Is Your Resume Holding You Back

Is Your Resume Holding You Back The job market is overcrowded with applicants all wanting to be the one who gets picked out of the crowd and lands the job.  However, there are two areas where you have a chance to outshine your competition and embark on your new career. Everyone knows that their resume has to be top notch, but thats not what makes the first  impression your cover letter does. Here we will discuss how to make each one  stand out and have you be the one who gets all the attention in the sea of applicants: Focus on what matters: You will stand out head and shoulders above your competition, when you adjust each resume you send to focus on the relevant needs of the business youre applying to. However,  we are interested in getting your resume to the top of the short list. Here are a few simple steps you can take to make it fast and easy: Research: Go to their company website and read their mission statement and about us pages. Look to see if they have any stated goals or forecasts that you can use. Outline the goal:  On your cover letter  say how their goal of achieving XYZ within a certain time frame really caught your eye and how much you would really like to help them attain it.  The reason you do this right on the cover letter, is that in many cases thats all they ever look at. If your cover letter says just another schmuck in not so many words, then your resume wont ever be seen by anything more than the delete button. Edit:  Finally, edit relevant parts of your resume to coincide with their mission statement and any other goals they may have. When they see youve taken the time to study their company and are already in line with what they want to accomplish, the impression you want will be made and youll have a top level shot at it. Of course you have to be qualified for the position too. READ MORE:  10 Rules to Writing Compelling  Cover Letters Lead with value: Instead of leading with a regular old run of the mill objective statement, start with a professional profile that tells them the value you bring to the table. Employers are no different than anyone else everyone wants to know whats in it for them. When they can clearly see how hiring you benefits them and will make them money or stand out as being a good department head, foreman or manager, they will instantly be interested. When you show them how having you on their team will make them look good, youre half way home! Socialize with them: Adding your best social profiles can help connect them to you and also impress their socks off if done right. Getting them to see you as a person really helps single you out as a top candidate. If you have a reasonably well-aged LinkedIn account or a very well done fan page, you should include those links. They will see that youre active in your industry and that youre engaged with others in the business. This makes you real to the person looking at 200 resumes attempting to find one person worth hiring. When they see you in this light, you move up several notches in their eyes. Be sure to look well groomed youll never get a second chance to make a first  impression! Yell from the top of the mountain: List your accomplishments, awards and any recognition youve ever received. People want to be around a winner and will naturally want to move you to the top of the resume pile because thats where you belong in their minds. Employers are just people and most people feel that success breeds success, so they naturally want to have a successful highly awarded person on their team. To them it adds a form of proof, much like testimonials do, that you are a winner and it justifies their desire to hire you. If you dont toot your own horn in your resume, then no one is going to do it for you. Stand out there with a megaphone and yell from the highest mountain. As the old saying goes, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Be sure to get creative, as creativity catches peoples attention and sparks their imaginations of what you will be able to do for them once they bring you on board. Show them youre self-upgrading: Be sure to make any and all of your post college continuing education stand out. Highlight any certificates, degree upgrades and any furthering of your education, either within your primary field or outside of it. Employers want to see that youre investing in yourself and continuing to gain educational advantages. This shows youre not lazy and that you have a real interest in your field. Dont be afraid to show how great you really are in your resume and cover letter. If youve achieved something make sure they know about it. If you dont tell them then how are they supposed to know? Leaving out accomplishments because you dont want to sound like youre bragging could cost you your dream job. This is your time to shine, so show them what youve got so they know you are the one they need. Author: Edd Rennolls loves his career in HR finding the talent that small businesses need to succeed. Rennolls recruits for top companies like wrangle.ca who lead the marketplace in successful jobs placement.

