CareerBerg.com – Latest jobs Updates, CV Writing, Interview Questions

Your resume should be like any good marketing plan — designed to sell! It needs to hook potential employers as soon as they see it, so they bypass the discard pile and take a second look. Creating a resume that accomplishes that can’t be done in just a few minutes because there’s much more to it than listing your work history and year of graduation. Try thinking of it as an art form, because it is. Great resumes get a second look and an interview, but bad ones don’t get a second thought.

If you’re serious about scoring as many interviews as you can and for the jobs you really want, then learning how to market yourself with a resume that grabs attention should be one of your top priorities. This is the only way you’ll stand out from the crowd.

Know the Market
Advertising companies do market research before they put together an ad campaign. Why? Because they need to know who they’re selling to and what those people want. The same strategy should apply to your job search. You have to know what jobs are available to know how to market yourself to them. Scour the job boards and classifieds to see what’s out there, and know what kind of job you’re looking for — finding a job can be pretty tough if you have no goals or ideas about what you want to do.

Target Your Resume
Determine which jobs you’re interested in and target your resume to each one. Don’t submit the same version of it for every job you apply for — change words and move things around so your resume uses some of the same lingo as the job descriptions. Use keywords to highlight your experience and accomplishments that best match those sought for each job. Your goal should be to match the content of your resume as much as possible to the qualifications and duties described in each job notice.

Make It Stand Out
A visually appealing and easy-to-read resume gets attention. Skip the fancy fonts, long paragraphs, and flowered stationary. Use as few words as possible and make creative use of white space, bold letters, sectioning, and bullets. A potential employer should be able to scan over your resume quickly to determine if it deserves a longer look. You want them to notice what’s great about your resume, not the color of the paper.

Shift your Priorities
For each job you apply to, shift items around on your resume so that the first thing any potential employer sees is exactly what they’re looking for. If they’re specifically looking for someone who speaks Swahili, put it at or near the beginning of your resume (as long as you actually speak it, of course!) It’s a simple strategy — the things they want go first, the things that are less appealing or less important to the job go last.

Highlight what is Important
Yes, you are multi-talented and of course, your resume needs to sum up your skills and abilities. However, you don’t need to list everything. You just need to let them know what skills you have that are assets for the job.

As far as your education goes, unless you’re right out of school, your degree doesn’t need to be the first thing people see on your resume. If you’ve been working for five years or more, list your education last and focus on your skills and accomplishments. However, if you’re just starting out, it’s perfectly acceptable to list your degrees, as well as your GPA, courses relevant to your job search, and any awards or scholarships you’ve earned.

Any special training you’ve completed should be included, so long as it’s pertinent to the job at hand (so skip the blurb about Clown School if you’re applying for an accounting job).

Share Your Story
Job history is important, but to highlight your experience that best relates to the job, a chronological rundown may not always be the best approach. You may want to consider emphasizing what you know instead of what you’ve done, although in most cases, a job timeline is more than adequate.

Accomplishments you’ve made on the job could be included in your job history, or they could be highlighted separately on your resume, along with off-the-job accomplishments and any special skills you can bring to the table. Decide how you want to emphasize these aspects of yourself so employers will notice what’s most important to them. http://www.careerberg.com

Perfecting your resume can be tough, but it really does help to think of it as a marketing tool. Know your audience and tailor your resume to them each time. If you don’t, you may not appeal to the people who are reading it. With a little time and patience — and perhaps a little extra advice — you can put together a resume that’s sure to get you in the door for an interview. The rest is up to you!

Mistakes happen, and even the best person has made mistakes. After all, humans learn by experience, so a few errors helps us be better people in the end. One moment in your life that you don’t want to be in a learning curve is when you’re out looking for a job – a mistake during an interview or on your resume can cost you the chance of applying for a position you really want.

Never assume that simply applying for a job is enough. Because of mass communication and Internet resources, employers receive a record number of applications for every job. Sadly, employers even have to sort through many false applications sent in only to fulfill welfare programs. So it’s important to let them know your application is a genuine application and that you want the job.

Employers have to carry out a lengthy screening process whenever they fill a position, so it is important to show your interest in the job by making contact with the employer through telephone, email, or, best of all, a personal meeting. Personal contact shows your genuine interest in the job available.

http://www.careerberg.com
One major mistake many people make is lying about a past job if you left on bad terms. Potential employers seem to have a sixth sense about experiences that you glossed over or were dishonest about, so it’s best to try and put a positive spin on resume blemishes. Show that you’ve learned something from the experience or play up important parts of the past job rather than trying to cover up a bitter relationship.

