How to Write a Curriculum Vitae (CV) for a Job Application

How to Write a Curriculum Vitae (CV) for a Job Application So youre looking for a new job.Seems thrilling, innit? Such plenty of exciting opportunities to grasp and all it takes to seize one is to send a good CV.Picture this:Youve found this dream job. You know youd be a perfect fit. You send your CV and you breathlessly wait for the call-back. But it never happens.Sound familiar? Yeah, it does for most of us. But hows that possible?Why, I happen to know the answer to that:Your CV has never been read. It wasnt good enough.Take heart, this nightmare scenario isnt unfolding ever again. Thats cause youre about to learn a surefire way to transform your run-of-the-mill CV into a fab one.Read this guide and youll see:A CV sample better than 9 out of 10 other CVs.How to write a curriculum vitae even if you have no experience.Tips and examples of how to put skills and achievements on a perfect CV.How to describe your experience on a CV to get any job you want.Here's a free CV example made using our resume and CV creator.Want to save time and have yo ur resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume builder. Its fast and easy to use. Plus, youll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here.Sample resume made with our builderSee more templates and create your resume here.One of our users, Nikos, had this to say:[I used] a nice template I found on Zety. My resume is now one page long, not three. With the same stuff.Create your resume nowHeres how to write a CV:Make sure you know when to use a CVPick the best CV formatAdd your contact information the right wayStart with a CV personal profile (CV summary or CV objective)List your relevant work experience key achievementsBuild your CV education section correctlyPut relevant skills that fit the job openingInclude additional CV sections to impress the recruiterOrganize this all on a professional CV templateComplement your CV with a cover letterWant to see a sample job-winning CV for your profession and a dedicated guide on how to write one? See: CV Examples and Writing Guides for 99+ JobsIf you're writing anacademic curriculum vitae, switch over to Academic CV Writing Guide Copy-Pastable TemplateTargeting a job in the US? Learn how to write an American resume that stands out from the crowd. Read our guide:How to Make a Resume: A Step-by-Step Guide (30+ Examples)If you're looking for a job in India, you might want a biodata format. We've got it: Biodata Format: Free Templates for a Job [Free Download]1Make Sure that You Know When to Use a CVLets start with the basics to make CV writing easy:What is a CV?In its full form, CV stands for curriculum vitae (latin for: course of life). In the US, Canada, and Australia, a CV is a document you use for academic purposes. The US academic CV outlines every detail of your scholarly career. In other countries, CV is an equivalent of an American resume. You use it when you apply for jobs.Because this document is named differently across different countries, a lot of folks keep asking:What is the difference between a CV and a resume?Lets get this straight, once and for all:In the hiring industry, nowadays theres almost no formal difference between a CV and a resume. Its the same thing that Brits call a CV and Americansa resume.Just like they do with chips and french fries, football and soccer, or Queen Elizabeth and Queen Bey.So, if you're applying to a European company, you should create a CV. But if you're applying to a US-based employer, you should make a resume.2Pick the Best CV FormatHeres a disturbing thought:Every time youre looking for a job, you compete against 250 other candidates on average.Yes, you read that right.Imagine you are the recruiter and you have to review 250 job applications. Do you thoroughly read all of them? Nah, of course you dont.Recruiters spend only 6 seconds scanning each CV. So the very first impression is key. If you submit a neat, properly organised document, youll convince the recruiters to spend more time on your CV.A p oorly formatted CV, on the other hand, will get you discarded in the first-round review.Heres how to format a CV the right way.Start with creating a CV outline divided into the following sections:Sample CV FormatCV Header with Contact InformationPersonal Profile: CV Objective or CV SummaryWork ExperienceEducationSkillsAdditional SectionsPro Tip: If youre fresh out of uni and need to write a student CV with no experience, or if you've graduated from a very prestigious institution within the last 5 years, put your education section above your work experience.When filling in the sections, always keep in mind the gold CV formatting rules:Choose clear, legible fontsGo for one of the standard CV typefaces: Arial, Tahoma, or Helvetica if you prefer sans-serif fonts, and Times New Roman or Bookman Old Style if serif fonts are your usual pick.Use 11 to 12 pt font size and single spacing. For your name and section titles, pick 14 to 16 pt font size.Be consistent with your CV layoutSet one-inc h margins for all four sides.Make sure your CV headings are uniformmake them larger and in bold but go easy on italics and underlining.Stick to a single dates format on your CV: for example 11-2017, or November 2017.Dont cram