How to Write a Resume - Step No. 4 - Design to Inspire

How to Write a Resume - Step No. 4 - Design to Inspire Most published resume writing advice is focused on content. In this 4th post in my ‘How to Write a Resume’ series, I want to get you to focus on something I think is every bit as important â€" resume design. It’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it: Have you ever been to the website of someone you consider an expert and found an ugly, outdated, template-based site that looks like the expert’s 12 year-old nephew designed it on a rainy weekend? Whenever that happens to me, I instantly think less of that person’s expertise. The bad design screams ‘out of date’ to me. If their web design is so outdated, what am I to make of their advice? First impressions count. We all know that. You wouldn’t go to a job interview in a t-shirt and sweatpants, so don’t send a resume that is badly laid out. It makes exactly the same impression. Design with the strategy in mind: But there’s another aspect to a well-designed resume and that goes back to what I discussed in my last post â€" strategy. If you’ve followed my steps. You have developed a strategy for your resume. You know your value proposition and you have decided on content that will help you communicate that value proposition. This is where design comes in â€" now you must choose a resume design that reinforces your strategy. If you’ve decided that the most important thing employers need to know is that you have developed successful brands for leading Fortune 500 packaged goods companies, then perhaps you should create a bold headline that communicates exactly that fact. You might also choose to bold the names of the Fortune 500 companies whenever they appear throughout your resume. If a sales rep decides that his consistent ability to increase sales is his value proposition, then he should make sure that sales numbers jump off the page all the way through the resume. That can be done with selective bolding or colors and lots of white space. (White space is key to making sure that key information is visible). Content is not king: When it comes to resume writing, content is only one piece of the puzzle. The best content in the world won’t work if people can’t read it easily, or if information is bunched up on the page so that they don’t even see the most important facts. Writing a great resume is a challenge. Balancing design and content, knowing exactly what to include and what to leave out, targeting every word to your selected audience … all these are tricky. But when you get it right, the rewards come in the form of phone calls and interviews. It’s worth spending some time to get to that point! In my next post, I’ll talk copy writing and show you how to choose (and arrange) words that sell. If you’d like me to send you an email notification when it goes up, just leave me your email address here. Louise Fletcher co-founded Blue Sky in 2002 after a career as an HR executive. She admits to being a ‘wordnerd’  at heart and loves to write. She developed the Blue Sky resume approach, has written two books, and has been a featured expert for sites such as Monster, The Ladders and HR Guru.   Dont miss the other steps of this series: 1 Feel the Employers Pain, 2 Know Your Value, 3 Strategy Wins the Battle.

Resume Writing Services in Chicago IL

Resume Writing Services in Chicago ILThere are many job hunting firms in Chicago IL that offer a wide range of resume writing services. They will be able to help you build your resume by providing you with professional-looking sample resumes and cover letters. You can also have them create one for you using templates they provide, so that you can make sure it is exactly what you need.Career fairs are a great way to meet people and find out what they have to offer. In Chicago IL there are many career fairs held every week. These are great opportunities to meet many of the people that are in need of work. If you are looking for a job in your area but don't know where to start, then look into a career fair.At these career fairs, there are several different firms that offer resume writing services in Chicago IL. You can get help from them as you create your resume. You can also test drive some of the services that they offer by going through a brief quiz to see how well they will help yo u get your resume created.When you go to a career fair, you will want to take plenty of notes so that you can compare the services that are offered. It is a good idea to also bring a business card with you so that you can ask for the services that are offered and if they will do a good job. You will not want to waste money on something that won't get you anywhere. Remember, you don't want to hire someone just because they are offering free help.If you find that you like the firm that you are talking to, make sure that you bring business cards with you. Make sure that you let them know that you saw them at the fair and ask them if they are currently offering any resume writing services in Chicago IL. They will most likely ask you for a sample of your resume and cover letter, so that they can see how good the service is.The sample resumes and cover letters that they provide will help you to see if their work experience is up to par. It is always a good idea to go through a few samples before you make a decision. If they offer a free service, you should try to get a few sample resumes and cover letters to make sure that you are satisfied with the outcome.If they don't offer a free service, it may be a good idea to go to a copy shop and have a resume professionally written for you. This way you can get a quality resume with good formatting and good information on it. They can also give you advice on how to format your resume and cover letter, so that it is professional. Your resume should make you stand out from the rest of the applicants.When you get resume writing services in Chicago IL, you want to make sure that you know exactly what you want to accomplish when you are looking for a job. You don't want to end up wasting money or time trying to search for a job. Use these resume writing services and get the help that you need so that you can find the job that you want.

