Your resume is your first impression. The language and content of your resume can increase or decrease your chances of landing the job. Filling precious resume space with verbose language or buzzwords can backfire. Here are 10 words to remove from your resume today:
1. Unemployed
The dates of your employment are shown on your resume. Don’t further emphasize you are unemployed.
2. Hardworking
Company already assume you are a hardworking individual, don’t call it out.
3. Objective
Most resumes are self-explanatory. There is no need to take up valuable space with an objective. It is redundant.
4. Synergy
Words like “synergy” are buzzwords and over used. Try and avoid them in your resume.
5. Reference Available Upon Request
Having “references upon request” at the bottom of your resume is a sign that a candidate is overeager. If a recruiter wants to call to know more about you, they will reach out directly. There is no need to point out the obvious
6. Rock star
The term “rock star” has been over used in the last few years, especially in the technology industry.
7. Dabbled
Using “dabbled” indicates that you were exposed to a skill or technology. If that is the case and you don’t use the skill or technology in your position(s), leave it off your resume.
8. Expert
Stay away from the word expert, unless you truly are an expert. If you include it in your resume, be prepared to back it up during the interview
9. Excessive personal information
Avoid including your birthday, family information, visa status, etc. This information doesn’t speak to your qualifications.
10. Hobbies
Content that does not relate to the job and does not address what qualifications can eliminate you as a candidate. It is safer to leave hobbies off your resume. Let me company focus on what you do at work, not after work.
These days there is a lot of conversation about employee satisfaction and happiness. Company consistently evaluate and add perks and benefits in an attempt to achieve this happiness. Unlimited time off, flexible work schedules, and even stocked break rooms are some of the ways companies work to ensure their employees are happy and love their jobs.
Here are some clues to help you determine if you love your job and are happy:
1. Passion—if you feel passionate about your job already, congratulations. However, for many people the passion for their job is harder to quantify. Take some time to evaluate your job and task that you love or feel passionate about. Once you identify the areas of your job that make you happy, ask your manager to increase those responsibilities. This will help you increase the areas of your positon you feel passionate about and create more happiness.
2. Independence—everyone wants a job that offers a little bit of flexibility, whether that’s the opportunity to choose roles on projects, the ability work from home or go to your child’s school pay. This flexibility can help with your work life balance and make your job happier.
3. Cultural Fit—this term gets used too much, but creating friendships at work and having camaraderie can help you find happiness at work.
4. Compensation—we all want to be valued for the work we perform. This compensation includes not only your salary, but benefits and perks. Money alone can’t buy happiness at work, but being under compensated can quickly lead to discontent.
So, we all know of corporate brands. We see their logos in commercials, on billboards and even on clothing, like t-shirts. However, we are less familiar with personal social brands. Your social brand is your identity online and in social media. Most of us have some social media imprint, but haven’t consciously considered our individual social brand. This social brand is always important, but never more than when you are looking for a new job.
Why Build a Social Brand?
How to Begin Establishing Your Social Brand
Having a group of friends at work definitely makes life easier. When you have friends at work, you have people to talk to when you need a break and have people to make lunch plans when you want them. Often, work just feels more fun when you know you have some friends by your side, especially if you have a high-stress job.
If this sounds intriguing but you’re not totally sure how to foster work friendships and a team mentality, here are some tips to get you started.
A resume is the most important step in getting a job. The smallest error can cost you the interview and your dream job. Your resume paints a picture of your experience, successes and career. Most hiring managers weigh an applicant’s resume heavily when filling a position. Every piece of information in the resume should be clear, accurate and well-thought-out.
Below are 4 common resume mistakes job seekers should avoid:
Typos and grammatical errors are costly errors because such mistakes can easily destroy your credibility. This can be easily avoided by proofreading your resume. Give it to a friend or family member for a fresh set of eyes. It’s not worth missing out on a job opportunity because of an avoidable spelling mistake.
A common mistake in many resumes where many job applicants spend most of the space highlighting the job responsibilities instead of focusing on their accomplishments. Prospective employers want to see specific, quantifiable accomplishments on your resume. These accomplishment speak to your ability and what you can bring to their team and company.
Exhibiting your specific skillsets are important, especially when you are seeking a technical or IT job, but too much jargon or too much “tech talk” in your resume can often prevent the company from identifying your accomplishment and viewing your experience.
It is important to highlight your experience and accomplishments, but if your resume is too long the hiring manager may not finish reading it….a miss important details that relate to their opportunity. A good rule of thumb is to give enough details about your previous positions, while emphasizing your accomplishment, but leave some more detail you can expand on in an interview. This will help you peak the hiring managers interest in you and help you empress them during the interview.
Like most of us, you probably spend most of your time at work. Usually, we spend more time at work than at home. If so, there are three ways to improve your performance at work and help you with your daily tasks.
1. Exercise
The primary reason for taking up a new workout routine is usually weight loss, but there are so many other positive effects to exercise, especially for your career. Regular exercise has been shown to help you sleep more soundly, wake up feeling energized. All of these things can help you do better at work, but there’s actually evidence that working out can help to increase your productivity, too
2. Meditate
Similar to exercise, meditation is hardly ever something people take up because of job performance concerns. Meditation is recommended to help ease depression, soothe anxiety and improve emotional awareness. Research also suggests that it can assist people in developing crucial skills that aid them in a professional environment with self-esteem and productivity.
