Articles by Deborah Walker on ArticleSnatch.com

Change Your Career With a Better Resume

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:32:17 -0400

One of the toughest career challenges is changing occupations or industries, especially if you have spent decades in your profession. If you are in the midst of a career change you've no doubt experienced the frustration of trying to gain interviews. After months of submitting your resume you are no further along than when you first began. If this is true for you, it's time to make some major changes in your resume so that potential employers will see you as a strong, viable candidate. There are three steps to altering your resume to sell your skills and abilities in a new career. 1. Know the challenges of the job. Before you can sell yourself as a great candidate you must understand the current challenges of the industry or occupation. This will take research both online and one on one from insider information. If you are attempting to change industries look online to find current industry news and information that will inform you of the changes and challenges of the industry. A few things you should learn are: Where is the industry in it's life cycle? Who are the major players nationally and locally? **End Summary** Topics: resume]]> job search]]> job-search]]> interview]]> write a resume]]> interview tips]]> resume tips]]> prepare for interview]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Deborah Walker, CCMC is a Career Coach helping job seekers compete in the toughest job market. Her clients gain top performing skills in resume writing, interview preparation and salary negotiation. Read more job-search tips and see sample resumes at: http://www.AlphaAdvantage.com

How To Get Recruiters To Help You In Your Job Search

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 05:53:17 -0400

Recruiters can be of tremendous help in your job search. Most often they are the gate keepers to the first interview. Gaining their help gives you a big advantage in today's competitive job market. Recruiters fall into two basic categories. Either they are part of a Human Resources team of an organization or they are external third-party recruiters. Regardless, all recruiters have one job: to provide hiring managers with the best possible candidates. With that in mind, these three tips for getting recruiters to help you apply to all recruiters. 1. Provide them a user-friendly resume. Your resume is the recruiter's tool to help convince hiring managers that you are a good fit for the job. The more time and effort you put into your resume the better your chances of convincing the recruiter to present you as a candidate. There are two vital elements to your resume that will be of great help to recruiters. First, it must reflect all the key words that describe the qualifications of the position. This allows the recruiter to convince the hiring manager that you qualify for the job. **End Summary** Topics: resume]]> job search]]> job-search]]> interview]]> write a resume]]> interview tips]]> resume tips]]> prepare for interview]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Deborah Walker, CCMC is a Career Coach helping job seekers nationwide. Her clients gain skills in resume writing, interviewing and salary negotiation. See her sample resumes and read more job search tips at: http://www.AlphaAdvantage.com

Three Ways to Reduce Job-Search Stress

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:15:07 -0500

Conducting a job search is one of the most stressful things you'll ever do. In fact it ranks right up with losing a spouse or bringing home a new baby as the most stressful times in life. Stress in a job search is unavoidable, but there are things you can do to help alleviate the affects of job search stress. Here are three, to name a few. 1. Avoid the emotional roller coaster. A job-search roller coaster begins after a great interview. You think you've nailed the interview and an offer is within days and your job search will soon be over. You're flying high with hope and good will. Too often at this point job seekers stop all further job search activity while they wait for the offer. They stop networking, sending out resumes and following up on leads. This is a bad idea. A week goes by, two weeks, three....no offer. Your hopes are dashed and you're down in the valley of emotional doom. Meanwhile you've done nothing since the interview and now you have no prospects on the horizon. **End Summary** Topics: resume]]> job search]]> job-search]]> interview]]> write a resume]]> interview tips]]> resume tips]]> prepare for interview]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Deborah Walker, CCMC is a career coach helping job seekers nationwide. Her clients gain skills in resume writing, interviewing and salary negotiation. See her sample resumes and read more job search tips at: http://www.AlphaAdvantage.com

