Archive for February, 2011
5 Steps to Grabbing An Employer’s Attention in 20 Seconds
Feb 28th
If you’re looking for a job or a new job, it will behoove you to grab an employer’s attention in less than 30 seconds. Companies can receive 200 or more resumes for one job posting. It’s your job to stand out from the other potential candidates. Your resume is the key to grabbing an employer’s attention. What makes you unique? How can you be an asset to the company? Follow the steps below, and you’ll get your dream job!
5 Steps to Grabbing An Employer’s Attention in 20 Seconds
Name your resume using your name. You want an employer to remember your name. When you name you resume, name it Jane Smith_Resume.doc or Jane Smith_Resume.docx or whatever extension is acceptable. Remember, names like Smith, Jones, Harrison, and others are common. It’s you job to make sure you ‘grab’ an employer’s attention so you may want to use your middle initial.
Name your resume using the job title. If you’re applying for a Technical Writer job, name your resume, Jane Smith_Technical Writer.doc or whatever job you’re applying for.
Name your resume with a date. Your resume will change as you change jobs or take on added responsibilities. Name your resume Jane Smith_February 2011.doc to show that your resume is up-to-date.
Name your resume with a branding statement. Use a branding statement to stand out from the crowd. If you’re applying for an accounting position, name your resume, Jane Smith_Numbers Guru.doc, Jane Smith_Analytical Guru, or Jane Smith_Year-End Audit Guru.doc. Be creative with your branding statement but make sure it’s appropriate.
Name your resume with a funny statement. You can get away with this if you’re applying for a creative job in fields such as advertising and marketing. For example, you could name your resume, Jane Smith_2010 Winner Georgia Peach Pie Baking Contest. Be creative, but make sure your creativity will be appreciated.
Your resume is the chance you have to make a great first impression. Make sure your resume is up-to-date and accurate. Use a font that is easy on the eyes. Keep your resume to one page if you can; use two pages when necessary. Remember, an employer and or recruiter can receive 300 or more resumes for one job. You can stand out from the crowd by naming your resume with a ‘catchy’ title. This could be the difference between receiving a job offer and standing in the unemployment line.
2-Page Versus 1-Page Resume
Feb 28th
If you are seeking a job, then a good resume can benefit you in exhibiting your skills and qualifications in a manner to influence the interviewer. Whether you acquire a job or not, can depend on various things. A resume is like a tool for the jobseekers that can be utilized to make an impression to the interviewer and boost probabilities of attaining a job.
While writing a resume, you will need to take care of various aspects like the format, layout and tone of the resume, there should be no grammar or punctuation errors, effectively market job skills, an effective cover letter and a lot more. An important aspect that makes some job seekers confused is the length of the resume, whether it should be 1-page resume or 2-page resume.
Well, it depends upon your experiences and professional circumstances. It is not necessary that if a 2-page resume works good for a person, it will also work well for you. If you have recently finished your studies or have a little experience, then a 1-page resume is sufficient for you and you are not required to surpass one page. However, if you are a professional-level candidate and want to exhibit your qualifications, experience and accomplishments to the prospective employer, then you can go for 2-page resume.
Nonetheless, if you do not have sufficient information to load two pages, just stick to one. Never include inappropriate information just to fill two pages just because you think that is the best length.
So, whatever be the length of the resume, be ensured that the first page actually gets the attention of the interviewer. So, you must place the important information on first page to catch the interest of the employer. You must include your basic information, qualifications, experience on first page, and references, hobbies, accolades and extra-curricular activities can be on second page.
While writing a resume, always write the most important information first and apply this rule for overall structure of the resume as well as within the sections.
A well-structured resume may make a big difference in your presentation and help you in getting the job of your imaginings.
Learn to Write a Powerful Cover Letter
Feb 28th
If you think cover letters are thing of the past, you need to think again. Even though most hiring managers are very busy and do not have a lot of time to spend on each application, they do end up about twenty seconds on a cover letter and less than a minute on the CV or resume. Cover letters are considered important by the recruiters as these provide a summary of the candidate’s abilities and potential. It also depicts the communication skills of the applicant that are considered important for many jobs. Sending an application without the this essential document can be fatal because most hiring managers are expecting one. It can also be the deciding factor, besides the resume, in getting the long-awaited call for interview. Another reason that makes cover letter important is that it helps the hiring manager to know what job have you applied for.
