5 SECRETS OF EFFECTIVE RESUME WRITING

Posted: 27th April 2011 by Lucy in HOW DO I GET THERE
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SECRET #1. WRITE A  RESUME  YOURSELF – its your strength-builder!

Resume writing is not just your practice in an epistolary genre, even though it is an official document, presenting your work history to a prospective employer.  Many people do not believe in their abilities to create such document themselves and ask other professionals to do it for them. ..and they lose.  Why?  By definition a resume is your marketing tool to get you to “the door”  for an interview.   Its less obvious, but not less important  function  is being your strength-builder! In fact, you mentally preparing yourself for future winning job interviews.  Behind  each concise  statement of your resume has to be  a short 2-3 minute story, convincing enough for your employer to decide that you are the best candidate for a current position.

SECRET #2.  START FROM CREATING AN UNLIMITED DRAFT – to be able to match yourself to the best career opportunity!

Believe me – it is not a waste of time. In fact – sending out hundreds and hundreds resumes hoping for a miracle is a waste of time. Sit back and invest your time in self-assessment  – create your life /career profile first. It can take 2,3,4, and more pages – it does not matter, but it supposed to be about every your life and career experience starting from the time, when your first said – I can do it…yes, that deep in your personal development history!  It is what makes you who you are – your values, aptitudes, interests, preferences…and learned skills – small and big victories over life/work challenges, achievements in schools, work places, volunteering, hobbies. Include both soft/or people skills, and your hard/ or technical and academic skills. Write down every experience and learned skill in short statements, shedding more lights on your achievements, activities, which kept your energized and were easy and enjoyable to perform, describe the environment, in which you were the most productive etc. This step is important not only as a preparation for the final tailored version of your resume. It will help you to focus only on the market that fits you perfectly and you will not waste your time applying for jobs, which you would be unsatisfied with.  Sadly,  Statistics shows that only 20 % of people are currently satisfied with their jobs. Thus this stage of resume writing is so important.

SECRET #3. TAILOR YOUR RESUME FOR EACH NEW POSITIONresume kiosk

As previously mentioned, you better send 3 well tailored and adjusted to employer’s frame of mind resumes and get 1 response, than send hundreds without any reply. Finally we got to the point, where the marketing part of your resume will play a good deal for you. Now, our strategy is changing toward thinking from your prospective employer frame of mind. You have to do a research on each company you  applying for, read carefully job posting, select so named Key Words, learn about your employer’s industry language and requirements. Now its time to squeeze out from your draft resume only relevant points and experience and edit it, using lots of action words, Buzz Words for the  industry, emphasize accomplishments and specific results. Be as concise as possible! At this level, you can and even should use help of professional career counsellor…  it is matching time! One of the most important criteria for your successful effective resume – to be a perfect match for the job description. It does not mean – word by word relevance – you still need to be creative and even pro-active to get to a competitive  advantage point or as professional say, to create an adding value to your resume. For example, if you a facilitator – your ability to create a presentation using  modern software will be an adding value for many employers.

SECRET #4. YOU HAVE ONLY 15 SECONDS TO CREATE A FIRST IMPRESSION

Now it is a turn of  resume formatting.  You can not overestimate the importance of the visual impression of your resume, because you have only 15 seconds to grasp an attention of the HR representative. You have to organize the most important part of your content on the first, sometimes the only page of your resume. There are several approaches, described in many sources, to do that:

1. apply the formats, emphasizing

  • your experience – Chronological type;
  • your skills – Functional type,
  • or mix of both

2. keep  formats clean, organized and consistent

  • equal page margins (1-1.25 inches)
  • common, easy-to-read fonts
  • do not overuse paragraphs and bullets
  • do not overuse text enhancements (bold, uppercase are preferable)
  • if using graphics, not overpower the overall message of resume

3. always proofread your resume

SECRET #5.  RESUME ALONG DOES NOT GUARANTEE  YOU A  DREAM JOB

You have to remember that the whole job  search process is your full-time employment and consist of the series of actions, which you have to perform along with the writing and sending out your resume: networking,  job leads search, portfolio building, self-management/ self-image support,  research on labour market information and upgrading your skills to stay up-to-date!  Always stay active with all possible business contacts –  through your friends, or Linkedin connections, volunteering activities, participation in various meetings and job fairs…

Nonetheless, a resume has a usefulness to both: you and your prospective employer. To you, it is helping organize your thoughts about yourself, your training, your experiences, your uniqueness. To an employer, it is a possibility to remember you and a prove of hiring.

