Santa’s Professional Resume

It's that time of year again! Santa has his professional resume perfected, (click on picture to view), and is looking forward to flying out to his next assignment.

Ho Ho Ho!

The next step for most would be a job interview but Santa will be able to skip this step in the process as his expertise eliminates any potential competition. Even the Grinch was no match for Santa. And so it is, with full confidence that Santa is ramping up for the busy season ahead!

Santa Claus is admired by children everywhere, but for those mature individuals who are currently in career transition, you may also want to look up to him as an ideal role model. He has a clearly defined career path, a professional resume filled with accomplishments and a never ending list of references, which have all contributed to an outstanding reputation. He acknowledges the importance of personal branding, consuming cookies and milk at every stop despite his expanding physique. Santa has also been successful in establishing his online presence. Google Santa and review 1,880,000,000 search results!

Do you need a free resume critique, advice on personal branding or perhaps some ideas on how to increase your google ranking? Make your New Year's resolution today to find out about the executive career management services available at Elite Resumes.

Don’t Wear A Mask

Wearing a mask for a Halloween Party or any costume party can be exhilarating, mischievous or just plain fun! An occasion that many look forward to when it is acceptable to hide behind a mask, deceive others as to your true identity, assume the looks or personality of a favourite idol or simply seize the opportunity to scare the living daylights out of your friends!

Enjoy the party while it lasts because as a professional managing a career, this is the only time it will be acceptable to hide behind a mask or deceive others regarding your identity, history or qualifications. If you are in a job search, don't wear a mask! Companies, recruiters and HR professionals are searching all available resources online, including Facebook to discover who you really are. Connections and testimonials on Linkedin as well as groups and companies you associate with all provide revealing information. Have you created Twitter lists for those you follow. What name have you given those lists and more importantly, what are the names of the lists that follow you? The name of these lists are a clear indication of how others perceive you.

The following are default images for profile photos on various social media sites and if not updated with professional images will leave a negative impression undermining your chances for consideration as a potential candidate.

Choosing to hide behind a mask will sabotage any effort to portray a credible, genuine and authentic brand. Don't wear a mask online or off unless you're off to a costume party.

Happy Halloween!

What Email Address Are You Using For Your Job Search?

What Email Address Are You Using For Your Job Search?

professional@email.com

Are you using a professional email address for your job search? An email address that is not outdated? One which identifies who you are? An email address that is easily deciphered even when hand written?

I’m sure we can all agree that an email address such as sexykitten@, beerking@ or gonefishing@ lacks the professionalism expected from anyone who is serious about managing their career. Get rid of them or use them exclusively for the singles sites.

Dots, dashes, underscores: Unless you are an extremely neat printer, it is possible that you’ve added your email address to a list in the hopes of receiving some important correspondence that will never be sent. Is it a dash or an underscore or maybe that line was supposed to represent a dot? Don’t leave anyone struggling to decipher your email address. For those of us who require reading glasses, a neatly typed email could still present a problem with the use of symbols which are smaller than letters.

You are known as George Brown but you created an email address cbrown@. This was done because you wanted to confuse people? I’m going to send the email to gbrown because I’m sure I must have made a mistake when I entered it as cbrown@. One more email that you will never receive.

What were all those numbers George added to his email address?

I just received an email from latvicus@. Since I have no idea who it is, I’m going to delete it. How was I supposed to know it was George Brown? His middle name you say?

It is completely understood that a common name requires some modification to obtain an available address so a middle initial or full name will be necessary; GeorgeLatvicusBrown@ or georgelbrown or georgezbrown. No, your middle initial is not a z but does anyone else know that? It still enables anyone looking at it to recognize that you are in fact George Brown who introduced himself to you at the last networking meeting you attended. But who was gb1234@hotmail.com?

If you are using Hotmail or AOL you’ll need to update to a new address. Those continuing to use them are dating themselves and perceived as not keeping up with the times. @gmail and @rogers are both very popular today. Did you acquire the domain for your name or business? If so, you will have access to create email addresses such as, george@georgebrown.com or martin@aneliteresume.com.

What email address are you using for your job search? What does it say about you?

Where Are The Jobs?

Where Are The Jobs?

