Success Journal A MUST HAVE in your job search

Job Journal / Success Journal A MUST HAVE in your job search I am a nut for job journals.  When I speak I tell job seekers to take an entire day, go somewhere quiet (mountain?), and brainstorm past accomplishments. I think, for multiple reasons, this is more important than spending all day on the computer. Get away, document and brainstorm, and remember the great things youve ever done in your career. Steve Levy, a recruiter in New York, recently tweeted this: Then he followed up with this: In JibberJobber we have a place where you can put these emails, transcribed kudos, reports, etc.  and store them. Its all about CAREER MANAGEMENT. Collecting this stuff helps you define your brand, and craft stories to communicate what youve done and why you are awesome. As Steve says, you dont think you can remember all of these? You absolutely wont remember all of them, especially when it most matters (in a networking setting, or in an interview). Thats the premise of my most commented post, Depression Clouds Everything.  The idea is that when your emotions get in the way, you get clouded, and cant recall why you are awesome, or that youve ever done anything good in your career. You might not use all of the stories, but just having them could really help you communicate much better, because stories back up what you say about yourself. To get this in JibberJobber, login and then go to TOOLS, then Job Journal: Seriously take the time to do it and youll reap the benefits for many years to come! Job Journal / Success Journal A MUST HAVE in your job search I am a nut for job journals.  When I speak I tell job seekers to take an entire day, go somewhere quiet (mountain?), and brainstorm past accomplishments. I think, for multiple reasons, this is more important than spending all day on the computer. Get away, document and brainstorm, and remember the great things youve ever done in your career. Steve Levy, a recruiter in New York, recently tweeted this: Then he followed up with this: In JibberJobber we have a place where you can put these emails, transcribed kudos, reports, etc.  and store them. Its all about CAREER MANAGEMENT. Collecting this stuff helps you define your brand, and craft stories to communicate what youve done and why you are awesome. As Steve says, you dont think you can remember all of these? You absolutely wont remember all of them, especially when it most matters (in a networking setting, or in an interview). Thats the premise of my most commented post, Depression Clouds Everything.  The idea is that when your emotions get in the way, you get clouded, and cant recall why you are awesome, or that youve ever done anything good in your career. You might not use all of the stories, but just having them could really help you communicate much better, because stories back up what you say about yourself. To get this in JibberJobber, login and then go to TOOLS, then Job Journal: Seriously take the time to do it and youll reap the benefits for many years to come! Job Journal / Success Journal A MUST HAVE in your job search I am a nut for job journals.  When I speak I tell job seekers to take an entire day, go somewhere quiet (mountain?), and brainstorm past accomplishments. I think, for multiple reasons, this is more important than spending all day on the computer. Get away, document and brainstorm, and remember the great things youve ever done in your career. Steve Levy, a recruiter in New York, recently tweeted this: Then he followed up with this: In JibberJobber we have a place where you can put these emails, transcribed kudos, reports, etc.  and store them. Its all about CAREER MANAGEMENT. Collecting this stuff helps you define your brand, and craft stories to communicate what youve done and why you are awesome. As Steve says, you dont think you can remember all of these? You absolutely wont remember all of them, especially when it most matters (in a networking setting, or in an interview). Thats the premise of my most commented post, Depression Clouds Everything.  The idea is that when your emotions get in the way, you get clouded, and cant recall why you are awesome, or that youve ever done anything good in your career. You might not use all of the stories, but just having them could really help you communicate much better, because stories back up what you say about yourself. To get this in JibberJobber, login and then go to TOOLS, then Job Journal: Seriously take the time to do it and youll reap the benefits for many years to come!

