5 Tips to Writing a Winning Resume Building Your Future Now

5 Tips to Writing a Winning Resume Building Your Future Now Writing a winning resume takes time and effort. You need to really look over your key strengths and experience (chose what works and doesnt for the job you are applying for)tighten up your resume (less repetition and more action words) and put it into a readable and clear format. However, if you need a few ideas to get started take the following 5 tips on how to write a winning resume into consideration: 1. Writing a Strong Professional Summary A professional summary sums up your relevant skills, experience and overall career goal. It gives the hiring manager a quick run-down of what you bring to table and why they should continue to read your resume and eventually award you an interview. 2. Naturally incorporating keywords Keywords are an essential part to your resume. If you are a sales professional keywords and phases such as exceeding sales targets, and excellent customer service or cold-calling are some you should use on your resume. If you need a refresher on some keywords from your industry check out 2 or 3 top brands and look for their career sections for some ideas. 3. More information about Education Give a few blurbs of why your education has helped your career. In fact, it gives the hiring manager a good idea of why you studied in the first place! If you havent been in school for a while, check back to see what courses can fit your job position you are applying for. 4. Connecting your experience to job you are applying for Always relate your experiences back to the job position you are applying forit gives the hiring manager a clear indication of the candidate they are hiring (and the fact that they will help them!) Research the company moretheir website is a great start. Use keywords and also connect any projects you have done in the past that resonates with the current job opportunity. 5. Using bolded and italicizing effectively By bolding and italicizing certain words and sentences on your resumeyou are bringing attention to key points you want the hiring manager to focus on. If used effectively and sparinglyyou are separating your resume from the competition because you are making it reader friendly (essentially giving the hiring manager what they need to make a quick decision about calling you for an interview.) Image: iKlick

What to Look For in a Writing Service

What to Look For in a Writing ServiceWhen you decide to hire a writer, you may have concerns over the quality of the writing service you will be using. The most important thing to remember when writing impressions is that you should always go for high quality, professional writing services that do not only know how to get things done but also have the time and patience to achieve the perfect job.Writers may claim to be professional but you should still know what they offer when you choose them. Most service providers have different styles and techniques in what they offer. For example, some may offer client-specific services such as research and review or personalized services like defining the types of people you would be trying to target.Examples of the research that they can do for you are reading your resume, cover letter, references, etc. if you are unsure of what they are doing, you can always ask. You will also be assured that they will have a sample and article to show that t hey can do this work.Other services that are offered are the customization of your resume and cover letter as well as the reviewing of your work. Clients may also have the option of selecting the final layout and fonts that will appear on your resume and cover letter. Once they are satisfied with your work, they will be able to give you an assessment of whether you meet their requirements.Some writers who offer these services may request for the final assessment before you are allowed to start writing. This is usually the final assessment, so you should not hesitate in asking if they think you are a good fit. They should also be able to come up with a creative layout that they can use on your resume and cover letter.Client-specific services are also offered by some service providers. If your job description requires you to present yourself in a professional manner, your writing service provider should be able to help you write this information in a unique and creative way.This can b e an exciting challenge because many people would like to present themselves in the best possible light. In case you have the right skills, then you can use these skills that you have learned from others. If you have the experience or the expertise in this field, you can also use it to help your readers understand your perspective.When you choose a writing service to do your writing needs, make sure you check for testimonials and recommendations. You can also compare prices before making a decision.