If you are in career transition you are discovering that landing your next job may not happen within a matter of days or weeks or months or even years! There are many factors that will determine your success and reduce the length of your job search including a daily commitment, as finding a job is a full time job! Additionally, a carefully and methodically planned job search strategy should be reviewed and implemented with one key question in mind, “Where are the jobs”?

Close to 90% of recruiters are utilizing social media in 2011 to source potential candidates. Since they have the jobs, you need to be there. Establishing and maintaining a professional online presence utilizing Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook is a key job search strategy. In addition to networking online it is also imperative to network in person with no less than 2-3 meetings per day and at least that many per week attending professional networking groups. The likelihood that networking will be key to finding your next job is greater than any other job search strategy and it could take months off the length of your job search!

The number of online jobs continue to rise but use your time sparingly searching online job boards as it is not where the jobs are. At least not the majority of jobs. Although many positions can be found, recruiters have a more vested interest in enticing employers and other organizations to utilize their services for a substantial fee than using it to find potential candidates. It has been suggested that the success rate in securing a position from online job boards is approximately 4% so invest your time wisely by ensuring your professional resume is posted on all job search sites and updating it daily since your chances of being found will be greater than that of finding a job.

Dramatic changes in the economy and the rise and fall of various industries have impacted career directions around the globe. Job seekers are encouraged as employers are recognizing the value of transferable skills as well as the confidence and initiative required to successfully pursue a new career path. Of course success will be related to choosing the industry that will take you to where the jobs are. It would not be considered a prudent decision at this time to transition from Finance to Manufacturing or from mobile to land line technology so stay current with changing trends and technologies, economic conditions and business news to increase job opportunities. Be sure your qualifications meet the requirements of the position you are applying for to avoid extending your job search any longer than necessary.

Where are the jobs? Hidden, which is why networking is the best job search strategy with the best results.

Where are the jobs? Recruiters and HR professionals are trying to fill them and 89% are utilizing social media to search for potential candidates. Will they find you?

Where are the jobs? The upswing of many industries and evolving technologies will indicate where the jobs are so stay current and use the knowledge to assist in paving the way toward a long and successful career.

Reevaluate your job search strategies and ensure your path is leading you to where the jobs are especially this summer when most of your competition have decided to drop out of the job search race.

The Career Collective is an online community of expert career advisers and resume writing professionals. Each month these experts provide valuable information, Collaboratively Helping Job Seekers to gain the competitive edge necessary to succeed in the current job market. For professional advice in your job search visit:

4 Summer Strategies to Step Up Your Job Search, @DebraWheatman
Putting Your Job Search Up On The Rack For Inspection, @dawnrasmussen
Mid-Year Job Search Checkup: Are you wasting your time? @GayleHoward
What is your unique value proposition? @keppie_careers
It is Time for Your Check-up Ms/Mr Jobseeker, @careersherpa
Mid-Year Career Checkup: Are You “On Your Game?” @KatCareerGal
How to Perform a Mid-Year Job Search Checkup, @heatherhuhman
Reposition your job search for success, @LaurieBerenson
Mid-Year Job Search Checkup: What’s working and What’s not? @erinkennedycprw
Mid-Year Job Search Check-Up: Getting Un-Stuck, @JobHuntOrg
Mid-Year Check Up: The Full 360, @WalterAkana
5 Tips for Fighting Summer Job Search Blues, @KCCareerCoach
Are you positive about your job search? @DawnBugni
Where Are The Jobs? @MartinBuckland, @EliteResumes
Mid-Year Job-Search Checkup: Get Your Juices Flowing, @ValueIntoWords
When Was Your Last Career & Job Search Check Up? @expatcoachmegan
Is Summer A Job Search Momentum Killer? @TimsStrategy
Is It Time for Your Resume Checkup? @barbarasafani

Don’t make these mistakes on your resume

A mistake on your resume is all the potential employer is looking for to send your resume to the recycle bin. As a potential candidate, you may feel you are the perfect choice but initially you will likely be represented as simply one of many resumes. Due to the number of candidates, the selection process is not always one of "finding a needle in a haystack" but getting rid of the hay to find the needle. It is a process of elimination which will be done quickly and require little cause to reduce the numbers to those which will be manageable in scheduling job interviews. It is imperative to understand these mistakes on your resume could seriously impact your career.

