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Hiring an Intern

Posted on February 9, 2018 by Angela Roberts in Candidate Tips, Uncategorized with Comments Disabled

Have you considered the benefits of hiring an Intern?  Real-world experience for a student is invaluable to their future—and incredibly beneficial to your company!  An internship can be part-time or full-time, long- or short-term, and at any time during the year.  Many employers think that internships are primarily beneficial to students. However, the benefits to your company are equally important:

  • Interns bring in new perspectives on organizational issues: Interns are not stuck in the “This is the way we’ve always done it” mentality. They can bring fresh, new ideas to your company. Interns are good at questioning processes and can often see a different way of doing things that an existing manager might not.
  • Young professionals are familiar with new technology: Social media, computer programs, smart phones, and iPads; new technology is a piece of cake for young professionals. Even if you are a young entrepreneur, you can always use a hand from a fellow Gen Y tech-savvy professional who is up to date on the newest tech trends.
  • An Internship allows a trial period that could lead to something more: Your company gets the opportunity to screen and work with potential entry-level employees prior to making a full-time commitment. Moreover, if the Intern becomes part of your team they have already screened your company and received on-the-job training, reducing your training outlay and risk of turnover.
  • Interns can help you meet important project or task deadlines: There are always projects or tasks that you need help with or are struggling to complete. Utilizing an Intern offers you an eager helper to meet your most pressing deadlines.
  • Interns are productive, courteous and trying to make an impression: Your company can capitalize on the convenience and flexibility of hiring additional staff during peak seasons, without the issues that often come along with short-term hiring.
  • Your company can gain brand advocates and free advertising: The best marketing tool is social media. You can expand your company’s online presence in an organic way as the Intern posts online about their favorable experience with your company.
  • Hiring an Intern can develop your existing team: Junior-level managers within your organization can gain supervisory experience by working with Interns. By screening Interns, your company can grow its pool of qualified candidates for future recruiting needs.

Hiring an Intern is a great opportunity for your team, and for the future graduate! Aclivity has teamed up Colorado Universities to identify and recruit developing talent in the Accounting and Finance fields. We would be happy to leverage our connections to help you find the right Intern!

Get the Most Out of Your Career

Posted on December 19, 2017 by Angela Roberts in Candidate Tips, Uncategorized with Comments Disabled

Get the Most Out of Your Career

Roberta Gamza, Career Ink (www.careerink.com) | © 2017

Do you enjoy your job? Are you living up to your potential? Can you answer yes to these questions on most days? You’re going to have good days and bad days at work. Every job has some elements that are less pleasing than others; the goal is to have many more enjoyable than disagreeable days. Here are 8 steps you can take to maximize your career potential.

  1. Make sure you are in the right job. Do you enjoy what you do? If yes, great, if no, then determine what you’d rather be doing and what it takes to get that job. Perhaps you took this job under financial pressures or as a stop gap. Then don’t lose sight of your dreams and values. Get back on track and go for your dreams.
  2. Always have an up-to-date resume and an exit strategy. Be prepared to make a move when an opportunity presents itself or if a change in business jeopardizes or eliminates your job.
  3. Continue to learn new skills and technologies. Explore educational opportunities that will make you more valuable and attractive to employers.
  4. Take on new challenges. Volunteer for the projects that your peers avoid.
  5. Become a valuable resource. Be the subject matter expert that everyone goes to. Mentor and coach new hires and struggling associates.
  6. Continue to challenge yourself. Always have a goal you are striving for and a plan to achieve it. Once you achieve that goal, set another goal and begin working toward it.
  7. Invest in yourself. Attend conferences. Meet new people. Expand your influence.
  8. Always give a little more than what’s expected. Go the extra mile in all that you do.

Energize Your Job Search

Posted on July 5, 2017 by Angela Roberts in Candidate Tips, Uncategorized with Comments Disabled

Energize Your Job Search

            By Roberta Gamza, JCTC, JST, CEIP, Founder, CAREER INK (www.careerink.com)

Entering the job market is a daunting task, and even more so in today’s volatile economy. It is easy to get frustrated, angry and lose confidence as your job search yields little or no results. The following tips will help you stay on task, keep your spirits high, and maintain confidence.

