Free Resume Advice For Job Seekers

When I lecture to audiences on job market skills (specifically on resume development and cover letter creation), I always outline specific key principles (along with the key factors as outlined in my previous blog) to think about and apply in the initial formulation stages and throughout the resume development process. These key principles are essential tools in laying the foundations in creating a winning marketing document. Resume writing is not a difficult process; however, it is an ‘art form’ so to speak. This ‘art form’ comes in the process of learning how to apply concise, high impact writing techniques in a consistent manner throughout the document.

You need to apply the ‘KISS-S Principle’: keep it simple, keep it succinct, and keep it smart!

Firstly, keeping it simple means using language that is easy to understand. You must write your resume and cover letter for the broader job market so that anyone reading your documents (regardless of profession, trade or industry) can understand them. Do not use any jargon or technical terms unless you are applying for a position in a trade or profession that uses them and where it may be beneficial to incorporate such terminology. Importantly, your resume and cover letter must be absolutely free of any spelling, punctuation, grammatical and typographical errors.

Secondly, keeping it succinct means the content must be distinct and concise; the key is brevity and the aim is to save the reader time. You must keep sentences short and to the point, write only pertinent information and do not waffle. If you find in the drafting process that a single sentence extends to 3-4 lines, take it back to the drawing board, rewrite and break the sentence down into 2 or 3 shorter sentences. Shorter, sharper sentences makes for better retention on the part of the reader; less chance of the reader losing concentration; and short sentences pack a punch.

Thirdly, keeping it smart is all about the visual presentation. Your resume must look interesting and visually appealing at the very first glance. When designing the first page of your resume think in ‘letterhead style’. Do away with the cover page, this is a worthless piece of paper and tells the reader nothing. You want to present the vital information on the first page in a visually appealing format. That first page should ‘jump’. Create your resume in a certain style and maintain the layout throughout the subsequent pages. Aim for consistency, not doing so can be distracting for the reader. For example, do not go changing font styles throughout the document, if you are using times new roman 12pt font on the first page then use the same font throughout; if you have left-justified your section titles/headings on the first page ensure you keep them justified in this manner on subsequent pages. Key titles or section headings can do a lot for the document both from a visual and from a content standpoint. Each title should make a commanding statement. Importantly, sectioning your resume will reflect structure and present a well organised image, not just of the document but of yourself. After all, this is the first impression the reader will see of you!

When developing your resume and cover letter, ensure you pay attention to these principles. Guaranteed, you will find the process easier as it goes along, and it will also make the updating process effortless.

Remember, it’s all about marketing you!

Cheers,

Annie Cerone

When I lecture to audiences on job market skills (specifically on resume development and cover letter creation), I always outline specific key factors to think about and apply in the initial formulation stages and throughout the resume development process. These key factors are essential tools in laying the foundations in creating a winning marketing document. Resume writing is not a difficult process; however, it is an ‘art form’ so to speak. This ‘art form’ comes in the process of learning how to apply concise, high impact writing techniques in a consistent manner throughout the document.

You need to alter your mind set and think in terms of the ‘3-factor think tank’: think objectively, think laterally, and think quality!

Firstly, by thinking objectively, you should be thinking in third person when writing your resume and cover letter. As you are developing your resume and letter you will be undergoing a lot of internal dialogue – asking yourself questions about what you have done, what you have achieved, what skills you have developed, and so forth. Ask yourself these necessary questions in third person, in other words, remove the ‘I’ from the equation and instead replace it with your name. By doing this, you will find a subtle shift in the mindset, like you are thinking about somebody else instead of yourself. The majority of people find it way easier to write positive things about somebody else rather than themselves.

Secondly, by thinking laterally, you need to think in terms of the skills you have developed both in and out of work situations. For example, skills you have attained and developed whilst studying or attending training courses, in paid employment, in volunteer or community involvement, and so forth.

Thirdly, by thinking quality, you must think in terms of the quality of the written content, not the quantity. A two-page concisely written resume can blow a 5-page resume right out of the water. Do not stress if you do not think you have produced enough content. Concentrate on the content you do have. When writing your cover letter, never exceed one page unless specifically requested. The word quantity should not exist in your vocabulary.

