3 Tips for Sending Your Resume to Another State

3 Tips for Sending Your Resume to Another State 50 years ago, your resume was pretty hard to send. If you we vying for a job that was out of your city or state, your resume required a stamp and any follow-up was an expensive long-distance phone call. Today, your resume can be sent in a dozen different directions with the click of the mouse. Social media and email don’t know the difference between three miles and three thousand, so your opportunities as a job seeker are essentially limitless. While this is great for job seekers across the planet, there are certain things that push them apart from their local competition.  Check out three tips to keep in mind when sending your resume to another state (or country!): Address it early Put yourself in an employer’s shoes. If you need someone immediately and found a great candidate, wouldn’t you be irritated if they wait to drop the bomb that they’re a six-hour flight away? In your cover letter and resume, address the fact that you’re a long-distance applicant. Since you already (or should) mention your career goals, bring up your location goals as well. Start the relocation discussion now with how quickly you’d be willing to interview or relocate for this position. Connect it As a long-distance applicant, you might feel like you’re at a distinct disadvantage. Employers can think this too, if you let it happen. In your cover letter and resume, connect your experience in a different town to the benefits this company can reap. After all, you are bringing in a new perspective and potentially new clients with you! Think about the cost Moving is expensive, not to mention stressful. Before you jet your resume off to the other side of the country, seriously consider what it will cost. If you have a family, this is even harder because you’ll need to uproot your spouse and/or children. Additionally, do your research on the cost of living in this new area. The job might be paying more, but if rent is double what you’re used to, it might not be enough. What do you think? Are you planning to work in a new city or state? Have you in the past? Share your thoughts in the comments below! More on resumes at 10 Signs Your Resume Needs Updating. Author: Gerrit Hall is the CEO and co-founder of RezScore, a free web application that reads, analyzes, and grades resumes â€" instantly. Gerrit has successfully combined his passion for computer science and the careers space by helping job seekers write the best resume possible. You can connect with Gerrit and RezScore on Twitter.  

Tactically Speaking VPPs Matter - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Tactically Speaking VPPs Matter - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Launching   or re-launching your personal brand? The best target audience is the toughest to get. You need to be known by Very Powerful People. Visibility and connections with your industry’s VPPs gets you faster traction and a sharper trajectory, whether youre looking for a new job, ready to leave one field for another, or want to become a thought leader yourself. Very Powerful People For your personal VPPs campaign, try these proven Twitter outreach techniques. Your goal? When VPPs search their names, you and your tweets show up. Don’t implement all of these tactics at once because you’ll seem like a stalker! 1. Follow your VPPs on Twitter. They may follow back automatically. When they do, send a direct message. EX: Looking forward to your insights on blogging for personal branding â€" will share some too! 2. Spark a dialogue. Link your content or tout a source when you direct message a few times each quarter. EX: Chris, do you agree with Meg? Why Personal Branding Matters In Job Search http://bit.ly/bdRGWs 3. Mention VPPs in your Twitter posts. Show how you put VPPs insights into action. EX: @nancerosen 2011 pledge rocked my resolutions leaving family business after years of agony http://bit.ly/hF9nOf 4. Retweet VPPs. Emphasize a benefit you got. EX: Cut my SM time by half. RT @grahamlubie on Twitter overload http://goo.gl/fb/mm1Uy 5. Tweet links to VPPs books, blogs and other content. EX: Inspiring calendar http://is.gd/klVm0 found thru @GuyKawasaki. 6. Tweet when you attend an event (live or online) where VPPs appear. EX: @DanSchawbel on Harvard campus today: you are not too young to make an impact even before graduating. 7. Tweet links to your VPPs YouTube videos. EX: Introducing your boss to social media? See @KarlKasca Twitter basics: http://bit.ly/hx9bMV. On all your social media sites, make sure your content represents the personal brand you want to project. You get one chance to make a great first impression with VPPs and the rest of us. Author: Nance Rosen is the author of Speak Up! Succeed. She speaks to business audiences around the world and is a resource for press, including print, broadcast and online journalists and bloggers covering social media and careers. Read more at NanceRosenBlog. Twitter name: nancerosen

