Your Resume Checklist

Before you submit that resume, have a 2nd and a 3rd look. Below are some do's and don'ts to help you with your resume submission.

• Your name (first and last) is bolded on the first page, followed by contact information (town/city, country, phone, email, linkedin) in a smaller font.  On subsequent pages include your name, email and phone number in a smaller font at the top of the resume.
• Do not include personal information like:  marital status, children, father's name (yes I have seen it on resumes), passport number or SIN number.
• How long is your Professional Profile.  Keep it to 1 paragraph, 5 to 6 sentences and possibly a couple of bullets.  Make sure they highlight the skills you have that match the job you are applying for.  A 1-page profile will lose the interest of the recruiter after about the 5th line.  Keep it short and concise.
• Is your Education listed with the highest degree on the top, followed by certifications and training in reverse chronological order

  

• If you are applying for a technical position.  This is a good spot to list your most current technologies.  Needless to say if there are specific technical skills in the job ad and you have them, then put them in here so they will stand out.
• The next section should be your Professional Experience.  Again the jobs should be listed in reverse chronological order, with the most current position first. 
• Do your achievements start with action words:  Develop, Create, Built, Performed, Managed, Coordinated, etc.  Here is a webpage with 100's of action words  http://jobmob.co.il/blog/positive-resume-action-verbs/ or just type "List of Action Words" in Google.
• NEVER NEVER NEVER start a sentence with "I" or "your name". 
• "John created a test plan and test cases" or "I created a test plan and test cases" should become
• Created a test plan and test cases.
• Put your keywords from the job ad in your achievements as often as you can.  If the job is looking for someone who has worked on an "on-line banking system"  then say so.  
• Created detailed test plans for the CIBC On-line Banking System using Mercury Tools
• If you notice that it is taking you a long time to read your resume, then it is probably too long, cut it down to 2 or 3 pages.  You can always put in a line that says
• Detailed job information from 1999 and back is available upon request.
• Hobbies - not needed on the resume.  This is a question that may come up at the interview to get the conversation going.  Be careful what you tell them.  Reading, Golf, Skiing, etc are probably good topics of conversation.  Telling your interviewer that you like to go to the casino every Saturday night might set off some warning bells for him.  
• References - don't go on the resume, in fact don't even put in the line "references available upon request", that's a known.  
• Take out the graphics, logos, graphs, pictures. 
• Don't include a letter from your mother, yes it has happened.  
• Don't lie on your resume, this is a legal document.
• Have someone proofread it, have them read the job ad as well.  

Good Luck Job Hunting

Keeping track of the jobs you have applied for

You have done your resume, fine tuned your cover letter and sent off your resume.  Much to your chagrin you didn't get the first job you applied to.  So now the whole process starts over and over, and over again. Yes, there is a good chance that you might send out over 200 resumes before you actually land your dream job.

Printing off all your resumes and cover letters is using up a lot of paper, not to mention file folders to put them in.  This is when a Job Log comes in handy.  My preference would be to do it in excel or even better a google docs spreadsheet.  The columns are easy to set up, you can sort the file by date, by company, by position, etc.  And spreadhseets are relatively user friendly.  Putting it up on google docs means you can access it wherever your are - the library, the coffee shop, etc.  It also gives you the ability to update the information right after your interview while it is still fresh in your mind.

What goes in the Job Log:

• Date you sent resume
• Company Name
• Contact Info:  Name, email, phone
• Job Number
• Job Title
• Copy of Job Posting: Note - don't just link the url, the url may be taken down before you get an interview, so keep a hard copy of the job posting.
• Resume/Cover Letter
• Follow up dates and whether an email or phone call
• Telephone Interview
• 1st Interview
• Date
• Who with
• Preparation Notes:  possible questions, company info
• Questions to follow up on
• Follow up dates and whether an email or phone call
• Thank you letter sent
• 2nd Interview
• Date
• Who with
• Preparation Notes:  possible questions, company info
• Questions to follow up on
• Follow up dates and whether an email or phone call
• Thank you letter sent
• Salary and benefits

The first thing to do is figure out your computer filing system and naming conventions for your resume/cover letter, thank you letters, copy of job posting, company information and interview questions you want to ask (which you will update after the interview with the answers).  These documents can be either linked to your spreadsheet or just put the file name in.

