Michelle A. Riklan

Certified Resume Writer, Career Coach, LinkedIn Profile Writer, Trainer, Facilitator, Author, Columnist, Speaker

banner
Career Newsletter
Volume II, Issue 9                                                    September 2013

Riklan Resources, LLC
522 Highway 9 North #290
Manalapan, New Jersey 07726
(800) 540-3609
View our profile on LinkedInFollow us on TwitterLike us on Facebook


Greetings!

September is International Update Your Resume Month! Have you Updated Yours?

 

update resume month Career Directors International (CDI) has declared September as International Update Your Resume Month to emphasize the importance of having an updated resume ready. Personally, I couldn't agree more.

 

September marks the start of another phase. Fall is just around the corner and the kids are back to school, and that gives us more time to focus on our career or job-hunting efforts.

 

Why is this important, you ask?

 

Well, let me ask you, "When did you last update your resume?" I'm guessing your answer would be something along the lines of, "When I last looked for a job." But now that you have a job (full time, part time or freelance), you have a new job title, responsibilities, projects handled, and hopefully achievements that could be added to spice up your resume.

 

If you still don't have a job even if you've already applied for every position imaginable, then you have to wonder... Is there something you're doing wrong? Is there something wrong in your resume, something you're oblivious to, but is a clear bad sign for recruiters?

 

Still not convinced? Let me give you a few scenarios...

 

Scenario A: The Unexpected Golden Egg

 

So you're having lunch, then a friend emails you about an opening for a position in their company--a position you've been eyeing for years! Of course, you're not the only one eyeing that job, so your friend tells you to send your resume--and quick--because the interviews will start ASAP!

 

Don't be that guy who loses an opportunity of a lifetime because he sends an outdated, half-baked resume just to make the cutoff.

 

Scenario B: Company Cuts Corners a la 2008 Financial Crisis

 

Yes, the economy is slowly bouncing back after the last financial crisis, but some industries are still downsizing. What if you wake up tomorrow and realize that your company is in distress? You have to leave before the boat sinks, right? But how are you going to leave if you don't have a polished resume to send out? Of course, you can't send the resume you used two jobs ago!

 

And really, do you want the added worry of not having an updated resume on top of everything that's happening around you?

 

Scenario C: I want a Raise but My Boss Just Doesn't Get it

 

The annual performance review is coming up, and you want to move to a higher position or at least get a significant raise.

 

What do you do?

 

Do you just come to the performance review and start negotiating for a raise? No. Unless you want to turn that negotiation to a battle of wills, that's not what you should do.

 

Update your resume by including your job responsibilities and achievements in your current role, and then present it to your boss during the performance review to give him a sense of your contribution to the company.

 

I know this sounds like a lot of work, but if you update it now and continuously add to it throughout your career, you will be ahead of your competition who don't even have a clear documentation of their contributions at work.

 

Kind regards,   

  

Signature






----------

 

Our list is growing! If you would like to advertise in future issues, please send an e-mail to robin@riklanresources.com.

 

Please feel free to send suggestions for improvement and additional areas that you would like to see covered in future issues to michelle@riklanresources.com.   

 

 

Dressing Up for the Interview--It's More Important than You Think

by Michelle A. Riklan, ACRW, CPRW, CEIC

 

You only have six seconds to make a good first impression. Six seconds. That's not even enough time to say your elevator speech!

 

Best-selling author and LinkedIn Career Expert, Nicole Williams echoes this fact. What you wear makes a bigger statement about yourself and your chances of doing well at the job before you even start talking.

 

A crumpled shirt, ill-fitting pants, and scuffed shoes all speak volumes about your professional abilities.

 

The dress code varies per industry, creatives and start-ups favor stylish but slightly casual attire, while educational, legal, and financial industries still favor a more conservative dress code.

 

The problem is there's a fine line between formal and tacky; it's difficult to thread that line and make sure the recruiters remember you as well.

 

For that, here's what you need to do:

 

Check what their current employees are wearing

 

People who work in the same company tend to dress in the same fashion. You can easily see the accepted dress code in a company by observing their employees while they buy their morning coffee. It's simple, just go to the coffee shop near the office where you plan to work, and then check out the usual work attire of people grabbing their coffee.

 

You can also drive by during lunch hours. Just park near the building then observe what people are wearing when they go out to lunch. Don't do this on a Friday though, because most companies allow employees to dress down on Fridays.

 

Use accessories to your advantage

 

First, don't wear sunglasses on top of your head unless you want to give the impression of a fashionista always out for an afternoon stroll at the mall. Pick your accessories carefully, and make sure it matches your outfit and the job you are targeting.

 

For instance, pearls work well with classy business suits for women, while classic watches work well for men. For jobs that allow smart-casual or casual work attire, choose one accessory that could be the focal point of your look. It could be a watch, a necklace, or even a bag. I don't advise wearing chunky rings though, as it can get in the way of a good handshake.

 

Just stay away from multicolored bags and wacky accessories that could make the recruiter think twice about hiring you. Remember, the goal is to look professional, not showstopper weird.

