3 Tips for Securing an Interview

There are many elements that can lead to job interviews. But also many factors that can lead to a rejection. Executive job applications require a meticulous and dedicated approach, supported by a good executive resume and strong career direction. If you’ve been experiencing difficulties in securing interviews, try these three tips that will help strengthen your credibility – and put you on the path to success!

 

1. An Outstanding Resume

An outstanding executive resume is the key to securing job interviews, whether with a recruiter or an employer. If you are not being invited for interviews after the initial submission of your executive resume, it may need careful reviewing.

Some questions you may want to consider in regards to your executive resume include:

• Does your executive resume give an accurate description of your skills, experience and achievements?
• Is your executive resume showing the employer that you regularly achieve goals, make decisions and influence outcomes? Or is it only a list of responsibilities and nothing more?
• Does your executive resume reveal that you are a proactive problem solver?
• Does your executive resume relate specifically to the position description you are applying for, and have you added some points that were mentioned in the selection criteria.

2. A Focused Career

A focused career is about having more than a stable employment history. Many top-end corporations want to see a clear, career path showcased in your executive resume. What are the efforts and achievements that have been crucial in forming and shaping your career, and are these highlighted on your resume?

How will this next position contribute to your future career direction and success? Make sure your executive resume or cover letter answers these questions, either directly or indirectly – otherwise you may leave the employer wondering if you are really the right person for the job.

3. A Passionate Attitude

Beyond determining that you have the experience and skills to be successful in the role, employers and recruiters also want the security of knowing that you have the right attitude and will have the right cultural fit. They want to see evidence – both in your approach and in your application – that you feel passionately about the company, the position and its products.

A lethargic or nonchalant attitude won’t get you very far, so focus on highlighting the passion for what you do through solid achievements and strong successes in your executive resume, and through showcasing your dedicated ideas in relation to the employer’s business in your cover letter.

Are you having trouble with your executive resume or cover letter?

Resumes Australia can help you with your executive resume writing, cover letter and interview coaching – simply contact us today to talk to one of our executive coaches.

Regards,

How Twitter Can Increase Your Chances of Employment

First, it was all about Facebook and LinkedIn, and now Twitter has established itself on the social media scene as a strong employment search tool and a platform through which you can use to promote yourself and your online resume.

With 140 million users and 340 million tweets per day, Twitter is becoming a central hub for employers and recruiters to promote their vacant positions and locate outstanding candidates.

Of course, one of the biggest advantages of Twitter is its networking capabilities.

Complementing your applications for jobs online, alongside hundreds of other applicants, Twitter gives you the chance to get up close and personal with employers, recruiters and HR managers – and other executives who can truly make a difference to your career.

Here are some of my tips to help you find employment opportunities via Twitter:

Follow Relevant People

One of the key ways to keep up with your industry and find a new job in your field is to follow and connect with relevant people. If possible, get them to follow you, too. Like many other networking sites, Twitter is also about “who you know.”

Tweet Your Industry

In the Twitter world, you are what you tweet. Write tweets that will attract potential employers. Ensure your tweets showcase unique thoughts and a sense of professionalism, which will contribute to your online persona. This will establish you as an expert in your field and enhance your credibility.

Refine Your Bio

Your Twitter bio appears directly below your profile name. You should make your bio as professional as possible – and include your current position.

If you can, review your professional resume and highlight any specific skills or achievements in your bio that you think will attract employers.

For instance, your job title might be, “Project Manager at Company X,” but you may also want to include something like “bringing successful ad campaigns to life” or “regular contributor to the Financial Review.” Any information that showcases your experience is highly valuable and will stand out in the eyes of potential employers. But remember your bio is limited to 160 characters.

Search Twitter Regularly

Twitter has several hashtags (#) you can use to search for job listings, such as #jobs, #recruiting, #jobsearch and #careers, to name a few. Combine your hashtags with more specific areas like #jobs #Sydney or #salesjobs #Canberra.

