every other week a Publication Schedule for all nonperiodicals which are in production and circulate the updated report to all interested parties within STTI and NKI.
11. Set policies and processes emphasizing quality and efficiency for the journals and newsletters through consultation with the volunteer editors, key staff, and appropriate vendors.
12. Communicate with volunteer editors, STTI staff, and Wiley-Blackwell staff to expedite production of journals as needed.
13. Develop a plan and implementation process for leveraging the Society’s intellectual property through licensing arrangements.
14. Establish and enforce Society policy regarding the sales and placement of space advertising in STTI’s publications, both ads purchased by customers and ads promoting STTI products and services. Ensure efficient internal communication of the policies and processes for placement of in-house ads.
15. Serve as publishing consultant to membership and staff committees, work groups, and task forces as need.
16. Complete other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:
Significant people and project management experience required.
Demonstrated ability to lead interdepartmental task force in the pursuit of a common goal required.
Experience in strategic and business planning required.
Excellent interpersonal communication (oral and written) and presentation skills required.
Detail oriented with the ability to manage multiple, complex projects / programs simultaneously required.

Education:
Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree desired

Computer Skills:
Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (including, but not limited to, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and SharePoint) required.

Experience:
Five to ten years experience in editorial management required, preferably of both periodical and nonperiodical publications.
Project management and people supervision experience required.
Experience in both print and electronic publishing required.
Experience in non-profit professional organization desired.
Experience in health sciences publishing desired.

If you are interested, you can send your resume, cover letter, and salary requirements to Laura Thurman in HR. Development editor Carla Hall has also offered to answer any questions about the job that aren't covered here.

Random Friday Ramblings

Can you believe it's Halloween already and October is almost over? Today is so lovely and warm that it hardly seems like bleak November is just hours away.

I had high hopes of starting the day, as I do every year, by hearing me some "Ghostbusters," "Monster Mash," and "Thriller" on the radio during my commute. It must be some vast right-wing conspiracy going on, because I haven't heard any of them all week. It's doubly bad because now I've got a little Peter Venkman fan in the backseat demanding that I find a Halloween song right now.

Lucky for me, I've got all the good stuff on my iPod. I made a cool playlist last year that has songs on it that, although maybe not all actual Halloween songs, have scary titles or lyrics:
  • Ghostbusters
  • Monster Mash
  • Ghost Train (Madness)
  • Abracadabra (Steve Miller Band)
  • Be Still My Beating Heart (Sting)
  • Behold! The Night Mare (Smashing Pumpkins)
  • Black Cat (Janet Jackson)
  • Black Magic Woman (Fleetwood Mac)
  • Cast No Shadow (Oasis)
  • Cold Brains (Beck)
  • Cyclops Rock (They Might Be Giants)
  • Devil's Haircut (Beck)
  • Devil in My Car (B-52s)
  • Dig Your Grave (Modest Mouse)
  • Dirty Creature (Split Enz)
  • Don't Pay the Ferryman (Chris DeBurgh)
  • Dr. Evil (They Might Be Giants)
  • Dracula's Castle (New Order)
  • Exquisite Dead Guy (They Might Be Giants)
  • I Feel Possessed (Crowded House)
  • It's a Sin (Pet Shop Boys)
  • Killer in the Home (Adam and the Ants)
  • Last Living Souls (Gorillaz)
  • Losing My Mind (Pet Shop Boys)
  • Magic (Olivia Newton-John)
  • Maneater (Hall and Oates)
  • Masquerade (Berlin)
  • Murder by Numbers (The Police)
  • Murrow Turning Over in His Grave (Fleetwood Mac)
  • October (U2)
  • Psycho Killer (Talking Heads)
  • Rat in Mi Kitchen (UB40)
  • Satin in a Coffin (Modest Mouse)
  • Scarecrow (Beck)
  • Screaming (Pet Shop Boys)
  • Sister Madly (Crowded House)
  • Spider (They Might Be Giants)
  • Spiders (Moby)
  • Spiderwebs (No Doubt)
  • Spirits in the Material World (The Police)
  • Spooky (New Order)
  • Synchronicity II (The Police)
  • Temptation Waits (Garbage)
  • The Seer (Big Country f/Kate Bush)
  • Vampires (Pet Shop Boys)

