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Category: Job Search

A job search, also referred to “job hunt” is basically described as an individual’s desire to work for someone else – usually a large company or corporation – in return for money (wages, a salary, etc.) which can be paid in regular intervals – weekly, bi-weekly – in the form of a pacheck.

  • Resume writing from scratch


    Getting started

    Facing a blank page when you are trying to write a resume can be very scary. You may think that you don’t have enough to say about yourself to fill a page; you may be wondering just how to list all of your skills and experience within a single sheet of paper. To get started, ask yourself some questions about your past jobs and your career goals.

    Before you even begin writing a resume, define the exact reasons why you need one. While this may sound simple, it takes more than saying, “I want to get a new job.” Consider your career objective first. Make sure that your goals are specific in terms of industry, position title, and future professional achievements. Once you are clear on the type of job you are seeking, it will be much easier to compose a resume that highlights your expertise in the area of your interest.

    Research on format

    Once you have your career objective developed, do some research on a resume format that is most commonly used and may be most appropriate for your industry. Search the Internet or check out the books in your local library to get a better idea of what well-written professional resumes look like. Once you find a format that best suits your field and your career objective, use the same layout to get started.

    When listing your personal information at the top of the resume, include your address, home and/or mobile phone number, and your email address. A helpful hint about listing your email address make sure that it contains your name, as this helps you appear more professional. You can create a free Yahoo email account; it also maybe helpful to have one email address as a point of contact for your job search.

    Experience & education

    Before you begin listing your experiences, make sure to list them out on a separate sheet of paper, in chronological order, starting with the most recent job you had (possibly the job you are presently holding). List up to five previous jobs you have held, although make sure that your resume does not exceed two pages in length. Make sure that are listed in order; don’t skip any of your employments as this will create gaps in your professional history.

    When listing your education, start with your college attendance and move to your most recent accomplishments. If you never attended college, make sure to include any courses, even if they were taken as training at your previous jobs, which will help in showcasing your qualifications. In terms of skills, make sure to list, in bullet point form, all of the abilities that confirm that you are the best candidate for the job you are seeking.

    References upon request

    You can omit references from your resume, but let your potential employer know that you can provide them if necessary. You can do so in the cover letter or by including a line at the bottom of your resume that simply states, “Professional references available upon request.”

    As your final check point, ask a friend or a family member to review your resume, and give you feedback. Having a second pair of eyes can help you correct any typos, or even bring to your attention anything that appears unclear or confusing. A well-written, error-free resume will help you put your best foot forward and get the job that exceeds your career goals.

  • Four Great Books On Resume Writing


    Resume writing is a difficult task. While you can research information online, or seek assistance from a professional resume services, it is always helpful to have resources on hand that can assist in writing a new or rewriting your existing resume and/or cover letter. The following four books can provide you with a wealth of information on resume writing:

    On resume style

    The first book you should consider is called The Elements of Resume Style. It was written by S. Bennett – This book, as its cover states, will provide you with great advice on writing resumes and cover letters. Here, you will find valuable advice of working through and setting your career goals, marking your qualifications, delivering your resume to your employers and composing your cover letter. The author is not afraid to discuss the commonly made mistakes, the importance of knowing what you want to do in your career, sentence structure, and even salary requirements. This book makes for a great resource for both beginners and experienced resume writers.

    Related to competency

    The second book is titled Competency-Based Resumes and was written by two writers, Kessler and Strasburg – Competency-Based Resumes is a great resource for professionals that are confident in their career objective and are searching for a more targeted way to develop their resume in order to get noticed in the specific industry of their interest.

    The book discusses techniques used by employers at various industries that scan resumes in order to determine applicant’s experience based on their work habits and skills. The book offers you a new and effective way to create resumes that makes your skills and your education the number one priority, and provides you guidelines of highlighting specific areas in order to create a winning resume.

    Best resume ideas

    The third book contains 101 Best Resumes and was written by Block and Betrus – Members of the Professional Association of Resume Writers have come together to provide 101 best resumes for this book. The sample resumes included in this book will show you what winning resumes look like, and help you in creating an effective resume of your own that will get you the interview and the job. The book discusses personalizing your resume to positions that you want, highlighting your qualifications, developing your resume and writing cover letters. In addition, you will get some great advice on what to do once your resume is ready and how to win over your potential employer in an interview.

