How to Write a Number of Effective Resumes for Different Jobs

How to Write a Number of Effective Resumes for Different Jobs While the days of the resume being an integral part of the job hunting experience are fading, as new media and online branding seep in, the resume still holds an important part of any job search. Like crocs, newspapers, and travel agencies (to name a few), it is taking a long time to go gentle into the dark night. Until such time as it vanishes like old dad’s hat band, or using the word “dungarees”, we still need to have amazing looking papers to get in the door. As Walter says in the Big Lebowski, “its a f**king show dog with f**king papers”. You, my friends, are the show dog. To get into the show, you gotta have your f**king papers! So, there are 8000+ links out there to show you the right format, the right language, the right this or that or the other thing. I am not going to repeat it, when others have done it to perfection.   What I will do is give some general advice, that should help no matter what your field, what your skill set, what level of your career or even if you have a gap. The guts of my resume philosophy is this: Every single job out there is different. Every place you send your resume into is a different place. So, why do you only have one resume? You need what I call a “Skeleton” resume. One that is easily malleable, where things can be cut and pasted, pulled around taken out or put in. General formats / rules on length / bullets vs. paragraphs / 1st person or 3rd person / “fun” vs. business style these things change! They don’t just change over time but they change on where you are submitting your papers. Not only should your resume match the job, it should match the company culture and the industry. If I applied for a recruiting role at Mobiquity Inc. it would be a far cry from what I would send to Barclays Capital. The goal of the resume is to get you in the door, not to get you the job. It’s one of a series of hoops you need to jump through. 1) NEVER EVER LIE!!!!! However, always remember, it is not what you say, but how you say it. Or, in a resume, where you put it! Make what is applicable closer to the top. Move things around so the “hot buttons” get read first. MORE:  Lying On Resumes: The Truth 2) Use the language: In your experience bullets, use the language of the job description. For example, if it says “3 years developing in C++” and your resume says, “3 years coding in C++” change the word!  Your Summary/Objective etc. bullet on the top should not only reflect the job you are applying for, but use the language of the job description. Make 3-4 lines explaining why that description is YOU and why you have the skills the MAN needs! 3) Size and length does not matter: …to a point (were still talking about resumes here folks, so focus). Your resume needs to be the right size to get your points across. I still think anything over 3 pages is going to be too long. In that case, summarize your earlier work to get it tighter. Between us, no one is going to look past page 2, unless there is a reason, anyway 4) Gaps: Never ever have a gap. Unless your bullet point would be: Smoked a lot of trees, watched all 6 seasons of Lost and all 6 Star Wars films on repeat for 3 months then you need something there.  Show how you kept up your professional skills via courses or books while looking for your next job. Put some non-industry related experience. Put Break for personal reasons, details if requested. SOMETHING to fill the spot that can be asked about! Gaps make me… nervous. Every resume should be as unique as your fingerprint but as a changeable as a recipe for beef stew when your guests include a vegan, someone lactose intolerant and an Armenian. It should match the job and the culture of the company you are sending it. Job hunting has many hoops you need to job before you can win the offer. Getting the interview based on your resume is the first!