Resume Red Flags Ten Reasons Your Resume Gets the Cold Shoulder

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:04:22 -0500

If your resume has been floating around in cyber space without a nibble from prospective employers your frustration level has probably reached all-time high. There could be identifiable reasons your resume is getting ignored. Here are ten top resume red flags and what you can do to prevent them. 1. Your resume presents a zig zag career path. If your resume jumps around professionally you'll be seen as unstable and a high risk to employers. It's up to you to show the continuity of your career path. Don't expect employers to understand why you moved from sales to accounting to project management. They won't see the value in your breadth of skills. Emphasize the transferable skills you've used throughout your career. 2. Your resume dates you as "over the hill." Age discrimination may be against the law, but it's alive and well in the job market. Your resume is the first place employers may look to determine your age. Be careful not to go back any further than necessary on your resume. If you education reaches back further in time than you'd like to acknowledge, leave the education dates off. **End Summary** Topics: resume]]> job search]]> job-search]]> interview]]> write a resume]]> interview tips]]> resume tips]]> prepare for interview]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Deborah Walker, CCMC is a Career Coach helping job seekers nationwide. Her clients gain skills in resume writing, interviewing and salary negotiation. See her sample resumes and read more job search tips at: http://www.AlphaAdvantage.com

Win a Second Interview With a Great Thank You Note

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 23:02:00 -0500

In today's highly competitive job market employers are interviewing more candidates per job opening, making it even more difficult to stand out as the preferred candidate. Just as your resume helped you get the first interview, your post-interview thank you note works to help you win the second interview. The primary job of a thank you note is to give the interviewer another opportunity to remember you favorably. A well written thank you note can help you stand out from the crowd of competing candidates. Here are five tips to writing a perfect thank you note: 1. It should be hand written. There are many reasons to snail mail a hand written card. First of all it won't get lost or ignored in email. You don't want your well thought out message to get deleted as spam before it's even seen by the recipient. Additionally, nothing says "personal touch" like a hand written note. It tells the reader that you think they are worth the time involved in sending an actual card with words you wrote with your own hand. It's a subtle form of flattery. Last, a hand addressed envelope is irresistible. It always gets opened first. **End Summary** Topics: resume]]> job search]]> job-search]]> interview]]> write a resume]]> interview tips]]> resume tips]]> prepare for interview]]> thank you note]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Deborah Walker, CCMC is a Career Coach helping job seekers compete in the toughest economy. Her clients gain top performing skills in resume writing, interview preparation and salary negotiation. Read more job-search tips at: http://www.AlphaAdvantage.com

Move Up In Your Career With a Resume That Says "Can Do!"

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:01:51 -0500

Do your career ambitions include a promotion to greater responsibilities? Are your efforts to move into management getting you no where in the job market? You are not alone. One of the most common career challenges is moving up the corporate ladder. As a career coach, one of the most frequently asked questions I get is "how can I make my resume convince employers I can do the job when I don't have management experience?" Let me share with you three tips for transforming your resume into a tool to help you move up in your career. 1. Emphasize strategic activities. Transitioning into management generally means going from tactical responsibilities to strategic planning. Meaning those in management plan the work of others. Employers want to know how closely you have been involved with strategic activities. Perhaps you've worked with a team that came up with strategic solutions. Maybe you've assisted your boss in devising a better way of doing something. It could be that you took initiative to develop a more efficient system of operations. Use these examples in your resume to show that you understand what it takes to be a strategic thinker. 2. Emphasize your accomplishments. **End Summary** Topics: resume]]> job search]]> job-search]]> interview]]> write a resume]]> interview tips]]> resume tips]]> prepare for interview]]>]]> About the Author: ]]>

Three Tips to Help Recruiters Find You

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:16:24 -0500

The first step toward a new and better job is when a recruiter calls you. The goal of every job seeker is to capture the eye of a recruiter who will invite them to interview for a job. But with competition for jobs at an all time high the chances of capturing a recruiter's attention have become slim and far between. Here are three tips to increase your visibility which will lead to phone calls from influential recruiters and hiring managers. 1. Write a recruiter-friendly resume. A recruiter-friendly resume is full of job-specific key words that allow your resume to be seen by recruiters finding resumes in data bases such as Career Builder and Monster.com. Key words are the search terms used to call up resumes. Use sample job postings to identify terms you must have in your resume. Make sure the verbiage of your responsibilities and accomplishments match up with the responsibilities and qualifications sections of job postings. This means you may have to tweak your resume a bit each time you apply for a job. 2. Get found on LinkedIn.com. More and more recruiters are using LinkedIn as a recruiting tool to find potential candidates. **End Summary** Topics: resume]]> job search]]> job-search]]> interview]]> write a resume]]> interview tips]]> resume tips]]> prepare for interview]]>]]> About the Author: ]]>

