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The Top 5 Things You Should Never Put on Your Resume

August 20, 2023 by Guest Post Leave a Comment

A sheet of paper with the title My Resume, a pen, and a laptop.

Whether you’re at the beginning of your career or stuck in a dead-end job, you should know that your resume is your calling to find your dream job. It’s the first impression you make on potential employers. However, there are certain things you should never put on your resume, as they could hinder your chances of securing that coveted position. This post will explore the top five resume blunders to avoid, offering detailed explanations and examples. Plus, we’re not stopping there—we’ll also equip you with five additional tips to help you get your dream job. So, let’s dive in and ensure your path to success remains obstacle-free!

No. 1 Irrelevant Hobbies and Personal Information Are Things You Should Never Put on Your Resume

Your passion for rock climbing or cooking exotic dishes might make for intriguing conversations. Still, unless you’re vying for a position as a chef or a mountain guide, these hobbies could be better left off your resume. Recruiters are primarily interested in your professional skills and qualifications that align with the job you’re seeking. Furthermore, avoid including personal information like age, marital status, or a headshot. Keep the focus on what truly matters.

For instance, if you’re applying for a project management role, emphasize your experience coordinating cross-functional teams and delivering successful outcomes. Highlight how these skills make you an ideal candidate rather than delving into your weekend photography escapades.

No. 2 Outdated or Unrelated Work Experience

While it’s tempting to showcase every job you’ve held since high school, including unrelated positions can clutter your resume and distract from your relevant experiences. Therefore, you should consider how recruiters think. Suppose you’re aiming for a data analysis role. In this case, recruiters will have no interest in your stint as a lifeguard a decade ago. Instead, tailor your resume to spotlight recent and pertinent experiences that directly relate to the job you’re aiming for.

For example, if you’re pursuing a marketing role, prioritize your recent internships with marketing agencies or social media management over detailing your part-time work as a retail cashier during college.

No. 3 Generic Objective Statements

Gone are the days of generic objective statements expressing your desire for employment. Modern employers are looking for candidates who can demonstrate the value they bring to the table. Instead of a vague statement like “Seeking a challenging position in a dynamic company,” craft a compelling professional summary that succinctly showcases your skills and what you can contribute to the organization.

In contrast to saying you’re “looking for a job in the area,” transform it into “Experienced graphic designer with a passion for creating captivating visuals that drive brand engagement and boost ROI.”

No. 4 Overloading with Buzzwords

While industry-specific terminology is crucial to showcase your familiarity with the field, an overabundance of buzzwords can hinder communication. A resume inundated with jargon might be inauthentic and could lead to misunderstandings. Opt for clear, concise language that accurately portrays your achievements and skills without overwhelming the reader.

Instead of presenting yourself as a “results-oriented, customer-centric visionary,” describe how you streamlined customer service operations, resulting in a 30% increase in customer satisfaction scores.

No. 5 Negative Language or Gaps in Employment

Your resume is your marketing tool. So, avoid dwelling on negative experiences or framing employment gaps in a way that raises concerns. Highlight your achievements and growth rather than discuss why you left previous jobs. If questioned about employment gaps during an interview, provide a positive spin on how you dedicated time to enhancing your skill set.

For instance, instead of saying you took time off due to “personal issues,” explain how you pursued freelance projects and online courses to expand your skill repertoire during that period.

Additional Tips for Getting Your Dream Job

Tailor Your Resume for Each Application

Apart from avoiding the things you should never put on your resume, you should also make the extra effort to customize your resume for every application. Analyze the resume job description and incorporate keywords and phrases that directly mirror the role’s requirements. That demonstrates your attention to detail and increases your chances of passing through automated applicant tracking systems.

Network Like a Pro

Networking is a powerful tool in the job-hunting process. Attend industry-related events, workshops, and seminars to connect with professionals who share your passions. Engaging with peers and industry leaders can uncover hidden job opportunities and provide valuable insights.

Craft a Standout Cover Letter

Your cover letter is your chance to showcase your personality and enthusiasm. While your resume outlines your skills and experience, your cover letter should explain why you’re a perfect fit for the company’s culture and the role’s responsibilities. Highlight your passion for the position and how your expertise aligns with the company’s goals.

Leverage Online Platforms

Embrace the digital era using online job search engines, company websites, and professional networking platforms like LinkedIn. Moreover, you should know that LinkedIn resume and job search hacks can take your profile to the next level. Create a comprehensive online profile that showcases your skills, accomplishments, and aspirations. Engage with relevant content and connect with professionals in your industry to increase your visibility. This proactive approach enhances your chances of being noticed by recruiters and potential employers who frequent these platforms.