Whew. If you're still hungry for more Halloween thrills, check out the header on Yahoo! today--there are zombies doing the Thriller dance. And I still love this video of the inmates in the Philipines doing their rendition of this classic dance routine.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

The Haunted Library


Since 1930 the legend has circulated about the mysterious "Grey Lady" who supposedly has been haunting the historic Willard Library in my hometown of Evansville. The private library has made the most of the rumors by installing live webcams for ghost viewing. The various sightings have also landed the library on national TV on programs such as "Ghost Hunters."
So who is this mysterious lady who moves books around, touches people's hair, and leaves a whiff of perfume as she passes? She is rumored to be Louise Carpenter, the daughter of library founder Willard Carpenter, who was angry that most of his estate was left to the library rather than to her. And if you don't believe she exists, how do you explain the fact that she has her own MySpace page?
I visited the library a few times in my school days and never saw a thing, although I've seen some pretty convincing photos. The library isn't the scariest place I've ever been in that town, though. They used to stage a haunted house on the grounds of the 19th-century insane asylum that pretty much put me over the edge.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

The Wisdom of Michael Hyatt

I keep being impressed almost daily with the wisdom and innovation of Thomas Nelson Publishers CEO Michael Hyatt. Yesterday he blogged about how his company, in a matter of hours, approved a dress-code change that now allows all Nelson employees to wear jeans to work whenever they want to (read the post here). The reasoning was that it was an easy way to help employees save money on dry cleaning, feel more comfortable at work, and realize that their company cares about them. (Here at JIST, we wear jeans on Fridays, and it certainly is nice not to have to worry about ironing anything one day of the week.)

Mr. Hyatt's other recent hits have been today's announcement of a blogger-review program that will surely generate a lot of buzz for their books; and this article about his philosophy during tough times. Back in April he was very frank and faced his company's layoffs head-on. How often do you see a CEO stepping up to share his private thoughts on bad news? Hyatt's From Where I Sit blog is don't-miss reading.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Another Online Networking Tool: Plaxo Pulse

"Oh no, not another online network to join and maintain!" That's what I thought last week when I got an invite to join Plaxo Pulse. Plaxo's been around a long, long time as a contact management app. Now it's getting into social networking as well.

But I gave in and accepted the invitation because it came from someone I really want to keep in touch with. I didn't intend to go much further with it. But then it showed me a bunch of familiar names and asked whether I wanted to connect with these people, too (how did it know that I knew them?). Before I knew it, I was sending out connection invites left and right.

One cool thing about Plaxo is that you can classify your relationships within it as Business, Friend, or Family. So, ostensibly, I can show my home address and phone number to Great Aunt Joyce in Evansville but hide it from the people I don't want calling me at home.

Also, the Plaxo home page enables people to send out status reports (a la Twitter), notify people when you've put up a new blog post, put your calendar online, and share your favorite photos, links, and video. You can even poll your network (although what about, I'm not yet sure).

So resist the urge to recoil in horror at the thought of joining another network. This one looks cool.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Ryan Healy on Job Hunting in the Tough Economy

Supposedly things are getting tough out there in the job market. Sometimes it's hard to tell whether that's really true or whether it's media hype. If you're in the financial field, yeah, I'd say things are probably pretty tough. And all indications are that publishers are holding off on putting out some products and hiring new people until January, when they will have new budgets, a new president, and hopefully new hope. I talked to an IT dude yesterday who reminded me that when the economy collapses, as it did in 2001, industries tend to collapse in waves. So things might be OK where you are now, but how long before the domino effect catches up with you?

Meanwhile, Ryan Healy of Employee Evolution and Brazen Careerist has five great, in-the-now tips for making yourself a more marketable candidate. He hits on the familiar themes of networking and managing your online identity. But I think we can all use a reminder, can't we?

