Q: My husband has a bachelor's degree in engineering, a master's degree in business administration, and has been working for five years as a sales engineer. He has done very well in this position despite his quiet, more introverted personality that is typical of engineers; the others in his position are the boisterous sales type. Since beginning the job, he has known it is not his niche and would like to get out of sales. Two very large companies in our city have 10 job postings each that he is qualified for and interested in. Should he apply for all of these jobs simultaneously or apply for one and apply for the next one only after being rejected? Also, should he send one generic résumé for all the jobs and call the human resources department?

A: Some recruiters say to focus a résumé according to the job advertised, but that would not be a smart idea in this case. Your husband should write one résumé that covers all his qualifications, job responsibilities, work experience and achievements throughout his five years. Both companies are large, but many of the people could know each other. In fact, management personnel in the same field in the same city often know one another and share information on employees. This means that when your husband submits his résumé, the people within the company are likely to share it with others, and the human resources departments will receive it and distribute it if it passes their approval. Creating different résumés for different positions will create many unwanted questions for him and may hurt his chances of getting any job.

He should explain in each of the 20 cover letters (yes, cover letters are a must) why he thinks his education, experience and skills qualify him for each job.

Certainly, some of the requirements will overlap in these 20 jobs, but some will be unique to a particular job, and he should show how his background satisfies each major requirement. He may find once he writes those cover letters that he really doesn't want or qualify for every job opening he saw listed.

Facebook Can Send the Right or the Wrong Message to Employers

Q: Everyone is using MySpace and Facebook now for networking, so at 45 years old, I made a Facebook page. I sent it to my friends, who thought it was interesting, but one girlfriend thought my photo was too glamorous. It's an old picture, but I am job hunting and don't want employers to think I'm old.

A: Employers check Facebook and MySpace when they are considering job candidates. If the image you want to convey is one of glamour, then your photo should serve the purpose. If you want to convey professionalism, a glamour photo doesn't send the right message. Because it is an old photo, ask yourself whether you feel honest in posting it. If you are trying to relive a part of your life that is gone, perhaps talking to a friend or counselor may benefit you more than having a page on Facebook.

Please send your questions to: Lindsey Novak, c/o Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. E-mail her at LindseyNovak@yahoo.com, or visit her Web site at www.LindseyNovak.com. To find out more about Lindsey Novak and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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