Kamis, 18 November 2010

Catapult Your Career by writing an Effective Resume

“Just send me your resume and I’ll get back with you.”  Most of us have heard this line quite a few times in our past.  Fortunately, most of us have a resume.  But is your resume doing its job of representing you to prospective employers and ultimately getting interviews?

In a job market where layoffs abound and competition for jobs is fierce, our only contact with a hiring manager may be a 30-second scan of this important document.  But what is a resume?  In today’s job market the answer is clear.  It must be a powerful marketing tool.

Unfortunately for many a job seeker, this all important marketing brochure turns out to be a regurgitation of their job history.  Bullets drone on endlessly with “Responsible for this…” and “Responsible for that…” as the poor recruiter or hiring manager is bogged down into the mire of mindless boredom without ever really knowing what a great contributor the individual was.

The biggest key to a successful resume is to turn it into an accomplishment-driven document, quantifying each achievement as much as possible.  This is true throughout the entire resume. 

But what are the most common parts of a resume?  And how can each be used to market a job seeker?  Let’s break down this document and look at its individual parts:

The “hot zone”
When a recruiter or hiring manager first sorts a large stack of resumes they often scan the first three quarters of the first page.  This section is a “hot zone” that needs to be full of accomplishments that market your specific skills and abilities.  Aside from the obvious name and contact information, the hot zone is composed of two key areas:
  • A professional summary
  • A list of selected accomplishments (optional but an excellent marketing tool)
The Professional Summary
Gone are the days of the objective in a resume.  With a few exceptions, a summary is a more powerful intro to a strong resume.  Hiring managers and recruiters frankly don’t care that you are looking for “an upwardly mobile position in a strong company that will provide me with…”

The summary should act as a short commercial about YOU.  It should tell the reader what kind of position you seek, and answer the question “what makes you different or better than the other applicants for this position?”

The first sentence should effectively tell the reader what kind of position you seek and possibly even what industry in which your experience lies.  Listing the broad or generic title of the job you seek in this sentence is ultra-effective in giving a crystal-clear picture of your objective.

Identify yourself as a “Highly effective Software Developer/Programmer with extensive experience in…” or a “Thorough and accurate Accountant with a proven track record of success in…” 

The remaining three or four sentences should begin to paint a picture of your traits and skills directly related to the position you seek.  The summary will serve as a “road map” for the rest of the resume.  Remember to support the statements in your summary in the other portions of your resume.

Remember, tell not what you want the company to do for you; tell what you can do for the company! 

The Selected accomplishments
The next section in the “hot zone” is selected accomplishments.  Since past performance is a key indicator for future contributions, a list of previous successes can be the hook that scores an interview.

This portion should be a list of 3 to 6 selected accomplishments directly relating to the position that the summary indicates you seek.  These should be as quantifiable as possible.  Answer the questions: How many/much?  Which one?  To what extent?  What kind?

To get a better idea of what kind of accomplishments belong in this section, put yourself in the hiring manager’s place and try to see his or her point of view.  What kind of things would be important to you?  In most cases the answer boils down to the bottom line.  How can you save time and money?  Statements that show your success in saving time and money or implementing new process and procedures will be well received.

The Body
The next portion of the resume will be your professional experience.  List the companies you have worked for, your title and the dates of employment (year to year, exclude months).

One of the biggest pitfalls job seekers fall into in this portion is dryly listing job duties.  Employers are interested in achievements, successes, and contributions.  Even in roles where you feel you did not make contributions, upon careful consideration you may be surprised to find out how much of an impact you made.

Were you a supervisor?  Then you led and motivated a team.  If you were a cashier you were entrusted with money, were likely responsible for some type of ledger, and provided customer service.  If you received an award or were recognized for going above and beyond in these roles, that also belongs in the resume in this portion or in the accomplishments section.  Remember to quantify, quantify, quantify!

