How to make your CV better in 5 minutes

How to make your CV better in 5 minutes So here’s the 5 easiest ways to improve your CV in 5 minutes! Curriculum Vitae (Photo credit: the Italian voice) When you’re job hunting it can be a struggle sometimes if you’re not getting any responses and you’re finding it hard to understand why. Usually when this happens it’s down to two things â€" either your CV isn’t selling you properly, or your experience isn’t up to scratch. Experience is something I can’t help with unfortunately â€" but I can (and will) help you fix your CV. Most people make 5 common mistakes on their CV â€" which only need take a minute each to amend. So here’s the 5 easiest ways to improve your CV in 5 minutes! Choose a decent font The easiest way to make someone throw your CV to one side is by having a a weird font. People who look through 20 CVs a day â€" want to be able to look through you information without getting a headache. Ariel is a great font as is Calibri or Helvetica. Try and stay clear of Times New Roman as it is one of the most common fonts used on CVs and will probably just blend you in. Don’t go over 2 x A4 pages in length If you CV is over 2 A4 pages â€" something is wrong. You CV should be a summary and an example of what you’ve done and what skills you have â€" it shouldn’t be your life story! If you can, I’d heavily advise you to cut the CV down to 2 pages â€" it makes your CV look cleaner and more concise too. Don’t have a photo of yourself on there Unless you’re a model (or unless the company have specifically stated you must include a photograph), then don’t put one in there. Some employers see the inclusion of photographs as a sign of vanity or unprofessionalism so just keep it out of there â€" it’s not necessary. Photographs also take up valuable room on your CV â€" space which could be used telling them how great you are. Format it well Take a step back from your CV and look at the layout and format of it… does it look well presented, clean and simple? This is what you want. If it looks messy, over-crowded and hard to navigate, then the person reading it will most likely toss it onto the “no” pile. Look at it like you’ve never seen it before, is it visually interesting? Would you want to take the time and read it. Include a great cover letter A cover letter is an instrumental part of any CV and you should always tailor these specifically to the job you’re interest in and applying for. Cover letters should be short, personable and grab the employers attention. Tell a joke, tell a quick story or just tell them what you’re most proud of. Your cover letter is your chance to show your personality and to properly introduce yourself â€" as often, a CV can’t do this properly. Make the most of it and really grab their attention. If they love your cover letter, they’re more likely to read your CV and call you in for an interview.

Networking at Conferences Part 3 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Networking at Conferences â€" Part 3 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career People have heard me say many times that I tend to avoid networking events. What? A networking expert not getting out face-to-face? Dont I practice what I preach, especially since the subtitle of my book is attract a following in person and online? Of course I do! I think networking in person is a vital component of every networking plan. And despite the growing popularity of online networking, I dont believe face-to-face networking will ever go away. Case in point is the number of social media conferences taking place in the world every year. Even people who network online all the time still want to see each other in person! Live event networking is definitely a part of my strategy, but Im very specific about the events I attend because Im always trying to maximize my time and effort. So Ill network at events where Im speaking, for example. After all, thats a highly targeted audience that is definitely interested in what I have to share. Maximize your time and effort Ill also go to conferences, consolidating time I would have spent at a bunch of small events every month and going to a few large ones over the year instead. This may not be the right strategy for youâ€"Smart Networking is all about choosing the right mix of networking activities for your goals at a specific point in timeâ€"but if you do go to conferences regularly or will be going to one in the near future, I hope youve found this series helpful for getting prepared. Three tips to act on Here are three final tips for putting your plan into action and helping to ensure you make those high-impact connections that could really make a difference in your business or career: Ask organizers for help Conference organizers want you to meet your objectives so you’ll come back next year and hopefully bring some colleagues as well, so don’t be shy about enlisting their help.   It’s a simple two-step process. First, you have to find one of them. One place to look is the registration desk, or, even better, if the conference is big enough, the Speaker’s Lounge, where speakers check in and hang out before and after their talks. You can also see them in the back of the seminar room making sure everything is going smoothly.   Often, they’ll be holding walkie talkies. Second, you have to articulate your request. If there’s a specific person you’d like to meet, say, “I’d love to say hello to Mr. X, would you mind introducing me?” Or, if you’re looking for a specific type of person but don’t have a name, you might say, “I know there are some folks here from ABC Company, what’s the best way to find them?” or “I’m looking for someone in the PR field, is there someone you could introduce me to?” Get out of the seminar room As a speaker at conferences, I should be biased towards encouraging participants to stay in their seats at keynotes and breakout sessions and soak up as much information as possible.   However, as a networker, I know that conversations during breaks and meals and in the hallway can be extremely valuable for building relationships that can help your business. Be sure especially to take advantage of any unique networking opportunities offered at the conference. More and more, organizers are trying to facilitate connections among participants in unique ways, through structured networking events and other creative programs. A conference I attended a few years ago in Washington D.C. offered a dine-around event where participants were divided into small, pre-determined groups (to separate people from similar companies and professions) and set up for dinner at local restaurants.   I shared wine and great food with industry leaders who are still part of my network today. Make time for the follow up To build on those connections you made, block out some time when youre back at the office for following up. Dont just throw the stack of business cards into your drawer, sort through them and pick out the folks you really see a synergy with, or can offer some help to right now, or can connect to someone already in your network. To make the process easier, read my post on Setting up for Success Follow Up, because there are things you can do at the conference itself to make this step much more efficient and effective. Although Woody Allen once said that 80% of success is just showing up, networking successfully at conferences, trade shows, and conventions takes a little more effort. By just showing up, you’ll probably still have a fine time, get useful information, and meet some nice people, but a little focus and upfront prep can make the experience more relevant for your needs, and result in a much bigger payoff for your time and investment. Author: Liz Lynch is founder of the  Center for Networking Excellence and  author of Smart Networking: Attract a Following In Person and Online (McGraw-Hill, 2008).  She writes, speaks and consults to experienced professionals on  how to seamlessly integrate social media and traditional networking to save time and  accelerate results.

