Archive for September 2013

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What is the big deal about Resumes?

Far too many individuals under-utilize this important career tool. I have seen instances where individuals were more than qualified for a particular position, but because their resume did not showcase their qualifications properly they were overlooked for an interview. So what is the big deal about resumes anyway? Today I will share with you how resumes can make or break your job search.

Before I share some advice, I will start with this; there are many resources online, so there are not many excuses you can offer for not knowing what type of resume is required for your specific professional field. I will go further on to say that my experience includes spending a considerable portion of my time on recruiting. Which means that for each of the many interviews and professional screenings I have conducted, there were scores of resumes reviewed. That number has definitely tallied into the thousands to date. Therefore it is out of this qualified experience I present these tips. Here goes:

1. Don't lie - of all of the do's and don’ts this gets you in the most trouble. If you want a definitive statement on this point, I offer this: Assume that every fact on your resume will be checked. There are some instances when a candidate can be forgiven for exaggerating or overselling his/her experience, especially in cases where they were really trying to make something mundane seem really important or significant. Generally a good interviewer knows how to get clarity on these matters. However a full-fledged lie like, graduating from a university that you did not attend or never completed is an immediate disqualification and blacklisting.

2. Be as concise as possible - resumes that are unnecessarily too long can be subject to the same time treatment as a short resume. When faced with a 3 or more paged resume I usually skip through the sections. Quite frankly, I read the current or most recent experience and then jump to the education section. Only if something in those sections catch my eye, then I reluctantly read on. If not, I move on to the next resume. This means that there may be some very qualified persons whose resumes have come across my desk, but because they were too verbose I passed them over. You have to understand that at any given moment there may be several to dozens of resumes to review, so on a light day I may be prone to spend more time on each one, but on heavier days super long resumes have very slim chances if the relevant experience that I need is not on the first page.

3. Tailor your resume to the position applied for - as a follow-up to point 2, if you do find yourself with a lot of facts to showcase pick the ones that are relevant to the position that you are applying for. In other words if you are applying to be a Financial Analyst, that job you had during high school cleaning tables at the local ice-cream shop may not make the cut. The essence of a resume is not to put every single experience you ever had (even though strong cases can be made for junior hires) but to showcase only the experience that help match you to the position that you are applying to.

4. Use a cover letter - there may be some instances that you want to be more verbose in explaining a certain part of your experience. A cover letter as an attachment to your resume is a very useful item. For example, you have taken a year off of work to travel as a volunteer, or you took time off to raise a child. You may want to use a cover letter in these cases as the time gaps on your resume may not translate well with your prospective employer. There was one in particular that I recall who felt the need to explain why they had 4 positions within 12 months, turned out to be for very plausible reasons. Without it, I would have been left wondering as to what took place. A cover letter gives you a chance to answer before any questions are asked, see this as the ultimate fail-safe.

5. Follow up - when the resume is submitted, the process has only just begun. You will be well served to follow up any application with an email or phone call. The follow up is not for the employer, the follow up is for you. Too often people just apply and don't follow up. You are leaving things to chance when you don’t follow up. When you follow up correctly and strategically, then you would not give the impression that you are stalking the individual who is processing the applications. Don't leave your future up to chance; follow up at least for a confirmation of the receipt of your application.

There is too much info on this topic to write it all in one blog, so another time I will probably share from a different perspective. However, I will like to remind you that the interview process begins once you submit your resume and in some instances you are halfway there once you get called in for an actual interview. An actual interview is an opportunity to build upon the initial impression rendered by your resume.

Until next time remember: As long as you have life, you should live it to your fullest potential.

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Don't Bite the hand that feeds you: the importance of classroom respect

Respect in the classroom is supremely important! How many of us knows or knew of someone who totally blew their shot at passing a class simply because they were consistently rude and disrespectful to the teacher? There is always that one person who just seems to go way above board while assuming that their behavior or lack thereof will not affect their ability to attain a passing grade. In most of the cases that I have personally witnessed, the individuals had the potential to pass the class however, the incidents just led to their demise.

