Category Archives: CMCA

Have You Updated Your Email Signature To Include Your CMCA Digital Badge? Here’s How You Do It.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opQhFOsVpVI#action=share

Adding a hyperlinked badge image to your email signature is a great way to make sure your professional network is aware of your certifications, credentials and other badge-worthy recognition.  Watch this video for a quick tutorial on how to add your badge to an email signature, using Outlook and Gmail as examples. 

These instructions are for PC users. If you’re on a Mac, click here for instructions on adding your badge to email using Gmail.  If you’re having any trouble with adding your badge to your particular email client, contact the Acclaim Support Team. They’ll be happy to help you troubleshoot. 

Step-by-step: Outlook

  1. ?From Acclaim, click the badge you’d like to embed in your email signature. Click the blue ‘Share’ button. 
  2. Click the ‘Download’ icon. Choose the small image – that will fit best in your email signature. 
  3. Click the ‘URL’ icon and copy it to your clipboard. 
  4. Over in Outlook, create your new email signature by opening a new message, then clicking ‘Signature.’
  5. Click ‘New’ to create a new signature. If you’d like to modify an existing signature, highlight it. 
  6. Name your new signature.
  7. Type any text you’d like in the signature, then click the ‘Image’ icon. 
  8. Locate the badge image you downloaded, then click ‘Insert.’
  9. Next, hyperlink the image  by clicking the badge, then selecting the ‘Hyperlink’ icon.
  10. Paste the URL you copied from Acclaim. 
  11. Click OK to save your new signature. 

Step-by-step instructions: Gmail

  1. From Acclaim, click the badge you’d like to embed in your email signature. Hover your mouse over the badge and right click to copy it.
  2. Within Gmail’s settings, access your email signature.
  3. Right click to paste the badge image into the signature. If the image appears too large, click the badge and select Small from the options presented.
  4. Back in Acclaim, click the blue ‘Share’ button underneath your badge.
  5. Next, click the ‘URL’ icon and copy it to your clipboard.
  6. Within your email signature, highlight the badge image and create a hyperlink with the URL you just copied. 
  7. Click OK to save your new signature.

How Associations Can Become Expert Storytellers

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(bmelofo/iStock/Getty Images Plus) 

A whitepaper from the Atlanta chapter of the American Marketing Association points to the importance of storytelling as a marketing tool. One marcomm expert discusses takeaways from the whitepaper and how associations can use them to improve their storytelling skills.

The Atlanta chapter of the American Marketing Association recently released a whitepaper called “Storytelling 2020: What You Need to Know About Storytelling in Marketing.”

According to the whitepaper, storytelling allows brands “to foster engagement in ways that inspire consumers to take action, whether it be a click, like or purchase. Even more, it creates an evolving narrative that naturally connects with consumers, adding value to—and ultimately becoming part of—their everyday lives.”

Although the Storytelling 2020 whitepaper is geared toward for-profit marketers, Associations Now spoke with Kate Sigety, senior manager of strategic messaging at the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, about some of the takeaways from the whitepaper that apply to associations.

Find your authentic voice. One of the whitepaper’s key takeaways was the importance of being an authentic storyteller.  “It’s very easy to push out messaging, but to truly find your authentic voice, you have to start by listening to these audiences, whether it’s at your annual meeting or on social media or your member’s only community,” Sigety said. “Listen to your key audiences and identify their key values and challenges, and I think this will help associations to truly and effectively craft a genuine voice that will best serve their members and their needs.”

Listen to your audience. According to Sigety, the profusion of online platforms makes the job of listening to your audience a little easier. “It will help you identify what topics your audience really values, and then you can start tracking those online interactions, and it will allow you to analyze patterns and use that data to drive your storytelling,” she said. “That way, you’re not just trying different messages—you’re backed up by the data and what your members are saying.”

