Saturday, May 30, 2020

You Might Be A RedNeck If Applied To Rejection Letters

You Might Be A RedNeck If … Applied To Rejection Letters One of my earliest JibberJobber Partners is Liz Handlin of Ultime Resumes.   I met Liz in person at the inaugural blogger dinner in Austin, Texas. She is a super cool, and has a really fun background. Recently she wrote a post titled You Might Get A Rejection Letter If, which is a spinoff of Jeff Foxworthys You Might Be a Redneck If Click over to her blog post and basque in the rejection letter fun! My LinkedIn for Job Seekers DVD should be in my office in the next seven days.   If you want to get one for a great price, buy it now.   The price goes up as soon as I get them in my office. You Might Be A RedNeck If … Applied To Rejection Letters One of my earliest JibberJobber Partners is Liz Handlin of Ultime Resumes.   I met Liz in person at the inaugural blogger dinner in Austin, Texas. She is a super cool, and has a really fun background. Recently she wrote a post titled You Might Get A Rejection Letter If, which is a spinoff of Jeff Foxworthys You Might Be a Redneck If Click over to her blog post and basque in the rejection letter fun! My LinkedIn for Job Seekers DVD should be in my office in the next seven days.   If you want to get one for a great price, buy it now.   The price goes up as soon as I get them in my office.

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Resume Writing For the Federal Government

Resume Writing For the Federal GovernmentThere are some things you can do to help your resume write for the federal government. Writing a good one can be a bit of a challenge, but there are many tips and tricks you can use to help your resume write for the federal government.You will find that there are some government job seekers who do not have any type of experience when applying for their first job. Even if they have had experience in the past, it can make a big difference when applying for a federal position. This is why they should always take the time to find out what kind of experience they have that they are looking for.Some people have never applied for a government job before. It is not unusual for many people to begin looking for jobs online after a divorce or a layoff from their current job. The reason that many people begin looking for new jobs online is because they are not able to wait for the employer to come to them.If you are not willing to wait for someone to call you, then this may be the best way for you to get new jobs. You can also use the internet to research for jobs by getting information on the federal job openings available. There are many job search websites that allow you to do your own resume writing for the federal government.Submit your resume online as well as sending it to a few of the smaller federal jobs sites that are available. You should be able to get some response on the site if you submit a resume online. Your online resume is going to be the first thing the person reading it sees, so this is a great place to start.Other than submitting your resume online, there are other ways that you can do resume writing for the federal government. You can send a cover letter to the human resources officer at the job you are applying for and include a few personal references. People will read this letter and realize you are a hard worker, and they will more than likely call you.The resume should also highlight your skills and quali fications. It is much easier to create a resume if you know what you are looking for. If you know what you want, you can use the skills you have learned in college or what you have learned in business to add something to your resume.There are many different resumes that are designed to meet certain needs, so be sure to look at your own before you begin to write a resume for the federal government. Make sure that you are using all of the tools available to you to write a resume that will help you get hired.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

