Posts Tagged ‘online presence’

Avoiding the Path to Rejection – Software Engineering Resumes

Wednesday, October 4th, 2017

So you sent your resume to your favorite tech companies and never heard back from any of them?

Guess what, you’re not alone. Top technology companies like Google receive over 2 million job applications a year and only hire about 5000 people. So the average applicant’s odds are only 1 out of 400, says Laszlo Bock, Head of People Operations at Google. Presumably this includes all roles at Google; it is quite possible the odds are even worse for their engineering positions.

Admittedly, this is at one of the premier technology firms in the world, but the situation is not much different at other companies. There is a good chance that your resume is going to be shelved without you ever learning the reason. To not end up in the rejected pile, you must at least avoid the following mistakes in your software engineer resume:

1. Not sending your resume via an employee referral

If you are applying directly via a company’s website or through a job board, please stop!

As per the Impact Group Study in 2010, job applications using networking or referrals are far more successful than applying online. 26.7% of external hires made by organizations came from referrals, making it the number one external source of hiring. 46% of men and 39% of women find their jobs through networking. The higher your salary, the more effective networking becomes.

2. Not tailoring your resume for each job application

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to use the same resume for each job application. While most of the content will remain the same, it is easy to customize the headline and summary sections at the top where you can convey your fit for that particular position. You can highlight the relevant skills in your professional summary to enable an employer to quickly get a grasp of the most impressive and pertinent items in your profile.

3. Not mentioning your online presence

Given how easy and cheap it is to maintain a personal website, social media profile, or blog, it is inexcusable for a software engineer not to have one these days. A blog showcases your knowledge, the kind of work you’ve been doing, and how long you’ve been involved in it. It demonstrates your writing skills and how clearly you can communicate your thoughts. And with linking and discussions, you can show your level of connection with current trends and technologies. It also gives you a significant advantage when a prospective employer can look at your site or blog and assess your fit for their work, beyond the brief summary included in your resume (which will always need to be limited in length and scope).

If you don’t have a website or a blog yet, consider including your Stack Overflow, GitHub, or any other public profile link that could demonstrate your skills. At the very least, you should include your LinkedIn profile and make sure it’s more than just a stub.

4. Not highlighting relevant projects

Top tech companies and startups are looking for killer projects in your profile.

Anyone can build mundane school projects but what personal projects did you create? Did you build an expense sharing app to use among your friends? Or a budget app for your Mom? These projects show your passion for programming because you built them just for fun or utility. Good companies look for such passionate candidates.

These projects can make or break your shortlisting chances especially when your current job profile is not very relevant. If you are an enterprise application developer at a bank, for example, and are applying to Google or Facebook or Twitter, then your work is unlikely to impress them straight away. To make the cut and stay in contention, you need to differentiate yourself, and listing independent projects is certainly one way to do that.

To do this right, of course, you need to understand the job requirement first and then determine what kind of projects would be most relevant. Cut out old school projects and add these instead. If you don’t have any, don’t apply yet and first work on some projects that will be worth mentioning!

5. Not using the right keywords

Most big employers and job boards use applicant tracking systems to store and manage the huge number of resumes they receive. Keyword searching becomes a necessary evil here for screening and filtering out the best candidates. And since most jobs have at least one, non-negotiable requirement, including relevant keywords related to that requirement is essential (adding Hadoop, for example, for a Data Scientist position).

Keywords aren’t just restricted to tools and technologies, of course, but could also be functional titles such as ‘product manager’, ‘SEO’, ‘social media manager’, etc.

So think of what keywords are pertinent to the position you are applying for and include those in your resume to ensure that it is shortlisted during first-level ATS filtering.

6. Not removing irrelevant or unimpressive certifications

There are only a few companies or hiring managers impressed by a SCJP certification. In fact, there can be times when it serves as a negative signal. Ideally, your expertise in a technology should be reflected in your projects and not in the number of certifications under your name.

Unless a job opening specifically asks for a certification or it is extremely relevant, you should leave it off of your resume. For example, if you are applying for network engineering roles that involve working on Cisco switches and routers, including a certification like CCNA might be helpful.