Simple Resume Writing Examples That Works

Simple Resume Writing Examples That WorksIf you are planning to write a resume for a new job and you're unsure about the various simple resume writing examples available online, then you should probably stop. If you don't get it right, no one will be able to help you with your CV. That is not very fair.There are many different methods that are used to present a CV, and this means that the application form you write yourself needs to be just as comprehensive as any other method. Remember, your form has to make you stand out from the masses of applications you have to contend with and, most importantly, your CV needs to read like a resume. You cannot rely on these examples to do this for you.There are standard formats for an application form that is acceptable for any job. Unfortunately, some CV examples don't follow these rules, and therefore will only seem to confuse the reader. If you want your resume to stand out, and ideally, to outshine the rest of the applications, then you need to understand the format and learn how to write in this format.The most basic way to write a resume is to use the standard font and use a heading to describe your qualifications and experience. For example, if you are applying for a job as a trainee electrician, your CV might include the following: 'Completed four years of distance education in UK, UK-based electrician course'. Most likely, the potential employer won't even see the letterhead at this point; he or she will simply skim through the rest of the form and glance at the heading.This form makes it possible for the potential employer to filter through your CV in this way. This isn't how they want to see your CV though, and they will be looking for details about you that aren't covered in this outline. While they might see an outline of your education, they won't see a list of your previous work experience.If you are still not convinced, look at some of the more detailed and complex CV examples available. A lot of them follo w this outline and include all of the information that will help the potential employer choose you over the next candidate who presents themselves. These CV examples also avoid using a simple heading and they cover the information that is most important to the potential employer, namely your training and experience.Many potential employers prefer to see people who have been educated by specific institutions. It is part of the 'legacy' that a person who has been educated at the same university as you can't easily claim. Therefore, if you are looking for a job, then it would be smart to create a CV that shows that you have been educated at a University outside of the UK.Your potential employer needs to understand what it is that you have to offer the company, so you have to be very clear about your qualifications and achievements in the form that you present yourself. A good example will make this clear, because it will have bolded the details that are most important. Once you get ove r the fact that CV examples don't always help, you will realize that this is the best way to start a new career.

Creative Ways to Make Yourself Their First Choice

Creative Ways to Make Yourself Their First Choice Looking for work can be exhausting and frustrating since it rarely happens to land a job after 2 or 3 interviews. While there are some fields where potential employees are being hunted like no other, most people struggle with finding a job that’s up to their potential. Rejection can be tough to handle, especially when it’s the 5th negative answer or silent treatment you receive. Sure, beginnings are always scary and hard, but you deserve a job and you know you deserve a good one. After all, you are smart, capable, intuitive and resourceful. So why aren’t you getting those calls you expected from companies you look up to? Why don’t recruiters in your field understand the value you would bring to each and every one of those companies? While the interviewing and hiring process might be a little flawed and biased, especially since most companies have the HR department look through CVs to find 5 potential software programmers to interview, you can’t blame it all on them. Here are a few things you should keep in mind while job hunting to distinguish yourself from other candidates. Creating a Top-Notch Application We can’t overstate how important your résumé is and how many candidates get it so wrong. In most cases, it’s the first contact your employer has with your persona, so a well-written, on-point CV is crucial. You can find a great and comprehensive article about how to write a solid résumé here. Now, for the creative part: Use a custom template that will not burden the CV with useless information, but one that will stand out mostly through its simplicity and creativity. Make good use of columns and don’t be afraid to praise yourself. Acknowledge your potential and show off. If you know you’re good at what you do, make them realize it too. Include every relevant piece of information and experience and present it in an attractive manner. Also, don’t be afraid to talk about your personal interests. Volunteering, hobbies or passions will give employers a general idea about your personality and they will relate to you one way or another, even