New Year’s Resume Resolutions

Is updating your resume on your list of resolutions for 2015? If your resume hasn’t been revamped in years, it probably should be. You’ve changed, and so should your resume. These tips will help you create a new resume that accurately reflects where you are in your career and life now.

1. Start from scratch.
   Of course, you can still refer back to your original resume. However, tacking more onto it will likely make it messier than it already is, so start out with a blank page. This will allow you to create a new resume that looks and feels fresh. Your resume probably seemed awesome when you first created it, but now it’s likely stale because new resume trends have taken over.
   
   
2. Make it visually engaging.
   There’s more competition for employment than ever, so you need a resume that stands out. A visually engaging resume goes a long way. Your objective should be clear and prominent at the top of the page so a recruiter can glance at it and know who you are and what you are seeking. Sticking to one page makes your resume easy to consume, and the most significant information should be listed first so it is not missed.
   
   
3. Make sure it looks good on a computer screen.
   Nowadays, you are most likely to submit your resume online rather than printing it out. Word documents will not necessarily look the same in different versions of the program. Converting your resume to a PDF ensures that the formatting won’t get messed up.
   
   
4. Don’t include irrelevant experience. Your resume should reflect your current career goals. You don’t need to feature every single job or project you’ve done in your life. Maximize the power of your resume by including your most relevant and impressive experience. Think about skills you have that are relevant to the career you want. The part-time food service job you worked in college is probably not necessary if you’ve since held professional positions in your field.
   
   
5. Use the story telling approach. Don’t just list what your job responsibilities were. Describe what you actually did and how you did it. If your resume tells a story, a recruiter will better understand not just the roles you held but how you approached your job. Highlight what you accomplished at your company using specific details.
   
   
6. Consider taking risks. All of these tips are about making your resume stand out, but if you really want to stand out, you may want to consider a non-traditional resume. There are a few types that are gaining popularity:
   
   • Video resumes consist of between one and five minutes in which you describe your skills and experience. Usually a video resume is a supplement to a paper resume, not a replacement.
   • Infographic resumes take “visually engaging” to the next level. You can use charts with real data to prove exactly how you’ve enacted change in your past positions.
   • Online portfolios are a great way to show examples of your work, especially if you are a writer or graphic designer. You can also link to your social media profiles like Twitter or LinkedIn, which is especially valuable for positions in media and marketing.
   (This step isn’t for everyone, and certain fields may be more receptive to non-traditional resumes than others. Do some research on trends that are specific to your industry; however, doing something that’s different from similar candidates may also give you an edge. Ultimately, you should feel comfortable with your resume—the more it reflects you, the more likely you are to find a job that is the right fit.)

Hopefully some of these tips will give you the inspiration you need to make a resume that will truly knock a recruiter’s socks off. Once you’ve created your new resume and are excited to share it, you’ll be able to approach your job hunt with new confidence.

What the Hiring Manager (and Recruiter) Look for on Your Resume

Being a candidate in the job market can be tough. You have to present your best face to many potential employers, and be on your toes for any interview question.  Before you even get your foot in the door, there is one key piece of your presentation that requires extra attention to detail.

Your resume says everything about you before you meet the interviewer in person. Whether you are meeting a hiring manager or recruiter directly, you want to make sure you are presenting yourself in the best light as a potential candidate for the job.

What to Avoid on Your Resume

Gaps in Employment:

Some candidates opt to only include jobs that are relevant to the job they are currently applying for. While this has good intentions, it may send the wrong message to the person reviewing your resume. If there are employment gaps of 6 months, a year, or even two, this can send off warning signs that you are not a dependable employee. Other times, the gaps represent the period you were searching for your next full time job.  Whatever your reasons are for, if you list them on your resume be prepared to have explanations to back up each one.

                 

Too much information:

When your chance of an interview rides on the resume you submitted, your gut reaction is to make sure you include every pertinent detail about yourself on it. But for most Recruiters and Hiring Managers, this is a resume turn off. Make sure all the information you have listed is short, concise and clearly stated to get your selling points across. And that rule about 1-2 pages resumes? Unless you have 20+ years of experience, keeping it to a minimum of pages is ideal.

What to Have on Your Resume

Relevant skills to the job you’re applying for:

There isn’t anything wrong with being a jack of all trades. But when you are applying for a specific job in a specific industry, it is important for you to tailor your relevant skills to fit the job at hand. Those making the hiring decisions want to see right away that you have the skills necessary to handle the job, so don’t keep them waiting!

Measureable accomplishments:

Don’t wait till you’re in the interview hot seat to start singing your praises. Start listing your accomplishments on your resume and be specific! If you lead a team of 5 peers in a project that saved 10k on the department’s budget, feature it on your resume. As long as you keep it concise and pertinent to the job it will only benefit you.

If you’d like more information on the hiring process, or would like one of our professionals to review your resume, contact us!

6 Tips for Changing Careers

Choosing a different career path is sometimes easier said than done, especially if you’re out of work and looking for a new job. In fact, the path can be a stressful and discouraging one. If you’re looking to change careers, we can help get you there with these 6 easy tips!

1. Follow your passion: If you’re passionate about your career choice, you will be a happier person. That’s not saying that you will never have frustrating moments with work, but you will not want to quit your job when things become difficult.
2. Start planning for the future: This may be difficult to do if you’re in a rush to find a job, but developing a plan will benefit you in the long run. If you have an idea for a new career, research the idea to discover the necessary requirements and preferred experience associated with the job and make a list. Once you’ve made a list, figure out any additional skills, training and education you will need to undergo. At that point, you can come up with a timeline of when things will get accomplished, like getting certified, for example.  
3. Take a look at that resume and refresh it: Make sure to include new skills and/or education you’ve acquired since you last updated your resume. Even updating the format can do wonders for that first impression.
4. Let people know what you’re doing: Form a support group, seek a mentor and network, network, network! There’s nothing wrong with asking a friend out for lunch so you can talk about possibilities that they may know to be available. If your friend is willing to vouch for you, don’t take it lightly. Do everything you can to live up to the recommendation and this will turn out to be a win-win situation!
5. Prepare for the interview: Do your homework on the company! This could be as simple as browsing their website and taking a few key points with you to the interview. Companies want to hire someone that’s interested in what they’re doing. They know that if you find the work interesting and you enjoy what you’re doing, you’ll produce high-quality results.
6. Stop making excuses: Start today! A baby starts walking by taking that first step and maybe falling a few times. Know that you may fall, too, but that it’s temporary and each fall is a new learning experience. Just get back up and start taking baby steps again - you’ll learn to stride in no time.

Now that you have some knowledge under your belt, go out there and find your dream job! It’s within your reach - you just need to reach for it.

For more information on changing careers, contact us today!

Revamp Your Resume

There is no doubt the way to land a job is to stand out from the many candidates going for the same position. There are so many applicants with qualified skills and educational backgrounds that employers are looking more toward personality to help develop their staff. It is much easier to explain your distinctive abilities and experience in an interview; the challenge is offering a hint of those qualities in the written form clearly enough to secure an interview at all. This introduces the challenge of having a "typical resume."

There are a number of general resume standards that have seemed to be etched in stone, i.e. keep to one page, apply typical terms like, "strong work ethic," and use traditional resume vocabulary such as, "results oriented." With the development of different markets an unpredictable economic climate, and overall competitiveness in employment, now is the time to be clear on how the efficiency in your experience is a result of your unique work style. A resume will always have its business standards, but there is always room for professional creativity. Follow the link to see how to revamp your resume!

http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/career-experts-10_phrases_that_can_sink_your_resume-115