Articles

Whether you are an experienced professional seeking a senior position or a recent graduate in line for an entry-level position, bringing a list of references to an interview may help you secure that dream job. This article provides some tips on dealing with the many aspects of references.

If you have been speaking with a resume writer lately, you may already know that "Strategic Resumes" produce results. Rather than using a pre-determined template or formula, a professional resume writer will craft a one-of-a kind document. He or she will purposefully consider the inclusion and presentation of every word, phrase, sentence, and paragraph in your resume. You can take advantage of this effective writing technique yourself. Develop a powerful document that will rise to the top of a stack of resumes.

A prospective employer will spend less than 30 seconds reviewing your resume. You must keep it clear, concise and focused on selling yourself. Here are some secrets that you can use to develop a high-caliber resume that will effectively sell you.

Good News Job Seekers! According to Statistics Canada*, Canadian employment increased by 43,000 in January, pushing the unemployment rate down 0.1 percentage points to 8.3%, marking the fourth employment rise in six months. Within these numbers, Ontario employment was up by 30,000 in January, accounting for more than half of the employment gains.

As a Certified Professional Résumé Writer, over the years I have come across many tacky résumé tricks that candidates use in a misguided effort to stand out. Most recruiters are on to these gimmicks. When you use these tricks, you may appear desperate, or worse yet, dishonest. Avoid them because they do not work and are bound to fail.

Your resume is the first and far most important document towards getting the job that you want. Some recruiters receive literally hundreds of resumes per day and getting your resume to stand out among them can be challenging.

As a professional resume writer, clients come to me to prepare their resumes for a number of reasons:

• They've never prepared a resume before and don't know how
• They have neither the time nor the inclination to prepare their own resume
• They know they lack the writing and/or the computer skills to produce a professional resume
• They've tried it themselves, they're frustrated, and have finally given up

The resume has definitely evolved over the last two decades. There are both minor and radical changes that have crept into resume protocol, some of which have been written about by career experts but have not necessarily penetrated the mass market yet.

Resume styles and trends are constantly evolving. A resume that was effective in landing you a job back in the 90’s, isn’t effective for a 2015 job search. Here are 10 reasons why your resume won’t get you a job.

As principal resume strategist for Graham Management Group, I complete hundreds of complimentary assessments every month. On one particular day, I received requests for resume reviews from three experienced sales managers within half an hour of each other. Putting the resumes alongside each other, I noticed that all three were virtually identical. Other than the companies that they worked for, there was nothing to distinguish these highly qualified senior-level professionals. The structure, formatting, opening statement, and duties all looked like they came from the very same template. It was no surprise to learn that each of these individuals had been floundering in an unsuccessful search for months!