  • Expect your job search to take at least four months depending on the economic climate in your target industry, profession, and location.
  • With so many highly qualified candidates for so few jobs, luck and timing will play a big part in the process.
  • If you’re frustrated by a long unfruitful search, step back and breathe deeply. Do something fun or ego boosting and regroup. Now, evaluate your job search actions and resources.
  • Are you approaching your job search as you would a work project? Do you have clear goals, an action plan, and measurements?
  • Be clear and focused on the position you are seeking. An “I’ll take anything” strategy will work against you. Determine what positions you are qualified for and enjoy the most. Build a resume for each position.
  • Identify and prioritize the companies you would like to work for and study them. Follow the hidden job market. Check local business journals and newspapers for announcements that will impact the local economy.
  • If you are getting interviews from your resume, your resume works. If you are interviewing but not getting offers, then your interviewing skills need help. Seek professional help for your resume or interviewing skills if they are not working. Consider the cost of professional help an investment in your future. The sooner you are back to work, the sooner the investment pays off.
  • Schedule your action plan. Allow time for research, correspondence, networking, and follow-up. Track your actions and results. Keep copies of your correspondence. Make notes about the outcome of your networking activities.
  • Network! Network! Network! Be prepared to network and network often! It’s not only who you know but who knows you! Networking is the number one method for finding work. About 85% of all jobs are filled by networking while only 4% are filled through the Internet. Contact everyone you know and find out who they know in your target companies.
  • If you’re networking, have a great résumé, and a solid strategy, but are not getting results, you are not alone. There are many reasons beyond your control for no response:
    • The posting was an effort to test the market. No real position exits now.
    • There is an inside candidate and the company must post the job according to policy.
    • The funding for the position is under review or has been revoked.
    • Re-organization or downsizing eliminated the position.
    • The competition revealed many qualified candidates with the exact skill set required.

Remain confident. Looking for work is a full-time job. Schedule your day. Allow time for enjoyment. Stay focused on what you do well. Don’t let frustration or desperation take over and steer you off course. Approach your search just as you would any work project. Set realistic expectations and reasonable schedules. Be patient, but persistent. It will pay off.

Is A Coverletter Right for You?

Posted on June 8, 2017 by Angela Roberts in Candidate Tips, Uncategorized with Comments Disabled

Is A Coverletter Right for You?

Shenia Ivey, Ivey Concepts & Solutions LLC (www.ivey-solutions.com) | © 2017

When We Are Applying for Jobs the Question is Coverletter or No Coverletter?

The internet has allowed us to apply to many jobs and get responses much quicker than years ago.  Some employers request a coverletter and when one is requested, yes you absolutely need to spend some time to research the following areas and write the coverletter in a manner in which it is personal to not only the position, but also to describing you and your fit into the organization.

Coverletter Do’s

  • Address the coverletter to the hiring manager
  • If you choose you may opt out of attaching a coverletter, unless mandated
  • Personalize how you will make a difference in the organization if hired
  • Adjust the coverletter according to the job description
  • Close the coverletter by giving a date and time to loop back to the hiring manager
  • Use the same formatting on your coverletters as your resume’

Coverletter Don’ts 

  • Address the coverletter “Dear Hiring Manager”
    • The internet is an excellent resource to identify the hiring manager by name
    • Use social media applications, such as Linkedin.com to determine an internal company connection
  • Allow the coverletter to be a complete regurgitation of your resume
  • Treat the coverletter with disrespect when you do attach it, it does have power when done right.
  • Use multiple fonts in a coverletter
  • Leave off the organization’s address (do your due diligence)
    • Once again use the internet to research the company
    • Many times larger organizations have multiple office spaces

There are those who believe in coverletters and if this is you then you need to utilize it for all for the bang and if you do not believe they hold all of the power that they could possibly do to catapult you into the position of your dreams then do not send one unless it its mandatory.    Those that are successful with coverletters are those that truly believe in the power of the coverletter.

Get the Most Out of Your Career

Posted on June 1, 2017 by Angela Roberts in Candidate Tips, Uncategorized with Comments Disabled

Get the Most Out of Your Career

Roberta Gamza, Career Ink (www.careerink.com) | © 2017

 

Do you enjoy your job? Are you living up to your potential? Can you answer yes to these questions on most days? You’re going to have good days and bad days at work. Every job has some elements that are less pleasing than others; the goal is to have many more enjoyable than disagreeable days. Here are 8 steps you can take to maximize your career potential.

