How to Make the Most of an Informational Interview

How to Make the Most of an Informational InterviewHow to Make the Most of an Informational InterviewThe informational interview is the perfect tool to use when you feel stuck in a job search rut or want to explore options before fully committing. Whether youre still in college or are a seasoned professional, the informational interview gives you a sense of whats out there and a chance to build relationships that will open doors in the future. Read on to see how you should prepare, what to expect and follow-up steps to ensure a successful informational interview.Where should I start? A good place to start is within your own network. Is there an old colleague or classmate working at a company that interests you? Reaching out to someone you are comfortable and meeting them first will make future informational interviews less nerve-wracking. Send an email expressing that youd like to meet for coffee or a quick lunch and that youre on the lookout for the next opportunity and youre interes ted in their company or department. Be clear with your purpose for meeting in the e-mail. A lot of people will feel like youre tricking them and will wonder what your motives are if youre vague and might decline your invite from the get-go. If youre ready to reach out to someone outside of your network, its best ask a mutual contact to make the introduction first. Check out the person youd like to meet on LinkedIn and see if you have any mutual connections. Then, kindly ask your mutual contact to make an introduction and always give a reason why. Although cold-emailing someone is less likely to get a response, you should at least try if its someone you think will give you valuable information and advice. Like we mentioned earlier, always state your reason for meeting and keep it short and simple. You also might need to settle for an informational interview over the phone versus face-to-face with someone you dont know personally.What should I expect?Informational interviews are usual ly 15-30-minute exploratory meetings where you ask the questions. The biggest mistake fruchtwein people make is not preparing the right questions. Even worse, a lot of people show up to informational meetings, and the only thing theyll say is, I just wanted to pick your brain on how you got to work at Company XYZ. Before the meeting, create a list of specific questions that will bring to the light if a role or company is right for you. Questions that you would ask at the end of a regular interview are a good starting point. Informational interviews are usually casual and conversational, but preparing a list of questions will foolproof the meeting from any awkward silences. What should I do after the interview?At the end of your informational interview, its smart to politely ask if there is anyone that they think you should meet. Ask them if they are willing to make an introduction. This way, you might already have your next informational interview lined up. If youre searching for a specific role, ask them to keep you in mind if anything related pops up. Like a regular interview, thank the person for their time and send an appreciative e-mail following up on anything you discussed.

