The Top 4 Resume Tips from Career Professionals

The Top 4 Resume Tips from Career Professionals What if you could talk to four hiring professionals and ask them what they REALLY wanted to see in your resume? Do you think that might give you an advantage in your job search? I spoke to recruiters and career experts from across America and convinced them to share their best advice with you. So, without further ado, here are four tips from career experts to help you write a better resume and get hired: 1) Research the company and customize your resume: In this job market, too many candidates are chasing too few openings. That means you must differentiate yourself. And a great way to do that is to customize every resume, to clearly target the positions you apply for. Felix Lin, recruiting professional at Marclin Group says: I advise all candidates to send out no generic resumes. Make sure you include keywords from the job postings online or from the newspaper this can grab employers attention and keep them reading. In addition, research target companies using Hoovers and your network of contacts. The more you know, the better you can tailor your resume to appeal to hiring managers. Lin continues:So, carefully match your resume to job postings, to make sure your resume hits all the hot buttons in every ad you respond to. You want to know what kind of management style will be a good fit at your target employer. If you have contacts there, find out what happened to the person youll be hired to replace. Were they fired, promoted, what? Use any advantage you can get you have to research companies like theres no tomorrow. 2) Showcase your achievements: When writing your resume, shoot off your big guns early. Because if you start off slow, employers may never finish reading. Ron McManmon, Executive VP of Careeradex Inc says: Top career accomplishments and awards should be at the top of page one for impact, not buried on page two. For best results, mention at least 2-3 of your top achievements within the top third of page one this is the most valuable real estate in your resume. You can include your achievements in a Profile or Qualifications Summary section, with 4 or 5 bulleted paragraphs, each one or two lines long. Bullets make for easy reading and allow you to make your best points quickly. 3) Break up long text: Avoid paragraph forms that are text heavy and hard on the eyes. Bullet points definitely make for easier reading, says Rick Fox, Branch Manager at Edina, Minn.-based Princeton Search. My own rule of thumb is to break all paragraphs longer than three lines into two or more shorter, bulleted sections. Heres just one before and after example from a recent resume that crossed my desk, with grammar and punctuation improved as well. BEFORE: Administrator of a 40-node local area network utilizing Windows NT primary domain model, integrated with a Novell Netware server for GroupWise E-mail access. Windows NT Server 4.0 provided DHCP-TCP/IP services for the intranet, as well as account validation, and management of shared resources. Windows NT Workstation 4.0 provided access to the domain. AFTER: Administered 40-node LAN running Windows NT primary domain, integrated with a Novell Netware server for GroupWise E-mail access. Managed Windows NT Server 4.0 (DHCP-TCP/IP for intranet, account validation, and shared resource management) and Windows NT Workstation 4.0 (domain access). 4) Stay within two pages: Doug Binning, President of Upstart Solutions says: The initial review of a resume is very brief as little as 13 seconds. We look for several items, including companies worked for, job titles and timeline. These should all be prominently displayed. A good rule of thumb is to limit your resume to two pages at most. The attention span of resume reviewers is notoriously short, adds Binning. Anything that doesnt make the cut can be used to create supplemental documents, listing your projects and prior experience in detail. Bring these supplements to the job interview, where you can use them to expand on your resume. Related: Warning! 3 Things that Shouldnt Be on Your Resume.

