10 Things Your Resume Needs
About the AuthorMandy Fard is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW, CMRW) and Recruiter with decades of experience in assisting job seekers, working directly with employers in multiple industries, and writing proven-effective resumes. One of the most impactful changes you might experience in your life is changing jobs. Whether you're career shifting, relocating for work, or transitioning due to unforeseen circumstances, it's essential to navigate this change with a positive mindset and a proactive approach. Evaluate Your Career GoalsBefore you embark on a job change, take the time to reflect on your aspirations and goal for professional development. What do you want to achieve in your professional life, and how does the new job align with these objectives? Understanding the reasons behind your decision can make the transition smoother and more purposeful. Prepare and PlanUnlike some unexpected life changes, changing jobs often comes with a certain level of predictability. Use this advantage to your benefit. Create a transition plan that includes customizing your resume, networking with potential employers or colleagues, and acquiring any necessary skills or qualifications. The more prepared you are, the less daunting the change will seem. Embrace the Growth MindsetAs with any change, having a growth mindset is critical when changing jobs. Approach this transition as an opportunity for personal and professional growth. Understand that even if it feels challenging at first, your hard work and dedication can lead to a more fulfilling and satisfying career. This shift in perspective can help you view the job change as a positive step forward. Stay Flexible and Open-MindedChanging jobs might come with unforeseen challenges and adjustments. Be open to new experiences, different work environments, and novel responsibilities. Flexibility is your ally in adapting to the demands of the new job and making the most of the change. Reflect on Past ChangesIf you're feeling anxious about changing jobs, look back at your previous experiences with change and how they have improved your life. Consider times when a change, such as leaving a previous job, led to better opportunities or personal growth. Reflecting on past successes can help you approach the new job with a more optimistic outlook. Maintain Your Self-Care RoutineDuring a job change, it's crucial to practice self-care to alleviate stress and anxiety. Take time for yourself, engage in activities that bring you joy, and prioritize your well-being. This can help you stay grounded and maintain a positive attitude throughout the transition. Express GratitudeAmidst the challenges of changing jobs, remember to express gratitude for the opportunities and experiences you've had in your career. Gratitude can provide a sense of fulfillment and remind you of the valuable lessons you've learned along the way. Embrace the New NormalFinally, when you change jobs, you are transitioning to a new phase of your professional life. Embrace this new normal with an open heart and an understanding that it may lead to bigger and better opportunities. The ability to adapt and accept this change will make your journey in the working world all the more enriching. Changing jobs is a significant life transition that, when approached with the right mindset and preparation, can lead to personal and professional growth. Embrace it as a chance to shape your future and advance in your career. About the AuthorMandy Fard is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW, CMRW) and Recruiter with decades of experience in assisting job seekers, working directly with employers in multiple industries, and writing proven-effective resumes. Unleashing Success Through Humility and IntensityIn a world that often encourages self-promotion and the pursuit of personal goals, there's immense value in cultivating a balance between humility and intensity. These traits, seemingly opposite, actually complement each other perfectly, creating a powerful synergy that fosters genuine confidence and propels individuals toward their aspirations. The Value of HumilityHumility is a trait often misunderstood as a lack of ambition or drive. Yet, those who exhibit humility often exude a quiet confidence that draws people toward them. It takes a supreme belief in oneself to avoid the need to boast about accomplishments. This kind of humility creates an inviting environment where others feel valued, allowing for better collaboration in both social and professional settings. Humility also contributes to stronger relationships, with humble individuals often serving as the glue that holds groups together. Their outward focus and willingness to prioritize the group's needs over personal recognition position them as natural leaders, garnering respect and trust from others. Beyond interpersonal benefits, humility also contributes to physical well-being. Humble individuals generally experience less relationship stress, which translates to better health outcomes, stronger immune systems, and faster recovery from illnesses. Harnessing the Intensity WithinWhile humility is essential for fostering strong connections, intensity is the driving force that transforms dreams into reality. The secret to achieving big goals is to load them with intensity—make them big, think big, and act big. Make It About You: Embrace the role of the hero in your own story. By focusing on your strengths and addressing your weaknesses, you can build a foundation for success. Visualize your future self after achieving your goals and use that vision as motivation to stay on track. Dream Big: No one ever reached the pinnacle of success by staying small. Identify your most ambitious goals and ramp them up. Whether it's becoming a leader in your industry or achieving a personal milestone, intensify your vision to make a significant impact on the world. Go for It: Big dreams only come to life through action. Create a plan that outlines the skills and resources you'll need and commit to dedicating your energy toward your goals. By acting with determination and intensity, you set yourself on a path toward success. The Synergy of Humility and IntensityCombining humility and intensity creates a unique and powerful dynamic. Humility keeps your ambitions grounded, ensuring you remain approachable and relatable. Intensity, on the other hand, provides the drive and energy needed to make your dreams a reality. Together, these traits form a balanced approach that not only propels you forward but also attracts others to your journey. About the AuthorMandy Fard is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW, CMRW) and Recruiter with decades of experience in assisting job seekers, working directly with employers in multiple industries, and writing proven-effective resumes. Reasons to Say No and How to Do It GracefullyYou got the interview — and the job offer! Congratulations! Perhaps you are not sure how to evaluate a job offer or whether this is the right time to make a career move. Here are some reasons to consider turning down a job offer (and how to do that gracefully).