    Knock ’em dead resumes

    The last book of choice has Resumes That Knock ’em Dead and was written by Yate – This bestseller will teach you everything you need to know to get started in resume writing. It is a perfect read for beginners as well as those who have not written a resume in a long time. The author discusses how to gather all the information you will need to get started with writing a resume, how to chose the verbs you include in your statements, select the appropriate format and how to go about submitting your resume via email or the Internet. In addition, this book provides a great sag-way into cover letters, and how to create one that best compliments your resume.

    Each of these books can be found in your local bookstore or your library. They provide more than a great starting point; you can hold on to these books and use them as ongoing resources as you move forward in your career.

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  • Pros and Cons of the Printed Resume

    Fashion world descends upon us

    Your resume

    When a printed resume is needed – Tasks pertaining to job searches and job applications by many of today’s professionals are performed primarily with the aid of Internet locations (websites of potential employers and headhunters) and email (for cover letters and other communicative formats); and as such resumes and cover letters are created to fit these electronic formats; so it is no surprise that having to print out a resume can result in errors of both the human and machine variety.

    So let’s take a closer look at, and discuss circumstances when, a printed resume is needed; because although a job seeker may complete a number of job applications online, s/he still needs to have a printed resume to bring along to an interview. If, for example, you are that job seeker, it is important to keep in mind that it is very likely your potential employer will print out your resume from a job search website or from the message you sent expressing your interest in the job.

    With that in mind, it is therefore very important that you print out a test copy of your resume before submitting it to employers. This way you’ll be assured that the layout is what you want it to be. As a rule, when printing out your resume, make sure to use white or ivory paper; and since you can get a stack of resume paper at any office supplies store, it should be rather easy to make your resume look as clean and professional as it can be.

    Professional you!

    Your neat, clean resume – What you should not do it use color paper, or change the font color in order to make your resume stand out; because your employer is more likely than not to find this unprofessional and childish, which is not the first impression you want to make. If your resume is longer than one page, print out multiple pages; but do not print on both sides of a single page. Instead, you should include headings in your resume file indicating page numbers and print each page on its own sheet of paper.

    Additionally, you should not have any handwriting on your resume; but make sure that page numbers are in fact printed along with the rest of the resume content. Be mindful that you don’t grab the document off your printer in too immediately a fashion, since this could cause smudging of the ink and create a mess, especially if you are using an Ink Jet printer.

    You certainly don’t want smudging any more than you’d want stains, creases or crumpling when you are handing it to your potential employer. First impressions are important –and you difinitely don’t want yours to be that of someone who is sloppy and careless.

    Intact

    Interviewee, resume and references – Of course it doesn’t hurt to bring multiple copies of your resume when going in for the all important interview. Some people think this is not necessary because your potential employer already has a copy of your resume. But this is a common misconception because after all, it is your resume and not the potential employer’s; therefore you should always have several copies of your resume printed out and with you when at an interview.

    Often times, the hiring manager may ask another associate to meet you during the interviewing process, and s/he may not have a copy of your resume. Having extras will make you look professional, prepared and organized, which ultimately helps you set a positive, confident tone and put your best foot forward.

    Additionally, it is helpful that the copy of your resume you brought along for any interview has a complete list of references. You can include the references directly on your resume (typically at the bottom of the page), or you can include a separate sheet of paper with that particular reference list. The first option is preferred, because it provides potential employers with all of the critical information about you in one place.




    Take the initiative… resume style

    Including your references preempts a potential employer from asking you for this information; this also shows that you are seriously interested in the available position. Having a well-formatted, clean and professional resume will go a long way in helping you make that very important first impression a great one, and help you get the job you are truly interested in. Good luck!

  • eMail Your Resume with Thought and Care




    Use diligence in formatting your resume

    In order to seek out and apply for the jobs in which you are interested, it might be necessary to post your profile and resume on a job search web site such as monster.com or hotjobs.com. These search engines allow you to upload your resume in a Microsoft Word or text file format, or create one using their forms.

