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Be Certain Your Resume Reflects The Real You

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resumeWhen your resume is a large part of the first impression a prospective employer sees, you want to be sure that the resume tells the true story. It’s enough to keep you awake nights before a crucial interview as you try to decide how much information is necessary and at what point it becomes fluff.

Experts share these tips for the job hunters:

By all means showcase your professional accomplishments, but relate them to the job you are seeking. How does what you have done relate to the skills required for this new employment opportunity? The company you are trying to impress will understand that you have researched the job and that you are in tune with the skills they want.

If your resume is dated, bring it up to date. It should be flexible to meet the specific needs of the actual position you desire. Though some information, obviously, will always be the same, there may be areas of your past work experience that will relate more directly to this position. The traditional wisdom said that a one-page resume is best. But if you have experience that seems relevant and it won’t fit on one page, don’t hesitate to include a second page. Be concise, but not stingy. Don’t short change yourself for the sake of brevity.

Your entire job history may be excessive, especially experience that is totally irrelevant to the position you are seeking. Don’t neglect gaps in your experience. Many times they are entirely justified. Even if you have gaps related to the current job market, many employers are aware that the recent recession put understandable holes into the job histories of many Americans.

Honesty counts. Don’t embellish your experience and skills. Open discussion of past problems is better than back-pedaling to explain things for which you have no good explanation. You may be asked to demonstrate certain skills. Failure to perform is the death knell for your application.

Neatness counts as well. Errors or a poor layout of your resume may catch the interviewer’s eye sooner than the content. Have a qualified friend or a professional proofreader look it over before you hand it to a prospective employer.

Non-paid internships or volunteer work in a related field are legitimate items to include in a resume, especially for young applicants whose experience is naturally limited. A mix of information may impress the reviewer with your willingness to try many things that add to your versatility.

Internships Can Build Your Resume

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Internships Can Help You Establish Important Relationships
Internships Can Help You Establish Important Relationships
The kind of practical experience you get from an internship is a valuable asset when you begin listing your qualifications for a job. You’ll have a little competitive edge when you begin job-shopping if the HR person can see that you’ve been exposed to the real world of employment.

An internship also may be very valuable in helping you to decide if a certain career path is right for you. You may decide to rethink your ultimate goals after having some solid hands-on time in the field.

Some suggestions for hunting out good internship opportunities:

Don’t wait until you are an upperclassman to scope out the possibilities. Although most internships are designed for juniors and seniors, there may be opportunities earlier. If you don’t find what you’d like, at least you have the experience of seeing what is available while learning the ropes for the future. You’ll be that much ahead of the competition. Knowing where internships may be had could guide you in tailoring courses so you’ll be ready when the applications become serious.

The career placement center in your college or university is a valuable resource. They are current on the challenges of today’s employment realities. They know where the jobs are and which fields are most crowded. The experts in the center can guide you in seeking job-exposure opportunities. Practice your future job-seeking skills by dressing appropriately for your interview with the career center advisor. Bring a resume. Knowing you are serious may give you an advantage over other students as the competition begins in earnest.

Call on the resources you have at hand. Your family and friends are fair game for requests for information about internships available at the companies where they work. Take advantage of any inside information they may have. Look at your institution’s lists of alumni who might want to give someone from their alma mater the opportunity to share in their success.

Whatever it takes. The rewards for seeking out internship opportunities could be great if they give your resume that extra touch employers are looking for.

10 Jobs That Don’t Require Higher Education

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Truck driving requires no college education.
Truck driving requires no college education.
So much is said of the benefits of getting post-high school education when it comes to job-hunting that many very good jobs may be overlooked by newcomers to the job market. Those just coming out of high school need to know that there are good-paying opportunities that don’t require a college degree or prior experience.

Check these out:

Delivery Drivers

– are always wanted by national, regional and local companies. You need a good driving record, a current license. You may find a job in this field offers the flexibility to accommodate additional schooling. Annual salary range, $21,903 to $47,898.

Garbage Collection Jobs

– are for those not adverse to rising early. They offer most holidays off and may include good benefits. Exercise on the job is a side benefit. You must be physically fit and able to lift heavy items. Look at Waste Management’s career site for details. Salary range, $19,920 to $59,922.

Bill Collectors

– have a choice of jobs as the number of positions is expected to expand by 19 percent in the next 10 years. Requirements include the ability to communicate by phone and having good customer service qualities. Salary range, $21,903 to $47,898.

Security Guards

– have a wide choice, including mall policing, sentry positions at embassies and other secure facilities, Homeland Security officers at airports, and secure cash transport for financial institutions. A high school diploma is all that’s needed for most of these jobs. You may be asked to submit to periodic drug testing, have a clean criminal record and obtain a firearms license. Salary range, $18,161 to $38,999.

Bar Tenders

– need no formal education, but would benefit from a bar tending course. The work can be difficult as you work with people from many different backgrounds and walks of life. In some places, laws hold bartenders responsible for not allowing patrons to drink to excess. The ABC Bar Tending School site lists bar tending school locations around the country. Salary range, $13,085 to $47,298.