  1. Make sure you are in the right job. Do you enjoy what you do? If yes, great, if no, then determine what you’d rather be doing and what it takes to get that job. Perhaps you took this job under financial pressures or as a stop gap. Then don’t lose sight of your dreams and values. Get back on track and go for your dreams.
  2. Always have an up-to-date resume and an exit strategy. Be prepared to make a move when an opportunity presents itself or if a change in business jeopardizes or eliminates your job.
  3. Continue to learn new skills and technologies. Explore educational opportunities that will make you more valuable and attractive to employers.
  4. Take on new challenges. Volunteer for the projects that your peers avoid.
  5. Become a valuable resource. Be the subject matter expert that everyone goes to. Mentor and coach new hires and struggling associates in your career field.
  6. Continue to challenge yourself. Always have a goal you are striving for and a plan to achieve it. Once you achieve that goal, set another goal and begin working toward it.
  7. Invest in yourself. Attend conferences. Meet new people. Expand your influence.
  8. Always give a little more than what’s expected. Go the extra mile in all that you do.

You Have an Interview, Now the Question is How Should You Dress?

Posted on May 19, 2017 by Angela Roberts in Bookkeeping, Candidate Tips, Uncategorized with Comments Disabled

You Have an Interview, Now the Question is How Should You Dress?

Shenia Ivey MBA, CPC, Ivey Concepts & Solutions (www.ivey-solutions.com) | © 2017

 

What you wear to the interview will demonstrate how serious you are about the position.  It does not matter if this is the recruiter, hiring manager, or the CEO that has called you in for the initial interview  it is your immediate job to get off to a great start.  Here are some key elements that will not let you down.

  • Be on time
  • Be prepared
  • Take notes
  • Ask Questions
  • Have done your homework about the company
  • Know how you are going to be instrumental
  • Dress professionally

In today’s competitive job market, standing out is crucial. Whether you’re vying for a coveted position in a renowned company or aiming to secure your dream job, every opportunity counts. That’s why preparing thoroughly for interviews is paramount. Think of it as your chance to showcase not just your skills and qualifications but also your personality and suitability for the role. It’s akin to a performance, where you aim to leave a lasting impression. And in the world of employment, where opportunities may seem scarce, treating each interview as a potential stepping stone is key. Just like in a perennial timeshare, you want to make sure you make the most of every moment and leave a lasting impression. So, when you step into that interview room, remember to bring your A-game and let your potential shine through. loans on centrelink

  • Do Not over dress.
  • Do Not wear jeans.
  • Do Not wear flip flops.
  • Do not wear shorts.
  • Do Not wear anything with holes in it.
  • Do Not wear tennis shoes or sneakers.
  • Do Not wear tank tops.
  • Do Not wear anything too revealing.
  • Do Not wear strong cologne or perfume as it may offend the decision maker.

Have you ever heard the saying “Dress for the position you want, not the position you have?”

Keep in mind that being called in for an interview is wonderful and gives the decision maker a great deal of power and being successful in the outcome of an interview requires that you feel confident with yourself. Confidence is portrayed in a number of methods, knowledge, communication skills, and appearance.  Allow your confidence to give you back some of the power.

  • Do choose attire that is clean.
  • Do choose slacks that are not too tight.
  • Do choose a dress or skirt that is of appropriate length.
  • Do choose wrinkle free clothing.
  • Do choose a nice shirt (possibly a button down collared shirt).
  • Do choose closed-toe shoes.
  • Do wear appropriate make-up.
  • Do manicure nails and or facial hair.
  • Do try to cover up body parts that have been tattooed.

Women do not have to wear a dress to an interview, however a nice pair of slacks that fit appropriately will do.  Do not wear anything too low cut or revealing as you do not want to offend anyone.  If you have body piercings or tattoos you may want to keep them covered (if possible) until you understand the climate of the organization.  Men: a tie is not always necessary; however, it does provide the professional look that most corporations are looking towards.

Keep in mind that you may be given leverage to wear more casual attire once hired and tattoos or body piercings may not be against company dress code.  What we are talking about is how you should dress for is the interview.  It is about the initial impression you are sending to your potential new company when asking them to embark on a journey with you.