Another way to make your resume shine and avoid making it sound like a job description is to present your bullets focusing on the problem you encountered, the action you took to solve it and the good results that came about from your actions.  This method, referred to as the PAR method, will show that not only have you done XYZ job but that you have also made positive contributions in your role.

Education/Professional Development
The final portion of the resume should list education and any other pertinent information about you such as continuing education, seminars and other classes you have attended, professional organizations and affiliations you are a member of, and civic involvement (if related to the position you seek).

When listing education, the last degree completed should go first.  There is no need to put the dates you attended.  Also, if you have completed a college degree, High School is assumed and is not necessary to list.

Personal information does not belong on a resume and should be omitted.  Hobbies, gender and a physical description (except in VERY rare and specific instances when it relates to the job) never belong on a resume.

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Executive Resume Writing – Moving Beyond Accomplishments

There is a major difference between conventional resumes and executive resume writing.  Accomplishments are usually the center point of a conventional resume (i.e., indicating how much money was saved, how sales increased, what processes were proposed, planned, initiated, implemented, or streamlined).
 
Executive resume writing, on the other hand, has more than one focus.  It alludes to the executive’s ability to drive profits (accomplishments) and the capacity to lead (that is, to blend various “soft” skills) an organization.
 
Successes are easier to hone in on. The result is clear, often quantifiable. After all, either you penetrated a market or you didn’t, or either you were a top-performer or you weren’t.
 
It is harder to capture emotional competencies on paper, to indicate who you are, what you stand for, how you relate to others, how you affect change within an organization.
 
When executive resume writing - a list of accomplishments does not suffice.
 
Employers expect more, and since your resume is an introduction to your full qualifications, you must incorporate what you have done as well as provide a notion of how you influence others.
 
This information must be presented in a concise and compelling manner given that your resume is your most important marketing tool.

Moving beyond accomplishments

Coupled with a track record of financial success, good leadership is the single most important factor in the survival of an organization. Because of this, executives who point out the following “soft” needed skills on their resume are usually the ones invited to an interview. 
 
They show that they have the intangible qualities that promote the growth of the organization.  These are the elements in question:
  • Visionary – An “idea person” that challenges traditional ways of conducting business, and is willing to take on calculated risks. Demonstrated ability to think strategically, act tactically and have the strength of character to motivate others to buy into his or her ideas, concepts and values.
  • Professional Integrity – A person who understands the value of honesty, accountability and trust in a business environment.
  • Charisma Knack for captivating an audience, having a presence that commands respect and has a natural ability to hold the interest of the listener.
  • Emotional self-control - Someone who anticipates challenges and overcomes those that are unanticipated.
  • Effective use of inner resources A person that trusts his or her gut instincts and takes the initiative to drive change.
  • Flexible Communication Style The ability to assess a situation, and react to it appropriate

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A Good Account of Yourself?

by Steve Holmes

Does your CV promote your professional assets or it is another boring list?
1) issues with structure and design
2) issues with content
3) solutions to these issues

1) issues with structure & design
Some CVs follow the US template from a WP program, which looks unoriginal, fails to carry structured information and usually relies on disembodied lists titled "Profile", "Objectives", "Achievements" or whatever.

The idea is right, to summarise what you are offering, but it really must be as sophisticated as you are, not the same old rubbish about you being a proactive self-starter and team player, cringe….

Many CVs follow an archaic British concept from the days of typing on stencils, huge left-hand margins, no attention to design or typesetting to make the document attractive

Are you trying to say that you are so inept with your WP program that you can only type in the default 12 point Times Roman that inevitably takes up 3 pages or more, that you are so useless with margins and paragraph styles that you cannot even fit your own CV to an attractive page?

2) issues with content
If your information has no overall plan and poor decisions have been taken in terms of what to give priority to, what headings and heading styles to use, how to prioritise information…. This tells people that you don't think clearly.

