In this Issue:
Stand Out!
Stimulus Money in Construction
Ask the Career Doctor!
Is Your Resume Too Cluttered?
This Issue's Cartoon!
Stand Out!
My dad always said “If you want to excel, you need to stand out.” Whether it was making friends, a first date, an A in a class, a raise, or a promotion, you have to stand out to get noticed.
So how do you get noticed when you are looking for a job in this economy?
No you don’t deliver your resume to a company painted blue from head to toe.
An important feature and one about which I have talked many times before is focusing on your achievements. However I want to discuss another important aspect which 99.5% of job seekers never customize. THEIR JOB TITLE!
You need to identify yourself so others can find you. If you are a project manager you need to state that in your title but add something after the title to stand out.
Project Manager - $50 million plus projects
Project Manager – 15 years health care experience
Or if you are in sales:
Sales Manager –doubled sales first year in past 2 jobs
Sales Representative – continually exceeds goals
Five times as many people read the heading as do the entire resume. Another source says that while 8 out of 10 people will read the title and maybe a line or two, only 2 in 10 read the entire resume. Think of your resume as a commercial, you have 10 seconds to make an impression. You need to stand out!
Especially on job boards, your name and job title are listed on any search a company pulls up. The company might get 300 job seekers in a search for Sales Managers in a certain state but how many will have something in their title which sets that person apart?
I know which candidate’s resume I will look at first.
I realize this is just a small tidbit in your effort to land a job but remember sometimes it’s the little things which sets you apart.
[top]
Stimulus Money in Construction
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report on Sept. 23, 2009 regarding the progress of stimulus spending. Even though the report showed $18.0 billion of the $27.6 billion appropriated for highway infrastructure projects has been obligated to 7,000 paving and bridge projects (65.1%); only $1.4 billion or a little less than 5.1% of the money, has actually been spent.
The GAO report acknowledges that the projects to which this cash has been allocated will last about three years on average and since notices to proceed are just beginning to go out, the real impact of the stimulus spending won’t be felt by construction businesses until 12-18 months from now.
[top]
Is Your Resume Too Cluttered?
By Jennifer Anthony, Resume Expert www.resumeasap.com
The most common mistake among many jobseekers is not updating their resume in the correct way. All too frequently, those in search of a new job pull out their most recent resume and simply add details of their latest position.
This easy to fall into habit makes for a very long and boring read for hiring managers. If you don't edit or delete obsolete information, your resume can very easily become cluttered and long-winded. Here are a few tips that will help keep your potential employer awake and interested while evaluating your qualifications and experiences.
Determine your goals and keep your resume relevant.
Not enough job seekers stay focused on what they really want from a position or even what position they want for that matter. By determining ahead of time what your job goal is, you will be able to maintain focus. Consequently writing your resume around your goal will be easier. If you have more than one focus, make sure to create multiple resumes for each one.
This article is continued HERE.
[top]
EngineeringDesignJobs.com has
helped thousands of job seekers all across America find employment.
Our award-winning job board and resume database is endorsed
by various top national associations (see Partners)
as their preferred partner in online recruiting; our site represents
over 50,000 contractors and design firms. For more information
or assistance with your account, please email us at: info@engineeringdesignjobs.com.
Happy Searching,
The EngineeringDesignJobs.com Team