At the end of the day, your resume is supposed to highlight your accomplishments and the skills relevant to the position for which you are applying. Every line should conform to these goals. Anything that does not add value to your candidacy should be mercilessly removed.

If you’ve done it right, your well-designed resume will prioritize the right information and get you past the initial screening. After that, during the interview, it’s all up to you!

Good luck!

Dear Software Engineer – This is why your resume was rejected | by Nistha Tripathi via Scholar Strategy.

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Preparing Your Facebook For Your Job Search

Wednesday, March 30th, 2016

If you’re looking for a job and you haven’t taken a careful look at what’s public on your Facebook profile, you’re doing yourself a tremendous disservice. How you present yourself on Facebook can (and will) determine your chances of being hired.

Consider these numbers:

  • 91% of hiring agents use social networks to screen prospective employees
  • 76% of these agents (69% overall) check Facebook as part of their search
  • 42.8% of employees will check your Facebook after reviewing an application
  • 69% of HR officers have rejected job applications based on social media reviews
  • 68% have hired a candidate based on their social media presence

So what are these recruiters seeing? Log into Facebook and take a look at what they can see. Chances are there’s a few things there that are best left unseen. Which begs the argument:

Why Not Hide My Profile Entirely?

For one, recruiters expect you to have Facebook, and if they can’t find it, you may look suspicious to them.

Above that, what you have here is an opportunity to present yourself positively to your employers. Rather than locking down your profile (or deleting it), why not run a little maintenance? This is your chance to proactively impress your employer with your savvy, charismatic, and career-driven online persona. It’s a simple law of business — turn every weakness into a strength.

Takeaway: Instead of locking down your Facebook, set it up to look awesome when a hiring manager checks it out.

You should be able to whip that profile into shape in four simple steps:

Step 1: Gain Control Of Your Existing Posts

If you’ve been updating your Facebook profile daily since 2004, there’s simply too much to sort through. Instead, you can choose to automatically limit your old posts on Facebook (and by “old”, they seem to mean anything before this year). This leaves you with some recent activity to share, while saving you many hours/days in the archives. You can still go back and set individual posts back to public if you want.

Next, lock down your friends list. You have almost no control over their pages, and it’s safest to keep them away from prying eyes. Additionally, Facebook rolled out a feature called “Graph Search” that allows your friends and relatives to appear in searches associated with you. Locking down your friends list won’t protect you from those searches entirely, but it will help.

As a final precaution, you may want to turn off search engine indexing to your Facebook profile. Many search engines cache your posts, which can make them stay visible in search for several months after you’ve removed them from the actual page.

Step 2: Prune Your Profile

A Facebook profile provides more recorded information about an individual — including where you’ve been, what you’ve eaten, who your friends are, etc — than any source in history. When sifting through that information, at least 12% of employers are going to specifically look for reasons NOT to hire you. Make sure your profile doesn’t have that reason.

Eliminate These Red Flags:

Takeaway: 12% of employers check your Facebook profile specifically to find reasons NOT to hire you.

It’s also a good idea to consider who, specifically, you’re applying to when cleaning out your profile. For example, if you’ve got your fingers crossed for that job at Apple, it probably wouldn’t hurt to unfan “Droid” for the time being. When clearing out your Facebook, be sure to delete the stories (as opposed to hiding them), as they will otherwise still be searchable through Graph Search.

Step 3: Clean Up Your Image(s)

When it comes to a job search, Facebook images are asking for trouble. Everyone’s seen your old photos already: this is a great time to get rid of those old beach photos from college, toss up a professional-looking profile and cover photo, and make most of your albums private. This is also a good time to check out your tagged photos and unlink yourself to those fabulously embarrassing photos your friends have so generously posted and tagged you in. Facebook’s privacy features make this easy to do — you can select multiple photos for untagging all at once.

It’s also worth being prepared for the next batch of draconian privacy changes that Facebook will unleash without notifying you (think: The Great Betrayal, where private photos suddenly went public). If you have anything on there that would be REALLY embarrassing/scandalous if it went public, just get rid of it.

