Tips From The Pros, Part 1

Jeffrey Metzger, Your Resume Consultant

This will be the first in a series of blogs made up of great advice from the best and brightest voices in the Career Services industry.  When asked for their best piece of advice for the job seeker in 2012, these pros responded with great enthusiasm.

Please feel free to leave your comments and visit these contributors online!

• Keep a folder of documents you may want to refer to when you next update your resume. Include performance evaluations, letters of commendation, notes about your achievements, a list of workshops or courses you complete, etc. This will make the update much easier as you will have all those details in one place. Betty H. Williams, www.customresumes.net

• Only put one telephone contact on your resume. Recent research shows that the majority of people under the age of 30 no longer use land lines. Having two telephones, makes you look “older.” Susan Geary,  www.1strateresumes.com

• Remember you are not auditioning for a spot on The Jerry Springer Show – it is OK to NOT disclose everything. Only include what supports your goal for this resume – where you want this resume to take you. Axe everything that does not do that.Faith Sheaffer-Polen, www.careercurve.com

• It’s all about networking – whom you know and who knows you. The best resume is worthless in the wrong hands. How do you market yourself? Doris Appelbaum, www.appelbaumresumes.com

• Take some time to figure out who you are, what you do and what you can do for the employer BEFORE you do anything else. As part of this process, figure out who you are targeting. Until you know what you are “selling” what sets you apart from the competition and what your buyer (aka “the employer” ) needs and wants, you can’t possibly write your resume or begin your search. Norine Dagliano,  www.ekminspirations.com

Please check back regularly for more great tips from the pros!

Hug your children and commit a random act of kindness.

By Jeffrey Metzger

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Are You Underutilizing LinkedIn? 7 Tips for Making the Most of Your Profile

Jessica Holbrook Hernandez of Great Resumes Fast

When on the prowl for a new position, job seekers must turn every stone they run across.  This means taking advantage of networking opportunities, online forums, job boards, and other unexpected resources.

For many, LinkedIn has become an amazing online tool for networking with professionals and finding great job opportunities.  But many experts say the opportunities would be even more extensive if job seekers knew how to make the most of this social networking site by utilizing the following seven tips:

Keep Track of Status Updates

One fantastic tool many seekers are unaware of is LinkedIn Signal, which keeps you on top of your connections’ status updates.  This is incredibly important if you have connections who regularly update their friends on job postings.

Read the Latest News

LinkedIn Today serves as a daily digest of news and links that people are sharing on the site.  This resource is amazing because it helps you to keep up with popular articles, including plans from various companies that intend to hire.

Complete Your Profile

Ensuring your LinkedIn profile is 100% complete offers a number of benefits.  First, whenever someone visits your page, they can glean enough information about you to recruit you.  Also, LinkedIn is able to analyze your profile and determine which job suggestions to send your way.  Finally, Google seems to make LinkedIn a preference in the search engine, which makes your profile pretty easy to find.

Join Industry Groups

There are many groups on LinkedIn dedicated to specific industries.  Conduct keyword searches on the site to find groups that can provide you with additional insight into job openings in your field.

Discover Ways to Get Your Promotion

If you’ve been looking to move into a new position, you can easily find out what skills you need to acquire by conducting a keyword search using that position’s title, then reading the profiles of professionals who already have that job.

Build Your Resume

If you need assistance with building a resume, LinkedIn has a handy tool that takes all of the information from your profile and converts it into a simple resume that you can print out. Many templates are available to tailor the resume to your personality.

See Who’s Viewed Your Profile

Probably one of the most overlooked tools LinkedIn offers is the option of seeing who has viewed your profile.  This tool helps you to find out if a recruiter has checked you out.  It also gives you the ability to reach out to them to make a connection based on their interest.

LinkedIn has created a dynamic site that provides you with amazing opportunities to enrich your job search.  Don’t pass up your chance to land your next gig through this effective job seeking tool!

For tips on how to brand your resume, check out my recent article: 5 Key Areas to Target When Branding Your Resume.

For additional job search and resume-related advice, follow us on Twitter @GreatResume.

Author: Global resume authority Jessica Hernandez of http://www.greatresumesfast.com is a former HR Manager who partners with professional- and executive-level candidates to create authentic, branded resumes and cover letters.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Executive Resume Writing: Revealing Your Personal Brand

Jessica Holbrook Hernandez of Great Resumes Fast

Your executive personal brand is what defines you as a top candidate in your field—and it should be felt throughout every professional action you take, whether you’re networking or blogging.  Of course, when writing your resume, your executive brand is a major piece of the puzzle, as well.  This is why it’s important to take the steps necessary to reveal your personal brand before ever putting pen to paper.

1. Assess Your Top Brand Attributes

When thinking in terms of the value you offer to any role you might assume, as well as your field as a whole, what conclusions do you draw?  Come up with about three or four adjectives that best describe the value you offer, incorporating a few words that best describe your personality.

2. Define Your Vision and Purpose

Another important step in revealing your personal brand is defining your vision and purpose as an executive.  What goals do you hope to accomplish over the remainder of your career?  How do you think you make a difference in your field?  And how do you want to make changes that will improve any company you work for in the future?

