Our last post taught you what should be in your resume; this time we focus on the layout of that resume.

In these changing times, your resume has to stand out and fit all manner of medium (meaning it has to look good printed, as well within email and on various websites). So, how do you ensure that yours stands out amongst all others? Take a look at any newspaper for direction. Not only do they have to fit all mediums, they now have to compete with blogs, opinions and keep both readers and advertisers happy on a daily basis.

First thing you should notice on the newspaper is the layout. I can take one quick look and know where to find what I need. Make sure your resume is clean and easy to navigate. It may be fun to create a funky resume, but don’t go too far – if you’re not a graphic designer, you could be asking your reader to work too hard to find your information.

The most important spot on any resume is the top left corner. We read pages, regardless of website or printed piece, from top to bottom and left to right. The top left spot on a newspaper usually includes the company logo and should showcase the most important piece of your resume: your contact information. When I am scanning resumes, I always look at contact info first to see if the person is located in the correct area (more often than not, I want somebody to start immediately, so I can’t consider someone looking to relocate). Don’t use fancy fonts for your name or address (Georgia is always a good choice, easy to read and available on all computers). Again, unless you are showcasing design skills, make reading the resume as simple as possible.
The second most important spot is the rest of the top bar. This should house your objective. Hopefully you know which specific job you are applying for, so you should tailor this one sentence to that job and answer the question, “Why are you the best fit for this job?” If you are posting to a site and not for one particular job, answer that question about your ideal job.

Next, the actual content. When journalists write they use the inverted pyramid, meaning the most important information is at the top with more minor, more detailed information at the bottom. This way, editors and readers can understand the entire story from the first few sentences. Below your objective and contact information, your qualifications are next on the list of importance. Start with your most recent job and work your way backwards. If you are fresh out of college, use any positions you may have had on student government, campus newspaper or within your fraternity. Try to show how this has enhanced your education. Did you win any awards, learn organizational skills, did you have to stick to strict deadlines or come up with fresh ideas? Put this info here.

The next thing I like to put actually steps away from the newspaper layout. Put your additional info next: any volunteer work, community groups, any articles printed. The reason I put it here is habit. It’s habit to expect a newspaper’s contact information in the footnotes and it’s habit to expect education to be at the bottom of a resume. There’s a good chance that a reader will read the top of your resume and then skim to the bottom to see your education.

So, last on the list is your education and any awards or accolades (restate them if you have them in the detail of your previous jobs). Start with the highest level.

Thinking of your resume like a journalist might think of an article or an editor might think of the newspaper puts you in that competitive mindset, which in these tough times you need. To get the job you want, your resume is your lead story – make it easy to read, interesting and intriguing.

Stay tuned, next we will discuss how to Search Engine Optimize your resume.

Regular old resumes appear to be for the birds these days. According to Colorado Tech University, the resume you choose needs to include your social networking savvy as well as your standard experience. Their own infographic walks a resume writer through the necessary steps:

Every day, millions of Americans feel unhappy and stuck in their present job situation. Are you one of these individuals? It may feel overwhelming at first, but keep your hopes up – there are other job opportunities available for you out there! If you put in the right efforts for your job search, you’ll find the right job. After all, both you AND your employer deserve to be happy! So what can you do to get a start on your new job hunt?

Here are some tips to help you get out of your rut and help you find a job that you really want:

1. Keep your current job and your job search 100% separate of each other. Your current employer is still paying you, so do not look for work while you’re at work. This may sound obvious to some of you, but you’d be surprised how many people spend their time in the office job searching. Instead, use your own time, such as breaks, lunch hours or time at home, to do anything related to your job search. Along those same lines, do not discuss your job search with co-workers. Use your personal e-mail when sending out resumes and applications and if you receive any job search related phone calls while you’re at work, take them away from the office to avoid someone overhearing you.

2. Build up a network. Networking is important when finding a new job. Where can you start? Consider joining professional organizations, attending luncheons or community meetings. You may also want to consider joining professional networking sites like LinkedIn.com, which can provide easy opportunities to network with other professionals in your industry. Be careful what you post online, though. If you’re connected to your co-workers, it’s best to refrain from posting any negative comments about your current job situation or commenting about your job search at all.

