If you think that personnel hiring managers go through preliminary scans of incoming resumes to find the most qualified, think again! Here’s a funny thing about the initial resume scanning – the purpose is actually to narrow down the list and hiring managers do it to look for plausible reasons to strike out names and short list the candidates. You’re probably unaware of this; but job hopping is one of the foremost reasons for getting eliminated from the competition. That’s right; employers are still looking for some indications that the person they eventually hire is going to be a “loyal” staff.

So if you have been jumping from… Read More

For some, employment interview is always a nerve wracking experience. After college I have attended several job interview invitations from different types of companies. I always wondered how can applicants impress a hiring manager or how can you convince them that you’re the ONE. There are some instances that the interview would only last for five minutes and then you will see a similar face that an interviewer would make. You will see them thinking of something else. End of the story, the manager is bored. Naturally, to be the perfect “ONE” that a hiring manager is looking for depends on needs of the company and your capacity to provide… Read More

Although presenting an A-list resume and sending a winning application letter is standard procedure in the guidebook to getting the job, the invention of globalization brings bigger monsters to slay when it comes to job application.

The monster in question is of course... the internet. It is no longer surprising to find out your would-be employers have been stalking you on Twitter, MySpace AND Facebook. Nor should it be surprising when they decide against hiring you because you advertise your insecurities on your terribly search-engine-friendly blog.

Before you decide to delete every single trace of yourself online, think about improving… Read More

A lot of people who are miserable with their careers but lack the drive to change courses delude themselves with this famous – or infamous – line: “I do want to take on a new career path, but I can’t.” So they sit with the lame excuse and do nothing to alleviate their misery – less work and hassle, they must be thinking.

For people who prefer to bury themselves in career stagnation despite the feeling of discontent, it’s not really a case of “I can’t.” Most of the time what they actually mean is, “I want to embark on a career change, but not right now.” And if they allow it, “not right now” can easily turn into… Read More

Itching for a new career? Well, before you start dreaming of yourself in this new direction, overly excited and enthusiastic of the possibility, let me warn you that it’s not at all easy. Pardon me for bursting your bubble, but it’ll take a lot of effort to make that career change. But the good news is, it’s not impossible.

So if you’re contemplating on making this change then you better start working on it. Keep in mind that, a different career would most likely, if not completely, require skills or experience that you don’t possess. Quite frankly, no matter how brilliant your resume content shines, you won’t get past a system… Read More

Plain and simple: If you plan to leap from one industry to another or are a notorious job hopper, then personal branding is not for you. But if you plan to go on a certain direction in your career then personal branding is something you should look into.

This is not something that can be done overnight though. Instead it’s something you can build up starting today. So how do you this?

Well, think of a company brand that’s really popular these days. What characteristics do they have? It’s well known, consistent and reliable. Now how can you be all that? Simple, be an expert!

It just makes sense that most people would first consider… Read More

What if you come across a job opportunity that you’re really into but lack the matching job requirements? What should you do? You then browse through resume tips all over the internet only to find that most of them, if not all, would simply tell you to write about your excellence or expertise in that particular area. What if there’s none? Should you just give up then and let every golden opportunity pass? Ofcourse not!

This is the time when you need to introduce yourself to cover letters. Think about it, there are two reasons why a job opportunity would attract you. First is because you want it, the other is because someway somehow you… Read More

Having a gap in your work history can pose a problem to anyone aspiring for a new job. To the employer, it can be a huge question mark especially if it spans quite a few years. Don’t let this be a hindrance for getting your next job. It’s not a perfect world you know.

Sometimes life changing events may arise that can affect your life greatly causing you to leave your job. But don’t drown yourself in doubt because of this. Overcome gaps by addressing it. Plain and simple.

The best way? make sure you include a brief explanation in your cover letter as to why you were not working during a certain period, but only when it matters. If… Read More

I'll start this piece off with a simple fact: Your resume is one of the single most important documents you will ever have. You HAVE the time for it.

I have clients periodically tell me they just don't have the time that is why they want to hire a professional. But one client..... well he emailed first saying he didn't have the time to go thru my normal resume writing process (which takes only about 30 minutes) and that he was gonna hire me and just wanted to pay me extra to pull off info from his old resume and do it the best I could.

That blew my mind!

He didn't have the time? 30 minutes? He couldn't be bothered to work with me… Read More

I keep promoting the whole network idea and so many clients jut buck at the idea. Saying, well seriously, I am not good at speaking with people online and don't have the time for it; or well how am I possibly going to find someone in my area to network with.

I cannot believe with how much positive info out there about how to social network for a job that people aren't realizing this is the future. I think we need a dummies guide to networking for a job or something! It is just so FAR OUT of an idea for most for some reason.

My advice- always have a smashing resume on hand because you NEVER know where you will need it. Heck even the Barista… Read More