Thank you cvtips.com for this great article!       You can check their web site at http://www.cvtips.com

 

 

The difference between a winning resume and a loser is style. Your resume has to have plenty of punch, with a lot of obvious merits where people can see it. You don’t have to write a book, just put the strong points where people can see them.

 

In fact, with most resumes, more isn’t better. Content is the key. The basics are very straightforward. You already have the information you need:

 

Name, address and contact number and email at the top, in bold font.

 

You use bold font for headers, too, so anyone skimming your resume can’t miss the sections, and can easily find what they’re looking for.  Never give people a mass of text, because they’ll get lost.

 

First, your objectives.

 

Tell people what you’re trying to do with your career, and make it clear you’re focused and goal-oriented. That works as an explanation of your job application, too, because they can see why you’re so interested in that job.  

 

Next, your skills.

 

Put the really important, salable, skills first. If you have special skills, they go at the top, near the heading. Use bullet points, so each point is clearly marked and separated from the others. Every skill creates a picture of a skill set, and you might even be surprised yourself at what you have. Check this list thoroughly; make sure you don’t leave out anything important.

 

Don’t put trivial things on the skills list. You need things like Communication, Administration, and Supervision, not things like photocopying. If you have certification for specific skills, just put See attached, so they know you can document those skills. 

 

Now comes your employment history.

 

Start with the name and address of the employer, dates of employment, in bold type. Again, this is highlighting the important material.

 

A description of your duties, but not masses of information. You can use your skills list as a sort of check on this description, to make sure you don’t leave anything out. You may find that you’ve left out a skill, in the process.

 

This description leads in to a statement of your achievements. That’s why it’s so important to have everything else clear, so people can see who you are, what you do, and where you work as the background for what you’ve achieved.

 

Achievements need to be brief in length but impressive in depth. The idea is that anyone can see an effective person at work. Awards are definitely good material for your resume, and should also be in bold font. Salesman of the Year or Employee of the Month, it’s all useful material. Significant work achievements can be included in relation to your duties, or as extra material to your duties like special projects.

 

Next come your references. You need at least two, and their names, titles, and contacts are required. The titles are the story, and qualify your resume.

 

Attachments should be equally clear, with headers.

 

Your resume must be easy to look through, and everything must be findable.

 

As you can see this is all about structure.  Masses of text aren’t good structure. They distract, and worse, if you provide a page worth of useful information in three pages, it doesn’t look good. More isn’t better. Quality is the key, always.

 

A clear resume stands out well, simply because of its clarity.

 

You also prove your ability to provide information clearly and efficiently, which is a definite plus to any employer. 

 

Links from cvtips.com (Please, click on the title):

Resume

 

Resume Samples

 

CV Examples

 

Cover Letter

 

Resume Builder

 

Job Search Organizer

 

*********************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Not All Interviews Have To Be Formal!

Thank you Pauline for finding and sending us this great article! Yopi.

Check this article at: Making the Most of Informational Interviews

Abstract:

“If you’re a professional in finance or accounting and are on the hunt for employment, you may have a difficult time obtaining job interviews in this unsettled economy. If you haven’t done so before, you may want to consider conducting informational interviews.

 

Ace That Interview!

Here is a list of all the resources you need to ace an interview (Please click on the titles to read the articles):

Before the Interview

Do Your Homework Before the Big Interview – Monster.com

Guide to Researching Companies, Industries, and Countries – Quintcareers.com

Dress for Success - Monster.com 

Interviewing Prep: Job Interview Checklist – Quintcareers.com

The Interview

Sample Interview Questions – Quintcareers.com

Case Interview Tools and Resources for Job-Seekers – Quintcareers.com

Job Interview Pointers – Monster.com

Nonverbal Communications: Escape the Pitfalls – Monster.com

Questions You Can Ask at the Job Interview – Quintcareers.com

After The Interview

The Two Most Important Post-Interview Activities – Collegegrad.com

Thank You Letters – Quintcareers.com

******************************************************************************************************************************************************************

From Wall Street To Entrepreneurship

The current state of the economy forces us to be more creative when it comes to our career goals. It is, in fact, always good to have options… well, I should say “create options” if we want to reach our goals.

Check the following article: “Wall Street’s unemployed look to cupcakes, Omaha” at http://www.boston.com/jobs/news/articles/2008/08/17/wall_streets_unemployed_look_to_cupcakes_omaha/?s_campaign=8315

Abstract: ” Jessica Walter didn’t go to Harvard University to study cupcakes, but they’re what she does since losing her job as a vice president in credit strategy at Bear Stearns Cos.

