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It’s 2012, Do You Know Where Your Resume Is? PART III

brenda — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:23:57 +0000

First let me apologize for being a week late getting this out. I had a bad flu bug and it really had me out of commission. I hope this delay didn’t cause you to forget your important task of updating your resume during this grand finale of the “UPDATE YOUR RESUME & WORK JOURNALS” season.

Are you being proactive when it comes to your career planning? Do you know where you want to be in 5 years, 10 years? Are you on track to getting there? If you were to lose your job tomorrow, would you be ready to begin your transition quickly or would you need to wait a week so you can get your resume updated? If you’ve been following along, then by now you should have gone through your work history, compared goals to actual performance, you’ve thought about the impact that you’ve made within your company, and you’ve quantified your accomplishments. You have set goals to stretch yourself and develop you toward some larger career aspiration. Now, let’s talk about how your metrics can help build your new resume.

WHAT ARE METRICS

Any type of measurement used to gauge company or individual performance. For example (ROI, EBIDTA, cost, time, quality). Often times these are set from the upper management ranks and need to be complied with across the organization.

SELECTING THE IMPORTANT METRICS

You need to understand what matters most to your employer. If your company is cash poor, then cost savings projects may be the priority and you will certainly want to focus on the money aspects when documenting your metrics. If your company was in the news due to poor quality incidents, then focusing on how you’ll meet industry standard quality requirements will be more important. So again, figure out what is central to your industry and to your boss to really make an impact!

TRACK PROGRESS / KEEPING A RECORD

At least once per year, make a plan to meet with your boss and review your performance (even if there is no formal review process at your job). This is your opportunity to prove that you’ve done a great job. But it is important that you have documented your performance to-date to demonstrate that you completed your assigned tasks but also how well you completed those projects. If you don’t have a single notebook in which you record your accomplishments, I encourage you to get one immediately. Write down some key points for every project:

The project name
Your role / your team’s role
Your budget / expected completion date
Key customers / stakeholders
Impact to the company (why is it important to the business)
Major milestones
Project deliverables.
Major risks or issues that you helped to prevent or resolve during execution.

Then do regular updates in your work journal (daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly) depending on the duration and scope of your project. Address each section, note any changes, and of course document your progress. Later use this information to show your accomplishments at work and quantify them whenever possible.

As many of us know resumes have changed tremendously over the years, they are no longer a simple sheet of paper that lists your skills, objective, experience, and education. Now since employers are more carefully screening candidates, they are looking for specific information that tells them you are worthy of interviewing. Since there are, on average 100-500 applicants to every open position, you must have a powerful resume that helps you stand out from among your competition. I hope this series has helped you to really take control of your career and at the very least dust off your old resume and get it refreshed!

Don’t forget to check in with me throughout the week via comments or Facebook.com/RoyalResume. Have fun and come back next week for another exciting blog!

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Goals allow you to control the direction of change in your favor.” ~ Brian Tracy

Brenda M. Cunningham is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and National Job Search Strategist. Brenda’s mission is to eradicate unemployment and underemployment and to help accelerate your job search. For more information on customized resume development, group workshops, and job search coaching visit www.royalresumeaz.com, www.facebook.com/RoyalResume, or call 602-570-7593.

RWCA

brenda — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:06:43 +0000

5/26/12 @11:45-2:15pm, Resume Writer’s Council of Arizona session.

It’s 2012, Do You Know Where Your Resume Is? PART II

brenda — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:35:33 +0000

Imagine a mass layoff at your company and all of a sudden there are 1500 job seekers with similar credentials seeking similar positions elsewhere. Would you agree that the person requiring minimal preparation time has an advantage, because they are now the early bird and we all know that the early bird gets the worm!

This is a continuation of last weeks’ urge to you readers to be more proactive when it comes to the readiness of your resume. None of us knows when unemployment or job transition may strike so it’s always a best practice to be ready. Now you’ve already gone through your work history and compared goals to actual performance, you’ve thought about the impact that you’ve made within your company, and you’ve quantified your accomplishments. This week we’ll kind of take a step back and make sure you actually have goals to quantify and make sure that your individual goals are actually stretching you and developing you toward some larger career aspiration.

SET STRETCH GOALS

You may have heard the term “professional growth,” well this isn’t possible unless you take on projects and tackle unfamiliar concepts, comprehending them, and using your newfound knowledge to solve a complex problem. This is why you don’t want to set goals for things you know you can do blindfolded with your hands tied behind your back. What concept/process / product has been intimidating you at work? Ask to be a part of the team that’s addressing it and you will emerge with new knowledge and professional growth!