Resume Checklist Where Are You Going Wrong

Resume Checklist Where Are You Going WrongResume Checklist Where Are You Going Wrong200Imagine you spentcountless hours pouring all of your hard-earned recognition and accomplishments into a one- to two-page document. Youtailored that document specific to theposition youapplied to, waiting weeks to hear back. And then you receiveda letter of denial or cameto terms with the fact that you werentgoing to be hearing back from your dream job/company. Where did you go wrong on your resume checklist?Weve all been in this position as professionals, and its leid a fun place to be in.You might be wondering what, specifically, you included or didnt include on your resume that might have turned your potential employer off, and what you could have done better to land that dream job.This list of 16 resume dos is designed to help you sort through those questions and design a resume that will not leave you wondering what you could have done better in the future.Check out thisresume checklist___ Thin k quality over quantity. Take the time to consider whether or not you are a good match for the job/company and if its worth your time to apply.___ Personalize each and every resume and cover letter to be specific to the company/job you are applying for.___ Clearly outline your professional strengths and what you specifically can add to the company. ___ Add a link to your professional social media sites, such as LinkedIn and Twitter. ___ For professionals who work in web-related or design industries, consider adding a link to your online portfolio. ___ Use action verbs to spruce up your resume. Powerful action verbs, such as designated, managed, and allotted, will help captivate your audience.___ Include both recent and relevant work experience. The general guideline is to only include experience as far back as 15 years- your future employer doesnt care about your high school job pumping gas at your local marina.___ When reviewing your resume, make sure your font selection is consist ent throughout, as well as your spacing and punctuation. ___ Include enough whitespace to create a contrast on your resume. There is nothing more daunting to try and read through than a completely filled up resume. ___ Write your resume with the Application Tracking Systems (ATS) in mind. Many companies use an ATS to sort through the thousands of resumes received. Be smart and give your resume the chance to beat the system and make it through to the next round. Many ATS systems use the same keywords found in the job description, so be sure to include some of those in your resume. Try using a fun tool like TagCrowd to visualize your keywords.___ Keep your resume clean, simple, and readable. Avoid adding tacky and outdated clip art or colored backgrounds. ___ List a combination of soft and hard skills. Many professionals are quick to list soft skill sets such as communication skills, but be sure to balance it out with more specific, hard skill sets as well. Its all about the balance. ___ Quantify your achievements. Mentioning your ability to effectively increase revenues is great, but if you can list specific deliverables, such as increased annual revenues by over $20,000, then your resume is sure to stand out over others.___ Meticulously proofread your application materials. Use services such as Grammarly, and/or have a friend proofread them too.___ If you dont have a friend/colleague to review your application, consider sending it to a professional to review.___ Last but not least, always tell the truth on your resume. Lying on your resume is never a good idea.Onceyouve put all this hard work into your resume, dont let it get squished. If youre traveling to in-person job interviews store your resume and other paper application materials in a neat folder, as opposed to pulling them out wrinkled from your bag or briefcase.Finally, bring extra copies of your resume in the event that there are multiple interviewers.There you have it This all-encompassing resume ch ecklist will ideally put you in the position of turning down job offers and out of the role of wondering where you went wrong.Readers, how many of unterstellungresume tips have you used? Are there any others on your own resume checklist? Please share with our members in the comments below

FAQ Should I Include It On My Resume

FAQ Should I Include It On My Resume FAQ Should I Include It On My Resume We answered some of the fruchtwein commonly asked questions about what should and shouldnt be added to your resume. Have more questions about what goes on your resume? Ask us on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter.Should I include all of my jobs on my resume?No. A resume is designed to market just how well you fit the role its not a career biography. If it doesnt leave too big of a resume gap, avoid listing jobs with work experience irrelevant to the new job, positions that lasted less than three months (besides contract or seasonal work), and anything from over 15 years ago.Learn more about when to leave a job off of a resume.Should I include a picture or headshot on my resume?No. Some recruiters automatically disqualify a candidate just for having a picture of themselves on their resume