Mar
31
Filed Under Job Hunting | Comments Off
Michelle Dumas asked:
Do you have a completely unblemished work history? Was writing your resume a breeze because you are perfectly qualified with a model career and educational background?
Or, do you find yourself struggling to prepare your resume…struggling because of some glitch or problem in your background that you don’t know quite how to overcome in your resume?
* Maybe you are too old…or too young…
* Maybe you have an obvious gap in your work history…
* Maybe you have changed employers too many times…
* Maybe you are a new graduate with little-to-no relevant experience…
* Maybe you are an executive who needs to explain what appears to be a demotion…
* Maybe you are returning to the workforce after taking some time off…
* Maybe you are trying to change careers and your past experience doesn’t relate…
Don’t feel alone! It is the extraordinarily rare job searcher who doesn’t struggle with how to deal with some problem on their resume.
As a professional resume writer I have worked with thousands and thousands of clients, and while every single one of those clients is unique, they all have one thing in common: they have a problem that they need me to solve for them. How do I do it? Very honestly, each individual client often requires a solution that is as unique as he or she is. But, prior to starting and new resume writing project for a client, there are six steps that I carefully think through. As you work on developing or refining your own resume — as you try to come up with ways to transform YOUR troubled work history into a job-winning resume — it may be helpful for you to work through the same six steps.
Step #1 - Know your goal
What is your current career goal? What profession? What industry? What professional level? Knowing your objective and your goals for a job search is the foundation of not just your resume, but of your entire job search. Unless you know where you are going, you will have no idea what the focus of your resume must be and you won’t even have a clue how to begin writing it. Don’t expect a busy employer to figure it out for you. Your resume must have a precise focus and it must convey that focus in five seconds or less. If it doesn’t, it will be discarded. It is that simple.
Step #2 - Know your audience
Now that you know your goal, you are in a position to begin thinking about the recipients of your resume. What are the expectations and requirements of a candidate for the job you are targeting? What are the problems that a person in your ideal position is likely to be faced with? Remember (speaking of problems) that the person doing the hiring has problems that they are hoping their new-hire will solve. What are those problems? Do they need to increase sales? Reduce costs? Increase productivity? Improve efficiency? If you clearly identify the problems of your target audience, you can construct an entire resume focused on how you are the ideal candidate to solve them. Do that effectively and whatever issue you are dealing with in your troubled work history will suddenly become a non-issue.
An employee is an investment, and if you can create a resume that proves you will produce a better RETURN on that investment than the next guy (even the one with the squeaky clean work history), doors will swing open to you.
Step #3 - Know your competition
Who is your competition in the job market? What qualifications might they have that you don’t have? Do you have qualifications that your competition doesn’t have? For most situations, I’m not referring to specific individuals. Obviously you wouldn’t want to violate the privacy of any specific person competing for the same type of job. But, there is definite value in trying to define your competition in generalities. What types of qualifications does the typical candidate have for the job you are targeting?
Very clearly defining your competition is a crucial part of step #4…
Step #4 - Clearly identify the problem(s)
Okay. Now that you know where you are going, know what your audience is seeking, and know what your competition brings to the table, you are ready to fully define the problem or problems that your resume must overcome.
Some of those problems might be obvious. Work-history gaps, concerns about age discrimination, and multiple job changes are among the most common. But, having worked your way through the prior three steps, you may have identified others. Are there key qualifications you are lacking? Educational requirements that you don’t quite meet? Ways that your experience doesn’t quite stand up to your competition? Whatever those problems might be, make sure you define them. In the next step, we will begin to solve them.
Step #5 - Be willing to throw the rules out the window and think outside the box
Now, take everything you have ever read or learned about resume writing and forget it. Well, maybe not everything, but at this point you definitely do need to begin thinking creatively and strategically.
Remember that a resume is essentially an advertisement - a marketing piece - a personal sales pitch. Resumes are NOT autobiographies! They are personal marketing documents meant to sell you as the ideal candidate for a particular position. Everything about the content, the structure, and the design of your resume should be strategically and selectively included, excluded, highlighted, or de-emphasized.
Always be absolutely and meticulously honest, but be willing to think outside the box and present your background in a format and structure that will be most flattering to you in relation to the career goal you are targeting.
Do you want to be one of a kind? Or do you want to be one of many? Your resume is meant to make you stand out and shine. You will NOT achieve this by following some rigid template and structure that doesn’t have the flexibility to showcase your unique qualifications.
