7 Links for College Grad Job Search - No Experience Necessary! - CareerAlley

7 Links for College Grad Job Search - No Experience Necessary! - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. Confucius I recently had to interview a few college students for potential summer intern positions. This was probably the hardest interview Ive ever had (and I was the interviewer!). Interviewing people who are first starting out is so different from interviewing people who have experience. All of my questions were regarding relevant courses, hobbies, computer skills (yeah, most college students have better computer skills than my coworkers) and what do you want to do when you graduate. So why am I telling you this? As a college grad you are up against very different challenges than those with experience. Most hiring managers use a point of reference when interviewing candidates (like, how does this person compare to other people who work here, or people with similar experience). When interviewing someone for an entry level position, the interviewing manager has no point of reference. Okay, this is where you come in. As the person being interviewed, you can drive the interview process and kill two birds with one stone (so to speak). You can drive the interview by providing relevant information and you can help the hiring manager by giving them a point of reference (and thereby help seal the deal). Todays post continues to dig into our deep store of job search resources for college grads and entry level job seekers. Preparing for the Interview: Tips For the College GraduateMastering Your First Job Interview Ive already told you my experience interviewing college students and how you can turn the interview into a great opportunity. This article, posted on googobits.com supports my view that how you present yourself during the interview can be the determining factor as to whether you are given additional consideration. Lots of good advice show up on time, come prepared, speak up, etc. The article is definitely worth a read. Resumes: Powerful New Grad Resumes and Cover Letters: 10 Things They Have in Common A great article with lots of resources advice and links provided by Quintcareers, the ten tips offer advice on targeting your market and leveraging your college career experience. The page has additional related links on the left hand side of the page as well as some additional links at the bottom of the page. Student New Graduate Resume Answers This article, from 1st-writer.com, offers examples, how to make your resume look good (even though you dont have experience, what to include and so much more. On top of this, there are a bunch of related links for your use. Entry Level Resumes The first and most important thing you will need is a resume. Take your time with this as your ability to get your foot in the door is heavily dependent on the content and look and feel of your resume. There are so many choices these days. This resource, from Collegegrad.com, provides a list of links to help you get started (or to improve on what you already have). Are you Safe for Prime Time: Its too late to regret all of the crazy things youve done in College, but it doesnt hurt to check up on your image before you start interviewing. Google Yourself: Colleges Help Students Scrub Online Footprints What about checking on yourself? Do you know what stuff might be out there on the World Wide Web? You may think you are clean, but you just never know. This article tells you several things you should know (and do) like be aware of your online image, how to Google yourself and more. There are a few additional links which provide more information on the topic. Background Check Yourself? Sounds like a good idea. The purpose, of course, is to make sure you find out any negative information about yourself first. This particular article is for multiple purposes (like checking your credit), but employers are also on the list. This is likely to cost you something, as I dont think there are any free background check services. So I would save this option for those who are worried something might come up. Warning: Social Networking Can Be Hazardous to Your Job Search Just about anything youve written or posted online has the potential of showing up during a background check. This article, posted on Careerbuilder.com provides a few real examples where stuff posted online killed the candidates chance of landing a job. The article also provides some advice on how to protect your image online. Good luck in your search. Good luck in your search. Visit me on Facebook

Working Toward An Executive Career

Working Toward An Executive Career Career advancement is one of the most desirable career goals for most people. Getting a promotion can get you higher pay, better benefits, and more respect in your company. Now every person has a different goal for career advancement. Some people may just want to become a manager or supervisor, others may want to become heads of teams or departments, but there are also people who want to advance to the very top of the corporate food chain and have an executive career in mind. If that is what you want, then you need to prepare. And even if you do not want to go all the way to the top, then these tips can still help you get recognized and get you where you want to be. Be Professional: While it seems obvious to be professional at work, other places may not seem so obvious. The most important place to remain professional is on social networking sites. Managers, supervisors, and higher ups can access your social networking profile at any time if they want. Make sure that what they see on there wont embarrass you or harm your chances at promotion. Put In The Effort: You will never get anywhere if you dont put the work in. Your employers are not going to want to promote someone who does not work to help their company succeed. Perform work that helps the company and will impress your employers. Ask About Additional Opportunities: Employers like to see people who go the extra mile. Ask your supervisor if there are any additional projects that need to be organized or extra work that you can head up. This will show them that you are serious about the company and will put you at the front of their minds when considering promotions. Be Positive: People will gravitate towards others who seem positive and are enjoyable to be around. That includes your employers. They would much rather work with someone positive than someone who sucks the life out of everything. Keep a smile on your face and a spring in your step and you will be on your way to the top. Now, while all these tips will help there is nothing more important than keeping that executive career in mind. Let that executive career fuel everything you do at work and sooner or later it will get you there.

