I’m Qualified, but Nobody Cares. What’s Wrong with My Resume?

    
One of the most the tedious tasks during a job search is creating a polished resume. You can spend countless hours trying to perfect it, but if you make these simple mistakes you can bet employers will not be burning up your phone. Kendra Lawson with Dallas based staffing firm, Eli Daniel Group, recently met with Ashley Roberts from DFW Close Up to discuss some essential pointers to create a stand out resume.

Mrs. Lawson, Eli Daniel Group’s Executive Vice President, explains some of the most common mistakes candidates make on their resume that can immediately eliminate them from the running in any position.

What you put down on paper others will read. Typos, spelling and grammar are one of the first things that can eliminate an applicant as a potential candidate. With the abundance of qualified resumes companies receive each day, one of the fastest ways to narrow down the stack is to discard the ones with spelling and grammatical errors. As stated by Mrs. Lawson, “About a 3^rd of resumes that come across my desk have a spelling error, typo or grammatical error.” Candidates need to understand the vast importance of submitting an error free resume.

A potential employer will overlook your resume unless you follow these important guidelines.

First, make sure your resume is visually appealing. So what does that mean? You want an employer to read your resume not just toss it from the pile. Include a title, something that catches the eye of the person reviewing your resume, but also matches the position they are trying to fill. Your resume should not be too wordy or cumbersome. The last thing an employer wants is a twenty page resume when they have 100 more to sift through. This can make your resume less appealing or eliminate you as a candidate all together. A few simple tips are to have bullet points and appropriate breaks, so the more eye catching information stands out even with a quick glance.

Second, make sure you’re your resume is specific to your target position and audience. Don’t just make a general resume and throw it out there on a job board hoping to get a job offer or call. That’s not going to work these days. You have to do your research on the position and create a specific resume for it. Read thoroughly through the job description and use verbiage within your resume that correlates directly to the job you are seeking. The target audience will be much more drawn to this method.

Third, make sure you have a clear objective. General objectives such as, “I’m a software sales person, and I want to utilize my skills to improve my knowledge of software” just don’t cut it today. Plus, it’s really self-serving.  A company is not looking for someone who they can help to improve their knowledge, but rather looking for someone who can help the company improve their bottom line.  In today’s world, it’s all about what you have to offer that will benefit the company.

Finally, a summary of qualifications and accomplishments can go a long way. This is your place to shine whether you were the top sales person for the quarter, have won numerous awards, or some other achievements. There is a talented pool of candidates searching for a new job and having the right qualifications can move you to the top of the list. It’s always important to show a track record of your success and be proud of your accomplishments. You may have the best resume in the world in terms of experience, but doing a little bragging about yourself will make it even better. Take the time to make your resume sizzle, and that lets the person know you are the candidate they are looking to hire.

Creating a great resume can be tedious, so when you finish reviewing your work of art have friends look over your final draft. It’s always good to have an extra pair of eyes read through your resume and see if there are any errors you may have overlooked. You never know, you might just go from a qualified candidate that nobody cares about to an in demand candidate that everyone wants!

Article By Brandon Foster, Eli Daniel Group

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keeping your job in a tough economy

Now is the time to take steps to keep your job. You can keep your job, even in a bad economy. But, start soon, not later, to take the steps necessary to keep your job.

Jay Himes, Executive Director of Student Services and Programming at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA, suggests you need to take a good look at yourself and your contributions. "Employees' work and accomplishments speak for themselves. Look at your organization; ask yourself, 'If I wanted to start a company that does what my firm does and I could take X number of people from here, who would I take?'

"If you aren't on the list, why not? There are two possible reasons.
•"The company doesn't need someone who does what you do. This is often the case for people who are far removed from the firm's customers, or whose job is primarily rooted in the bureaucracy. If your job is about building speed bumps and not about enablement, this is a warning sign.
•"You are not providing superior value. Is this a training or education issue? Is it commitment -- does your work day have work or procrastination in it? Is the issue that you have relational trouble with your coworkers?