though they never met you. Working on Your Personal Branding The bad news is, whether you like it or not, nowadays employers will look you up online. Since most people can’t or don’t want to stay away from the internet, they are bound to find something, anything about you on social networks. Now, for the good news: it’s up to you to control what they find. Sure, you can’t delete anything from the internet: once it’s up there, it stays up there; but you can adjust what they see. Sure, Social Sweepster does a great job at cleaning up your online profiles, but it’s far from being 100% efficient. For example, let’s say Spring Break 2008 was the most fun you’ve had since you left your high school friends and went to college. Good music, unhealthy amounts of alcohol and who knows what else, topped with some digital cameras and tagging or captioning in online photos. This is how a nightmare for young adult, looking-for-work-you is born since few companies will take you seriously. Now, if these are the only things they find about you, your fate is doomed. But what happens if, instead of this, the first result is a blog where you talk about how to become better and more efficient at writing, selling, or programming? Something like this would drastically improve your chances of getting hired while also reducing the chances of them trying to find anything else. And even if they do, seeing how passionate you are about your work, they’ll probably just brush it off. Harnessing Your Investigative Skills You should always research your potential employer online before interviewing or even applying for a job. Firstly, this will give you an idea about their general activity and attitude towards clients and financial gain, and maybe a little something about the way they’re organized and how they treat their employees. Secondly, it pays off to know something about your employer and not blurt out silly things like “oh, so you’re a GROUP of companies… I see”. But you can do better than that. Go through every useful information you can find about them online, from user testimonies (the real ones, not the ones from their website that are written by the marketing team) to quarterly reports, their YouTube channel or their blog. These will help you have an overview of their prospects and their goals and will lead to a detailed and challenging conversation that will not be easily forgotten. Of course, research should not only be limited to the company itself. If you’re applying for a job that’s new for you although you do have the required experience and you are familiar with the field, always look up the job description. This will give you critical information about what you might do there, how a typical day would go and what departments you would be interacting with. Here is an example of the type of job description you should be looking for: detailed, while on-point. Having a Memorable Interview It has been proven that the best time to interview for a job is Tuesday morning. Although it might seem weird, Tuesday is most people’s favorite (or least disliked) workday. It’s at the start of the week so most interviewers are still relaxed and yet it’s not the first day of work when most people readjust from leisure to professional environments. In addition, interviewing early in the day will generally ensure your interviewer is not distracted by other factors like deadlines. While you are waiting, don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation with your potential colleagues. This will at least diminish, if not eliminate the social barrier and will show your employer that you would be a great fit in their team not only thanks to your abilities and experience, but also thanks to your social skills. During the interview, be as direct as possible and don’t try to avoid questions that make you feel anxious or insecure and never, under any circumstances, directly lie stating you are familiar with something you have never heard of before. Nevertheless, you should be selective with the language you use and replace “I hate talking to customers on the phone” with “I feel like I get the point across much better in writing”, for example. Make good use of your body language. Be sure to have good, confident posture and avoid any habits that could give away your nervousness, like fidgety fingers, biting your lip or playing with your hair. Don’t be afraid to speak your mind. Maybe their online marketing team is doing a bad job, they’re not customer oriented or disorganized. Every interviewer will sooner or later ask what you would add or change if selected, and they expect actual honest answers. Sure, you must carefully choose your words and avoid terms like “firing” or “letting go”, but do speak your mind about what you think is wrong or could be improved. No matter what job you’re trying to land or what field you work in, if you closely follow these few steps you are all set for success. Your résumé is flawless, your online persona is someone every recruiter would hire and you have figured out what the next step is. Keeping all this in mind, chances are you will be good at every job you interview for since you selected them carefully; they have all the reasons to want you, it’s you who will have to think about it and choose between the offers. Good luck!