Etiquette Help! How do I Survive My Holiday Work Party

Etiquette Help! How do I Survive My Holiday Work Party Dear Classy Career Girl,   Im a recent follower of your site and I was hoping you could give some tips on work-related holiday parties. I have two in the coming weeks one for an industry partner, and one for my own firm. At my firms party were inviting clients, prospective clients, friends, media the works.   Heres the thing; I hate these kinds of things forced social encounters with people I dont have anything in common with except for work. Plus, like everyone, sometimes people at work get on my nerves and I dont fancy spending more time with them than I must.   So basically, Id love some classy career girl tips about how to engage with people at these things. What are good topics of conversation? How short of time  can I get a way with staying? Is there any way I can possibly have a good attitude about these things? Thank you! Holiday Party Decorations Committee Member How to Survive Your Holiday Work Party Dear Decorations Committee Member, There is a lot of overwhelm and hype about these events. Even though you spend so much of your time with your co-workers, you now have to spend your weekend with them at a forced have fun party. Here is my advice on how to get through your holiday work party:   Ask questions! Get to know them. It will make your professional life a lot better if you get to know your co-workers outside of the office. Also, volunteer information about you so that people can get to know you better. No one may know where you grew up, what your hobbies are or that you are going to grad school in your spare time.  Most people in the office are so stressed with work during the day that they forget to get to make the time to get to know each other. A good icebreaker is to talk about how you helped put the party together and your fabulous decorations! People will be impressed I am sure! ?? [Related Post:  What to Wear to Your Holiday Office Party] Leverage the Power of Connections Dont underestimate the power of social work events. It is a time where people can relax and have fun.  If your boss is relaxed and having fun AND they remember having fun with you (not in a provocative way), they wont forget this back in the office on Monday.  You will have more to talk about on Monday AND you may become someone they want to work with more or see rise the ranks in the office. Almost all of my work relationships have improved dramatically while we were on work trips. Even though dinners out on work trips were forced and I did NOT want to go, I knew that it would be great to get to know my co-workers in a more personal way. My relationships are never the same the next week because I know them better which helps get things done more effectively and efficiently in the office. Even though I dont want to go, I am always happy I went afterward. Dont Be the First to Leave And dont be the girl that escapes the party right away, especially if you are on the decorations committee! Dont be the first to leave and be gracious when leaving because your work has probably put a lot of money into this event. When some people start leaving, you can often get to know people better when there are fewer people around. And by that time, people are usually more relaxed which makes it more fun! Unfortunately, even though your party is on the weekend (or after work), you are still on the clock. You must do you best to be positive and have a good attitude. You may not believe it, but your behavior and attitude at the holiday work party may influence your future promotion and raises. I find that men in my company know this very well. They will follow the top dog around all night and smooze them left and right. Dont overdo it and be annoying, but make sure you meet and talk to as many people as you can.  This may be the one and only event where you will have the opportunity to meet the CEO.  Or since you mentioned that your clients will be attending the party, maybe this is your opportunity to land a new client! Whatever you do, dont hold back and use this as a great opportunity to get ahead at work! [Related Post:  5 Tips For Attending Your First Office Party] I was recently sent  this video  from BreathThroughRadioTV about Holiday Party dos and donts! Here are some great holiday work party tips from the video: Dos: Use it as an opportunity to meet people and get to know them better! Look at what your boss is doing and howthey are behaving and keep your drinking/dancing within those bounds. Have a good time. Act classy and dress classy. (I love this one!! ?? Donts: Dont drink too much. Dont wear a short skirt. Dont talk about work. Dont gossip. Watch this video if you want to hear about more inappropriate stories at holiday work parties. Remember, you have to see your co-workers on Monday morning!

The 5 Best Ways to Beat Burn Out - Classy Career Girl

The 5 Best Ways to Beat Burn Out Even for those who love their careers, burn out is an inevitable part of the working world. Burn out is exhaustion and stagnancy created by work overload and constant stress. When left unmanaged, burn out can lead to depression, helplessness and deterioration of relationships. Recognizing burn out early can allow you to stop it before it gets dangerous. Some signs to watch out for include feeling drained and sick constantly, becoming frustrated and giving up easily, procrastinating and isolating yourself from others. If you feel yourself being affected by burn out symptoms, take action as soon as possible to get yourself out of the funk. Follow these tips to keep yourself motivated and successful at work. 1. Disconnect From Work Set some time each day to turn off your phone and computer. Since anyone can reach you anytime through technology, it sometimes feels like work comes home, out to dinner, to the movies and anywhere you go. This can make you feel overwhelmed and like you can never catch a break, which will likely lead to burn out symptoms. Applications such as Offtime help you stop unnecessary phone usage and encourage you to drop the phone. It allows you to personalize how notifications are handled so you don’t have to feel totally out of control. Taking some time away from emails, calendars and notifications will help you clear your brain and enjoy the people around you. 2. Re-evaluate Your Work Goals Sometimes burn out occurs because you are bored of doing the same routine at work. Take time to reorganize your goals and projects at work to become engaged again. This will get you motivated to go to work every day and get you out of the burn out cycle. You can also ask for new responsibilities to get you reenergized. Use this time as an opportunity to rediscover what you love about your job. [RELATED:  10 Ways to Beat Work Stress and Burnout  ] 3. Explore Other Opportunities To reverse the uninterested and worn-out feelings you may be experiencing, try something new and unrelated to work to get yourself excited about something. This could be a new hobby, creative outlet, or a fun project you can dedicate time to that has nothing to do with work. You can also explore alternate income options, such as the new ridesharing phenomenon or starting your own business. Putting your energy into something new and separate from your job will give you the boost you need. 4. Stay Healthy A healthy body will lead to a healthy mind. Drinking lots of water, sticking to an exercise routine, eating healthy, and having good sleeping habits will help you be healthy and in shape. This will better prepare you to deal with the stress that comes with the job and give you a better chance of avoiding burn out. Shake up your routine from time to time by trying something new, such as a green smoothie in the morning or a post-work yoga routine. 5. Take a Break If you are completely overwhelmed and becoming negatively affected by burn out at work, take some time off. Whether you go on a vacation or just spend a few days relaxing at home, sometimes a complete break from the office is exactly what you need. It allows you to refocus and recharge yourself and get back to work with a fresh outlook. Overall, burn out is an extremely common occurrence, and it can certainly happen to you. But like most things in life, what matters is how you handle it. Use these tips to take care of yourself first, because your job should never take away your health and happiness.

