Current Edition | Resume Writing Tips, Interview Techniques & Access to the Best Jobs

Interview Tips

In every edition, this segment will feature a commonly asked interview question and a suggested response. The aim is to help prepare you for the interview. In the July edition, we reviewed question #17: "What is your minimum salary requirement?" In this edition, we respond to question #18. For more visit the Best Jobs Magazine Career Center

Interview Question #18:

What have you learned from mistakes on the job?

Response: I have learned that mistakes are building blocks to success. You learn from them. I have also learned that when you make a mistake, equally important is to take measures to ensure those mistakes are not repeated.

One of the most important things I've learned is persistence. Not to give up prematurely, because sometimes the solution is right in front of you. I have also learned to give every person a second chance, because first impressions can often be misleading. Mistakes have taught me that there is more than one solution to a problem, and when you think outside the box, anything is possible.

Does placing an objective on your resume help you or hurt you?

Receiving thousands of resumes, do employers still read your objective?

If you were a hiring manager today with the responsibility of finding the best skilled professional for your company, how would you go about finding him or her? Would you read thousands of objectives every day to learn about the goals and objectives of each applicants, or would you look for the applicant who has properly demonstrated a success track record in your industry?

Although everyone you talk to today tells you to place an objective as the heading of your resume, having an objective on top of your resume is no longer relevant. Most companies today care more about their objective, not yours. They think: "among the thousands of resumes we received, how do this applicant's skills translate to activities that would then help our company achieve ITS OBJECTIVES?" Read more on the resume writing tips page

25 ways to improve your results

Change occurs in an instant

In the last edition we shared five of the 25 steps to improve your results in 2011. In this edition you receive five more. The aim is to share strategies successful applicants use to connect with employers who are hiring for their skills. A simple search for jobs in your area yields plenty of employers hiring for your skills. Are you connecting with those employers? Are they finding you?

#1 - Don't start with the resume. >>Full Article

Today this step is very important to attracting employers

This is a different employment market when compared to the last time you were searching for employment. For every person looking for a career, the path to employment at first seems clear:
Search >Find > Apply > Wait for response

A simple search for any position yields plenty of results. Most begin to think, "I should be back to work in no time." For every person, however, there comes a time where the path becomes foggy. Resume submissions go unnoticed, and months later, every reasonable effort leads to a dead-end.

This is all because the first step for most job seekers today who just entered the new employment market is to create a resume and send it out. It seems applying for employment has become a two step process. Preparing a resume (step one), and applying (step two) only blends you in with thousands of others following the same two steps.

This will cause prolonged unemployment

Today updating a resume and sending it to as many employers as possible is a formula for prolonged joblessness. To become sought after and to get the phone ringing by employers you want to work for, an important step prior to creating your resume is to plan your career path. Even if you think you know your path, this step allows you to know all the ingredients to a resume that works. Changes in the market now require that you diligently define a career path prior to starting your resume. Building a resume without proper planning is like building a structure without a blueprint.

Your resume needs a blue print

A blueprint is essential. It provides the builder with a bird's-eye view of the total project before the structure is built. It also allows the builder to define details such as how much material is needed, where the infrastructure will be located, and other details such as where each entry will be placed. Even where the electrical box or the pantry will be located are all taken into consideration. Cosmetics usually come last. Furthermore, the foundation and framework of the structure are the most important considerations. A beautiful building built on sand has very little value. A marketing plan is also important to attract the right buyer after the structure is built. After all, what is the purpose of building the structure if no one will buy it? Some job seekers are so eager to get started that they begin by updating a resume, but skip the planning stage. A resume structured without proper planning (a blueprint) in today's employment landscape is to leave the outcome to luck; any results produced are purely accidental.

Search millions of jobs from across the web

Today finding the jobs are easy

The problem of unemployment is not due to shortage of jobs. A simple search for any position yields thousands of jobs.
Aggregators such as Indeed.com bring millions of jobs from all across the Web to one location simplifying the job finding process. Today finding employment is no longer about which job sites possess the most jobs. It is about how effectively one communicates one's skills to employers looking for those skills. Employers with open positions are just as eager in filling their open positions with the right skills, as job seekers are eager to find employment. For most finding a job is a two step process. Preparing a resume(step one), and applying (step two) only blends you in with thousands of others following the same two steps. Be different

Start searching from among millions of jobs across the web.
Contact a Career Coach if you find having difficulty getting responses from employers.
In partnership with Indeed.com

Employers Hiring

Click on the company logo to view current open positions

#2 - Have you identified your true minimum salary requirements

The salary question is the way some employers today screen applicants

Not only is it important to know how to answer the salary question, it is equally important to know your true minimum. There is a difference between your minimum salary requirements and your true minimum salary requirements. Suppose you identify your minimum salary requirements as $45,000 per year. This may not be your true minimum.