 

 

How to Write Your First Resume

Posted on May 4, 2017 by Angela Roberts in Candidate Tips, Uncategorized with Comments Disabled

How to Write Your First Resume

Roberta Gamza, Career Ink (www.careerink.com) | © 2017

Hot Not to Lose the Job

Congratulations Graduate!  You’ve earned that degree; now is the time to put it to work and land your first job. You’re going to need a resume!

Sounds intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. The goal of a resume is to generate interest and interviews, so your resume must position you as a valuable candidate. As a new grad, you may feel you lack the experience necessary to do that, but you have more experience than you think.

Resume writing must start with a goal and that goal is to land a desirable job with a desirable employer, not just any job with any employer. Make a list of companies and positions that are of interest. Then look for job postings that align with your choices. Carefully examine those postings and look for keywords. Keywords are the words applicant tracking systems are going to use to filter online applicants; they are industry buzzwords and terminology, the names of applications and tools you use in performing the job, action verbs, and hard skills you need to perform the job. Job postings are loaded with keywords and your resume needs to contain about 70% of the keywords the hiring manager selected to pass the filter. Now that you have your targeted employers and positions, you can work on your resume content strategy. Resumes are future-focused marketing documents intended to position you as the best candidate for the job. They must contain content that is meaningful and relevant to the hiring manager and demonstrate your potential to learn and perform. To gather content, take a fresh look at your classes and class projects, extracurricular activities, volunteer experiences, and jobs, even the menial jobs you’ve held. There’s a lot more there than you think.

There are 3 resume sections that are a must for new grads: Education and Relevant Coursework, Work Experience (paid and unpaid), and Extracurricular Activities.

Education and Relevant Coursework

  • Course work and projects often simulate real world work and can add valuable experience to the resume just like internships and fellowships.
  • Academic or project competitions can highlight your contributions, teamwork, and accomplishments.
  • Participation in special academic programs and international studies speak highly of you.

Work Experience

  • Summer jobs demonstrate dependability, trustworthiness, accomplishment, and growth in responsibility.
  • On-campus and off-campus jobs while attending classes demonstrate time management, organization, and prioritization skills while revealing your motivation and determination.
  • Internships

Extracurricular Activities

  • Volunteer roles, working with community charities and fundraisers can show everything from leadership, commitment, and problem solving skills to passion and kindness.
  • Roles and responsibilities in fraternities, sororities, as well as student clubs and organizations show your commitment, initiative, and often teamwork and/or leadership qualities. If you’ve planned and led a special event, you have experience in project planning, logistics, leadership, and fiscal management.

Be sure to write powerfully and concisely; use active tense. Allow sufficient time for this part of the process. It takes much more time to write tight, concise, and targeted content. Be prepared to write and rewrite a few iterations of your resume. Remember format is equally as important as content. You must make it easy for the reader to consume this content, so forget gimmicks, slick fonts, and brightly colored paper unless you are a graphic artist. Stick to tried and true, common fonts and use plenty of white space and bold judiciously. Don’t use templates unless you want to look like everyone else. Most importantly, never determine length before you have your content. You resume may fit on one page, but don’t try to cram it onto one page. If your content demands more than one page, go to two pages. Just be sure all content is meaningful and relevant to the position you seek.

Networking for Students

Posted on April 27, 2017 by Angela Roberts in Bookkeeping, Candidate Tips, Uncategorized with Comments Disabled

Networking for Students

Have you ever heard the phrase, “It’s not what you know, but who you know?” The saying is true. Ask any senior executive, politician or community leader which single skill or habit helped them excel in their career. An overwhelming majority will respond with one word: Networking.

Developing relationships with a network of other people provides you with professional and personal opportunities—and connects you to people who need what you have to offer. Students who take the time to create a network of connections during college can jump start their careers, finding opportunities for development through recruiters linked to their personal network.

What is Networking?

Networking is all about making personal connections; creating long lasting, mutually beneficial relationships with individuals in a web of interconnected people. Your network might include friends, professors or students in your classes, co-workers or professional mentors. You can network anywhere, anytime—in your personal or professional life, on the ski slopes or golf course, at school or cocktail parties. Your network will provide references for you, and points of reference for you as you grow, learn and develop your career.

Why Network?

