Quit the Job Search

Quit the Job Search Thom Singer wrote a post titled 100% Of Those Who Give Up During A Job Search Do Not Find Jobs. The problem with Thom Singer is he reaches into my brain and steals the post I was going to write, and writes it a few days before I do :p Actually, I was thinking about this topic. I meet many job seekers who have been out of work a few weeks.  They have the deer-in-the-headlight look, and are trying to figure out which way is up, which way is down. Ive also met job seekers who have been out of work for more than 2 years.  They have a different look. Its sad to me to see the darkness that goes hand-in-hand in the job search journey. And they say were supposed to be up-beat, and positive it can be nearly impossible to do when you feel like youve been cut off from oxygen for so long. Should you quit? Thom Singer says if you do, you are guaranteed you wont find what you were looking for. Im sure there are some who quit, and then the jobs find them. I had three or four job offers after I quit looking (thats after I substantiated myself). But really, should you quit? I think it makes sense for a lot of people to quit. Maybe even you. My thinking is partially inspired by Seth Godin, from his book The Dip.  He talks about being in a dead-end, or a cul-de-sac (sp?) Perhaps you are looking for the wrong thing (a traditional job) when you really should be looking for something else. I wrote about this idea to kick off 2011 on my blog.  It was the first post of the year.  I called it: The Job Search Rabbit Hole.  Did you miss it?  Read it I think the simple analogy is powerful. If you think about it, maybe you are going down the wrong rabbit hole, and you should quit. YOU SHOULD QUIT. Maybe. Thoughts? Quit the Job Search Thom Singer wrote a post titled 100% Of Those Who Give Up During A Job Search Do Not Find Jobs. The problem with Thom Singer is he reaches into my brain and steals the post I was going to write, and writes it a few days before I do :p Actually, I was thinking about this topic. I meet many job seekers who have been out of work a few weeks.  They have the deer-in-the-headlight look, and are trying to figure out which way is up, which way is down. Ive also met job seekers who have been out of work for more than 2 years.  They have a different look. Its sad to me to see the darkness that goes hand-in-hand in the job search journey. And they say were supposed to be up-beat, and positive it can be nearly impossible to do when you feel like youve been cut off from oxygen for so long. Should you quit? Thom Singer says if you do, you are guaranteed you wont find what you were looking for. Im sure there are some who quit, and then the jobs find them. I had three or four job offers after I quit looking (thats after I substantiated myself). But really, should you quit? I think it makes sense for a lot of people to quit. Maybe even you. My thinking is partially inspired by Seth Godin, from his book The Dip.  He talks about being in a dead-end, or a cul-de-sac (sp?) Perhaps you are looking for the wrong thing (a traditional job) when you really should be looking for something else. I wrote about this idea to kick off 2011 on my blog.  It was the first post of the year.  I called it: The Job Search Rabbit Hole.  Did you miss it?  Read it I think the simple analogy is powerful. If you think about it, maybe you are going down the wrong rabbit hole, and you should quit. YOU SHOULD QUIT. Maybe. Thoughts? Quit the Job Search Thom Singer wrote a post titled 100% Of Those Who Give Up During A Job Search Do Not Find Jobs. The problem with Thom Singer is he reaches into my brain and steals the post I was going to write, and writes it a few days before I do :p Actually, I was thinking about this topic. I meet many job seekers who have been out of work a few weeks.  They have the deer-in-the-headlight look, and are trying to figure out which way is up, which way is down. Ive also met job seekers who have been out of work for more than 2 years.  They have a different look. Its sad to me to see the darkness that goes hand-in-hand in the job search journey. And they say were supposed to be up-beat, and positive it can be nearly impossible to do when you feel like youve been cut off from oxygen for so long. Should you quit? Thom Singer says if you do, you are guaranteed you wont find what you were looking for. Im sure there are some who quit, and then the jobs find them. I had three or four job offers after I quit looking (thats after I substantiated myself). But really, should you quit? I think it makes sense for a lot of people to quit. Maybe even you. My thinking is partially inspired by Seth Godin, from his book The Dip.  He talks about being in a dead-end, or a cul-de-sac (sp?) Perhaps you are looking for the wrong thing (a traditional job) when you really should be looking for something else. I wrote about this idea to kick off 2011 on my blog.  It was the first post of the year.  I called it: The Job Search Rabbit Hole.  Did you miss it?  Read it I think the simple analogy is powerful. If you think about it, maybe you are going down the wrong rabbit hole, and you should quit. YOU SHOULD QUIT. Maybe. Thoughts?

