Dave Allen
How many people make it to adulthood and regret giving up the creative pursuits of their youth? Hobbies of all kinds, from piano playing to painting with watercolors, often go by the wayside upon entering the working world; it gets harder to find time to practice, of course, and those lessons that tuition money once paid for no longer look so affordable.
Upon entering the working world and beginning your career search, though, don’t shy away from making your creative endeavors a part of the package. Even if you never dance ballet or pick up the oboe ever again, there’s a place for non-traditional skills on your resume and in your job search.
Skills in the arts can be an eye-catching item—listed under “Other Interests,” perhaps—because you never know if a former musician or current aficionado might reading your resume. But skills you’ve gained as a performer or creator can be valuable in the working world, too. A tour with a choir or dance company could be presented as significant abroad experience, for example. If performing or other creative work makes up a considerable part of your career experience—say you spent a year or two after school playing as a musician on cruise ships—it can be a main item on your resume.
Studied ballet or other choreographed dance? You’re teachable! Led a section of a band or orchestra? That certainly builds leadership skills. Take and develop art photographs? You have an eye for detail and are comfortable with step-by-step processes.
The skills needed to succeed in the modern workplace don’t only come from hours spent at internships or in the classroom. They can come from anywhere, and it’s worth making the ones that don’t fit the typical mold part of a creative and considered job search.
By: Cindy Hazen
Does your resume read something like this? If so, please keep reading this post because this may be why you are NOT getting call backs. ABC Company 2009- current
Focused on new business selling only targeted commercial accounts Among the top leaders in generating monthly revenue Introduced Gorilla Marketing and event planning to solicit new prospects Maintained loyal customer base and received many referrals from base.
DEF Company 2005- 2009
Prospecting and developing new business Consultant for both online Yellow Pages and Local Directories Targeted small and mid size prospects in a diverse marketplace.Pinpointed benefits of being included in the online version of Yellow Pages.Excelled at preparing and making presentations to individuals and mid size corporate accounts.
We receive hundreds of resumes each month and many read like this. What’s missing? Specifics! “Among top leaders”- where exactly? Were you #1, 2 or 10? Out of how many? “Focused on new business”- how many new accounts did you bring in? How much monthly revenue? “Developing new business”- again, how many new accounts did you bring in? The current resume has job descriptions with no specificity at all. There is no call to action for the hiring manager to pick up the phone and call you. CREATE that call to action by HIGHLIGHTING your accomplishments. Otherwise, it’s just one of a hundred generic sales resumes that never make it to the “call pile”.
From Online PR News
“Whether you are changing positions within the same industry or switching fields altogether, there are savvy ways to capitalize on skills that are often overlooked,” said Nina Freier, Director of ResumeEdge. “These guidelines may seem simple on the surface, but can make a tremendous difference if correctly executed.”
ResumeEdge offers five ways for job seekers to capitalize on their skills on a resume and beyond. Here are the tips:
1. Don’t underestimate your skills. Job hunters often forget that their capabilities are unique. Don’t say, “Anyone can do that,” and leave it off a resume or job application; that can be detrimental. Not everyone can read blueprints, use Excel proficiently or install software. Don’t go overboard, but highlight the blend of skills that make you exceptional.
2. Metrics count! Skills can and should be measured. Provide detailed records of projects, ideas, and successes in which you were directly involved. Quantify all accomplishments with dollar figures or percentages and time periods. Correlate accomplishments with the skills you utilized to make those successes happen.
3. Your resume order matters. On your resume, list the accomplishments and job duties that relate to your target position and organize the sections of your resume to highlight your core capabilities first, whether it is education, professional experience, service/activities, or certifications. Include a qualifications section at the top of the resume that highlights your background and articulates what capabilities and experiences you offer. An online resume builder is available at http://resumeedge.com/services/resume-builder/index.php?nav=rb.home.
4. Take the time to study a job description and understand how it relates to your skill set. One thing that job seekers often ignore is that job descriptions are written with care, often outlining a detailed list of required skills and qualifications. A smart exercise is to take notes next to each line, drawing correlations between what they want and what skills you offer. Use these notes to create a resume that illustrates why you are the perfect candidate. If this proves to be a challenge, enlist the help of a professional resume service, such as those available at ResumeEdge.com.
5. Make yourself visible where you are today. People often have a hard time identifying references who are able to articulate their skills. Consider what reports you can craft or ways you can be more vocal about what skills you have and what you achieve in your current position. This will help in several ways during a job search.
For the umpteenth time, I just received a resume that went through 2008. The experience up until then looked interesting but with no indication of the last 2 ½ years, I probably will not call this candidate.
Why? Not because they are likely unemployed but because they left a glaring GAP in their resume. Recruiters and managers receive dozens if not hundreds of resumes a week. We literally do not have the time during the day to call everyone who submits a resume. Thus, we have to cull through to find the ones that fit our client’s criteria. If we have 10 resumes that could be a match, we are going to call the COMPLETE resumes with no gaps first. If we find enough qualified candidates from those, the resumes with gaps never get to the call stage.
If you were unemployed, list it. List “interim position”, “part-time work”, “ job search”- anything but a glaring gap.
If you took care of elderly or ill parents, list that. It’s nothing to hide and actually very commendable. It’s a reality these days and we all have family. I highly respect anyone who provided that for a family member.
If you went back to school, list that.
Whatever you’ve been doing for the last 6, 12 or 18 months, list it. Unless, of course, it’s watching “Oprah” and “General Hospital” J. I wouldn’t list that.
By Topny Gist KVAL News with KVAL.com staff
“The most important thing you can do for yourself in the job search is to clearly communicate: here is how I’m different from other people out there with similar experience,” said Doug Anders, founder of Purpose Works.
A resume can do just that.
Anders is a career counselor and professional resume writer.
“I help people try and figure out what they want to do when they grow up,” he said.
He said to think of your resume as an advertisement designed to sell your skills and individuality.
“It is a message-driven document,” he said. “You want to spark employers interest enough to make them want to talk to you.”
Work history and job skills are essential, but a resume needs to be more.
I let anders take a look at my resume.
“It’s not clear if it’s a one or a two pager,” he said. “It’s best to have your resume fit neatly on one page or two pages.”
A half empty page will appear unfinished.
“Many resumes will start with something that says I’m motivated, I’m hard working,” Anders said. “Those statements by themselves can be fluff to an employer who’s seen 100 resumes.”
Anders said to start your resume with highlights of qualifications that tell a story. You also should avoid templates that create a cookie-cutter feel.
“A good resume is consistent with the person that walks through the door,” he said. “A resume is not a historical document if it’s done right. That is the difference from being a job applicant and being an employee.”
Anders alo suggests making your online image consistent with your professional image.
Create contacts using websites like LinkedIn and Facebook, and let friends know you are interested in their line of work. Anders said often times its not who you know – but who knows you.