For some folks I work with, the desire to constantly tweak their resume for each new job posting has become a compulsive habit. Somehow, they think, if they just tweaked this word or added that phrase, they'll get the hiring managers attention. This is crazy making behavior and should be stopped! The "guts" of a solid resume should be suitable for nearly every job one is qualified for in a particular industry. The only two things that should ever change (in my opinion) is the profile section (and then only slightly), and the file name.
One must use keywords effectively. While this should be done throughout the resume (spelling out database administrator AND using the acronym DBA, for example), using the exact job title as in the job posting is especially useful - for both you and the recruiter.
I have dozens of resumes in my inbox at work right this minute (I'm a corporate recruiter as well as a resume writer) that are titled "Resume". The applicants haven't included a personalized objective either, often giving me no idea what to do with it. Non-specific resumes with unclear objectives do NOT get rushed to the hiring manager. As a recruiter, I want to know if the applicant meant to apply for the specific job I posted. I may have ten different IT jobs open. If you say you want a job in technology and don't list the job name, it will take me longer to figure out what to do with it - I may just click on the next one.
On the other hand, waiting for the perfect job to open up with your dream company is not a good approach either. If you love the company and are fishing for an opportunity, show evidence of WHY you want to work there and be clear about the type of job you'll accept. Then the recruiter can be sure your resume makes it into the right hands. Initiative and interest IS rewarded, but be clear about what you want.
Finally, file names. It just takes a second to modify them and the recruiter will be eternally grateful. For each position, do a "save as" and save your resume document as your name, the job name, and the company name (abbreviate if it gets too long). This is to help both you and the recruiter keep track of who you are, what you applied for and where. The document file name will be something like JillWalser-Recruiter-MS.doc. Recruiters with lots of jobs open are busy people, we need all the help we can get to keep applicants straight. For the applicant, keeping sent resumes in a folder with file names indicating the company and job title is a useful way of organizing your job search. Forget when you sent it? Check the Properties section.
Working for a web design company as a marketing manager, there came the day I needed to get a Macintosh in order to run programs in sync with our design team. I didn't want to break away from my PC ways, nor spend $1500 on a new computer when I had recently bought 2 new PCs that worked just fine, thank you very much.
I love my iMac, it's been almost one year and I can't remember the PC days, they're long behind me. The graphics, the photo/video applications, the space saving, the esthetics of the iMac, the built in camera...the whole thing was worth it, I love it. The best part? NO MORE BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH! I can run 10 programs simultaneously and if I really have to, I can run Windows programs using Parallels.
Dreft stain remover is the best kept secret ever. My friends and I agree - why didn't anyone ever tell us about it before we had babies? It removes all kinds of unspeakable filth that my son (now a toddler) manages to get on his clothes and cloth diapers - tomato sauce, blood, curry, poo, mud. I use it his stuff as well as my husband's and my own.
That's easy! I bought a crockpot last May and have been experimenting ever since. Prior to my purchase, I equated crockpots with soups, stews and the 1970s (mostly because everyone and their mother got one for a wedding gift back then).
Thinking back to my childhood, I rarely saw my parents' crockpot used for anything. It mostly just sat on the shelf behind the refrigerator, collecting dust. The half dozen times the crock was pulled down, my father would invariably use it to cook up an all-day chili.
Being short on kitchen space (NYC apartment), I never really considered getting a crockpot. Who needs an appliance that just takes up room? Now I see it as a lifesaver. We only have air conditioning in the bedroom and office, which means the living room/dining room area and kitchen are practically unusable in the summertime. Fans help, of course, but not nearly enough to make turning on the oven or standing over several pots and pans worth the effort. With the crockpot, I no longer have to.
Other than the lack of heat the crockpot emits (and thus costs us in gas bills), I also love the process of cooking with it. Nothing makes me feel more witchy than standing over a cauldron and brewing up some spells. This is the culinary equivalent of that. I choose my ingredients with care, layer them in an exacting fashion and cook over low heat, stirring rarely or not at all. Six to eight hours later, magic happens.
