Tag Archives: resume

Interview: What is Your Greatest Weakness?

Interview_Weakness_April2014This is one of the most frequently asked and most dreaded questions in an interview. Although it’s nerve-racking, your answer can make or break your interview. When a hiring manager asks about your greatest weakness, it’s a time for them to learn about your character and a great opportunity for you to use the question to your advantage.

Jacquelyn Smith, a writer for Forbes shares, “It’s not a trick question and there’s no ‘right’ answer—but interviewers are looking for something specific in your response to this challenging question.” Here are some tips in conveying your greatest weakness while keeping your composure in a job interview.

Identify Your Weakness
First things first, what is your weakness? Be honest with yourself and identify what you’re not the best at ahead of time. If you’re not great with finances or if you’re not super organized, don’t be afraid to say it, but whatever you do, avoid mentioning a weakness that can crush your chances of landing the job. If you’re not exactly sure what the job entails, review the job description to see what the employer is looking for.

Be sure to formulate an answer that’s not generic. Hiring managers know that people aren’t perfect and they make mistakes. People have weaknesses; hiring managers just want to know how those weaknesses have been handled.

Turn a Negative into a Positive
While you’re sharing about your weakness in an interview, you can easily turn the attention to a great strength you have. A Forbes article shares, “Be prepared to give an example of a previous failure or weakness that you’ve successfully turned into a strength. Do not discuss areas of opportunity that you are still working on and have not yet fixed.” After talking about the way you’ve conquered a weakness in life, keep the focus of the conversation positive, so you can leave a lasting impression.

Strictly Business
Talking about your weaknesses and strengths allows you to open up and share about yourself, but be careful to not over share. Throughout your interview process, remember to keep your responses work-related. Do your best to stay centered on the topic and avoid personal drama. “Sure, everyone has got some, but companies want to ensure this won’t affect your job if you get hired. Besides, it’s considered completely inappropriate to bring personal drama into the business world,” says Smith.

What are some ways you’ve shared your greatest weakness in an interview? Share with us in the comments section below.

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

Creating an Organic Resume

organic_Resume_April2014In regards to food, when something is labeled organic, it simply means there are no added ingredients, artificial chemicals, or hormones. Just like organic products don’t have any additives, neither should your resume. With the average resume review time at a mere 6 seconds, it’s important to make sure your resume has exactly what the hiring manager is looking for and nothing more. Here are some recipes to help make your resume more organic.

Cut the Additives
If you’re working on rewriting your resume or if you’re starting from scratch, keep in mind that less is more when it comes to your resume – it needs to be to the point, honest, and informative. An article in the Daily Muse shares that “size matters,” and hiring managers don’t have a lot of time to spend reviewing resumes. In this article, writer, Elizabeth Lowman states, “The average resume is chock-full of sorely outdated, essentially meaningless phrases that take up valuable space on the page. Eliminate them, and you’ll come off as a better, more substantial candidate.” Include relevant job experience and don’t forget to get rid of unnecessary information like the job experiences you had during high school.

Let a Few Pure Ingredients Shine Through
As stated in a Forbes article, “Every word—yes, every word—on that page should be working hard to highlight your talents and skills. If it’s not, it shouldn’t be on there.” When preparing your resume, use simple yet meaningful power words to help convey your experience and skills. Including numbers in your resume is also important and allows you to present your abilities in a way that demonstrates the value you would add to a team and can help you stand out as the best candidate for the job.

Presentation Matters
Since most resumes are only viewed for a few seconds, choosing the right format could help get your resume more attention.

To highlight extensive work history and to show off your attributes that make you a great candidate for the job, use the Chronological format. If you have a limited work history, you could use a functional format to showcase your abilities while de-emphasizing your chronological work history. Functional format is used most often by those changing careers or who have gaps in their employment history. A Combination resume draws more attention to your abilities instead of poor work history, and the Targeted format specifically highlights your experiences and skills that are relevant to the job you’re applying for.

After you choose your resume format, remember to tailor your resume to be applicable for each job you apply for. Knowing this, do your best to keep your resume to one page. If your resume takes up more than a page, be sure to include your name and contact information on both pages and try early on in the resume to make sure the recruiter or hiring manager will want to read more!

In today’s job market, it’s important to have the best possible resume. So, look over your resume carefully and make the changes you need for the best presentation possible.

By applying simple organic concepts to your resume, you can make a difference in your job search.

What resume refining tips can you share? We want to hear about your experience in the comments section below!