11 Ways You Can Use Humor to Help Your Career

11 Ways You Can Use Humor to Help Your Career Who says work has to be all seriousness all the time? Actually, no one really says it, but most of us kind of assume. When asked,  91% of CEOs  say a sense of humor is important for career advancement. Take that as your cue to use any and all of our 11 ways you can use humor to help your career. LIGHTEN UP A JOB INTERVIEW Its entirely possible that you are the 10th or 20th candidate for a job opening an interviewer has seen. By now hes heard all the rote answers people give to Where do you see yourself in five years? Why not toss in a witty remark or joke before giving the real answer? BE THE BUTT OF YOUR JOKES Obviously, making jokes at a coworkers expense will not get you the kind of attention youre after. Also verboten are blonde jokes and a priest walks into a bar jokes, for obvious reasons. The only completely safe person to rib at work is yourself. You can poke fun at your own taste in music or how you always screw up on first dates, just dont make light of your ability to do your job. MAKE YOUR BLOG A MUST-READ Companies and individual businesspeople have caught on to how important social media can be for successful business. Industry-specific blogs and Twitter feeds that are truly funny rope in people who wouldnt normally be interested in what youre talking about, simply because funny is funny. A wider audience means a better chance of a random contact offering you a better job, or simply making a name for yourself that you can bank on later. LIVEN UP A PRESENTATION Unless you work at NASA and your presentation is about the aliens youve found living on Mars, youll need a way to jazz up the lecture and keep people engaged. Humor is the perfect way to do that, and it can also help deflect awkward or hostile questions from your audience. PICK COWORKERS UP A great way to further your career is to show your boss(es) that you can step up and be a leader. You can do this by taking advantage of your sense of humor. Become the guy or gal in the office who sends out the funniest emails or who makes a point of brightening someones mood who is obviously down. FOSTER A HUMOR-FRIENDLY WORK ENVIRONMENT If you are a CEO of a startup or otherwise have a way of influencing the company culture, keeping the business thriving is important for your career. Humor is an excellent means of not just keeping employees, but keeping them happy. Happy people  work harder, the company benefits, and you as the manager have a success to add to your résumé. LAUGH OFF YOUR MISTAKES Goofs. Foibles. Faux pas. Everybody makes mistakes, and sometimes those mistakes are going to happen between the hours of 9 and 5. Instead of stewing over them, consider them an opportunity to prove you have a sense of humor and dont take yourself too seriously. LAUGH WITH OTHERS Staffing firm  Robert Half International  suggests an easy way to help you get ahead at work: just laugh. Laughter puts people at ease and helps you get along with them. People â€" even bosses â€" gravitate towards people who laugh easily and often. MAKE WITTY REFERENCES When youre around your boss, making a clever, humorous allusion at just the right moment is an easy way to stand out and show off your knowledge. Obviously this requires staying up on the news, especially  business  and  economic  news. Keep it classy, but hey, if you know your boss loves  Seinfeld  or  Office Space, drop some quotes in once in a while. BREAK THE ICE WITH POTENTIAL CLIENTS In many industries, everyone you meet is a potential client, which means when you fly on a plane, go to a ball game, go to church, or go pretty much anywhere people sit next to each other, you are sitting next to a potential customer. What better way to advance your career than to bring in their business? Of course, social norms being what they are, you typically cant just ask people out of the blue for their business. Humor is the perfect lubricant to grease the tracks for a smooth introduction, then a conversation, then a date for a business meeting. ROAST YOUR BOSS Getting up on stage in front of a crowd of people and publicly making fun of a superior is a guaranteed way to get fired … unless its all part of the show. Roasts for members of senior management are a common way for companies to honor them. Its also considered an honor to be one of the roasters. The person being roasted will have a sense of humor (or he wouldnt have agreed to it), and its a perfect time for you to display yours.