5 Best Resume Writing Services in Ottawa, ON

5 Best Resume Writing Services in Ottawa, ON Whether you are in the government sector, tech, tourism, healthcare, manufacturing, or something completely different, Ottawa is a vibrant place to take the next step in your career. Yet, to look your best in this bustling market, you need to ensure that you are showcasing your skills in the best possible way.What you need is a great Ottawa resume writer at your back.But who can you trust with this crucial task?Best Resume Services in OttawaWhile all the options are great, we hope to win your business with our 60-Day Interview Guarantee and outstanding commitment to customer service.If you are in a hurry and don't want to read our detailed reviews below, here is a list of the Best Resume Writers in Ottawa:Find My Profession (that's us!) CareerJoy Perfect Resume DocDoctor.ca Resume OttawaAnd now for the detailed reviews...1. Find My ProfessionFind My Profession is not just a top-notch resume service available in Ottawa. We are a global company headquartered in the US on a mission to m aster effective, ATS compatible resumes that convert into offers.A major perk of Find My Profession is that we are not a one-person shop.Collectively, our team of elite resume writers has experience in 85+ unique industries/professions. This allows us to assign you a professional writer (in the United States) based on your unique background and experience.We are also not a resume factory. We will never use “ghostwriters”. You will have your resume writer’s name, email, and phone number for direct communication.With 100+ 5-star reviews and a 60-day interview guarantee thatspeaks for itself, you can sleep easy knowing that your satisfaction is our #1 priority.Pros:Find My Profession commits to working with each client until they are completely satisfied. Don’t worry about having a limited number of edits, or a set amount of time with your writer.Cons:Find My Profession is a virtual/online company. While we provide services in your city, we don’t have a physical office.Also, with a focus on more senior positions, our entry-level resume service may be a bit pricey for recent graduates.Turnaround: 3-5 business days. Can expedite to 2 business days.Cost: $395-$895 USDPhone: (831) 888-0967Don't take our word for it, check out some of our 5-star reviews.Trustpilot2. CareerJoyCareerJoy, located in Downtown Ottawa, points out that in a recent study, 100 Executives from Canada’s largest companies revealed that they spend less than two minutes screening an applicant’s resume. CareerJoy’s focus is on creating a personal brand that will make you stand out. They would do a great job at creating a LinkedIn profile for you as well.Pros: Their mid-range and highest-priced packages include creating a 30-second elevator pitch for you. That’s a great idea.Cons: Their resume samples could be more eye-catching graphically.Turnaround:5 business days after receiving client materials with a rush option available.Cost: $349â€"949.Phone:(877) 256-25693. Perfect Resume.c aPerfect Resume.ca is a relative newcomer to the Ottawa resume writing market, having been founded in 2016. Reviewers appreciate the friendliness and ease of the collaborative process when they order these resumes. The process will involve working one-on-one with your resume writer as you review your old resume and improve it entry by entry. If you need a resume in a hurry, this crackerjack company can provide next-day service too.Pros: For just $99 you can make your resume a French/English combo, a valuable extra in the Ottawa job market.Cons: This company is still building up its track record and we would love to see more rave reviews as time goes on.Turnaround: 2â€"4 business days.Cost: $199â€"397.Phone: (613) 714-22004. DocDoctor.caDocDoctor.ca is an Ottawa-based professional writing service that offers reasonably priced resumes and cover letters. They have a large body of excellent reviews, attesting to the fact that they produce high-quality resumes that get compliments and re sults.Pros: This resume writing service can do background research on a specifically targeted employer before beginning work, or do an all-purpose resume according to your preference.Cons: While DocDoctor.ca definitely does do resume writing, it is not their only focus. This company also offers letter writing, web content writing, SEO writing, etc.Turnaround: 5â€"7 days but often sooner.Cost: $149.95.Phone: (613) 801-25255. Resume OttawaResume Ottawa is a career advice contributor to CTV, Workopolis, Slice, Ottawa Citizen, Moneysense, and Canadian Immigrant magazine. Based in Downtown Ottawa, this company has experience in 23 key industries in the local job market.Pros: All of their resume packages come with a one-hour, in-person consultation to ensure that they have the best grasp of your talents.Cons: Their website is chaotic to get around, but according to reviewers, you won’t be disappointed by your interactions on the human end of the equation.Turnaround: 3â€"5 business days. Cost: $150â€"420.Phone: (613) 699-8797This List Serves The Following Areas Near Ottawa, Ontario:Cornwall, Kingston, Brockville, Clarence-Rockland, Gatineau, Gracefield, Pembroke, Thurso, North Bay, Sudbury, Thunder BayBest Executive Resume ServiceNot worried about finding a local company? Want to work with the best of the best? Check out the Best Executive Resume Services.

