© Written By Jimmy Sweeney
Author of the brand new, Amazing Resume Creator

Many job seekers ask if they should include volunteer work as part of their job resumes when seeking new employment. It’s a question worth looking at. Some employers are only interested in seeing the nuts-and-bolts details that show the what and where of your employment history.

Others want to see what you do in your spare time. They’re not referring here to a round of golf on Saturday morning but rather what you do for the community as a volunteer. Perhaps you donate a few hours each week to a homeless shelter for men or you’re part of a literacy program for immigrants or you provide meals for the elderly.

List your previous employment first—over the last ten or so years.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY:

2000-2007 Assistant Sales Director, Acme Manufacturing, Inc. Austin, TX

2007-2008 American University, Earned an M.A. in Sales and Marketing

Then create a spot on your resume for whatever volunteer work you’ve done or are now doing. Example:

VOLUNTEER WORK:

2000-2004 Led nature hikes for local Boys’ Club. Organized annual barbecue to raise funds for the organization.

2004-2008 Assistant director of annual Thank You Picnic For Seniors. Here the community acknowledges our elderly for their contributions of time, wisdom, and volunteer hours to our citizens.

When you are called for an interview and further questions arise about your resume you’ll be free to talk more fully about your volunteer work. You can show the hiring manager how community service on the part of employees adds to the company’s credibility with residents, and is also a form of unpaid publicity for the organization’s products and services.

When it comes to your resume, show the full spectrum of your experience—from work to volunteer service. Hiring managers will more likely consider you for the position they want to fill because you’ve been honest, forthright, and generous. Who wouldn’t want to hire such a person?

Jimmy Sweeney is the president of CareerJimmy and author of the brand new, “Amazing Resume Creator.” Jimmy is also the author of several career related books and writes a monthly article titled, “Job Search Secrets.”

Visit our friends at Amazing Resume Creator for your “instant” resume today. In just 10 minutes flat you will have an amazing resume guaranteed to land you more hot job interviews next week.

Add THIS to Your Resume and Stand Out! is a post from: Free Career Advice

With outsourcing, downsizing and plant shutdowns increasing, more and more people are finding themselves competing with youthful college graduates as well as their friends for the ever-shrinking supply of desirable jobs.

Who do you think gets the best job?

It is not always the most qualified. How often have you heard, “I’m sorry, you’re over-qualified for this position”? An employment consultant says, “The job often goes to the most effective job seeker.” We have five suggestions that just might give you the edge you need to find your next job.

Be Organized

It is very important that you establish your personal ‘workday’ schedule so that you start your day knowing what you need to do that day in your job search. Set daily goals and record what you have done. It is amazing how satisfying it is to be able to check things off your list each day. In addition, each day must start with your getting dressed for work. Why would you need to do that? If you are dressed properly for business, it will give you added confidence, especially if you are talking on the phone with prospective employers. This is your “job” now, finding your next employer.

You can get addresses and phone numbers of prospective employers from the employment office. Respond to newspaper ads. Use the yellow pages of your phone book and make lists of companies that might have jobs that are often not advertised, and then contact them. Send a professionally prepared resume to these companies. After such systematic searching, you will be more successful at reaching your goal of finding a job.

How to find the Hidden Jobs

Your opportunities for finding a suitable job will be limited if you are looking for work only by responding to newspaper or Internet advertisements. The best jobs are often never advertised. How can you gain access to this hidden job market? Start by setting aside time each week to personally call on businesses that you think may have jobs in your area of interest or experience. They may tell you that they do not have anything now, but to check back in two or three months. Put them in your “tickler list” to follow up with in two or three months. If they say they are not hiring, ask if they know where else you might look and specifically to whom you should speak. If they suggest a company and contact, try to make an appointment with that company right away. When you call for the appointment, be sure to tell them who recommended them to you.

Ask your friends, family, and other associates to help you access the hidden job market. Let them know what your skills are and what you are looking for. Network with everyone. You never know who might know someone that knows someone that has an opening that requires just the type of skills you have. You might want to have some business cards made up with your contact information and maybe a short list of pertinent skills to leave with everyone you ask to help you in your search.

You Need an Effective Resume

If you are applying for an executive position, having a professional resume to give to your potential employers is a must. But no matter what job you are seeking, a well-prepared resume can be a great asset. A resume tells potential employers not only who you are but also what you have accomplished and why they need you.

What to include in your resume:

1. Provide your full name, address, phone numbers, and e-mail address.

2. State your work objective.

3. List the education you have received, highlighting any training and skills that relate to the job you are seeking. You may have to adapt your list of skills to the particular position you are applying for.

4. Provide details of previous work experience. Include not only what you did but also examples of the goals you reached and the benefits you brought to your previous employers.

5. Highlight aspects of your previous employment that qualifies you for the job you are currently seeking.

6. Include personal information that describes your qualities, interests, and hobbies.

How to Nail the Interview

1. Research the company. With some background knowledge, you can converse intelligently with the interviewer about how the company and your skills match.