Boomers How to Get Your Resume Ready

Boomers How to Get Your Resume Ready With a surge of mature professionals (often referred to as baby boomers) in the workforce, and the increasing need for extended employment beyond the common retirement age â€" many boomers are still actively managing their careers and conducting job searches. Yet, a lot of mature professionals struggle with how to address their unique situations in a modern marketing tool: the resume. For many it has been several years since they had to compile a resume (if ever!), and times have changed. To avoid age discrimination while still showcasing depth and breadth of expertise, or to succinctly summarize career details without losing impact, special care must be taken with the resume. If you are a boomer looking to apply for a new job, make a career change, re-enter the workforce, or take your career to the next level â€" take note of these custom tips: 1. Keep career history targeted. Your employment likely dates back many years and includes a wealth of expertise and experience, but not everything should be included in your resume. Avoid writing a boring ‘history novel’ by keeping resume content focused on your most recent 10 to 15 years of experience, and/or your most relevant and transferable roles. If you need to draw from earlier career history, employ a format other than the basic reverse-chronological. A combination resume format can allow you to address earlier details without having to walk the reader through every past position. 2. Think marketing tool; not career chronology. Old-fashioned resume approaches will brand you as just that: old-fashioned.  If you are hoping to use the same resume you used 10 years ago, forget it.   If your resume reads like a career obituary, you are off track.To set yourself apart from competitors, you must employ current resume formats, tailored content, and branding strategies.   If any of these concepts seem foreign or challenging â€" engage a professional to help you. 3. Focus on achievements instead of tasks. Again, a play-by-play of job responsibilities will earn you no distinction.   With plenty of experience to draw from you should have a wealth of stellar examples to backup your acclaimed skill sets.Don’t just tell an employer you are good at somethingi.e: I am a strong leader”…PROVE it: “Directed a team of 50 through the creation of the first 5-year business plan”.Keep ‘fluff’ to a minimum: outstanding communicator, excellent team player, hard-working professional are weak words with little value. Demonstrate your value  with  results-focused accomplishments, quantifying how much, how many, and how often to drive home your talents. 4.  Modernize  your language and your look. I’m talking about the resume.   Don’t let the look or the ‘sound’ of your resume age you.    A reverse-chronological resume typed in black Times New Roman font screams old-schoolnot up-to-speed savvy professional.   Avoid dated terminology, phrases, or words and old-school objective statements.Employ current strategies like a branding tagline or succinct profile. Keep language sharp and contemporary.   Scour the job postings to locate commonly used keywords (also known as buzzwords) or phrases to pepper throughout.     Even consider adding testimonials, graphs, charts, or a splash of color for greater visual appeal. 5. Finally demonstrate tech savvy. Know how to create and use various versions of your resume for different situations. For example, if you are emailing your resume it is best to send a file that is ‘human-eye’ friendly and includes visual appeal (like a PDF).  But if you apply online through an ATS (Applicant Tracking System) you will likely need a more stripped-down version of your resume (a plain text or Word file is recommended for ATS applications). Next, join LinkedIn and populate your profile professionally add your profile’s URL to your resume.   Ensure your online reputation is polished to perfection and that employers can locate you online (not being online is like not existing at all) and get yourself a modern email address (like Gmail) where you can be contacted. If you craft your resume with care and ‘move with the times’ you can overcome any obstacle as a mature job seeker and effectively stand apart from competitors.   Never blame your age on your inability to secure employment; simply keep away from antiquated resume approaches and build your confidence by using a modern career tool that clearly demonstrates your value!