because it can open the door for claims of discrimination and hiring bias.Should I include references on my resume?No. Including references or phrases like references available upon request is an outdated practice. Hiring managers wont ask for references until the interview stages of the hiring process. Its assumed that you will have references available at that point.Should I include WPM on my resume?Yes, but only if fast, accurate typing skills are important to the job for which youre applying. The fruchtwein important thing to remember when adding skills like typing speed to your resume is making sure that they align with the job description. Otherwise, they dont help you stand out to hiring professionals or get past applicant tracking systems (ATS).Learn which skills are actually important with Jobscans resume optimization tool.Should I include a skills section on my resume?Yes. A skills section is one of the most important things to include on your resume. Many companies use ATS to search for qualified candidates. Recruiters or hiring managers will use hard skills as keywords to perform this search, so o ptimizing your skills to match the description of the job youre applying for has a massive impact on your ability to get your resume past the ATS and in front of human eyes.Learn more about how to write a resume skills section.Should I include my street address on my resume?No. Your street address isnt necessary on a modern resume. You should still include your city, state, and zip code, as recruiters are able to search by these criteria with some ATS. Without this information, your resume could be passed over.Learn more about how applicant tracking systems work.Should I include my LinkedIn on my resume?Yes. A recruiter or hiring manager is going to look up your LinkedIn profile anyway, so make it easy for them by putting your LinkedIn URL with your contact information. LinkedIn is also the place where you can expand on your experience, detail your accomplishments, and show off other material that doesnt fit on a resume.Learn more about how to make sure recruiters can find you on Li nkedIn.Should I include my Github profile on my resume?Yes, if its relevant to the job youre applying for and your profile is active. Github is very similar to LinkedIn for technical roles many recruiters or hiring professionals are going to look it up anyway. Include the URL to your profile with your contact information.Should I include volunteer work on my resume?Yes. Many recruiters and hiring managers look favorably on volunteer experience. Focus on including volunteer work with applicable or transferable skills and measurable results as they can provide extra keyword optimization for ATS. Including relevant volunteer experience can be especially helpful for recent grads, those with employment gaps, or applicants who are changing careers.Keep the hiring company in mind when deciding which volunteer work to include. Some causes, especially those political or religious in nature, could be divisive and hurt more than they help. Research company values or the hiring manager to get a better idea of what to include.Learn more about how to include volunteer work on your resume.Should I include my hobbies on my resume?No, unless the skills required for your hobby are relevant to the job being applied to, such how leadership would be required from a hobbyist soccer coach and a team lead in a call center. Most of the time the only job seekers who include hobbies on their resumes are recent grads and entry-level candidates who dont have much, if any, job experience.Learn more about resume sections.Should I include my college GPA on my resume?No, unless youve graduated from college within the last 2-3 years and your GPA is 3.5 or higher. Include your major GPA or your cumulative GPA, whichever is higher. Be sure to denote which GPA youre including, as employers can reference your transcripts.Work experience and measurable results are more important than GPA to many companies, so internships, volunteer experience, and work-study programs carry more value to most emplo yers than grades do. If you had a very high GPA (3.8 or higher) in an elite program or at a prestigious school, its worth keeping on your resume until you need more space for experience or skills.Learn more about what to include in your resume education section.Should I include high school education on my resume?No, unless youre currently in high school or college. Younger applicants who havent completed their degree should list their high school, years of attendance, and 1-3 major achievements. If you do have a college degree, list that instead of your high school education.Learn more about when to exclude education from your resume.Should I include a failed business or startup on my resume?Yes. Structure a failure on your resume by focusing on the accomplishments you did have, such as grew customer base 5% over 3 months or trained 5 employees in JavaScript. When asked about the failure, dont be afraid to talk about it you can turn a negative experience into a positive one by talk ing about what you accomplished there and what you learned to move forward.Learn more about how to format failed business ventures on your resume.