How Much Does Resume Writing Cost?

How Much Does Resume Writing Cost?If you are in the market for a professional resume writing service, you may be wondering how much it will cost you. It's possible that you have found an affordable and professional resume writing service but you are not sure how much it will cost you. Whether you have chosen a writing service online or through local agencies, you will need to factor in the price for editing and formatting before you begin to finish your document.Most professional resume writing services will charge a flat rate fee per job and they will charge on a one-time basis for hiring them to write your resume. This is a normal practice and this type of contract will not change with time. It's important to keep in mind that professional resume writing services often work with several clients at a time so it would be cost effective for you to retain one if it was affordable for you. It is possible to find an affordable writing service if you know where to look and the best place to find it.However, many people choose to use a free service. In fact, a number of job seekers are using free resume writing services in order to get their resumes published more quickly. A good way to find a great and affordable service is by asking colleagues, friends, and acquaintances.There are also many job boards on the Internet that offer services in resume writing and editing. Most of these are a free service and most of the sites are known to offer solid services. However, some companies will offer a service and offer a better rate than others. The best way to discover the top websites and to learn which are best is to read reviews and take part in forums that discuss resume writing services.Resume editing is not just about adding your job experience but also about reviewing your resume and putting your best foot forward. Although there is a lot of work involved, it is important to check your resume thoroughly and make sure it's accurate. If you are good at this type of job , you probably have a good opinion of yourself. A good job posting can increase your chances of getting the job by nearly 40%.Hiring a quality professional resume writing service can make a positive difference in the success of a job. You can definitely count on quality and affordable services and you will find that your resume will speak much more clearly to prospective employers will see your resume as well.Your new resume should be professionally written and edited by a person who has a lot of experience with resumes and hiring. You will find a professional service will do what it takes to ensure your new resume speaks your best.

Organizational Skills to Include on Your Resume (Examples)