How Meghan Covert-Russell Grew Her Physical Product Business Side Hustle (PODCAST) - Classy Career Girl

How Meghan Covert-Russell Grew Her Physical Product Business Side Hustle (PODCAST) I bring in a lot of experts on the podcast but today I wanted to bring in someone just like you and me. Today we are taking a peek behind the scenes of a real startup story. Get ready to be inspired to see how you can create a successful business on the side of your day job too! Meghan Covert-Russell   Founder of Poppy and Oak www.poppyandoak.com How Meghan Covert-Russell Grew Her Physical Product Business On The Side of Her Day Job Meghan Covert-Russell   Founder of Poppy and Oak. They create custom and curated boxes featuring goods from  local makers and farmers markets in Northern California. Working hard on this on the side of her day job! I got to meet her last month her in San Diego when she was here for a convention for her day job. CRP Wins: #crpwin I launched my website mid-October. I just donated enough money (I’ve pledged to donate a % of each sale) to our local food bank to purchase over 1,000 lbs of fresh produce for local needy families! Thank you so much, Anna Runyan, for your guidance and encouragement in getting this little passion project off the ground. I’m so floored that I was able to make such a big impact in my local community already. #CRPwin Git my first bulk order (11 boxes) from an IG contact! Thanks so much, Anna Runyan for your encouragement and help â€" you motivated me to start a business IG account, put in the work (posting 1-2 times a day) and it’s definitely paying off now! One more week is the hilidaybhstle, and then I’m looking forward to some time off to plan for 2018 (and review Phase 1 2). Thank you!   Thanks for being here Meghan!! Let’s dive in. Subscribe  on  your favorite platform below: iTunes Google Play Music Stitcher Radio TuneIn iHeartRadio Sound Cloud Some questions I asked: What fears did you have when you were starting your business? What challenges or problems did you face when starting? When did you learn about CRP and meet me? When did you make the decision to join us in CRP? What actions did you start taking? What would life have been like if you had not followed that CRP plan? What are some results you have seen in CRP? In This Episode, You Will Learn: Case Study interview Meghan: on how she started her box business and her experience with CRP. Episode Resources: Website: www.poppyandoak.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/poppyandoakgoods Corporate Rescue Plan: www.corporaterescueplan.com You may also like these episodes: How I Left Corporate Without Burning Bridges With Jennifer Kroiss (Case Study) Turning Business Plans Into Action Plans With Char Stackle