Build your story from your mission. Knowing your mission and vision as a brand is critical to effectively storytelling, according to the whitepaper. The same is true for associations, said Sigety. “When you’re telling your association’s story, instead of promoting just a specific product or benefit, you can use your vision or mission to help guide your messaging, and it helps you remember that stories are about people—not just your mission, so finding members who help make your association’s cause and mission come to life,” she said. “That will be the story that resonates.”

Create a journey map. The whitepaper recommends that brands create a customer journey map to have a better understanding of how customers interact with their brand. Sigety said associations can use this tactic, too. “When I think about associations, we’re not just selling a product, we’re helping members excel in their careers,” she said. “And hopefully, we want to keep our members for their lifetime, so I think another key strategy that will help associations better understand their members’ journey is creating a map that follows their career journey.”

By for Associations Now, a publication of the American Society of Association Executives.

Keep Homeowners & Employers Confident in Your Ability to Provide High Quality Service

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If you’re one of many CMCAs gearing up for the October 1 recertification date, make sure you’re on track to successfully complete the process. Recertification means you’re an accomplished professional committed to developing your skills and knowledge. The summer months are a perfect time to regroup and recharge by participating in fun and educational learning opportunities.

Recertification is a critical component to promoting and demonstrating continued competency in the community association management profession. Recertifying CMCAs must participate in continuing education in the field of community association management totaling at least 16 hours of continuing education coursework every two years.

CMCA Recertification: Reinforcing The Value of The Essential Credential

The CMCA examination is NCCA-accredited and in the professional credentialing industry, NCCA accreditation represents compliance with best credentialing industry practices. As a CMCA you can continue to enhance your marketability, show your dedication to your profession, and provide the highest level of guidance to your associations by continuing your education and maintaining your certification.

Recertification also provides the opportunity for you to reaffirm your commitment to the CMCA Standards of Professional Conduct to your community associations, your employers, your peers and the millions of people living in community associations.

There are numerous professional development opportunities for CMCAs, ranging from college degrees and coursework, to conferences, professional coaching, community workshops, seminars, symposiums, and webinars. There are many courses offered that cover a wide range of topics including community association management operations, administration, legal requirements, accounting, human resources, and public administration.

Continuing Education

It’s important to note that anyone who meets the continuing education requirements to maintain the following credentials will meet the CAMICB continuing education requirement:

  • CAI’s Association Management Specialist (AMS)
  • CAI’s Professional Community Association Manager (PCAM)
  • National Association of Housing Cooperative’s (NAHC) Registered Cooperative Manager (RCM) designation
  • Florida’s Community Association Manager license (CAM)
  • Nevada’s Community Association Manager certificate

Recertification requires the completion of 16 hours of continuing education within your two-year certification period.

Not sure of your recertification date? Go to: https://www.camicb.org/find-a-cmca

Visit www.camicb.org for useful resources, links, approved continuing education courses and providers.

10 unmistakable habits of utterly authentic people

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Photo by Stefan Stefancik

To live authentically, you must own your actions and ensure that they align with your beliefs and needs. This can be a difficult thing to maintain when external forces pressure you to do something you’re not comfortable with or to be someone you’re not.Most people have experienced the discomfort that comes with failing to behave authentically. Researchers from Harvard, Columbia, and Northwestern joined forces to measure this phenomenon scientifically. They found that when people failed to behave authentically, they experienced a heightened state of discomfort that’s usually associated with immorality. People who weren’t true to themselves were so distraught that they felt a strong desire to cleanse themselves physically.
It’s clear that our brains know when we’re living a lie, and like all lies, being inauthentic causes nothing but harm. But how do you start living authentically? That can be tough, especially if you’ve been playing a role for most of your adult life.

“I had no idea that being your authentic self could make me as rich as I’ve become. If I had, I’d have done it a lot earlier.” – Oprah Winfrey

Authentic people are deeply in tune with who they are and what they want. Their ability to live their life in harmony with their true selves comes from some clearly discernible habits that any of us can study and incorporate into our repertoire.

They help others to be their authentic selves

Authentic people don’t expect others to play a role either. They don’t make people feel as though they have to fit into a certain mold or to project a certain image to be a part of their lives. Their commitment to being authentic gives other people the freedom to live authentically too.