Thursday, October 23, 2008

A Medical Editing Audio Conference

Freelance editor and friend of this blog Katharine O'Moore-Klopf has asked me to pass along the following information about an upcoming audioconference she will be copresenting. The healthcare field is one of the hottest in our economy and will continue to be so for the rest of our careers. Here's a way to use your editing talents in an industry that is growing.

On Tuesday, October 28, 2008, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern time, Katharine O'Moore-Klopf, ELS, will be a copresenter of an audio conference, sponsored by Copyediting newsletter, on common problems in medical editing. The conference is for new medical copyeditors and for those who would like to become medical copyeditors. You can get more details and register by going here. The main topics will be

  • When to stet jargon and when to eliminate it
  • How to describe patients—they aren't their diseases and they aren't on meds
  • Where to find solutions to problem reference-list entries
  • Which sections of the AMA Manual of Style you'll keep returning to

Katharine has spent the last 18 years as a medical copyeditor, most of them as a freelancer, and she is also certified by the Board of Editors in the Life Sciences as an editor in the life sciences. She will be speaking from the viewpoint of an editor who works on both medical textbooks and medical journals. There will be Q&A periods scattered throughout the conference.

If you can't change your schedule to participate in the audio conference, you can go here to order an audio CD of the conference. If you can't afford the cost of the conference yourself, you and one or more colleagues can register under one name and make arrangements among yourselves to share the cost. International callers are welcome; consider using VoIP software such as Skype to decrease the cost of your time on the phone. And remember, if you're already self-employed as a freelance editor in the United States, the cost of the audio conference (and the audio CD, if you purchase it) is a business expense that you can write off on your income tax forms.

Get ready to pick up your phone and learn from the comfort of your employer's office, your home office, or your home. If you've wanted to know what makes medical copyediting different from copyediting in other fields, this is the conference for you.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Writing Resumes for McCain and Obama

File this under the category of "wish I'd thought of this." The Ladders, a job portal for $100,000+ candidates, asked resume writer extraordinaire (and, incidentally, one of my authors) Wendy Enelow to write resumes for John McCain and Barack Obama (see the story here). The results are stunning. Check them out. Regardless of your political leanings, aren't you in awe of both of them? That's what a great resume does: It distills the most impressive highlights of your career and makes the reader say "Hey, I want to hire this guy."

Kudos to The Ladders for coming up with an irresistible tie-in with the all-consuming election coverage. It landed them--and Wendy--a story on ABCNews.com.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Ugly Truth #2061: The Chains Don't Buy Every Book

I guess it's common sense that bookstore chains don't--and just can't--carry every book that's published. They have a limited amount of space and publishers just keep churning out hundreds of thousands of new books every year. Still, when you have a track record, a good sales rep who can get a meeting with the buyers, and a dominance in your niche, most of the time they will give most of the books on your list a shot, in varying degrees. It's just the few times that they don't that really sting. (I'm trying to take it less personally, really, I am.)

Yesterday MediaBistro pointed me in the direction of this article written by Wiley science fiction marketing manager Andrew Wheeler about a recent trend toward more "skipping," which is what they call it when the chain says "no, thank you" to carrying a book. In it he gives some great inside info on how the trade buying model works.

What do you do if you get skipped? Amazon will list just about any book, so optimize your listing online and drive all of your customers there to buy it. (This is just one of the many reasons I like Amazon.)

Monday, October 20, 2008

Is There Such a Thing as a Freelance Acquisitions Editor?

Occasionally over the years I've gotten inquiries from people who want freelance acquisitions work from us. I've always rather discounted the idea because I've thought that the functions involved in acquisitions needed to stay in house, for several reasons:
  • I just couldn't envision how this would work.
  • A freelancer would really have to get up to speed on our publishing strategy and procedures, not to mention our contract and terms.
  • We have enough trouble producing the books we acquire now. We don't need to ramp up acquisitions until we know we can ramp up editorial and production, too.
  • The hard part is coming up with the ideas that we haven't already done, and most freelancers want you to give them the book idea and let them run with it.

