Great Occupations

In part I of “Resumes: Accomplishment Statements,” I explained why you should consider adding your value proposition to your resume. I also told you what accomplishment statements can be based on: How you impacted the bottom line (money) and/or productivity (time); Your awards, patents, publications, etc.; Situations in which you exceeded your job description. Today, I want to show you how to develop your accomplishment statements and where to integrate them into your resume... Read the rest of this entry »

Accomplishments statements are used to elaborate on and liven up relevant task descriptions. However, the main purpose for accomplishment statements is to show your value proposition as it relates to the job you are trying to attract. Why do you have to show your value prop on your resume? I’ll put it right out there… I suggest you do what it takes to stand out from the pack. Let’s face it. We are still in an employer’s market. Even though ... Read the rest of this entry »

The video below (click here if you're not reading this at the GreatOccupations.com site) features Gabriel Bouchard, VP of Monster.ca, who talks about the "hidden job market" and says that in addition to looking for a job online, you need to leverage relationships in your network. In 2:38 minutes, Bouchard summarizes very well the most critical things you need to know about effective job hunting. In addition to networking to find jobs that aren't posted, he suggests you... Read the rest of this entry »

Surely, by now you've heard that recruiters are using social media to find job candidates. Years ago, recruiters would type keywords into their resume databases or into a job board resume database (I know, I was one of them!), but today they're typing keywords into social media sites like LinkedIn. On TheBostonChannel.com today, you'll find a succinct article and video news story about a job seeker who was found and eventually hired because of her online presence. The reporter also interviews a recruiter... Read the rest of this entry »

Here's a resume formatting tip designed to help you make a strong impact. It's not the most ideal solution for every resume, but it's pretty handy when you want to emphasize a certain stand-out feature about yourself, highlight your personal brand or show multiple functional titles or areas you're going after. I call it the headliner format. Some experts call it the title format... Read the rest of this entry »