Sunday, April 19, 2020

How to Write a Good Resume Summary

How to Write a Good Resume SummaryWriting a good resume summary is a great way to really impress the reader. I remember having a job interview for a position with a major corporation where I was hired, but only got the offer after having to sit through several excruciating hours of dumbfounded spectators. As it turns out, it was the last interview before I received my job offer.Now that I have my job, I want to write a good resume summary so that I am not remembered as a random candidate who got hired for a job because he or she had the most impressive resume that he or she wrote. I believe that it is important to understand what an interview is and why they are always a test of character. When a person goes into an interview, they are going into a process which can only be described as a relationship. This is a process that is about getting to know another human being and how much they will need you to help them get to know you.At the end of the day, when the interview is over, the interviewer will do a thorough evaluation of the positive and negative aspects of your character. How you deal with them can make all the difference in the world when it comes time to let you know whether you have been hired or not. A good resume summary can tell a lot about who you are, so be sure to write one that really shines in this area.I always encourage people to take note of key questions at the end of their resume which will direct the attention of the reader. The resume should clearly explain the reason for applying for the job. Sometimes, the reason for applying is 'I love sales,' or 'I have the perfect personality for this job,' etc.A good resume summary should also include examples of what your accomplishments are for each of these reasons. If you say that you want to have great salesmanship skills, write a sentence or two about how you took part in an industry event, were involved in an industry meeting, etc. Make sure that you get this part right. If you don't, the r eader might think that you had no tangible accomplishments, which could cause them to ignore you.The last part of the summary is the summary of what you learned during the interview. This is where you will make your decisions about whether you want to work with this person, or not. In most cases, you will probably just want to get a chance to meet the person and see if you would be a good fit. In these cases, be sure to include all of the questions they asked, along with some of the answers, so that the reader can see where you missed something. Most people who get a job offer will simply take the first job they are offered because they learned more during the interview.So, if you really want to impress a potential employer, then the best way to do so is to write a good resume summary. Don't feel that it is too difficult, because most people have already done the hard work to create a great resume for themselves. To follow their example, take the initiative to create your own resume summary that will have the reader's attention, especially in today's economy. And, in the end, if you are hired, you will learn a lot about the person interviewing you, so you will stand out from the competition, and you will find that you are really pleased with the decision.

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Job Interview Tips College Grads Can Learn From This Oberlin Students Facebook Rant

Job Interview Tips College Grads Can Learn From This Oberlin Student's Facebook Rant An Oberlin College senior named Elizabeth Bentivegna recently vented in a Facebook post about being rejected for a programming job at a Cleveland software company. Specifically, she was outraged by what she feels is sexism in the tech industry, and her post has sparked fierce debate online about whether there are different standards for men and women and just what is appropriate conduct during and after a job interview. As reported in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Bentivegna said that a recruiter contacted her for the position, and after she interviewed with the tech company, passed along the feedback that she didn’t appear “put-together.” “She said they’d love to hire me based on my technical ability and my personality, but were not going to because A: I looked like I was about to go clubbing and not be on an interview, B: I had a huge run in my tights and C: I was late. And I told them I was going to be late,” Bentivegna told the Plain Dealer. The company said in prepared statement that Bentivegna was passed over for the job because they had more qualified applicants, not because of her appearance. Regardless of genderâ€"or your opinion on Bentivegna’s choice of interview outfitâ€"there are a couple things every young person entering the job market can learn from this incident, says New York career coach Roy Cohen. Here are some takeaways. 1. Plan Your Outfit Carefully Rather than going with your gut or an outfit that has worked for previous summer job interviews, research what type of interview attire is considered standard for the industry you’re looking to break into. Even if you know your industry or this company is more jeans and T-shirt than suit and tie, err on the conservative side with your fashion picks. If you are working with a recruiter, ask for her advice. “Say: ‘I’m excited for the chance to interview and want to make the best possible impression, do you have any recommendations on interview attire?'” Cohen suggests. Alternatively, you can always seek guidance from your college’s career services center on how to prepare. You can even wear the outfit you’ve got in mind to your meeting with career services as a way of vetting it beforehand. (For more tips on how to avoid making work-wear mistakes, see our summertime office ensemble guide.) 2. Be On Time Just because a recruiter or company suggests an interview time does not mean you are beholden to it. If other engagements, say class or another job, conflict or overlap with the time they’ve slotted, simply explain why that time will not work and suggest an alternate time during typical business hours, Cohen recommends. Don’t hurt your prospects unnecessarily by scheduling the interview too closely to other engagements either. Give yourself space to deal with a traffic jam or whatever else life may throw at you. 3. Stay Off Social Media It’s OK to post in celebration of landing a new gig. But ranting about a rejection or unfairness could lead you to make a career-destroying blunder as these social media users did. If an interview experience goes poorly or you receive criticism from an employer or recruiter, keep your venting offline. Tell it to a friend. Write it in a journal. “No matter how the interview goes, if you post about an organization, you need to keep it positive. If you have nothing nice to say, it’s better to say nothing at all,” says Cohen. “Venting in that kind of public way could easily tarnish your reputation and raises issues concerning your temper, judgment, and loyalty in the eyes of future employers who fear a similar treatment.” If you’ve already posted such a rant, purge it from your history. Hiring managers and the Internet have a way of uncovering your entire online identity, even those stupid offhand comments you may have made six years ago. If you don’t remember whether your web history includes such a venting session or something more offensive, a new app called Clear promises to search your social media accounts and flag anything questionable, then delete it. 4. Bounce Back from Rejection “Feedback is always valuable. We can use it to become smarter interviewers and gain insight into how we are being perceived,” says Cohen. “We can’t personalize every rejection, it would distort our own value. After all, companies have to reject someone.” But if you do feel the company misjudged you, maybe because of an outfit or a timing issue beyond your control, respond by sending the appropriate person at the company a thoughtful note expressing your disappointment at not being selected. Don’t challenge them on the reasons they or the recruiter might have given for the decision. Instead, outline the value you can add to the company once more and request another interview opportunity. You can also always ask to be kept in mind for any future openings. Read Next: 5 Ways Women in Tech Can Beat the Odds