    Outside of job search web sites, e-mailing your resume as a form of application has become commonplace. However, each employer or headhunter has different rules on the file types they will accept via e-mail; because while most companies will accept an attachment in Microsoft Word–, you’ll have to be conscious of the font type and size, as well as margins you are using to compose your resume.

    If a company requires a text file, you should follow these steps to convert your Microsoft Word document into a text resume:

    • Select File, Save As
    • Name the file (as a best practice, use your name as the file name, and use underscores as spaces);
    • Under Format, select Text Only
    • Select Save.

    Carefully review resume before sending

    Now that you have converted your file to a text file, make sure to open it and review how the spaces, tabs, and bullet points have transferred over. You may need to do some editing in order to format your resume so that it fits the file type. Note that a plain text file doesn’t allow for bold, italicized or underlined fonts, but you can make sure that all your text is left justified and the spacing is correct.

    That having been said, if an employer asks you to include your resume in the body of an email, you should treat this as a text file when formatting. Copy and paste the entire resume in an email and keep the font styles basic; use Arial or Times New Roman fonts and keep the size in the 10 or 12 point range; you can also adjust all the spacing and bullet points as appropriate.

    A good rule-of-thumb to follow is to keep the email simple and– avoid bolding or italicizing text, since you don’t really know the type of email software your recipient is using, if they accept HTML, or only text emails. If you are sending your resume as an attachment, format the email body as a cover letter. At the top of the email, include your name and address, as well as the address of your recipient. Typically, the address can be found either on the job listing or at the employer’s web site.

    Adhere to employer’s website requirements

    If you are sending your resume in the body of an email, follow the same guidelines in terms of the email content; however, don’t assume that including a resume in the body of an email is the only information you should include in your message to a potential employer. Even if the resume is copied into the email, you still need to let your employer know a little bit more about yourself via a cover letter.

    Moreover, since you will include your address at the top of the email, feel free to start your resume with a career objective instead of including the heading with your name and address. Much like proofing is critical in perfecting your resume, testing how your resume is displayed in a body of an email or how it opens as an attachment via another computer is important.

    Rally your friends or family for help, and send them sample emails with your resume included in the body of a message or as an attachment. This will provide a great opportunity for you to insure that your resume is reaching your potential employers in a format that is clean and professional.

  • Your Resume and Its Importance to You


    The resume in brief

    A resume is a one- to two-page document summarizing your career objectives, professional experiences and achievements, as well as your educational background. The resume heading should contain your name, address and contact information. The resume body should be broken into the following sections: career objective, profile and/or summary, professional experience, achievements, scholastics, and references.

    Your career objective should be brief, up to two sentences, and it should give your potential employers an idea of how you wish to move forward in your professional life. A concise profile or summary should discuss who you are and how your skills and experience best apply to the job you are interested in. The summary, as well as other parts of your resume, should not contain personal information that discloses ethnicity, sexual orientation, marital status, age, living situations or any other personal information that is not directly related to your career.

    It’s your professional representative

    Personal profile and/or summary should only contain a few well-written sentences that convey what you can bring to the table in terms of the specific job. Use this section to attract an employer’s attention, but don’t go overboard by trying to be too creative;– keep it professional. Your experience listing should include information on one to five jobs you’ve held, starting with your current or last job, and listing previous positions in chronological order.

    The listing should include a date range of your employment, name of the companies or person(s) you have worked for, and the city and state where a referenced place of employment is located (full address of employment is not necessary). List your title and your main responsibilities, with emphasis on duties that are applicable to the type of work you are seeking.

    Your education should include college, graduate and post-graduate work, as well as any courses or professional certifications that are relevant to your career development. Achievements, volunteer positions, publications and interests should only be listed if they apply to your professional work experience. References should be listed if requested; best practices suggest not to list generic statements about references being available upon request as this is understood.

    Attention to detail will serve you well

    In the competitive, internet-driven world of job searches, your resume represents you to potential employers; and it serves as your tool to attract attention, get the interview and/or get a job. A great resume will make you stand out from other candidates by showcasing your aptitudes. Think of your resume as your sales pitch, since you need to sell yourself in the best possible way. Invest some time and research into developing your resume.