If the information is stale and skimpy, often culled from job descriptions or assembled in an unstructured list…. This tells people that you cannot communicate.

If the information falls between two stools because it attempts to be effective by quoting results and trying to paint a picture of roles as opposed to mere chronology but these things are not done well enough…. You look mediocre.

3) solutions to these issues (outline concepts)
Think of your CV design as a workspace, a framework for communication.
  • Obviously you lead off with your name, but do you need all those personal details or can they be relegated to page 2?
  • Succinct introduction? Write it last when you know what your USPs really are.
  • In your case, what is most important? Work record? Technical skills? Education? Potential in a new career? Whatever it is, this is what demands prominence.
  • What else needs to be included and what simple heading style will work?
You now have a framework.

Marshall your basic information so that it can be placed within that workspace.
  • USPs: list the main points you need to get across; these might be: experience, track record, training, skills-mix; methodologies, change programmes, what it takes for a new type of role in a new sector. This mix will be summarised in your application letter and it can help to roughly draft that first.
  • Evidence: the rest is basically corroboration: be ruthless with irrelevant facts; summarise detail (they can ask at interview); build the job/role narrative to arouse interest.
  • For each theme that you are working with (or each job you are describing), briefly.
  • Create some context: company scenario; situation you first encountered; changes.
  • illustrate your involvement: roles, levels, structures, visions, plans, implementations, initiatives, very briefly described.
  • offer your results, which can go way beyond targets and figures; your new product saved the company from ruin; you gave a not-for-profit organisation a national profile; you revolutionised the way the company's business structures....
     
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CV Tips Articles on Jobseekers Advice

CV Tips - some tips on how to write your Curriculum Vitae

There are literally hundreds, if not thousands of sites out there offering tips on how to write your CV or Resume - this article covers the basic CV and Resume tips you need to get started.

CV Tips - Use clear formating on your CV - there's no point having having great content if it is horrible to look at!

CV Tips - Don't make your CV too long - your Curriculum Vitae isn't an essay!

CV Tips - Only certain groups of people need photos on their CV (actors, models, etc) - NOT everyone!

CV Tips - Your CV /Resume is about tomorrow, not yesterday. Concentrate on experience and achievement that equips you for an even better future and leave out stuff you have gone beyond.

CV Tips - Put yourself in the mind of the reader and ask what will make them excited. Your CV is not a list of demands for what you want so don't focus on an objective or a naive profile; replace both with a strong but simple list of the assets (knowledge, skills, track records, achievements) that you will contribute to your NEXT employer.

CV Tips - PELLING. Check it once. Check it twice. Have others read it.

CV Tips - There is no conventional grammar in a CV -resume (it's all bullets; phrases; headlines and captions) so turn the grammar checker OFF and don't try to use full sentences.

CV Tips - Never use the first person, I, me, we, our - unless you are very young and want to seem cute.

CV Tips - No text boxes or tables under any circumstances; agencies may wish to manipulate and reformat your CV and that will hinder them.

CV Tips - Watch for repetitions like "responsible for" and try to make your points more than just a job spec or an embarrassing list of "action words" - being all functional and results biased is already old hat - read our advice for more sophisticated and thoughtful alternatives.

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Sales Experience

by Alistair McIntyre

The thought of a career in sales can be a very daunting prospect, especially if you have no previous experience. In this article I will try and talk you through some of my own personal experiences.

Sales, is all about your personality. The difference between a great sales person and a poor sales person generally all comes down to the nature of the individual involved.
If you are bright out going and able to communicate with different people on different levels then you may well find that sales is for you. There is no template for the perfect sales person and there is no true technique that will work for everyone is all comes down to you.

One of the biggest factors that I think comes into play with sales people is money. You think money when you are selling. The money factor is often the catalyst that makes sales people perform. It’s almost like waving the carrot for the donkey.

Sales jobs are very often commission based so the recruitment process is usually very relaxed. In most non-sales jobs employers can pick and chose whom they want to employ.