EXCELLENCE IS TO DO A COMMON THING

IN AN UNCOMMON WAY

 Let your resume reflect that excellence!

UNEMPLOYED 50+ SURVIVAL KIT

Posted: 25th April 2011 by Lucy in HOW DO I GET THERE, WHO AM I
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A growing number of those who desperately need to work fear they have already been shut out of the work force…

How to overcome these obstacles, when you over  50?
Here are some good tips, given by the best career professionals from blogging discussions on this topic:

“For the over 50 demographic, it’s important to do everything you can to show that you’re still “young.” For example, become computer proficient, including embracing social networking, online research, and more. Also, work on your physical appearance so you are fit, attractive, plus show up with a positive attitude. Learn how to interview with those who could be your children – treat all with respect. It is a tough job market where networking – online and in-person – rules the results of whether or not you get hired.” Meg Montford, Executive Career Coach and President, Abilities Enhanced

“The solution for many of them is to become more entrepreneurial. If they can develop practice, become consultants, or move into an “of counsel” role with a law firm and build practice there, then they can often reboot their careers. If they are successful at marketing and practice development, that can create leverage for career development. The importance of marketing skills for this demographic is paramount. Coaching and counseling to bring out the inner entrepreneur can save a career.”  Sheila Nielsen, President at Nielsen Career Consulting

“Many employees, regardless of age, are making more career/job changes on a frequent basis… long term commitment to an employer is decreasing. That all being said that is why it is ironic that employers are discriminating against older workers. The main items that employers think about when considering an older worker is: 1) can I afford this person and 2) do they exhibit the energy and passion to help the organization reach its goals. Individuals need to consider these items when engaging with potential employers (and relieve their concerns as soon as possible). In addition, individuals need to be mindful of the things they can control (such as resume presentation and personal brand/style as well as considering unique working models)”. Cristie Berger, Associate Director, Workplace Engagement at United Way of Metropolitan Nashville

“I would like to add the importance of flexibility and positive mind-set as critical factors in career change, transition, search effectiveness. Many of us will need to expand our thinking beyond replacing a position lost to the many possibilities for gaining meaningful work outside of the traditional structures in which there are limitations, parameters and shrinking opportunities…
In my view, work generation technique suffers when the focus is on job search. Many discouraged seekers limit themselves chasing opportunities or depending on leads. They lose their excitement and confidence about the work they do. They become isolated and humiliated about their length of unemployment. They often are applying for positions they don’t even want.
Alternatively, when people in transition begin to think about finding work that is meaningful and needed, regardless of whether it is a traditional job in a big (secure) organization, many alternatives become possible. When they get interested and excited about work that want to do rather than a job they can get alternative paths become evident. This translates into projects, consulting, entrepreneurship, advisement, part time, temporary or even volunteer assignments that re-introduce the out of work individual to the structure and stimulation of productivity, being needed, collaborating with colleagues, meeting challenges and opportunities to create something of interest. That beats waiting around for the phone to ring!” Sheryl Spanier, CMF, Executive Career Catalyst and Coach at Sheryl Spanier&Company

