Polish That Resume - Meet Employer Needs

With the current unemployment rate, now might be a good time to dust off the resume and re-circulate it. Whether you are looking for a new job or hoping to snag a better one, you need to be able to bring value to the company in order to be considered for an interview. Take a good look at your skills.  Where do your strengths lie?  What training and experience do you have to offer?  Should you consider obtaining more education or training? Think about your employment history.  Have you included all tasks you have completed that bring out your best talents and abilities?  Did you receive any special recognition or awards?  Were you promoted?  How was your attendance and punctuality?  Were you a team player?  Can you work with little or no supervision? Match yourself to the job.  What is the company you are applying to looking for in a job candidate?  Do your attributes align with the company's needs?  Does your resume reflect how you can be an asset to the company? Concentrate your search where your skills match the employer's needs. Where will you begin your job search?

Set Goals to Achieve Success

Whether you are searching for a job or hoping to advance in your current position, set goals. To increase your success, make sure your goals are:

·         Specific – What exactly do you want to achieve? Be as precise as possible when stating your goal.
·         Measurable – How will you know when you have reached your goal?
·         Achievable – Is it possible for you to reach this goal? Your goal must be attainable, or you will set yourself up for failure.
·         Realistic – Can you reasonably achieve your goal? Assess your skills, abilities, and circumstances. Be honest with yourself.
·         Timely – What is the specific date by which you hope to attain your goal? Set a time limit.

Once you establish your goals, keep in mind they are not set in stone. Goals should be reviewed and tweaked as needed. Sometimes we outgrow the goal and need to set a new one.

What goals are you setting for yourself?

Career Advancement

To advance in your career, demonstrate your value to your employer and those around you. Be highly visible and take charge of situations when warranted. Continuously challenge yourself and members of your team. Act like management material by following these guidelines:

• Take advantage of every available opportunity to learn and grow.
• Establish behaviors that stand out positively in the minds of supervisors.
• Develop excellent critical thinking skills.
• Be a self-directed worker who performs duties with proficiency.
• Act professionally at all times and display integrity and ethical behavior.
• Take on extra responsibilities and help others.
• Become an expert in your field.
• Participate in lifelong learning to keep your expertise up to date.

Take a long, hard look at your personal qualities and adjust your strategies to align yourself closer to the way management-level people behave. With an inner drive and a determination to achieve, you can position yourself to rise to a higher level. What steps will you take to advance in your career?

Give Employers What They Want

In keeping with the theme of getting a job, let's take a look at what employers want. Employers want to hire dependable, enthusiastic people who will give a full day's work. Here are some tips to convince an employer you are the right person for the job:

• Maintain a record of dependability and good attendance at your current job.
• Be able to convey your assets and accomplishments within a few minutes.
• Match your skills to the employer's needs.
• Research the company and be prepared to discuss your findings during the interview.
• Demonstrate your willingness to try new things.
• Practice time management and organizational skills.
• Maintain a positive attitude and demonstrate your willingness to get along with others.
• If you working in a multi-generational workplace, mention your ability to get along with people of all ages.
• Take an active part in your self-development through training and updating skills.
• Join a professional organization in your field.

Push yourself to the top of the competition by showing the employer you are the right person to hire. What steps will you take?

Resume Tips

The job market is improving, and many people will be looking for a job or hoping to change careers. In addition, by keeping your resume updated even when you do not plan to search for a job, you will be prepared if a better opportunity arises.

The following tips will help you put together a winning resume.

1. Limit the resume to one or two pages; employers are time strapped.
2. Instead of a job objective, briefly profile your achievements under the heading accomplishments.
3. Use the keywords from the job description or from your particular industry.
4. Locate important information in a prominent place where employers will see it during a 30-second scan of the resume.
5. Quantify whenever possible--use numbers, dollar amounts, and percentages.
6. Do not overuse fancy fonts, underlines, bullets, bold, boxes, tabs, etc.
7. List a professional email address.
8. Never lie or exaggerate your experience, skills, achievements, or education.
9. Do not list references on the resume; prepare a separate reference page.
10. Customize the resume to fit the job description.
11. Always send a customized cover letter with the resume showing how your qualifications meet the employer's needs.
12. Proofread carefully checking spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
13. If mailing a resume, print it on quality paper.

