Do What You Love

Are you doing what you love? Yes, I mean in your career. But, also, in your personal life? Many of us need to take a job in order to get experience to build toward the career we will love. Work, though, doesn’t have to be what you love, as long as you are able to pay the bills – and afford to do a little of what you love / are passionate about in your personal time.

If you want to see an unhappy person, look for the person who isn’t doing what they love. Get creative. Perhaps you love volunteering (incidentally, volunteering frequently leads people to jobs and, the careers they love). Maybe it’s planning and you buy and work in a planner that helps you organize your family’s lives. It might be playing a sport, or reading, or learning. Whatever you are passionate about, make a little time in your life to do it each week.

As the phases of your life come and go, so too will your passions. Take inventory and adjust for the new passion in your life in each phase. Just make sure you are making a little time to dabble in your passion each week. You will find you feel more fulfilled and happier – and I am pretty sure this is what people are talking about when they say, “Make sure you take time for you.”

For those out there able to mingle their passion and career, congratulations. You are way ahead of the rest of us, but we’re getting there! 

Talk soon. Thanks for reading, liking and subscribing!

Beginning Your Job Search This Weekend?

If you are one of the 40% or so of candidates looking to make a career change now that the jobs market has made it’s come-back, there are several things to consider before you get started.

1. Have you updated your resume (to current standards)?
2. Have you populated keywords for your target role/industry throughout your resume and cover letter?
3. Have you researched your target company in preparation for the interview phase and tailored your cover letter accordingly?

To further help you along, here is a helpful article from CareerFAQs regarding some of the skills the majority of employers are looking for in potential candidates. As a final step in your preparation for your career search, you will want to be sure to demonstrate these skills throughout the body of your resume:  https://www.careerfaqs.com.au/news/news-and-views/the-10-skills-you-ll-need-by-2020-and-beyond .

Thanks so much for reading. Talk soon.

It’s A Candidate’s Job Market!

It’s true. We are in a full-blown candidate job market. This is great news! We have been building toward this for the last few years – and here we are. Still, I know several of you are skeptical that this is the case. For you skeptics out there, enjoy this great infographic from TalentLyft outlining the many ways in which hiring and recruitment trends are changing to meet this new jobs-space.

If you are one of those hopeful candidates that have been enthusiastically applying and submitting your resume for various roles, and are not hearing back – it’s time to change something. Create a new resume. Develop a new format, power up your content, research key words, etc. Get noticed.

If you are one of those candidates getting interviews, but not the job – it’s time to change something. Practice your interviewing skills, research interview questions and interview techniques. Remember, a big part of being prepared for your interview includes research on the company. Review the company website, reach out to people you know that work for the company and ask questions. Do the legwork and be prepared for the interview.

This is your time! Time to start benefiting from your years of hard work, specialty training and acquired skill set. Show them that YOU are the talented individual they are looking for.

Let’s get to work! Talk soon.

Changing Industries in 2019?

Are you looking to change industries in 2019? A recent college grad? If you are, you may want to take a look at this list from Career Builder of the 20 industries anticipating big growth! https://www.careerbuilder.com/advice/the-list-20-industries-expected-to-have-huge-job-growth-through-2019.

Thanks so much for reading, watching and following! Talk soon.

Trying Something New…

Drum roll please… I am stepping out of my comfort zone.

Again.

Not so far out as the vlog, but intended in the same spirit. Here is where I thank all my wonderful friends, clients and family for the encouragement and great counsel.

Again.

Today I am growing my community and launching a group page, Resume Central. You can read the group description for yourself, but, in a nutshell, I am hoping it will be a supportive and uplifting group. In my heart of hearts it is a positive place for professionals to commiserate and share wise counsel based on their experiences. Zero judgement.

Of course, I will share what I know about the industry, answer your questions, share industry factoids, my blog / vlog – and anything else I can to support you in your professional endeavors.

Looking forward to having you join us!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/461959227636089/?source_id=482220901902592

Click on the link above and then on the “Visit Group” button in top, right of the page below the banner.

DO YOU WRITE FOR MY INDUSTRY?

My answer to this question is, “Yes.” I can say this without knowing what industry you are targeting for your career search, because I am confident in my ability to conduct quality keyword research and my knowledge of the resume industry. And really, in the resume game, keyword research is everything! Remember just a few blog/vlogs ago when we talked about the power of ATS as a first line of defense for hiring managers. ATS eliminates over 50% of candidates without their resume ever being seen.

