Tag Archives: employment practices

Seeking Job Targets: Bulls Eye!

Perhaps comic, Lily Tomlin, puts things right where they should be when she said, “I always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific.” All kidding aside, selecting job targets can be difficult and they need to be narrowed down, identified and evaluated before they can be of any help to you, the job seeker. So how is it done, you may ask. Good question and here are a few non-expert thoughts on the matter. Selecting a job target involves first choosing a specific geographic area, a specific industry or company size and a specific position within … Continue reading →

Résumés For People With “Nothing To Offer”

First of all, there is no such thing as a person “with nothing to offer.” Recent college graduates and homemakers or anyone else with little work experience often feel that way, but it is an illusion, a negative, self-defeating illusion. Know you are not alone in the misery of preparing your work history, for even seasoned executives have trouble prioritizing their experiences, accomplishments and skills. Chances are, you have skills you don’t even know your have, and the trick is to capture their essence on a tricky little piece of paper known as a résumé. How does one do this, … Continue reading →

Your Résumé and Difficult Questions

It is very important for your résumé to speak for and not against you. Some questions can present problems and need to be handled very delicately. For example, if you recently left a job or know that your job is about to end, should you bring attention to that fact by highlighting an ending date on your résumé? Or should you simply say “to the present”? The answer depends on what feels right for you. You can go “to the present” route as long as you come clean when the interviewer asks you if you are still there. Most résumés … Continue reading →

Still More Résumé Tips

Consider your résumé as a major tool in your box of “job tricks.” There are many aspects to preparing a résumé that will help to get you the job you want. What is the best and quickest way to handle difficult job titles and company descriptions? What about questions you might not want to answer or at least avoid? (The last time someone asked me my age, I replied: “Somewhere between forty and death.”) This may work sometimes, but not on a résumé. Besides, George Burns is dead. Help is on the way. Parentheses help a great deal in setting … Continue reading →

Other Tips for A Power Résumé

Although your résumé may never enable you to run a little faster or lift an extra weight or two, an effective one will give you power where you need it most, namely, the market-place. How so, you may ask. Good question. All of your tools are part of your job campaign, and that includes even those you might not consider as such. Take your phone number for instance. On a résumé, you must list one number where you can be reached during the day. (If you double as a vampire and live from midnight to dawn, this could be a … Continue reading →

Résumé Format: Is There a Right Way?

The answer is yes; there is a right way to present the information on your résumé. For all of the elements listed, one of the most important is where the dates are placed. It used to be more or less common practice to place them on the left side of the résumé. Since the number of jobs the average person is likely to have has increased over the years, there might be many dates, and such an arrangement is sure to attract the reader’s eye. The problem with this is that by setting up the dates in that fashion, they … Continue reading →

How Long Should Your Résumé Be?

The important thing about any résumé if it is to do its job is to capture the attention of a prospective employer in an understated way. It also must be easy to read as lines of type that go across the page from one margin to the other, for example, are very difficult to read. Use bullets to denote your accomplishments, as they will effectively break up the text. Deciding on length may not appear easy, but a rule of thumb which will never lead you astray states that your résumé should be as long as it needs to be. … Continue reading →

Some More Résumé Tips

The typical résumé is often historical in nature. This does not mean that a reader will find evidence of the exact location of Atlantis or the true meaning of the Declaration of independence within its words. It usually means that the résumé lists positions a person has had and what duties were involved in each position. It’s not that there is anything wrong with that; it’s just that it lacks impetus and direction. Where should the reader go after reading about all the places you have worked and all the things you have done? Perhaps directly to jail without passing … Continue reading →

Being Punctual: Why Is It Important?

There are those among us in the working world (this author included) who would rather die than be late for anything. In fact, it’s so bad that the earlier I can be sometimes, the better. Of course, this is not recommended behavior and, is just as problematic in its own way as being chronically late. Anyway, when you are coming to work or involved in business affairs, to be late reflects badly and is a classic faux pas no-no. Just consider why someone should trust you with an account or any other type of job situation if you don’t have … Continue reading →

A Good Work Ethic: How Will It Help?

A good work ethic, like fine wine, takes years to develop. It is probably the single most important asset an older worker has, for example, to sell him or herself to the organized corporate band of gypsies that represent the fierce job market of today. A work ethic is dynamic and is always a work in progress. If you want to hone yours, read on for a few thoughts on the matter. First of all, a work ethic must be sincere. If you love your work, it will be easier to develop an appreciation for it; if you don’t, the … Continue reading →