Are you on the right path?

Site News

"Pimp" Your Resume
Jun 5, 2009

You’ve probably heard of the show “Pimp My Ride,” where a lucky person has a chance to turn an otherwise crappy vehicle into the beautiful car of their dreams. Well, as beautiful as a 1978 Ford Pinto can get, that is.

The point is that there are ways to turn something not-so-beautiful into something spectacular. The same can be done with your resume. So if you want to turn your bland document into a job-getter, take a moment to review some tips that will help you “pimp” your resume.

Tip #1: Focus on the Employer

One way to make sure that your resume is impressive in the employer’s eyes is to make sure you correlate your qualifications with their needs. In other words, as you review the job posting, you want to zero in on what they’re looking for then note the qualifications that you bring to the table that match their desires. This way, they won’t have to play the match game on their own to determine how qualified you are for the position.

Tip #2: Try an Executive Summary

An executive summary is similar to an objective; however, it is a little bit longer (about 60 words, or 3 typed lines), and describes your both your objective and key selling points. So instead of simply noting that you’re looking for a specific position, you might mention that you’re a Yale Law School graduate with experiences as a law director who now seeks to showcase law talents in an executive position at ABC Corporation.

Try #3: Narrow Down the Positions You Mention

It may bit tempting to take the approach of jotting down every job you’ve held in recent years. But if you were laid off three years ago and took a four-month part-time job to make ends meet, you don’t have to mention it unless it is relevant to the position you’re applying for.

Tip #4: Emphasize Accomplishments AND Education

You probably hear quite often how important it is to emphasize your accomplishments. In other words, it’s important to discuss in action phrases what you completed, not simply what you were responsible for. This shows that you were not just given a task, but you got it done. Well, the same goes for education. It’s customary to mention the school you attended, year you graduated, and degree you earned. However, there’s nothing wrong with mentioning academic projects, advanced coursework, and activities that are relevant to the position you’re applying for. Also, noting honors isn’t a bad idea.

Tip #5: Don’t Forget Your White Space

A great way to “pimp” your resume, or make it more attractive to read, is making sure there is plenty of white space in the document. There’s nothing worse than trying to dig through a resume for relevant information. By creating bullet-point lists and utilizing other ways to “open it up” with white space, you can make it easier to read – definitely a plus.

Creating the right resume can make or break your chances of snagging the job you want. So if you’re dusting off an old one, consider these tips on “pimping” your resume that can help make it a winner.


The Bigger Picture of Body Language
May 5, 2009

What your body language says is often more important than what you say verbally, especially when the two conflict. When they’re in sync, your movements are a reflection of what you’re thinking and what you’re feeling: your conscious and your unconscious. But when they aren’t, the unconscious prevails.

Why? Because while people will make themselves conscious of their words, few are conscious of their feelings and how that translates into body language, much less what that body language is saying. And in an interview, that can result in sending a message opposite what you intend.

A person who was recently fired or laid off is a good example of this dichotomy, especially when the termination takes place for reasons that have little to do with any situation the individual instigated. You did nothing to cause the severance, but you feel responsible anyway.

Since few job seekers know how to put a termination in perspective and handle it appropriately, it comes out how they move and how they conduct themselves. Almost every action is an apology. You knock gently on the door when the administrative assistant says, “Mr. Jackson can see you now.” You not only ask permission to sit, but you ask which chair. You either over explain or under answer.

Instead of speaking smoothly in a relaxed manner, your voice is too loud or can’t be heard. You say “um” or “ah” at the beginning and in the middle of your sentences. Everything about you screams insecure, even though you’re managing to articulate your accomplishments.

The result is that the hiring authority is puzzled as to how you managed to achieve so much, when your manner isn’t conducive to making things happen. It leaves him with a question about you. Hiring authorities don’t like to be left with questions; they want to be 100% confident of who they hire. So you’re out of the picture.

But this conflict doesn’t only occur with those have been dismissed by their employer. It can also happen when someone doesn’t have a degree, but has excelled in their career and frequently ends up competing with those who do. Or when you’ve been unemployed a long time, and you really need a job. Or if you’ve had your eye on being part of this company and finally you’ve snagged an interview. Or if you’re just plain insecure.

There’s a plethora of articles that list hundreds of body language cues you should pay attention to. But that’s like trying to learn the different interview styles and how to respond to each one. It’s a waste of time. You’ll spend so much time trying to remember what to do, how to do it, when to do it, if what you’re doing is correct or not, that it becomes difficult to focus on selling yourself and learning if the company is compatible with who you are and what you want.

It starts with your head. If you don’t feel confident, then stop thinking you aren’t. Find the reasons why you’re an asset to a company. List your skills and contributions. Put together a sales pitch on yourself, and then take it to heart. Actions mirror thoughts and thoughts mirror actions. When you’re thinking confidently, you behave confidently and vice versa.

