Fonts and Success: Resume

June 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Typeface sample of Courier New

Image via Wikipedia

The choices are infinite — a collection of colors, slants and serif curls. Programs generate unique styles, offering strokes that are far superior to the traditional Roman lines, Gothic swirls that shouldn’t be denied. You’re searching for the perfect font, trying to redefine your resume. All information has been carefully selected; all facts have been secured. Each paragraph is economical in its wording and its revelations: you have the skills (and experience) listed to make an impression.

You simply now crave the right design, and you believe you’ve found it tucked within your text editor. It’s bold, bright and certain to please.

Instead, however, it simply fails — with an employer dismissing your paper before he even reads it.

Resumes are meant to represent your life. They detail the accolades you’ve earned, the talents you possess. Trying to prove such talents with a creative (but ultimately dizzying) font will serve no purpose, however — beyond branding you as incompetent.

Employers expect precision. All words must therefore be shaded to fonts that are easy to read. The common choices of Times, Arial and Courier must be selected. While many may assume that these offer no value, they instead ensure that pages are seen — with managers able to quickly scan all bulleted points, rather than stumbling over an excess of color. They avoid any frustrations and project wisdom. They must be used.

Celebrating creativity is a worthy trait. Applying that trait to a resume, however, will only end in disaster. You must restrain your need to be unique — allowing your experience to instead distinguish you from others, not your font selection.

 

 

Filed Under: Business, Interviews Tagged With: , ,

Finding a retail job

June 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Waitrose jobs are on demand this year in 2011 and there is no doubt that they will be still in 2012 and afterwards. Waitrose application form will help you apply for job vacancies at this company.

This may be the single highest factor that’s holding the online retail environment at bay, while allowing the more traditional outlets to maintain a place in the market. Of all the different types of industries in the world, the retail industry is probably the industry that faces the public most often.

Most people don’t have to go to the bank every day or even every week. But most people buy something almost every day. It could be a pack of chewing gum from a shop one day and vegetables from a super market the next followed by clothing from the mall the day after. And the fact that the retail market is highly competitive means there a need for competent manager, purchasers, stock room personnel and all the other positions that a typical retail enterprise would have.

Working in retail can be quite fun if you have the right personality. A person needs to be a people person and have good manners. Sometime customers can be difficult and the job itself can become stressful, so a person with a calm demeanour would be an asset. As the market place becomes more technology centered, there will probably be more IT related jobs popping up in the retail sector. The retail landscape is likely to continue to change.
Job seekers register your CV to main UK job boards such as learnist.org, reed, cv-library.co.uk and etc.

Filed Under: Job Search Tagged With: , , ,

Celebrity Endorsement For Your Product?

May 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment
A Fashion Look poster at an optical shop.

Image via Wikipedia

If you’re an entrepreneur, inventor or even a business owner who’s product is struggling to get off the shelves OR you’re look to reach audiences through unique advertising campaign then celebrity endorsement may just be what you need. Beware, utilizing the media to effectively promote various products and services to reach the masses is not a piece of cake. Here’s a deeper look into the marketing strategy:

The concept of media having an influence on trends has never been more prevalent than it is in the fashion industry. Popular styles such as Coogi clothes receive celebrity endorsements and are presented to large portions of specially targeted demographics as an advertising campaign. With these campaigns, customers who wish to mimic the styling of their favorite celebrity place more of an emphasis on purchasing clothing that is being endorsed by them. This has become a proven method of advertising that has been reinforced by the popularity of online social media and the ease of access to media through mobile devices.

In addition to celebrity endorsements, gossip and general news that is delivered through more modern means such as podcasts and/or online syndication also plays a role in reinforcing a trend or adding to the demise of one. Users who visit popular sites with advertisements and stories pertaining to a specific fashion trend are then turned on to the prospect of adopting that particular style for themselves. Through this seemingly inadvertent method of advertising, a particular clothing style can go viral and become a sensation over night if that particular site carries enough weight.

Filed Under: Business

Job Search Tips for Freshers

April 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Finding a job is getting harder every other day in the UK and its extra hard if you don’t have any work experience. Christmas jobs can be ideal if you are one of those who hasn’t got enough experience to find permanent job vacancies.

A right and proper career advice is essential.

Step 1 Create CV and Cover Letter

The purpose of a CV is to provide potential employers with an outline of:

• Your contact details
• Your skills and abilities
• Your education
• Your work experience
• Your references

You should use a CV template to build a professional resume in order to best highlight your strengths and abilities. A cover letter is intended to summarise your strengths and indicate your suitability for, and interest in, a vacancy.

