One of the most fatal missteps in a career is going to work for the wrong company; a company that doesn't provide reasonable prospects for stability, success and integrity. Too often people pursue an ad, a recruiter, or a referral from an acquaintance, without really knowing much about the prospective employer. Much may be learned by researching a company in advance via Hoover, Dunn and Bradstreet, stock research, if public, or maybe simply Googling the company for example.

Let’s face it. In a matter of seconds a resume will either peak an employer’s interest or get filed in the waste can. A neat, organized resume is no longer enough to get an employer’s attention. Certainly, a strong resume will cover the basics: work history, job duties, dates of employment, education, references, etc, but that may not be enough. Neither is fancy paper, a colorful layout or a pretty font.