Resume Tips and Career Advice

Chances are you know someone who is in sales. If they are currently in sales and not looking for a new job the odds are that this person must be pretty good at their job since they have not been fired, laid off, or quit because the work has become overwhelming. After all, someone has to pick up the slack for others as their fates are handed out in the job market. Nevertheless, I am sure if you asked that person what their approach to success is you would most definitely hear that following up, keeping in touch, and sealing the deal have been key. As much as it has annoyed me I still remember the salesmen who have called to check on my search and see if they could still help me out.

You've read the blogs, you've commented, you check back weekly, but there still seems to be a burning question that you haven't seen addressed yet. I am sure our readers all have unique situations that have effected their job search, career, and/or unemployment and now is your chance to get your questions answered.

What is happening in your job search that has prevented you from attaining suitable employment? What kind of crazy stories do you have? Feel free to submit your questions to the comments section of this blog post or to email Emurse directly for help. We will take the best questions that are universally accepted across most job searches and answer them for you here.

Examples of some good questions would be the following:

• Should I include references on my resume?
• When promotion times rolls around what is the best way to ask for a promotion? How much should I expect for a raise?
• When is is appropriate to bring up the salary negotiation in the interview process?
• How can I mange a long distance job search if I plan on re-locating?
• I have background "A" and want to do job "B", how do I transition?

Feel free to post your responses here and we will answer the best ones on a future blog.

As children we were always asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Generally our responses were geared around something we loved.... a creative child would choose an artistic career, an animal lover wants to be a veterinarian, an adventurist wants to be a pilot (and I am sure some of you know kids who should be lawyers based on talking back and arguing). Nevertheless, things change over time including priorities, interests, education, and the ability to find a job doing what you love. One aspect that has gained popularity during the recession we have been faced with has been finding a job with stability.

A recent article from the US News and World Report list the following as the most secure seven jobs in today's economy:

• EMT (Emergeny Medical Technician) Despite having people's lives in their hands on a daily basis the U.S. median wage is less than $10/hr, and some earn as little as $8-something.
• Pharmacy Tech Gathering patient information, sorting pills, and assisting pharmacists doesn't pay as well as you'd think: try an average of $9.93 with a bottom of only $7.88/hr.
• CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) CNA's are responsible for the care and safety of people in need. It's a physically demanding, thankless job that pays less than $10/hr (average $9.81, low end $8.12).
• Preschool Teacher They're responsible for teaching your kids, keeping them safe, and having the unlimited patience it requires to deal with bunches of them running around all day. All that for as little as $8.19/hr and an average of $10.50.
  
• Lifeguard They have to both be ready and have the skills to swim out and save someone's life at a moment's notice -- resuscitation and all. Not to mention they often play referee keeping everybody safe around the pool or lake all day while doing it. The pay for that kind of pressure? As little as $7-8 per hour.

I recently came across this article on Yahoo.com describing the many reason why your resume gets tossed from the "might use" to the "never use" pile. There are some good tips in this article that touch on the following:

• If accomplishments can be quantified, do it -- but use discretion
• If you send a cover letter by email that starts with 'Hi,' it and your resume will probably end up in the trash.
• It's true that recruiters sometimes use scanners to sort through resumes looking for certain keywords.
• If you mention your age, we have to trash your resume.
• When recruiters see a resume that's designed differently, they think the person's trying to hide something.

Severance, as defined by the American Heritage Dictionary is: "The state or condition of being severed or separated, as in the ending of a relationship." Nevertheless, as most of us know the definition, it is a company benefit, a parting gift, something to walk away with, and better than a watch at retirement (generally). However, unlike retirement, no matter what your pockets are loaded with when you leave that job you are still going to be left looking for a new job in a tough market.

• #1: Customize your resume and pitch to each interview.
• #2: Focus more on results and a little less on skills and responsibilities.
• #3: Get the inside track, meaning make a point to find out and understand the company's culture, focuses, and needs before you apply and interview (so you can better do #1!).
• #4: Make a great first impression by dressing the part and having a positive, powerful presence.