Workplace of Choice

A good friend lost her job. A manager at a well known retail vitamin store, she asked her supervisor if she could work part time as she was going back to school in the fitness and nutrition field. They said “no”, full time or bust! What?! (I won’t even comment on my thoughts about that company philosophy, I’ll save that for my next post!) Another friend was recently told in a meeting that his department will be outsourced. Not what he expected either, and is worried about how long he has until he is without a paycheck (and no, the company did not tell him that little detail). A third friend, a neighbor, was venting that she “needed something more” with her career.

What my friends have in common, perhaps with you too, is that they do not feel prepared physically, financially, or emotionally to be unemployed, and they definitely are not sure how to start looking for a job (their words, not mine)! Most people do not have the luxury or courage to plan a job or career change with the current market and hiring conditions and tend to hang on to their current position.

Big changes in our lives, like a job change, can leave us feeling of insecure, fearful, and even depressed. BUT, if you allow it, change can also bring new life, energy, opportunity and yes, passion to your professional life. There are many things you should think about when approaching a job search, and one of your first thoughts will no doubt be about your resume. In the recruiting world your resume will be the one piece that will differentiate and help market the real and fabulous YOU!

Why are resumes important?

1. Resumes are the standard marketing piece for a job search.
2. Resumes advertise your skills and experience.
3. Resumes generate interviews.
4. Resumes are an inventory of talking points for meetings and interviews.
5. Resumes are an agenda for interviewers.

Remember, recruiters & HR staff review a lot of resumes so make it reader friendly, clear, concise, and most importantly, effective. Best Practices for your resume include: 

•  Focus on your accomplishments and results
• Use strong action words
• Have a clear, easy to read format
• Large margins -plenty of white space
• Reasonable type size
• Include only relevant information
• Do not use the word "I"
• Include a Summary
• Maximum 2 pages
• No gimmicks
• No spelling or grammatical errors

It only takes a simple action plan to get started towards your goal of creating job opportunities for yourself. Think about starting with the following first steps:

• Compile the information for your resume
• Create a first draft – do not worry about length
• Review and edit for concise language, results, and action verbs
• Edit back to a 2-page maximum
• Ask others to review and provide feedback Like my friends, you may find yourself forced to make a change you were not expecting.

So, believe you have the ability to make your change a positive one and know you can start today by dusting off that resume!