Reasons To Look For A New Job: Which Ones Should You Avoid Mentioning?

There are many reasons why you might consider looking for a new job.

Certainly, the end of one year and the beginning of a new one when we’re making New Year’s resolutions is when we often think about changing jobs.

Maybe circumstances in your life have changed and have necessitated a job change.

Perhaps it’s just time to move on from your current job and has nothing to do with timing.

While there are many legitimate reasons for looking for a new job, not every one should be mentioned during a job interview.

Here are some reasons for changing jobs along with some advice regarding which reasons are ones you want to avoid mentioning during an interview.

Reasons For Changing Jobs

1. You lost your last job. Layoffs and firings do happen. When discussing this subject in an interview, the best thing to do is to keep your answer factual and brief. Lying only gets you into trouble.

2. You’re underemployed and are looking for something that better matches your skills, experience and career aspirations.

3. You’re simply looking for a better opportunity. How do you define “better” though? There could be many answers to this question. If you are looking for a job that better showcases your skills and is more challenging, those are certainly good reasons to search for a new job.

4. You want a job closer to home. Have those long commutes finally gotten to you? Had enough of taking public transit to work? Maybe you’d just like to find a job with a shorter commute.

5. You’re travelling too much. Perhaps you are travelling way too much in your current job for your liking and are seeing more airports than you’re seeing your own house. Just make sure your next job doesn’t end up having the same travel component.

6. You want better long-term prospects. Maybe your current employer is in a dying industry, maybe it’s poorly managed, perhaps the long-term viability of the company/industry is in question.

7. You want a bigger/smaller company. The size of the company you work for can often have big implications in your career. You might like the family-like atmosphere of a small company or maybe you prefer a larger firm with more stability and more promotion possibilities.

8. Personal reasons. Perhaps the birth of a child, a recent marriage or another change in your personal life has resulted in you deciding that a fresh start is in order and you’re going to start with a new job.

9. You perceive unfairness with how you’re being treated. Is you manager treating you unfairly or not being totally honest with you? If you perceive you are being unfairly treated, you might decide this is important enough to look for a new job.

10. You were passed over for a promotion(s). If other people keep moving ahead of you on the corporate ladder, you might read the writing on the wall and believe that your chances for promotion are going to come with a different employer.

11. Ethical reasons. Have you discovered that your company is doing something they shouldn’t be or perhaps something you don’t wish to be part of? Maybe your company does something that goes against your value structure or that violates your religious beliefs.

Two More Legitimate Reasons For Looking For a New Job…
That You Might Want To Avoid Mentioning During An Interview

While the following two reasons are legitimate reasons for looking for a new job, the might be reasons you don’t actually mention during an interview. Some things are simply better left unsaid.

12. You have a problem with your boss/colleagues. Let’s face it, some people are just hard to get along with and some of them might view us the same way. Looking for a new job because one or more people you work with are causing you grief is certainly a legitimate reason but I’m not sure I’d mention this during an interview. While it’s realistic that we won’t get along with everyone we work with, you will need to carefully consider how you refer to this topic during an interview to avoid making it look like you’re the one who is hard to get along with.

13. You want/need more money. Maybe you feel you are paid less than what you are worth or perhaps you work for a company that is known for underpaying staff (some companies and industries have this reputation). Maybe your lifestyle requires that you earn more money quickly. While this is a good reason for looking for a new job, it’s not a good reason to give during an interview because you will look money motivated and no hiring manager wants to hire someone who will jump for a few dollars. If you’re simply looking for a raise, maybe you should first ask your boss for one before you start a job search?

Use your common sense if the reason you’re looking for a new job is one that a potential employer might not want to hear and if you think it could ruin your chances at the job.

I’m not suggesting you lie, I’m simply suggesting you carefully consider what you divulge.

Afterall, if you’re interviewing for a new job and the previous person who held the position got fired for having a work affair with a colleague or something crazy like that, do you think the hiring manager is going to come out and tell you exactly what happened?

Me neither.

Carl Mueller is an Internet entrepreneur and professional recruiter who wants to help you find your dream career.

Visit Carl's website to separate yourself from other job searchers: http://www.find-your-dream-career.com

Sign up for The Effective Career Planner, Carl’s free 5-day course: http://www.find-your-dream-career.com/effective-career-planner.html

Please feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your website but please don’t change any of the content and ensure that you include the above bio that shows my website URLs.