Step #6 - Reframe, reposition, reformat, and redesign
It is really all about how you frame and position your experience, your achievements, your educational background, and any other qualifications. Once you get to this step, you are ready to put pen to paper (or fingers to the keyboard) and begin writing your resume. Take what you know about the expectations and the desires of your target audience, combine this with your understanding of the competition and the problems you defined in Step #4, and start writing your resume.
Perhaps you are making a career change into a completely new profession. While it is often not immediately obvious to the recipient of your resume, much of your experience is usually transferable. How can you “reframe” your past experience to selectively emphasize the transferable skills and de-emphasize those that will no longer be relevant?
Is there a qualification you are lacking for the position you are targeting? It is very common for a person to have developed a particular qualification in a non-traditional way, from some other seemingly unrelated experience. How can you “reposition” that experience to illustrate the qualification in question?
Maybe you are returning to a career path that you veered away from ten years ago. Your recent experience is not as relevant as your past experience. What opportunities do you have to “reformat” your resume to bring the older skills to the forefront?
Or maybe you have a couple of big gaps in your work history. Can you think of a way to “redesign” your resume to take the visual emphasis off of the chronology/dates of your experience and place it instead on your achievements and results?
So, what problems does your resume need to solve? What challenges are you dealing with that you must face to turn your less-than-perfect work history into an effective resume? As you get started, remember, it is words on a piece of paper. It is easy to edit and move things around. Don’t be afraid to experiment (just do it BEFORE you use it in the job market!).
If you aren’t sure what the best solution is, create several versions and ask your friends and family for feedback before choosing the one you use in your search. And, if you get stuck, that is what professional resume writers are here for! We can often provide solutions that you would never have thought of on your own.
Do you want to use this article in your ezine, website, or other publication? You are welcome to as long as you use the following text with it:
Dau
Do you have a completely unblemished work history? Was writing your resume a breeze because you are perfectly qualified with a model career and educational background?
Or, do you find yourself struggling to prepare your resume…struggling because of some glitch or problem in your background that you don’t know quite how to overcome in your resume?
* Maybe you are too old…or too young…
* Maybe you have an obvious gap in your work history…
* Maybe you have changed employers too many times…
* Maybe you are a new graduate with little-to-no relevant experience…
* Maybe you are an executive who needs to explain what appears to be a demotion…
* Maybe you are returning to the workforce after taking some time off…
* Maybe you are trying to change careers and your past experience doesn’t relate…
Don’t feel alone! It is the extraordinarily rare job searcher who doesn’t struggle with how to deal with some problem on their resume.
As a professional resume writer I have worked with thousands and thousands of clients, and while every single one of those clients is unique, they all have one thing in common: they have a problem that they need me to solve for them. How do I do it? Very honestly, each individual client often requires a solution that is as unique as he or she is. But, prior to starting and new resume writing project for a client, there are six steps that I carefully think through. As you work on developing or refining your own resume — as you try to come up with ways to transform YOUR troubled work history into a job-winning resume — it may be helpful for you to work through the same six steps.
Step #1 - Know your goal
What is your current career goal? What profession? What industry? What professional level? Knowing your objective and your goals for a job search is the foundation of not just your resume, but of your entire job search. Unless you know where you are going, you will have no idea what the focus of your resume must be and you won’t even have a clue how to begin writing it. Don’t expect a busy employer to figure it out for you. Your resume must have a precise focus and it must convey that focus in five seconds or less. If it doesn’t, it will be discarded. It is that simple.
Step #2 - Know your audience
Now that you know your goal, you are in a position to begin thinking about the recipients of your resume. What are the expectations and requirements of a candidate for the job you are targeting? What are the problems that a person in your ideal position is likely to be faced with? Remember (speaking of problems) that the person doing the hiring has problems that they are hoping their new-hire will solve. What are those problems? Do they need to increase sales? Reduce costs? Increase productivity? Improve efficiency? If you clearly identify the problems of your target audience, you can construct an entire resume focused on how you are the ideal candidate to solve them. Do that effectively and whatever issue you are dealing with in your troubled work history will suddenly become a non-issue.
An employee is an investment, and if you can create a resume that proves you will produce a better RETURN on that investment than the next guy (even the one with the squeaky clean work history), doors will swing open to you.
Step #3 - Know your competition
Who is your competition in the job market? What qualifications might they have that you don’t have? Do you have qualifications that your competition doesn’t have? For most situations, I’m not referring to specific individuals. Obviously you wouldn’t want to violate the privacy of any specific person competing for the same type of job. But, there is definite value in trying to define your competition in generalities. What types of qualifications does the typical candidate have for the job you are targeting?
