11 CV Factors You Shouldnt Forget

11 CV Factors You Shouldnt Forget If time spent writing your CV is really just time  spent staring at a blank screen, youre not alone, weve been there too. There are no two ways about it condensing all of your  skills and experience into one  slick  document can be challenging. We arent born knowing  how to write  a great CV, so its up to you to find out for yourself how to get the  basics right. From font size and  format to photos and filling in the gaps, there is a certain etiquette that should rarely  be broken.  Recruiters and employers  receive constant streams of applications    dont let a basic  mistake send  yours straight to  the bottom of the pack. StandOut CV has created an infographic to  answer 11 crucial questions. Heres our recap: 1. How long should a CV be? When it comes to length, try to think of your  CV as a tasty appetiser that will get  people coming back for more. It should be around 2 pages  long to  ensure that you get your message across  quickly, without dragging on like an old encyclopaedia, boring  employers and recruiters. If you  feel your  experience is as good as gold (and listing it all will make you a shoe-in for the job), dont worry too much about going over. Just be sure to  keep it at 3 pages or less. READ MORE: 5 Ways to Simplify a Long CV 2. What do employers look for in a CV? They want someone who has the  right skills and knowledge to do  the job at hand, so these need to come across in your CV. If you have the exact experience they are looking for, make sure it is clear dont make them have to read between the lines or join the dots. Spell everything out for them. If you dont have the perfect profile for the role but know you can do it, highlight your transferrable skills. Its always important to research your target roles beforehand to find out exactly what they are looking for in an applicant. 3. What font should I use in my CV? The saying keep it simple stupid exists for a reason and is definitely a principle that applies here. Forget cursive text that makes your CV look like an excerpt from Tom Riddles diary, and best you steer clear of Webdings altogether. Nice  symbols, though. Use a simple font that looks professional and is easy for recruiters and employers to read. Size matters too you cant go wrong if you stick around the 10/12pt mark. 4. Should I include a photo on my CV? Generally speaking, your best  Blue Steel neednt grace its presence on  your CV. Unless you are applying for an acting or modelling job (which would most likely specifically request photographs),  there is no need to include one  on your CV. It  will take up space that could be better used with text that demonstrates the value of hiring you. Show them how youre so much more than just a pretty face. 5. Do I include all of my experience on my CV? You should include all of your experience on your CV for transparency, but older or irrelevant  roles can be shortened down to brief summaries. All of your previous roles were NOT created equal. It is important to bring out the most relevant points and let other bits take the backseat. 6. Should I include my date of birth on my CV? Age is only a number, right? Employers do not make recruitment decisions based on a candidate’s age, so there’s no need to  include your date of birth. 7. Should I hide employment gaps on my CV? Take the guesswork out of your CV. You dont want recruiters or employers scratching their heads trying to fill the gaps themselves, so if you have long periods of unemployment you should be up front and explain them. Keep this short and sweet, after all, its just to let them know what was keeping you occupied during that time. Ideally use  constructive reasons such as personal projects, study or travelling. 8. Should I include interests on my CV? As a general rule, only include interests if they are relevant to the roles you are applying for and will make a positive  impact on your applications. If you feel including your passions or pastimes adds to the profile you want to show your employer, put them in, but dont get too carried away. Always keep it as professional as possible. 9. Do I need a cover letter? Typing a persuasive, personalised cover letter shows you are serious about your career and the opportunity.    It should paint a clear picture of who you are and what you are looking for, and why you want to engage in further conversation. 10. Should I include references in my CV? Employers wont contact references until they have intentions of  potentially offering you the job. You dont need to list them on your CV, instead a  one-liner like references available upon request will do the trick. 11. What if I have no experience? Everyone has to start somewhere, so no need to worry if this sounds like you. This is where you need to bring out everything you have done, that will  set you up for success in the working world. Think training, education, high school pursuits, extra projects, charity or volunteer work, etc. Top Image: Shutterstock

