Top Creative Resume Tips

Top Creative Resume TipsTop Creative Resume TipsFrom one creative resume to the next, employers often come across the same statement from job candidates I am an effective kollektiv player. The hiring manager yawns and thinks, Big deal. Who isnt? But you swear, you really are an effective team player Well, of course you are. The problem is that using the same tired terms on your resume as every other applicant does you no good. Read how choosing the right words can help you tischset yourself apart.A survey by The Creative Group highlights the importance of displaying your writing skills when searching for a job. Nearly eight in 10 (78 percent) advertising and marketing executives said theyd rather receive a traditional resume in Word or PDF format from candidates applying for creative roles. Far fewer executives favored online profiles (14 percent) and video or infographic resumes (3 percent each) as their format of choice.The bottom line Words matter, even in a visual-centric world. And because employers may review dozens of creative resumes every day, theres a good chance theyre reading the same blurbs and buzzwords over and over again.The good news is that changing up a few key terms in your resume and cover letter can help you stand out from the crowd. Specifically, instead of placing emphasis on what you are (i.e., the noun) and the modifier (i.e., the adjective), focus on the verb.If you think back to your second grade English class lessons, youll recall verbs are words that imply action. And actions are what employers want to see. They want to know what youve done and how you did it so they can determine for themselves whether effective team player is an accurate description.While you obviously cant ignore the nouns and adjectives, the point here is to zero in on the verb. Like nouns and adjectives, some verbs carry less weight than others. For instance, weaker words such as assisted, contributed, helped or handled suggest you played a marginal role in a project. In fact, those terms dont explain what you actually did. Instead, ask yourself how you assisted. What did you do to move the project forward and achieve success?Following are some before-and-after examples to get you in the right mindsetBeforeAfterASSISTED in developing the social media strategy for a major consumer electronics product launch.IDENTIFIED appropriate channels to execute the social media strategy for a major consumer electronics product launch.CONTRIBUTED to profile articles that would appear on the corporate blog.INTERVIEWED clients to quote in profile articles that would appear on the corporate blog.SUPPORTED product launch through various marketing efforts, including press outreach, social media updates and speaking engagements.EXECUTED marketing campaign, involving press outreach, social media updates and speaking engagements, to support product launch.HELPED with trade show logistics.MANAGED the creation, delivery and storage of trade show displays.COORDI NATED speaking engagements for executives.SECURED speaking engagements for executives and DEVELOPED supporting visuals (PowerPoint slides, handouts).SERVED as a web design consultant for B2B and B2C companies.COUNSELED B2B and B2C companies on web design strategy, tactics and measurement.HANDLED imagery for a company brochure.DESIGNED graphical elements, illustrations and infographics for a company brochure.DEMONSTRATED ability as an effective team player.SPEARHEADED and ORGANIZED cross-functional team meetings to improve communication and collaboration among employees.Notice a difference between the before and after statements? Weaving in verbs with powerful connotations can also drive you to be more specific with the rest of your word choices.Once youve refreshed your creative resume to spotlight your top skills, abilities and accomplishments, read it back to yourself aloud. This will help you identify any glaring grammatical issues, typos or vague, wishy-washy language. And while you should always use spell-check, ask a detail-oriented friend to review the document as well. Experienced staffing professionals in the creative industry can also provide pointers on improving your resume.If you avoid tired terms and clichs on your creative resume and play up power verbs, hiring managers will take notice. They might even hire youExploring new career opportunities? Send us your resume and search our available creative jobs now