Suppose you interviewed with an employer who was willing to start you at only $35,500 per year, and you knew that this position could lead to earning $45,000 after about six months. Would you start at $35,500? If the answer is yes, then your minimum is really $35,500. Maybe $35,500 is not the true minimum either. Maybe if you learned that the company provides you with a car allowance, you would be willing to start as low as 30K or even lower. "How low am I willing to go for the right company?" Ultimately you keep asking this question until you determine, "I would rather remain unemployed than go any lower." This determination is important as it identifies the type of employers you pursue.

Employers use your true minimum as one of the qualifiers

Identifying a minimum salary requirement that is too high will keep out employers you may otherwise consider. This is also important since today employers use your true minimum as one of the qualifiers. And some applicants lose the opportunity to advance to the next step with an employer because they have not clearly defined their true minimums. Additionally, when we search for employment, the search is based on your true minimum. If you list your true minimum higher than it actually should be, then you will exclude employers who would initially start you at less but may have the potential to move you to your ideal minimum later.

#9 - develop the skill to persuade (To view the complete list, view June & July edition)

How important is it to persuade a hiring manager to accept your point of view?

In fact, the ability to persuade is the cornerstone of winning, especially when interviewing for a job. At some point during the interview, you will use this skill to turn the phone interview into the face-to-face meeting, the interview into an offer, and an offer into a career...
Click here to read more in the July edition > page 8

#10 - Know your purpose

Recognize yourself!

You are more powerful than you know! Take a good look at yourself in the mirror. Are you happy with what you see? Maybe you are or perhaps there are things you rather change. What are some things you would love to change about yourself? Do you view these areas as flaws? And if this is the case, do you believe your creator intended to create you with those flaws?

There was a purpose for creating you

Think about how precise everything is about nature and all of its creations. Land was created to grow things, trees to create oxygen, the Sun to produce heat, and bees to pollinate flowers. These natural wonders were all created with a defined purpose; yet humans are the only creatures who were brought onto this planet to create their own purpose. Just as all other creations, there is a purpose for this creation. We are all expected to create our purpose. Long ago, the team at Best Jobs Magazine defined their purpose.

We committed to helping families by connecting their working members with employers in their locality. The team's success defines each member's purpose for being a creation on this planet. Your creator had a plan for you when you were chosen to land on this planet.

Your creator had a plan for you

Your creator had a plan for you when you were chosen to land on this planet. If you believe in your creator, you realize that nothing happens by accident. You were not an accident. You were meant to be born. And what you have—your appearance, size, height, etc.—was meant to be this way. This is the plan. You were supposed to look exactly as you do now. Some go to great lengths to change how they look. If your creator intended you to look any different, you would have been born that way. Have you ever wondered what your purpose is on this planet? Some spend more time on ways to change how they look, inevitably defocusing from becoming the person they were meant to become. You are here today to inspire someone, create something, and become someone, results that will remain on this planet long after you are gone.

Within you lies the potential to accomplish everything you dare to imagine.

#11 - Disconnect YOU from your mistakes

You make mistakes - mistakes do not make you!!

Have you ever made a mistake and felt terrible for weeks or months afterwards? Do you blame yourself for the mistakes you make? Do you feel guilty or beat yourself down? This method of subconsciously identifying ourselves with our mistakes tarnishes the self-image. One of the biggest mistakes we make is to confuse our mistakes with our self. For example, when you experience failure, to say: "I failed" brings attention to the error and can help you remedy the situation and lead to future success. But saying "I am a failure" does not describe what you did but what the mistake did to you ...
Click here to read more in the July edition > page 15

Should you have a profile on LinkeIn?

Is your profile moving you closer or away from your next career?

Today it seems like everywhere you go someone is telling you to complete a profile somewhere. LinkedIn has become one of those online sites professionals use to network. Yet as a job seeker, have you wondered if this is the right step for you? Do you find that your network of people is looking at your profile and arriving at the wrong conclusions about your skills?

You may possess skills in several different areas, yet your profile may predominantly communicate one skill. Employers are often culling through thousands of potential candidates and may focus their search on another skill in which you happen to be very strong, but that isn't strongly featured in your profile.

How many interviews did your profile generate last week?

