Use Bullet Points To Build A Resume

Use Bullet Points To Build A ResumeIf you are one of the many individuals applying for a job at a new company, writing a resume should be a major priority. While you may have had other positions to which you have applied in the past, it is important that your resume is as fresh and concise as possible so that it stands out from the rest.While it is possible to write a resume and include all of the necessary details to describe your qualifications, there are some job applicants who like to go one step further by putting down what they feel your most valuable skills are and how they can help them with their career. By doing this, they have a greater chance of appearing more qualified and highly motivated.By adding specific details about your skills or accomplishments in writing bullet points, you are creating a professional image for yourself. While this may seem like something only those with many years of experience should be doing, there are numerous ways to boost your own morale an d convince a potential employer that you are someone who is not only an expert in your field, but someone who has taken on the job just to provide a good living for themselves. Simply adding the information will accomplish this and turn your resume into a selling point to your future employer.If you are applying for a job position where a salary has been set, list out all of the areas in which you are good at and be sure to highlight those that would have helped you land the job in the first place. A resume is more than just listing your current position and previous employment; it should speak to the potential employer about how you could positively impact their company.Your work history should also be included in your resume, giving a complete look at your experience and accomplishments. Depending on the specific job opening, there could be two main categories for this type of information: professional experience and education.Professional experience is usually listed with your na me and a professional category; however, if you are the president of your local chapter of your union, the union could even put you in the education category. The categories are often used to highlight specific types of accomplishments that can be used to raise your chances of getting hired. In addition to this, it is common to see individuals use their education to attract attention to their skills and abilities.Many individuals choose to use bullet points to build a resume instead of writing it out. They do this because it is a faster and more efficient way to show that they have specific qualities. While this does not guarantee that you will receive the job or the company you apply to, it is the simplest method available for adding your strengths to your resume and getting a job you are interested in.

6 Secrets to Surviving Year One of Your New Business  MONEY

6 Secrets to Surviving Year One of Your New Business â€"  MONEY This story is part five of a five-part series on the best way to launch your own business. Reaching the one-year mark in a business often means mastering something that you won’t learn as a member of the steady-paycheck crowd: cash flow. “Running out of cash is one of the leading causes of small-business failure,” says Steve King, partner in Emergent Research, a firm in Lafayette, Calif., that studies the freelance economy. That can happen even if you’re at breakeven or profitable. Staying afloat for a full year will let you make an educated decision about whether to soldier on or move on. Give yourself the best chance by taking these six steps: Master the ebb and flow Before you launch, ask others in the industry when you’ll typically be paid, and use that info to do a cash-flow projection, says CPA Lou Grassi, who advises many entrepreneurs as CEO and managing partner of Grassi Co. If you have to wait 90 days, for instance, you’ll need to have other funds for overhead. Grassi, who started out serving construction businesses, quickly realized that his income would be concentrated in five months of the year. To even out cash flow, he came up with subscription pricing, breaking annual bills into monthly retainers. “A lot of customers liked it,” he says. Surround yourself with smarts On a tight beginner’s budget, you might be best off working from home. If you can free up the funds, though, you may find it helpful to rent an office that puts you in contact with an advisory team experienced in guiding startups. Co-working spaces are hubs for free agents where you can rent a desk or a small office. At an incubator or accelerator, which often provides office space as well as advisory services, you may be asked to pay rent or provide equity. All give you access to mentors and learning from your peers, says Jack D. Beasley, managing director of the USC/Columbia Technology Incubator and senior program manager at the Office of Economic Engagement at the University of South Carolina. “They have gone through the same things you have gone through and can help you avoid mistakes.” Fire money-losing clients When you first launch, you’re eager for any business. But after six months or so, you’ll figure out that some clients aren’t worth it. If they don’t pay you enough to cover your time and costsâ€"or don’t have a marquee name you can use as a calling card to win other businessâ€"replace them. Tap credit cards sparingly Fund as much of your growth as you can out of revenue so that you don’t build up debt that you can’t handle if the business shuts down. The safest route is to pay overhead out of savings or cash flow and defer big purchases until you have the money in hand, even if that means turning down an order. With a small-business credit card, you will most likely have to offer a personal guarantee, so you could be stuck with the bill even if the business files for bankruptcy protection. Making small purchases on your card and paying them off monthly, on the other hand, builds up business credit with less risk. Keep spreading the word Perhaps you are getting the bulk of your work through word of mouth. Still, you need a website so that your operation looks legitimate. A site doesn’t have to be fancy, but if it is going to be an important route to new business, invest in advertising on search engines. Google Adwords has the highest conversion rate. The average cost per click in the U.S. is $1 to $2, according to Wordstream, a provider of online advertising tools. Raise your profile on major social media, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, by posting regularly. Be willing to cut your losses The history of entrepreneurship is filled with inspiring stories of people who ignored the evidence that their business was failing and achieved great success. But for mere mortals, there often comes a point when it makes sense to pivot. Set benchmarks you plan to meet when you start, says Beasley, and review them with a team of advisers or mentors regularly. Take the tax man into account too. The IRS lets you deduct expenses from a business that is not turning a profit for only a few yearsâ€"typically three, notes enrolled agent Crystal Stranger, president of 1st Tax in Honolulu and author of The Small Business Tax Guide. “After about two years in business is usually when I tell clients it might be time to throw in the towel,” she says. If your business is in the red past the typical point when startups in your field become profitableâ€"and you don’t take significant action to change your business model by, say, hiring a consultantâ€"the IRS could deem it a hobby, which can trigger a higher tax bill. Remember: Even if this business doesn’t work out, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s your last. Read the previous stories in this series.