Consider a Relocation

Unfortunately, you can’t always find your dream job nearby. Therefore, you should be flexible and consider relocation if your home town lacks the job opportunities you seek. For instance, moving to San Francisco for work is a great idea. This vibrant and innovative city is best known as the home of tech giants like Google and Facebook. Therefore, if you’re tech-savvy and looking for a job in the SF area, you’re in luck. Nevertheless, keep in mind that the competition is fierce. Therefore, some of the best tips for job seekers are to research the companies in the area, network, and make connections.

Conclusion

As you embark on your journey to secure your dream job, remember that your resume is your ultimate marketing tool. You’ll present yourself as a polished and desirable candidate by avoiding these five things you should never put on your resume. Customizing your resume, networking strategically, and leveraging online platforms will further elevate your chances. With these insights, you can impress potential employers and embark on a successful career path.

Finding Work While in Recovery

June 22, 2022 by Emma Grace Brown Leave a Comment

When you’re searching for that first job opportunity after a stint in recovery, you need to take it one day at a time. There’s plenty to do in the interim to keep a steady flow of income, you just have to be clever about finding those opportunities. You’ve worked at creating a new beginning, and have all the tools at your fingertips to navigate your emotions if you feel overwhelmed. There are a lot of jobs out there; you just have to put in the work. Here are some tips to get you started.

Creating an Appealing Resume

Your first step to finding work is to create a resume that stands out.

Use Canva. The free online graphic design program contains hundreds of modern resume templates that can be modified and downloaded as PDFs.
Hire a resume writer. A skilled resume writer like Mike McRitchie can customize your resume to make sure it’s industry-specific.
Contact a job agency. A local agency will have plenty of handy tips and hints about how to create the perfect resume. While you’re there, establish a relationship and get yourself on their books.

Part-Time Job Ideas

After your time in rehab, it’s essential to find work that feeds your soul and pays the bills. Don’t sign up for a job if it goes against the work you’ve done on yourself in recovery. Your recovery is—and always will be—your priority. Don’t take on anything you can’t handle, especially when you’re at the beginning of your recovery. Take into consideration that part-time work that fills the gaps can often lead to new career interests and your first major job opportunity.

These part-time gigs usually pay well and might be a good place to start:

House sitting. Contact friends and family or look on notice boards for house-sitting jobs. Some people have made a career of house sitting.
Dog walking. If you’re an animal lover, consider dog walking. Animals have a naturally therapeutic effect and teach humans about responsibility.
Counseling. With your experience in rehab and understanding of common struggles, consider helping others find their way.
Online teacher. There’s a number of free TEFL courses online that will qualify you for becoming an online English teacher and most sites that offer them feature job boards.
Content writer. If you have a passion for writing, then consider becoming a freelance content writer. You can create a profile on one of the several reliable writing platforms out there, and search the job boards for work.
Teacher’s assistant. Consider completing your 10-month college program to become a teacher’s aide. This is a great entry into the field of teaching if that’s a path you’d like to follow.
Transcription services. If you have plenty of writing and editing skills, plus a good headset and computer, you can get paid to translate audio files into text.

Start Your Own Business

It’s not as tough as you think! All you need is some dedication and hard work. To get started, research your target market, choose a business name and structure, and determine your funding needs.

Take advantage of helpful tools and software. For example, if you’re in the construction industry, cloud construction software can help you manage your jobs, payroll, and finances. Look for software that also allows you to categorize income and expense reports so you can gain insights into your business’s financial health.

Seeking New Opportunities

As you search for work, be open to new ideas and opportunities. Always be mindful that sometimes what you want is not what you need. Keep pushing and trying, and don’t close any doors. Do your research before interviewing with potential employers or job agencies, and you’ll be back on top in no time.

4 Easy Jobs for Stay-at-Home Moms to Make Good Money

May 19, 2022 by Diana Smith Leave a Comment

Devoting yourself being a full-time mom may seem simple to some, but definitely not to those who’ve actually done or are doing it. It can be extremely demanding, physically and mentally, just as any other permanent job. However, this one doesn’t really get paid, which can make finances one of the biggest problems for stay-at-home moms. This is why they often look for ways to be even more productive and make some extra money while taking care of their little ones. In case this is something you’re interested in, but you don’t really know what it is that you could do to contribute to your family’s budget, here are some excellent suggestions to inspire you.