At the same time, you can program one to follow the other. Pay attention to yourself, what you’re feeling and what’s going on around you. If you notice yourself shuffling in through the company door, pick your head up, put a smile on your face, and walk into the office as if you belong there, because you do. You have an interview, and they’re expecting you.

An interview is a sales presentation. You’re the product, and the hiring authority is the buyer. If you’re communicating that you’re not good enough to be hired, why would a company think differently?


Are you ready to Answer the Top 10 Interview Questions?
Mar 31, 2009

Your best weapon to mastering the job interview is to practice, practice, practice your answers to the most commonly asked questions by employers. The most certain way to sabotage your chances to win over a potential employer is to try and wing the interview. Your answers can appear aimless and without direction, making you look unprepared or worse, unqualified.

Don’t risk the future of your career by flying by the seat of your pants. Prepare yourself by developing answers to the most commonly asked questions:


Tell Me a Little Something About Yourself.
This is probably one of the most dreaded questions of all time. We quiver and sweat in our seats wondering what the employer really wants to know. Hey, relax! For starters, this is a great opportunity for you to sell yourself to the employer. Talk about your key accomplishments and strengths and how these factors will benefit the employer in the desired position. Write down ahead of time what you plan to say; perfect it; then practice it every chance you get.


Why Do You Want to Leave Your Current Job?
This question is basically a wolf in sheep’s clothing. It appears harmless enough, but it can damage your potential in a heartbeat if you’re not careful. By all means, keep your answers to this question as positive as possible. Above all, do not dwell on how much you hate your current boss! The interviewer wants to hire a team player to the position, not a negative and vindictive hater.


Are You Still Employed and If Not, Why Not?
If you are, great, but if you aren’t, you can still use your answer to this question to shine a light on your positive features. For example, if you were laid off or terminated, focus less on the actual termination and more on what you learned from the whole process. You’ll look mature and wise in the employer’s eyes!


Do You Have Any Budgeting Experience?
If you haven’t, be honest; but you can answer in a way that shows that you have had some exposure to adhering to a budget—on a project, for example. If you do have budgeting experience, discuss your fiscal responsibility.


Have You Ever Managed Anyone?
This question is most important to those who are seeking a supervisory type of position. If you have managerial experience, elaborate on how many people you have supervised and what their positions were in the spectrum of the organizational chart. However, if you haven’t had direct managerial practice, talk up how much you were a part of the decision process of a team project, or how you organized volunteers for a fundraiser.


What Are Your Strengths as an Employee?
To adequately answer this question, you need to be aware of the strengths you possess in the following areas: personality, experience, and skills. Once that information is known, match your strengths to the requirements of the position for which you are interviewing.


What Are Your Weaknesses?
Obviously, no one likes to admit that they have any weaknesses, especially in front of a potential employer. So what do you do? You can provide ONE trait about yourself that is the least important to the position. Refrain from canned responses such as you are a perfectionist or a workaholic.


Discuss How You Make Important Decisions.
If you are interviewing for a supervisory role, you definitely want to come across as someone who is able to ask for input from others, yet is comfortable making the final decisions. Also, consider the type of position and company. For example, is it a budgetary role at a financial institution? In that case, you probably will want to emphasize that you exercise great care and caution when making big decisions.


Where Do You Want to Be Five Years From Now?
Suffice it to say, do not answer this question with, “Retired.” Keep your answers positive and simple, with just a tinge of ambition. Think along the lines of a “motivated” versus “rat race” mentality.


What Have Been the Biggest Accomplishments of Your Career so Far?
Focus on accomplishments that directly relate to the open position. Discuss the challenge you were presented with, your actions, and the end result. Did you streamline processes? Devise a way to increase customer satisfaction? Were you recognized by management for your efforts? The way you answer this question will distinguish you from other applicants since your answer will require you to go beyond the basic job responsibilities.

A FINAL NOTE

As you can see, the interview is more than just showing up on time in the right clothes. It is your best and only opportunity to convince an employer that he or she should hire you. If you were selected for an interview, consider yourself lucky because you are halfway to the finish line. Make sure you are prepared with relevant and well-thought-out answers to bring in a home run interview.


Words to Avoid in Your Online Resume
Feb 11, 2009

When writing an online resume there are many words that you should try to include, and many that you should avoid. We will go over some of the worst possible words to use in your online resume, so that you can avoid them at all costs.

Abbreviations and Acronyms

Many job seekers are quick to throw all kinds of abbreviations around thinking that it will make them sound more in tune with the industry. But too many and your online resume will start to look like secret code. Include only those that are widely known, and leave out the rest. If your industry is known for acronyms (like the computer industry) use them sparingly in your online resume.