Very clearly defining your competition is a crucial part of step #4…
Step #4 - Clearly identify the problem(s)
Okay. Now that you know where you are going, know what your audience is seeking, and know what your competition brings to the table, you are ready to fully define the problem or problems that your resume must overcome.
Some of those problems might be obvious. Work-history gaps, concerns about age discrimination, and multiple job changes are among the most common. But, having worked your way through the prior three steps, you may have identified others. Are there key qualifications you are lacking? Educational requirements that you don’t quite meet? Ways that your experience doesn’t quite stand up to your competition? Whatever those problems might be, make sure you define them. In the next step, we will begin to solve them.
Step #5 - Be willing to throw the rules out the window and think outside the box
Now, take everything you have ever read or learned about resume writing and forget it. Well, maybe not everything, but at this point you definitely do need to begin thinking creatively and strategically.
Remember that a resume is essentially an advertisement - a marketing piece - a personal sales pitch. Resumes are NOT autobiographies! They are personal marketing documents meant to sell you as the ideal candidate for a particular position. Everything about the content, the structure, and the design of your resume should be strategically and selectively included, excluded, highlighted, or de-emphasized.
Always be absolutely and meticulously honest, but be willing to think outside the box and present your background in a format and structure that will be most flattering to you in relation to the career goal you are targeting.
Do you want to be one of a kind? Or do you want to be one of many? Your resume is meant to make you stand out and shine. You will NOT achieve this by following some rigid template and structure that doesn’t have the flexibility to showcase your unique qualifications.
Step #6 - Reframe, reposition, reformat, and redesign
It is really all about how you frame and position your experience, your achievements, your educational background, and any other qualifications. Once you get to this step, you are ready to put pen to paper (or fingers to the keyboard) and begin writing your resume. Take what you know about the expectations and the desires of your target audience, combine this with your understanding of the competition and the problems you defined in Step #4, and start writing your resume.
Perhaps you are making a career change into a completely new profession. While it is often not immediately obvious to the recipient of your resume, much of your experience is usually transferable. How can you “reframe” your past experience to selectively emphasize the transferable skills and de-emphasize those that will no longer be relevant?
Is there a qualification you are lacking for the position you are targeting? It is very common for a person to have developed a particular qualification in a non-traditional way, from some other seemingly unrelated experience. How can you “reposition” that experience to illustrate the qualification in question?
Maybe you are returning to a career path that you veered away from ten years ago. Your recent experience is not as relevant as your past experience. What opportunities do you have to “reformat” your resume to bring the older skills to the forefront?
Or maybe you have a couple of big gaps in your work history. Can you think of a way to “redesign” your resume to take the visual emphasis off of the chronology/dates of your experience and place it instead on your achievements and results?
So, what problems does your resume need to solve? What challenges are you dealing with that you must face to turn your less-than-perfect work history into an effective resume? As you get started, remember, it is words on a piece of paper. It is easy to edit and move things around. Don’t be afraid to experiment (just do it BEFORE you use it in the job market!).
If you aren’t sure what the best solution is, create several versions and ask your friends and family for feedback before choosing the one you use in your search. And, if you get stuck, that is what professional resume writers are here for! We can often provide solutions that you would never have thought of on your own.
Do you want to use this article in your ezine, website, or other publication? You are welcome to as long as you use the following text with it:
Dau
Mar
28
What kinds of job is for finance and financial management and what do they do?
Filed Under Job Hunting | 2 Comments
cutielovesu asked:
Like since there’s so many different types of job in this major (finance), what are they and what do you have to do in that specific job?
Daveta
Like since there’s so many different types of job in this major (finance), what are they and what do you have to do in that specific job?
Daveta
Mar
27
mimi asked:
I have good income, good credit score, and a good down payment but the job history is not good. I have only been at my job 4 months, but I really want a house. Are they even going to consider me?
Kees
I have good income, good credit score, and a good down payment but the job history is not good. I have only been at my job 4 months, but I really want a house. Are they even going to consider me?
Kees
Mar
27
How do I write a resume to reflect I was a stay at home mom since my last job?
Filed Under Job Hunting | 10 Comments
ETC’s Mom asked:
I’ve been out of work almost 4 years taking care of my kids and now I’m planning on going back to work. Is there a way to say I’ve been a full time mom on my resume so companies realize what I’ve been doing since my last job? I don’t know what the acceptable standard is for this kind of lapse in work.