School Bus Drivers

– must have clean driving and criminal records. The work is primarily morning and late afternoon. Most employers offer the same holidays and days off that teachers get and the same benefits. Salary range, $16,404 to $39,883.

Real estate brokers

– usually spend several years generating a clientele and the expertise to make big money, although the potential for a large income is there. You need an agent license to join a real estate firm. The license involves a 60-hour course of study and there are additional courses to become a full- fledged broker. Salary range, $30,303 to $227,211.

Oil Field Workers

– at entry level, need nothing more than a high school diploma. Oil companies provide on-the-job training in specific assignments. Some oil field work involves travel around the world. The work is outdoors and offers good pay and benefits. Salary range, $19,000 to $45,000.

Cable TV installers

– learn on the job. An ability to interact well with many types of people is an asset. Contact your local cable company for details. Salary range, $21,584 to $51,855.

Truck Driver

– To drive an 18-wheel truck, you would be away from home much of the time, but the jobs offer good pay and benefits and require minimal training. Many trucking companies pay for training and assist in obtaining a Commercial Driver’s License. Medical exams and background checks may be required, depending on what you would be hauling. Salary range, $27,528 to $67,393.

Motherhood And Working Can Co-Exist

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working-mothersTo no one’s surprise, there has been a consistent rise over the past few decades in the number of women who combine parenthood with jobs. The Pew Research Center says that in 1960, just 10.8 percent of women were the primary support of their families in households with children under 18. By 2011, the figure had risen to 40.4 percent.

That means that in near half of the country’s households, a woman is juggling the responsibilities of child-rearing and working outside the home. The challenges are especially daunting for those experiencing motherhood for the first time. There are tips that will help meet the needs, including:

Carefully consider career decisions. Parenthood may require some adjustments in a women’s career goals. Making thoughtful decisions is better than knee-jerk reactions that may have serious effects in the future. Some new mothers develop guilt symptoms when they believe they are short-changing their jobs or, on the flip side, they are concerned that they are not spending enough time with their children. Quitting the job entirely to focus on home responsibilities could be counterproductive later on. When you are expecting a child, before the challenges have become reality, is a good time to list the pros and cons of being a working mother. The list will be personal to yourself and your situation, but a good and honest airing of your ultimate desires will be a guide to making decisions. The more thought you give to the task, the more satisfied you will be with the outcome.

If you choose to continue working, don’t feel obligated to go overboard to convince the boss that you can be a competent worker and a good parent. Especially in the months after the arrival of your child, allow yourself some leeway – obviously within the parameters your particular job can accommodate. Among other things, your body will take awhile to return to normal after childbirth. Accept help when it is offered. Many employers are understanding of the adjustments new parenthood requires and are willing to work with you.

Look for ways to ease your workload at home. Mothers are more likely to develop a deep rapport with their children in the first few months than are fathers, but try to share the load as nearly as possible to prepare Dad to play a bigger role in child rearing in the early phases of parenthood. Share cooking duties and household chores. Hire help, if possible, for the deep cleaning and “hard work” aspects of keeping up. Sometimes a relative – Grandmothers are usually a willing source – will step in to assist when there are particular needs such as a sick baby.

Hang onto values and priorities. Jobs are important and certainly necessary to most households these days, but children? They’re family, and that comes first. Circumstances, obviously, vary greatly, but with thought and planning, women can mix jobs and parenthood and find both rewarding.

Be Certain Your Resume Reflects The Real You

By

Your Resume Is Crucial For Landing Your Next Job
Your Resume Is Crucial For Landing Your Next Job
When your resume is a large part of the first impression a prospective employer sees, you want to be sure that the resume tells the true story. It’s enough to keep you awake nights before a crucial interview as you try to decide how much information is necessary and at what point it becomes fluff.

Experts share these tips for the job hunters:

By all means showcase your professional accomplishments, but relate them to the job you are seeking. How does what you have done relate to the skills required for this new employment opportunity? The company you are trying to impress will understand that you have researched the job and that you are in tune with the skills they want.

If your resume is dated, bring it up to date. It should be flexible to meet the specific needs of the actual position you desire. Though some information, obviously, will always be the same, there may be areas of your past work experience that will relate more directly to this position. The traditional wisdom said that a one-page resume is best. But if you have experience that seems relevant and it won’t fit on one page, don’t hesitate to include a second page. Be concise, but not stingy. Don’t short change yourself for the sake of brevity.

Your entire job history may be excessive, especially experience that is totally irrelevant to the position you are seeking. Don’t neglect gaps in your experience. Many times they are entirely justified. Even if you have gaps related to the current job market, many employers are aware that the recent recession put understandable holes into the job histories of many Americans.

Honesty counts. Don’t embellish your experience and skills. Open discussion of past problems is better than back-pedaling to explain things for which you have no good explanation. You may be asked to demonstrate certain skills. Failure to perform is the death knell for your application.

Neatness counts as well. Errors or a poor layout of your resume may catch the interviewer’s eye sooner than the content. Have a qualified friend or a professional proofreader look it over before you hand it to a prospective employer.

Non-paid internships or volunteer work in a related field are legitimate items to include in a resume, especially for young applicants whose experience is naturally limited. A mix of information may impress the reviewer with your willingness to try many things that add to your versatility.