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Resumes and Cover Letters The Job Search

Cutting Out and Trimming Up Your Resume

By Jared Cole on Monday, March 18, 2013

Is your resume weighed down with countless pages of everything from your previous work experience? Is it weighed down with awards and community service activities that have no relevance to the job openings? Does your resume have more pages than “War and Peace?”

OK job seekers! Let’s get that computer warming, ink flowing, and that vocabulary loosening because we are going to show you how to shape up your resume. Whether you need to put your experience on an elliptical or lift up your language, we can show you what to trim and tuck so you can have a ripped resume that will grab employers’ attention!

Aerobic Audience
You need to be aware of who will be receiving your application. Resumes are not universal and you will need to customize it to each job opening in which you apply. That means you should carefully decide which skills, experience, hobbies or community service, and objective statement to include, and which to remove.

Only the relevant information should be in your resume. Hiring managers’ time is limited and you need to get your most important information to them in the quickest way possible. So, consider leaving out a summer lifeguard job while going to college for a more meaningful internship or mentorship.

Minimize Responsibilities, MAXIMZE Results
Most employers aren’t that interested in what your normal daily activities were in your job as much as they are in what kind of results you achieved. When going over your resume, find ways of cutting back any unnecessary job duties and replace them with your accomplishments.

Employers also like to see tangible, quantifiable achievements. When listing your results, consider things like the time or money saved, the number of customers you served or increased, or any new procedures or processes you introduced that increased efficiency.

Stop Hiking the Paper Trail
While you may feel like you need to include references or transcripts to cover all of your bases, it could be cumbersome and make it more likely for employers to pass on your resume. If the job application or employer doesn’t request those items, don’t include them. It might be useful to have a few copies ready if you are called for an interview, but keep it reserved for when they are specifically needed.

Cut the Computer Skills
Typing emails and using standard computer programs can be used by the most average person these days. Most employers will automatically assume you know how to type, fax, email, and use Microsoft Office®, so including your proficiency in computer programs in a resume might not improve your chances of getting noticed unless you are looking for work in IT or as a programmer.

An important factor to remember when slimming down your resume is that, just like physical fitness, you have to keep working at it. Slimming down in real life takes a continual life change. So, keeping your resume fit will also require you to stay informed on current trends on resume writing and where your target job market is going.

Keep it up, and you can hit your career and job searching goals! What are some exercises you’ve done to your resume to make it more effective? Let us know in the comments below.

Resumes and Cover Letters The Job Search

So, What’s Up With This Video Resume Thing?

By Jared Cole on Monday, March 4, 2013

Video Resume Yes or No? EVERYTHING is going online. You can shop, file taxes, earn degrees, and in some cases, do your job online. The job search is no different. In addition to online job boards and career sites, social media is adding a new dimension to how job seekers look for work and how employers find qualified candidates.

One of the biggest up-and-coming trends in the job market is the video resume. Competition is still stiff, and more job seekers are looking for ways to make themselves stand out among the sea of applicants. What better way to get a leg up on the large pile of paper resumes and the full inbox of emails with cover letters than by taking advantage of our video-heavy culture?

With most phones capable of recording video, it’s easier than ever to record your own resume. But, is ditching the prehistoric paper method and cueing the camera to record a video resume the way of the future?

Well… Sort of
While job seekers making professional recordings of themselves is a quickly growing trend, it’s not for the reasons you may be thinking. According to video interview service TalentRooser, 89% of employers have not yet watched or considered a video resume.

What is interesting is that TalentRooster also reports that 63% of employers have conducted at least one interview using video services. With the increase in job seeker video profiles, more companies are resorting to interviewing and recruiting through video technology. Large companies like Starbucks and Wal-Mart have recruiters screening video resume sites looking for top, tech-savvy talent.

It’s Up To You
So, should you be firing up the video camera and sending video files to every job opening you learn about? For the most part, try to refrain. If your industry is known for creativity, like fashion, graphic design, advertisement, or entertainment, then consider using your creative juices to make yourself shine. Those looking for industrial or accounting work should think twice before ditching the paper resume.

Employers are looking to video for recruitment and interviewing, so learning how to appear in front of a camera should be an extra tool in your job searching arsenal. More recruiters are looking to video resume sites like TalentRooster, ResumeTube, and GetHired to look for talent. Consider building a video resume to put on some of these sights to boost your online professional image and grab the attention of potential recruiters.