When developing your resume and cover letter, ensure you pay attention to these factors. Guaranteed, you will find the process easier as it goes along, and it will also make the updating process effortless.

Remember, it’s all about marketing you!

Cheers,

Annie Cerone

Over the past few months I have had an increasing number of clients who have consulted with me on their desire to work overseas especially in Dubai. The attraction is increasing and why not, the opportunity on my levels would be rewarding, however long you wish to reside and work in Dubai. Expatriates are enjoying a totally new lifestyle with a wide range of career opportunities with tax-free and well paying salaries. Other perks may include your accommodation, healthcare and transport costs all paid for by your employer. From a career development perspective, working overseas will provide you with the experience of a broader market and as a result you will be highly regarded in the job market upon your return to Australia. To work in Dubai you will need a work permit and a residency visa, which your employer will arrange once you have managed to secure the position.

According to the latest figures from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, some 900,000 Australians are living and working overseas at any given time and this number is only going to increase. The UK still remains one of the most popular destinations with Dubai’s popularity increasing exponentially.

Here are a couple of links that can help you get started:

Jobs in Dubai (http://www.jobsindubai.com/) – specialise in e-recruitment for job seekers around the world looking for employment in the Middle East. For around $100, they enable you to create a profile, along with your resume, which will be made available to over 500 registered employers.

TeleportMyJob.com (http://www.teleportmyjob.com/dubaigoxaec.aspx?ref=g1a) – in just a few brief minutes you complete a brief and free registration and instantly send your details through their network.

All the best!

Cheers,

Annie Cerone

Motivation is a complex thing. Why are some of us more motivated than others? Some of us are born with a natural motivational streak; others need a little push and guidance; and some individuals have no motivation what so ever (I know a few of these people). Motivation is driven by both intrinsic and external factors. I myself belong in the category of individuals who was born with a strong motivational urge. That said, I still make the time to read books that will further develop my motivational skills. The key is not just to read or attend training seminars on motivation; it is important that one follows through and APPLIES the knowledge and skills learnt. The following books are a few that I have recently read over the last couple of months and I highly recommend that you do the same:

‘The 80/20 Principle: The Secret of Achieving More with Less’ by Richard Koch

This is an excellent book demonstrating how 80% of results flow from just 20% of causes and outlines how to think and apply 80/20. The principle can be applied to your business, your career, your money, and your life in general. I’ve started applying the techniques and take it from me, it works!

‘The Magic of Thinking Big’ by David J Schwartz, Ph.D

This book shows how to acquire the secrets of success and achieve everything you’ve always wanted in diverse areas such as the ideal job, financial security, power and influence, property, satisfying relationships, and a rewarding and enjoyable life.

‘The Psychology of Winning’ by Denis Waitley

This book outlines in depth the 10 qualities of a total winner with each chapter covering positivity in specific areas including: self-awareness, self-esteem, self-control, self-motivation, self-expectancy, self-image, self-direction, self-discipline, self-dimension, and self-projection.

 ‘The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment’ by Eckhart Tolle

For those of you who appreciate and believe in the spiritual dimension, this book is a must to read. It shows how to leave your analytical mind and its false created self, the ego, behind. What you learn in this book can be applied to every sphere of your life including your work and career.

‘The Road Less Traveled’ by M. Scott Peck, M.D.

This book has been a best seller for many years and demonstrates how one can grow (from a conscious, sub-conscious and spiritual perspective) to achieve greatness in life and to break through the barriers that consistently hold us back in many facets of our life.

Enjoy the reading!

Cheers,

Annie Cerone

What percentage of the Australian working population do you think are satisfied with their jobs? Here’s what the latest figures show provided by CMyPeople/Galaxy Research in 2008.

1. Working Australians totaling 2.2 million are generally dissatisfied in their chosen job, career or profession. Now, I don’t need to tell you that this is a huge chunk of the Australian working population.