3 Ways to Find a New Job in 2019

3 Ways to Find a New Job in 2019 If you are unhappy in your current position, the idea of finding a new job seems to be on your mind from day 1 of a new year.It is not easy to just wake up on January 1st and decide, “I am going to get a new job.” No one gets a job anymore. It takes work and doing creative things no other job seeker does.We explain 3 ways how to do this when finding a new job in 2019.Use Job Boards Specifically Geared Toward Your Career NeedsJob boards, including Google’s job search, can have every filter in the world. However, you still have to know how to search in order to find the job you want.Even still, it does not mean the job board is attracting employers looking for job seekers like you. You may have specific needs, such as a need to work remotely or experience in a niche industry. Your jobs do not appear everywhere because not many people perform them.Some examples of job boards geared specifically towards your needs:Remote jobs: Flexjobs Virtual Vocations Humanitarian jobs: ReliefWe b.com Jobs in the Arts: NYFA.orgIf you are looking for work online, your first Google search should be for the job board best suited to your career needs.Go Straight to the Source: Career SectionsIn a world of spin and marketing, try doing something unique: Go straight to the company you wish to work for and the career section on the website.You have to do some research, first. Look around Google at the top-performing companies working in your favorite industry. Then, look at their competitors.Scroll to the bottom of every company website. You will find a link to a company job board. The benefit of doing this is that you are putting your name in their company database, much like you would create a LinkedIn profile.If the company does not have such a section, you can still find the people working at the company on LinkedIn. Message them. It is social media. You are being social in your job search.Outsource Your Job SearchFind My Profession helps executives with their job search. Havi ng a job and job searching are two very difficult things to manage. After all, you cannot announce to your boss, “Hey, I need time to find a new job, so I can quit.”Companies like this perform processes such as networking, filling out job applications, resume writing services, interview training, and LinkedIn profile makeovers.This is a new form of finding a new job. It is highly effective mainly because the staff is helping companies, recruiters, hiring managers and job seekers, all at the same time. More so, the idea of using such a service is creative and saves time. It’s a smart move.

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Dates on Resume Demystifying the Applicant Tracking System

Dates on Resume â€" Demystifying the Applicant Tracking System I saw a blog post last week about how to write dates on resumes.  It inferred that if job seekers don’t use the writer’s prescribed format, then applicant tracking systems (ATS) will shoot their resumes to the Black Hole of Death.Not the case.Parsing Software Reads Your ResumeFirst, to pick nits, the ATS doesn’t read your resume. Rather, applicant tracking systems include resume  parsing software. The parsing software reads your resume seeking to populate a database of user-defined requirements.Beyond that, organizations use many different parsers. They range in accuracy from “not so good” to “almost as good as a human reader.” Thus, a small real estate management company might use an inexpensive, not so good parser while a large Wall Street investment bank might have a parser thats almost as good at parsing language as you would be.Some companies write their own parsers. Other companies buy parsers and integrate them with their ATS. If you google around a bit, you can even find free parsing software.The ATS Isn’t a MonolithBloggers often write about the ATS as if it’s a monolith with an inalienable set of truths and rules.As you can see from the above, that’s far from true. Companies can choose from many systems and parsing options (which use a  variety of parsing methodologies). Moreover, they define the data they want their parsers to find.Thus, they tell their systems how to look at your work history, your years of experience, your job experience, whether or not they care about older jobs, etc.Applicants Don’t All Write Dates on Resumes the Same WayBeyond the variety found in parsing software, methodologies, and user requirements, applicants vary in how they present information in their resumes.The people who develop parsing software know this, so they write code that enables their parser to recognize different presentations of the same information.You hope the prospective employers you’re applying to have invested in highly accurate resume parsing software. However, you don’t know exactly how their parser works, so you don’t have a way to compensate within your resume if they haven’t.That’s why it’s best for you to  network  your resume into the hands of the hiring manager.How a Good Resume Parser Handles Dates on ResumesNow lets examine what parsers do with dates.Applicants write dates of employment and graduation dates in a variety of ways. They might use months and years or just years. Some people leave dates off of their education.A good developer will study reams of resumes to identify the different ways people write dates. They will then code their parser to recognize all of them. You can read a discussion of that here. As you will see, in all likelihood, the ATS doesn’t care how you write dates on your resume. It wants you to list the dates, but it should have your back on a variety of ways for you to do so.Chill on the ATS ParanoiaWhile it’s good to be aware of resume parsing techniques, it’s also important to use common sense. Don’t believe everything you read about the evil ATS.Ask yourself if it’s likely that parsing software would be written to compensate for what you’re worried about, such as how to present dates. If it is, then relax and move on with your job search.Image Courtesy of Toa Heftiba Updated March 2019 2015 2019, Donna Svei. All rights reserved.Donna SveiDonna Svei, an executive resume writer and former C-level executive, retained search consultant, and CPA, writes all of AvidCareerists posts. She has written for and been quoted by leading business, general, and career media outlets, including Forbes, Mashable, Fast Company, Entrepreneur, Business Insider, Lifehacker, Ask.com, Social Media Today, IT World, SmartBrief, Payscale, Business News Daily, and the Muse. Let her background and experience inform your job search strategy and decision making.Learn more about Donnas executive resume writing service or email Donna for more information. Resumes â€" Structure Format (5 Posts)

