Graphic Resumes that Stand Out

Consider carefully the impact your resume will make. Everyone is looking for a way to make their resume stand out in today’s job market. One way to do that is by giving your resume some visual appeal. The resume must however fit the intended audience, and professional expectations.

A graphical layout might not be for everyone, nor appropriate for every profession and industry. And if you don't have an artist's eye (or a favor to call in to a graphic designer), attempting something like this might not work out to your benefit.

But if you know what you're doing, and need a little inspiration, find 10 graphic resumes here.

Create a Personal Power Statement

In 30 Second Summaries and in Resumes, consider the power of words that describe a person's character, values, and skills perfectly. Creating a power statement is imperative for all persons at any level. Individuals need to be effective in communicating their strengths and accomplishments at any educational level. 

When presenting oneself to others, there is a need to present information to validate one's values, character, and skills in a powerful and succinct manner. 

This could be difficult without the guidance presented here.

Things to say in an interview

Your interview is usually your first (possibly only)  opportunity to present yourself.  You need to be able to effectively communicate your skill set and show the best competitive advantage to secure employment. 

During the interview process, you want to highlight as many of your strengths as possible. An easy way to do this is by slipping a few simple phrases into the job interview. 

Find seven things you should be ready to say in an interview here.

10 Internet free career self-assessment tools

What career best fits your personality? There are many career assessment tests that can provide you with a list of professions and occupations that fit your career 
personality. Choose a career that matches your preferences and you will increase your chances of being successful!

Understanding yourself is critical when choosing or changing your career. There 10 tests are all free online self-assessment tools you can readily use. Click here.

Networking for Introverts

You have probably heard you should spend some portion of your time networking. This includes even when you have job. So with networking being essential, now is the time to start.

You will most likely find yourself at an event of some kind event  (networking?) or mingling before the event starts (networking?). This is a natural opportunity for networking to take place.  For the recent college graduate,and for the unemployed, networking is really about any room you are in that contains other people too!

Some people are naturals at the art of networking while for others, perhaps the more shy or introverted among us, networking can be a stressful experience.

Find eight tips which will provide some help in relieving that stress here.

Assess your Career – Take a Short Test

Using questions about your preferences and attitudes, you can be associated with one of the 16 principal personality types. 

Conducting a personal career profile will give you insight into your individuality, outlining your strengths along with areas of relative weakness. It maps your behavioral style and core motivations to areas of work and patterns of work which best accommodate your individual make-up, giving you the  opportunity to reflect and make decisive choices on your working life and career.

The initial free analysis will give you an interesting picture of you as a person. Purchasing the  followup report is optional. Find the test here.

Part Time Employment from Home

The good news is a number of companies are looking for part-time workers -- and that number is expected to rise in the coming years. Nearly one in five workers is currently part-time, and by 2020 projected that will increase to 40%.

A firm that screens companies offering part-time opportunities has analyzed more than 40,000 companies offering part-time remote jobs in the first half of 2016 and come up with the top 35 to watch for such work.

Industries that topped the list include education, marketing and healthcare, travel and technology. Some of the more common part-time remote job titles are teacher, writer, speech pathologist, coder, interpreter, editor, and customer service representative.

See the 35 legitimate companies in the complete article here.

Negotiate a Higher Salary

Negotiating is a skill, and many people don't have much experience with it. However, negotiating can earn or save you more money in less time than just about any other method. 

Most job candidates do a poor job of negotiating for a higher salary, and some don't even realize that salary negotiation is an expected part of the interview process.

See 7 essential tips for negotiating a higher salary here

Ten Work at Home Jobs

Searching for jobs home-based work, used to be a matter of scanning the Sunday classifieds for offers to get rich quick by stuffing envelopes. Working from home is easier now because exposure to at-home opportunities has multiplied.

A wide variety of job ads are just a click away, but so are the scams. It is difficult to find a legitimate opportunity. With 4,500 to 5,000 work-at-home job ads posted weekly, the statistics find 60 phonies for every one that's for real

Let’s initially begin with the type of job that represents a true opportunity here.