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Personal Trainers Looking For Jobs

There are many types of jobs out there for personal trainers. Understanding the importance of finding a good fit for when you are looking for the position of a personal trainer will make a difference down the road.

Most trainers don't realize that there are many jobs out there in the market that encompass their services. The first job is to know what you are interested in, so let's have a look at some different options.

"Options available to personal trainers looking for jobs"

The first place most people look is at the local gym, health club, or fitness center. This is a good starting point and most likely what you've had in mind. I want to share some jobs that you perhaps have not thought of before.

A good example of this is a corporation who has a gym on site. Employers are seeing the value in offering the employees fitness programs for a healthy employee is a productive employee. Often times if your get a job with a company who has this proactive stance, they also understand that it comes at a premium and are willing to pay.

Resorts and getaway destinations are also a good place for personal trainers to find a job. This can be a great place to gain some experience as people who are into a routine often like to continue it when on holidays. If you live in an area where there is a resort, you will be on top of the candidate list for they always are looking for reliable local trainers.

Rehabilitation centers are also a good source for personal training jobs. As a trainer, feel confident in walking into your local rehab center and build alliances with the physiotherapists and chiropractors. See if there are any jobs available and make sure to exchange business cards with the intent of referring clients to one another.

Working as an independent personal trainer is of course your best option. There is nothing more profitable then independent personal training jobs. This is not the easiest way to get started, but over the long haul, it is definitely most profitable.

When looking for a personal training job, view yourself as the employer, not the employee

When evaluating the different jobs as a personal trainer you will notice that only one option offers you 100% of the profits. This is of course working for yourself. Then why don't all trainers take this route? The simple answer is that they feel that it is too difficult to start up their own business. It is true that being self employed is more 'difficult' then walking into a job every morning, but the rewards are well worth it.

Most personal trainers find themselves being self employed as well as working at a facility that has the appropriate equipment. This is not a bad way to start but for most is not the ideal situation.

Many personal trainers that are new to the field are shocked when they enter the field and people are not knocking on their doors for their services. This is why one is best off not to view personal training as a job, but rather a business. Making connections with the people and organizations above is a good place to start. Learn what you're services are worth and don't be afraid to charge.

As a personal trainer changing your work mentality from it being a job to a business is just the first step. If you are like many of the personal trainers whom I have worked with, you will find my boot camp of particular interest as I teach you how to grow your business and maximize your income. Right now you are your own best resource and getting connected to some valuable information will put you further ahead in your personal training career.

Sign up for your Free "Maximize your personal training income" 7 day boot camp to ensure you don't fall in the trap of working more then 4 or 5 days a week. http://www.CaseyKaldal.com

So remember to take charge of your business and find the right fit for you. During the boot camp you will find useful tips on how to approach your business and expand your income potential.

Wishing you all the best

Casey Kaldal is a leading expert in helping personal trainers build their business, attract more customers, and earn more money. He is the author of the popular boot Camp "Maximize Your Personal Training Income" which you can find at http://www.CaseyKaldal.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Casey_Kaldal

Post Your Sales Job Resume - Sales Recruiters are Looking For You Online

The sales and marketing industry is growing at the rate of leaps and bounds. If you have always dreamt of a job related to sales, then now you can find it with ease. Thanks to the internet and the ever growing demand for sales jobs, now there are several online sales job sites that recruit people for sales jobs.

It is easy to post your resume and within minutes you will be contacted by potential employers who are looking for you. No matter what kind of a sales executive you are, one with loads of experience or one willing to start a fresh career in sales, you can find the job on online sales websites.

Sales recruiters frequently visit these websites looking for employees to recruit. So once you post your resume, it will instantly be shown to potential recruiters. You will also get to know which all sales job recruiters have looked at your resume.

Statistics prove that an online sales website has more chances of landing you a sales job than any other mode has. Most sales job websites also list sales job by state. So you can simply choose the sales job by selecting your state.

So if you are living in Alabama, all that you do is click on Alabama state sales jobs and you will get a list of all the sales jobs in Alabama. Besides these the online sales jobs also feature medical sales recruiters and other kinds of recruiters looking for sales jobs.

For more information on online sales jobs and sales recruiters visit : salescareersonline

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rama_Krishna

Looking for a Job Online

Looking for a job online? Well, you are not alone. In fact, you are among the new breed of millions of job seekers who are hunting for their next job online. If someone were to argue that online job sites are little more than hot air, you only need to compare the success rate of offline job hunting efforts with that of online job hunting.

