One of the most frequent questions I receive from job seekers is “how should I save my resume to make certain ATS systems will read it?” The three options are to save your resume as an MS-Word file, PDF file, or text file. Each option has advantages and disadvantages.
Resume Writing
3 Kinds of First Day Experiences: What Happens After You Get the Job?
This week, I thought about my first day at new jobs as I watched the President and Vice President be sworn in for their new roles. The purpose of creating a resume and a LinkedIn profile, then going to interviews is, after all, to reach the first day of work in a new position.
My career has encompassed three distinct kinds of first day experiences. They included:
1. The Federal Government,
2. A position at a corporate New York City Contractor,
3. Roles in not-for-profit organizations.
The first day of work at a public agency with structured “onboarding” processes was the most memorable because new employees took an Oath of Office followed by a bewildering ream of paperwork. Less structured organizations “threw me in” after having me sign payroll forms.
4 Thoughts on Organizing Your Post-pandemic Resume: Should You “Go Functional?”
Last week, while I was writing my weekly post, a job seeker posed an interesting problem. He has an accounting degree, and worked in accounting for years. Then he started an event promotion business shortly before the Pandemic. His business dropped 95%, so now he is considering a return to an accounting career. Should he build a functional resume?
3 Strategies to Get a Job Faster in 2021: Can we Turn 2020’s Problems into Opportunities?
. Strategies that I think will be helpful in 2021 include:
1. Featuring your Pandemic-related career pivot,
2. Dealing honestly and creatively with a COVID-19 related employment gap, and
3. Taking advantage of virtual opportunities to grow and maintain your industry and professional contacts.
10 Words or Phrases You May Easily Get Wrong in Job Search Correspondence: Let’s Write it Right to Get Jobs Sooner in 2021!
Virtually everyone I have spoken with agrees 2020 was a terrible year. We all want to make certain 2021 is better. The problem is that a lot of things are out of our control.
A small thing we can control during 2021 is to use the correct words and phrases when we prepare resumes and job search correspondence. Grammar checkers and spellcheckers miss things. Even worse, they are sometimes wrong.
Here are 10 examples of words and phrases that I’ve seen job seekers get wrong, or that have been discussed in blog posts about incorrect usage.
5 Ways You Can Disqualify Yourself Before Someone Reads Your Resume. How to Avoid These Problems.