To date, I've made chili, BBQ ribs, scalloped potatoes, arroz con pollo, spaghetti, angry sauce, maple honey BBQ ribs, chicken tacos, broasted new potatoes and a blueberry betty. Each of these meals were delicious, hearty and affordable.
i customize sometimes, and slightly... but not for ever thing i apply to and or for every position, it is really way to time consuming and difficult to track
i finally got my car during the year, and even though it wasn't the model i wanted, i got it brand new (still in plastic wrap when i purchased it) and paid without tax and under retail. the car came with ipod hookup, navigation, and bluetooth...more than what i was looking for~
Probably the best tip for more pleasant, stress-free flying: Avoid London Heathrow airport at all cost. It is probably the most passenger-unfriendly airport in the world, with 5-hour queues, downright hostile staff, ridiculous security measures that harass passengers more than anything, dirty lounges, and unreliable transport between terminals.
I've been in IT for 14 years now and sadly this sort of thing is not all that uncommon. Many of these low lifes are starting to give IT guys the same bad rep as auto mechanics.... I would recommend that you ask around and try to find someone who is recommended by somebody you trust. He/She may only be a 14 year old kid, but if they are honest and do good work, who cares?
On another note, I've supported my family in a comfortable lifestyle and been scrupulously honest. It's made me more money in the long run, I think.
Drink lots and lots of water. If you don't want to wind up showing up with a cold after 20 hours of cross ocean traveling, always ask for water and something else that is actually hydrating (almost never drink soda) whenever offered by the attendant. And don't be afraid of calling them to your seat for more water if you are in the window side or getting up to ask for some if you are in an aisle seat.
Get up, walk around, and stretch. Other than the dangers of deep vein thrombosis, it will make you better able to sleep and more comfortable when you are seated. Melatonin is a better option then full-on sleeping pills for letting you wake up quickly while retaining actual memory of your own name and why you are on a plane. If flying with small children Jelly-beans (other small chewable sweets) are a necessary tool, not a luxury. Carefully portion them out to distract grumpy and bored children.
When possible do not fly an airline that is American overseas (I usually try for an airline based out of asia or the quite spectacular Emirates airline). The attendant staff tends to be less eager to please, and less helpful. Based on conversations with former attendants it seems like the reason is that in other societies an attendant is a job with career possibilities (it leads to other better things) while in America its considered an essentially dead-end job once you've been in it a while (you have no real career path).
My best purchase? An old school large, blank wall calendar for planning. It lays it all out and I can see all upcoming appointments/tasks/events/etc. For some reason I'm much more tenacious in following the schedule with a paper calendar than any virtual one..
I always customize a one sentence objective at the top of my resume. I figure this is the first thing the HR person or hiring manager reads so it has to speak to the job requirements and show that hiring me is the solution to their needs.
Skills, experience, and education are pretty standard on every resume so I don't tweak them unless I see an opportunity.
I've found that even major airports can be very efficient when the security and check-in agents are well trained. At San Diego International, even with a decent sized line, I can make it from curbside through check-in and security, and to gate in under 10 minutes. Likewise at Washington National.
Thanks Erica for your insight into doing serious research about a prospective company. Now that you mention that, I know someone who used vault.com to do research on company cultures and their hiring processes with good success.
And thanks Barbara for reinforcing what I was saying about letters (in my last paragraph, I was thinking mainly of cover letters but also thank you letters), which can often make a big difference in how you are viewed by a company.
So... why didn't they call the police? Over-charging people for unnecessary repairs is one thing, but surely outright stealing PC parts would warrant an arrest.
Most of these smaller airports fly into one or two major cities. The main problem with this is that if there is any weather problem in the major cities, your flight will be cancelled; not delayed, cancelled.
I read somewhere awhile ago that when you're sitting in a sushi restaurant where the chef can see you, you're not supposed to eat the first bite of anything with any type of extra flavor (ie wasabi, soy sauce, etc). It is supposedly considered a respect thing to try the sushi and the chef's skills first before adding extra flavor. It's a little like tasting your food at someone's house first before pouring table salt all over it. But besides respect, I think that's always a good idea because you may find that the food is absolutely wonderful without additions.
Should be customized heavily, and I think this is where time would be well spent. When I was job hunting, I used the same resume, with a fairly generic objective for my field, and made sure that there were key words in my skills listing. But I've learned that the more important of the two can be your cover letter. If it's not written as well as it could, then some employers won't even look at your resume. And I find this part a hard line to walk. How professional do you have to be? Or how conversational to make you seem like you would be easy to get along with and likeable? So while I think resumés are important, I think the right cover letter targeting the employer/company is vital.