“I want to teach kids to cook,” said Walter, 27, who founded Cupcake Kids in New York to provide birthday parties and cooking classes for children. “The goal is to have this be my full-time job and make enough to live.”

Wall Street professionals are trying new careers, and fetching smaller salaries, amid the elimination of 76,670 investment jobs in the Americas following the global credit crunch.”

******************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Your Dream Job!

Make sure to check this article: “How to land that dream job when you lack certain skills” at http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/103063/How-to-Land-That-Dream-Job-When-You-Lack-Certain-Skills by Sarah Needleman. She wrote:

“If you are passionate about a certain industry but lack the skills commonly associated with its most visible leaders, you can try to pursue a career working on the sidelines. Being behind the scenes may offer more than just the opportunity to score freebies and gain exposure to your dream industry’s superstars. “

*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Earn More!

When you have ‘never ending’ bills on one hand and a static paycheck on the other, it is difficult to make ends meet. Therefore, it will, definitely, not hurt to find ways to “increase our earning potential” without having to knock on dad or mom’s door.

Check out this slideshow (by boston.com): “How to increase your earning potential” at http://www.boston.com/jobs/galleries/earning_potential/

********************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Great  News! Jobs For All!

Although the economy, in many parts of the world, is not as healthy as it should be, we still have options.  

I fell on this article: “Recession-Proof Jobs”. It said:

“Want a career designing computer networks?

The folks at Cisco (nasdaq: CSCO – news - people ) want to hear from you. A new survey commissioned by the company shows there will be a shortage of 60,000 of these workers through 2011.
Though auto workers and bankers may be in trouble, there are plenty of in-demand professions, even in a slow economy. Sales, nursing and accounting are just a few of these recession-proof professions, according to a ranking by the career Web site Jobfox.com.”

                                    

You can read the article and check the list of “Recession-Proof Jobs” at: http://www.forbes.com/2008/07/18/recession-proff-jobs-lead-careers-cx_tw_0718recessionproof.html

Based on this article it looks like jobs in business, computer science and health care make the top of the list.

 

*********************************************************************************************************************************************************************

 Interview: Devin Cole – Manager ONEin3 Boston, MA

 

About Devin: Only 27 years old, Devin is the manager of ONEin3 – a Boston based program that provides resources to 20 – 34 years old. He is here to present ONEin3, and give us tips on how to boost our professional lives.

 

YoPI: You are a young professional (YP) yourself. Tell us about your career path.

Devin: I started working for the Boston Redevelopment Authority (www.cityofboston.gov ) right out of college, as a program assistant for six initiatives – ONEin3 was one of the six. I ended up spending most of my time working on ONEin3, something that I really enjoyed.

 

YoPI: How did ONEin3 get started?

Devin: ONEin3 started in 2004. It was based on a set of focus groups that were done that summer to figure out, from young people themselves, why they live in Boston, what they love about it and what they find challenging about living here. The reason for doing it was because between 1990 and 2000 we saw a reduction of the number of young people working in Boston. The City’s approach was to do focus groups and also do some research about the issue. The research revealed that the decline was mostly due to demographic shifts – we had more people becoming 30 to 44 years old than people becoming 20 to 34 years old.

 

So, ONEin3 started with the research and the focus groups and grew into an advisory council, an entrepreneurship program and neighborhood groups.

Our mission is to serve “the one-third of Boston’s population that is between the ages of 20 and 34. The program connects Boston’s young adults with resources related to home buying, business development, professional networking, and civic engagement.” ONEin3 is about giving people a platform to take ownership of the city and make it better.

 

YoPI: What is our professional landscape in Boston? In what industries are we heavily represented?  What is our educational background?

Devin: Most 20 to 34-year olds in Boston have bachelors’ degrees. We’re represented pretty well in the retail, finance, life sciences and creative industries. We also have a lot of people who come from all other the world to get college degrees or who already have higher degrees and come to Boston to work. 

 

YoPI: How do you reach your “target market” and what kind of events and activities do you have in the course of a year?

Devin: We have a very broad target market: it is 20 to 34 year olds and it includes different subsets – students, recent college graduates, young professionals, people who have just moved to Boston, families, etc… Therefore, we use different ways to reach them:

We have an electronic newsletter – which has approximately 5,000 people on its list.