your CV with gimmicky graphicsLess is more.White space is your friendrecruiters need some breathing room!Plus, most of the time, after you send out your CV, its going to be printed in black ink on white paper. Too many graphics might make it illegible.Get photos off of your CVUnless youre explicitly asked to include your photograph in the job ad.If somake sure to use a professional looking picture, but not as stiff as an ID photo.Make your CV brief and relevantDont be one of those candidates stuck in the nineties who think they have to include every single detail about their lives on their CVs.Hiring, nowadays, is one hell of a hectic business. Nobodys got the time to care for what high school youve attended or to read 10+ bullet point descriptions of past jobs . Well get to that later on.Pro Tip: Once youve finished writing, save your CV in PDF to make sure your CV layout stays intact. But pay close attention to the job description. Some employers wont accept a PDF CV. If such is the case, send your CV in Word.Learn more about CV formatting from this quick dedicated guide I've written recently: CV FormattingThe Ideal Structure for a CVAlright, so youve got the best CV template ready for ya and you know the basic CV writing rules. Time to dive in!3Add Your Contact Information the Right WayYou want the recruiters to get back to you, so you need to let them know how they can reach you.In the contact information section, enter your:Full nameProfessional titleEmail addressTelephone numberLinkedIn profileHome addressThe contact information section seems fairly straightforward, but heres the one reason it might be tricky:Recruiters will use it to research you online. If your social media profiles are unprofessional, or if your LinkedIn profile i nformation doesnt match that on your CV, youre immediately out of the race.Want to avoid it? Read our guide: How to Check Your Online Presence Before Recruiters Look You Up.4Start with a CV Personal Profile (CV Summary or CV Objective)After listing their contact information on a CV, most candidates jump right into their work experience or education.But youll do better than that. You will actually get remembered by the employer.So, how to make a CV pop?All it takes is a CV personal profile statementa short, snappy paragraph of 100 words tops that tells the recruiters why you are just the candidate theyve been looking for.Your personal profile will either be a CV objective or a CV summary.Whats the difference?A CV objective shows what skills youve mastered and how youd fit in. Its a good choice if youve got little work experience relevant to the job youre trying to land, for example, if youre writing a student CV.A CV summary, in turn, highlights your career progress and achievements. Use it if youre a seasoned professional and have a lot of experience in your field.Now, have a look at some examples. Lets say theres a posting for a nursing job. Here are sample nursing CV objectives and summaries.Example of a CV ObjectivewrongNewly licensed Nurse looking for a challenging nursing role in a medical facility where I can put my skills to the test.Not awful, right? The problem is, in this CV objective, the bottom line is basically I want a job because I learnt for the job.Have a look at another CV objective sample.Objective for a CVExamplerightDependable licensed NMC Registered Nurse trained to work in high-stress environments and stay calm under pressure. Seeking to leverage meticulous record-keeping and analytical skills to help St Francis Hospital with your upcoming challenges.See the difference? The latter candidate focused solely on what she can offer her future employer. She also mentioned the name of the specific hospital to which shes applying.And yes, name-d ropping is something you, too, should definitely do in your CV objective.True, it means you wont be able to spam your CV out to every company thats currently hiring but, then again, when was the last time you replied to a Dear User email?As we said before, if youve got some relevant job experience under your belt, begin your CV with a CV summary instead of an objective.Check out these sample CV summaries.Sample CV SummaryrightBilingual (English and Dutch) Pediatric Nurse with 15+ years of experience in the intensive and neonatal care units of a community hospital. Seeking to leverage management experience as Chief Pediatric Nurse at General Hospital, helping to implement new staff training programmes.The General Hospital Director just picked up the phone to call this candidate.Whats so great about this CV summary?Above all, its super-specific. It gives a complete outline of the candidates background and shows how her experience will help her tackle particular problems the hospital i s facing.Heres another example of a CV summary.CV ExampleSummarywrongPediatric Nurse with years of experience supervising the medication and health records of newborns.This one, on the other hand, says little more than I am a nurse. It presents nothing but generic responsibilities all nurses have.In your CV summary, dont ever go for meaningless buzzwords.When making a resume in our builder, drag drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building your resume here.Create my resume nowWhen youre done, Zetys resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.Writing an objective or a summary for your professional CV is tricky and we know it. That's why we've put together a dedicated guide to crafting this section: 20+ CV Personal Statement/Personal Profile Examples (Writing Guide)For more detailed examples of summaries or objectives, check out:How To Write A CV Summary: 21 Best Examples You Will See and 20+ CV Ob jective ExamplesUse Them On Your CV (Tips)5List Your Relevant Work Experience Key AchievementsMore often than not, your work experience section is the most important part of your whole CVthe one that gets the most eyetime.If youre thinking Easy, I just need to list my previous positions, the dates worked, and my responsibilities, think again.All of the above are must-haves in a basic CV. But basic wont get you that dream job.The thing is: recruiters know what you did. They want to know how well you did it and what you can offer your prospective employer.Heres how to make your work experience section illustrate that:Focus on your measurable, relevant achievements, not just your duties.Use action verbs: created, analysed, implemented, not responsible for creating, analysis and implementation.Tailor your CV to the job postingread the job description carefully and check what tasks will be expected of you. If youve done them beforeput them on your CV, even if those werent your primary r esponsibilities.Lets see a real-life CV example.Heres a sample job description for a position of a junior product marketing specialist.Responsibilities:Filling product placement requests from the mediaCreating and maintaining media lists as needed (1)Writing product pitches (2)Researching new media opportunities (3)Support creating media materials and press kits (4)Lead a small project (5) from start to finishHelp in the organization of events (6)Respond to media inquiries (7)Now, have a look at this example of a CV work experience entry.CV ExampleWork Experience SectionProduct MarketerNike, 10-2015presentLondonCreated and maintained lists of media contacts (1)Researched opportunities (3) across online media channelsProduced product pitches (2) and press kits (4)Supported event organization (6)Responded to media inquiries (7)Key achievement: Lead a project team (5) in designing and implementing a comprehensive social media relations strategy for a new line of lifestyle products, gre w Facebook fan base from 0 to 12,000 in 4 months [LINK to the Facebook fanpage], gained 35,000 Instagram followers [LINK to the Instagram account] in 3 months.Wow, we need this one to work with us!This entry is sure to bring that sort of response from the hiring manager.What makes it so great?First, its perfectly tailored to the job ad (have another look at the numbered phrases in bold). The candidate showed shell be able to manage her most important future tasks because shes done them before.Secondly, its action-verbs-packed. Created and maintained instead of responsible for creating and maintaining, produced product pitches, not product pitches production.Last but not least, its central focus is the candidates achievements. Like the candidate above, if you want your CV to impress, add a key achievement sub-section. Then, include hard numbers. Dont say you significantly increased sales. Say how much exactly. Numbers pop!To make sure your achievements on a CV shine as theyre suppose d to, follow the PAR (Problem Action Result) formula to describe them.Like in the CV example discussed:Key achievement: Lead a project team in designing and implementing a comprehensive social media relations strategy for a new line of lifestyle products, grew Facebook fanbase from 0 to 12,000 in 4 months, gained 35,000 Instagram followers in 3 months.Problem: Lack of sufficient social media promotion for a new line of lifestyle productsAction: New social media strategyResult: 12,000 Facebook fans in 4 months, and 35,000 Instagram followers in 3 months.If you learn how to list your achievements on a CV the right way, youll outperform 9 out of 10 other candidates. Have a read of our dedicated guide: Achievements to Put on a CV: Complete Guide (30+ Examples)6Build Your CV Education Section CorrectlyGood news is, putting your education on a CV is usually simple.If youve got any post-secondary education, include only it on your CV. Dont mention your high school, unless its your highest degree of education. List:Graduation year (if youre still studying, enter your expected graduation date)Your degreeInstitution nameSub-hons (if applicable)Pro Tip: Including your honours is optional. If you dont want them to do you more harm than good, add them only if theyre 2:1 or higher for the undergrad degrees, and merit or distinction for postgrads.Like this:CV ExampleEducation Section2014 B.A. in FrenchUniversity of Southampton2:1Easy, right?But what if youre writing a CV with little or no work experience? What if youve just graduated and are looking for your first full-blown job?If such is the case, you should do two things:First of all, place your education section above your work experience.Secondly, elaborate a bit more on your academic experience. Include, for instance:Your dissertation titleFavourite fields of studyRelevant courseworkYour best achievementsExtracurricular academic activities.A