To Stand Out, Must You Forget the Resume

To Stand Out, Must You Forget the Resume By Jacqui Barrett-PoindexterThanks to Cherry Woodburn for engaging me in a Twitter conversation about (yet) another article on why people should forget the resume. You can read the article on Forbes.com, here: How To Stand Out In A Crowded Job Market: Forget The Traditional Resume.People who want to hire you for a job (hiring decision makers!) will always at some point some time down the road in the process want to see a snapshot of your career story. Traditional resume,  or,  modern, contemporary resume profile,  or whatever you want to call it, its still a resume. And, people are quick to jump from the concept of saying you should be more creative with your resume to saying forget your resume altogether. Dig deeper into the Forbes article, and you find a link that does just that. Its confusing to job seekers, and quite frankly, does them a disservice.While an online presence is critical in todays job search, its still fed by the same resume process steps that offline (paper resumes ) use and thats, strategic storytelling. Trying to speed past the thinking and targeting necessary to articulate who you are to a disinterested other person to garner their attention can prove fatal to your job search.A resume that feeds online portals still must provide some information on company names you worked for, some dates/chronology as well as some of your unique value proposition statements, such as:why they should care about youhow you will fix things for themhow you will make them more moneyhow you will save them timehow you will grow their company  why they should PAY you to do thisand MUCH more!This snapshot Im describing is a Resume it is NOT dying, you shouldnt forget about it in lieu of other techniques, it is NOT being replaced by LinkedIn or personal websites or other creative Internet techniques. In fact, those online portals are just that, portals to house and showcase your branded resume details the focused career resume story you should be taking  time and sensitive thought-work to develop.There are no shortcuts or clever tactics to ditch the resume process.So, stop with the close examination and dismissal of the resume as well as the binding rules of resume development, and start with taking a breath, slowing down and writing a distinguishing story. Its really that simple. Job search, and the processes that fuel the search take time and strategy. Breathe. And do. You will get to your destination.

Has LinkedIn Finally Replaced Recruitment Companies

Has LinkedIn Finally Replaced Recruitment Companies We all know how difficult it is to find a job right now, and with UK unemployment still over 2 million it doesn’t seem like it’s getting any easier. But have you considered that you’re looking in the wrong places? Sure recruitment companies can help you out depending on your career choice. But times are changing. We use social media every day. Whether it is to keep in touch with old friends or far away relatives, stalk our favourite celebrities, or just share our thoughts; Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest have become an integral part of our day to day life. So why aren’t you using it in your quest for employment? LinkedIn is a hugely popular social media site, with over 150 million users and counting. But it’s always been more than just a social networking site. LinkedIn is a great way to connect with professionals in your industry, share your experiences, and network with ‘figureheads’. But it’s now possible to take your job search online, and search for employment via LinkedIn. The New ‘Job Centre’? In July 2011, LinkedIn announced the launch of its latest plug in â€" the ‘Apply with LinkedIn’ button. Revolutionising both the way people use the website, as well as the way we search for jobs, the button means jobseekers can submit their profile for job opportunities. So instead of writing a covering letter, struggling to master your resume, and finding the right contact, professionals can quickly and easily apply for their dream job. With no need to scour the Internet for job vacancies, this seemingly makes the whole recruitment process cleaner and more concise. The ease of the app means that at the click of a button, prospective employers can see your CV. Furthermore, the very nature of LinkedIn means that companies can get a much more in depth look at your career history, ready-made testimonials, and even see some of your tweets. Employee/Employer Relationships What’s more, you may have already built up a rapport with the company in question. You may have been following them on Twitter, reading their blog, and networking with them, before applying. Surely this can’t hurt your chances when applying? The very nature of social media is just that; and direct contact between you and prospective employers can make all the difference in today’s fast paced world. Candidates are sure to benefit from a much more concise recruitment process. The power of LinkedIn during a job search doesn’t have to just be confided to use of the app either. Speaking from firsthand experience, I myself managed to secure an internship via the networking site during my final weeks at university. Just by sending a private message to a small, local firm, I managed to gain a whole host of skills that undoubtedly helped during my job search. Are Recruitment Companies Still Needed? So, with the likes of the LinkedIn Job search, online jobs boards, and trade publications, is the humble recruitment company dead? True, social media can be extremely helpful when applying for certain careers, but for many it isn’t enough. Large employers or those looking to fill senior level vacancies will still rely on the services of specialist recruitment companies to help them find the ideal candidate. All that’s changed is the way recruiters source these candidates. They too may use social media pages like LinkedIn to find suitable positions, but for them it is more than what is on the CV. Recruitment companies look into a candidate’s skill set, speak to them on the employers’ behalf, and carry out background checks to make sure they are perfect for the job. This is something that LinkedIn can’t do, and is an added expense for companies using social media. The jobs market is ever changing. The way employers advertise jobs, and the skills they are looking for have changed. But then again so has the way we look for jobs. LinkedIn has certainly transformed the ways in which we network with employers, and may become even more important in the future. This guest post was provided by freelance journalist Clare Brady on behalf of Outcomes UK, a specialist recruitment company for the social work sector. To find out more about their services, visit Outcomes UK.