Probably not in southern Arizona... Summer has just begun, and it was 112 in the shade on my back porch today. July 4 is supposed to hit something between 115 and 120 degrees, and weather gurus are predicting at least one 122-degree day this summer: Global Warming meets The Heat Island!
That said, it would sure help if new houses in Arizona were built as they were before the advent of air-conditioning. I spent 15 years in a wonderful old house that was built in 1929...it had a north-south exposure, 15- and 20-foot-high ceilings, a shaded front atrium that kept the worst of the heat off the front of the living structure, and north- and south-end doors and windows designed to let air flow through the house even when hardly a breath was stirring. The interior was comfortable until temperatures exceeded 100 degrees.
If a house is built intelligently you shouldn't need to use the air conditioner on a 90-degree day.
I have the Lawn Care recipe, you know, the one with pop, beer, dish soap, ammonia, and mouthwash, and know water. I understand it says a 10 gallon hose end sprayer, but I'm not sure I know what a 10 gallon hose sprayer is, or I'm not sure how a 10 gallon hose end sprayer works works. None-the-less, dose anyone have a simple answer to a simple question, HOW MUCH WATER? Can you dilute this so it can be used in a small sprayer attached to my riding tractor?
I customize my resume pretty heavily when I'm sending it out for a killer job that I really -must- have. That said, I'm not doing the thing a couple of my friends do (where they read the job advertisement or application for requirements and make sure to include keywords that match) - I'm researching the business I might be working for and making sure that both my talent and skills that could be relevant to positions above those I'm applying for are well represented. Particularly in fields like mine (physics) that are highly technical and there's a low density of "manager"-types, people like to work with people who are conversant at a level similar to their own. If I can demonstrate that I'll be able to work effectively with others in my position but also with those above, it's that much more likely that I'll be hired.
Best Purchase... My Motorola Q Sprint cell phone. I don't have to bring around my laptop anymore, and what's even better? I got Sprint to sell it to me for $99 and I still was able to use a $200 rebate.
I made $100 off this purchase! Can't beat that, really.
For some folks I work with, the desire to constantly tweak their resume for each new job posting has become a compulsive habit. Somehow, they think, if they just tweaked this word or added that phrase, they'll get the hiring managers attention. This is crazy making behavior and should be stopped! The "guts" of a solid resume should be suitable for nearly every job one is qualified for in a particular industry. The only two things that should ever change (in my opinion) is the profile section (and then only slightly), and the file name.
One must use keywords effectively. While this should be done throughout the resume (spelling out database administrator AND using the acronym DBA, for example), using the exact job title as in the job posting is especially useful - for both you and the recruiter.
I have dozens of resumes in my inbox at work right this minute (I'm a corporate recruiter as well as a resume writer) that are titled "Resume". The applicants haven't included a personalized objective either, often giving me no idea what to do with it. Non-specific resumes with unclear objectives do NOT get rushed to the hiring manager. As a recruiter, I want to know if the applicant meant to apply for the specific job I posted. I may have ten different IT jobs open. If you say you want a job in technology and don't list the job name, it will take me longer to figure out what to do with it - I may just click on the next one.
On the other hand, waiting for the perfect job to open up with your dream company is not a good approach either. If you love the company and are fishing for an opportunity, show evidence of WHY you want to work there and be clear about the type of job you'll accept. Then the recruiter can be sure your resume makes it into the right hands. Initiative and interest IS rewarded, but be clear about what you want.
Finally, file names. It just takes a second to modify them and the recruiter will be eternally grateful. For each position, do a "save as" and save your resume document as your name, the job name, and the company name (abbreviate if it gets too long). This is to help both you and the recruiter keep track of who you are, what you applied for and where. The document file name will be something like JillWalser-Recruiter-MS.doc. Recruiters with lots of jobs open are busy people, we need all the help we can get to keep applicants straight. For the applicant, keeping sent resumes in a folder with file names indicating the company and job title is a useful way of organizing your job search. Forget when you sent it? Check the Properties section.
Jill Walser
I got the job!
http://www.igotthejob.us
Working for a web design company as a marketing manager, there came the day I needed to get a Macintosh in order to run programs in sync with our design team. I didn't want to break away from my PC ways, nor spend $1500 on a new computer when I had recently bought 2 new PCs that worked just fine, thank you very much.
I love my iMac, it's been almost one year and I can't remember the PC days, they're long behind me. The graphics, the photo/video applications, the space saving, the esthetics of the iMac, the built in camera...the whole thing was worth it, I love it. The best part? NO MORE BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH! I can run 10 programs simultaneously and if I really have to, I can run Windows programs using Parallels.
w00t!
