2009 April | GigTide - Online Resume Builder

Archive for April, 2009

What Does Your Resume Say About You?

Posted On: Tuesday, April 28th, 2009 - Posted By: Adam C.

Feedback from HR Professionals

Your Resume Should Give These Impressions:

Focused, on target
You know your industry
Clear history, easy to follow
Highly qualified for the job in question
You know how to present yourself professionally

Your Resume Will Get Overlooked IF it:

Is not targeting a specific job
Does not have a cover letter associated with it
Is unprofessional in appearance (spelling errors, poorly formatted, stained or torn, etc.)

It’s Your Resume!

Think critically about what you want to convey, then plan exactly how you will accomplish that.

Your resume and cover letter should be well-connected in terms of visual presentation and supporting content.

Your resume and cover letter should entice the recruiter or hiring manager to learn more about you and how you can become an asset to the company.

Your resume shows your relevant history and links your experience to the job in question – your cover letter describes how you will use your experience to benefit the company, especially in the first 30/60/90 days on the job.

Lisa has 14 years of résumé coaching experience.
She currently directs day-to-day operations and programming of a career center at a two-year technical college. From 2006-2008, she served as State Chair of a national organization to support women leaders in higher education. She remains on the Board. Previously, she served as HR Director of a legal services firm and specialized in worker’s compensation issues. From 1996-1998, she worked as a graduate assistant in the career services office of a large four-year college.

Need More Advice?

Get the resume help you need!

Build your resume with the GigTide Online Resume Builder and visit the CYJ website at www.changeyourjob.us.

Tags: feedback from HR, Resume Tips, resume writing
Posted in How to Write a Resume, Resume Tips, Your Career | No Comments »

Don’t Blow Your Interview: Feedback from HR Professionals

Posted On: Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009 - Posted By: Adam C.

What Interviewers Want From YOU:

Your understanding of the company and the duties of the job for which you are applying
A great attitude – this will usually put you ahead of another candidate with stronger skills but a poor or arrogant attitude
To see how well you present yourself; because if hired, you will be representing the company
Technical aptitude – let’s face it, you have to be able to DO the job, and be able to prove it

What Makes Interviewers Reject You:

Lack of appreciation for diversity in the workplace (makes you look like a complaint or lawsuit waiting to happen)
Lack of focus on the job at hand and how good of a fit you will be within that job and within the company
Bad attitude, especially nonchalance or arrogance
Bad hygiene (happens more often than you’d think)

It’s Your Moment!

Most interviewers know if they want to hire you in the first 2 minutes of an interview. They spend the next 30 minutes or so justifying their original perception of you.

An interview is akin to your 15 minutes of fame – don’t waste it. Be ready for it!

The desire to interview you starts the moment a recruiter looks at your resume. Be prepared for phone screens.

If you are being interviewed by several people at once, make eye contact and be engaging with ALL of them, even the most “junior” person in the room. Be nice to everyone you encounter there.

Lisa has 14 years of résumé coaching experience.
She currently directs day-to-day operations and programming of a career center at a two-year technical college. From 2006-2008, she served as State Chair of a national organization to support women leaders in higher education. She remains on the Board. Previously, she served as HR Director of a legal services firm and specialized in worker’s compensation issues. From 1996-1998, she worked as a graduate assistant in the career services office of a large four-year college.

Need More Advice?

Get the resume help you need!

Build your resume with the GigTide Online Resume Builder and visit the CYJ website at www.changeyourjob.us.

Tags: feedback, HR, Interview Tips, interviews
Posted in Interview Tips, Your Career | No Comments »

Remain Objective: How to Target Your Resume to Your Audience

Posted On: Tuesday, April 21st, 2009 - Posted By: Adam C.

Speak Their Language:

Employers have a language of their own. That language consists of keywords, buzzwords, acronyms, and titles. You need to speak their language to demonstrate that you know what they want and that you are the right candidate for the job. You learn the employer’s language by doing your research: carefully review job postings and the company website; interview current or former employees about company culture; and read their press releases and financial reports.

Be Specific:

A targeted objective uses the exact job title of the position that a company wants to fill. You can simply list an objective statement of: “Seeking Customer Care Consultant position”. Or you can develop a bio statement that further demonstrates your qualifications for the job. For example: Customer Care Consultant with 3 years of demonstrated experience in building rapport, solving problems, and increasing sales”. From that point forward, every line of your resume should support that Objective, directly or indirectly.

It’s Your Target!

The WORST objective is vague and directionless. For example: “Seeking a challenging position that uses my education and experience and offers opportunities for advancement”.

Specific job titles help companies route your resume to the right recruiter. If they cannot figure that out easily, your resume won’t be reviewed by anyone.

Do not apply generically for currently open positions like everybody else is doing. Network and do your homework on the position and the company first. Then send a highly targeted resume and cover letter based upon what you learn.

Sending out 10-20 highly targeted resumes and cover letters each week is far more effective than blasting out 100 generic resumes. Demonstrate quality over quantity.

Lisa has 14 years of résumé coaching experience.
She currently directs day-to-day operations and programming of a career center at a two-year technical college. From 2006-2008, she served as State Chair of a national organization to support women leaders in higher education. She remains on the Board. Previously, she served as HR Director of a legal services firm and specialized in worker’s compensation issues. From 1996-1998, she worked as a graduate assistant in the career services office of a large four-year college.

Need More Advice?

Get the resume help you need!

Build your resume with the GigTide Online Resume Builder and visit the CYJ website at www.changeyourjob.us.

Tags: online resume, resume objective, resume targeting, resume writing, target audience, Writing Tips
Posted in How to Write a Resume, Resume Tips, Writing Tips, Your Career | No Comments »

Focus: How to Structure Your Job Search

Posted On: Monday, April 20th, 2009 - Posted By: Adam C.

Know What You Want:

Know what you want, specifically, in terms of job titles, industries, locations, work environments, and salary. Know the difference between what you WANT and what you NEED; know your deal-breakers. By knowing what you want, you can focus your search efforts. Better focus means clearer targets. This allows you to better manage your search.

Know Who Hires:

Make a list. At the top of your list, indicate one desired job title upon which to focus. Your list should be ever-evolving and contain the name of every company in your area that hires for the job title in question that also fits as least one more variable such as: industry, miles from home, accessible by bus line, etc. Do your homework on each of these companies. Then make contact, network, send targeted resumes and cover letters, request brief informational interviews – you have many avenues to pursue. Once you exhaust your list, widen your search circle. Repeat. Continue to follow up with all companies on your list.

It’s Your Search!

Know what you want, and be specific. Generic, vague resumes will not serve you well because prospective employers and recruiters will not play career coach on your behalf.

Your next job is likely to be found because of WHO you know more than WHAT you know.

Sending out 10-20 highly targeted resumes and cover letters each week is far more effective than blasting out 100 generic resumes.

Lisa has 14 years of résumé coaching experience.
She currently directs day-to-day operations and programming of a career center at a two-year technical college. From 2006-2008, she served as State Chair of a national organization to support women leaders in higher education. She remains on the Board. Previously, she served as HR Director of a legal services firm and specialized in worker’s compensation issues. From 1996-1998, she worked as a graduate assistant in the career services office of a large four-year college.