10
Dec

Tips To Ace The Dreaded Job Interview

interviewThere’s a reason why we all dread job interviews. Going to an interview can feel like an interrogation session where we are asked question after question, sometimes catching us off guard and making us feel anxious. Many times the interviewer gives little feedback or facial expressions to indicate whether or not we seem like a good candidate for the position, which makes it even more uncomfortable. Employers use a series of questions to figure out whether an applicant matches the requirements they need, and whether they’d be a good fit in the company and position.

While it may seem intimidating in an interview, it’s important to remember one thing: Not only should you be trying to show that you’re the right person for the job, you should also use the interview to decide whether the job is right for you. You may be thinking, “That’s nice and all but I really need a job.” The truth is, you’ll be much happier, perform better at your job, and stay at the company longer if you actually feel that the position matches with your skills, experience or interests. It’s better to think about whether a job is right for you, instead of taking anything you get and trying to leave after a couple of months. It’s a waste of your time, as well as the employers.

The employer may do most of the job interviewing and ultimately be the one who decides whether the position is offered to you or not, but you should also ask the interviewer questions about the company and position to determine whether it really is a good fit. This also shows employers that you’re serious about the position and you actually want to see if it’s right for you. Although employers realize that you’re on the search for a job, it’s not good to appear as if you will take any position, even if it doesn’t match your skills and interests.

Whenever you are asked in an interview if you have any questions, you should always be prepared with a list of questions for the employer. Ask questions related to the company and position, such as how much time the position spends on certain tasks, the main qualities looked for in a candidate for the position, whether the position works closely with any other departments, some of the big projects during the year, etc. If you feel that your skills or qualities match a response to one of your questions, be sure to tell the employer that you enjoy certain tasks; have worked in similar projects, and so on to show that you are in fact a good fit from what you’ve learned.

You’ll actually look better in the interview if you ask relevant, strategic questions to the employer and you’ll also get a better idea if you actually want the position if it’s offered to you. Viewing the interview as a chance to figure out whether the position is a good fit can also take away some of the stress and pressure we feel during an interview. It can allow us to portray a more accurate, honest version of ourselves, skills and experiences.

© RedStarResume Publications – http://www.bestresponseresume.com

Stand Out From The Crowd With A Brand New Professional Resume, Cover Letter and LinkedIn Profile From RedStarResume:

Specializing In Over 35 Industries! – Turn your resume into an achievement based marketing documents in just 48-72 hours

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04
Dec

First Steps Of Networking

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If you have recently started your job search or looked at career resources, you’re probably hearing this word a lot—Networking. You may be thinking you don’t know any professionals in the career that interests you, or find the task daunting. In reality, each of us already has networks that can help us in our career path and job search.

The first step to networking is to think about the people closest to you—your family and friends. These individuals are people you already talk to regularly and who can vouch for your character and work ethic. They’re also the people that are most willing to put themselves out there for you by providing a reference for a position and contacts. Start brainstorming the people in your life that you talk to regularly, as well as their current employment positions. Then start talking to these people about the career that interests you, jobs that you’re applying for, and ask for any advice or contacts they may have in the field that interests you. Even if no one you know personally works in the field, it may be that your close contacts have friends, colleagues, parents, etc. that are in the field you want to be in. Think outside the box when networking. You may know people in your field that you don’t even realize. They could be neighbors, family friends or someone you volunteered or went to school with in the past. The more people you talk to about the field you’re interested in, the more opportunities you’ll have to talk to professionals and gain insight into the career field, which may eventually lead to internship or job opportunities. Most people are happy to at least offer information and advice to students and recent grads about their field, so don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Remember that landing a job is not the real goal of networking. Networking is about building professional relationships. These relationships can provide you with contacts and show you the skills, education and knowledge you’ll need for success in the field. Over time your networks can help you build friendships, gain knowledge and experience and alert you to potential job opportunities. Keep in mind that networking is not a one-way-street. Just as you hope to network with people having more experience than you do, you should also be ready to network or serve as a mentor to younger students and colleagues. Professional networks, like personal ones are built on reciprocity. Remember to show gratitude if someone refers you to a contact, job or internship opening, or simply takes the time out of their busy schedule to talk to you about their career. In return, you should be ready to share your knowledge and appropriate contacts with others.

