Giving Up the Pistol On Resume For Your First Interview

Giving Up the Pistol On Resume For Your First InterviewA putting address on resume, a.k.a. 'giving up the pistol' is one of the most convenient and least exciting strategies for losing a bet. It sounds cool, but not too many people really know what it entails.Putt Putting is an outdoor sport that is all about putting a ball into a hole no matter where it is or who's there. Because of this, some of the rules can be very complicated. So much so that some people have trouble following them.So, let's use professional putters as our example. They have a headpiece, called a putter which fits over the shoe and then they have a plastic cylinder, called a hammer, which is the projectile.The most important part of the game, the puts balls into holes, is done through practicing. You can practice putting but the real game is learned on the golf course. It is a skill that needs to be honed and perfected.In order to give up the pistol in a way that is going to get your first interview, you can giv e up the putting address on resume. When I was on the job market after college, I decided that my first few interviews would go a little like this. I got in a car and drove a few miles from my hometown and putted the top 100 resumes that I found along the way.Once I had identified the resumes that I felt would benefit me the most, I figured out where they were from. This is my method to eliminate resumes I have no chance of interviewing. I ended up driving about 12 miles down to a big city in the east coast. As I arrived at the building, I putted the first two resumes into the holes, about half a dozen of them in total.It was time to start learning the basics of putting. During my drive back home, I putted a few more resumes into the holes. This was the first time that day that I thought about giving up the pistol, because I had kept one of them from my college application.I felt extremely nervous about what was about to happen, since I was driving to the office and giving away my p ersonal information. It was an eye opening experience for me and helped me realize how important my first interview was. In the end, it was so cool that I gave up the putting address on resume and realized that my dream job could only come from someone else's idea of what it looked like.

8 ways to build a strong social media presence without distractions - Debut

8 ways to build a strong social media presence without distractions - Debut This piece was written by an external contributor.  Lucy Skoulding‘s latest article is all about boosting your online presence without social media swallowing you up. Social media is an amazing tool. Having somewhere to document your life experiences, share your opinions, and keep up with topics which interest you, no matter where you are in the world, is definitely a gift. Even better, social media is now becoming a key element of our career journeys, from finding jobs to showcasing your skills to impress employers. However, social media does have the potential to be overbearing. I have definitely been guilty of checking on a Facebook notification when I am sitting at the dinner table, or scrolling down Twitter when I really should be working. This is when social media can start impacting your life in a negative way. It’s important not to live too deeply in the virtual world. Luckily, there are simple ways to strike a healthy balance. Read on for some tips I use when I realise I’ve looked at my Instagram feed so much I’ve seen the same photo ten times.   Schedule social media time in your day I am the first person to admit that no matter how busy I am, it’s hard to resist a notification which flashes up on your phone. ‘It will only take a few seconds to look’, I tell myself, but then the inevitable happens and I get distracted by something else on the site. Before I know it I have been scrolling down Twitter for five minutes and I’m behind with what I should be doing. Instead of checking and updating social media constantly, it’s better to allocate specific time in your day for it. Perhaps you could spend half an hour on it over breakfast, or while relaxing in the evening? And if you want to post more than once a day, schedule short 5-minute slots and don’t exceed them. Turn your internet off when you don’t want to get distracted Got a deadline at uni or work? Being distracted by a funny cat video your mate sends is not what you want. Equally, if you’re spending quality time with others, or you’re at an important event, it could be considered rude to be checking your social media. In these situations, remove your access to the internet. This may mean switching your mobile data off, putting your phone in another room, or disconnecting your laptop from the internet. Find whatever method works for you. If you really need to keep an eye on your phone, allow yourself a short break every half an hour to do so. Decide how often you will post. And stick to it. Everyone has preferences on how often they want to post on social media. Perhaps you need to post regularly if you have started doing so for your blog or YouTube channel. Whatever your preferences, it’s best to maintain a pattern and if you want to change this, do so gradually. If you usually post once a day then suddenly post 10 times in an hour, people may quickly hit the unfollow button on your account.   Once you have decided on your number, you can choose how to manage your posting. If you only want to post about once a day, it’s easy to do so as and when you want to. However, if you hope to post multiple times, using a scheduling tool is efficient. On Hootsuite or Tweetdeck, you can write out posts then schedule when you would like them to go out. This way, you can stick to the social media session idea described in tip 1 while still appearing to be regularly active.   Don’t use it just because you’re bored This is so easy to fall into. I find I’m particularly prone to this if I’m procrastinating, feeling lazy, or waiting for something like a bus. Unfortunately, with so many tempting articles and videos out there, it can be easy to get stuck in the social media abyss if you just scroll aimlessly. Scrolling through feeds is absolutely fine; it’s a way of reading news, learning about topics which interest you, and interacting with others. But try to do it with a purpose in mind if you can, whether it’s one of the mentioned reasons or something else entirely. For instance, you could look at Linkedin with the aim of reading an interesting article then commenting on it. Find a productive alternative If you do often find yourself spending unnecessary hours on social media, have no fear, there is a solution. Whenever I feel tempted to go on a Twitter spree, I turn to my ‘productive alternative’ list. I have formed a list of a few activities which can be done in the same circumstances as looking on social media. Activities could be linked to your personal interests. For instance, I’m learning Spanish from a languages app, I keep an ‘article ideas’ tab in my OneNote where I jot down potential things I could write, and I have e-books on my phone. If you’re bored and waiting for something, one of your chosen activities might be the best use of you time. Once you have found a healthy balance in using social media, you can focus on building a strong online presence. You must decide on which platforms you want to focus on, but whether it’s one or all, the following tips will help you forge a personal online brand.     Keep content useful relevant It can be difficult to strike a balance between personal and professional when building your own social media profiles. LinkedIn may be one exception, as most people focus on showing their professional selves. But with other sites, it can be harder. There is no reason why you can’t blend personal with professional and still build an enviable online profile. However, there are some important points to remember. I’m sure that you’ve heard this many times, but remember to never post offensive or rude content, or anything which may portray you in a bad light to potential employers. Other than this, make your profiles your own. You might choose to post content mainly related to your career path, or mix it up, the decision is yours. Showcase your skills Social media is a fantastic way to show off your skills, knowledge, passions and creativity, especially now that some employers are asking for Twitter handles and the like. Think of your profiles as an opportunity to show what you can offer, as well as proving your digital skills in general. This could be anything, from sharing links to your writing, vlogs, and photography, to posting original comments on trending topics, to retweeting funny and interesting content. Prove your ability to create unique, popular posts, interact with people online, and engage in what’s happening in your areas of interest. Let your personality shine through Finally, remember your social media is YOURS. When employers look at applications or invite you to interview, they are keen to see who you really are, and the same applies for your social profiles. So don’t be afraid of showing your true interests, opinions, and humour on your profile. If you’ve got a particular hobby, shout about it. Or, if you have thoughts on something going on in the news, why not share them? Equally you don’t need to pretend to be interested in something just because everyone else is posting about it. Be real and be you. Connect with Debut on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for more careers insights.

