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#BestofFSCBlog : How to Search for a Job. This Today’s Guide will Take you Through Every Step You Need . Best One Stop REad!

January 10, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

A Guide for Finding & Landing the Job of Your Dreams

Whether you’ve never searched for a job before — perhaps you’re a new college graduate — or it’s been so long since you’ve applied to a position that you don’t know where to begin, have no fear, dear job seeker. This guide will take you through every step you need to take to snag your dream job, from how to prepare to the best days to search. Read on for more.

How to Prepare

As they say, sometimes the most difficult thing to do is to simply start. When you’re looking for a new job, this statement is true: with thousands of job listings to consider, and what seems like a million items on your job-search to-do list, it can be tough to force yourself to sit down at your computer and get to work. But the good news is, with preparation, you can make your job search so much easier. How can you prepare? Here are a few simple steps.

Ramp up your resume: You’ll want to tweak your resume for each job you apply to, but it is still a good idea to make sure it’s up-to-date and in tip-top shape. Reconnect with yourreferences to make sure they’re still willing to vouch for you, and proofread for errors. Review your resume and ensure all dates, positions and descriptions are accurate.

Practice for an interview: While you can’t prepare for every single interview question you will be asked, you can still brush up on your interviewing skills by practicing your answers to the mostcommon questions asked by recruiters and managers alike. Knowing how you will respond in advance will keep you cool, calm and collected during any future interviews.

Network: Mark industry events on your calendar that you can attend, where you can meet recruiters or industry insiders who can give you the scoop on open positions. Alternatively,join a club or organization you’re passionate about. You never know who you could meet there — or the ways you could help your resume pop — by giving your time to a good cause.

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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What Days You Should Search

You may think that any day is a good day to search for a job. And while that’s mostly true, data shows that there are better days to apply than others. In fact, Tuesday seems to be the best day of the week to send in your resume. (And the same research shows that you could find more success in your job search in the months of February, March, May and June.)

Another important element when it comes to the timing of your job search is to make sure it doesn’t consume all your time. (If it does, you’ll go crazy —trust us.) So stick to a 72-hour schedule, if possible: prepare on Monday, apply on Tuesday and follow-up on Wednesday.

What Sites You Should Use

Of course, we think Glassdoor is the best place to search for a new job. (The stats don’t lie: Glassdoor helps 67 million people per month in their job search.) But that doesn’t mean Glassdoor is the only site you can use in your job search.

If you’re looking for a flexible work schedule—or even the chance to work from the comfort of your couch five days a week—consider signing up on FlexJobs, a site that only posts job listings for positions that offer flexible or remote work options. (FYI: it’s a paid service.)

Another website you could use in your job search is LinkedIn. After all, it’s not just a place to post your resume; LinkedIn also posts job listings tailored to your field and interests. So, make sure your LinkedIn profile is up-to-date and robust, with projects, videos, or blogs.

Other sites that post job listings include: Indeed, Monster, CareerBuilder and US Jobs.

How You Can Use Apps in Your Job Search

Your phone could be your new best job-search friend: with apps, you can ramp-up your job search, get prepared for an interview, get reminders for follow-ups and so much more.

Did you know Glassdoor has an app? It does! And it’s a great one to use to find jobs. The app pairs millions of open job listings with important information like company reviews, salary estimates, interview questions and more to help prep you for the job hunt.

You’ve got dozens of jobs to apply to, and that’s a lot to organize. We’ll get to the nitty-gritty of organizing your job search soon, but in the meantime, download Workflow, an app that will help you organize your job content and create shortcuts that will save you major time.

Once you’ve scheduled an interview, it’s time to practice your interview skills. If you’re the kind of person who clams up, consider using Orai as a speaking coach. The app will “coach you to add fewer filler words, speak clearly, and at a good pace,” according to its website.

Lastly, don’t forget the value of social media apps in your job search. You should use social media to build a personal brand, which will make you more attractive to a hiring manager. (For example, you can post pictures or summaries of projects you’ve worked on, include a short bio about your skills, or share articles that show you know a lot about the industry.)

GlassDoor.com

#CareerAdvice : #ResumeWriting -Does Your #Resume Have an Identity Crisis? Great Two(2) Min Read!

September 30, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Most of the resumes I review each year suffer from an identity crisis and are uninspiring. They’ve been created in cookie-cutter fashion, filled with overused words and phrases, are not aligned with the employer’s needs and open with a vague statement that “tells” the employer what they are looking for …”to utilize my skills and experience …” (insert yawn.)

A resume with an identity crisis leaves the reader confused and unable to discern exactly what direction the person is going with their career or the value they bring to the organization. More than that, this type of resume doesn’t:

Differentiate you from your competition.
Provide context. It’s all generic fluff that sounds like hundreds of other candidates.
Make it easy for the hiring authority to determine how you solve their specific business pain.
Prepare you for interviews.
Say anything unique at all.

Still today, job seekers hold fast to the belief that employers want an objective statement along with a full obituary of their career. And, they continue to create generic resumes with basic job descriptions, tasks, and experiences. Resumes have evolved.

