Archive for the ‘Your Career’ Category



Update Your Resume!

Posted On: Monday, July 6th, 2009 - Posted By: Online Resume Builder

And have it professionally critiqued

Have you updated your resume lately? Capture your latest projects and accomplishments.  Review your resume content for items you can quantify.  Specify the IMPACT of what you have brought to your organization.  Keep this essential document updated and ready to distribute.

Treat your resume to a professional critique. Get full, professional, and expert feedback on your resume in less than 24 hours.  Not convinced?  See the questions posed in the box to the right.  If you answer “no” or “I don’t know” to any of the questions, you need a Resume Critique.  Get peace of mind for just $29!

It’s Your Resume!

  • Is it having the desired impact?  Is it grabbing the attention of prospective employers?
  • Is your objective clearly stated?
  • Are you using a chronological, skill-based, or combination-style format?
  • Does your resume format mesh with the standards of your industry?
  • Are your universal skill sets emphasized?

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.

Posted in Your Career | No Comments »

Detailing Your Work History in Your Resume

Posted On: Monday, July 6th, 2009 - Posted By: Online Resume Builder

Action Verb + Concrete Detail + Impact

Trying to effectively capture your work history on your resume? Here is a great format to follow that will add power and relevancy to your document.

Action Verbs

Start with an ideal job posting.  Review it carefully and note what appears to be most important to that employer.  Tailor your work history statements to serve as highly relevant “proof” that you have already been successful in each area.  First provide a concrete detail to illuminate.  You will know exactly WHAT details to focus upon based on concrete clues provided in the job posting. Then, demonstrate the impact your actions had upon the organization. Finally, find a list of action verbs, readily available on 100’s of sites and in resume-writing books.  Choose the best, most descriptive action verb to begin each statement.

Here are specific examples:

  • Implemented document imaging solution after researching 6 possible vendors resulting in achieving corporate goal of “going paperless” in under 7 months.
  • Tutored 13 middle school youth in algebra which allowed them to progress to the next grade level with their peers.
  • Analyzed purchasing department processes, identified costly gaps, and recommended improvements which saved $34,000 per quarter.

It’s Your Life!

Question:
You have demonstrated competence across so many areas.  How do you capture it ALL on a resume?

Answer: You DON’T!

Focus specifically upon what is being asked of you, as a hopeful candidate, to fulfill a stated need that a prospective employer has NOW.  Once you have the job, you’ll be in a position to hear about additional needs and lend your expertise toward solving them.

Lesson: One thing at a time.  Focus first on the “here and now”.

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.

Posted in Your Career | No Comments »

The “Money” Question

Posted On: Monday, July 6th, 2009 - Posted By: Online Resume Builder

Effective Responses for a Tricky Question


How do you respond to questions about salary?
You may be asked to discuss salary in your cover letter, in screening interviews by phone, in person during a formal interview, and during offer negotiations.  There are several ways to handle this touchy subject.

#1 Rule:  Get the prospective employer to state a figure first.

When asked to state your salary requirements or history in your cover letter – don’t – unless you actually know the salary range of the desired position.  If you do not know the range, indicate instead that you would be happy to discuss salary in an interview.

What is most important is the extent to which your skills will be a great fit within the prospective organization.  When the interviewer wants to focus on your current salary, confidently reply that you would not consider your current salary as comparable to the scope of the position currently open for hire and should an offer be made you trust that the offer will be fair.  Then turn their attention back to the skills needed, the expectations for success, the company culture.  Show them that salary is a secondary consideration to be tabled for later.  The first order of business is to fully understand the scope of the new position.  Without it, you cannot adequately assess what would or would not be a fair compensation package.

If the interviewer pushes hard for you to respond directly to salary questions (be prepared for this to happen), turn the question back upon them by asking for both the hiring range of the position and the full salary range (the hiring range may be a subset of the salary range).  If you are still pressed for a range, have a prepared response based on prior research.  Do not provide a range that is truly less than what you can legitimately accept.  If you feel unduly pressured or intimidated, think twice about what this tells you about their management style or company culture and whether or not you really want to work there.  If all else fails, provide them with a range of 10K-20K more than your current salary, or more if your research supports it.

Summary: do your research, prepare a range of responses, and do your very best to get them to provide the first number or range.  If you require more than they are willing to give, continue to counter as long as you can, and make the best decisions for yourself based upon what you learn.

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.

Posted in Interview Tips, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Advice for the Over-Qualified

Posted On: Monday, July 6th, 2009 - Posted By: Online Resume Builder

Balancing Pride with Relevance

Definition of Over-Qualified:

American Heritage Dictionary, fourth edition, defines overqualified as “educated or skilled beyond what is necessary or desired for a particular job”.  Here is a list of the perks and challenges associated with being overqualified for jobs for which you are applying.

Perks to take advantage of:

  • You are able to ramp up quickly, contributing at a high level within 30/60/90 days.
  • You will apply a wide range of talents to the job.
  • You can problem-solve and brainstorm complex issues.
  • You can demonstrate that your networking, resumes, cover letters, and interviewing skills put you ahead of others competing for the same jobs.

Challenges to overcome:

  • Jobs are focused on particular skills sets needed at a particular level.
  • You might be perceived as bossy, a know-it-all.
  • Employers assume you will have higher minimum salary requirements than they have budgeted.
  • You may feel the need to “dumb down” their resume.

Re-vamp Your Approach:

There are two primary obstacles in play for the over-qualified job-seeker.  Pride and demonstrated scope.  Pride becomes an issue when your sense of identity and level of achievement is at odds with your current situation.  The choice of words you use to describe your situation has a big impact on your attitude and approach.  Is it “dumbing down” your resume to target a job and demonstrate your relevant qualifications?  No.  That is what all resumes need to demonstrate, for jobs at any level.