Create a Resume That Is Suited For Transitioning to a Supervisor Position

Create a Resume That Is Suited For Transitioning to a Supervisor PositionCreating a resume that is suited for transitioning to a supervisor position can be difficult. The goal of any resume is to get you the first interview. However, how do you create a resume that is specifically tailored to getting you the job?There are some crucial factors that must be taken into consideration. The best way to create a well-tailored resume is to follow the steps listed below. Once you have done this, you will be on your way to creating a great resume for transitioning to a supervisor position.Your resume should contain different sections. The resume is designed to show your ability to lead and manage people. First and foremost, your resume must include your job experience, as well as your references. If you have had some experience with the company before, it will be easier to highlight the skills you possess.Next, you should think about the style of communication you use with other employees. Som e managers are highly communicative, while others are not. It is important to be able to convey your personality in your work environment, as well as communicate your personality through your work emails. In order to transition from worker to supervisor, you must communicate clearly and be positive in your style.In addition to the manager and employee sections, your resume should also contain sections geared towards transitioning to a supervisor position. This section will include your accomplishments in the past, and examples of times you were a positive influence in the workplace. You should be sure to list these accomplishments in the proper order. List all of the accomplishments that were more recent, and list all of the accomplishments that were older than six months.Finally, the transition section should include an interview summary. In this section, you should be honest about why you are applying for the supervisor position. To make this section more attractive, write the int erviewer a letter or email explaining why you want the position. In addition, make sure you include your strengths in this section.After the transition section, you should be sure to provide a cover letter. In this section, you should use examples of some of the projects you have worked on and describe the unique skills you possess. You should also use examples of some of the tasks you have done in the past and describe your unique ability to perform these tasks.Finally, in your cover letter, you should be certain to list your application and resume. You should also include the references listed on your application. By following these steps, you will be able to create a well-crafted resume that is perfect for transitioning to a supervisor position.

Its All About the Connection - Kathy Caprino

Its All About the Connection Well, I’m on Day #4 of my 30-Day Twitter Experiment, and it’s been quite enlightening and surprising so far â€" and tiring!   More than I imagined.  Here’s what I’m learning:  1) It’s all about the connection.   What do people want more than anything in life?   To be valued, liked, appreciated, understood, recognized for who they really are, and to not feel alone.   Welcome to Twitter.   It’s all about real connection â€" conversing, supporting, laughing â€" being real.  2) Drop the façade â€" there’s no time to keep it up.   On Twitter, if you want to build community and create true connection, there’s no time to keep up your well-crafted façade that hides who you really are.  No time to “protect your reputation.” If you’re conversing continually, you just can’t be watching every word that comes out, and filtering it for how you want to sound.   You’ve just got to be yourself and use the authentic voice you have.   (BTW, I’ve got to write a post on this issueâ€" the public vs. the private persona, your reputation vs. who you really are…more on that soon).  3) If you’re a narcissist, you won’t like Twitter.   If all you want to do is talk about yourself and your business and services, you won’t have much fun because no one will follow you or care about connecting with you, in the long-run.   (Also another post â€" and book â€" needs to be written about the intensely negative impact of working or living with those who suffer from the narcissistic personality disorder, and how to manage it)!  4) People are awesome â€" or at least, many thousands are.   So many of us have been burned in our lives by snarky, jealous, dishonest, back-stabbing, insecure, angry people who’ve hurt us.   But through social media, you expand your horizons beyond your imagination and beyond your tight world, which allows you get out of your circle (which can sometimes disappoint), and meet amazing new folks around the world who want to help and share.  5) It’s addictive, learning new things.   This experiment is teaching me so many new things that I’m slightly addicted to the whole experience.   The new ideas are flowing in the middle of the night, while Im in a client meeting, driving my kids to soccer and band, while I’m watching “Glee,” eating dinner…   Clearly, it’s fun to step up to a new challenge.  6) Life takes time.   Nothing is created overnight â€" there’s no magic bullet for moving forward.   It’s all in the doing, doing, doing, then learning from the doing.   Have you noticed that moving something from the metaphysical realm â€" the realm of pure, light energy, the realm of ideas â€" to the realm of the physical, is HARD?   Well, it is. The energy is dense here on the physical plane.   The more you’re prepared for that, the better.    I hope you’ll be inspired to do your own 30-Day Twitter experiment, and follow mine at @kathycaprino.com.   Let me know if you do, and I’ll follow you and do my best to connect/comment along the way.  I promise you â€" in the process, you’ll peel back some layers about yourself and be deeply surprised at what you find.

