Monday, April 20, 2020

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.

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

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.

Friday, April 10, 2020

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!

Thursday, March 12, 2020

Reasons For Leaving a Job Exactly What to Say When Youre Asked Why You Left a Job

Reasons For Leaving a Job Exactly What to Say When Youre Asked Why You Left a Job When youre switching jobs, whether youre laid off or simply making a career change, a very common question youll have to answer is your reason for leaving the job. Youll hear it at most stages of the job interview process, as well as from your friends and family. Putting in your two weeks leidlageice will also most likely trigger your boss to ask why youre leaving, either directly or through an exit interview.While you might think itll be easy to speak truthfully and professionally to the question, its one you want to rehearse and work out your phrasing ahead of time in buchen to cast yourself in a positive light which is essential if youre on the job hunt, and if you want to leave your current job on a good note. It takes tact, and sometimes, a bit of wordsmithing for the most appropriate response.Luckily, weve compiled the best answers for you to tailor to your situation.What you should say (good rea sons for leaving your job)Im looking for an increase in responsibility and there isnt room to grow at my current company.Im transitioning careers from current position to prospective position as Im passionate about skillset related to prospective position.My current job focuses on an industry or project and Id like to pivot to industry or project at the company youre interviewing with.I welches hired to do list of job tasks, but I ultimately ended up working on different job tasks. Id like to work on job tasks related to the position youre interviewing for.Ive always wanted to work on name the companys project or mission while I love my current company, I couldnt say no to a potential opportunity to be a part of company name.If you were laid off or fired, this is what you can sayYou absolutely should be honest about losing your job as most companies will call references and find out the truth eventually (and you dont ever want to get caught in a lie).That means when asked, you can g ive one of ansicht simple, acceptable explanations (and that should be sufficient for most interviewers)Laid offMy company downsized and my team was laid off.My position was eliminated when the company restructured.My role was made redundant when my company was acquired.The company went through a management change and I was laid off with the restructuring.FiredI was let go insert reason why, and a brief explanation that highlights what you learned from the experience and how its not an issue now.I was fired because I failed to make a sales goal amount or some other quantifiable objective. You can add a few quick sentences about why that happened, and what you learned from the experience.The key to answering why you were fired without making yourself look bad is to be honest but brief, and end on a positive note that means explaining what you learned and how youve grown from the experience. It may be simply that you realized youll no longer work in a certain industry or role again.Fo r example, you could sayI was fired from the position of sales development representative when I failed to reach my assigned quarterly quota. What I learned from that role is cold calling and sales are not my strengths Im much more passionate and skilled at insert requirement from job description which is what led me to apply to this company.What NOT to say when asked why youre leaving a jobI hated my boss.The company was toxic.I was bored by the work.I didnt like my coworkers.Mycommute was too long.I worked too many hours.I was underpaid.I didnt do well in the role.I didnt enjoy the position.I was at the company for too long.I only took the job as a temporary gig.I was late too often, and that created friction with my boss.I didnt agree with company rules and policies.I was too slow with the work I was assigned.I had to do my coworkers job on top of my own.My boss wasnt a good mentor.My boss was a micromanager.Of course, one (or more) of those answers might be the honest truth abou t your situation, but it wont reflect well on you to say that. Youll likely sound immature and unprofessional from the interviewers perspective. And, believe it or not, most people have worked in those same situations at some point of their lives while you might think that the inteviewer would be sympathetic to your situation, most people landsee it as complaining whether thats right or wrong.So, to go with an old adage, less is often more. What you say or dont say can insinuate the truth, such as the work-life balance wasnt conducive to my best work. An interviewer reading between the lines can probably pick up that it was a high-intensity environment, or possibly toxic.

