Job search tips for military transition candidates -

Job search tips for military transition candidates - Today is the 6th annual Job Action Day, sponsored by Quintessential Careers. Im always happy to participate in this empowering day, when many of my esteemed colleagues come together to share information that will help job seekers succeed. This years topic is empowering veterans and former military personnel who are transitioning to civilian careers. I thought it would be appropriate to share this post with tips about how to make a successful military to civilian career change. Making a career change isnt easy. You need to showcase why you are qualified for the targeted job, even if your past experiences do not identically match the employers requirements. Most employers are not familiar with military service, positions, jargon, or acronyms, so it can be even more challenging for veterans to make a strong case. What can job-seeking veterans do to help transition into civilian positions? Identify your skills. Evaluate your military service. What did you do on a daily basis? Make a list. Once your list is complete, pair skills you used with each task. Pay special attention to your transferable skillsâ€"the ones you can easily use in different organizations. For example, if you were an infantryman and your main responsibilities were related to combat missions that do not easily correlate with civilian jobs, youll want to dig deeper into your skills. Dont just think about what you didâ€"ask yourself how and why you were successful. You could highlight your abilities to quickly assess and respond to a situation, focus on how you thrived in an exceptionally stressful environment, and point out that you worked well with a team while demonstrating leadership. Youll want to look for jobs requiring the skills you identify. Note your accomplishments. Do not underestimate the value of awards and accolades you received, but do translate them into terms non-military personnel will understand. Note the award name with a brief description of why you received it. If you do not have specific honors, think about praise you may have received from a superior or member of your platoon. Did an officer comment about how you are always planning ahead or mention a specific detail you can share with your targeted employer? This information will be helpful in determining your next career steps. Focus on what you enjoy doing. Dont ignore your soft skills, or emotional intelligence. For example, are you a good communicator? Do you have a knack for leading teams? Maybe youre a great negotiator. Identify your best skills and include these on your list. Research potential opportunities. Once you have your lists, plug your skills (your keywords) into job-board search engines to see what types of positions come up. For example, you may search for supervise, oversee projects, or leadership.   Keep an open mind and see if there is any pattern or type of job that keeps coming up. Use these online resources for veterans looking for jobs. Make a list of job titles and company names. Was there a particular industry that appeared repeatedly in your results? Continue to search online for more information about those fields or organizations. Inform your network. Once you know what you want to do, be specific when you describe your goals to your network. Dont just say you are looking for a job. Its tough for people to help you without detailed information and a focal point. Tell your friends and contacts the names of companies and positions that interest you. Be specific. For example, Im hoping to find a sales position in a high-tech field. Do you know anyone working in X, Y, or Z company who might be willing to meet me so I can learn more about their organizationsâ€"even if they arent currently hiring? Follow up by asking for an informational meeting. Translate your experience. A common problem for job-seeking veterans is helping civilian, non-military hiring managers understand their work history. Be sure to avoid military jargon in application materials and describe your past experience in laypersons terms. Ask a non-veteran friend to read your resume and application. Can he or she describe what you used to do? If not, revise your materials and be sure to focus on the skills you used, not just the things you did. Consider using this template to write some of your resumes bullet points: Used _____, ________, and _______ skills by (doing what?), resulting in (list an accomplishment). Always try to make the information you list as relevant as possible to the employers you identified. Be sure to include specific, quantifiable points in your descriptions. For example, do not assume the reader will know how many troops you led based on your rank and title. Whenever possible, incorporate percentages, dollar amounts, and numbers in your resume. Paint a vivid, relevant picture to help the hiring manager envision you doing the job. Tell your story. In an interview, be sure to describe your experiences in a way that a layperson will understand. Avoid military jargon and acronyms, and give examples relevant to the job you want. Have three or four stories in mind to illustrate your accomplishments and describe how you overcame challenges and solved problems. Following these steps from the exploratory through the interview stages of job hunting will help you identify and compete for suitable opportunities. Other online resources: The Riley Guide Job-Hunt.org Veterans Job Bank Be sure to read all of the posts on this topic, linked via www.jobactionday.com.