Networking might be initially daunting, but you will find compatible personalities in your networking whether you are shy or outgoing. Consider a few good reasons for networking:

  • Personal relationships enable you/your organization to stand out, rise above the noise and remain at the forefront of others’ minds
  • Relationships are a catalyst for success
  • People do business with (or hire) those they like and trust
  • If you offer others your experience, knowledge and connections, you can help them succeed
  • Networking is the single most powerful marketing tactic to accelerate and sustain success for any individual or organization
  • Networking will undoubtedly provide you with opportunities to learn, share and grow
  • Networking could quite possibly open the door to your next career move
  • Networking goes hand in hand with recruiting. When it’s time to find a job, your network can help you find opportunities you’re well-suited to
  • Networking with accounting societies provides many opportunities for recruiting, including the opportunity to intern during your college years.
  • Every year companies send their top recruiters to colleges to start identifying future employees to court for positions within their company. If you have built strong connections, odds will be good that a member of your network (who is connected to the recruiter’s network) will speak up for you when recruiters ask for recommendations.

Networking: A True Story

A senior-level accountant lost his position during a corporate restructuring and did not want to relocate. He received company-paid outplacement counseling and spent the next few months following the standard process of researching opportunities, making calls, scheduling interviews, tracking listings on online job boards, and sending resumes to employers. This process led to a few new leads every week, but none that were such a perfect match that his interviews brought job offers.

On his way home one Friday afternoon (after another unsuccessful interview) the accountant pulled into his local gas station. The station owner struck up a conversation with the accountant and asked, “How are things going?” Instead of giving a thoughtless reply like, “I’m fine”, the accountant answered honestly. He explained that he had lost his job a few months before and was not having any luck finding a new position close enough to home. The station owner asked what he did, and when the owner learned that this customer was an accountant said, “My sister was telling me last weekend that her company is having a hard time finding a new accountant, and she’s just a few miles from here.”

The accountant had a job interview a few days later. An offer followed within a week. He accepted.

Where Can I Go to Network?

Many professional associations offer networking events, which connect you with a circle of contacts in a particular field or area of interest.

  • You can get information on local networking events from various industry organizations. The accounting organizations below provide networking forums:
    • The Colorado Society of CPA’s: cocpa.org
    • The local chapters of Institute of Internal Auditors iia.org
    • The Institute of Management Accountants: imanet.org
  • Look into student accounting societies such as Beta Alpha Psi
  • Talk to your professors; they can help you make connections with people in varying circles of influence
  • Try a student membership for the Colorado Society of CPA’s: cocpa.org. They can connect you with a mentor that can help you chart your career path and recommend networking opportunities

Tips for Networking Events

When you attend networking events, you are opening the door to making many acquaintances that could grow to become part of your network. It can be a little intimidating to attend social events focused on making personal connections, but you can set yourself up for success by considering the ideas below:

  • The purpose of a networking event is solely to meet potential business contacts and to have them meet you. Go in with an open mindset and be willing to share yourself in a professional, authentic way.
  • Hold your drink in your left hand, because the right hand is the one you will be using to shake hands. A cold and clammy hand does not make a good impression!
  • Put your nametag on your right shoulder. This way, while you are shaking hands, your contact can focus on your name.
  • Do not be afraid to mingle, introduce yourself to strangers and shake hands. That is how people strike up new connections!
  • Searching for conversation ideas?
    • Offer to introduce people, and share a few details about each person during the introduction: “Edgar, this is Mary. Mary is an auditor at CompanyX and a chess champion. Mary, this is Edgar. Edgar is a CFO at CompanyY and a great golfer.”
    • Share your opinions about a great book you have just read or movie you have seen.
    • Ask people to tell you about themselves. Many people like to have an open invitation to choose what they will tell you about their life and experience. They may give you an answer to a question you did not think of asking!
  • Remember to have fun! Networking isn’t just about finding a job, promoting your company or keeping your name “out there.” At the core, it’s really about making personal connections.
  • Don’t forget to stay connected! In a world of text messaging and e-mails it’s easier than ever for people to stay in touch. Distance breaks networks down, so be sure to reach out to your contacts frequently to let them know you are there.

Networking is an important skill in every stage of your career. You can benefit from connections made through your network, and you can help others by making connections for them. Next time you’re looking for new opportunity, put your (or our!) network to work!

Do you want help learning the art of networking?  We offer candidate coaching!

