I was talking to my friend B the other day. Her builder husband has been off work with a broken arm (ok, it’s really a smashed arm, but let’s not go there…) for almost a year - it’s kind of hard to build with just one arm - and he’s just starting to think about applying for jobs instead of working for himself. The last year had been pretty brutal for them: a new baby, B off on maternity leave, and then he had to stop working. Money’s been tight, and they’re all feeling the crunch.
I was really happy to help him rewrite his resume, and we did a superb job promoting his strengths and skills. The end result looks - and is - great.
But after we created this excellent high-achieving resume, B tells me that he’s looking at maintenance positions. “He’s just so desperate to get something that he’s thinking of applying for anything,” she said. “But I told him ‘there’s no use applying for a crappy job that you’re going to hate within a week. You should aim higher - look hard for that great job that you’ll be good at and want to do for the long term.’”
Words of wisdom! I don’t think the message is to hold out for the ‘perfect position’ - not at all, in fact. It’s more like beware of the ‘tide over’ job. It might seem like a good idea just to get something, but tide-over jobs have a way of sucking you in like quicksand.
And what happens when a truly good job comes along, and you’re already employed? Will you be able to get the time off for an interview - or even to prepare an application? How will a succession of short-lived, random jobs look on your resume?
The best advice is this: think hard about where you want to go, and aim high. Sure, it’s tempting to take the first gig that comes along, but think of it this way: the time you would spend at a go-nowhere job might be better spent finding a go-somewhere job.
As for B’s husband? Well, he’s rethought it, and the first application he put in was for a Senior Project Manager. I think he’s in with a real chance. And let’s face it - for him, it beats the heck out of maintaining an apartment complex any day!
Happy job hunting (and sight-setting)!
Kristin
June 24th, 2008
I came across a really interesting article on a major job-hunting website yesterday. It talked about the importance of crafting a resume that’s concise and precise. No one has the time or patience to wade through 5 pages of wall-to-wall words!
Part of what was nice about this article was that it mirrors everything we here at Ready Resume have been saying for the past few years. Nothing quite as satisfying as being right, is there? 
But in addition to that, it just reminded me of how important the concise-and-precise message is. So what can you do to make your resume concise?
Chop, chop, chop!
Cut out the dead wood from your resume and make it lighter, tighter and easier to read. Think of it as crafting the Gary Coleman of resumes - short and sweet! Believe me, I know it ain’t easy; remember, only last year I was ‘test applying’ for jobs just to see what it’s like to be in the marketplace. And I’ve just finished whittling a customer’s resume down from 4 very full pages to a fit-n-trim 2 pages.
Where to apply the hatchet
One place it’s easy to accidentally ‘bulk up’ your resume is your Work Experience section. But don’t despair - trimming the excess flab from your job entries isn’t hard. Here are a few pointers to help you cut out that loitering lumber lurking in your resume!
> Highlight recent positions and positions with specific achievements. If it was an unremarkable or irrelevant job, don’t laundry-list everything you ever did there to give it ‘bulk’. Write a simple 2 line paragraph summarising it and move on.
> If it happened more than 10-15 years ago, consider skipping it.
> Divide your work history: ‘Recent Experience’ and ‘Other Experience’. Jobs that are recent or relevant can be detailed and placed under the first header. Then, strip the detail off the older jobs (leaving only position, dates, company and a very brief summary) and place them under ‘Other Experience’. It will still show the breadth of your experience without taking up as much space.
> If you performed similar tasks in more than one job, don’t repeat them. Mention them once only.
Add extra sparkle to your resume
And one more thing that gives your resume sparkle: numbers. Specifics about staff numbers, turnover, budgets, etc. I just finished helping a customer rewrite his resume, and I cannot tell you how wonderful it was to see specifics about his achievements: doubling profits to $100K a month, supervising up to 7 staff, reducing office running costs by 15%. The numbers don’t just jump off the page, they give a credibility to the resume that little else can.
So go on - get chopping. And happy job hunting!
> Kristin
June 6th, 2008
Ahh yes, the miracle of baby steps. At last, I have done some research and I can share the cool online resume writing resources I’ve unearthed!