Eyde
I’ve been out of work almost 4 years taking care of my kids and now I’m planning on going back to work. Is there a way to say I’ve been a full time mom on my resume so companies realize what I’ve been doing since my last job? I don’t know what the acceptable standard is for this kind of lapse in work.
Eyde
Mar
23
What kind of job can I find that works around a school schedule other than being a educator?
Filed Under Job Hunting | Comments Off
DC asked:
I would like to know if there are any jobs out there that works during school schedule? I have 3 young ones and I would like to be home when then are home also (eg. after school, holidays & vacations). I also need to work b/c my spouses job is not cutting it. Thanks for any info.
Ferdinanda
I would like to know if there are any jobs out there that works during school schedule? I have 3 young ones and I would like to be home when then are home also (eg. after school, holidays & vacations). I also need to work b/c my spouses job is not cutting it. Thanks for any info.
Ferdinanda
Mar
22
Filed Under Job Hunting | Comments Off
Mario Churchill asked:
If you are seeking employment, you will want to build a professional resume. There are many different ways to build a professional resume and for a professional resume example, you can look a number of places online. There are also many different software programs that will show you a quality professional resume example which you can copy and simply add your own information.
Many people choose to build their resumes on their word processors. Most word processing programs have templates that can be used to give one an accurate glimpse of a professional resume example. A professional resume is not difficult to build. It is simply a list of your accomplishments, employment history, skills and education. The biggest mistake people make when building their professional resume is underestimating their skills and knowledge. By viewing a professional resume example, you can see exactly how you should display your knowledge so that it gets noticed by your prospective employer.
When building a professional resume, it is important that you do not use elaborate fonts or fanciful designs. Take a look at a professional resume example and you will see that it is done in a classic style with easy to read fonts on a muted or plain paper. You will not see any fancy designs or symbols. A professional resume should exhibit your accomplishments, not your computer skills. When you view a professional resume example, you will see that it is tasteful, simple and to the point.
It is very important, when building a professional resume, to list all of your accomplishments, knowledge and skills. Many times, people bunch all of these items into one long, difficult to read paragraph. If you take a look at a professional resume example, you will see that most of them use bullet points to highlight skills and knowledge. This makes it much easier for employers to read and understand.
A professional resume example will also show you how to set up your resume so that you are certain that you include everything that you need to put into your resume. All too often, people forget to put in certain facts or do not realize that a major award that they won can be a great asset to them when applying for a job. By looking at a professional resume example, you can see everything that you should list on your resume that will be of benefit to you.
This works both ways. Many people tend to add insignificant information onto their resumes that are not needed. By taking a look at a professional resume example, you can see which information that can be eliminated. For example, you do not need to list all of your employment back to the time when you were 16 years old. Your stint at Dairy Queen is not essential to your new job, unless you are again applying at Dairy Queen, in which case, you will probably not need a resume. It is also not necessary to list where you went to grammar school. If you have a post graduate degree, you should list the name of the school, the type of degree which you received and any honors or awards. Then you should list your undergraduate school and degree. In the case of someone with a post graduate degree, they do not need to list their high school education.
By taking a look at a professional resume example, you can see many different types of resumes for many different occupations. There are examples for those for nurses, attorneys, teachers and other individuals. There are also many different styles from which to choose. This is probably the easiest way to build your own resume. Simply copy the resume to your own word processing program and fill in your own information.
By viewing a professional resume example, you can learn exactly how to build your own professional resume. There are many different examples provided both on the internet as well as in different software programs.
Your resume is the first impression you will make on your potential employer. The importance of a resume cannot be underestimated and should be done correctly. By viewing a professional resume example, you are helping yourself build the best possible resume designed to reflect your own skills and knowledge.
Korney
If you are seeking employment, you will want to build a professional resume. There are many different ways to build a professional resume and for a professional resume example, you can look a number of places online. There are also many different software programs that will show you a quality professional resume example which you can copy and simply add your own information.
Many people choose to build their resumes on their word processors. Most word processing programs have templates that can be used to give one an accurate glimpse of a professional resume example. A professional resume is not difficult to build. It is simply a list of your accomplishments, employment history, skills and education. The biggest mistake people make when building their professional resume is underestimating their skills and knowledge. By viewing a professional resume example, you can see exactly how you should display your knowledge so that it gets noticed by your prospective employer.