3. If you’re worried that avoiding your current employer as a job reference will harm your chances of getting an offer, just explain to the prospective employer that you want to keep your job search confidential. You can always look back to previous employment for references. Remember that a reference does not necessarily have to be a former boss, as well. References can include former coworkers, teachers, mentors, business contacts or a representative involved with any professional organization or volunteer group that you are involved with. As long as your reference can speak about your work ethic, enthusiasm, drive and accomplishments, you will have nothing to worry about.

4. Make it a habit to note daily tasks as you complete them. This will make updating your resume much easier when it comes time to apply. Keeping track of the tasks that you complete as you complete them would be best because they’re still fresh in your mind. To do this, you may want to keep a notebook where you can set aside a short 5-10 minutes during the day to write down these tasks. You’ll also want to keep track of any particular circumstances where you have done exceptionally well. If you’re not sure what that means, it would be things like getting special recognition from an executive level manager, taking on more responsibility or doing something that resulted in higher profit for your organization. These kinds of events are definitely something you’ll want to further discuss with the potential employer, so tracking them as they happen will make it that much easier when the time to interview comes along.

5. Finally, you may want to consider working with a recruiter for a number of reasons. If you’re in a bind for time, working with a recruiter can cut your job search time in half by finding the jobs that would be the best fit for your qualifications and personality. If you find a good fit, a recruiter can line up interview times for you and help prepare you for the actual interview itself. Recruiters also have access to certain positions that are not posted online, so they may be able to find something even better than you would’ve found on your own! To contact one of our SkillStorm recruiters who can help you with your job search, click here.

Sources:

Tips for Job Searching While You are Employed – About.com

Working on Your Executive Resume While Still Working – Buzzle.com

Special note: To our male readers, we haven’t forgotten about you! Stay tuned for our special Father’s Day blog post in June.

Charlotte, Miranda, Samantha, and of course… Carrie. It seems that talk about Sex and the City is EVERYWHERE lately… TV commercials, radio interviews, Facebook pages, magazine ads… you name it! With the release of the new Sex and the City movie, I thought this would be a great time to talk about just why we love these characters so much. Each of these women embodies four distinct roles of which every woman in the country can relate to. Behind those roles, they are strong, motivated and ambitious – qualities women across the world have come to admire.

When it comes to their careers, the SATC women have got it all. Whether working as a famous columnist and book author, a manager of an art gallery (formerly), a career-minded lawyer or an independent businesswoman with a career in public relations, three of the four main SATC characters has never failed to show prowess when it comes to workplace aspirations (for the sake of focusing on the careers in the workplace, we’re excluding Charlotte on this one because she chose motherhood as a full-time job!). I mean, after all, how do you expect any of these women to buy a pair of extravagant Christian Louboutin shoes without some success on the job?!

Today, more women are graduating from college than men. Women have come a long way as successful professionals and an increasing number continue to make a greater impact on various industries and professions. According to the Department of Labor, women are expected to comprise 46.5 percent of the estimated 164.2 million persons of the labor force in 2016.

So, as the number of women in the workplace continues to grow, it’s more important now than ever to make sure you’re comfortable being a strong woman if you want to succeed and move up in ranks. If your favorite Sex and the City characters could give you advice on how to feel empowered in the workplace, what do you think they’d say? I’ve come up with a list of tips inspired by these SATC characters to help empower all women out there. So grab a cocktail, leave on your favorite pair of heels and start reading these simple ideas that will help empower the working woman starting today:

First off, stand up straight! Body language accounts for 55 percent of your conversation, so if you think your posture is good, check again. Look in the mirror and make sure your back is straight or line up against the wall and feel how your back presses onto it. Standing up straight may seem inconsequential, but it can actually act as a way to show others how you are, the way you see things and the way you approach life.

