Offering some advice on submitting resumés online

Dear Heloise: I’ve been in staffing for over 40 years in contingency search firms, software houses, consulting organizations and major insurance companies.

For the most part, companies now require candidates at all levels to apply online. This is also true at job and career fairs. Paper resumés may well be accepted in some places, but they mostly get batched up and scanned into the resumé databases of a company’s applicant tracking system, to be viewed electronically.

Listing education depends on how early someone is in their career. The earlier they are, the higher on the resume it should be listed. As one gains more experience, employers are more interested in accomplishments on the job and less interested in education.

Also, maintain accuracy with dates, degrees and grade point averages. Companies conduct background checks, so don’t embellish.

Today’s job market is extremely competitive. Think about what you’ve done that makes you stand out in a positive way. This includes awards or recognitions you’ve received. You can also add in how you led others to complete projects early/on time or on/under budget. Good luck and happy hunting.

— Larry S. Westfield, Mass.

Vacuum tip

Dear Heloise: I recently started placing scented beads for laundry inside my vacuum. Now, every time I vacuum, the air in the room gets refreshed as well.

— E.J. Long Beach, Calif.

Place card fun

Dear Readers: When you are having friends over for a dinner party, you can make it memorable and lots of fun with this place-card hint. Ask each guest to bring a baby picture and place a photo on each plate. Then, have everybody look at the pictures and try to match the guests with their baby photos.

— Heloise

Adjusting waistbands

Dear Heloise: Sheet grippers are perfect for adjusting waistbands. Simply attach the gripper to the loops of the garment and click it into place.

— Pat Jackson San Antonio, Texas

Eggshell problem

Dear Heloise: I have benefited from so many of the hints in your column over the years, but I have never felt that I had anything to contribute. However, when I recently read about an eggshell problem, I wanted to share a tip a friend gave me years ago. The easiest way to remove eggshells from the cracked egg is to use part of the shell to get it out. It works better than any other thing I’ve tried. I hope this will benefit others. — Bea Ray via email

Greasing pans with shortening Dear Readers:

Greasing up pans with shortening can be a yucky mess with an awful cleanup afterward. Here’s how to make it less messy. Grab a small plastic sandwich bag and use it to grab the shortening. Then grease the baking pan. You can leave the bag in the shortening can for your next usage. No cleanup needed.