Job Hunting Stay Curious to Ensure Success! - Jane Jackson Career

Job Hunting Stay Curious to Ensure Success! - Jane Jackson Career A Successful Job Search Needs a Curious MindRead the original article in UKs leading careers blog here:  http://www.learnist.org/successful-job-search/Why do so many people find the process so daunting and exhausting when looking for a job?Over the past 18 years, I’ve supported my clients to create the career of their dreams. Together we’ve identified their personal and career  values. Weve analysed what the next step in their career could look like. We’ve discussed resume writing, cover letters, interview techniques and job search strategies. There are many steps you can take to market yourself effectively, however, there is nothing more invigorating and positively motivating in this process than maintaining a curious mind.What happens when you don’t have a curious mind? You assume that you know it all. Are any of the following phrases familiar to you? ‘It’s been done before.’ ‘There is nothing out there for me.’ ‘I’m not willing to give that a try as it won’ t work.’ ‘I don’t want to talk to that person as he/she won’t be able to offer me anything.’ Those are the comments from one with a closed mind. Negativity breeds easily with this mindset and makes the job search process that much harder.Just as an experiment, whatever stage you’re at in your career or job search, use the words, ‘How’ ‘Who’ and ‘What’ when approaching each stage of your career management or job search process. Think like a detective, be curious enough to gather new information and you may be pleasantly surprised at what you uncover. When you are curious, your focus improves. If you focus you will be more effective. Here are 5 questions to curiously consider:1. How can I conduct an effective job search? What do I need to do?A number of my clients find the process of job hunting challenging and at times can put a dent in their ego. You can’t control the process however you can control your reaction at each step of the way. If a series of inte rviews leads to nowhere, keep a curious mindset and ask yourself, ‘What did I learn from this experience? What can I do differently to get a different outcome?’What is your approach to networking and do you enjoy the process? If not, take a different approach.Ask yourself, ‘I wonder whom I’ll meet at the next meeting, networking opportunity or social event? What can I learn about each person I meet?’Rather than focusing on networking to find a job for yourself, focus on networking to learn something new. You may uncover something fascinating about the next person you meet or, through your curiosity to learn more about the other person, you may uncover a potential job lead. If nothing else you may gain a new friend!2. How does my behaviour affect my job search? What will make me more effective and more productive?In the same way you can control your reactions to events, you can also control your behaviour for a more effective job search. Once you identify the strategies you need to take (networking, target marketing, working with recruitment agents, using the online job boards) decide how many hours per day you will focus on each strategy.Ask yourself, ‘What and how much can I get done in 30 minutes or in 60 minutes?’Set a timer and see how many phone calls you can make to reconnect with those in your industry and how many appointments you can set. Or see how many recruiters you can reach for a discussion or how many tailored job applications can you make. Or, perhaps, how much information you can gather on a specific target company.See how much gets done before the timer goes off. Then give yourself a break and set the timer again. You can control your productivity and it will be a lot more fun if you are curious to see how much you can get done during each set timeframe.3. How can I make my cover letters for job applications more effective?When I was in recruitment I was amazed at the number of candidates who would send in generic cover letters. My immediate impression was that those candidates were lazy, didn’t really care about the role and consequently not the ideal candidate for the job. Screeners are looking for candidates who are impressive in their resumes and also in their written communication. The cover letter is the opportunity to demonstrate effective written communication.Ask yourself, ‘How can I make my cover letter stand out?’In today’s economic climate, it’s an employers market and you face a lot of competition. One way for recruiters to screen in potentially suitable candidates quickly is to see if their cover letter states the position the application relates to and their specific skill sets that relate to the role. Generic covers letters don’t. They are generic and therefore a waste of time to read.What do you need to do to personalize your cover letters? How effective can you make each and every one of your letters.4. How can I make sure my resume is read and is impressive to my target audie nce?What is your target audience seeking? Tailor your resume to fit those requirements if you have the relevant skill sets. There is no point stating what a ‘hard worker’ you are in your resume. The employer wants to know if you are qualified to perform a specific role, have the relevant experience and personal traits to enable you to get the results they require.Ask yourself, ‘How can I make my resume stand out?’If the reader has to scour your current resume page by page to find the relevant information, think how can you make the right skills, experience and qualifications stand out immediately? Analyse the job description for clues as to which key words will pop out at the reader.5. What do I need to do to prepare for the interview process?The major fatal flaw for most candidates when interviewing is lack of preparation. Given that most candidates are provided with a certain amount of time before the interview, lack of preparation is unforgiveable and indicates a lack of interest in the role.Ask yourself, ‘What are the skills I need to highlight during the interview to demonstrate my competence in this area? What are my key relevant strengths that will impress the interviewer? What examples do I have to demonstrate my capabilities and results orientation?’Think about what you can do and what examples you can give to prove your efficacy and professionalism. Analyse your experience and behaviour, practice verbalizing your responses. Gain feedback from a trusted friend, preferably one who knows the way you work and act upon areas that need improvement. How can you present your most competent, capable and professional image?By having an open, curious mind at all stages of the job search process you will find you maintain momentum and continually learn. Use what you learn. If things don’t seem to be working, analyse what does work and what doesn’t then brainstorm with your support group or with a career coach to uncover new ways to approach your marketing efforts.For help in your job search, book an exploratory chat with me or join The Careers Academy Online Membership Ill support you to create the job of your dreams!

