Monday, April 20, 2020

Writing an Experience Based Resume

Writing an Experience Based ResumeWriting an experience based resume is very different from writing a traditional resume. This type of resume is more focused on an individual's qualifications and skills, as opposed to a 'job' type of resume. The skills that are used in this type of resume are also often more specific to the job that an applicant is seeking.Most of today's culture encourages working in a flexible, entrepreneurial environment. Employees are increasingly working for themselves. Experience based resumes can be a great way to show employers why you're the right person for the job.In most cases, employers prefer to hire someone who has prior experience in the same field or related field, rather than someone who has only worked for one company before. Because you've worked with a variety of companies, it makes it easier for your employer to verify your skills and experience as well as giving you a more accurate picture of what you're capable of doing.While most employers wa nt to hire someone who already has experience with the company, there are some who are looking for someone who will be a fresh face to the workplace. While there's nothing wrong with trying to get an employer to hire someone who already has experience, it's important to remember that the more experience you have, the less likely it is that you'll have a job at the first opportunity.However, because most companies know that it's better to hire someone who's had previous experience with them rather than someone who hasn't, it's often easier to offer them a chance to hire someone who has none at all. Plus, if you're currently working for yourself, you're probably going to be less likely to get a second interview or job offer if you don't have any work experience.While an employer may be interested in your skills and knowledge in a particular field, they may not be as interested in the type of experience that you have. Instead, they want to see some real-world proof that you've actually had the required amount of experience for the position.To make the most of your experience based resume, remember that it should be updated every time that you move up in the company ladder. This way, your employer can always see that you're actively seeking another position. Showing that you've been actively looking for jobs is a surefire way to give the employer a good idea of whether or not you've had a change of heart regarding the job you've applied for.

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Who Gets Fired First During Layoffs 5 Types of Employees

Who Gets Fired First During Layoffs 5 Types of Employees Your company just made headlines for its quarterly losses. You hear concerned whispers as people pass by your cube, and your boss is holed up in his office like he’s defending secrets of national security. At this point, there’s only two questions you care about: Are layoffs happening, and will you be one of the people to get a pink slip? To avoid any legal issues from cost-cutting layoffs, companies need to follow certain guidelines when it comes to deciding who to lay off. However, those guidelines still leave ample room for discretionary cuts. In unions, the typical rule is “last in, first out” and organized by seniority. However, in other workplace situations, management has the ability to direct who goes and who stays. Close Modal DialogThis is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. When a company needs to reduce its workforce for economic reasons, it’s normally a good course of action to determine which departments or positions are no longer helpful for achieving the company’s goals. “For example, if the company is cutting back on direct sales to focus more attention on research and development, the sales department can be safely targeted for cuts,” according to Nolo, a legal advice site. Think layoffs might be in your company’s future? Here are five types of employees who are often the first to go. 1. Those Whose Role Could Potentially Be Outsourced Outsourcing won’t win your firm any “Company of the Year” awards, but upper management might believe the move is still worth it if it can save their bottom line. According to one report from Global Research, roughly 14 million American jobs are at risk for outsourcing to other cheaper workforces around the world. It used to be that only call center employees and customer service representatives were at the highest risk for layoffs due to outsourcing, but in today’s digitally connected environment, any job that can be completed with an internet connection and telephone can potentially be on the line. Positions in fields like information technology, accounting and even engineering design are now in danger of getting sent overseas for a cheaper price tag as well. Read: 5 Places Where Wages Are Growing 2. The Employees Who Refuse to Learn New Skills No matter what industry you’re in, it has likely changed dramatically since five or 10 years ago. Your job description might have changed, and your company might be pushing new technology and training along the way to keep up with demands from the industry or customers. If you’re looking to secure your job, don’t turn down opportunities to learn new skills. A resistance to change or outright refusal to shift the way you perform your job could make you a target for future layoffs, and your employer will be able to argue that you are no longer aligning yourself to the company’s future goals. “Low-maintenance employees who can adapt quickly and without a fuss are more likely to be retained when there’s a layoff,” according to a report from the Metropolitan New York Library Council. 3. The Consummate Slacker You might think you’ve made it when your inbox is empty and you can spend half your day organizing your desk. But if you aren’t seeking out extra job duties and your boss realizes how light your workload actually is, you might be at risk for receiving a pink slip in return for all your fruitless days. Read: 7 Signs You’re Living Beyond Your Means “This may be the inexperienced employee who wants to be laid back and doesn’t care about the job, the employee who leaves others to pick up the slack, or the employee who is getting close to retirement and is coasting on the job,” writes the team at Keirsey, a site dedicated to determining employee temperaments. 4. The Employee Who Embarrasses Their Boss Whether you realize it or not, the ability to make your boss and your colleagues look good elevates your own standing in the company. It’s one of the “soft skills” employers look for, and it will likely matter when it comes time for your bosses to decide who has earned the right to stay on in the midst of company turmoil. On the other hand, if you embarrass your boss by showing up late to important presentations, publicly challenge co-workers on a consistent basis, or are rude and speak negatively about your company, you can’t expect management to fight very hard to keep you around. Read: How Real Couples Resolve Their Money Differences 5. The Person Who Costs Too Much It’s only an official layoff when a company is making cuts for financial reasons, so, in this scenario, you can likely expect the people who are drawing the biggest paychecks to get a closer look. When you can lay off one person versus three lower-level employees with smaller paychecks, it can be tempting unless the employee with the larger salary has made themselves indispensable. At the same time, “costs” aren’t just monetary. If an employee’s personal or office drama cuts into productivity and the boss spends more of their day as a referee or counselor than a manager, a layoff period can be an easy way to cut employees who are costing the company time. “Dealing with this person costs the manager too much time and layoffs provide the perfect excuse to get rid of this type of person,” Keirsey summarizes.