Personal Pronouns

Yes, we understand that your online resume is actually about you, but you shouldn't use personal pronouns like I, me, or my in your writings. Using the word I can get redundant pretty quickly and can leave a recruiter uninterested. Instead, keep it concise and never refer to yourself with a personal pronoun.

Negative Words

Negativity is never a good thing when it comes to an online resume. It doesn't matter why you left your last job, never bring up words like: arrested, bored, fired, hate, or sexist. These words stick out to a recruiter, and your resume will likely only make it to the trash bin. If you had issues that you would like to bring up to your potential employer- save it for the actual interview.

Keep It Simple

While some words are unavoidable, it is important to scan your document to spot any overuse. Some of the most common offenders are: a, also, an, because, the, and very. Try to come up with a different way to say things to keep your resume interesting and well received. Remember recruiters often read hundreds of online resumes a day, so do your part to keep them awake.

Also, avoid using terms and phrases that you don't understand. Many job seekers will pick out big words to make themselves appear smarter, but it can end up backfiring in the interview. So above all else- keep it simple!


Subtle Ways to Sell Yourself at Your Next Interview
Jan 18, 2009

The problem is this: In a world teeming with millions of highly experienced, accomplished, and ambitious individuals, what can you do to stand out from the rest? The chair you’re sitting in is still warm from the last applicant who: (1) really wants the job, (2) is really motivated, (3) is really sure that he or she will be a big asset to the company, (4) was president of the college student council, and (5) had a 3.999 grade point average in college. And that person's duplicate is sitting outside the office door waiting for you to finish your interview so that they can have their turn.

So there you are, nervously sitting across the desk from an interviewer who has already seen 20 other people today who vaguely resembled you, and who is now waiting to hear how well you can sum up the net worth of your existence on this planet. How do you convince this person to forget the rest and hire the best (meaning you)?

To make a long story short, it comes down to three factors: preparation, a general understanding of the conduct expected in an interview situation, and, most important, a smattering of creativity. To give the interviewer what he/she wants to hear, you need to realize that a great deal hinges on whether you have the personality traits that inspire confidence(well, of course, you have them but you've got to let the interviewer know that). Your main point here is to paint yourself as a major contributor to the success of your last company and, yes, you can do the same for the new company. Here are some subtle ways to sell yourself:

Loyalty: Any interviewer is going to want to know that the person they hire is dependable, stable, honest, loyal, responsible, and has drive, but you can't walk in and simply say you are all of the above. You'll sound like a Boy Scout. You've got to imply those things through your responses.

When a potential employer asks you about a former boss, for example, by never saying anything bad about former employers you are showing a fair degree of loyalty, or at least tact. There are some interviewers who will go so far as to say: “Oh, you worked for so and so? I’ve heard he’s very hard to work for.” In a case like that you might simply say that you and he had your differences but it never seemed to get in the way of business. Even if interviewers know you are piling it high and deep, they still have to be satisfied that you won't do a hatchet job on their company when you leave (or while you are there).

Responsibility: A sought after trait and not easily displayed in an interview. One way to do it is by not making a lot of excuses for your mistakes. If you blew it in the past, admit it. It's not wonderful to have to do this, but it will go much further toward impressing the interviewer than if you sit there coming up with lame excuses. No one likes an excuse-maker.

Dependability: To illustrate its importance, I like to tell you the story of a man who showed up for an interview despite the fact that the worst rainstorm in years, practically a hurricane, was raging outside. When the employer asked the man why he decided to come in such bad weather, the man answered, “I said I would be here.” He got the job.

Let nothing get in the way of being on time for your interview, even if it means arriving a half-hour early and listening to the radio while you wait in your car. It’s a good idea to make a dry run to the location the day before so you won't get lost.

Dependability also means that you can and will get the job done. If you had a work situation in the past where you were the one who constantly delivered when all else failed, say so. Make no bones about presenting examples in which you came through, not only on a routine basis but also in a pinch.

Drive: It's also important in the eyes of most interviewers that the person they are about to hire has drive. Many job applicants will at some point say, “Oh yes, I've got a great deal of ambition and I am very motivated.” This doesn’t cut it. You have to show drive.

You can demonstrate your drive by getting as much advance information as possible concerning the company to which you are applying. Although this advice is so old it's probably being needlepointed into pillows, the number of candidates who don't follow it is staggering. Get on the Internet and find out as much as you can before your interview. Remember, driven people don't just want something and wish they could have it … they want something and take active measures to achieve it.

Once you have company information, look for trends. What are the company's current policies? What seems to be in its future? Where can you fit with what you have to offer? Being highly motivated and extremely interested in the job doesn't even compare to the fact that the company wants to move into online marketing and you have just helped your last company do exactly that. If you can't seem to spot any trends, at least have a couple questions ready phrased in a manner that lets the interviewer know you've done your homework.