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

Cheer Up Your LinkedIn Profile

cheer_up_March2014We all spend time reading other peoples’ posts and updates on social media, but when is the last time you skimmed over your own profile and updated your information? Do you need to refresh your profile by adding new skills and work history, or do you need to delete some old things from your profile? Here are a few quick tips to cheer up your LinkedIn Profile.

What is Your LinkedIn Profile Saying About You?
Is your LinkedIn profile leaving an accurate and good impression on those who view it? A CareerBuilder study shows hiring managers are using social media to evaluate candidates’ character and personality traits outside the confines of the traditional interview process. When asked why they use social networks to conduct background research, hiring managers stated the following: 65% wanted to see if the candidate presents himself/herself professionally, 51% wanted to see if the candidate is a good fit for the company culture, 45% wanted to learn more about the candidate’s qualifications, 35% wanted to see if the candidate is well-rounded, and 12% wanted to look for reasons not to hire the candidate.

LinkedIn is a great social media tool for letting people in the professional arena learn more about you, your skills, and your work experience. So, where do you start?

Update Your Profile Picture
First things first, start with updating your profile picture. If your picture is more than five years old, it’s time for a new one. Make sure your photo is a head shot of you in business attire, not a picture of you with other people. Don’t forget to smile!

Freshen Up Your Summary
If you don’t have a professional summary, you need to write one. Don’t ever leave your summary blank. In fact, don’t leave any field blank on your profile. Your summary is one of the first things an employer sees when they look at your profile, which is a great way to introduce and present yourself. Take a quick look through your profile and professional summary to make sure you’re showcasing yourself and your abilities. Your summary doesn’t need to be long or in-depth, but it does need to point employers in the right direction. Keep in mind, your skills and information are searchable so you’ll want to use key words and descriptions that align with your industry.

Clean Up Your Group Lists
Joining groups on LinkedIn is a great way to grow your network. If your interests have changed since you first joined LinkedIn and you’d like to learn more about a different industry or company don’t hesitate to join their LinkedIn group. Cleaning up your old groups and add new ones can help you cheer up your LinkedIn profile.

Follow New People
Do you have professional role models that you look up to? See if those people have LinkedIn accounts and request to follow them. Following those you look up to and seeing their updates on your LinkedIn feed can help encourage you in your job search and keep you motivated during your career journey.

Cheering up your LinkedIn and other social media profiles might be just what you need to get noticed. These edits and updates can be done in a short amount of time, so cheer up your LinkedIn profile today. Have you landed a job by using LinkedIn? Let us know in the comments section below!

The Best Apps to Organize Your Job Search

organize_job_search_apps_March2014In this ever-changing, technologically advanced world we live in, it’s important for job seekers to stay proactive in order to find work. It’s also important to keep everything organized during your job search. And what better way to do that than by using your smart phone? Although staying organized throughout your job searching process can seem overwhelmingly difficult at times, these helpful apps can help make your life easier.

Resume Builder Pro
This best-selling app just changed its name from Pocket Resume to Resume Builder Pro. It allows you to create, maintain, and email your resume from your Apple, Android,  or Blackberry device. Resume Builder Pro simplifies the tedious task of compiling a resume by doing the work for you. Check it out on your iPhone/iPad app store or Blackberry Web Store for $2.99 and on Google Play for Androids for $4.99.

Job Search Organizer
Job Search Organizer was named the best and most popular independent job search app in the Apple app store and is the only app on the market that successfully combines job search and organization features. This free app is currently only supported by Apple.

Evernote
Use this app to store notes, voice reminders, and ideas, as well as create to-do lists, manage tasks, attach images, and more. This award-winning app allows you to capture your memories and find everything fast, while giving you the ability to access it from anywhere. You can find free downloadable versions of Evernote for Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, and more at www.evernote.com.

Dropbox
This free app is compatible with Apple devices, Android, BlackBerry, and the Kindle Fire and allows you to bring all your documents like resumes, a reference list, and cover letters, with you anywhere and lets you share them easily.  With everything you need consolidated in one place, you have the ability to respond quickly when opportunity strikes.

It can be hard to keep track of every detail of your job search, so take advantage of these helpful apps. Each app is user friendly so don’t worry about being tech-savvy to be able to use them. Do you use apps to help organize your job search? What apps have helped you? Share with us in the comments section below!

Resume Tips To Help You Get Lucky

Lucky_Resume_March2014When you’re trying to catch a potential employer’s eye, your resume has to stand out from the crowd. It has to have something extra, a little bit of magic that no other resume has. But, sometimes magic is hard to come by, and it can be difficult to find ways to make your resume distinct. So, in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, here are seven tactics to add some luck to your job search.