ALIGN GOALS WITH CAREER ASPIRATIONS

Not to negate what I just said, but don’t take on those challenging assignments just because they’re challenging. Make sure you select tasks and projects that are in line with what you want to do next. For example, if you’re working on an MBA and ultimately want to lead the business strategy team, then for now ask to be a contributor to the team and offer your suggestions as they stand today. Likewise if you are a teacher and strive to be a principal, then ask about leading some staff development courses or parent/teacher collaboration sessions.

TRACK PROGRESS OF GOALS

Now that you have these fantastic goals that are actually going to help you get where you want to be…you want to make sure you are on track to complete them. Figure out a realistic timeframe to complete the goal, add some buffer time to account for the unexpected fires that you will inevitably have to fight just to keep business moving, and create a timeline with major milestones AND DATES to keep you on track. If you miss a milestone, then stay late, come in early, or figure out other ways to save time so you don’t miss your target.

Being able to discuss why you took on certain projects at work and intelligently show how you strategically tackled complex problems in order to position you for the next level is the kind of evidence that employers are looking for to show you are the best candidate for their position. So set aside time THIS WEEK to figure out your goals, write them down, and create a tracking template that you can use to stay on pace and complete it!

Don’t forget to check in with me throughout the week via comments or Facebook.com/RoyalResume. Have fun and come back next week for the exciting conclusion Part III – Metrics!

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Goals allow you to control the direction of change in your favor.” ~ Brian Tracy

RWCA

brenda — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 20:55:02 +0000

4/28/12 @11:45-2:15pm, Resume Writer’s Council of Arizona session on writing Military to Civilian conversion resumes.

It’s 2012, Do You Know Where Your Resume Is? PART I

brenda — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 20:19:12 +0000

So many times I ask job seekers to send me their resume for review and they say, I think I know where it is or I’m pretty sure I have a hardcopy somewhere…At some point they usually find it, but realize that it hasn’t been updated in years, maybe even a whole decade.

As a professional resume writer, one of the biggest challenges I face is that my clients simply don’t remember what they’ve done throughout their careers. Perhaps I’m crazy but I believe that if I educate my clients in this area it will absolutely help them to collaborate with me to craft even more robust job search documents.

GO BACK INTO YOUR HISTORY

As I’ve always said, the first step in a job transition process is establishing goals. But I will dare ask you to start by reviewing the goals you’ve already completed. Once you find your old document, use it to jog your memory of what you’ve done. Next, access your old performance reviews, especially if they are stored online, to get more specific details pertaining to your set goals vs. actual performance.

REALLY DIG DEEP

Start thinking about special projects you worked on and what the impact was to your company. Recall any awards you received for excellence. Recalculate the cost per unit, profit margins, and specific things you did to improve business processes (i.e. time/cost savings). Look through old work notebooks or emails to find pertinent information regarding projects, collaborations, and results.

This is only the beginning, but the goal is not to overwhelm you, but to get you started on the pathway to getting ready for your big resume update! Especially if you’re currently working, it’s much easier for you to pull this information. Don’t forget to check in with me throughout the week via comments or Facebook.com/RoyalResume. Have fun and come back next week for Part II – Goals!

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “You can’t know where you’re going until you know where you’ve been.” ~Source Unknown

So What Do You Do When: Avoiding Mistakes in Your Job Search

brenda — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 16:53:17 +0000

OK, so many of us have mapped out and did the test drive to our interview location, we’ve left 20 minutes earlier than necessary to make sure we arrived on time, we’ve laid out our outfits the night before, we’ve said prayers and then BAM… 4 car pile up on the highway and you’re stuck in a 3-mile back up on the way to your interview. So what do you do?

Against everything that you hoped for you woke up on the day of your interview with a terrible cold, you’ve used so many tissues that you are truly terrified of going to your interview and opening your mouth to speak. Maybe you can’t speak, so how will you WOW the employers with your fantastic credentials? What do you do?

WHEN YOU’RE RUNNING EXTREMELY LATE

The best policy is to call as soon as you determine that you will be late for your meeting. So that means having your interviewer’s contact information handy so you can call from the road. Living in Phoenix, AZ we often have these catastrophic road closures due to rollover accidents and fatal car crashes. They are a reality so we all need to be able to make contact if this should ever happen on your big interview day! Many times a short delay can be accommodated and sends a much stronger signal than just showing up late with a bunch of excuses on why you didn’t call. On a proactive note, tune in to your local traffic report before you head out to adjust your route if necessary.