You can also search sites like twitterjobsearch.com and tweetmyjobs.com and connect with (or follow) those who are associated with any jobs you find. You may also find other users have started accounts for certain industries, such as @ITJobsSydney.

Share Links

Twitter is one of the biggest link-sharing platforms in the world and you can attract more followers by sharing relevant, up-to-date articles, comments and videos that pertain to your industry. Linking is also a great way to show your followers what you’re interested in – and how you feel about certain business issues.

Link to an Online Resume

Having your professional resume online is an effective and quick way to give employers more detailed information about your work history and expertise. A well-written resume is crucial in taking you to the next step with your Twitter contact.

Haven’t got an executive resume yet?

My resume writing and cover letter service can help you strategically customise your resume and introductory letter to emphasise your current strengths and capabilities to appeal to future employers.

Happy Tweeting!

Regards,

Is the Paper Resume Dead?

I was recently approached by a client who was interested in my professional resume writing service and halfway through our conversation, they asked me an interesting question – “Is the paper resume dead?”

I pondered over this for a moment before I finally committed to an answer. “No, it is not dead at all,” I replied.

I proceeded to explain the reasons behind my response and by the end of our meeting, we both agreed that having your credentials on paper is still an essential requirement in the highly competitive recruitment world.

There’s no doubt we are living in a digital age, but the domain of corporate employment (like many other industries) has not yet moved entirely into the digital era. While job searches, candidate searches and employment connections are often made online, employers and recruiters still favour paper resumes when it comes to the selection and interview stage.

Professional resumes are still passed around the boardroom table and job applicants are still expected to show up for a job interview with a paper resume in hand. This will need to be neatly presented and printed on quality paper. Many employers and recruiters also prefer to write notes on a paper resume during an interview.

I firmly believe that a professional resume, on paper, is one of the strongest investments for your career. It’s a symbol of your competence, your professionalism and the dedication you have in representing yourself.

While online resumes can sometimes be prone to problems like online glitches, paper resumes are seamlessly easy to manage and read. A paper resume makes things simpler for the potential employer – which can greatly increase your chances of success.

Your online resume may often be the first point of contact with a potential employer (and it, too, needs to be expertly presented and detailed), but it is your paper resume – coupled with your experience and your interviewing skills – that will ultimately land you that dream job.

Do you need help with your Professional Resume?

My professional resume writing service and my interview coaching can help you stand out from the competition. Just get in touch with us today to find out what Resumes Australia can do for you.

Regards,

Selection Criteria Writing – Insider Tips

It’s amazing how much useful information you can pick up from seemingly idle conversation. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that the best way of ‘getting inside someone’s head’ is to actually listen to the things they say.

Example no.1: A close acquaintance who is the CEO for a high profile national insurer confided that, in their experience, a surprising number of job applicants supplied very little detail in their responses to selection criteria.

They said I would be amazed how many people considered it enough, for example, to state that their teamwork skills were ‘excellent’.

Clearly a prospective employer wants more than just a statement; they want supporting evidence. So, instead of “my teamwork skills are excellent”, why not try something along the following lines:

“My highly developed teamwork skills came to the fore recently when I took it upon myself to make sure the company I worked for was compliant with the latest changes to the HR legislation concerning Health and Safety issues.

Even though I work in the HR section, the job was really one for our section manager. I could see, however, that they were already over-stretched with a policy development project, so I told them I’d take care of it. The effect this had on our professional relationship, and on HR team morale generally, was extraordinary.

In terms of selection criteria writing, this is a very good response, and gives the applicant a powerful advantage over competitors for the position.

Example no.2:  Another friend, who has a senior recruitment role in a NSW Government department, joked that if they could refer people to take advantage of my selection criteria writing services, I’d be booked up for the next ten years. “Honestly” they confided, “every single senior project officer position we advertise asks applicants to demonstrate well-developed written communication skills. But over 90% of the applications we receive haven’t even been checked for spelling and grammar mistakes. Can you believe that?”

What I get from this is that standards are still important to some. When it comes to measuring the professionalism of candidates, the so-called ‘forgotten’ language skills are actually very much still on the agenda.

