Career Corner Interview Tips from ReFocus on Careers - Face-to-face Interviews Prepare for the Interview Part VI - Hallie Crawford

Career Corner Interview Tips from ReFocus on Careers - Face-to-face Interviews Prepare for the Interview Part VI I recently spoke to a great networking and career search group, Re:Focus on Careers, about creating a kick ass elevator speech. Keep an eye out for all of these free interview tips in my Career Corner posts: Prepare for the Interview The best way to ace your next job interview is to prepare for it. This may sound obvious, but its not. Too many applicants walk into an interview without knowing as much as they should about the industry, the company and its problems. Remember: You are there to solve a problem. Otherwise, the company wouldnt be hiring. Follow these steps: 6. Get the big picture. Visualize the entire interview, from start to finish. See yourself as performing with style and confidence. How will the interview end? Will you get a job offer or be called back for a second interview? How much salary do you want? What kind of benefits? The research you did in step 1 will give you an idea of what to expect. Be ready for any eventuality. Extra Tip from Career Coach Hallie: I can’t say enough about the power of visualization. Professional athletes do it, you can too. Add to your visualization how you want to feel during the interview. Adding emotion to it adds power and energy. It will help you perform that much better. If you’re interested in having me speak at your next event about finding a career you love, go here: www.halliecrawford.com/appearances.html. I’d be happy to discuss! Certified Career CoachCareer Speaker

Finding a Functional Resume Format

Finding a Functional Resume FormatWhen you start to write your first functional resume format, it can be a little overwhelming. There are so many topics that you need to cover on this resume that you may not be sure where to start. Here are some tips for getting the job you want and not worrying about the resume format you use.The first thing you need to do is to define your functional resume format. Since this is the first time you will use this format, it may be hard to determine how your resume will appear on paper. In this case, you may need to hire someone to create the format for you.Another thing to remember is that you do not have to use this functional resume format if you don't want to. In fact, there are many ways you can do it yourself. If you have computer skills, you may want to create a word document or an HTML template that you can save on your computer. Once you have these types of templates, you can go through them and write a resume in each of them.Then, you should keep your resume format as simple as possible. Your resume should only have one paragraph per page. This will make it easier for the human editor to read and even easier for you to write with it.To make your resume look good on paper, you should stick to the physical format you have used in the past. If you have used one of the previous formats, then stick to it. However, if you do not know how to do that, you may want to use an online template that lets you customize your resume.The best thing you can do to make your resume format more professional is to get someone else to create the format for you. This is going to save you time and effort, and will ensure that your resume looks professional on paper. If you find this too much to handle, hire a professional person to help you.These are some ideas on how to prepare for your first functional resume format. It is a great way to get your resume ready to go.