lot of fresh graduates dont know how to make their CVs education section stand out. If you want to have an edge over them, read our comprehensive guide: How to Put Your Education on a CV [Tips Examples]7Put Relevant Skills that Fit the Job OpeningNow, for your skills. Youve probably got plenty of these. But would a list of a dozen and a half skills look good on a CV?Anything but.When it comes to skills for a CV, one issue is more important than any other: relevance. The skills you decide to include on your CV have to be relevant to the job youre trying to land.Remember when I mentioned tailoring your CV to the job description? Here it comes again.How to do it?Start with a spreadsheet. In it, list all your professional skills (thats right, it means eyebrow dancing doesnt count). Then check the job description for the skills desired by your prospective employer.Do they match some of the skills from your spreadsheet? Presto! These are the ones to put in your CV skills section.Pro Tip: When you list your skills, add a short description of each to indicate your l evel of proficiency. For example Excellent, Advanced, or Basic.Want to find out which skills on a CV are most valued by employers in 2018? Check out this piece and impress every recruiter: 30+ Best Examples of What Skills to Put on a CV (Proven Tips)8Include Additional CV Sections to Impress the RecruiterLet us all confess to something.We constantly lie about ourselves. We just cant help itthose little white lies that help put us in a slightly better light.Care to venture a guess what group of people excels in lying?Job seekers.They all lie on their CVs in frail hopes that recruiters wont be bothered to verify, say, full bilingual proficiency in French.Heres the thing: recruiters are trained to spot liars, so dont even entertain the thought of embellishing your past achievements or skills.But what if you could help the recruiters avoid interviewing CV fabulists altogether? Theres a surefire way to do it:On your CV, include an additional section in which you show off your unquestiona ble triumphs: things that prove your value as a candidate.Such as?The following:Sample CV Additional SectionsIndustry awardsProfessional certificationsPublicationsProfessional affiliationsConferences attendedAdditional trainingA well crafted additional section can be the decisive factor in choosing you over another candidate with a seemingly similar background. Dont ignore this chance to stand out from the crowd. Learn more from our handy guide: How to List Certifications on a CV: Guide (20+ Examples)Dont worry if youre still studying and can yet showcase none of the above.A good student CV will still benefit from an additional section. Here are some ideas:Sample Student CV Additional SectionsVolunteer experienceHobbies and interestsAcademic achievementsPersonal blogFor more, see: What to Include in a Curriculum Vitae Section by SectionRight, if you apply all the strategies we discussed, youll make a perfect CV. But heyWant to do it the easy way?9Organize this All on a Professional CV TemplateLets face itNo one likes to mess around with formatting a CV in MS Word.Luckily, there are hundreds of ready, fill-in-the-blanks CV templates available online. And we happen to offer some truly cracking ones.Check out some of the CV templates available in our CV maker:CV Templates UKSee 20+ CV templates and create your CV hereAnd for the final word, heres what every job seeker ought to know:10Complement Your CV with a Cover LetterStalk your prospective boss to show commitment.Sound like the worst career advice one can get?Well And probably is so. But guess whatYou dont need to write a cover letter comes in a close second.Why?Because as many as 45 out of 100 recruiters wont even get around to reviewing your CV if theres no cover letter attached, according to our HR statistics report. True, the other 55 might think a cover letter for a CV is redundant. But heres who does read cover letters:Hiring managers. And, at the end of the day, its their decision whether or not youre getting the job.Most people hate writing cover letters for CVs because they are clueless about how to write them properly. And writing great cover letters is much easier than it seems.Want to learn how to do it? Heres the only guide youll need: How To Write A Cover Letter in 8 Simple StepsKey TakeawayHiring has changed drastically. Its fast and furious. To get your foot in the door, youll need to go an extra mile with your CV. Here's how to make a CV:Begin your CV with a personal profileeither a summary or a CV objective. Write a short and sweet paragraph telling why youre just the candidate the employers been looking for.When describing your work experience, focus on your achievements and accomplishments. No recruiter wants to read a dull list of bullet points describing past duties.Validate your worth as a candidate by adding a section with your top wins: certifications, awards, publications, or even extracurricular training or attended conferences.Finally, attach a cover letter t o your job application and double your chances of getting hired.All check? Get ready for all those interview call-ins!Do you have any more questions on how to write a job-winning CV? Give us a shout in the comments and well answer your queries!

4 Things You Need to Start Rewarding Yourself For - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

4 Things You Need to Start Rewarding Yourself For - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career The problem with Millennials, according to people who have never been one, is that they expect praise and rewards for everything. Participated? Medal. Attempted? Pat on the back. Lost? Trophy. But far from breeding laziness and entitlement, as is often claimed, rewarding ourselves frequently and liberally helps us learn new skills and develop desirable traits. When we receive a reward, our dopamine neurons fire up, encouraging our brain to repeat the behavior. Consequently, linking rewards to the completion of a difficult or odorous task helps us master it: this is why we train animals with treats and tell students to place gummy bears at the end of the textbook chapters. Moreover, praise -especially self-praise- is an example of the sort of positive thought patterns that scientists and life gurus keep claiming will make us happier, healthier, and more productive. So Millennials may be on to something. While frequent rewarding undoubtedly can create undesirable patterns (dopamine plays a huge role in addiction, for example), it can also be utilized as a powerful motivator and mood-booster. Considering how many of us claim to be burnt out by our high-stress, high-stakes world, perhaps we could all do with a few more participation medals. 1) Showing Up Few of us feel 100% confident 100% of the time. While we all have individual insecurity triggers, many people particularly dislike big, public events, such as networking conferences or team presentations. But if you find yourself stressing out about your inability to deliver a gilded-tongued elevator pitch to a hundred different people, dial back the pressure by reducing your goal to one, simple thing: showing up. It sounds facile. But often just stepping into the situation we’re terrified of is the hardest part. Once we’re in it, we usually realize it’s not as bad as anticipated. Moreover, once we’re there we have to act, and this usually kicks our brain into gear in a way that gets us through it. Because your only requirement was to show up, it doesn’t matter if the rest of the event is an unmitigated disaster â€" see it as a learning experience which you can improve on the next time around. Because now you’ve mastered just showing up, you can take on a new challenge. Progressing through baby steps isn’t pathetic; it’s a tried-and-tested way to actually conquer your fears.   2) Giving It a Go We all know an overachiever who seems to excel effortlessly at everything they turn their hand to. But in reality, the chances of being good at something you’re trying to do for the first time is close to zilch. This is because it takes time to learn new things; Malcolm Gladwell famously claimed that becoming an expert in anything requires 10,000 hours practice. If we only commended ourselves every 10,000 hours, we’d be a pretty demotivated bunch. Instead, aim to see the value in trying hard at something, even if the results aren’t as flawless as you would like. Volunteer for a new project or try out a new technique with the view that it will be a valuable learning experience, and refrain from putting pressure on yourself to be perfect at it first time. Gritting our teeth and getting on with a job, especially when it’s difficult, is a good trait to have. If you know you’re trying your hardest, be proud of your effort, not just your results. 3) Being a Runner-Up The whole point of a winner-takes-all mentality is that it only rewards the very highest achievers, leaving everybody else out in the cold. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough superstars to fill every company role, so employers that engage in this sort of reward structure usually end up demotivating most of their staff. This atmosphere is also detrimental to developing new talent, who are not currently on the superstar level but would have got there with the right nurturing and training. Remember: just because you didn’t “win” something does not mean you didn’t achieve anything. If you double your sales target but come just shy of your colleagues total, that shouldn’t take away from the fact that you’ve performed extremely well. If you narrowly miss out on a job offer because the chosen candidate has more experience, you can still commend yourself for creating a great CV and honing a strong interview technique. The only person you should be constantly measuring yourself against is yourself. As long as you’re constantly progressing and improving you should be proud of your achievements, regardless of whether other people are “beating” you or not. 4) Not Giving Up  Sometimes, things just don’t go well. Perhaps you’re just having a bad day. Perhaps some vital piece of equipment broke or some crucial file got lost. Perhaps you made a stupid, irreparable mistake. In these situations, any sort of productive progress is out of the question, and you’ll feel lucky if you managed to keep everything at its original level. Despite your best efforts to fight the fires, you’re well aware that the whole situation is going to end up as an unqualified disaster. Even if you had a hand in causing the problem, don’t beat yourself up about it. Accept that not every situation can be salvaged, but the fact you’re trying to do so is what counts. Dealing with horrible situations is tough, and sticking with it when all you want to do is creep off into a corner and cry is impressive. Not giving up shows that you have resilience and tenacity, traits every employee worth their salt has in abundance. So be proud of yourself.   Beth Leslie is a career and lifestyle writer. She is also the editor of the Inspiring Interns blog, which provides graduate careers advice to young people looking to excel in the workplace. Inspiring Interns is a graduate recruitment agency which helps career starters find everything from project management roles to marketing internships. Check out their listing for both graduate jobs London and graduate jobs Manchester.