How to Start a Resume (4+ Examples) - Algrim.co

How to Start a Resume (4+ Examples) - Algrim.co How do you start a resume? What’s the best way to start it? Is there certain information that should be at the top of the resume versus further down the page? There’s a lot of questions that you might have when trying to design and build your new resume. You’re in luck because this guide is going to show you some of the following insights regarding your resume introduction: What do most people confuse starting their resume with and what you should start your resume with instead. Methods for starting your resume and ensuring that you begin yours with the right statements. Learning what resume summaries or resume statements are and how to design yours. Ready? Let’s go ahead and jump into it! How Most People Start Their Resume This is one of the most important insights that you’ll receive from this guide. Most people start their resume with their education. That’s wrong. Don’t do that. Here’s why. Employers do care about your prior education but it isn’t going to be what gets you a job. Think about it, if you were employing someone, you would want to know that they have prior experience with the job they are applying for. Or even prior work experience of any kind. This is why work experience is one of the best sections to include higher up in your resume. In fact, your contact information and your prior experience are the sections that your interviewer, HR manager or HR representative cares about as well. This common mistake makes sense because you had your education before you had your work experience. And when writing your resume, you think about where you started. But try to think about what the employer wants to see, first. Options for Starting Your Resume There are a few options when thinking about how to start your resume. The two best options are to start your resume with a resume statement or resume summary. The second is to start your resume with your prior work experience. So how do you decide? The first thing to think about is whether or not you have prior experience. Did you just graduate? Or did you only have one internship program? If so, then your prior work experience isn’t going to be as impactful as others. In which case you should pick a resume summary to start your resume instead (we’ll get into what a resume summary is in a moment). If you do have a large number of prior jobs that are applicable to the job you’re applying for, then start your resume with prior experience. Even with a resume summary, it will be the first thing that all HR representatives look at. So it makes sense to give it to them at the top of the page! That’s how you’ll be able to decide which section is best to start with, your prior experience. So, now that you know how to decide which section to start your resume with, your next question might be, “What is a resume summary?” Let’s jump into that. What Is a Resume Summary and How to Write Yours If you’ve decided to start your resume with a resume summary or resume statement, then that’s a great choice. A resume summary is a quick 2-3 sentence statement that explains why you are a unique and qualified candidate for the position. Try to avoid asking for the job or begging for the job in the resume summary. Instead, you want to explain prior achievements in a short paragraph that as a byproduct, makes you desirable. Here are a few examples of great resume summaries to get an idea of what I’m talking about: “Driven student of economics with a high GPA, ability to execute, a passion of the finance industry, captain of the La Crox team and economics club president.” “Experience across a wide variety of functional areas, devoted team player who utilizes empathy to help guide decision making in the workforce. Cares about collaboration and meeting customer expectations.” “Experienced digital creative, passion for well-designed products, multi-disciplinary player/coach, experience in a variety of product types (B2C, B2B, B2B2C).” Related: 11+ Resume Summary Examples By Job (Marketing, Sales, Student) As you can see from these statements, you can encapsulate your prior work experience as well as where you can project yourself being in the future. This is a great way to connect with the reader. So how do you write yours? When thinking about writing your resume statement, think about your prior work achievements. They don’t have to be from the same position. Just think back to your highest achievements. And then some things that make you unique, special, or highly qualified for the position you’re applying for. If you don’t know what’s required out of the job, pull open the job description, it will usually contain some insights that you can use to compare against the ideas you’re generating for your own resume summary. From here you should have a good idea of what to write. Remember, keep your resume statement to a single paragraph. You don’t want it to distract from the rest of your resume. Is a Resume Summary and Objective the Same? Generally speaking, they are the same. Though an objective might contain what you hope to achieve after being employed. And this can be beneficial in terms of your writing approach. But what’s more impactful is a synopsis of your prior work achievements. Try to find a balance between both a resume summary and resume objective in order to find the perfect statement. Starting With Work Experience If you decided that starting your resume with a statement isn’t the right solution for you, then you can start your resume with work experience. Ideally, you should have a great list of prior work experiences with a healthy amount of accomplishments that are bulleted underneath each company name. If your prior work experience doesn’t contain accomplishments, you should consider altering that to being focused on the job function you played while employed as well as what you were able to contribute or achieve while employed there. It’s absolutely okay to move this section towards the top of the page. Be sure that your prior work experiences are listed in terms of the most recent employment. This means that you list your first job towards the bottom of the page and your last job towards the top of the page. The other sections will then be sent lower on the one-page resume. Those other sections would be: Skills Education Awards Certifications Those other sections should be quite small. And if anything, should be only listed if the job description requires it. For example, certifications. Ideally, you only list the certification that’s required on the job description. That would mean “CPR certification” or a daycare worker, for example. When starting your resume with your work experience, it’s okay to prioritize the other sections lower in terms of your writing and focus. You might be wondering if it’s going to hurt your chances of getting employed if the other sections of your resume are lower on the page or don’t contain all of your education or awards. It won’t. Remember, employers care most about prior work experience. Why is This Effective The reason why this is an effective way to organize your cover letter is that recruiters, hiring managers, HR representatives and other team members often scan resumes. They don’t read the resume in full. While doing that, their eye naturally goes to certain sections. For example, when they scan your prior work experience, they might be thinking of questions to ask you in upcoming interviews. This is how someone reads a resume. If your resume has a lot of imagery part of it or is more flashy than it is clear, it might impact the amount of text that you’ll be able to fit on the page. Be sure that you pick a resume template that’s minimal and focuses on typography as a way to stand out. That will ensure that you have the most space to work with. What If I Put My Awards at the Top of the Resume Whatever you do, don’t do this. Don’t try to get fancy and think about standing out by having a unique resume. This is a common mistake. And it won’t make you stand out. What that will do is show your employer that you don’t have prior work experience. And can’t empathize or understand what’s important to others when evaluating an employee. The best thing you can do to stand out is by utilizing the two methods above. Using a resume summary or objective. Or using your prior work experience as your starting point. Key Takeaways Now that you have a good understanding of how to start your resume, here are some helpful reminders before you begin your journey. Don’t try to get fancy with your resume, focus on a resume objective or prior work experience as part of your starting point. Avoid everything else as a way to start your resume. When thinking about crafting your resume objective or statement, consider your prior work achievements and the things you’d be proud to share with family or friends. Craft your prior achievements around the requirements for the job. If you don’t remember what those are, refer to the job description to give you some helpful insights. Don’t worry about not showing as many awards, certifications, merits, latin honors or otherwise. It’s okay to prioritize these sections lower on your resume when you start with an objective or your prior work experience.

