The Resume Hunter has come out of retirement to critique the resume of terror suspect Faisal Shahzad. Never meant to be taken personally, the advice doled out by our resident resume guru is designed so that the masses can learn from the mistakes of an individual. 1) Longer Than the Qur'an. No 30-year-old on the planet, or anyone for that matter, should have a three-page resume. In fact no one should probably go beyond two pages. 2) Career Highlights. This section rambles on like a missive from the Unabomber. I think anyone looking at this resume would agree that Faisal is claiming experience in far too many areas. "Good team player" and "results oriented" are a waste of text, not true “highlights,” and in this case, blatant lies.3) Attention to Detail. It’s the little things that kept that Pathfinder from blowing up and wreaking havoc in NYC, so thankfully for us, Mr. Shahzad was not bit on dotting his I’s … [Read more...] about A Terrorist's Resume Examined. Would You Have Hired Faisal?
What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?
Utilize That Fork in the Road to Decide I’ll start with a disclaimer - I’m not a career coach. I’m a psychotherapist and have counseled people about work-related issues, like stress, improving interactions with co-workers, etc. But my experience is in the clinical rather than the business sphere.Having had about a zillion jobs, I am somewhat of an expert on zigzagging career paths. A recent personal “fork in the road” has made me re-evaluate the type of work (besides writing, which I love, but doesn’t pay the bills yet) I might want to do. And since I won’t be able to retire until I’m 92, I’d like to explore some new, interesting work- something more than a paycheck, but maybe less than a “calling.” We’ve all heard career advice that says that you should think about what type of work you would do even if you weren’t getting paid. Starting there, my list would be:* Working around horses (I never did get … [Read more...] about What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?
How to Resign? Sample Resignation Letters at 25% Off
Since we know mom wants you to be happy, we're honoring her special day by offering you 25% off of The Exit Guide: How to Leave a Job the Right Way. This step-by-step guide equips you with everything you need to make a graceful exit from a job. You only have one chance to make a last impression, and the consequences are greater than you can image. For under $5, you get...* How to put in your two weeks notice* Resignation letter templates* Goodbye letter samples* Rules for the final two weeks* Reference letter template* Exit interview traps* A plan to stay calmBy now you know Jobacle is a career name you can trust, with over five years of no BS advice! The book is endorsed by many of the top names in the career advice game, so order now! Use code MOM before midnight ET on Sunday, May 9th and get 25% off! … [Read more...] about How to Resign? Sample Resignation Letters at 25% Off
5 Credit Risks That Could Keep You Unemployed
Does your credit impact your job performance? That’s the question many lawmakers are currently considering. Legislation has been introduced in California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii to put an end to employee credit checks. Federal legislation is also being considered. In the meantime, however, employers are allowed to check applicants credit files so long as they ask for permission. Businesses and credit bureaus oppose these bills.Ken Lin, CEO of Credit Karma, says certain items in a person’s credit report may appear as red flags to employers. Lin is a seasoned industry veteran with more than 12 years developing statistical models and marketing programs for the credit card industry. These red flags include:Liens – Any type of lien against you could be a sign of irresponsibility. It suggests to employers that you weren’t responsible enough to pay off your debt or negotiate a settlement.100% Credit Utilization – This shows … [Read more...] about 5 Credit Risks That Could Keep You Unemployed
Work Motivation: A Do-It-Yourself Project
How to work for “The Man” While Working on Your Dreams!Let’s face it; we work because we have to.Because it’s the “grown-up” thing to do.Because like many things in the grown up world, it’s a trade-off.We sell our “dreams” for the “reality” of monthly mortgage payments, insurance premiums, car notes and the privilege of keeping up with the Joneses. Given our druthers, most of us would much rather spend our days chilling out in our undies with a big bowl of cereal while surfing the Net, or reaching new tiers on our favorite video games, or vegging out in front of the boob tube, or “doing damage” at the local mall, or becoming beach bums, or building our own business, or almost anything else. Almost anything else other than the slow death that is corporate America and working for the man! But all is not lost. Just because your career path has led you on the road to perdition, doesn’t mean you have … [Read more...] about Work Motivation: A Do-It-Yourself Project
New Employee Introduction Options