Give Your Resume a Pinch
Less is more, so cut unnecessary content, eliminate meaningless phrases, and shape it to fit each job opening in order to get noticed.

Find the Pot o’ Gold with the Right Style
What you bring to the job is unique, which means you need to pick the resume style that best matches your work history, skills, and qualifications.

Show What You Have to Offer
Apply some eloquence to that meaningless objective statement and shift the focus to what you’ll bring to the job.

Make Your Competition Green With Envy
Your work history is the core of your resume, so make sure it’s strong and sculpted for the most attractive resume possible.

Treat Your References Like 4-Leaf Clovers
If you say “references available upon request” in your resume, make sure you have great references prepped and ready to vouch for you.

Follow the Rainbow to the Perfect Format
Do your research to ensure you know which electronic resume format – Word or PDF – works best for you and the job opening.

Check for Overlooked Shamrocks
Hiring managers expect a resume to contain certain elements, so give it one final look to ensure nothing’s missing.

Getting lucky in your job search starts with taking the time to fix up your resume so it can work it’s magic. After all, employers will never know what an amazing job candidate you are if your resume doesn’t grab their attention.

What have you done to make your resume stand out?  Share your own tips for building a golden resume in the comments section below.

Spring Clean Your Reference List

Spring_Clean_Reference_List_Feb2014Have you been using the same references for years? If so, what better time than now to spring clean your reference list? Cleaning up your reference list is just as important as updating your resume. Here are some tips to keep in mind when reviewing your reference list.

Maintain a Good Relationship with Your References
When is the last time you talked to your references?  If you’ve listed supervisors you’ve worked for in the past, do you know if they’re still employed at the same company? Touch base with your references and let them know they’re still on your list. If your supervisor is no longer employed with your previous employer, consider deleting him or her off your reference list. Although you should look for senior-level co-workers or leaders, you don’t have to strictly include supervisors in your reference list. Find a co-worker or manager who knows your work ethics and will give you praise.

Always Ask
Don’t forget to ask your references if it’s okay that you continue to use them as a reference. Each time you apply for a job and use references, make sure you give them a heads up and time to prepare. Not only is it polite, it’s practical. Your potential employer could be calling them and they may not pick up if it’s a number they don’t recognize.

Choose Your References Wisely
Your references should be professional colleagues. While family and friends would be great spokespersons to tell of your success and accomplishments, you need to use professionals as references who can speak of your work experience. Having a variety of colleagues that know you from different perspectives will give a diverse and positive statement to your future employer.

Coach Your References
It would be a shame to have worked so hard job searching and getting your resume together only to find out that you didn’t land the job because of a bad reference. Coaching your references will help avoid this. Write an email to your references or give them a phone call reminding them of your job search. Let them know about the job you’re applying for and give them the description so they can be ready to tell about your qualities and skills that fit that specific job. Give them a copy of your current resume so they can speak to your abilities.

What’s been your experience in asking for references? Have you ever had a reference that was the deciding factor in whether you were hired or not? Let us know in the comments section below.

Lucky Words for Your Resume

Lucky_Words_For_Resume_Feb2014On average, a hiring manager will look over a resume for only six seconds, and if they don’t see something that stands out, you may not end up landing an interview. Knowing this fact can add even more stress to the job search process, but don’t let it. Resume writing is easier than you think. Writing a precise resume is key to securing a job, so it’s important to pack the right words in your resume to showcase your skills and abilities. Your resume doesn’t need to tell your life story, but it does need to get the hiring manager’s attention.

Resume Word Choices
It’s important to use words in present tense when writing about your current job and use past tense when referring to a previous job. Employers aren’t only looking for skills, but also certifications, degrees, job titles, and company names. They are also looking for keywords that highlight your experience, personality, and abilities. Some of these keywords include:

Information-related

  • Administered
  • Analyzed
  • Compared
  • Compiled
  • Gathered
  • Organized
  • Prepared
  • Recorded
  • Researched

People-related

  • Coached
  • Coordinated
  • Consulted
  • Evaluated
  • Instructed
  • Managed
  • Negotiated
  • Persuaded
  • Scheduled

Objects/Material -related

  • Arranged
  • Assembled
  • Created
  • Inspected
  • Maintained
  • Operated
  • Repaired
  • Sold
  • Tested

Be careful not to be repetitive in your word usage. You can easily spice up your resume to convey similar actions by using different words. What are some keywords you’ve used in your resume? Share with us in the comments section below!