It occurred to me that many people are not aware that a one-size-fits-all résumé, especially if one is applying to a variety of positions even within the same industry, just does not work. As accomplished and qualified as you may be, if your résumé lacks focus and does not address the employer’s needs, it will be tossed in ‘File 13′, which is the garbage bin. You can have one résumé as your master, but be prepared to tweak it for each position.

To begin writing or reformatting your résumé, dissect the job posting to see exactly what the employer is asking for. Think of your experience and see how closely it aligns with the requirements of the job. Do not include any information that does not relate to the position. Then, take your time to reflect on the challenges you faced in each situation, the actions you took, and the outcomes or results of your actions. This process allows you to show your accomplishments, gives an idea of your potential, and let the employer know that you understand their needs, and if given the opportunity, you can replicate youre successes, and even exceed their expectations.

If you would like to give your résumé a better chance of being plucked from the pile, make sure it’s focused and answers the employer’s WIIFM question: What’s in it for me? I tell my clients from time to time that if the employer asks for apples in thejob posting, give them apples, not bananas, oranges and grapes, unless these will enhance their chances of being called for an interview. When it comes to your résumé, focus is key.

If you require help with this very important job search document, don’t be afraid to seek professional assistance. Consider it an investment, not a cost.

Stephanie AuWerter, Senior Editor SmartMoney.com

If you have been following our posts over the past several days, you would have been reading up on tips for moms  returning to the workforce. Here are today’s tips:

Tip # 6: Telephone & Voice Mail. Keep in mind that your interview begins the moment you send out your résumé, so let family members know to be on their best behaviour when they answer the phone because at anytime you could be receiving calls. If you already have a recorded voice mail message, it might be time to listen to it and make sure it sounds professional.

Tip #7: Employment Agencies. Employment agencies are very important players in your effort to return to the workforce.  Many full time positions are found through these contacts, and even if you don’t get a full time position, the short-term assignments will give you a chance to experience a variety of office environments, sharpen your skills and regain your confidence.

Choosing the right résumé format. Employers tend to prefer the chronological résumé, which gives a historical timeline of your work experience, but this becomes problematic when you have been away from the workforce for a time. As an alternative, you could use the functional format which focuses on notable skills and accomplishments gained from a number of jobs. Use headings such as Administration, Fundraising, Event Planning and Project Management, and list your activities and achievements under those headings. Another alternative is to use a combination format, beginning with a value statement or professional summary that answers the employer’s question, “What should we hire you?” Below is an example:

VALUE STATEMENT

Juggled several tasks as president of school council and chair of membership committee of the local Girl Guides Club. Negotiated sponsorship opportunity with a major retail chain enabling the club to increase membership from 25 to 80 within 5 months. Initiated and led the first Neighbourhood Watch group in Lakeside, significantly reducing incidences of trespassing by 25%. Used Excel to create a budget for a family of five, monitoring it on a weekly basis to ensure there were no overruns. Managed bookkeeping responsibilities for a sole proprietor and implemented an aggressive collections policy that increased cash flow by 30%.

The above summary is an example of how you could incorporate your family and civic involvement into your résumé. The aim is to be creative and bring together your outside professional involvement as well as your related child-rearing activities.

Stephanie AuWerter, Senior Editor SmartMoney.com

Are you a mom preparing to return to the workforce in the New Year? Are you worried about filling the gaps on your resume? Assuming that while fulfilling your parental role, you were volunteering your expertise, and engaging in activities related to your profession, there’s no reason to worry…you’ve got skills!  This article offers tips to help with your transition back to the world of work. Come back over the next several days for additional tips:

Tip #1: Dust off your résumé. Once you have made the decision to return to work, begin working on résumé immediately.  Never leave this important task for the last minute, as so many people do.  Creating a professional résumé takes time as you will need to assess all of your skills, attributes and achievements, and determine how to showcase them in a way that differentiates you from the crowd. If you don’t feel you are capable of creating your own résumé, seek help from someone with good writing skills or utilize the services of a professional résumé writer.

The next tip in the series will be:

Tip #2: Fill in the gaps.