Why Search For A Job Online?

Here is a statistic to give you an idea of how big the online job industry is. Certainly it is very hard to quantify the overall number of resumes on the Internet. Monster.com has about 54 million resumes in its database and CareerBuilder.com has about 14 million. But how does this information benefit you? Here are a few key areas:

1. Jobsites have huge databases of up-to-date jobs, which allow keyword searches just like you would with a search engine for information.

2. Unlike traditional newspaper job searching, you can save your profile, resume, applied jobs, and set alerts for newly posted, categorized jobs to be emailed to you.

3. You can transmit your saved resume to any number of jobs instantaneously by turning on the auto-apply feature.

4. You are least likely to lose a new job opening (through alerts to your mailbox).

5. You get to use their resource center to refine career skills, choices and get tips on preparing for interviews. You can find highly specific job postings, such as careers in Six Sigma on online jobsites.

6. Above all, it provides functions to search by city, state and/or industry.

Which Ones To Use; There Are 1000’s Of Jobsites!

Not one jobsite publishes all the jobs available. It is also not practical to upload your resume to all of them. Having said that, the top 5 job sites publish almost 80% of job vacancies. Here are the top 5 jobsites nationally:

Top 5 Jobsites

The rankings of these sites are not based on just one criterion. The number of vacancies posted is the most important one among them. The rest of the reasons include how user-friendly the site is for both job seekers and employers and whether they charge a fee for their services.

1. Monster.com. The most popular international database of job openings with highest number of resumes.

2. CareerBuilder.com now stands at number 2. It provides fantastic search functions and is very user-friendly.

3. America’s Job Bank connects you to state job banks in addition to others. Search options include Military Occupation Code or Job Number search. Free.

4. Yahoo!HotJobs.com is a new entrant to the list and is promoted by Yahoo! You must see to believe the speed with which you can conduct searches and the options available from one of the pioneer of search technologies.

Why Do Employers Post Their Vacancies Online?

Almost for the same reasons that you go to search for a job online. The ease and speed of posting as well as the ability to sift through and short list candidates are the top reasons that employers post their job vacancies on online job boards. Above all, they know that in this age and time, all the best candidates are online too.

Tony Jacowski is a certified Master Black Belt for Aveta Solutions – Six Sigma Online ( http://www.sixsigmaonline.org ). Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tony_Jacowski

How-to Create a Compelling, Branded Elevator Pitch for Your Job Search

The elevator pitch. You are probably familiar with the term. It is most commonly used to describe the concise 60-second speech that business owners and executives, as well as salespeople, use to describe their business, product, or service to others. More importantly, it is a speech that is delivered in a compelling way that describes what is unique about the business (or offering), describes the benefits to the target market, and excites interest in the listener.

So, why should you--the job seeker and career professional--care about the elevator pitch? If you are familiar with the concept of personal branding, and the idea of leveraging your brand to advance and promote yourself in your career, I'm sure you immediately recognized similarities between the above description of an elevator pitch and a personal brand statement.

Personal branding allows you to make a name for yourself. It differentiates you from your peers and helps to position you as a leader in your field - as a specialist and an authority who knows how to do a job and fill a particular niche in the workplace better than anyone else. A personal brand statement is a succinct statement that clarifies and communicates what makes you and your unique value proposition different and special.

Your personal brand statement will play a large role in your 60-second elevator pitch as a job seeker and career professional. Your entire elevator pitch will be a mini presentation that you are able to give on the fly in response to those all-too-common questions "what do you do?" or "tell me about yourself?" With precision-like focus, an effective elevator pitch will immediately convey to the listener who you are as a professional, and will do it in a way that addresses not only your unique value proposition, but in a manner that addresses the concerns of your listener. Of equal importance, while your pitch is planned and rehearsed, when you actually speak it, it should sound completely natural and spontaneous, yet it should leave the listener with a lasting, positive, and memorable impression. You will use your elevator pitch frequently, in networking situations and during interviews.