Step 2 – Finding a Vacancy

Searching for a traineeship can be a challenging and involved process so you must be organized in your approach. Employers advertise their willingness to take on a trainee in a number of ways. Local papers can be a great place to find traineeships, as many employers like to hire someone who lives close to their place of business. If you would like to find a traineeship with a large company, visit their website. Very often, large companies will have a JOBS link with information about their traineeship programs. Online job seeking sites will usually include a search function so that you can search for trainee positions. Talk to friends and family about possible traineeship opportunities – word of mouth can be a great way to find work.

Filed Under: Job Search Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Making the most of job fairs

March 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Job and career fairs can be great places to hunt for a job and build your network too! Anyone, whether well experienced and looking for a change or fresh graduate, can find a suitable opening through such fairs. However, there are far too many companies featured in job fairs and you need to make the most of the time you spend there to maximize your chances of landing a job. Here are some tips:

1. Register for the job fair in advance and, if possible, get a list of the companies that will be present and what jobs they will be offering.

2. Shortlist the companies and jobs that interest and visit these stalls first at the fair.

3. DO some research on the companies that interest you so that you are aware of what they do, their employment and HR policies and so on. This will help you in answering questions that their recruiters may ask.

4. Chatting with recruiters that don’t belong to your field of interest will be an absolute waste of time, so don’t!

5. Prepare a short but impressive introduction of yourself. Instead of just placing your resume on the desk, take the time to quickly introduce yourself and hand over the resume to the recruiters personally. It leaves a better impression!

6. Be confident! Nervous answers, fidgeting and stammering will not convince the recruiters to hire you.

7. Be thorough in your knowledge of yourself! You should be able to give quick answers about your experience, education and strengths. Don’t ever hesitate while answering.

8. Collect business cards from the recruiters you have approached so that you can follow up on your application and improve your chances of landing a job.

Filed Under: Job Search Tagged With: , ,

The importance of internships

March 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment

College students often under-estimate the value of a good internships taken up before graduation. It goes a long way in helping students understand their course, introduces them to the corporate work environment and adds great value to their resume helping them get better jobs. Most organizations prefer hiring fresh graduates with some experience which can be gained through internships. Here are some things college students should keeping mind while looking out for internship prospects:

1. Plan your future before you start looking for internships. Apply for internships that you believe will contribute most to your plans.

2. Aim to undertake at least one internship during your college term. If you can manage more than one, then do so!

3. Keep your salary expectations real. Internships usually don’t pay too well and some don’t pay all. You will be taking them up for experience and knowledge alone.

4. Even though you might still be a college student, you are expected to behave like a professional where you are interning. You should also expect to be treated likewise.

5. You need to convince organizations to hire you as an intern just like for a regular job. So make sure your application is customized to match the internship you are applying for.

6. It will be a known fact that you are working as an intern to learn so don’t hesitate to ask questions and clear doubts as you work.

7. Use your time at the organization to network and gain valuable contacts who could help you secure a good job post graduation.

8. Try your best to give a great performance during the internship and acquire an employment recommendation from the organization’s HR department. It could prove useful during post graduation job hunts.

Filed Under: Training Tagged With: , ,

Over 50 Crowd’s Resume Needs a Spruce-Up

March 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment
With so many people around the world looking for work, it can be very hard for someone over 50. Especially if they’re coming out of retirement to make more money. Employers can really pick and choose their new hires, with so many on the market. Younger, fresh-from-college applicants are beating out those who have more experience. As Doug Fay, Portland restaurant owner, says, “an older person is going to quit in a few years, and hiring someone I know I have to replace soon just isn’t the way I do things.”
The Congressional Research Service finds that 11.5% of job-seeking adults over the age of 50 have spent at least two years job-hunting unsuccessfully. Unemployment insurance only lasts 99 weeks (in most states), so every day there’s someone over 50 who stops getting any kind of income. Since 2007 older adult unemployment has grown to 6.7% – double what it was four years ago. What can they do?
Hire Someone With Experience First

One thing they can do toward being more hirable, is to update their skill set. Some skill sets have changed over the not-to-recent past (e.g. waitresses need computer skills for ordering) and an applicant needs to know exactly what skills will be required of them so they can be able to perform them.
Only 13% of unemployed over 50 actively use Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. These social networking sites can be very handy tools for getting the word out. On Twitter, post the message of the job-hunt and ask for people to ‘retweet’ the message to their followers. If all goes well, the ad for work will be seen by hundreds of people that day.
Almost 40% of younger workers polled said they used their last employer as a helpful reference, compared to only 23% of older workers. Hard feelings and resentment were the two most common reasons why older workers wouldn’t do the same. However, contacting previous employers can get someone referrals and possibly fill openings with them. Plus, it gives the interested new bosses someone to contact.
Our un-asked-for advice; don’t give up!
Filed Under: Interviews, Job Search Tagged With: , ,