7 Habits of Highly Effective Freelancers

7 Habits of Highly Effective Freelancers When I started freelancing more than a decade ago, I was determined not to become one of “those” freelancers. I woke up early, showered and dressed, and sat dutifully at my desk. When I wasn’t working on an assignment, I forced myself to pitch new ideas and contact new editors. Today, I’m reaping the benefits of that early diligence and, thankfully, letting myself enjoy the perks of being a free agent. I get some of my best work done in the early hours, in pajamas. I carve out time for long runs in the middle of the day, even if it means working later at night or on the weekend. When I have a lull, I relish the down time. Delve into the “business models” of successful freelancers and they seem to have the best of both worldsâ€"autonomy, flexibility and a steady paycheck. The secret: They run their freelance careers like a business, even if that business happens to be headquartered at the kitchen table. Here are seven habits I’ve adopted or picked up from my growing network of freelancer friends. 1) Perfect your elevator pitch: Entrepreneurs know how to succinctly describe what they do and where they add value. As a freelancer, you need to take a similar approach, if only for your own sanity. Years ago, I realized that simply saying I was a freelancer connoted that I spent my days passing time in coffee shops or dabbled in writing between spin classes. “Well, some of us have to go to work” was a common response. Now when people ask what I do, I say I’m a financial writer. Specificity adds credibilityâ€"and makes it easier for would-be clients to identify you on LinkedIn. Close Modal DialogThis is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. 2) Have a pricing strategy: For early freelancers this can be tricky. On the one hand, you want to build your book of business, and that may require working for less than fair market value. Consider it your start-up costs. Once you have enough work in your pipeline, however, you need to set parameters, both on an hourly and project basis. 3) Make calculated exceptions: That said, there are times when you should be willing to negotiate, whether it’s under the banner of employee morale (your own) or business development. If a project opens doors, takes you in a new direction that interests you, or benefits a cause you care aboutâ€"think of it as your personal social giving campaignâ€"there is additional value, beyond the fee. 4) Write a mission statement: OK, so maybe you left your j-o-b precisely because of mission statements and TPS reports. Still, there is something to be said for understanding why you go to work, so to speak, and do what you do. In a corporate setting, your managers help you think about career development. In the freelance world, it’s up to you to set goals and chart your path. 5) Pay yourself a salary: Managing cash flow is probably the biggest challenge for freelancers. For me, the solution came when a freelance friend, a video producer, mentioned her maternity leave. “How did you swing that as a freelancer?” I asked. Her strategy is to treat herself as an employee of her sole proprietorship. She pays herself the same salary every two weeks, rain or shine. In good months, she builds up reserves so she can still earn a steady salary when things are slow. A regular paycheck not only makes it easier to pay bills and plan, it makes it harder to treat big checks as a license to splurge. 6) Create a virtual water cooler: Unless your work regularly takes you outside the home office, isolation is a risk. Even the most self-sufficient members of the gig economy need confidantes to brainstorm ideas or talk through dilemmas. What about your spouse or partner? Unless he or she knows your industry and can offer truly unbiased adviceâ€"easier said than doneâ€"it’s no substitute for a network of peers. My network includes colleagues in my field, many of whom are in full-time jobs, as well as an eclectic mix of freelancers. 7) Don’t try to do it all: Founders of start-up companies often talk about how, in the early days, they do everything from develop the product to take out the trash. In time, though, they staff up and focus on the areas where they add the most value. Freelancers can also benefit from this evolution. “Focus on what you’re good at,” says my friend Martin, a freelance photographer who has assembled a small team of experts to help him with everything from bookkeeping to production. He’s also learned to pass on jobs that aren’t a good fit. “Have a network of other freelancers close at hand for the things that seem to be your road blocks or time sucks,” he says. “It makes it a lot easier to say no.”