They let go of negative people

Authentic people have too much self-respect to put up with people who treat them badly or have ill will toward them, and they have too much respect for other people to try to change them. So they let go — not out of anger, but out of their need to be true to themselves.

They express their true feelings and opinions, even when they’re not popular

Authentic people don’t live a go-along-to-get-along lifestyle. They’re simply not capable of acting in a way that’s contrary to what their principles dictate, even if there are repercussions. They prefer not to lie to other people, and they especially can’t lie to themselves. This means that they’re willing to live with the repercussions of staying true to themselves.

They are confident

Much social anxiety stems from the fear we have of being “found out.” We’re afraid that somebody is going to discover that we’re not as smart, experienced, or well-connected as we pretend to be. Authentic people don’t have that fear. Their confidence comes from the fact that they have nothing to hide. Who they appear to be is who they really are.

They prefer deep conversations to meaningless chatter

Eleanor Roosevelt nailed this one. She once said, “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.” You won’t find authentic people gossiping about others or giving their opinions on the latest celebrity scandals. They know all of that stuff is nothing more than cultural trappings, and they choose to talk about things that matter.

They don’t take anyone’s advice without evaluating it carefully first

It’s not that authentic people aren’t willing to take advice; they are. But they don’t put that advice into action just because other people have. First, they’ll run it through the wringer from a critical perspective so that they can be sure it makes sense for them.

They don’t complain about their problems

Complaining is what you do when you think that the situation you’re in is someone else’s fault or that it’s someone else’s job to fix it. Authentic people, on the other hand, are accountable. They understand that they — and no one else — are responsible for their own lives, so there’s no point in complaining.

They’re internally motivated

Authentic people don’t sit at their desks thinking, “Well, if my boss would just make this job worthwhile, I’d do a better job.” The carrot-and-stick approach just isn’t relevant to them. They’re motivated from within.

They make the best out of any situation

Authentic people have a very firm grasp on reality. When things don’t go their way, they don’t get trapped in denial, and they don’t sit around whining about how things should be different. They simply take stock of the way things are and, if there’s nothing they can do to change the situation, they figure out a way to make the best of it.

They don’t get stressed or upset when someone doesn’t like them

It’s never fun accepting that someone doesn’t like you, but a lot of times that discomfort comes from trying to figure out what you did wrong or how you can fix it. Authentic people don’t have that anxiety because they would never try to change themselves to influence someone else’s opinion. They accept that other people have a right to be authentic about their own feelings, even if those feelings are negative toward them.

Bringing it all together

Living authentically is a perpetual challenge that yields great rewards. It’s a noble path that you won’t regret following.

What are the benefits of living authentically? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below, as I learn just as much from you as you do from me.

This column first appeared on LinkedIn.

Show Your Commitment

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CAMICB has launched the Retired Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA®) program. The CMCA (Ret.) designation is available to community association management professionals no longer actively employed as a community association manager but interested in highlighting their continuing commitment to professionalism in the field.

Obtaining CMCA (Ret.) status:

  • Is for community association management professionals who still want to honor their commitment and years of service to the profession.
  • Allows you to showcase this new designation, CMCA (Ret.), with no obligation to meeting continuing education requirements.
  • Can serve as an important – and fulfilling – phase of retirement, keeping you connected to an expanding group of committed professionals.
  • Enables you to stay active in the industry.

Applying for CMCA (Ret.) status is simple:

  • Complete a retired status application.
  • Pay an annual fee of $25.
  • Continue to abide by the CMCA Standards of Professional Conduct.
  • Individuals obtaining this designation may not use the active CMCA mark but rather designate themselves as CMCA (Ret.).

?Get Started!

CMCA (Ret.) Application

CMCA Standards of Professional Conduct

 

Decoding the ABC’s of Credentials, Certificates & Designations

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What do those letters behind your name mean?