4 Ways to Improve Your Companys Diversity and Inclusion - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

4 Ways to Improve Your Company’s Diversity and Inclusion - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career It’s the year 2016, and diversity has finally emerged as a near-universal value in the business world. Company leaders from Alaska to Florida have discovered that to ignore diversity is to ignore untapped pools of talent and potential â€" and doing so leaves our workplaces woefully incomplete in the process. But understanding why inclusion and diversity are worthy goals isn’t always that helpful in determining how to go about implementing these things into your respective business. Let’s examine a few ways you can improve and build on your commitments to diversity and inclusion. With any luck, you’ll come away with something actionable that you can’t wait to implement. Take a Diversity Inclusion Assessment As you may know, the passage of the Dodd-Frank regulation in 2010 was a watershed moment for race relations in the United States. Inspired by the catastrophic financial crisis of 2008, Dodd-Frank set out to ensure that future crises did not disproportionately affect African American communities and other minorities, as the events of 2008 definitely did. Barney Frank and Chris Dodd included Section 342 in the Act, the ultimate goal of which was to create an environment of transparency and awareness of the many ways that race and diversity policies play a role in the economy. An effective first step toward improving your company’s diversity practices is to take an inclusion self-assessment. While Dodd-Frank targeted financial institutions, the standards and practices prescribed by this law can easily apply to a variety of other companies and industries who want to round out their workforce. Seek Out New Pools of Talent While legal framework and diversity guidelines play an important role in elevating the public’s understanding of inclusion and diversity, there’s something much more fundamental that you can do as a business leader to make sure you’re finding a diverse array of talent: Seek out employees in new places. Although race is probably the first thing you think of when the word “diversity” comes up, it should be clear by now that skin color is only one type of diversity. There’s also “diversity of thought,” which might actually be more important than the more superficial varieties. As an example, consider the difficulty that returning servicemen and women often face after their tours of duty are over. There’s a reason why “Hire A Veteran” is a popular refrain among business leaders and advocacy groups â€" veterans have a wealth of experiences, new perspectives, and world-class discipline. And sometimes they simply need a helping hand to re-assimilate into civilian life and find a worthwhile career path. Another example, though perhaps a more controversial one, is to consider hiring people with a criminal record. It’s nothing short of tragic that even reformed non-violent criminals are required to disclose their pasts in full to potential employers â€" an act that often prevents them from landing the jobs they need to continue their path toward redemption. If someone has already paid their debt to society and is now actively looking for ways to improve their station in life, job creators have a responsibility to give these people a chance â€" and they’ll likely enhance their company’s diversity and breadth of perspectives in the process. Make Your Brand Synonymous With Diversity All of the best companies lead by example â€" and that’s why it’s important to demonstrate why, and how, your business is committed to diversity. Inclusion tends to be something of a self-fulfilling prophesy: Becoming more diverse causes your business to, well, become more diverse. In other words, if you make a point of lending your voice to the ongoing nationwide conversation about diversity, you’ll find yourself inevitably courting new and diverse talent from America’s untapped communities of aspiring professionals. We’re not talking about tokenism. This isn’t about shoving your minority employees to the front of every company photograph. It’s about becoming active in the community and lending your voice to pro-diversity programs. Consider, for example, making scholarships or internships available for people who come from disproportionately under-represented groups. This is a great way to elevate your brand and introduce new opportunities for people in need of advocacy. Although it might smack of self-promotion, don’t forget to be proud of your company’s accomplishments in the realm of diversity. Be sure to display any awards or accolades you’ve received. Be both proud and public about any partnerships you’ve built with minority advocacy groups in your area. You can search through the NHS’s directory of national minority organizations to see what’s happening in your community and learn how you can help. Think About How You Appraise Employees Even the most aggressively diverse business might have a problem with “cascading bias” â€" which is much less likely to receive attention, or to be remedied overnight. Cascading bias is simply a set of assumptions made about what a “typical” employee looks like, and which values, personalities, and other attributes are most likely to cause an employee to ascend through the ranks. In other words, the very culture of the modern company may have inadvertently built itself upon certain stereotypes. An abundance of research appears to demonstrate that companies often use already successful employees as the basis for deciding what success looks like in the workplace. This is best demonstrated with an example: No matter how well your business does at recruiting and empowering women in the workplace, mothers of small children are always going to have unique challenges and responsibilities beyond their day jobs. Women are less likely to work overtime than men, and that’s a problem as long as “working overtime” is held up as the gold standard of employee excellence. Single men are, by default, favored over working mothers simply as a matter of course. This is cascading bias, and it’s an easy thing to overlook. To fix this, take a hard look at what a “successful employee” really looks like. You might be surprised to discover some of the sources of bias. In the end, committing to diversity requires us to come to terms with both the conscious and unconscious mind. Building workplace communities that accurately depict America as a melting pot is a tough job, and it requires us to face more than the obvious sources of bias â€" the ones most likely be addressed by new legislation. We also need to recognize the less obvious ones, such as cultural bias. It’s probably fair to say that we’re closer than ever to living in a world where inclusion happens on its own. Hopefully someday it will come easier â€" and that’s a future worth believing in.