Age – Sex – Marital Status

These personal details have no place on a resume in North America or in most other countries. Any mention and your resume will likely to be discounted from further reading. Since this information has absolutely no impact on your ability to perform the job, it is considered discriminatory and should remain personal.

Political & Religious Affiliations

Leave them out! Although age discrimination is decreasing people will always discriminate for religious or political reasons. It’s none of their business, so why place an obstacle in your way? As much as you don't want to be discriminated against, no potential employer wants to risk the accusation.

Hobbies

If your hobbies aren’t relevant to your career, leave them off. It’s information an employer doesn’t need to see. Again, your personal hobby could influence the reader on a personal level rather than professional, which is discrimination.

Volunteer Work – Community Involvement

Increasingly potential employers and recruiters are seeking people who participate in community activities and give their time for free. It says a lot about your character. However, if your volunteer work is related to religion or politics leave it out.

Employer Information

Including the name of your Manager and direct Supervisor and their contact details is not necessary. It has no relevance to your hiring. If the employer requires this information at the interview stage they will ask.

References

“References Available Upon Request” is a term which is severely outdated and simply a waste of space. It’s automatically assumed that you have a list of references which should be available on a separate reference sheet and taken with you to the job interview.

Remuneration

Your salary and bonus expectations are not required. Too high or too low, either could be a reason to eliminate you as a candidate or allow the potential employer to slot you into other positions that may not be of interest. Do not include any financial expectations in your resume.

Typos, outdated terminology and skills, lack of quantifiable achievements and too many pages are further mistakes on your resume that could send it to the recycle rather than securing a job interview. For further information on presenting a professional resume that is sure to get you recognized as a potential candidate, contact Elite Resumes for a free resume critique from Martin Buckland, Certified Professional Resume Writer.

How many resumes do you have?

Although you may choose to offer a resume with differing tag lines or a reworded "Projective", you really only have one resume when sharing your career history and your education. There is no room for any lack of consistency regarding titles, dates or degrees as facts are facts. You either worked for the company during that time period or you didn't! You attended a specific education facility and acquired a diploma or you didn't. If you choose to write more than one resume you could be risking your credibility whether intentional or not. A typo on a graduation date that varies from one resume to another could be conceived as an attempt to misrepresent the facts.

HR professionals and recruiters consider potential candidates for many reasons including experience, education, testimonials, personality and referrals. In addition to every qualification an employer is seeking there is one critical element, CREDIBILITY! If you are sending out resumes without consistent information you are jeopardizing that credibility. If you have created your Linkedin profile and it consists of varying information from the resume that a potential employer is verifying, you will eliminate yourself as a candidate. Your resume shows you were the VP but your Linkedin profile, which is linked to the company clearly shows you were a Manager. It will be an easy decision not to waste any more time if the facts are not clear.

The wide range of online information pertaining to individuals and companies available on Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook are being utilized by recruiters and HR professionals to seek out and verify potential candidates. Your name, personal brand, career history and education must all be consistent and verifiable. Any variances could be construed as a misrepresentation. Review your resumes and your online profiles to ensure your brand and career history are clearly and concisely represented. If you have a professional resume, simply cut and paste the applicable information to your online profiles to ensure accuracy.

Contact Elite Resumes for a free resume critique from Martin Buckland, Certified Professional Resume Writer.

Personal or Corporate Branding and Authenticity

One loud voice and millions of unheard voices is a fair analysis of years gone by but social media is changing everything from the political landscape to corporate social responsibility. Transparency and accountability; genuine, authentic and legitimate; these are the attributes that social media has unearthed and placed at the forefront in the success of your business, professional career or political aspirations. The availability of shared information is extensive and the spotlight must shine on a verifiable, engaging personal or corporate brand. A brand displaying an openness to communication, engagement and the testimonials to further secure credibility. A successful brand is not achieved simply by a well worded mission statement, it requires actions and accomplishments that will back it up.

A Divah.com post, Social Media as Corporate Whistleblower follows up on a Tim Horton's corporate social responsibility initiative with 3BL Media which appears to be all talk and no action. We can be assured that the increase in available online information and the social media spotlight will show the credibility or lack of credibility for all initiatives.

