Career Tip of the Week: Summer May Give Job Seekers a Competitive Edge 

So, I used to hear that people took the summer off from their job search. Heck, we all need a vacation. However, if there are jobs out there that interest you, there may be less competition due to vacations, breaks, etc. Is this true for this Summer of 2012?  I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. In the meantime, use some of this season to get ready, to beat out the competition, or to go on practice interviews until the right position comes along. And, if you aren't getting interviews, let's see how we can work on that together.


Have a great week & hope that it's a good summer of 2012 for you!
Marianne      marianne@designyourdirection.com

Career Tip of the Week: Resume Really Can Make the Difference, So Make Your Resume Work for You!

Branding and knowing your uniqueness are critical to both job search and career success. Your resume is your branding material. It let's the hiring managers and recruiters know your background and skills but also "what sets you apart" and makes you the candidate they want.

So, bottom line, make certain your resume follows all the latest and best practices. For your consideration, I have included resume tips at the end.
Have a great week!     Marianne    marianne@designyourdirection.com

RESUME TIPS ~

1. Always have a particular job in mind when you update your resumé.  Most often, you will be updating your resume relative to the skills and background of your current or last held position. When you forward your resumé to a company, put the position job requisition number in the subject line. Forward both an attachment and a left justified version pasted into your e-mail.

2. Write a strong Summary Section at the top of your resumé that reflects the unique contribution that you bring to the position. Be specific enough so that the reader can distinguish your unique profile from others. 

Poor Example: Marketing professional bringing extensive experience and strong communication skills. Works well independently and on a team. This statements sounds like many people.

Good Example: Successful marketing professional with over 10 years experience running global programs in both bio-tech and high-tech. Reputation for building strong and productive team relationships with both tech and non-tech members.

3. The font should be large enough to be easy to read and give an impression of a  “confident” professional. A general rule is to use a minimum font size of 11 or 12. Use of smaller font size than 10 seems timid.  Use of a larger font size than 12, in the main content, looks “overdone.” Fonts with serifs draw the reader in. Fonts without serifs are very neat.

4. Use bullets and numbers for impact! Bullets are easy to track when quickly reviewing a resume. Numbers draw the reader’s eye to that particular place on the resume. The more numbers throughout, the more likely your information will be read and of interest to the reader.

5. Write strong accomplishment statements within your work experience history. The statements should both reflect your strengths while targeting the position. The experience should be listed chronologically. This is the most preferred format by hiring managers and recruiters in the Bay Area.

6.  The resume should only go back 10 – 15 years. There are times when relevant experience, to the targeted position, requires including additional years. This experience should be limited or you may include it in an additional information section. Remember that “less is more” for impact!

7. If using a second page, fill a minimum of one-third of that page or the information will look lost or less significant.

8.  Always include your name and contact information at the top of the page.

9.  It is difficult to be objective about your own resumé.  Make a point of getting input from people who know your work.

10.Be sure you check for grammar, punctuation, and spelling.  Remember that it’s not enough to use only the spelling checker.

Career Tip of the Week: Love what you do!
This week take time to relax, enjoy yourself and, if you aren't so happy with work these days, figure out what you love doing and do more of it when you get back to your job. Many have found it helpful, to take the Strengths'Finder assessment which will tell you the top 5 strengths you love to use. The more you use these talents, the happier you will be and more aligned with your values for work you love to do. (StrengthFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath, Gallup Research)

One last thing, if you can't figure out on your own what you love to do, and want to do more of, see a career coach. Have a great 4th!!! Marianne marianne@designyourdirection.com 
Re-posting a quote by Steve Jobs:"The only way to do great work is to love what you do."