Saturday, May 16, 2020

Writing a Resume For Something Other Than Your Profession

Writing a Resume For Something Other Than Your ProfessionWriting a resume for something other than your profession is a challenging task. It can be a real challenge to find the information that you need when you start out. If you are applying for a job that is going to take you away from your profession then you will need to put some extra effort into the process. You are only limited by your imagination and you should never feel bad about asking for help.The first thing that you need to do is consider if you want to write a resume for something else other than your profession. Many people who are out of their profession still have skills and experience that they could use in a different position. You can use these skills to get the job that you are applying for. This can help you get hired faster and it can give you an edge over others. You may find that the people that interview you are looking at your resume, which is nice.The second thing that you need to do is to make sure that you think about your area of expertise and what your main reason for applying for something else is. This is not always easy to do because you really don't know what you would do if you were hired. You should look at your strengths and weaknesses to determine what you can bring to the organization. You should also look at the experience that you have and what you can offer that they are missing.The third thing that you need to do is to make sure that you take the time to really research the organization that you are applying for and consider the type of work that you could be doing if they were hiring. Take a look at your field of expertise and see what it is that you enjoy about your profession. Look at what the organization needs and see if you can add to what they need. You may be surprised at how many jobs that are available for somebody that is looking for a change of pace.A resume can be a very complicated process and it can be difficult to write one for something other than y our profession. You need to ensure that you do a good job of researching and that you cover all of the bases. It is going to take some time but you will find that you will get more results when you use this strategy rather than trying to tackle it on your own.Now that you have considered writing a resume for something else, you need to figure out exactly what you are going to include on it. You need to make sure that you include all of the things that you need to and make sure that you list them. You need to know that they are included or you are going to waste your time. You need to be very thorough when you do this so that you can find the information that you need to put into the document.When you are writing a resume for something other than your profession, you are going to want to make sure that you have a working knowledge of the job. You want to make sure that you know what is expected of you and what your job duties are. You may want to learn some job descriptions and try t o learn as much as you can. This will help you prepare yourself for the interview process and it will help you be prepared when the time comes.Writing a resume for something other than your profession can be a challenge. You are going to need to put some extra work into it. You will also want to take some time to research the organization and their needs so that you can add to the document that you are writing. With a little bit of thought and some research you can come up with a resume that will be perfect for what you are applying for.

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Banish the Job Search Crap. Youre Being Watched!