But, once you recognize that crafting an elevator pitch is essential, you might feel daunted at the prospect of creating and perfecting one. Certainly, this is a task that your career coach or the professional that you hired to create your résumé can assist with. However, with some introspection and honest self-assessment, developing your elevator pitch does not have to be difficult. To get started, ask yourself these essential questions:

1. What is the focus of your search? What is your job target?

2. Who is the person/people most likely to make a hiring decision about you?

3. What are the problems faced by your target audience?

4. What is it that you are offering that would solve these problems?

5. What is it that differentiates you and makes you different from your peers?

6. What are the benefits of your work as experienced by your target audience?

To create your elevator pitch, you now must put these elements all together in a brief presentation that you can deliver quickly-in the time it would take you to get from one floor to the other in an elevator.

As an example, here is my own "branded" elevator pitch that I developed to concisely describe my work as the executive director of Distinctive Career Services.

"You know how some career professionals miss out on really great employment opportunities, or don't advance as quickly in their careers as they would like, or don't get paid the compensation they deserve, all because they don't really know how to differentiate themselves in their careers or promote themselves effectively in the job market?

Well, I am a career coach, personal branding strategist, and career marketing professional-one of just a few people worldwide with this unique blend of expertise. In my business, which is internet-based and global, I provide a mix of innovative products, programs, and services delivered to six-figure+ and aspiring six-figure+ professionals, managers, and executives. All my offerings are designed specifically to empower my clients to promote and market themselves effectively, opening doors and enabling potential to achieve their highest career ambitions and goals.

The benefits are that my clients dramatically reduce the time and money they spend job searching, rapidly advance their careers, boost their incomes, enjoy greater professional recognition, and overall, establish themselves in careers that are more professionally, financially, and personally rewarding."

Once you have the answers to the six simple questions above, you have everything you need to create a similar elevator pitch for yourself. Do you see how I have taken my own answers to the questions and interspersed them throughout my pitch? I've clearly communicated who my target market is, have identified the problems and challenges that they face, have conveyed how my offering is not only unique but solves those problems, and I've described the key benefits that my offerings produce.

You can use this same model to develop your own elevator pitch. But remember; don't go into too much detail. Your goal is simply to pique interest and make yourself memorable. Don't spend too much time on the details of your qualifications. Just quickly highlight them and tie them back to how they benefit your target audience (current or future employer).

Once you have your pitch perfected, practice it, practice it, and practice it some more. Your goal is to have it sound completely natural. Rehearse in front of a mirror and be aware of your body language and eye contact, as these aspects of communication often speak even louder than words. Now, try your pitch out a few times and observe the response to the listener. Be open to the prospect of adapting and modifying as necessary to elicit the response you want to generate. And, of course, be flexible. If your listener interrupts with a question, be ready to pause and answer it.

Creating your elevator pitch may take some time and thought, but it is a wise career professional who invests in it! You will hear the "what do you do?" or "tell me about yourself?" questions over and over, both during your job search and throughout your entire career. Don't wing it! Preparation is the key to confidence and the key to making a lasting, positive, and memorable first impression. The benefits to your career will be phenomenal. It is well worth the effort!

Want to Use this Article in Your Ezine or Website? You are welcome to as long as you use the following text with it:

Nationally certified resume writer, career marketing expert, and personal branding strategist, Michelle Dumas is the founder and executive director of Distinctive Career Services LLC. Through Distinctive Documents http://www.distinctiveweb.com and her Executive VIP Services delivered through http://www.100kcareermarketing.com Michelle has empowered thousands of executives, professionals, and managers all across the U.S. and worldwide with all the tools and resources necessary to conduct a fast, effective job search. Michelle is also the author of the popular e-book 101 Before-and-After Resume Examples found at http://www.before-and-after-resumes.com

To learn more about her job search products, resume writing services, and career marketing programs, and to sign up for many other free resources, visit her websites.

Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michelle_Dumas

Guerilla Warfare Tactics of the Successful Job Seeker

You feel like you've reached the top rung of the ladder with your current employer, and in order to continue the professional growth you want, a company change is on the horizon. As hesitant as you are about going into "full job seeker mode," you understand that you are in charge of the direction your career takes. Did you realize that you can take a fully automated and systematic approach to your job hunt, that can cut your efforts in half?

Let's discuss how you can effectively automate your job search process, and how you can keep the matter completely confidential from your current employer. We'll also look at some basic systems you can put in place, to facilitate a successful search. Finally, we'll discuss the benefits of a business relationship with a recruiting firm, regardless of your field or industry.

