How to Master the Perfect Modern Resume

How to Master the Perfect Modern Resume Over time, the way people create, produce and present their resumes have changed. You need to do your best to impress hiring managers as it can be difficult to stand out from the crowd, especially when so many other people have applied for the exact same dream job that you wanted. There is competition and your resume needs to be the best it can be. So what should you do to perfect your resume and what shouldnt you be doing? This infographic by Template.net     Blueberry Labs shows the dos and donts of perfecting the modern resume. Statistics 1 in 4 HR  managers receive 50 resumes per job listing.  77% of HR managers are looking for relevant experience. 48% of HR managers are looking for specific accomplishments. HR managers look for keywords in resumes. 56% look for the words problem solving. 44% look for the word leadership. 40% look for the words oral/written communication. Dos Include contact information. Make sure your resume is machine readable. Limit your resume to text only as a photo is not necessary. Customise your resume specifically to the position that you are applying for. Make your font professional and easy to read. Donts Do not exceed 3-5 bullet points per section. Do not use an unprofessional email address. Do not make any grammatical errors. Do not come across as having multiple personalities. RELATED: 5 Tools for Creating an Infographic Resume #TechTuesday

A Career in Scientific Writing

A Career in Scientific Writing A career in scientific writing provides an opportunity to combine literary and creative skills with the technical knowledge to communicate with your scientific peers. Here, Warwick alumni Nalini Adele Pinto (2016 MSc Graduate in Biotechnology, Bioprocessing and Business Management) describes her career trajectory in this sector A Master’s degree can create a lot of opportunities and if you are from a background in life sciences for example, you may decide to further your skills in a lab or switch to an entirely new track like that of a management role. Whichever way you wish to go, it is important to assess whether you have what it takes for an employer to see your potential to add to their company. It’s got to be a win-win! When I graduated with an MSc I had just completed a four-month temporary contract with a leading laboratory. I was about to pursue a career in a similar environment but my career took an unexpected turn on my graduation day. My personal tutor approached me saying there was a scientific writing job waiting for me back in India at a leading global scientific organisation. I had a few weeks to learn what the job entailed and decided to take the leap in a completely different direction. Over a span of two years I’ve progressed from being a Scientific Communications Associate to a Scientific Communications Specialist with Pfizer India. It has indeed been a steep learning curve with huge pressure to perform to stringent timelines. Although it was a bit of luck that favored me getting the job (a BBBM alumni working in the company was starting up this team and knew exactly what she wanted), I realized that some skills were crucial during my pre-assessment stage and I wouldn’t have made the cut had I not known these. What skills do you need to have for a Scientific Writing profile? An allied degree in the sciences is required to be considered for this profile. In addition, you will need to demonstrate excellent organisational skills, including time management, and acute attention to detail. Strong communication skills are a must-have. Effective scientific communication requires the ability to tailor complex scientific topics across different specialisms to diverse audiences. Suitable candidates must also display strong interpersonal skills, since a large part of the role requires that we work closely with external specialists, as well as collaborate with colleagues across various functions within the organisation. Creativity and an innovative mind-set are both needed to develop interesting formats to deliver your messages to the right audience at the right time. How can you prepare yourself for a career in this field? To prepare yourself for a role in scientific writing, it is important that you get some experience and build a portfolio. You can do this by getting involved in a student publication at university or creating a blog. Attending relevant workshops offered by Warwick Careers Skills   helped during my postgraduate studies. Likewise, there is a lot of freely available training that you can attend online. Advanced knowledge of the Microsoft Office suite, especially Word and PowerPoint, is a big advantage. A good working knowledge of reference managers like EndNote and anti-plagiarism software is also useful. Similarly, the use of statistical and data visualization tools can help. What does a typical day look like?   It’s not easy to generalize what a typical day will entail because every day you learn something new or begin thinking ahead for your next task. Since my work involves generating content that spans across different therapy areas for different audiences, some days I work on intense technical articles and others I use my creative powers to summarize scientific documents into an infographic. Nevertheless, some of the tasks you can envision include: Researching a given topic thoroughly Developing high quality content according to a set timeline Completing new skills training online Brainstorming with your team to discuss an ongoing piece of work, or Engaging in discussions with your manager to improve team efficiencies! The varied day-to-day activities are what make this job exciting and rewarding not only for the team, but for your personal growth as well. If you are considering a career in scientific writing building your skills profile suitable for a position is essential at an early stage. There will always be something new to learn or a skill to master on the job in scientific writing, with ever-changing tools to help you. If you manage your time wisely you can also enjoy a good work-life balance in a comfortable job. So what are you waiting for? Start networking with Scientific and Medical writers because this niche community is growing at a rapid pace and is always looking for fresh talent!