5 Hiring Mistakes That Kill Recruiting Efficiency - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

5 Hiring Mistakes That Kill Recruiting Efficiency - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Hiring great employees is as is crucial as it is complex. Nothing matters more in winning than getting the right people in the right places. For this reason, organizations all over the world spend countless money, time and energy pursuing top candidates. While some consistently get ahead and recruit those who have passion, audacity and intelligence, others continually fall short of their staffing goals. Ironically, the main reason for their shortcomings are not external factors such as available applicants, but rather the problem stems from common hiring mistakes that countless companies fall victim to. The positive news is that each firm can make certain alterations to increase the odds of staffing dedicated, competitive and engaged employees. The first step in the process is identifying those problems. Below, you’ll find 5 common mistakes that prevent many organizations from hiring top candidates. 1. Waiting for the perfect applicant. In 99/100 cases, the perfect resume and job seeker doesn’t exist. Just like people, no applicant is ever going to be perfect. Strong management and honest appreciation make an individual great, not the content on his or her resume. Regardless, companies spend hundreds of hours and pass on top quality job seekers simply because those individuals’ backgrounds fail to possess each and every requirement set forth by the employer. This carries the following negative consequences: a. Greatly minimizes recruiting options. b. Results in numerous, competent job seekers being passed by. c. Significantly prolongs the staffing process. d. Lowers moral among hiring managers. 2. Failing to write a compelling, thorough job description. Intelligent applicants only respond to intelligent, thoughtful job descriptions. Among other factors, a write-up should include an organization’s history, corporate culture and vision, as well as a comprehensive description of its product(s) and / or service(s). In conjunction, the company should list notable clients and organizational awards. In conjunction, mentioning the following will significantly increase response rates: a. Daily duties. b. Where this individual could expect to be in the company if he or she executes all required tasks. c. Whom they will report to. d. Benefits of the job seeker working at the company. e. Ideal background. f. Compensation. 3. Failing to manage the hiring process efficiently. From start to finish, a recruitment project should last no longer than 6 weeks, yet should take no less than 3 weeks. If the process lasts longer than 1.5 months, the hiring managers tend to get fatigued and no longer approach the project with vigor. Conversely, when recruiters or employers make a decision without meeting an applicant numerous times, they risk making an impulsive, costly hiring mistake. 4. Not compensating based on market demands. Not paying enough is a lose, lose situation. When companies don’t compensate accordingly, they scare off top applicants and incite resentment amongst those whom they do hire. Conversely, when firms pay too much for an employee, it often puts undue pressure on the candidate as the hiring manager can sometimes have unreal expectations which ultimately lowers performance and moral. As a rule of thumb, an employee’s current compensation package should be the number one factor when determining what amount of pay that individual should be offered. If a firm wishes to compensate less for a candidate, it ought to be more flexible about their background requirements. 5. Failing to sell the position to potential applicants. Recruiting is about selling. A hiring managers job is to stir up enough interest among the desired job seekers that they consider the organization their first choice for employment. Therefore, an employer needs to present a compelling argument as to why that individual should want to work for their company as opposed to the other firms recruiting that individual. In the End Regardless of size, industry or budget, all organizations can recruit job seekers who are intelligent, competent, driven and reliable. However, on occasion companies can be their own worst enemies. While no firm will ever get recruiting perfect, the ones who come closet are the firms that accurately identify their problems and quickly rectify those shortcomings.

How to ace your graduate job interview - Debut

How to ace your graduate job interview - Debut Graduate interviews can be nerve-wracking. The only thing standing between you and that dream job. However, the more you do of them, the better you get, so don’t fret if your first interview doesnt turn out the way you wanted. Put simply, the more you prepare, the better chance you have of landing that job. Sounds obvious right? Well, you’d be surprised; I met up with a friend recently who works as a hiring manager, and they told me that the majority of candidates don’t really know what the company they’ve applied to actually does! At their core, interviews are essentially a code that can be cracked. So read on for our top tips on how to ace your graduate job interview… Research, research, research Now, I really cannot emphasise this enough: do your research! Read up about your potential employers online, find out who their target audiences are and look into whether they have any upcoming products/services. If you do your research, you will feel prepared and confident in the interview and that will come across. Also, make sure to familiarise yourself with your CV and be ready to expand on anything that you’ve written down. via GIPHY Get ready to talk about you and them. You know those annoying graduate interview questions: give me an example when you’ve done this, give me an example of when you’ve shown that? Well, they’re asked because the interviewer wants you to show them that you’ve demonstrated the skills theyre looking for. So before the interview, spend time brainstorming some key examples. Were you on a university society committee? That shows the ability to work with others. Did you plan socials? That shows event management skills. It’s also important to demonstrate that you can bring something new to the team. So in the interview don’t be afraid to bring up where you think your potential employer can improve, along with ideas on how they could do so. Is their social media strategy lacking for instance? By bringing fresh ideas to the table before you’ve even been hired, you’ve demonstrated how you take the initiative, are a self-starter and (if hired) would hit the ground running. via GIPHY Practice makes perfect So, you’ve done your research, you’ve brainstormed key examples of your skills in action and you’ve got some ideas you can pitch. Now it’s time to put it all to the test. Ask friends/family to interview you, and treat it as the real thing. The day of the interview arrives… When the day of the graduate interview comes around, eat a good breakfast (for energy), wear smart clothes (but make sure you feel comfortable in them), and make sure to factor in plenty of extra time in case of delays. When you arrive, make small talk with the receptionist, talk to other candidates, smile, practice power poses in the bathroom whatever it takes to make yourself feel more confident. There’s a reason people say ‘fake it till you make it’, it’s because it genuinely works. The other thing to add here is the importance of being yourself in the graduate interview. Don’t try and cram your personality into something you think the employer will like. They’ve seen that a million times before, plus it hardly demonstrates self-belief. Instead, just be yourself; you’ll come across as more relaxed, more honest and it’ll make you more memorable. During the interview, have open body language (no crossed arms), bring in some paper to make notes, make eye contact (but don’t be too intense, look down to write some notes now and again if you’re concerned about this), accept water (talking can be thirsty work) and make sure to take time to compose your answers try not to speak too quickly! Finally, remember an interview is a two-way thing, you’re also there to see whether the job position is right for you. Bring a list of questions to ask, remember the interviewers name(s) and try and enjoy it! It’s all an experience at the end of the day. Good luck! You’ve got this. Download Debut  and  connect with us on  Facebook,  Twitter  and  LinkedIn  for more careers insights.

