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Resume Boot Camp Resumes and Cover Letters

What to Do About Work Gaps

By Miranda Wilson on Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Whatever the reason is you’re looking for a new job, you’re going to need a résumé. And, you want one to stand out to an employer and make them take notice of you in a positive way. So, what do you do if your work history has a few gaps along the way? With typically only one minute to grab someone’s attention with your résumé, prospective employers sometimes don’t take the time to investigate little potholes along a job seeker’s workforce journey. Employers see work gaps frequently, but what they really want to see is an individual’s career growth and progression. So, if you’re currently experiencing a few of those gaps in your work history, what can you do now to help your résumé compete with the elite?

Format your résumé into a functional format. The functional format focuses on your actual skills and accomplishments rather than on the dates you worked at a job or your job titles. When you arrange your résumé by your skills, you’re highlighting the main points of why an employer should hire you.

Align your skills with the job you’re applying for. Be specific about your skills and relate them to the job you’re applying for. It’s important to keep things relevant. If you’re applying for a job as an administrative assistant, the prospective employer probably doesn’t want to know that you also have a knack for laying concrete. Instead, list out relevant skills like your knowledge of Microsoft Office, the ability to book meetings using Outlook, and experience in coordinating multiple events or meetings at a time.

Include your accomplishments. You’re trying to tell an employer why they should choose you over the other job applicants. This is your time to wow a potential employer about what you have achieved during your work history. Listing these helps combat a work gap by showcasing that you do have experience and good skills that achieved results. This showcases you as a more serious job candidate. Again, keep your accomplishments relevant to the job you’re applying for, but be sure to target your proudest achievements.

List your volunteer experience. Do you volunteer for an organization? If so, include that in your work history section. It doesn’t matter if you got paid or not. It’s still work experience you can include to show you haven’t been sitting around during your time away from a job.

These are a few tips to help you out. Sometimes an employment gap cannot be avoided, but that doesn’t mean you’re not qualified for the job. In addition, one more piece of advice is to create a cover letter to go along with your résumé. In your cover letter, be succinct about your work gap, but use this as an opportunity to better explain your work history. Apply these tips to help your job search, and don’t let a work history gap derail your career plans.

At Work Cube Life My Entry-Level Life New Job Tips The Daily Grind

My Entry-Level Life: That’s a Wrap!

By Miranda Wilson on Tuesday, September 7, 2010

We hope you’ve enjoyed the series on My Entry-Level Life. You’ve gotten some valuable information to help you with your job search. My Entry-Level Life covered the basics of how to interview, create and update your résumé, dress for success, handle office politics, schedule meetings, and much more. Whether you’re looking for an internship, your first full-time job, or you’re switching industries to start a brand new career, you can always reference the great tips and advice this series covered.

Do you have success stories to share about an entry-level job you had this summer? We would like to hear them!

Also, be on the lookout for our upcoming series, Résumé Boot Camp: Tips to help you whip your résumé into shape.

Career Advancement New Job Tips The Job Search

5 Free Investments for New Job Seekers

By ibk on Friday, August 27, 2010

You can start investing today in your future by making use of free resources that will help you in your professional career. As a recent graduate or a new job seeker, it may seem difficult to find the right job. No matter what field or industry you’re in, you can make use of some of the following tips to set you apart from the competition, and increase your chances in finding a job. These tips will also help you tackle any challenges in your career.

Read career blogs: Career blogs are becoming more and more popular as time goes on. Job experts are now using them as a way to share information and offer advice on various topics from how to ask for a job reference to top questions to ask during a job interview. They are also great because they’re free and easily accessible and thus some employers might expect you to be well prepared for an interview because of the plethora of information that is readily available to prepare you for the interview. Use the information to gain insight and quick tips on everything about careers. Learning never gets old, so take advantage of this opportunity. These blogs can help you be better prepared for what employers are looking for in a job candidate.

See a career counselor or visit a local staffing agency: Career counseling is available on many college campuses and is a very helpful resource in choosing the right career path. Talk to a college counselor to gain more insight about your skills, learn what your interests are, and discover what career path is best for you. Choosing a career is one of the most important decisions you can ever make, so it’s important to get all the advice you can before making your decision. For those who may not have access to career counselors, staffing agencies are another great resource to help you find job openings in your area of interest. So, check with your local staffing agency to find out how they can be of service to you.

Ask questions: Asking questions is very important because it helps you gain insight into your potential job path and clear up any confusion or concern you may have. Educate yourself on choices before you make them by talking to people who have experience in the field you’re interested in. Also, find out if you can job shadow someone in the field that you’re curious about. This will give you a clear vision of their job and its daily functions.

