Did you say you were a hard worker?
True, you may be the most hardworking person of all time, but by saying, “I am a hard worker” during an interview (or on your resume) you are selling yourself short. NO one wants to be that person who is generic and unoriginal, because chances are the interviewers have it heard that description a few hundred times before. Instead make yourself stand out!
The next time you are asked why they should hire you, use specific examples that will demonstrate HOW you are hard working without ever saying it. You can also move this info over to your resume as well.
For example someone could say… "I created [insert project or accomplishment] from scratch within a 1-month period which in turn [insert amazing result].” Be as specific as you can to showcase your skills.
Remember to stand out and SHOW why you are a hard worker instead of simply stating it.
Good luck!
Don’t wait for the phone to ring!
If you’re unemployed, now is the time to do something! Volunteering allows you to network and potentially get your foot in the door with a future employer.
Try volunteering for a nonprofit organization or do pro-bono work in a job that uses your skills. It will build up your resume with current experience. It also fills in gaps of time that you've been out of work on your resume. You also never know, you might just meet someone who will lead you to a job opening elsewhere.
According to a study conducted by LinkedIn they revealed that, 42% of hiring managers say they view volunteer experience as equivalent to formal work experience. So head out there and volunteer!
To search for a volunteer position near you use the 4 easy steps below:
1.Click on “Jobs & Companies” at the [top of the page] (http://www.jobcase.com/jobs/search) 2.Enter the word volunteer into the search field that says Job title and then enter your location 3.Click on the blue hour glass symbol to search 4.Once the list is up, click on “View Job" of any you are interested in and then apply.
Happy volunteering!
Does YOUR resume show your age?
I am older so I am going to pass along some words of wisdom here. Chances are you probably haven’t had to show anyone a resume in years, right? I get it. So you might throw something together and think it’s clear to anyone who reads it how amazing you are, how top of the line, award-winning spectacular, but not everyone even knows how important what you did is. You need to SHOW them!!
The key is to make your resume NO more than two pages. Most recruiters will scan it in 20 or 30 seconds. Choose a traditional font, such as Times New Roman, in 9- to 12-point size, and use black type on white paper. You could also use Arial, Calibri, Cambria and Tahoma, they're pretty basic looking.
Stick to the most recent 10 to 15 years of experience. Avoid giving dates when it comes to decades-old experience and only include jobs if they’re relevant to the work you’re currently seeking. There’s no need for college graduation dates. Match the experience and skills you cite in your resume with the exact skills employers say they’re seeking in their job posting.
Your resume NEEDS to tell a story, not provide a list of job titles and dates. Slide in little snippets here and there such as you cut costs by a certain percentage, increased sales by 25 percent, or delivered project months ahead of schedule, etc.
Proofread your resume!! Of course, you do this, but it’s so easy to miss something. Print it out. Read it again the next day. Read it out loud. Ask someone else you trust to read it. Sloppy mistakes make it look like you’re careless and aren’t that interested in the job. So watch what you're doing on that resume.
Do you want more interviews?
I wanted to share some info I recently obtained. I believe it may help many of us who feel like resumes are being sent into a black hole. The applicant tracking system software used by recruiters to evaluate resumes of potential candidates are very picky and don't leave any room for interpretation. If a job posting says they need someone that is good with spreadsheets and your resume only mentions Excel, then the software will not recognize that Excel is the same thing as spreadsheets. You have to use the same keywords in your resume that are listed in the job posting. If the job description asks for a registered nurse and your resume only has the abbreviation for a registered nurse then the software does not recognize that the abbreviation for registered nurse and that resume is scored lower and may not be selected. Basically, you have to re-word every resume you send. If the job description mentions a keyword 5 times then try to have that same keyword in your resume 5 times to improve how the software scores your resume. It's not always possible to put the keyword in your resume the same number of times as it is listed in the job description. If it makes your resume too wordy don't do it, but whenever possible it should help get your resume higher on the list of potential candidates.
Need experience while you wait for work?
Consider volunteering! It will make your resume look GREAT and can help you gain more experience for your resume while you’re on the job hunt. It can also help you land some connections and perhaps even a job offer. You can check out [Volunteer Match] (https://www.volunteermatch.org/) to find an opportunity near you OR you can also use the 3 easy steps below.
1.Click on “Jobs & Companies” at the top of [this page] (http://www.jobcase.com/jobs/search) 2.Enter the word volunteer into the Job Title section. 3.Add your location in and then click the search icon to view volunteer opportunities near you
Happy resume building!
Make a list and check it twice!
Make a list of all the work you’ve done in the past with the JOB at the top and what you did underneath. Then take that list and break it down into a brief sentence describing what you did. Let’s take a look at an example, shall we? : )
JOB: Target, cashier
WHAT YOU DID: -greeted customers -collected payments -managed returns and refunds -answered customer inquiries -stocked shelves.
