How long should you wait until you follow up after submitting your resume for a posting?  And what’s the best way?

Don’t wait!  If the posting reveals the identity of the employer, submit your resume and then immediately call the hiring department and ask to speak to the person the job reports to.  Have your 30-second elevator speech ready and ask if you can meet with the person – even if it’s just to drop off your resume and introduce yourself.  If you get the run around, try to get the hiring manager’s name and e-mail address and follow-up electronically.

Networking can be particularly helpful in this situation.  Leverage networking sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, college alumni associations and your own contacts to find someone who will forward your resume directly to the hiring manager or to someone elsewhere in the organization who will do it for you.  As this approach means your resume won’t be electronically screened out, you stand a much greater chance of being considered for the job.  If your efforts at networking aren’t successful, then consider making a personal visit to the employer’s facility, if at all possible, and ask to see the head of the department or his or her administrative assistant. 

How does one with 30+ years of experience highlight career without disqualifying himself for being too old?

Chances are that whatever career experiences you had over 30 years ago will mean little to the employer.  So rather than offer a bunch of detail about what you were doing when President Obama was still in grade school, summarize the earlier jobs and experiences under the sub-heading of Previous Experience at the bottom of the Experience & Qualifications section.  For example, “Prior to 1989, I gained valuable computer experience and was promoted to various roles of responsibility including system analyst, programmer and billing coordinator.”  In this manner, you are submitting a factual resume without revealing too much about your age.

If my resume is supposed to promote me, would it be okay if I put the position on top of the company I worked for in a chronological resume?

Absolutely.  If your position or level is more impressive than the brand power of your employer, give it top billing.  This is particularly true if your employer is relatively unknown to the general public or within the industry you are applying.  Just be consistent and don’t flip-flop the position and employer throughout the Experience & Qualifications section of your resume.

Is it a good idea to have a photo on a hard copy of your resume?

While Europeans often include photos and personal information such as nationality, age, marital status, children and place of birth on their resumes (commonly referred to as a curriculum vitae or CV), it’s generally not a good idea to do so in the U.S.  There are, of course, exceptions such as positions in the entertainment industry or wherever one’s looks are a bona fide job requirement.  Otherwise, a photo risks making you appear insecure and superficial and not someone whose candidacy should be taken seriously (not to mention human resources departments may conclude your resume is nothing more than the spearhead of a calculated ploy to file a discrimination claim against the employer).

What is the best format for a resume?  Word or PDF?

Your call.  As the sender of resumes, I always used the Word format just because it requires less memory and I’m comfortable with it.  As the recipient of resumes, it has never mattered to me.  I will say some people strongly prefer the PDF format because it’s essentially tamper-proof.