But today I stumbled upon a posting for a freelance acquisitions editor at Thompson Publishing (not to be confused with Thomson, which is now Cengage, et al) that outlines exactly how this might work:

  1. The company hands the freelancer an idea.
  2. The freelancer does market research on the idea's viability.
  3. Then he or she shapes the idea into a customer-centric focus.
  4. The freelancer then recruits an author.
  5. The freelancer negotiates the contract with the author.
  6. The freelancer manages the writing process until the book is delivered to the publisher.

Okay, now I see how this might work. But I still don't need to outsource my acquisitions anytime soon.

Friday, October 17, 2008

JIST Has a New Publicist and a New Blog



I'm happy to announce that Selena Dehne has been promoted to the position of publicist for JIST. She has been our marketing copywriter for several years (see this post) and has done a tremendous job. She is a superb writer and I am very glad that she is now the official voice of JIST.

One of her first acts was to institute the new JIST Job Search and Career Blog. In it she will be dispensing helpful advice on all aspects of the job search industry.

Congratulations, Selena!

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Checking in on Frankfurt

The Frankfurt Book Fair, the world's largest gathering of publishing people for the purpose of selling rights, is now in full swing. I haven't heard a peep from my hubby since he got to his hotel a few days ago, but that's typical. He generally loses his voice by the end of the first day and gets caught up in a whirlwind of speed-meetings with foreign publishers and wine-soaked ethnic mashup dinners that last into the wee hours. (What happens when you take the Ukrainians to a Spanish restaurant in Germany? If it's comparable to taking the Greeks to a Lebanese restaurant in London, I have some idea.)

Since we're getting no reports from Jason, feel free to check in on the official fair blogs here.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

The Introvert's Bill of Rights


Who would have ever thought of this: A blog for shy authors who need to promote their books. Shrinking Violet Promotions is just that--marketing for introverts.


When you think about it, it makes perfect sense. The people who make the best writers (and thus the most likely authors) are most often introverts at heart. But it generally takes a huge personality to perform all the tasks needed to effectively promote a book, such as public speaking and networking. Often you see publishers solve this problem by pairing the loudmouth who has all the ideas with a coauthor or ghostwriter who does the technical heavy lifting on the manuscript and is content to stay out of the limelight.


But in the cases where that doesn't happen, and a shy author is left with the task of getting the word out about his or her book, this is an awesome blog to read.


I was particularly taken this week with the post outlining The Introvert's Bill of Rights. We introverts needn't feel guilty for needing our alone time to recharge or preferring to communicate in writing rather than verbally. I'll add to that our own introvert's mantra:


We're here.

We're shy.

Please don't talk to us.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

October Surprise: Wikert Leaves Wiley

Readers of Joe Wikert's Publishing 2020 blog got a big jolt yesterday when they tuned in to the news that he has left his position as VP and Executive Publisher at Wiley after 10 years. He's been hired as the new General Manager of O'Reilly Technology Exchange. O'Reilly's blogs are buzzing about his appointment, and a flurry of lurkers on his own blog have come out to congratulate him.

The new position will give Joe the chance to practice the kind of forward-thinking publishing ideas that he preaches on his blogs, so this is a perfect fit for him. Instead of moving to the San Francisco area where the company is headquartered, Joe will be working out of his home in suburban Indianapolis. But he will be traveling both east and west.

Congratulations, Joe! O'Reilly has made a very smart move!

Sunday, October 12, 2008

What Color Is My Parachute?

It's a spooky time in the business world, and the publishing industry is no exception to the rule. When we had a wave of layoffs at my company this summer, it got the rest of us thinking about what we would do if it happened to us. I found my answer fairly quickly because it's the answer I've been sitting on for nine years, since layoffs were threatened at my former employer. In a word: freelancing.