But, there’s a lot that goes into making a good video resume and a lot to consider before making your Barney Stinson quality video.

If You Must
When making a video resume, keep it shorter than 60 seconds. You may love yourself enough to fill 15 minutes worth of footage, but keep it short and sweet with just the highlights of your professional accomplishments. While video resumes can be a strong attention getter, they can give you the bad kind of attention.

Video resumes may not be the norm today, but with video resume hosting sites growing rapidly every year and more companies looking to recruit and interview through the internet, the way we job search in five years could be drastically different. Video resumes could help you get noticed, but they can backfire easily.

Career Options Get and Keep a Job Videos Job Interviews Social Media The Job Search

Find a Job Like Detective Ace Jobseeker

By Jared Cole on Wednesday, July 11, 2012

The days of graduating, posting a resume online, and sitting back while you wait for recruiters and HR representatives to call with job offers are gone. Gone like a host of sparrows escaping the winter months. Odds are, you’ll be scratching up dough at 11 different jobs by the time you’re 44. With all that job hopping, you’re going to need more than just one method of finding a job.

Nowadays, there are several different resources at your disposal to find a job. You just have to look for them, like a detective. Whether it’s job fairs, social media, internships, or staffing agencies, it’s a matter of finding what works best for you.

That’s why Express’ own private eye, Detective Ace Jobseeker, is here to explain. See how he puts his investigation skills to work.

What are some methods you’ve used to find a job? What do you think about the gumshoe Ace Jobseeker? Sing like a canary in the comments section below.

Career Options Current Affairs The Job Search

Doctor Who’s Guide to Job Searching Across Space and Time

By Jared Cole on Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Allons-y and Geronimo job seekers! If you’re not familiar with Doctor Who, it’s the longest-running science-fiction TV program of all time. With nearly 800 episodes, the show has been on British television since 1963. The story is about The Doctor, an eccentric alien who befriends companions from Earth to travel across space and time in his time machine, the TARDIS.

While Doctor Who is a family program teaching viewers to better understand each other through knowledge and compassion, there are several correlations to the job market that The Doctor can teach you as well. Here are some lessons you can learn from the Doctor’s adventures that you can use to help your job search, no matter where or when you are.

Do What You Can With What You Have
Most of the time, The Doctor is able to protect the universe and beat the bad guys with his intellect, sonic screwdriver, and trusty time machine. But, the doctor will often have to figure out ways of saving the day without his handy, dandy gadgets. In one episode, the TARDIS gets trapped in the time vortex by an unknown alien force with one of The Doctor’s companions still trapped inside while the doctor is stuck in modern-day England. To find the alien threat, The Doctor has to fit in as an ordinary human and build a tracking device out of lampshades, paddle oars, and shopping carts in his room. You can get an idea of what the Doctor has to do without being discovered by the alien threat in the video below.

Please note, the video clips herein and their sponsors do not necessarily represent the views of Express and are used for educational purposes only.

Just like how The Doctor has to take the junk he finds and play like a human to save people, you as a job seeker should be as adaptable. If you find dead ends in your job search, you may have to consider alternatives like freelancing, going back to school for special training, or look into staffing agencies. Sometimes a job in another area can lead to something much more desirable.

Finding a Job is Like a Big Ball of Wibbley Wobbely, Timey Wimey… Stuff
The story in the Doctor Who episode “Blink” folds upon itself and doesn’t follow a strict line of progression. It correlates to the way The Doctor sees time. In the episode, he is trapped in 1969 and needs help from two characters in 2007 through a DVD recording and explains this theory in a way only The Doctor can explain.

Since The Doctor sees time as a giant ball of wibbley wobbely, timey wimey stuff, job seekers should treat their search in the same way. Job seeking isn’t just about handing a résumé to a recruiter, manager, or decision maker, then get the interview, then get the job offer. Opportunities to find a job can be found in unconventional places. Making a good impression at a job fair could lead to an unexpected opportunity later in life, providing content on LinkedIn could catch the eye of someone who could offer work, or being active in a hobby or activity could lead you to working in that industry. There are opportunities out there, we just might not know when or how they appear.

Regenerate When you Need to, Like a Time Lord
One of The Doctor’s most famous abilities is to regenerate his physical form when he’s about to die. When he changes, he still keeps all of his memories, motives, and skills, but his looks, personality, and attitude change. This puts The Doctor in new situations, planets, and interactions with different allies.