Step 4: Be Mindful With Your Future Content

Using Facebook’s graph search feature to find people who live near you, whether friends of yours or not.The golden rule here is: “Think before you share.” I would take it one step farther: “Think before your friends share.” There’s nothing worse than having to explain your friend’s “Hey, were you able to get the day off for your interview tomorrow?” post to your boss. I suggest you turn off tag suggest for photos, restrict who posts on your timeline, and keep your e-mail notifications on.

One last thing: take the time to research what your Facebook apps are posting on your wall, and be careful with comments you’ve posted under your name in articles and news stories through your Facebook account. These apps and media outlets want to be found, and they will post publicly on your wall if you let them.

Once you’ve cleaned up your Facebook, it’s time to be a little proactive about what the hiring managers will be seeing.

Do This With Your Public Facebook Page:

  • Reflect a positive, charismatic, well-rounded personality
  • Demonstrate solid grammar and communication skills
  • Reflect your passion for your profession
  • Show off your professional accomplishments and awards

If your hiring agent checks your Facebook before calling you for an interview, this is your first chance to show your face and make a good impression. A little effort in cleaning up your image online can (and does) make all the difference between losing the opportunity and getting your foot in the door.

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What To Do If Your Network Isn’t Helping You Get A Job

Thursday, March 12th, 2015

When you’re an active job seeker, well-wishing people will be ever so quick to tell you, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Or, “It all boils down to networking.”

And they’re right. It’s so critical to leverage your professional network when looking for a new position. But what do you do if you’re finding your current network marginally helpful at best?

Surely, you could consider branching out to new people (and you should always—throughout your entire career—look for ways to continue building strong ties with people who may be influential to your professional life), but what about now? What can you do now—with your existing network—if you feel like you’re getting nowhere fast?

Here are four quick ideas that may help you better leverage the people you already know:

1. Send Out a Networking Letter

It’s astounding to me how many people just assume that their people understand with any clarity what it is they do, and how (specifically) they may be able to help out. When you call or email your contacts and ask them to “keep an ear out” for opportunities, they may be more than willing to do just that—but confused about what, exactly, you do for a living.

A networking letter is a simple note that you send to your closest people, outlining that you’re actively searching and sharing what specific types of roles would be great for you and what skills you’d like to put to use. If you paint a picture of the company or job at which you’d be the best fit, your people will have a much easier time considering how they might be of specific assistance.

2. Have Your People Introduce You to Their People

If you zip on over to LinkedIn and see that you don’t have a single first-degree connection at a company of interest, don’t fret. You may well have a second-degree connection. How do you use this to your advantage? Here’s how: Take a look at the person with whom you share the connection. Do you know that person pretty well? If so, get ahold of her and say, “Hey, Sarah. I noticed that you’re connected to Jerry Johnson at XYZ Company. How well do you know him, and would you be willing to introduce me?”

Assuming Sarah knows Jerry pretty well, you could be chatting with someone on the inside of a company of interest within less than a day. Not bad for someone who thought you had no “in,” right?

3. Offer to Help Them

Something that bugs people about networking is that it feels very ambush-y. “Give me this!” “Help me with that!” “Could you walk my resume over to your manager, stat?!” If this is how you’re going about networking, it’s no wonder that your people aren’t being helpful.

Consider instead a strategy that asks your contact for something small (say, “May I ask you two quick questions about your experience at XYZ Company?”) before you ask for a larger favor. Build rapport. Be genuine and interested. And most definitely, when you say thank you, ask if there is anything that you may do to help that person out. Reciprocity is a magnificent thing. Look into it.

4. Consider Facebook

We’ve all pretty much bum-rushed LinkedIn for career networking, and that’s not at all a bad thing. LinkedIn is, far and away, our best online resource for job search and professional networking. However, Facebook can also be supremely helpful to your cause. Think about it: Your Facebook network probably consists of your closest friends. In theory, these are the people most likely to “have your back” when you need something, like a new job. But if you never alert them that you’re looking, how can they possibly be of service? They cannot be.