    You will want to make sure that your resume is error free, so– double check your grammar and spelling, make sure that all company and school names and cities are spelled correctly. A resume containing errors, no matter how minimal, will give your potential employer the impression that you lack attention to detail, that you don’t take time to double check your work, and that you are a poor communicator.

    Additionally, make sure that your resume is formatted well. Stick to basic fonts, like Arial and Times New Roman; and keep the font size and color standard. Do not use large fonts or multi-colors in your resume! And don’t go overboard with bold, italicized, or large-cap text. Keep your format consistent and make sure that the resume looks great when viewed online as well as in hard copy print.

    In short, a good one gets the job done

    Keep your resume to one or two pages, as– any additional pages could give an impression that you either don’t know how to concisely summarize your education and experience, or that you are listing unnecessary information for the sake of taking up space. If you’ve never written a resume before, reference books, Internet resources and assistance from a professional resume writing service are all available and can easily be accessed.

    A well-written resume can make the difference between being stuck at your current job and getting an interview to land the job of your dreams, or as close to it as you can get depending on what your dream job is.

  • Getting Job-Related Referrals from Warm Contacts

    Relying on warm contacts

    Some job applicants may find it difficult to use networking in their pursuit of a good job because they cannot rely on their warm contacts to provide the information needed. It is almost a certainty that the average job applicant would, at some point during the job search, have to ask his/her list of warm contacts for referrals to at least two people they know who will be able to provide job-related information.

    However, there are times that a warm contact – particularly if s/he doesn’t know the applicant well – may not readily provide the information requested; and some warm contacts might feel reluctant about vouching for the applicant to their other contacts.

    Based on this set of facts – if you are the applicant – it could possibly be difficult to effectively use your network in your pursuit of acceptable employment. Therefore we’ve put together a few tips we hope will be helpful in simplifying your networking and referral-getting efforts.

    Nurture your warm contacts

    Before you even have a need to all on your warm contacts or before you even ask for help, make sure to keep in touch with each member of your warm contacts list. You can easily do this by sending notes or greeting cards from time to time; you can make a phone call to chat a little with them them; you could also invite them to lunch, show interest or help in their business; or do anything to cultivate your relationship with them.

    By nurturing the relationship, you will find it much easier to reach out to them when you need their help, because they will remember you and therefore will more readily provide information about their other contacts that are able to assist you.

    Be polite and listen

    Since you might not have close personal relationships with some of your valuable warm contacts, it may inappropriate – depending on the individual – to just give them a call and ask them for information about your field of interest. Sometimes, sending a note in advance, or asking to meet them for lunch is a better way to ask for their help.

    Most of the time, even if your warm contact knows little about the field in which you are attempting to find a job, they might still offer you advice. However, it is during these interactions that you must be polite and show interest in what they are saying; because, who knows? the information they’re sharing might possibly be valuable to you in the future.

     

    There are times when your warm contacts may be giving you tips on which approach will work best when you talk to the persons you are being referred to; and your warm contacts may also imply what qualities and qualifications the person is looking for, so it is important to listen attentively, thereby showing interest in what they have to say.

    Ask for at least two referrals

    Before you ask for referrals, make sure your warm contact had said everything s/he has to say about your field of interest. Even if s/he knows little about that field, it is impolite if you interrupt while s/he is speaking simply to ask an inane question like, if s/he knows anyone who will be able to help you.

    If s/he wasn’t able to refer you to at least one contact, thoughtfully ask why s/he couldn’t do so. You might get answers that include indirect comments or suggestions. The contact may also indicate a lack of confidence in your work strategy, and if so, you may have to make follow up calls/meetings with them to prove that you are indeed credible and have the ability to match his/her requirements.

    However, there are also times when a warm contact can’t refer you to his/her own contacts because s/he simply doesn’t know anybody who might have the information or interest in the product. In this case, ask that s/he keep you in mind and continue looking for opportunities that you might be interested in. Of course you could also leave copies of your resume with all your warm contacts.

    Ask only for two referrals

    The rule of thumb is that two referrals are enough from each warm contact since a job applicant should have a second option in case the first one didn’t work out. On the other hand, asking for more than two referrals could be seen as impolite because it could be too time consuming for your warm contact.

    Also, such a request might make your warm contact feel that you are relying too heavily on him/her for your job search. So unless they volunteer the information, don’t ask for more than 2 referrals.