Selecting A Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:30:02 -0500

From breast reduction to the removal of scars, Las Vegas is home to many reputable plastic surgeons. In Las Vegas, you'll not only receive optimal medical care, but you can also choose from a variety of premiere medical institutions. In addition, as a diverse city with stunning entertainment, LV offers patients a chance for holistic improvement and wellness. After your surgery, you can relax and rejuvenate in the world's entertainment capital. Because Las Vegas plastic surgeons offer their patients optimum comfort in addition to premium medical care, choosing a Las Vegas plastic surgeon is an excellent route for patients seeking to improve their bodies and minds. However, finding a Las Vegas plastic surgeon isn't as simple as doing an internet search. Instead, it requires comparing doctors and facilities in order to find the ones that are most suited to your needs. The first step in selecting a Las Vegas plastic surgeon is determining what procedures you need done and which Las Vegas plastic surgeon has the best reputation in performing these procedures. Compare not only information provided by the surgeons (including pamphlets and informational brochures), but also reviews by previous patients. **End Summary** Topics: resume]]> job search]]> job-search]]> interview]]> write a resume]]> interview tips]]> resume tips]]> prepare for interview]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Dave Stringham, President of LookingYourBest.com writes about plastic surgery, breast augmentation , breast implants and offers a directory of plastic surgeons in Las Vegas with before and after pictures

How To Make a Great First Impression In a Job Interview

Fri, 25 Dec 2009 12:11:17 -0500

The first few minutes of a job interview are critically important for creating a good first impression. In fact, the first 30 seconds can make you or break you. Interviewers gather clues about you based on the way you look, how you shake hands, the eye contact you make and the first words that come out of your mouth. It pays to have a strategy for creating a great first impression every time you interview. Here are five tips for starting your interview off on the right foot. 1. Dress for the White House. If you were invited to interview with the President of the United States in the Oval Office, there would be no question in your mind as to the level of professionalism you'd want to portray. Your grooming would be impeccable, your clothes spotless and lint free, your shoes in perfect condition. Yet job seekers often make the mistake of dressing too casual for job interviews. Never dress business casual for a job interview. Your suit should be classic in style, and conservative in color. Women, don't wear low necklines or short skirts. **End Summary** Topics: resume]]> job search]]> job-search]]> interview]]> write a resume]]> interview tips]]> resume tips]]> prepare for interview]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Deborah Walker, CCMC is a Career Coach helping job seekers compete in the toughest economy. Her clients gain top performing skills in resume writing, interview preparation and salary negotiation. Read more job-search tips and sample resumes at: http://www.AlphaAdvantage.com

"So Why Should We Hire You?"

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:33:08 -0500

If you are currently in a job search chances are you've been asked that question already. Undoubtedly, it is the most feared interview question, but one of the most common. It pays to be ready to answer it. helps to understand that the question is an invitation for you to sell yourself. This is a good thing. No one is going to hire you until they have been sold on you. This is your chance to state your value to the prospective employer. The best way to answer this question is to prepare for it like a sales person. There are three steps to selling yourself with confidence. 1. Know your product "YOU." Every successful salesperson knows their product inside and out. They understand the benefits of each product feature. In like manner, you must be able to articulate your transferable skills. First, take inventory of your skills. Make sure the skills you focus on are in demand for the position you seek. Next, take stock of the times of crisis when you've used those skills to solve problems. Finally, ask yourself what your employer got out of your successes on the job. **End Summary** Topics: resume]]> job search]]> job-search]]> interview]]> write a resume]]> interview tips]]> resume tips]]> prepare for interview]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Deborah Walker, Certified Career Management Coach has a 13-year successful track record of helping job seekers win their next job through better resume, interview and salary negotiation skills. Her career advice is used by professionals coast to coast in a wide range of industries and occupations. Read more career tips and see sample resumes at: http://www.AlphaAdvantage.com