Writing Good Objective Statement on Resume

Writing Good Objective Statement on ResumeYou have to know the basic principles to writing good Objective Statement on resume. This is one important part of the resume that will help you in getting a job interview. It has to be specific and has to make an applicant stand out from the rest. It also ensures your safety.First, you should write an Objective Statement in a clear and concise manner in order to make it easier for the interviewer to understand what you are looking for in a job search. Be very specific in this statement by having the exact job title in mind. Say it out loud so that the interviewer can hear it clearly.Secondly, the objective statement should mention all the important facts about the company. It is like opening the door for the interviewer to your thoughts and vision. Then, it will show how well you are organized, self-motivated and how you can take initiatives when required. You can include your achievements in your job history. It is the best way to impress t he employer.Thirdly, you must describe what job you had earlier and what you did during that period and how you managed the work smoothly. This gives an example of your ability to handle different situations. This will be helpful to the employer in choosing the right employee for the company.Fourthly, you can give a full explanation of your qualities and past experiences of your previous employer. Try to tell about your contributions in the company. It is also good to include the company name in the example you give. So, the employer will not need to search for this information.The examples given in the objective statement should relate to the previous position or job that you had. After you finish writing the objective statement, you can make some suggestions in the margins. These ideas will help you in making a good-looking resume.To conclude, your objective statement is very important and you must not skip this part of the resume. Even if you have been provided many chances to im prove your skills and learn more about the company, it will still be great if you write it.

The Battle Over Catherine Shefski Resume Writing and How to Win It

The Battle Over Catherine Shefski Resume Writing and How to Win It Where to Find Catherine Shefski Resume Writing Resume writing samples provided will offer you a peek into the type of resume you want to have according to your profession. Meanwhile, here are our very best practices to follow when it has to do with formatting your resume. When you have written and organized your information according to the kind of resume you've chosen, make certain to format it according to typical professional standards. Resume writing templates are segregated into various types based on the profession and achievements of an individual. Some not all, but a number of the freelance writers we encounter seem to have somehow picked up the thought that all they need to do to succeed is to be useful at writing. Below, you will locate a list of resume examples that may aid you with your work search. Writing a strong application is a difficult procedure and we would like to make it simpler. Includ e your complete name, contact number, email and personal branding website if you've got one. Employing a custom resume instead of a generic one is going to greatly increase your probability of an interview, as you'll be a better match in the view of the reader. Writing and including a reference sheet with your resume is one method to show which you are fully prepared and prepared to put in the work force. You should invest time into each application and guarantee that your resume is tailored to every employer and the job which you're applying to. Your experience should deal with every essential qualification in the job announcement. Guarantee the skills are related to the job that you desire. Writing a resume for employment in the art industry can be difficult. There are a lot of standard kinds of resumes used to make an application for job openings.

My Co-Worker Is Faking Sick Days, What Should I Do - Work It Daily

My Co-Worker Is Faking Sick Days, What Should I Do - Work It Daily Dear J.T. Dale: I have a co-worker who calls in sick once a month. I started noticing that it always happens on the third Thursday of the month. To test my theory because I think my co-worker is faking sick, I mentioned to her the Wednesday before that I would need some help the next day on a time-sensitive project. I was shocked when she confided that she would be calling in sick. When asked why, she explained that she has a killer part-time job filling in at a former employer. She asked me not to say anything. I'm not sure what to do. Something about it feels wrong. Do you think I should tell my boss? - Allison DALE: That's a bit of deduction worthy of a detective novel. In fact, knowing that there are HR people who'll read this, I bet some of them right now are contemplating ways to examine employee absences for suspicious patterns. J.T.: I guarantee you this: If management found out about the phony sick days, they would do something about it. What's more worrisome is how they will react when they find out you were aware of it. I'd begin by reviewing the rules in your employee handbook. I have a feeling it's going to be quite clear that sick days are to be used only when you are genuinely ill. More importantly, see if the company has any policies regarding fellow employees hiding information. DALE: I wouldn't expect you to find a code of honor like at a military academy, but there still is a prickly loyalty issue. Say your employer makes the same connection you did and confronts your co-worker, then she confesses and says that she didn't think it was a big deal and that others knew about it - you, for instance. Now you look like a co-conspirator with more loyalty to a conniving colleague than to the organization, which may well be true, but you can't expect the organization to be pleased with your priorities. J.T.: I'd go back to your co-worker and tell her that what she is doing makes you uncomfortable, and explain how it puts your job at risk. Try to make her see that it's in her best interests to head off the possibility of getting fired. If she refuses, you'll be forced to decide if you want to risk losing your job for the sake of this colleague. For me, that wouldn't be a hard decision. Feel free to send questions to J.T. and Dale via e-mail at advice@jtanddale.com or write to them in care of King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th Street, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10019. © 2012 by King Features Syndicate, Inc. Co-worker faking sick days image from Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join For Free!