Banish the Job Search Crap. You’re Being Watched! Banish the Job Search Crap â€" You’re Being Watched! Did you know that every move you make is being observed? Did you know that the interviewer is examining if the skills you display during that one meeting (phone or face-to-face) are good enough to be a future employee? Here are some stories the interviewer is telling himself/herself while they are watching and listening: If you are late, you will be late for work days or important business meetings. If you ask generic questions like “What do you do?” or “What does your company do?” than you did not prepare for this interview. Therefore, you will not be prepared for on-the-job meetings. If you don’t present your skills in a relevant way to the interviewer, then you won’t make your work relevant to the company while on the job. If you look disheveled or sloppy, then that’s how you will come to work. My goal is to help you “Cut the Crap, Get a Job”. And “crap” comes in two forms: the mistakes you are making that sabotage your odds and, two, the excuses you make for yourself along the way. So, here are two rules to apply when you are conducting any type of job search meeting. Rule #1: This is Your BEST Day. A touch point with anybody, either via phone, e-mail or face-to-face is supposed to be your BEST DAY. That means there is no room for “crap” of any kind. Unfortunately, during the last 30+ years of hiring, recruiting, interviewing and helping thousands of people, the errors and excuses are getting worse, not better. In today’s age of texting, social media, multi-tasking, and economic pressure, candidates are sloppier and less prepared. Frankly, they are lazier with their job search. Virtually gone are the days of proofing every sentence, clearing all grammatical and typo errors, asking someone else to give you feedback on your cover letter AND, worst of all, the days of mock interviews to practice. You will stand out if you are making a touch point a positive experience. Rule #2: You Are Always Interviewing. John arrived at Barbara’s office for an “informational interview”. An informational interview is probably the best form of networking as it gives you the opportunity to meet with someone closely connected to a job you want without formally interviewing. It is an exploratory, fact-finding meeting only and can be very effective to secure more insights about a posted position, get names of other contacts, learn the company jargon, get leads for other jobs and much more. John asked for the appropriate 30 minutes and arrived on time. What John forgot was that he truly was being interviewed in the sense that Barbara was observing and building a perception about John throughout the meeting. She happened to have some jobs opening up soon and she knew of other positions at her company, as well. John didn’t know that. Where John displayed “crap” in the form of mistakes and excuses: He didn’t come in prepared with a minimum of 3 good questions. He didn’t have a pen and paper to take notes with or a copy of his resume, which Barbara asked him for. John’s excuse was “I thought this wasn’t an interview.” John let his guard down. When Barbara asked why he is looking for a new role, he said “Well, off the record, my current boss and I don’t see eye-to-eye. He’s stubborn and won’t let me innovate as much as I want to”. Oops. If John treated this meeting like an interview, he would have had a top notch interview answer. John just kept asking questions without watching the clock. Barbara was generous by giving him thirty minutes and John needs to run a tight meeting. I recommend the “law of 3s”…no more than 3 main questions, no more than 3 answers to one question, then stop talking. No follow up. John thought well, that was just an informational meeting, so I’ll thank Barbara if something comes out of the information she provided. Big miss and bad form. As a result, Barbara did not invite him to interview for her positions and made a note in the online human resources system that he was not a candidate for their company. Come on, job seekers! Cut the Crap, Get a Job! Raise the bar, be your best at all times, and, as a result, you will be amazed what good things happen.

Friday, May 8, 2020

Whats Your Lifes Work

Whats Your Lifes Work Do you keep in touch with your friends from high school? I didn’t until recently when I got back in touch with a few. That's when I discovered that some have gone on to become highly successful. I visited one of them last week â€" let's call him Paul â€" who is an architect. He gave me a tour of his office, and it was amazing. He and his partner have close to 100 people on the team, spread over an entire floor and a half of the building in the coolest part of town. On his desk was a drawing for a gorgeous 25,000 ft. ² house he’s designing for a client. Hard to imagine living in a house that big, much less affording to pay for and heat it, right? It turns out that Paul is an “architect to the stars”. His client list is filled with A-list movie stars, supermodels and seriously successful business moguls. He has built a multimillion-dollar business and a reputation as one of the very best in the business at what he does. And for Paul, at the heart of it is the art â€" he is doing what he loves. At the end of the visit, Paul walked me to the elevator. As we turned to look at the door to his offices, he said to me, That's my life's work in there. Wow. One’s life’s work. These are three words I haven’t thought about â€" perhaps ever. Paul’s words stopped me “dead in my tracks” and made me think: what's my life's work? What could I point to and say those words about with pride? A family photo album of my three kids and husband? The lucites and tombstones from a series of investment banking deals, including the telecom “clean sweep” when we won 100% market share? My business card from back in the day with the title Managing Director in one of the most competitive businesses in the world? My website and blog posts? The clients I have coached and people who have heard me speak? In the end, I’ve concluded that I’m still a work in progress. I’m still creating my life’s work. And it may not be just one thing. What matters is that I keep asking, keep thinking, and keep going. So, what is your life’s work? Have you been doing it all along? Are you getting ready to do it? Is it just one thing? Where does it live? And does it bring you joy? (Photo credit: Monument to Change as it Changes, Peter Wegner)