Today’s Resumes:

Are focused and make it easy for hiring manages to grasp your value (what you can do for them), where you worked (your unique experiences), and the impact of your efforts.
Are bold and go beyond simply showing titles, dates, and job duties.
Demonstrate your value and frame how you made a difference.
Do not use generic objective statements or overused phrases.
Convey perception (how you want to be perceived); alignment (who you are and where you are going); and a summary (the argument for your worthiness to be hired for the position).
Are unique to the applicant and not a copy of another person’s document.

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Your resume should connect with your audience and build the hiring authority’s confidence in you by proving your value.

If you’re uncertain of the direction you want to go in your career, find the common thread and then emphasize where your skills and qualifications intersect with the employer’s needs.

It All Starts with a Strategy — No matter the circumstance, to create a great resume, you need a strategy before you start writing.

What is your career goal?
Who is your target audience?
What value do you offer (skills and competencies for the industry targeted)?

In the end, a clear direction will help shorten your job search.

CareerExperts.com | September 19, 2019 | Tammy Shoup

#CareerAdvice – #JobSearch – 5 Seemingly Insignificant Actions that Will Make You a More Attractive Hire. Great Read!

July 17, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

According to data from Glassdoor, the average corporate job opening attracts 250 résumés, out of which a maximum of six, or just 2.4 percent of those who applied, are called for an interview. When applying for a job, the odds are simply stacked against you.

There are some simple, seemingly insignificant actions that you can take to improve your job prospects, however. Below are five such actions.

1. Don’t Take Your Cover Letter for Granted: Improve it With the Following Tips Instead.

Your cover letter is your opportunity to make a first impression, and in some cases it can be more important than your résumé. In fact, according to a particular source, most companies first screen resumes with talent management software before a human looks at it; these talent management software often weed out up to 50 percent of applications.

Often, spending a few extra minutes on your cover letter can mean the difference between getting hired or not.

The following tips will help make your cover letter a lot more effective:

Avoid using cliches and unnatural phrases in your cover letter.
Keep your cover letter short and simple; you want your cover letter to be no longer than a page; ideally about four paragraphs.
Use your cover letter to show that you understand the organization’s needs and can play a key role; it should be about the organization and not you. You want to steer clear of using a lot of “I”.
Carefully review and edit your cover letter to avoid mistakes or typographical errors — this is very important since your cover letter is often your first impression; in fact, typos in résumés is the number one reasonemployers automatically dismiss a candidate for consideration, with 61 percent of employers dismissing a candidate just because of this.
Don’t make your cover letter a repeat of your résumé; instead, use it as an opportunity to highlight your top selling points and address possible discrepancies in your résumé(such as an employment gap, for example).

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2. Get Certified

There are many benefits to getting certified: a report by Monster found that getting certified can result in an average pay increase of between 25 to 75 percent. Glassdoor’s interview of recruiters and HR professionals also found that the right certifications can increase a candidate’s odds of getting hired.

If you are yet to be certified, it might be a good idea to get a certification to improve your job prospects and employability.

If you’re a network administrator, you can get the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), or Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) certification.
If you work in construction or any building-related work, you can get the LEED Accredited Professional certification.
If you work in accounting or finance, you can get a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) certification.
If you work as a graphic designer you can get the Adobe Certified Associate (ACA) certification.
If you work in project management you can get the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.

Regardless of your industry, there is most certainly a certification you can get to increase perception of your value and improve your employability.

3. Highlight Your Accomplishments in a Very Clear and Specific Manner

While many job seekers tend to obsess over their GPA or degree (or lack of) when working on their résumés, recruiters tend to prefer to read more about your accomplishments in similar roles to get a feel for how much of a difference you can make in the organization.

You want to go beyond just listing accomplishments. Instead, you want to list your accomplishments in a clear and specific way.

Examples:

Saying: “Achieved annual customer growth rate of 30 percent by supervising the marketing team” is much more effective than simply saying “Helped improve growth rate.”
Saying: “Boosted profitability by helping negotiate a reduction in fees with partners and working on an algorithm to help improve customers’ average order value” is a lot more effective than simply saying “increased profitability.”

4. Create a Personal Website or Blog and Highlight It When Necessary

Having a personal website, or blog, might appear insignificant or irrelevant to your getting hired, but it could be one of the single most important actions you can take.

In fact, according to a study, hiring managers are more impressed by a candidate’s personal website than any other personal branding tool — with 56 percent of hiring managers preferring it. Yet, just 7 percent of job seekers have a personal website.

Examples abound of people who have landed their dream jobs thanks to a personal website:

When Meg Dickey-Kurdziolek was laid off, it was having a personal website and portfolio that actually helped her get hired. During interviews, she realized that recruiters were really paying attention to her website and portfolio because they asked questions about projects that were featured in her portfolio during interviews, and that helped her stand out.
A personal website also contributed greatly to Benjamin Felix getting a finance job at PWL Capital. Even though Felix didn’t include his website in his résumé, it was brought up during his interview. Apparently, recruiters at PWL Capital came across Felix’s website when they searched for him on Google, and the fact that he had a personal website helped him standout.
For Mark Scott, who is now VP of corporate communications at eVestment, having a personal website also played a key role in his getting hired at the organization; he was able to direct the recruiter to his personal website during the initial interview to showcase his experience, and that helped him stand out and land the job.