Top Digital Footprint Faux Pas

Top Digital Footprint Faux PasTop Digital Footprint Faux PasWhat you say and do outside of work impacts your career pursuits. Yet some people still fail to realize how much their digital footprint matters. Here are some surprising things employers have found when searching verbunden for information about creative job candidates - and advice for avoiding the same snafus.When you set out to look for a new job, you fine-tune your resume, write tailored cover letters and update your portfolio. But theres another important step you may be forgetting reviewing your digital footprint.Many employers will do some online digging to make sure there arent any red flags before scheduling interviews or extending offers. And that can be problematic for candidates who dont clean away any digital debris floating around the internet.In a survey from The Creative Group, advertising and absatzwirtschaft executives were asked to cite the strangest or most surprising thing theyve discovered when searchin g online for information about potential creative and marketing hires. Here are some of the most amusing responses along with tips on how to steer clear of the same problems.A potential hire arguing on social media.Tip Be aware that caustic online behavior can come back to haunt you. When emotions are running high, you need to be especially careful about quarreling online or insulting people who have different viewpoints. Feeling heated? Step away from the keyboard and take a 30-second break to consider how a future employer might construe your comments. Also, delete any potentially damaging remarks youve shared on social media, news articles or blogs.SUBSCRIBE TO THE BLOGOne candidate shared very negative comments regarding previous employers.Tip Its never a good idea to badmouth former employers, bosses or colleagues, especially in a public forum. Even if the criticism is justified, negative comments will reflect poorly on only one person you. Hiring managers may worry that you la ck the temperament and judgment that they expect of their kollektiv members.Too much personal information. I have seen an online resume that had the persons date of birth, marital status and other things that were irrelevant and should not be disclosed.Tip There are pieces of biographical data that do not belong in a resume. For instance, theres no need to include details related to your age, race, religion or marital status. In fact, including it can put potential employers in an awkward position because they are not allowed to take that information into account when making hiring decisions. Your reason for leaving previous positions should be omitted too.A person misrepresented his education and song in his application materials. He said he had a bachelors degree, when in fact, he did not.Tip Theres no better way to shoot yourself in the foot than to lie to a potential employer. Its easier than ever to get caught and even a seemingly small fib can lead to big questions about your character. Stretching dates of employment, inflating your job title or exaggerating academic credentials just isnt worth the risk. If you dont meet the qualifications for a position, write a customized cover letter explaining why youre still a great fit for the role or simply move on to the next job opportunity.Embarrassing party photos.Tip This one is simple protect your reputation by exercising discretion when it comes to photos - or making sure you take advantage of privacy settings. If someone else has posted a less-than-professional picture of you, ask if he or she will take it down or at least remove the tag or any identifying details that could show up in a Google search.Candidates who misspell words or dont know how to put sentences together in their online portfolio.Tip Run spellcheck and proofread the text in your digital portfolio just as you would your resume and cover letter. Ask a friend who excels at copy editing to review it before you publish it. While writing expe rtise might not be the top requirement for the role you seek, sloppiness could easily be held against you.One applicants online resume actually had a photo of her with Im assuming her significant other with the caption Im takenTip A resume you post on your website, LinkedIn or other career sites should portray the same level of professionalism as the one you send to employers. Again, theres no need to include personal photos. Save the selfies and relationship status updates for Facebook.Excessive use of profanity on social media sites.Tip Steer clear of cursing on social media, especially while youre job hunting. Profanity may be viewed as a lack of polish in the eyes of potential employers, and they may hesitate to hire you, especially for client-facing roles.Unprofessional emaille addresses or screen names.Tip Get a handle on your handles. If your email address or screen name is inappropriate, complicated or casts you in an unfavorable light, set up a separate account for job hunt ing. Just remember to check it regularly.As trivial as some of these examples may seem, like it or not, your digital footprint can influence whether or not you land a job. And even if youre highly qualified, you may be deemed too risky to even bring in for an interview if your online image doesnt align with your professional one. The upside is that you do have the power to make sure youre portraying the skills and qualities that employers seek. So do all you can to sell a version of yourself that will appeal to hiring managers and future colleagues.

Management Skills Crucial for Engineering Success

Management Skills Crucial for Engineering Success Management Skills Crucial for Engineering Success More than half of ASME members polled in a 2008 survey reported that their jobs require management skills. The survey, conducted by Deloitte Touche LLP, interviewed about 1,900 engineers, including members of ASME, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the American Society of Civil Engineers, and the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers.The importance of management skills was underscored when participants described their immediate plans for professional development. Fifty-five percent planned to undertake management training such as project management, general management, strategic planning, marketing, or accounting/finance. Nearly half of those planning to pursue management-focused professional development considered pursuing certification or a degree.Executive ConcernsThe Deloitte Touche survey also included interviews with senior engineering and management executives from 30 science and engineering companies. Three management concerns emerged from this survey.One is an impending shortage of engineers. Another is globalization, its impact on local employment, and the need to implement quality and standardized management training in emerging markets.The third concern involved the complexity of innovation. Companies need managers well-versed in the disciplines of both technology and business to remain successful in a world where product innovation is increasingly becoming a matter of multidisciplinary, international, and often multicultural collaboration.With this in mind, it is all the more critical to identify the next generation of engineer-managers to lead companies through current and emerging challenges.Adapted from Certified to Lead by Gregory N. Marino, for Mechanical Engineering, August 2009.The importance of management skills was underscored when participants described their immediate plans for professional deve lopment.