Give Tutoring a Try

If you’ve had some training to be a teacher, or your schooling has made you proficient in a subject, you might want to start tutoring. This is a great job for stay-at-home moms, as it pays well and gives you plenty of flexibility. Namely, you choose how many lessons you give each day or week, as well as when you give them and what level of knowledge students you give them to. In addition, even though you have the option of inviting students into your home for face-to-face lessons, you can also use your computer and do all of your tutoring online. There is a plethora of platforms out there to connect you with students from around the globe, which means that there’s a big enough market on the web for you to find as many students as you’d like.

Take Care of People’s Pets

You and your kids love animals and you wouldn’t mind several of them in and around your home every day? Pet sitting is the ideal type of work for you, then. First of all, you should know that you it’s perfectly fine if you only say yes to certain breeds, depending on their size and personality. Plus, this isn’t something that you have to commit to on a daily level. You can do this occasionally and for as long as you deem it fit. This is especially practical if you have a fair-sized garden. In such case, all you need is some quality chain mesh fencing, which is quite a popular fencing solution. This is because this is a durable and cost-effective type of fencing, which secures your home, your kids, as well as any dog or dogs that you take care of, since most animals will love being outdoors all day long. The pets can stay with you during the day or the night, or even for days at a time, if you’re sitting for people who are traveling. The range of opportunities is wide here and it’s up to you to make the best of it.

Consider Being a Freelance Writer

Those who are good with words and enjoy writing can fill in the gaps in their budget by becoming a freelance writer. If you do some basic online research, you’ll soon learn that you can pick your niche to be as specific as you’d like it and write about things that you are familiar with, with your articles published on various websites and magazines. From bloggers to advertisement agencies to all sorts of companies, copywriting is highly appreciated and profitable. The best thing about it is that you can write within a volume that suits you and you can do it while your kids are asleep or busy playing. Even if you get interrupted while writing, it’s not something that will cost you your clients, being that you can continue with the writing after you’ve taken care of your kids’ needs.

Sell Your Craftwork

A combination of creativity and a bit of free time can be turned into a successful business, as there are always people out there who’d just love to have what you’re making. Whether you’re into crocheting, knitting, sewing or making jewelry, you can create beautiful things when you find the time for it and then sell them on the internet. Homemade items are valued by many and there are some extremely popular online marketplaces where you can proudly display your work, sit back and wait till the orders start pouring in. These marketplaces might charge you a small fee for anything that you sell, but the number of active buyers on these websites is enormous, which makes it more likely that somebody will notice what you’re offering, purchase it and recommend you to other buyers.

Taking care of your children may not leave you with enough time for a traditional job, but these ones can provide you with a cash flow you need to improve your financial status, without taking a huge toll on the time you spend with your little ones. All it takes is some good will to start and, in no time, you’ll figure out which one of these options works best for you and your family.

3 Proven Ways to Make Money Online

February 20, 2022 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

Even with thousands of people around the world earning a living online, many people still seem to think that it’s all a scam. And we can partly blame the rich quick schemes we see popping every day online and offline for that. With that being said, making money online is very possible as long as you stay realistic, know what works and what doesn’t, and execute it properly. You also have to be ready to spend your time, money, and energy. Here are some of the top proven ways to make an income online.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is when you partner up with a company and get paid for referrals. You will usually do this by showing people a link or a banner or button with your affiliate link embedded in it. A cookie will then be installed on the person’s computer to identify you and you’ll get a commission if they make a purchase.

There are tons of different ways that you can advertise affiliate offers, but one of the most powerful ones is to set up an email capture page and get people to subscribe to your list. You can then send a combination of promotional and non-promotional material through email in the hopes that they’ll buy some of the products you recommend.

Another common way to make money through affiliate marketing is to set up a review site for a specific type of product. You can then rank different products in that category with embedded affiliate links so you can earn a commission if they decide to buy any product you review.

If you want to get good at affiliate marketing, however, you must be willing to learn. If you’re looking for a great resource to learn the ins and outs of affiliate marketing, YourTopBlog is a good place to start. They are a great place for anyone who wants to know how to make money online through affiliate marketing and other common methods. They also have a few guides to walk you through exactly what you’ll need to learn and do to start a successful online business.

