Written By Jimmy Sweeney
President of CareerJimmy and Author of the new,
Amazing Cover Letter Creator
Searching for a job? Moving in a new direction? Changing professions? Take this step to win that interview for your dream job. Spend more time and energy writing cover letters that are job-specific.
Go the Extra Mile
Having a degree or work experience in business administration or accounting or nursing is not enough. You must show the hiring manager your specific job-related abilities, leadership strengths, and communication skills across the board. Being able to work with a variety of people, respond to crises, and meet unexpected challenges are now more important than ever. Because if you can't, someone else will. In today's tight job market, hiring managers have the advantage. So you must show them why they need you!
Continue reading "Great Cover Letters Lead to Great Job Interviews"
Posted by Candice Arnold on November 4, 2009 at 7:45 AM | Leave a Comment (0)
Written By Jimmy Sweeney
President of CareerJimmy and Author of the new,
Job Interview "Secret"
You received the call. You've been invited to show up for a job interview--the one you hoped you'd get. So now what?
More Than a Smile and a Warm Handshake
Like most experiences in life, interviewing for a job--especially for one you really want--is a skill. The more you think about it, prepare for it, and actually do it, the more accomplished you'll become. The tendency is to focus on yourself--your voice, your outfit, your resume, your experience. However, it's not really about you. It's really about your potential employer and how you can fit the position he or she wants to fill.
Continue reading "Incredible Job Interview Techniques "
Posted by Candice Arnold on November 4, 2009 at 7:33 AM | Leave a Comment (0)
Ninety-five percent of resumes are bad, as stated by HR specialists. But that doesn't mean that 95% of candidates are bad professionals anyway, it only means that their resumes are poorly written. Read the most common errors that are made in resumes over and over again and find out how to translate your qualifications and experience into an excellent resume.
Mistake #1. Duties instead of accomplishments.
While writing about your work experience don't use job-description language, i.e. don't list responsibilities and duties of a certain position as it shows that you can only perform basic job functions.
Solution:
Include high-impact accomplishments that will show what you did to overcome problems, what the results of your efforts were, how you helped your employer to make money, save time and make work easier.
Continue reading "15 Most Common Resume Mistakes"
Posted by Candice Arnold on October 28, 2009 at 1:27 PM | Leave a Comment (0)
Following is a guest post from Adrienne Carlson who writes for ExecutiveMBAPrograms.org If you want to read the post on that site click here.
Unlike Facebook and the like, LinkedIn is strictly a social network for professionals with over 48 million members in over 200 countries. Working like a sophisticated online business card, members from those new to the workforce all they way to CEO's of Fortune 500 companies utilize the free service. However, there is a right and wrong way to do it, and below are the top ten rules of LinkedIn Etiquette for Business professionals.
Continue reading "Ten Rules of LinkedIn Etiquette for Business Professionals"
Posted by Candice Arnold on October 28, 2009 at 10:19 AM | Leave a Comment (0)
Okay, so by default, I weave guidance into my in-depth resume writing processes that smacks of coaching. Recently, Recruiting Animal (@Animal) took note of this in his blog post: "The Resume Writer."
However, today, I beg to differentiate myself: I am a word wrangler, message clarifier and career story teller (i.e., resume writer) - not a career coach. At the end of the day, my clients hire me for the influential 'words' that erupt from the virtual and literal pages that we create, for the words that spring from their lips during job interviews, networking conversations or when caught unaware in casual conversation.
As well, my job as a career writer is to push, prod, ask the reporter's 'who, what, where, when and why' questions, drive for deeper understanding of where the job seeker has been and even more importantly, provide them the spade to unearth their unique value drivers that help define where they want to go!
Continue reading "I'm not a career coach, and that's okay"
Posted by Candice Arnold on October 22, 2009 at 2:46 PM | Leave a Comment (0)
As co-coordinator with my colleague, Miriam Salpeter, I am proud to help launch a new community of expert career advisors and resume writing professionals called the Career Collective. Today's post is one of many responses to the question, "Are you a cookie cutter job seeker?" I encourage you to visit other members' responses, which will be linked at the end of my reply later this afternoon! Please follow our hashtag on Twitter: #careercollective.
So, you are the guy with the master's degree in the same thing your job competitors have a master's degree in. At your last position you were personally responsible for _______________. Fill in the blank with one of the following answers, A. Increasing Sales, B. Increasing Productivity or C. Team Building.
Guess what? So did 99% of the other applicants.
Continue reading "Eating Bananas Doesn't Make You an Ape"
Posted by Candice Arnold on October 8, 2009 at 1:19 PM | Leave a Comment (0)
Written By Jimmy Sweeney
President of CareerJimmy and Author of the new,
Job Interview "Secret"
You've just finished the interview you hoped to get and it went pretty well as far as you can tell. Now you must play the 'waiting game,' as the hiring manager makes his or her decision about offering you the job. However, you can be active even as you wait. Here's a secret most people don't know about--so keep it to yourself, okay?
A Gift That Continues to Give
Give the interviewer a 'gift.' No! Not a Starbucks card or a movie pass. In fact, if you're not careful such a gift might be considered a bribe, so of course you want to avoid that. However, you can give something of value that will be seen as a kind gesture from a person who has taken note of the employer's interests and hobbies.
Continue reading "A GREAT Job Interview Follow-up Letter Secret"
Posted by Candice Arnold on October 5, 2009 at 6:24 AM | Leave a Comment (0)