Organizational Skills to Include on Your Resume (Examples) Spread the loveIn today’s highly-competitive job market, employers are often looking for more than just the basic skills needed to do a job. Skills like communication, planning, and detail orientation are vital for keeping pace with rapidly-evolving industries. Organizational skills are one of the most sought-after employment skills, since they are critical to effective planning, time management, and prioritization efforts. In this post, we’ll examine some of the most critical organizational skills, and provide examples to help you include them in your resume.Why Do Organizational Skills Matter?Organizational skills are essential for any company’s long-term success. Without them, businesses can lose both time and money, and find it difficult to operate in a smooth manner. Unfortunately, no leader can keep a company organized on his or her own. Employees must have those skills as well, to maximize the company’s potential for success.(We wrote a good post here on skills to add on a resume)Organized employees can better manage their schedules, properly prioritizing tasks. They are able to recognize when an assignment needs to be dealt with immediately, and when other tasks need to be given precedence. Your organizational skills help to ensure that you know how to manage your time. They enable you to make the right kinds of plans and execute them in the most efficient manner possible. In short, they make you a more effective employee in every way that matters.How Can You Identify Your Organizational Skills?Before you can properly include organizational skills in your resume, you need to be able to identify your unique skill set. And that means recognizing them for what they are. So, what are some of the organizational skills that employers look for?Organizational skills can include any skills that make you a more efficient and focused employee. For example:The ability to plan effectivelyProper time managementThe ability to delegate assignmentsMaintaining an orderly work environmentKnowing how to coordinate and collaborate within a teamThe ability to manage a meetingBeing adept at following instructionsProblem-identification and resolutionGoal-settingThe ability to meet deadlinesMultitaskingTips for Including Organizational Skills in Your ResumeIt’s one thing to identify your organizational skills. The real key to creating an effective resume is to know how to include them within your resume. The most important thing here is to understand that you can’t just claim to have these skills. You need to be able to demonstrate them with real-world examples of how you’ve used them for previous employers. Here are some key tips that can help you organize these listings and develop the right kind of narrative:Focus on how your organizational skills benefited past employersInclude those skills within those prior job descriptionsUse powerful action verbs to illustrate your examplesAlways remember to show, rather than tellNever assume that yo ur organizational skills don’t matter to the positionReview the job posting and identify keywords that you can insert in your examplesThose resume keywords will be critical for getting past the Applicant Tracking SystemThink about what the employer is likely to need from you, and make those skills the centerpiece of your presentationWhenever possible, quantify your achievements. That can demonstrate the real value that your skills can offerExamples of Organizational Skills in a ResumeTo better help you develop your resume, we’ve included some examples of how you can list organizational skills in your resume. You can modify them to meet your unique needs. Just remember to rely on our key tips to ensure that your skill descriptions are as powerful and attractive as possible.While at ABC Corp, I led the effort to enhance our organizational efficiency as part of a broader initiative to enhance productivity. Coordinated the team that reordered company communications, redesigned shift -schedule management and customer service protocols, and established new goal-setting and benchmark processes. Our efforts were credited for a 32% increase in overall productivity over two quarters, and a 32% reduction in customer attrition.Organizational skills are one of those skill sets that can help you to achieve at just about any job you seek.  Employers know that as well, so it is vitally important for you to convey those skills in your resume. When you do, you will find that your resume is more compelling than ever â€" and that will increase your odds of landing the interview and job you need. Organizational Skills to Include on Your Resume (Examples) Spread the loveIn today’s highly-competitive job market, employers are often looking for more than just the basic skills needed to do a job. Skills like communication, planning, and detail orientation are vital for keeping pace with rapidly-evolving industries. Organizational skills are one of the most sought-after employment skills, since they are critical to effective planning, time management, and prioritization efforts. In this post, we’ll examine some of the most critical organizational skills, and provide examples to help you include them in your resume.Why Do Organizational Skills Matter?Organizational skills are essential for any company’s long-term success. Without them, businesses can lose both time and money, and find it difficult to operate in a smooth manner. Unfortunately, no leader can keep a company organized on his or her own. Employees must have those skills as well, to maximize the company’s potential for success.(We wrote a good post here on skills to add on a resume)Organized employees can better manage their schedules, properly prioritizing tasks. They are able to recognize when an assignment needs to be dealt with immediately, and when other tasks need to be given precedence. Your organizational skills help to ensure that you know how to manage your time. They enable you to make the right kinds of plans and execute them in the most efficient manner possible. In short, they make you a more effective employee in every way that matters.How Can You Identify Your Organizational Skills?Before you can properly include organizational skills in your resume, you need to be able to identify your unique skill set. And that means recognizing them for what they are. So, what are some of the organizational skills that employers look for?Organizational skills can include any skills that make you a more efficient and focused employee. For example:The ability to plan effectivelyProper time managementThe ability to delegate assignmentsMaintaining an orderly work environmentKnowing how to coordinate and collaborate within a teamThe ability to manage a meetingBeing adept at following instructionsProblem-identification and resolutionGoal-settingThe ability to meet deadlinesMultitaskingTips for Including Organizational Skills in Your ResumeIt’s one thing to identify your organizational skills. The real key to creating an effective resume is to know how to include them within your resume. The most important thing here is to understand that you can’t just claim to have these skills. You need to be able to demonstrate them with real-world examples of how you’ve used them for previous employers. Here are some key tips that can help you organize these listings and develop the right kind of narrative:Focus on how your organizational skills benefited past employersInclude those skills within those prior job descriptionsUse powerful action verbs to illustrate your examplesAlways remember to show, rather than tellNever assume that yo ur organizational skills don’t matter to the positionReview the job posting and identify keywords that you can insert in your examplesThose resume keywords will be critical for getting past the Applicant Tracking SystemThink about what the employer is likely to need from you, and make those skills the centerpiece of your presentationWhenever possible, quantify your achievements. That can demonstrate the real value that your skills can offerExamples of Organizational Skills in a ResumeTo better help you develop your resume, we’ve included some examples of how you can list organizational skills in your resume. You can modify them to meet your unique needs. Just remember to rely on our key tips to ensure that your skill descriptions are as powerful and attractive as possible.While at ABC Corp, I led the effort to enhance our organizational efficiency as part of a broader initiative to enhance productivity. Coordinated the team that reordered company communications, redesigned shift -schedule management and customer service protocols, and established new goal-setting and benchmark processes. Our efforts were credited for a 32% increase in overall productivity over two quarters, and a 32% reduction in customer attrition.Organizational skills are one of those skill sets that can help you to achieve at just about any job you seek.  Employers know that as well, so it is vitally important for you to convey those skills in your resume. When you do, you will find that your resume is more compelling than ever â€" and that will increase your odds of landing the interview and job you need.