Feeling the Heat 5 Reasons a Summer Job Search Is Worth It

Feeling the Heat 5 Reasons a Summer Job Search Is Worth ItFeeling the Heat 5 Reasons a Summer Job Search Is Worth ItAhh, summer. Its a time for long, lazy days at the beach, sipping colorful drinks, and just relaxing.That is, unless yourein a summer job search.Theres a myth that pervades the job market that companies simply dont hire during the summer. As such, many job seekers slow down (or worse, stop) their searches and resume them come fall. But job searching in the summer can be just as good- and sometimes better- than searching during any other time of the year.Here are five reasons why a summer job search is worth it1. Theres less competition. Remember what we said about some people falsely believing that there are no job opportunities during the dog days of summer? Well, there are, and if job hunters are not applying for positions, that means theres less competition for you, according to the US News article, 5 Reasons to Keep Your Job Hunt Alive in the Summer.It can be diffic ult to job search while your friends are enjoying summer vacations, but taking advantage of the zeiteinteilung of your job search- and capitalizing on the fact that fewer job seekers are applying for jobs- means you have a greater chance of getting the job you want.2. It can be easier to get informational einstellungsgesprchs.During the summer, things naturally tend to slow down. Employees take vacations, summer Fridays come into effect- people are just more relaxed. Thats what makes it a great time to score some informational interviews. While some people might moan at the idea of having to go in for an informational interview (and not a regular job interview), theres no denying the many benefits of them.Not only do you get a glimpse of the inner workings of a company, but they are a great way to make new connections, possibly meet your next mentor, and also get your foot in the door should a job opportunity that matches your skill set come up in the future. So target a few compani es that youd like to work for and reach out to the partie whom youd like to make a connection with. Youre much more likely to get a yes to an informational interview during the summer than during the fall, when things can become much busier.3. It gives you perspective.Youve been job hunting for so long for one specific type of job that you feel youre on job hunting autopilot. Take some time between writing cover letters to really assess your situation. Are you searching for a job that you really want, or are you continuing on in a career path that you outgrew two jobs ago?Figure out what type of job would make you happy (along with the type of workplace flexibility you need) and then tailor your search to meet those needs. Chances are, your job searching success will improve dramatically.4. You can improve your technique.Like anything else, a job search is a skill that you learn on the job- no pun intended. But like any skill, there are always ways to perfect it and make it better. Go over the various parts of your job search and see what needs a little improvement. (You probably know where your strengths- and weaknesses- are.)Maybe your resume is a little tired and needs a redesign. Or perhaps you tend to apply for positions that are slightly beyond your skill set- but you hope the hiring manager wont notice.See where you can make some modifications and do so. It might mean hiring a resume writer, or going back to school to get some much-needed certifications. But remember that everything you do towards finding a great flexible job is an investment in yourself, and well worth the effort.5. Networking can be less stressful.Lets face it not many people really love networking. But as a job seeker, networking can really help you make the connections that will open doors to a new job.Thing is, you dont have to don your interview/informational interview/networking suit and hit the circuit to find new contacts. Think outside the box and take advantage of the summer months to grow your network.Since youll most likely be outside more during the summer, get chummy with the parents at your kids swim meets, the neighbors during the annual summer block party, or even frequent some of the local hotspots in your area to find new friends- and find out what they do.When you think about it, a summer job searchsimply makes a whole lot of sense. So resist the urge to halt your search and ramp it up instead. You never know you might start a brand-new job (as opposed to starting your job search all over again) come September.Readers, are you guilty of slowing down your summer job search, or do you keep searching? Let us know in the comments below