Career Quiz Are You Prepared to Write Your Resume

Career Quiz Are You Prepared to Write Your Resume Career Quiz Are You Prepared to Write Your Resume?Put your job-search knowledge to the test with our resume quiz.Whether youre currently on the hund for a new job or happily employed, when push comes to shove, were all job seekers. But if you lost your job tomorrow, how prepared would you be to write your resume?I recently took to the streets of New Yorks Union Square area to find out just how much the average person knows about writing a professional resume. Check out the video below to watch the results, and test your job-search knowledge with these seven quick questions.JOB SEARCH QUESTION 1True or False A resume should always be one page long.ANSWER FALSEDont believe the rumors. You are NOT expected to squeeze 15+ years of work experience into a one-page resume. This page limit only applies to those professionals who (1) are searching for an internship (2) are recent college grads, pursuing an entry-level job or (3) are still rela tively new to the workforce. If you fall into one of these categories, you get one page of resume real estate. The end.If you do NOT fall into one of the categories mentioned above, youre entitled to two full pages of resume real estate. There are, of course, a few exceptions to this rule, but the majority of experienced professionals should restrict themselves to a two-page resume. This applies whether youve been in the workforce for nine or 19 years.RelatedHow Long Should Your Resume Be?JOB SEARCH QUESTION 2Which of these words is NOT an action verb?1. Developed2. Detail-Oriented3. OrganizedANSWER DETAIL-ORIENTEDAction verbs are exactly what they sound like. They are words that describe an action. When chosen carefully, they can be an effective way to illustrate your capabilities and achievements on your resume.However, not all resume action verbs are created equal. And some have been overused so much that theyve lost their impact with recruiters. There are only so many times you can say you led a team, handled a situation or supported a project before your resume job descriptions sound repetitive and boring.If you find yourself describing your work experience with the same boring words over and over again, try switching them out for strong, compelling action verbs that will catch employers eyes.Related How to Make Your Resume Stand Out With Action VerbsJOB SEARCH QUESTION 3What does ATS stand for?ANSWER APPLICANT TRACKING SYSTEMMany organizations use software known as an applicant tracking ordnungsprinzip or ATS, for short to pre-screen resume applications as they are submitted, rank them based on their contents and send only the most qualified candidates over to HR for review.In other words, your resume has to make it past a pretty tough digital gatekeeper before a human at the company ever sets eyes upon it.If your resume contains the same keywords that routinely pop up in your target job description, you have a much better chance at getting past the emp loyers ATS. Click on the following link for a step-by-step plan to customize your resume for a job listing using the right resume keywords.JOB SEARCH QUESTION 4How long does the average recruiter spend reviewing a resume?1. 90 seconds2. 60 seconds3. 16 seconds4. 