So skittish was I about the prospect of going jobless that I have been doing freelance editing on the side ever since I left Macmillan in 1999. I was finishing up a big deadline for Alpha just weeks before my baby was born, and I picked it back up again when she was 1. I have always steered clear of doing anything competitive to my main gig, and have not allowed my performance to suffer as a result.

But dang, it's been hard. When I get a project from Frommer's, I work every night and all weekend for two weeks straight. I've just learned how to take "power breaks," rapidly decompressing and then getting back to work before wasting too much valuable time. I count on my husband tremendously to keep the child out of my hair. Recently she broke my heart when I shooed her away and she said "Mommy, you work too much."

So I've still got good connections in place. But with publishers delaying projects (in some cases, their entire lists) until next year, it's just one of the baskets I'm putting my eggs into. The other is--get ready--resume writing!

I have been enchanted with the art of resume writing since 1999, when I first met Susan Whitcomb and worked with her on reprint corrections to her classic Resume Magic. Since that time I have acquired and edited dozens of resume how-tos and collections, attended resume writers' conferences, and soaked up the best of the collective wisdom for how to optimize your personal marketing presentation. I know all too well how really difficult it is to do it right.

Recently I got the opportunity to try my hand at writing resumes myself--and I loved it. It uses every bit of reporting, marketing, writing, editing, SEO, problem-solving, big-picture, and tiny detail skill I have developed over my entire career. But best of all, it's a lot faster than writing or editing a book!

So the point of all this is that we all need to be thinking of what we will do if we lose our jobs. If you lose yours, I'll be happy to take you on as a client. :)

Friday, October 10, 2008

Michael Hyatt on "Silver Bullet Thinking"

I stumbled upon a really profound post today from Thomas Nelson CEO Michael Hyatt, who writes the insightful From Where I Sit blog. He's got four guiding principles for publishing companies (or any companies) trying to succeed in today's challenging (OK, near-disastrous) economy:
  • Be clear about your vision.
  • Reaffirm your strategy.
  • Stay relentlessly focused on your core strategy and competencies.
  • Keep believing in the future.

Not many people really get this. Everyone's always busy trying to out-do one another in one fell swoop. Maybe it's time everyone took a step back and reaffirmed what got them where they are in the first place.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Reporting from the Obama Mosh Pit


This is not a political blog. And I am not a pundit. But once again I have had the good fortune to spend a little time in the presence of the Obama camp, so I thought you might want to hear about it.


Jason's uncle called Tuesday with an offer of a ticket to the "preferred seating area" at Obama's post-debate rally at the Indiana State Fairgrounds yesterday. Because Jason was taking off for Frankfurt yesterday (here we go again...), the ticket fell to me.


After being searched and wanded at the gate, we brandished our "preferred" tickets and were directed out onto the wet track surrounding the podium. "Seating" was a euphemism, because there were no seats. Our preferential status landed us in the role of mud-encrusted groundlings. (That's us in the bottom-left corner of the above photo--copyright Indianapolis Star.)


But it was still awesome. We were about 40 feet from the podium and felt at one with the crowd of 21,000 fired-up people of all ages, races, and social statuses. Barack's message of hope was so tremendously uplifting to me at a time when we are all tetering on the brink of disaster and despair.


Afterward he did a "rope sweep," but we were too far back to be included. He went to a bunker under the field where he signed autographs on books and magazines that were sent back to him via Reggie. Then the entire New Orleans Hornets team filed in to meet him (they were here for a game against the Pacers).


I was particularly charmed to be in the presence of the Bayh family, including Senator Evan and former Senator Birch. I enjoyed basking in their charisma, and Birch even signed my rally placard.
Anyway, an awesome day at the fairgrounds, despite the rain and mud. Please don't forget to get out and vote!