Choose your descriptive entries carefully.  What do you know about the company, its mission, and culture?  Use suitable entries that help prospective employers know that you understand where they are at, what they need, and that you are ready, willing, and able to help them at that level. Don’t “dumb it down” but do be relevant without going over the top and forcing them to acknowledge that you will run circles around half their employees right out of the gate.

Opportunities are out there and employers are hiring.

They’re Your Qualifications!

  • Action words are powerful.  Choose them wisely.  Use the same action words in your resume that a prospective employer highlights in a job posting.
  • Use your advanced level of creativity and problem-solving skills to tackle the opportunity to create a highly relevant resume that fits the employers’ needs without coming across as bragging.
  • You want a prospective employer to hire you and pay you to apply skill sets they need in order to grow their company according to their strategic plan.  They set the direction, not you.
  • The economy will turn around.  Many people are working “survival jobs”.  Be realistic and realize these are stepping stones to help you reach your larger goals.

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.

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Posted in Interview Tips, Your Career | No Comments »

Dress for Success

Posted On: Tuesday, June 30th, 2009 - Posted By: Adam C.

Whether You Are Employed Right Now Or Not

Dress for the occasion; whether it is for a job interview, a full day of business meetings, or casual Friday!  You can view your wardrobe choices as a uniform, a costume, or a creative expression.

Dress the part even if you are unemployed and job searching.  Dress today for the promotion you hope to get tomorrow.  Present yourself in a way that pushes you, and those around you, to get the job done.  Doing so helps you to reinforce the role you are playing today.  Confidence and expertise are strengthened by your professional clothing choices.  In other words, dress like you mean it and do not skimp on professionalism or credibility.  Choose wisely each day, plan ahead, and always strive to look your best.

It’s Your Life!

  • Present your best face to the world; be polished and bold.
  • “The best color in the whole world, is the one that looks good, on you!” -Coco Chanel
  • The world is a stage and the lights are on; dress for it!
  • Change happens.  How you work with it and adapt to it is up to you.
  • “Fashion fades, only style remains the same.” -Coco Chanel

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.

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Posted in Interview Tips, Your Career | No Comments »

Facing Lay-Offs, Head On

Posted On: Wednesday, May 13th, 2009 - Posted By: Adam C.

Managing Your Fears While Preparing for the Worst

Planning for an Uncertain Future:

There is an old saying, “Don’t keep all your eggs in one basket”.  We have all heard it, or some variation of it.  This adage applies to your income requirements as much as any specific investments you might hold.  The worst thing you can do is bury your head in the sand and say, “It won’t happen to me”.  It can, and does, happen to people every day.  While it usually comes as a shock, the truly unprepared are especially devastated by sudden job loss.  Fear is a great motivator for some.  For others, it causes a sort of paralysis.  Get motivated.  Manage your fears by being proactive and tackling what you CAN control.

Start Protecting Yourself Today:

Schedule some time for yourself, very soon, to tackle the following items:

  • Create a current budget, listing all expenses.  If you couldn’t pay for them anymore, how important would they be?  If not important, consider cutting them out for awhile.  If they are still important and necessary expenses, think about alternative sources of income that will cover these costs in the event of a sudden job loss.  If you don’t have any alternatives, get a second job, start earning money from your hobbies, and/or start saving as much money as possible over the next six months.
  • Update your resume and get it professionally critiqued.  Have it ready for immediate use.  While you are clear-headed and employed, create a list of prospective companies within your industry and geographic location.  Note contact information, job titles they routinely hire for (relevant to your skills), how they need to receive application materials, and so forth.  Create/use your LinkedIn account to research these companies further and build possible networking contacts.

It’s Your Plan!

Talk to people who have been laid off.  Ask for their advice.  What would they have done differently if they had known what was coming?

Research your industry.  Is your industry strong, growing, declining, are remaining flat?  What are the professional organizations supporting your industry say about emerging trends and cautions?

Talk to your boss and state that you’d like to know more about the challenges currently facing your organization.  Let them know you want to see the organization pull through these tough times.  What can you do to help?

You cannot predict the future.  But you can take control by implementing these two concrete steps to protect yourself, starting TODAY.  Stay calm and focused.  Be proactive.  Good luck!

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.

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Posted in Your Career | 1 Comment »

Chronological vs Functional?

Posted On: Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 - Posted By: Adam C.

Which Resume Style is Best for You?

Chronological:

  • Best when looking for work in your current industry
  • Highlights a strong employment history
  • Traditional, most familiar presentation style
  • Works best with most HRIS systems, online applications
    (the automated search databases many companies use)

Functional (Skills-Based):

  • Best for career-changers to show off relevant skills
  • Downplays former industry, highlights re-purposed skill sets
  • Works best if uploaded as .pdf, distributed in Word, on paper
  • Non-traditional layout

It’s Your Style!

Think critically about what you want to convey.  Choose a resume style that best supports your objective.

Recognize that each style has its pros and cons.  Evaluate each one carefully.

Career changers with functional resumes should network first then send their resume and cover letter as a follow up to those conversations.

Resume style choices should always be preceded with a consideration of how each receiving company manages their search and selection process (HRIS).

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.

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Posted in How to Write a Resume, Resume Tips, Sample Resumes, Your Career | No Comments »

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.

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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.

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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.

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Posted in How to Write a Resume, Resume Tips, Writing Tips, Your Career | No Comments »

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