Dreft stain remover is the best kept secret ever. My friends and I agree - why didn't anyone ever tell us about it before we had babies? It removes all kinds of unspeakable filth that my son (now a toddler) manages to get on his clothes and cloth diapers - tomato sauce, blood, curry, poo, mud. I use it his stuff as well as my husband's and my own.
That's easy! I bought a crockpot last May and have been experimenting ever since. Prior to my purchase, I equated crockpots with soups, stews and the 1970s (mostly because everyone and their mother got one for a wedding gift back then).
Thinking back to my childhood, I rarely saw my parents' crockpot used for anything. It mostly just sat on the shelf behind the refrigerator, collecting dust. The half dozen times the crock was pulled down, my father would invariably use it to cook up an all-day chili.
Being short on kitchen space (NYC apartment), I never really considered getting a crockpot. Who needs an appliance that just takes up room? Now I see it as a lifesaver. We only have air conditioning in the bedroom and office, which means the living room/dining room area and kitchen are practically unusable in the summertime. Fans help, of course, but not nearly enough to make turning on the oven or standing over several pots and pans worth the effort. With the crockpot, I no longer have to.
Other than the lack of heat the crockpot emits (and thus costs us in gas bills), I also love the process of cooking with it. Nothing makes me feel more witchy than standing over a cauldron and brewing up some spells. This is the culinary equivalent of that. I choose my ingredients with care, layer them in an exacting fashion and cook over low heat, stirring rarely or not at all. Six to eight hours later, magic happens.
To date, I've made chili, BBQ ribs, scalloped potatoes, arroz con pollo, spaghetti, angry sauce, maple honey BBQ ribs, chicken tacos, broasted new potatoes and a blueberry betty. Each of these meals were delicious, hearty and affordable.
i customize sometimes, and slightly... but not for ever thing i apply to and or for every position, it is really way to time consuming and difficult to track
i finally got my car during the year, and even though it wasn't the model i wanted, i got it brand new (still in plastic wrap when i purchased it) and paid without tax and under retail. the car came with ipod hookup, navigation, and bluetooth...more than what i was looking for~
Probably the best tip for more pleasant, stress-free flying: Avoid London Heathrow airport at all cost. It is probably the most passenger-unfriendly airport in the world, with 5-hour queues, downright hostile staff, ridiculous security measures that harass passengers more than anything, dirty lounges, and unreliable transport between terminals.
I've been in IT for 14 years now and sadly this sort of thing is not all that uncommon. Many of these low lifes are starting to give IT guys the same bad rep as auto mechanics.... I would recommend that you ask around and try to find someone who is recommended by somebody you trust. He/She may only be a 14 year old kid, but if they are honest and do good work, who cares?
On another note, I've supported my family in a comfortable lifestyle and been scrupulously honest. It's made me more money in the long run, I think.
Drink lots and lots of water. If you don't want to wind up showing up with a cold after 20 hours of cross ocean traveling, always ask for water and something else that is actually hydrating (almost never drink soda) whenever offered by the attendant. And don't be afraid of calling them to your seat for more water if you are in the window side or getting up to ask for some if you are in an aisle seat.
Get up, walk around, and stretch. Other than the dangers of deep vein thrombosis, it will make you better able to sleep and more comfortable when you are seated. Melatonin is a better option then full-on sleeping pills for letting you wake up quickly while retaining actual memory of your own name and why you are on a plane. If flying with small children Jelly-beans (other small chewable sweets) are a necessary tool, not a luxury. Carefully portion them out to distract grumpy and bored children.
When possible do not fly an airline that is American overseas (I usually try for an airline based out of asia or the quite spectacular Emirates airline). The attendant staff tends to be less eager to please, and less helpful. Based on conversations with former attendants it seems like the reason is that in other societies an attendant is a job with career possibilities (it leads to other better things) while in America its considered an essentially dead-end job once you've been in it a while (you have no real career path).
My HDTV. I got it on ebay for $300- half the price. It's easy to transport back and forth to college and man do things like great on it.
Though I notice "gym membership" was on there- I did get one of those too.
My best purchase? An old school large, blank wall calendar for planning. It lays it all out and I can see all upcoming appointments/tasks/events/etc. For some reason I'm much more tenacious in following the schedule with a paper calendar than any virtual one..