Setting up a website also doesn’t have to be complicated or cost an arm and a leg: WordPress is free, and as indicated by this review, you can have your website hosted and accessible for less than the cost of a cup of coffee. Making your website enhance your employability goes beyond just having a website, though. What matters is that your website does the following:

Showcase your skills and experience: Show potential employers what you can do rather than tell.
Include enough background information to make it easy to make a decision about hiring you; Ideally, you want to make it easy to access relevant information about you all in one place. So your website should link to your social profiles (such as LinkedIn) and other relevant online presence as well.
Highlight relevant social proof in your industry; This includes media features and interviews, awards, and conferences you’ve been invited to.

5. Work on Your Follow Up Game

As I indicated in my last piece, research by Robert Half found that pretty much all hiring managers expect — and encourage — candidates to follow up after sending in an application. This is especially critical when you consider that the odds are stacked against you: the average job opening will get about 250 applications, and many of these applicants won’t follow up after submitting their application.

Following up is the one way to give yourself an edge in the sea of applications your employer is likely to be inundated with. Following up puts you ahead of the pack; while it is unlikely that a recruiter remembers each of 250 candidates that applied for a job, you can be sure that the candidate that followed up a few times will stand out.

Conclusion

As the employment landscape gets more competitive, it is important to work on making yourself more employable; often, all it takes are actions that require just a few minutes of your time. The above are five such actions. While they might appear initially insignificant, they can make a whole lot of difference in your getting hired.

GlassDoor.com | July 15, 2019 | Posted by Jane Eldrich

#BestofFSCBlog : #ResumeWriting – Words to Watch in Professional #Resumes .

June 30, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

In years of resume writing for folks in the commercial world, military transitioning to civilian, or for government services applicants there are certain words and phrases that are unnecessary or redundant.

Labels. Commercial resumes do not need labels for information in the point of contact section at the top of the resume. Everyone knows that 757-###-#### is a phone number. Everyone knows that FirstNameLastName@nameofISP.com is an email address, so why label them? Labels can potentially gum up the parsing engine in the Automatic Tracking System (ATS) when the system moves the data to a SQL database.

Jr., Sr., III, formal degree or certification initials (after name). Unless your son or father are looking for a job in the exact same industry at the same time, don’t bother adding the Jr. or Sr. after your name on the resume. You can add those initials to the official legal paperwork once you are offered employment. All the certification designations and formal degrees listed after the resume owner’s name may muck up the ATS’s parsing process. The exceptions to this general rule would be Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Juris Doctorate (J.D.), or Professional Engineers (P.E.), which are headhunted specifically for their degrees or certifications.

Stakeholder. This cliché buzzword literally means everyone that touches a business or entity – employees, managers, stockholders, clients, and vendors. No one has a task or responsibility that affects every single one of these with equal value. Instead of noting tasks affecting ‘stakeholders,’ mention the results for those directly affected, e.g., direct supervisors or employees within a specific department.

Initiative. If one was tasked with an ‘initiative’ – this is a subjective word, meaning you had intentions to do something – but did you do it? Instead, write that you directed, managed, supervised, or developed a project, and the “results were …”

On a weekly basis; on a daily basis. This phrase can be reduced to one word – weekly or daily. Resumes should not be focused on daily task minutiae – concentrate on the more important weekly or monthly task descriptions with direct relevance to the company’s strategic business goals and objectives.

Selected to serve. Requested by. Military use these phrases to highlight a person uniquely chosen above others. But, they are passive wording. Instead, use an active verb to showcase what was done ‘after being chosen’ for a specific task or responsibility, e.g., directed a (project) for (supervisor’s job titles) resulting in (name the goals reached of the task assigned).

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In regards to. This is a wordy, space filler phrase. Don’t use ‘regarding’ as a replacement word, either. Alternatively, describe what was done specifically. For example: “Prepare memos for (ABC) in regards to …” can be replaced with: “Create reports for (ABC information) submitted to (XZY) for monthly subcommittee meetings.”

Executed. Avoid dangling modifiers. Once client had used the word to describe what she had done to support women via a project she managed. But, the words used after ‘executed’ indicated she had ‘killed them’ within the sentence meaning and structure. Ensure the words following the descriptor ‘executed’ are carefully constructed to indicate working relationships to a project or task.

Typing – XX wpm. I see resumes noting the job seeker’s speed for typing (XX wpm) or an ability to use 10-key calculators. This applicant skill is fine for clerical, receptionist, or data-entry jobs. For those with aspirations for supervisory or management jobs, these basic skills are assumed. The job seeker should be able to type fast enough to compile memos, letters, and write policies or reports at a productive speed. Avoid minor details and save the white space for more important and relevant information about skills and experience. It is better to describe unique technical and computer skills for a competitive advantage.