By John Ganoe, CAE
Executive Director, CAMICB

Even for those deeply entrenched in the credentialing world, there’s a certain degree of confusion around some of the terminology used to describe specific paths professionals take to further their careers and skill sets. The field of community association management is no different so it’s important to educate managers, homeowners, and other community association professionals about the different options the profession has to offer and the value they hold.

According to the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE), “credentialing” is an umbrella term used to refer to concepts such as professional certification, certificate programs, accreditation, licensure, and regulation.

ICE defines certification, licensure, assessment-based certificate, and accreditation in the following ways:

  • A certification program is designed to test the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform a particular job, and, upon successfully passing a certification exam, to represent a declaration of a particular individual’s professional competence, such as a community manager who has achieved the Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA®).  In some professions, certification is a requirement for employment or practice.
  • Similarly, licensure tests an individual’s competence but is a mandatory process by which the government grants time-limited permission for that licensed individual to practice his or her profession, such as a real estate salesperson or real estate broker.
  • In contrast to certification and licensure, an assessment-based certificate program is an educational or training program that is used to teach learning objectives and assess whether those objectives were achieved by the student.
  • Accreditation is the process by which a credentialing or educational program is evaluated against defined standards and is awarded recognition if it is in compliance with those standards. The Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA®) is such a program. ICE currently offers accreditation to professional certification programs through the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).

The CMCA credential is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) confirming it complies with NCCA’s stringent standards for a professional certification program. Accreditation validates the integrity of the CMCA program and is a mark of quality.

Specialty Designations

Community association professionals may also choose to bolster their careers and expand their level of expertise in certain areas. This is where specialty designations come into play. A “designation” is recognition of professional knowledge and expertise in a given subject matter or job skill.  To earn designations, membership is required in a professional organization and usually requires work experience.  Certain specialty designations are offered through the Community Associations Institute (CAI) including, the Association Management Specialist (AMS), Large Scale Manager (LSM), Professional Community Association Manager (PCAM), Community Insurance and Risk Management Specialist (CIRMS) and Reserve Specialist (RS). This allows a community association professional to drill down into a specialized aspect of the business.  In some cases, for example the PCAM and AMS designations, passing the CMCA examination is a prerequisite to applying for these designations.

I’ve experienced a wide disparity in the background and quality of the managers with whom I’ve worked,” said Ron Perl, Esq., a Partner at Hill Wallack LLP, who leads the firm’s community association practice group.  “A manager who holds the CMCA assures me they have an important foundation in place – the ongoing education and knowledge necessary to successfully manage millions of dollars worth of other people’s property and a serious commitment to high ethical standards.”

Stephen Castle, CMCA, AMS, PCAM agrees all committed community association managers should hold the CMCA certification. “The CMCA certification demonstrates to employees and new managers a commitment to professionalism,” said Castle. “Further, CMCAs show their support for established national and international standards of knowledge and professional conduct for community association managers.”

The Certified Manager of Community Associations – The only accredited certification program in the world for managers of homeowner and condominium associations and cooperatives.

The CMCA Goes Global

As CAMICB grew to be the premiere certification body in the United States for community association managers, it also gained international recognition for its established body of knowledge and strict ethical standards. Over the past two decades, the CMCA certification program crossed borders and oceans in Australia, Bermuda, Canada, Mexico South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. This global expansion secured a high level of professionalism for association management and common interest communities worldwide. In 2017, CAMICB launched the international CMCA examination.

About ICE

The Institute for Credentialing Excellence, or ICE, is a professional membership association that provides education, networking, and other resources for organizations and individuals who work in and serve the credentialing industry.  ICE is a leading developer of standards for both certification and certificate programs and it is both a provider of and a clearing house for information on trends in certification, test development and delivery, assessment-based certificate programs, and other information relevant to the credentialing community.

Recertify Your CMCA: Keep Your CMCA Up & Your Stress Level Down

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Don’t Miss Tomorrow’s Free Webinar!

The next CMCA Recertification deadline is coming up October 1! Do you have all your credit hours together?