Rest is a Weapon - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Rest is a Weapon - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career This is a line (in)famously stated to the fictional Jason Bourne in The Bourne Supremacy by one of his handlers. He takes this to heart and uses it as a mantra to himself several times throughout the series of Bourne’s exploits. Of course, Jason Bourne is a fictional character in a series of books by Robert Ludlum. However, as with most characters in books and movies they can say things that are so obvious yet so apropos. This is the case here. Rest is a weapon. Using  rest wisely is a skill most people take many years to master. To me, someone who can plan for effective rest breaks are better as  employees and as employers. Whether they are short 5 to 10 minute re-charging moments or whether they are extended breaks over multiple days or weeks. Those that can plan their downtime with a passion similar to the way they plan their work time are often very effective and successful at both. What can we learn from a fictional character? Well, a lot. Because in this case, as in so many other fictional mutterings, it’s true. Rest is Your Secret Weapon. How often have you been tired and made a mistake? Have you ever been at work and just wanted to take a nap? Has anyone ever told you … TOLD YOU… to take a rest? Rest is for losers Some people might imply that rest is for the weak. I think not. I think people that are always going 100 miles per hour and burning the candle at both ends are the ones that are more likely to burn out. Sure, they might get a lot done along the way and that is commendable, but at what cost to their families, friends and their personal health. Rest is a weapon. Use it! You are here insert current location It’s the end of the Summer. Have you taken your rest break yet? There is still time. You can escape to  the the hills for some end of the season camping, swimming, fishing or whatever it is you do to relax. Remember, Rest is a Weapon. By taking breaks you are taking care of yourself. Which makes you imminently more employable and enjoyable to be around. I think people that know how to take breaks and plan for downtime are a good thing for current and potential employers. It shows them that  you have a life and that you aren’t afraid to live it. To be your best … You need your rest. What are you waiting for? Go! Go Now! Author: Jeff   is a veteran in the Enterprise Content Management industry. Over the past 20 years he has worked with customers and partners to design, develop and deploy solutions around the world. Jeff is currently the Director of Strategic Alliances at Winshuttle. He has worked for Microsoft, FileNet (IBM), K2, Captaris, Open Text, Kofax and Kodak. He speaks and blogs about ECM and the Intersection between Social, Mobile and Cloud Computing.