Use Professional Summary Resumes to Find a Job

Use Professional Summary Resumes to Find a JobThe purpose of Professional Summary Resumes is to summarize a person's work history so that the employer can make a decision on whether to hire him or her. This is a popular tactic used by many employers and people who want to land a job that they might not be qualified for otherwise.There are various advantages to using Professional Summary Resumes for people who need to land a job. There are companies who specialize in this form of resume writing. They offer different services, like help with writing, editing, and even cover letters.Because these types of summary resumes are quite professional looking, you can use them in a variety of ways. You can place them on a paper that can be handed out to potential employees so that they have a quick and easy way to look over your past work experience. Some people like to give them to the person who is interviewing them because it will give them a sense of what their new boss would be like.The be st way to use Professional Summary Resumes is to have them prepared. A lot of times they will be formatted in such a way that you can easily look at them and determine how long they will be. If you want to make sure that you can find one that will be right for you, start preparing one as soon as possible.Even if you are not sure if you will be applying for a job, Professional Summary Resumes can be a great tool to have on hand. You will be able to get a sense of what they will look like when you are finished writing them up. They can also help if you are interviewing for a job that you know that you are not qualified for.Another benefit to using Professional Summary Resumes is that they will help you get your career path set up in the right direction. If you are already employed but you are unsure of where you are going to go next, this will help you. There are many people who are working for two different companies and having to start from scratch.Another reason to use Professional Summary Resumes is because it will show how you have progressed throughout your work history. The older resume is, the more information there is about your career and how far you have come. You will also be able to spot any areas that you might have worked on to improve on.So if you are unsure of where you are going next in your career or you are just feeling a little lost about what direction you want to take, use Professional Summary Resumes to help you put it all together. It is also a good idea to have a similar resume that you will be sending off with your cover letter. This can make it easier for you to use your cover letter when you send your Summary Resume off.

How To Have A Positive Argument At Work CareerMetis.com

How To Have A Positive Argument At Work â€" CareerMetis.com Arguing in the workplace generally isn’t seen to be a positive thing for your career prospects, and there’s certainly times when you really need to avoid getting into a heated debate. However, that doesn’t mean that you should be a pushover, because there are times when an argument at work can be productive for all concerned, but only when it is managed properly.Luckily, a new guide has been created to show you how to prepare for an argument, how to conduct yourself during it and what you can do afterwards to ensure that everyone benefits from it. So here’s how you can have a productive argument at work:Before the ArgumentevalYou can tell when an argument is brewing at work. There may be an issue that isn’t being resolved quickly enough, or a debate that is starting to turn nasty. This is when you need to get working to avoid it becoming a problem, and the first step is to move quickly by scheduling a meeting to have a formal discussion.evalGather facts and supporting evide nce for your position beforehand, because while a productive argument doesn’t necessarily mean one that you win, you need to make sure you get your point across properly. Keep your argument simple instead of overcomplicating things and take some time to understand the opposing point of view before you speak to them, so you can understand their motivations.During the ArgumentThis is the really crucial stage, because if the argument goes badly, working relationships could be irreparably damaged, so how you conduct yourself is key. Don’t raise your voice, don’t throw blame around and keep your body language positive by keeping your arms relaxed at your sides to show that you are open to what is being said.In terms of discussing your position, using visual aids can be a big help because it helps people to focus on and understand your argument. This can be as simple as drawing up lists on a whiteboard or using post-it notes. And finally, to keep the conversation flowing, make sure you ask open-ended questions to help people in the room open up about their feelings.After the ArgumentWith all of the tips you’ve read so far, you should have been able to have a productive argument, but there’s still work to be done to be sure that everyone can move forwards together. This could start with saying sorry if you need to, because the sooner this is done, the better. Get everyone to review and rate the meeting afterwards so you can all learn from it.If the argument hasn’t been productive and there are still some lingering issues, you may need additional professional assistance from a mediator or a member of the HR team. This will help you all work through the remaining problems in a safe and respectful space, for the benefit of everyone.With these tips, you should be in a better position to turn potentially damaging situations into positive arguments that keep the workplace a happy and productive place.evalInfographic credit â€" Resume.io

What to Wear to a Job Interview (and WHY)