Call us! We’re here to help!

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When to Call a Professional Resume Writer

Posted on April 14, 2017 by Angela Roberts in Candidate Tips, Uncategorized with Comments Disabled

When to Call a Professional Resume Writer

Roberta Gamza, Career Ink (www.careerink.com) | © 2016

It’s time to call in a professional when:

  • YOU REALLY, REALLY, REALLY WANT THE POSITION!
  • You don’t have the knowledge, desire, or time to write your resume or LinkedIn profile.
  • You’re frustrated and confused by all conflicting advice you’ve received and found on your own.
  • You’ve spent hours upon hours on your resume or LinkedIn profile and you are still not happy.
  • Your resume hasn’t produced any responses or interviews.
  • You have employment gaps or an eclectic career history.

Do you have the knowledge, desire, and time to write your resume or LinkedIn profile?

So, what does it take to create a professional quality resume or LinkedIn profile?

Knowledge: Resume and LinkedIn profile writing is much more than sitting down to write your career history. It is presenting your career history in a powerful, concise, and compelling way that captivates employers by predicting future performance.

Both the resume and LinkedIn profile require a strategy to position you as the most qualified candidate. The content must be meaningful and relevant to the position and use the language of the job you seek. This kind of writing uses a combination of technical writing, marketing, and sales skills. And simultaneously you need to optimize the resume for applicant tracking systems with keywords, language, and formatting that ensure your resume is not rejected by a computer and your LinkedIn profile is found by recruiters and hiring managers.

Desire: Do you really want to write your resume and LinkedIn profile? Are you excited about it and really looking forward to doing it this weekend? Or, is it that you just can’t put it off any longer and now it’s become a chore like cleaning out the garage? You set aside 4 hours on Saturday morning and come what may, you are getting it done! If that’s the case, you lost sight of the goal. The goal isn’t to get a resume written, the goal is to land that new position. The resume and LinkedIn profile are tools to help you win the job.

Time: Are you a writer? Does it excite you to find the perfect word to convey the exact meaning? Do you frequently look for alternative words in a dictionary or thesaurus? It takes much more time to write tight, concise, and targeted content than longer content. As the saying goes, if I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter. Are you willing to put in hours needed to tighten and perfect the content?

How about Microsoft Word? Are you an expert or merely proficient in Word? Can you format a visually appealing document? Do you know how to support your message with formatting? Do you know when and how to use emphasis, tables, and graphics? That’s where technical writing skills come into play. Are you aware of good resume writing practices?

Impact on your livelihood, potential income, and job satisfaction!

It takes specialized knowledge, precise skills, a deliberate strategy, and commitment to excellence to create a powerful and compelling resume. Your resume and LinkedIn profile are your calling card and brochure. They enable your network to be your champion when opportunities arise.

These powerful documents have a direct impact on your livelihood, potential income, and job satisfaction. Do you really want to rely on well-meaning amateurs for these critical documents? Maybe, it is time to consider a professional resume and LinkedIn writer who spent years honing their knowledge and skills, developing their intrinsic writing talents, and is committed to excellence in their field.

A professionally written resume is an investment, not an expense. The most expensive resume you will ever have is the one that does not get responses.

Written By: Roberta Gamiza (www.career.ink)

 

Why Isn’t My Resume Getting Responses?

Posted on April 14, 2017 by Angela Roberts in Candidate Tips, Uncategorized with Comments Disabled

Why Isn’t My Resume Getting Responses?

So, you’ve got a great resume and a solid job search strategy. You’ve networked with everyone you know. You’re still not getting much response or those great opportunities you were hoping for still elude you. What’s happening?

There are some good reasons that a great resume may not get a response:

  • The posting was an effort to gather resumes early and test the market. No real position exits now.
  • There is an inside candidate and the company must post the job per policy.
  • The funding for the position is under review or has been revoked.
  • Re-organization or downsizing eliminated the position.
  • Competition revealed many qualified candidates with the exact skill set required. It’s a matter of numbers.
  • The hiring manager is so swamped, he feels he cannot stop long enough to hire anyone.

These reasons are all beyond your control and have nothing to do with you.

However, there are two reasons that are completely in your control.

  • You are qualified, but your resume doesn’t show it.
  • You are not qualified for the position.

