Articles - Page 235 of 258 - The Voice of Job Seekers

3 More Resources to Help Proofread Your Resume

Once again, I found additional resources to help anyone proofread his or her writing anything career related (or anything at all). Every communication leaves an impression these days and I hate to see people lose out on opportunities because spelling or grammar! So to help you proofread your resume, I scoured the web and found three more tools you can consider using.

Roadtogrammar.com

This site provides 365 categories of quizzes. Some of the categories are slightly redundant but this tool provides simple quizzes to help you with weaknesses in grammar.

I took the adverb test and scored 14 of 15. Some are more challenging than others, and while it doesn’t do the grammar check for you, a good way of reviving some of the basics learned in school and proofread your resume and other documents in the first draft. There are games and additional challenges to at least help you make a step forward improving your grammar.

Gingersoftware.com

This site is a diamond in the ruff in the scope of Internet tools. It is F-R-E-E.

I downloaded the software which works well with Word, Firefox, Chrome, and Outlook. I tried it with Word (I use 2010, but works with 2003) by entering part of this post. The Ginger box has a small box that appears at the top of the page that says F2 in green, which instructs you to highlight the sentence, paragraph, or complete paper and press F2. I chose a paragraph and Voila! The above graphic appears offering a corrected sentence.

This app does not detect the passive voice phrases. For casual notes, it wouldn’t matter, but for your résumé, too much passive voice makes you sound as if you avoid responsibility (Heeehe!). Just kidding. It’s not a good look.

For you bloggers out there using Windows Live…Sorry! It doesn’t work there but it will work with your Outlook. So if you are writing business letters or letters to employers, this will check your spelling and grammar. This is one of the best free proofreading tools I’ve tried so far.+ Add New Category

Interested in what I reviewed last fall? Here are the two articles I previously written you can check out:

Five Resources to Help Correct Resume Grammar Errors

Three More Resources to Help Correct Resume Grammar Errors Part 2

Spellboy.com

This site, unlike the others that I have reviewed, is strictly a spell check site with a couple of unique features. On the right, it has several sections that the first will check your blog (if you have one) for spelling errors. Of course, I had to try THIS BLOG and the search found 16 errors. Words like uncategorized, javascript, and jobseeker (which I purposely spell the way I do at times). Once I spelled attributes, a-t-r-r-i-b-u-t-e-s, but it does not say which article. I have 97 articles before today, no sleep loss tonight.

The other two interesting boxes feature that the app can be present on your iGoogle page or Chrome extension (by the way, all three apps mentioned today have Chrome extensions). The other suggests that it has a mobile app. I checked my Android phone, no luck.

Please let us know if it is on the iPhone in the comment section.

There is no excuse now to not proofread any written material you author. This will improve your personal brand, and hopefully, produce quality documents. Is this helpful information? What grammar or spelling challenges do you hope to overcome?

Please share in the comment section.

ZWRYVVCRBCEZ

by SandraTedford

Job Seeker, Are You Memorable?

image credit

Job seekers, it is about the work you do and the value others experience. This story is a powerful reminder of how you make people feel resonates the most. Years ago, I had an older friend named Gina who was a quite woman, modest dresser, and very dedicated to her family and friends. She cared about everyone in her life, and served them to no end. The children on her street respected Gina and her children. They looked up to her.

It wasn’t that Gina was a vocal person. In fact, you would never know who she was from any other mature woman. There were young men who flaunted bravado with their friends but became like children when they passed her by. I always wondered what made her tick.

I was friends with Gina’s daughter as well who had very high regards for her mother. So I know it wasn’t a show that Gina received the respect of a titan in her neighborhood.

Years later, when Gina passed away, something very unusual happened at her funeral. First, there were a lot of young people in attendance. Particularly teens, and young adult men and women.

They were all very late. Remember that.

The funeral started late as well. Although the service was long, it was compelling. Many people in attendance shared about Gina. The preacher was very passionate in his words. But then, an older woman came up and introduced herself as Gina’s boss. For some reason, the audience was very quite as she shared about Gina’s work.

1) Gina was never late in 20 years for work, and never called in sick

2) She was respectful and kind to everyone

3) There were times that she was told to go on vacation. She was very dedicated to her job and did it with 100% proficiency

4) Gina never lied or mask an error. Gina was the most trusted employee in the company

Gina’s boss also said something else that was stirring and memorable to the audience. She said (paraphrased),

“To all of the young people in attendance, I want to say that many of you have love for Gina and so much disrespect for yourselves. Gina loved you as she loved he daughters. She was your hero who left you an example for you to follow and emulate. You would have disappointed her as she taught you the value of time and loyalty.”

When Gina’s boss was finished, the crowd erupted. Who knew that Gina was a superstar at work?

Job seekers, will you be remembered like Gina?

Are you on time? Do others say you’re dedicated? Respectful? How are you remembered? Is there anyone tooting your horn for you?

If you have truly left a positive career mark, others will evangelize your personal brand for you. That is better than your résumé. To have others brag about you.

You might have that reputation where others would rave about you! Do you think having people rave about you would help your job search? Why? Why not? Please, comment below. Testify!

by Mark Anthony Dyson

Is Your Social Network Working?

Editor’s note: Sandra Tedford is a regular contributor and founder of WE Talk Today (@WETalkToday). She offers this article as a conviction of hers.

When it comes to making a career move, your online network is your most valuable asset to land your next dream job.

Chances are your connections are just well connected but have the power to help you land your next gig. Your online network is most likely connected to decision makers at companies or are the hiring managers who can help you move your career forward.

Leverage Your Network

Leveraging your online network is sometimes tricky. Sometimes friends either make the best advisors or the worst colleagues. You’ve heard the saying of “never hire a friend”. There’s some truth to the saying, however having friends at the office is invaluable. Your connections can give you the inside scoop on upcoming projects or job openings that may be a good fit for your skill set. Friends can also provide the skinny on the corporate culture and what I like to call “hidden networks” that often influence office politics. Sometimes business people have relationships that transcend the office setting. If you utilize your contacts wisely, they can help you navigate the complex terrain within that organization.

Working Your Network

Here are a few ways to work your online network

Like & Subscribe: Follow the interests of your connections by clicking “like” or subscribing to their page. Pay particularly close attention to organizations your contacts are involved in related to your industry.

Comment on Blogs: Show that you have something to offer by blogging. Blogging is a great way to provide your perspective about your industry. Start commenting on blogs written by people in your network.

Join Groups on LinkedIn: Join the discussion and provide valuable insight. By joining a group, you have the opportunity to increase your visibility in the community. Attend group member’s events offline to show your support. Ask former employers and colleagues for recommendations. Request recommendations from people you’ve worked with on volunteer projects as well. People within your network will see that you are a valuable contributor to any organization.

4. Share information: Notify your network of events and interesting news stories. Ask people in your network to reciprocate. People love getting and sharing information about events.

Staying plugged into your network online and increasing your exposure will give you an edge with those who the decision makers at the companies you’re interested in working.