Go to a job fair: Job fairs are great opportunities for you to meet with various employers in one place and in a small amount of time. For businesses, this gives them the opportunity to perform initial screening and recruit for entry level jobs. In order to make the most of a job fair, it’s good to research what companies will be attending the fair in order to make a list of your top choices so that you can meet with them first. Researching companies ahead of time or before attending a job fair would give the recruiter the impression that you have an interest in their company and that you are responsible enough to do your homework. Know what the companies do and be able to speak about them in addition to telling them about you.

Make sure you prepare a list of questions you want to ask. For example, ask the recruiter questions about the company’s culture and values. Also prepare to answer questions from the recruiter. Some questions you may be asked are questions like, “What are your goals?” or “Why do you want to work for our company?”

Making a good first impression is the most important thing to remember when attending a job fair because right from the get-go you’re being analyzed and screened. Job fairs are a great opportunity for you to market yourself and show what sets you apart from everyone else. So, be sure to dress appropriately, wear what you would for a job interview because essentially, that’s what you’re doing even if it’s not in a traditional location. Avoid carrying too many things so you can move around freely, and carry a portfolio with plenty of résumés so you can hand them out to the companies you’re interested in. Lastly, remember why you’re attending the job fair. Don’t get distracted by all the freebies some companies provide during job fairs, be professional. Smile and give a firm handshake.

Start a blog: People are now using blogs as a tool to market themselves. Blogging allows you to share information about yourself and your interests. As social media continues to grow, this is a good avenue for employers to familiarize themselves with your interests. Starting a blog will help you establish yourself as a subject-matter expert and develop online persona. Remember some industries may be less interested in blogging and social media than others, so be sure to take note of other tips that are more applicable to your field. If you decide that starting a blog is a great tool for your career, be careful what you put on it. Remember your blog reflects on who you are. So, be professional and avoid anything that may give a bad impression about you.

Whether you’re a student, recent graduate, or just new to your career field, make use of the above tips to either boost your chances of getting a job or to learn important elements to succeed in the business world. Stay in touch with what is happening around you. You owe it to yourself and your career.

Job Interviews New Job Tips The Daily Grind The Job Search

How to Excel on a Phone Interview

By ibk on Friday, July 2, 2010

Have you ever had a phone interview? Every interview can be a little nerve wracking, but a phone interview can be particularly terrifying. Like calling a crush for the first time, it can put your stomach in knots. If you’re nervous about this type of interview, don’t panic. The following tips will give you a head start on how to be a success.

Be prepared. The first thing to remember is you have to treat phone interviews like you would face-to-face interviews. Be sure to research the company ahead of time and practice answering interview questions beforehand. A great advantage is that when you are interviewing over the phone, you can have a cheat sheet of important facts right in front of you. In addition to a cheat sheet, keep your resume or an outline with different points you will like to cover close by during the interview. Having the right information in front of you can be a great reference to help you answer potential employers’ questions.

Dress the part. Just because you’re not going to be seen during an interview doesn’t mean you should stay in bed during the call. Take a shower, get dressed, and present yourself as though you were expecting a guest. Your appearance will determine the way you communicate during an interview. If you interview looking like you just rolled out of bed, chances are, you will sound like that over the phone.

Conduct a sound check. Just like you should dress the part for an interview, you also need to sound the part. Also, warm up your voice with a phone call to a friend if your interview is early in the morning so you sound awake and alert. Remember, you can’t communicate non verbal cues over the phone, so having an enthusiastic and professional tone in your voice will go a long way to make a great impression. Be sure to enunciate, speak audibly, and exaggerate voice inflection when necessary. Since you’re probably having a conversation with this interviewer for the first time, don’t speak too fast. Take your time to get your message across, and ask for clarification when you don’t understand something. And, don’t forget to smile. A smile will enhance your mood and can be carried through the phone to sound warm and friendly.

Choose a good location. Location is key to any interview. Your location for your interview should be free of distraction and noise. Find a quiet place where you can concentrate. To be sure you have a good location, call a friend ahead of time from this quiet location to ensure they can hear you clearly and audibly. If they can’t, make adjustments. If you’re conducting your interview over a cell phone, make sure your phone service has good coverage in your chosen location to prevent the call from dropping.

Be respectful. Except in absolute emergency situations, never put an interviewer on hold. Value the time they are taking to interview you and make the best of it. Also be sure charge your phone in advance. You don’t want your phone to die mid-conversation! You want to show the employer that you are very interested in the position and that you are a responsible individual. In addition, follow the lead of the interviewer. Don’t rudely cut him or her mid-sentence, and take time to pay close attention to what he or she is saying. Also, let the interviewer hang up before you do, because you don’t want to accidentally hang up before they’re ready.