When you think of automating a task, you generally think of that task being accomplished with minimal effort on your part. You are currently working your full time job, so you have to be set up for efficiency before you can be automated. Here are the steps necessary to set yourself up for a successful and confidential job search:

set up a free email account with Yahoo or Gmail, so your employer can not browse through communications with prospective hiring managers in your work email account.

get an internet based fax service, that allows employers to fax documents to you, that will be delivered to your designated email account.

have a voice mail set up, exclusively for hiring managers to call. This prevents being contacted on your cell phone during business hours, when your within earshot of supervisors and co-workers.

go to a major job board with tons of open positions and set up a search, that will send results to your email daily.

Now that you've taken a few hours to set up the search process, it's time to create the systematic approach to pursuing your next job. First of all, you're going to make sure your resume is fully updated, and saved to your home computer.

With that done, you're ready to check your email daily for your search results and submit your resume as appropriate. Be sure to check your email regularly, for faxed and emailed documents from prospective employers. You can expect to invest an average of one to two hours per evening viewing new job matches and following up.

There is an alternative to engaging all of your time and energy into the job hunt, and outsourcing the entire process to a quality recruiting or career search firm. Sure, you will still need to have your private email, internet fax, and voice mail set up; but they will handle all of the rest on your behalf. The firm finds your job matches, submits your resume, follows up, negotiates your compensation package, and allows you to continue taking care of your current job. Most, if not all of the services provided by the recruiting company are free to candidates.

When you find it's time to begin looking for your next career move, remember your best secret weapons are automation, systems, and the assistance of a reputable career search organization.

Christina Archer is a copywriter, and Senior Recruiter with SterlingProfessions Career Search, based just outside of Columbus, Ohio. The company offers free services to job seekers, works with some of the most prestigious corporations, and successfully places candidates in positions across the United States. If you're interested in learning more about becoming a "Sterling" candidate, or accessing our free job seeker resources, visit the website, at http://www.sterlingprofessions.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Archer

Job Seeker Education - Finding Superior Job Leads

It's no surprise to learn, all job boards and career classifieds - are not created equal. From the standpoint of the employer, who's looking to find top notch talent among their prospective new hires, a job board must proactively seek to register active and passive candidates who are the best of the best. When you're a job seeker, or considering the possibilities for your next planned career move, it's important to take a serious look at exactly what a job board or career network, can do for YOU.

If you're considering registering as a job seeker with a recruiting agency, job board, or even submitting your resume to an employer, directly, here's some important information you must consider.

1. Job boards should offer job seeker services to enhance and expedite the employment placement process.
2. For the job seeker, who must make an immediate change, the career board should offer a low cost, premium "representation" service, to ensure the active seeker is being consistently presented for positions that match the candidate's target job.
3. Is your resume posted to a job board that contracts more than 5000 staffing specialists, who work on creating your perfect employment match? If not, it's time to greatly increase your odds of quality job offers, by joining a network that does.
4. Does your job network offer employment opportunities with 100K and up salaries, as well as entry level positions, across all industries? Are they bringing on new employment opportunities daily? When you work with a progressive job network, you can expect to receive a great deal of interaction through email and telephone, from the referrals of employer partners. Word of mouth, and personal recommendations go a long way in developing successful business relationships.
5. A quality job board offers job seekers career management services, which effectively keep the candidate on track to continue moving up the ladder; every two to three years.

As you can see, not all job boards are created equal. Employers looking to hire a new employee, or a job seeker looking for their next employer, must be selective, and choose a performing job network, that will make creating the employer - candidate match - seamless.

SterlingProfessions.com is a performance-based job board and staffing company, that assists job seekers in finding their target jobs in the most efficient and expedient manner possible. Employers can access resumes and post their open positions with a company who takes great pride in sourcing the highest caliber active and passive candidates in the world. Free registration for both job seekers, recruiters and employers. For additional information, contact author, Christina Archer, at 641.715.3800, ext. 537502, or email at christina.d.archer@gmail.com The company's website is located at http://www.sterlingprofessions.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Archer

Sample Cover Letters - The Hidden Pitfalls

You can benefit from sample cover letters as they can help you learn about the constructs of a high quality cover letter.

However, there are some dangers in doing this ...

If you have been sending out tons of resumes and cover letters and are not getting interviews you are probably wondering why. After all, you have the requisite education and work experience required in the job posting.

You are sending in both a resume and cover letter as requested, so why aren't you getting any calls for interviews?

The answer to this probably lies in the type of cover letter you are sending. A lot of job seekers believe it is quite acceptable to copy and paste a sample cover letter and insert their name.

