The Art of the Job Search has moved!

I have updated my website and I have incorporated my blog there. Please visit www.firstimpressionscount.com for all my latest posts!

How Good Is Your Network?

If you lost your job tomorrow, could you pick up the phone and have a job the next day? This may sound unrealistic, but for the serious networker, this is the ultimate goal. The serious networker builds their professional network before they need it, not after the fact. Because networking is about relationships, effective networking takes time. You need time to nurture your professional relationships, because in the end, networking is relationship building. You want strong relationships at your disposal when it is time to activate them.

Are You a Discouraged Worker?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes a monthly jobs report of detailing, among other things, the number of jobs created as well as the number of persons unemployed. October’s report came out last Friday. The report shows that the unemployment rate held steady at 9.0 percent, representing more than 13.9 million Americans that are out of work. This number is huge by any comparison and suggests that we still have a tough uphill battle to turn this economy around.

It's All About the Numbers

When tackling the job search, it helps to know which job search methods work and which ones don’t.  The North Carolina Career Resource Network posted some figures related to the job search recently that I thought were pretty revealing. Let’s take a look at a few:

The ABC's of Resume Writing | "Y" is for YOU

XYZ: YOU Are More Important Than Your Resume.

This entire blog series has been focused on strategies for writing your resume. We all know that the resume is a very important and integral communication tool for use in your job search and sufficient attention should be given to it make sure it is well written and effective in communicating your personal brand. At the end of the day, however, remember that employers hire people not resumes and you are more important than your resume.

The ABC's of Resume Writing | "W" is for WRITE

W: The Best way to WRITE Your References.

At some point in the interviewing process, you may be asked for a copy of your references. You probably know that you never include references on your resume. You also should know that you want to include references that can speak to your professional ability and thus personal references should not be included. You should prepare your references on a separate sheet and have it handy, should you be asked for it during the interview process. But what format should you use? Should you simply list the name and phone number of each reference? Not exactly. Here is the best way to write your references.

The ABC's of Resume Writing | "V" is for Volunteer.

V: Highlight VOLUNTEER Activities to Showcase Your Leadership Skills.

We all know that employers focus on career experience and skills when trying to decide if a candidate should be considered for an interview and ultimately employment. However, there is another area of your professional career that you should give consideration to when writing your resume: volunteer activities. Volunteer activities can be an important aspect of your professional career and there are three reasons why you should definitely list volunteer activities on your resume.

The ABC's of Resume Writing | "U" is for UNDERSTAND

U: The One Thing You Must UNDERSTAND About Resume Writing.

As I get closer to completing this series, it is getting harder and harder to come up with new and interesting subjects that are worth writing more than 300 words about. I have to admit, I struggled with today’s post. There are just not enough “good” words starting with the letter “u” that I could tie to resume writing. So I chose to go with the word understand.

In today’s career search, so much emphasis is placed on resume writing, because let’s face it, more times than not, you are going to need a resume at some point in the career search process. Even if you do not need a resume to get an interview, which happens to be the real purpose of a resume, you will need a resume during the interview so that you and the interviewer can have an intelligent discussion as it relates to your skills and accomplishments.

The ABC's of Resume Writing | "T" is for TIME

T: Use the Element of TIME to Make Your Accomplishments Stand Out.

If you have not figured it out by now, a lot of my writing in this blog deals with accomplishments.  I believe that accomplishments can make or break a resume. Accomplishments showcase your value and help the employer understand what you have done well for other employers. When I give resume writing seminars, I always encourage the audience to pay special attention to their accomplishment statements. I mention that their accomplishments should be relevant to the position they are applying for and that they should consider placing the results of the accomplishment up front, or at the beginning of the sentence, to make the accomplishment really stand out. There is one additional tip that I offer as well and this has to do with the element of time.

The ABC's of Resume Writing | "S" is for SEEK

S: Seek Professional Help

Most of you probably agree that writing your resume is not one of your favorite tasks to complete. In fact, most of you probably do not even think about your resume until it is time to look for a new job. If it has been some years since your last career transistion, you may not realize that the “rules” of resume writing have changed. For instance, you no longer list personal information on your resume; you do not necessarily list every job you have had; and you no longer include the phrase “References Available Upon Request.” With these and so many other changes as well as the fact that there is so much more competition in this job market, it may be worth it to seek professional help and engage the services of a professional.