Join us during this 30-minute webinar as we review all the continuing education opportunities approved and accepted by CAMICB. We’ll review what you’ll need to complete your CMCA Recertification Application and walk you thorugh the process on how to complete your Recertification.

This interactive format allows for questions during the 15-minute program. Or, you can save your questions for the 15-minute Q&A after the presentation.

DATE: Sept 5, 2019
TIME: 3:00 p.m. ET/2:00 CT/1:00 MT/12:00 PT
COST: FREE!

REGISTER TODAY!

Revamp Your Processes

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Upgrading your association’s processes can seem like an inconvenience, but even small changes can better your organization.

No organization is perfect, but continually updating processes that push your association forward can get you closer. That said, instituting organization-wide changes can seem like more of a hassle than anything positive.

“Revamping takes energy,” says Mary Byers in a post on Association Success. “All of us are on deadline, and as soon as we finish one project, we have to dive headlong into another one. It’s easier to just pull out last year’s agenda, process, or format with a slightly altered look, instead of revamping.”

To make upgrading less time-consuming, Byers suggests starting small and focusing on how to better the member experience. You can also look to other organizations to see what has and hasn’t worked: Is there any inspiration you can draw from them, or would any of their processes benefit your association?

“It helps to think about things as a work in progress, always,” Byers says. “Revamping is an ongoing project that will never be truly finished, so enjoy the process.”

By / Nov 8, 2018 for Associations Now,  a publication of the American Society for Association Executives.

19 activities super successful people do over long weekends

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With the long weekend approaching, it is interesting to look at how super successful people spend their free time. Do they totally unplug from work or do they use this as a time to pursue more projects? Or, do they just have six-hour brunches?Here are the long weekend activities of several successful people.

1. They dress differently

Fashion mogul Tory Burch has a weekend wardrobe. “I dress differently in the country than in the city. I wear tennis whites or our lightweight button-down camp shirts with espadrilles,” she told Travel & Leisure.  “And I’m more drawn to color—my closet in the Hamptons is very colorful.”

2. They update their social media

The weekend can be a great time to share what you are up to on social media. Fashion designer Rebecca Minkoff, as well as Burch and Lauren Conrad, love to post photos to Instagram on the weekends. While others like Ryan Seacrest, Nina Garcia, and Martha Stewart all love a good Pinterest post.

3. They go to brunch

Super successful people love a good brunch. Martha Stewart is known to throw some great ones.

4. They play with their kids

Twitter cofounder Biz Stone said in the new book My Morning Routine: How Successful People Start Every Day Inspired, “I’ve been playing with my son upon waking up since he was born. My routine has changed very little since he came along.”

Jessica Alba, the CEO and Founder of The Honest Company, also devotes her weekend to her three children and husband.

5. They take thinking breaks

Business magnate Elon Musk wrote in a Tweet recently, “Need to have long uninterrupted times to think. Can’t be creative otherwise.”

Virgin Group founder Richard Branson also agrees with this school of thought. “Open your calendar and schedule time just to dream.”

6. They work out

Working out is a big part of most successful people’s weekend routines. The benefits of exercise when you have a stressful job have been reported on obsessively. In addition to helping with stress relief and giving you more energy, exercise boosts your cognitive functioning and improves your memory. Burch and Vogue editor Anna Wintour play tennis, Vanguard chairman Bill McNabb aims to fit in a midday workout three or four times a week.” Katherine Power, the CEO of Clique Media, says “Every Saturday, I do Cardio Barre in the valley with my childhood friend and Sunday is my day of rest.”

7. They totally go off the grid

Though some people love to be on social media all weekend, others totally check out. Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg turns off her email on weekday nights and for parts of the weekend also. MSNBC news host Rachel Maddow likes to go to her cabin in Massachusetts, which has no television.

8. They prep their meals for the next week

Sundays are a great time to prep your meals for the whole next week (especially work salads!) Cameron Diaz is known to cook up a storm on Sunday to prep for her week. “In my house, on Sundays, you can usually find me in the kitchen getting my food ready for the week,” Diaz writes in her book, The Body Book. “I tell my friends that I can’t meet for lunch; I tell my nieces and nephews that if they want to hang out, it will have to be at my house. I make sure not to have any meetings or calls scheduled during that time, because that time is SO IMPORTANT for me.”