There are certainly innumerable sites on the internet that can provide you with a cover letter example; however there are a few things you should consider before you simply cut and paste a sample letter and make it your own.

The Purpose of the Sample Cover Letter

The purpose of a successful cover letter is to make the employer want to know more about you, to feel the need to meet you in person and discuss the job opening, to get you an interview!

A sample cover letter is really only meant to provide you with the inspiration to create your own. A cut and pasted sample resume cover letter will not highlight your unique skills and experience.

In fact, a sample cover letter simply inserted with your name and address can have the appearance of a 'canned' letter. Prospective employers can spot a cut and pasted cover letter and it often ends up in the trash instead of the 'call for an interview' stack.

What a Sample Cover Letter Can't Do

You do not have much opportunity to give any hints of your personality in a resume; after all it's just a recitation of your education and work experience. In today's competitive job market, many people share similar certifications and occupational backgrounds; what sets them apart is their work ethic, personality, and yes; even passion for the job!

Prior to the interview, your unique qualities can only come through in the cover letter. A generic sample cover letter just isn't going to give the employer an idea of what sets you apart from the hundreds of other job applicants vying for the same job.

Sending out multiple copies of the same tired cover letter gives the impression that you are lazy and are saturating the job market with the same sample cover letter. What employer wants an employee who is lazy and doesn't have an original thought in their head? Not many.

The Benefits of a Sample Cover Letter

But what if I'm not a creative type of person? That's fine. Not everyone is. We all have our strengths and weaknesses and there are some benefits to using a resume cover letter example.

Using a sample cover letter can give you a foundation to create your own; insuring you stay focused on the task at hand.
However, the wording should be your own. A sample cover letter gives you the correct recipe; it's up to you to add the ingredients. If you feel as though you truly need a template use the following hints:

· Address your letter to a real, live individual. Avoid the trap of the "Dear Sir/Madam' that is so common in many sample cover letters.

· Specifically state how you found out about the job or who referred you. This will help to liven it up.

· Mention something unique about the company you hope to employ you. Don't use canned wording like 'your successful track record'.

More Resume Cover Letter Examples

There are several websites dedicated to career related issues which can help you build an impressive cover letter. They also provide sample cover letters and examples of other letters related to the job search process.

Roger Clark has an excellent selection of articles on general resume cover letter writing techniques posted on his blog and if you need some employment resume cover letter help then this is an article you should not miss.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roger_Clark

10 Most Common Resume Writing Mistakes

The first step of getting noticed by a potential employer is a well written professional resume. Although most job seekers know this, it is absolutely incredible how many resumes we have seen over the years that contain misspelled words, poor grammar, terrible formatting and a lack of information in regards to knowledge, skills and experience. We have observed these mistakes in resumes from University graduates through CEO. Which leads us to consider, if a resume is considered to be "putting your best foot forward," then why are so many job seekers not taking the time to write a good resume or seeking professional help? Our first impression is that the job seeker is not detail oriented, lazy or not technologically savvy and passive. But maybe, it goes beyond that?

Here are a 10 common resume writing mistakes we has noticed by job seekers:

Hidden information - Looking for specific information within the resume becomes time consuming for an employer. You want to make sure you catch the employer's attention by describing your knowledge, skills and abilities up front in a Skills and Experience Summary.

Poor grammar and spelling - Along with spell check on your computer, it's a good idea to have a few different people read your resume to check for spelling and grammar errors. This extra effort will keep your resume from representing you poorly to the employer.

Formatting - Did you bold one header and forget another? Do all your bullets line up? Is font size and style the same throughout? Employers look at your resume as a writing sample that you've had time to polish and proofread before submitting. The resume should be without flaw.

Too busy - If your resume reads like a book with page to page text it will most likely give the employer a headache. Show your resume to several other people before sending it out. Keep the resume simple and effective with relevant information that is not too wordy.

Date gaps and False information - You need to be able to back up and explain what you have on your resume. Make sure that all information is true and ethical. If there are gaps (e.g. taking time off on maternity leave), list it in your resume or cover letter.

Lack of information and key words - One or two job descriptions under each position will not get you far. Don't sell yourself short or your experience. Describe all important information you were responsible for under each positions. Key words or competencies are important to use as they optimize your resume for filtering software and target key descriptions in the job posting.

Irrelevant or out dated information - Don't list irrelevant work experience just to fill in space. If you are applying for a project manager position, your previous server experience at a restaurant does not apply. Keep information relevant to field and industry. Also, if the work you did 10+ years ago is not related to a job you are applying for today, leave it off. This information is out dated.

Fail to provide key accomplishments - The resume is your chance to shine, so don't be afraid to show off your previous accomplishment. Focus on accomplishments that set you apart from other job seekers. For each position, what special things did you do to set yourself apart? How did you do the job better than anyone else? How did the company or group benefit from your performance? etc.

Personal information or picture - Personal information does not belong on a resume. Do not include your age, race, gender, marital status or picture.

Contact information - Ensure that all contact information is current and all methods of contact is listed on resume (home, cell, email)

The resume is the single most important document you will need in your job search so don't sell yourself short. A professional resume in hand will greatly increase your odds of earning a closer look.

Information provided by, Moshin Manji, HRinmotion.

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For business, we provide online education that can be branded to help you prepare your candidates for job interviews and write better resumes. Since our employment center can be branded with your logo, it will not only strengthen relationships, but increase your placements. If you are looking to hire, post your jobs online and receive top applicants from Canada, USA and UK.

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Internet Presence and Resume Writing - Skills and Strategy to Help Your Job Search

Your resume writing ability and your personal Internet presence are critical to reducing the amount of time it takes to land a career opportunity. Some say it takes on average 1-month for every $10,000 of annual income you earn to find your next job when you are out of work. I'm not so sure I agree with the correlation, but I do agree that as you move up the corporate food chain it can take longer to land that next assignment. For some executives it can take longer than they can financially stand to wait.

What's worse is to a certain degree hiring is also somewhat seasonal. It probably won't shock anyone to learn summer is typically the slowest hiring season of the year. This can be extremely tough on a job seeker's moral - especially if they aren't aware of the seasonality associated with hiring. If you aren't landing that next opportunity during the summer months, it doesn't necessarily have anything to do with your employability.

A better question is: How can I shorten the time it takes to find a job?

Do you find yourself (or know someone) in a situation where you need or want to conduct a proactive job search campaign?

Regardless of your reasons, need, or desire to engage in a proactive job search, conducting a proactive job search can be one of the most frustrating challenges for anyone at any level and at any point in their career. Why? Because the outcome is often a function of timing, and has nothing to do with how marketable you are. That said, increasing your marketability and exposure to opportunity only improves your ability to capitalize on being in the right place at the right time to take that next step in your career.

With the right strategy and approach not only can your increase your exposure to more opportunity, you can also increase your exposure to better opportunities.

It isn't complicated, but it can be a lot of hard work and it's critical you have access to the right tools to get the job done.

The first thing to realize when embarking on a proactive job search campaign is that it all starts with your resume writing skills if you are going outside of your immediate "friends & family" business contact network.

Most executives fall into the trap of trivializing the importance of having the best possible resume by saying, "I communicate my value and the substance of my career best in an interview."

If your resume isn't -pin sharp- in its ability to concisely articulate your unique differentiated career value proposition by quantifying the scope and scale of responsibility you've held and the business impact your efforts have produced in a -measurable- way for each position you've held in your career, you are dead before you even start. You will simply get lost in the pile of resumes that end up in electronic or physical recycle bins without a second thought - let alone without an interview.

You really need to understand the quality, content and format of your resume (especially for an executive) is a strong reflection of your capabilities and focus.

Executives are given a -measurable- scope and scale of responsibility, and they are paid to produce -measurable- business impact. Nobody is paid to simply produce effort.

It is amazing how many executive resumes fail to articulate this -measurable- information. Most resumes contain nothing more than unquantified statements of effort that beg the question: "That's nice, so what did that effort produce in the form of any -measurable- business impact?"

Don't fall into the trap of poor resume writing that fails to articulate your -measurable- scope and scale of responsibility, and the -measurable- business impact you've driven in your resume.

Also give serious thought to abandoning the traditional 1-2 page resume format. Constraining yourself to a traditional 1-2 page resume format is the equivalent of committing job search suicide. Instead, focus on devoting enough physical space to adequately differentiate your career. Why? Because if you try to jam your career value proposition into a 1-2 page resume, you risk being lost in a sea of 1-2 page vanilla resumes.

Some may think this is heresy, but it is simply common sense.