"If you honestly evaluate yourself and move to correct the issues, there is still time. Your bosses and coworkers will notice improvement. If you wait until layoffs come it will be too late."

After you evaluate your contribution and prospects and assess the viability of your employer, you are ready to make decisions. In any case, if your current employer appears to be taking appropriate actions for these tough economic times, you will want to ensure that you keep your job -- for as long as you want your job.

In a recent poll, readers weighed in on their current strategy for keeping their job.

These ten steps will help you keep your job or help you prepare for a semi-predictable, but often unanticipated, job change.

Ten Steps to Help You Keep Your Job

 •Be the Go-to, Indispensible Person Who Has Needed Organization Knowledge
•Make Your Contributions Measurable and Visible to the Right People
•Make Money for the Company: Contribute to Revenue Generation, Sales, Profit
•Ask for More Work and More Challenging Assignments
•Make Sure Your Manager Likes You; Invest Genuine Time, Compliments, Attention
•Be a Low Maintenance Employee: No Complaining, Whining or Monopolizing
•Work Long Hours and Make Sure the Right People Notice
•Keep Your Personal and Professional Skills Growing and Developing
•Team Build With Coworkers: Cooperate to Achieve Goals and Success for All
•Take Your Talents and Skills to a More Recession-proof Company or Job

Switch to a More Recession-proof Job or Career

Despite your best efforts - you've done everything recommended to keep your job - but maybe the job's not worth keeping. If the information you receive, when you scope your environment at work, leaves you concerned about job security, it may be time for a job search.

Or, maybe the company's prospects leave you open for a different conversation. You're one of the lucky employees in a job and on a career path still in demand. Or perhaps it's time to consider a different career since the economy is unlikely to improve quickly.

You may want to switch to a more recession-proof career or take your talents and skills to a more recession proof company.

But, in the meantime, before and while you pursue different career opportunities, focus on how to keep your job.

Source: Susan M. Heathfield, Human Resources Guide

36% of Companies Are Leaning on Temporary Workers to Support Slim Staffs

It’s 2012. The year of presidential elections; the year of the world’s end, if you ask some; and, according to the results of a new survey conducted by Harris Interactive© of more than 3,000 hiring managers and HR professionals, the year of the temporary and contract worker?! Well, while that might be a stretch, it appears that 36 percent of companies will hire contract or temporary workers this year, up from 34 percent in 2011, 30 percent in 2010, and 28 percent in 2009.

Why the increase in demand for temporary and contract workers? 

As many of us are painfully aware, more than one-third (35 percent, to be exact) of American companies are operating with smaller staffs than before the recession. To address business needs and keep pace with market demand, many are turning to staffing and recruiting companies and temporary workers. And it’s good news for many employees: 35 percent of the companies hiring temporary and contract workers this year have plans to bring them on on a permanent basis.

When the hiring is happening
Some companies’ temporary hiring movement is already in full swing, and they’re not alone: 27 percent of companies will hire temporary or contract workers in Q1 2012.  As Eric Gilpin, president of CareerBuilder Staffing & Recruiting Group, pointed out, “Temporary jobs from staffing and recruiting firms are playing an increasingly important role in the economic recovery. Employers are relying on temporary and contract workers to support leaner staffs, and in many cases, will transition those workers to permanent roles.”

The most in-demand staffing and recruiting positions

We know that temporary and contract hiring is already happening — but where is it happening most?
Based on data from CareerBuilder’s Supply & Demand Portal, these are the most in-demand staffing and recruiting positions, broken down by industry:

Health Care
1) Occupational or Physical Therapist
2) Speech Language Pathologist

Industrial
1) Maintenance Technician or Mechanic
2) CNC (Computer Numerical Control) Machinist Information

Technology
 1) Java or .Net Developer
2) Network Engineer

Office-Clerical
1) Administrative Assistant
2) Customer Service Representative

Professional-Managerial
1) Business Analyst
2) Marketing Assistant

Temporary workers can provide a needed talent boost for businesses, while enjoying the flexibility that comes along with these types of jobs.

Source: Amy Chulik

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