3. Identify Your Core Strengths

Though you’re an executive with a series of strengths, there are bound to be some functions and responsibilities you excel at more than others.  What makes you stand out in your roles?   Under what conditions has someone designated you the go-to person?  These attributes are considered core strengths that define who you are and why you’re a strong candidate in any role you apply for.

4. Research How Others View You

A great way to identify how you should present your brand in your resume is to research how others already view you.  You might be surprised by the brand attributes and core strengths others share that you were unaware of.

After you’ve revealed your personal brand, it’s time to incorporate all you know about yourself into your resume.  Take time to write a creative branding statement, then add bits of your brand to your professional history, career summary, and other areas of your resume to show prospective employers you are indeed meant for the role you intend to assume.

Author Info: Jessica Hernandez, expert resume writer, is a nationally-recognized resume authority and former HR Manager who has achieved over a 99% success rate securing interviews with prestigious organizations through exclusive, personal branding strategies.

Author Website: http://eliteresumebranding.com

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

The Executive Resume Makeover: 4 Steps to Job Seeking Success

Jessica Holbrook Hernandez of Great Resumes Fast

If you’re not getting hired for the executive job you want, there are a couple of issues that could be hindering the process.  One is that your interview is not making the impact you want, and another is that your resume may not be scoring interviews in the first place.

When the latter is the problem, there are a number of steps you can take to improve your chances of a callback.  Here are four that could help make over your executive resume, giving you a renewed chance at success.

Step #1: Choose New Keywords

If you’re applying for an executive position via a company website, it’s possible that your resume is being screened by scanning software that searches for specific keywords to determine whether your skills closely align with the job you’re seeking.

To ensure your resume isn’t being overlooked for this reason, your first step should be to incorporate new keywords.  By choosing some that follow descriptions found in the job posting, as well as those that relate to your field as a whole, you increase your chances of passing the initial screening process.

Step: #2: Create an Impressive Branding Statement

Your branding statement is a critical piece of information in your resume.  Placed near the top of your resume (usually underneath your name and contact information), it offers insight, in just a few words or sentences, into who you are as a candidate and why you are the ideal person for the position.

In order to create an impressive branding statement, you should note your title, number of years worked, standout career moments, and an overall summary of how you plan to make a difference in your new role.

Step #3: Make Your Best Skills Shine

In addition to showcasing your standout skills in your branding statement, it’s important to choose pieces of your professional history that also make you shine.  Don’t just list the biggest responsibilities you had as an executive with a previous employer.  Take time to share information such as how much money you earned a company and/or how you were able to guide it in new directions with your wisdom and expertise.

Step #4: Add Testimonials

If you want to give hiring decision makers a quick glimpse into your qualifications from the mouths of others, consider adding a few testimonials to your resume from some of your most impressive associates.  Just a couple of sentences from two or three top leaders in your field could make a lasting impression on prospective employers.

It requires only a few brief steps to make a huge difference in the quality of your executive resume—and the results could be remarkable.  Try it for yourself, then look for an increase in the number of callbacks you receive.

Author Info: Jessica Hernandez, expert resume writer, is a nationally-recognized resume authority and former HR Manager who has achieved over a 99% success rate securing interviews with prestigious organizations through exclusive, personal branding strategies.

Author Website: http://eliteresumebranding.com

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Is a Cover Letter Necessary?

In your job search, do you think about writing a cover letter?  For some job seekers, the answer is probably yes, but for many others no.  They believe more focus should be placed on their resumes since those are key to landing interviews.  While this is true, it doesn’t hurt to add a cover letter to your resume to emphasize your interest in a job.

A cover letter is an opportunity to personally introduce yourself to a potential employer.  You can talk about why you want a particular job and what you could bring to it.  Offer not just skills and qualifications, but attributes that make you the ideal candidate.  Unlike your resume, don’t hold back on your cover letter; it is your time to shine.

Some workers may not have needed to include cover letters with their resumes, but that does not mean they won’t do so in the future.  A cover letter allows you to express your interest in a job more specifically, yet reinforce your resume.  If your resume is the “key” to getting interviews, then your cover letter might be the “keychain” that supports it and more than likely, most people have keychains.

-Source-
http://www.thecareernews.com/newsletter.php?news=2572

William Frierson is a staff writer for CollegeRecruiter.com.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Resume Keyword Mistakes – Are You Making One?

Jessica Holbrook Hernandez of Great Resumes Fast

Appropriate keyword use is a big deal for job seekers working on their resumes. Many employers now use some form of scanning software as an initial screener that helps them determine which candidates are obviously qualified for the job.

Even when your resume makes it passed the screening process, if a hiring manager can’t glance at your resume and determine through your use of keywords that you mesh with the position you’re applying for, your resume will likely land in the decline stack.

The best way to ensure your resume will be taken seriously is to avoid the misuse of keywords.

What Are Keywords?

Keywords are words or phrases that employers use to find the right candidates for positions they’re offering. The concept is similar to that of looking up information in a search engine. The more keywords you use to conduct your search, the more closely the information you find will match what you’re looking for.