Just like The Doctor changes during his adventures, as a job seeker, you should too. You should be the same person with the same talents, motivations, and soft skills, but you should adapt your message, résumé, and cover letter to highlight your specific skills that fit the job description you’re applying for. Sending the same stock application to every job posting will get much fewer results than customizing your work to match the needs of each job and employer.

No matter where you are in your job search, you can always use a little push by learning from The Doctor. If he can chase his dreams across time and space, you can achieve your job searching goals.

Career Options Inside Express New Job Tips

Temporary Work Myths: EXPOSED!

By Jared Cole on Monday, May 28, 2012

The economy is changing, and while it slowly climbs it’s way to recovery, employers are looking at the job market in a different way. Now more than ever, companies are increasingly relying on temporary staffing to fill open positions instead of dealing with the time and expense of directly hiring new employees.

This is a great opportunity for job seekers to gain valuable experience, but many don’t consider it as an option because of the various misconceptions about interim work. It’s time to expose these ideas for the myths they are. Here are the top three staffing myths busted to help you find success in your career.

Temporary work doesn’t pay well and is low-level.
This isn’t the case. For staffing agencies, demand is growing fastest for administrative and commercial jobs. More and more professionals are embracing the flexibility and control they have over their work schedule and the challenge and variety they can have acting as a consultant to their various jobs.

Staffing agencies want highly skilled and talented individuals to meet the needs of their job orders. That means they offer competitive wages and benefits that are on par with those directly hired. Some staffing companies offer health insurance, vacation, and retirement options. Research your local agency to see if their services are the right fit for you and your schedule.

I can’t get a full-time job if everyone knows I’m a temporary employee.
Because of the high cost of hiring and terminating employees, companies are turning to staffing agencies to evaluate and test new hires before hiring them full time. Employers are still cautious of the economy, so it makes perfect sense to hire workers from staffing agencies as a cost effective way to meet their needs. In many cases, a staffing agency can be your foot in the door with some prominent companies.

There are several stories about temporary employees working for Express who end up in full-time positions in companies they never would have been considered for otherwise. Check out these stories of temporary employees’ success.

Having temp work on your résumé looks bad.
Showing how you have gained and developed skills will only strengthen your résumé. As staffing has grown into a bigger part of the economy, experience in temporary work is seen as the equivalent of consulting experience in some industries. Many employers see long-term staffing jobs as the same as regular work experience. There are several benefits to working with a staffing agency that will look good on a résumé as long as you can show how your experience can help potential employers.

The increase in employment through staffing has always been a sign of future economic recovery, but opportunities to work on a temporary basis are expanding. Some industry experts are predicting temporary work may become more integral to the economy in the next decade. Contact your local Express office to see if we can provide you with an opportunity to help you succeed with your career goals.

Career Options The Job Search

Quick Ways to Put Some Sizzle in Your Cold Job Search

By Jared Cole on Monday, May 7, 2012

Old Man Winter is saying goodbye. The bitter cold wind is going away, flowers are blooming, and people are trading sweaters and snow boots for shorts and sandals. The ski trips and winter activities have come to an end, and many graduates will be starting their job search.

Your job search may have gone cold during the winter months while dealing with holidays and other distractions, but now that spring is here and summer is soon approaching, it’s the perfect time to heat up that sluggish job search. Here are some quick ways you can bring a little sizzle and spark some new life into your job seeking efforts.

Catch up with Old Contacts
Maybe you haven’t had the chance to keep up with a few contacts in the past few months. Now that the weather is warming up, it would be a great opportunity to schedule a quick meeting outside a coffee shop, ice cream parlor, or deli to catch up. Even if they don’t have any leads, it’s always a good idea to stay fresh in their minds in case they find one.

A summer barbeque is a good reason to fire up the grill and invite old friends and new people to a gathering. You never know who you’ll meet and what new leads they could have.

Give Your Attire a Makeover
Does your interview clothing have any holes, missing buttons, stains, or tears? If it can be repaired, fix it yourself or get someone who knows what they’re doing to help. If it needs to be cleaned, send it to a professional cleaner to take care of it. Make sure you’re not missing any key pieces to your wardrobe if you need professional attire. If on a budget, you can find good quality items at resale shops as long as you’re willing to look for them.