It is best to find a traditional way of phrasing your strengths, as buzzwords can be confusing. Another thing to avoid is the use of words that are too logistic and lack spark, which is the opposite of using too many overly hip or trendy words. You should keep these same rules in mind when writing cover letters also.

Strive to achieve a balance of professionalism and ease of reading when you write. Try to balance friendliness with professionalism when writing your resume or cover letter. Avoid using slang or buzzwords and focus on using appropriate tone, because the right tone will get results.

There are many more mistakes people tend to make when searching for a job or attending an interview meeting. Some of the worst errors are eating during an interview or making crude jokes about someone’s race or gender. Of course, there are many small, subtle mistakes people make when job seeking as well, and those are often unconscious. So if you want an extensive list of what not to do when trying to land a job, look up the information on the internet.

During times of uncertainty and a “soft” economy, job seekers must work even harder to find opportunities, especially if they are unemployed. It may not be as easy to make a change or find a new job as it once was, but it is doable. Finding a job may take you longer than it may have in the past, and the competition may be tougher than ever, but neither is reason to give up. There are a number of things that you can do to secure a great job in a weak market. This article is about doing just that starting with identifying your accomplishments and incorporating them into your resume.  http://www.careerberg.com

Secret # 1–One size does not fit all
Let’s talk resumes. A resume is a work in progress because you will carefully customize each resume that you send out. It should include a specific job objective as well as a credentials summary or key job skills section. It should also highlight your most important accomplishments. It’s more than a basic description of what you’ve done. It is also an indication of how well you’ve done it. In addition, don’t confuse a resume with a job application. An application is cut and dry. A resume is your first opportunity to highlight your successes and grab the reader’s attention. You also need to decide whether or not, in addition to a chronological resume, you want to prepare a functional resume. A functional resume gives you a unique opportunity to showcase your skills in a different format. Want to find a job in a weak market? Start by customizing your resume.

Secret #2–Take time to rejuvenate
Imagine that you’ve been looking for a job nonstop. The economy is sluggish and the jobs just don’t seem to be out there. You are burned out and tired of pounding the pavement. You are not even getting interviews, much less offers. Very few job openings for your specific field appear in the newspaper or via the Internet. It sounds like it’s time to take a break and relax for an hour or even a day if you need to. It’s important to schedule “down time” so that you can rejuvenate. Sometimes a fresh perspective follows an intense job campaign after a short break.

Secret #3–Re-examine your decision to quit a job
Voluntarily quitting a job during a weak job market may not be a good decision. Many people who are unhappy with their current job are keeping their eyes and ears open for new opportunities. However, they will not jeopardize their present jobs unless they feel it’s definitely a good move. Only you can make this decision. For example, Frank needed a change after eight years of working with the same company as a software engineer. He was bored and unhappy. He didn’t get along with his boss or his co-workers. He started looking for another position and when he found “something,” he quit. Looking back, he realized that he had been running away from a job, and that much of how he felt was of his own doing. His new job wasn’t what he had anticipated either. He quit that job and is now looking for a job once again, only this time in an even more sluggish economy.

Secret #4–Are you willing to relocate?
The word “relocate” typically strikes either a positive or negative cord with most job seekers. For those who are eager to move to another part of the country or world, they are delighted to hear the words, “Are you willing to relocate?” For others, the word “relocate” is not what they want to hear. However, in a weak job market, it’s in your best interest to keep an open mind regarding relocation. For example, if you had the opportunity to double your salary by moving to an unattractive place, would you reconsider? Think about this, it doesn’t hurt to interview; you can always, after thoughtful consideration, say, “No thank you.” You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, but you may never know what’s out there unless you open up your search to all possibilities.

Secret #5–Remain flexible
Job hunting in a weak market presents its own challenges, one of which is remaining flexible. In other words, are you willing to take a job within your field of engineering that is not exactly what you had in mind? If you are agreeable to trying something slightly different and learning new skills, you may get the attention of the recruiter. In some cases, employers can’t find an exact match to fill a vacancy and they are willing to hire someone based on flexible thinking and the potential to do something new.  http://www.careerberg.com

Secret #6–Stay focused
When the job market is weak, some job seekers take the “hit or miss” approach to job hunting. In a weak market, more than ever, you need to stay focused on specific jobs with specific employers. This does not mean you can’t be flexible. It means you don’t want to waste your time mass mailing your resume to companies that are not a good fit for you and never will be. If you have done your homework, you will use your time wisely and focus on jobs and companies that are part of your target market.