This is why you shouldnt blindly trust a candidate saying yes to a job offer

This is why you shouldnt blindly trust a candidate saying yes to a job offerThis is why you shouldnt blindly trust a candidate saying yes to a job offerLet an embarrassing week for a New York City mayor be a case study in elend prematurely announcing a hire.On Wednesday, Mayor Bill de Blasios office triumphantly announced that his city had poached Miami superintendent Alberto Carvalho to become New York Citys next school chancellor. In a press release, Mayor de Blasio said that he had found the best person to lead the nations largest school system into the future. Twenty-four hours later, Carvalho would dramatically back out of the job during a public meeting broadcasted live on television Thursday.NYC mayor loses candidate afterannouncing his hireDuring an emergency school mainboard meeting packed with board members, students, and supporters the day after de Blasios statement, Carvalho had a public change of heart, citing the children of Miami as his reason.I am breaking an agreemen t between adults to honor an agreement and a pact I have with the children of Miami, Carvalho said to cheers in the room.According to de Blasio and to Carvalhos own account, Carvalho had verbally accepted the New York City job a week prior. Mayor de Blasio said that he was very surprised by Carvalhos last-minute snub since Carvalho had been on board when they talked on the phone as late as Wednesday night.He told me repeatedly this was his dream job,de Blasio told reporters Thursday.He said yes over a week ago, he authorized the story beinggiven to Politico, Mayor de Blasio explained. He negotiated terms and conditions in detail with Dean Fuleihan, affirmed his plans many times over with for how we would go through an announcement.How you should announce a new hireBut in the end, this verbal enthusiasm ended up not amounting to enough. For companies and employees watching this debacle unfold in real-time, there are takeaways to learn even if we are not working on a national stage.It s a lesson in curbing your enthusiasm.Until the first day of employment, its a negotiation, human resources expertAmy Polefrone, CEO of theHR Strategy Group, told Ladders.She advises companies to publicly announce a hire as close to the start date as possible I would recommend probably within a month to announce, Yes, someone is starting, weve made a selection. For positions not in this kind of visibility, Polefrone recommends not making public announcements until the first day.How to handle a change of heart or rejectionIf youre an employee in Carvalhos position, who is having second thoughts, Polefrone advises you to proactively raise your concerns and be discreet about your withdrawal The longer the interview courtship goes on, obviously, the more serious the employer thinks you are. There can be so many hurt feelings if you back out. It just has to be done quickly. Help people understand why sooner rather than later.If you, like Mayor de Blasio, have just been publicly spurned by your top candidate in the eleventh hour of hiring, put the rejection in perspective.For the employer, I think its important not to take these things so personally. These things do happen. Candidates do rescind an offer and its most likely not about the employer, its more about the employees particular situation, Polefrone said. If the person is not ready to make the change, its good that theyre not going to come work for you, because then they are not going to be fully engaged or committed to helping lead that organization.Maybe Mayor de Blasios Press Secretary, Eric Phillips, should take this advice to heart

A Startling Fact about How to Resume Uncovered

A Startling Fact about How to Resume Uncovered Together with mentioning the work type, if youre going to give a small description of your work in the cv then itll be best too. Professionally, our resumes are often the very first impression a prospective employer gets of us. Or you may be unexpectedly laid off, and must start work search. What resume format to utilize in 2017 and the way that it would boost your odds to find the job. If youre in the movie industry they wish to understand what skills youve got and exactly what youve done, although your school history wont be quite as important. For some jobs, youre want to highlight certain abilities, while for others, you are going to want to demonstrate related experience. Writing a resume for employment in the art industry can be difficult. If you get a lengthy employment history, you dont will need to include all of it. Theres no doubt that a resume which is both cohesive and professional will have a much better likeliho od of standing from the crowd even supposing its made utilizing a template. Your contact information is essentially the very first thing your prospective employer will see because its in the topmost aspect of your resume. Whichever format you select, it should make you become selected for the job youre applying for. You also receive a feeling of what information you dont have to include. What to Expect From How to Resume? Interest or skills section is the most crucial and difficult area of the writing. Finally, you wish to attempt to strike a balance between including experience thats both timely and relevant. After you have added your details and work experience, its possible to also save your resume as PDF if you want. The style of resume you will use greatly is dependent on your professional work background and qualifications. What the In-Crowd Wont Tell You About How to Resume The work description might also earn a difference. Hence, its importance cannot be stressed more to an individual searching for a job or individuals that are actively watching for this dream job. Also show youre a well-rounded worker. Most likely its job portals the very best place for a work seeker, who would like to obtain a work fast and free of efforts. The sole thing I can gather is maybe the writer is critical to getting a superior outcome. Once you do so, have 2-3 other men and women read it for you too. There are a few things that dont belong on a resume for work. Ensure you didnt miss whatever could cost you the job that you dream about Life, Death, and How to Resume The resume format sample ought to be accomplished well. Not all file formats are made equal. The edit file will open into your internet webbrowser at which you will observe a page with a simple instruction to click the edit button at the base of that page. Its high-quality PSD file is completely customizable. New Questions About How to Resume In addition, be sure toinclude any particular ab ilities youve got in your field that will benefit your intended company, like the prosthetics skills mentioned in our make-up artist example. The aim of a resume is to highlight your skills, experience and accomplishments that are relevant to the role you wish to be in. Learn about the three kinds of skills you may highlight and the way youre able to incorporate them into your resume. The important thing is figuring out what transferable abilities and experiences youll be able to be applicable to your new target profession. What Does How to Resume Mean? Employers find it quite unattractive. Job seekers deserve to come across decent content quickly. Transportation jobs involve a lot of responsibility and your resume will want to reflect you can manage that. Job search for freshers is a significant job and therefore, every element of it should be carried out carefully. You dont need to start from scratch. Lets talk somewhat more about main information and new resume format 2016 trend. The very first thing which you should do, is to comprehend what resume format you want to use, what type of template is preferable to choose, what positioning to use and several more. There are lots of beautiful resume templates out there, but nevertheless, it can be simple to feel as a lot of the greatest cost a ridiculous quantity of money, require special design programs in order to edit, or both. Up in Arms About How to Resume? All you need to do is discover one you like, click on it, and get started writing. Writing a strong application is a challenging procedure and we would like to make it simpler. Creating a resume with the assistance of a template can help you become mindful of the resume areas that you should fill. Double check to make certain that everything on the last version of the resume is about you.