Cities With the Easiest Commutes

Cities With the Easiest Commutes Commutes are serious business. Long commutes can be much worse than your actual job, and if it’s too extreme, it might not be worth the aggravation. Especially now, when we’re getting so used to flying, telecommuting and even hearing about self-driving cars, a long commute just seems so unnecessary. Thankfully, there are a number of cities that offer relatively easy commutes. If you base the commutes on the number of hours you’ll spend stuck in traffic, the cost of insurance and gas, and the likelihood of an accident, you’ll probably be surprised to see the cities that pop up. These commutes might not be the shortest around, but they are the most relaxing. Omaha, NE Coming in at No. 1 is Omaha. You might not expect much in terms of population in this Midwest state, but according to the United States Census Bureau, Omaha is home to a whopping 446,000 people. With all those people, it’s pretty impressive that they only spend about 24 hours a year stuck in traffic. Of course, that sounds like a lot, since it’s an entire day, but couple that with a -11 percent chance of getting into an accident and you’ll be a pretty happy driver. Kansas City, MI Next up, we’re looking at Kansas City. This place also has a low accident rate at -16 percent, but the really nice thing is the gas prices. Kansas City is currently looking at $1.91 for gas, which is well below the national average of $2.22. Keep in mind that the Kansas City in Missouri is basically the same Kansas City in Kansas. That means that technically, both of these cities are great options for commuters. El Paso, TX El Paso is a big city, which makes sense for the Lone Star State. With the main highway being Interstate 10, it’s not too much of a shocker to see that the accident rate is a bit higher here, coming in at 0.8 percent. It’s technically within the national average, but it’s not as low as some of the other options. However, the unemployment rate in El Paso is below the national average at only 6 percent, and there’s no state income tax. All of those things combine to make El Paso not only one of the best cities for commuters, but also one of the happiest. It actually ranks as the fifth happiest city in the United States. Salt Lake City, UT One of the prettiest cities around, Salt Lake City is also a good one for your drive to work. You won’t have to spend much time in traffic, and the rates for your insurance are the lowest on this list, coming in at about $772 for a yearly expense. That’s only $64 a month, which is much lower than you pay for cable. Add to that the relatively low accident rate and the breathtaking mountains that surround the city and you’re looking at some pretty nice options. Plus, once you get out past the mountains, the sky turns into something out of a painting. There’s no cure for burnout like a weekend spent starting at the Milky Way. Albuquerque, NM Speaking of mountains and starry night skies, it also turns out that Albuquerque makes this list. Again, there’s a super low cost for car insurance at $960 per year, and very few traffic jams that you’ll have to sit through. That’s where the similarities end, though. Albuquerque’s desert is a very different environment from the temperate forests of Salt Lake City. The red rocks, high mountains and long plateaus give the city another kind of beauty, one that’s hard to find anywhere else in the world. The dry desert air is also said to be wonderful for people with breathing problems like asthma, so maybe that’s why it made it to No. 31 on the list of happiest American cities. Richmond, VA As it turns out, one of America’s oldest cities is also great for commuters, and for work. This city basically hits a home run, with only 29 hours of traffic jams a year, car insurance costing only about $875 and gas coming in at less than $2 per gallon. Richmond also lives up to its name, with the average household income landing at just under $60,000. That’s well above the average American income of $53,046. With a short commute, long history and great income potential, it’s no surprise that Richmond is a pretty happy place. This one lands at No. 21 on that list. Raleigh, NC Raleigh’s dirt-cheap insurance comes in at about $828 each year, which is less than $70 per month. Plus, there’s only about 23 hours of traffic jams â€" you’d expect to sit in traffic for less than five minutes a day. Of course we all know traffic jams don’t really work like that, but it’s something you can ponder next time you’re stuck in one. Raleigh households make an average of more than $60,000 and is the happiest city on our list, coming in at a joyful No. 3. Phoenix, AZ Low gas prices and a surplus of natural attractions makes Phoenix a dream place to live. Not only does it have rock bottom gas prices, but it also has a low accident rate at only 5.7 percent. Plus, it’s close to one of the Seven Wonders of the World â€" the Grand Canyon. There’s also Camelback Mountain to climb, and various other exciting landmarks around the city. On top of that, it’s fairly close to several Native American reservations. Basically, if you want to see what America was like before the Industrial Revolution, Phoenix can take you back to the natural beauty of it. Milwaukee, WI Located near Lake Michigan, Milwaukee is one area where you’re the least likely to have an accident. It comes in at 5.7 percent below the national average for motor vehicle accidents, which is a pretty good deal. You’ll also only sit in traffic for about 28 hours a year, and it lands at just about the national average for household incomes. Right on the edge of the Great Lakes, you can expect a lot of really excellent fish restaurants, as well as plenty of sailing, swimming and beach-laying. Tucson, AZ Finally, you can go from the Northeast of the United States to the Southwest with Tucson. Low insurance prices, gas and even a low accident rate make this one of the best cities to make your commute in. Plus, it’s right on the edge of the Catalina Foothills, so you can go to some of the best open houses in the country. When you put it all together, any of these places has its appeal. There’s something for everyone in each city, so it really just boils down to personal preference. Any of these cities are some of our nation’s happiest, and they all make getting to and from your job much easier.

