Do You Have Too Much Information?

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Do You Have Too Much Information?
When you are writing a resume you are in the mindset of showing yourself off and you want to make sure that your potential employers know all the impressive things about you that can get you the job. Unfortunately, adding all those impressive skills, experiences, and accomplishments could fill up your resume with too much information and make it uninteresting to your potential employers. So how do you know if you have too much information? Here are some ways to tell if you have too much information and help you fix your resume so it doesn’t have too much information.

  • Does your resume read like a letter? If your resume has commentary that adds interesting information making it read like a letter, then you have gone in the wrong direction with your resume and you need to edit so that your resume doesn’t have that extra commentary. If you feel the commentary is necessary, then add it to your cover letter.
  • Does your resume go longer than three pages? If your resume is longer than three pages, you may have too much information. For technical resumes or even some senior executive resumes, it may be more acceptable, but for the typical professional or executive 2 or even 3 pages is best. The reader doesn’t want to browse through your novel to get to the good stuff. Keep it clean, concise, relevant, and focused.
  • Does your resume give skills, experiences, or accomplishments that do not apply to the job? If they don’t apply to the job description, leave them out. There is no reason to have things on your resume that won’t help you get the job. So edit them out and get back to the things that are applicable and impressive for the job.

These tips will help you edit your resume so you have the right amount of impressive information to get you to the interview– and hopefully the job!

Good Interview Etiquette

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Good Interview Etiquette
Job interviews are unlike any other social interaction. An interview is one of the few places where you go into it knowing that you are going to be judged and that how you perform in front of those judging you will have a direct impact on your professional future. Job interviews will also have their own expected manners and behaviors that you should follow in order to make the best impression you can. If you do that, then you can relax after your interview knowing that you did the best you could and no matter what happens, you can move on without too much disappointment.

  • Dress Your Best: Wear an outfit appropriate for the interview. Make sure it is not too tight or revealing. While you need to be comfortable during the interview, you also want the interviewer to be comfortable, and not distracted by your attire.
  • Smile: This is imperative. It seems simple, but a smile will put your interviewer at ease and will help you appear more confident.
  • Do not interrupt: This also seems simple and obvious, but you would be amazed at how many people do not understand or follow this rule of etiquette. In other social interactions you may be able to get away with interrupting someone, but you can’t get away with it in an interview and also get the job. Wait until you are sure your interviewer has finished speaking before answering questions or giving your input.
  • Look interested: Even if you are not interested, make the effort to look like you are. Make eye contact with the interviewer and others in the room who may be speaking to you regarding the job. If your interviewer feels you are not interested in them and what they are saying, they will be turned off and will return the favor by not being interested in what you have to say.

Following these common sense tips will help to ensure you are putting your best foot forward during your interview. They don’t take extra effort, you just have to think about what is happening and what you are doing in order to make sure you are following good interview etiquette and ultimately leaving the interviewer with a great impression of what you can offer in the workplace.

Don't Let Your Past Haunt You

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Don't Let Your Past Haunt You
Job interviews can be terrifying. It is one of the few times when you know without a doubt that you are being judged. Without judging you, how can potential employers know if you are a good fit or not? They can’t. They will go over everything in your resume and your work history with a fine tooth comb. They will call your references and they will make sure that you are worth their time and effort. Because of this, you need to be careful. You need to make sure that you don’t have anything in your past that could come back to haunt you and cause you to lose future job opportunities.
This means that no matter what stage of life you are in or where you are in your career you need to be thinking ahead. Think about what effect the things you are doing today might have on your future.
Here are some things that are obvious to avoid: bad talking your boss or superiors, being late, being unprofessional, etc. Those are things almost everyone knows to avoid, but there are some things people might not know, such as: talking about coworkers or superiors on Facebook or other social networking sites, posting vulgar or obscene things on your profile(s), or lying on your resume. All these things can be found out by future employers and harm your ability to keep your job and get a new job in the future.
If you simply think ahead before you do anything, then you should be able to avoid doing something that could harm you later in the road and you won’t have to live up to it in an interview. Remember, you are being judged. Don’t give your potential employers anything they can judge badly.