20 Crucial Job Interview Dos And Donts - Career Sidekick

20 Crucial Job Interview Dos And Donts - Career Sidekick 20 Crucial Job Interview Dos And Donts Interview Preparation / https://www.edenscott.com/blog The interview is your foot in the door with your next potential employer, but you only get one shot at impressing them. The following dos and donts will help you put your absolute best foot forward and get more job offers20 Dos And Donts For Job InterviewsWhat to WearDo: Research the company, check out the website, Facebook page, Twitter feed, and other social media before the interview. How does the company present itself, its workplace culture, and its employees? If the dress code appears to be business casual, then break out your slacks and dress shirt. If it’s more formal, then dress the part in traditional business attire from head to foot.Don’t: Dress down. It’s better to be slightly more formal than required than to come to the interview dressed too casually, as this gives the appearance that you are not serious about the position. If youre unsure at all, dress better than you think is necessary.What to Say (without words)Do: Project confi dent body language. Sit up straight, lean slightly forward, and look your interviewer in the eye. Smile and engage with each interviewer and nod slightly as he or she speaks.Don’t: Try not to slouch or cross your arms as questions are asked. Don’t fidget. Try to project body language that is positive and indicates interest. The best way to show confidence is by sitting in an open stance. Thats why you shouldnt cross your arms or do anything that makes you seem hesitant or closed-off.How to ActDo: Stay poised and relaxed. Interviews are designed to see how you react to challenge. That’s why so many interviewers try to throw in that one unexpected question. When it comes, be relaxed, flexible, and as engaging as possible. Keep a smile on your face even if you don’t have a ready answer. This will show your interviewer that you don’t get rattled, even when you don’t have all the answers. If you need time to think, say, thats a great question, let me think for a second. I wan t to give you a good answer here.No hiring manager is going to fault you for doing that once or twice.Don’t: Dont show signs of panic and dont lose your cool if things take an unexpected turn or you face a tough question. Also dont rush while answering. You dont want to blurt something out that you cant take back, so stay calm.When to Hold BackDo: Let the interviewer feel in control. Let them take the lead and follow the general direction that theyre guiding the conversation in. Chances are they have certain things they need to find out from you in order to know if this job is a good fit. And the more you help them gather this info, the better theyll feel about you as a candidate (even if youre missing one or two pieces of experience).Don’t: This doesnt mean you should be completely passive and let it be a one-sided conversation. Dont be afraid to ask the interviewer to clarify something, ask questions midway through the interview, or even go back to a topic you previously discu ssed if you think of something extra you want to share. So while you don’t want to dominate the conversation (remember, the interviewer has topics and questions they *need* to cover), do ask follow up questions and turn the interview into a dialogue, not just a one way question-and-answer session.What to HighlightDo: Go into your interview prepared to highlight the abilities and the aspects of your background that you believe make you a good fit for the position. Take notes on the position and the company, as well as relevant aspects of your qualifications that make you a strong candidate. Taking the time to research the company and job will help you remember what you want to say, and will allow you to weave your knowledge into the answers to their questions.Don’t: The worst mistake you can make is to skip the pre-interview research stage of preparation. Let’s repeat thisâ€"the worst mistake you can make is to skip the pre-interview research stage of preparation.How to ListenD o: Even though your best strategy is to outline the key points you want to make in the interview ahead of time, you also want to demonstrate that you are a good listener and can stay focused and on topic. Listen to each question as it is asked; you may even want to take notes. Then, calmly and confidently, answer the question in a way that highlights your best attributes.Don’t: Resist the temptation to segue too quickly from the topic of your interviewer’s question into your resume. Make sure you tailor your answers in a way that answers the question, stays on topic, and highlights the way your background addresses that topic. If they bring it up then you can bet it’s a focus for them, so make sure you demonstrate that it’s a focus for you as well.How to Leverage Your PastDo: Bring up past successes where appropriate, but make sure that you are constantly showing how these past accomplishments will bring value to your next employer.Don’t: It’s tempting to ramble on about your successes in a former job, but do not focus on the specifics of a past role to the point where it dominates the conversation. Remember that even if you loved that former position and learned a great deal from it, your next employer is only interested in how that experience will translate into your new role and benefit them.How to Compensate for WeaknessesDo: Be honest about elements of your experience or employment record that may not be ideal for the position. If you have gaps in your resume, experienced a layoff or dismissal, or if you are missing key experiences or skills in the job description, be truthful, and then leverage the conversation back to your strengths.Don’t: Never lie about past employment missteps or pretend to have skills that you do not have. A good interviewer will see through an attempt to mislead. And even if your lie does get you to the next stage in the hiring process, you’re likely to be disqualified later in the vetting process.How to Talk about Past EmployersDo: Give diplomatic responses about all past employers, even if your tenure at a former job ended badly. Try to find something positive you can say about every past work experience on your resume and then pivot to the skills you have gained along the way that will benefit your next employer.Don’t: You will not win points with your next potential boss by speaking badly of a past one. Even if your past employer is a competitor of the company where you want to work, don’t criticize a past employer. You will be seen as petty, or even worse, as a risky hire.What to AskDo: Come prepared with questions based on your research of the company. In addition to checking out the company’s website and social media presence, do some industry research and find out some of the innovations or developments your potential employer has gotten noticed for lately. Asking questions indicates your interest in the company, especially when your questions demonstrate knowledge of the industr y sector and the company.Don’t: Most interviews end with an opportunity for the candidate to ask about anything that has not previously been covered. But don’t wait until the very end of the interview or for the interviewer to ask if you have any questions to ask about the aspects of the job you want to learn more about. Instead, ask questions as the conversation develops and show initiative and confidence. The more you can make the interview into a conversation, the better rapport you’ll create with the hiring manager.About this guest author:Since 2005, LiveCareer’s team of career coaches, certified resume writers, and savvy technologists have been developing career tools that have helped over 10 million users build stronger resumes, write persuasive cover letters, and develop better interview skills. Land the job you want faster using our free samples, templates, writing guides, and easy-to-use resume-builder software.