Word up. We’ve all been there. You read your resume and suddenly realise you’ve used the word ‘professional’ four times in the same paragraph. Need a new word - like proficient, masterful or skilled? Then you need a thesaurus - an archive of different words that mean the same thing. I like thesaurus.com - it’s easy to use, and takes its results from several reputable word experts.
Get the power. I’ve mentioned the importance of action words and active voice in earlier blogs. Well, if you’re finding it tough to ‘get active’, Ready Resumes is here for you! We’ve got a list of more than 200 ‘power words’ that really appeal to recruiters and prospective bosses. Check ‘em out right here on the Ready Resumes website!
Defining moments. Of course, sometimes it’s nice to put a few zinger words in your resume to show you’re no dummy. Just make sure you know what they mean…and how to spell them. For a reasonable online dictionary, try www.m-w.com. The good folk at Merriam Webster produce one of the larger and more popular American lexicons. Just remember - it’s American, so if you’re in a Brit-English speaking country, check the spellings!
Spellbound. Yes. There are spell checkers in Word and just about every other program. But just in case you want another one, check out spellcheck.net. This cool little program gives you character and word counts, AND provides drop-down menus full of alternate spellings for misspelt or questionable words. And you can cut-n-paste documents with up to 20,000 words. Cool indeed!
Know of any other invaluable resources? Email us with your recommendations - after all, you can never be too rich, too thin or have too much help.
Happy job hunting!
>> Kristin
May 30th, 2008
It’s about 2 1/2 weeks since my last post. In the intervening time, lots has happened - new projects being started, meeting the neighbours on the block where we’ve just moved, a sick kid, a hilarious garage sale - in other words, life.
And so, despite my intentions to write a great blog about online resources (which I’m sure will be spectacular when I finally DO write it!), I find 2 1/2 weeks later that neither have I done the research, nor the blog. And guess what: this entry is NOT the entry I wanted to write….because I STILL haven’t found the time to start the research, let alone finish it!
This brings me to an actual point: life takes over, despite your best efforts. Saying ‘I’ll work on it later tonight’ or ‘I’ll have time over the weekend’ will just set you up to feel crummy when you realise you’ve put off working on your resume yet again in favour of mowing the lawn, going shopping….or even watching an old episode of ‘ER’ for the hundredth time.
Don’t wait till you have a big juicy chunk of time to work on your resume, because you’ll probably never have one. Instead, chip away at your resume little by little. Give yourself small ‘baby step’ goals: working on your Objective during a coffee break, for example, or looking up some new action words online.
Within a few days, you’ll find that the ‘chipping away’ has given you a great head start - and may even have gotten you tantalisingly close to finishing your resume. And all without having to give up a weekend to do it.
As for me - well, I’ve just started compiling a list of resources. There’s only 2 on the list so far. But tomorrow I’ll try to get a couple more, and another few in the next day or two…so that by next week, my post will be ready to go!
Happy job hunting!
> Kristin
May 15th, 2008
Like zillions of other web-wanderers, I’m on Facebook. I don’t use it much, mind you - I keep forgetting how to add stuff and alter my image. Yes, ok, fine - I have to admit I’m ’social website’-challenged.
Not like my friend Kelly. Her page is long and chock-full of all kinds of photos, questions and bells-n-whistles. It’s like looking at a very neat online scrap-book, which in a way, I suppose is what Facebook is all about.
But beware, job seekers! As with most time-wastin’ fun on the internet, there is a dark cloud over this holly-jolly glimpse into your personal and/or private life. I just read an article about how employers are now checking up on job applicants on social sites like LinkedIn, Facebook and MySpace in an effort to see what kind of person they’re REALLY hiring.
That’s fair enough for most people, who have nice benign little pages, but spare a thought for the people who thought their MySpace/Facebook/Blogs were like little private diaries until they found out otherwise the (very) hard way: the cranky guy who wrote a scathing entry about his boss/workplace and was promptly sacked; and the chick with the drunken party photos on her page whose employers showed her the door.
