4/28/11

Creating a Dynamic Resume

4 shared love by: Ruby at 5:00 PM


Whether your someone wanting to change your career path and find another job or someone wanting to apply a new job, creating a a youthful and impressive resume is vital in the working world. With all the competition walking everywhere, it's pretty difficult to create a resume that will make you stood out from the rest and will make a lasting effect in the companies you will be applying for. The resume is like your key entrance to the working force. It is your persona when you present yourself to prospective companies that you are applying. It's like selling yourself. Well not really selling yourself but you have to make yourself of great worth to the company. That you have what it takes to work here or work there. Also, resumes must not be generic and should be custom fit according to the job position and company that you are applying for. You can't just make lots of copies of the same resume and present it to all potential employers. You have to make modifications to fit with the job position you are looking for. Presented here are some ways which you can follow to make your resume interesting and appealing.

You should focus on recent relevant experience. I've always thought before when I was updating my resume and analyzing other people's resume, that when you apply for a certain job, do you necessarily place all of your job experiences in your resume despite of their insignificance to the job position you are currently applying at hand? Sure it may be interesting and makes you look good, but what really matters in the end is that, only relevant experiences will have a signicant impact. If it's not relevant, then it has to go. This is to ensure that relevant job experiences will be focused more and managers will pay more attention to them than filling your resume with nonsensical irrelevant things.

Technology is always changing. What's in today may be obsolete tomorrow. That's just how it works. And your resume is not excluded from this. You should focus on new technologies that people are using nowadays. You don't just type in your resume that you know DOS or if you're a programmer, obsolete programming languages that have gone extinct. Instead, you fill them with new technologies that are in demand right now. Adobe Photoshop CS 5, PHP 5. You have to update your resume for these and update your skills as well. List only software programs and technologies that are current in your industry.

Lastly, shift your resume from an old-fashioned written resume to a resume with your persona. Gone are the days when a resume speaks so dry, so generic, and filled with job-seeker jargons that have been used and abused over time (like detail-oriented, team player, responsible). Somehow, you have to give your resume a personal touch. Something that will have a lasting effect on the managers. Something that will make it you. You should provide details, experiences, and situations that comprehends how responsible you are. Or how detail-oriented you are. Or what kind of team player you are. Don't be vague. Be convincing. Be direct. And use strong words that can impress them.

Of course this only applies to people who are interested (or forced) to work in a company. Those who are pursuing a business wouldn't need a resume but rather some capital and enough knowledge to withstand the challenges a business would bring. But if I were to choose, it would be nice to work in a company and at the same time have your own business. That way, you'd be able to learn the pros and cons of each state of work and you'd be flexible in that each one presents different sets of challenges and rewards. It would be nice to do both but would indeed require much from you.

 

Labels: , , , ,

2/24/11

Why You Shouldn't Get Mad at Work

8 shared love by: Ruby at 8:28 AM

Back in the Cold War days, and even still today, nations would negotiate and operate under the understanding of Mutual Assured Destruction or "MAD." This doctrine requires each side to have enough force that if one is attacked by another, the other would respond with equal force, or a force that is greater. However, no one wants to be the first to attack, which keeps everyone under control and at "peace."


But that's not true on the job.

If you strike while infuriated at work, you can't expect the fight to continue as you may simply be shown the door. Think back to the movie "Jerry Maguire," where Jerry, a former company rock star, challenges the office's status and decides to take a stand. He rages through the office and then asks those around him,


"Who's coming with me?"


After a long uncomfortable moment, Jerry leaves with just one person and a goldfish. While things worked out well for Jerry personally and professionally, life rarely imitates art. If you find yourself getting too mad and letting your emotions escalate to a point where your actions and words may be irrecoverable, stop before the only option you have left is to walk out the company doors for good.


When emotions heat up, try these five techniques to bring it down a notch:


Remember your nursery rhymes. "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Getting too emotional over words doesn't do anyone any good. If you are not careful, you may respond in a way you'll regret. Let unpleasant words roll off your back and respond once you've had time to cool down.


Sleep on it. We live in an era where everything is deemed urgent, and the smallest e-mail requires an immediate response. However, think carefully before you shoot back an emotionally-charged response. It's always better to address these types of e-mails after you've had a chance to carefully consider your reply, especially because e-mails last forever and can go to people and places you never imagined. The best attitudinal adjustment between hope and despair can be a good night's sleep.


Take a walk before you take a hike. When emotions stir inside, try walking them out. A walk around the building can do wonders. If the boiling point reaches a crescendo and you've tried everything to change the situation, then it may be time to change jobs. But, before you put in your resignation letter and take a hike, make sure your decision to leave the company is based on reason, not emotion. Quitting is a permanent reaction to what might have been a temporary problem if emotion was left out of it.


Don't push it. In the heat of battle, it always feels like we should push to get in the last word or make the point even more emphatically. Remember that your workplace is not a place where anyone is indentured; working is a choice, and it's optional. It might just be better to let the point go rather than cross the line that causes someone to leave the company or another employee to lose their dignity. It's a fine line between assertiveness and aggressiveness, but that line should be known and respected.


Follow the 'Golden Rule.' When angry, the most important lesson to remember is to treat a person the way you want to be treated. That respect goes a long way.

 

Labels: ,

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)