Cover letters are to be given importance when sending out a job application. Following tips and guidelines will help you in formulating a powerful cover letter:
The length of the document
There is no hard and fast rule for this but general rule is that the letter should neither be too long nor too short. The format of the document has to be in a letter form.
Content of the document
In the opening paragraph, explain the reason for writing this letter and mention the position applied for. Second paragraph should have details of your skills and credentials that you feel would be appropriate for the role you have applied for. Here you can also give any additional information, such as reasons for career gaps, if any. The concluding paragraph should be an expression of interest in the job and a mention of your ability to perform the job well.
Proofreading
All spelling and grammatical errors must be checked using the software. Read and reread the document to make sure there are no typos. If you are unsure about the language, have someone else go through the letter to make sure you have written perfect English.
Color and fonts
These should be kept rather simple. Fancy fonts or colors are not much appreciated by the hiring managers. It should look professional and preferably printed on plain white paper with black text.
The use of templates
This is not highly recommended. It is because hiring managers appreciate originality of the application. Each cover letter must be customized for each job application to increase chances of selection. Even though this can be a tedious task but it will pay off in future.
Salary
There is no need to mention the current or expected salary in the cover letter. This is something that is best discussed in the interview stage.
Accomplishments NOT responsibilities
This is something to be followed in both the cover letter and the resume. Words, such as achieved, completed, delivered, enhanced, increased, improved and managed are more meaningful than ‘responsible for’.
Top 5 Tips On How To Write A CV
Feb 28th
Whether you are looking for your first job, embarking on a career change or just looking to move on from your existing employers, it can be daunting and challenging to enter the jobs market but the best way of succeeding is by arming yourself with the right tools. The single most important factor when searching for work is to have a good CV but if you have never created one before or think your existing curriculum vitae could do with refreshing, here are our top 5 tips on how to write a CV.
Firstly, though the words Curriculum Vitae translate as the ‘story of your life’, this doesn’t imply that your CV should be pages and pages in length. Successful CVs are those which can fit all of the necessary information into a document that is no longer than 3 pages. No prospective employer wants to waste time wading through irrelevant information so keep your CV short and sweet. The best way to start is by downloading CV templates free and building the information into the template.
Secondly be organised. Employers will not want to have to read through an essay-style document, they’ll want to scan it and pick out the most important information when first considering those candidates they would like to invite for an interview. Keep information neatly in sections and make use of headings, bullet points and date-ordered lists to make it easy for those reading your CV to pick up on the key points.
Employers will have certain questions in mind before they interview you so if you want the chance to get to the stage where you have the opportunity to answer them, you’ll need to ensure your CV paves the way. If you don’t know how to write a CV to show off your best side, don’t worry, just keep in mind the 3 major things that employers want to know - a) what do you know?, b) what jobs have you done before? and c) what can you bring to this role?
When you download CV templates free you can create a reusable document, which can be adapted according to the job you are applying for at the time. The skills you list on your CV should be relevant to the role you are applying for and should demonstrate that your skill set is matched to the job description.
Finally, be proud of your achievements and include details of qualifications and experience outside of work which could help to describe your character and abilities. Don’t lie or grossly over exaggerate but make sure you sell yourself well as your CV will be the first thing potential employers see. Take all the advice you can on how to write a CV and make sure you take your time in creating the perfect document as it could be the difference between winning or losing out on a new job.
Do I Really Need to Use a Professional Resume Writer?
Feb 28th
People look at me strangely when they ask, “Do I really need to use a professional resume writer?”
“Come on,” they say, “I can easily just write my own resume - what are you going to do that I cannot just do myself?”
Of course it’s true that anybody can write their own resume. The same is true that anyone can attempt to build a house or change the plumbing or paint some artwork, however in each of these examples you’d prefer to call on an expert because of their specific skills, knowledge and experience in their particular trades. The same can be said of a professional resume writer.
How long should a resume be? Should I include a qualifications profile or a career summary? How many duties and responsibilities should I include for my current role? Do I include the same amount of information for all my previous roles and how far back should my resume go?
How about questions relating to “soft skills” - should you include information like “volunteered for the Red Cross”? Is this relevant on your resume? How about the fact that you were the football captain at school - is this relevant?