Starting a new job is exciting and fun. Introducing the new hire around the office, not so much.Sure you are happy to have a fresh and willing new face around the office to help with the workload, but ushering them around the building, hoping that you don't forget an employee's name or botch a title, is a stressful endeavor. Here are several introduction examples I've experienced and used. Your feedback on each is encouraged. INDIVIDUAL INTRODUCTIONSThis is a meet and greet that involves the manager and the new employee 'making the rounds.' The seemingly never-ending tour often begins with the people the new associate will be working closest with and fans out to the tertiary players. With each stop you must ask employees if they have a minute. Assuming they do, you will go through the 'speech' that includes the rookie's name, title and general job description. You'll often hear that "Mike is the new Karen." Pros: Everyone feels special with a … [Read more...] about New Employee Introduction Options
Work Ownership Is Overrated
Sometimes omitting your name behooves you. Ownership is overrated. There's a segment of society that swears by that statement. I'm still not sure which camp I sit with, but I do know that attempting to take ownership at work can have negative consequences.I've witnessed two examples of people attempting to take ownership of projects in an ill-conceived way over the past two days. It should come as no surprise given how desperate employees are to get credit for their ideas and work.(Names have been changed to protect the guilty.)Situation #1Vito was tasked with putting together a book that features a one-page snapshot of the dozens of franchise locations that the company owns. Each location gets a "stat" page, similar to what you'd find on the backside of a baseball card. From the number of restrooms to customer occupancy limits, each profile is rounded out with a Google streetview image and location information.The looseleaf that Vito packed with information … [Read more...] about Work Ownership Is Overrated
Attention Graduates: Getting Into the Real World Mentality
The end of the semester is fast approaching for many college seniors. Even though you may be caught up in campus life, the professional world is just around the bend. Here are a few tips on how to get into a “real world” mentality to make the transition a tad bit easier. Think about what you want to do. You have been studying a particular field for around four years, but that doesn’t mean you will—or will want to—automatically enter it. If you know that you want to pursue something else upon graduation, there is nothing wrong with not going into the field you studied. In fact, you’ll do better off knowing this from the get-go so you can build your career in another field. Regardless of what you want to do, learn about your options. Examine what you want your ideal day to be like. What kinds of jobs are available in your industry and in the region you want to work in? It may sound silly but most new grads are on autopilot and, understandably, … [Read more...] about Attention Graduates: Getting Into the Real World Mentality
New LinkedIn Feature WILL Help Job Seekers
If you are targeting a specific company to hire you, you'll love LinkedIn's new "Follow Company" feature. The functionality sends you notifications on activity within the company such as hires, promotions, new job opportunities, and profile changes - all information that can help you land a job.Every company has a "Follow" link where you can see a list of followers and learn more about them. So whether you're sizing up the competition or trying to get noticed by a specific organization, this new LinkedIn feature could have a serious impact on job seekers. Expect companies to start doing more to promote their LinkedIn profiles in order to streamline the recruitment process.Users control how often they receive updates, an important feature considering that larger companies could have dozens of updates a day.The downside of "Follow Company" is that if you are relieved of your duties, there's no more going quietly into the good night. If a person is following the … [Read more...] about New LinkedIn Feature WILL Help Job Seekers
How Freelancers Can Avoid Common Business Headaches
Freelance workers need a good PR campaign. It used to be considered glamorous when someone left the rat race to start their own dream business. Now people have begun to start businesses and take freelance or independent contract jobs out of pure necessity. Layoffs and long stretches of unemployment have left many people with no choice.Of course, there are perks to working for your self. I’ve been self-employed for most of the last 16 years. I’ve yet to have a boring meeting with myself or have my boss berate me in front of co-workers. So while there are still plenty of positives to the freelance life, there are distinct challenges. Getting paid is one of the big ones.A recent Wall Street Journal article, “More Freelancers Fight to be Paid,” by Joe Light explores the issue of those pesky Accounts Receivable. Light cites a survey released by the New York-based Freelancers Union that says “about 40% of freelancers had trouble getting paid in 2009.” … [Read more...] about How Freelancers Can Avoid Common Business Headaches