Are You Living and Breathing Your Employer Brand

Are You Living and Breathing Your Employer Brand It’s not easy to make sure that your employer brand is anywhere close to finis in fact, just when you think you have a handle on how to attract the top talent, you find out that the finish line has moved…and no one told you. Not only are there tons of ad agencies out there to assist talent acquisition professionals with their employer branding (EB) campaigns, there are research firms out there that tell you just what you should be saying, through which channels you should say it and precisely how you should say it. Dang, I got tired just typing that sentence! The truth is, every employer branding initiative starts somewhere and that’s with a list of goals and tasks a  checklist if you will. Simple questions that leadership must address before embarking on any new campaign (it’s the same in regular marketing and advertising believe me, it’s just hard to get the budget for a “cost center” like HR) include: 1) Who is going to be on the EB team? We suggest comms representatives, even if they aren’t in the HR department. Why? Because Marketing, PR and Corporate Communications are skilled at getting targeted messages across. You need them on your team. Representatives from other departments like legal and executive buy in are useful. Often overlooked are the tactical technical folks who can tell you how long it will take to complete this survey or snag an ad in that swanky publication so include someone from the frontlines. Also HR, duh. 2) Will you focus on existing employees? If the answer is no, sack your campaign now. Any successful EB campaign will focus on its current employees. Why? Because research shows that candidates (especially entry level ones) want to hear from them. It’s authentic and interesting and guess what? According to global research firm Universum, students are not interested in hearing from management, they want to see the people who work in positions similar to theirs. READ MORE:  Why  Employee Referrals  Are the Best Source of Hire [INFOGRAPHIC] 3) Is your culture in shambles? You don’t invite people to a party when your house is filthy and you should start shilling your corporate brand if it’s in tatters. If you have budget to burn, don’t waste it on EB, make sure you’ve got your house in order and THEN you can use the generated goodwill to jumpstart your employee centric branding campaign. 4) Have you figured out what success looks like? You best! If you don’t know what your KPIs are going into your campaign, you won’t know if it’s working or not. People often save this until the end of the conception stage, but that is, pardon my French, bass ackwards.   You need to know what you need to end up with in order to start with the right ingredients. People don’t throw three eggs, some flour and oil into a pan and wait excitedly to see what pops up in the oven. Instead they see that they need to end up with a lovely cake and work towards that. 5) Have you researched what success looks like in your space? Comparing your EB campaign to PepsiCo, Apple or Starbucks is stupid, unless you are Coke, Microsoft or Dunkin’ Donuts. Figure out your market, focus, (sensible) goals, budget and team. Work from there instead of trying to emulate someone who will beat you in every category. In Omaha, where I live, many great employers are known by WOMM (word of mouth marketing) despite some of the worst making Best Places to Work lists year after year. Figure out how you can reach the people you actually need to hire. What is your desired scope? Other questions to ask: Have you conducted research? Have you briefed your creative teams or agency? Have you spread the word about your brand to your (actual current) employees? Are you a brand ambassador? Have you secured brand ambassadors? Have you briefed all applicable partners? Do you have brand parameters that everyone is aware of? Do you have dashboard metrics that are transparent and accessible? Anymore questions that should be asked? Let us know in the comments below!