Childhood Stories Are Clues to Your Next Career - Work It Daily

Childhood Stories Are Clues to Your Next Career - Work It Daily When you were seven years old, what did you want to be when you grew up? Believe it or not, taking this nostalgic journey back to a simpler time may be exactly what you need to begin the career defining or career transition process. Why? Because your instincts at that age while play acting, before the “shoulda, woulda, couldas” began to impact your choices (hint â€" someone else’s influence) are the first clues to our natural career interests and skills we must use to be happy. When I was seven, like many of us, I wanted to be a teacher. I used to force my four year old brother to sit down at a “desk” while I doled out the assignments and used my precious blackboard to “teach” him the lesson for the day. My desire to become a teacher stuck with me through college. After I got my Bachelor’s Degree I took another year to become a certified secondary education teacher (required in California). I was 25 at the time and once I completed my course began to look for teaching jobs. Like today, jobs were not plentiful, but I also learned, while I enjoyed teaching, I did not enjoy teaching high school students. They were too close to being my peers at the time. So I gave up on teaching until I entered the Vocational/Career Counseling field at 29. My desire for teaching never left me, however. What I realized is teaching takes many forms and does not always take place in front of a classroom. I love to lead workshops, to give talks, to lead groups, and to teach through my counseling. From age seven, the teaching is a recurring theme in everything I do. I challenge you to really examine what you enjoyed play acting as a child and see if there is a connection today to your work-related interests. It may seem like a stretch, but if you really examine it, there is a very good chance you will see a correlation. If you do not have Career Happiness, you may want to see how far you’ve strayed from your seven year old career dreams. In the work I do, I ask my clients to write stories about a time at any point in their lives when they accomplished something they felt good about. It could be something as simple as learning to swim to researching and executing a project that impacted thousands of people. This is one of the exercises that Richard Bolles uses in What Color Is Your Parachute. It is a timeless exercise because it provides an organic way for clients to identify skills that they enjoy using in a work or career setting. One such story a client recently wrote was from age three. She and her family were vacationing in Greece. She was in the ocean in an inner tube. Her parents were close by, but her father was a little farther out in the water. She did not know how to swim, but she saw her father and knew that she had to find a way to get to him. She had a problem to solve. If she kicked her feet it would propel her to move forward toward her father. When she got in the water, she didn’t have a clue how to make herself move. But by solving the problem and seeing the end result of how to get to Dad, she accomplished her goal and was rewarded with a proud smile. Her next story was age four and the prominent skill was again problem-solving. In deciding what skills she MUST use in her next career, her choice of stories is clear â€" she must use problem-solving skills to love what she does in her work. Although she had always understood this to be a skill she enjoyed, writing the stories offered additional clarification, which increased her confidence in the process. These examples illustrate small pieces of the career design puzzle. They emphasize the need to do the inner work necessary to ultimately find a niche that will take you down the Career Happiness path. Career choice concept image from Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!