Research shows happines is highly contagious - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Research shows happines is highly contagious - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Heres an important thing to know about happiness: ?Happiness is a social emotion. Its an emotion that we derive from social events Happiness is not simply about me.? A fascinating study published online yesterday in the British Medical Journal has confirmed what we already know, namely that happiness is contagious and that we are all affected by the moods of the people around us. But his study goes a step further by mapping those connections and influences among nearly 5,000 individuals over 20 years and the Heres the skinny: Fowler and Christakis were able to map the social networks of 4,739 individuals with data from the Framingham Heart Study, an ongoing cardiovascular study. Participants in that study listed contact information for their closest friends, family members and neighbors, connecting the pair of researchers to more than 50,000 social ties. The researchers used the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Index ? a standard set of questions psychologists use to measure happiness ? to analyze the cheeriness of the study participants. They found that when someone gets happy, that person?s friend experiences a 25 percent increased chance of becoming happy. A friend of that friend experiences a nearly 10 percent chance of increased happiness, and a friend of that friend has a 5.6 percent increased chance of happiness. That means a stranger?s good mood can do more to lift your spirits than a $5,000 raise, which only increased happiness 2 percent, Fowler and Christakis found. Whoah! So what about bad moods? Surprisingly (to me anyway), this study found that sadness is less contagious: Sadness doesn?t infect a social group as reliably happiness does, researchers found. Within some friendship networks, sadness had a significant effect on the members of the group, but on others, the effect was very small. Why? Because, the study says, sadness makes you pull away from others, thus giving them less exposure to your bad mood. This is really interesting with respect to bad moods at work because at work, if you have a really rotten day, theres really no way to pull back from social interactions, meetings and conversations, exposing your co-workers the full brunt of your bad mood. Related The Feel Factor Why no workplace can afford to ignore how people feel at work. The Connnection Culture How to deal with anger at work. Top 10 reasons why constant complaining at work is so toxic. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Basic Resume Writing Prices - How to Get a Basic Resume for Less

Basic Resume Writing Prices - How to Get a Basic Resume for LessWhen looking for a job, you may not be able to afford the price of hiring a professional to write your resume. The basic resume is the best choice for just about anyone in need of one. This is because of the fact that this will go over in a single glance, and should have no trouble getting across the facts that you want your potential employer to know.One thing you should take note of when it comes to writing your resume is that you want it to look appealing to your potential employer. The cost of this is the pricing of your resume, but the effect it will have on your chances of getting the job can be major. You do not have to sacrifice your hard-earned money on this part of the process, as long as you do some research beforehand.The first place to start when looking at some of the basic resume writing prices is at an office supply store. These places will allow you to look at samples before you purchase them, and this i s important for two reasons. First of all, you will be able to see what the finished product looks like, which is very important when it comes to doing a resume.Also, you may find that you end up with a basic resume that has been written for someone else. So, when looking around, make sure that you get a sample that is not going to cost you too much, and then determine how much you are willing to pay. The more you have to spend up front, the more likely you are to find the cheapest price you can get.Another good idea is to consider outsourcing the writing job to someone who has experience with this. You can easily find these people on websites that sell services and this is a good idea if you are not comfortable doing the work yourself. If you do choose to outsource this, make sure that you pay attention to what the cost is, and make sure that you know that you are getting the best value for your money.Finally, you may consider hiring professional writers, but you should be wary of these, as they tend to charge a lot of money. Also, you may be paying for high end writing software that may not be needed. Before you consider a professional writer, consider whether or not you will be happy with the finished product.There are plenty of ways to find a basic resume for less than you would expect. One of the best places to find a cheap price is by visiting online sites that list prices for different services. These websites can also list a number of sample resumes that you can view to see what they look like before making your final decision.By doing some research in advance, you can find a good deal on a basic resume at a lower price. Make sure that you are using a reputable website so that you can be sure that the information you receive is accurate. Also, make sure that you are aware of all the charges, and do not agree to anything that you are not 100% happy with.