These three tips about resume writing are very important when you are trying to land a job. You should never take the risk, because there are many people out there who will try to get ahead of you through shady means. Tips About Resume Writing - Three Tips That Will Help You Land a Job

These three tips about resume writing are very important when you are trying to land a job. You should never take the risk, because there are many people out there who will try to get ahead of you through shady means. Tips About Resume Writing - Three Tips That Will Help You Land a JobIf you are looking for tips about resume writing that will help you find success in the job market, you should read this article. It contains three of the most important things that any employer is looking for.Content: Every resume should be carefully written. Do not try to cram a whole lot of information in the resume. In fact, it would be better if you leave a part blank.Profile Statement: The profile statement is very important. It acts as a bridge between the resume and the company. You need to make sure that the profile statement is true and correct. You should also include in your profile statement something that relates to the company.Resume Cover Letter: Do not forget to use a cover letter. It w ill act as a kind of advertisement for you.The letter must provide a short introduction about the employer and about yourself. The employer must know who you are and why you want to work for the company.Another great tip is to refrain from using a resume that is incomprehensible. It should be written in a professional manner and use simple words. You should not forget to have your contact details in your cover letter as well.Companies have different regulations about resumes. However, some companies do not even use these forms. You should ensure that your resume is clear and easy to understand.

6 Proofreading Tips to Create a Mistake-Free Resume - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

6 Proofreading Tips to Create a Mistake-Free Resume - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Your resume is one of the first impressions a hiring manager will have when you apply to a new job or position. As one of the few materials a hiring manager will get when determining whether to call you for an interview, you want to ensure you’re making a good first impression. When applying to a new job, you want your resume to accurately describe who you are as a professional. This means you’ll want to only submit resumes that are mistake-free and impeccably done. Unfortunately, careless mistakes appear on resumes every day. When you submit a resume riddled with spelling errors and grammar mistakes, you probably won’t get a call back. To improve your chances of getting the job, here are a few tips on how to create a mistake-free resume to apply to new jobs with. Use an Online Checker After you’ve created the first draft of your resume, run it through an online spelling and grammar checker. You can use the majority of these programs for free if you’re only interested in a basic check, which is typically enough for your resume. While an online grammar checker won’t be enough to sufficiently proofread your resume, it can detect some of the major issues in your writing, like whether you’ve accidentally written then instead of than. This can give you a solid foundation to get started. Read It out Loud Reading any document out loud can help you identify problems in sentence structure or wording that just doesn’t sound right. Reading out loud also forces you to focus on the words and how they sound together, so you’re more likely to catch any mistakes. If you feel weird reading your resume out loud to yourself, ask a friend or family member to listen. They can help you identify any problems and provide you with a second opinion. Get a Second Set of Eyes It’s difficult to catch mistakes if you understand what you’re trying to say or you’ve been looking at the document for too long. In this case, you may need another set of eyes to scan over your resume and pick out any mistakes. Send your resume to at least one friend or family member to look over. If you have a few friends or family members willing to check it out, don’t hesitate to send it to three or four. The more opinions you can get, the more likely you are to identify a problem before you send the resume in. Hire a Professional Editor While you may not need professional editing services each and every time you send in a resume, hiring an editor to comb through your resume before you hit the job market hard is a good idea. Because it is an editor’s job to look for mistakes and make suggestions, they can ensure you’re sending in the best version of your resume possible. In addition to your resume, they can also proof your application, cover letter, portfolio and other crucial correspondences. Consider hiring an editor with experience editing resumes. The writing you use in a resume is typically much more direct than someone would use in sales copy or in a novel. Using an editor who specializes in editing job search documents can give you a leg up on the competition. Double Check Contact Information When you’re worried about submitting a resume with a spelling or grammatical error, you may not even notice the contact information is incorrect. If you’ve recently moved, you’re using a resume template or you made a mistake when entering your phone number or address, it can mean prospective employers will have a challenging time finding you. Be sure to fix any incorrect information before you submit the document. Check even the smallest of details, such as the abbreviations for states. While they may seem unimportant, using the wrong information on your resume can make you seem unprofessional and careless. Even something as silly as abbreviating a state the wrong way could cost you the job. Come Back to It Later Once you believe you’ve caught all the errors on your resume, set it aside and come back to it later. Although there may not be any additional mistakes, coming back to it with a clear mindset can help you feel confident when it’s time to send it off. Give yourself at least an hour or two between edits. If you’re able, give yourself a full day or two. Be sure to plan for this break when you’re applying to a job. Don’t wait until the last minute to create a resume. Whenever you send someone a resume, you are sending a representation of yourself â€" be sure it’s a good one. While it may be time-consuming to go through your resume with a fine-tooth comb, you’ll be happy you spent the extra time proofreading and editing when you get a call for an interview. Don’t jeopardize your shot at getting your dream job because you didn’t proofread.