Be careful about over-wording your resume or demonstrating a lack of conciseness. The tighter the resume, the richer the wording, and the more impressive your experience and skill sets will read.

FSC Career Blog Contributor: Dawn D. Boyer, Ph.D., owner of D. Boyer Consulting – provides resume writing, editing, publishing, and print-on-demand consulting. Reach her at: Dawn.Boyer@me.com or visit her website at www.dboyerconsulting.com.

Bio: Dawn D. Boyer, Ph.D., has been an entrepreneur and business owner 20+ years, with a successful business in her own consulting firm (CEO) in Virginia Beach and Richmond, VA. Her background experience is 24+ years in the Human Resources field, of which 12+ years are within the Federal & Defense Contracting industry. She is the author of 750+ books on the topics of business, human resources research, career search practice, women and gender study, genealogy and family lineages, quotes for motivation and self-improvement, and Adult Coloring Books. Her books can be found on Amazon.com under Dawn D. Boyer, Ph.D.

FSC Career Blog | June 30, 2019

#CareerAdvice : #ResumeWriting – How To Write A #Resume That Gets You a #JobInterview .

June 27, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

With the average job receiving 250 applicants, building a standout résumé matters, especially if you have some rocky patches to explain, like job gaps or career shifts.

In my time as a career coach, I have been sent hundreds of résumés that are in dire need of help. Like so many people, a recent client, Sarah, came to me struggling to find a new job after having been laid off a few months prior. She sat down already feeling defeated, “I just don’t know how to get myself into another role…who would want to hire someone who has job gaps and was laid off?”

Everyone has a story for their career setbacks and I wanted to understand hers. Sure, Sarah’s job history was a little spotty, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t a hard working and dedicated employee. Turns out, her layoff story was telling: after the company laid of 70% of their staff, she was one of the last they let go. Why? Because she was an incredible, hardworking hire. This meant helping her craft a résumé that stands out in the pile, and even more importantly, an elevator pitch so that she’s memorable to the interviewer.

Here are three ways to make your résumé showcase your strengths and help you stand out.

1. Focus less on what you’ve done and more on what you want to highlight.

Your résumé is all about showing where you’ve been as it relates to where you’re headed. This means taking the thread of your past and relating it to your future. Sure, you can list out your past jobs and roles, but cater your résumé to highlight skills and job experiences that relate to where you’re going even more so than where you’ve been. This is especially important if you are looking to make a career transition into a field you might not have direct experience in.

Look at the job you are applying for and focus on the responsibilities it lists that you have experience in, whether direct or indirect. Don’t leave off the skill section of the resume, you can really capitalize on this to outline what skills your current position requires that translate into the new role.

Under each job, focus primarily on the responsibilities that relate to your past, and apply also to the job announcement–ideally tasks you want to do more of. Be sure that your first bullet under each job is always your best bullet. This means it’s high impact, quantitative and results driven.

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2. Don’t neglect the power of soft skills.

The value of soft skills is on the rise in the job market. By 2020, it is estimated that skills such as problem-solving and communication will increase the perceived value of employers by over one third. Why? Because robots are taking over the workforce. But they cannot compete fully with a human being in their soft skills.

Use your résumé language as a means to describe a soft skill the hiring manager is looking for. You can use facts or stats from your job history to show, not tell, what your communication and management skills have done. Weave together your soft skills of customer service, collaboration or public speaking into the outcome these skills have formed.

3. Showcase your achievements.

Roles are often either task oriented or results oriented. Resist the desire to simply outline the day to day tasks completed in your job history. When I reviewed Sarah’s résumé further, she had only included a bulleted list of job duties performed each day (project management, product research and market testing). Although it is great to showcase what you can do, hiring managers are looking to see what the results you provided the company. That means getting out of tasks and into results.

Don’t be shy with quantifying your results to the best of your ability.

In fact, Sarah’s work for the company resulted in saving $1M in revenue. This should’ve been a major highlight on her résumé as it showcased her ability to complete tasks and make a positive impact.

Sarah did some major revamping considering these tips and was able to get in the door for multiple interviews. She used her résumé as a talking tool within the interview and was able to illustrate what she could bring to the team to lock down not one, but two job offers.

If you are on the job market or considering a new opportunity, review your résumé to be sure it is a positive representation of you. Don’t let this single piece of paper make or break your next career move!

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website.

Author: Ashley Stahl Contributor

I’m a career coach who helps job seekers via online programs and one-on-one coaching in finding their purpose, landing more job offers and launching their dream business…

Forbes.com | June 27, 2019

#CareerAdvice : #ResumeMistakes -4 #Resume ‘Tricks’ that are Actually Traps. Great One(1) Min Read!

June 21, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

There is a lot of content out there that will claim to solve your résumé woes. The truth is, there is no quick fix for a résumé in need, and you should steer clear of anyone who claims otherwise. With an average of 250 applications received per open role, hiring managers have seen countless résumés and have a keen eye for the sneaky secrets applicants may use to try to slide through.