Ask questions. It’s important to ask questions during this time, because you may need to clarify certain things. By asking questions, you show you’re really interested in the position you’re interviewing for. You also want to make sure the position is the right fit for you, not just practice your conversation skills.

Follow up. Since you will not receive business cards after your phone interview, be sure to ask for contact information and how the interviewer prefers to be contacted. Just like with face-to-face interviews, send a thank-you note. Ask if they need you to take any other actions or send any necessary documents. Lastly, find out when you should expect to hear back from them about the decision and show your gratitude for the interview by thanking the interviewer for their time and willingness to speak to you. Also, be sure to send them a thank you note via e-mail or in the mail immediately following the interview. This will help you stand out from other candidates for the job.

Phone interviews don’t have to make you nervous if you follow these helpful steps. On the upside, these interviews are actually more convenient and time efficient than face-to-face interviews. Your personality is something that sets you apart so, just relax and let yourself shine!

At Work Career Options The Daily Grind The Job Search

Looking for New Job Opportunities? Advice to Improve Your Results

By Miranda Wilson on Friday, June 11, 2010

How are you looking for new job opportunities? Are you waiting for them to just appear or are you actively seeking them out? Searching for a career is a full-time job in itself, and it’s important to exhaust all your avenues for finding employment. To help you be more proactive with your efforts, here are some tips to improve your job search efforts today.

Attend networking events. If you know what industry you want to work in, try to get plugged into professional meetings in that field. This will give you an opportunity to network with others who work in that field and make valuable connections. Introduce yourself to them and don’t be afraid to tell them what your goals are. When you attend these meetings, always have your résumé and business cards on hand with you and pass them out. You want people to leave that meeting with a good impression of you.

Talk to people. You never know if somebody knows somebody who is looking for a new employee. Make it a point to get out there and just meet new people. When you’re at your local coffee shop, strike up a conversation with those around you. Ask others what they do for a living, and then tell them about yourself and what you want to do in life. Also, keep your friends and family updated about what’s going on with you. It never hurts to share your story with others.

Volunteer for organizations. Seek out volunteer opportunities that would provide you with experience related to what you want in a job. If you like marketing, volunteer to do some writing for a non-profit organization. If you want to do construction, contact Habitat for Humanity to see if they have any projects for you. These are great ways to build your skill set and be able to measure the impact of your results.

Get online. Check out company websites and others like Indeed.com to search for job openings. Submit your résumés online, along with a copy of your cover letter. Be sure your contact information is included. Apply for all the job openings you qualify for. The more you apply, the more your chances go up of hearing from an employer about a possible interview.

Also, set up social media networking accounts such as Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter, if you don’t already have one. This is another great way to make connections with others. You can include information on these profiles about your skills, experiences, and what type of jobs you’re looking for. Again, you never know who could see your online profile and want to meet you.

Instead of waiting for opportunity to knock on the door, it’s important for you to take some initiative and push that door open just a bit and introduce yourself to new possibilities. If you keep approaching the job hunt the same way you always have, you will get the same results. Try these tips to help find the job you want.

At Work Job Interviews New Job Tips Resumes and Cover Letters The Daily Grind The Job Search

Have You Googled Your Name Lately?

By Miranda Wilson on Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Do you ever wonder how much information about you is floating around in cyber space? If you haven’t ever searched your name online, you should try it just for fun. It’s important to be aware of what information others can access about you because when you apply for a job, an employer is likely to go online to research more about you. Gone are the days when an employer would only look at your résumé.

The web has become a medium for personal branding. It helps others connect to information that tells who you are and what you do. It’s important that positive results show up in a search about you. If no search results show up about you, it’s time for you to generate some results yourself. When it comes to online branding, you have to take some matters into your own hands. Here are a few tips to help you create your own positive online brand for yourself.

Choose your name. If you have a common name, it’s important to decide how you want to format it. For instance, Tom Z. White will show up better in a web search than just Tom White, simply because adding an initial or your middle name will differentiate you. As you begin to brand yourself, see how your name stacks up by trying an online identity calculator. Also, when you decide on what name you are going to use, be sure to stay consistent and use it with all your online branding and even on hard copies of items like your résumé, cover letter, and business cards. The name an employer sees on your résumé is the name they will search online. So it’s important that your information is consistent and matches up.

Create professional social media profiles for yourself. For example, LinkedIn is one of the popular social media sites for listing information about your work experiences, interests, and education. You can upload your résumé, include details about your work history, and showcase recommendations others have made about you. It also allows you to make networking connections with others. Just be sure you’re aware of what your personal social media sites reveal about you because they may show up in a web search about you, too. A few other great sites like Brazen Careerist, Plaxo, and Friendfeed can also help you build your network and visibility.