Three Ways to Date to Get a Job - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Three Ways to Date to Get a Job - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Dating to get a job? I have written before about how the dating process is very synonymous to the job search process. Sometimes to get the job you want, you need to be creative and ask for the date. I am working with three very experienced professionals on their job searches. Each was approached by employers about positions but… the employer was not quite ready to make that all-important hiring decision. Whether it was budget, cultural fit, or they were just nervous about expanding, a lot of employers drag their feet in pulling the trigger. Sound familiar? How about asking for a date to get a job? Let me recount three different scenarios that have happened in the last month. Client #1 Client #1 interviewed with a small firm that is rapidly expanding. They were very impressed with the client’s skills and, more importantly, the client’s background with a particular channel partner. Client #1 proposed a multi-step strategy during the interview process that the hiring manager really liked.  They were not ready to hire though! They put the process on hold. Client #1 proposed instead a 20-hour per week contract to develop the first two steps of the plan. They liked the idea and are currently considering it. Rather than going away Client #1 asked for a date to get a job! Client #2 Client #2 interviewed with a technology consulting firm. They know they needed someone with this client’s skill set for a newly created position. But they were not sure how this newly created position would fit in the organization. They again put this position on hold. Client #2 proposed a 90 day contract to get the ball moving. They liked the idea but want to wait until January. Rather than walking away Client #2 asked for a date to get a job. Client #3 Client #3 interviewed for a marketing position with a growing engineering firm. They have never hired a full-time marketing person. Client #3 realized what they really need first is a marketing plan and told them that during the interview. In the meantime, a critical person was fired from the engineering firm and the marketing position was put on hold while they fill the other critical position. Client #3 proposed to come in as a consultant to write the marketing plan. We are waiting on their response. Rather than walking away Client #3 asked for a date to get a job. I am pretty confident that if any of the companies accept the offer to date, the client will get the job, if he or she decides, ultimately, to take it. This is like dating and marriage, you both have to agree that it is the right thing to do. I have seen a lot of positions being put on hold because the companies are not sure if they know exactly what they want or if the expense is worth the potential reward. Be willing to be creative and make an offer to date to see if making the hire is worthwhile. It also gives you the opportunity to see if this is someplace you want to work. Give it a try! Ask for a date to get a job! Thanks! Marc Miller Career Pivot Check out my book Repurpose Your Career A Practical Guide for Baby Boomers

5 Signs that Your Resume is Behind The Times

5 Signs that Your Resume is Behind The Times Numerous clients, especially at the senior professional level, approach me for help because they have not updated their resume for many years. Recognizing that resume trends have drastically changed, they come seeking assistance to ensure they remain competitive in today’s tough job market. A smart move, because just as you update your fashion to keep up with current trends, you need to update your resume too. How can you tell if your resume is outdated and needs a professional makeover?   Five sure signs include: Your current resume has been typed up in a pre-designed template. If so, it probably looks like most of the resumes out there and this is doing nothing to help set you apart from your competitors.Sharon Graham, Canada’s Career Strategist, covers this topic in a  recent post,  stating: “Templates don’t account for strategy. You can’t effectively address obstacles in your history such as career gaps, career changes, or anomalies in your career path within the confines of a template”.You are unique so your resume should be too.  If you are not proficient  in strong resume content and design development seek assistance. Your resume wastes prime real estate. The top 1/3 of your resume is prime resume real estate, so dont  waste this space talking about what you want.  Listing an objective is an  old fashioned introduction that has not been used for several years.An objective adds no value and it is all about you; instead you want a clear title and strong profile at the very start of your resume, distinguishing what you have to offer prospective employers.Locate your  10% difference and clearly articulate how  you are prepared to apply your unique value to solve employers pain points.    Use your resume real estate wisely. Your resume reads like a career obituary. Snore.  If you have cut and paste job descriptions into your “Work Experience” section you are not selling value you are simply reiterating basic  work tasks.   Employers are not interested in what you were ‘responsible for’; they want to know what you can do for them!   