How to Say No Respectfully and Without Burning BridgesYou’ve decided that this job isn’t the right one for you — so how do you turn down the job offer gracefully? Just because you were offered the job doesn’t mean you have to accept it. The first step is to decide how you’re going to communicate that you’re declining the job offer. If you had a good rapport with the hiring manager, and the hiring manager is who made the job offer, it makes sense to reach out to him or her directly. It’s an uncomfortable situation to be sure, but part of turning down the job offer gracefully is through clear, direct communication. And time is of the essence. In making the job offer, the hiring manager may have given you a timeline for making the decision. Don’t put off telling them no if you have decided you’re not going to accept the job. The conversation won’t get easier with time, and you’re just putting off the inevitable. If the offer was extended through a human resources representative, you may decide to let the HR representative know you’re declining the offer, and then follow up with the hiring manager as well. If you really can’t imagine yourself being able to turn down the job offer by phone, an email is acceptable. But a phone call is preferred. You want to communicate three key points:
The most important is the second point — it should be clear that you’re turning down the job offer. You don’t have to provide a reason for doing so, but you’ll likely be asked, so be ready. Here’s how a phone call to the hiring manager might go: “Hi, Joe. I appreciate you offering me the sales manager job. I’m so appreciative of the time you took to interview me and help me understand what the role entails. However, after careful consideration, I’ve decided not to accept the job. But I wanted to let you know that I’m so grateful for the time you and the team put into the interview process, and I’m sorry that we won’t be working together.” Joe is likely to either accept you declining the offer, or he may press you for a reason why you’re not accepting the job. Be ready to explain, even if it’s not the “real” reason. For example, if you discover that the company is behind on paying its suppliers, and you don’t want to leave a stable company for one that might be in trouble financially, you don’t have to say that. (And Joe might try to persuade you that things are, in fact, fine … even if your inside contact has told you otherwise.) So, you might give a more “innocuous” reason, such as “After thinking it over, I just don’t think now is the right time for me to make a move,” or “After getting a better understanding of the role, I’ve come to realize this role isn’t the right fit for me.” This is an easy way of saying, “It’s not you, it’s me.” It’s harder for a hiring manager to push back against a reason that has to do with you versus one that has to do with the company. Do not criticize the job or the company when providing your reason for declining the job offer. Also, please don’t lie. It can be easy to say, “I’ve decided to accept a different job offer,” but if that’s not the case, it may come back to bite you, especially in a small industry where the hiring managers know each other. It’s fine to say you’ve decided to stay at your current job, but don’t make up another job offer as a way to decline this one. The most important thing is to be clear that you’ve made your decision. If you’ve decided that you aren’t accepting the position, don’t be persuaded in the conversation you’re having to decline the job offer to accept it. (Especially if you are offered more money after previously being turned down for a salary increase when you made a counteroffer.) If you’d like to be considered for other jobs at the company in the future (maybe this particular job wasn’t the right fit, or the salary for this role wasn’t what you were hoping), make sure that you emphasize that you appreciate learning more about the company but that this specific role wasn’t the right fit. There’s no guarantee that you will be considered for other roles in the future, but you’re trying not to burn the bridge. You can express interest in staying in touch with the hiring manager in the hopes that you’ll be considered for future opportunities. Declining a job offer can be difficult. However, turning down a role that you ultimately wouldn’t be happy in is important. But it’s better for you — and the company — that you decline the position so they can find someone who is a better fit. About the AuthorMandy Fard is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW, CMRW) and Recruiter with decades of experience in assisting job seekers, working directly with employers in multiple industries, and writing proven-effective resumes. Stay or Stray - A Tactical Guide for Employees in Retention InterviewsWhat is a “stay interview”? Stay interviews — also sometimes called “retention interviews” — are a relatively recent phenomenon, designed to help employers retain their best talent by discovering what motivates high performing employees. Instead of waiting until an employee leaves and conducting an exit interview to discover what they might have done to keep an employee, the stay interview allows employers to collect information designed to retain the employee. Stay interviews are conducted with current employees with the goal of discovering what they like about their job and what they would like to change. Effective stay interviews are proactive, not reactive. They are not designed to convince an employee not to leave the company. Often, if the employee gets to the point where they are interviewing for other roles, they already have one foot out the door. Employers are also looking to collect information that can be used to improve overall employee retention and engagement, not just your individual reasons for working for the company. For employers, hiring and onboarding new employees is costly. Ensuring current employees are happy — or that issues that are raised in the stay interview are addressed — can improve the company’s retention rate. Stay interviews can also assess job satisfaction. This guide is designed for employees to understand stay interviews and how to prepare for one. Are All Employees Interviewed in the Stay Interview Process?It