If you are trying to differentiate yourself, it probably isn't a good idea to have a resume that looks like everybody else's.

Want to see how -everybody- else looks? Just look at the -AFTER- "Samples" that e-Resume (examples), Career-Resumes (examples), and even Monster's Resume Center (examples) touts as massively differentiating "Stellar" resumes to see how -EVERYBODY- looks when they constrain themselves to this 1-2 page criteria.

If your goal is to conform and look like EVERYBODY else - and as a result - compete head-to-head in today's job market, then by all means follow their advice. If you want to change the game in your favor and get interviews that others with the same vanilla resumes won't - then don't follow their advice. Simply ask yourself if you want to work for someone that believes the length of someone's resume is a valid hiring criterion, and make your own decision.

Be very careful in reacting to feedback that "Your resume is too long." Why? Because the -only- person you should listen to that comments on the length of your resume is someone that can actually benefit by hiring you. Any other feedback is coming from someone that does not need to hire you, and as such can't benefit from the information that is actually in your resume (i.e., the feedback is totally out of context).

Don't put your success in the hands of a "professional resume writer". Why? Just ask yourself, who knows better what the value of your career accomplishments are - you or someone else that hasn't even come close to having a career like yours? Would you leave the execution of your career responsibilities up to your secretary? Of course not. Then why would you consider depending on someone else's resume writing skills by letting someone else represent/articulate your career accomplishments and value proposition by letting them write your resume?

Resume Advice - If you're not landing a job in a timely manner it is for one of two reasons:

1. Your career isn't a strong fit for the roles you are exposed to.

2. Your resume isn't a strong fit for the roles you are exposed to.

Are you willing to bet it's because your career isn't a strong fit? Are you willing to bet your resume couldn’t be improved?

The only thing standing between you and being able to write a -pin sharp- resume that differentiates your career value proposition - is having access to the right tools.

Where can you identify the tools and techniques?

I wrote an article about 3 years ago called: Conducting a Job Search Campaign That's a pretty good place to start. It discusses many things a job seeker can do to increase their coverage and exposure to possible employment opportunities.

Conducting a Job Search Campaign provides job search advice on topics such as resume writing, how to approach recruiters, to how to build a personal Internet presence so someone can actually find you in Google and much more.

After you're written the best possible resume, then the challenge shifts to your personal Internet presence. In other words, can you be found when someone does a search on your name in Google? Do you have an Internet presence? Execunet surveyed their executive recruiters and found 63% of them Google a candidate before reaching out to them and half make a determination whether or not to reach out to a candidate based on what they do or don't find. The easiest way to create an Internet presence is to join an on-line networking platform that gives you not only the ability to build a profile, but to also create other content such as blogs and articles. A networking site with high traffic combined with constantly changing content will rank high in search engines typically. LinkedIn his a site with high traffic, but all of the content is static. Ecademy is a site with reasonably high traffic, but most of the content is contently changing as a result of all of the blogging and article traffic that the members post. As such, a member profile on Ecademy will typically rank much higher than a corresponding member profile on LinkedIn when doing a search on the member's name in Google.

Essentially, any content you create on an on-line networking site that combines reasonable traffic and more importantly contantly changing content will create a kind of preferential ranking scenario in search engines that you can use to your advantage to build a personal Internet presence.

By leveraging a "search engine" friendly networking platform you can quickly create a visible Internet presence. Combine this with other blogging and article publishing activity and your ready to be found by a recruiter.

So take control of the outcome by getting proactive with your job search.

Happy Networking.

Ron Bates is an expert in mission critical retained executive search. He is a Managing Principal with the retained executive search firm Executive Advantage Group, Inc. He has delivered personal executive coaching projects to former SAP, E&Y, Oracle, and WorldCom Exec's responsible for multi-billion dollar business units, and co-founded http://www.CV-Advantage.com, a self guided job search oriented executive coaching process.

With +27,000 direct contacts on on-line professional networking platforms, Ron has been referred to as "the most connected man on Earth". View Ron’s networking profile on Ecademy.

As a recognized expert in building an on-line personal Internet presence, Ron has been an invited speaker at venues such as the Marketing Executive Networking Group, British America Business Council, Expert Connections, and is a regular guest on Netshare’s “Ask the Coach”.

Ron's blog: Internet Presence – Do you exist? can be found at http://www.search-advantage.com

For more information on Conducting a Job Search Campaign go to http://www.job-search-campaign.com

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