If you’re thinking of trying one of these résumé tricks, you may want to think again.

VISUAL DISTRACTIONS

While a strong template can definitely grab attention and help you stand out, be very discerning when it comes to visual elements that “pop.” This goes for loud colors, graphics, and charts. Unless you are in a field like graphic design, subtlety will be the name of the game. And remember, elaborate formatting can often render your résumé unreadable by applicant tracking systems.

It should also be noted that including a headshot on your résumé is a practice of the past. Doing so can open the door to many types of discrimination, and employers may reject your CV immediately just to prevent potential accusations.

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KEYWORD OVERLOAD

Adding a keyword section to highlight your specific skill set is a great way to ensure that your résumé will make it past an ATS; it can also make sure that a hiring manager can easily locate the required skills for the role on your CV. A bad idea, however, is adding a keyword section so expansive that it attempts to veil a thin work history. Hiring managers can see through this easily. After all, it doesn’t matter how many keywords and proficiencies you include in your résumé if you don’t have the accomplishments (with evidence) to back them up.

LENGTH

This failed résumé trick is especially relevant for mid- and senior-level professionals. If your strategy is to wow hiring managers with your full career history, you may want to rethink your approach. One of the most common résumé mistakes job seekers make is believing that length denotes ability. However, while you may have over 20 years of experience, a hiring manager is not going to be interested in the day-to-day responsibilities of your entry-level role.

The appropriate length of your résumé is dependent on where you are in your career, but the standard is two pages. Overall, being brief and selective about the experience you include will ensure readability and demonstrate that you know what accomplishments are most important for the role you’re applying to.

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Any personal information aside from your contact information (read: email, phone number, LinkedIn URL, and city and state of residence) has no place on a modern résumé. Details about interests and hobbies, family life, or colorful jokes will not entertain or delight a hiring manager, nor will these elements provide a better understanding of your personality in a way that is valuable to the hiring process. Venturing into the area of creative writing can be risky and, if at all, should be contained to a cover letter.

This article originally appeared on Glassdoor and is reprinted with permission.

#BestofFSCBlog : Over 300K+ Reads! One Stop #JobSearch Read- How to Get a Job. Tons of Articles/Links!

May 29, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

We’d like to deliver you some very good news: a job search doesn’t have to be tough, and neither does landing a new job—if you know exactly how to get a job, that is.

Some job seekers, for example, don’t realize that a handwritten thank you notesent post-interview can clinch the job deal, while others have never heard of applicant tracking systems—technology that reads resumes and chucks those that are missing job description keywords in the trash. But with this insider information, you can defy the odds and land your dream job—all while making it look oh-so-easy.

Here are 13 pieces of advice that will strengthen your job search and help you get a job that fits your life.

GUIDE OVERVIEW

How to Get a Job #1. Pay attention to your social media presence.

Recruiters and hiring managers will be looking at your resume, of course—but they also want to see complementary online content, too, such as your LinkedIn profile and online resume. In fact, one recruiter told Glassdoor she likes to see attachments, project work, videos, or blogs, too.

How to Get a Job #2. Highlight your transferable skills.

You want to show off why you’re right for a particular role. But you also want to make clear why you’re right for any role, we’ve heard recruiters say. So, when it comes to your resume and cover letter, focus on the skills and experience you have that would make you an ideal candidate anywhere. Then, in an interview, be ready to share how you’ll relay those skills in the new role.

How to Get a Job #3. Use your words.

And more specifically, use the right words. Applicant tracking systems scan resumes in search of keywords, and throw out any that don’t contain them before they have the chance to be seen by human eyes. So how can you game the tech? It’s easy. Read the job description for the job you’re applying—then see how those words stack up against similar job postings. Words that repeat across multiple listings belong on your resume—preferably at the top, as well as in context.

How to Get a Job #4. Tell a compelling story in your cover letter.

You don’t want to simply repeat what’s on your resume when you write your cover letter. Rather, you want to dig a little deeper, answering questions a potential employer might ask such as: what makes this company your go-to choice, and why is this company special to you? Answer the questions in as much detail as possible to stand out from the crowd.

How to Get a Job #5. Catch your resume mistakes.

It’s not enough to run a simple spell check on your resume. You’ll need to employ some special editing tactics—such as reading your resume backward and asking a friend to proofread for you—in order to catch every mistake on the page. There’s even editing software specifically for resumes. If you allow an error to sneak in, you are sending the employer an unintended and incorrect message that you are sloppy and don’t care about your work.

How to Get a Job #6. Prepare for an interview before you get it.

You won’t be caught off guard by an interview question if you’ve studied the common questions asked by recruiters and managers alike. Plus, knowing your responses in advance will keep you cool, calm, and collected during the interview—confidence any employer will be pleased to see.

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How to Get a Job #7. Dress for the job you want.

It’s not enough to slip out of sweatpants and put on something fancy. You have to dress for success and be comfortable in what you’re wearing. If you’re uncomfortable, you might lose some confidence in the interview. But if you look and feel good, you job savvy should easily shine through.