5 Essential Interview Techniques You Should Know

5 Essential Interview Techniques You Should Know There are several things that you can do to make each interview as successful as it can possibly be. Each of these steps has an impact on helping you to get the kind of job you really want: 1. Always be punctual. Allow yourself enough time to get there, taking the address and the traffic into consideration. As a general rule, employers are advised never to hire a person who arrives late for a job interview. 2. Dress well for the job interview. Your clothes can account for 95 percent of the first impression you make on your prospective employer, because first impressions are almost always visual. Dress the way you would expect to dress for the job for which you are applying. Many people are hired for no other reason than that they were the best-dressed of the candidates interviewed. Many otherwise excellent men and women are disqualified by the employer at the first meeting because they did not dress well for the job interview. Related: How To Dress for Your Job Interview. 3. Fill up on oxygen. Before going into the interview, take a few moments to breathe deeply and relax your shoulders. Breathing deeply six or seven times will actually release endorphins in your brain and give you a sense of well-being and calmness. Close your eyes for a few moments and visualize yourself as calm, confident, and relaxed. Create a clear mental picture of yourself as smiling, positive, and completely in control of yourself and your emotions during the interview. Related: Breathe. 4. Offer up a firm handshake. When you meet the interviewer, smile and shake hands firmly. Look the person directly in the eye and say, “How do you do?” A good handshake is full and firm, where you grasp the entire hand and squeeze in a firm but non-aggressive way. Both men and women should give a full-palm handshake when they meet a person for the first time. 5. Interview the interviewer. Most interviewers start off with a series of questions that are aimed at drawing you out and getting a better idea of who you are. You should take control of the interview by asking questions about the company, the industry, and the kind of person that the interviewer is looking for. The more questions you ask and the more you help to uncover the real needs of the prospective employer, the more likely it is that the prospective employer will see you as being the kind of person who can fulfill those needs. Related: 9 Killer Questions You Ought to Ask the Interviewer. Brian Tracy is the author of Earn What Youre Really Worth: Maximize Your Income at Any Time in Any Market. He was born in eastern Canada in 1944 and grew up in California. After dropping out of high school, he traveled and worked his way around the world, eventually visiting 80 countries on six continents. His extensive personal studies in business, sales, management, marketing, and economics enabled him to move up to become the head of a $265 million company before he turned his attention to consulting, training, and personal development.

Listen Up Gen Y! DONT Ignore Your 401K!

Listen Up Gen Y! DONT Ignore Your 401K! Recently I was talking to a friend about our 401Ks. My friend told me that she had not yet started contributing to her retirement account (even though her company matches!).  Her rational is that she is now at the lowest salary she will ever be making so she will worry about it when she makes more money. Are you contributing to your retirement?   Read this from  MSN Money: Less than a third of workers 25 and under are contributing to their employer sponsored retirement plans.  These accounts are much more important to young workers than to older Americans.  Thats because the majority of younger workers arent covered by an old fashion guaranteed pension.  Moreover, every dollar that 20-somethings save will be more valuable over the course of their lives than the same dollar will be for older workers.  That is because young workers have more time to invest their savings and then let that money grow.  Sadly, there seems to be little urgency among young Americans to remedy this situation. For instance, a paltry 19% of young workers say they plan to fund a traditional or Roth IRA this year. In fact, the majority of 18- to 24-year-olds dont even know whether they qualify to fund various types of IRAs, according to CCH. You have been warned!  Time is your biggest advantage right now.  Starting now is the absolute best thing you can do!  If  you don’t start early you’ll miss out on a head start that will be incredibly difficult to make up later on. Here is your challenge:  TODAY! Research how you can start contributing to your 401K.  You dont have to be a financial whiz or hire a financial planner.  But whatever you do, dont ignore it.  You will thank me someday! Photo by teenage crime Readers, are you planning for your retirement?  

Does Your Social Media Size Really Matter

Does Your Social Media Size Really Matter For many people social media size does matter and the recent focus on social proof is causing many of us to be far too concerned with how big we are!  Social media is a powerful tool to build our personal brands, but here is the catch:  we can easily fall into the trap of focusing too much on the numbers and not the engagement. The fact is that social media numbers do give us the immediate validation we are looking for and it is exciting to see our growth. But when our score drops or our followers stop following, we run the risk of feeling inadequate and, well, small!  John Falchetto  calls this number porn: With the online measuring tools at our disposal we now have the ability to indulge in  number porn. The bigger the number, the more we get hot and bothered. Dont inflate your size! We can always inflate our size by buying fake followers who make us appear bigger than we really are. On the surface it might look attractive, but underneath it is just plastic and no substance. Status People have a great tool to measure your real size called Fake Follower Check. Give it a try and see how you measure up! Let your numbers grow organically. By being natural and authentic you will show that what you have is actually worth looking at. You will create a real community of true relationships and growth with come naturally. Its not the size that matters. Its how you use it! This is the classic quality versus quantity condundrum: Dont be focused so much on how big it is, how much you have, or how many follow you. By: Simon Ã…lander Move  away from measuring how many and focus on  WHY  your page, post, tweet, is popular: Was it a question you asked that prompted a lot of comments? Did a video you post result in a high number of retweets? Did a thought leader in your sphere of influence mention your post in their blog or tweet? All of these are indicators of  how you use it. How to size up who to follow: Here are 5 criteria I am using to size up the people I decide to follow: Do you have a photo?  I want to connect with a real person not an egg head, silhouette, or cartoon character. No photo? No connection! What are you tweeting and  sharing?  If I notice that all you do is promote your size and self-worth, well, time to move on. Remember, successful promotion of your personal brand on social media is 80% listening and 20% speaking. Who else is following you?  I put a lot of trust in thought leaders I respect and value. If people I respect also follow you, then it is practically a done deal. What is your blog or website about?  I  always  click on the link you put on your profile statement. Does your site/blog resonate with me? Is it something that I am eager to share with others? I want to know more about how you use it, not how big it is! Are you in my target audience?  Robert Caruso, founder of  Bundle Post, says, Follow back your target audience always. Otherwise you are being a celebrity not building relationships. This one is so obvious, yet can easily be forgotten in the number porn game. Avoid the red light district of number porn. Nurture the community who respects you for how you use it. What is your follow policy? How do you avoid number porn? Let us know in the comments below.