Networking Lessons From The Grand Budapest Hotel - Work It Daily

Networking Lessons From The Grand Budapest Hotel - Work It Daily I finally got around to seeing the movie, The Grand Budapest Hotel this weekend… twice. I suspect I could watch it a third time and see something I missed the first two times. The film is visually interesting, and the humor is droll. It suited my tastes perfectly. Related: Why Your Network Isn’t Going To Help You The reason I wanted to comment on it, however, has nothing to do with my general entertainment. Instead, it has to do with the fact that I was going to be talking about networking this week. One part of the movie demonstrated perfectly, I believe, why networking is so important. The scenes to which I refer are midway through the story. The main character, M. Gustave H. and his sidekick, Zero, find themselves in the middle of nowhere and in need of help in order to escape the authorities given that M. Gustave H. has just escaped prison with the help of Zero. In the middle of a desolate field, a telephone booth stands. M. Gustave H. places a collect call to a fellow concierge at another hotel and sets into motion a series of calls, each to colleagues of his who drop whatever they are doing at the moment in order to rush to the aid of their friend. After a series of calls, a car appears, and M. Gustave H. and Zero are whisked away to the train so that they can set off on the next leg of their adventure. That segment of the film which includes at least five different characters dropping whatever they were doing in order to help their friend exemplifies, I believe, networking at its best. The individuals who dropped their immediate activity in order to come to the aid of their friend were returning a favor done for them perhaps long, long ago but never forgotten. Now, when their friend is in need, they stand at the ready to assist him because they know he would do the same for them. In the end, that is exactly what networking is. It is all about relationships. It is about giving as well as receiving. It isn’t about going to an event where you don’t know anyone with you looking to see what other people have to offer you. It is about going to an event with the attitude that you have something to offer the people you will be meeting. You are there to help them. You are important, and you have contacts, and you can use those contacts to help others. It just so happens that other people may have contacts that can also help you. But at the end of the day, it is about give and take… not just taking without giving. I have always dreaded “networking events.” I enjoy talking with people one-on-one, however. I enjoy meeting over coffee. I enjoy listening to people talk about their dogs and their kids and what they are doing with their lives. THAT is the stuff of relationship building. So, I suggest that if you also hate networking events, you consider changing your thoughts about what networking is and what it isn’t, and perhaps the next time you need to go to an event, instead of preparing for it with a sense of dread, you can prepare with a sense of anticipation and excitement. Think of all the good you can do for the other people who will be there! That is something about which you can get excited! This post was originally published at an earlier date. Photo Credit: Flikr Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!