“I would just add that we all have our preconceived notions about people and it’s important to get past the stereotypical assumptions about different generations: Ours as well as theirs! I spend time working on how to dispel those myths about older workers some of which have been mentioned here. I suggest that the seasoned professional needs to shift perceptions from “dated” to “contemporary”; from “biding time” to “commitment”; from “unproductive” to “productive”; from “cost” to “value” and from “peer mismatch” to “colleague”. That said, I support Sheryl’s comments on the importance of looking at the “work” we want to do versus the “job” we need to get. I often relate this to Covey’s quadrants and when I ask workshop attendees to determine what is important, I encourage them to think bigger than a job and to vision the life they want to have going forward, what it contains, who is important, etc. because there is more than one way to get there”. Rita Carey, Career Consultant

And finally, the excerpts from an article of a personal finance journalist and commentator with an expertise in career transition and retirement issues Kerry Hannon (http://blogs.forbes.com/kerryhannon/2011/04/23/nonprofits-are-hiring-three-things-you-need-to-know/):

Nonprofit jobs have a certain cachet with boomers looking for a career shift.
I hear it all the time from job seekers, and I get it. It’s a time in life where you’ve made the bucks, climbed the ladder, and so on.
If you’re fortunate, an early retirement, or nice severance package has given you the flexibility to unsnap the velvet handcuffs and get to work doing something that really brings meaning to your life–and those whose lives you touch. You can put your lifetime of skills and tools to work making the world a better place…

The largest piece of that job growth is expected to be at mid-sized and large organizations and primarily in the area of direct services. In other words, jobs on the front lines that involve working directly with people who need assistance, such as counseling, tutoring and mentoring programs. Continued job growth in program management/support and fundraising/development is also expected.

Here are some steps to consider:
Find a nonprofit training program. There are a growing number of organizations in cities around the country designed to help experienced professionals do the nonprofit shuffle through a variety of training programs, fellowships and part-time assignments.
While there’s no guarantee that you’ll get hired by the nonprofit you lend a hand to, it will provide some training, boots on the ground experience and a networking opportunity that can make it well worth your time.

Check for board openings. Another good place to start is BoardnetUSA.org, a website for anyone looking for a nonprofit board. Once you’ve posted your information, you get a weekly e-mail with a list of organizations looking for people who fit your profile.

Volunteer. If you’re on the outside looking it, perhaps the best and easiest way to get noticed is by volunteering your way in the door. … you can never go wrong by stopping in at a local charity whose mission you believe in and offering your time a few hours or more a week. You never know where it will lead and who you might meet there who can help you in your job quest. Importantly, your pro bono work can make a difference. It’s good karma any way you look at it.

“For it is in giving that we receive.” – St Francis of Assisi

NETWORKING

Posted: 24th April 2011 by Lucy in HOW DO I GET THERE
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In accordance with our career guru Richard N. Bolles, there are two fundamental truths about the Job Market:

  1. There are always jobs out there – people get sick, retire, fired, injured etc even in the worst of recession times
  2. Whether you find jobs or not depends on YOU – your perseverance and what methods of job hunting you are using.

There are only 15 % of  advertised  jobs, and 85 % are hidden because they are got filled before being advertised. #1 way to access this type of jobs is Networking.  However,people  prone to spend most of their time on responding to newspapers’ and on-line  job postings, which is 10-12 times less effective than networking techniques.

What is Networking?

By definition, Networking is your formal and informal interconnections with other people. it can be personal – with friends, family and others you meet in an informal gatherings; it can be professional or business oriented – relationships you develop with co-workers, clients, vendors and so on.

We, as humans, always lived in networks. Via family connections, friendship ties, and work relationships, we are interconnected to hundreds or even thousands of specific people, most of whom we do not even know. We affect them, and they affect us.

A recent discovery, made by social scientists at Harvard, confirms that the more connected we are to others, the more happy we become. Look at this model, which represents a local community connections. Each dot represents individual – the yellow ones are happy, and usually lie at the core of the network, connected to many other dots. The blue ones are unhappy and lie at the branches of the human net, barely connected to anyone else. Thus, networking is not just useful tool for our job hunting, but it also affects our active living, health and longevity!

It is also important to understand that Networking alone does not guarantee you a job! There are several keys to successful employment such as career exploration and planning, labour market research, portfolio building, resume and cover letter writing, and finally preparing for an interview.