Have a look at your resume and see if you have words such as “hard working”, “dedicated”, “team player”, or “loyal” - do these type of words enhance or actually detract from your resume? If you are using these types of words do you think your competitors are as well?
And what about achievements - do you have any on your resume? Is a hiring manager going to take one look at your resume and be impressed with your past experiences, skills and success? Have you mentioned initiatives you introduced to the business or awards you have won?
This is what a professional resume writer can do for you. They can open doors to get that interview. Remember - resume writing is not about reinventing the wheel, it is about ensuring that you adequately highlight everything that is required to make sure that your resume is selected and you are given the chance to present yourself in the interview. Once you make it to the interview you have the opportunity to prove to the hiring manager how good you really are. Without a professional resume you may never get this chance.
Do you speak the correct language?
Feb 28th
How often have you heard people say that you need to improve your communication skills? Have you ever felt helpless in making people understand what you are trying to explain? If effective communication is something that you have always failed at, then read on to understand what are the common myths associated and how to rectify them.
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Communications skill is the ability of an individual to effectively send across a message or view to the targeted listener or audience. It is an essential factor that is required for co-existing in a social world. Effective communication skills can earn rewards and accolades in professional and personal life while lack of proper skills often lead to misunderstandings. While improving one’s communication skill is important, it is more essential to know about the common myths that are associated with it.
Many people believe that the extent of one’s expertise in vocabulary and word formation can help them communicate better, but it is not so. Even an entire dictionary at your finger tip will not help you communicate better if you lack the necessary skills for it. Thus the first biggest myth that exists is that words define communication skills.
Communication is the process of conveying the message in a short and crisp manner. Hence it involves usage of words that create an impact in a short way. Some forms of communication do not require words at all. Non-verbal communication forms like body language, posture and eye contact help convey information better at times than verbal communications. It is a known fact that words constitute only about 7% of the total communication and the rest depends hugely on the body language, eye contact, posture, confidence level, etc.
The next associated myth is that communication skills are automatically possessed and cannot be developed. It is not so. Anyone can improve their communication skills provided they are determined to achieve it. There are many online communication tests and a simple test can help you understand your skill level and your weak areas.
Once you understand your current level, you can look out for various schemes and options through which you can eliminate the weak links and build your basics. Once your communication basics are built, you can start developing on your confidence levels and presentation skills. These will enable you to convey your message more effectively.
Two very basic aspects of effective communication skills are confidence and feedback. A communication that lacks confidence will do no good as it will not bring about any seriousness or loyalty on the listener. As long as the listener does not take you seriously, he will not take your message also seriously. Thus building confidence is an essential step so as to ensure that your listener or audience is keen on listening to your words.
Also any form of communication need to be two way and feedback is an important component of a communication system. Feedback can help you keep up with your listener to ensure that they understand what you are conveying.
Listen attentively to their opinions and views to make sure that your message is passed on in the right fashion. Feedback is also provided only in a communication system where the receiver and sender share a good comfort level. Building a rapport with your audience is thus an important step which will instill confidence and openness in the communication system.
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Now that you know all the aspects of communicating effectively, as a final point you need to understand the importance of listening. Now you might be wondering how listening can be a part of providing information? Any information that you give will not be received properly if the system is one sided, so learn to listen to your audience.
Listening to your audience not just means paying attention to their opinions and views but also to their moods and reactions. Try to understand when your audience seems bored and modulate your communication methodology to tackle such situations. You can use your voice tone and pitch to show different modulation to support the message being conveyed.
Thus it is important that you understand how you communicate to make sure that the right message is passed across effectively. So think again, do you speak the correct language?
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GeekLearn/~3/F6AmYML7Tig/do-you-speak-the-correct-language.html
It’s All in the Packaging
Feb 28th
Browsing through the shelves at Kinokuniya reinforced one important point that marketers tend to forget: the power of packaging.
Yes, the brand name matters. In the same way that most people will gravitate towards the best-selling authors such as Dan Brown, Danielle Steele or Jodi Picoult, consumers in a supermarket will readily look for big-name brands such as Heinz ketchup, Pantene shampoo or Colgate toothpaste. Yet, if you’re in a very cluttered or crowded area such as Kinokuniya (or any hypermarket like Carrefour or Cold Storage), the problem is standing out among the thousands of seemingly identical items.