Electrify Your Personal Brand

Electrify Your Personal BrandElectrify Your Personal BrandJane Harding, a top medical pharmaceutical sales representative, says that investing mora in her personal brand could have gotten her hired faster. Heres her storyShe interacted daily with regional medical health centers, gave educational presentations and felt strongly that her portfolio of drugs helped patients recover more quickly from surgery. She made $100K+. One drug she represented welches recalled and lawsuits piled up. The company she worked for abruptly laid off even top performers like Jane.After a successful career, Jane now found herself unemployed. Weeks turned into months during her job search. It began to take a toll on her financially and emotionally. The job search dragged on. A topsy-turvy pharmaceutical market caused competitor companies to brace for uncertainty in the industry and thus slowed their hiring during this time. The future for Jane looked bleak.Previously, when she welches at the height of her c areer, she found that her passionate involvement in volunteerism waned. She was too busy to support events for organizations that meant a great deal to her like the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Autism Speaks, and the United Way. Her commitment to children and adults through volunteerism, however, never waned in the slightest. In my mind I was really committed to my company and my passions, Ms. Harding expressed. But thats the problem it was in my mind. I really feel that had I made more of my natural abilities in reaching out at a time when I was comfortable, I may have had an easier road in my new job search.Although Jane Hardings career path may differ from yours, her dilemma probably does bedrngnis. She became so focused on work that she ignored an important part of her life. She neglected the volunteerism that gave her great personal satisfaction. When you have a great job fruchtwein people focus on that work. Most of your time and creative energy tend to be invested where y ou will get the most monetary return. Accolades and awards may result and they did for Jane. But, like Jane, you may have lost the focus of your personal brand. What is your personal brand and why is it important to your career?Simply put, personal branding can be defined as the initial and authentic lasting impression you want to give people. True career entrepreneurs understand that personal brands should be built during times of career comfort.Pushing yourself to build your personal brand when your career is soaring can be inconvenient. But, success is often built on inconvenience. I recommend inconveniencing yourself, says Jane Harding. That would have made my job search much easier. I could have made this voltage happen earlier, though I finally did.Whether you are job searching or you are at the height of your career, here are five ways to electrify your personal brand Check and Refine Your Existing Online BrandYour personal life is part of your professional brand, so inventor y every part of it in person and zugnglich. I realized that I was casually on MySpace, LinkedIn, Plaxo, Facebook and even YouTube, Jane Harding says. I didnt have anything embarrassing out there, but I wasnt doing anything to properly network and raise my positive impressions when you Google searched me. Jane Harding reduced and focused her social status online and immediately posted professional images and short videos, as well as gained references and referrals.Associations Work, So Work ThemImmediately after noticing her lack of participation in groups supporting her volunteering efforts, she jumped back into those groups and took on leadership roles. My network probably increased directly by 200 professionals overnight, says Ms. Harding. I put the causes and organizations first in my efforts, but also utilized this time to professionally let people know what I was looking for inside and outside of healthcare.Use Your Expertise to ContributeWith some coaching, says Ms. Harding, I developed and delivered three speeches, filmed them and posted them on YouTube and to my online web portfolio. I started my own blog and wrote book reviews on Amazon and Barnes Noble online. Additionally, I authored four articles and published them in a volunteer magazine, on an online blog and in a regional sales magazine. Its really stuff I could have and should have done while I was working I learned that looking for a job is about branding yourself, not just pumping resumes out. The funny thing was that by doing this I got more responses from Ladders and other postings too Join groups like Toastmasters and industry-related associations. Network and find ways to contribute productively first then ask for advice. Build relationships first and focus on what you can do for others. Then find subtle ways to introduce your needs.Stop Making Excuses about Building Your BrandMs. Harding states, On the surface I was successful and busy, but when I visited some young cancer patients dur ing my job search I realized how lazy I was. I always had time, no matter how busy I was, to give back. I will never make excuses like that again. For example, Ms. Harding hated writing, but she did it anyway because publishing helped her personal brand. She always seemed to be too busy to do the fundraiser, put in an hour at the hospital for volunteer stuff or to capture and edit video during her educational and other appearances. So many opportunities are available to you to build your personal brand while you are deeply focused on your work. Even my former boss asked me why I hadnt thought of it while I worked with him. Ms. Harding also states, I did things during my job search to take my own excuses away and it worked.Define Personal Branding for YouWhat I found out is that personal branding is not a phony line made up by an advertising person, says Ms. Harding. For me it was about reinventing myself to be more like myself, if that makes sense. I decided to start by committing t o things that mattered most to me kids, volunteer activities, causes and this inspired me to push myself way out of my comfort zone. I developed new, strong and enduring relationships. I became more like myself.This advice can work for you. It simply does not matter if you find yourself in a high-flying sales position or in a low-profile operations position you need to light a fire under your career and the core values of your personal brand. In todays world of intense competition for the best jobs, becoming and staying proactive in developing your personal brand alongside your career is a must. Dont wait until a layoff like Jane Harding.Staying proactive about your personal brand while employed is mandatory. Lightning can hit any global or highly-exposed industry at any time. For Jane Harding, the skies didnt seem to be gray. It may take a forward-thinking friend or career coach to push you to work on your personal brand when youre comfortable. So, what should you do now? Stay pr oactive about personal branding and it will drive current and future career opportunities.