Friday, April 10, 2020

Why You Shouldnt Live For Your Resume - Work It Daily

Why You Shouldnt Live For Your Resume - Work It Daily There’s something I need to get off my chest and that’s how puzzled I am seeing some people making decisions based on “how it looks on their resume.” Do you do this? To me, that’s life imitating art. Or something warped like that. You may be surprised to hear me say this â€" as the resume expert â€" but come on, folks! Do you really want to relinquish that much power to your resume? What I see happening is people making career decisions â€" sometimes life decisions â€" primarily based on how it will look on their resume. Of course, there may be situations where you don’t have a big preference for the options you’re considering, and if one of them looks a lot better on your resume, then it could make sense. But this living for your resume mentality is sad. Here’s the thing: there probably is a reason you are driven to do something you think is not going to look very good on your resume. It may be you want to do something completely different, or take a sabbatical, or take a step back, or a few months off... So, do it! The feelings and intuition and passion that guide us on our paths in life are hard enough for most of us to follow anyway. You don’t need another self-imposed, made-up reason why you can’t (read: won’t). Because you know what? There are plenty of people in great careers at great companies with not-so-perfect resumes. And there are people with these so-called “perfect resumes” sitting at home being unemployed right now. It doesn’t matter! Who knows? During your sabbatical or your trip around the world, you could end up with inspiration to start your own business, meet your future spouse, or realize you want to switch careers altogether. I’m not trivializing the role of the resume here. I’ve yet to meet someone who moved from one job (or career) to the next without having to produce a resume. And it’s true hiring folks frown upon large employment gaps and stuff. So yes, it may be more challenging for you to create a strong resume next time around. However, your resume is just one way of introducing yourself to an employer. There is so much more to you and how you present yourself. My advice is to hire a resume pro for any kind of challenging background anyway. But for crying out loud... don’t put off life out of fear for the “almighty resume!” If you’ve got an interesting story to tell and you know what sets you apart, and if you can market and present yourself; “perfect resumes” be damned! Resume schmesume. Okay? Now, I want to know... are you guilty of “that won’t look good on my resume” talk? What have you NOT done out of fear it would “ruin” your resume? Tell me! And I’ll tell you whether you could revitalize that old dream or side step without fear from the resume gods. Photo Credit: Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!