If the average customer is like me, he/she will quickly scan the shelves and look at items that grab the eye. For example, while browsing aimlessly through the non-fiction sections of Kinokuniya, I tended to look at books whose covers caught and held my attention through colourful or interesting graphics, or succinct titles that hinted of something fascinating (e.g., “The Fall of Advertising The Rise of PR” by Al Ries and Laura Ries; “Guns, Germs and Steel” by Jared Diamond). All other books fell to the wayside, with nary a thought given to them. With the countless selection offered by Kinokuniya as well as the limited time I had in the store, I could not be bothered to look at each book one by one and read each of their precis on the back cover. Similar to being at the supermarket as well, when you’ve got a harried mother of two looking for mayonnaise while being plagued by the constant cries of her child who WANTS ICE CREAM… NOW!
Sadly, though, packaging (as well as shelving and visual merchandising) has been largely out of the product mix whenever marketers do their brainstorming. Most of the time, we get bland and generic labels that do nothing to excite a customer’s attention and imagination. Even worse, we get packaging labels that aren’t even seen by the customers! To quote one recent article by Scott Young and Jonathan Asher, “Consider rounded containers. They look great in the conference room (or when viewed in a focus group) when they face directly forward, but, in-store these containers are often turned off-center, which can greatly compromise their impact and communication. Bagged products can also be a challenge because they are likely to sag or get ‘scrunched’ on shelf, which can impact quality perceptions and/or make key copy points (claims, variety, etc.) unreadable.”
If you still don’t believe in the power of good packaging, consider the Japanese who have elevated packaging and gift wrapping into an art form. The food contained inside the beautiful packaging may not always be good (and for non-Japanese speakers such as myself, we may even be clueless as to what is actually inside the package), but we must have that item because it’s simply exquisite! Moira Cullen, the Senior Director for Global Design at The Hershey Company, said it best when she spoke about the packaging employed for food, confections and teas sold in Japan’s leading department stores: “On a purely visceral, visual level, I was seduced by these objects. The boxes and pouches and bags were exquisite. Each one was uniquely exceptional. I didn’t always know what was inside, but I didn’t care. I was so amazed I bought an extra suitcase just for samples. I had to bring them home with me.”
How to Create an Electronic Resume
Feb 26th
Many companies these days will require you to submit your resume to them in a form that is known as an electronic resume. An electronic resume will be essentially the same thing as your regular resume except for the fact that it needs to be formatted in the proper manner because it will be likely scanned and read by a computer first and a person second. This is to help many potential employers weed through the many resumes that they typically get.
Knowing that your electronic resume will be scanned and read by a computer you first need to figure out what keywords you should use in order to catch the attention of the computer. When selecting keywords be sure to choose ones that will highlight exactly what you need highlighted. In other words, go for keywords that pertain to what it is you are trying to do. Trade magazines are an excellent resource when looking for keywords.
In order to create an electronic resume you need to use a word processor, like MS Word, that has the option for you to save the file in text, or.TXT, format. This will be different from a document, or.DOC, file and will look extremely plain. However, this is exactly what employers who request electronic resumes want.
An easy way to go about creating an electronic resume in txt format is by pulling up your current resume and then resaving it in text. However, this is only the first step and you need to make sure that the following steps are taken in order to complete the transformation of your regular resume into your electronic resume:
• Left Justify: In the same way as a block format letter, you will want to left justify your entire resume.
• Choose Font Style and Font Size: You don’t want to go too plain with the font style, but you certainly don’t want to go too fancy with it either. A nice safe font style to use with your electronic resume is Courier in 12 point. If you use a different font style, be sure to stick to 10 and 12 point sizes for optimal effect. Even though it sounds weird, be sure to use the same size font throughout the entire resume.
• Don’t Get Fancy: Uniformity is the key when it comes to an electronic resume. Stay away from fancy features like bold, italics and underlining. Don’t use tabs and instead use the space bar to center anything you need centered. If you do need to draw attention to a word, use all capital letters or a sequence of asterisks. For example, you would use RED or **red** to highlight the word ‘red.’
• Weave in Keywords: Don’t forget to weave in the keywords that you chose earlier. This may take some creative writing, but it is an important step to take in order to be sure that your electronic resume gets the attention you want it to get.