Writing a Marketing Resume

Writing a Marketing ResumeIt's time to write a marketing resume now that you've decided to get out of your corporate job and explore the world of freelance writing. So, what should you put on yours? Here are some suggestions.First, try to include your work experience in the text. Start with what you've done up to this point. You might want to point out specific projects you completed, including technical skills (if possible), details of your project management abilities, and other important information about the project. Don't be shy about listing skills you have or hobbies you enjoy that would be useful in the future. But, keep your project's short and sweet.Check out the professional websites and their testimonials. Remember, people can come from all over the place to write online testimonials. If you haven't heard of the company yet, ask about their website, customer service, and other qualities. A well-written marketing resume is only as good as the content, so don't let yourself get discouraged if it takes some time before you find someone who is just right for you.In addition to work experience, you'll want to show off your extensive marketing skills. Try to create an extended summary of your career and how you would fit into a new company. Don't leave things vague. Don't be afraid to elaborate on every aspect of your employment history.Of course, this is a crucial time to stress any qualifications you possess, both on your resume and in your application. If your resume lacks relevant work experience, don't list it as something to lie about. If you want to be taken seriously, make sure your resume offers relevant information. If you are working for free and you know it, don't list it on your marketing resume.Focuson three to five valuable skills. People will be looking for these skills in a variety of ways. Those who read your marketing resume will probably be looking for a new job. They may have a specific skill they need that the rest of the workforce d oesn't have. So, by listing the three most important skills, you'll have more credibility and can send a clearer message to your future employer.Don't gloss over any experience. If you worked at an internship, volunteer position, or summer program while attending college, it's worth mentioning. Those types of experiences count as work too. And, if you worked in a high demand field such as advertising, there's no reason not to list that as well. Your marketing resume should stand on its own and the more you touch on your entire career, the better.Above all, don't hurry or you may miss out on the opportunity to demonstrate your value. The key is to take your time and organize your thoughts. The more structured you are about your work experience, the better your marketing resume will turn out.

Want a Career in Sales Heres How to Make it Happen - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