What to Wear to a Job Interview (and WHY) 31 Flares 31 Flares Veronica Park is an author, journalist and world-traveler of many different past and future vocations. Keep an eye out for her first published novel, which will hopefully be announced soon. In the meantime, you can read about her exploits in the Caribbean and find out her opinion on pretty much everything by following her on Twitter (@VeroniKaboom) and checking out her  website. If you google the phrase “what to wear to a job interview,” you’ll get pages and pages of helpful links. If you click on the images tab, you’ll see that some helpful folks over on Pinterest have even put together entire boards (usually for women, since let’s be honest: guys don’t have quite as many wardrobe options) which show examples of how you can dress for a job interview. (Warning: use your judgment, as some pinners are a little more whimsical in their definition of ‘job interview’ than most potential employersâ€"depending on the field.) There’s even a helpful slideshow on About.com concerning  popular fashion faux pas you should avoid. It covers all the most predictable Job Interview Don’ts, like skimpy skirts and t-shirts with your favorite metal band from your youth. Personally, I found the most important note to be about perfume and/or cologne. (In case you were wondering, for an interviewer, the way a job candidate smells should NOT be the one thing you remember about that person.) But not a lot of links tell you how you should dress for a job interview, if you want to leave a very specific, personal impression. In fact, the general consensus about job search wardrobe seems to be that a candidate should do his or her best to blend in with the other candidates as much as possible. To avoid standing out, and let his or her resume and interview skills take over from there. Because, while everyone seems to agree that what you wear is integral to creating that all important ‘at first sight’ impression, not many people seem to consider the much-obsessed-over interview costume for the golden opportunity it actually is. That’s right, kids. I just pulled a sneaky mid-intro costume change, because this article is actually The Guide to Creating a “Super” Career Persona, Part Three: How to Turn Your Interview Costume into a Memorable Character Reveal. The perfect interview outfit doesn’t just prevent offense. It creates a positive memory for the interviewer, and a valuable interpersonal connection. By all means, you should avoid the wardrobe malfunctions in the slideshow above, but why stop at what you don’t want people to think about you? That’s kind of negative, right? And really, it doesn’t help you stand out if all the other job candidates are following the exact same rules. So, let’s talk about what you want people to think of you, what you need them to remember, and how you can use your clothing as a tool to make those connections happen. Item #1 The Conversation Piece Every job interview outfit should have one single point of interest, a little personal bit of “flair,” if you will. This can be anything from an antique brooch or a lovely silk scarf, to a collector’s watch or tie pin. The most important part of this item is that it needs to have a connection to something positive about your character. It’s not an attention-getting mechanism (well it is, in a sense, but not merely for the sake of attention). Think of the conversation piece as a potential gateway that can take you from awkward pre-interview small talk into a subject matter that makes you shine from the get-go. (+) Example of using a conversation piece to segue into job-positive personal information: Scene: A recent nursing school graduate is interviewing for a full-time position in the ICU of a metropolitan hospital. The hospital is called Saint Mary’s, part of a larger healthcare system which bases its marketing on its longstanding tradition of conscientious care. The interviewee is wearing a tweed skirt with sensible pumps, black tights, and a grey sweater belted over a pink button-up shirt. Her only piece of jewelry is a large, yet conservative vintage brooch. Interviewer: “That’s a very lovely pin you’re wearing. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one like it.” Job Seeker: “Thank you. It was passed down to me by my great-grandmother. She was a nurse in World War II. I actually wrote my final thesis on the history of amputee care, using some of the journals she kept.” Interviewer: *Tries to hide how immediately impressed she is.* “Really? That’s so interesting. Tell me more about your thesis.” (-) Example of using a conversation piece to segue…nowhere: Scene: A recent high school graduate is interviewing for a part-time position as a bank teller. She’s wearing a conservative skirt suit (because that’s what everyone said she should wear) with a tank top underneath, and a large statement necklace. Interviewer: “I really like your necklace.” Job Seeker: “Thanks, I got it at Macy’s.” Interviewer: *Awkwardly clears throat* “That’s nice. Anyway, what makes you think you’d be a good fit for this organization?” Note: While the “good fit” question is not necessarily the kiss of death, it has been my experience that this question is a great diagnostic tool for any interviewee. If this question comes at the end of the interview, that’s normal. If it comes at the beginning, it can often be intended as a conversational land mine, to off-balance and test potential candidates who don’t appear to have much else going for them. Job seekers, beware of this question, and always have a well-researched and proactive answer handy. Item #2 Status Pieces : The Illusion of Affluence This is probably going to seem counterintuitive to a lot of people, but myriad psychological studies have shown that employers are more likely to offer a job to candidates who demonstrate that they want the job, but don’t necessarily need the job. As much as it pains me to say it, interviewers aren’t immune from human nature, and human nature seems to include a built-in aversion to the stink of desperation. Which is why telling the interviewer how badly you need the job, especially for financial reasons, is a terrible tactic that is pretty much guaranteed to send your resume into the shredder. That said, it’s also not a good idea to flaunt your superior economic comfort level (even if you have to fake it for the sake of the interview, like Will Smith did in that movie, “The Pursuit of Happyness.”) Instead, you need to seek out a comfortableâ€"and very modestâ€"middle ground between starving student and trust fund baby. This can best be accomplished by choosing a single “status” item, and behaving as though the financial stability it represents is unimportant. (Why? Because in reality, it is unimportant. You’re there to talk about why you’re a good job candidate. Shame on them for making assumptions about your current level of success based on jewelry in the first place.) (+) Example of using the illusion of affluence to promote an air of stability: Scene: A young man, fresh out of business school, is interviewing for a position at a prominent investment company. He is wearing a department store suit that fits, but isn’t custom tailored, with sensible shoes, black socks and a reasonably-priced tie. The only thing shiny about him is a gold watch, which he wears partially tucked into the cuff of his dress shirt. Interviewer: “That’s a nice Rolex you have there, son. I’m more of a Breitling man, myself.” Job Seeker: “Thank you, sir. Breitling does make a great watch.” Note: If you’re considering going into finance or marketing, learn to recognize and intelligently talk about premium watches. Trust me on this one. (-) Example of using the illusion of affluence to completely undermine your air of stability: Scene: (same as above) Interviewer: “That’s a nice Rolex you have there, son.” Job Seeker: “Oh, this? Haha, it looks totally real, right? No, I got this down on Canal Street for $20 bucks. Can you believe that? It fools everyone.” Interviewer: *Scowls, then makes a mental note to shred the kid’s resume the second he walks out* Note: There are numerous things wrong with this response, as most corporate employers tend to frown on job candidates who support the counterfeit luxury goods industry. Also, it’s kind of illegal. Just FYI. Item #3 â€" The Unique Human Touch As an interviewer, you have to remember that I’m going to see dozens if not hundreds of candidates. And due to the miracle of Google, most of them will have a tentative grasp of the basic rules of interview etiquette and costumeâ€"which means that most people are going to show up with conservative black or gray suits, various shades of pastel button-up shirts, and sensible black or brown shoes. After a while, watching this parade from a spectator’s point of view can get kind of monotonous. It’s then that hiring professionals begin actively looking for chinks in the carefully-erected impersonal corporate façade. Little details like chewed fingernails, hair that hasn’t been washed, lettuce stuck in the teeth. Anything undesirable, really, that will make our difficult job of narrowing down a field of equally-promising candidates seem just a little bit easier. After all, like I said, we’re humans too. This is where strategy comes in. If you’re stuck in a room with someone who is intent on figuring out your hidden flaws, things can get a little nerve wracking. Unless you know in advance, exactly what flaws they’re going to find. Because you created that flaw on purpose, to give them a reason to stop looking. (+) Example of using a “human touch” to prove you’re imperfect, but in the best possible way: Scene: An attractive, twenty-something woman is hoping to land a job at a mostly-male advertising company. Her resume is light on experience, and she’s concerned that they might not take her seriously because of her fun, fashionable personality and Generation Y vernacular. So, in addition to adopting a more conservative spin to her usually frilly and feminine attire, she dons a pair of black-rimmed glasses. The way she figures it, pretending to have less than perfect eyesight will give her a more obvious “flaw” for the interviewers to focus on. But at the same time, it’s a flaw that no one can really blame her for. Why does this work? Nobody really knows for sure, but it does. According to an article in Forbes Magazine, wearing glasses to a job interview is a surefire way to offset the appearance of frivolity and set a tone of reliability. The Daily Mail UK says wearing glasses will make you appear smarter. At any rate, fake glasses are an inexpensive and extremely simple addition to any job seeker’s wardrobe. So why not experiment to see if this trick works for you? Scene: A baby-faced young associate with red hair and freckles is interviewing for a promotion at his law firm. The problem is, people are always telling him he doesn’t look old enough to buy liquorâ€"let alone have attended law school and practice as a criminal defense attorney. His solution? Grow a thick, but well-groomed beard. Why does this work? Because, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Marketing Communications (which was dissected in an article on Chronicle.com) men with beards seem more credible and trustworthy. Also, manly. Finally, before you implement any of the above wardrobe tools, remember the most important tool any job seeker has at his or her disposal (yet sadly, so few tend to utilize it): RESEARCH. Find out what the company stands for, and what kind of deficit they’re looking to fillâ€"not just in terms of open positions, but in a more “big picture” sense; what kind of impact are they hoping to make on the world at large? Create a character, based on your true self, which fills this deficit perfectly. Are you mind-bogglingly creative? Are you a risk-taker? A goal-setter? A smooth-talker? Flaunt those characteristics in as many ways as you can, including and maybe especially in your choice of attire. For more tips on creating your own superhero-style job candidate persona, check out Part One: Be the Batman and Part Two: Sorry, Clark.