Another important factor about networking is putting yourself in the employer’s frame of mind. Many of us hunt for jobs in the exact opposite ways from the employers. Employers prefer to fill a vacancy from within, with someone, whose work they have seen already. The next way will be using their best friends or business colleagues as references. Only if these two ways do not work, the employers will pay to an agency they trust for finding them a prospective candidate, or will place an ad on-line or  in newspapers (RichardN. Bolles, What Color is your parachute?) Instead of spending most of our time applying to advertised positions, or seeking help of various job agencies, we can take a shortcut and get in contact with our prospective employers through  networking  in the shortest time possible.

What makes the networking effective?

Networking as a part of the whole job search process is effective only if we apply holistic approach to its strategy – will take time for an extensive homework on ourselves and our labour market: Who we are,  whats out there,and how we can get there! Only when we develop a clear career objective/goal, build  a strong professional portfolio, take time for self-management techniques (job search is a full-time job), work on our  self-image, life-work balance and at the same time improve on our  communication skills, including telephone/on-line/e-mail etiquette,  only then we can count on successful networking .

Networking is helping to generate new job leads and contact employers. How do we we do it? The answer is simple – we constantly meet and communicate with people!

There are various places, events and groups of people, useful for generating information about new job openings:

  1. Job finding clubs, Employment Resource Centers
  2. Job fairs
  3. Professional meetings, conferences
  4. Volunteering
  5. Former colleagues
  6. Members of social clubs/groups
  7. Extended family
  8. Friends
  9. Neighbours
  10. Social Media network (Facebook, Linkedin and others)

How do we network?

This simplified model represents how networking can help you get in contact with your prospective employer. You communicate your job objective to the people you know, and in turn, they discover additional connections, or “bridges”to the contacts that can hire you. You should speak with as many people as you can – friends, colleagues, professional association members – as you never know who they know and where the opportunities lie.

The most popular type of networking today is an on-line networking through various social media such as Linkedin, Facebook, Youtube and many more others. The on-line networking model is the same as a regular human-to-human networking. However, it offers you additional ways of approach because it offers access to all the degrees of connections simultaneously. You can see and analyze your whole network, which growth exponentially,  reach out to direct connections, request an introduction through a first degree connections. Moreover, on-lie networking has many additional advantages:

  1. Organized business e-mail address book
  2. Constantly upgraded  on-line resume
  3. Additional opportunities to market yourself through various brochures, broadcasting, own web-sites and blogging
  4. Multidimensional job research tool
  5. If you look at the World map of social networks you can clearly see that your reach is Global!

Before I finish, I would like to leave you with this image.

This is a map of all the friends’ connections on Facebook. As you can see the whole World is one giant network. Imagine how tremendous an advantage you can get, if you utilize the power of this network in your job search and life.

To discover how Social Media tools can help you to get a job offer, look up for the next Social Media presentation.

 

 

YOU CAN DO IT

Posted: 21st April 2011 by Lucy in WHO AM I
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If you watched the “Sicko” of M.Moore, you
have to agree that something’s wrong with
the health system, which raise multibillion profits of
pharmaceutical and health insurance companies,
while people even with good health insurance
are getting less and less healthy.

     Most of us not only take health for granted, but think that if you feel good, you are healthy. Most of us are wrong! This is the reason why we successfully collect and carry aches and pains in our bodies till “middle age”, and then unsuccessfully try to battle them with multiple expensive treatments, ending up in our senior years with such degenerative diseases like arthritis, high blood pressure, heart disease, and in many cases, unfortunately, die untimely deaths.

We’ve all heard stories of a “healthy” middle-aged executive who drops dead of a massive heart attack just out of blue, doing his regular chores in his garage. Cancer often takes its victims by surprise, developing unnoticed from seven to fifteen years in their bodies. Moreover, statistics data show that one in four will develop heart disease; one in five will die of cancer. The most appalling fact is that young people today are less healthy than at any time since the turn of the century. Obesity epidemic, high blood pressure, failure to meet minimum fitness standards among children are facts that nobody going to argue with.