1. Revisit your core values. What is important to you in a job or career other than the pay cheque? What do you enjoy doing? What work or vocation you could easily do for free?
2. Establish your preferences. Do you like working within a group or alone? Does the idea of sitting behind a desk appeal to you, or would you prefer a job working outdoors?
3. Research companies that share your values. Is the company eco-friendly or family-friendly, and are those values important to you?
4. Be Prepared for lateral moves in your company. Climbing the corporate ladder does not necessarily mean moving up immediately. It could mean going sideways sometimes.
5. Expand your knowledge base. Become more literate by formal or informal means. It’s easier than ever these days for you to enroll in courses, attend seminars, read inspiring books and contribute to discussions that will educate and inform. Take advantage of your employer’s tuition reimbursement program if they still have one.
6. Commit to your job 110%. Mediocre performance breeds mediocre results. If you cannot commit to your job, it might be time to start looking for another job or change your career. If you are underperforming, it will be noticed and when it’s time to reduce headcount, the employer will look first in your direction.
7. Retool your skills. Find opportunities to update your skills or learn new ones. In an ever-evolging workplace, you will need to demonstrate that you are comfortable with the latest technology and that you are willing to take risks and experiment with new things.
8. Brush up on your job search skills. Even if you are not thinking of leaving your employer, you should brush up on your skills. When last have you done an interview? Are you familiar with current interview practices? If called on to interview for your current position, how confident are you that you would get your job back? What about your résumé? Is it current and does it have a list of your achievements?
9. Avoid your comfort zone when networking. According to Martin Zwilling of Start Up Booster, if you want to be successful at networking, you must first identify your “comfort zone” (the circle of people you are most comfortable interacting with), then avoid spending too much time with that group.
10. Make it a habit of tapping into and nurturing your network. Once you have your network going, make the relationship memorable. What information can you share with people in your network? Have you read an article or found a website that could benefit someone in your group? Networking is not a one-shot event and must be constantly nurtured. That’s how you’ll be memorable and kept on someone’s radar for the next opportunity.

With these 10 tips, you are ready to take charge and move your career forward! If you would like professional assistance in any aspect of your career, find an experienced career strategist who has walked in your shoe!_

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Daisy Wright is Chief Career Strategist at The Wright Career Solution, a Certified Career Management Coach and author of No Canadian Experience, Eh? A Career Survival Guide for New Immigrants. She can be reached via Email: daisy@thewrightcareer.com, Blog: www.daisywright.com, Websites: www.thewrightcareer.com  and www.nocanadianexperience-eh.com.

The seven mistakes outlined below are real situations culled from unsolicited information that either arrived in my Inbox or was mentioned in conversations with an individual or two. None of the individuals are clients, so the element of confidentiality does not apply.

1. Email Address. Cute email addresses should be used only with your cute family and friends. They will not be considered cute by potential employers. All correspondence that pertains to your job search should have your real name or something that demonstrates professionalism. Consider the young woman whose email address was lazygirl@xxxxx.com. (The domain name has been changed to protect her identity). This young lady was looking for a job in a restaurant where they required someone to work in a fast-paced environment. Why would an employer hire someone who is announcing that she is a ‘lazy girl’?

2. Voicemail. Your voicemail should convey your professionalism. In your absence, it becomes another tool to market yourself. Give yourself a call and listen to your message. Is it short, clear and businesslike? Don’t be like this other young woman I met at a job fair who wanted to know what she was doing wrong why she couldn’t find a job. When I called her home to follow-up, part of her voicemail message said “If you got this message, you may be someone I don’t want to talk to, and if you are someone I don’t want to talk to, you know what to do”. Why would a hiring manager give her a second call after such a message?

3. Résumé. Don’t be a part of the ‘cheating culture’ by submitting someone else’s résumé as if it’s your own. That is never acceptable, particularly when you didn’t take the time to remove the other person’s name. A man sent me an email asking me to hire him. The name on his email address was different from the one he had as his signature, and the name on the résumé was also different. Three aliases! When I wrote back suggesting that he decides who he really is, his reply was “do u think i am dumb?”

4. Cover Letter. Take the time to write a proper, professional cover letter to accompany your résumé whether you are applying by email or sending it by snail mail. Your cover letter is another opportunity to market yourself to the employer; an opportunity to draw attention to your special skills or to explain something that was not covered in your résumé. The majority of hiring managers still want to see a cover letter whether or not the job posting asks to “fax a résumé”. The man referred to above (the one who wanted me to hire him) had as his subject line “looking 4 work”, and his one-line cover note said “I am looking for permanent work. Please hire me”.

5. Interview. Your résumé and cover letter brought you to this important stage. It is now time for you to shine; to tell the interviewer why you are the best candidate for the job. It’s inevitable that you are going to hear the question, ”Do you have questions?” You should be prepared with a few good ones. Do not be like the candidate who answered “No” to the question, then went home and sent an email with a long list of questions to the interviewer.

6. Job Offer. If you have reached the stage where you have been offered the job, it means the company really wants you. While it is normal, and sometimes expected, that a certain amount of negotiation will take place, don’t blow your chances by asking for the impossible. One young man, fresh out of graduate school, thought he should push the envelope by informing the interviewer that the other company was offering him much more money. He lost out on an opportunity as this company could not match the offer, and the other company didn’t exist.

7. Cell Phone. Watch your cell phone manners. One of the last things you do before going into an interview is to turn off your cell phone. Do not put it on vibrate, but turn it off. Not only will it be embarrassing to you if it rings during the interview, but it could spell disaster to your job search. A salesman was at an interview when his boss called. In the midst of the interview he told the boss that he “was meeting with a client”, and could he call back.

Your job search is much more than a resume and cover letter. It entails honesty and professionalism starting with your first contact with the company. Overlooking proper job search etiquette could be detrimental to your career success, so beware.

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Daisy Wright is Chief Career Strategist at The Wright Career Solution and author of No Canadian Experience, Eh? A Career Survival Guide for New Immigrants. Email: careercoach@thewrightcareer.com.

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