So, apart from the particular insider tips mentioned, my general advice concerning selection criteria writing is to listen well. By paying attention to the conversations of those in high places, you can quickly learn what is expected. This can often be the difference between gaining an interview and not.

In any case, why take the risk? My success in assisting talented executives at all levels to get where they want to go is proven. It’s certainly worth the investment.

Regards

How to Find Your Dream Job

Are you confused and unsure about what you want to do with your career? Remember the good old saying “when I grow up I want to be…”?

For a fortunate few, there’s something gratifying about possessing a clear and concise vision about where their job is going to take them!

Unfortunately for many people it can take years of searching, and many job attempts, only to discover they’re still not happy!

In my role as an executive career coach and mentor, I have counselled hundreds of people who have been stuck in the wrong job!

Here are my 3 simple steps to finding a more rewarding and fulfilling career.

Step 1 – Create The life You Want With Career Coaching

The key to building a new life and new career starts with a fresh approach and career development. Start now by developing and implementing a career plan with a qualified career coach. With persistence, determination, self-analysis and goal setting, you’ll discover how to face your fears, overcome obstacles and allow yourself to undertake new challenges to access your full potential.

A leading expert will help you to realise your dreams, establish a sound career development plan, and assist you to reach your goals! And once you’ve identified your dream job, you’re half way there.

Step 2 – Your Professional Resume

Now you’ve developed your Career Plan, does your professional resume reflect your new career goals and objectives?

Resumes Australia can help you with your career journey by providing a professional executive resume writing service specifically designed to match your career objectives.

Step 3 – Interview Coaching Will Assist You to Get The Best Job!

Interview coaching will provide you with a framework for preparation to help you secure your ideal job, and provide you with interview methods, skills and techniques. To complete your new career journey, interview coaching will give you a leading edge, so you can create the best impression throughout the interview process.

To find out more about our career coaching, resume writing packages, and interview coaching services, visit Resumes Australia today.

Regards

Free Offer: The Executive Candidate Survival Guide

Job competition is fierce nowadays, and many economists are predicting that unemployment may rise this year. Westpac and Holden have announced job losses to both white and blue-collar positions, and times are tough right now.

Surviving in today’s work environment doesn’t need to be a daunting experience. By understanding how to overcome some of the fundamental challenges in a tough job market, you can discover ways to thrive and find the best career path for you.

A Professional Resume Can Help You Achieve More Interviews…

Aim for the top when you apply for a job with a well-written executive resume by engaging a professional resume writing service. By making an investment in your professional resume, you will be able to pursue higher paying jobs. You’ll also be better positioned to present your credentials and promote yourself to potential employers.

Interview Coaching Will Help You to Succeed

Feel empowered to succeed with an interview coach.  A qualified coach can help you prepare and practice your job interview skills and help you to find clarity, confidence and control.

Free Executive Candidate Survival Guide

Take advantage of this great offer from Resumes Australia. The FREE online Executive Candidate Survival Guide is filled with tips and hints for professional executive resume writing, interviews and salary negotiations.

This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know to help you with your next career move including:

• Resume Writing
• Interview Tips (before, during and after interview)
• Salary Negotiations
  • During the Job Application Process
  • During the Job Interview
  • At the Job Offer Stage

• Sample Interview Questions
  • Behavioural Interview Questions
  • Probes / Follow-Up Questions

Stuck and need some executive resume writing tips and better job interview skills?
If you’re looking for a professional resume or interview coaching to secure an important job, visit Resumes Australia today.

Regards

Job Search Strategies for Older Workers

How are Older Workers Perceived?

There’s no doubt that in some industries age discrimination does occur. In a report published by the Department of Health and Aging “Valuing and Keeping Older Workers” April 2010, a survey was distributed to 930 workers at a large (1000+ employees) service-oriented company based in South-East Melbourne.

 

Consistent with standard Australian Bureau of Statistics definitions, the term ‘younger employees’ was used in this study to refer to employees aged 44 and under. ‘Older employees’ refers to employees aged 45 and over.

One of the conclusions from the report was that young employees had more negative views than older employees about the potential contributions of older workers. Young workers were also less certain about good reasons to hire older workers.

Compared with older employees, they felt that workers ceased to contribute to a workplace and should retire at much earlier ages. Their definition of ‘old’ was also substantially younger than that of older employees.

Older Workers, A Sound Investment

There are many reasons why hiring older workers is a sound decision for businesses, yet so often we hear that older workers struggle more than their younger counterparts when looking for employment.

The Human Rights Commission has published large quantities of facts and figures to substantiate the benefits of hiring older workers. This information is available on their website http://www.hreoc.gov.au.

Here are just a few benefits for hiring older workers:

• Reduced ongoing recruitment and training costs – workers aged over 55 are five times less likely to change jobs compared with workers aged 20-24.
• Due to increased retention and other decreases in absenteeism, older workers deliver a net benefit to businesses of $1,956.
• We are now living longer and healthier – 78 years for men and 83 years for women. AND 75.5% of Australians aged 55-64 report their health as ‘good’, ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’.
• Mature workers are the least likely group to take days off, and less likely to experience work-related injuries compared to younger workers.
• Verbal skills, communication and intelligence remain unchanged as a person ages, according to a study of OECD nations.
• Older workers are fast to adapt to technology – ABS data shows that Australians aged 55-64 are the fastest growing users of information technology.

Start Embracing your Age

If you’re over 45 and unemployed, don’t despair. There are plenty of practical strategies that you can use to boost your employment potential. Here are just a few of my strategies to help you get hired faster:

1)    Your Resume. Contemporary resumes generally do not go further back than 10 years. Technology changes so quickly nowadays, and most interviewers are only interested in recent work history.

2)    Avoid over-emphasising dates on your resume (e.g. date of birth, university graduation date, etc.)

3)    Keep your skills current.

4)    Highlight your computer skills and professional development associations.

5)    Also include words like adaptability, and willingness to learn.

Don’t Give Up and Get Help if you Need It

Whether you are 24 or 54, searching for a job is never easy. It can be time consuming, and finding employers who will value your work ethic, wisdom and experience may not happen overnight.

The good news is that by using a professional resume writer, you will gain a competitive edge over other candidates, and you will be better positioned to get more job interviews. Resumes Australia has the best resume writers in the country who can help you with a winning Professional Resume and Cover Letter. View our resume writing packages today!

Regards

Choosing the Right Resume Format

It’s hard enough just writing a professional resume that will help you to stand out from the masses, and then there’s the decision of choosing your resume format! Here’s some information that will assist you to understand resume formats and choose what’s right for your work history.

Three of the most common resume formats include Chronological, Functional and Combination.

 

Your resume format choice should be based upon your work history and employment goals. Most job seekers and employers are familiar with chronological resumes, however other resume formats can also be beneficial.

Chronological Resume

The most traditional format is the chronological resume. This format highlights your employment dates, places of employment, and job titles, presenting them as headings, under which your responsibilities and achievements are detailed.

With this resume format, your work experience is listed from most recent to least recent in chronological order, and you emphasise your employment, responsibilities and achievements.

Employers tend to like this type of resume because it’s easy to see what jobs you have held and when.

This type of resume works well for job seekers with a strong, solid work history.

Functional Resume

A functional resume focuses on your skills and experience, rather than on your chronological work history. It is used most often by people who are changing careers or who have gaps in their employment history.

Combination Resume

This resume combines elements from both the chronological and functional resume formats. The combination resume typically begins with a list of relevant achievements and/or capabilities, and then switches to the chronological approach and lists job titles, companies and dates with further evidence of responsibilities. The format of this style of resume may vary, especially if you have little related work experience.

Resume Writing – Making the Right Resume Decisions

It is important to place equal focus on developing a good quality resume that supports your overall application, as well as choosing the right format. If you need a resume writing professional who can help you to succeed with your job application, we have a unique executive writing team with experience in this area.

More information is available on our website “Resumes Australia” under Executive Resume Writing.

Regards