3 Reasons LinkedIn Is NOT the Only Resource for Job Seekers - CareerEnlightenment.com

Reason 2: The Boring Personality ProblemThe first thing I teach clients is to have a very clearly defined personal brand before writing their online profiles.And when crafting a value statement, make sure to take yourself from commodity and into personality.There is always going to be someone smarter, more educated and more qualified than you. Especially these days. (Don’t worry, you are still the prettiest/handsomest person ever.)So the sooner you can take yourself out of simply listing your skills and into demonstrating your value, the better.LinkedIn’s framework is limiting. Yes, there are now ways of uploading videos and slideshows.Xing.com offers users many more application features, such as mind mapping, document sharing (free), car-pooling, Wall Street Journal and more. These combine to create much more personality online then ever before.Reason 3: The Unwritten Rules of LinkedInThere are some unwritten rules that make networking with large numbers of people difficult.For example, if you decide to add someone to your network that you’ve never met, they are perfectly encouraged to say, “I don’t know you” and ignore your request. If this happens too many times, you get a polite wrist slap from LinkedIn.In response to this, LinkedIn Open Networking was created.I would encourage you to join this group and take advantage of thousands of people willing to accept your invitations and help you get out there and meet possible job opportunities.

The Key for Unemployed Job Seekers - Hallie Crawford

The Key for Unemployed Job Seekers If you are an unemployed job seeker, your job search might be more difficult because you dont already have a pre-existing schedule to help you establish a structure for your search. There are pros and cons to being an unemployed job seeker. You have more time than those who are employed, but you also have to create your own structure and schedule from scratch to ensure youre effective in your job search. I recently spoke with a career coaching client, Andrea, about this exact issue. She was finding it hard to structure her days in a way that she was effective in her job search. At the end of each day, she felt like she had taken action, but wasnt sure if it was the most effective action. She didnt have a sense of accomplishment. Every day and every week I suggest having a basic template for your job search that creates your own schedule. Go by the hour if needed. For example, every day you start your work by 9 am and from 9-11 you work on networking, and searching online job boards. Take a break for lunch, and an additional hour for working out/doing personal things if needed. Then get back to your job search from 2-5. During that time you can work on applying for jobs, revising your resume, updating your LinkedIn profile, making connections in LinkedIn or reaching out to recruiters. You can set your schedule however you want to. The key is to have a structure in place so that you know when you want to be working on specific things. This will help you establish what goals you want to achieve each day and each week. Having a schedule will help ensure youre using your time and energy wisely and that youve accomplished what you want to each day. Atlanta Career Coach P.S. Be sure to sign up for our upcoming FREE TELECLASS: How to Tell if Career Assessments Can Clarify Your Career Direction Which Ones Are Really Worth the Investment!