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Editorial Freelancers Association Offers Courses


The EFA recently announced its slate of fall education courses for freelancers. Many of them are online, but a few are offered in person at the EFA office in New York City. Here's a sampling of what's available:


  • Pricing Strategies for Freelancers

  • Copyediting Basics

  • Substantive Editing Clinic

  • How to Get Freelance Work

Check the link above for dates and prices. Thanks to freelance editor Linda Seifert for the heads up on this.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Cover Letter Magic


On the final day of the NRWA conference, JIST author Louise Kursmark gave an outstanding presentation on the fundamentals of writing cover letters that get results. I'll share some of her copious tips here, seeing as how cover letters are such an important piece of the puzzle and I rarely mention them here.
For starters, she said the preferred method of transmitting a resume and cover letter via e-mail is to attach a Word document of your resume and put your cover letter in the body of the e-mail. If you're submitting your resume in a Web form on a resume bank or company database, look for a box in which to copy and paste your cover letter text.
A cover letter must be to-the-point and easily skimmable. It needs to include distinguished information about your career (without parroting your resume) and address the specific needs of the position for which you are applying. Hiring managers always want to see "what's in it for them" if they hire you.
Start with an opening paragraph that establishes who you are and why you are writing. Capture the reader's attention and make them want to read more by indicating your value.
Use the body of the cover letter to emphasize your greatest accomplishments, perhaps in just three bullet points, and drawing themes and trends from your resume. Incorporate keywords from the job posting and be sure to "write tight."
Close with other important information the reader needs to know, such as why you are considering this company and any other relevant personal information. Avoid cliches and an overly aggressive or passive call to action--stike a balance between "I'll be calling you Tuesday at 2pm to talk about this opportunity, so be ready" and "I look forward to hearing from you."
As icing on the cake, Louise suggests getting creative by adding visual interest (charts, graphs, tables) or an endorsement quote.
Do all these things and you will be well on your way to creating your own Cover Letter Magic!

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Resume Keyword Tricks and Traps

Another excellent speaker at last week's NRWA conference was Paul Forster, cofounder and CEO of Indeed.com, a job posting aggregator that pulls jobs from all over the web into one search. Paul spoke in detail about the concept of using resume keywords to make sure you get found when recruiters search online and company resume databases.

Career professionals have been conscious of resume keywords for close to a decade now, so this is not a revolutionary topic. However, more and more everyday people are beginning to grasp and use the concept. So his tips are insightful and timely:
  • Use every commonly known synonym for your skills. For example, include both "security" and "collateral" to cover your bases in case a manager searches for one and not the other.
  • Be sure to include brand names associated with your company, especially if they are more well known than the company itself.
  • Include any possible spelling variations of your employers' names. For example, use both "Walmart" and "Wal-Mart." Of course, there was outcry from the group because this would be inconsistent and look wrong. Personally, I think it's better to seek out the absolute correct spelling and be consistent. If a potential employer is dumb enough to spell it wrong, do you want to work for them, anyway?
  • Include abbreviations and acronyms in addition to the spelled-out terms. I generally like to put these in parens after the first reference.
  • Account for "stemming." I'll leave this to the SEO experts among you to clarify (hello, Erik?), but I think what he meant was to be sure to use all variations on the words that describe your skills and titles. For example, be sure to include "editing" as well as "editor" (in this case, "edit" is the stem word).
  • Don't compromise the reader. Even as you're trying to get the computer to like you, you also want a human reader to like your resume and be able to read it.

Paul also shared some general resume posting rules:

  • Use a standard format with consistent font sizes; avoid automatic Word tables.
  • Update your online resume and repost it periodically, but not too often. New resumes get fresh consideration. But if you pop up every week, people will start to ignore you.
  • Clarify the location where you want to work--often for graduating seniors, it's not clear from looking at your college address where you want to go.
  • Always write cover letters that are customized to each opportunity that interests you.

And finally, here are Paul's predictions for the future of the resume:

  • Paper resumes are becoming less and less important.
  • Resumes can incorporate rich media, including video, audio, and photos.
  • Resumes are boundaryless--they can include links, testimonials, and other sources of corroboration.
  • The hResume standard XML format bears watching. If you can code your resume to this format, you'll be able to send it via feeds to employers.