Secret #7–Prepare for tough interview questions
Economic conditions have not changed what takes place during the job interview. You still need to be prepared for the interview, especially the tough questions. Companies today can be more selective than they were five years ago when there appeared to be more jobs than people. Although there are still more jobs than people in some fields, the competition is fierce. The demand today continues to be for skilled, articulate, intelligent, and energetic engineering professionals. But can you convince the prospective employer that you are a perfect fit? You can if you answer the questions to their satisfaction including, “Why have you decided to make a job change at this time?” Or, “Can you share with me three of your weaknesses–things that you are working on to improve about yourself?” Or, “How long have you been unemployed and why haven’t you found a job yet?” How you choose to answer each of these questions, plus many others, is one of the secrets to getting a job offer.

Secret #8–Don’t give up
Many things in life don’t come easy, so don’t give up. Looking for a job can be frustrating. It’s also very time-consuming. But, if you have made the decision to change jobs you have to accept the fact that there will be good and less than good days. Follow your marketing plan and keeping moving forward. Take time off to spend with family and friends, but never lose sight of the fact that looking for a job is a job. If you are unemployed you have even more pressure to find a job. Many people who lose a job feel that their self-esteem was injured. We identify so closely with our job titles and positions at work that when we lose our jobs we are often devastated and may feel abandoned, angry and depressed. These feelings are normal, but you can’t let them drag you down and interfere with your job search. Jim Valvano, the late basketball coach of the North Carolina State Wolf Pack team, said, “It’s always too soon to quit.” Whether talking about a fight for life, or about your job search, it truly is too soon to quit. Do what you have to do to keep up your spirits during your search.

In conclusion, there are many secrets for getting a job in a weak market; the above-mentioned are only a few. Job hunting during a weak market and times of uncertainly require a strategy and commitment to go the extra mile in your own behalf when needed. There is a direct correlation between how much time and effort you put into your search and how quickly you find what you are looking for. Don’t let a sluggish economy slow you down if finding a job is on the top of your list of things you need to do.

For many job-seekers, searching for a new job is a stressful experience. The end result, though, is usually a positive one in which the job-seeker is rewarded for his or her past accomplishments with a better job — a job that has more prestige, higher pay, and perhaps with a better organization.

But when you have to conduct a job-search in a weak job market, the stress level increases dramatically — especially if you are currently unemployed, expect to be let go from your current employer, or work in an industry or profession that has seen widespread job cuts.

To make matters worse, it’s hard not to get anxious and depressed from the daily economic and job news we receive. Just about every day we hear about another company announcing layoffs or some economist predicting more months of job losses and a sharp increase in the unemployment rate… leading many into the Job Market Blues.

Let’s face it — if very few politicians will. The U.S. economy is in a recession. While other economic data may not yet confirm what many of us have known for months, history shows that anytime in the last century when the economy has had at least six consecutive months of job losses (as we have had, starting back in January 2008), the economy has ultimately been declared in recession.

So, when all this bad news abounds and adds to the stress you already feel in trying to find a new job, how do you keep your focus and stay upbeat? What’s the remedy? Granted, it can be difficult, but if you follow the five strategies in this article, you should be well on your way to overcoming the stress and anxiety and landing that next great job – or at least a job that will help you pay your bills.

1. Keep a positive focus. 

In a weak job market, employers that are actually hiring workers have a much greater selection of prospective candidates and will quickly eliminate any job-seekers who appear desperate or too negative.

Your goal, even if you are scrambling to pay your mortgage and put food on the table, is to appear outwardly positive. Employers seek job candidates who are confident and specific about the jobs they seek and the impact they can make in those positions.

You may need to consider temping or a survival job if you are currently unemployed while you seek a new job in your profession, and while that is not the ideal scenario, doing so will allow you to pay your bills, gain some renewed confidence, and give you an emotional boost that will help in your job interviews.

If you were downsized or fired, you face some additional challenges of convincing yourself that you are still a good job prospect.

One final tip. When the bad news is overwhelming or you are feeling angry and frustrated, try and find a way to step outside the bubble. Take a few hours to get away from all the bad news — do something enjoyable like going to the park or beach or down to the river to fish. Doing so will not make all the bad news disappear but will give you a mental break you need to face the next challenges.

2. Surround yourself with support.

 Do not suffer through a bad time alone. Seek out the emotional support of family and friends. Sometimes just talking out about our fears and the stress we are experiencing makes us feel better.

Whatever you do, don’t hide your problems from the people closest to you. There is no shame in being downsized or in struggling to find new employment. The comfort you can receive from a spouse, significant other, parent, or friend can be enough to give you the emotional boost you need to reinvigorate your job-search.

The other benefit from seeking the support of others is that the more people in your network of contacts that know you are seeking a job, the more likely you will uncover more job leads that you may never have found if people around you did not know you were seeking a new position.

One final tip. While using your existing network for support is a good start, consider taking additional steps to expanding your network. Join one or more community or professional organizations. An even better idea? Join together with other job-seekers in forming a job club, which has then dual benefits of offering support and potential job leads.