How Much is Superior Service Worth to Customers?, by Kimberly Weisul reports on a survey by American Express which is one more example of the ease of sharing information, acquiring feedback and clear expectations from a global client base.

Social Media was described in April 2008 by Joseph Thornley as follows;

"Social media are online communications in which individuals shift fluidly and flexibly between the role of audience and author. To do this, they use social software that enables anyone without knowledge of coding, to post, comment on, share or mash up content and to form communities around shared interests."

The perspective of millions is now being shared rather than that of a small percentage of authors. The increase in our knowledge base is phenomenal. An established social media presence can provide an abundance of connections with satisfied customers, friends, past employers, groups, family, education, interests, organizations, successes, expertise, colleagues, recruiters, companies and more. If consistent and verifiable, you can be assured of an authentic personal or corporate brand.

Keywords are Key is Here!

Keywords are Key is Here!

Keywords are key to having your resume noticed! With the increasing prevalence of scanning technology, employing keywords in a resume to attract maximum attention – by a human and/or computer scanner – has become a critical component of building an attention getting resume. Keywords are the terms deemed by the employer to represent the essential job attributes. Each industry and profession has specific keywords. Companies and recruiters are searching resumes for specific keywords and key phrases to find the candidates with the skills, qualifications and expertise to fulfill the job requirements. Incorporating keywords into a resume and cover letter help you to secure optimum attention and outperform your competition.

The keywords you select should portray your Value Proposition and match what the employer is seeking. Incorporating job specific and employer pertinent keywords in the top third of page 1 of your resume significantly elevates your chances of attracting the employers’ interest in your candidacy. How do you find the “right” keywords to secure maximum attention? Utilize your knowledge of the company, profession, industry and review online postings of similar positions. Each profession has the potential for hundreds of keywords. With the prevalence of electronic search capability, failure to incorporate the “right” keywords is not an option!

The top 48 keywords are listed for each of the following professions:

Accounting

Administration

Customer Service

Engineering

Finance

General Management

Hospitality

Human Resources

Information Technology

Legal

Law Enforcement

Manufacturing

Marketing

Not For Profit / Association Management

Operations

Public Relations / Corporate Communications

Purchasing

Real Estate / Property Management

Retail

Sales

Supply Chain Management / Logistics

Teaching / Academic

Review each list of keywords to find out how you could win a free resume from a Certified Professional Writer!

Contact Elite Resumes for a free resume critique from a Certified Professional Resume Writer.

Toronto ExecuNet

The Toronto ExecuNet Meeting provides a networking opportunity for professionals who want to stay “on top” of their careers, remain alert to job opportunities, penetrate the hidden job market and be better prepared in today’s uncertain working environments. ExecuNet is the leading executive job, career and networking organization exclusively for the $100,000+ executive and senior level manager. Its purpose is to give executives the opportunity to exchange perspectives and develop resources with other decision makers from a variety of industries and fields.


Toronto ExecuNet Meetings are every 4th Wednesday. A great networking opportunity for senior executives! http://j.mp/gFRwnA

Create Professional Profiles on Social Networking Sites!

During the last few years we have been inundated with new social media sites each claiming their stake in attracting different audiences. Social networking has exploded and become an integral component of your personal brand and career management. It is not to be ignored!

Time is precious, you can consume a voluminous amount of time with online networking, however the trick is to focus on what will bring you the best Return On Investment.

As an Executive Career Management Professional with an international clientele my initial suggestion is to be an active participant on the following three sites:

LinkedIn: Approaching 100 million members this is the site to be! It's value in your career management is incalculable and cannot be discounted. Become an active member, connect  with people that can bring you value or you can bring value to them. Join groups or create your own group. Search people, jobs, companies, groups, answers, updates or follow your select list of target companies. Over 80% of recruiters are using Linkedin to find potential candidates.

Twitter: A social networking/microblogging site filled with many hidden extras including a search capability and groups that can bring great benefit to you career management. It has been used successfully by several of my senior executive clients to uncover new opportunities and leads. Although a tweet is limited to 140 characters, it can contain a shortened URL to a wealth of shared information. Be succinct and be compelling in your messaging.

