| CAREER RELATED TIPS |
Bryan Thorby
Publisher
webmaster@career-related.com
http://career-related.com |
| Date: February 9, 2005 |
| Welcome to This Edition |
You are receiving this because you, or someone using your
name and email, subscribed to |
| Career Related Tips Newsletter |
If you feel there has been an error please click the link
at the bottom of this edition to stop any future emails. |
To assist my list management and to ensure you receive each
edition and to lessen the possibilty of bouncing, AOL members
please add my address to your address book. Hotmail and MSN
please add the address to your safe list and or address book.
Thanks. |
Please rate this Ezine at the Cumuli Ezine Finder
http://www.cumuli.com/ezines/vote.html?pub_code=career |
| In This Issue: |
Article : 3 Resume Secrets the Pros Use
By Kevin Donlin |
Article : Look Before You Leap: How and Why to Do Pre-Interview
Research to Snag a Job of Your Dreams
By Cheryl Ferguson |
Article : Resume writing for the stay at home parent
By Stephanie Foster |
| Disclaimer & Privacy Statement |
|
===========================================================
|
Firstly, I apologize for not publishing a newsletter last week.
I had real problems with my computer - old faithful decided
not to load when turned on. My computer tech guy said something
about hard drive corruption. Running sweatly now. |
As you can imagine I'm still catching up with stuff after being
offline for four days. Just another challenge or two to deal
with. Isn't life great! |
| So without further ado I'll let you get into todays information. |
| I hope it helps. |
| All the best, |
| Bryan |
| Sponsor |
Wanting to know more about job interviews?
Learn about job interview questions, job interview follow ups,
job interview advice, job interview tips, sample job interview
questions, preparing for the job interview, questions to ask at
a job interview, and how to prepare for a job interview,
Read my eBook "Your Basic Guide to Acing ANY Job Interview"
Go to http://career-related.com/interview |
| Article |
"3 Resume Secrets the Pros Use"
copyright (c) by Kevin Donlin |
You don't write a resume every day. Not even every month or
year, most likely. So you can't be expected to do it flawlessly
every time, right? After all, you're not a professional. |
| Well, I am. |
My team and I have written or edited nearly 5,000 resumes over
the past nine years. And there are a handful of secrets we use
to get the job done, and get our clients hired. |
Now, for the first time, I'd like to share with you three of my
proven methods for writing a resume that gets results. Fast. |
| Here they are ... |
Focus on One Specific Job
I can't tell you how many times I've heard job seekers say,
"I want a resume I can use to apply for many jobs, like Project
Manager, IT Manager and HR Manager, for example." |
| My response: You can't. |
Writing a resume that tries to be all things to all employers
is like trying to ride a horse in all directions at once.
You'll get nowhere fast. |
Before writing one word of your resume, it's essential that you
first choose one job title or function, such as project
management. Then aim your resume in that direction. Every
sentence in your resume should try to convince employers that
you are the person to hire for that one job. |
But never more than one. Because you'll only end up confusing
readers with a "one-size-fits-all" resume. And a confused mind
will always say no. Which can spell doom for your job search. |
Use a "Skill Skeleton"
Once you tailor your resume with one job in mind, try to focus
further and come up with a short list of skills to build the
entire document around. I refer to this as a "skill skeleton." |
| Let me explain. |
You may be an awesome project manager, for example. But what
are the three or four skills that make you so special? Is it
your ability to finish projects early and under budget? Your
skill at leading others? A knack for negotiating the lowest
prices with vendors? |
These areas of expertise make up your "skill skeleton." Try to
make them a recurring theme throughout your resume. Emphasize
them again and again when describing your success stories on
the job and in school. |
Using a "skill skeleton" like this will force you to focus on
a core message that's compelling and easy for employers to
remember. And, of course, it should make the phone ring with
job offers! |
Be Truthful and Believable
You already know you must be 100% truthful in your resume --
your GPA, actual degrees from actual schools, accurate dates,
etc. That's basic stuff. |
But it's not enough for YOU to believe what you're saying. The
employer has to believe it, too. To encourage that, back up the
claims in your resume any way you can, using specific numbers,
dollars, percentages and dates. |
Here are some wrong and right ways to make your resume more
believable ... |
WRONG
"Many years of experience" |
RIGHT
"Seven years of award-winning experience" |
WRONG
"Saved time and money" |
RIGHT
"Saved $437,450 and reduced cycle time by 23 days" |
| See the difference? |
Specific facts and figures are more believable than
generalizations. Always. Every time. |
For best results, get written documentation for all of your
claims, then bring these documents to the interview, where you
can expand on points of interest in your resume face-to-face