Objective For Writing a Resume

Objective For Writing a ResumeBefore you begin your objective for writing a resume, you should know that there are certain things that are absolutely necessary to include in your resume. This includes the need to list your education and your experiences. Some of the major parts of the resumes can be classified as such:An applicant's overview. This is also known as the resume of job seeker. In this part, an individual lists the various skills that they have so employers can assess their competence in the given job. However, most employers require certain qualifications in order to perform their screening and hiring processes.Jobs held. This is also known as the skills-based analysis section. The objective for writing a resume must provide information on the jobs that you have held in the past. A number of questions will be asked by the employer regarding your work experience, so it is very important that you list every position that you have held. These include; administrative jobs, c lerical jobs, research positions, sales jobs, and support positions.Career experience. This part of your resume consists of work experience. It includes relevant information like work history, job titles, description of responsibilities, and dates of start and end of the employment. Some employers request specific training, so these must be mentioned.Educational background. This part of the resume provides details on the educational background that you possess. It includes details such as names of colleges and universities attended, courses that you have taken, and the degree that you have received. Some employers require applicants to specify specific degrees that they hold in order to prevent any biases or unconscious judgments from making an impression during the interview process.Professional achievements. This part of the resume comprises the list of achievements that an individual has made in the past. You must provide a number of details to list your professional skills.Educa tional qualifications. This section comprises all the academic degrees that you have attained in the past. It includes information like title of college, syllabus courses, and degree courses. Sometimes, an employer will request for work experience in order to verify the level of experience that an applicant has acquired in the past.Objective for writing a resume must include the necessary information in order to be helpful for an employer. It is not necessary to overdo with the things that you list, but it is necessary to present a good side.