Revving Up Personal Tripod to Experience Success - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Revving Up Personal Tripod to Experience Success - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Our personal tripod is at the center of all we do and it needs to be nourished to feed the soul. The three legs of our unique tripod consist of mind, body and spirit. When all three legs are deeply rooted together, just like a traditional tripod, we become unshakeable and unstoppable. We can achieve anything we set our minds to. Within that first leg, all that is required is that we hold a profound belief we will be successful, maintain a long distant vision of where we are headed, and be willing to improve upon our plan for achievement. A major differentiator between those who are unable and those who are able to fulfill their dreams is the inherent dedication to perseverance and lifetime learning. Your positive mindset will keep you on track and open to learning in spite of errors, mishaps and steep hurdles to be overcome. The one change in thinking that frequently needs to be made is how one deals with the fear of failure. As long as you are dedicated to succeeding, failure doesn’t truly exist. What some view as failure is, for others, merely marketing research revealing what does not work. Adopting this belief system, those headed toward success use these findings as excellent advisors for the next best direction to be tried. Positive mindset necessitates quiet time alone to introspectively examine where you are today and where you are headed. Consider your values and priorities as you review your plan of attainment. An added component is to incorporate teaching and helping others as you learn. By becoming a mentor and holding out a helping hand, you are then rewarded by ably stepping into the spotlight of leadership. Just as our mental state is continually exercised and rejuvenated the same applies to our body. Pushing oneself to exercise after a long day, and making it a habit to do so, stimulates the mind and serves to lift one’s spirit. This is so because energy and sense of well-being increase, which leads back to maintaining a positive mindset. Upon incorporating these principles of establishing your personal tripod, you are now ready for ensuring your business tripod â€" that of belief, vision and plan. Do you have a profound belief in your forthcoming success? What does your success look like at the end of your rainbow? What will your legacy be? Finally, how are you going to attain your vision? Answering these questions prepares you to create the milestones required for achieving your cherished vision. Recognizing that obstacles sometimes do occur, equip yourself with flexibility to adjust your strategy. Upon affirming you are ready to make your dream come true, no matter the dire predictions others provide, return to your 100% committed belief that you will be successful. By so doing, you are able to change the statistics to your favor, build a strong personal brand, and enjoy the journey of getting there. My journey taught me it is the positive and open frame of mind that greatly enhances your likelihood of experiencing success and the Smooth Sale!

Finding Your Entrepreneurial Niche

Finding Your Entrepreneurial Niche If the statistics are true, more people than ever before want to star their own business someday. Of those people, I bet 90% of them have no clue what type of business they want to start. Todays post provides a process that should help you start gaining clarity on what Your Company, Inc. looks like. Before we begin, there are a few things to keep in mind: 1. Defining your business mission is not an easy or quick process. For many it takes years. The important part is that you keep on searching and keep trying new things until something feels right. Whatever you do, dont get discouraged and quit. (Kind of like dating, weird.) 2. Remember that your business will probably change and evolve several times before it settles and starts making money. This is normal and ok. You are not a ditz if this happens. 3. Get over the fact that there is a recession going on and stop using it as an excuse. Many great companies were started in the midst of a recession, check out this article for proof. The books that helped me focus my brainstorming process the most were ones I read in the last year: Ladies Who Launch and Escape Corporate America. Here are some ways to start putting your dreams into action based on these books. Step 1: Fantasize In your handy entrepreneur notebook (which I hope you have purchased by now) jot down the answers to the following questions. Put down the first things that come to mind, even if your thoughts seem odd. These questions are not necessarily easy, so come back to them over time as needed. • What did you love doing as a child? • If money were no object, what would you do? • What do your friends and family say about you? (Sarah is so great at connecting people, Tara is so organized, Corrine hosts the best events) Sometimes what your friends and family say about you are things that you didnt notice in yourself. Pay attention to these compliments and write them down. • Outline your perfect workday. Yes, I said perfect. Yoga, manicures, lunch with Oprah, driving your Range Rover, and playing with your new puppy can all be included. • Who are your career idols? Step 2: Research • Write down a list of all of your interests. Yes, this includes any secret interests you have such as bowling and color-coding your underwear drawer. Once you get that list, start googling and twitter searching the interests to prove to yourself that there are way more careers and small businesses out there than you imagined. • Now write down your skills and talents. They can be conventional skills such as your ability to build a website or your mastery of Quicknooks, or they can be unconventional. Soft skills are just as important when you have your own business. Start drawing parallels between your interests list and your skills/talents list. • Use the skills/talents and interests list to make up your dream job title. If you could have any dream job title, what would it be? Make it fun if you wish. My new job title is Chief Executive Diva of Ms. Career Girl. Now see if this job title exists, and if not start researching ways to make it come to life. Step 3: Go Shopping Hell no! I am NOT talking about a trip to Michigan Avenue here. Rather, window shop your dream job and take advantage of the dressing room. Here are some tips on how to start shopping: • Start reading blogs on entrepreneurship and on things that interest you daily. • Join Twitter or use your existing Twitter account to start connecting with people who have similar interests. • Research your competition or existing dream companies to see what they are doing. Then, get some guts and ask someone from that company to lunch. • If it is possible, volunteer doing something that helps you meet new people and get a little closer to your targeted industry. • Take a class at a local college, join an incubator or get involved in your local Womens Business Center even if youre not sure exactly what you want to do yet. These groups will really help. • As you get more confident, offer to guest post on a blog or start your own blog. Just start somewhere. Consider it your new part-time job to find your strengths, passions and future business aspirations. Talk to everyone you can and try on many different outfits, you never know what could fit. Once you get your dream on, then we can start talking about implementing the dream. And let me know if you want to be considered as the subject for part 2 of this post.