Being a student or recent grad is the most difficult time to network. As you start working in your career, you’ll meet colleagues in your own company as well as others in the field. Soon you won’t even need to worry about networking; you’ll be doing it without even thinking!

© RedStarResume Publications – http://www.bestresponseresume.com

Amanda Ryan is a Program Development Associate & Senior Resume Writer at RedStarResume. Amanda is a highly skilled resume writing expert and career expert who also specialises in creating, writing and developing career content, working alongside student and graduate job seekers and developing career content for newsletters, partners and career websites.

Do you have a career related question? You can contact Amanda directly via the RedStarResume website!

07
Nov

Should I Use A Specialist Recruitment Agent to Help Me Find A Job

These days, landing a regular job can be quite an arduous task. The world economy is in turmoil and job seekers are experiencing uncertainty and distress. Even though jobs are hard to find that does not mean that there are none available, you just need some help in tracking them; and this is where a recruiter comes in handy. If you are still unsure about using a specialist recruiter to help with your job hunt, then maybe these benefits will be able to change your mind about job recruiters.

Three Benefits to Using a Specialist Recruitment Agent

Job Recruitment Agencies Know Where the Jobs Are:

As mentioned previously, due to the financial crisis, many companies have started downsizing their workforce in order to cope, but not all of them are doing that. There are still quite a lot of companies that are looking for skilled workers to help them with day-to-day operations, and these companies often hire recruitment agencies to help them find the best employees. If you go to a recruitment office and they believe that you may be a perfect fit for a job opening that they have, then they will send you to the company with their recommendation.

Recruiters Know What Kind of Person the Company is Looking For:

Companies do not just hire any person to fill in the vacancies; they need people who have certain skills, experience and qualities that will make them perfect for the job at hand. If you consult with a recruiter about a job opening at a certain company, they will usually tell you what kind of people that company is looking for and type of culture of that company. When the time comes for you to interview, you can use this inside information to stand out against your competitors.

Recruiters Know What Kind of Job is Perfect for You:

If you have recently been laid off from your job, you may be in a situation where you need to think about changing your career. A professional recruiter can provide you with advice on alternate career paths where you can transfer your current skills into a new role. Just because you have experience in one particular industry or one particular position, this does not mean that your skills are not required within different industries.

What Else Can I Do?

Using a recruiter to help you find a new job is only one strategy you should employ. Ensure you network with as many people as possible to find out different opportunities that may exist. Also, don’t forget to keep your resume up to date and keep practicing your interview techniques.

© RedStarResume Publications – http://www.bestresponseresume.com

Stand Out From The Crowd With A Brand New Professional Resume, Cover Letter and LinkedIn Profile From RedStarResume:

Specializing In Over 35 Industries! – Turn your resume into an achievement based marketing documents in just 48-72 hours

Find A Recruiter: Speak to the experts at RedStarResume and find out how we can put you in touch with a specialist Recruitment Agent

28
Oct

Information Technology Resume Writing For Students and Graduates

An IT specific resume is different to a regular resume for a number reasons and ensuring that your IT resume is written, formatted and presented correctly is fundamental to standing out from your competition. As a current student or graduate, you probably have limited relevant work experience which is why it’s important to focus your resume on your technical IT skills as opposed to focusing on other areas of your resume which may have little relevance to the job you are applying for.  The most important part of the resume is the opening page and you need to ensure that a hiring manager can easily find your IT skills within the first 10 seconds of reading the resume. Remember that your resume is your marketing document, so don’t be shy in listing and emphasising the value-added skills that will make an employer want to hire you.

Create a Qualifications Profile:

A great way to begin the resume is by creating a 2-3 sentence qualifications profile. Rather than an objective statement (telling the reader what type of job you want), focus on creating a powerful profile that highlights your value-added skills and qualifications. A hiring manager is interested in the skills and qualifications you are able to bring to this particular role, as opposed to being told about the type of job you want.