Why is respect in the classroom important? There is an old saying of which I claim no credit for constructing, but I definitely utilize as a law to live by, "Don't bite the hand that feeds you!" In the classroom the teacher is in control of proceedings. Furthermore, they are the ones who are ultimately going to determine the grade that you are going to get. There is something to be said about being courteous to whoever is in charge of the space that you are in. This is a universal rule that will follow you throughout both your academic and professional careers.

Additionally, students must understand that depending on the course the grading system is sometimes subjective. This means that getting a good grade can be more than just passing the tests. There can other factors at play:

Home work

Class participation

Project work

Attendance

Punctuality

Quizzes

In-class assignments

Presentations

The list is just a representation of all the potential factors.

Some professors even itemize the percentage that each factor counts to your final grade. If you are one who decides to skip class, not do assignments and show up only for the scheduled tests then you are in a great deal if concern if the course you are taking is making use of all or some of the factors described above as to determine your grade.

By now I believe you get the point I am trying to make. Simply put, there are rules of engagement in the classroom. Follow them and you are half way to a good grade, failure to do so will serve you no benefit if passing is your objective.

Until next time remember: As long as you have life, you should live it to your fullest potential.

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The Twilight Zone - Sitting on the Front Row

The front row is an enigma. On the one hand: it is revered, highly coveted and most precious. Yet on the other: it is feared, treated like a plague and avoided at all costs. How can it be so polarizing? Allow me to explain.

When it comes to concerts, professional sports or an airplane the front row is prime real estate. It is where everyone wants to be and with this knowledge promoters, venue owners and airlines alike charge a premium for those who insist on sitting there. In fact, on the secondary market for front row tickets, prices reach astronomical levels and depending on the event, people will pay whatever it costs just to be there.

However when it comes to school and lectures the front seat becomes a haunted ghost town. Also, depending on the size of the classroom or the lecture hall some seats remain unoccupied, even when there are late comers.

Why the stark difference when it comes to school? It comes down to perception. It is almost understood that if you dare sit in the front of the classroom, you are a target for the teacher. There is nowhere to hide when a question is asked or if you forgot to do your assignment. This implies that being prepared to answer questions, participate in discussions and having any assignments completed on time are prerequisites for sitting on the front row. Surely this pressure is too much for the average student, why would you want to do the assigned readings or even read ahead in anticipation of a class discussion and furthermore, what does that teacher know anyway?

Ok, back to reality! Sitting in the front of the classroom is a bold statement to both the teacher and your classmates. It tells them that you mean business and that they can expect your effort to be just as strong as the statement that you are making. There are direct benefits to sitting up front:

You follow the lesson better as there as there are fewer distractions.

If the lectures are delivered without a microphone and speaker system, then you will definitely hear clearly because you are closer to the speaker.

It is much easier to capture the teacher's attention.

These are just a few and in every specific setting there are more benefits that you can take advantage of.

As I close today I want to share with you this. I had a friend in university who decided that sitting up front of the classroom was not bold enough. After the first lecture of every new course, he introduced himself to the professor by saying, "Hi, I am John (not the real name) and I am going to get an A in your class.” What he was actually doing was announcing himself to the teacher and ensuring he did not get lost in the crowd of students. Subsequent to that introduction, he would maintain a constant rapport with the professor throughout the semester. It proved to be a very shrewd idea, because in some tough classes when he needed extra credit or extra time on an assignment, he was able to benefit from the fact that he had already established a relationship with the teacher. In contrast, some students who when faced with the possibility of failure tried to build relationships with the professor despite the fact that they: sat at the back of the class, routinely arrived late and were tardy with assignments, found that it was too late. Don’t let this be you!

We will delve more into this subject next time!

Until next time remember: As long as you have life, you should live it to your fullest potential.