8 Keywords to Look for in Every CV

8 Keywords to Look for in Every CV When searching for the best candidate for a role, it’s essential to reflect on which keywords an applicant uses within their CV. Paying close attention to certain keywords can help you easily identify a candidate’s marketable strengths and transferable experience. Below are 8 keywords you should look for within a candidate’s CV. 1. Coached When reviewing CVs regardless of the position you’re recruiting for look for candidates with the ability to not only support their own development but also their team’s. The capability to coach others shows a level of expertise in their industry, as well as demonstrating leadership potential for the future. Reflect on examples where a candidate has highlighted how they coached new starters or even facilitated training sessions. This could be coaching team members on how to use a new system or helping a colleague better understand a new way of working. 2. Exceeded All employers are looking for candidates that can excel within a role. By searching for the word ‘exceeded’ within an applicant’s CV, you’ll be able to establish whether a candidate can go above and beyond within a role, rather than simply doing the bare minimum. Whether it’s exceeding targets or exceeding client’s expectations, the best candidates will also be able to qualify their examples with facts and figures. For example, they might state that they “exceeded sales target by 25% within first 3 months”. 3. Achieved When filtering applications, it’s important to focus on an applicant’s accomplishments throughout their career, educational experience or even through their hobbies and interests. This will help you further establish whether a candidate has the right skills for the position you’re recruiting for and if they have the drive and determination to succeed. They might have they have achieved a specific qualification related to the field with an exceptional grade, won an industry award or had notable success in a personal project or hobby. 4. Presented Public speaking is a valuable strength, whether that’s speaking in front of a large group at a conference or lecture, or simply being able to present ideas to a group of colleagues. This keyword can help you identify a candidate’s confidence to speak about their area of expertise, as well as their ability to eloquently communicate with their colleagues, clients, and other stakeholders. For example, “Presented a performance update to management on a monthly basis.” 5. Influenced The proficiency to influence is key in driving performance or increasing productivity. Look for candidates who can influence others; either to achieve a certain outcome, secure new business or maintain an existing client base. Keep an eye out for candidates who have been able to use their influence to bring about positive changes within their prior employment. Has a candidate been able to persuade others to come around to their point of view, or used this strength to advise a client or stakeholder to embrace a change of direction? This skill will become more essential within management or consultancy roles. 6. Maximized When recruiting for a role in any industry, employers are looking for candidates who are able to be resourceful in the way they work to maximise results. So, it’s vital to find candidates who are able to showcase this marketable strength within their CV. Look for examples where a candidate has been able to maximize profits by reducing costs or maximise performance by implementing new processes or ways of working. Remember that the word maximized is not limited to company profits. A candidate could showcase their capacity to maximise through the training and development of themselves or other team members to attain better results. 7. Negotiated Negotiation isn’t a skill reserved for salespeople all industries can benefit from a candidate with strong negotiation skills. This could include a candidate who has experience of negotiating better rates from suppliers/contractors or negotiating a mutually beneficial agreement to a customer complaint or query. Search for candidates who can provide examples of when they have been diplomatic in difficult situations or worked with clients or colleagues to reach the best outcome for all. 8. Saved All employers are looking at better ways to save within their business, whether this is cost saving, reducing resources used or even being more productive in order to save time. Search for applicants who have been able to show specific facts and figures relating to the way in which they have saved time or money for their previous employers, and how they could replicate these results within a new role. For example, has a candidate introduced a new procedure which helped to reduce time on a project nor have they been able to save by making an agreement with a new supplier? By highlighting the keywords that candidates have used in their CV, you’ll be able to better select the most capable person for the role.

Personal Branding Interview Jaye Fenderson - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding Interview Jaye Fenderson - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Today, I spoke with Jaye Fenderson, who is a college advice columnist for Seventeen.com and the author of Seventeen’s Guide To Getting Into College. Weve spoken a lot about the economy and its impact on employment, as well as tips that regular job seekers can use to get ahead in these tough times.   In this interview with Jaye, we walk through what high school students are experiencing right now, as they apply to colleges.   She gives us the low down on the college admissions process and walks us through how high school students can stand out, while protecting their online identities in the process. How hard is it to get into school in this economy?   What about Harvard University? Well, in this economy the dynamics of college admissions have changed a bit.   Affordability is a top concern for most families but at the same time they still want to get a quality education.   This means more students than ever are applying to highly regarded public universities that are able to offer in-state tuition discounts. But at the same time, many public institutions are facing state budget cuts which means they’re having to raise tuition prices and turn away even well-qualified applicants. On the flip-side, smaller, private institutions are nervous about lower enrollment rates, so they’re actually increasing their financial aid packages to reach out to families who might otherwise think a private education is unaffordable. Harvard, of course, is still very competitive, and even in this economy their applications were up 5% from last year.   Part of that, I think, can be attributed to their phenomenal financial aid packagesfamilies making between $60,000 and $180,000 are only expected to pay an average of 10% of their annual income for tuition.   That’s a pretty good deal that makes a Harvard education, at least financially, more attainable. What does the current admissions process look like? College admissions takes into account a number of factors: grades, class schedule, standardized test scores, extra-curricular activities, recommendations, essays, and interviews. Schools will vary in terms of their specific requirements. For instance, there is a growing trend of schools that are no longer requiring standardized tests.   