Highlight your IT Skills:

As an IT student, you probably have a list of various technologies that you are an expert in using. This can include programming languages, desktop operating systems, computer hardware and software etc. This information needs to be on the front page of the resume and right in the reader’s eye line.  A great way to further emphasise your IT skills is by providing examples of how you have used these specific skills. Remember that a large majority of other students will share similar skills to you. By providing examples of how you have used these skills, will help you stand out against the crowd.

Strategic IT Keywords:

Recruiters or hiring managers will often skim over the resume looking for specific IT keywords or use software programs to find key words.  These key words need to be included in your resume and can be easily changed depending on the requirements of the job.  Before you begin to stress out about what keywords to use, all you need to do is simply read the job description, see what the company is looking for and make sure your resume is full of these keywords!

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09
Oct

Resume Writing for Banking & Finance Students

Are you a current or a recently graduated Banking or Finance student? If so, you are no doubt aware of the competition and demand for jobs within the finance industry.

Within the past 10 years, demand for investment banking jobs has increased while the supply for internships and graduate jobs has decreased.  The interview stage is more rigorous than ever before and getting a foot in the door is no easy task. Reports suggest that a hiring manager will spend no more than 10-20 seconds reading your resume before deciding to either read on or press delete.

It is an undisputed fact that if a hiring manager has two finance resumes sitting on the table, they are instinctively going to be drawn to the resume that is professionally presented and formatted in the correct way. No matter what the resume has to say, the first impression is already made. If both candidates share similar finance skills, education and experience, just take a guess at which resume the hiring manager is going to choose.

When you sit down to write your resume, remember one thing. Your resume is a marketing document. This document is all you have to prove to the hiring manager that you are the right person for the job.  Present a professional picture and make sure that you stand out above your competition.

3 Tips to making your resume stand out as a Banking / Finance Student

Include Banking/Finance Related Keywords:

With the competition for Banking and Finance related internships and graduate jobs in such demand and with large firms only selecting a handful of students out of a pool of potentially thousands, it is essential that your resume is strategically written to include keywords that will highlight your resume. A keyword-rich-resume will ensure that your resume passes the first stage of selection and will not be deleted before a hiring manager has even had a chance to read your application. The best way to find these keywords is simply by reading the job position. See what the company is looking for and make sure your resume is full of these keywords!

Highlighting Achievements with Quantitative Examples:

If you received high distinctions in all of your subjects highlighting your achievements is going to be easy. However, for the vast majority of students this is not the case. Don’t despair! The good news is that academic excellence is only one piece of the puzzle that hiring managers are looking for. If your grades were not “outstanding” don’t try and compete with other candidates whose grades would have been much higher than yours. Rather focus your resume on other areas you excelled in, such as community service, volunteer work, university projects, leadership etc.

Presentation and Format:

Your resume is the first impression a hiring manager will make about you.  A well-presented and structured resume that is written in a clean font will portray your resume in a professional manner and immediately give your resume application a higher ranking. Alternatively, a resume application that has spelling and grammar errors, different sized fonts, long sentences (as opposed to bullet points) and a lack of headings will not portray a positive image to the reader. Remember, that when applying for a business or finance position the hiring manager demands to see professionalism. A lack of professionalism may even lead to your resume being deleted without even being read. Don’t forget – no matter how great your skills and experience may be, once your resume is deleted, it will never be read again.

© RedStarResume Publications – http://www.bestresponseresume.com

Stand Out From The Crowd With A Brand New Professional Resume, Cover Letter and LinkedIn Profile From RedStarResume:

Specializing In Over 35 Industries! – Turn your resume into an achievement based marketing documents in just 48-72 hours

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27
Sep

Tips On How To Make Your Accounting Resume Stand Out

How to make your accounting resume stand out from the crowd:

The most common questions I receive from accounting students and graduates are “what do I do if my accounting grades are not fantastic?” and “what can I include in my resume that will make it stand out?” The first thing to remember is that most organisations are looking for students and graduates who are willing to learn, are able to be innovative and who work well in a team environment.