5 Steps to Retool Jumpstart Your Job Search

5 Steps to Retool Jumpstart Your Job Search **I am a member of the Career Collective, a group of resume writers and career coaches. Each month, all members discuss a certain topic. This month, we are talking about Spring cleaning our careers. Please follow our tweets on Twitter #careercollective. You can also view the other member’s interesting posts at the end of the article. +++++ Retooling your job search can be a daunting experience. You might have the feeling that youre starting everything over from the beginning, but thats not the case. You have tons of experience that will be valuable no matter what job you decide to take. Things like knowing how a business works, getting along with coworkers and knowing proper work habits already put you ahead of new candidates coming in. You have the advantage over workers with no experience. So, how do you retool your resume? You have a lot of options, so before you start changing your resume try out a few other options first. One thing you can do is go back to school or get more training. But, you should do a self-assessment and see if this would actually be beneficial to you, work with a career counselor and let them help you to the right path. Look around and see what kind of options you have, dont panic and just try to examine your situation. Then you can begin to retool your job search. 1. Start with what you enjoy Do you have a long lost passion that you wish you had embarked on? Maybe it was teaching skiing lessons in Colorado, who knows, but just start with what you enjoy. Perhaps theres a job related to your hobby that you would enjoy. It could be a completely different field than what youve ever worked in, so take a look around and dont limit yourself. Maybe its time to get out there and try your luck. 2. Find a list of potential employers There are always options out there, especially if youre in a large city. You can find a multitude of positions that would fit your job search choice. But, try to reach out a little past your current job and find something that is different or that would excite you. Put this list together because youre going to need it. 3. Start retooling your resume This is definitely key. Start creating your resume to send to these potential employers, but make sure that you emphasize different aspects of your career that would be beneficial to your prospective employer. You should consider getting some help from a professional resume writer, they can take a drab old resume and create the right blend of personality and accomplishments. 4. Send out your resume to your list of employers Starting sending that new resume out! You have to get your name out there right? So what are you waiting for, you all ready have a list of potential employers, so whats stopping you? Its time to get the word out about you! 5. Starting calling people back After sending out your resume, hit the phones hard. Dont just sit back and wait for the employer to call you, be aggressive, show them that you want this position and that you are right for it. If youve tooled your resume correctly towards your new career path and showed the desire to learn, then you can have the job that you want. ++++ I encourage you to visit some of the links below for more interesting articles. Personal Branding to Fire Up Your Job Search, @DebraWheatman Succeeding in a “Final Jeopardy!” World, @WalterAkana 5 Steps to Retool Jumpstart Your Job Search, @erinkennedycprw Your Job Search: Lets Just Start Again Shall We? @GayleHoward Checklist for Spring Cleaning Your Job Search, @careersherpa 5 Ways to Spring Clean Your Job Search, @heatherhuhman Ten Surefire Ways to Organize Your Job Search, @KatCareerGal Put Spring Into Your Job Search, @EliteResumes @MartinBuckland Toes in the Water, @ValueIntoWords How to Revitalize a Stale Job Search, @KCCareerCoach How to re-think your job search, @Keppie_Careers Wake Up and Smell the Flowers: Spring Cleaning Your Resume, @barbarasafani Spring Cleaning and Your Personal Brand, @resumeservice Spring clean your mind clutter first, @DawnBugni Managing Your Career 2.0: On Giving Something Up To Get It Right, @Chandlee Clean up, Chin, up, Shape up, @LaurieBerenson