Facebook: With over 500 million users and forecasted to exceed 1 billion by year end, this is a mandatory social media site! One which has revolutionized online communications and a formidable tool in your career management and personal branding. If you want proof, search for the top brands in the world, they are all on Facebook.

Contact Elite Resumes, providing executive career management services since 1993, for further information or to obtain a free resume critique.  

Job Search Then and Now

Conducting a job search many years ago would have involved following up with family members and neighbours or a quick read of the local newspaper. Job listings may have included openings for a typist, stenographer, milkman, elevator operator or perhaps a senior level position that required travelling to another country. Travel that would require weeks, not hours as the mode of transportation was by ship not a jet. Word of mouth was often all that was required to get you in the door or a hand written resume might have been delivered to a local company. A telephone call to your home, the only communication tool available other than postal delivery, might advise of a job interview or simply a start date that would be entered into as a lifetime position!

That was a job search then and now, a paper resume dropped off at a company would likely be refused or recycled! Resumes are now computer files, submitted online at the click of a button to recruiters, online job boards and HR departments at small businesses or large corporations. Online job boards and social media sites present job listings from around the world. Communication through various networking sites, email or mobile is more common than a home phone and out of country travel is a normal occurrence. A job interview may involve a phone interview with a head office located in another country. Or perhaps you'll be required to use your computer with web cam to engage in an online interview on Skype. Continuous networking and a visible online presence are necessary components in the successful management of any career as today's job search will be repeated many times. Most careers will consist of many positions throughout numerous organizations.

Whether conducting a job search then or now there is one constant that is still attributable to the success of any job search; word of mouth! Who you know and who will recommend you will transcend time as an influencing factor to decision makers, far outweighing your chances of being noticed by responding to an advertised position without a personal introduction. Networking continues to be the most successful job search tool available and has become a much easier task with the advent of social media sites such as Linkedin. You will be amazed at who knows who, who works where, who knows who's hiring, who is being promoted and who is hiring to fill the newly opened position.

Do you have a professional Linkedin profile? Have you acquired testimonials from past and current positions? Are you actively involved in Linkedin Groups? Have you targeted specific companies and are you following them on Linkedin? How many connections do you have?Are you actively networking and inviting others with an enticing, customized message that clearly articulates why they should connect with you and your reasons for wanting to add them to your network of professionals?

Follow the Linkedin Group Toronto ExecuNet or register at Elite Resumes to attend an ExecuNet Meeting, facilitated by Martin Buckland since 1999.

As a member of Career Collective we are pleased to provide you with the following professional advice from other members of the Career Collective, Collaboratively Helping Job Seekers:



Juice Up Your Job Search, @debrawheatman

It’s not your age, it’s old thinking, @GayleHoward

Want a Job? Ignore these outdated job search beliefs @erinkennedycprw

Job Search Then and Now, @MartinBuckland @EliteResumes

Break the Rules or Change the Game? @WalterAkana

The New: From The Employer’s-Eye View, @ResumeService

Job Search: Breakable Rules and Outdated Beliefs, @KatCareerGal

Job Hunting Rules to Break (Or Why and How to Crowd Your Shadow), @chandlee @StartWire,

Shades of Gray, @DawnBugni

3 Rules That Are Worth Your Push-Back, @WorkWithIllness

Your Photo on LinkedIn – Breaking a Cardinal Job Search Rule? @KCCareerCoach

How to find a job: stop competing and start excelling, @Keppie_Careers

Be You-Nique: Resume Writing Rules to Break, @ValueIntoWords

Modernizing Your Job Search, @LaurieBerenson

Don’t Get Caught With an Old School Resume, @barbarasafani

How Breaking the Rules Will Help You in Your Job Search, @expatcoachmegan

Beat the Job-Search-Is-a-Numbers-Game Myth, @JobHuntOrg

25 Habits to Break if You Want a Job, @CareerSherpa

More Connections and More Opportunities

There is a good chance that you will connect with one person and gain something from that person or have the opportunity to provide them with something. What is something? A lead to a new job? An introduction to someone you may spend the rest of your life with? An opportunity to relocate to a dream location? A new hobby? Advice that results in an exciting new career direction? Every time you connect to one person, it creates an opportunity to give and to receive. Imagine increasing one opportunity to millions of opportunities! Today, it's not only possible, it's easy and it's free! Over 500 million people are connecting on Facebook, over 200 million on Twitter and over 87 million on Linkedin. There are thousands of social media sites that offer the ability to create your profile for free and connect to millions of other people.

