Resume and Cover Letter Words That Can Trip You Up

Resume and Cover Letter Words That Can Trip You UpTricky Resume and Cover Letter WordsResume and Cover Letter Words That Can Trip You UpEnglish is a funny language. There are different words that mean the same thing, single words that have different meanings, and words that are prone to mispronunciation, such as nook-you-ler when its really nook-lee-er, and Feb-you-erry instead of Feb-roo-erry.Then there are the homonyms words that sound alike, are often (mistakenly) used interchangeably, but dont mean the same thing. And when you use the wrong one on your resume or cover letter, you look foolish. To really make things difficult, your spell-checker cant bail you out because it wont recognize the mistakes.Here are five confusing word pairs, their meanings, and how to use them properly on your resume and cover lettersAffect vs. EffectDefinitions Affect is primarily a verb, meaning to act on or to impress the mind and feelings. Effect, on the other hand, is usually a noun that refers to a state of being effective or operative.Proper usage My actions affected department operations, leading to a 10% savings in the telecommunications budget.My actions had a positive effect on department operations, leading to a 10% savings in the telecommunications budget. One notable exception Effect can be used as a verb meaning to bring about. For example My actions effected changes in departmental operations, leading to a 10% savings in the telecommunications budget.Verses vs. Versus (Is there an echo in here?)Definitions Verses is the plural form of verse, which refers to part of a written poem or song versus (abbreviated as vs. or v.) is a Latin term meaning against or as compared to.Proper usage Increased record label revenue by composing extra verses for award-winning single hit by up-and-coming band. Led task force that weighed costs of traveling by air versus rail. Discreet vs. DiscreteDefinitions Theyre both adjectives. Discreet means understated or confidential discrete m eans individual, or detached from others. For instance, a company in the discrete manufacturing industry produces goods that are counted individually or identified by serial numbers. The goods are counted as distinct units rather than by weight or volume, such as processed foods or motor oil.Proper usage Thoroughly and discreetly investigated three sexual harassment complaints.Ten years of senior executive experience in discrete manufacturing industry. Principle vs. PrincipalDefinitions Principle is a noun referring to an accepted or professed rule or action (e.g., sticking by your principles). Principal can be an adjective or a noun, depending on how its used. The adjective means first or highest in rank, while the noun refers to a head or leader (school principal), or the original sum of a loan.Proper usage Developed set of ethical principles that all executives follow. As principal sales associate for the Northeast states, generated a 20% increase in sales in 2009.Ensured that mo rtgage applicants principals and incomes fell within banks lending standards. Incite vs. InsightDefinitions Incite is a verb that means to stir up or encourage, such as a riot. Insight is a noun that means a keen understanding, perception, or intuition.Proper usage Incited and directed lively, company-wide discussions about potential new markets.My two years in Hong Kong helped me develop new insight into how the global economy operates. One tip If youre a very perceptive individual, youre insightful. If youre inciteful, hiring managers will want to stay away from you and your resume. (Sure, I can be insightful You shoulda seen the stuff I incited when I played hockey. I spent a lot of time in the penalty box.)

