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Greetings! 
Happy Fall! This season has always been my favorite time of year, with cooler weather and leaves changing to a colorful array of red, gold and brown. I'm really forward to traditional autumn activities, like apple-picking, fall festival hopping, and pumpkin-carving.
On the labor market front: I was deeply disappointed with the August jobs report and am hoping that September's will bring better news. Even so, there are other economic growth indicators besides job creation. In the Associated Press article: "Economy shows signs of growth," the author cites several bullet points backed by solid statistics.
I'm excited to announce that my new blogsite is weeks away from it's official launch. This blogsite will replace my current website and will be the key "information hub" for my articles which have appeared in Career E-News. Scroll down for details!
September is known as "Update Your Resume Month" in my professional circle of colleagues. Of course, your resume should be up-to-date for whenever you need it. However, think of September as a reminder to prepare regular resume updates, whether you do them monthly, every six months or annually. My article: "How To Keep Your Resume Updated" will give you some tips & tools for organizing and preparing the content.
Is your job search stuck? Is your career stalled? Are you frustrated because your career transition isn't happening as quickly as you would like? If so, a Career Action Planning (CAP) Session may be just what you need to get a fresh perspective on your situation as well as new strategies to help you move forward.
Dedicated to your career success, always... :) Joellyn P.S. A warm welcome to my new subscribers! |
 New WordPress Blogsite Coming Soon! 
Stay tuned for the launch of my new blogsite, which will replace my existing website and become the information hub for all my articles.
My plan is to continue writing a monthly, core article for Career E-News (the way you currently receive it) and will also post it on my blogsite, for comments and feedback.
As this plan progresses, I will change the distribution date of Career E-News (closer to the beginning of the month) and will eventually publish weekly blog posts, related to the core article.
Of course, you'll be given the option to hear from me either once a month (Career E-News only) or to enhance your reading experience by getting notifications of my blog posts, as well. Because you are a valued subscriber, I will honor your preferences and promise not to overload you with unwanted emails. |
How to Keep Your Resume Updated
Keeping your resume updated should be a continual career management practice as you change jobs or promote within your company. You never know when a promising career opportunity will unexpectedly fall into your lap, which will require sending a resume to the hiring manager on a moment's notice. Besides this, in today's shaky economy, you can't predict when you may become suddenly unemployed and back into a job search.
If your resume is several years out-of-date,you'll be ill-equipped to confidently enter the job market. In crisis mode, you might put together a "quickie" resume that probably won't sell you to your best advantage. Instead, be prepared by updating your resume while you're employed or in your early days of a severance package; you'll have one less thing to worry about when you do need it.
How far back to go? According to most hiring managers, all you need to include is the most recent 10-15 years of work experience. Since it is now September 2011, you need not go back further in your career history than September 1996, give or take a few months. You can either eliminate prior experience or abbreviate it, i.e., describe the positions in short paragraph form at the end of your resume, without listing dates.
What information to include? List your most recent employer and your current position, including if you've been promoted or had a lateral move. Next, put your former employers and positions held in those companies. Include any accomplishments as well as awards, college degrees, certifications, licenses, computer skills and foreign language skills you've acquired or industry associations you've joined. If you have gaps in your work history, you can incorporate volunteer projects, part-time work, and temp, contract or consulting assignments. (Download this Resume Update Form, to organize your content.)
How to describe your work-related tasks? If you have company-prepared job descriptions, use these as a basis for r�sum� content. Or, think of your typical workday from beginning to end and just write freely about your work tasks; then edit accordingly. Otherwise, go to the O*NET, type your job title into the "Occupational Quick Search" box (in the upper right-hand corner); then see what content appears under "Tasks."
What file formats to use? The most acceptable formats to use are MS Word (.doc or .docx) or an unlocked PDF; this means when you are converting the file to PDF, say "no" to any passwords required for saving or printing the document. You will also need text file versions (.txt), for online postings and applications. (Download my primer for creating text resumes.)
How to store your resume safely? Computers crash and files get lost. I cannot tell you how many clients have emailed me for copies of their resume because of these reasons. Thankfully, I'm a digital pack rat and can usually find their documents stored in my computer or external drives. I strongly advise keeping your documents backed up on a CD or USB drive.
Having a current resume can be a less daunting process when you keep it updated on a regular basis. Doing so will assure that you'll be prepared to hit the job market running and be ready for the next career opportunity that comes your way!
� 2011 Joellyn Wittenstein Schwerdlin, The Career Success Coach. All Rights Reserved |
Is It Time to Partner with a Career Coach?
 Do you work hard on your job search but seem to get nowhere fast? - Are you burned out with your job, but don't know what other career(s) might satisfy you?
- Do you have trouble understanding how your transferable skills can be used in other professions?
- Do you apply for jobs online, only to get "thanks but no thanks" responses?
- Does it seem like your network can't help you with your job search the way you'd like?
- Do you have difficulty "sealing the deal" at interviews?
Is it time to take a risk -- a giant step forward -- to end the pain once and for all? You may surprised: the problem might not be what you think and simpler to overcome than you thought possible.
Regardless of the issues you face or what you may be frustrated or confused about, I can provide the clarity, creative thinking, objectivity, and perspective you need to get your career and job search moving in the right direction.
Let's get started with a Career Action Planning (CAP) Session, to help you figure out what's working, what needs attention and what the next steps are to landing your ideal career position in record time.
Go to my website to learn more: |
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About "The Career Success Coach"
Joellyn Wittenstein Schwerdlinis a Certified Career Management Coach who runs a private career coaching practice serving executives, managers and professionals in career transition. Since 1991, Joellyn has helped countless clients across multiple industry sectors find perfect career paths which are fun, fulfilling and financially-rewarding. She uses a proven, 8-module career coaching program to help her clients identify and land ideal career positions much faster than they ever could on their own. Her program starts with a Career Action Planning (CAP) Session to first determine where clients are getting stuck, stalled or confused in the process of making their desired job and career transition.
Joellyn will be happy to discuss your situation on a free call. Contact her at 508-459-2854, joellyn@career-success-coach.com
or visit www.career-success-coach.com. |
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Quote of the Month: On "Attraction"
"We always attract into our lives whatever we think about most, believe in most strongly, expect on the deepest level, and imagine most vividly." - Shakti Gawain (Author and pioneer in the field of personal development.) |
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� 2011 The Career Success Coach
All rights reserved. |
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