Written In Stone? Can Job Posting Requirements be Flexible?

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Requirements In Job Postings
Searching for a job can be a daunting task. You scan through dozens of job postings without any of them fitting your idea of the job you want.  But then there will be times that you will find it – a posting that describes a job that is everything you’ve been looking for.
The problem?  You don’t have all of the qualifications required in the job description.  You don’t have any of the education, work experience, or skill requirements specifically listed in the posting. What do you do? Do you give up now and keep searching? Or do you pursue the job and see what happens? It is a different decision for every person and every job. Not all requirements are written in stone, and employers may wave some requirements, if they think you have other attributes that would make you an ideal candidate for the position. Here are a few things to consider before making a decision whether or not to apply for a job you’re not completely qualified for.

  • Ask yourself some tough questions: Before pursuing a job you need to ask yourself if you feel you are really qualified for even some of the position requirements. Could you do well at this job even without having all the requirements mandated in the posting? If the answer is yes then proceed with the application/resume submission process.
  • Do you have different skills, education, or experience: If you have skills, education, or experience that differ from the requirements in the posting but would apply to the job, you may be able to get the job anyway. For example: The requirements say you need at least a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management, but you have a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting with a minor in Psychology. You earned a degree, and have learned other skills during your education that are marketable and could still get you the job.
  • If you don’t have any of the above: The fact of the matter is, if you don’t have something to give the company in exchange for what they have posted, then you shouldn’t pursue the job. The company put those requirements down for a reason, so if you want to change those requirements, then you need to give them something worthwhile in return.

While it will be different for every job, if you have something to give a potential employer, for the most part, you may be able to get around specific job requirements and land the job.
 
 

Why It Is Important To Keep Executive Recruiters Happy

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Executive recruiters are a very useful resource for employers in the hiring process. They can have a profound effect on whether or not you get hired. This means you need to keep them happy in order to ensure you get the job. Here are some very important things to keep in mind that will help you keep recruiters happy.

  • Don’t be dismissive. Even if you’re happy in your current role, or just extremely busy, take a moment to speak to search consultants or to call them back. While you may not be interested in the position they’re seeking to fill, you may know someone who might be a good match. Search professionals appreciate getting references and practicing the law of reciprocity.
  • Don’t surprise them. More importantly, don’t surprise their clients. If you have a blemish on your record, let them hear your version first, before they learn it secondhand.
  • Don’t embellish. Even at the highest levels of executive search, some candidates can’t resist the urge to embellish their resumes. Sometimes they don’t get caught. In nine cases out of 10, however, they do. Avoid the pitfall and be honest.
  • Don’t fail your own history test. It’s surprising how many candidates can’t recite their own professional histories in chronological order. Know exactly what you did and where and when you did it before meeting with a search consultant. And it’s a good tuneup for meeting with a prospective new employer.
  • Don’t neglect your homework. Some candidates will spend the first 10 minutes of an interview asking basic questions about the position and the company at issue, showing that they never bothered to read the search specification. Candidates who do independent research create a favorable impression and show their clear interest in the new opportunity.
  • Don’t forget your manners. When meeting with an executive-search consultant, remember that every word, gesture or inflection will be duly noted.

Keep these in mind and you will be able to keep your recruiter happy and get the job.

What Do You Do When You Disagree With Your Resume Writer?

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Hiring a resume service can be a very helpful tool for many job seekers who are stuck and don’t know what to do or where to go with their resume. Sometimes, however, you may disagree with your resume writer or service. You may not feel that their vision coincides with your vision and tension may occur. Dealing with that tension and disagreement can be difficult, but here are some things to remember that should help you get through the process and end up with a great resume.