How to Get a Job #8. Show off your likable side.

An interview doesn’t have to be all business. In fact, applicants willing to show their personalities are received better by managers than people who remain tight-lipped during the interview. That’s because this manager could become your boss—and he or she wants to make sure you can get along well. Share your personality when answering questions and resist the urge to respond robotically.

How to Get a Job #9. Always send a thank-you note.

A recent study found that 86 percent of hiring managers said not sending a thank-you note shows lack of follow-through. So follow-up—and show off your manners—with a handwritten note on nice paper or even in an email. The point is to do it, and do it promptly; the medium doesn’t matter as much. In the note, thank your potential employer for his or her time, and be sure to share about something you learned during the interview. Why? Sharing the lesson shows you were paying attention to the employer, and you’re serious about the role.

How to Get a Job #10. Avoid getting too personal in interviews.

Turns out, some of the answers you think are appropriate to share—like your favorite childhood memory when asked question, “Tell me about yourself”—are actually a turnoff to recruiters, and in some cases, can cost you the job. So just like you’ll practice what to say in the interview, you should also research what not to say to a potential employer.

How to Get a Job #11. Don’t talk about money during an initial interview.

Bringing up any salary questions during an initial interview—especially a phone interview—is a big no-no, career experts say. Why? It’s simply not the appropriate time, because you haven’t made it far enough into the interview process. So save the money talk for a second or third interview, when it’s clear you’re taking steps toward landing the job.

How to Get a Job #12. Be proactive during the interview.

Rather than allow for the recruiter or hiring manager to ask you all of the questions, be confident and proactive during your time together. You’ve researched the company’s culture and mission on Glassdoor, and you’re looking for a job that fits your life. Therefore it’s important to dig deeper. If you ask questions about management style, professional development, performances measurements and team collaboration, you’ll show a potential employer you’re both an informed candidate and serious about the job.

How to Get a Job #13. Use social media to brand yourself.

Hopefully, you know by now that Facebook statuses that describe wild nights with friends can a turnoff to potential employers. But did you know that you can use social media to build a personal brand, making you more attractive to a hiring manager? One easy way to do just that is to expand from what’s on your resume—you can post pictures or summaries of projects you’ve worked on, include a short bio about your skills, or share articles that show you’re an expert in your industry.

How to Get a Job #14. Seal the deal by negotiating.

The final stage of getting a job is negotiating the package. While compensation often comes to mind first, remember that there are far more facets of the job that you can customize than you think. From benefits to work-from-home options, stock options to a travel stipend, there’s a lot on the table. Make a list of the things that are most important to you and that you’ll need to execute your job well. Be sure to check Know Your Worth to make sure their base salary offer is competitive with the market. Then, speak to your hiring manager and the recruiter about whether those needs can be fulfilled. These days, negotiating is an expected part of the job search process. Ask as many questions as you need and get the answers you need to make the best job decision for you.

Learn More!

Getting a job can feel like winning the lotto. However, with a few tips and tricks, getting job will have much better odds. Here are additional resources to help you on your path to finding a job that fits your life:

How to Write a Resume

How to Write A Cover Letter

The Ultimate Job Interview Preparation Guide

How to Prepare for a Behavioral Interview

50 Most Common Interview Questions

How to Negotiate Your Salary

How to Network

GlassDoor.com | May 29, 2019

#CareerAdvice : #ResumeWriting -64 Action Verbs That Will Take Your #Resume From Blah to Brilliant. Bonus: Worksheet Included!

May 28, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

You’ve probably heard the advice that action verbs should be sprinkled throughout your resume. By starting each bullet point about your past experience with a powerful action verb, you draw hiring managers in and give them a concrete picture of your expertise. Certain action verbs are also likely to help your resume get past automated scanning tools.

But it’s not as simple as just throwing a bunch of verbs on a piece of paper and hoping something sticks. Here’s how to use action verbs on your resume intelligently to help you land the job of your dreams.

Choose Them Carefully

“It is important to be strategic on the action verbs used to describe your skills and experience,” notes Jessie Czerwonka Roller, Manager of Career Services at Turning the Corner. “Being in the career services field for over a decade, I have seen an abundance of resumes: the good, the bad and the ugly.” The ones that stand out, she says, are resumes that are tailored toward both the job and the industry, using verbs that feel relevant and targeted.

Shefali Raina, an NYC-based executive coach, agrees. “For maximum impact, use action verbs selectively and convey simple, direct messages. Nothing dilutes the impact of action verbs than being surrounded by many other action verbs!” In other words, you definitely want action verbs throughout your resume, but don’t go overboard.

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Show Who You Are

It’s a good idea to include action verbs that showcase your personality. “Empowered speaks to your ability to give energy, authority, confidence and power to a group or a team to achieve a certain result,” Raina says. “It suggests that you possess the confidence and the influence to be able to authorize and energize a team or group to have a powerful impact.”