6 secondsANSWER 6 SECONDSYes, you read that correctly. According to an eye-tracking study by job board Ladders, the average recruiter spends a mere six seconds scanning a resume before deciding if the candidate could be a good fit for the position. In other words, you have six seconds to make the right impression with employers.Click on the following link to learn mora about the six-second resume test and learn what you can do to ensure your resume passes the six-second test with flying colors.JOB SEARCH QUESTION 576% of resumes are discarded because of this mistake.1. Typos and grammatical errors.2. Including a headshot.3. Using an unprofessional email address.ANSWER USING AN UNPROFESSIONAL EMAIL ADDRESSWhile all of these c ommon resume mistakes could cause your job application to end up in the digital trash pile, an unprofessional email address will do the trick 76 percent of the time. (A headshot is worse, with an 88 percent rejection rate)The email address keg.stand.king99domain.com may have been funny when you were in college, but its not the best choice to represent your personal brand in the workforce today. The same goes for shared family accounts such as reynolds_familydomain.com and email addresses that are offensive or sexual in nature.Do yourself a favor and sign up for a free address with a provider like Gmail thats reserved exclusively for your job-search and networking activities.JOB SEARCH QUESTION 6True or False Your resume should include an objective statement.ANSWER FALSEThe problem with most resume objective statements is that they dont do a great job at selling your candidacy to an employer. Weve all seen that bland resume objective that tells the reader how youre a motivated self-s tarter looking for opportunities in ___ field that will allow me to leverage my ___ skills.Ditch this generic resume objective statement with its fluffy adjectives in favor of a compelling professional summary, also known as a career statement or career summary, that explains the type of position youre targeting and why youre qualified to land such a role.Click on the following links for more job search tips on how to write an effective resume professional summary.JOB SEARCH QUESTION 7Which one of these items should you include on your resume?1. Core Competencies2. References3. Street AddressANSWER CORE COMPETENCIESDont waste your limited resume space by listing your references or including a note like References available upon request at the bottom of your resume. Employers wont request that information until you make it to a face-to-face interview, and they know youll provide the information when they ask for it.Similarly, theres no reason to include a street address on your resum e anymore. In plus-rechnen to wasting space, including your street address on your resume can raise some security concerns (think about all the places youve uploaded your resume) If youre targeting a role close to home, by all means, include your city, state and zip codejust leave off your street address.Core competencies, however, are an important component of your professional resume. These terms, also known as areas of expertise or skills highlights, act as relevant keywords to help you summarize your qualifications within the top third portion of your resume and improve your applications ranking within an applicant tracking system.Click on the following link to learn more about incorporating relevant resume keywords into your core competency section.The resultsSo, howd you do? If most of these questions seemed like they were written in a foreign language, dont panic. The average professional isnt aware of these standard resume rules. In fact, theres no reason you know all this i nformation.Bottom line Your job is to know the ins and outs of your profession. Our job at TopResume is to know the ins and outs of resume writing.Leave it to us. Learn more about TopResumes resume-writing packages.Recommended Reading11 Steps to Writing the Perfect ResumeFree Guide How to Jumpstart Your Job Search5 Signs Its Time to Hire a ProRelated Articles

