Many people feel that consulting job hunting resources and looking for a new job are things that only people who are unemployed should be doing. It is often assumed that the only time you need to be aware of what jobs are on the market and the opportunities that are available for you when you don’t already have a job.
Quite the contrary. Experts agree that it is a good practice to always keep an eye out for job opportunities, as well as the average rate of pay for jobs you may be interested in. Of course this isn’t something that you’ll want to do every day, but staying in the loop with jobs and salary changes in your industry could eventually help you move up the corporate ladder. By keeping apprised of trends in job openings and salaries in your industry, you can ensure that you’re getting the best salary for your value, and that you are aware of changes in skills and experience needed for certain jobs. In addition, this knowledge could also give you great bargaining power when the time comes to negotiate your next salary increase! While you may be happily employed today, we all know that with our country’s current economic situation, people are still continuing to lose their jobs everyday and are finding themselves actively searching for a new job. Job hunting doesn’t have to consume a lot of time, you just need to keep your resume current with your most recent employment history and achievements, know the best job search resources for your industry, and be willing to network with colleagues and friends in other companies who may know of opportunities for someone with your skills and expertise.
Being prepared for your job search will result in a a more effective, targeted search, and ultimately success!
While references are not generally included on your resume anymore, the truth is that before you are given any job vacancy you will usually be asked to provide references to speak on your behalf.
If you have been in the job market for awhile, you ask the last people that supervisors or colleagues you have worked with provide a reference. However, if you have been studying or simply haven’t made a step up the career ladder it can be hard to know who to choose.
Here are some good suggestions that will serve you well:
If you are a recent graduate, or new to the job market, you will need to choose your references carefully. Choosing professors or advisors as a reference is acceptable. If you have never held a job before (i.e. a high school student looking for their first job), ask other career professionals, teachers or coaches who know your character and work ethic.
If you have been involved with community service groups or other organizations, ask the leader of the group/organization to provide you with a reference. You should also remember to include relevant volunteer work on your resume, especially if you are new to the job market, because your involvement shows that you have the ability to work with others to complete projects and achieve goals.
People you have worked for, even if you didn’t realize it. If you had a paper route, babysat for the neighbor’s children or even ran the school snack shop, these are all examples of employment and your willingness to work hard.
Instead of including references on your resume, have a separate reference page (formatted to match your resume) prepared to leave with employers, should they ask when you’re applying. Be sure to have your reference’s phone and email information.
One final tip-always ASK a person to be a reference for you-don’t just put their name and information down. You don’t want a friend/colleague getting a call from your potential employer and then acting like they don’t know what the employer is talking about and/or have no idea what they should be saying on your behalf. Tell your references what types of job you’re applying for as well as well as what company/hiring manager may be calling for them for information. Communication is key in making sure your references give the right impression of you to potential employers.
Using the Right Email Address on Your Professional Resume
We all know the importance of having a professional resume when it comes to applying for jobs and helping to find our way up the career ladder. When it comes to the content that needs to be included in our resume there are loads of places you can look for help and advice with what to include and how to lay it out. At the end of the day, the look of your resume is important because it is all about creating the right impression and giving yourself the best possible chance of job success.
One thing that many people don’t give consideration to is the contact information that we include on this and the impression that can give our potential employer. The biggest downfall for this is the email address that we choose to put on our resume.
Many of us have a personal email address that we have had for a number of years, maybe even dating back as far as our teenage years. There are different trends for setting up an email address, but it stands to reason that anything like “VodkaLover@email.com” or “SexyGal@email.com” aren’t really suitable for a professional resume. As your contact information is the first thing an employer will see on your resume, having a silly email address will get you judged immediately, and could prevent you from getting an interview.
Be safe and professional. Create a free email address along the lines of “firstname.lastname@email.com” to use as a contact address on your professional resume. Using your actual name, rather than a silly email addresswill give the reader a much better first impression.
Take a look at your resume with fresh eyes – can you honestly say that it is written well enough to get an employer’s interest? It is easy to forget just how many people you may be up against when it comes to applying for a job and just how tough the competition to be. The person in charge of deciding who goes through to the interview stage of a job application process is probably going to be reading loads of different resumes over a short period of time. You need to make sure that your resume stands out for all the right reasons and commands attention.
Although what your resume says and the skills that it showcases are important, you need to give careful consideration to the layout of your resume. People will take one glance at your resume and will know immediately whether or not they are interested in reading more about you. It might not seem fair, but at the end of the day first impressions count, so you need to make sure that the first impression your resume gives is a good one.
There are many standard templates you can use as part of a word processing program and if you are after a standard resume, then this will suit you perfectly well. What it won’t help you do is create a resume to get excited about or something that is going to make sure that people pay attention to you. You need to ensure your resume is created in a manner that will make the reader stop and pull your resume out of the pile.
If you are serious about job hunting and making sure that you have the best chance of job success, you may want to consider hiring a professional resume writer to ensure that your resume is creative and flawless. Professional resume writers are trained to highlight your best skills and achievements, as well as can write your resume so that it markets you, and shows employers the value you can offer their company. Remember, the first step to your next career is getting your resume read by employers-will your resume stand out above the rest?