My advice for students that don’t have distinction average marks is to focus on highlighting other areas where you can add value to an organisation. Just like the major accounting firms are instant recognisable brands, as a graduate you need to think of yourself as a brand that you are trying to sell to a hiring manager. Think about what makes you unique and how you can sell yourself to that particular organisation. When a hiring manager reads an accounting resume, he or she presumes that all candidates share relatively the same type of skills. In order to stand out, you need to market yourself effectively.

How To Make Your Accounting Resume Stand Out:
Include Accounting Keywords:

With the demand for accounting internships and graduate jobs so high, graduate hiring managers can often receive upwards of 500 – 1000 resumes. As such, many firms now use software programs as a way of performing “first round interviews”. Using selected accounting keywords will ensure that your resume passes the first stage of selection and will not be deleted before a hiring manager has even had a chance to read your application. The best way to find these keywords is by simply reading the job positions. See what the company is looking for and make sure your resume is full of these keywords!

Provide Specific Accounting Examples:

Hiring managers hate to read clichéd resumes. It’s boring and adds no value to your resume. Use examples as much as possible to highlight your examples and the value-added skills that you can bring to the job.

Target the Position that you are applying for:

As a graduate (or soon to be graduate), everything you include in your resume needs to reinforce the message to the reader that you are the right candidate for the position. Don’t waste time on information that doesn’t reflect your suitability for this particular position. Being a good skier and having an interest in tennis is not relevant to an accounting job. Although you may not have relevant job experience, you can still highlight relevant skills that you have acquired throughout your university career and target these skills toward the role you are applying for.

© RedStarResume Publications – http://www.bestresponseresume.com

Stand Out From The Crowd With A Brand New Professional Resume, Cover Letter and LinkedIn Profile From RedStarResume:

Specializing In Over 35 Industries! – Turn your resume into an achievement based marketing documents in just 48-72 hours

Did you know: The RedStarResume resume layout and design presentation has been highly praised by recruiters, hiring managers and career experts from across globe!

10
Aug

Writing a Gold Medal LinkedIn Profile

Did you know that LinkedIn is now regarded as the world’s largest online professional network with close to 200 million members in over 200 countries? More and more hiring managers, recruiters, employers and head-hunters are using LinkedIn as part of their hiring strategy. With demand for jobs at an all-time high, having a professionally written LinkedIn profile may be the difference in receiving an interview request and ultimately scoring that brand new job. So, how can you use LinkedIn to help promote your skills and experience? Are there any secrets that can be implemented? And what type of privacy can you control to ensure that your current employers don’t think you are looking for a new job while at the same time attracting people to your LinkedIn profile who may be in a position to hire you for their business?

Promote your achievements, expertise and value added skills and experience:

Just like your resume is a marketing document, the aim of your profile is to highlight to the reader all the value added skills that you are able to bring to your next role. Don’t be shy in highlighting your achievements. The more examples you can use to back up your statements the better. If you are in a managerial position let the reader know how many people you manage. If you saved the company money, provide examples of how you cut costs or increased revenue. The only way a reader can fully understand how great you are, is by providing detailed examples of all the great skills you have to offer.

LinkedIn Tips and Secrets: 

When you set up your profile you will notice that there is a section to edit your “Public Profile”. LinkedIn automatically provides you with a public profile that ends with various numbers and letters.  By editing this profile you can remove these random numbers and letters and have a professional looking public profile that you can then include on your resume or within your email signature.

To ensure you get the most out of your LinkedIn profile you need to optimise your profile with strategic keywords targeted towards your industry.  You can include keywords in your profile area as well as throughout your employment section. LinkedIn also provide a “skills and expertise” section which enables you to include up to 50 skills. Utilise this area to include as many targeted keywords and skills as possible.

Lastly ensure that you further complete as many additional sections as possible to enhance your profile. This can involve including information regarding certifications, honours and awards. LinkedIn also offer areas to include languages and even projects that you may wish to highlight. If you have worked for specific charities you can also include this information within your profile

LinkedIn Privacy

If you’re scared that your new profile will attract the prying eyes of your current employer you can set your privacy settings to suit your needs. LinkedIn offer various different types of privacy to ensure that you can promote as much or as little to whoever you wish to see your profile. Your privacy settings can let you control who sees your activity broadcasts and activity feeds. You can also control who can see your connections and select what other people can see when you have viewed their profile. If you are actively looking for a new job I recommend you make your profile as viewable as possible. If you’re currently in a job and being more discreet about your job search you are able to control the amount of information that is visible to the public.