4 Horrible Resume Writing Tips To Avoid - Work It Daily

4 Horrible Resume Writing Tips To Avoid - Work It Daily There are many self-proclaimed experts claiming to know what’s best when it comes to preparing an effective resume. Let’s face it, anyone who has basic Internet skills can figure out how to type up an article just like this. We are living in the 21st century and technology is advancing quickly. This allows college-aged kids and people in their early twenties to make a small side income by giving uneducated and misguided career advice to job seekers on various blog sites. The problem with this is you never know who’s actually behind the keyboard. So, let me ask you a question. As an accomplished professional or executive, are you willing to put your career in the hands of a young, self-proclaimed expert who has little or no experience as a hiring manager or resume writer? I didn’t think so. To help you identify these incompetent resume experts, I have provided a list of the four most slipshod bits of advice you will find online that these amateurs provide. Horrible Resume Writing Tips To Avoid Here are four resume writing tips to avoid: 1. Only Going Back 10 Years In Work History This is the one I hear the most and the one that frustrates me the most when I get a client who asks me if they should only go back 10 years in work history. I am going to be blunt here, so please don’t take offense. People, this is common sense! Why would you sacrifice an additional five to ten years of good rock-solid work experience with accomplishments and relevant skills just to meet the shoddy advice of some random article on a website? As a hiring manager myself, I always look for who has the “most” relevant experience to perform the job as required. A candidate who is 5 years younger than the next has absolutely no advantage over an older candidate with more experience and skills. Can you grasp the logic here? Only going back 10 years in work history is the most ridiculous bit of advice I have every run across online. 2. Limiting Your Resume To One Page Keeping your resume to only one page pretty much goes hand-in-hand with the one above. Why would you limit the amount of information the reader can grasp about your background just because you are worried about them thinking you are “too old” or “overqualified” by having a resume that is longer than one page? First of all, when an employer tells you that you are “overqualified” for a job, it means they just don’t like you. Stop blaming your resume for being two pages or more. Nobody can be overqualified for a job. Why would an employer not hire a candidate who possesses more skills than the job entails? That would just be outright stupid. Some might say it’s because they are afraid the candidate will only stick around long enough to find a better opportunity at another company, or that they will get bored and underperform. These are concerns every employer has about every single employee, but that does not mean a hiring manager should choose the candidate who turns in a one page resume vs. a candidate who turns in a two-page impressive portfolio of achievements. Do you catch my drift? Employers simply don’t care about whether your resume is one page or three pages as long as you have what they are looking for. I will agree that a resume should be as concise and straight to the point as possible. However, don’t exclude important information just to achieve a one page theory that was conjured up by a college kid in a dorm room. 3. Use Fancy Styles And Fonts Some websites and lousy resume writers will advise people to use fancy styles and fonts to make their resume “POP” and help them “stand-out” from other candidates. Proper formatting and unique organization are very important factors that will help the reader to better understand your background. However, if you really think a hiring manager will do back flips to the phone just because your resume has a cool looking design, you are severely mistaken. In fact, using certain styles and fonts can ruin your resume’s response rate. The main reason is that applicant tracking system databases cannot correctly parse the information on resumes that use certain design schemes. Another is that employers simply don’t care if you use a superscript letter for your first name or if your resume has industry-related images all over the page. All that does is take attention away from the important information on the page. This is called over doing it. Avoid, avoid, avoid! 4. Lie On Your Resume I think this one is pretty obvious and anyone with half a brain should know better. However, I do hear this one from time-to-time. A client will obsess over their resume after weeks or months with no response. Instead of being more persistent and aggressive in their job search, they focus on what they feel they can control, which is the resume. This is basic human psychology, and when this happens, people tend to resort to lying on their resumes to cover up job gaps or hide their age to mask their fears. Look, it’s just not worth the effort to hide little facts from your resume in an attempt to deceive the reader. They will always find out where you worked when they run a background check using your Social Security Number. Keep in mind, the IRS stores your SSN in their database from the previous jobs you’ve held, and all employers have access to this information when they decide to hire you and process your job application. If you leave off a job just because you only worked there for a year and felt the employer might not like it, they will find this and think you lied to them before you even began your first day on the new job. Also, you must provide your date-of-birth on your job application. Why would you hide your age from your resume just to waste everyone’s time if you’re really that afraid of being discriminated against? Save yourself the time and headache of lying on your resume. Instead, try focusing on more important things like adding more skills or following up with submissions more frequently. I really hope this information helps you identify the bad apples that claim to be experts. If you are still hitting a brick wall, seek the help of a reputable resume writing service that can guide you in the right direction and provide the most effective best practices. It's simply not worth the risk of jeopardizing your entire career by accepting horrible tips from a part-time amateur who lacks the necessary knowledge required to develop an effective resume. Article written by Careers Plus Resumes Photo Credit: Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!