A well-prepared resume just may get you that job interview.

Resumes that Increase Interview Opportunities

Looking for a new job or wanting to change jobs? Here are some tips for preparing a resume that will get you noticed:

• Use a heading that includes your name (typed in bold and capitals), address, phone number (where you can be reached easily), and a professional-sounding email address.
• Limit the resume to one or two pages--employers do not have time to read through several pages no matter how much experience you have.
• Use a current style--check one of the many resume books or find a sample online.
• Add a summary of your skills and accomplishments in two or three sentences at the top of your resume in place of a job objective.
• List your work experiences chronologically backwards, highlighting accomplishments instead of just listing tasks. Limit work experience to the last ten years. Do not include irrelevant work experience.
• Make sure your achievements stand out--you don't want them to be overlooked.
• Show that you can deliver results and solve problems--demonstrate your skills through examples.
• Use numbers, dollars, and percentages where possible.
• Customize the resume to the specific ad you are answering or to the position you want.
• Make your resume internet friendly by eliminating bullets, underlines, and fancy fonts.
• Eliminate personal information such as health and marital status.
• Proofread carefully and then have someone else proofread for you.

Once you polish your resume, send it out to as many places as possible. It cannot do the job if it is not circulated.

Motivate Yourself for the Job Search

I just wrote a column on motivation for my writers' group newsletter and thought about how people searching for employment must keep themselves motivated throughout the job search. In this economy with its shortage of jobs, it's sometimes hard to get motivated or keep motivated in the face of rejections.

Here are a few motivational tips to help:

• Determine specifically what you want. What type of job? In what industry? In what location? Doing what tasks? Set a goal rather than say, "I'll take anything."


• Visualize being in that job. See yourself going to work, sitting at your workspace, doing your tasks.


• Get yourself ready for employment. Update your skills if necessary. Everyone must know how to use a computer these days. If you do not, take an inexpensive or free class at a reputable school or agency.


• Prepare a modern resume. Get help if necessary.


• Practice interviewing with a friend, all the while visualizing that you are interviewing with the company of your dreams.


• Get up everyday and do something to move yourself closer to getting a job. Inertia causes boredom and depression.


• Find a mentor to help in your job search.


• If you still have a hard time motivating yourself, find a cheerleader who will cheer you on and keep you motivated.

Take action every day even if it is a small step. It is by taking those daily steps that you can reach your goal of getting a job.

Job Search Tips

If you are searching for a job or thinking of switching jobs, begin by creating a few good lists.

• Make a list of everyone you know who can help you in your job search, including former bosses and coworkers, HR personnel, instructors, friends working in companies where you would like to work, and so forth.


• Write down your strengths, your skills, and your personal characteristics. Be sure to include transferable skills--those that you learned somewhere along the way that could be useful to an employer; for example, customer service, sales, problem solving, etc.


• List any skills or personal characteristics you need to work on improving. List ways in which you can accomplish this; for example, take a class, attend a seminar, read a self-help book, etc.


• List specific achievements and positive results you have accomplished while on the job. Include specific amounts of money you saved the company or the percentage of increased sales you had.


• List at least six reasons why an employer would want to hire you over other job candidates. Give specific examples of your worth to an employer.


• Write down questions you think an employer might ask you and your answers to those questions.


• Make a list of people you can use as a reference to attest to your work history and personal attributes.


• Make a list of places where you can apply for a job.

Now that you have created these lists, use them in your job search.