When building a professional resume, it is important that you do not use elaborate fonts or fanciful designs. Take a look at a professional resume example and you will see that it is done in a classic style with easy to read fonts on a muted or plain paper. You will not see any fancy designs or symbols. A professional resume should exhibit your accomplishments, not your computer skills. When you view a professional resume example, you will see that it is tasteful, simple and to the point.
It is very important, when building a professional resume, to list all of your accomplishments, knowledge and skills. Many times, people bunch all of these items into one long, difficult to read paragraph. If you take a look at a professional resume example, you will see that most of them use bullet points to highlight skills and knowledge. This makes it much easier for employers to read and understand.
A professional resume example will also show you how to set up your resume so that you are certain that you include everything that you need to put into your resume. All too often, people forget to put in certain facts or do not realize that a major award that they won can be a great asset to them when applying for a job. By looking at a professional resume example, you can see everything that you should list on your resume that will be of benefit to you.
This works both ways. Many people tend to add insignificant information onto their resumes that are not needed. By taking a look at a professional resume example, you can see which information that can be eliminated. For example, you do not need to list all of your employment back to the time when you were 16 years old. Your stint at Dairy Queen is not essential to your new job, unless you are again applying at Dairy Queen, in which case, you will probably not need a resume. It is also not necessary to list where you went to grammar school. If you have a post graduate degree, you should list the name of the school, the type of degree which you received and any honors or awards. Then you should list your undergraduate school and degree. In the case of someone with a post graduate degree, they do not need to list their high school education.
By taking a look at a professional resume example, you can see many different types of resumes for many different occupations. There are examples for those for nurses, attorneys, teachers and other individuals. There are also many different styles from which to choose. This is probably the easiest way to build your own resume. Simply copy the resume to your own word processing program and fill in your own information.
By viewing a professional resume example, you can learn exactly how to build your own professional resume. There are many different examples provided both on the internet as well as in different software programs.
Your resume is the first impression you will make on your potential employer. The importance of a resume cannot be underestimated and should be done correctly. By viewing a professional resume example, you are helping yourself build the best possible resume designed to reflect your own skills and knowledge.
Korney
Mar
14
What information should be included along with the resume in an online application?
Filed Under Job Hunting | 2 Comments
rodeochicinmo asked:
When attaching your resume to an online application what information should you include besides the actual resume? Cover letter, references, etc?
Rycca
When attaching your resume to an online application what information should you include besides the actual resume? Cover letter, references, etc?
Rycca
Mar
11
want_job_i asked:
I recently move to a new town, had to quit my last job because of it. Trying to find another job, but with a decent pay. Doesn’t have to be great, but has to be more than minimum wage. I’m a college student, so I need something that can be flexible as well. I don’t have much of a education level since I just started school again. On my last job, I was a cashier. Is there such a job that I can qualify for?
Euphemia
I recently move to a new town, had to quit my last job because of it. Trying to find another job, but with a decent pay. Doesn’t have to be great, but has to be more than minimum wage. I’m a college student, so I need something that can be flexible as well. I don’t have much of a education level since I just started school again. On my last job, I was a cashier. Is there such a job that I can qualify for?
Euphemia
Mar
11
Raven75 asked:
I have been empolyed in the sheetrock buisness and have done many remodel jobs in the last 13 years. I want to get a job as a supervisor for a builder, but every job I apply for states you have to have a degree. I know supers that are working and don’t have a degree’s. To me that isn’t fair. Am I missing something?
Isl
I have been empolyed in the sheetrock buisness and have done many remodel jobs in the last 13 years. I want to get a job as a supervisor for a builder, but every job I apply for states you have to have a degree. I know supers that are working and don’t have a degree’s. To me that isn’t fair. Am I missing something?
Isl
Mar
5
How can I get a good freelance programming job like the west outsourcing to India?
Filed Under Job Hunting | 4 Comments
Jayde asked:
How can I get a good freelance programming job like the west outsourcing to India? I am not Indian neither live in india, I am Thai and live in Thailand. Although I have so many experience in programming but I found it’s so hard to get an oversee freelance programming job like I said. I have post and upload my resume to yahoo hot job. And try to bid on other freelance job bidding site. But it’s likely to fail, I get no jobs at all. How can I do?
Christin
How can I get a good freelance programming job like the west outsourcing to India? I am not Indian neither live in india, I am Thai and live in Thailand. Although I have so many experience in programming but I found it’s so hard to get an oversee freelance programming job like I said. I have post and upload my resume to yahoo hot job. And try to bid on other freelance job bidding site. But it’s likely to fail, I get no jobs at all. How can I do?
Christin