Sales is different, if you don’t perform you don’t get paid, it really is that simple. There are a few exceptions where you will be offered a salary but generally a sales persons wage is directly reflected by their performance. This could be a big factor when deciding if you want to take a chance with a career in sales.

I was lucky enough to land a placement that included a salary plus bonus. This acted like a safety net. If I had a bad month I still had my basic wage to fall back on.

The commission only package does have other implications, for example, saying to your bank manager you are only paid on a commission only basis may not go down to well when your are applying for a mortgage. These are just a few considerations you should take into account when deciding if sales is for you.

How do you land a sales job?
Most companies that sell either products or services have a team of sales reps that are there to promote and sell their products to the public or businesses.

The sales team are very often the public face of the company and are in effect representing the company’s brand. Conduct is very important in this role. A good sales rep will always try and show the company in good light and be polite and courteous at all times.

The types of companies that are often looking for sales reps are utilities companies, telecommunications and the insurance and financial sector. It is always best to look for companies that are within travelling distance and forward your CV to them. Generally most people would leave the personal statement out of their CV.

In the case of sales I would strongly advise you include it. The reason for this is they really need to know quite a lot about you as a person before they can evaluate your application.

As I have said before the making of a good sales rep all comes from your personality. Put your self across properly and you will do well. Another important point is to try and apply for companies that operate in a market you understand.

For example I would not apply for a sales job selling financial products because to be honest I have very little understanding of this field. Try and stick to things that you either understand or could easily pick up.

Most companies offer full training but it is often good to have a grasp of the basics before you start. When you apply you will generally be given an interview. In sales the interview tends to be very aimed towards you as a person, again it is all about personality.

You need to come across as the right sort of person for the job. Try and be confident, don’t hesitate on questions and generally act as if you are enjoying the interview. 

Training
Most companies offer training to any new starts within the company. Try and take in as much of this as possible. They will offer you tips and tricks to help you out when you are out selling. They will also try and make you a fully aware of the products or service they offer. Training is very often ongoing and you will be brought back in for refresher courses once in a while. At the time they seam pointless but in the long term they do help.

Good sales all comes down to the following
  • Well presented to your customers
  • Good overall product knowledge
  • Confident
  • Well spoken
  • Good listening skills

All these factors play a part in making you a good sales rep There is no magic formula that will make you perform in sales it is all just a learning process. What works for one person won’t work for another. It all comes down to fine-tuning your own personal skills.

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Identifying Your Passion's "Building Blocks"

If you're reading this article, you are probably giving some thought to how you can build a career that you can be more passionate about.

A great first step as you begin exploring the possibilities for a passionate career is identifying your building blocks. Take a look at the things that you have really loved doing over the course of your life and break them down into the reasons ~why~.

When you say "I'm passionate about " or "I love doing _ that's not really the complete picture. Whether you're conscious of it or not, what you really mean is "I love doing _____ because _____, _____, and _____."

You identify your building blocks by exploring those underlying characteristics. Having an understanding of those characteristics can open up a whole new world of potential.

It's like an erector set for your career. Once you have the basic pieces, you can start taking a look at all the different things they could be when they come together.

Thinking about the ~what~ of the things we love doing tends to have a limiting effect. For example, let's say you're passionate about travel photography. OK, so what can you do with that knowledge? It seems to suggest one possible path.  Be a travel photographer.

Exploring the ~why~, on the other hand, expands your horizons, providing the raw material to help you look further. It yields the building blocks that you can look at and ask, "what other kinds of opportunities incorporate those elements?"

So instead of "I'm passionate about travel photography," you dig into the reasons why and find out that "I'm passionate about travel photography because it gives me a medium for exploration. And for discovery. It helps me constantly find new ways of seeing things. And it encourages me to connect with people in a way I otherwise wouldn't."