Once you have your electronic resume finished up, you should e-mail it to yourself first to see how it looks. If it looks off in the slightest, then keep at it until you have what you are after.
Resume Writing Guideline
Feb 25th
A Resume writing guideline is very important in order to write an effective resume. You may be aware that, your resume introduces you to the prospective employer. So writing a good resume requires lot of focused efforts. There are some pros and cons while writing the resume. The professional resume writers are masters in their job, still they think about many aspects judiciously before writing a resume.
What all does resume writing need? How effectively can you write your resume? All such questions are clarified using resume writing guide
It includes some of the effective tips to write an effective resume. Once you realize the dos and don’ts regarding resume writing, you will be the better judge to review your current resume and you can modify it accordingly.
There are some guidelines to follow:
• Prioritize the information: The information you put in the resume depends upon many factors:
• Experience status: fresh or experienced
• Jumping into a new field or looking for better opportunity in the same field
So depending upon the factors mentioned, you have to select the type of the resume. There are three types such as Chronological, Functional and combinational. Chronological reflects the skills and abilities at the beginning and educational details and work experience are written in a reverse sequence, i.e. starting from latest to initial. This is suited for highly experienced people as well as freshers. Similarly combinational and functional style has its own plus points.
• Important sections: Objective and skill set are the important sections. An effective objective grabs the attention of the prospective interviewer. Mention the skill set that will contribute to project the skills the job profile demands.
• Length: You should restrict the length of your resume, as a prospective employer just goes though it in seconds and he/she is definitely not keen to read the pages written.
• Don’ts: Do not incorporate salary related information in your resume; do not write the hobbies that do not complement the job profile you are looking for. If you have a pretty good history, do not include everything in detail. Instead write short paragraphs and highlight relevant experience
So I am sure that the resume writing guideline will definitely help you to analyze what is wrong in your latest resume and rectify it.
Making a Resume: Why Targeted Resumes Get Results
Feb 25th
What is a Targeted Resume?
Targeted resumes are resumes that are specifically written for a single job position. These targeted resumes consciously address the needs of the employer described in the details of the position.
Employers advertise for their job openings in a number of manners and they typically give you the title, job description, job requirements, and often some additional skills they really want for superior candidates.
When making a resume, your best chance at being considered for the position is to only include those items the employer can use to evaluate you against their requirements.
On the flip side, the best way NOT to be considered is to include a bunch of stuff that has nothing to do with the job you are applying for.
Here’s an example of what I mean. Look at the Job Description and Requirements below for a Magician.
Job Description
Provide on-demand close-up magic for local restaurant. In addition, duties will include serving drinks.
Job Requirements
- Must be able to perform sleight of hand magic with playing cards
- Must be able to perform sleight of hand magic with coins
- Must be able to take and deliver drink orders
- Must be able to count and make change
Desired Skills for Highly Qualified Candidates
- Two years experience performing sleight of hand magic with playing cards in front of an audience
- Two years experience performing sleight of hand magic with coins in front of an audience
- Able to carry full drink trays while navigating stationary and moving obstacles
- Superior knowledge of bartending terminology
Let’s compare the skills listed on a couple of resumes of applicants that are applying for this job.
Generic Resume Applicant
- Five years experience performing rope-and-knot magic
- Two years experience training magicians in close-up magic
- Three years experience performing magic on stage
- Three years experience waiting tables
- Five years experience bartending
Targeted Resume Applicant
- Performed close-up magic five days a week for the last three years for XYZ Company
- Held Magician certification in both playing card and coin sleight of hand for last two years
- Voted Top waiter, two out of three years at Acme Restaurant
- Grand Champion at the Waiter Games in 20XX, required running an obstacle course with fully loaded serving trays
- Gold Certified bartender from Bartender’s Cert
If you were the hiring manager, which applicant would you choose?
You may be surprised to learn that both resumes are from the same person.
The Generic Resume is what most people send out and why most applicants fail.
The Targeted Resume is what successful applicants send. They specifically address the needs of the employer.
To be successful when making a resume, carefully show your skills in a way that captures as many of the requirements of the job you are applying for. Choose your words to magnify what you have to offer your future employer.
Great resumes take effort. Over more than twenty years, I’ve rarely seen more than one in one-hundred resumes where the applicant has taken the time to match every skill they have with every requirement of the position they are applying for.