IF YOU WAKE UP WITH A TERRIBLE COLD ON THE DAY OF THE INTERVIEW

It happens, the common cold is so unpredictable; it doesn’t give you a two-week notice so you can rearrange your schedule. Sometimes you get up with that full-fledged sore throat, cough, headache, and you look like you’ve been hit by a bus; you have a couple of options here:

Consider showing up and sneezing all over your interviewer! Not pretty.
Consider taking some form of emergency cold remedy, this is not medical advice and you should consult your doctor but also be careful if you’ve never taken it before and you don’t know how you will react?
Call your interviewer and see if it would be possible to reschedule
Sometimes the adrenaline rush can help you get through a short interview, but if you have a marathon interview scheduled then rescheduling may be better all around.

YOUR RESUME IS REQUESTED BUT ISN’T READY TO PRESENT

This is the one that I hear most often as a Professional Resume Writer. “I’ve got this great opportunity but they want me to send my resume today, can you help?” And as much as I want to help these job seekers seize their opportunities, I have a schedule to maintain. So I advise scheduling an appointment on your own personal calendar every 6 months to update your resume. That way you’re not stressing yourself out and pulling an all-nighter just to present something that you threw together with little time to proofread.

Bottom line, make sure your cell phone is charged, always be ready, and know that most professionals appreciate you not sharing your germs!

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Using the power of decision gives you the capacity to get past any excuse to change any and every part of your life in an instant.” ~Anthony Robbins

Do Business Owners Need Resumes?

brenda — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 16:53:40 +0000

A common misconception is that resumes are a tool to be used only by job seekers. While they are most common in this arena, there are many other uses for this powerful document. One that we’ll focus on today is business owners and the plethora of opportunities that a winning resume can create for them.

As a business owner have you ever applied for local, national, or even international contract opportunities and part of the bidding process was to include your resume or listing of credentials? Sure you have, especially if you are a small business owner looking to broaden your reach, and your income. Perhaps there is a local grant that would tremendously boost your business but you’re lacking this critical piece of evidence that you are a major player in your industry can keep you out of the running!

Many times if you are a freelancer, then a resume may be required to prove your expertise in your field. A well-crafted resume can help open doors for speaking engagements and additional income opportunities; it can form the framework for a robust 1-pager or bio to place in the hands or inboxes of potential audiences.

The bottom line is not to underestimate the resume as a part of your business, whether your business is getting back to work, producing widgets, or providing a service, keep your resume current and meaningful so you don’t miss out on any new opportunities.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming.” – Richard Branson

Do I Need a Cover Letter and How Do I Write One Anyway?

brenda — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 18:03:29 +0000
As you probably know by know, I’m all about educating people to help accelerate their job transitions and be fulfilled in their careers. One thing recently that keeps coming up is the lack of decent cover letters. Most of my clients know how important a cover letter is to their job search, while others see it as just another formality to this already puzzling process.
Marisol, a hiring manager from ProEM Event Management stated that she doesn’t even consider applicants that do not submit a customized cover letter. Notice the word, customized, to her it is important that this critical document be tailored toward the position EVERY TIME. Of course, there are those that don’t care about cover letters nor will they read it, but I always suggest to err on the side of caution, and submit a robust cover letter with each resume submission.
1. FOCUS ON THEM NOT YOU – When you use the job description as your guide to writing your cover letter, then you will naturally use the employers’ language to communicate with them. Limit the use of the term “I,” with such fierce competition out there, very few employers care about what you want but care far more about what skills you can bring to their table to meet their needs.
2. INCLUDE CALLS TO ACTION – Let them know what you want them to do after reading your cover letter. Do you want them to read your resume? Do you want them to contact you for an interview? Be clear, imagine that they receive nearly 500 applications for every single position; they will not bother to guess what you want.
3. ENTICE THEM TO READ MORE– You have a great opportunity to sell yourself in a cover letter, several chances to identify your strengths that match up with what they’re looking for. Make sure you include this information in a compelling way and not simply provide a list of abilities.
4. KEEP IT BRIEF – Your entire cover letter body should fit in the preview pane of an email application, since this is all the time you’ll get. Remember you want employers to go to your resume, so don’t bog them down with all the details of your career in your cover letter.
5. EXPLAIN YOUR SITUATION – If you are gearing up for a major relocation, re-entering the workforce, or changing careers altogether then the cover letter is the appropriate place to divulge some pertinent details. Specifically for relocation, you will want to mention things like “relocating to the Houston area in June 2012.” Otherwise many employers will assume that you want them to pay for your move. Also, if someone recommended that you apply, this is a great forum to say just that and name drop!
In a nutshell, keep it professional and make sure it’s typed (not handwritten), customize to the target position (or target industry when attending a job fair or networking event), and happily point out what you can do for the employer!
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing,?the next best thing is the wrong thing,?and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt
Brenda M. Cunningham is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and National Job Search Strategist. Brenda’s mission is to eradicate unemployment and underemployment and to help accelerate your job search. For more information on customized resume development, group workshops, and job search coaching visit www.royalresumeaz.com, www.facebook.com/RoyalResume, or call 602-570-7593.