I always customize a one sentence objective at the top of my resume. I figure this is the first thing the HR person or hiring manager reads so it has to speak to the job requirements and show that hiring me is the solution to their needs.
Skills, experience, and education are pretty standard on every resume so I don't tweak them unless I see an opportunity.
I've found that even major airports can be very efficient when the security and check-in agents are well trained. At San Diego International, even with a decent sized line, I can make it from curbside through check-in and security, and to gate in under 10 minutes. Likewise at Washington National.
Thanks Erica for your insight into doing serious research about a prospective company. Now that you mention that, I know someone who used vault.com to do research on company cultures and their hiring processes with good success.
And thanks Barbara for reinforcing what I was saying about letters (in my last paragraph, I was thinking mainly of cover letters but also thank you letters), which can often make a big difference in how you are viewed by a company.
So... why didn't they call the police? Over-charging people for unnecessary repairs is one thing, but surely outright stealing PC parts would warrant an arrest.
Most of these smaller airports fly into one or two major cities. The main problem with this is that if there is any weather problem in the major cities, your flight will be cancelled; not delayed, cancelled.
I read somewhere awhile ago that when you're sitting in a sushi restaurant where the chef can see you, you're not supposed to eat the first bite of anything with any type of extra flavor (ie wasabi, soy sauce, etc). It is supposedly considered a respect thing to try the sushi and the chef's skills first before adding extra flavor. It's a little like tasting your food at someone's house first before pouring table salt all over it. But besides respect, I think that's always a good idea because you may find that the food is absolutely wonderful without additions.
more testing
Should be customized heavily, and I think this is where time would be well spent. When I was job hunting, I used the same resume, with a fairly generic objective for my field, and made sure that there were key words in my skills listing. But I've learned that the more important of the two can be your cover letter. If it's not written as well as it could, then some employers won't even look at your resume. And I find this part a hard line to walk. How professional do you have to be? Or how conversational to make you seem like you would be easy to get along with and likeable? So while I think resumés are important, I think the right cover letter targeting the employer/company is vital.
Someone already posted the same thing up there! Oops
Hey Andrea,
Maybe you've already heard of this, but here's an interesting book. This article summarizes the story about a family who tried to boycott China for a year. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070628/us_nm/books_madeinchina_dc;_ylt=ArWI...
Probably not in southern Arizona... Summer has just begun, and it was 112 in the shade on my back porch today. July 4 is supposed to hit something between 115 and 120 degrees, and weather gurus are predicting at least one 122-degree day this summer: Global Warming meets The Heat Island!
That said, it would sure help if new houses in Arizona were built as they were before the advent of air-conditioning. I spent 15 years in a wonderful old house that was built in 1929...it had a north-south exposure, 15- and 20-foot-high ceilings, a shaded front atrium that kept the worst of the heat off the front of the living structure, and north- and south-end doors and windows designed to let air flow through the house even when hardly a breath was stirring. The interior was comfortable until temperatures exceeded 100 degrees.
If a house is built intelligently you shouldn't need to use the air conditioner on a 90-degree day.
I have the Lawn Care recipe, you know, the one with pop, beer, dish soap, ammonia, and mouthwash, and know water. I understand it says a 10 gallon hose end sprayer, but I'm not sure I know what a 10 gallon hose sprayer is, or I'm not sure how a 10 gallon hose end sprayer works works. None-the-less, dose anyone have a simple answer to a simple question, HOW MUCH WATER? Can you dilute this so it can be used in a small sprayer attached to my riding tractor?
I customize my resume pretty heavily when I'm sending it out for a killer job that I really -must- have. That said, I'm not doing the thing a couple of my friends do (where they read the job advertisement or application for requirements and make sure to include keywords that match) - I'm researching the business I might be working for and making sure that both my talent and skills that could be relevant to positions above those I'm applying for are well represented. Particularly in fields like mine (physics) that are highly technical and there's a low density of "manager"-types, people like to work with people who are conversant at a level similar to their own. If I can demonstrate that I'll be able to work effectively with others in my position but also with those above, it's that much more likely that I'll be hired.
At the very least, it's worked well for me. :)
Best Purchase... My Motorola Q Sprint cell phone. I don't have to bring around my laptop anymore, and what's even better? I got Sprint to sell it to me for $99 and I still was able to use a $200 rebate.
I made $100 off this purchase! Can't beat that, really.