NOW TIME TO LIST IT: -Enthusiastically greeted and assisted customers on a daily basis -Maintained consistent accuracy of cash register, made sure all payment transactions were correct and proficient -Checked out customers purchases quickly, ensuring accurate prices codes, discounts and provided efficient customer service -Took initiative during slow times to re-stock, or other tasks assigned by the supervisor
Your experience matters! So, make sure to create those lists for each job title. You may have forgotten one or two things that you did that really helped define your role, and that an employer may be looking for right now. Remember, It's NEVER too late to UPDATE!
Good luck!
Your Resume' Sucks. I don't care WHO wrote it!
So many people here talk about how they are not getting call backs after sending out their professionally written resume. As someone who served as a hiring manager for over 15 years, and has been a professional writer for over 20 years, I can tell you right now that very, very few people know how to create a resume' that works. And that includes the so-called "professional resume' services" that charge hundreds to thousands of dollars!
If you decide to hire a large firm to do your CV, please understand that the people most of these companies hire are working for pennies on the dollar and usually do not have a clue about what it takes for you to succeed. They are NOT in the "getting you a job" business. They are in the MONEY MAKING business! This means that the persons they hire to edit and write resume's are typically paid by the piece, not the hour, and that means your resume is not lovingly read and reviewed in great detail. It means that some poor person is trying to make better than minimum wage by skimming as quickly as possible to catch any major errors (and a lot of times missing them!), and then reformatting your words and ideas just to look like they have added value to your history.
Were you interviewed by the writer before you submitted your resume'? Did the results of that interview show up in your resume'? Were you given a single resume' or were you shown how to create multiple resume's from a large bucket of work experiences that comprise your professional career? Did you feel like someone wanted to get to know you before they created something that represents you?
How can a stranger trumpet your song to the planet, if they don't know a single note from your symphony?
You might be thinking that, if you are not the Stephen King of resume' writing, your life will be like that of a Stephen King victim. But do not despair, there is a way out! If you follow a few simple rules, you can create a resume that gets you to an interview:
- NEVER send a resume out the same day you created it! Let your resume' rest for 24 hours, and then you can look at it with "New Eyes." It is amazing that you discover so many things you left out, how many mistakes you made, and the target mistakes you made after you review the document.
- NEVER send the same resume to anyone! EACH resume needs to be tailored to the job! No two jobs are alike, so it should be impossible for you to match your experience exactly with the requirements of multiple companies!
- ALWAYS include a unique Cover Letter for each job! It has been said here and elsewhere that cover letters are dead. I am here to tell you that a cover letter can be that wedge in the door you need! If the hiring manager does not want to read your cover letter, that is fine--but if you DON'T have the cover letter and NEED one, where does that leave you at hiring time?
- RESEARCH the company, and make sure you say something about it in your cover letter! You can always use some interesting fact about the company as a driver for your application.
- TEAMWORK is key! Just about everyone applying for a particular job will say they have the skill set, education and work history to do the job. If you are all equal in the eyes of HR, who will get hired? That is why I always searched for the intangibles--how well will this person play with others? If I felt that a candidate would not work well on a team, they were NEVER considered for hiring! I did not care WHAT their skill set was! Tell me you play some kind of team sports at some point in your past, or participated in some kind of group activity! It is THAT important!
- Your life cannot fit into a couple of pages of text. Nor should it! Write out, type out, the experiences of your life as they relate to work, and keep those details close when you are matching your history to the requirements of the job. I currently have over 20 pages of experiences to draw upon. And I am not special!
How many of these points were answered by your resume' service? If you follow these rules, you can easily find someone to fix any spelling, grammar or formatting errors in your CV. Hire a pro for that. If you do, you are most likely going to work with someone who perfectly fits your need: a second set of eyes on your content. But don't ask them to be Hemingway for you.
Should I just quit BEFORE they fire me??
My job is NOT GOING WELL!!! I am worried it will look worse on my resume if they fire me (which they definitely are) or if I should just quit and leave on my own. Would that be better? What should I do?? Please help!
Double check your resume!
I found this check list to make sure your resume has everything it's suppose to. Just wanted to share. Totally useful and free!! https://resumegenius.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Resume-Genius%E2%80%99s-104-Resume-Checklist.pdf Let's find some jobs!
I thought objectives were DEAD!
Does anyone use an objective anymore on your resume??? I don’t have one as I didn’t think it was necessary but a reference passing my cv internally for a position asked me to include one. Probably because I’m trying to move into a new industry…? I thought having an objectives on your resume was seen as a bad thing. So confused!!