Strategies
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A capable senior manager has been looking for a new job for a couple of months. He’s a capable guy, and although two months isn’t that long, I was surprised that he’s had no nibbles.
Then I saw his resume. His resume was 5 pages long, and had too much detail to read quickly. It also seemed to repeat information from one page to another.
Candidates, remember you don’t have much time to impress a hiring manager. Those of you looking for senior management positions–you probably have less time because once the more senior manager takes a look at your resume you may only have 10-15 seconds to impress that manager.
It’s ok to have two versions of your resume: the short one that’s no more than 3 pages long (one overview page and two reverse chronological pages), and a longer one that you explain is available if people want more detail.
Remember, a resume is a marketing piece. Your job is to whet the hiring manager’s appetite, not kill it. Think about how long you really need your resume to be.
Originally
from Hiring Technical People
by Johanna Rothman
Written by Jeff Bosco with no comments.
Read more articles on Resume and Strategies.
…if not better, says a CNN/Money article I read today.
I have always found mentoring to be a worthwhile venture for both me as a mentor and me being mentored. I don’t know exactly what the cause of this worthwhile feeling is but for me at least, it stems from a couple different things.
- Face to face contact with the same person and the subject matter isn’t about necessarily improving work but improving yourself. A person who can be a check and monitor your progress over a period of time. And, when structured right, the lack of obligation to do so.
- Being a positive part of a non-reporting employee’s life. I had a fellow mentor who persuaded a person to stick with a job when they were growing tired of it. With that mentors help, instead of taking a path with lower pay and in a totally different industry (starting from the ground up), they got their foot in the door of an internal leadership position. No mentor = that person is gone.
- It gets results. I see time and time again where mentoring results in positives for both parties. And it boosts productivity for both workers. Sitting down for a cup of coffee a half an hour each week and being a mentor. For that 15-30 minute period, you gain more than 15-30 minutes of extra productivity.
Great leaders can make a big difference by mentoring other employees and with such a small investment, can make a big impact not only on your own performance but the performance of others.
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Originally
from YourHRGuy.com
by Your HR Guy
on Apr 20, 2007, 1:08PM
Written by Jeff Bosco with no comments.
Read more articles on Strategies and Self Development.
…in a few years.
And I really hate to make blanket statements like that because all of the MBA guys and gals I know are swell and they work great together. That doesn’t mean though that I haven’t talked to a lot of dweebs coming fresh out of MBA’s not knowing anything about working at the executive level. At some point, I almost want to question if they actually knew the whole point of getting an MBA was to move up or move out?
A MBA is a great concept and if these changes are adopted widely, it could do a lot to bolster confidence. The best part about a MBA is that it compresses time in a high pressure, deadline sensitive world. If you come out of that program having worked with 10-15 different teams, those are a lot of different personalities you’ve been forced to cope with. And from the hiring side, that’s pretty exciting. I feel confident hiring from a program that teaches these skills than the alternative.
Ultimately, this problem points back to poor undergraduate work which could point back to poor high school work and so on. What some educators have called “slippage” in the curriculum: not being able to teach kids the same things they used to because it isn’t getting covered earlier. Is the MBA or Masters going to become the bachelor degree of today? It already is in some Engineering and Scientific fields.
And well, that is a different post altogether.
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Originally
from YourHRGuy.com
by Your HR Guy
on Apr 24, 2007, 11:31AM
Written by Jeff Bosco with no comments.
Read more articles on Strategies and Self Development.
When and where are you at your creative best?
That’s a question I posed to the Twitter community recently, after noting that my own creative juices tend to flow best first thing in the morning. The responses I received were telling. Here are some of my favorites:
- ChipGriffin: When I’m not trying to be creative and mind is just relaxed and wandering — shower, bed, long drive, beach, etc.
- TedDemop: Creative best? Occurs in random spurts at unplanned times. Often early a.m. — sometimes before sleep/sometimes upon awakening.
- comedy4cast: Usually when I’m trying to concentrate on something else. My mind wanders and…bingo!
- DanYork: In regular activities, I find some of my most creative times (in terms of idea generation) are when I’m out walking or biking.
Like me, these four members of the Twitterati spend hours upon hours at the computer and online each day. And yet, for all of us, creative thoughts or solutions often bubble their way up through our brains precisely when we’re away from our machines.
Now, don’t get me wrong: I’m all for the tools of technology that I write about here each week — instant messaging, RSS, blogs, podcasts, wikis, etc. — and know that they lead to terrific brainstorming sessions, project collaboration and the start of the creative process. But I also know that it’s those very un-technical activities — eating breakfast, showering, taking a walk — when the creative thoughts they produce finally crystallize for me.
How does technology work for you in the creative process? Take our Monster Poll.
You can also check out these other Monster resources on creativity:
Originally
from The Monster Blog
by Bryan
on Apr 20, 2007, 4:19AM
Written by Jeff Bosco with no comments.
Read more articles on Strategies and On the job.
Job hunting requires hard work and a smart strategy, internet or no internet. However, we all know (perhaps no one better than our blog readers) that technology can enhance your job search process. Here are four quick reminders about how to optimize your cyber hunt for the best job or position:
1. Put first things first. As with traditional job hunting, update and polish your resume. Revise your resume weekly so that it appears higher in an employer’s search results. You can create “confidential” resumes, which allow employers to see your experience but not your name. Label your resume appropriately - how you name your resume can impact how often it is viewed. An employer is much more likely to click on a resume title “Senior Financial Consultant” than on one titled “Sam’s Resume.” Most resume postings must be made in ASCII (plain text). Online sites can help with this.
2. Use proper ‘netiquette.’ Think before you send a message, and realize the impression you are making. Electronic correspondence requires the same level of professionalism as traditional methods. Avoid being too casual when online. Keep the length of your message reasonable, and use correct grammar and spelling. The way you communicate using email is just as important as the way you communicate face-to-face. You must have an acceptable email address (i.e. your name/initials@xxxx.com). Do not use email addresses that are unprofessional, too casual or just have no relevance (like BigMomma@yahoo.com).
3. Mega sites. Start browsing mega career sites that offer multiple resources and services for free. Network through bulletin boards , newsgroups and user groups . Set up job search agents on all the sites you visit to receive the latest openings as soon as they are listed. Job search engines alow you to search many of the major job databases at once. Though helpful, don’t limit yourself to posting your resume or applying only to jobs you find on these major job sites.
4. Niche sites. Search the niche job sites in your respective profession. Search local job sites and Chamber of Commerce sites. Check the newspaper Help Wanted ads, both online and off. Some employers still only use the classifieds offline to advertise job openings so be sure to use every available resource.
Using technology when job hunting helps, but is should be used as a set of tools. The most effective strategy is to use a variety of job seeking methods. Make finding you as easy as possible for the employer whether that is through technology based or traditional methods.
Originally
from Spherion Career Blog - The Big Time
by Karen Person
Written by Jeff Bosco with no comments.
Read more articles on Strategies and Job Searching.