Inside Sales Resume for Dummies

Inside ausverkauf Resume for Dummies Inside Sales Resume Secrets As an inside sale representative, its your duty to discover prospective clients, rate their interests and determine whether they have a way to get the item. You should be articulate on the telephone and be in a position to provide the customer a fantastic enough description of the product to gain his small business. Educate clients on goods and service offerings. Strategically investigate present clients in order to come up with new small business potential. Asks the proper questions Questions are a fantastic device in sales. Locating a skilled outside salesperson isnt always simple. Thats the reason why you need to be positive that the sales representative skills resume you return may demonstrate the best part you have. Read the subsequent outside sales maintenance representative resume sample to acquire a notion of what success looks like. If this IT Sales resume example was not sufficient for you, youre tot ally free to review several other samples and templates from our website. This section is ideal for exhibiting the drive, power and enthusiasm thats so significant in the sales profession. Inside this post, well talk about the crucial abilities and traits of an inside sales representative you are going to want to hire or will wish to be. Dont neglect to demonstrate that you currently knowledgeable concerning the position for the specific company and tell your skill that may assist you and the organization to thrive. Whatever you select, keep a watch out for the ROI of your sales team. As an inside sales representative, its critical that you possess excellent communication abilities. You must find out the way to create the most helpful sales representative skills resume as youre ready to send to the business and supply great first impression about your self, understand it here. You certainly can incorporate information which is available to the general public ( for instance, sta ts found in a yearly report or on the organization Web site). Have a friend whos proficient at editing proofread your resume in addition to all your public posts on social networking. Include bullet lists rather than paragraphs. Inside Sales Resume at a Glance All job listings will stay active for as many as 60 days. Sales might be rewarding career, but eventually you are going to want to take the next step. These jobs are often lucrative, and lots of them provide an extremely satisfying level of flexibility and independence. Find out more about sales careers. Follow-up with customers who might be inclined to produce purchases. Business opportunities that need a monetary investment arent acceptable. You will need to select the initiative. Follow-up on orders to guarantee timely shipping. The Chronicles of Inside Sales Resume Read the work description like your life is dependent on it. You have enough time to prepare so get the most out of it. AngelList is where to loo k. If it isnt explained everywhere, then attempt to call the business to question whos anyone accountable for it. Asking the perfect questions is vital. Apart from being punctual, its also crucial to arrive for an interview looking your very best. If needed, write down your thoughts about these questions, and locate the best method to state them. Not merely the proper questions but asking them at the proper time. To end the webpage, attempt to create you to ultimately the desk so you must end it with higher note. Since you can see here, it doesnt need to be long, only including relevant parts of information like school name, date, etc.. When youve completed this, then you can surely be comfortable when giving the letter. A cover letter goes a very long way.