Keyword research and inclusion in a visually appealing, well-formatted (in other words, professionally written) resume enhance your chances of being seen, therefore considered, by 40% by hiring managers. Beyond keyword research, you want someone who is going to make a deep dive into your career history. Learning my clients’ story is an honor that translates, for me as a resume writer, into a customized format and highest quality content for each client.

So, while a resume writer specializing in an industry – as long as keyword research is current and in-depth – can certainly be a benefit to a candidate, the better question to ask is, “How good are you at research?”

Thanks so much for reading, watching and subscribing! Talk soon.

Finding Your Perfect Place!

What a great, thought-provoking article from Money this morning. While it seems counter-intuitive, metropolitan areas are not the best places to go for work due to the high cost of living. Time to begin considering the lifestyle you want and where that means you need to live, prior to your career search. Read the article to learn more – >

https://amp-timeinc-net.cdn.ampproject.org/c/amp.timeinc.net/time/money/5306323/millennials-earn-in-every-state

 

 

HOW IMPORTANT IS NETWORKING FOR MY CAREER?

People, we have lost the art of true relationship building. In the professional world, we call this networking. While nothing can take the place of face-to-face relational exchange, LinkedIn is a powerful tool in any career search. Many people tend to overlook the power of LinkedIn (and a strong social media presence/personal brand) in searching for a new career. I have heard that LinkedIn is dying out… Yet, I continue to receive job offers and clients through it, as do my clients.

In point of fact, prior to launching Your Resume Writer, I was recruited away from my last three brick-and-mortar positions through LinkedIn. One, after the other, after the other. Particularly for those that are short on time, LinkedIn is a tool you should make a point to invest that little time in. Complete your profile. Be thorough. Build your skills section. Ensure your profile matches your resume – with the exception of the “summary” statement. (Your summary statement should now be written in the first person and highlight your most prominent achievements).

Most important of all, connect, connect, connect! Connect to your counterparts, past and present. Connect to your clients, vendors and supervisors. Don’t be afraid to “invite” them to complete a recommendation for you. Once you have taken the time to do these things, you can choose to sit back and let the tool work for you –  Or, take a proactive role in searching open positions and keeping an eye on organizations and opportunities that are attractive to you.

Finally, we all know we can join local chamber and business networking groups for opportunities to develop relationships. We have talked about this before, but as a reminder, don’t forget about the power of becoming a volunteer. Volunteering is such a strong opportunity. Not only do you have the potential to gain new skills, you gain new (and sometimes, influential) contacts. Let’s not forget the real possibility of sliding into those open positions as they come available.

Please remember to make networking a part of your career path and career search plans.

Thanks so much for reading, watching and subscribing! Talk soon.

HAVING TROUBLE BEING PRODUCTIVE? CHANGE SOMETHING!

I don’t know about you, but this week has been a total loss, professionally. Typically, I can crank out project after project and adhere to a timeline with respective deadlines and revisions without breaking a sweat. This week, not so much.

Once I realized that I had a backlog, I took a closer look at those backlog items. Most were simple revisions. They would take time, research and, possibly, re-formatting, but each one was a handful of hours, each. There were just so many. Additionally, we are in the middle of several home improvement projects. So, multiple, simultaneous client projects at the same time as multiple personal projects.

Today, however, I am killing it! What changed, you ask? I did. I changed my location. Clearly there are too many distractions at home right now. So, I am at the coffee shop, producing like crazy. Three client projects. Done! Three blogs and vlogs. Done!

I share this with you today because I believe we all reach these seasons in life and work where there is just too much. Too much clutter, disorganization or work itself. Taking the time to analyze the bottleneck in productivity is critical but was something I never used to take the time for. In my time at brick-and-mortar positions, I was pretty good about asking for one or two days a week to work from home or the coffee shop. Those were days I prized, because my productivity doubled – if not tripled. Not to mention the enhanced quality of my work on those days out of the office because I could give laser-focus to my work.

Are you having trouble with productivity? Try changing something about your work routine, location or environment. You will be surprised what taking a deep breath, analyzing the problem and making a small change will do for your results.

Thanks so much for reading, watching and subscribing! Talk soon.