Such commonplace stories shock us, slapping in the face with a simple fact: a pain-free body isn’t necessarily healthy. They also reveal the basic truth that also feeling good is benefit of health – it is not what health is. But if health isn’t feeling good, what is it?

The answer, actually, in the root word of “health” – “heal”.

         A big part of health is your body’s ability to heal itself. We have symptoms reflect the body’s attempts to self-healing. These symptoms ironically are: sneezing and coughing; diarrhea and vomiting; fatigue; loss of appetite; pain, and fever. All these symptoms are either warning that something is wrong or signs of the body’s attempt to heal itself. For example, the body has a reason for creating fevers: it acts to speed up the action of our immune system! When you touch a hot kettle, pain in your finger tips immediately stops you from continuing of unsafe action. So you know that something’s wrong and you do not hurt yourself further. Our body has a built-in mechanism that wants wounds to heal as fast as possible to prevent infection or destruction.

Health is also how well your body functions. In other words, a person whose liver, heart, spleen, lungs, gallbladder, and every other organ functions at 100% efficiency is much healthier than someone who has the same parts functioning at 60, 70, 80, or even 90%. So our new view of health must recognize that to get healthier we must allow our bodies to function better.

     We often hear from our doctors that self-healing can be dangerous for our health and we need to help our bodies with medications to fight pain and fever, in other words, to fight the symptoms of the disease. But symptoms aren’t the problem. They only point to underlying problem. Unless the true cause is corrected, symptoms come back. Most medications only mask pain while circulating in your blood. Once drugs get flushed from your body, the stage is set for more pain. (Plus drugs themselves have some side-effects, we have to deal with. Plus, multiple drug-resistance has been developed in the microbial word ) We can not rely on drugs as a panacea.  Thus, we have to hold the “golden middle” and trust ourselves not less than to health professionals and pharmaceutical commercials, trust in our ability to treat our diseases even before they are happening to us. There are multiple techniques and strategies to achieve that important condition we call healthy and happy body and mind.

Optimally, it consists of

The key is to make health a life style. You may not be able to cram more activities in your present life. Instead, start replacing some of the things you doing now with the activities, described in these pages. If you do, there’s no way health can keep away from you.

INSIGHTS ON VOLUNTEERING DURING RECESSION

Posted: 11th February 2011 by Lucy in HOW DO I GET THERE, WHO AM I
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THINKING OUTLOUD….
I was thinking about the tendency of FORCED volunteering, which is happening every day for the three most vulnerable layers of our populations: foreign-trained professionals, middle-aged career changers and generation Y recent graduates of high or post-secondary schools. They have all been advised that starting volunteering is the gateway into their dream jobs, networking, getting desirable skills etc. In my opinion, this is a type of exploitation of people’s desperate situations – to me it would be more honest to advocate for these people and create the type of contracts that permit them to stay in the company, after a particular “on-the-job training”, for at least one or two years (similar to the existing wage-subsidy contracts). Working for less money (possibly), but in their own professional fields, they should have enough time to prove their talents and commitment to the profession. I am going to work on this idea for my clients – to me the whole volunteering idea is mixed up in this economy. I cannot imagine people working for free, when they do not have enough money to put food on the table for their family; we push them out of their comfort zone, creating an environment, where they’re  desperate and vulnerable to all sorts of scams .

Do not get me wrong – I am a life-long volunteer myself – I also donate my money to the projects, which seem to improve the quality of people’s life. However, I would never judge any unemployed guy or gal who prefers working double shifts on low-income jobs to volunteering for their favorite causes.
I would do everything to help my clients stay who they are and resolve this problem.I would talk openly about this “volunteering” tendency and negotiating better solutions with prospective employers on clients’ behalf! I would make a proposal to our governments of all levels to stand behind those types of contracts and invest into or subsidize an existing talent pool. In turn, it will help balance the labour flow, will make us competitive on the world scale and will bring benefits to our society as a whole!

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