10 No-Fail Ways to Get Your Resume by Resume Screeners [Guest Post] - Career Pivot

10 No-Fail Ways to Get Your Resume by Resume Screeners [Guest Post] - Career Pivot Resume Screeners Copyright: rawpixel / 123RF Stock Photo Ten years ago, you would’ve written your resume solely with the hiring manager in mind. Today, your audience is still the hiring manager, but also resume screeners. Resume screeners, also called “applicant tracking systems”, search, filter and parse each resume to determine which candidates are the best fit for the position. This all happens before the hiring manager even sees them. What does ATS mean for you? Your audience should shift slightly away from the hiring manager in favor of ATS. Check out these 10 no-fail ways to get your resume by ATS. 1 . Do your research In order to properly build a resume, you must first research the job you are applying for. The job posting is a great place to start. What is the hiring manager looking for in a candidate? How does your experience match up to what they are looking for? Mold your resume based on the answers. Extra tip: you can even tweak past job titles to match the one in the job posting. As long as it is essentially the same position, it will work in your favor. 2. Tailor Why the research? After resumes are all put into the ATS, hiring managers search by keyword. If your resume isn’t a match with the searched keywords, the hiring manager won’t see it. You must tailor your resume for each job, scanning the job posting for keywords and skills, and listing them on your resume. 3. Reformat There are three main types of resume formats: chronological (the most common), functional and hybrid. Choose the format that puts your experience in the best light. For example, if you have a traditional work background, chronological is best because it highlights work experience. If you are lacking experience, the functional or hybrid resume might be a better option for you. 4. Simplify your font Font is one of the pesky little things that can make ATS parse (sort) the information in your resume incorrectly. Stick to the basic, easy-to-read fonts to make sure you’re in the clear. Times New Roman is a safe bet. 5. … and your structure Format and structure are not the same thing, but they are both important. Format refers to the order in which you set up the information in your resume. Structure is the backbones that you use. The trick is to keep the structure very simple. For example, most ATS do not know how to parse tables or columns, so it’s best to avoid them. 6. Let your experience speak for you Try to fight the urge to show your personality by using bright colors or graphics on your resume. Create a resume that makes you stand out based on your experience instead. While bright colors might seem like a good way to get the hiring manager’s attention, this tactic will likely get your resume sidelined by the ATS before he/she ever sees it. 7. Choose tenses wisely Keywords added to your resume should match the keywords in the job posting exactly. That means you must use the exact same tense. For example, “project manage” and “project managed” might not be a match in all ATS. Extra tip: It’s a myth that your resume needs to be written in past tense. Both “manage” and “managed” can be used in one resume as long as it makes sense and matches the job posting. 8. Standardize your headings There’s a theme developing hereâ€"don’t get too fancy when it comes to your resume. The same is true for headings. Refrain from being too creative with the titles of your section headings. The goal is for ATS to properly parse your resume into the system. Stick to headings like “Professional Experience” and “Education”. 9. Clarify acronyms It’s best for ATS and hiring managers if you spell out acronymsâ€"even if the meaning is obvious to you. You can put the acronym in parentheses if you feel inclined to include it. For example, “Bachelor of Science (BS)” or “Master of Business Administration (MBA)”. Listen to the most recent episode 10. Edit The resume editing process refers to spelling, grammar and excess information. Read over your resume, have a friend read it over, and make use of tools like grammarly.com. Most hiring managers will only have a few seconds to scan your resume, so your job is to make sure there is no unnecessary information clouding the good stuff. While using just one or two of these tips will help your chances, it’s the combination of them that will get your resume past applicant tracking systems. Take the time to build the best resume for each jobâ€"you won’t regret it. This post was written by James Hu, who is the founder and CEO of Jobscan (www.jobscan.co), an analytics tool that helps job seekers land more interviews by comparing one’s resume against any job description for keywords and match rate. Follow Jobscan onFacebook, Twitter and Instagram Like what you just read? 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Build your network through professional associations