5 Things Every Telecommuter Needs in 2018 - CareerMetis.com

5 Things Every Telecommuter Needs in 2018 Maybe you’ve finally convinced your employer of the virtues of remote work, or maybe you’ve decided to start a business from the comforts of your own homeâ€"whatever the reason, telecommuting is the ultimate dream for many professionals, and it certainly comes with a lot of perks. But it also comes with as many challenges as benefits.For example, although working from home usually means less immediate supervision, the distance may lead your employer to question your productivity and check in more often than if you were in the office. You can also expect to face myriad other issues like miscommunication with clients, technical malfunctions, or greater difficulty focusing.evalIn light of those increased challenges any telecommuter must be well equipped to avoid or solve potential problems quickly and efficiently. Luckily, in 2018 there are more tools available than ever before to help you tackle the most common obstacles of remote work.These are a handful of important tools and res ources you should have as a telecommuter:1. Reliable, Fast InternetFew businesses operate without some form of internet use these days. Far more lean heavily on a stable connection. If you want to check your email every day or perform any other internet-related tasks, don’t torture yourself with constant disconnections.Not only are internet lags frustrating, but they can also cause you and your company to lose out on valuable revenue when they happen during business hours, preventing you from communicating with clients or finalizing important projects before a deadline.Check out recommendationson the kind of speed that will suit your work needs, and upgrade if your current plan isn’t up to par. You may find that what worked for your personal useâ€"streaming the occasional TV show, for exampleâ€"is no longer sufficient once you’re telecommuting.You’ll probably need more speed for downloading large documents, running extensive software programs, and filling other business need s.2. Collaboration and Communication SoftwareIf you work on a team, or if you need to reach out to clients often, don’t neglect to establish a system of communication and collaboration. Usually that system will include a software program such as Slack or Google’s software suite.evalWhile some businesses use multiple programs for overlapping purposes, you should try to limit yourself to one primary system of communication, if possible. Juggling three or four communication methods can wind up causing more confusion because you may lose track of what was said in which platform.Ask yourself what type of communication is most vital to your business. Do you need video-conferencing capabilities? Maybe all you need is an instant messaging app to stay looped in with your colleagues at the office.One thing’s for sure: communication is key, and it’s a far greater challenge when you’re isolated at home rather than sharing a cubicle.3. Productivity ToolsYou may pride yourself on your t ime management skills and your sharp efficiency at work, but even the most productive employees can see those skills unravel when they start telecommuting.evalThe distractions increase exponentially when you work in the same place that you relax. Suddenly you can walk just a few feet to access your TV, refrigerator, and other enticing distractions. Why not take a short break? you may think, but those short breaks add up into large portions of unproductive time.Whether you thrive off paper planners, digital calendars, to-do list apps, or other productivity tools, make sure that you’ve got a plan in place to keep yourself focused.You can even install browser extensions that block any websites you identify as your personal productivity killers, during certain hours of the day or for a specified duration of time.4. A Defined Workspace and Relaxation SpaceAnother way to battle the temptation of working a few feet from your TV is to establish a boundary between your workspace and your l iving space. Too often we allow ourselves to blur the lines between business and recreation, but having some sort of physical separation will help you maintain those lines.That physical separation can be as simple as a doorway or as extreme as a detached office in your backyard, if that’s what it takes to prevent yourself from straying into non-work activities.But on the flip side, when you work from home you may struggle to confine your work to normal business hours and instead find yourself tempted to take work calls and emails after 5 pm.Falling into that temptation could increase your day-to-day stress and harm your health in the long run. Thus, experts recommendthat you keep work out of places like the bedroom. The less you stress about work in your personal time, the more productive and healthy you will be overall.5. A Comfortable Desk SetupYou may think that working on the couch or at the kitchen table will be a good enough solution, but if you plan to telecommute on a long -term basis, you will most likely tire of those makeshift workspaces.You don’t necessarily have to have an entire office, but a proper desk and chair will make you feel more motivated to work and keep you comfortable through all those long hours. They also signal to your family members that you are on the clock.evalMany furniture manufacturers now offer ergonomic alternativesto typical office accessories. If you’re self-employed, you might want to think about investing in an ergonomic keyboard, an exercise chair, or a standing desk. But if you are a remote worker for a larger company, you could ask your employer about reimbursing the costs of these options.With these tools and strategies, you will be better prepared to excel in your job, even while working from home. There’s no reason that a telecommuter can’t be just as efficientas an employee who works in a traditional office.In fact, if you approach your job in the right wayâ€"arming yourself with the right environment, m indset, and strategyâ€"you could find remote work more productive and fulfilling than it was when you were punching in from 9 to 5.