One small recommendation - I like to put my cover letter in the front of my resume.  HR and Recruiters have a tendency to go right to the resume and never open the cover letter.  If it is at the front of your resume then they may actually glance at it.  

Looking for a job can be a full time job.  So remember as with all data collection it is only helpful if it is kept up to date and a little work to set it up will save you a ton of time and possible embarassment when you start getting interviews.

Good luck Job Hunting

How to be productive when working from home

The computer is on, my calendar is opened, the "to do" list is ready to start clicking on and beep beep.  The washer has just stopped.  I'll just pop up and flip the laundry.  Oh shoot the dog needs walked, the cat needs a treat, the children have a question, a neighbour pops over.

My office is in the front of my house where all my neighbours see me at my computer day in and day out.  Because I am at home they think it is OK to pop over for a chat or to borrow something or for a favour.  Strangely the same thing happens with my children and my husband.  "I'm actually working you know, my boss is waiting for this" was a common refrain around my house when I first started working from home.

It just wasn't outside influences I was fighting with it was also keeping myself on track that was an issue.  Flipping the laundry, popping out to cut the grass, that endless list of things to do at home that are always in the back of your mind when you work from home and oh so easily distracting.  Would I rather walk the dog or read another resume.

It soon became apparent that I had to set rules and guidelines for myself and family members.  My first and most important mandate was:

This is your career treat it with respect.  

From this statement I was able look at my issues and set up some standards for operating my business.  This included simple things like:

• Setting up a private office.  I set up a room in the house that was out of bounds for children and visitors (my cats were and still are welcome).
• A proper desk and comfortable chair are a necessity.
• Getting out of my pyjamas when I went into my office.  I still do casual office attire, but my makeup is on and it makes me feel more professional.
• If you have children be prepared to get a babysitter for your busy times.  
• Shut the door so there are fewer distractions.  Make sure all family members know the rules.  They can't be yelling for you when you are on the phone conducting an interview.
• Take your lunch break away from your desk.  Go for a walk outside.  Stretch your legs and relax your mind for 60 minutes.  
• Set up mini deadlines.  These tasks have to be finished before I can succumb to another cup of tea.
• Set up a schedule for checking your personal email, etc, that way it won't become distracting.
• Separation of job and family time.  Don't work on the weekend just because it is there and easy to access.  It is so easy to say "I will just go and finish that report".  If you aren't late with the task then use your weekends/night time for family time.
• If your work is computer related, then unplug it and take it to the coffee shop for a change of scenery.
• Keep your equipment up to date, if your computer needs upgrading then do it.  Otherwise you will lose productive time with a computer that is slowing down and freezing.

When you respect your career you automatically respect yourself

These small guidelines have helped me work successfully from home for the past 25 years.  When I started treating my job like a career, it didn't take long for my family and neighbours to follow suit.  I'm still working on the cats  O:).

What does a Virtual Assistant do?

Your company is growing, that's great news, but all of a sudden you are overwhelmed with millions of tasks. 

• Booking meetings, flights, cars
• Ordering supplies
• Answering general information emails, we all know how quickly our general mailboxes can fill up
• Formatting presentations and reports
• Editing presentations and reports
• Answering and updating your Twitter, Blog, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ accounts (to name just a few social media sites you may be on)
• You need some graphics to make your presentation more professional do you really have time to search the web for the right one.
• etc, etc

Sounds like you definitely need help, but not ready for a full-time position, or maybe you don't have the room for someone yet.  Then you may want to look at a Virtual Assistant.  There is a Virtual Assistant for every task your company may need. 