So the juice doesn't just come from taking pictures in exotic locales. It comes from exploration and discovery, and connecting with people, and seeing things in new ways. For another person, it might be something else entirely.

You can also use those building blocks to evaluate existing opportunities. Let's say you're in the job search, and are trying to decide whether a particular job is a good fit for you. With your list of underlying characteristics of the things you love doing, you can take a look at that job opportunity and say, "Does it have these elements?" If not, it's a pretty good bet that you won't be happy there for the long term.

Your building blocks are there already - you just need to uncover them and put them to use. You may be surprised where they take you.
 
As a Passion Catalyst (sm), Curt Rosengren helps people identify their passions and create careers that ignite them. He works with individuals, conducts workshops, and speaks on passion-focused topics. He also publishes PassionKey (sm), an online newsletter dedicated to helping you live your passion.

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CAREER PLANNING

  BY ©JEFF ROWE
  
What comes to your mind when you think about career planning?  Many people aren’t sure what career planning means.  For our purposes we will define career planning as “A goal that you desire to achieve in a selected field or occupation with a well thought out plan to get you there.”

WHY DECIDE ON A CAREER GOAL?
A career goal helps you focus and make decisions on what you want to do for a living. It directs you, motivates you and helps you to accomplish what you want.  A career goal helps you focus and make decisions on what you want to do for a living. A career goal can be a specific job—such as a clerk or teacher—or a career goal can be a particular field you want to work in, such as transportation or education.

A career goal may help you discover your talent, skills and abilities and possibilities that you wouldn't have thought of.  Many possibilities exist with any career you choose. Having a career goal can guide you to doing what you want to do in your life—rather than just aimlessly drifting from job to job.

Once you choose a career, it would be to your advantage to think strategically about the steps you need to take to accomplish your goal.

The future is unpredictable; however, you should still make career goals and plan the necessary steps to your goal.   

EXPECTATIONS/DISAPPOINTMENTS
With every goal there is an anticipated desired outcome.  We call this an expectation.  Our expectations help keep us motivated.  When we realize our goal, we often feel joy and satisfaction. 

All of us have expectations and disappointments.  In the process in thinking about our goals, we have to be prepared to have disappointments.  

Career planning is simply goal planning with the intention of setting goals for jobs and career.

 However, the only career planning you need is the one that is for you and
your particular needs. 

Career planning is getting information, and with that information, you make a goal, and then plan the steps needed to obtain that goal.

The world we live in works in certain ways.  The more one knows how it works, the better one can achieve those goals by utilizing the processes that will give you the advantage.  Career planning is simply goal planning with the intention of setting goals for jobs and career.

In order to remain competitive you need to be as flexible as you can and continually increase your skills.  Some things you can do are: go to school, take workshops or seminars, keep up with trade journals and talk to people who are knowledgeable in the field.  Today, it’s almost mandatory for us to take some form of training all through our career to keep up with the times.

When I talk about training or skill, I’m not just talking about things like organization and time management, although these are important.  However, stress management, problem solving, risk taking, and overcoming procrastination, to name a few, are equally, if not more important, to getting to your goal.

WHY IS CAREER PLANNING IMPORTANT?
Let’s suppose you choose a field.  Career planning is not planning for that field on a one-time only basis, but it’s a continuing process; in fact, you can call it a lifetime process.  We are always learning and growing, and as we do, our interests and needs also change. Career planning is not just making plans to obtain your “perfect” job or career, but to help you make the many adjustments there will be along the way as you learn about you and your world or work.

Career planning is estimating, predicting and calculating all the steps necessary to achieving your goals.  In the process, you are always making choices.  When you choose one alternative over another, this is called an opportunity cost.  An opportunity cost is the cost of passing up your next best choice when making a decisionIn career planning, we need to always be mindful of our opportunity costs and take into consideration all that will come our way.  Those who have successful careers understand how the game of work is played.  As you can see career planning is more than just looking at jobs and positions and working hard.

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