9. They go on strategy walks

Some combine exercise with brainstorming like Dia&Co CEO Nadia Boujarwah. She told Business Insider that she and her cofounder, “Almost every weekend we go on a long walk, most often down the West Side highway, and spend a couple hours outside, thinking about bigger-picture questions. Some of the more creative thinking happens then.”

10. They do yoga

Yoga differs from normal exercise a bit because of the meditation component. Stanton Kawer, CEO and chairman of Blue Chip Marketing Worldwide, explained in his article for Forbes that, “Yoga helps make me a more effective CEO by reorienting my outlook on life–my buoyancy of spirit. I spend 90 minutes in a studio feeling like a 10-year-old boy. How could I not have fun? I am doing the real work of building muscles and increasing my agility, but with poses with Sanskrit names like Surya Namaskar or equally fun English names like Warrior. I begin in tadasana, or mountain pose, as I set my intention, and I end up in savasana, or corpse pose, allowing my mind and body to clear out from a period of extreme labor.”

Skinnygirl CEO Bethenny Frankel, a devoted yogi, said in an interview with SELF, “Yoga makes me feel really good and it makes me calm. Yoga absolutely helps with my overall happiness. Anything soothing that is going to make you feel more peaceful is beneficial in all aspects.”

11. They indulge in food

Bravo executive and TV personality Andy Cohen works out a lot but he also loves to indulge.  Some of his favorite cheats include Reese’s peanut butter cups, chocolate chip cookies, and dark chocolate. He also likes an omelet on the weekend.

Ben Anderson, the cofounder and CEO of Amino Apps, also likes to try new restaurants.

12. They get to know their users or customers

Anderson told Business Insider, “Sometimes I’ll chat with our users. That’s kind of a hobby of mine, to get to know them better and really understand who they are so I can build a better product for them.”

13. They practice their hobbies

Warren Buffett can be found playing his ukulele on the weekend and Meryl Streep enjoys knitting.

14. They get spiritual

Ryan Williams, the CEO of Cadre, regularly attends church on Sundays. “It’s something that’s pretty meaningful to me, spirituality. It’s nice to be able to disconnect from the professional side of things and put things into perspective.”

15. They work

Author Gretchen Rubin saves certain tasks for the weekend. “One hour working on non-recurrent, non-urgent tasks — the kinds of little jobs that drag me down, but never get done,” she says. “I’ve found that something that can be done at any time is often done at no time, so I use ‘Power Hour’ to order a new office chair, fix my shredder, make a photo album from my last year of photos, etc.”

16. They read

Rubin also makes time for books.  “I have something called ‘Study Time,’ when I spend an hour doing ‘study’ reading. That means reading a book that’s not for work, but something that I just want to read.”

17. They get up super early

Many super successful people like Apple CEO Tim Cook and Ellevest CEO Sallie Krawcheck do not sleep in, even on the weekends. Melody McCloskey, founder and CEO of StyleSeat, trained herself to be a morning routine and now rises at 5:45 AM most days. “Of course it wasn’t easy at first,” she told CNBC. “It was torture getting up that early; I was never naturally a morning person. But now it’s become routine, and I wake up pretty early on weekends too.”

18. They help others

Social media expert and influencer Natalie Zfat says, “Like most of us, my weekdays are largely focused on work (and by proxy, myself). How can I entice new clients? How can I finish my to-do list? How can I accomplish more/achieve more? To offset the extreme focus on myself and my business, I strive to spend my weekends helping others – whether professionally (carving out an hour to help a friend fix their resume) or personally (checking out apartments with my friend who’s about to break up with her boyfriend). I sort of become a Jewish mom on the weekends, and I’m ok with that.

19. Reflect on the week

Bill Gates looks at the weekend as a time to reflect. “It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.”