Getting along with a tough boss

March 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment

There are several factors that contribute to your job satisfaction at work. The work environment, your pay, benefits, colleagues but, most importantly, your boss greatly influences just how happy you are with your work. However, if you get stuck with a bad boss, then your life at work could be miserable. One needs to be very tactful in handling situations that arise from having a short tempered and hard driving boss who could be very unforgiving of faults and mistakes. Here are some tips to follow if you way to survive a tough boss!

1. No matter what the situation, you should remember that you are a professional and should behave in a befitting manner.

2. You should seek out someone on a higher post who has been in the organization for a while and would be able to guide you. One always needs a good mentor at work, even if it’s not your boss.

3. Never let your relationship with your boss affect your efficiency and productivity.

4. Keep your temper under control at all times. You don’t want to end up in a heated argument with the person who could fire you!

5. Find a way to release built up stress and frustration. Bullying colleagues doesn’t count! Try yoga or boxing, whichever suits your taste.

6. Get in touch with the HR department and ask for a transfer to a different department where your skills would be equally utilized.

7. Abusive language or aggression is never acceptable in an organization, even from bosses. Report such behavior as harassment to the HR department.

8. Maintain a journal containing details like date, kind of behavior and supposed reason behind it. You can use it when reporting abusive behavior to HR.

9. If working with your boss is beginning to affect your self esteem levels and is causing depression, then your job simply isn’t worth it! Consider looking for work in other companies.

Filed Under: Interviews, Job Search Tagged With: , ,

Looking for a job online

March 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The internet has made searching and applying for jobs easier than ever before. There are several sites that carry job vacancies from across geographies with detailed job descriptions that you can use to decide if a job is good for you. They provide a direct link between you and potential employers, increasing the likelihood of you clinching an interview. However, there are certain ‘rules’ that you need to follow in order to make your online job hunts more effective. Here are some tips:

1. Although job search sites are more or less comprehensive, it is better if you expand your search to other options like individual sites of organizations that mostly have a ‘careers’ section.

2. Keep your expectations real. There must be hundred of thousands of candidates looking for internships so you may need to ‘try, try again’ before you land one.

3. Make sure you understand all the features that job sites offer. It will help you make your profile look more attractive and make the best use of searches.

4. Follow ups are important to clinch interviews as they show just how serious you are about getting an internship. So keep in touch with employers to whom you have sent applications.

5. Try placing a ‘Job wanted’ ad on the job search site. Many employers go through such ads before posting their vacancies so you may get a jump start.

6. Different employers have varied requirements on how they want to receive an application. Take the time to read through instructions and send in an application that meets all the employer’s guidelines.

7. Recruitment agencies have their own sites where you can upload your resume so look these up as well to make your job search comprehensive.

Filed Under: Job Search Tagged With: , ,

Making a good cover letter

March 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Your resume is your first introduction to a potential employer and plays a huge role in getting you an interview. People recognize the importance of a good resume and pay a lot of attention to drafting it well. There are several companies that provide professional resume drafting services too! However, people often tend to ignore the cover letter that they send as part of their job application. While the resume contains facts and details about you, the cover letter is you addressing the employer yourself. It says a lot about your professionalism. Here are a few things you should keep in mind in order to make a good cover letter:

1. Always send a cover letter along with your resume to make a complete application.

2. Customize. Instead of creating a ‘one-size-fits-all’ letter, personalize each cover letter based on what job you are applying for.

3. The first paragraph of your cover letter should be interesting and most convincing. It should let the employer know why you are a best fit for the job.

4. Sounding professional and being clichéd are two different things. Use easy to understand yet professional language instead of clichéd jargon like ‘Please find enclosed’.

5. End your letter with a request for an interview and let the employer know that you will be following up on the application. Follow ups increase the likelihood of you getting an interview than if you just wait for the employer to respond.

6. It is a must that your letter should be neatly formatted, easy to read and contains no spelling or grammatical errors. So check and re-check!

7. Limit your letter to a single page. Keep it simple, concise and to the point, effectively addressing the job requirements.

Filed Under: Interviews, Job Search Tagged With: , ,
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »