Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Resumes must grab readers' attention

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It’s only recently that I have personally taken advantage of DVR technology. Yes, I watched shows when they were on live AND sat through commercials. We didn’t even have cable (believe it), so using the VCR to record and replay shows wasn’t a good option – the reception was not good enough make it worthwhile.

So, when TV went digital and the converter box for those without cable didn’t give me access to ABC, it was time to enter this century. While I am not a huge TV watcher, I do enjoy certain shows, and being able to view them on my time – on the TV (not via the internet) was pretty cool. (Yes – this is career related – I’m getting there!)

It took me awhile to remember that I could fast-forward through commercials. I usually multitask while viewing, so stopping to skip the commercials actually interrupted my flow. I am getting in a groove, though. Skipping commercials and getting through my favorite shows in less time has become a ritual.

Sometimes, though, a commercial just grabs me before I have time to hit fast forward. In those cases, I actually catch myself watching the commercial. I was thinking about which commercials grab me and why. Usually, it is one of three reasons:

  1. There is a lot of color and/or it is very visually appealing,
  2. It is for a product or service I use or enjoy or
  3. It engages me with a story and I need to watch the whole thing to see what happens!

Since I now often watch with my hand on the remote, if I am going to actually watch a commercial, one of these three must happen right away.

Think about your resume. You have about the same amount of time to grab a person reading it as commercials have to get my attention. What are you doing to immediately attract attention?

Appearance

While looks are not everything, they do mean a lot. Yes, often a resume goes through a computer scan first, but when a real person looks at it, it is important for it to be attractive, easy to read and up-to-date. If your resume looks like the BEFORE versions on my site, you really need to consider a revision. If you are using one of Word’s templates (they certainly did not consult a savvy resume writer for those) – you absolutely need to consider a change.

Did you know that you can even use a little COLOR in your resume? There are a lot of different ways you can visually grab attention – some that are more controversial than others. For example, some people use company logos on resumes. (This is not a practice I favor, but some really think it is great!) The bottom line is that you need an attractive resume if you want to compete.

Are you offering something the reader wants?

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it 100 times – the resume must speak in the language that an employer will understand. If your targeted job requires someone who knows how to “develop proposals and presentations detailing new implementation process plans implemented by top management,” saying that you have done that is terrific! If the job has nothing to do with developing proposals and presentations, that language might as well be Greek to the hiring manager. Remember – simply stating your ability to do a particular task is not likely going to help your cause. Show, don’t tell.

And – do it in a way that immediately appeals to the reader.

Engage with a story

Just as a good story hook captures my attention when I watch TV, telling a good story on your resume – and in your job hunt – is important. It’s a good idea to think about stories – even collect them – to help improve your ability to catch their attention. Being able to tell your job search story is an incomparable skill. Do you know what you have to offer, and can you tell it in a way that interests people? In a way that makes them want to know more about you?

Learn how to share your story via social media, in person and via your resume. I can help!

photo by danielgreene

Use SlideShare to demonstrate your expertise – and a free resource

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Have you considered using SlideShare as a tool in your career search arsenal? This network allows you to share presentations, documents and PDFs with a network of 25M monthly visitors. You can easily embed your SlideShare presentations on LinkedIn and via your blog or website, which helps you reach a potentially new audience.

SlideShare itself encourages you to share ideas, connect with others, and generate business leads via their site. These are some of the things you can do on SlideShare (per their site):

  • Embed slideshows into your own blog or website.
  • Share slideshows publicly or privately. There are several ways to share privately.
  • Synch audio to your slides.
  • Market your own event on slideshare.
  • Join groups to connect with SlideShare members who share your interests.
  • Download the original file

If you are a job seeker, you will want the most professional slides possible. I have a resource for you! (Note: I am affiliated with Fast Track Tools and work for Ken Revenaugh, the founder.)

Each week, the Fast Track Tools training company and the Cubicle Ninjas design firm work together to publish a template that makes it easier for you to communicate your ideas. This week, they take on “flexibility” – an often overused term in business. This free template will help you stand out from the crowd when you incorporate flexibility as a concept in a presentation or slide show.

CLICK THROUGH TO SEE the free, downloadable template and subscribe to Fast Track Tool’s blog so you won’t miss any of the templates that are available for your use with no copyright limitations. Collect them all and you will have a slide library that really WOWs your audience.

You may also keep up with FastTrackTools via Twitter @fasttracktools and  join the Facebook community! Connecting will ensure you don’t miss special subscriber or “friend” only offers down the road.

Making lemonade out of a layoff

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Have you heard of the movie Lemonade? “Lemonade is an inspirational film about 16 advertising professionals who lost their jobs and found their calling, encouraging people to listen to that little voice inside their head that asks, “What if?”

The trailer for the movie is below…Take a look – you may be inspired!

Thanks to my new partners Simon North and Nisa Chitakasem, for sharing this video via the Position Ignition Career Advice Blog. Position Ignition is all about helping you get clear about what you want to do next with your career and how to make it happen. They focus on helping people who are wanting a more purposeful, rewarding career and those who are considering a career change.

photo by pink sherbet photography

3 career lessons from the soccer field

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Have you ever watched small kids play soccer? It can be a real trip! (Pun intended.) While watching a game last weekend, I thought of 3 lessons job seekers can learn…

Do you know which way you should be kicking?