Polish Your Resume to Boost Your Interview Opportunities

Looking for a new job or wanting to change jobs? Here are some tips for preparing a resume that will get you noticed:

• Use a heading that includes your name (typed in bold and capitals), address, phone number (where you can be reached easily), and a professional-sounding email address.


• Limit the resume to one or two pages--employers do not have time to read through several pages no matter how much experience you have.


• Use a current style--check one of the many resume books or find a sample online.


• Instead of using an objective, prepare a summary of your skills and accomplishments in two or three sentences.


• List your work experiences chronologically backwards, highlighting accomplishments instead of just listing tasks.


• Make sure your achievements stand out--you don't want them to be overlooked.


• Show that you can deliver results and solve problems--demonstrate your skills through examples.


• Use numbers, dollars, and percentages where possible.


• Customize the resume to the specific ad you are answering or to the position you want.


• Eliminate personal information such as health and marital status.


• Proofread carefully and then have someone else proofread for you.

Once you polish your resume, send it out to as many places as possible. It cannot do the job if it is not circulated.

Thinking Positively in a Negative Economy

How is your work attitude? Being out of work or stuck in a dead-end job is not the way most of us envision our work life; but in a poor economy, every employee must work hard to maintain a job or to land a new one. Unemployment or underemployment, however, can be devastating to self-esteem. That means each person in these situations will also have to work harder at maintaining a positive attitude. There is no other choice if you hope to be successful at work.

• Do not berate yourself if you have no job or a low-level position; rather, remind yourself that most people go through several jobs and careers.


• Do not tie your self-worth solely to your work; consider the sum of your talents, skills, and unique experiences.


• Believe in yourself and your competency; upgrade your skills if needed.


• Develop positive work habits.


• Strategize ways to find more meaning in your work or more meaningful work.


• Tell yourself you can conduct a successful job search.


• Display enthusiasm during an interview and while you are working.


• Set goals and persist in achieving them.


• Be grateful.


• Surround yourself with upbeat, positive people.


• Call on your network when you are feeling down or when you need help with a job search.


• Be positive; a positive attitude will help you move forward; replace negative thoughts with positive ones.


• Become a problem solver.


• Do something to improve your situation.


• Make friends on LinkedIn and other professional networking sites.


• Focus on what you have control over; forget about what you cannot control.

Make Yourself Indispensable on the Job

Continuing with the "hang onto your job" theme, I have added more ways to keep your job and get ahead in the workplace.

• Speak kindly to everyone--every day.


• Go above and beyond for your customers. If there is something special you can do, do it.


• Go above and beyond for the boss by making yourself valuable to him or her.


• If you must offer criticism, say something positive first.


• Update your professional image.


• Maintain a positive attitude at all times.


• Maintain a "successful" mindset.


• Make a plan for your advancement and write steps you can take toward that goal.


• Look for solutions to problems.


• Hone your leadership skills.


• Stay away from troublemakers and gossips.


• Be a results-oriented employee.

Taking appropriate steps today can lead to a rewarding career tomorrow.

Hang Onto Your Job

The unemployment picture is not as rosy as economists earlier predicted, and the unemployment rate edged up a bit. Therefore, this blog will offer pointers on how to keep the job you have.

• Be a team player and make an effort to get along with everyone at work--overlook the shortcomings of others (and maybe they will overlook your shortcomings, too).


• Be productive all the hours you are at work--do more than the minimum required.


• Accept personal responsibility for your work, including mistakes. Work to correct and not repeat mistakes.


• Contribute to the overall success of the company--no personal calls, no personal work, no going aboard with socializing.


• Display a positive work ethic at all times--go to work everyday, show up on time, work until quitting time, be honest and ethical at all times.


• Become an expert on your company's products and services.


• Keep your skills sharp and updated at all times.


• Always ask yourself, "How can I add value to my boss and my company.

Job Tips

This morning I did a workshop/book signing for my book Job Hunting After 50. Two of the best pieces of advice I gave the audience were to embrace technology and to update.