Personal Branding Weekly - From Me to We - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding Weekly - From Me to We - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career As a solopreneur or small business owner, you probably dream of making it big. Truly, who wouldn’t want to be up there with the big names such as Apple, Starbucks, Amazon, and so on? But of course, Rome wasn’t built in a day, so it’s okay to start small and work your way up to a bigger, better brand. Personal branding even when expanding Most brands start out with one idea by a single person. Basically, you start your own brand by learning how to sell yourself and the products or services you offer. You conceptualize your idea, create a plan of action, and then put everything into place. Butcher, baker and candlestick maker As a startup, you’re both boss and employee â€" everything is done by you. You communicate with clients, manage social media accounts, do all the promotional campaigns, answer calls and emails, provide customer service, and so on. Its fun, but it can be exhausting, especially as your small business grows. So you start to consider working with other people to help lighten your load as well as take your business to the next level. It can be challenging to transition your personal brand to a business brand. The trickiest part is working with other people â€" you need to begin letting go of some of your responsibilities in order for you to focus more on the things you do best. You need to learn how to delegate, to assign people to the work they can contribute the most to, and let go of some of the control you have over your business. You need to transition your brand from “me” to “we.” It takes a lot of risk, knowing that you’re handing off some of the reigns over to other people, when you used to be the one holding all the cards. Preparing for transition Also, when you start working with other people, these people also start affecting your brand. You’re not the only one who defines your business brand anymore. These people become part of your brand, so what they do also reflects upon you. The transition from a personal brand to small business brand can be challenging, but as long as you hire and work with people who care about your brand and who agree with your vision, then you can become quite successful in your transition. Here are last weeks post from your Personal Branding authors: 15 Ways to Prepare Your Personal Brand for Startups  by The Young Entrepreneur Council How To Update Your Personal Brand After Changing Careers  by Crystal Washington Fear Your High School Reunion!  by Nance Rosen Create a Stress-Free Work Environment  by Ceren Cubukcu What to Do When You’re Afraid of Networking  by Heather Huhman Easily Achieve the Smooth Sale  by Elinor Stutz 10 Common Personal Branding Mistakes to Avoid  by Brian Horn How You Answer This ‘Warm-up’ Question May Leave You ‘Out-in-the-Cold’  by Skip Freeman For Personal Brands, It’s Self above Service  by Maria Elena Duron Prepare Yourself to Ask Better Phase Two Questions  by Jeff Shuey Interacting with Social Influencers Creates Awareness for Your Brand  by Susan Gilbert Are You Listening?  by Leslie Truex Don’t Be a “Know It All”: No One Will Hire You!  by Beth Kuhel 5 Ways to be More Successful Starting Today  by Ken Sundheim Conferences and Your Career  by Marc Miller