How to Renew Your Professional Identity After a Career Break

How to Renew Your Professional Identity After a Career Break No matter what your professional trajectory looks like, its completely natural to take a break from the workforce at some point during your career. In fact, approximately one-third of women with college and graduate degrees do it.Yet even though this pattern is common, and is certainly nothing new, women who take a break continue to face obstacles upon returning work, such as age discrimination, gender bias, bias against mothers, and the gender pay gap.If youre looking to re-enter the workforce, you might also face personal barriers related to your self-confidence. For starters, figuring out how to address a career gap in your resume is not always easy. You might feel judged for taking time off and not appearing ambitious, or perhaps you perceive that you are technologically behind and cant catch up. Moreover, if youve spent a lot of time at home looking for jobs, you may feel like you lack a supportive community or feel un certain of how to network in todays social media landscape.Having time to reflect on your priorities, its not uncommon to discover that youre interested in meaningful work following a career break. Whether youve been volunteering and/or taking care of children, you likely view this work as personally, if not professionally, fulfilling and want to feel this sense of purpose in your next chapter.The good nachrichten is the barriers women face are not insurmountable. The large number of women looking to return to work represents a valuable, untapped pool of talent. Purpose driven organizations can, and should, capitalize on this talent, creating opportunities for women to re-engage by leveraging their accumulated skills, life experience, and passion for purpose-driven work.One of the goals of Inspiring Capitals Return with Purpose Summit coming up on Jan. 10, 2019 in NYC is to help bridge this gap. The summit is a one day, content-packed event that facilitates the transition to purpo se-driven roles through a supportive, like-minded community of women. Participants in the summit will gain opportunities for clarity, confidence, community and connections needed to pursue a career within the social impact sector. Summit topics focus on career re-entry tools as well as an introduction to the spectrum of social impact organizations.Why attend the summit? Its a great opportunity if youd like to approach your return to work or explore the beginnings of a new professional identity with a like-minded group women in a safe space. The summit will also offer you inspiration from leading career experts, change makers and women who have made it to the other side.According to summit organizers, youll walk away withThe beginning of a renewed professional identityStrategies for successful career re-entry interviewing and networking skills, elevator pitch, and strategic volunteering tipsKnowledge of social impact trends across not-for-profits, social enterprises, industry and gov ernment impact investing, B Corp movement and moraAdvice on how to present and position your skills to stand out to potential employersThe motivation to act on career intentions for 2019A new communityRead more about the summit and registerhere by Dec. 7 for a 20% discount

Guide to Writing a Killer Resume for Dummies

Guide to Writing a Killer Resume for Dummies What Everybody Dislikes About Guide to Writing a Killer Resume and Why Resume plays an important function in finding your fantasy job. Now you understand how to compose a killer freelance resume. Make certain it stands out that youve got the required experience and expert knowledge for the job which you are applying for, and steer clear of grandiose language in their description. There are dozens and dozens of possible skills to think about using. The techniques are very strong and simple to follow along with. As a way to type up a good resume you first need to understand the fundamental components a resume is composed of. A lot of people make the job more complicated than it really is, so lets take a peek at how to simplify your cover letter writing. Make certain you have an exceptional cover letter to back up your resume and you are going to be sure to stick out from the rest of the candidates. Its true, you have to tailor y our cover letter for each particular job. When applying for any type of job, its essential to send out a cover letter together with the resume or curriculum vitae. Guide to Writing a Killer Resume Secrets That No One Else Knows About There are lots of strategies to ensure your brand and work speaks for itself many of which were likely to be covering today. At a glance, a summer job for a server might look like it cant assist you in any manner. By doing this you will pull in the appropriate opportunities the ones for which you are an ideal fit and for which the corporate culture is an ideal fit for you. Things You Should Know About Guide to Writing a Killer Resume Every work listing is likely to throw out certain keywords and phrases. Scanning through the work description is a remarkable method to plektron out the keywords. Once completed, your resume ought to be saved with the proper title and in the suitable format. While its not obligatory to have a resume summary, it is crucial to include one if you truly need the job. The summary goes at the exact top of the webpage. Resumes have to be a quick read. Many resumes incorporate an Objective section on top. Guide to Writing a Killer Resume - Is it a Scam? As a student, you most likely dont have a lot of expert career, so what you will need to go for is an objective. Writing a resume is an essential evil. Take into consideration the skills you wish to use daily, and after that determine a few job titles that encompass them. Developing a student resume can be an intimidating process. Whether youre a studentor a professionalwith two decades of experience, youll need to start off your resume the same manner. You must choose the kind of resume based on the job that you want and the experience youve got. Choosing which to use depends upon the sort of job that you are applying for and your degree of experience. Whether youre looking for your very first job or attempting to earn a career chang e, the approach starts with your resume. A Secret Weapon for Guide to Writing a Killer Resume Along with having a resume you can post on freelance and job websites, youll also wish to be certain that its simple for other possible customers and brands to seek out your information online too. In general, the resumes are well organized and simple to skim for key info. As stated by the eintrag proprietor, The Diy Guide To Writing A Killer Resume is the greatest product on the market these days. Websites are the chief object of social media. By applying The Diy Guide To Writing A Killer Resume, you also get to know the processes and the things you have to do so as to reach the results. Youd probably also be in a position to download the most recent version of The Diy Guide To Writing A Killer Resume when you make the transaction online.