• Bookkeeping has been outsourced for years
• Office Help:  documents, presentations, reports, resumes, spreadsheets
• Social Media:  creating your accounts and updating them
• Scheduling:  keeping track of your calendar for meetings, conferences, flights, etc
• Recruitment:  Screening, reference checks, searching for candidates
• Data Entry:  not just entry but also keeping your database up to date
• Transcription Services

You need to make a list of what you need help with (I know another task to add to your never ending list).  That list needs to be sorted into general administration and specialized administration tasks.  Chances are that your Virtual Assistant won't be able to design you a great webpage, get a professional for that, but they will be able to maintain and update it.  Editing and proofreading is another task that you may want to make sure that your Virtual Assistant is qualified in the language you are using.  The best Virtual Assistants become an employee of your company without the expense of being an employee.  The more they do for you the more knowledgeable they will become.  And you can keep adding tasks to their list without them complaining about their work load. 

Try a Virtual Assistant and get on with business while leaving those mundane tasks to a professional!!!

Benefits of a Virtual Assistant

Help Needed!!!!!!!

Why would you use a Virtual Assistant?  Why not hire someone full time?  Or use a Temp?

Full Time Position
If your company is growing enough to fill a full time position then by all means hire a full time person.  The benefits of having a full time person who knows your business and is loyal to your company are very important.  But keep in mind the costs involved in a full time person:

• Salary
• Benefits
• Sick and Vacation Days
• Office space
• Office Equipment

Temps
The biggest downfall to Temps are:

• They are transient.  Every time you need someone you may end up with a different person, which means a learning curve. 
• Temp Agencies usually need a minimum number of hours. 

Why would you use a Virtual Assistant

A Virtual Assistant is a professional who provides administrative services to people who have lots to do and not enough time in the day to cover everything. 

• Do you need office help, social media help, reference checks, transcriptions, reports, presentations, accounting.  Do you need an email blast done once a month to all your customers - a great job for a VA.  These are all services that can be covered by a VA.
• No need to provide office space, hardware and supplies as a virtual assistant has a full office set up in his/her home
• A VA is only paid for the time she/he spends working.
• VAs are independent contractors thereby eliminating administration, vacation pay, sick leave and other benefits
• Flexibility, work be can done outside of normal business hours
• VAs are great for covering holidays
• And when the job is done, no hassle, no severance.  Just a "thank you" we'll be in touch when things get busier
• Here's how one person uses her VA:  http://justinwise.net/3-benefits-using-virtual-assistant

Whether you have a large company or just starting up your own business, VA's can be a valuable asset to your company.  Check out www.carlynservicesinc.com for more information on how a VA can help your business. 

How do you find a job?

You have just finished school, your company has downsized, you took time off to go back to school or have a baby, whatever your reason, looking for a job can seem like an insurmountable task.  Where do you start?

Job Boards

There are hundreds of them out there.  Some of the more popular are:

• www.monster.ca
• www.workopolis.com
• www.craiglist.ca
• www.kijiji.ca

These job boards have 1000's of jobs on them.  Some of the problems with job boards include:

• 100's of applicants are applying for these jobs
• sometimes companies advertise through their own webpages or through recruiters before they go on the job boards. 
• some job boards hi-jack jobs from other job boards.
• the jobs are not always kept up to date, ie jobs are put up but not always taken down
• searching can be overwhelming at times

Recruiters/Head Hunters

Finding the right recruiter is the most important thing to do.  No point going to an IT recruitment company if you want a job in accounting. 

Not only do recruiters deal with specific specializations, some companies specialize in certain industries, ie finance/banking or government.  So if you are looking for a government CA position, make sure that your recruitment company is on the Vendor List for the government. 