Employers look for candidates to incorporate similar keywords in their resumes that match the nature of the position they’re applying for. Keyword examples might include “press release” if you’re going for a public relations position, or “infrastructure development” if you’re in the IT field.

3 Common Misuses of Keywords

Because many job seekers don’t understand keywords and how they work, they often misuse them. Here are three common misuses of keywords:

1. Keyword Underuse

Many job seekers don’t know that keywords should be incorporated into their resume, so while they may be highly qualified, they don’t appear to be because of keyword underuse. A great remedy for underuse is to find a list of good keywords based on the field you’re in. Also, take a good look at job postings to find words that seem to define the role you want to assume.

2. Keyword Overuse

Another problem seekers run into is keyword overuse. Once they realize they need keywords, they jam too many into the resume, nearly spamming the document. Although you do want to include related keywords, you don’t want to ruin the integrity of your resume by saturating it with words that don’t fit the context of the sentences you write.

3. Unrelated Keywords

Some seekers also have a problem with adding too many keywords that are unrelated to the position they’re applying for. This could happen if you’ve added job history from an industry different from your current one. To fix this, think of ways that your former jobs in outside industries relate to the position you want, then switch your details and keywords to match.

As you can see, keywords can be your best friend or your worst enemy—depending on their use. Be sure to make them your friend as you work to create a dynamic resume that impresses any hiring manager who reads it.

It’s important to remember to brand your resume before applying to each new position for more information on branding check out my recent article 5 Key Areas to Target When Branding Your Resume. You can also get additional job search and career related advice by checking out our blog or following us on Twitter @GreatResume.

Author: Global resume authority Jessica Hernandez of http://www.greatresumesfast.com is a former HR Manager who partners with professional- and executive-level candidates to create authentic, branded resumes and cover letters.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Wrong Way! Take a Right Turn to Get the Job

Where exactly is your job search going? Hopefully, you are on the road to success, but it is possible to make a wrong turn along the way. In order to get a job, you need to avoid certain tendencies that can slow you down. According to one expert, these include:

Being under-prepared- Never take anything for granted in your job search. For example, research a company and prepare a list of questions before an interview.

Going casual- You are expected to dress like a professional for an interview, not like its casual Friday. Groom yourself from head to toe.

Going it alone- Remember to network; you don’t have to be on your own in finding a job. Reach out to your family, friends, and acquaintances whether in person, by phone, or online.

Other tendencies to avoid in your job search can be found at the source below.

Do not expect your job search to be perfect. While you might make a wrong turn, that does not mean you can’t get on the right road and land the job you want.

Information provided by Elaine Varelas.

-Source-

http://thecareernews.com/newsletter.php?news=2556

Author Byline: William Frierson is a staff writer for CollegeRecruiter.com.
Author Website: http://www.collegerecruiter.com/

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Returning to the workforce after an extended absence. Interview Tips From The Interview Coach, Carole Martin

Carole Martin, The Interview Coach

1. Be able to explain why you have decided that now is the time for you to return to the work force – why now? Have a convincing statement about your goals or intentions of staying in the work force after being away for a period of time – this is best done by scripting and practicing your answer so that you feel confident saying it in the interview.

2. Make sure that you are up-to-date on changes that have occurred in your field in your absence. This may entail taking a brush up class or course. It is important that you be able to show that you can “hit the ground running,” particularly with so many candidates to choose from in this economy.

3. Do some research, using the internet to discover what is required in the type of position you are seeking. Job postings are “wish lists” that employers put together in hopes of finding the perfect candidate. Use these postings to see what employers are seeking and make sure that your resume and your interview answers address the employer’s “wishes.”

4. Focus on your strengths – the skills that you have used in the past. Think of five skills that you consider what you do “best.” If your strengths are in sync with the employer’s wish list, emphasize your ability and past experiences using those skills to show that you have “been there and done that” and can do it again.

5. Send a follow up letter (or email) after the interview to remind the interviewer what you would bring to the position and to address any concerns that you may have picked up on during the interview. For more information please click in link :

www.thecompleteinterviewcoach.com/
www.interviewfitnesstraining.com/ www.interviewcoach.com

Guest Author: Carole Martin
Guest Website: http://www.interviewcoach.com

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Video of Omar Epps Sharing First Summer Job Experience

In the following video, Actor Omar Epps, shares his first summer job experience as a pizza delivery person.  Listen to what he learned about responsibility on the job, as well as on a personal level.

CollegeRecruiter.com is proud to participate in the White House Summer Jobs Initiative.  This effort calls on business leaders and communities to work alongside President Obama’s Administration to create summer jobs and other work opportunities for young Americans.  The initiative focuses not only on helping young people find jobs this summer but in the future.

Video of Valerie Jarrett Sharing First Summer Job Experience

In the following video, Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President, talks about her first summer job as a clinic coordinator at a medical center.  Find out what skills she learned that help her in the White House.

CollegeRecruiter.com is proud to participate in the White House Summer Jobs Initiative.  This effort calls on business leaders and communities to work alongside President Obama’s Administration to create summer jobs and other work opportunities for young Americans.  The initiative focuses not only on helping young people find jobs this summer but in the future.