depends on the company’s process. Some companies interview all employees when conducting stay interviews, while other companies select a representative sample of employees to participate. Often the employees who have worked at the company the longest are included in the stay interview process. They are often done with best-performing and longest-tenured employees, but they can be valuable for employees at all levels and all lengths of employment. When Are Stay Interviews Typically Conducted?Stay interviews are most effective when they are conducted regularly. A stay interview may be conducted once a year or 2-3 times a year. It depends on the company. Will I Get Advance Notice of a Stay Interview?Yes, stay interviews should be scheduled ahead of time so you have time to prepare for the meeting. You can ask for a list of questions or an outline of the process so you can collect your thoughts in advance of the interview. Are Stay Interviews Part of the Performance Review Process?Stay interviews should be separate from the annual review or performance review process. Ideally, stay interviews will be conducted with all selected employees at the same time and the information collected will be analyzed quickly. How Are Stay Interviews Typically Conducted?The most effective stay interviews are conducted face-to-face, usually by a direct supervisor or manager. However, they can also be done by video conference. They may also be conducted via a formal survey mechanism, although these results are often less effective in collecting actionable data. How Long is a Typical Stay Interview?There is no typical length of time for a stay interview. However, you should plan on 20-60 minutes on average. If this is your first time being in a stay interview, plan on it taking a little longer than you might think. Most employers will not want to rush you. Remember, this is a conversation, not an interrogation. Where Are Stay Interviews Conducted?The company may have a standard place where the stay interviews are being conducted, or the person conducting the interview may ask you, the employee, where you’d be most comfortable meeting. They may be held in a conference room at work, or at a coffee shop offsite. How Honest Do I Need To Be in a Stay Interview?The decision is ultimately up to you as to how much information you want to share in a stay interview. What you choose to share may depend on the relationship you have with your supervisor. If you feel you can trust your manager with the information you’re sharing, you may be more likely to share information about your feelings, not just the facts surrounding your employment. For example, if you admit to being overworked, how do you think your current supervisor will respond? If you believe talking about how you’re getting burned out will lead to change, you’re more likely to be honest. This is probably one of the biggest factors with stay interviews — they only work if you are willing to share information with your supervisor — and if they are willing to take necessary actions to improve the situations you identify. What Kinds of Questions Will I Be Asked?Stay interview questions generally focus on three specific areas:
Stay interview questions are usually open-ended — that is, they can’t be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.” The typical stay interview is a structured format but with the opportunity to provide two-way feedback. Here is a list of questions that may be asked in a stay interview:
Can I Initiate a Stay Interview?In most practical cases, no. Unless the company is initiating the stay interview process, your best bet for bringing up performance development and other issues is in your performance review. Asking about a stay interview may be interpreted as a potential red flag to your current employer that you are unhappy in your current role. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as it might indicate that the company needs to take steps to retain you as an employee. However, if you have to initiate the conversation, it’s apparent the company isn’t taking the steps necessary to ensure your satisfaction as an employee. What Can I Expect Following a Stay Interview?Your manager should come back to you within a reasonable amount of time to take action on the feedback gathered during the stay interview process. There should be a follow-up after the stay interview, addressing any “fixable” issues you brought up in the interview as well as long-term strategies to address bigger problems and areas of concern. Be aware that company management isn’t just considering your individual feedback but also data collected across your department or the entire company. Also, be aware that a stay interview may not solve any or all the issues you bring up. Issues within your immediate supervisor’s control — for example, allowing you greater flexibility in your schedule to attend doctor’s visits during the workday — are more likely to be possible than a policy change companywide. What Are the Benefits of an Effective Stay Interview?When done properly, stay interviews can help you become more engaged in your role and with the company. Companies that conduct stay interviews generally benefit from reduced employee turnover and higher workplace morale. From an employee perspective, the opportunity to be “listened to” and “heard” is valuable. A stay interview can allow you to address issues at your current company so that you don’t have to look for a new position. You may also find that a stay interview opens up opportunities for professional advancement, cross-department connections, and even increased professional development activities. About the AuthorMandy Fard is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW, CMRW) and Recruiter with decades of experience in assisting job seekers, working directly with employers in multiple industries, and writing proven-effective resumes. |
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AuthorMandy Fard is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW, CMRW) and Recruiter with decades of experience in assisting job seekers, working directly with employers in multiple industries, and writing proven-effective resumes. Archives
May 2024
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