with a hiring manager. |
| Now go out and make your own luck! |
Kevin Donlin is President of Guaranteed Resumes. Since 1996, he
and his team have provided resumes, cover letters and online
job-search assistance to clients in all 50 states and 23
countries. Kevin has been interviewed by USA Today,
CBS MarketWatch, The Wall Street Journal's National Business
Employment Weekly, CBS Radio, and many others. |
| For more information, http://career-related.com/apm/gresumes.htm |
| Article |
Look Before You Leap: How and Why to Do Pre-Interview Research
to Snag a Job of Your Dreams |
| By Cheryl Ferguson |
I got a call from a friend the other day who had been approached
by a recruiter with a lead about a position at a hot company
rumored to be going public shortly in a sexy business space.
Later that day she called me and asked, “What, if anything did I
know about XYZ company?” |
While it is always flattering to be singled out for a lead on a
great new opportunity, you can avoid a lot of surprise,
heartache and frustration by doing your homework before making a
move. |
Here are three suggestions to help you decide whether to pursue
a new opportunity or stay where you are. |
1. Learn all you can about the company. Visit the company
website. Does the business interest you? Why? Has the management
team been successful in the past? Has the company raised money,
won an award, or signed an exclusive agreement with a key
business partner? And finally, the company website is a great
place to find out what industries and universities they’ve
tended to hire from. Are you an alumnus of the CEO’s alma mater?
2. Get a sense of the company culture. Find out if somebody in
your circle of friends or a business colleague knows of someone
who works at the company, or has worked with any of these
individuals at one of their previous companies. What’s the
company’s reputation like? Is this the kind of environment you
can thrive in? |
3. Contact the local chapter of the industry association. This
is especially important if you are new in town, new to the
industry, or don’t know anyone connected to the company. Find
out when the local chapter of the industry association is having
their next meeting and go. Introduce yourself to someone during
the pre-meeting reception or at your table, explain that you’re
considering a new position in the industry, and ask for their
advice. If you’ve already got a particular company in mind, see
if someone from that company is attending the event or is on the
program. Introduce yourself to that person and ask them why they
enjoy working at the company. Get the person’s business card and
send a note, thanking them for their time immediately after the
meeting. |
If you decide after doing this preliminary research that this is
the company and the industry for you, then by all means go on
the interview if invited. Prepare yourself for the day by asking
the person setting up the interview what the interview process
is like: how many people are on the interview team, what are
their titles, and how long will each individual interview will
be. |
Remember an interview is a two-way street: this is your chance
to get to know the people you will work with as well as a chance
for them to get to know you, so come prepared with questions. |
Below are some sample questions to get you started. Feel free to
include these or add some of your own. |
| >From the prospective boss you want to know: |
•What their managerial style is like •How long they have been
with the company •What are the expectations for the role •Are
there a staff, budget and timeline in place to meet those
expectations |
| >From the people on your team you want to know: |
•What they like about their job and their manager •How long they
have worked with the company •What other industries, if any,
they’ve worked in and how this company’s culture compares to
their previous employer |
You will want to send a thank-you note to the members of the
interview team, so make sure to get a business card or email
address of everyone you met with so that you can send the notes
later that same day or the very next day at the latest. |
While it is helpful to discuss the interview with close friends
and family members, only you can decide whether or not this is
the right job for you. Has your current company grown so large
that the entrepreneurial spirit you originally went there for
disappeared? Is there better opportunity for advancement at this
new company? Are you making the move because of a change of
lifestyle (recently married, new baby on the way) and if so, how
will one more big change affect the already delicate balance of
work and home life you’ve set up for yourself? Armed with the
answers to these questions, you will be better prepared to
decide whether or not this is really the dream job you want in a
company you can call home. |
About the author:
Cheryl Ferguson is the host of The Recruiter’s Studio
http://www.therecruitersstudio.com, a career resources website
featuring web cast interviews of people talking about what they
do for a living. |
| Article |
| Resume writing for the stay at home parent |
| By Stephanie Foster |
Maybe your children are now in school and you’d like to go back
to work. Or maybe finances are tight and you want to contribute.