3. Don’t believe everything you hear or read. 

 Of course, it’s not just employment news that turns our stomachs, but all the other economic bad news — such as faltering banks, the weak dollar, rising inflation, and a president who wishes he had a magic wand to fix all the problems.

But there are also programs and professionals that can assist you in improving your job-hunting techniques or offering retraining opportunities. And the Congress is working on extending unemployment benefits and other economic packages to assist people struggling with bad mortgages.

One final tip. If you watch your local television news, turn it off — at least until you have a new job. Several organizations have proven that most local news programs sensationalize bad news for ratings, and the more you watch these programs, the more you feel that the world is collapsing around you — and you simply do not need that kind of atmosphere when you are struggling to keep your confidence.

4. Have long-term focus, but short-term goals.

 The most successful job-seekers have a long-term career strategy developed with smaller short-term goals to assist them in achieving that long-term goal.

Your most basic goal may be to simply find a new job in your field, but even in this job market, that could be more long-term. Instead of dwelling too much on getting the job, put more emphasis on the process of finding the job.

In other words, create daily job-hunting goals for yourself. Make it a goal to accomplish several things each day, such as tracking down job leads, applying for jobs, making new network contacts, following up job leads, going on job interviews.

One final tip. It’s a bit of a cliche, but the best way to really focus on finding a new job is to treat the job-search like a job in itself. Invest as much time, energy, and commitment to finding a new job as you do at your job. The more things you can do today to find a new job will result in more job opportunities — maybe not tomorrow or even next month, but the rewards will come to you.

5. Remember that everything counts. 

Of course, everything counts — but let’s use a marketing example to demonstrate that when you are seeking a new job you are basically marketing yourself to prospective employers.

Marketing is not just about having a great product, but also having the right packaging, distribution, price, and promotion to attract consumers. There are many stories of great products that have failed miserably because of some flaw in the other elements of marketing.

If you are struggling with your job-search, review your entire marketing package:

Your product. All products need some freshening at times, but they also need to have obvious features that are in demand. Review your accomplishments, education and training, and other elements that make you — or can make you — a strong candidate. Just as consumers love new and shiny products, so too do employers seek job candidates who have the best mix of education, training, and accomplishments — all packaged in a friendly, positive, and professional style.

Your promotion. The three most important elements in promoting yourself to employers are cover letters, resumes, and interviewing technique. If you are not getting any interviews, the problem could very well be with your resume or cover letter; seek advice from experts about the quality of your resume and cover letters (from local career one-stop centers, former bosses, your college career center, or a resume service). If you are going on interviews but not obtaining any offers, the problem may be with your interviewing style; consider asking a hiring manager whot did not hire you to critique your interviewing style, or consider conducting a mock interview with someone in your network or a local career professional.

Your distribution channels. The vast majority of job-seekers who struggle in any economy to find a job typically are only utilizing a small part of their job-search distribution channels. When job-hunting, your most important channel for uncovering job lead is your network of contacts – the vast majority of new hires result from a personal recommendation of a network contact. And with the expansion of Web 2.0 tools, networking has exploded online. Besides networking, other channels for uncovering job leads includes: Web job boards (national, local, and industry/profession), company job postings, trade publications, local newspapers, cold calling, recruiters, career fairs, and career centers (local, university).

Your pricing. In any job market, it’s important to have a realistic idea of your value to prospective employers, but it is even more important in a weak market to not price yourself out of the chance to obtain the interview or receive the job offer. Use industry salary information as well as salary Website information to determine the salary you seek — especially if employers ask for that information from the beginning with a salary request. You should also have a strong understanding of the salary negotiation process so you’re ready when the time arises. Finally, you typically should not undervalue yourself when job-hunting, but in bad times, you may be forced to take a big cut in salary just to pay the bills; if so, stay determined that it is just a temporary setback until the market gets better or until you can find a better job.

One final tip. Whether you believe the power that marketing has in job-hunting, the most important thing to remember is that you should always put your best foot forward in all aspects of job-hunting. You cannot be defeatist. You cannot appear demanding. You cannot appear or act overqualified. If you are not getting any interviews or if you are obtaining interviews only to be told you are underqualified or overqualified, the problem is indeed in the marketing of yourself — and you’ll need to fix it before you’ll be successful.

Final Thoughts
In a struggling economy, the Job Market Blues affect us all. Staying upbeat in these weak economic times is tough even when you are happily employed and not seeking new employment. Job-hunting in such a job market can place a great strain on your self-confidence and outlook for the future. By following the advice in this article, you’ll not only regain some of your confidence but ideally uncover ways you can enhance and improve your job-search, leading to both short-term and long-term job goal successes — and beating the blues.