2. More than half of Australian workers did not plan their careers but instead fell into them. This most likely is a leading factor toward general dissatisfaction in one’s job career or profession, hence the statistics in the previous point.

3. Almost two-thirds of the Australian workforce are considering a new job or career. Power to these individuals, it is never too late to make a change! You just have to look at the amount of mature-age individuals attending university degrees. When I was undertaking my Psychology degree a few years back, the mature aged individuals outnumbered those fresh out of high school. In fact, it was not unusual to see students aged well over 45 years of age and I witnessed this across other programs including the Arts, Education and Business just to name a few.

4. Australian workers totaling 75% complain of being pigeonholed by employers because of their present jobs. To ensure that this does not continue, work on developing your resume to show transferability of skills and diversity. I’ll be devoting an entire blog in the next week or so covering this particular area in depth.

5. Of the 25% of Australian workers who actively plan their careers or professions, over 80% were satisfied with their current jobs. For those of you who are dissatisfied, it may be a worthwhile investment in seeking the services of a business which offers specialised career and competency assessment tools. These tools are an objective (and scientifically validated) guide and may help to steer you in the right direction; and provide you with the motivation and desire to embrace change and to simply go for it. Remember to look at change as a positive; you never know the fruits that lie ahead especially when embracing something new.

I’m here to help market you in the best possible way!

Cheers,

Annie Cerone

It is becoming more common in many government organisations to follow the Leadership Framework when addressing selection criteria. The following outline provides you with several helpful prompts and guidelines when faced with addressing this type of selection criteria. Please note that each job application will most likely provide you with a different set of guidelines. Below is a specific example of a Leadership Framework used to address selection criteria for one of my previous clients. I have included it merely as a guide to demonstrate what it involves and assist in your lateral thinking processes.

1. Contributes to strategic thinking:
Describe a situation that demonstrates your ability to anticipate and do something about a problem that will likely arise in future. In your answer address the following: What was the situation and what was your role? What were the potential problems? How did you become aware of it? What did you do once you became aware of the problem? What was the effect of what you did?                         

2. Achieves results:

Provide an example of a time that demonstrates your commitment to achieving good outcomes for clients. In your answer address the following: What was the situation? What sort of clients were you dealing with? What sort of client needs were you trying to address? What steps did you take to achieve good outcomes for the clients involved? How did clients respond to the action you took? What was the outcome? What effect did your actions have on the outcomes that clients received?                         

3. Supports productive working relationships:

Provide an example that demonstrates your ability to maintain productive working relationships with internal or external clients by engaging in open communication and collaboration. In your answer address the following: What was the situation and what role were you performing? Who were the clients involved? What strategies did you use to ensure that you were open in your communication and that you created an environment of collaboration? What was the response of the clients and were you successful in meeting their needs?                        

4. Displays personal drive and integrity:

Describe a situation in which you have demonstrated your capacity to be resilient to difficult circumstances at work. In your answer address the following: What was the situation? What role were you performing? What were the circumstances at work? Why were they difficult? In what ways were you resilient to these circumstances? What was the outcome? How did your capacity to be resilient impact on your approach to the difficult circumstances?                               

5. Communicates with influence:

Describe an example of a time when you had to translate or interpret technical information for an audience that was unfamiliar with this material. In your answer address the following: What was your role? What was the nature of the information you needed to communicate? In what form did you need to communicate it? Which features of the audience did you need to consider in tailoring your communication to suit them? What steps did you take to ensure that your audience understood your material?  What was the outcome? What effect did your communication have on your audience’s level of understanding?                               

6. Demonstrates professional or technical proficiency:

Describe a situation in which you have drawn upon your specialist or technical knowledge to propose a new or innovative idea in your work area. In your answer address the following: What was the situation? What role were you performing? What specialist or technical knowledge did you draw upon? How did your specialist or technical knowledge help you identify a new or innovative idea? What was the outcome? What impact did your proposal have on your work area?

Remember, I’m here to help market you in the best possible manner.

Cheers,

Annie Cerone