Employers are using technology more and more to advertise jobs--LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have become favorite ways of getting the word out about job openings and finding perspective employees. If you are not on these networking sites, sign up today.

As for the updating part, that includes everything from using current resume formats to wearing modern hairstyles and clothing to researching companies online to learning the latest software and skills companies need.

Although a lot more goes into a job search, doing these with greatly enhance your prospects when looking for a job.

Be Enthusiastic About Your Career

If you watched the recent Academy Awards, you got to see enthusiasm up close and personal in the form of acceptance speeches. The smiles, the tears, the laughter--all reflective of the heart and soul poured into a career. What would make you gush about your job in the same way? What would it take to get that feeling?

Think about ways in which you can muster the same kind of enthusiasm for your career as the actors, actresses, directors, and producers who won awards.

• Look for ways to project enthusiasm through your attitude, smile, and personality.
• Surround yourself with upbeat people.
• Find ways to enjoy your work--no matter what it is.
• Embrace your work and workplace with an open mind and flexibility.
• Create passion in all you do and say.
• Excite others about what you do and how you do it.
• Rejuvenate yourself when your enthusiasm wanes. Take time to have fun, enjoy time with friends, and appreciate your past accomplishments.

Let your enthusiasm show with your excited voice, winning smile, and zest for life.

Where Does the Time Go?

Since returning from my Disney World vacation, I have been totally focused on writing my new book, Seeking a Job After 50. I turned in the first two chapters yesterday and am diligently working on Chapter 3.

All this work brings to mind time management and organizational skills. My website, www.carolsilvis.com, has a list of time management and organization tips if you need a little help in these areas.

With fall coming, it's a good time to take stock of where our time goes and how we can make the most of it. Soon we will be facing another holiday season and all the time crunches that come with it.

Do yourself a favor and take time to enjoy life.

Hold Onto Your Job

Today's news on the economy is once again bleak. It is more important than ever to keep the job you have. One of the best ways to do that is to provide excellent customer service. Another is to do everything you can to make your boss's job easier.

Here are some other ways to help yourself and others through tough economic times:

• Always speak kindly to everyone every day.
• If there is something special you can do for your customers, do it.
• Spread words of encouragement and appreciation.
• Treat people fairly and never take advantage of them.
• If you must offer criticism, find something positive to say first.

The way you walk your career path is especially important in this economic climate.

Marketable Skills Equal Career Success

One way of increasing your chances of keeping your job and advancing in this tough economy is to remain marketable by keeping skills fresh. Skill maintenance is an ongoing process, especially with changing and evolving technology, new research and development, and modernized equipment. Ever-changing job descriptions, assignments, procedures, and the like affect what and how much you need to know and how well you perform.

Some competencies that are always in demand include:

• Computer Equipment and Software
• Marketing
• Sales
• Customer Service
• Oral and Written Communications

To determine the best way for you to update:

• Review your job description and verify core competencies and skills you need
• Assess your competency in these areas
• Ask your supervisor if he/she feels there are competencies you need to acquire
• Ask the HR director or company trainer if there are skills/competencies you should acquire

After you have determined the skills/competencies you need, decide how you will obtain the training and the date by which you will begin training.

Summer Fun and Career Success

During the summer it's easy to get in the fun-in-the sun mode and or take a vacation at work. Guard against slacking at work if you hope to achieve career success.

• While on the job, do your work and give it your all.
• Complete assigned tasks with efficiency, accuracy, and expediency.
• Keep interruptions you can control to a minimum.
• Avoid complaining and complainers.
• Periodically assess yourself and how well you complete your tasks. Determine if you need to increase productivity.
• Track where your time is spent and use time management techniques.
• Observe others who do similar jobs, and compare your productivity to theirs.

There will be days you may feel tired, irritable, or bored. Professionals move past these feelings to continue performing at top-notch levels.