You may need a reality check and an objective review of your resume. Despite your best efforts, if you are not getting responses from employers for positions you are fully qualified for, the most likely reason is your resume does not demonstrate your qualifications and value. If you suspect this is the case, have your resume reviewed by a professional resume writer.

The last reason for no response that is in your control is you are simply not qualified for the position. Be realistic when you apply for a job. You know if you’re qualified or not. Don’t let yourself fall into the desperation trap of applying for anything hoping something will come through. You are only doing yourself a disservice and damaging your credibility with employers.

Written by: Roberta Gamza (www.careerink.com)

Top 10 Tips for Writing a Great Resume

Posted on April 14, 2017 by Angela Roberts in Candidate Tips, Uncategorized with Comments Disabled

Top 10 Tips for Writing a Great Resume

Does your resume grab the attention and hit home with employers? Does it generate responses? A resume is not just a history of your career, a listing of jobs you held and tasks you performed. It’s a future-oriented marketing piece positioning you as the most qualified candidate for a position. To do that, the content must be based on the position you are seeking, not just the ones you held. The content needs to be meaningful and relevant to the employer. It must demonstrate initiative, problem solving, and value to previous employers.

Know what’s important to the employer. Begin with a strong focused introduction. Concisely summarize responsibilities and focus on your accomplishments. Be very strategic; paint the right picture with your words. Use formatting to enhance readability and drive your message home. Write tight; trim and polish at least three times. Take these 10 tips to heart when preparing your resume.

  1. Get into the right mindset. Overcome procrastination and don’t lose sight of the real goal. It may seem like your goal is to write your resume, but your real goal is to capture the employer’s attention and land a job.
  2. Start fresh. Get rid of old resume baggage. Keep your eye on the job you are seeking. Approach your resume with today’s perspective.
  3. Assume the employer’s perspective. It’s not the story you want to tell, but the story the employer wants to hear. Demonstrate you can solve problems, save money, and make money.
  4. Don’t tell me, sell me! Job hunting is a sales job. Your resume is a sales tool, marketing brochure, and calling card. In sales features attract, but benefits sell. Load your resume with benefits. Articulate your value, previous contributions, and successes.
  5. Use industry keywords liberally and appropriately. Don’t just dump them in the resume, use them in context throughout the resume.
  6. Capture attention with a combination style that includes an introduction, career history, short job descriptions, bulleted accomplishments, education/professional development, specialized training, credentials, and certifications as well as affiliations, memberships, and community involvement.
  7. Distinguish responsibilities from accomplishments. Responsibilities are the tasks they hired you to do; anyone with your same title has the same responsibilities. Accomplishments tell us how well you performed those tasks and how valuable you were to your employer. Accomplishments are unique to you. They differentiate you from other candidates.

Avoid weak responsibilities; they do more harm than good. Ineffective resumes include long laundry lists of bulleted responsibilities. They tend to be passive, uninspiring, and make you look like every other candidate. (i.e., troubleshoot networking components, install, configure, and maintain computer equipment). Do not just repeat your job description.

Use strong responsibilities that paint a robust picture of what you did. (i.e., Service Manager. Managed a 7-member team repairing an average of 390 warranty and non-warranty repair orders per month.)

  1. Make accomplishments strong. Maximize the most powerful content on your resume. Quantify or explain the impact of your work on the organization. Frame your results with context. State how you improved or streamlined something, mentored someone, avoided a crisis, helped a customer, increased productivity, saved money, and so on. (i.e., Consistently beat annual profit target of $1.5M by at least 2X. Delivered 20% of company’s total 2015 revenue with 15% profit margin.)
  2. Avoid standard templates that make you look like every other candidate and follow good resume writing practices. Be generous with white space; select a common font; vary sentence structure and employ parallel construction; use emphasis sparingly; be consistent in capitalization, punctuation, spelling, type, and line spacing.
  3. Edit, proof, and polish at least twice, then walk away and look it over with fresh eyes in a day or so.
Written by: Roberta Gamza (www.careerink.com)

Really Different or Rarely Different?

Posted on March 13, 2017 by Angela Roberts in Client Tools, Uncategorized with Comments Disabled

Really Different or Rarely Different?

I hate labels such as “Millennials” – a term first coined by Strauss & Howe in their book Generations.