How to Say Writing Reports in Resume

How to Say Writing Reports in ResumeHow to say writing reports in resume is a very basic of writing skills required to be a good writer. After knowing how to do this, one can start to see improvement in the quality of their writing.Writing reports is no different from anything else that can be written. A writer should have eye for details. One way to do this is by having a plan or objective before beginning the task.Planning is not only important when one is writing a report, but it also is important when one is reading a report. Reading is another way to improve the quality of writing. Even a simple report has to be re-read again in order to understand the message properly. By doing this, the reader will get the information easier and also know where to place further attention to it.For those who want to write a report on the resume, there are a few tips that can help. The key to have all the things mentioned in the resume is that one must be aware of his or her capability and also the capabilities of the employer. There are things that the applicant needs to remember in order to have a well-written resume.First is that he or she should not be rushed because time is money. The applicant should make sure that the information that he or she wants to present in the resume is first analyzed in detail before finally presenting it. The applicant should make sure that his or her resume will not make the hiring manager mad if they simply do not read all the information that the applicant wants to include in the resume.Secondly, the applicant should be very clear in his or her intentions when writing the resume. The applicant should also pay attention to the fact that he or she is trying to impress the employer with theinformation that he or she wrote. It is easy to start a little speech while writing the resume, but if the purpose is not clear, then the boss will surely not be impressed with it.Another tip is that the applicant should do a thorough research before sta rting the work. He or she should also prepare himself or herself for an interview and a job that is found in his or her area. Those who know that they are qualified for the position can start to prepare for the interview and with the resume that will serve as a guide.Now that you know how to say writing reports in resume, take the needed steps in order to become a great writer. Start to improve your writing skills by practicing a lot, even when you do not think that you have made mistakes.

Three Selling Skills Required for ALL Job-Seekers

Three Selling Skills Required for ALL Job-Seekers Three Selling Skills Required for ALL Job-Seekers It’s a new world out there! The job market is much more competitive, hiring managers can’t afford to take risks by hiring the wrong person, and candidates must be the BEST every step of the way through the job search process. Now, for those of you with sales experience or looking for a role in inside or outside sales, this should be pretty natural for you, right? Wrong! It’s shocking how few salespeople apply the tools of their trade to their job search process. Pipeline? Non-existent. Selling yourself as a product? Not. Going for the close? Oops, forgot. Whether you are a lifetime sales pro or not, here are three Selling Basics for all of you in the job market today: 1. Pipeline Management. Picture a big funnel. Your job possibilities (leads) start at the top and then work down into real opportunities, interviews, job offers, and employment! My father used a different analogy when I was a child: you put a mixed bag of change in the top and the machine sorted them into the quarters, nickels, dimes, and penny slots for counting. The core concept of a pipeline is that you need a LOT of job opportunities funneling through at the same time. Most job seekers I have helped over my 30 years working have one job they want and say “I want to see this one through before I start on another.” Cut the Crap, Get a Job! You must play the odds game and have multiple opportunities in your pipeline at the same time if you want to see results in a timely fashion. Learn now how to “parallel process” multiple opportunities rather than rely on old-fashioned linear processing. 2. You are the product and the interviewer, network contact, hiring manager or Human Resources (HR) department is the buyer. This is NOT about you. It’s about selling your skills and experiences to the buyer in a very relevant way to THEM. They have the need and you need to work much harder to position yourself the product as the BEST product for their need. Imagine a grocery aisle full of laundry detergent; you never see. “I’m made of better chemicals” or “I am manufactured in a plant in Kentucky.” No, each box is speaking to YOU, the buyer, with solutions for YOUR needs: whiter whites, cleaner clothes, etc. 3. Go for the close with every communication; asking for their business. Shame on any sales representative who makes a call on a customer and leaves without asking for their business. The same shame is earned with job searching, too. Whether you are sending in a résumé and cover letter, e-mailing a decision-maker, or leaving a voicemail message, you always, always, always ask for the next step to take place. For example: If you meet with a network contact who might be able to help you, end with, “I appreciate any help you can provide. Specifically, if you have 3 people you can introduce me to, I will keep you posted about my follow-up with them.” If you apply with an e-mail or résumé submittal and cover letter, then the close should say, “May I come in for an interview?” If you have finished an interview, then your follow-up note is not just a thank you, but also should end with, “I am eager to hear the next step in your hiring process and am more passionate than ever about the position we discussed. I want to work for you and .” Sales skills are not just for selling products or services; use them to sell yourself! Get my book Cut the Crap, Get a Job! and learn more about selling skills for job seekers.

New Danish website and blog about arbejdsgl - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

New Danish website and blog about arbejdsgl - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Participants at one of my workshops in a Danish company Ive been updating my Danish website, partly because it was getting a little outdated but mostly because the server it ran on crashed suddenly and it turned out that no backups were available. Yikes! You can find the new and improved website for Projekt Arbejdsgl?de here, though it will be of limited use to you, if youre one of the poor unfortunates who dont speak Danish. Best of all, the site now also features a blog about arbejdsgl?de in Danish. And if youre wondering what the heck arbejdsgl?de is, you can read all about it in a previous post called Karoshi vs. Arbejdsgl?de. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related