Offering a Service

Selling services is probably the fastest way to start earning money online. You could sell anything from content writing to graphic design, website design, or virtual assistant services online. Or you could sell things like transcription or voiceover work, for instance. There are so many services that you can sell and places that you can sell them on. You can visit sites like ProBlogger, Freelancer, or Fiverr and start posting gigs or applying for jobs right away. There are also paid job boards with less competition but they will usually have more stringent requirements.

Dropshipping

Dropshipping allows you to sell products without holding inventory. This is done by using images of products to set up websites or listings on eCommerce sites and have the supplier ship the item directly to your customers or a fulfilment centre.

Dropshipping can be a great way to get started with eCommerce, but you should be aware of some of the drawbacks. First of all, returns can be a pain to deal with, and they will start eating into your margins. Second, you will be at the mercy of the suppliers you’ll be working with, and they’ll often be overseas, so settling issues could become difficult. But, besides that, dropshipping allows you to start with a low initial investment and it could be a good way to learn how to run an online business.

These are all real and time-tested ways to earn money online. If any of them pique your interest, we suggest you give them a try and start small so that you don’t end up burning yourself.

Diversity in Hiring Practices Leads to a Larger Talent Pool

January 24, 2022 by Guest Post Leave a Comment

Having a diverse workforce gives your business greater breadth and width of talent, life experience, and knowledge. It also demonstrates your company’s commitment to embracing diversity and ensuring your workforce is reflective of the communities you serve. Mike McRitchie explains that one way to help you cultivate a multifaceted staff is to change the way you recruit and hire candidates.

Write Detailed Job Descriptions

While it’s always a good business practice to craft individual job descriptions that outline position requirements, skills, and responsibilities, according to the Development Guild, you can also use the description to promote diversity in hiring. For example, inclusive language can open the door to a wider range of prospects. Focus on character and personality traits as well as experience levels and education; include a corporate statement that notes a commitment to inclusivity and diversity in hiring; and make a notation in which you directly state that you do not discriminate on the basis of age, sexual orientation or identity, race, or religious affiliation.

Conduct Targeted Outreach

If you’re committed to hiring a diverse workforce, conduct direct outreach. For example, when you have a job opening, send the listing and the job description to organizations that represent various demographics. For example, you might reach out to local senior centers or your community’s branch of the Veterans Administration to let them know you’re hiring. A direct appeal will signal that you’re proactively looking to hire from a diverse pool of applicants.

According to Tech Funnel, you can also encourage your existing staff to aid in the effort by forwarding job postings to others in their networks who may be good candidates. One way to have a diverse pool of workers is to consider hiring seniors for part-time jobs in your company, such as customer service reps, event workers, or delivery drivers. Many individuals need a way to supplement their retirement income, and they have years of experience that will be valuable to your company.

Hire Locally From Job Boards

While it might be easier to use a national job search registry when you need to hire, working on a local basis gives you more control over reviewing and selecting hires on an individual basis rather than an algorithm. You’ll also be supporting the local economy, and in the case of hiring freelancers, you can ensure you’re narrowing your focus and hiring the most well-qualified people for various projects. In addition, hiring locally through a recruiting agency means you can meet prospects in person, and even have them work on-site as needed.

Offer In-House Training

You can create more diversity in the workplace by being open to training people who might not have the skill sets you need, like those who are coming out of retirement, have been out of the workforce awhile, or who might be transitioning from a military career. This could include training on software applications, project management apps, or specialized equipment. This can also be done via mentoring, job shadowing, and on-the-job training. Not only will you be providing professional development opportunities, you’ll likely gain loyalty and longevity of employment.

Make Your Workplace More Accessible

Make sure your workplace is fully compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act. This might include having accessible workspaces, common areas, and restroom facilities. Be open to making special accommodations for employees based on need. For example, differently-abled workers might need assistance in the form of voice-activated equipment, magnifying features, or other special needs devices. Also, look for ways to make the workspace friendly to service and emotional support animals.

Having a workforce that’s composed of people from all walks of life, all ability levels, and all ages, races, and backgrounds can give you an exceptional advantage. Not only will you be viewed as a shining example of diversity in a professional setting, you’ll also demonstrate to customers your efforts to hire staff members representative of your diverse clientele. People appreciate seeing themselves reflected in business and commercial settings, and you could very well boost your existing business through these efforts.

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Mike McRitchie helps achievers who are feeling stuck uncover and share their accomplishments so they can move to the next level in their business or career, whether you need help recrafting your résumé or LinkedIn profile, or job search guidance. Reach out for more info today! 425-760-9835