5 Things HR Wont Tell You About Your Performance Review

5 Things HR Wont Tell You About Your Performance Review Everyone gets nervous before a performance review, even if we killed it this year. Maybe you and your manager arent on the best of terms these days or maybe youve hit a rough bugfix and havent quite met the goals set at your last review.No worries, you assure yourself. If things go badly, Ill just turn to Human Resources.Before counting on that, read this1. Human Resources is your frenemy.This department exists mainly to meet the needs of your company. If HR has to choose between what is best for the company and what is best for you, they will choose the company. You can prove youre whats best for the company by getting to know someone in HR and earning their respect. When you contribute to the companys bottom line, either by saving money or bringing in revenue, send your HR contact an email. Now you have documentation you brought value to the company. On the other hand, if your manager gives you a bad review that is murky (e.g. Susie is lazy), you have documentation containing specific data to defend yourself and so does your HR contact.2. What you deutsche bundespost on social media could affect your review.You work for your company 24/7, 365 days a year because you represent it to the community. What you post online could negatively impact your companys reputation and therefore your review. HR is watching you. Activities like shopping online from your living room on your company laptop while working from home can be detected and used against you. Check your employee handbook for what online activity your company both monitors and allows.3. A good review does not equal job security.A performance review is an acknowledgement that you did what the company paid you to do. Youre expected to hustle. Every day HR sifts your conduct through the filter of what youre doing to either save the company money or add revenue to its bottom line. Keep a list of what youve done and try to quantify it. Did you land a big client? How much sales revenue was it? Did you catch an accounting mistake?4. If your manager has already complained to them about you.Most employment in the United States is employment at will. This means you can leave your job any time you want to for any reason, but it also means your employer can fire you any time they want to for any reason. If your manager has a harte nuss with your performance, she may have discussed it with HR but not you. HR doesnt have to tell you about any conflict your manager may have discussed with them.5. ?Your performance review is not exactly confidential.Most HR departments operate on a need-to-know basis. They only share confidential information (e.g. performance reviews) with managers and executives who need to know certain information about certain employees. The problem is defining who needs to know. If you have nosy managers, whether they are your supervisor or not, they can ask HR for your performance review and HR will give it to them. This could be a lot of people. If its a glowing review, fabulous But if its not, the people influencing your future at this company now have someones uncontested opinion of your work.? ?Ideally, you have regularly scheduled one-on-ones throughout the year with your manager where you discuss your work, your goals and your progress. Your performance review just puts a period on this conversation and begins a new one for the coming year. But if you get blindsided with a bad review and are thinking about going to HR, remember the saatkorn company who signs your paycheck also signs theirs.--Mardi has been compared to the C.U.L.A. Advisor in Legally Blonde, which she takes as a high compliment. She loves talking about all things communication, marketing and relationships. Visit her atwww.mardihumphreys.com.

Things You Wont Like About Resume Writing Service Scam and Things You Will

Things You Wont Like About Resume Writing Service Scam and Things You Will Whether youre unemployed and searching for work, or youve had it with your present job and need to earn a change, acquiring a persuasive and professional looking resume is very important. When you would like to find the best resume help, you may simply follow our lead. So you opted to start applying for employment, and you needresume help. The very best part was I landed a new job in only a month or two Resume Writing Service Scam - Overview Ask to see samples of prior resumes, which can help you get a sense for the grade of the services work. Individuals who want resumes are seeking a new job so, its reasonable they may not have a lot of funding to cover such kind of assistance. Its also important to review what sorts of services are provided by the corporation. You might believe you are comparing services, but in the long run, youre being taken for a ride. Resume Writing Service Scam Help In the event the organization is a member of the BBB, the next thing to do is to get in anflug with the BBB and ask them to mediate for your benefit. If you see a service we havent evaluated, dont hesitate to drop us a message and we are going to take a look whenever possible. Because its tricky to decide on whether the service is truly able to deliver the high-quality resume only by reviewing the samples, we made a decision to order hard-to-write executive resume for the fake individual. As a consequence, you may select among the best services at a price thats realistic to you and get invited to all the interviews you wished to enter. Avoid Scammers Unfortunately, there are lots of scams currently running on the internet. Explore the credentials of those who will work on your resume. If you hit Google, youll receive an endless collection of sites that provide such support. Whether you are a newcomer to writing resumes and cover letters or your written resume doesnt appear to secu re you invited on several interviews, were right here to assist you. Facts, Fiction and Resume Writing Service Scam Click the the hyperlink below to obtain a local resume writer youll be able to trust. So, a resume ought to be written brilliantly and hook the interest of recruiters from the very first lines. However polished your writing skills are, at times its much better to seek the services of a professional who can frame your experiences in a manner that gives you the ability to command the eye of the greatest companies in your industry. New Step by Step choreografie for Resume Writing Service Scam Today, you might locate a lot of businesses which offer resume assist. Historically, companies dont pour in millions and millions of dollars into advertising should they believe just having the ideal product is enough to generate sales. The organization delivers top-notch work depending on the clients guidelines. Some businesses will freeze the funds and refund your money in the event the investigation proves your claim.