It is a tricky proposition to create a profile that appeals to every employer you're qualified to work for. Therefore, although every source of networking is good (including LinkedIn), how you compose a profile on such sites is more important than merely having one.

Ask yourself this question: "How many interviews (with employers I want to work for) did my profile produce?" If the answer is none, you have your answer.

#13 - Understand Others

That is nothing to get upset about?

The most empowering step you can take right now to attract positive results is to make a simple change:
Change your view toward others from one of judgment to one of understanding.

If you think about it, in most situations our first reaction to statements others make is an evaluation of judgment, rather than of understanding. When someone expresses a feeling, attitude, or belief, our tendency is to think: "That is ridiculous" or "that makes no sense" or "that is nothing to get upset about." Very rarely do we permit ourselves to understand precisely what the meaning of the statement is to the other person. When we judge others, it is primarily because we do not understand their point of view. To tell a child who was not invited to a party "It's only a party, why are you so upset?" is a statement showing lack of understanding. To a child who did not get an invitation, it was not just a party. When you minimize the significance of someone else's experience, you are not responding empathetically. Instead you are seeing the situation from your own perspective and then passing judgment.

Do you possess judgment bias?

Of course we tend to judge ourselves in the most generous terms. Social scientists have labeled this tendency the "Judgment Bias." When others suffer, we often blame the problem on their personal qualities. On the other hand, when we have problems, we find explanations outside ourselves. Consider a few examples: When another person loses a job, we think they weren't listening well or trying hard enough; we make the mistake, the problem was unclear directions or not enough time. When he lashes out angrily, we say he is being moody or too sensitive; when we blow off steam, it's because of pressure. Phrases such as "well you asked for it" or "you are just feeling sorry for yourself" are good indications that we are not trying to see things from the point of view of others and are using judgment bias. The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., was asked how he could be an admirer of Air Force General Daniel James, then the nation's highest-ranking black officer. Dr. King replied, "I judge people by their own principles, not my own." Sometimes a simple, "I understand how you feel," or "I would have felt exactly how you feel" is the most appropriate and comforting response when someone shares an experience with us.

City of Corona helps hundreds get back to work >>>Read Full Article - page 28

A demonstration of how one cities outside of the box thinking helped hundreds secure employment

Through a visionary, innovative, and cooperative process, Team Corona cuts through the red tape and produces results. The team prides itself in working hard to establish partnerships with the development/ broker community as well as the companies relocating to or expanding within the City. Expanding businesses are able to access information to determine the best sites and buildings for growing their operations. Just recently team Corona and Best Jobs Magazine partnered to host career events connecting hundreds of residents with local employers in person...Read more in the July Edition > page 28

The Hidden Step career workshop

Develop your career path, an amazing resume that gets your phone to ring and a career coach to guide you all in one day.

How to become the chosen one

If 5 simple steps would lead you to your next career, what would you do?

#14 - Smiling gives you power

It's free, takes no effort and it produces magic

Imagine a magic wand you could use when meeting someone and when you do, the other person would instantly like you and think highly of you. Would you want this wand? The good news is, that if you do want one, you do not have to travel to distant lands to get one. This wand is located on your face. To activate it, simply look in the mirror and rise up the corners of your mouth. It is called a smile.

Most people neglect to use the magic of this wand. A smile brightens the lives of all who see it. For a person who is under pressure from the challenges of life, a smile is like the sun breaking through the clouds. A smile will make anything magical. Pay someone a compliment and smile—it makes the compliment more meaningful. Ask someone for a favor and smile and he feels more compelled to do it. Greet someone and smile and you immediately create a better first impression. You could not buy such magical power with all the money in the world. Yet your creator has given you this power. All you have to do is use it. Want to improve your results while searching for your next career? Use your wand. July edition >page 30

Do you have a Skilldoc®?

From the Old (Resume) to the New (Skilldoc®)

Ever been told you are overqualified for a position you know you are fully qualified for? Have you experienced getting no responses to a perfectly composed resume?

It is all because you do not have a Skilldoc®. A resume does not always convey your qualifications clearly. In most cases it hides them. SkillDoc® is a document used to help an employer in quickly identifying your strengths and recognizing those skills that match the positions they are looking to fill.

What exactly is Skilldoc?®

Skilldoc® follows six important rules that define the points hiring managers look for in a resume. Although you may possess a multitude of types of skills, Skilldoc® answers the most important question for each employer. "Does this applicant's skills make him/her a viable prospect for this position?" The SkillDoc® answers this question quickly and in the most effective fashion.