Want to know recruiters favorite interview questions and expected answers - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

Want to know recruiters’ favorite interview questions and expected answers Margaret Buj  â€" Interview Coach In this expert roundup, some of the most successful recruitment experts reveal their insights on their favourite interview questions and answers. Margaret Buj  â€" Interview Coach I like asking “What do you look forward to at work?” and “What is important to you in your next role?” The answer gives me insight into the candidate’s personal motivators and a view as to whether they  align with our organisation’s needs, as well as our ability to meet their needs. I am looking for the candidate to demonstrate that they have the skills and experience we’re looking for. Many candidates talk a lot about their responsibilities, but not enough about what impact they’ve made and what their tangible achievements are that are relevant to the job they’re interviewing for. Also, for someone who is genuinely interested in the company and excited about the opportunity. Finally, someone who’s prepared some good, insightful questions based on the research they’ve done. Austin Belcak â€" Cultivated Culture Asking the question,  Thinking back over the last 12 months, what are you most proud about? I love asking this question because it gives candidates a chance to talk about something they’re excited about and potentially cover off on a topic that may have been missed otherwise. I’m always interested to hear what they place emphasis on and why. It’s usually a great conversation starter! To read the rest of the article, please click here.

Tips For Using Customer Service Resume Samples Free

Tips For Using Customer Service Resume Samples FreeWhen you are looking for customer service resume samples, how do you know what to choose? If you can't find anything that will inspire you, then you probably will be disappointed. It is important that you consider these tips before you begin to browse through the many different resumes that are available for download.Free software programs and resumes can be found in a lot of places online, but some websites may not be safe to use. Not all of these places can be trusted, so it is important that you do your research before you download any software from any website. Remember, even if the resume software offers an extensive database, it is still just a software program.Some of the customer service resume samples are available for download as a .doc or .docx file. These types of files are easy to open with Word or any other word processing program, but it is important that you find a place that offers you the option to open them. You wa nt to ensure that you do not get stuck in the middle of the document and have to wait for the download to finish.Remember that you will need to be able to edit the documents that you receive from the company that offers the customer service resume samples. You want to be able to use the program or the software to the best of your ability. Once you have downloaded the samples, you will be able to view them right on your computer screen.Free downloads do not always have all of the information that you need to have. This is why it is very important that you know the company that you are working with well enough that you can refer back to previous resumes for any hints and tips that you may need. Sometimes you may not be able to find anything in the free download that you need, but it is still a good idea to keep looking online for even more samples.Once you find a few customer service resume samples that you like, you should print them out. After you print them out, you will want to sc an them into your computer and open them as quickly as possible. Even if you find that the samples are ready to be used immediately, you will still want to be able to print them out so that you can be sure that you have the most up to date and relevant information at all times.Free job search sites that offer these types of services usually have a limit on the number of resumes that they will allow you to download. You will need to be careful to make sure that you do not overstep the boundaries and go beyond the limitations of the site. The best thing to do is to be patient and wait until you have finished reading all of the free samples.Customer service resume samples can be used in a variety of different jobs. They can be used by business owners, teens, older adults, and even people who don't own businesses but just want to find work. Many people use free resumes as a resource for those who are unemployed, and it is a great way to ensure that you find a position as soon as possibl e.