FOUR SIMPLE STEPS TO BETTER RESULTS WITH YOUR RESUMEWritten by Jeff Altman, CPC, MSW
FOUR SIMPLE STEPS TO BETTER RESULTS WITH YOUR RESUMEIs every job description you read same? No. Is every job you submit your resume to same? Of course they aren’t. If all these job descriptions are different, why do you submit same resume? Every day, people send same generic resume out as though each position was identical and each employer was attempting to hire identical skills and attributes. Too often, results they receive are like broken watch that is right twice a day—hit or miss success. They list their name, address, phone numbers and email address, list an objective, education, and chronology of experience with dates of employment. The resume includes some successes or accomplishments. This is their resume. In days prior to computers when changing a resume required you to re-type different versions, this made sense. Today, when computers allow you to customize, spell and grammar check documents so easily, you are missing out on opportunities and costing yourself money by being lazy and not tailoring your resume for each opportunity you are interested in. Here are several steps that you can do to improve your resume and get better results. 1.Each employer will be interested in different attributes of your experience. They often indicate it by items they describe in their job ad. Emphasize experiences that you have that relate to skills being sought and functions you will perform in job they will ask you to perform. If you are applying for a staff position, emphasize your staff experience and minimize your management experience. If you are being hired to be a leader, write about your recent leadership. 2.Employers are more interested in recent work, rather than work you did many years ago. Use more space in your resume to highlight recent experience, rather than things you did before George W. Bush became President. 3.Like setting a goal where you make them specific, measurable, achievable within a specific period of time, describe your successes or achievements concretely. Reducing costs is a nice start but it is more powerful to describe something as reducing operational costs globally by 2%. Increased departmental sales by 27% resulting in . . . You get idea. Use action verbs wherever possible (For more on this, read my article, Preparing an Effective Resume” on www.newyorkmetrotechnologyjobs.com). 4.Ask someone you trust to critique what you’ve written. Too often, people believe that they can do everything by themselves without asking for help. Ask a friend in your industry to critique what you’ve written to insure you’re on target and aren’t missing mark.
| | Are You a "Job Snob?"Written by Marilyn J. Tellez, M.A.
ARE YOU A "JOB SNOB?"I want to define what I think a job snob is. It is someone who thinks that he/she is indispensable to business where he/she works. It is someone who thinks that an educational degree gives one more clout in workplace. A job snob does not socialize with other employees nor participate much in work site politics, except to cultivate those in higher positions. What can a job holder do about this kind of snobbery? Or is it necessary to do anything? Some suggestions of mine are: Keep yourself in social loop at workplace. Empathize with someone who may need mentoring. Tune into social gossip, don't malign others, however. Just listen and be a part of bantering, gossiping, or watercooler tales without passing on information or hints that can damage anyone. A receptive listener is always welcome at any level. Job snobbery can be softened by looking for a next job. That job may take more talent than you have. Drop your defenses to plan on a next move that includes others. If you don't, whether it is where you are now, or in a new job; most innocuous of your work companions can make it difficult for you if their perception is one that you are incompetent and arrogant to boot. Friendliness begets friendliness, even on a small scale.
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