For the few documented cases like these, no doubt there are countless examples of applicants whose resumes are shown the bin after employers discover strange and disturbing content on their Facebook pages.
Is it fair? Not really. But I said in an earlier post, the web is a great tool for digging - for jobs, for information, and for background on employers. Obviously, that tool ‘digs’ both ways. As a job hunter, it’s up to you: run the risk of turning off an employer with personal content you have posted online, or cover your bum (literally!) and play by ‘the rules’, fair or not. So think about…
> making any dubious content - pix of you wearing naught but a bib and jackboots, video of your wild night in Vegas - private and/or only accessible by friends.
> avoiding scandalous, misinterpretable or nasty entries in your blog.
> considering adding helpful job-seeking information to your Facebook/MySpace pages.
It’s a strange and wonderful thing, this internet, letting you share everything with the world. Just be careful that stuff you’re sharing sends the right message!
Happy job hunting!
> Kristin
April 29th, 2008
We at Ready Resumes advocate proofing your resume to rid it of spelling, grammar and punctuation errors.
In writing, there’s a popular phrase: ’show, don’t tell.’ So today, I’m not going to tell you about the importance of good grammar and spelling in your resume. Nope. I’m going to let George W Bush show you, in just 3 words he spouted last week on national television:
“Childrens do learn.”
But obviously presidents doesn’t. 
Happy job hunting!
> Kristin (aka the Grammar-Nanna)
October 5th, 2007
If you want to win, wear red.
Simple, huh? That’s the advice of a group of British anthropologists who surveyed four sports at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. The group concluded that competitors were more likely to win if they wore red uniforms no matter which sport they played.
“Across a range of sports, we find that wearing red is consistently associated with a higher probability of winning,” Russell A. Hill and Robert A. Barton of the University of Durham in England wrote in the journal Nature. “If color has no effect on the outcome of contests, the number of winners wearing red should be statistically indistinguishable from the number of winners wearing blue.”
The big question: why?
Barton and Hill don’t really know. “Whether red suppresses the testosterone of the opponent or boosts the testosterone of the individual wearing red, we don’t know at the moment. We’re going to look at that,” Barton told the BBC News. “My hunch is that there is a bit of both going on.”
Winning sports vs winning jobs
This study is all well and good, but you’re probably not an Olympic athlete. Can you still harness this colour’s raw power?
Absolutely, say Sue and Simon Lilly in their book ‘Colour Healing.’ According to the Lillys, a splash of red on your resume will make you come across as “a bold and dynamic person.”
And for interviews? “Wear a red scarf or a tie,” say the Lillys. “This is especially effective…(if) your confidence needs a boost, such as an interview or presentation.”
So get your resume red to get it read…and get that job!
For more tips and tricks on red, blue and every other colour, check out our resume resources at www.readyresumes.com/resume-resources.php
Happy job hunting!
> Kristin
September 27th, 2007
In keeping our focus on what employers want to see in an employee - and a resume - we talked (briefly!) to busy and dynamic entrepreneur David Hill from Queensland-based technology company TE Australia to find out what he’s looking for in a techno-nerd…and that nerd’s resume!
RR: So what does your company do?
DH: We develop impossible technologies to do amazing things while having fun!
RR: Sounds like everyone’s dream job! How did you get into the business?
DH: I had an idea and pursued it - 2 years later the R&D had confirmed that it was possible and the business has grown from there.
RR: So what kind of personality does someone in your area need?
DH: You have to be imaginative and thick-skinned, and have a never say die attitude and a sense of humour!
RR: What do you look for in a potential employee?
DH: I want someone who is honest, loyal, ethical, down-to-earth and intelligent.
RR: As a business owner, what do you like to see in a potential employee’s resume?
DH: Good academic qualifications and extensive relevant experience, served up in that order.
RR: What’s your resume pet peeve?
DH: I hate it when someone doesn’t include a cover letter and submits a totally irrelevant resume for the job!
RR: It sounds like you already have it, but what’s your dream job?
DH: I can’t decide between archeologist, astronomer or female body artist.
Check out David’s cool innovations at www.teaustralia.com.au. Till next time, happy job hunting!