Demonstrate your worth  through accomplishment-driven stories that are supported by numbers and metrics.  You must provide  proof  of the skills you claim to have expertise in. Dig deep and unearth some solid career achievements to help your resume shine. Your resume runs on and on.     This is probably due to lack of strategic direction and targeted content selection (related to points 1 and 3).   Today’s resume should never run longer than 3 pages, with 2 pages being the most common length. The average person will spend mere seconds scanning your resume initially (if you are lucky enough to get it read by an actual person, which you should aim to do!).  If your resume can not hook and engage with easily digestible bite-sized zingers, it runs the risk of losing the interest of the reader.  Select a resume strategy that works best for you and your work history.  Start by selecting the right format. The resume ends with the outdated line “References Available Upon Request”. It is assumed you will provide references upon request, at the interview, so save this space in the resume for something of greater benefit.  Do not date yourself by including this line.  A final extra tip! A good way to show that you are engaged with current trends and up-to-date with modern information sharing would be to showcase your social media addresses at the top of your resume â€" LinkedIn being the most common and critical (see why  here). If your resume needs updating and you are not sure how, seek help from a certified resume strategist, and then implement good career management by keeping it current and updating it regularly â€" your future self will surely thank you. 5 Signs that Your Resume is Behind The Times Numerous clients, especially at the senior professional level, approach me for help because they have not updated their resume for many years. Recognizing that resume trends have drastically changed, they come seeking assistance to ensure they remain competitive in today’s tough job market. A smart move, because just as you update your fashion to keep up with current trends, you need to update your resume too. How can you tell if your resume is outdated and needs a professional makeover?   Five sure signs include: Your current resume has been typed up in a pre-designed template. If so, it probably looks like most of the resumes out there and this is doing nothing to help set you apart from your competitors.Sharon Graham, Canada’s Career Strategist, covers this topic in a  recent post,  stating: “Templates don’t account for strategy. You can’t effectively address obstacles in your history such as career gaps, career changes, or anomalies in your career path within the confines of a template”.You are unique so your resume should be too.  If you are not proficient  in strong resume content and design development seek assistance. Your resume wastes prime real estate. The top 1/3 of your resume is prime resume real estate, so dont  waste this space talking about what you want.  Listing an objective is an  old fashioned introduction that has not been used for several years.An objective adds no value and it is all about you; instead you want a clear title and strong profile at the very start of your resume, distinguishing what you have to offer prospective employers.Locate your  10% difference and clearly articulate how  you are prepared to apply your unique value to solve employers pain points.    Use your resume real estate wisely. Your resume reads like a career obituary. Snore.  If you have cut and paste job descriptions into your “Work Experience” section you are not selling value you are simply reiterating basic  work tasks.   Employers are not interested in what you were ‘responsible for’; they want to know what you can do for them!   Demonstrate your worth  through accomplishment-driven stories that are supported by numbers and metrics.  You must provide  proof  of the skills you claim to have expertise in. Dig deep and unearth some solid career achievements to help your resume shine. Your resume runs on and on.     This is probably due to lack of strategic direction and targeted content selection (related to points 1 and 3).   Today’s resume should never run longer than 3 pages, with 2 pages being the most common length. The average person will spend mere seconds scanning your resume initially (if you are lucky enough to get it read by an actual person, which you should aim to do!).  If your resume can not hook and engage with easily digestible bite-sized zingers, it runs the risk of losing the interest of the reader.  Select a resume strategy that works best for you and your work history.  Start by selecting the right format. The resume ends with the outdated line “References Available Upon Request”. It is assumed you will provide references upon request, at the interview, so save this space in the resume for something of greater benefit.  Do not date yourself by including this line.  A final extra tip! A good way to show that you are engaged with current trends and up-to-date with modern information sharing would be to showcase your social media addresses at the top of your resume â€" LinkedIn being the most common and critical (see why  here). If your resume needs updating and you are not sure how, seek help from a certified resume strategist, and then implement good career management by keeping it current and updating it regularly â€" your future self will surely thank you.