10 Resume Elements to Energize any Job Search

By Brad - Saturday 12 Jul 1:05 pm

No matter how perfect a person is for a job, potential employers cannot find them without an effective resume. Invigorate your job search with these ten resume updates.

1. Use keywords. Spend any time searching the internet and you notice that the more specific your keywords, the more likely you are to find what you want. The same is true for your job search. Many companies use resume scanning programs that search your resume and cover letter for keywords. Make sure you use what employers are seeking.

2. Limit jargon. While a resume requires effective keywords it should not be buried in jargon. The first person to screen your resume may be a human resources contact or manager with little experience with the jargon. Don’t set your job search up for failure by being unclear or generic.

3. Be honest. Don’t lie on your resume.

4. Use active verbs. With active words your resume will illustrate what you’ve done and won’t look like every other applicant claiming they are organized, self-motivated or responsible.

5. Be specific with short, simple sentences.

6. Leave lots of white space. Don’t jumble or overload your resume. Most initial scans of resumes last less than fifteen seconds. Let your resume demonstrate you are organized and efficient in a single glance.

7. Make it relevant. Don’t put irrelevant jobs on your resume unless they fill a questionable gap in your work history. Provide detail for the skills that are relevant to the job you are applying for.

8. Focus the objective or skills summary to the employer’s needs. Be clear and concise. Vague or extravagant objectives with no focus serve no purpose for the employer. Employers want to know that you can fill their position not that they can fulfill yours.

9. Provide numbers and statistics. When including, for example, that in your previous position you improved customer service, the statement becomes imminently more effective when you say “Improved customer service by five percent in two year period”. Share proof of your accomplishments.

10. Consider a resume critique. Nothing helps your job search better than a second pair of objective eyes looking at your resume.

Make your resume work for you with clear, active statements that the future employer needs to know. Choose quality substance instead of gimmicks and your resume will boost your job search.

Posted in: Job Search

The Most Important Step in Your Job Search and Why

By Brad - Thursday 5 Jun 6:24 pm

The most important step in your job search starts with you. Knowing what you want in a job is the first priority. Without a goal in mind your job search will be unfocused and haphazard. While a broad search may get results it may not yield positive results.

Whether you are beginning your first search or your fifteenth the same rule applies. Find out what you want. To do so follow some basic steps:

1. Ask yourself why you are searching. Are you just out of school? Have you recently been laid off? Are you tired of your current position and looking for a change? Do you need more money? Your answer is the first step to deciding what you are looking for in your job search.

2. List your strengths. What do you have to offer an employer? Be honest with yourself. If you don’t have experience in a new field can you afford to start in an entry level position? Do you have other strengths to offer that may outweigh your inexperience? Know what you have to offer.

3. Research your options. If you know you want a job in management or insurance for example – start researching to narrow your job search. Type in the keyword management in a job search engine and watch hundreds of jobs appear. Don’t waste hours sorting through these choices. Choose a more specific keyword search for better results.

4. Know what you don’t want. Knowing what you are not willing to live with is just as important as knowing what you want. Make a list of items you will not compromise – be it “I won’t wear a suit every day” or “I hate cubicles”. Avoid the items on your list so you don’t waste your or the employers’ time.

5. Prioritize what you want. Make a list of what you want in your next job and rank the list.

6. Be patient. Finding the right job for you takes time. By limiting your job search to what you really want it may take longer. It might be quicker to do a broad search and take any position you can get but a job you hate will send you back to another job search fast.

Searching for a job takes time, energy and patience. Make the experience more fun and efficient by taking the first step to decide what you want in a job.

Posted in: Job Search