Most people are usually well aware of the fact that having a high-quality, well-written resume is the best way you can go about getting the job of your dreams. There are loads of ways in which you can make sure that your resume has the ideal layout and wording to help you land a job, however, it is also important to make sure that your resume is suited to the position you’re applying for.
When it comes to applying for jobs, you’re going to find a job hunt much more effective if your resume is written to match specific job descriptions. Your experience and skills listed on your resume should coincide with the qualifications listed in the job description, otherwise, potential employers may write you off at the first hurdle.
However, if you are applying for a job that is much grander and in essence a better job, then it makes sense that your resume needs to step up to the mark. If you are going for a higher-paying job, and one that gives you a much better chance of career progression, then you need to ensure that your best career achievements and leadership skills are highlighted in your resume.
If this sounds like you and you want to make sure that you can go for a promotion, or higher-level position, then you may need to look at having an executive resume created. This goes above and beyond a standard resume and is essential if you are going for any type of executive or c-level (President, CEO, COO, CFO, CIO, CTO) positions. An executive resume must be powerful and have a “wow” factor that will attract employers looking for executive-level candidates.
Job hunting isn’t easy, which is reason enough to get it right the first time. Whether you are looking to change jobs or you need a new career because you are unemployed, it makes sense that you try to get a job as quickly as possible. You don’t want to spend months trawling job hunting websites and applying for jobs, instead you want to be as successful in your job hunt as quickly as possible.
When it comes to job hunting, many of us go about it in the same way and this means that we make the same mistakes. If you are searching for jobs but are being unsuccessful, then it is time to rethink your job hunting strategy and look at ways of helping to make your job hunt as successful as possible. One of the most common mistakes when it comes to job hunting is applying for too many jobs and spreading yourself too thin. You need to decide what career you want to follow and the jobs you want to apply for. It isn’t going to work for you just to apply for as many jobs as possible. You also need to make sure that your resume is suitable for the jobs you are applying for – sell yourself! Don’t just have a resume that is generalized rather than being tailored towards a particular industry. That will do you no favors. Don’t just assume that the longer your resume is the better. Remember that potential employers are likely to be reading a number of resumes so they are going to scan them quickly rather than paying major attention to them. This means that if your resume seems too long or full of too much text, then they will be put off at first glance – which is something that you want to avoid at all costs! Remember as well that job hunting isn’t easy for everyone, so make sure that you don’t give up at the first hurdle. There is a perfect job opportunity out there for everyone so you need to keep up the hunt in order to be successful in your quest for a brand new job or step up the career ladder.
The Cover Letter – More Important Than The Resume?
The resume gets you in for an interview, but what gets that resume in the door? The cover letter. The cover letter serves as an introduction to a prospective employer, much like a handshake. Make sure that you make a good impression with your cover letter. If the cover letter is not a good one the process stops there. A cover letter is often overlooked, but is definitely something that needs as much consideration as the resume. There is never a question of whether or not you need a cover letter. It is always necessary. Remember, first impressions are key. A cover letter is the first thing the hiring manager reads in the actual resume submission process. Good cover letters will convey to the person reading it that you are in fact qualified for the potential position and send everything to the specific hiring manager for the position. That will be the person you need to follow up with later. A basic description of your personal experience that covers any qualifications of the specific job will make a cover letter stand out. Being polite is crucial. Be sure to thank the reader for their time in reviewing your information and mention your experience in terms of their needs, not yours. Mention only your qualifications that best match the position for which you are applying. Show off your manners. Make your mom proud.
End the cover letter with an action plan such as you’ll follow up with them next Tuesday. Bad cover letters will be impersonal and easy to ignore when you address the cover letter “To Whom It May Concern.” Put more time into it. Find out the name of the person handling this hire. Call around and use your resources. This will make a big difference. Keep it simple. A cover letter shouldn’t be more than one page. Stay on subject and think of the letter in terms of the reader, not yourself. Talk more about things you can do for the company rather than only what you’ve done successfully throughout your career. Negative information about the companies you’ve worked for or any layoffs have no place in a cover letter. Very little about your personal life also does not need to be mention. Remember, this is not a social networking site where you mention your wonderful spouse and awesome kids. You may just alienate someone immediately with that if they are having personal problems.
So you now have the information necessary to draft an intelligent cover letter that should not be overlooked. Start researching the companies you are interested in, locate the names of the people you will be sending resumes to and begin to draft your work of art.
Whilst many people are happy to create their own resumes and are able to write a perfectly good resume, there are times when you have to go the extra mile. We know that the type of job that you have will make a big difference to the resume that you submit. It is important to make sure that your resume matches the job you are applying for. There are times when a normal resume isn’t enough and this may be when it is time to consider professional resume creation. If you are going for a high flying job, for example, or one that is at the top of the career ladder, then you’ll want to make sure that your resume is up to the high standards that a job of this level would expect.
If you aren’t sure how to go about this, then you can contact a company to create a professional resume for you. There are different services and add-ons that you get with these services depending on who you go with for your resume creation and the package that you choose. Of course, you can expect a fantastic resume that sells all of your best bits, your skills and your experiences to make sure that they know who you are, why they should hire you and what you would bring to the table if they were to hire you.
On top of this you get a variety of other services including help with creating the perfect resume and even a digital copy of your resume which is going to allow you to email in your job application rather than post it.