Writing an Award Winning Resume

Writing an Award Winning ResumeHow can writing an award winning resume help you get your dream job? It's not something that you do a lot of. Most people are conscious of getting themselves known in the search for employment, but this is one job where you need to be very aware. In fact, in writing an award winning resume you may be well advised to go way beyond the normal resume templates, because these can be generic and won't reflect who you are.Finding a job isn't something that happens all at once. So, you have to remember that you've got to be available when the time comes to apply. The more you do to build your CV the better your chances will be, but if you're like most people you'll want to have your name out there as soon as possible.Writing an award winning resume means you're going to put a little extra effort into your resume. This means writing a well written document with skill and passion. You'll want to make it really stand out.You need to start out by writing a high qu ality resume, not just some generic document. These days there are a lot of poor quality resumes out there. This is mainly because people are getting lazy and putting their hopes in a generic template or online service. But, this won't help you when you have a big industry to cover, so you have to get yourself more creative.I think one of the best things you can do is begin to research different services which help you to write great resumes. The companies can also give you free tips on how to do things a little bit differently and be a little more creative. For example, if you want to do a really unique resume.If you do your research you can find a number of different type of services which will help you get your resume looking better than ever. Of course this is on a minimum fee basis. If you're interested, you should make a phone call to a few of these companies to see what they can do for you. Once you have decided which service you want to use you can then send them your resume , which can take a day or two to get back to you.Writing an award winning resume is something that will definitely help you get a lot of your dreams into reality. So, if you want to be employed in the future, now is the time to start working on your CV.

What To Do If You Earn Less Than Your Predecessor

What To Do If You Earn Less Than Your Predecessor Q: I just found out my predecessor made more than me. My boss doesn’t know I know. What should I do? A: Before you work yourself up into a fury, keep in mind that “it’s unusual for someone to come into a role and make the same exact salary as the previous person in the job,” says Lydia Frank, editorial director at compensation data provider PayScale.com. Also, there may be a good reason that you make less. Many factors affect compensation. Employers typically stick within a general range for each position, and where you fall within that range depends a lot on what you bring to the tableâ€"your years of experience, your unique skill set and your education. Unless those attributes are identical to those of your predecessor, you shouldn’t necessarily expect to command the same salary. Additionally, as unfair as this may seem, the economy may play a role: The person you replaced may simply have been hired during more flush times at your company. If after having weighed these factors you still see an imbalance, however, you should talk to your boss. But you’ll want to be careful about how you do it, as it can be a delicate dance to get your boss to see your side. (It’s been widely reported that one of the factors in the recent high-profile ouster of New York Times executive editor Jill Abramson was her complaints about earning less than the person she replaced.) First, get some data behind you, since you want to avoid bringing up what you know about your predecessor’s pay. By mentioning that, “You’d be putting your boss on the defensive,” says Frank. “That’s not a conversation that’s likely to go well.” There are several ways to find out what’s an appropriate income for your position. You can check salary sites, such as PayScale.com which crowd sources data on compensation, and Glassdoor.com, which posts company salary reports. You can also turn to your network and ask current or former colleagues for insight. (While it’s still taboo to talk about pay, it may be easier if you ask about a range.) Then tell your manager that you’ve done some research on salaries in your position, and the data you’ve found indicates that you’re are at the low-end of the scale. From there, build your case about why you are a top performer and should earn more, using quantifiable examples of your successes and highlighting wins that align with your boss’s and the company’s goals. If your supervisor pushes back, ask what you can do to get to that next level: Get more training, add a particular skill or hit a sales target? The bottom line: When it comes to your salary, what’s most relevant is whether you are making what you should based on the current market price for your position and your qualifications, not what the person before you earned.

Resumes Can I Omit The City Of My Previous Employer - Work It Daily

Resumes Can I Omit The City Of My Previous Employer - Work It Daily Dear J.T. Dale: I have several gaps in my employment history. Also, my last job was in Branson, Missouri, and my prior job was in San Diego. I am now in Palm Springs. Can I omit the city were I worked on my resume but keep the other information? - Bernice J.T.: Well, Bernice, I doubt that where you've lived and worked is the issue. DALE: I agree that it's not THE issue. But employers are looking for someone who'll be around awhile, and they know that people who've recently relocated are, statistically speaking, more likely to relocate in the coming year. J.T.: But more important than relocation is the recruiter's need to be able to connect the dots in your work history and see that it leads to a logical reason to hire you. DALE: Before you can connect the dots, you have to find them. What skills did you develop in each job? What did you accomplish for your employer? Once you have a list, you can put ones that connect into a career narrative. Just remember that the goal of this exercise is to sell something that companies want to buy. J.T.: Being new to town, you probably don't have much of a network to call upon. So you're going to have to contact managers at employers who might need your skills and ask for advice on the best way to present yourself to their companies. That's the kind of proactive marketing that job searching takes these days. Sitting back and applying online is easy but unlikely to be effective. Instead, build a network by seeking local advice. DALE: That's where being new to town can be an advantage. There's still the kindness of strangers, and that's why you can leave the names of cities on your resume. Start by following J.T.'s advice, and once you are meeting managers and explaining the logic of your career, it will be easy to explain why you picked their city as a place to live - after all, they picked it, too. Feel free to send questions to J.T. and Dale via e-mail at advice@jtanddale.com or write to them in care of King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th Street, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10019. © 2012 by King Features Syndicate, Inc. Resumes image from Bigstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join For Free!