Best of the Best Business Books for the Ages

Best of the Best Business Books for the AgesBest of the Best Business Books for the AgesBest of the Best Business Books for the AgesIn my lifetime Ive read over 500 books. Recently I put together a list of 110 recommended books that I called Business Books for the Ages. You can see this list, which represents 20 percent of all the books Ive read, on my Web site.I then decided to narrow that to the ten books that I felt were the most important business books for readers to dig into. Now that welches an even mora challenging assignment. It represented less than two percent of all the books Ive read. I decided to choose ten topics (okay, actually fourteen), select one book for each topic and then provide a brief explanation as to why I selected it. Here goesThe Ten (okay, fourteen) Most Important Business Books for the AgesProductivityLess is More by Jason Jennings. Jason is the master at finding companies that are truly productive, narrowing his list to the absolute best of the best an d then immersing himself into researching what makes those companies truly extraordinary in the area of productivity. I think you will find this book to be of tremendous practical value.PerseveranceWalt Disney by Neal Gabler. Since I believe that perseverance is of utmost importance in creating a great business and a great career, I found this book to be amazing. Disneys creative mind welches a big part of his success, but a bigger part was his absolute willingness to persevere no matter what obstacles he faced. Stubborn, yes legendary performance, double yes.Overcoming ObstaclesPersonal History by Katherine Graham. Greatness is also derived through overcoming massive obstacles. When she was 46, Katherine Grahams husband, Phil, committed suicide. Suddenly she was the publisher of theWashington Post with exactly zero experience in any aspect of publishing a newspaper. Through exceptional courage and tenacity she vaulted the paper onto the national stage and became one of the most pow erful women in the world.PrecisionBorn Standing Up by Steve Martin. This is the extraordinary story of the eighteen years that Steve Martin invested to go from being a comic newbie to the most popular stand-up comic in history. My favorite quote in the book is from E.E. Cummings who wrote, I am abnormally hintergrund of that precision which creates movement. It is this pursuit of precision that generates extraordinary business results in every industry.MarketingPositioning by Al Ries and Jack Trout. The brilliance of this book is in its simplicity. Ries and Trout explain that every buyer carries categories around in his or her head, and that for every category there is always a ranking of the products or services within that buyers head. The key is to have the first or second position in the minds of buyers for the category you want to be known for.PurposeInside Steves Brain by Leander Kahney. This is a remarkably useful insight into the management approach of Steve Jobs, who guided Apple to fundamentally change three industries computers, music and cell phones. I found it to be extremely helpful in multiple areas.EconomicsThe Age of Turbulence by Alan Greenspan. Greenspan does a spectacular job of explaining the impact of emotions, particularly exuberance and fear, on the economy and financial decisions. From this book, I learned the psychology of results and the importance of staying logical with results and not getting emotional.InvestingThe Snowball by Alice Schroeder. Extraordinary in its detail, this book provides the reader with a deep understanding of Buffetts approach to investing, which he cultivated over a period of more than sixty years. Its quite long, but it moves very fast and you will walk away with powerful and practical insights on what types of organizations to invest your time and money into.TeamworkTeam of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin. Goodwin is a gifted writer, and this is her greatest book. It is a magnificent example of how completel y different types of members can make for an exceptionally powerful team. One of Abraham Lincolns greatest contributions to America was his willingness to assemble the best team he could and constantly work to make it better.ConsultingGetting departureed in Consulting by Alan Weiss. In times of great economic change, many successful executives decide to start their own consulting practices. They find purpose in leveraging their knowledge and experience in ways that can help other people achieve their desired business outcomes. Alan Weiss is the world-wide guru on how to make this happen, and this is his finest book, which should be renamed, What to Do From the Day You Start Your Consulting Business to the Day You Retire.GlobalizationThe World is Flat by Thomas Friedman. Not only is Friedman a compelling writer, but his travels and ongoing diary make the concept of globalization real and accessible. This book is a masterpiece in explaining how interconnected the world of products, se rvices and producers really are.ManagementThe Effective Executive by Peter Drucker. This is Druckers shortest and finest book. Chapters two and four are particularly useful in explaining how leveraging strengths and optimizing priority management can generate extraordinary results.StrategyOnly the Paranoid Survive by Andy Grove. Perhaps Groves greatest contribution to business was his explanation of strategic inflection points and how they provide extraordinary opportunities for strategic growth. Times of great systemic change, like the era were living in now, provide great opportunities to step back and find better approaches to the marketplace.InspirationThe Greatest Miracle in the World by Og Mandino. This is the shortest book on my list, but it was critically helpful to me during two key transitions in my career.I hope you find this list to be of as much value for you as it was for me.

5 ways to invigorate your messaging to drive sales, press, and buzz

5 ways to invigorate your messaging to drive sales, press, and buzz5 ways to invigorate your messaging to drive sales, press, and buzzWhat if your messaging was your strongest business tool? How you deliver your brand to your audience plays a key role in the success of your business. Your code may be as clean as a whistle, but if you cant convey what it does in a meaningful way, youll never have any customers using it.