How To Be More Confident

How To Be More Confident How To Be More ConfidentPosted March 7, 2017, by Vivien Luu Struggle with self-confidence and asserting yourself at work? Dont let that hold you back Here are five simple habits you can develop to build your self-confidence, improve your self-esteem and become a more confident version of yourself. Lets be honest. Nobody is born confident. Well nobody except Beyonc that is. For the rest of us myself included feeling (and genuinely being) more confident is an everyday struggle. I never used to care. Until the best manager I ever had told me something that stuck You lack confidence. Its the one thing holding-gesellschaft you back. And she welches right. I wasnt being taken seriously at work. My ideas werent being heard. And none of my projects were being prioritised. A lack of assertiveness was killing my career. So I did what anyone else would do. I devoured a Costco-sized bag of chips (worthit dontjudgeme) and Googled the shiitake out of How to be mor e confident. Unsurprisingly, Google failed me. So I took matters into my own hands. I got advice from experts, people I admired and read up on scientific studies. The tips they gave me Changed. My. Life. It was like switching off the mute button. I started getting pulled into more meetings, people sought out my opinion, and my projects started getting off the ground. So what did I do? Of all the advice I got, behauptung were the 5 simplest habits that had the biggest impact on my confidence. 1. I Stopped Apologising Over-apologising is your worst enemy. It undermines your authority and makes you seem unsure of yourself even if youre not. Worse still youre probably guilty of it without even realising it. I used to apologise for everything. And I mean everything. Id apologise for wanting to speak in a meeting, for being sick, for correcting people when they spelt my name wrong. I was a serial offender. Until this Tumblr post caught my eye It was such a simple and elegant solution So I started swapping out sorry for thank you. Old me Sorry for the late response. New me Thanks for being so patient with this. Non-assertive me Im sorry I forgot to make those edits to my article. Assertive me Thanks for pointing that out Ill be sure to make those edits. 2. I Opened Up My Body Language When our body language is confident and open, says body language expert Amy Cuddy, other people respond... unconsciously reinforcing not only their perception of us but also our perception of ourselves. In a nutshell, if you act confident, people around you will think youre confident, and youll feel more confident too. How do we make this happen? According to the experts, you should Sit up straight and stand tall. Keep your chin and head up confident people seldom look down at the table or the ground. Make frequent eye contact when youre talking. Use hand gestures with open palms whenever you speak open palms are an ancient display of truth and hones ty. 3. I Stopped Avoiding Those Difficult Work Conversations You know the ones Im talking about those work conversations that are super awkward or just downright difficult to have. Id been putting off quite a few of these chats. I made up all sorts of excuses that it wasnt that bad, that I was blowing things out of proportion but the truth is, I was afraid of how Id come across or that I wouldnt be able to assert myself. So I bit the bullet. I scheduled a chat with my boss about my salary, and a catch up with my manager to push back on some additional projects that Id inherited. The results? I walked out of both conversations feeling incredible. My boss and manager listened and I came across as...thats right you guessed it more confident. They both respected me for being proactive, for openly discussing issues I was having, and for being someone who was unafraid to speak up. So stop putting off those difficult conversations. Trust me, youll feel a whole lot better a fterwards, and who knows you might even earn yourself a raise 4. I Dressed The Part I hate to say it, but what you wear matters. Every study I could get my hands on told me what I absolutely didnt want to hear that I needed to make more of an effort with what I wore to work everyday. Why? Because people are judge-y. And no, thats not me saying it. Thats what science says Trust me, as someone who thinks doing her hair is putting it up in a bun, and would never sacrifice a sleep-in for having perfect (or any) mascara, I wish it werent true. But the fact is, how you present yourself at work says a lot about who you are, how seriously you take yourself, and can even influencehow focused and competent you are at work. All the science points to the fact that clothes can be very powerful. So I couldnt think of a single reason why I shouldnt be using this to my advantage. So I started to Dress more formally, particularly if I had any meetings or negotiations to sit in on. Ev en though I work in a fairly casual office, I realised that generally, people who dress up, move up. So goodbye tees, hello blazers Wear make-up to work every day. Research suggests that women who wore makeup were perceived as more prestigious and more dominant. Add creative tweaks to my outfits. A study found that when you slightly deviate from the norm (e.g. wearing a red bow tie at a black tie event), you are perceived as being powerful enough to ignore the rules. 5. I Started Saying No No is a powerful word. Its also a word thats exceptionally hard to say if youre anything like me, and hate disappointing others. But the problem is, when you say yes to every task, meeting, project and donut thrown your way you burn out. Trust me. Oh, and you put on 5kg (eep) The reality is, there are only so many hours in a day. And I realised I was better off doing an AWESOME job on four projects, rather than a half-baked job on eight. Pushing back on things I didnt have time for was by fa r the most empowering habit I picked up. It gave me time to do some seriously great work (which in turn, did wonders for confidence), and my managers began to respect my schedule. They also had more confidence in my ability to deliver projects to deadline. So learn to say no. Trust me. This simple two-letter word will empower you in so many ways. All in all, this was one of my better life experiments. Way better than I can eat 1kg of vegetables every day or Im going to write a fantasy trilogy this year during my lunch breaks. I got a cooler wardrobe, my salary went up and honestly, I feel different like a slightly more centred, authentic and empowered version of the partie I was 12 months ago. At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, these 5 habits changed my life. I hope they do for you too ResourcesMy first resumeCover letter for my first jobCareer Insider StoriesShelley Lask - Body Positive Health they can help you maximise your potential and opportunities and help you n avigate challenges and obstacles smoothly. Find out more about how a career coach could help you.