Articles - Page 188 of 258 - The Voice of Job Seekers

Color Your Resume, and the Importance of Soft Skills

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Lea McLeod (@LeaMcLeod) is the founder of Degrees of Transition, and a contributor to The Daily Muse who recently published a resume help book, The Resume Coloring Book. Lea has been featured on many major career sites such as, The Daily Muse, SmartBrief, and LifeHacker, and ABC News. Lea and her blog have been named, 80 Must Follow Twitter Accounts for 2014 (Career Sherpa), Top 50 Blogs for Young Careerists 2013 (YouTern.com), and Top People to Follow on Twitter March 2014 (The Guardian, UK).

In this episode, Lea and discuss:

Her book and how easy it is for anyone to write their resume as it is color coded
Lea shares some advice with soon-to-be-graduates and how to refine their brand
What are the challenges that young people have in their job search?
The importance of “informational interviews” and the way it builds the resume
Lea mentions a tool called Strengths Finder and how it helps her clients find their career strengths

David Nicola (@Capt_Careerist) is the first repeat guest on the podcast. Just recently, he shifted positions from Career Services Director at Laurus College in California to Career Development instructor at the same college. David is still as enthusiastic about his new position as he was in episode 12.

David and I discussed :

What employers were saying when he was in Career Services about what they desire out of candidates
The difference in preparation for careers at his institution compared to a four-year college or university
His approach in teaching his students the skills and providing the resources
How important it is for students to have career orientation and career development upon their arrival

Now that you made it this far in the show notes, you want to send out this tweet to have a chance to win Lea’s book, The Coloring Book Resume. I will randomly pick one winner by midnight, Sunday, April 6 and announce it via Twitter Monday, April 7:

Win a copy of @LeaMcLeod’s book, “The Resume Coloring Book ” @MarkADyson “The Voice of Job Seekers.”

Click To Tweet

I want to thank both Lea and David for appearing on the show. Both provided great value for listeners and hope to have them back. This episode should motivate you to start your job search on the right foot, and find out what employers value and apply that to your job search strategy.

by Mark Anthony Dyson

Why Has Your Spouse Lost Her Mind When You Lost Your Job

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When you get down to it, companies hire the spouse/partner/girlfriend/fiancee when they hire the individual. There is no question that the two for one deal is what companies get. There are two people making the decision, not just one.

How about when companies fire the employee? Don’t they fire the spouse, too? I think so. But one action will likely cause two actions, thus the problem that strains the relationship.

Here are the points I discuss:

Your spouse thinks you should have seen this job loss coming
You minimize the impact on the family
Either laid-off or fired, you dishonestly shared the circumstances of how it happened
You’re the one freaking out and scaring everyone
You lack updated and relevant skills to find the job in your career path
Your spouse knows that you’re lazy and lack the effort it takes
Both of you are unemployed
You won’t take on extra chores at home since you have the time
Money issues exploit the weaknesses

Although we like a peaceful home, if we are honest, we don’t do everything to keep the peace. For many job seekers, they understand the need to get the next job, but mis-judge how to get there. I am sure there are other reasons loved ones go CRAZY during job loss. Perhaps you would like to share or comment. You can leave me a voice mail by pressing the “Send Voicemail” button or leave a comment on the blog.

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by Mark Anthony Dyson

9 Ways Volunteering Can Shape Your Career

Volunteering is worth time and effort to advance in your career, or transition into a new one. The chance to choose the work environment and the time you wish to invest in your future is very popular and effective.

If you have doubt whether effort is worth it, then consider these reasons to volunteer:

1. Sharpen newly obtained skills

New certifications, diplomas, or degrees can increase benefitting the organization and costing you only time. There are times when the volume of opportunities will make a big difference in the continuing education of the user.

2. Make mistakes and learn from them

You can choose an environment that is slower and will tolerance trials and errors depending on the work. It even helps if you have a mentor who has time to monitor your progress and provide feedback.

3. Time to do something bold

Something you want to try? Volunteering can provide an opportunity to take a calculated risk. See #2.

4. Reveal weaknesses that can be strengthened

In my opinion, that is an element that many people are afraid to get past. We would like to ride out our strengths to the sunset, but the reality: We are afraid to grow and change.

5. Try new approaches to solving old problems

To some degree, everyone has to become a marketer in his or her career. When you change careers, you must market yourself in a way that shows that your old skills and attributes apply to your new career. Additionally, you must try new approaches to old problems. Volunteering provides that platform in a way that is not as costly, except for your time.

6. Build your resume

It has been proven that volunteering can great work experience, especially if you are piloting a new career path. This is a great opportunity for additional references, and to track improvement to show employers your abilities.

7. Networking

You’re not the only one who uses volunteering for the various reasons mentioned. It helps to know someone on the same journey, but not always a similar career path. For many job seekers who volunteer, the networking opportunities are worth the investment of time.

8. International experience

International work experience in any field is impressive and often it brings you new problems to solve. Mostly, it gives you a global perspective that is something that employers look for in candidates.

9. Document your journey for a blog or video

When you take others on your new journey with you, whether a blog or video, or even a training manual, it adds to your credibility. If you ask your place of service if you can video, many times they will say yes. These mdiums can bring recruiters and employers to you if you are willing to promote your blog even a little.