Archive for Resume
Volunteering: Gain work experience and exposure
Posted by: | CommentsVolunteering your time is a great way to get experience in a new career field you haven’t worked in before. What is even better, it’s a wonderful way to give back to your community. One of my group coaching clients sent me this update recently:
This Friday is my first scheduled presentation for the North Georgia Goodwill and there are three others later in the month. Next Monday is my first formal speech with the Gwinnett Harbingers Toastmasters Club. I continue to find this is an excellent development and networking tool. I went from 19 “umms” the first time I spoke for two minutes, down to 2 “umms” for a table topic speech, plus an eight minute evaluation “speech” for another speaker
-Group Coaching Client
This client is brilliantly fine tuning his speaking skills to apply for more positions as a trainer. He’s been in the process of interviewing for his dream job for the past several weeks and is in the last round of the process! He’s found several ways to give back, and at the same time gain experience and exposure to what he wants to do long term. It’s a path towards his dream job and he’s walking the talk. Consider volunteering. It’s a great way to gain experience, fine tune your skills, network, and all while giving back!
5 Steps to Re-Inventing Your Career
Posted by: | CommentsSTEP ONE: Define your talents:
Uncover what your unique talents are, how you stand out from your peers in industry, and identify your transferable skills. Transferable skills are those that can translate to other industries.
- Action steps:
- Take 30 mins with your resume this week, with someone else alongside, identify unique skills
- Spend an hour interviewing a friend, a family member, a former co-worker about “your greatest strength” ask them what they think it is
STEP TWO: Brainstorm additional career ideas:
Research and brainstorm other career paths you can take with your talents and experience. Examples: if you’re an architect you could look into green construction, if you were a banker who investigated and researched fraud cases you could look into police work or becoming a lawyer (both things that involve research and uncovering facts).
- Action steps:
- Spend an hour this week searching the ONET database (online.onetcenter.org) using keywords and skills
- Search monster and careerbuilder for job postings in specific industries to get a feel for what’s out there in those industries and if they would be a fit for you. Indeed.com is another useful site
- Talk with friends and family members at social events this week; ask them to brainstorm career ideas with you
Are you lying on your resume?
Posted by: | CommentsIn a competitive job market your resume couldn’t be more valuable! I recently came across this article from The Boston Globe about how “more job seekers are ‘dumbing down’ credentials” on their resumes in order to get the job interview.
I thought this topic was really interesting. Here’s my take on it.
Modifying your resume to fit the position you are striving for is a must. You have to do this. If it means leaving something off in order to get an interview, that’s not bad. What is bad is downright lying on your resume about a job, skill, position etc. that you have held and didn’t.
Client example: A career coaching client applied for a job and chose to remove the PhD listing. This client doesn’t go by doctor and it didn’t accurately represent who they were. It wasn’t important for that position or their direction.
When you tailor your resume to a position, it is a balancing act of being honest and truthful versus not presenting yourself accurately. Your resume should present yourself as something that you are. You could always bring anything omitted in interview as needed. .
Please note: There is no one-size fits all answer here as all situations, positions and experiences are different. Again let me emphasize you NEVER want to lie.
It is one thing to not disclose an important thing like a crime that you committed or a criminal record. It’s different not to disclose a PhD in order to get the interview. Remember each situation is individual and needs to be addressed as such.
If you need help with your resume, contact us for a complimentary consultation.
Stop Spinning in Your Job Search
Posted by: | Comments- Are you in career transition but aren't finding the job you want?
- Do you feel like you're spinning your wheels and getting nowhere in your job search?
- Are you not getting any quality job offers?
- Do you need help with your job search strategies?
Then this one hour job search teleclass is for YOU!
On this call you'll learn key strategies to conduct an effective job search. You will get resume and cover letter tips, learn vitally important interview skills, and get networking advice that you can begin using right away.
Learn more about the job search teleclass here:
www.halliecrawford.com/jobsearch.html
Have a great weekend!
Hallie Crawford
Job Search and Career Coaching
Resume Writing Rumors
Posted by: | CommentsThere are so many rumors that circulate about the "right or wrong way" to craft your career resume. Can you recall people in your lifetime, offering you free advice on the proper protocol for resume creation?
"Always list your career history in chronological order."
"Make sure you print on cream or grey parchment paper instead of plain white so you'll get noticed in the pile."
"Don't make even the tiniest mistake or your resume will get thrown into the trash!"
The fact is, each career opportunity is unique, as is each employer. Something that appeals to one hiring manager may actually be a turnoff to another. You won't know what that might be until the day of your interview… so, there’s no sense in obsessing about it or trying to please everyone.
So if you're feeling anxious about creating your resume, don't sweat it! Two things that will get you noticed "in the pile" are if you tackle your career seeking research with confidence, and approach things in your own style. And it's worth pointing out that "in your own style" does not mean unprofessional. It simply means having common sense about the things that any hiring manager would want to read on a resume, while also giving yourself the freedom to be who you are and share your best qualities.
Here's a great tip for writing your resume. Put yourself directly into the employer's shoes. If you were running a business or managing a department, what qualities would you want in your future employees? Think about the position that needs to be filled. What skills and strengths might a supervisor equate with "the ideal candidate." Do you possess those qualities? Perfect! Talk about it in your career resume and cover letter. Let them know exactly why you are the ideal person for the job.
For personal career guidance that includes resume writing tips as well as finding a career you love, contact me for a complimentary phone consultation.
Here's to having a career you love!
Hallie Crawford
Career Coach & Speaker