What is the difference between a resume and SkillDoc®?

Chances are you possess more than just one skill. A person with skills in operations management may also possess skills in sales and project management. A resume does not properly highlight those skills in a way that is focused on each position and this creates confusion for the employer. SkillDoc® is a resume that distinguishes each skill in a way that best identifies your skills as they relate to each open position. Since placing 20 years of experience on one page inevitably can mask your relevant skills, a resume hides those skills employers want to see. Skilldoc® creates a snapshot of those skills to help employers make an informed decision about your candidacy. Learn how to create your Skill- Doc® with the Hidden Step series.

the RoadMap to success!

Finding employment is no longer a two step process

What steps does the average applicant take to secure employment? Usually the first step is to prepare a resume and next to send it out. This two step process (Prepare a resume) and (Send it out) is today a formula for prolonged joblessness. Today finding employment consists of five steps.

Technology and changes in the market have altered the way recruiters and human resource managers look for talent

Change is inevitable and adapting is necessary to progress. We find ourselves adapting when typewriters are replaced by laptops, Polaroids by digital cameras, and newspapers by the World Wide Web. We connect with our friends using social media and a telephone is no longer a device used to just call someone.

Several times over the past ten years, the job market has evolved. Have you adapted? Some job seekers today cling to old strategies hoping for the best. Research by the BLS shows that on average, a person remains unemployed for thirty-three weeks. You have probably noticed that strategies that worked in the past are no longer working, especially if you are in a field that is short on jobs and packed with qualified job seekers. To read more, go to the Employment Roadmap™; Do not start your search without it. Go to the career Roadmap™

Do you consider yourself an Eagle or Vulture?

Do you want to achieve real progress immediately? Change your story.

What is the story you use to describe your life? Hint: your story is the stuff you tell yourself and others (that may not be true) but feels good to share. Examples are, "I'm not employed because of my age" or "the economy brought me to where I am today" or even "people don't like me" "I will never have enough money." You get the idea, so insert your own story here.

What is your story?

The words you use to describe your life. The things you say endlessly to anyone who is willing to listen. Now, realize that this is all fabricated stuff! None of it is true, unless you make it true. Nothing means anything except the meaning you give it. You create your own reality. It takes the same amount of energy to tell a good story as it does a bad one. You are in charge of your story, so why not tell a story that makes you and others feel good instead of one that makes you feel bad? Have you wondered: Why do I choose to feel bad? (No worries. If you are like everyone else, you probably just weren't aware!) Are you willing to adopt a new story and let your old ones go? If not, why? What are you afraid of? That old story is keeping you where you are. If you are happy with where you are, then keep your old story. If you are not, change it. Start today— write a new, energizing, happy and successful story! Now tell this story to people. Don't ever tell that old one again! Inspire others to want a better life, like yours.

Start today

Begin discussing your triumphs instead of your failures, your fortunes instead of your defeats, and health rather than pains. Think about it. Is your story really what you want? We become what we think about. You attract (just as a magnet) the people and circumstances that harmonize with your story. Pay attention to little stories throughout the day and repeat: "Today something great will happen." Look for little great things every day. Not big ones. Just small changes that we normally overlook or take for granted. Become aware of how you react towards the world. You are told, "We will call you" by an employer following an interview and you immediately think, "They probably did not like me." This then becomes part of your story. Stop torturing yourself! If a person does not smile at you it may be because they didn't see you, or have a death in the family, or didn't get much sleep. Maybe he or she was never taught to smile. Who knows? All of which has nothing to do with him or her not liking you. But if your conclusion is that he or she did not like you, your story may become "I am not liked." This is where the story gets you stuck. Search for the truth—when you feel an emotion fully in your body and not in your mind, the truth will come to you more easily.

So are you an eagle or a vulture?

Change the way you represent the world and how you communicate things to yourself. Instead of saying, "What you did to me was wrong and I'm angry" say, "This person acted in a way that is making me feel emotions I don't like." Instead of repeating a negative scenario, focus on getting rid of the emotion you do not like to have. An eagle and vulture look very similar. But they focus on living a different lifestyle. You have a choice. You are in full control and the creator of your life. You have embedded within you right now the power and grace of an eagle. You can fly high or allow your story to keep you down. Every day you are painting your life. Is your artwork worth sharing? We are all creators. We are creating our lives in every moment. Tell a story that brings smiles. Live a life that brings peace, joy, and abundance. You are in charge of your story, and the story you tell will show up in your future.

What is your new story?

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