Or maybe you just really need adult interaction. |
Whatever the reason, many stay at home parents do eventually
decide to return to work. They face tremendous disadvantages,
however. They may not have held a job ever previously. Their
skills in the field they worked in before staying at home may be
out of date. Whatever the situation, writing a resume after
staying home with the kids can present a special challenge. |
As with any resume, first take a look at your work and
educational history. If you have spent several years at home,
you will probably want to do a functional resume, that is, one
which emphasizes your skills rather than a timeline, as the
traditional chronological resume does. However, be upfront and
honest when asked about the fact that you spent time at home
with your kids. You do not want to be afraid to admit to it. |
If you have professional skills, make sure you are up to date on
them. This may mean taking a class in whatever your area of
expertise is. Show potential employers that you take your skills
seriously and are keeping yourself current. If you’re behind on
the technology or techniques, you will not find many employers
willing to hire you. |
You can put "Homemaker" on your resume and list the skills you
used as a homemaker if you like. These include handling bills,
scheduling, cooking, cleaning and so forth. Find a way to
express these in ways that are relevant to the job you want, and
be ready to explain as necessary in the interview. You might
feel funny about doing this, but what employer is going to
challenge you when you assert that this was a real job?
Certainly not one you would want to work for! |
Be ready to deal with questions as to how you will handle
childcare issues when you get to the interview. Know what you
will do when your child needs to stay home because they are
sick, have a doctor’s appointment and so forth. You may not be
asked about this during an interview, but it is simply practical
to be prepared for situations that always come up. |
For writing your resume, remember to use active words, such as
managed, scheduled, designed and so forth. These sound far more
interesting on your resume than more passive words. |
If this is your first job, do not be afraid to list your
education, emphasizing those skills which are relevant to the
jobs you are applying for. If your GPA was high, it is good to
list it; otherwise do not bother. You do not need to include
your date of graduation, especially from high school. |
It is a big decision to transition from a stay at home parent to
a working parent, but there are many good reasons to do so. Be
honest, relate your at home skills to the job you want and
emphasize your skills. |
About the author:
Stephanie Foster is the owner of Home with the Kids, a resource
that knows that there's more to staying home with your family
than just business. From money saving tips to parenting and
marriage tips, to work at home jobs and businesses, you can get
information and support here. You can visit the site at
http://www.homewiththekids.com |
| Disclaimer and Privacy Statement |
I accept no responsibility whatsoever for the content,
profitability or legality of any published articles or
advertisements contained within the |
| Career Related Tips newsletter |
And, although all of the articles have been selected for
their content, the publishing of such articles within
this newsletter does NOT constitute a recommendation of
the products or services mentioned or advertised within
those articles. |
Be responsible! Always do your own Due Diligence before
responding to any offer. |
I respect the privacy of my readers.
I will NEVER supply or sell your personal
information to any Third Party! |
| Contact |
Bryan Thorby
Marton, New Zealand
webmaster@career-related.com |
http://career-related.com
Career related information and resources
Career Resource Directory
http://career-related.com/lma/directory/ |
http://www.home-business-and-marketing.com
Home business options, Home business training and marketing,
Resource Directory, resources, ebooks, software |
http://mini-site-mastery.com
Learn how to create and profit from Mini Sites with the
4 CD audio training program Mini Site Mastery.
Join the Affiliate program. |
http://ebooks-to-succeed.com
eBook and Software membership site. Large collection of
resell rights ebooks and software products. |
http://www.oneworldbiz.net
Residual Income - Business Training |
© Copyright 2004 - 2005 All Rights Reserved
CAREER-RELATED.COM |