In the game I watched, there is no goalie in the box. So, sometimes it is tough for the kids to remember which way they should be kicking. (This is complicated by the fact that they switch sides during the game.) Every once in a while, a kid scores a goal for the OTHER team. Ooops…But, 9 of 10 times, the kid is so excited to have scored a goal, it doesn’t matter!

A lot of job seekers are like this. They don’t keep track of what direction they are going, where they want to “kick” and which “goal” is their target. The big difference between job seekers and 4-year olds on the soccer field – it is no joke to “score” for the other team.

Think about this – what can you do to be sure you are moving in the right direction for your job hunt? Are there better ways to track your research and information that you have gathered? If you are not organized, all of your hard work may go to waste.

Do you go, go, go – and then stop?

I can’t tell you how many times I saw even the best players (a relative term when it comes to 4-year olds on the soccer field) take the ball down the field – go, go, go and then, just as it seemed a goal was inevitable – come to an abrupt STOP. On the sidelines, parents had their hands on their heads…WHY STOP? “Keep going! Take it in!,” they shouted. But, it was too late. Stopping allowed another player to take the ball off in the opposite direction. Opportunity wasted.

I’m sure you can envision how this relates to job seekers. Everything is in forward motion, going great. Then, maybe an unexpected obstacle or maybe just nerves forces a stop – just enough to allow things to turn around and put an end to an opportunity.

How can you make sure that you don’t allow (or cause) an abrupt end to your positive, forward motion? Being prepared helps. Why waste all that energy you expended landing an interview if you are not going to give it your all? You need to take the ball into the goal – not stop just as you are planning to boot it in. Think about this when you are in the midst of your search. What can you do to keep moving? Maybe it is networking more (or better). Using social networking tools to expand your loose network? Coming up with a better, more succinct pitch for you and your skills. A better resume – one that helps you open doors AND helps you identify what you have to offer? Obviously, there are a lot of ways to help you stay in forward motion…Take advantage now, before you bring the ball to a stop.

Don’t take the ball from your own teammate

Kids are so focused on getting the ball, they have a tendency to steal it from their own teammates! This is another wasted opportunity, as someone’s forward motion comes to an abrupt stop at the hands (um – feet) of a teammate who should be helping.

Does this happen to you in the job search? People who should be helping you are inadvertently throwing roadblocks in the way? This happens when well-meaning friends or family members think they have something to add to your job search, advice about your resume, or stop to offer information that turns out to hurt more than help? Or, maybe you are facing stressed out family members who are less than supportive of some of the techniques you may be trying to fuel your job hunt. (These are the people who think you should be staying home applying for jobs online all day long and get annoyed when you explain that isn’t the best approach.)

Picture these folks as the kid who takes the ball from his own teammate. The soccer player just needs a little educating, some practice and some self-control. Similarly, your friend who isn’t helping you needs you to explain how he or she can help you succeed. Take the time to do the educating. Share an article about job hunting that proves your point or explains your methodology. Most importantly, though – be sure you are doing everything right. If you are the player kicking the ball in the wrong direction, you shouldn’t be surprised when a team member takes it from you!

photo by burienundressed

Tips to help transform your resume

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Since transforming resumes is a big part of my business, maybe it is a bit ironic that I don’t write many posts about resume writing. However, I had an opportunity at the Career Management Alliance conference last week in NOLA to hear a highly respected professional – Don Orlando, speak about “Powerful New Ways to Showcase Clients’ Value.” He focused a lot on how to improve resumes and what types of things to include. I was nodding the whole time! Much of what he shared is exactly the type of advice I give my clients and the strategies he suggested are very similar to the ones I use when I write resumes, so it seemed a perfect opportunity to actually blog about the resume itself!

First, Don reminded listeners that the resume is about the future, not the past! How often have I told my clients that very thing? It is very important to remember that demonstrating how you can be useful in the future – how you can solve the employer’s problems – will make the difference in helping you land a job. Don’t write a resume full of jargon from your past positions if that is not the same jargon your targeted employer understands or speaks. That is akin to ordering in French at a Chinese restaurant; you are unlikely to get the food you crave.

Don reminded us how important it is to illustrate how you solved problems and achieved results on the resume. He also noted that focusing on relative results – in context – is key. That is, if you improved sales by 15% in a downturn, when averages were in the negative numbers – say so! If you overcame obstacles to achieve a desired result – the reader wants to know! Focus on transferable skills without stifling yourself as a result of misdirected modesty. Don notes, the story is about the job seeker, not about the company.

Remember, having a great resume is one way to help you prepare to successfully network, interview and negotiate an offer, as Don remarked while I nodded…Yes! Having a great resume helps you bridge to your next job. I always say, “Show, don’t tell.” An action-packed, fully optimized resume is key.

I’ve written about how to evaluate your resume – how to look at your resume and decide if it is answering the key questions. Are you doing more than listing a bunch of “stuff” on your resume? In a competitive market, you must ensure that your materials are optimized to help get you to the next step. Take a good, long look at your materials. Are they a bridge or a roadblock to your targeted opportunity?

photo by Sandy Austin