© RedStarResume Publications – http://www.bestresponseresume.com

Stand Out From The Crowd With A Brand New Professional Resume, Cover Letter and LinkedIn Profile From RedStarResume:

Specializing In Over 35 Industries! – Turn your resume into an achievement based marketing documents in just 48-72 hours

Did you know: The RedStarResume resume layout and design presentation has been highly praised by recruiters, hiring managers and career experts from across globe!

16
Jul

Is Your Professional Resume an Olympic Gold Medal

With the Olympic Games fast approaching, athletes from across the world will all be vying to be the very best in their chosen sport and take home a gold medal. In events such as swimming and athletics it is usually only seconds that separate first and last and with competition so strong, a tiny mistake can often be the difference between winning gold or missing out on a medal.

Just as an athlete will have to prepare and train in order to win gold, a job seeker needs to ensure that their resume is worthy of winning a gold medal! Although competition for a job may not be as fierce as competition for a gold medal, the same rules apply. A simple spelling mistake could lead to your resume being deleted and you missing out on your dream job.

Preparation is key for any athlete and the same applies for any job seeker. Going online and using an out dated resume template which you complete in 10 minutes will not stand you out from your job seeking competitors. Before you even begin writing your resume, you need to have an understanding of the type of positions you are going to be applying for, and the type of skills and experience that will be required for that particular position. With this understanding, you will be in a far greater position to target your resume towards the types of jobs you are applying for.

Market your Skills on Page 1 of the Resume:

Reports suggest that hiring managers spend between 10-20 seconds when first reading through your resume. In this short time you need to grab the reader’s attention. Introducing a qualifications profile or career summary is a great way to show off your skills to the reader within the first 2-3 lines of the resume. Rather than opening your resume with an objective statement (telling the reader what you want out of the job) -introduce a qualifications profile where you tell the reader the value-added skills that you can offer the business. From a hiring managers perspective which resume would you rather read?

Highlight your Achievements:

Your resume is your marketing document. Don’t be afraid to highlight your achievements, awards, skills and expertise. If you are a manager include how many people you manage. If you received a promotion or award, point these out in the resume. The more quantitative examples you can provide the greater. Remember that your resume may be competing against hundreds of other resumes. Although you may be the most qualified or the most talented, if you are unable to portray your achievements throughout your resume than you greatly reduce your chances of being selected for the interview stage.

Just as an athlete needs everything to go right on their day in order to win gold, a job seeker is the same. There is not one most important aspect that makes a professional resume but a lot of smaller details that goes into preparing a gold medal winning resume. Marketing your skills and highlighting your achievements will give you a strong advantage over your competition and help you stand out from the crowd.

© RedStarResume Publications – http://www.bestresponseresume.com

RedStarResume are the Resume Writing Experts. Specializing In Over 35 Industries! – Turn your resume into an achievement based marketing documents in just 48-72 hours

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03
Jul

Preparation is Key to Job Searching

Job seeking can often be a lonely and frustrating business, but if you organise yourself properly, define what your preferences are and what goals you would like to achieve, then, it can make the job searching process more enjoyable.

Whether you’re looking for a job or a change of career, the approach should be similar and there are certain things that should be in place before you start on your path to finding suitable employment. Too often people jump straight into sending out their resume for every job under the sun. This approach is not just wrong but can be a total waste of time. Preparation is key to job seeking and those that prepare properly ultimately come out ahead.

Job Preparation and Research:

Before you even begin to start thinking about applying for jobs, ensure that your professional resume is up to date and that your cover letter is targeted towards the jobs and industry you are applying for. Focus your resume on highlighting achievements and the value added skills that you can bring to the organisation. Remember that demand for jobs is ultra-competitive and when potential hiring managers may receive in excess of 500 resumes for one position, your resume needs to be perfect in order to stand out from the crowd.