Managing Interview Stress: Six Quick Tips to Keep You Cool In Conference
Sep 4, 2008

Nobody likes a job interview. It’s stressful – a potentially life-altering event. Yet, the average worker is going to have 5.4 jobs over his or her career so, if you haven’t already had the pleasure, a job interview may well be in your future.

The best interview you’ll ever give is the one that shows off the natural you and “your way.” Precise and creased or kind of out-of-the-box – when the real you comes out, you’re in the middle of an excellent interview.

Unfortunately, many of us approach a job interview with dread, fear and loathing. We take classes, read books (The Five Minute You’re Hired Handbook) and prep like we would for the SATs and, there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s part of the process to visit the company website, read up on the industry and prepare yourself with information that shows you know your stuff.

But, if you sit there stiffly and uncomfortably during the interview, and rattle off industry insider jargon for a half hour, you aren’t going to create an accurate impression of you – the confident, relaxed host who can handle a dinner for 20 as easily as he can improve the numbers as the new regional sales manager.

Here are some tips to put your mind at ease and equalize the playing field so you don’t feel as though you’re in the glare of the spotlight.


Wear your favorite clothes.
The suit that fits well and shows off your professional sense of style. The one you like best. Your lucky suit or the one in which you’re most comfortable.

Same with shoes. Go for comfort. The next thing you know, you’re getting a lengthy tour of the facilities while breaking in a new pair of wingtips. Ouch!

If the job isn’t a "suit" job, wear your most comfortable clothes that are appropriate for a job interview. Not blue jeans, a torn Amy Winehouse t-shirt and a Yankee cap on backward. If you look nice – clean, pressed and shined – it shows a potential employer you’re serious about a job.

Be as comfortable as you can in the clothes you choose for an interview. It’s probably not a good time to experiment with a new look.


Start preparations early.
Your interview is at 11:00 AM. Get up at 8:00 and give yourself some slow motion time. You don’t want to be rushed this morning. You want to be relaxed.

Try meditating for 20 minutes. Get in a comfortable position. Close your eyes and block out the world. Let your mind go blank and give yourself a few positive affirmations. There is something to be said for this “power of positive thinking” thing.

Keep your pace slow from wake up to arrival at the interview location. The stress of rushing to get there on time will have you vibrating like a tuning fork, and a good interviewer is looking for signs of stress. A hectic morning is not a good start for a job interview.


Put your materials together.
Bring a copy of your cover letter, resume, recommendations, licenses, certifications, awards and other information that might be useful during an interview.

Place these materials in an organized fashion in an attaché case, even if you have to borrow one from your brother-in-law.


Skip the caffeine.
Or at least cut down. If you’re a five-cup-a-day latte junkie, try cutting back to one on the morning of your interview. Caffeine is a stimulant. It gets you jagged and, remember, you’re presenting the cool, calm and collected you to the interviewer so get comfortable and show them the real, decaf you.


Use the interview as a give and take.
This kind of equalizes the playing field and takes the spotlight off of you. An interview isn’t an interrogation (though it may feel that way at times); it’s an exchange of information.

Prepare a list of questions that you want to ask – questions about job responsibilities, chain of command, daily responsibilities, required skill set and other information you need to know to determine if this is a good fit for you. (You don’t have to take the job just because it’s offered to you, unless things are really bleak when you look at the checkbook.)

Asking appropriate questions shows you’re interested in the company, it gives the interviewer an opportunity to talk and it gives the both of you an opportunity to connect on some level. That’s important – especially if the HR interviewer is doing 20 different interviews that day. You’ll stick out as the one who asked some good questions and told a funny joke.


Follow Through.
The biggest mistake interviewees make is no follow-through. If you spoke to the manager who told you to give her a call in a week, mark it on your calendar and make that call. If the shift supervisor tells you to come back in the morning, be there early.

And if the head of HR invites you to meet her at an industry conference, take her up on the offer. It’s a good sign that you’re in the running.

Send a thank you note ASAP after the interview – while your face and personality are still familiar. It doesn’t have to be long but send it on professional, high quality, watermarked stationery (it really counts). Some HR coaches will tell you to send a hand-written card. It’s one of those “play-it-by-ear” things.

Nope, no one likes to go through a job interview but there are plenty of things you can do to prepare yourself. Preparation builds confidence and assurance that you know your stuff, in turn creating the sense of security that reduces stress. You know this. No sweat.

There are also lots of things you can do to relax so you walk into that interview as a poised professional who’s prepared, calm under pressure and ready to get down to business.

And that’s just the kind of impression you want to make.