Use your Facebook status update—selectively—to alert your people of what you’re doing and what you need. On your way to an interview? Let ’em know. Looking for a contact at a company of interest? Ask. You definitely want to avoid being a big, giant downer (“Stilllll no job, people”), but using Facebook strategically for networking can be a very good thing.

Certainly, if your network isn’t being particularly helpful, you may want to also think about ways to expand your professional connections, stat. But more often than not, there are so many ways you can better utilize your existing people. Try these first.

Original from the Daily Muse

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Avoid Giving Away Your Job Search

Thursday, November 13th, 2014

If you’re looking for a job outside your current employer, it’s often helpful to avoid giving away your job search. That’s because if you’re discovered, it can sour your relationship with your boss, which can be detrimental if you change your mind about obtaining another job. And, there are some managers (hopefully rare) who may even take the drastic step of ending your employment.

Hiding your job search can be difficult in this era of social media use, so always think before you act when it comes to posting anything online or discussing your activity with others (especially co-workers).

Here are tips to avoid giving away your job search:

Keep profiles updated. Always keep online profiles up-to-date so you won’t trigger suspicions when you’re actively looking. That way, people think you’re diligent in keeping your information accurate, as opposed to thinking you’re job hunting because you rarely make any updates and then suddenly make changes.

Lie low electronically. Unless you currently don’t have a job or are working for yourself, avoid social media posts telling others that you’re looking for a new job. This sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people actively discuss their job hunt in social media forums – and then can’t figure out how their employer found out.

Be careful what you display online. If you join groups for job hunting online, make sure they’re hidden from view in your profile. For example, on LinkedIn you can change your Group settings so certain groups aren’t visible on your public profile.

Don’t wallpaper the world with your resume. Contrary to what many people think, uploading your resume to every possible job board or job site usually won’t get you the job you desire. Even worse, it could get you unwanted publicity with the wrong people seeing it, such as you current company’s HR recruiters or your boss. Instead, take the time to conduct research and target your resume to only those few key jobs you really want.

Conduct your job search from home, not work. Never use company equipment, such as a company computer or mobile phone, in in your job search because these leave electronic footprints that can be traced if the company chooses to do so. Further, co-workers can easily overhear your telephone conversations in a cubicle environment and sometimes even see your computer screen.

Conduct job hunting on your own time. Never conduct your job search on company time, because that’s the same as stealing from the company (you’re stealing work time). Take a personal day or vacation day for job search work (or use your lunch time and home computer), telephone interviews, and in-person interviews.

Choose appropriate times for telephone interviews. Preferably, schedule telephone interviews before work, during lunch, or after work. Even better, schedule them for your day off. Most hiring managers understand that if they’re interviewing someone already employed, then they’ll need to work around the person’s schedule. Further, most savvy hiring managers look for potential employees who specifically state that their telephone interview needs to be scheduled at a time that won’t conflict with their existing job, so they won’t break any company policies.

Schedule in-person interviews during time off of work. Take advantage of your days off, paid time off, or vacation days when you need to attend in-person interviews. Avoid using sick days for interviewing – Murphy’s Law will usually will kick in and you’ll inevitably see someone from work who knows you’re supposed to be at home sick.

Shhh. Not everyone at work is your friend and can keep information confidential – so be careful whom you tell. “Lindsey” (name changed) once confidentially shared with a co-worker that she was looking for another job. She thought this person was her friend. The next day Lindsey’s boss confronted her about her job search. It turns out the co-worker was the person who shared the confidential information with others within the company and had purposely spread rumors so she could get Lindsey in trouble with their manager.

If, however, you’re looking for a new job within your current employer, it will be difficult to keep your job search quiet. That’s because most companies require that your manager be notified when you apply for a position in a different department. This is to ensure managers work together and that no workload or productivity issues are created when an employee moves into a different job. It also helps prevent problem employees from hopping from one department to another. Even if your job search is internal, it’s still best to go about your job search quietly, with professionalism, and by following the tips above.