The Principles of Cover Letter the Muse That You Can Benefit From Starting Right Away

The Principles of Cover Letter the Muse That You Can Benefit From Starting Right Away Rest assured, the titelblatt letter would be worth the job, whether its requested. Cover letters should not incorporate the exact language you are using in text messages. A cover letter doesnt in fact have to be a letter whatsoever, so long as it enables you to get the hiring managers interest. Your cover letter is the best place of offer a little private info to the employer. Utilize our professional team leader cover letter sample to start, and consider our extra recommendations to help your message stick out. If at all possible, personally deal with letter to the individual who will receive and review your resume. Contain the name of the individual who signed the letter. You might also have a look at the approach to compose an official letter. Top Choices of Cover Letter the Muse A work offer letter has all the info needed to be known by means of a worker which is going to be a range o f the deciding factors on whether they will accept the work offer. Locating a dependable resume writer could be the next problem for everybody who decides it could be the fruchtwein appropriate time to generate your financial commitment. Regrettably, a number of resumes contain overused or inefficient words that do not add price. Just take the opportunity to be aware of the person that you are writing to. The One Thing to Do for Cover Letter the Muse Cover Letter Writing The procedure for writing a Cover Letter thats personalized for each specific job is among the most difficult areas of the job searching process in line with the feedback received from our community. If you truly want your resume website to be noticed, including a portfolio shows off your expertise. It can be stressful if you dont have a particular format in mind. Since there is already a format to follow, its possible to merely Provide the things that need to be known through an expert candidate. Writing an acceptance letter is a superb policy for practically any job seeker whos decided to have a work deal. Developing a compelling resume is crucial to landing any work especially in the fast food market. Quite simply, you intend to relocate regardless of whether you get the work offer, and that may instill confidence. Be certain to thoroughly research the company before writing your cover letter, so it is possible to convince the employer that you comprehend the organization and demonstrate why you wish to be part of it. Cover letters are a really good way to demonstrate that you comprehend the surroundings and culture of the business and industry and demonstrate that youve got what they are interested in. As always, to demonstrate that youre a superior fit for the organization, your letter should be suitable for the business and business culture. Also, explain why you are an excellent fit for that specific position and demonstrate that you have researched the organization and know what it offers. You have to take the time you show you will be an asplatzset to the business in which youre applying for. Personal websites are typical for freelancers and expert service companies and for good factors. Do your research firstBefore you get started writing, find more information about the organization and the particular job you desire. Before you commence writing, find out more regarding the business and the particular job you desire. Vital Pieces of Cover Letter the Muse Emphasize Your Transferable Skills Most importantly, concentrate on the transferable skills you have that you could use in the new position, as opposed to upon the particular skills you have which are linked to your existing function. Needless to say, before registering offer letter, you prefer to agree on just what the work actually entails you dont desire to agree to get a position when the responsibilities are misrepresented to you. Be certain that you not only state your previous acco mplishments and the skills youll be able to bring to the job, but in addition make sure that you refer to the particular business and position for which youre applying. Dont forget that each and every job is unique, which means you should research what skills a particular employer will most likely be searching for. Non-profits like museums frequently have very limited budgets, and thus they may choose to only announce work on their own site, as opposed to spending the sum to post it on professional job boards. Even when youre on the watch for entry-level job, the Very fact youre asking for a certain job indicates your aim is to find that job. Despite the fact that its an entry-level job, its still true you have to guarantee you place your best in whatever you do, starting with the resume that you pass. Applying using the task targeted restart to obtain each job is really a superb practice rather than sending very same resume for each endeavor. A Startling Fact about Cover Lette r the Muse Uncovered The work acceptance letter takes only a succinct time to compose, but it might leave an enduring impression. The candidate employs editorial as an alternative to advertising content to spot a person who can influence her future and earns a bold move to fulfill her prospective benefactor. Sometimes Resume objective can seem to be a small statement but it has quite a massive message to convey. Yes, your cover letter is your opportunity to dance a bit in the spotlight, but it doesnt indicate its time to set your ego on display. You do not have anything to lose Theres no use in taking all that opportunity to tailor your resume to every application if youre likely to use a fill-in-the-blank cover letter. Go right ahead and cut or condense whether it feels natural or saves you from going on to a different page nobody will hold it against you.