The 2009 job market is very different from job markets of the past. If you haven't job-hunted in a while, the changes in the landscape can throw you for a loop.

One of the biggest changes is the shift in what constitutes a strong resume. Years ago, we could dig into the Resume Boilerplate grab-bag and pull out a phrase to fill out a sentence or bullet point on our resume. Everybody used the same boilerplate phrases, so we knew we couldn't go wrong choosing one of them -- or many -- to throw into your resume.

Things have changed. Stodgy boilerplate phrases in your resume today mark you as uncreative and "vocabulary challenged." You can make your resume more compelling and human-sounding by rooting out and replacing the boring corporate-speak phrases that litter it, and replacing them with human language -- things that people like you or I would actually say.

Here are the worst 10 boilerplate phrases -- the ones to seek out and destroy in your resume as soon as possible:

• Results-oriented professional
• Cross-functional teams
• More than [x] years of progressively responsible experience
• Superior (or excellent) communication skills
• Strong work ethic
• Met or exceeded expectations
• Proven track record of success
• Works well with all levels of staff
• Team player
• Bottom-line orientation

You can do better. What about adding a human voice to your resume? Here's an example:

"I'm a Marketing Researcher who's driven by curiosity about why people buy what they do. At XYZ Industries, I used consumer surveys and online-forum analysis to uncover the reasons why consumers chose our competitors over us; our sales grew twenty percent over the next six months as a result. I'm equally at home on sales calls or analyzing data in seclusion, and up to speed on traditional and new-millennium research tools and approaches. I'm fanatical about understanding our marketplace better every day, week and month -- and have helped my employers' brands grow dramatically as a result."

You don't have to write resumes that sound like robots wrote them. A human-voiced resume is the new black -- try it!

This is a Guest Blog by Paul Hemp of the Harvard Business Review

Hiring people? Who has time to think about that these days, when most organizations are trying to figure out who to lay off and how to do it humanely?

The Harvard Business Review says you're making a mistake if you don't carve out time to plot your hiring strategy, according to Claudio Fernández-Aráoz, a senior executive at the search firm Egon Zehnder International and the co-author--with Harvard Business School professors Boris Groysberg and Nitin Nohria--of an article in the May issue of Harvard Business Review, "The Definitive Guide to Recruiting in Good Times and Bad."

Although few companies are adding--or even replacing--people now, hiring will become a key source of competitive advantage as soon as the first signs of recovery appear on the horizon, says Fernández-Aráoz, who also is the author of the recently published book Great People Decisions.

In the current HarvardBusiness Ideacast, Fernández-Aráoz catalogs some of the mistakes people make when hiring and offers advice on avoiding them. One of the biggest errors is assuming that the worst thing that can happen is hiring someone who turns out to be a disaster. A potentially greater mistake: not hiring someone who would have been a star performer.

After you listen to the IdeaCast, you can also take Recruiting Practices Self-Assessment, a "painless, 21-question" quiz, developed by the authors, to see how your hiring practices stack up overall and in seven distinct sub-categories.

I have long respected General Colin Powell. He's honest, courageous, and intelligent. He believes that leaders and decision makers need to make decisions in a world with less-than-perfect information and where we will not have all the possible data. Following are some of favorite "lessons" from "The Powell Principles".

Rules for Picking People
Look for intelligence and judgment and, most critically, a capacity to anticipate, to see around corners. Also look for loyalty, integrity, a high energy drive, a balanced ego and the drive to get things done.

Endeavors succeed or fail because of the people involved. Only by attracting the best people will you accomplish great deeds.
In a brain-based economy, your best assets are people. Top managers create environments where the best, the brightest, the most creative are attracted, retained and-most importantly - unleashed?

Being responsible sometimes means pissing people off.
Good leadership means that some people will get angry at your actions and decisions. Ironically, by procrastinating on the difficult choices, by trying not to get anyone mad, and by treating everyone equally "nicely", you’ll simply ensure that the only people you’ll wind up angering are the most creative and productive people in the organization.

The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them.
They have either lost confidence that you can help them or concluded that you do not care. Real leaders make themselves accessible and available.

Don’t be afraid to challenge the pros, even in their own backyard.
Learn from the pros, observe them, seek them out as mentors and partners. But remember that even the pros may have leveled out in terms of their learning and skills. Xerox’s Barry Rand was right on target when he warned his people that if you have a "yes man" working for you, one of you is redundant.

Never neglect details. When everyone’s mind is dulled or distracted the leader must be doubly vigilant.
All the great ideas and visions in the world are worthless if they can’t be implemented rapidly and efficiently. Good leaders delegate and empower others liberally, But they pay attention to details, every day.

Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.
The ripple effect of a leader’s enthusiasm and optimism is awesome. So is the impact of cynicism and pessimism. Leaders who whine and blame engender those same behaviors among their colleagues. Spare me the grim litany of the "realist"; give me the unrealistic aspirations of the optimist any day.

Command is lonely.
Harry Truman was right. The essence of leadership is the willingness to make the tough, unambiguous choices that will have an impact on the fate of the organization. I’ve seen too many non-leaders flinch from this responsibility. Even as you create an informal, open, collaborative, corporate culture, prepare to be lonely.

More details

The Powell principles: 24 lessons from Colin Powell, battle-proven leader

By Oren Harari

Edition: illustrated

Published by McGraw-Hill Professional, 2004

ISBN 0071444904, 9780071444903

116 pages

There is a lot of interest in SAAS (software as a service) and migrating software applications online from their traditional place on the corporate network. And the drive to use business applications online continues to gain momentum. Why? What is it that has prompted this interest on the part of IT professionals and c-level decision makers? Do appreciate the benefits of hosted online applications for business, it might be helpful to start by looking at the fundamentals.

• No client/server software installation or maintenance - that’s right, no more 800-page planning and implementation guides. Additionally, no vendor installation or upgrades required.
• Shorter deployment time - potentially minutes as opposed to a phased implementation that could take months.
• Global availability - sure the technology exists to make on-premise software available outside of the premises, but we’re talking about functionality that is available from anywhere on the internet natively.
• Service Level Agreement (SLA) adherence - reported bugs can be fixed minus any rollout overhead. Sure the provider actually has to fix the issue, but assuming they’ve deployed a moderately efficient hosted application the rollout of a patch or fix should happen in the blink of an eye.
• Constant, Smaller, Upgrades - when you use a hosted application, it is in the best interest of the provider to keep you happy and they can do so by constantly improving the application experience. With SaaS this can come in the form of consistent miniscule changes that add up over time instead of monster patch and upgrades that cost you time and money to implement.
• Ease Your Internal IT Pains - This is a big one. Most of the last several points here highlight that hosted apps offload a great deal of IT pains incurred by software consumers in the traditional client/server model. This leaves IT personnel to focus on improving the day-to-day technical operations of your company instead of being called upon to troubleshoot 3rd party software or maintain aging infrastructure. Which leads to…
• Redistribute IT Budget - by outsourcing software/applicaton functionality to a provider, the enterprise realizes a cost savings in infrastructure requirements and IT personnel knowledge requirements. This allows the enterprise to focus on core competencies. It also means that the cost savings from using hosted applications can be flat out saved, or reallocated to boost productivity through other services.
• Low start-up costs - Generally you'll be required to pay a low monthly fee for the service. Some providers charge by the user, many simply charge one fee to include your entire staff regardless of the number of users.
• Minimal Risk, no long term commitment- Very few vendors require a contract for their applications. More likely you'll be on pay as you play model which means if you decide to stop using the service - you simply notify the vendor to stop your subscription.
• No need to synchronize data with multiple devices - Your data is housed online. Just be sure that it is secure, encrypted, and available to you as a download should you ever stop using the service.

Are you using any hosted online applications? What has your experience been with them?

How can you be certain that you have optimized your recruiting website? Here’s a list of top website optimization tips to ensure the effectiveness of your website as a recruiting tool and one that will engage qualified drivers who visit.

Talk about your current team and highlight drivers that have been with you for many years and have achieved success driving for you. Add photos and possibly thumbnail sketches of these current drivers.

1. Tell them how your company supports its drivers to insure their success. Talk about your support staff and the tools/programs you've instituted to support employees.


2. Show how you have a team environment and highlight any extra-curricular activities and events in which they can participate as employees.


3. Ensure that your site layout is intuitive and easy for newcomers to navigate.


4. Use familiar link names that are recognizable and with which they will be instantly familiar.


5. Anticipate and answer all of their questions especially those about Pay Structure and Benefits.


6. Encourage them to complete your online application – today! Post a large and clearly visible Apply Now button. Don't make visitors search for it.


7. Describe your equipment. Tell them about trucks they will be driving and the newest technologies you have in place. If you are taking applications for Owner/Operators be sure you’re clear as to what equipment they will need to work with your firm.


8. Talk about Safety and Orientation.


9. Tell them about your recruiting and hiring processes so they will know when to expect a response from you.


10. Provide contact information so they can be sure to reach you by phone or e-mail.