Writing an Excellent Resume - Tips That Will Help You Make the Most of It

Writing an Excellent Resume - Tips That Will Help You Make the Most of ItWriting an excellent resume doesn't have to be an elaborate and time-consuming chore. If you want to learn some of the best tricks of the trade in what to include and what not to, then keep reading to learn how to make your resume stand out among the rest.The first step to writing an excellent resume is knowing what type of information you need to include. There are various types of information that can be found on a resume, including your education, work experience, and even special training that you've received. Knowing exactly what you need to include on your resume will help you to better focus on the things that should be included.There are different types of information that should be included. This includes things like your educational achievements, information about volunteer work, or anything else that you may consider relevant. There is a great trick to know when it comes to differentiating between wha t should be included and what should be left out. Most people don't really think about this very often but you can actually utilize the reverse of what they do - you can use it when it comes to differentiating between what should be included and what should be left out of your resume. Here's how you do it.Your resume will always start with your name. What you need to do is take this information and look for patterns. You can go into a company that has a section for resumes and take note of who you think would be the best person to apply for the position that you are applying for.You can then ask the HR department at the company's HR department and see if they can give you a phone number or website address for someone there to speak with you. Once you've sent in your resume, you can speak with them about why you are qualified for the position. They may be able to contact you by phone or e-mail.Another way to determine if they would be a good person to contact would be to find a coupl e of friends or family members that have gotten a successful interview for a job in the past. Take notes on their responses, what information they included, and anything else that you can learn from their interviews. As you can see, this process is fairly easy.Next, the next part of making an excellent resume is actually filling it out and putting it in an envelope. Now, you'll have to be creative in writing your resume, but it is a great way to make sure that your resume looks polished and professional. Make sure that all of the information that you write on your resume is accurate and complete.Another way to make your resume look more professional is to make sure that you send it out as soon as possible after you have completed it. That way, you'll have plenty of time to get a response. You could also check with your school or previous employers to see if they may want to add you to their database, but be sure to save this information in a safe place where you won't lose it.