Is Your Job Sucking the Life Out of You?

brenda — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 16:55:34 +0000
I think back to a corporate engineering position that I held and once enjoyed, but later started to dread. The creative process was being stifled and it turned into constant reporting to senior management. This gradually took pieces of my enjoyment away and I began to realize that this was no longer the job for me.
Like me, many professionals are struggling to maintain their joy in something they just no longer enjoy doing. So many claim, they are just grateful to have a job, so they dare not complain that they no are no longer excited about what to do! Some draw the conclusion that they will go into business for themselves (if this describes you, then you should contact Coach Isha Cogborn for some transition tips at http://coachisha.com). But if you want to make a change to a better fit within corporate America then here are some things to consider:

1. BE PATIENT – When you’ve made up your mind to change careers, industries, or teams, sometimes we lose focus on the work that’s right in front of us since we can’t wait to get started on our next big thing. This is certain to leave a bad taste in your current employers’ mouth and could leave you without a stellar recommendation when you need one.

2. DEVELOP A TRANSITION PLAN – Again, don’t leave your current employer hanging, put together a packet of notes on each of your projects or tasks, to help your replacement get up to speed faster, and even volunteer to help train the new person!

3. DECIDE WHEN / WHO TO TELL – Be careful, we all know how brutal office politics can be, so you have to watch how much you’re broadcasting your decision to make a change. My opinion is to simply wait until you have a firm offer on the table before communicating your intent to leave. However, if you are moving internally, then it may be necessary to talk with your direct supervisor during the internal application process. Whatever your path, make sure your boss hears the news from you and not from office gossip.

4. DON’T GO FROM BAD TO WORSE – Take the time to thoroughly investigate and interview for the next opportunity to ensure it WILL BE an enjoyable experience for you (evaluate salary, education requirements, team dynamics, level of responsibility, etc…). I’ve found that if you’re aligned with God’s purpose for your life, He will steer you to the appropriate positions for continual growth and progress.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. ~Proverbs 21:5

How to Get Promoted in Your Career: Staying Encouraged

brenda — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:51:47 +0000
This weekend someone very special to me had made the decision that they were finally ready to go back to school and take steps towards achieving their personal career goals. I could sense that this person was very serious and committed to getting it done! Sometimes we have emotional moments and think we’re about to embark on something big but as soon as we tally up the full cost, many people shy away because the task seems too big.
Not everyone in the workplace is looking for promotion, and by the way not everyone should be promoted, but those that are seeking it on purpose should know how to accomplish it. Below are some suggested approaches to making sure you are taking advantage of opportunities to get noticed on your job and approaching your management for assistance programs to help you on your way.
GOING BACK TO SCHOOL or EARNING CERTIFICATIONS – If this is on your list of things to accomplish then your first step should absolutely be finding the right degree program or certificate for you. Just because MBA’s are popular doesn’t mean that it’s what you should have. Then you have to evaluate and compare your top choices based on some other pertinent dimensions, like…

Affordability, compare cost per credit hour.

Resources, what can your prospective school offer to help you succeed (tech support, library, student support, real-time help with Math and Writing).

Since online schooling is gaining popularity, look into this as a viable option especially if you’re already super busy.

Does the academic components align with your existing / future job functions?

Once you’ve completed this research, then you can schedule an appointment with your manager to outline how this program will help you to excel in your current and future roles and get the necessary information on educational assistance programs offered.
APPROACHING MANAGEMENT FOR PROMOTION – There are a few things to consider when you’re thinking about this…

Are you truly ready, can you provide documented evidence that you’ve accomplished and exceeded your pre-determined job goals?

Go back through previous performance reviews and personal journals to outline your major job accomplishments over the past 2-3 years.

Schedule an appointment or meeting with your boss and give them an idea of what you’d like to discuss and then document the highlights of your meeting (and send a copy to them following the meeting).

Don't be discouraged, just take one step at a time
In both cases, give your manager an idea of where you would like to be in 1-2 years then request candid feedback on how you can measurably attain your goal. Be sure to ask specific questions like “ if I accomplish all these things then will I be given an opportunity to perform at a higher level, even on a probationary basis?” Once you know what you should be focusing on, and you have a clear vision of where you’re going, then the confidence and patience to achieve it, is there.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “You don’t have to see the whole staircase just take the first step.” MLK