Original from Forbes

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How Your Profile Picture is Sabotaging Your Job Search

Thursday, September 18th, 2014

Something a bit on the odd side this time around, as we investigate some fine-tuning you might need for your online profile (LinkedIn or otherwise) to enhance your passive job search:

Your head shot should add value to your profile. Fix these common mistakes to get it on the right track.

In today’s marketplace, it’s not enough to have a well-written resume and a list of great referrals; it’s essential for every job seeker to develop and actively monitor their online professional brand.

While a photo on your resume is still considered taboo, recruiters have come to expect a picture to accompany your online professional profiles. In fact, your LinkedIn profile is 40 percent more likely to get clicked on if it contains an image.

However, not just any image will do. Choose your picture strategically so that it enhances, rather than damages, your professional brand.

Below are nine profile picture pitfalls to avoid:

1. Blurry or Too Small

Ideally your photo should be 200 x 200 pixels or larger. Anything smaller and you’re guaranteed to end up with a fuzzy or teeny tiny image that just screams unprofessional. I recommend choosing a square head shot, as it’s sure to work with all your professional social media accounts.

2. Too Close or Too Far Away

Stick with a standard head shot for your profile pic. Prospective employers and those in your professional network have no desire to examine your dental work, and a shot from far away won’t help them identify you at an event or interview.

3. The Group Shot

Remember, this picture is supposed to represent your professional brand – no one else’s. Don’t make recruiters guess which person you are in the photo. Use an image that shows you and only you.

4. The Crop

Cropping yourself out of the group shot doesn’t work either. While it may be your favorite picture, no one wants to see half of your loved one’s face or your best friend’s hair on your shoulder. Stick to a solo shot that doesn’t require Photoshop.

5. Bad Lighting

Not only do these pictures look creepy, but they are certainly not providing employers with a positive, professional first impression.

6. Too Serious

Opt for photos where you’re looking at the camera and smiling. You don’t necessarily need a cheesy grin on your face, but you want to appear friendly and approachable. The “glamor shots” aren’t doing you any favors.

7. Goofy Expressions

Remember, this image is supposed to represent your professional brand. When you look at your profile photo, does it send the same message as your resume?

8. Pet or Baby Pic

Yes, your puppy is adorable and your family is beautiful. However, that’s not what your professional network or a prospective employer needs to know about you. Save these cute pics for your personal social-media channels such as Facebook or Instagram. Stick to a photo of yourself for your professional profiles.

9. No Photo

As mentioned earlier, recruiters today expect to find a head shot with your professional profile. The first thing recruiters and hiring managers notice is your photo… or lack of one. If you have no photo, their initial thought might be, “What is this person trying to hide?”

If you’re concerned that including your photo could cause people to discriminate against you, I urge you to carefully weigh the benefits and drawbacks of the profile photo before making a final decision. The right image can reinforce your brand and help viewers connect more easily with your profile.

Overall Best Practices

Use a recent head shot that meets the file type and size and pixel size recommended by each site. Consider your outfit, the background of the shot, and the lighting to ensure it reflects your current professional brand and career goals.

Having no photo is better than uploading one that doesn’t project the right image, so put some thought into the picture you choose to represent your professional brand.

Original from the Ladders.

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Top 10 Personal Branding Blunders To Avoid

Thursday, July 10th, 2014

The world of personal branding has certainly changed over the past decade or so, especially with the impact of social media. It’s no longer enough to make an impression in person or on the phone; now you have to be sure your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and numerous other online presences are all coordinated and professional, to avoid presenting the wrong image to potential employers and clients who might be snooping around.

In this somewhat more complicated branding landscape, there are countless possible brand blunders one can make that detract from brand value rather than building it. Below are ten of the most egregious errors so you can steer clear of them, keeping the brand called you on a smooth path to success.