Freedom to Stand Out in Your Career - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Freedom to Stand Out in Your Career - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career As we come upon the Fourth of July there has never been a time that Freedom has never been more on top of peoples minds If you live in the USA there are many days that freedom is taken for granted. We have the freedom to: Change jobs at will Move to a new city Speak our minds How does freedom help you stand out in your career? As I have been writing this post for going on five years Ive looked back at some of my past posts and Ive realized that one of the biggest advantages we have in the USA is freedom. But, that freedom is never free. For example, being a lifelong learner takes time and effort. Both of which are not free. Even though they might seem to be very free when we are younger. The older we get the more we value (or should value) our time. Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom. ~ George Washington Carver Here are a few posts (of the 250+ posts I’ve written here) that highlight a little bit of the reason why you have the Freedom to Stand Out in Your Career. If You Are Not Billing, Be Skilling Get a Side Hustle, You’ll Need One What Got You Here Won’t Get You There This one freedom is the freedom to seek an education. No one can tell you that you cannot learn something. Even in the most dire situations you can always be learning. Any place with internet access has a vast array of learning tools at your fingertips whether in a book or on a computer. You can always go … Old Skool Analog Truth be told … Libraries are amazing places. They have these bound paper documents that you gasp read and hold in your hands.(often they have computers too) These freedoms are minor in comparison to what the people that serve our military and our other government agencies do for us every day. But, these are freedoms that almost every citizen of the US can enjoy. But, they are not free. There is a fee. There is a toll. There is a tax. Your Fee is your Attention. Your Fee is your Time. Your Fee is your Sharing (what you have learned) For those that are standing out in their careers you already know this. For those that want to stand out in their careers please take this advice under advisement and get busy with your non-free freedoms. And, remember … share what you know. When you can share what you know you give what is perhaps the greatest gift of all. Go our and enjoy the Freedom to Stand Out in Your Career.

An Ambitious Entrepreneur in Japan - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

An Ambitious Entrepreneur in Japan - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Do you find yourself in a market where fitting in is the norm making it difficult for you to stand out? Then this podcast is a must-listen. I was honored to be asked by Annemarie Cross to join The Ambitious Entrepreneur podcast this month to share some insight in how to break away from the pack and ride to success with key personal branding strategies in any culture. Using Japan as the backdrop, I explore Tips on being a ‘solopreneur’ in another culture; How to brand yourself across cultures using the ‘personal branding style dial”; Key strategies that will help you start branding yourself cross-culturally today; and much more! Enjoy and share a comment below. Author: Peter  Sterlacci  is known as “Japan’s personal branding pioneer” and is one of only 15 Master level Certified Personal Branding Strategists in the world. He is introducing a leading global personal branding methodology to companies and careerists in Japan and adapting it for the Japanese culture. In a culture where fitting-in is the norm, his mission is to pioneer a ‘cultural shift’ by helping Japanese to stand out in a global environment. His background spans over 21 years in intercultural consulting, international outreach, and global communication coaching.