Once your resume and cover letter are ready to go, you need to decide exactly what type of work you want to do and where your skills are best suited. This will make the job search process more straightforward.

Focus your job search:

There are many different tactics you can implement to search for jobs. Don’t get stuck into only applying for online jobs because they are easy to apply for. Create profiles on different networking sites such as LinkedIn. A LinkedIn profile is a fantastic way to attract recruiters and potential head hunters. You can also use networking sites to find job vacancies, network with hiring managers and meet other job seekers who are in the same shoes as you.

Remain Positive and Focused:

Job seeking is not easy and can often take a long period of time. Rather than sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring, utilise this time to learn a new skill. (Have you ever wanted to learn a new language?) Perform community service or even just try to improve your health. The more you focus on the negative the more depressed and stressed you will become. Set out a certain amount of time every day to job search and spend the other time in the day doing something else.

Having a common sense approach to your job searching will make it easier in finding suitable employment.

Adopting a flexible approach, a willingness for work and a good attitude will give you more leverage and help in your quest of finding the ideal job.

 

© RedStarResume Publicationshttp://www.bestresponseresume.com

Stand Out From The Crowd With A Brand New Professional Resume, Cover Letter and LinkedIn Profile From RedStarResume:

Specializing In Over 35 Industries! – Turn your resume into an achievement based marketing documents in just 48-72 hours

Did you know?

The RedStarResume resume layout and design presentation has been highly praised by recruiters, hiring managers and career experts from across globe!

26
Jun

Find Success with a Keyword Rich LinkedIn Profile

It goes without saying that networking is an effective way to build your business, or to get yourself seen when looking for a new career. Back in the day, that meant pressing the flesh and exchanging business cards, but the internet era has made that something of a thing of the past. Social networking is now the way that most people connect online, but it’s hard to think of Facebook or Twitter as places where you could advance your career. That is why LinkedIn has become the social networking site for those that are serious about building their business and making connections.

The first time people arrive at the site, the most common question that they ask is, “how do I use LinkedIn?” The answer really depends on what you want to get out of the site. This may be anything from getting your resume out to potential employers, to simply connecting with other people that share your profession. The best way to jump right in and get started is by filling out your LinkedIn profile and utilizing all the different sections to ensure that you promote yourself in the best way.

Your LinkedIn profile will actually look somewhat like a resume by the time you are finished with it, and it’s the information contained within that will help people find you. Try to keep that information as up to date as possible, just in case you are looking for work and an employer decides to come calling. Keeping your profile up to date will help you look a little more attractive than others in your industry who don’t.  Remember that as this is a business network for professionals, your profile should reflect that, so try to keep your LinkedIn writing as professional as possible.

A great way to connect with people and start networking is to join groups. Based on the information that you provide in your profile, LinkedIn will suggest a number of groups that you may be interested in. You will find that most will be based around your profession, but some will also match categories that you have listed as skills and interests. This is a great way to meet like-minded people and to get your network up and running quickly.

Groups are a fantastic way to keep up with everything that is happening within your industry, as well as a way to help others who have questions about the profession. If you are using LinkedIn to find employment, then you may be able to find out which companies are hiring, which in turn could save you a ton of time in your job search process. There are many different ways to use LinkedIn, and the layout is so familiar to other social networks, you will quickly be able to get the hang of how to navigate and will start reaping the benefits quickly.

Final Reminder: Don’t forget to use strategic keywords throughout your LinkedIn profile. The more keywords you can incorporate into your profile the greater the chance that your profile will be found by potential recruiters and hiring managers. Give yourself the greatest opportunity of finding success with a keyword rich LinkedIn profile.

© RedStarResume Publications – http://www.bestresponseresume.com

Stand Out From The Crowd With A Brand New Professional Resume, Cover Letter and LinkedIn Profile From RedStarResume:

Specializing In Over 35 Industries! – Turn your resume into an achievement based marketing documents in just 48-72 hours

Did you know?

The RedStarResume resume layout and design presentation has been highly praised by recruiters, hiring managers and career experts from across globe!

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