Create a professional blog. A professional interest blog allows you to write about and share information on topics that interest you and pertain to your career. To maximize your results with this tool, be sure to focus on professional subjects and always include your name on it, so when you post information search engines like Google can recognize that it was created by you. As you post more content, the ranking of your blog will rank higher in search results. Find out more about creating a blog.

Write for other blogs. With an abundance of blogs available to choose from today, many blogs and news sites are looking for additional content writers. If you don’t want to create your own blog, you can still write for someone else and include your name in it. This is also a great way to help your name get recognized in search results. So, start finding blogs that interest you and begin building relationships with those blog writers.

Comment on blogs. Using your full name when you leave comments on others’ blogs will also allow you to show up in search results. You can leave thoughtful, professional comments on subject-matter blogs in your field of interest. This is a simple way to build your online presence, especially if you use a unique name when you post comments.

Create an online résumé. This is like your traditional résumé, except it’s kicked up a notch. An online version allows you to incorporate multimedia elements such as podcasts, videos, photos, and social media sites. It can also let you showcase a portfolio of your best work. Having an online résumé shows an employer that you go above and beyond. And because it’s housed online, you never know who could find it and offer you the next big job. Get more information on creating an online résumé.

These are some basic tips to help you create an online identity for yourself and get noticed more in search results. As businesses continue to evolve and our society becomes more technologically savvy, having a résumé isn’t always enough. You have to evolve with the times too, and following these tips can help you do just that.

At Work Cube Life My Entry-Level Life New Job Tips The Daily Grind Work/Life Balance

After the Interview’s Over: Advice Most People Ignore and Why It Hurts Them

By Miranda Wilson on Monday, May 17, 2010

So all the hard work you put into creating your résumé, building your references list, and networking with individuals in your field of interest paid off for you. You landed a job interview, and you feel like it went really well. So, what’s the next step? Following up. You haven’t received a job offer yet, so you still need to stand out in the interviewer’s mind and let them know you want the job.

Following up after an interview is a major part of the job search process that a lot of people know but choose to ignore. When you don’t show interest in finding out how your interview went, the employer could take that as a sign you’re not really concerned about working for their company. Instead of spending your time worrying and waiting after your interview, follow this advice to help advance your way to a second interview, or even better, to getting a job offer.

Ask about the decision making process. At the end of your interview, ask the interviewer what their timeline and process is for making a decision. The goal is for you to find out when you should expect to know their decision or next step. This way, you’re not just sitting around wondering about when they’re going to call.

Send a thank-you letter. This is common courtesy and an important gadget in your job search toolkit. Within 24 hours of your interview, be sure to send a thank-you letter to the interviewer. Sending a letter this soon after your interview will keep your meeting fresh in the employer’s mind and you can easily personalize the letter with key points you discussed. Thank them for taking time out of their day to meet with you. Also, use this as an opportunity to reiterate your interest in the job opportunity, your excitement for it, and what value you can bring to their business. Let them know you look forward to hearing from them, and be sure to include your contact information. And, FYI, if you make it to a second interview, send another thank-you letter after that meeting.

For more tips on writing a follow-up thank you note, click here.

Call the interviewer. After you submit your thank-you letter, sit back and wait. Be respectful of the interviewer’s time. Yes, you can be the squeaky wheel who calls the interviewer every day, but constantly contacting them to check the status of the job could end up causing you to lose points in their eyes, and even worse, miss out on a great job.

If you haven’t heard from the employer by the follow-up date they gave you at the end of your interview, contact them about the status of the job. Let them know you’re still interested in the position and ask them if there’s anything else you need to do or any other information you need to supply to help with their decision about you.

Ask for feedback. If by chance you didn't get selected for the job, be sure to politely ask the interviewer for feedback on why you didn’t get the position. Also, ask if they can provide you with some tips on things you could improve on. This will help you better yourself for the next interview that comes your way.

Thank them … again. Regardless of the outcome of the interview, take a moment to say a final thanks to your interviewer for their time. Let them know it was a pleasure to meet them, and ask them if they have an account on LinkedIn or Twitter so you can stay in touch and continue to build a professional networking relationship.

These are a few simple steps to help you make the most of following up after an interview. But, always make sure to contact your interviewer after you’ve met. In today’s job market, it’s important to stand out from the competition in a positive way, and following these tips will help you do that. Taking this initiative to go the extra mile in pursuing a job speaks volumes about your character to an employer, giving you a great advantage over those who don’t follow up.