“Organized is a wonderful verb that denotes an individual who can prioritize not only the items on their desk, but their tasks too,” says Gabrielle Pitre, Recruiting Team Lead at Coalition Technologies. “This lets employers see that you understand what is valuable to your job. But, perhaps, an even better verb is orchestrated, as it’s rarer and more likely to attract attention.”

“Initiated is a powerful one because it demonstrates that you are proactive and that you spent the time and energy to begin a project or originate an idea,” Raina notes. “To employers and recruiters, it speaks to a positive, ‘can-do’ mindset and says that you will be a solution starter.”

Be Specific

One of the most important rules for using action verbs effectively is to choose them based on the jobs you’re applying to. “If you are a job seeker who wants to gain a leadership position, you want to describe both your skills and experiences using strong leadership action verbs such as advocated, bolstered, drove, engaged, elicited and spearheaded,” Roller explains.

To highlight management experience, you’ll want to use verbs like establishedand delegated, Pitre says. “These words can say much more than more common verbs, such as led or oversaw. You want to show how proactive you are and these verbs express that well.”

Try brainstorming industry-specific action verbs, as well. For example, “if you are a job seeker targeting the IT industry, use action verbs such as administered, centralized, configured, engineered, installed and programmed,” Roller recommends. These show that you know the space inside and out and you won’t need to be brought up to speed.

If you’re looking at creative jobs, you might want to consider the verb designed. “This word tells me that the candidate has built something new that did not exist before,” says Amanda B. Gulino, founder of A Better Monday.

Be Open to Trial and Error

“A job seeker’s goal is to entice the recruiter or search committee member to read more and get excited about their background to elicit an interview invite,” Roller points out. “You know your resume isn’t working if you aren’t getting interviews.” If your current resume isn’t working for you, be flexible in switching it up until you find the right eye-catching combination of words and phrases.

And remember, it’s not just about the verbs. “We love to see candidates stray from ordinary statements,” Pitre says. “It’s not always just about a specific adjective or verb, but everything around it. The best candidates often understand how important it is to share their specific stories, give examples and show how and why they are good at something, rather than just stating that it’s a skill.”

More Verb Ideas

Need a little more inspiration? Here are some of our favorite action verbs to get your resume-updating wheels spinning.

Entry level and above:

Audited, Built, Collaborated, Created, Delivered, Earned, Exceeded, Generated, Identified, Improved, Minimized, Negotiated, Obtained, Outperformed, Planned, Presented, Produced, Redesigned, Reduced, Researched, Solved, Trained, Tested

Manager level and above:

Championed, Coached, Consolidated, Decreased, Enabled, Facilitated, Grew, Hired, Implemented, Instituted, Integrated, Launched, Managed, Mentored, Partnered

Executive level:

Advised, Aligned, Cultivated, Developed, Evaluated, Founded, Guided, Motivated, Transformed

GlassDoor.com | May 23, 2019 | Posted by Julia Malacoff

#CareerAdvice : #ResumeWriting – How to Write a #Resume That Will Impress a Bot ( #AI )…Great REad!

April 1, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Getting hired used to mean writing a resume that stood out to the HR manager or recruiter assigned to thumb through them. Today, the gatekeeper is a machine as AI revolutionizes the hiring process. That means the way you write your resume has changed, too.

“AI is handling processes that used to take an enormous amount of time away from engaging with the talent pool,” says Jon Christiansen, PhD, chief intelligence officer of the marketing research firm Sparks Research. “HR managers don’t have to sift through hundreds of resumes, and they can get into their real expertise of recruiting and placing the right talent.”

While this is good news for the HR department, it adds a new challenge for candidates, says Arran Stewart chief visionary officer and co-founder of Job.com, a recruiting platform.

“AI has made the resume writing process far more competitive as it now requires emphasis on personalizing the document for the job in question rather than submitting a generic resume for a myriad of vacancies,” he says. “Where recruiters and hiring managers are able to read between the lines and find the relevance of any skill or accomplishment on your resume to the open positions they have, AI is only concerned with how closely your resume matches with the skills it’s been asked to look for in the job you applied to.”

Get past the bot and in front of the HR manager by doing these six things:

1. WRITE A NEW RESUME FOR EVERY JOB

The ability to blast out one version of a resume and get nibbles is over. Now you have to write a resume that speaks to the job description.

“The job description contains several clues about what the machine is looking for,” says Christiansen. “It’s saying, ‘Here are the knowledge skills I’m looking for, and here’s background I’m looking for.’ Look at the tags, keywords, and streams of text; that’s where you should get started.”

Apply the language to the resume you submit to the job in question, says Stewart. “AI is looking for singular relevance to the role they’re searching for, so including job-specific language is a must if you want to make it to the shortlist,” he says. “It might be slightly more work, but no different than say having different cover letters ready for each position.”

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2. USE EASY TO UNDERSTAND JOB TITLES

Some companies like to assign creative job titles, like Branding Guru or Planning Expert, but including them on your resume might get you passed over by the machine.

“It’s cool for culture, but that’s not the tags the machine is looking for,” says Christiansen. “If the job description says they’re looking for a marketing manager or product manger, that’s the tag it’s going to look for.”