Instead, they’ll ask for a minimum GPA or an additional essay in lieu of taking the SAT or ACT.   It’s a good idea to research schools earlier on in the process to get a sense of what the school is looking for or their minimum expectations for applicants.   And keep in mind that everything starts to count in 9th grade. How can a high school student stand out during the admissions process? When I was reading applications at Columbia University, the ones that stood out were able to effectively communicate their passions, personality, and intellectual curiosity.   We looked for students who had clearly identified talents whether in the sciences or arts, politics or athletics. I think there is a myth circulating that colleges are looking for well-rounded students when the truth is that colleges are looking to build “well-rounded campuses” comprised of students with very distinct talents and ideas to contribute to the community.   So, it’s important for students to develop their unique interests and abilities and then clearly communicate those in the application.   That’s going to help a student stand out and make their application more memorable. A recent survey by Kaplan found that 1 in every 10 admissions officers use social networks to conduct background checks.   What are your thoughts about this? I think it’s really interesting to watch how technology changes our processes of evaluating information. When I first started in admissions, Columbia was one of a handful of schools that was reading applications online.   There were critics of that method, but ultimately it helped us do our job better and more efficiently.   I think the same is true with social networks, blogs, vlogs, etc. The way we communicate is changing, and I’m not surprised that admissions officers are using those resources to better understand applicants. Students need to be aware of the public information they leave on the internet, set their privacy settings accordingly, and use discretion when posting photos or comments.   I think it’s just a reality that potential employers and colleagues use the internet to research backgrounds, so students need to get in the habit of controlling their online footprint and know that information may be considered in the college admissions process. What is the most important thing for a high school student to do in the admissions process?   Is it the essays or still the GPA/SAT? There’s no doubt that the four-year academic record is still the largest factor considered in the application process. And it’s not just the grades a student receives but how she challenges herself by taking advantage of the tough classes her high school offers.   Standardized tests are still important at many colleges, but if you had to choose where to invest your time and efforts, good grades and tough classes will increase your chances at scholarship money and college admission. That’s not to diminish the importance of the essay (which, by the way, is not a requirement at all schools).   When you have two students with similar grades, testing, and activities, the essay can be the deciding factor of who gets in.   So it’s important to write an essay that is well-written and an honest reflection of a student’s personality and character. - Jaye Fenderson is a college advice columnist for Seventeen.com and the author of Seventeen’s Guide To Getting Into College. As a former senior admission officer at Columbia University, Jaye found a passion for creating greater awareness about the college admission process and decided to use the medium of entertainment to educate students and families about what it takes to get into college.   In 2005, Jaye co-created and produced ABC’s The Scholar, an unscripted television drama that gave 10 high school seniors the chance to compete for a full ride college scholarship. Jaye is currently in production as producer and director of the feature-length documentary film First Generation which takes a thought provoking look at the state of equal opportunity in education by chronicling the lives of low-income high school students who are first in their families to attend college.

Why it is Important to Choose Resume Writing Services For National PSV

Why it is Important to Choose Resume Writing Services For National PSVOne of the things that we are constantly hearing is that resume writing services for National PSV are in very high demand. Some employers feel that a resume should be well researched before it is submitted, and others would like to see solid evidence for a job candidate. Therefore, what are the best reasons for choosing one of these companies over another?Resume writing services for National PSV are able to use their experience in making resumes in order to obtain a top notch resume. The personal details in a resume may include the age, gender, and race of the applicant. With the help of a professional resume writer, this information can be changed. If this information has been edited, you can rest assured that you will get a very professional resume.When looking for resume writing services for National PSV, ensure that the writer you are considering has years of experience. He or she should have a wide range of ex perience, because the resume writing tasks they will be undertaking are different from each other. Experience is the most important factor that will be used in the company's choice. If the person is not experienced, he or she might add unnecessary information to the resume, thereby making it very difficult to understand.Another point worth noting is that the National PSV provides a guarantee. The professional resume writer has to guarantee to create a resume that is objective and to make sure that all the necessary information is included. It is the responsibility of the professional to fulfill this promise.Resume writing services for National PSV also offer free coaching for the applicants. This means that they will provide online training in order to help the applicant to learn how to write a resume and why it is important. This will be helpful, especially if the person has not written a resume before.A free resume will not always be the best choice for the applicant. There may be some mistakes that can be easily spotted, which can cause a lot of problems for the employer. A professional resume writing service will provide resume review services, which will come in handy when a person encounters problems while writing his or her resume. As soon as possible, the applicant should write a follow up email so that the editor can find out about the problem.In addition, the professional resume writers for National PSV have an advanced automated system. This means that the person working for them will be able to receive the next stage of a person's application on time. Since the manager of the organization is involved in the selection process, it is very important that the person working for them will be accountable for completing the task as soon as possible.So, if you are in the process of selecting a resume writing service, look for one that can guarantee quality. Since these services are usually in high demand, a company that will not only accept your resume but will also provide more, is a great choice. By doing this, you can be certain that your resume will be accepted, and it will go smoothly in the process.

