Resume Tips and More – Tips for your Job Search

After many of you have asked about the daunting task of writing a resume, we are taking a step back and breaking it down into very easy, understandable advice for writing an effective resume!

This past week on our Facebook Page, we posted daily resume writing tasks, and other general info. This blog posts sums up the past week of posts.  If you didn’t see them, then you haven’t “Liked” our page!  Please do so, to keep yourself updated on the latest advice for landing your perfect job.  (we can help you!)

“Motivation Monday” Start your week off by checking off one item from your “To Do List” It will give you the boost you need to have a productive week! If any of the items on your “To Do List” are stressing you out or tripping you up, contact us! We here to help!

Resume writing 101

A grueling statistic we learned: Prospective employers on average only spend ten seconds reading your resume!  1, 1000, 2, 1000, 3, 1000…you get the picture.  You really need to stand out.

The most helpful tip we found is to recite the phrase: “You should give me a bonus this year because…” in front of each line you would like to bullet point. This will help you highlight your accomplishments, not your position.  …Use numbers whenever possible!  (especially sales) (i.e.:  “..increased sales by 55%,” or “…increased revenue from 1.5 million dollars to 2.2 million dollars in the first quarter…,”)

Tuesdays Tips! Resume Tips continued…

Technology is on your side in 2014. With the ease of computers your resumes can be tailor-made to the job that you are trying to land the interview for.

Incorporate Keywords

Print job postings you’re interested in and highlight keywords. After researching the position and the company you will have a better understanding of their goals and culture. Customize your resume by transforming it from a job description to a series of accomplishments that are of interest to the company by incorporating those keywords into your resume and cover letter.

Words Of Wisdom Wednesday We are keeping it simple!  What we learned is not very many people like to read! (hence, the break-down) If you have gotten this far, that means you must really be interested! We thought these bullet points are right to the point!

• Be professional!
• Spell Check (again)
• Grammar Check.  Maintain the same tense through out your correspondence and resume.
• Have a friend or colleague spell check for you.  One misspelled word can cost you the job!
• Research the company you are applying to.
• Follow up in a timely matter (with in 24 hours)

Thorough Thursday! …and the resume writing tips keep coming!

• You and someone else, have already proof read your resume for spelling and grammar,
• Thoroughly complete your Linkedin profile. (including professional looking photo) Prospective employers WILL look at that.
• Add a hyperlink to your LinkedIn profile on your resume. (that’s the beauty of an on-line resume) You will come across very confident and prepared!
• Create Hyper links to your previous employer’s company to make it easy for your future employer to check it out. (remember 10 seconds) (i.e.: I created a hyperlink above in the words “Facebook Page)
• Add a LinkedIn icon with a hyperlink to your profile on your email signature as well.
• For help on creating hyperlinks, search the help in the email software you are using.
• For help with any of the above, feel free to contact us through our website (hyperlink)

Finally Friday! The next step is to check out all the open listings that you can find in the BullHorn Reach tab located on our Facebook Page. And please follow us on LinkedIn.  When you find a position that is a good match, contact us! You are ready! In the meantime, we leave you with this quote from Walt Disney

A New Year – A New Start

Whether you are making a career change, re-entering the job market, or you are (almost) fresh out of college, the following tips can successfully help you start this new phase of your life.

Part 1 (of 2) First step: Preparing to Land the Interview,

We often get asked, “What is your best interviewing advice?” Interviewing seems to be the most stressful part of the job search. However, before I answer that popular age-old question, I am going to take one step back and give you my advice on How to land that very important interview.  This is such a big topic, that I am dividing it up it to 2 parts!

No such thing as Privacy (Clean up your on-line rep)

Living in the on-line world makes you visible to anyone who wants to find you. First and foremost, clean up your on-line reputation.  It is a statistical fact that 79 percent of employers review on-line information about job applicants.  70 percent say they have rejected a candidate based on what they found on-line, yet, only 7% of job seekers thought their online rep affected their job search.  What you do online can play a role in determining whether you get hired or fired.  The point is painfully obvious: You need to be thoughtful and deliberate when conducting your life online.

 

(statistics vary depending on different references)

Where to start?  

Do exactly what potential employers would do, Google yourself. (Make sure you are not logged into any of your social media platforms.) This will give you a good idea of what potential employers will see.  However, (this very important) you do not want to be invisible either. Make sure you are well represented in a respectful, responsible way. (We will get to that.) Ok, now, how to clean up your rep…

“Don’t go there!”

Before I urge you to change your privacy settings, I will simply tell you “don’t go there!”  Take extreme caution about what you are posting or what your friends are posting about you. I know you know this, but it is important to change your privacy settings on your Facebook page.  You may think “Friends of Friends” is a private setting, but your friends’ friends opens you up to many people you do not know, hence, taking away that privacy you thought you were achieving.   There is a privacy setting on Facebook that prevents people from tagging you in a photo or post without your approval, use it!

DO post the photos of your school/group/volunteer involvement

By all means show off your school spirit.  I have seen a ton of photos of students decked out in their college gear celebrating before a big football game.  (And I have seen it in action.)  The photos show your enthusiasm, your fun personality, and your school loyalty.  HOWEVER, and I’m going to break the “don’t use all caps rule”, LEAVE THE RED SOLO CUPS OUT OF THE PICTURE!  Ugh!  Really? If you must hold something, grab a bottle of water (you should be rehydrating anyway). Keep it clean-cut.  Remember, everything you do on-line will get seen!  When all is said, done and posted, review the pics.  If you see one you can’t part with, but it’s not quite proper for your rep, you have choices.  1) Delete.  2) Put it on a privacy setting. On Facebook click on the little icon of people, select custom, and choose the few people who you want to see the pic. 3) Send the pic in a group in a private message.  Of course, I’m going to tell you to choose option one.

Make sure you are seen on-line

No, I am not contradicting myself, as mentioned above, you need to be seen. Did you or are you planning to take part in a school organization, a volunteer group function, a community event?  If so, snap away and post those photos of you doing something productive and something you can be proud of.  Ok, you get the picture. (No pun intended)

Next, create a complete LinkedIn profile.  (This really can be a whole blog topic, and it will be). By complete, I mean, include a photo, if you do not have a professional one, a head-shot is fine. Check the background of the photo you cropped for inappropriate items. Then, just go step by step. (I will give details in a future blog.)  LinkedIn is highly searched and Google puts it near the top.  At a glance, a LinkedIn profile with a photo, immediately appears to be complete.  But only appears, it still needs to be completed.  I am just stressing how important having a photo is.

Ok so you got the picture about on-line reps, lets move on…Do your home work and Check back in a few days for Part 2:

 Landing the Interview