Learn how to own your voice and assert your opinions. Studies show that women are more frequently interrupted than men. Over the course of many conversations, they get the message that what they have to say is not necessarily as compelling or valued as what men have to say. Stick to your guns and don’t back down. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Truly practicing this can lead to meaningful and effective communication. Not only will you be known as an honest and sincere person, but you’ll also get used to speaking your mind and being heard.

Don’t scare yourself with negative thoughts. Instead, why don’t you let go a bit and take some risks? Stop putting yourself down and start doing something to affect your situation in a positive way. Let go of some of your inhibitions and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. If you change your mindset, you may find yourself freed from some of those fears that held you back before.

Learn how to ask and negotiate for raises and promotions. If you want a higher salary or a promotion, you need to prove you deserve it! That means you need evidence to show your boss that you’ve earned it. In this situation, education can be your best defense. Research everything you can think of to find the competitive salary for your job in your region, including employment surveys, libraries, professional organizations and knowledge from peers.  If you want a promotion, you may want to consider keeping a job diary where you can write down what you’ve done and how it has helped meet the company’s objectives. Have you ever taken on more challenging tasks or responsibilities outside of your own role? These will help support your case.

Join a professional group, organization outside of work, or maybe just volunteer some of your time to a cause you feel passionate about. Being part of something outside of the workplace can in turn work for you when you’re on the job. It never hurts to put yourself out there and network outside of work, which could later lead to professional connections, business partners or potential customers! Plus, the more contacts you have, the more valuable of an asset you’ve become to any company you choose to work for. While you’re at it, why not combine a cause you are passionate about with networking opportunities? Getting involved on a board of directors or committee for a cause will give you great insight on leadership and teamwork while making a positive impact.

At the end of the day, one lesson resonates beyond the glamorous movies storylines and real life challenges women face – whatever you do, stay true to yourself and realize that you alone have a great influence. Women have the potential to rise as leaders as long as they can embrace their own strengths within.

(Photo courtesy of Mlive.com)

Sources:

More women in the workplace, but still not enough opportunities – Smart Blogs

Hot Jobs for the 21st Century, 2006-2016 – Dol.gov

Can She Lead? – Blogs.hbr.org

What the U.S. Can Learn From Europe About Gender Equality in the Workplace – Blogs.hbr.org

Sex and the City characters – Wikipedia

The Gender Gap: 10 Surprising Stats on Women in the Workplace – Jobprofiles.org

Criticism can be tough to swallow, even for the most humble individuals out there. It’s never easy to receive any form of criticism, whether it’s constructive or not, but sometimes you just need to bite the bullet and try to make the most of it.

We spend hours upon hours with our coworkers, partners, bosses and customers each week. These individuals get to know us well and can learn quite a lot about us over time. Sometimes, they may offer their opinion on how you could improve your performance, also known as constructive criticism. What you do with these suggestions, and how you go about handling them, can have a massive impact on your career and relationships in the workplace.

The first step to handling criticism at work involves opening up your ears and really listening. You might have an inclination to consider this constructive criticism as complaining or whining, but just take a moment and really try to listen to what the other person is telling you. What is it about? Is there any truth to it? Many times, this criticism is coming from someone who wants to help you, so try not to get defensive or begin to justify your actions. Instead, consider the nature of the criticism. Is the person telling you how to do your job, or are they just genuinely making an attempt to help you improve? 

Second, try not to take this criticism to heart. It’s not something to be used personally against you and it’s not something meant to demean you or your job. Remember, you’re in a professional setting where the quality of your work is regularly supervised and criticism is a normal part of getting feedback. Therefore, try not to get your emotions tangled up in these kinds of comments. Instead, remember that this is about your career, so you need to remain objective.

After the individual has shared their thoughts on the situation and you have taken the time to consider the various possibilities, discuss the main points that were made and what you can do from here on out. Be strong enough to take this criticism in stride and use it to improve yourself and the work  that you do.

Remember that constructive criticisms aren’t meant to bring you down and that they’re meant to help you become a better worker in the long run. If you can learn how to handle criticism in the workplace, you will find this to be invaluable as you establish positive, mutually beneficial relationships with your co-workers.

Source:

Ehow.com

Positivityblog.com

Workawesome.com