 

As for shoes, closed toe shoes are always the best, even during summer.

 

Now for the obvious but often overlooked advice--wear perfectly fitting clothes.

 

A well-fitting outfit makes you look confident, detail-oriented, and in control. You might think that's too much of an assumption for wearing a perfectly fitted suit, but studies confirm that a person's attention to detail at work translates to how he dresses as well.

 

 

 

Suggested Reading - Dress Your Best: The Complete Guide to Finding the Style That's Right for Your Body
By Clinton Kelly

 

Dress Your Best: The Complete Guide to Finding the Style That's Right for Your Body

by Clinton Kelly by Harmony
 
Paperback ~ Release Date: 2005-09-13
List Price: $19.95
Our Price: $6.61

Buy Now

----------

If you have a favorite career book to suggest or an article that you'd like to submit for our upcoming issues, please send your information to newsletter@riklanresources.com. 

 

 

The One Thing You Should "Never" Put on Your Resume
by Kim Mohiuddin, NCRW, CJSS

Never put this on your resume: Something an online article told you to put on your resume-unless you've thought it through first.

 

The same goes for leaving something off your resume.

 

There is a proliferation of "Top-5-Things" kinds of articles which are great for generating traffic, but not so good at discussing important nuances. Many articles about resume writing are saying things like:

 

"Don't list 'knowledge of Spanish.' Either you know it or you don't."

 

"Leave off outdated items like the Y2K bug issue you solved."

 

"There's no need to tell everyone that you volunteer at an animal shelter. It will not win you any favors in the HR office."

 

While I agree with the sentiment of these articles--include only the most relevant information on your resume--I disagree with their sweeping assessments of what the most relevant things may or may not be.

 

If you're a return-to-work parent, the award you got for solving the Y2K problem might be a needed feather in your cap. Just be smart. Switch out Y2K for "massive system-wide bug that put $2M revenue stream at risk" or something. Can a savvy hiring manager see through this? Perhaps. But at least they'll see that you are smart enough to know it's outdated and that you know how to make the most out of what you've got.

 

Why not put that you volunteer with animals? It just takes up one line, makes you human, and offers an entry-point for small talk. We all know, small talk = connection = opportunity.

 

Hiring decisions, like all buying decisions, are emotional. That means that there can be no comprehensive list of what should or should not ever appear on a resume. Each case is different. Look at your resume with your goal in mind and make good decisions. Or, better yet, get help from an experienced professional whose primary credentials should be the results their clients are seeing in the real world.

 
 ----------
Kim Mohiuddin is chief career storyteller at Movin' On Up Resumes. By the time she was 25, she had a finished novel with an agent. Luckily, she didn't get published, or she never would have stumbled upon her true love--career documents! A Nationally Certified Resume Writer (NCRW), Certified Job Search Strategist (CJSS), and former National Resume Writers' Association (NRWA) certification chair, Kim has told the stories of hundreds of job seekers and entrepreneurs.  

While credentials are important, what matters more to Kim is the impact she's made with executives, entrepreneurs, and rising stars who have landed faster, loved their work more, and negotiated better packages because of her input. In fact, more than 80% of her business comes from repeat and referred customers.

 

 

101 Great Ways to Enhance Your Career
As featured on ABC News--Get your copy today!

Receive up to $1500 worth of free bonuses with your purchase
101 Book

-  7 Steps to the Job You Want
-  Mastering the Job Interview
-  One-on-One Career Coaching Session
-  Check Your Resume Before You Send It
-  101+ Job Search Tips
-  21 Body Language Tips for Career Success
-  7 Secrets to Financial Freedom
-  MORE on the Art of Cultivating Professional References
-  Flip on Your Success Switch! How to Start Creating a Successful Life
-  Success Tweets eBook
-  Successful Business Strategies eBooke
-  The 10 Best Kept Secrets for Remembering Your Dreams
-   From Impossible to Possible is a Quest
-   5 Critical Mistakes You Are Making in Your Career

 

Click here to order the complete collection of 101 insider secrets that show you how to instantly and positively enhance your career

Join our LinkedIn Group!

 

----------

Do you have a career related product or service that you would like to promote in our upcoming newsletters? Contact us at  robin@riklanresources.com for more information.
 
 
What's Happening at Riklan Resources

Michelle Riklan was the moderator for The Association of Executive Search Consultants' recent webinar, How to Get to the Top: The CMO Role.







In This Issue
Dressing Up for the Interview
Suggested Reading: Dress Your Best
The One Thing You Should "Never" Put on Your Resume
101 Great Ways to Enhance Your Career
Quick Links



In the Media


Inspirational Thought
"It's not the days in your life, but the life in your days that counts."
-- Brian White
About Riklan Resource

 

Riklan Resources offers the following services:
  • Resumes that land on the top of the pile!
  • Coaching that puts you ahead of the competition.
  • Training that ensures career advancement.

We want you to reach your top potential!

  

Riklan Resources is now on Facebook. Be sure to stop by and like our page!

Like us on Facebook