1. Be fake. Effective personal branding is based in authenticity. You need to be yourself – your best self. You’ll be found out if you try to fool people by imitating something you’re not or lying to your target audience. Just think about Milli Vanilli, Rosie Ruiz, and Lance Armstrong. Faking it is also a waste of energy. Anne Morrow Lindbergh once said, “The most exhausting thing you can be is inauthentic.”

2. Be wishy-washy. Strong brands express an opinion and take a stand. If you are trying to please all the people, you usually please none. Want to inspire people and connect with them on a deep level? Get clear about your point of view and make it public. Be willing to repel some people – all strong brands do. Know your message and be willing to stick your neck out and express yourself.

3. Act first. Think later. When it comes to personal branding, I see people building Blogs, using social media, and joining associations without any strategic plan for how it will help them build their brand and achieve their goals. Successful branding requires having a plan. Don’t act until you think – and make your decisions based on your brand strategy. Start by identifying your goals. Then get to know yourself, understand your differentiation, and discern what makes you compelling. You have to establish your brand promise before you can start to build the brand itself with your target audience.

4. Shoot for quantity. It’s not about the quantity of random LinkedIn connections or the number of articles you write or the number of tweets you post. Don’t seek quantity at the expense of quality. Quality is what will make your communications stand out and attract those whom you need to influence. Quality will get you noticed and help you build the right following. There’s tremendous pressure to be constantly visible in lots of social media, so our instinct is to just post, post, post without regard to the message we are sending or the suitability of our audience. Avoid this trap by focusing on quality.

5. Seek fame and glory. Branding is not about you, it’s about serving others. Fame is difficult to achieve, and if you make it your goal, you’ll focus too much on the attention you crave instead of focusing on the value you can deliver. You only need to be known to the people who are making decisions about you and those who influence them. I call it selective fame. Work to be known by decision-makers and influencers who will help you reach your goals.

6. Be binary. Branding requires a steady and steadfast approach. Being binary means that you divide your attention and run a two-track career, perhaps even thinking of branding as an activity that is separate from your career. Personal branding is not something you do occasionally with bursts of activity – like at the beginning of the year when you begin to work on your resolutions. Have a single, focused plan and act on it daily. Don’t let yourself run out of steam; slow, consistent actions will sustain you for the long haul.

7. Be exclusively virtual. Personal branding actually went mainstream when social media came onto the scene. This left many people thinking that personal branding is an online activity. It’s not – at least not exclusively. Sure, having a digital strategy for your brand is critical, but your actions every day and the things you can do in the real world matter. Shaking hands and scheduling face time (and I’m not talking about an online video meeting) bring your brand to life. You must put your personal stamp on everything you do. Think of your brand holistically, and you’re on your way to achieving your goals.

8. Go solo. Personal branding sounds like it should be an individual activity, and it is “personal,” but it’s not solo. The Lone Ranger syndrome will work against you. Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto. Much of the personal branding process has to do with being part of a community and contributing to that community. This is the key to building your personal brand network. Have a mentor, hire a coach, and reach out to colleagues and friends for their opinions. Don’t go it alone.

9. Be selfish. Personal branding is not about you. It’s about what you’re able to give to others. Generosity is one of the best strategies for personal branding. When you give to your network, you remind them you are there through actions that also demonstrate how grateful you are for your success. When you give to your team, you show them you care. When you give away your services, you let people discover firsthand what you’re great at.

10. Forget to measure. You could be spinning your wheels, but you won’t know unless you measure. That means setting up-front goals for your personal branding activities. Your goals might be the number of thought-leaders in your area of expertise who know you, or the influence you create internally, or being recognized by a relevant professional association. Whatever your goals, document them. Focus on them. And measure your momentum as you strive towards them. Regularly – say quarterly or monthly – evaluate your progress against your goals – and refine your strategy accordingly.

If you avoid these personal branding don’ts, you can make a name for yourself that fuels your success for years to come.

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Why Won’t They Hire Me?

Thursday, March 6th, 2014

You’ve applied for every job out there, and no one is getting back to you. Why? Who cursed you with this jobless existence?