Build your network through professional associations Networking is the cornerstone of a successful job search campaign. It is the on-going process of building and maintaining relationships with people who have information you want and need and reciprocating with information that is useful to others. Joining a professional organization related to your field is an excellent way to build your network of contacts and quickly gain visibility within an affinity group of potential decision makers. Members of the group work in the same industry or perform a similar job function for an organization and in turn they share similar interests. By building trust and rapport within this group you improve your chances of sourcing new business contacts or job leads that in turn can accelerate your search. These communities offer multiple opportunities to contribute your knowledge and expertise which results in greater credibility within the group. If youre not familiar with the professional organizations for your industry or function an excellent resou rce is available at www.weddles.com.

How to Use The Right Words and Phrases in Resume Writing

How to Use The Right Words and Phrases in Resume WritingThe resume action words and phrases should be tailored to each individual job. The resume writing and editing process should be done by the person who has been hired for the job, not by you. Use these personalized action words and phrases only in your jobs. When you are writing your resume, use only those personal words and phrases that are useful in the job and not necessarily those which are considered 'professional'.When you are already employed, you might have a few problems that you need to resolve before you get promoted or when you are hired for an even bigger job. The first and foremost is the resume action words and phrases that you use in your current job, while editing your resumes.The best action words and phrases are the ones that give an immediate result. Action words and phrases like 'I'us' suggest a hierarchy. In addition, they imply that you are with the company and what the company can do for you and this impli es the importance of the job.The action words and phrases that are used to make a boss or a superior are usually very elaborate. They imply a higher level of responsibility and then the job description must be read closely to avoid any misunderstanding. Even if they appear on the paper, they must be written to make sense and they should be avoided when creating a resume.The action words and phrases that are used to praise the job are usually very simple and direct. They are either kind words or suggestions to improve your performance in the job. They should be kept short and do not go into the intricacies of the job. This is because this will create confusion and will also be confusing for the reader as well.The personal action words and phrases that are written on the resume are usually shorter than the corporate action words and phrases. They are more to put across the message and only those that convey a specific message must be used. When you are using professional action words and phrases, it would be inappropriate to use them on your resume.The professionals in resume writing and editing know how to create and write action words and phrases that will make a boss or a superior. They also know how to use them in writing resumes and are able to convert short paragraphs into a resume. What more is needed for a resume to stand out in the crowd and make a statement. If you are in the dilemma of learning how to write a resume, you are in luck because there are some ways to turn your resume writing process into a reality.When it comes to action words and phrases, the professionals are the best in creating the perfect resume action words and phrases for you. There are many websites that have both corporate and personal resume words and phrases that you can use as well as templates to start off with. It is advisable to look around and see what is available before you buy a template.