2. Dress appropriately for the type of work you are applying for. Always be neat, clean and well groomed.

3. Arrive about 15 minutes early. This will give you a little time to relax. NEVER BE LATE.

4. Smile and give the interviewer a firm handshake if that is appropriate.

5. Avoid being negative about your former employers and work mates.

6. Maintain eye contact with the interviewer and speak clearly and confidently about yourself.

7. Don’t forget to ASK FOR THE JOB if you still want it at the end of the interview.

Be Adaptable

To increase your chances of finding work, you must be adaptable. It is unlikely that you will find a job that has everything you are looking for. You need to learn to be content with employment that is less than ideal. Being adaptable may mean overcoming prejudice against certain types or work. Be willing to accept any suitable work that does not compromise your values.

By using these suggestions, you will have an advantage over the majority of others who are competing with you in the job market.

Good “job” hunting.

The Only Steps You Need To Get Your Dream Job is a post from: Free Career Advice

By Michael Lee

When writing your resume, one of the first things you have to consider is your career objective. I’ve been there before and I know how challenging it can be to come up with something note-worthy. In this case, it doesn’t hurt to look for outstanding career objective examples for resumes you can base on.

You might wonder why your resume needs to have an attractive career objective. How does a sentence or two affect the long list of achievements in your resume?

Well, for starters, the career objective is usually the first line your potential employers will see once they scan your resume. From that one line, they would most likely recognize which candidates have creativity and spunk; and which candidates are simply just like the rest.

Unless you want your resume to be stuck with the rest of the commoners stash, you’d better take these career objective examples for resumes a little more seriously.

Example # 1: To use my graphic design skills in creating attention-grabbing graphics that sell.

Most career objective examples for resumes start out with “to” rather than “I.” In a way, this makes your career objective less about yourself, and more about the job and company you’re applying for.

Remember, your potential employer is always asking “What’s in it for me?” So you better come up with benefits that speak directly to their mind and emotion.

If you’re a fresh graduate, using “to” to begin your sentence is a safe choice.

Example # 2: Feature editor offering four years of experience in magazine story line-ups and special reports.

This second career objective example is mostly used by those have been there and done that. They now have the experience and the gall to state their position and what they specialize in.

If you’re a reputable person or authority while attending college, and would like to use this particular objective form, you need only to replace “Feature editor” with something like “Former Writers Club President” or “Cum Laude Graduate.” Then show them how they could benefit from your academic know-how and experience.

Example # 3: Seeking an entry-level position in pharmaceutical management to utilize my communication skills and Degree in Pharmacy.

This last example shows how important it is to be specific about what you want and what you can offer.

However, you can’t be overly specific, for it might only give your potential employers the impression that your skills are limited to a particular set or limited to operating specific programs only.

Knowing which of the various career objective examples for resumes to base your own ideas on, helps you stand out from the rest of the applicants. It gives others the impression that you know exactly what job you want and how your skills come into the picture.

“The Ultimate Way Of Preparing For A Job Interview! Now You Can Easily Impress Any Job Interviewer And Persuade Him to Eagerly Hire You On the Spot!”

Career Objective Examples for Resumes: How To Instantly Grab Any Employer’s Attention is a post from: Free Career Advice

© Written By Jimmy Sweeney
Author of the brand new, Amazing Resume Creator

Are you problem solver?

Someone who can save the company money?

Someone who can make the company money?

A person who can organize and categorize without effort?

If so, step up and sell those skills.

What do you do well that will bring the company bottom line RESULTS?

For example, resolving conflict among subordinates is a good thing—but it doesn’t show how that ability affects the company’s bottom line. So what do you do? Leave that skill off your resume? Absolutely not! Instead reword it so it highlights the benefit.

Example:

Sales Manager

Resolves conflicts among subordinates. Result: Less staff turnover. Company benefit: Money and time saved on training new personnel.

Administrative Assistant

Hired one fast word processor. Result: Eliminated two part-time word processing jobs. Company benefit: Saved department $10,000 in unnecessary wages.

Marketing Director

Split-tested two sales letters against each other for 30 days and found one to improve sales by 25%. Result: Added $20,000 per month in additional profit by switching to the new sales letter.

Give some serious thought as to how you can save money and/or make money for a particular company. At the end of the business day it’s all about bottom line results and what YOU can bring to the table.

There is a time to toot your horn and there is a time to blow it softly. A resume is the time to toot! Speak up for yourself when what you have to offer will be a benefit to the company you hope to work for. Follow the examples above and you’ll see an increase in the requests you receive for quality job interviews.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

amazing resume guaranteed - click on the image

Jimmy Sweeney is the president of CareerJimmy and author of the brand new, “Amazing Resume Creator.” Jimmy is also the author of several career related books and writes a monthly article titled, “Job Search Secrets.”

Visit our friends at Amazing Resume Creator for your “instant” resume today. In just 10 minutes flat you will have an amazing resume guaranteed to land you more hot job interviews next week.