It may actually be you. Yes, for all your activities, your strategies, and your button clicking, at the heart of it all, you might be the cause of your own job search fail. How can you be sure? I’ve compiled a list of the most common mistakes people make when applying for a job. Make sure you’re not falling for one of these classic job search blunders:

1: Typos!

The number one biggest mistake people make (and one of the easiest to avoid) when applying for jobs is having typos on their resumé. No matter what the job is, no one wants to hire someone who doesn’t even use spell check. Or even worse, if you’ve made a grammatical error that leads to a humorous misunderstanding (example: occupation – internet booger instead of blogger); that’s just awful. It’s not the end of the world, of course, if you spell your own name wrong on your C.V. It is if you then send it out to everyone, however. Just spend two or three minutes proofreading what you’ve written. If you’re unsure, get a friend to look at it for you or leave it to the professionals.

2: Not having an online presence or having a bad one.

If you’re applying for high-end jobs, potential employers are going to want to know as much about you as possible. If they make a quick search on Google and they can’t find you, it won’t look good. They want to see for themselves the work you have done in the past and what you’re capable of. Some ideas for getting your online presence rolling: set up a LinkedIn account and create profiles on freelance and industry websites.

On the other hand, if your potential employer looks you up and finds a picture of you hitting a bong, it’s going to be even worse than having no presence at all. By all means, post your social life online, but make sure it’s private. It should be just for your close friends. Facebook allows you to view your profile as a member of the public would see it. You should definitely try this out, so you can see what potential employers see and make sure you’re not revealing more about yourself to them than you might want.

3: Using an informal email address.

No matter the situation, you should always have a professional email address for use on your resumé. If you were hiring, would you pick “John.Doe” or “iLikeCars93” or “fluffybunnies”? Choose something with your name in it and if you need to include numbers, select the year of your birth or graduation from college (i.e., george.hamilton1990@gmail.com).

4: Not following instructions.

When you’re reading so many job descriptions because you’re busy applying for everything on the internet, you probably don’t read each of them thoroughly; you’re likely just skimming before applying. However, you should always read each description all the way to the end. Often there will be instructions included, sometimes just to check to be sure you’ve actually read it! Employers won’t want to hire someone for a job who can’t even follow the simple instructions to apply for it.

5: Focusing solely on jobs posted online.

It’s incredibly convenient having all those jobs available there on one page (whether Monster or CareerBuilder or one of the aggregate search engines like Indeed), saving you the effort of wandering from place to place just to be rejected. However, it isn’t perfect. There are plenty of places hiring that don’t put their jobs up on the internet: some prefer face-to-face interviews straight away; some just don’t want the hassle of receiving and sorting through thousands of random responses like yours. You might be missing some great opportunities if you stick only to the online job boards. Branch out: seek referrals from people already working at a company or reach out to hiring managers directly at places that don’t seem to be hiring… you may be surprised by the roles on offer.

6: Failing to ask questions in an interview.

We’ve all been there: they ask if you have any questions at the end of the interview and you have no idea what to say. Or you just don’t want to make a fool of yourself by asking a stupid question. So you wing it: “no, I don’t have any questions”. The problem here is that you seem uninterested and uninformed. You want your future employer to be interested in you, and yet you don’t seem to be interested enough in the job or the company to ask questions about them! Have a few good questions prepared in advance about the role, the company, etc. so they know you’ve been doing your homework.

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What’s In and What’s Out for Résumés in 2014

Friday, February 7th, 2014

On “Project Runway,” Heidi Klum often declares, “One day you’re in, the next day you’re out.” While she’s referring to fashion, the cyclical nature of trends extends to résumés and job-search tactics as well. And if your résumé style is out in 2014, you may well be out, too.

To make sure you’re keeping up with the trends and away from major résumé disasters, check out what’s in and what’s out in 2014.

IN: Keywords that match job descriptions
Many employers use applicant tracking systems to screen résumés and generate a short list of candidates. To ensure that your résumé makes it through the ATS, try greater research into the position and employer to identify a higher percentage of the employer’s keywords associated with specific positions, then creatively embed them in the application and résumé.