  • Have A Clear Idea In Your Own Head: If you don’t know what information you want to put in your resume, then how can you expect your resume service to know? You need to think about what you want to do, where you want to be,  and what skills and experience you have had to get you to your next career.
  • Communication is Key: Talk to your resume writer. Make sure that you have given them adequate information and have clearly expressed your career goals and vision. Even the best writers cannot build a resume unique to your needs if you haven’t communicated where you want to be in your career. Give the writer as much information as you possibly can, then let them do their job and streamline the information to create a resume will appeal to employers.
  • Keep It Professional: It will only make the situation worse if you are angry and bitter. Keep yourself calm and it will not only make the communication easier, but it will also be more enjoyable.
  • Above All, Remember You Are Their Boss: You have hired them. You are paying them to help you, not the other way around. Don’t let them walk over you. If what they are doing is not what you want, then you have the right to talk to them and get it fixed. However, also know that you hired them because they are certified, skilled writing professionals. You are paying them to stay on top of industry trends and share their knowledge of what content and layout works best to communicate your expertise and career history. You just need to make sure that your resume truly represents who you are and where you want to be in your career.

Keep your relationship with your writer open and professional, and you will end up with a great resume that truly markets your value to employers.

What Skills Are Important On A Resume?

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What Skills Are Important On A Resume
People are diverse. People are multi-talented. Every person has a unique set of skills that makes them unique and interesting. Now, while all those skills are interesting or useful in the right time and place, you need to determine when it is appropriate to list certain skills on your resume and when it is not.
For the most part, you do not want to put down skills that you have gained from hobbies. If your employer asks about your hobbies during an interview, feel free to briefly discuss your interests, but do not put “riding a unicycle” on your resume. Most employers do not want to hear about your personal interests, they want to hear about the skills you have that will add value to their company. Unless your hobbies directly relate to the position you’re applying for, leave them off of your resume.
Before you start writing your resume,  write down your skills and decide which ones will be useful in almost any job. Computer technology and team building skills are always good to put down on a resume. Aside from those, you will want to put down skills that are tailored to meet the needs of the company and position you are applying for. If you are applying to be a Research Assistant, and you have had experience with a library system, that would be a good skill to put on your resume because it is directly applicable to the situation.
There are many skills that can be used in a variety of situations. You need to figure out which of your skills are best suited to the jobs you’re applying for. This will keep your resume from looking unprofessional or cluttered and will help your potential employers see the value and expertise you will offer when hired.

Working Toward An Executive Career

Career & Workplace

executive career
Career advancement is one of the most desirable career goals for most people. Getting a promotion can get you higher pay, better benefits, and more respect in your company. Now every person has a different goal for career advancement. Some people may just want to become a manager or supervisor, others may want to become heads of teams or departments, but there are also people who want to advance to the very top of the corporate food chain and have an executive career in mind. If that is what you want, then you need to prepare. And even if you do not want to go all the way to the top, then these tips can still help you get recognized and get you where you want to be.

  • Be Professional: While it seems obvious to be professional at work, other places may not seem so obvious. The most important place to remain professional is on social networking sites. Managers, supervisors, and higher ups can access your social networking profile at any time if they want. Make sure that what they see on there won’t embarrass you or harm your chances at promotion.
  • Put In The Effort: You will never get anywhere if you don’t put the work in. Your employers are not going to want to promote someone who does not work to help their company succeed. Perform work that helps the company and will impress your employers.
  • Ask About Additional Opportunities: Employers like to see people who go the extra mile. Ask your supervisor if there are any additional projects that need to be organized or extra work that you can head up. This will show them that you are serious about the company and will put you at the front of their minds when considering promotions.
  • Be Positive: People will gravitate towards others who seem positive and are enjoyable to be around. That includes your employers. They would much rather work with someone positive than someone who sucks the life out of everything. Keep a smile on your face and a spring in your step and you will be on your way to the top.

Now, while all these tips will help there is nothing more important than keeping that executive career in mind. Let that executive career fuel everything you do at work and sooner or later it will get you there.