Military Resume Writers

Military Resume WritersMilitary resume writers offer resume services and resources, such as sample resume materials, or online tools to assist job applicants. Military resumes serve a dual purpose, since they are also used by employees of the federal government and many military personnel stationed overseas. Many employers use military resumes for their own personnel, while others will ask for samples of military resumes before hiring someone.Military resumes have come a long way since they were first created. An individual who has a military background was usually required to fill out an application, which normally took several hours to fill out, and was filled out entirely by hand. Most military personnel would then apply for jobs as an applicant, which usually included information on a resume. Both applications were in essence a very long document, which had to be filled out completely and accurately.With the development of computer software, new technology has changed the job mar ket drastically. Instead of applications, military personnel now use specialized resume writing software that contains all the necessary tools needed to create a professional looking document that is all original. This saves time and effort, since an applicant no longer has to do any work to create a resume.There are now two different formats of resume, military and civilian. The civilian version has been completely redesigned to look more professional looking. The military version on the other hand still has the same purpose but has been adapted to make it more specific to military work. In addition, the military version can now contain much more information than the typical civilian version.Military resumes have come a long way since they were first created. Military resumes serve a dual purpose, since they are also used by employees of the federal government and many military personnel stationed overseas. Many employers use military resumes for their own personnel, while others w ill ask for samples of military resumes before hiring someone. Military resumes are extremely important in today's workforce, and their use is increasing at a steady rate.Military resumes have come a long way since they were first created. Military resumes serve a dual purpose, since they are also used by employees of the federal government and many military personnel stationed overseas. Many employers use military resumes for their own personnel, while others will ask for samples of military resumes before hiring someone.Military resumes have come a long way since they were first created. Military resumes serve a dual purpose, since they are also used by employees of the federal government and many military personnel stationed overseas. Many employers use military resumes for their own personnel, while others will ask for samples of military resumes before hiring someone.Military resumes can offer you with additional opportunities in your career if you know how to properly format t hem and how to make the most of your resume. These writers can also provide you with sample military resumes, which can give you a lot of advice in regards to how to write a resume.

Scott Gerber Believes in Never Getting A Real Job

Scott Gerber Believes in Never Getting A Real Job Scott Gerber is a part of a growing trend of Gen-Y business owners. In fact, hes teaching others how to follow in his footsteps with his new book, Never Get a Real Job. Hes also founded the Young Entrepreneurs Council. Today Im debating Scott on my SIRIUSXM radio show about his recent controversial Inc. column entitled, Why Being Passionate is Awful Advice.Beyond the controversy, I asked Scott to elaborate on his own career path and the lessons hes learned being an entrepreneur at such a young age. I think youll see below that his words are those of wisdom and ones we can all benefit from at any age Q:How did you know you were meant to never get a real job?A: The thought of putting all of my eggs into one basket that I neither owned nor controlled was not appealing to me. I wanted to be in control of my own destiny and financial securityand even though my benefits-toting, stability-preaching teacher mother told me to get a real job every step of the wayI had confidence in myself that I would be able to validate my college degree and talents without a boss.Q: What do you like most about being an entrepreneur?Problem solving. I enjoy overcoming obstacles and making things happen. It keeps me motivated and driven everyday.Q: Whats your level of job security being your own boss? Do you feel you have less or more?Much more. The buck stops with me. If I screw up or miscalculate something then only Im to blame. Thats much less risky in my opinion than trusting some C-level executive or middle manager that doesnt know my name with my financial security. Depending on multiple streams of income and partnering with smart people and companies always helps me to mitigate my risks and maximize my potential.Q: What one skill should people make sure to focus on to be successful if self-employed?Execute! Execute! Execute! If you plan to do something, do it! No one will hold your hand to make sure you work hard. Remember, entrepreneurs are doers, not talkers. Anyone and everyone can be a Monday morning quarterback, but only a few can make it to the field.

Building Your Personal Enigma Code-breaking Machine

Building Your Personal Enigma Code-breaking Machine Someday us old folks will use cursive writing as a secret code. This was a quote sent to me by my friend Fred. I remember being in school learning ig pay atin lay (Pig Latin for those of you who never used it in elementary school). Codes were fun.   And having a secret society or club growing up made you special.   Something that us nerds liked to have since we werent in the cool kids group. And in the same way as you move forward in your career you develop skills and a network that make you part of the club in your company or industry. And being an insider is so much simpler than struggling from the outside. Thats why many people struggle when they have to make a job change late in their career.   It can be easy if it is a straightforward move or where another company is trying to poach you.   But it can be a real challenge if youre an outsidersuch as trying to cold contact someone or submit your resume online for a job where you have no connection with the recruiter or hiring manager and no one referred you in. That can be scary. Its like a secret code you cant break. And the result is you hearcrickets. No response. Just dead air. Unnerving at best. So what happens when you need to break the code? Thats where the codebreaker comes in. In WWII there were machines the British used to break the German codesthe Enigma. Well if youre thinking about a job change, you need your own enigma. Now you can build one from scratch. But that would mean spending months of 10 hour days on Google trying to piece together the resume and job search puzzle oryou can reach out to me and we can discuss your situation and I can help you uncover your unique code.   What will rocket you past the impersonal Applicant Tracking Systemthe evil thing that derails most applications. Or if you just want to know about a site that helps you break that code with your resume, just email me to ask for the link and Ill send it to you.   If that is the painful lock that is keeping you out then I can send you a skeleton key. But if your challenge is bigger than that, just email me to schedule a call to chat about your unique situation.