8 Reasons to Say Yes to a Career in Education - CareerMetis.com

8 Reasons to Say Yes to a Career in Education Source- Pixabay.comWith members of future generations being born every single day, the education industry is one that’s certainly not going anywhere fast. As children grow up, they require educational professionals at all stages of their young life, from kindergarten right through to college and graduate school.If you have a passion for helping others to reach their best potential and enjoy sharing your knowledge on your favorite topics, you may have already considered the idea of becoming a teacher. However, teaching isn’t the only job option that you can go for if you’re interested in working in the education sector.From school counseling to sports coaching or careers advice, here are eight top reasons to consider pursuing an educational career.1. Rewarding WorkevalOf course, one of the top reasons that people decide to work in the education industry is simply because the work is so rewarding. There’s a lot to be said for teaching and support staff who are there with kids f rom day one to help them reach their full potential, realize their dreams, and go on to get their dream college degree and job.Whether you’re working as a teacher, school counselor, coach, or even a school nurse, you’ll play a massive part in helping your students get to where they want to be in life.2. Make a DifferenceWorking in education is a sure-fire way to use your career choice to make a substantial difference in the lives of others.For example, working as a school counselor means that you’ll spend your day working closely with students who are experiencing issues, whether it be concerns about bullying, problems with their families, or mental and physical health issues.Your continuing support, advice and guidance will certainly be remembered by them for life. More information on studying to become a school counselor can be found at Peabody Online.3. Shape the FutureAre you concerned about the future of our planet? Whilst working in the education system, you’ll be in a prime position to shape and educate the generations of tomorrow. When you’re working closely with children and young adults, you’re not just responsible for teaching them the facts about your chosen subject matter.Teachers are often the first port of call for kids when it comes to learning new life skills and improving their knowledge on a wide range of matters.4. Room for ImprovementevalIf you are the type of person who is always eager to learn more, then working in the education industry could be the perfect option for you.Whether you’re working as a teacher, a member of support staff, or looking after the mental or physical health of kids in school, you will be regularly presented with opportunities to learn moreabout your role and improve your expertise.For teachers, in particular, constant learning to stay up-to-date with the curriculum and subject matter is essential.5. Climb the Career LadderIf you’re hoping for a career that allows you to progress and make your way up the career ladder, then the education sector is a great place to get started.evalPromising teachers will often go for promotions to become the head of a department, a school head teacher, or even a school principal, whilst a range of high-responsibility roles are available for those who work in almost every department.6. High DemandJob security is a huge issue for many people trying to build their career today â€" after all, nobody wants to live with uncertainty about their career. Another top reason why individuals decide to work in education is simply because there’s a high level of demand, paired with excellent job security.And, the demand for good teachers isn’t just at home in the U.S. â€" in fact, excellent teaching staff are required all around the world. This is especially true for English teachers, whose skills aren’t just required for teaching English-speaking students, but also across the globe for teaching others to speak English as their second language.7. Rese archIf you’re interested in contributing to new, ground-breaking research in your chosen subject, then becoming a teacher is a great step to getting involved in this.Teachers not only share their knowledge and expertise with others; many are also responsible for conducting research and making new discoveries in their field.8. VarietyLastly, teaching is a fun, dynamic position in which no two days are the same â€" and the same can be said for many other positions that are available across the education industry. When you’re working with school students on a daily basis, there will always be new challenges to face and situations that may take you by surprise.Whilst your daily routine may be similar, working as an educational professional means that dealing with people is also a major part of your job.

Reception for my book this Thursday - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Reception for my book this Thursday - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog If youre fortunate enough to be in Copenhagen this week, please join me in celebrating my book! Im having a reception at Caf? Enter on Thursday February 15th from 4PM-6PM, and youre invited. Drop in any time and say hi. This is also a great change to buy an autographed copy of my book :o) The program is: 4PM: The reception opens. Come and hang out with other fans of happiness at work. 5PM: Ill give a 15 minute presentation on what its like to write a book about happiness at work and how its been received the world over. 6PM: The reception ends The caf?s address is Guldbergsgade 29, right across from the Empire cinema (click here for a map). I hope to see you there! Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

TONIGHT! Learn how to launch your business in 90 days (yes, really) - When I Grow Up

TONIGHT! Learn how to launch your business in 90 days (yes, really) - When I Grow Up The last time Laura Simms and I joined forces for a free webinar, the topic was 8 Golden Rules to Launching Your Brand New Biz. And it was good stuff for sure. We went through the Dos, the Dont, the Shoulds, the Should Nots, the Focus Heres and the Dont-Worry-Bout-Its. But this time, were laying it all out on the table and telling you  exactly what it takes to launch your business in 90 days. How much time do you need? Well tell you. What does the marketing plan need to entail to get your first client? Well tell you. Is an elevator pitch actually  important? Well tell you. How fancy does your website have to be, anyways? Well tell you. What do you  do with an Ideal Client Profile? Well tell you. Yeah, I know its nuts that were giving away exactly what we create in a personalized 90 Day Business Launch Plan, but its just how we roll. So join us! Were spilling our not-so-secret secrets as to what it  actually takes to launch your business by the fall, even if youre not 100% clear on what the business is and/or what you should offer. WHAT?! Yes. Clickety click click and register lickety-split! Its happening live at 7p EST today wed love to have you there.