Career Change Isnt An Exact Science

Career Change Isnt An Exact Science How do you find out what you want to do next?   Is it as easy as taking a test and perhaps a couple of classes.   For many, the options can be overwhelming.   Not to mention that new career choices are being created all the time.     Where do you start? STAY OR GO Is it really a career change you need or just a change in scenery?   Perhaps you still like what you do but need to be doing it in a new company or department.   As you go through your day, identify the activities you still enjoy doing. Ask yourself what you like about the people you work with and for, write all this down.   Now, list the things that you dont enjoy.   The more specific you are, the clearer your next steps should be.   As you review your pros and cons list, what does it tell you?   Show it to a trusted mentor or friend and see what they think as well. NEW COMPANY Perhaps you still like what you are doing.   You may not need a career change, just an employer change.   Begin researching and talking to people about similar companies.   Make a list of the top 20 or so and begin talking to insiders about what it is like to work there.   Cautiously let them know that you are interested in leaving your current company. NEW CAREER Perhaps youve discovered you really need to do something else.   Follow these 6 steps to find out what your options are.   You should realize that there is always more than one right answer.   The path of exploring something new is just as important as actually reaching your destination. 1.   Assess your skills (Know who you are and what you have to offer) There are many free assessment tools out there.   Take one or more than one. 2.   Review your results with multiple people The interpretation of your results might be different to other people who know you.   Share it with those you trust and see what they think. 3.   Chose the top several options to explore Several is not specific.   There is no magic number of choices to explore.   Too many choices will overwhelm you.   Can you start with 3-5 and see what happens? 4.   Talk to people in your desired career The BEST way for you to see if the new career is right for you is to speak with people who are actually in that career.   They have the answers to your questions. 5.   Networking not resume spraying Target your job search efforts.   Focus on networking with people who work in the field you are pursuing.   Let them know you are changing careers.   Ask for their guidance in navigating the application process within their company.   Your resume must clearly demonstrate you are qualified for this new career and that can be tricky.   Therefore, you are really going to want to leverage your relationships with company insiders who can grease the wheel a bit for you. 6.   Dont give up AND be open to new lessons learned You may find there are obstacles to pursuing your new career.   What can you do about it?   Ask for help and advice.   Be open to learning new things about yourself and your new industry/occupation as you begin to explore. Who knows what you may stumble upon along the way. It is with great pleasure I introduced to you the posts from my Career Collective colleagues.   This collaborative initiative was started by Miriam Salpeter of Keppie Careers and Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter, a Master Resume Writer and owner of Career Trend.   Below are post from career and resume writing experts on The Best Advice for Career Changers! Are You Ready for a Career Change? @Debra Wheatman Changing Careers? Ask yourself these questions. @erinkennedycprw Changing Careers: Not for the Fainthearted, @GayleHoward The 10-Step Plan to Career Change, @KatCareerGal When it’s Time to Recycle Your Career, @WalterAkana Best Career Change Advice: Target Plan, @JobHuntOrg How social media can help you change careers, @keppie_careers Expat Careers: You Are Not Your Job Title, @expatcoachmegan Changing The Direction Of Your Career, @EliteResumes @MartinBuckland Career Changer: Can You Quell Bottom-line Ache? @ValueIntoWords Top 3 + 1 Tips for Making a Successful Career Change, @KCCareerCoach Changing Careers: Look Before You Leap, @barbarasafani 10 Commandments for Career Changers, @LaurieBerenson

Buses and Wings!

Buses and Wings! While the rest of the country started school long ago, today is the day our district begins! With excitement, nerves and tears (mostly the Moms) these kids head back to school, finally! There have been budget freezes, staff eliminations, programming changes, a new superintendent and new state mandates since school ended last year. Stability doesnt exist anywhere. And so, parents, give teachers and administration the right kind of support.   Be the solution, not their problem. Here is my challenge and hope for kids in K-12 (and parents): Learn to love learning Be inquisitive Welcome challenges Ignore bullies Manage emotions Allocate time wisely Prioritize what is really important Create Speak up when you have to Know which battles are worth fighting Challenge the status-quo Do not ever accept mediocrity Have a sense of humor and use it Help those who need it Be a part of the larger community Be hungry Parents, if we can teach children to be independent and the necessary new-world survival skills, I think weve done what were supposed to. No more coddling, fighting their fights, advocating, stepping in to their stuff. They MUST learn how to do this for themselves. Do you think they need your help? They are tougher than you give them credit for. Set the bar high and give them wings! Every day I hear stories about parents who go on interviews with their college kids or help them negotiate job offers or call their bosses to complain about how their child is being treated. Seriously. This pattern started long ago when they were little and it continues. How does this help? The world is an uncertain and unfair place, the sooner everyone accepts this fact and learns how to manage the emotions of this, the better. Please honor the positive intent with which this is intended. Help them grow to be great thinkers and problem-solvers! That is what we need today!