7 New Ways To Start Your Cover Letter - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

7 New Ways To Start Your Cover Letter It’s time to dump the old line: “Please accept this application in response to…” If you’re still starting your cover letter  with this overused one-liner, then I implore you to stop what you’re doing, delete the line, and spend a few minutes reading this article to discover seven new examples of how you can catch the hiring manager’s attention with an attention-grabbing opening line. Entice them with the job title and some of your standout accomplishments… 1. As an IT Director for ABC Company, I manage IT operations for a 500+-employee organization. Recruited in 2005, my goal has been to modernize and scale the technology landscape and drive forward initiatives to expand the capabilities, systems, and performance across the organization. To date, the results have been impressive, including transition to a new Storage Area Network (SAN), Microsoft desktop environment, data warehouse, and Internet technology tools. Further, I have captured more than $2.5 million in development and operating cost reductions. Keyword-rich opening lines that demonstrate fit… 2. I am a veteran Construction Manager with extensive experience in the designing, planning, budgeting, staffing, and on-site supervision of new construction and renovation projects. With 15+ years in construction and project management, I bring to ABC Company value-added expertise in: 3. As an accomplished Chief Financial Officer, I possess broad cross-functional experience in emerging, high-growth, and well-established corporations. Unlike other finance executives, my focus has not been limited to just finance but includes strategic planning, change management, system implementations, and business operations, as well as the performance improvement of teams. Highlights of my career include: 4. Designing, developing, and leading physical fitness training programs are my passions and my expertise. My 11+ years of progressive leadership experience in the U.S. Air Force, together with my upcoming ACE certification and my achievements in fitness instruction and coaching, make me an excellent candidate for your Personal Trainer position. Highlight the fact you can meet their needs to keep them reading… 5. Cultivating relationships to deliver exceptional results is what I do best. Whether in a start-up situation or a high-growth organization, I have consistently increased sales and customer satisfaction through my ability to develop first-class sales solutions and drive professional excellence. Highlights of my career that may be of interest to you include: 6. Cross-cultural communication, multi-departmental collaboration, and producing highly detailed and dependable administrative and marketing support are what I do best. 7. Delivering massive value to my clients has been the focus of my career for the past 13 years. In my role as ___________ for ABC Company, I have unfailingly provided my clients with strategies, action plans, and the leadership necessary to enhance people, processes, and technologies. In addition, I have established a solid reputation for assessing challenges, creating solutions, and responding quickly to changing business requirements. This is the value I offer to XYZ Corporation. Words to remember… It’s important to remember your cover letter should be a brief introduction that demonstrates fit and motivates the employer to read your resume. If you’re narrating your whole life story or using the same old line that’s been written a million times before, then you’re not really captivating the reader or communicating the most vital information necessary to win the interview. Using these simple points as guidelines and the  cover letter samples  provided above as a starting point, create your own unique and captivating opening line that draws the reader in and keeps them interested. About the Author: Jessica Holbrook Hernandez, CEO of  Great Resumes Fast  is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, and presenter.

Commencement

Commencement The definition of commencement is a ceremony marking the beginning of astage. How perfect.It has anice ring to it. There are about 1.31 million people graduating from college according to the BLS. (Well, that is a projected number, I guess it is as close as we can estimate.) These 1.31million added to the 13 million laid offequalover14 million peoplebeginning a stage. 14 million people are jumping into a new world of work. A world that no one can accurately forecast. However, there is one definite, stable employer hiring right now. The earth! In Paul Hawkins commencementaddress to University of Portland grads, he puts forth new challenges to these graduates. Hawkins says: Basically, the earth needs a new operating system, you are the programmers, and we need it within a few decades. No pressure there. We are focusing our sights on health care, educational services and technology. We, the oblivious, self absorbed workforce. What we are ignoring is the bigger picture. Without a planet to live on, none of those things will matter. Hawkins reminds us that: This planet came with a set of operating instructions, but we seem to have misplaced them. Important rules like don’t poison the water, soil, or air, and don’t let the earth get overcrowded, and don’t touch the thermostat, have been broken. There are millions of people in the world working together behind the scenes. Their mission: Rather than control, it seeks connection. Rather than dominance, it strives to disperse concentrations of power. The finale in Hawkins address cant be summarized, so I have quoted him directly. Ralph Waldo Emerson once asked what we would do if the stars only came out once every thousand years. No one would sleep that night, of course. The world would become religious overnight. We would be ecstatic, delirious, made rapturous by the glory of God. Instead the stars come out every night, and we watch television. This extraordinary time when we are globally aware of each other and the multiple dangers that threaten civilization has never happened, not in a thousand years, not in ten thousand years. Each of us is as complex and beautiful as all the stars in the universe. We have done great things and we have gone way off course in terms of honoring creation. You are graduating to the most amazing, challenging, stupefying challenge ever bequested to any generation. The generations before you failed. They didn’t stay up all night. They got distracted and lost sight of the fact that life is a miracle every moment of your existence. Nature beckons you to be on her side. You couldn’t ask for a better boss. The most unrealistic person in the world is the cynic, not the dreamer. Hopefulness only makes sense when it doesn’t make sense to be hopeful. This is your century. Take it and run as if your life depends on it.