Want a Career in Sales Heres How to Make it Happen If you’re just starting out or you’re thinking of a career change, a career in sales could be what you’re looking for. It allows you to meet new people all the time, learn on the job and progress steadily. If you have the right basic skills and plenty of persistence, it could be a very lucrative career path for you. Selling to people is never easy, and you’ll find it difficult to begin with if you’ve never done it before. But you shouldn’t let that put you off. The tips and advice we’re about to discuss below will help you get better and secure this career for years and decades to come. I’m sure your impatient to get your career in sales started, so read the guide below and find out what you can do to make your career dreams a reality. Smile and Be Friendly Simply wearing a smile on your face can do a lot more for you than you realise. Don’t allow yourself to come across as negative or unapproachable because no one buys from people like that. Happiness is infectious, and you want your buyers to be in good spirits if you expect them to get their money out for you. Be a friendly face that people feel like they can instantly warm towards. Don’t be awkward or off-putting though because this can often happen when you push the friendliness too far. Ask Questions Rather Than Just Talking Endlessly It’s not the job of the salesperson to just talk endlessly at the customer until they agree to buy something. That’s not how this works at all. You need to be just as good at listening as you are at talking if you want to truly succeed in sales. Ask questions of people and their needs and then really listen to the answers you’re given. You will find that you learn a lot about your customers and how you can serve them better when you’re willing to listen. Dont Let Your First Buyer Rejection Get You Down There will certainly be times when you feel like giving up when you’re just starting out. But you shouldn’t let that first rejection get you down. There can be all kinds of reasons why a customer chooses not to close a sale with you, but you shouldn’t let it get you down too much. Instead, assess your performance and look at ways in which you got it wrong and could do better next time. Train With People Who Know What They’re Doing Training is really important when you’re just starting out and trying to find your feet in sales. There are plenty of things that you need to learn if youre going to succeed, so it makes sense to learn from people who’ve been there before and know what they’re doing. Sales training can come in many different forms, so get out there and see what kind of training is available to you. You’ll be in a much better position to succeed going forward if you do this. Try Things and Don’t be Afraid to Fail Trying new things is always an important part of making sales in the world of business. If you don’t try new things, you’ll end up forever standing still, which is not what you need at all. Many people are held back and prevented from trying out new things because of a fear of failure. You should avoid falling into that trap because it’s one that can be hard to break free from. Failure is nothing to fear if you truly believe in yourself, as you should. Know How to Target the Right Customers Targeting the right customers is a vital part of this whole process, so try to get it right as early as you can. Don’t simply assume that you can throw the same lines at everyone and expect the right results. It’s not just about how you sell to people; it’s also about who you try to sell to in the first place. Get to know what you’re selling and who the target customer is for that product or service. This will go a long way towards helping you find success. Learn How to Close a Deal Closing out a deal is one of those things that’s never easy. It’s not always clear how you do it, and that’s why you simply have to be persistent and learn from your mistakes. When you can smell a deal is close, you need to make sure that you keep at it until it’s completely over the line. Don’t let the client sleep on it; instead, get the deal done now. Now is always better than later for the salesperson. Present Yourself Professionally The way in which you dress and generally present yourself will certainly have an impact on how people see you as you try to sell to them. Why would someone buy from a person that looks scruffy and messy? People only ever buy from people who they feel like they can trust. If they can’t trust you based on how you’re dressed and how you present yourself, you’ve got yourself a problem. Change that by always looking smart and professional. Understand That No Two Buyers Are the Same Finally, you need to remember that no two buyers are the same as one another. Even if they belong to the same demographic, there will still be clear differences that mark them out from anyone else you’ve sold to in the past. It’s worth factoring that into the equation each time you approach a new potential customer. That way, you can always take the right approach. A career in sales is certainly within reach for anyone who’s willing to put in the hard work and improve their skills, so this could well be the career for you. Just make sure that you know what you’re getting into and are prepared to climb the ladder because you’ll have to start at the bottom to begin with.

Every Generation Struggles with Social Media - CareerEnlightenment.com

Baby Boomer Issues With Social MediaSince Boomers often look at the younger generations and assume social media is easy for them, they set themselves up for failure. “Oh, those kids text and play X-box. This stuff is easy for them. But I’m older and don’t get technology.”And with this thought, every learning curve becomes ten times more frustrating. This is what psychologists call a false schema, also known as a self-fulfilling prophesy.The truth is, every generation has their hurdles when using social media,and there are many advantages to being a Boomer in the social media world.First,  you are uniquely qualified to recognize the impact social media has had in the world of hiring.  You have seen the rise of many new technologies and you know the power they have in transforming our world. You saw color television emerge, you saw FM change from talk to music, and you saw computers shrink from the size of buildings to the size of fists.Second,  you are less likely to screw up with social media than other generations.  You approach technologies cautiously because you’ve had computers that would break if you pushed the wrong button.These are some areas of focus for baby boomers when using social media to find work.Use online training and help. Don’t be overly cautious, sometimes you need to just bite the bullet, and fill out that Twitter profile, even though you don’t know if you are going to screw it up. Job-Hunt has several articles on using social media for job search you can read.   And, plenty of other training and Youtube videos will help you through it.Be yourself (within reason). Don’t be afraid to show a little more personality online then what you are used to. Your job search paradigm is very formal. All of your resumes are written in third person, and you have been trained to be “professional.” Know that, these days, fit and personality may outweigh capability. Let your hair down a little bit when using social media. For you, this wi ll probably feel uncomfortable, but will be seen as refreshing.Leverage your knowledge and experience. You understand strategy. You have 20+ years of professional experience and know how to take your time, watch, and make important decisions. Apply some of that strategic thinking to your social media presence. Know who you are targeting in your job search, and then approach them with a plan to add value. You know how to do this!  Bottom LineOverall, each generation must face their own unique hurdles when adopting social media. So never fall into the trap of thinking that “those other people have an advantage over me”. With social media, the playing field is level, and those millions of Americans winning their jobs with it are the ones willing to go through the stages of adoption and take their time to educate themselves on something new.