Resume Tip: It’s All About The RESULTS You Can Deliver! is a post from: Free Career Advice

London First and FreshMinds Talent launch Leading London, a unique diversity initiative aimed at promoting the interests of students at under-represented in the UK’s capital. [PR.com - March 19, 2009]

London First and FreshMinds Talent Launch Diversity Initiative (PR.com) is a post from: Free Career Advice

Editor’s note: In an effort to shed more light on the struggling economy and the difficult task of finding work, the Daily News will be running a series of first-person accounts of everyday people trying to find employment. The Daily News will also be offering tips for finding jobs from some of the area’s job placement experts.

TO FIND A JOB: Business communication expert offers resume advice (Naples Daily News) is a post from: Free Career Advice

Thanks to Laura Smith-Proulx for a reminder that resume databases may still require job seekers to convert their resumes to plain text to apply for positions. These are the steps that Laura suggests to convert from Microsoft Word to ASCII text form: 1 – First, ensure that you have saved your new resume document in Microsoft Word format in at least TWO places on your hard drive. HINT: For backup purposes, you may also want to email it to a friend or family member in case your hard drive

How to convert your resume to a text only file is a post from: Free Career Advice

NORTHBOROUGH, Mass.—-Pongo Resume™, the premier full-service online resume-building resource that provides a suite of tools to help job seekers market and manage their career, today announced the expansion of its suite of job search tools with the launch of Interview Tips, a multi-media Web 2.0 training program designed to give job seekers the skills and confidence to ace their job interviews …

Pongo Resume Expands Suite of Job Search Tools; Adds New Multi-Media Web 2.0 Interview Tips Application (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance) is a post from: Free Career Advice

London First and recruitment consultancy FreshMinds Talent have launched a new scheme designed to introduce a diverse range of star students from London’s universities to leading graduate employers.

London First and FreshMinds Talent launch diversity initiative (Consultant News) is a post from: Free Career Advice

Just when you thought the job market couldn’t get worse, there is more news about company pink slips, hiring freezes, and benefit slashes. If you are one of the thousands tasked to find a job in these dire economic times, all is not lost. Hopefully, you can move more quickly from the unemployment line to a job offer once you get past these six common myths about job-hunting during a recession.

Myth 1: No one is hiring.
Layoffs are coming in every direction, but some employers — even those laying off workers — are still hiring. Companies often eliminate full-time employees with budget-busting benefits only to replace them with contractors or consultants to save costs. Additionally, “green” jobs, and health care jobs are among those still actively populating want ads. And, the pay is respectable. For instance, Payscale.com shows the median annual salary of an environmental engineer with 3-5 years experience is $60,672.

Myth 2: The Internet is the best place to find jobs.
The Internet is an efficient way to survey jobs among many companies, but personal interaction is still key to job search success. Truth is, employers are bombarded with thousands of resumes from the Internet — especially in a recession. Therefore, the chance that your new boss will choose your resume out of a pile of prospects is slimmer than ever. Instead, focus on finding a position, apply for it, and then do some research and connect personally with a hiring manager in the company to follow-up. Social networking sites, such as LinkedIn, also offer a great way to connect with targeted employees on your company dream list. These connections are golden because they can give you insider info about unpublished positions and help you sail past HR “blockers.” Personal recommendations go much farther in landing a job than random resumes.

Myth 3: Searching companies in hiring freezes is a waste of time.
Like many situations in life, hiring freezes are not absolute. Savvy networking, the right face-to-face meeting, and the ability to sell skills critical to the prospective company can be the perfect formula for lighting a fire under an employer in a hiring freeze. Behind closed doors, hiring managers are told to make exceptions for spectacular candidates that can show them the money, especially in a recession when every dollar counts.

Myth 4: Expect a salary cut.
In hard times, companies value astute problem-solvers more than ever. While employers may trim the fat elsewhere, there is always room in the budget for top-tier talent. However, during a competitive job market, there is a bigger burden to prove you are worth a higher salary, says John Challenger, CEO of Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Ultimately, companies want their talent investments to pay off — and stick around. “If an employer goes to the expense, time, and effort to find a qualified candidate, it wants the person to stay, ” Challenger adds. The last thing an employer wants is for a prized candidate to temporarily accept a lower salary than her previous salary and say “hasta la vista” once the job market recovers.

Myth 5: Companies are not interested in hiring people over age 55.
There are several reasons Challenger, Gray & Christmas disputes the adage that older employees are unemployable. In a struggling economy, employers value seasoned workers’ shorter learning curves (aka: less money invested in employee training) and their ability to do the work of several younger, less-seasoned workers. Separately, like a fine wine, experienced employees who are surgeons, accountants, attorneys, engineers, and IT professionals get better with time. Clients gravitate to more experienced employees in these professions. This adds up to more cha-ching for employers.

Myth 6: Experience and advanced degrees guarantee a job.
While experience and education have their plusses, they aren’t guarantees to landing a job. In a deep recession, experienced and degreed people come a dime a dozen. “It is very important to sell your world experience, your concrete accomplishments, and expertise; things that make an impact on the company rather than just your knowledge,” Challenger says. Research what skills the employer values most in order to tailor your sales pitch accordingly, Challenger adds. And, because the market is so tight, though you are experienced, someone with more experience is likely applying for the same job. Take time to create your brand image and sell, sell, sell!

6 Myths About Job-Hunting in a Recession is a post from: Free Career Advice