We also have neighborhood events which are great for outreach. We have a series called ‘neighborhood nights’. These are localized events per neighborhood where we invite all members, people we know and people from the neighborhood. The goal is to create a ‘setting’ for young people to meet and network. Eventually, we would like to create civic activities from these events. We use those events as a way to reach a lot of people, to get our name out, bring people into the ONEin3 family and get them engage in civic activities. People also use these events as ‘platforms’ to discuss issues in the neighborhood and find solutions.

We also have monthly entrepreneurship meetings. It is free and open to everybody. It focuses on business plan presentations, skill-focused presentations and workshops.

This summer we’re also cosponsoring a concert in july (July 22, 2008). In addition to that, we have family focused events, like parks events.

 

YoPI: “I would like to start a business in Boston. What resources are available to me?”

Devin: There is a ton of resources available to people who are looking to start a business. The ONEin3 program has “Boston Young Entrepreneurs”. It has a wealth of information. It is informally organized and has expertise in a lot of different fields – especially when beginning a business. The biggest plus of it is that, it is a very collaborative group of people who are very resourceful.

 

There is also a great Office of Resource and Development at the Department of Neighborhood Development (http://www.cityofboston.gov/DND). There is the Small Business Association (www.sba.gov) which has Small Business Development Centers. The list can go on and on. The city of Boston’s web site (www.cityofboston.gov) also has a wealth of resources to help young entrepreneurs.

 

YoPI: What, do you think, are the biggest challenges YPs face today? 

Devin: I think that most colleges don’t force their students to think about what you want to do for work. It leaves a lot of people graduating from college without a clear idea of what they want to do and that puts a lot of pressure on their first jobs because it means that they have to really figure it out. So, I think that YP should find really good advisors early on in their career, and talk to them to find out what their experience has been and used that shared experience to make decisions about their careers. However, it is also difficult to find good and reliable advisors. Therefore, you really need to start networking and talk to the people you know.

 

YoPI: What advice would you give to current and prospective YPs looking to work in Boston?

Devin: You need to find an association like ONEin3 or the Boston Young Professional Association and start networking. The value of networking, especially for someone who is looking for a job, is huge. You need to meet people, find out what is out there, and talk to people. I also think that getting socially and civically engage is very important. You can also join sport association, book groups, etc….

 

YoPI: How can I get involved in ONEin3?

Devin: The first step is to attend the events and sign up for the newsletter. You can also decide to take on a leadership role in your neighborhood. We need planning teams for neighborhood nights. In each neighborhood we have a chair and a co-chair and other positions depending on the neighborhood. These groups have a lot of autonomy and a lot of room for creativity.

You can also volunteer to help during specific events.

We also have an advisory council for the Mayor that we need applications for – the deadline is July 1^st. 

 

YoPI: How can I contact ONEin3?

Devin:  If you would like more information about ONEin3 you can check it out at:

www.ONEin3Boston.org .  We also have a facebook group.

You can email me directly at: Devin.Cole.BRA@cityofboston.gov

 

 

*********************************************************************************************************************************************************************

 ”The Economy, My Job and I”

 The current state of the economy leaves us, young professionals, shaking in our boots (or stilettos) when it comes to our jobs. It is no secret that life is getting harder. Prices are increasing on almost everything (oil, bread, etc…) everywhere in the world. For most of us, it is getting more difficult to secure the daily meal and/or monthly rent. Words like “recession” and “unemployment” flood the media, worrying us even more. So, the question is: “how do we deal with the situation?”. There are no easy answers or magical solutions. One thing that we know for sure is that we have to adapt to the economic changes. One way to do it is by finding smart ways to make ourselves more competitive and marketable to current and future employers.

I have found two interesting articles by Anne Fisher (senior writer – Fortune Magazine): “8 ways to recession-proof your job” and ”7 tips for job hunting in a tougher market”. You can check them out at: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/

Your resume is an evolving description of your experiences that documents and describes your skills and expertise. Each edition is a presentation designed for a specific audience and a specific purpose. As an outline of your  accomplishments, your resume communicates your qualifications for employment. The purpose of a resume is to introduce yourself to prospective employers. The objective is to present your skills and expertise clearly and succinctly so that the employer will want to interview you. The resume is also a record of your name, address, telephone number, and pertinent information, which you can leave with potential employers and which you can give to members of your network. You should always have an upto- date edition of your resume, but you should reconsider its format and content anytime you undertake a new search. The particular mix of qualifications that an employer is seeking will depend on the job to be filled. The more you know about…”

You can read the guidelines at: http://www.ocs.fas.harvard.edu/students/resources/resume.pdf