Evaluate Your Job Offer

A job offer ? – Congratulations! You’re probably excited, but don’t let your excitement get in the way of evaluating the offer objectively.  Make sure that you fully understand the terms being offered to you before you accept it.

You seldom have the luxury of deciding on multiple offers.  Any offer usually requests a reply in just a few days. What other interviews do you have outstanding? Might you make a follow up call to determine the decision time-frame? Be sure to observe the offers specified deadline.

For five points to consider in accepting an offer see the entire article here.

Pivot Into a New Career

Are you stuck and asking yourself, “What’s next?” 

A career pivot is “doubling down on what is working, to make a purposeful shift in a new, related direction.” Pivoting, in this sense, is “an intentional, methodical process for nimbly navigating career changes.”

Everyone—regardless of age, career stage or bank account balance—can use the pivot method to get unstuck from a career plateau and get better at adapting to change. 

See questions and answers about Career Change here.

A Goal Without a Plan Is Just a Wish

We are the sum of our experiences and the habits we have developed. Some of these habits will dramatically influence your life. We have to be very careful in choosing our pursuits, because our habits make us. Cultivating specific habits will send you in the right direction. They’ll help you to lead a more meaningful and fulfilling life, whereby you cultivate the best within yourself. 

For 10 intentional habits that will dramatically influence your life see the complete article here.

Tips on Landing an Internship

If you are in college and hoping to use an internship to get your foot in the door of any industry, you are not alone. The competition can be intense, but there are certain things that you can do to enhance your chances of landing a position 

This article highlights some of the important considerations to check off the proverbial list before going after that internship. If you know the career path you want to take, get started as quickly as possible with an internship

Find some pointers from the financial industry that are also useful for other industry internships here.

Mistakes Older Job Seekers Make

If you are job hunting in your 50s your last resume probably won’t cut the current screening process. Your technical jargon, even your e-mail carrier can quickly date you. 

For 8 pointers ranging from your attitude through your resume content, see the material here.

Explore Careers for Women

Exploring careers for women provides a basis for making a selection among many popular options. Based on interests, summaries of a wide range of careers are available including the training and education necessary.

See the website here for an interactive exploration.

Build Your Career Network

The most effective method for finding a new job is through networking. Networking calls on a network of contacts and enlists their help in uncovering job leads.

The problem for many job-seekers is in the execution of networking. Job-seekers wonder, where do all these networking contacts come from — and how can I get people to be part of my network? The key point to remember is that networking is relationship-building. Your network consists of people you’ve met (either in person or online) — and you build your network by going out and meeting more people.

The question then becomes, how do I meet people to add to my network?  See 10 proven techniques for building your career network here.

Resume Action Words

Action Verbs and "power words" can provide your resume power and direction. When employed strategically throughout your resume, action verbs can help you resume stand out from the competition. 

Make sure to backup any assertion or claims you make in your resume with detailed experience that demonstrates your skill and ability. 

See a comprehensive list of action verbs to consider using in your resume and cover letters here.

Skills Job Seekers Need

When it comes to a job seeker’s skills/qualities, employers are looking for team players who can make decisions while solving  problems Employers who interview and hire new college graduates were asked to rank a job candidate’s desired skills and qualities. The highest ranked qualities previously listed are the first of 10 highly rated.

For the compete list see the article here.

Importance of Attending a Job Fair

Job fair events are popular in the eyes of both employers and potential employees. To aid the recruitment, application, and networking process, job fairs and training expos are usually held in significant urban job markets.  Typically they occur one or more a month. This is an ingenious way to meet the needs of both employers and potential employees to the benefit of both..

To find out exactly what a job fair is and how it benefits students and job seekers see the full article here.

Careers: Graduation vs Job Availability

The odds are that you will change careers several times during your working years. It then makes sense in career planning to gain skills that are transferable and select education targets that meet future opportunities. Do the research necessary to keep you career flexible and responsive to the job market.

For a discussion of the current career – opportunity picture, see the article here.