The Secret Truth on Resume Writing Group Reviews Revealed

The Secret Truth on Resume Writing Group Reviews Revealed Professional resume writing tafelgeschirrs make sure youre able to pull the job providers towards you with the intention that you receive the interview call for this dream placement. Selecting a resume writer is a wonderful deal more than simply hiring someone type up our resume. Finding the right resume writer for you isnt as hard as you might believe, you merely have to make certain you ask all of them the ideal questions. Resume writing services may be used by men and women who arent just fresh graduates and are searching for their very first job. The Nuiances of Resume Writing Group Reviews Spending some time researching a resume writing service can help place your mind at ease and lead to a top quality new resume for yourself. Needless to say, when youre searching for a resume writing service, dont neglect to obey your gut. You ought to be very cautious when deciding on a resume writing service as everyone can pu t up an indication they write resumes. There are many resume writing services accessible to select from and whichever companies you are thinking about, there are four questions that you should ask each one among them. The Good, the Bad and Resume Writing Group Reviews The resume is one that is going to force you to stick out amongst thousands of applicants that are qualified too. You are able to visit their site to locate certified resume writers also. Resumes are generally industry specific. The Appeal of Resume Writing Group Reviews Resume plays an essential role during the selection procedure for work. Resume Writing Categories When you look at resume services, you will see that they are available in several unique categories and you will want to pick the right kind for your job search requirements. You have the ability to take a much more active role in the approach. Developing a resume template is going to have to be wonderful and exciting. The Honest to Goodness T ruth on Resume Writing Group Reviews An In all the above mentioned instances, you would want a professional that specializes in every one of the individual fields mentioned. The writers present exactly what employers search for and describe accomplishments and abilities in the most efficient manner. Resume writing group is among the design ideas you may utilize to reference your Resume. Now you know the role of writing the resume summary paragraph its important to realize the right grammar, formatting and sentence flow thats typically utilised in professionally written resumes. The secret to picking the most suitable legal resume writing company is to check at their professional resume writers. How you summarize your experience can impact the method by which the employer interprets the remainder of your resume, so select your words carefully A great method to be sure your resume is flawless is to enlist the help of a professional resume writer. Your resume should be formatt ed in an easy, professional method.

Redundancy - what Australians want

Redundancy - what Australians want Redundancy what Australians wantPosted October 13, 2011, by Helen Isbister With redundancies on the rise due to the global financial crisis, nearly half of Australians say they would take a voluntary redundancy if the price is right. Mass redundancies have already been seen across many Australian industries, from manufacturing, to banking and the media. The Reserve Bank of Australia is predicting the economic slowdown will be so severe, 100,000 people will lose their jobs in the next 12 months pushing the unemployment rate to five per cent. In the United States one fourth of employers are expected to make layoffs or other cost-cutting moves in the next 12 months. A survey by linkme.com.au found 21.6 per cent of Australians would demand a six to 10-week cash payout, while 30.5 of companies currently offer a two-week payout. Redundancy laws differ from state to state with payouts generally corresponding with how long an employee has worked for a com pany. More than 40 per cent of the Australian workforce has been made redundant at least once in their careers and for most (70 per cent) it was extremely stressful, so its interesting to note that respondents to our survey are quite happy to take a redundancy if the money is right, LinkMe CEO Campbell Sallabank says. Being made redundant is never easy. Only 21.7 per cent of Australian companies provide career transition support, such as help with retraining and finding a new position, even though 85 per cent of the working population believe it is the responsibility of their employer to provide this service. But its not all doom and gloom. Being made redundant can be the perfect way to launch yourself into an exciting new career path. If you adopt the right mindset, redundancy can be an opportunity for career advancement and development that otherwise would have been unlikely, Mr Sallabank says. When weighing up a change in job, its essential to think through the reasons behind you r desire to change because at the end of the day money isnt what gets you out of bed, your purpose and sense of belonging are. ResourcesMy first resumeCover letter for my first jobCareer Insider StoriesShelley Lask - Body Positive Health & FitnessInterested in becoming a?Human Resources OfficerGeneral ManagerBusiness ManagerAccountantOffice AdministratorPopular Career Searcheswhat millennials want in the workplacewhat millennials want from brandswriters wanted competitionhighest paying jobs in australiaskills you need for the future CoursesBachelor of Social WorkEnquire verbunden Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Health AdministrationEnquire Online Enquire OnlineBachelor of Criminal JusticeEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Allied Health AssistanceEnquire Online Enquire OnlineHelen IsbisterRelated ArticlesBrowse moreEntrepreneurshipWOMENThe search for Australias next top businesswomanThe search is on for Australias next top businesswoman as the 2010 Telstra Business Wome ns Awards open today for nominations and entries.Career progressionCoworkersHow To Ask Someone To Be Your Mentor An Email TemplateAsking someone to be your mentor is serious stuff but that doesnt mean you should shy away from it. Heres how to ask someone to be your mentor - and how to convince them that its worth their while.CoachingCommunity ServicesMaking lives betterAre you a compassionate and nurturing person with a passion for helping people overcome difficult situations? You may find the perfect fit in the helping professions.