3. Get Enough Sleep
It might sound obvious, but getting the right number of hours of sleep really is important when it comes to the quality of your work. For most people, enough sleep is 7-9 hours per night. Getting on a regular sleep schedule and being aware of how much sleep is healthy for you can result in reduced stress levels, increased energy and a higher quality of life.
Think about the last time you were searching a big purchase. Most likely you used review and recommendation sites to help you in your search and purchase. Employers are like most buyers. They want to make sure the person they hire will be a good investment. Recommendations help eliminate some of the perceived risk involved in hiring a potential candidate. Traditionally, employers will ask for a list of your references before hiring you to authenticate your experience. LinkedIn recommendations are a great first step to that reference process and allow you to sell yourself immediately.
A LinkedIn Recommendation Demonstrates Your Strengths–Under each job on your LinkedIn profile you have described your key accomplishments and referenced skills and attributes you used to succeed. A written recommendation from a supervisor adds a level of credibility. It supports your performance and endorses the skills you’ve referenced. Prospective employers and recruiters can be skeptical of candidates’ claims; a recommendation can remove some of the doubt. A well-written recommendation will also speak to your attitude and work ethic.
A LinkedIn Recommendation is Public proof—Many years ago, when hard copy letters were the only recommendation were used, these valuable endorsements were private and only shared upon request. Today, LinkedIn recommendations provide public proof of your skills and abilities. Be sure to set your public profile settings so that your recommendations are displayed and visible to anyone who looks at your profile.
A LinkedIn Recommendation Makes You a Stand-out Candidate– LinkedIn recommendations can help you differentiate yourself from other candidates. Many LinkedIn users do not take the time to ask for recommendations either because they don’t know how or don’t want to pester people. To ask for a recommendation on LinkedIn, go to your profile and click the down arrow to the right of the blue “view my profile” button. Next, select “ask to be recommended” from the drop-down options and then follow the prompts to request the recommendation.
A LinkedIn Recommendation Makes You a Stand-out Candidate– LinkedIn recommendations can help you differentiate yourself from other candidates. Many LinkedIn users do not take the time to ask for recommendations either because they don’t know how or don’t want to pester people. To ask for a recommendation on LinkedIn, go to your profile and click the down arrow to the right of the blue “view my profile” button. Next, select “ask to be recommended” from the drop-down options and then follow the prompts to request the recommendation.
The resume strategy you used 10 years ago is not the same strategy used today. In fact, the resume you wrote even just a year ago likely needs to be updated. Here are 3 examples of how resume are changing.
1. Old Strategy: Including an objective
New Strategy: Today, objectives are viewed by most employers as outdated. Instead of an objective, create a resume headline that helps you target jobs and employers. This headline will help you brand yourself during your job search.
2. Old Strategy: A resume is just the facts
New Strategy: Today, resumes include details and context. Successful resumes now include details and quantifiable results. These details help prospective employers to better understand the value you will bring to their organization prior to an interview.
3. Old Strategy: Follow up the uploaded or emailed resume with a hard copy
New Strategy: You may need a printed resume during the interview process; however the initial focus of applying online and/or submitting your resume to a potential hiring manager or recruiter rarely requires a hard copy. The focus now is on digital presentation online. Focusing on your online presentation, including resume, can help you stand out.
Popular resume templates and HR pros prompt job seekers to include a list of strategic skills on their resume. You skills section of your resume is a opportunity to show off a bit.
Before grabbing your laptop to edit, follow these five steps to make your resume really shine:
Making the decision to quit a job is almost never easy. Deciding to quit your job is a personal decision often based on your career path and career objectives. However, actually quitting a job is never easy. Follow these 7 steps with help you quit your job with grace:
Speak to your manager face-to-face and give two- to three-weeks’ notice. This shows respect is advised unless your employer suggest you leave immediately. Often positions that include personal or confidential information end immediately at the company’s request. This is usually for security reasons only.
Come in after hours to pack your desk and box up your personal items. The goal here is to not disrupt your coworkers.
Keeping others in mind, don’t rub it in people’s faces that you’re leaving. Whether you’re departing for a higher-paying job or an entrepreneurial venture try not to show your glee.
It is easy to feel like you can slack off once you give your two weeks’ notice. However, continue to attend meetings and maintain. Additionally, focus your work time on tying up loose ends and transitioning responsibilities to colleagues.
Often managers will request you create a transition document. This document should outline the projects you’ve been working on, key information and important contacts to pass along to your team or the person assuming your duties. This transition document is a great way to transition out of a role without burning bridges.
No matter what the circumstances are of your exit from the company, thank your manager and colleagues for the years of collaboration, hard work, and achievements. Being appreciative when you exit a position will back off in the long run.
While it may be awkward to leave, you must stick by your decision to quit. Therefore, say your goodbyes and leave. Your former team needs to get back to work and you need to move on to your next role.
Delta Computer Consulting, Inc. is certified through the WBENC (Women’s Business Enterprise National Council) as a woman-owned and woman-operated business.
