DIY Resume Mistakes
Here are a few tips how to avoid a mistake we often see in DIY resumes. You'll want to avoid these to make the most of your 15 seconds in the limelight of the employer.
Frequently job seekers limit their chance to capture employers' attention because their resumes lack of a description of their success stories. Instead, their resumes become a boring laundry list of duties and responsibilities about what they did, with not a hint about how they did it.
The way to write a compelling resume is to first reflect upon your past work, then tell a story describing the accomplishments you achieved throughout your career.
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Brand vs. Fit
Let's say that you've developed your personal brand and that your resume communicates a strong brand image. You've probably heard that you will improve your chances of being hired if you're a good fit.
That's nice, but what is fit?
People often confuse brand with fit. Your brand is the vehicle that carries the message of your value to the employer—what special expertise you have, what's unique about you. It's the one thing by which you are recognized.
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Resuscitate your resume
After a lot of hard work, your resume is finally done. It looks good, and you feel you are ready to send your document to a prospective employer.
But wait a minute! Give yourself a break, have a cup of your favorite beverage, then take a fresh look at your handiwork. As your eyes glide over your paragraphs and lists, can you imagine your reader becoming energized by reading it, eager to read it to the end? Or rather, perhaps the individual is wondering what you were thinking…? The reader of your resume may have a pile of documents to screen and may be, well, just tired and bored after reading many hundreds of lifeless resumes by the end of a long day.
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Company brand and you
Companies, especially larger companies, can be a melting pot. The stronger the company's brand is, the more likelihood that you, as an employee, will become assimilated into the local corporate culture. Obviously, you aim to work for a company where you fit. But, how would you know that you would like it there?
A good start is to research the company well before and during the interview. You will be in stronger position to accurately evaluate whether the company's culture is compatible with you.
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10 Resume-writing Strategies
Here are our favorite resume-writing strategies job seekers can use to shorten their job search:
Strategy #1: Write to the future: Don't tell employers what you want. Tell them you meet their needs.
Strategy #2: Highlight only relevant skills: Showcase those skills that are clearly relevant to the targeted position.
Strategy #3: Sell it, don’t tell it: Don't tell your readers what you have done, sell them on how well you have done it.
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Drive Your CAR Story to ACE the Interview
Your resume should paint a portrait describing situations that reveal how you applied your skills, abilities, and experience.
The same strategy applies to answering interview questions, too. Employers want to see evidence of your expertise, so they will look to your resume for topics to discuss. Expect to answer behavioral questions such as, ”Give me an example of how you used your interpersonal skills to solve a problem on the job.”
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The Benefits of Knowing What You Want
In this 18-minute podcast, career-coach Amy Gubser describes how knowing your aptitude, personality, and goals will bring you money, security, and fulfillment.
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Brand Yourself for the Job You Want
In this 33:11 minute podcast, personal branding specialist Paul Copcutt describes how developing and promoting your personal brand will bring you career advancement and job satisfaction.
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Personal Branding
In this 4:11 minute video, personal branding guru William Arruda describes what a personal brand is and why you need one.
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Introduction to Personal Branding
In this 2:20 minute video, we show that we all have a personal brand. Your brand is the feeling people have when they think of you.
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What COLOR Is Your Brand?
In this 3:49 minute video, personal branding guru William Arruda introduces the brand attributes of color.
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Color and Personal Branding
In this 4:00 minute video, we provide examples how you can use color to create an impression about your personal attributes.
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Companies currently hiring
Here 10 industries hiring during the Covid-19 crisis, and 94 companies within those industries looking for job seekers.
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Fill the Gap
Let's say you find a technology job posting that looks perfect for you, except you're missing a particular skill that the employer wants, say, knowledge of JavaScript. If you were quick on your feet, you could promptly enroll an online course and start learning, even while you apply for the job.
It could be weeks before you were contacted for an interview, weeks of precious time to start developing a new skill. By the time of the interview, you may have enough knowledge to speak intelligently about your developing new skill—with full disclosure to the interviewer what you are doing to fill the knowledge gap.
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Career Troubleshooting Guide
• Symptom: jack-of-all-trades resume
• Diagnosis: Not knowing what you want; indecisiveness
• Symptom: Strong competition from other candidates
• Diagnosis: Weak personal brand
• Symptom: No calls for interviews
• Diagnosis: Weak personal brand; ineffective resume
• Symptom: No job offers
• Diagnosis: Poor interview skills
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