Saturday, March 7, 2020

The Number One Question You Must Ask for R/engineeringstudents Guide to Resume Writing

The Number One Question You Must Ask for R/engineeringstudents Guide to Resume Writing Becoming in a location to organize and run a technical team is most likely the single most valuable skill youll be able to develop in preparation for the true engineering world. After all, a lot of resumes are poorly written and dont represent the candidate well. Youre better off to display your skills by your experience or have a short and descriptive collection of only the critical skills needed by the employer. There are many different website which will be useful for mechanical engineering students while on the lookout for job vacancies. Write down what you are able to and after that return and verify whether you were correct with the true solution. Every one of them has of course benefits and disadvantages. As the work market grew increasingly more competitive, objectives became obsolete. The Awful Side of R/engineeringstudents Guide to Resume Writing Youre telling the employer what you would like from them. Your CV doesnt need to be on paper. Creative CV isnt for everybody and for every occasion. Its surprising how quickly comp points can accumulate 1 day it could be the very same in the US but as of now there is truly no indication of change coming soon. There are big advantages of gambling ansprechbar instead of live games at land-based casinos. Imagine you want to obtain a promotion. So How About R/engineeringstudents Guide to Resume Writing? Yes it could be expensive to find an effective and quality resume created by a resume writing service, but its a 1 time price. A superb objective statement is specific for each job to emphasize that youve made an attempt to find out more about the position. After downloading a template, you may also add additional details to your resume as a way to make it even more impressive. Your resume is then created in the term format and saved on your computer. You must have a great resume. One of the absolute most u ser-friendly along with free is Canva. Be sure your resume is simple to read.

Friday, January 3, 2020

The Appeal of Resume Formats 2018

The Appeal of Resume Formats 2018 Get in touch with us today and begin your successful career with job-winning resume. In addition, you can find out more about IT careers on Monster. Submit the same resume for every single job. Since you wouldnt have plenty of specialist experience, it would be hard to group your resume points into skills. For some jobs, you will want to highlight certain abilities, while for others, you are going to want to demonstrate related experience. You have earned a job that you love and nows the opportunity to make it occur Simply because youve got zero experience or its your very first job. Resume formats make certain that your best achievements are right there on the top, prepared to be noticed. Just make sure, whichever format you select, which youre targeting it for the job that youre applying to. If youre going to use functional format youre focusing more on hard skills. Part of creating an effective resume is selecting the most appropriate f ormat to inform your private story. Creative While its important to get a professional resume, sometimes just a little creativity and neuschpfung is acceptable. Lets say youve learned lots of skills and youve got the resume content to show for it. There are lots of free resume vorlages readily available online but sometimes it can be very tricky to choose the best one that is most suited to you. The style of resume you will use greatly is dependent on your professional work background and qualifications. Research about the technical skills necessary for the work position that youre applying for. Summary of someones qualification is also wise to put your very best foot forward right at the start of the resume. See the included Internship resume for a complete example. The seminars and training programs you have attended can also be added to your resume especially if theyre about the work functions of the work position that youre applying for. You can also see resume objecti ves. All sections may be visible so that recruiters will know where to search for the most crucial details about you. Facts, Fiction and Resume Formats 2018 Again, you would like to make certain that your resume is readable. Therefore, make certain the resume is easy and concise. Based at work and application type together with your profile and experience, you can choose anyone. You want to understand you way on ways to get the job. Simply take a look at the work description, in case you have this, and customize your resume accordingly. The work description might also earn a difference. Youre surfing your laptop, attempting to locate old resume. Its cool that youre trying to find a job to have some money, but you need some issues with resume. To begin with, perhaps its time to estimate your current resume to remember tore not committing any cardinal sins. Resume Formats 2018 - the Story Utilizing a resume template is quite useful in making your professional profile. Res ume isnt an exception here. Resume formats do change over time and its important that you stay informed about the latest so your resume will have an opportunity to become noticed. Deciding upon a resume format in 2019 isnt as difficult as you expect. Giving a PDF copy will be a better choice. Structured format isnt hard to scan. If youve got an earlier version of Word, you simply need to visit FILE and New and youre going to have the ability to hunt for resume or hunt for templates.

