You edit and review and then do it over again until you believe your resume is perfect. Then you go off and marry the thing and refuse to let anything go from it. I need to tell you right now the resume is just a document to get the attention of the hiring manager.
{ 1 comment }
The following post was written by Jenny Treanor, career advisor and job search expert with LiveCareer providing consultation for staffing firms, hiring managers and job seekers for hiredMYway.com. Read her bio after the post.
A few of your friends are looking for work, just like you, and all of you seem to be going through the same ups and downs as you edit your resumes and scan job boards for open positions.
{ 0 comments }
While you are searching hiredMYway.com for job postings, employers and recruiters are also searching the database of job seekers to find qualified candidates for their positions. Learn to maximize your chances of being found this way.
When recruiters search for prospective hires, they often begin with a keyword search. Keywords are profession-specific, and if you know how to use them, they can increase the likelihood that your resume will make it through the first round of screening.
{ 0 comments }
The average resume gets read in 10 seconds. 
Remember that 40 percent of a hiring decision is based on personality. It is important to remember that the job search though cold and static at the start is essentially about putting people we like in positions they are qualified for.
So your personality, the fit of that personality within an organization can be the determining factor of where you get the job. When showing your personality it’s important to know exactly who you are. Figure out your likes and dislikes, and what’s unique about you.
{ 1 comment }
Google receives upwards of 75,000 resumes a week, and for highly competitive positions at moderately well-known companies you’re looking at roughly 25-200 applicants a week who are apply for open positions. So how often do you think your attachment that reads “cover letter” is actually read?
Most resumes are scanned into an ATS system or processed via job boards with key word search algorithms that make the cover letter obsolete with the use of modern technology. With email and online messaging, it is cumbersome to make someone open an attachment with the old school notion of a letter attached.
So understand that your cover letter isn’t going to get opened and this does not mean it does not have value, it just means its method of delivery needs to change with the times and it might require a little strategy to make a true impact.
{ 1 comment }
When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for people to pay their bills, and dissolve the financial bands which connect them to a debt, they should declare themselves employed and live comfortably in this financial separation.
I hold this truth to be self-evident…and so should you!
In 1776, the Founding Fathers wrote a resume for America. Sure, they didn’t think of it like that, but for anyone reading this, just humor me! Their ideas can help inspire your job search and stand out.
{ 0 comments }
I’m sure you’ve heard about Pinterest – the latest social media craze to hit the web! And if you’ve spent any time on it, you’ve probably realized how fun and addicting it can be.
But, did you know you can also use Pinterest to build yourself a unique social media resume?
If you’re unfamiliar, the basic idea behind Pinterest is it’s a virtual corkboard to pin your favorite items to – with a strong focus on visual appeal. You organize your “pins” into boards by category.
Most people use it to collect favorite recipes, products they’d like to own, DIY ideas, and funny images, but you can also create a unique, visually-oriented resume board very easily. This is especially so if you are a creative person, and have portfolio pieces you can display.
I went through all the steps and created my own Pinterest resume board, so here are the basics and the steps to take to create your own: [click to continue…]
{ 10 comments }
This time of year, you hear a lot of talk about resumes. You also hear people ask a lot of questions. Questions like, which school is the best? Who has the most experience? Who’s going to make it to the Final Four? Of course, I’m talking about hiring! Apparently there’s a basketball tournament going on as well, or so I’ve heard.
Interestingly, there’s a definite connection between the two. Some job seekers have their eyes on the championship. Some are focused on being in the final four of the candidate pool. Others still are happy just to be a part of the “big dance”. Sure, even in hiring there’s upsets, candidates on the bubble, Cinderella stories, and “#1 seeds”. But the real question is, how do you stack up? How far would you make it? What “seed” would you be? If you think you know, then I challenge you to read these job seeker types before filling out any “brackets”.
{ 0 comments }
The future is happening now – before you know it your life will probably be run through a cell phone. Clearly we are living the future everyday, and every advance in technology continually reshapes our culture.
So in terms of job searching, are paper resumes going to last much longer, or will they be completely replaced by online profiles and video resumes as we change with the times?
Think about what a video resume does: it sells you and sells you again, and never stops working on your behalf. You can perfect your message, perfect your brand, and really showcase why you are the best talent available. You no longer need to be a film major to make a video resume. So what are the defining elements of a good video resume that will land you your next job? [click to continue…]
{ 5 comments }
Are you paying attention? Are you really reading this or are you skimming while you do 10 other things and talk on the phone? There is a difference between hearing a person’s words and being actively engaged in what they are saying. We often stand in our own way of being truly able to listen, most likely because of the thousands of stimuli we have surrounding us at any given moment.
So when it comes to reading your resume or online profile, what is the likelihood that someone is paying attention? You guessed it: slim to none. It is more important than ever that you know how to captivate your audience within the blink of an eye, the passing of a breeze or before the next piece of information hits their Facebook news feed.
The average attention span for adults is only about 7 seconds. 7 precious seconds, and then we are on to the next thought. So how will you ever capture an employer or recruiter who is sifting through hundreds of resumes and profiles?
{ 9 comments }