5 Career-Change Myths Exploded

5 Career-Change Myths Exploded While the job-for-life was once the gold standard of employment, few people who enter the workplace nowadays believethey will work with oneemployer for the rest of their lives. Indeed, it has been this way for a few years now. However,whats also beginning to slowly change is the expectation that a workerwill have one career for their entire life. In todays world, its possible you might start your career as a high-powered accountant and end it as a chilled-out tree surgeon. Massive forces are acting on the workplace e.g., greater independence and self-determination, globalization, automation, unprecedented levels of economic and corporate instability, etc., which means that very few career paths can be truly considered secure.What I mean to say is that we are moving into a career-change world soon, thecareer-changers will be the rule, rather than the exception. And many people will become multi-career-changers that is, many people will change careers multiple times throughout their lives.Themulti-career-change world is a new and untested environment for employeesand employers alike. As a result, many myths prevail that can hinder workers who are seeking to change careers these myths may also causeemployers to pause when looking atcareer-changer candidates.Therefore,I thought it would be useful todisprovesome of the myths surrounding career changes and career-changers. Doing so will help us build a healthier environment in the talent ecosystem.Myth No. 1 The Average Person Will Have Seven Careers in Their LifetimeThestatistic that the average person will have seven careers in their lifetime has been floating around the Web for some time now. However, this stat was never really plausible, and now it has been roundly debunked by many researchers. In my personal opinion, I would expect that the average person might squeeze in two or threecareers in a lifetime.Myth No. 2 You Cant Change Careers, or If You Do, It ComesWith aHigh Risk of FailureAlot of people view career changes in a negative light, but this perspective is not totally justified. Research from the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER) found thatsuccess rates for career changes are astonishingly high. The institute found that 82 percent of people over 47 who tried to move to new careers were successful in making that change. The truth, then, is that you canchanges careers and if you do, you have a high aussicht of doing so successfully.Myth No. 3 Youll Have to Take a Pay Cut If You Switch CareersAccording to the AIER study cited above, sideways career changes are possible.The AIER found that, for68 percent of career changers, pay remained the same (18 percent) or increased (50 percent). Thirty-one percent of courage changers took pay cuts.So, while pay cuts are areality for many career changers, they are not the norm in fact, career changers who saw their pay decrease were in the minority.Myth No. 4 You Are Too Old to Change CareersRemember when the AIER found that82 percentof people over the age of 47 successfully changed career? I also want to mentionresearch from the AARP Public Policy Institute, which found that63 percent of older workers who went through long periods of unemployment found jobs in completely new lines of work.The point here is that career change is an option open to anyone, no matter their age.Myth No. 5 Needing to Change Careers Is a Sign of Bad Career PlanningSeveral pieces of research show that our personalities change over the course of our lives. And as your personality and values change, its only natural that your career expectations and needs might also change.So, needing to change careers is not necessarily a sign of bad career planning or failure in you current career path. Rather, deciding to change careers can be an acknowledgement of the natural change in your personal priorities and preferences as you age.