What is the Best Way to Connect with Social Media Peers

What is the Best Way to Connect with Social Media Peers Finding the right Social Media balance takes more than just knowing how to update your profiles. Firing off quick Twitter updates or Facebook comments will not get you noticed on job boards or help you find open positions. If youre not receiving the right kind of attention through Social Media, you should change your strategy. You must be able to connect with your Social Media peers. Its not as simple as it seems and you must be diligent. Learning on the fly can be hard, but these tips will help you on your way: 1. Update your LinkedIn profile with the most accurate, up-to-date information. I cannot advocate this enough â€" you need to a strong representation of your talents, skills and experience in order to have a fully functional LinkedIn account. Review your Summary and Specialties areas with appropriate keywords, phrases and any information prospective employers look for. Have past coworkers give you quality recommendations. Return the favor with similar recommendations from people who have helped you. Build your network by inviting past colleagues and friends who you want to stay connected with. 2. Post your resume to the right online job board. You want to be highly visible on job sites so that HR managers can find your resume. Some HR managers search job boards, LinkedIn and niche job sites â€" you need to have your resume in the right place so that when the opportunity comes along you have your resume where people can find it. 3. Update LinkedIn status bar along with your job board resumes. LinkedIn sends weekly emails to your connections which gives a summary of the activities their connections are involved in. Updating your status allows these connections to know that you are actively looking for a new position. Recruiters who browse job sites also get weekly updated resume notifications. Whenever you update your resume or save a new one, it gets posted to the job board, allowing HR managers to see your resume more often. Get your name out there! 4. Network! Talk to your family, friends, colleagues, or anyone. Talk to anyone who might know of an open position with a company you like. You can have them make introductions through LinkedIn to the appropriate person within their company. Many people find their jobs through networking situations, so its always a good idea to talk to people and explain that you are interested in their company or open position. Dont rely on email. You want to be able to actually speak with the right person â€" putting a face to a voice or an ear to words will go a lot further than simply emailing someone. 5. Create your professional online identity. This is a combined effort of Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Google+ in a coordinated effort to showcase your talents, skills and expertise. Building yourself up online gives you credibility beyond simply seeing a resume. If HR managers can find out pertinent information about you online, it will improve your chances.