    Contact referrals as soon as possible

    When your warm contacts provide you with referrals, they might also call these people to personally provide more information about you. Contrarily, when you contact the people to whom you were referred, your referrals may call your warm contacts to verify the information or to ask for more information about you.

    Either way, you have to contact your referrals early enough so that these they can still remember their conversation with your warm contact, or your warm contact can still remember you have talked to them. At times, after your referrals were contacted by your warm contacts, they anticipate your call and even prepare questionnaires and exams for you to take.

    Do not waste this opportunity by delaying follow-up on referrals. We hope that keeping these tips in mind will help you during the occasions that you have to ask your warm contacts for good referrals.

  • Dressing for Success at the Interview

    A primary business tool on hold

    Prepare through practice

    Prepare and practice for a job interview is as important as the interview itself, so after the date and venue for an interview has been set, the job applicant should allow enough time for interview preparation so that on the big day s/he can be relaxed, confident and poise throughout the interview.

    Understanding that first impressions “are lasting impressions,” the manner in which an applicant appears, speaks and conducts him/herself really matters alot. An employer could easily base his/her hiring decision on any element of dress, speech or conduct during the initial interview.

    Better questions and overall interaction can be achieved if the appearance itself commands respect; but in order to accomplish this it is important to consider the environment of any company granting you an interview. It is important to point out here that there is no reason for a job applicant to be over dressed, nor is dressing poorly acceptable during this very significant day.

    Dress to impress

    In fact, it is a good rule of thumb to always dress appropriately for any situation, because all too often appearance is not given the attention necessary to make it satisfactory. Some might say that the person’s inner characteristics matter more, but in reality you only have one opportunity to make a good first impression you should make it count!

    Although there are specific guidelines that can be followed however, such rules of the road may not apply to all states, especially trend-setting areas like New York, California, Chicago, Paris, London and other such locales where people wear trendy to extreme styles that are far away from the usual fashion rules average people adhere to. The rule of thumb should be to wear something that could boost more confidence.

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    Following are some recommendations for interview conduct:

    • Avoid wild colored nail polish before the interview. The same goes with long nails that could easily turn off some conservative employers. These should be neat and very tidy looking.
    • Never wear jewelry that rattles and jiggles as you speak and move. Try not to wear two or more rings or earrings. Piercing aside from the ears is also a no.
    • Professional hairdo also counts
    • If you are a woman, wear closed shoes. Heels are very appropriate as this gives more confidence to an individual and sense of respect is also provided once they see the person wearing them.
    • Again, for the ladies, never bare those newly shaven legs. If possible, use stockings regardless of the temperature; but make sure not to use fancy colored ones. Only use those made for neutral looking legs. These should also match the shoes.
    • Remember that a good suit or dress brings more confidence as well. This will also allow more comfort and chance for the applicant to answer comfortably or with ease.
    • Avoid short skirts for women. Wearing pants or leggings are a no, no during interviews.
    • Wear the appropriate blazers just as long as they do not look fashion outdated. Do not wear any leather coats or jackets.
    • For men, the tie is still appropriate. Avoid using turtlenecks. If there is no suit and tie available, use a collared shirt or white long sleeves.
    • Men must not use too much aftershave.
    • Women should be using bags that are not too bright and conspicuous. These should be conservative and matching the dress.
    • Any briefcase used must be in perfect condition.

      The way a person looks equals the message s/he is trying to convey, and during an interview, this can either become a plus factor for the applicant or big loss. Know for a fact that the way an applicant should look must be appealing and fashionable but not loud.

      Fashion world descends upon us

      Consider latest trends in the area or location where the prospective job is located. One aspect that is a part of how employer picks a new hire is based on the physical attributes of the applicant. From the way his/her hand was shaken, keeping an eye contact and his/her posture was maintained, to how a smile was delivered and the manner of dress are all being rated.

      Regardless of your personal career background, skills and underlying talents; if the first impression was never striking enough to make an outstanding appeal to interviewers, nothing else really counts. This can be the potential employers’ initial interpretation of how an applicant will do on the job; and whether that perception is “fair” is irrelevant. Do you want the job? Look the part and your chances for success will be much greater!