My wife asked me to write an article on Millennials in the Workplace. The general definition of Millennials seems to be those born between 1980 and 2000. Now, I am in the habit of doing (almost) everything my wife asks of me, but why me? I doubt I have anything more to add to the myriad of opinions out there. Everyone has a position on the topic, and none of the research is conclusive. I have spent the last week having an internal debate in my head and thinking of reasons why I should not do this. I can’t justify turning down my wife…

So here are my Generation X (generally born between 1960 and 1980) observations, solely within the workplace.

This is based upon what I have observed, what I feel etc., not scientific conclusions, just my biased non-researched views. So there, you can’t challenge me for this article. And, by the way, what qualifies me as remotely capable of writing down my views? Probably because I have three Millennials as kids and that I work with about 30 of them at Wazee Digital every day.

The way I think about Millennials in the Workplace is to begin by understanding what they faced when they entered the workplace. Yes, there could be all sorts of psychological factors that influenced them prior to that. However, I focus on what they faced from about 2005 to 2010 when the earliest group of them left their college and protective parent years behind and entered the workplace. Not quite losing the generational lottery, but during this short 5-year period here is what they generally saw:

  • Global Financial Crises & the Mortgage Loan debacle
  • Many of their parents unemployed and or savings depleted
  • Disastrous and costly Middle East Wars
  • Climate Change and an Environmental mess
  • Political gridlock
  • Corporate scandals
  • Resurgent China and offshoring depressing wages
  • Terrorism close to home

As I think about it, the only things Generation X have provided Millennials that provide great utility are: The Internet, the cellphone & e-commerce.

So, I totally understand why Millennials often exhibit a high degree of skepticism and distrust with Generation X. Estimates say that by 2020, nearly half of all workers in the workplace will be Millennials. I believe all workplaces have this unavoidable Millennial/Gen X combination – typically with Gen X as management and Millennial as non-management. Workplaces will have to understand these factors and challenge the traditional management/employee dynamic. For me, the cornerstone is all about inspiring the Millennials, understanding the different views and avoiding stereotypes.

While I agreed with my wife to write an article (short) not an essay (long), let me close by listing all the disparaging terms I hear about Millennials and give you my opinion as they relate to the workplace: They..

  • Have a lesser work ethic than Gen X – untrue. You are not inspiring them.
  • Want to do meaningful work – true. What’s wrong with that?
  • Have been so sheltered – why is this even relevant? If it’s true it’s the Gen X’s fault – so fix it.
  • Are overconfident – great.
  • Provide immediate candid feedback – who wants to work with folks who “suffer in silence” anyway?
  • Think communicating is texting – true. Texting and email are great for information sharing but awful for convincing or relationship building.
  • See supervisors as mentors not bosses – yes, Gen X’ers they actually want your help!
  • Are over entitled – sometimes. Probably because Gen X parents over protected them and are not finding that “air-cover” in the workplace.
  • Don’t have a defined career path – fair point. Keep encouraging and give them freedom to explore.
  • Value job satisfaction over financial rewards – correct. But the Gen X obsession with money has not worked out so well.
  • Look for a better work/life balance – correct. Why not? Travel, health, and rest are proven to provide more productive employees.
  • Don’t trust management – correct. Most Gen X management teams have not earned this trust.
  • Change jobs when the going gets tough – fair point. This is one the Millennials must own. The grass is rarely greener.
  • Don’t ascribe to Corporate Values – partially true. But most corporate values are BS anyway.
  • Rudely multi-task – yes, Millennials (and a number of Gen X’ers) you are guilty as charged. You can’t fully participate in a conversation and have one eye on your phone.
  • Have a strong BS detection antennae – correct. They sniff this out very well.
  • Have a greater sense of community purpose – correct. Companies should be part of the societies in which they live. Millennials are challenging companies to turn this from an annual report fable into a true commitment.

Hopefully my views can form part of the beginning of a generational understanding in the workplace not the end of the debate. Yet most of all, I hope that Millennials have the courage to mimic the Gen X strengths and learn from our Gen X’s many mistakes – so that they can preserve my social security benefits for years to come!

Mark A. Pougnet | COO and CFO

——————————————————

Wazee Digital

1515 Arapahoe St, Tower 3, Suite 400

Denver, CO 80202

E  mark.pougnet@wazeedigital.com

 M 720-635-5276

www.wazeedigital.com

 

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