Although social media provides the optimal resource for networking, establishing an authentic connection with others should be an integral part of every day whether it involves attending professional networking meetings, social events or engaging another while riding up an elevator. More connections result in more opportunities to give or to receive. Networking or connecting with the right person has resulted in the success of many. YouTube is without a doubt the place to be discovered but would Bieber be the success he is today if he hadn't been introduced to Usher? And would Usher be as popular today without Bieber? Why Some People Have All The Luck (And How to Become One of Them) by Lateral Action is all about creating connections that lead to opportunities. Call it luck if you like but without networking, your luck will most certainly disappear.

Utilize social media, network at professional meetings or socialize at family events for more connections and more opportunities. Rockmelt is a great resource to bring it all together and shows the ease of obtaining results or generating opportunities by connecting with others.

Twitter Lists

If you have not yet created your profile on Twitter, you are missing out on the 2nd most popular social media site available. It’s easy to use! It’s free! It’s real time! It has over 200 million users! It has influenced the election of a President, saving a rain forest, a new wheelchair, accountability from corporations, money raised for a good cause, jobs, friends, news, information and so much more! read more

Career Collective Blog

Let your presence be known or send out a red flag 

Welcome to 2011! If you have not recognized the emerging career trends over the past few years, this will be the year that you will need to take note or risk limiting your executive career opportunities. Whether in career transition today or possibly in the near future, competition in your job search will be fierce. In order to gain the necessary competitive edge to position yourself for consideration as a potential candidate, you must let your presence be known! If you cannot be found you will be sending out a red flag.

Transparent, authentic, genuine, verified, visible; these are the terms that have emerged and are now here to stay in reference to all professionals, companies or organizations. If you find this uncomfortable or have anything to hide, prepare to change it or accept damaging the potential for advancement in your career or business. Recruiters and hiring professionals are looking online for candidates and will be influenced by those who present a professional, accomplished and thorough representation of themselves.

Are you sending out red flags that could eliminate you from consideration as a potential candidate? In 2011 you will send out a red flag if:

• You cannot be found when googled (at the least on Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook)
• Your professional resume does not include a Linkedin address
• Your online profile does not contain a professional photo
• You have incomplete information surrounding your work history
• You share offensive or negative content online

Social media is the fastest growing media in history. Not only is it free, it is the most influential marketing tool to ever emerge, making it a crucial component of executive career management. Embrace social media to let your presence be known and increase your opportunities for success in your job search, your career or your business.

Contact Martin Buckland at Elite Resumes, providing executive career management services since 1993.

As a member of Career Collective we are pleased to provide you with the following professional advice from other members of the Career Collective, Collaboratively Helping Job Seekers:

Social Media Recruiting to Grow Further in 2011, @debrawheatman

Another Year, Another Job Search Begins, @GayleHoward

In 2011, Increase Your Prospects With Better Differentiation, @WalterAkana

4 Lessons Learned From Job Search in 2010, @Careersherpa

Your Career Action Plan for the New Year, @KatCareerGal

Trends Job Seekers Should Look For in 2011, @erinkennedycprw

Things Every Job Seeker Should be Thinking About in 2011, @expatcoachmegan

Let your presence be known or send out a red flag, @MartinBuckland @EliteResumes

How to find a job in 2011: Pay attention to emotional intelligence, @Keppie_Careers

2011 Employment Trends Supercharged with Twitter, @KCCareerCoach

3 Traits for Facing Weather, Employment and Chronic Illness, @WorkWithIllness

Everything old is new again @DawnBugni

Career Trend 2011: Accountability + Possibility = Sustainability, @ValueIntoWords

Career Tools to Check Out in 2011, @barbarasafani

What Was in 2010, What To Expect in 2011, @chandlee

The Future of Job Search: 3 Predictions and 2 Wishes, @JobHuntOrg