OUT: Listing your daily tasks as experience
Instead of using valuable space to tell employers about your basic responsibilities at previous jobs, use the section they’re most likely to pay attention to for impressive feats and stand-out accomplishments. Include quantified, employer-focused accomplishments listed in bullet point under each work experience. For example, “With team of 12 telemarketers, achieved 131 percent of productivity objectives, with a customer positive rating of 98.2 percent.”

IN: Creating and using multiple drafts and formats
Just as no two jobs are the same, no two résumés should be the same. Boyer suggests creating multiple drafts and formats for different roles, to make it through different application mediums and screening tools. Create multiple résumés, customized for each position, in both .txt and .doc formats to allow for use in online applications and ATS‘s (.txt), and for traditional printed copies and PDF emailing (.doc).

OUT: Including an objective statement
Replace the outdated ‘objective statement’ and include a summary of your qualifications at the top of your résumé. This swap offers a more personal look at you and what you could bring to the job. This should be three to five sentences long and should be tailored specifically for the job you are applying for. Be straight to the point, and market yourself as the ideal person for the job. Be compelling and concise, using this section to paint a picture of your characteristics, experience and achievements.

IN: Pointing employers to your online presence
While you only get so much room on an application or résumé, there’s likely much more you’d like to share with prospective employers. The best way to do this? Include your LinkedIn URL. First, if you haven’t already, you should create a LinkedIn profile, as LinkedIn profile URLs are becoming standard to put on your résumé. A LinkedIn profile will allow prospective employers the opportunity to learn more about your skills and better assess your qualifications. Make sure to fully develop your profile prior to listing your URL and align your résumé’s goal with your profile, so both are telling the same story.

OUT: “References available upon request”
Similar to the objective statement, including references or “references available upon request” is a waste of valuable résumé real estate and just repeats the obvious. ‘References available upon request’ was great in 1955. Not so much now. What are you going to say — ‘References not available upon request’? Instead, expand other sections that need the space. Create an “Additional relevant information” section, where you can list your skills, languages, training, certifications, and technologies that are immediately relevant to the desired targets.

Original from MSN

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Crafting Your Online Presence

Thursday, January 10th, 2013

The average person is spending more time on the internet than they ever before. Life revolves around social media accounts like Twitter, Naymz, Linkedin, and Facebook. In reality, having a profile on any of these social media sites is like virtually exposing yourself to the world and they can be just as important to your online image as your attire and manner are to your offline image. Therefore, you need to keep these accounts well-managed, updated at all times, and free from images or information that might put you in a bad light.

Social media is a great way to make initial contact with potential business associates and to effectively manage a much larger network than would be possible offline. It is also likely that, unbeknownst to you, your social media profiles are being checked by prospective and current employers, head hunters, and so forth. Thus, social media is a double-edged sword: it can work for your benefit but if not managed properly can lead to missed job opportunities or even termination.

The best way to work with social media is to ensure it works positively for you at all times. The following tips will help you receive the maximum benefit from your online presence and avoid negative results:

  1. Avoid uploading inappropriate photos. A holiday snapshot with your family is fine but one where you are improperly dressed or engaged in inappropriate activity (drinking, partying, etc.) might damage your professional image. With the internet, these sorts of things can potentially go viral in a hurry and you should never assume anything is private after you’ve posted it somewhere on the net.

  2. Be careful about giving your opinions and views on certain subjects in public places. You’ve probably seen a number of celebrities and public figures lately who have regretted posting something on Twitter that ended up costing them a great deal, even their jobs.

  3. If you maintain a personal blog, understand that it may be visited by anyone in the world (including your boss). It is best to keep the content unbiased and steer away from any racist, political, or religious issues or negative comments about the company you work for (or your boss, for that matter). You could also utilize your blog to discuss relevant industry topics and as a place to show off your technical knowledge.

A consistent online presence is important and even some modest efforts will help ensure that your online brand matches not only your offline image but also the professional persona you want to portray to the world. With recruiters and potential employers lurking about the web, it pays to be prudent and proactive.

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