Pros for working with a recruiter include:

• if you are good at what you do, then they want to find you a job, they act like your sales agent.  Just like selling a house, they only make a commission if they find you a position 
• they have a large knowledgebase for their expertise that you can tap into, ie do you need more education?
• they negotiate the best deal for you, including benefits, salary, vacation, etc
• they are experts in their field, so they know the positions and what the companies are looking for. 

Cons for working with a recruiter include:

• they only want the best, so like all sales agents they want hot commodities
• applicants send in 100's of resumes to recruiting companies, you can only deal with so many applicants so a lot of resumes get lost in their systems

Company Websites

If there is a specific company you are interested in then check out their websites.  Most small to large sized companies now have "career" pages on their websites, along with information on how to apply for their jobs and career advice about their company. 

Keep in mind that if you send in your resume through a company website, you close the door on using a recruiter for that company/position.  Once your name is in their database, then recruiters are not allowed to submit you to that job.

Networking

Some things never change, networking is still the best way to find a job.  All you need is someone to open the door and get your resume out of that black hole in HR. 

Here is a good site to help you with your networking skills:
http://www.bcjobs.ca/re/career-advice/career-advice-articles/networking-advice/powerful-networking-tips-top-strategies-for-career-success

Set your profile up on any networking sites you can find.  Start connecting with people on these sites and let them know you are looking for a job.  Some of the more popular sites are:

• www.linkedin.com
• www.facebook.com
• www.twitter.com
• google+

Some final advice:

• make up a business card with your networking sites on.  Even add in a QR code so that potential contacts can scan it into their phone and look at your resume right then and there.
• don't be shy, you're looking for a job, the more people who know the more chance you will find a position.  One of my favourite stories is a friend of mine was talking to an old neighbour she hadn't seen in a couple of years and they were catching up on their children.  She mentioned that her daughter was looking for a job in finance and he just happened to have an opening.  You never know when the stars will be aligned so be prepared to talk to everyone.

Good luck!!

What to put in your cover letter?

Should you write a cover letter?  The answer is yes.  Will everyone read it?  Probably not, but you don't know who will and who won't so better to write it because if someone does read it you want to impress them.

This should be written like an official letter including:

• date
• company address
• contact person's name (if you know it)
• salutations both at the beginning and the end
• subject line - this is the first thing the hiring manager looks at so put more than the reference number, ie Experienced Programmer Analyst looking for Senior PA position, reference # 123445
• body of the letter - the meat and bones of the letter which will help get you the interview.
• Your contact information, including name, address, phone number and email address

So what do you put in the body of the letter.  This is where you can show your knowledge of the company and the position.  Your resume is about you.  Your cover letter is about you and how you are perfect for this company and this position.  Yes, this means that each cover letter is individually personalized for the company and the position.  If you are going to do a blanket cover letter then don't waste your time or the hiring manager's.  Some things to keep in mind include:

• Keep it simple and keep it short, maximum 200 words.  
• Hiring Managers read a lot of cover letters and resumes over the course of the day, so use your key words to catch their eye.  
• The first paragraph should be about why you are qualified for the job.  Don't tell them you are a hard worker, tell them specifics "I have over 5 years of experience using Java/J2EE including working on .... systems".   "My experience includes working with  - keywords from the job description".
• The second paragraph shows your knowledge of the company and how you will be a great addition to their team.  Again keep those keywords flowing.  Companies use "applicant tracking systems" to scan for certain keywords, once you are in their system they will scan your resume and cover letter for every position that comes up.
• The wrap up paragraph thanks them for their time, lets them know your availability and best way to be reached.

Proofread it - get a friend to read it as well.  Don't just spell check.  Spell check won't catch words that are spelled correct but don't fit the context of the sentence, ie planed and planned, Manager and Manger.  

And last but not least if you put your cover letter in the email, remember to also attach it in a word and/or pdf document.  Set up a file to save your cover letters as well as the resume for each job you apply for, so when you get a call back you will be able to find your documents.

Good luck