By Meredith Lepore for www.theladders.com.

6 reasons recruiters say they’ll toss your resume in the trash

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These things will make your resume stand out — but in a bad way.

ILLUSTRATION: ASHLEY SIEBELS

Most professionals nowadays know that a clear (and proofread) resume can help them move along during the job application process. But what if you think you submitted the most perfectly edited resume with loads of experience and you still don’t make the cut?

It turns out that there are plenty of smaller mistakes that make recruiters reconsider adding you to the “yes” pile. Six of them weighed in on the problems they see with resumes all the time that keep applicants from getting ahead.

1. It’s way too long

Lyssa Barber, the former head of recruitment at UBS Asset & Wealth Management, says that one of the largest issues she sees with job applicants is that they’ll submit a resume that “indulges the candidate, but [doesn’t] entice the hiring manager.”

“Even if you’re the CEO, you don’t need a five-page CV,” she notes. “I’ve received eight to 10-page efforts, and they just go straight into the reject pile. [Doing so] suggests an inability to condense information for a time-poor audience.”

Barber also says to steer clear of half-page personal statements; go for a clear, three-line objective instead.

2. It’s over-styled

Trevor Collins, a recruiter at KVH Industries, says that while he focuses on skills and experience, style issues can make it more challenging to read a resume quickly.

He says some of the biggest mistakes he sees are people who:

  • Use multiple fonts

  • Include broken hyperlinks

  • Use buzzwords or overly formal speech

  • Are too long-winded

Just because your resume doesn’t have any typos doesn’t mean that other style problems aren’t turning off a hiring manager. Skip the out-there fonts, double-check your hyperlinks and keep the language simple.

3. It doesn’t include keywords

Candidates need to make it easy for recruiters to find what they’re looking for, especially since they’re scanning hundreds of resumes every day.

“When I look at a CV I immediately look for words that relate to the role I am working on,” says Sarah Rawcliffe, a talent manager at Get My First Job. “For example, for a childcare role I would want to see a placement [at a] nursery, work experience in primary school or even babysitting for a family friend, anything that shows some kind of interest in the industry they have applied for.”

Don’t make it hard for recruiters to connect the dots as to why you’re a good fit for the role. They may give up and look elsewhere.

4. It has the wrong tone

“Some candidates are giving great thought to the editing of their resume – checking for typos, verb tenses, and verbiage – but not considering tone,” explains Laura Mazzullo, founder of East Side Staffing. “I would recommend reading the resume aloud keeping personal brand at the forefront of your consideration. ‘Does this resume reflect my values and perspective? Is this how I want to come across to potential employers?’”

5. It’s not ordered by level of relevance or impact

In keeping with the theme of making it easy for hiring managers and recruiters, make sure you put the most important or relevant information at the top of your resume and throughout each position.

“Your resume should highlight your most prized accomplishments in the first bullets and day-to-day towards the bottom,” says recruiter Taylor Carrington. “Structure the resume [from] greatest to least impactful for each position you held.”

6. It doesn’t tell a story

If a recruiter looks at your resume and can’t tell what your career “story” is and generally where you’re hoping to go, that could lead to a “no.”

“No matter the level of the candidate, [from] someone just out of college or a very senior executive, it’s okay if someone works in various industries and jumps around a bit and gains different experiences,” says Eva Freidan, a product leadership recruiter at Facebook. “But at the end of the day, what is the common thread throughout this person’s career?”

Freidan recommends taking some time to write a paragraph or two explaining your overall career arc. If it’s not clear to you, it certainly won’t be clear to a recruiter who’s scanning your resume quickly.

When it comes to resume writing, the most important thing is to think about what’ll make the hiring manager want to move your resume into the “yes” pile. They’re rooting for you (their jobs depend on it), so the easier you make it for them, the more likely they are to move you to the next round.

LILY HERMAN|is a New York-based writer, editor, and social media manager whose recent bylines include Fast Company, Forbes, Cosmopolitan, Newsweek, ELLE, Teen Vogue, and TIME