Be Memorable - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Be Memorable - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career In a typical hiring process, it is common for an organization to receive hundreds of applicants for a single job opening, phone screen 10-20 individuals, and hold face-to-face interviews with as many as 5 or 6 candidates.  If the employer is looking to hire multiple candidates, this scenario leads to even greater numbers as a company will often interview 2-3 times the candidates per available position. With these numbers, how does one stand out from the crowd?  Be memorable. Being memorable can be good or bad. Are you going to be the candidate who has an inappropriate email address on her resume or the guy who shows up to the interview wearing no socks (both are actual examples)?  Why not be the candidate who impresses the 8:00am  interviewer or the person who the hiring manager remembers specific details about at the end of the on-site interview day. How does one become memorable for the right reasons? One strategy is to use strong examples during your interview. Telling a good story to demonstrate an experience or skill set is easier to remember than making unsubstantiated claims or providing basic facts. People remember the details of a well-crafted story. For example, if someone were to ask your experience with Excel, being able to relay a story that detailed your expertise will have a greater impact than if you were to tell the interviewer that you have received an advanced certification in MS Excel. Another way to be memorable to is to include some unique aspects about yourself during the interview (ideally in the examples you use during the interview).  I still remember the student who won the state free-throw championship in Ohio in 2008 as a 16-year-old and the young woman who had climbed 4 of the 7 summits by the time she was a senior in college.   Then there is the example a recent hire where her thank you notes were the best I had ever read because of the way she pulled in examples from her interview.  Each of these candidates put a personal stamp onto their interview process.  We meet thousands of people in our lives but some people resonate with us think about why that is and see if it is applicable to the job search process. Finally, there is the danger of being memorable for the wrong reasons.  For example, the applicant who made herself too comfortable in an interview and helped herself to coffee. Then, she challenged the interviewer when he mentioned her academic record.  Her abrasive personality and her inability to read social cues left a strong impression.  Even more memorable was the gentleman who wore no socks to his investment banking interviews and wondered why he had difficulty generating offers.  Being memorable for the wrong reasons will do more damage than not being remembered because once you have made a strong negative impression, it is difficult generating a second chance at that firm or with a specific hiring manager. So in your job hunt, think of unique aspects about yourself that highlight positive traits.  Have friends share with you what they remembered about you when you first metthen filter the results to ensure you are memorable for the right reasons.   If you believe these traits will be of value to the future employer, work them into your next interview and become memorable.  The next time you leave the interview room, your impression will stay with the search committee. Author: Kevin Monahan  is the Associate Director of the Notre Dame Career Center.  In this role, he leads the center’s  employer relations efforts in addition to coaching  young professionals in career management and career change capacities. He combines career consulting services with employer outreach to help find opportunities for both constituencies.  He is the author of the  Career Seeker’s Guide  blog.

The Damage of Using Sarcasm in Workplace Communication - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

The Damage of Using Sarcasm in Workplace Communication - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career At a special time within my seminar on The 7 Deadliest Communication Sins, I ask two very important questions about audience members’ experience with regard to a specific issue around interpersonal communication. These two questions are: How many of you have a tendency to use sarcasm? How many of you have ever been on the receiving end of a sarcastic comment that was hurtful? Virtually all members of the audience respond to one or both of these questions. This is informal and unscientific research, certainly. Yet, it speaks volumes about the depth of this communication style and its impact. In my leadership and workplace communication seminars I discuss how damaging sarcastic communication is to relationships. Sarcasm is a passive aggressive communication habit that undermines trust between individuals and trust is at the core of one’s ability to get things done in organizations. Sarcasm offers just 2 outcomes â€" it either instantly kills the relationship or it begins to slowly erode the relationship. Both of those outcomes are usually unbeknownst to the perpetrator. There is no positive upside to using sarcasm. It offers only short-term positive impact for the sarcastic person whose ego may get a boost by putting others down in this manner. Now, it will be couched in the context of humor and trying to be funny. Yet, that humor comes at the expense of someone else. If it gets confronted, which it rarely does, the victim is labeled as someone who “has no sense of humor” or whom “can’t take a joke.” For those reading this that are open to changing this habit to create more positive, trusting relationships with their workplace colleagues, I’ve developed a simple four-step process to communicate in a way that builds relationships based on high levels of trust: Identify one or more persons (no more than 3) with whom you most regularly communicate with in this way  (for me it was my wife). Apologize for past transgressions letting them know you have recently realized  this is a problem and may be negatively impacting your relationship. Let them know you  want to improve and change this style of communicating and ask them to give you  feedback to which you will be open to hearing whenever you do it. The next time it happens and you know youve violated your standards in communicating take a step back and evaluate why you did it. Ask this series of questions: What was your intent behind that style of communicating? What point were you trying to make? In relation to this situation what do you believe about: The situation The other person Yourself In communicating to make this point and achieve this intent, what is your greatest fear? If you were to communicate more directly and say what you needed to say properly so there is no confusion, so that it is more specific, and so that it supports the person with whom you are communicating in a positive way… What would you say differently? How would you say it differently? What would you ask them for? There is a fine line between joyful teasing between trusted colleagues or life partners, and biting sarcasm that undermines relationships.  The receiver of the communication is always the determinant as to whether it crosses the line. It is out of the control of the communicator. I’m no longer willing to give up the control of the meaning of my message, are you?