> Kristin
September 20th, 2007
I just found out that I should be earning $138,095 a year. Sweet!
Yup, it’s true. Kind of. The (seemingly generous) folk at Salary.com valued the ‘mom job’ for working and stay-at-home moms. Based on a survey of more than 40,000 mothers, Salary.com determined that mums work an average of 92 hours per week performing approximately 10 or more job functions, including housekeeper, teacher, cook, janitor, CEO and psychologist.
That means the 10-pronged ‘mom job’ would equate to an annual salary of $138,095 for stay-at-home mums. For working mums, the salary equivalent is $85,939 in addition to the salary they earn in the workplace.
I guess technically I’m a workplace mum, even though my workplace is about 10 metres from where I sleep, shower and watch ‘The Colbert Report’ on cable (not all at once!)
That should make mums everywhere feel a little more valuable - at least to the tune of $138K, shouldn’t it?
Maybe. But to me it also highlights the fact that ‘work’ done at home - raising a family, managing finances, coordinating schedules - can be just as valuable to your resume as a high-falutin’ job in an office block. The trick? Translate your break into business-world experience.
You weren’t just sitting at home with your 2 kids: you were managing accounts receivable and payable for a ‘company’ with an income of $XX; acting as PA for 3 individuals, coordinating their schedules and managing their workload; or even coordinating small events such as dinners, meetings and celebrations for guests from 10 to 100. Or you may have been doing any number of things that can be directly translated to the working world.
Remember, for employers, experience - no matter where it derives from - is king. So if you’ve had a break from work - to travel, start a family, care for an ill relative, watch every single episode of Seinfeld - you can make it work for your resume!
Happy job hunting!
> Kristin
September 5th, 2007
I was just talking to Leonie about not knowing what to blog today. It’s rainy, cold and grey and I just couldn’t get motivated to move my fingers off my toasty-warm tea mug to the keyboard…that is, until I received a concerned email from a friend.
You may have gotten this one or one like it. The forwarded email is all about how microwaving food in plastics can cause cancer. (If there’s anything that’ll cheer a gal up, it’s learning just one more way you can/will get cancer!) Researchers from Johns Hopkins are cited, jpegs of molecular compounds are attached and it all looks very impressive and legitimate.
Thing is, I nuke stuff in all sorts of containers - glass, plastic, ceramic. I was worried. The last thing I want to do is add more poisons to my system - and my daughter’s, and my husband’s - because I couldn’t be bothered to put our leftover Chinese into a proper bowl.
So I decided to turn to my good friend Google to do an online search to find out if this was indeed true. Interestingly, I found a plethora of websites featuring this information…debunking it as false and/or a hoax. I checked out several of them, including the Johns Hopkins site itself, which deconstructed the email’s assertions quite thoroughly.
By the time I’d finished reading, I went straight to my fridge, took out my plastic container of leftover risotto and put in the microwave on ‘high’ with nary a shred of guilt or fear. Whew!
What’s this got to do with resumes?
Searching and researching. We live in an era like no other, where information both true and stunningly false is available, 24-7 with a few clicks of the mouse. Unlike days of yore, when information-gathering was complex, costly and lengthy, these days it’s easy to source, gather and verify information.
For the resume-writer: if you don’t have one at home, use an online dictionary to check spellings. Use an online thesaurus to come up with different words if you’re stuck. You can even locate area codes, zip codes and post codes online for your references.
For the job-hunter: see an ad for a job you’d like? Check out the company online. See if they’re legitimate, if they’re solid…or if the CEO’s being investigated by the tax department for embezzlement. Or you can check out companies you’d like to work for, find the right person and send a resume BEFORE they advertise.
For everyone else: dig. Check. Verify. Compare stories. Ingest parts, discard parts, morph them together and create what YOU want to believe.
For the first time in history, the power of information is in the hands not of the few, but of the many. You don’t have to just swallow what’s given to you by the hoax emails, the news, the Careers classifieds, ‘the man’. You have the ability to find out for yourself and make up your own mind.
Just grab a keyboard and start digging!
> Kristin
August 23rd, 2007
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