Christiansen suggests going to the Bureau of Labor Statistics or O-NETand searching standard job titles. “If you can’t find your job title, it’s probably not going to be picked up and tagged during the machine screening,” he says.

Also consider the job progression, adds Stewart. “AI isn’t at the point of a mass scale predictive, so if you’re applying for a job that is senior to your current role as a logical next step in your career, AI won’t make the connection that it is the logical next step,” he says. “If your experience and skills make you seem underqualified, you should write in aspirational terms about your skills and accomplishments. That way the system views you as ready to take on the added challenge.”

3. RESIST THE URGE TO BE CREATIVE

Machines don’t judge you by the font you choose. If you have a font that can’t be read by most word processors, you might get spit out.

“Any font that isn’t within the Microsoft Word platform might not be able to be read,” says Christiansen. “Sometimes using a PDF format might work, but it’s not worth the risk.”

And don’t add graphics. Tables or images might look good, but again, the bot might not be able to recognize it.

“It might look like wasted space to a machine,” says Christiansen.

4. BE PRECISE

Including a long history of experience is no longer necessary, so try to keep your list of experience within the last five years, says Stewart.

“A full 20 years of work history dilutes the experience concentration weighing your resume, which will result in you being removed from shortlists,” he says. “When writing your resume remember the two Rs: keep it relevant and recent.”

5. CHECK YOUR SPELLING

You never want your resume to include spelling or grammatical errors, but a human might have been more forgiving than a machine.

“AI not only sorts through irrelevant applicants, in some cases it highlights the lazy ones as well,” says Stewart. “It’s still important to be sure your information is still meeting the usual standards of excellence expected for professional documents.”

6. INCLUDE A COVER LETTER

While a resume should be written to match the job and advance you past the bot, the cover letter is your chance to shine, says Christiansen.

“It’s an opportunity to speak like a human,” he says. “You can speak directly to the hiring manager, make yourself sound like a human and talk uniquely about the experiences you mentioned that spoke to the job description.”

Christiansen recommends writing three or four paragraphs about how you could fit that team, company and job. “Get into the why,” he says. “A cover letter may be an old practice, but I don’t see them go away. A good hiring manager wants to hear you in that.”

Taking these six steps involve more work on the part of the candidate, but skipping them might be a bigger risk.

“If you send out a generalized resume, it’s a case of garbage in/garbage out,” he says. “You want to get a match because you fit the job. If you’re getting calls from a generalized resume it’s because those companies want warm bodies, whether or not they fit the job. Is that where you want to work?”

FastCompany.com |April 1, 2019 | BY STEPHANIE VOZZA 4 MINUTE READ

#CareerAdvice : #ResumeWriting -New Study: Professionally Written Resumes Score Jobs Faster & Earn More.

March 26, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

If you’ve been in the workforce for years, chances are you’ve considered outsourcing the dreaded process of writing a resume. After all, needing a new jobis stressful on its own, then add to that the anxiety of capturing your entire work history and value into one or two pages. Hello, migraine.

However, a new study by TopResume may provide a proven solution. The resume writing service commissioned a study to determine if recruiters perceive candidates with professionally written resumes to be more employable, as well as if job seekers benefit from a professionally written resume.

Need Resume Updated or Done?? .…… Contact us at info@firstsun.com

The results? Recruiters valued candidates with professionally written resumes to be worth 7% more than when assessed using their self-written versions. Furthermore, candidates with professionally written resumes were more likely to secure interviews, land a new job sooner, and advance their career faster.

“Professionally written resumes increase a job seeker’s perceived value by providing a clear career narrative, a visually balanced presentation, and proof of the person’s abilities,” says Amanda Augustine, a certified professional resume writer and career coach.

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According to the data, candidates who invested in a professional resume reported:

32% higher rate of finding a job than those who wrote their resume themselves.
68% secured that job within 90 days of having their resume professionally written.
42% of them moved on to a higher-level position.

“Anecdotal evidence has suggested that professionally written resumes offer significant benefits to job seekers, but there was no data to confirm those advantages — until now,” said Jeff Berger, CEO and founder of TopResume, a Talent Inc. company. “Now, when job seekers wonder whether investing in this critical job-search tool will positively influence their candidacy, there’s resounding proof it will help advance their career faster and at a higher salary and title.”

If editing and tweaking your resume is causing you to go mad or you are still wondering whether your resume is strong enough to beat the competition, consider hiring help via TopResume, especially if you’re changing careers or transferring industries.

“When you’re changing careers, it’s assumed that your recent work experience will not perfectly align with the role you’re now targeting,” says Augustine. “To ensure your resume isn’t immediately trashed by the ‘bots’ or a recruiter, you need demonstrate that you possess the skills necessary to do the job well, even if this new job isn’t a natural next step after your previous role.”

That’s where transferable skills come in. “Some transferable skills are universal, regardless of the field: leadership, communication, analytical skills, and many others,” Augustine says. But “if you want to land a job faster and maximize your future paycheck, hire an expert to write it for you.”

GlassDoor.com | March 26, 2019