A reference is a crucial tool that helps persuade employers that you are the candidate they need by illustrating your performance in past positions. So how can you get persuasive references? Choose between three and five professional colleagues (managers, fellow employees, vendors, customers or other stakeholders) who appreciate your work and can speak to it [...]
The most crucial part of your resume is its summary section. Or, as I prefer to call it, the profile or ROI section. HR surveys consistently tell us that most hiring managers take only 6-20 seconds to read a resume before deciding whether to put it in the to-be-interviewed pile or the circular file. Unfortunately, [...]
How do you explain to a prospective employer that you want to leave your present employer because of its smelly ethics? One of my favourite employment resources, Nick Corcodilos of asktheheadhunter.com, recently discussed that question. His post and readers’ responses are found at, (www.asktheheadhunter.com/16596/explain-unethical-company) but I'll give you the highlights with my comments. Nick’s answer [...]
A new study discovered that job seekers who use professional resumes are: 32% more likely to find a job, are likely to find it in at least 40% less time, and are 42% more likely to move to a higher position. That’s why I say it makes dollars and sense to invest in a [...]
You’ve studied state-of-the-art resume writing and you’ve cut your job descriptions to the bone. You’ve selected accomplishments that match each job ad’s requirements and presented those achievements in ways that highlight all the benefits you’ll bring to your next employer. If you’ve done all that, congratulations! You are now among the five per cent of [...]
In the old days, job-seekers sometimes included reference letters with their resumes and cover letters in their job applications. With the rise of the internet and email making it easier for employers to contact references directly, employers began asking for reference lists – a list of references’ names together with their contact information. Today, while [...]
The “Ask The Headhunter” blog is essential reading for jobseekers on topics ranging from networking to quitting. But in this post (https://www.asktheheadhunter.com/13730/resumectomy), written in response to a reader's question, I think the writer overstated the case for utilizing networking over against the use of resumes. Here’s why I disagree. ---------------- The original questioner asked: “Does [...]
For all the fretting job seekers devote to what to tell potential employers, it's staggering how many entry-level prospects fail to realize what should be left out of their resumes. A resume is an excellent opportunity to market your skills and share your accomplishments, but it should never stray into irrelevant or self-serving territory. Below, [...]
Job hunting is always an exhaustive experience wrought with both hope and disappointment. Depending on the position you’re looking for, it can sometimes be difficult to get even one job offer, let alone two or more, so the fact that there are multiple offers on the table can feel really great at first. But then [...]
Going through the job application process is only worth it if it’s for a position you want. Before tweaking your resume, and picking out the perfect power interview outfit, you need at least a vague idea of which type of job you’ll be applying for. From Fast and Focused Resume Service, here are a few [...]