Writing A Resume Job Description That Will Get You Interviewed

Writing A Resume Job Description That Will Get You InterviewedDo you know what a resume job description is? You might have seen this term in a friend's resume or maybe on a job opening site. What does it mean? You will learn what it means to have a good job description and what it means to have one that is badly written.A job description is the first thing people see when they are applying for a job. It can be called a CV (Curriculum Vitae), resume, workbook, or just about any other title you can think of. The truth is that your resume job description is the first thing someone sees when you visit a job site.Here is the beauty of having a job description. It helps get your profile read. A good resume with a good job description will get your application noticed by someone who may want to interview you. If you have a poorly written job description then chances are your resume will never get a look from anyone who might be hiring. It is that important to get a resume read.Having a job description is not all about you. Your job description should match the requirements of the company you are interviewing for. The job posting should indicate how long you have been with the company, what experience you have, what skills you have, and what you can do. You need to be completely honest about what you can do. The more accurate your job description is the better chance you have of getting a good interview.Keep in mind that you do not have to be writing a resume job description the way the company has specified. If you have to change the job description a bit to meet the needs of your prospective employer then do so. Do not try to fill in the job description on your own.Havinga bad resume job description will make it harder to get an interview. Therefore, if you are writing your own job description then make sure it is as accurate as possible. One way to improve your job description is to change the job from career to employment. This makes it easier to tell what you have done and what you can do.Also keep in mind that a resume job description should not be a copy of another person's work experience. Don't be afraid to copy from another resume to make it your own. Take the time to create a nice and colorful resume job description. Make it as accurate as possible and include all of the things that you want the interviewer to know. If you change your resume to job description in a hurry, or you forget a few important details, then add them as they come to you.Remember that you do not have to write your resume job description the way the company has specified. It can be as creative and unique as you like. Make sure it contains all of the information that the interviewer wants to know.

How Online Social Job Sites Have Revolutionized The Job Search - CareerEnlightenment.com

Power in Numbers?There are numerous sites available to employers, recruiters, and talent that offer services, software, and job search engines. Job seekers post resumes and while employers supply the job openings and review talent profiles and submissions.The increase in the number of socially powered  job search  sites social means there are far more options available, but do they all stack up? Most engines turn up the same results, and the few that don’t update often lead talent to expired postings, job sites that require a credit card and registration to view, or  scams.Today’s job search space has been changed by the influx of social job search sites and search engines in general. Talent must exercise discretion when using job search sites and employers using these spaces must work to ensure postings are up-to-date, complete, and accurate. The joint effort of every contributor to the online and social job search space bears responsibility for maintaining effectiveness and res ults for employers and talent alike.

Whos Hiring from the Fortune 500 - CareerEnlightenment.com

AMR You probably dont recognize AMR, but Im sure youve heard of American Airlines which is 104 on this years list. Their careers page has tabs on the left hand side for Career Opportunities, Why American, Corporate Information, Benefits, College Recruitment and more. Center page provides an company overview, along with links for job opportunities in the US, Mexico and Canada. There were 20 job opportunities when I checked the site.United States Steel Ranked at 105 (up from 146 last year), making steel is what they do (and sometimes better known as US Steel). Their careers page is fairly simple, with a brief overview center page and a link for Search Jobs/Submit Resume on the left hand side of the page. Selecting Search Jobs provides an advanced job search engine. Their are additional links at the top of the page for Search Careers, Submit Resume and Career Center. Links for Advanced Search and Search All Jobs are on the right hand side of the page. There were 47 job opportunities w hen I checked the site.Good luck in your search.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.