You may also want to consider purchasing an entirely new wardrobe if you have the budget. You always want to look your best, and new, fresh attire can give you that boost of confidence you need when interviewing or attending professional events. Some discount stores may offer great deals in the summer for recent college graduates.

Review, Renew, and Revise
Have you updated your résumé recently? Think about what you’ve accomplished in the past few months. List any new skills you’ve acquired, training you’ve completed, or any other relevant information that has changed.

You can also consider changing the format of your résumé. After catching up with your contacts, ask them what they think about your résumé to see if they can offer any input. Try researching some résumés that stick out to see if you can still display relevant information, but express your professional experience as well.

Call for Help
You can also reach out to people in your industry network by scheduling some informational interviews. During the summertime, it’s actually easier to meet with decision makers since their schedule typically isn’t as tight and they can be more generous with their time. Informational interviews not only help you become better at answering questions and perfecting your elevator pitch, but also allow to be more visible to decision makers.

If you’re frustrated doing things on your own, consider hiring a job coach or contacting a staffing agency. Job coaches can provide good, real-world advice on ways to improve your résumé, cover letter, and interview skills. There are also free services offered by staffing agencies that can provide helpful guidance in your job search.

The weather is getting hotter, so should your job search. For whatever reason, if your job search has gone cold, now is the time to light the fires and set your job search ablaze! What are some ways you’ve added some sizzle when looking for a job?

Career Options The Job Search

Use Your Military Experience to Find a Job

By Jared Cole on Wednesday, April 18, 2012

As tens of thousands of our brave men and women return home from defending our country in Afghanistan, Iraq, and abroad, they face a staggering 11.7% unemployment rate for veterans. While the job market is improving, there is still a shortage of jobs to cover the rising workload. They have little time to train anyone, so the ideal new hire is someone who has done the exact job in a similar organization.

There is a pressing need for employers to hire these veterans and for their families become integral parts of our economy. Veterans have unique qualities that employers desire, which can give them an advantage in the job search. The problem is getting that message across. Here are some ways vets can use their military experience to become one of the most sought-after candidates in the workplace.

Unique Skills, Unique Environment
Veterans generally have a strong code of ethics. They’ve gone through detailed background checks and character evaluations to even join the armed forces. Now is the chance to utilize military ethics to market a vet job seeker as trustworthy and able to handle high-level, classified information, which can make them an asset to employers.

Veterans come from a culture and workplace that focuses on action and reliability. They have been trained to finish what they say they’ll do in the established time frame. The ability to finish projects in a timely manner is highly sought after in the private sector.

Speak in Civilian Terms
Veterans are a highly skilled and educated group of people. At any length of service, veterans have had hands-on training and education on technical and leadership skills. The problem many veterans face when looking for a job is getting employers to understand the value of their military experience.

The key is to put military terms, jargon, and information into something employers understand and desire. Look at interested companies and openings and research their needs and requirements. Then, tailor the résumé and interview answers to satisfy them. If vets need help explaining their skills, military.com has an excellent tool to translate military experience into civilian terminology.

Less is More
War is ugly. With many veterans coming back from dangerous combat zones, they have stories and experiences of the most admirable pursuits of a soldier. Unfortunately, those kinds of references can make employers uncomfortable and possibly squeamish. It’s best to tone down or remove references of the battlefield when explaining applicable skills from combat.

The office is also a much different environment than that of the military. The military has a strict line of authority and behavioral policies. The civilian workplace varies from employer to employer and is full of different personalities, cultures, and styles. While the “find the problem, fix-it, and move on” attitude of the military is a quality employers seek, fellow employees may be intimidated with military office culture. It’s best for veterans to find an employer that best fits their working style and attitude.

Put Your Résumé Through Civilian Boot Camp
Movin’ On Up has a Résumé Boot Camp to help job seekers make sure their résumé is most effective. Veterans looking to get back in the workplace should put their résumé through a strict regimen of civilian review. If veterans have an industry in mind, they should ask professionals to evaluate their résumé and find out what skills and experience employers in the industry are looking for. Not only will their résumé improve, but it will also give them a chance to network.

Those brave men and women who served our country shouldn’t have to feel frustrated and excluded from finding a job, settling back down, and enjoying the freedoms they fought to defend. As a veteran, what are some ways you’ve used your military experience to help your job search?