Sunday, December 29, 2019

10 ways to make your direct reports more efficient

10 ways to make your direct reports mora efficient10 ways to make your direct reports more efficientAs a leadership development expert, one of the things I find that managers struggle with the most is when direct reports dont meet their wertzuwachs expectations. Most managers are in their roles because they are high performers with high standards. Theyve likely never been coached for low performance or inefficiency, so that makes it doubly difficult when they encounter the situation in their direct reports. Fortunately, there are several things you can do when your employee is struggling.1. Do routine performance diagnostic testsBefore taking any action, I recommend conducting a performance diagnostic. All too often, managers assume they know the reason for the inefficiency and rush to correct the problem before even confirming that that is the issue. For example, managers will often assume any performance problem is caused by a lack of training, and will provide additional training in order to correct the problem. This is a mistake, because elend knowing how to perform a task is only one possible reason for poor performance.2. Talk in terms of behaviors, bedrngnis labelsMost managers use labels instead of behaviors to describe performance and this is often the crux of the problem. If you were to ask employees if theyre efficient, or motivated, most will tell you yes, because most people assume they are performing better than they actually are Instead of using words like efficient, be specific about what you want. For example, Please make sure you go through the whole inbox before going to the file room so you only have to make one trip is more effective than Can you please file more efficiently?3. Clarify tasksIn applied behavioral science terminology, task clarification refers to the process of explaining what needs to be done as well as how to do it. If you look at the job descriptions in most organizations, we do a pretty good job of telling people what, bu t not so good at how. To get top notch performance and efficiency, managers need to explain what and how. Great leaders will also throw in why, to keep people inspired.4. Provide feedbackI tell all my clients that more feedback is best. Employees assume no news is good news, so if youre not giving them feedback about their lack of efficiency, they wont know they need to improve. Giving frequent, objective feedback alone can improve performance by up to 15%5. Reinforce good behaviorCatch them doing something right, and reward them. How to properly reward employees is a science in and of itself, but suffice it to say a good manager is like a social vending machine. Good vending machines are consistent, they give you what youve asked for, they dont give you what you didnt ask for, and they only give up the goods if youve done your part. Thats how you as a manager should deliver your positive reinforcement.6. Set goalsIf employees dont know what you expect then you cant blame them for n ot delivering it. In addition to explaining how to do something, you should also explain what you expect in terms of output. If you think its appropriate for an employee to get through 50 work tickets a day, for example, then for goodness sakes tell them this If someones new its okay if they have mini-goals to shape their performance while theyre learning. Just make sure they understand this so they dont feel youre always asking for more.7. Be clear on prioritiesIf you want your employee to be more efficient, sometimes you need to coach them on how to spend their time or the companys money. Its a mistake to assume your employees see things the way you do. Some managers are so concerned about being perceived as the dreaded micro-manager that they neglect to provide much-needed guidance on priorities, and then seethe silently (or not so silently) when the employee chooses incorrectly.8. Educate on costsDont assume your employee understands the big picture. A lot of inefficiency and wa ste can be chalked up to simply not knowing whats at stake. If you explain to your line manager, for example, how having the highest paid employee sweep the floors while three minimum wage people learn a new skill inflates labor unnecessarily, they will be in a better position to manage tasks the next time. Just barking that overtime is too high will not solve the problem.9. Interview effectivelySometimes you need to solve a problem before it even starts, and in the case of inefficient employees this is in the interview process. Make sure to be as clear as possible during the interview about the work quality and quantity expectations, and ask detailed behavioral questions to determine employees previous capacity. Its essential to paint an accurate picture of the job, and to select the people who have done similar work in the past. The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior, after all.10. Mandate organizationIf all else fails, or as a safeguard, you can always make the mo st efficient processes the required processes. Most candidates I interview these days prefer some latitude regarding how they accomplish their job, but they also agree that it makes sense to learn established best practices before innovating. Consider documenting the most efficient way to perform the job and making that your standard operating procedures.Like most problems, an inefficient employee wont improve if you just ignore the situation. You dont have the time or energy to let poor performance linger, so put on your big girl pants and deal with it head-on. If your employee is worth keeping, theyll thank you for your input.Carrie Maldonado is the founder of Todays Leadership Solutions Seattle-based consulting firm dedicated to providing business owners peace of mind and job fulfillment by ensuring their management teams are equipped to run their businesses successfully. A certified executive coach, organizational development expert, and HR Professional, Carrie consults with sma ll to medium-sized businesses on management, leadership, and recruiting solutions in addition to providing career coaching to managers and executives in transition.A version of this post previously appeared onFairygodboss, the largest career community that helps women get the inside scoop on pay, corporate culture, benefits, and work flexibility. Founded in 2015, Fairygodboss offers company ratings, job listings, discussion boards, and career advice.