Turn Your Career Challenges Into Resume Achievements

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 19:59:14 -0500

Accomplishments are an important part of your resume. They set you apart from your competition and give potential employers a reason to consider you above others with similar qualifications. Most people, however, find it difficult to write resume achievements. What exactly constitutes an accomplishment? Simply put, an accomplishment is an example of how you solved a workplace challenge and what it meant to your employer. Everyone faces problems on the job, especially now given our difficult economic times. You can make those challenges work for you with this three-step method for turning challenges into achievements. 1. Identify significant challenges. Think back through your career to the times when your company, team or division faced difficult situations that had a potential negative effect on bottom-line corporate issues. Start back through your earlier years of employment. Write a list and be specific about why the issue was a problem. What was at stake? Who were the stake holders? Why was the issue critical? How much of the organization was effected by the challenge? If you take a systematic approach you should be able to identify a challenge for every few years of employment. 2. What was your part in solving the problem? **End Summary** Topics: resume]]> job search]]> job-search]]> interview]]> write a resume]]> interview tips]]> resume tips]]> prepare for interview]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Deborah Walker, Certified Career Management Coach has a 13-year successful track record of helping job seekers win their next job through better resume, interview and salary negotiation skills. Her career advice is used by professionals coast to coast in a wide range of industries and occupations. Read more career tips and see sample resumes at: http://www.AlphaAdvantage.com

Are You On the Right Career Path?

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:28:22 -0500

If you are unhappy with your job chances are your career focus needs adjusting. Whether you've worked in your field for 20 years or five, anyone can find themselves on a career path that leads to dissatisfaction, frustration and less-than-adequate earnings. If this is you, it's time to ask yourself some leading questions to help point you in the right direction. First you must decide if your job dissatisfaction is your work or the environment in which you work. It is important to think about your work separately from the issues of your boss and your company. Start by asking yourself the following: Would I be happy working for my boss in a different capacity or a different company? Would I be happy working for my company in a different role? Would I be happy working for my company under a different boss? If your answers to these indicate that your problem is indeed the tasks you perform then it's easy to conclude that your problem is your career direction. Let's move on to other questions that will help lead the way toward a better career path. 1. What challenges did you enjoy? Everyone faces challenges on the job. **End Summary** Topics: resume]]> job search]]> job-search]]> interview]]> write a resume]]> interview tips]]> resume tips]]> prepare for interview]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Deborah Walker, Certified Career Management Coach has a 13-year successful track record of helping job seekers win their next job through better resume, interview and salary negotiation skills. Her career advice is used by professionals coast to coast in a wide range of industries and occupations. Read more career tips and see sample resumes at: http://www.AlphaAdvantage.com

Three Rules for a Great Sales Resume

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:35:22 -0500

Average sales people are a dime a dozen, but great sales people are hard to find. Unfortunately the best sales professionals usually aren't the best resume writers. They are busy making the sale and seldom take time to update their resume with their best accomplishments until opportunity knocks. If this sounds like you there are companies who need and want you, but if your resume doesn't reflect your selling power, you'll be considered average and not worth talking to. Here are three tips to help you make sure your resume is as dynamic as you are. 1. Your resume must show your level of industry knowledge. Primarily, recruiters are looking for sales people with industry experience. There are several reasons. One is the learning curve it takes to master a new industry. If you've already spent several years in your industry you save your new employer thousands of dollars and months of training. Second, with industry experience comes industry contacts. Every employer loves to hire sales people who have already built client relationships within their industry. Nothing promises "up to speed quickly" like industry experience. Reflect your level of industry knowledge by including up-to-date language in your resume. **End Summary** Topics: resume]]> job search]]> job-search]]> interview]]> write a resume]]> interview tips]]> resume tips]]> prepare for interview]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Deborah Walker, CCMC is a Career Coach helping job seekers compete in the toughest job market. Her clients gain top performing skills in resume writing, interview preparation and salary negotiation. Read more job-search tips at: http://www.AlphaAdvantage.com

10 Tips For a Reader-Friendly Resume

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 23:57:16 -0500

Your resume must capture the reader's attention within the first 15 seconds or risk being lost in the reject pile. One key success factor for your resume is its readability, that is, how easily and quickly the reader can absorb your information without loosing interest. To help you gain maximum attention, here are ten tips to keep eyes focused on your resume. 1.Avoid small font. Nothing in your resume should be smaller than 11 point. If your reader has to squint, he'll end up skimming over the important parts of your resume. 2.Keep your font simple. They may not be the snazziest, but the two easiest-to-read fonts are Arial and Times New Roman. Anything in your resume that causes eye strain de-motivates the reader to keep reading. 3.Don't write large blocks of text. A resume reader's attention span just isn't up to more than three consecutive lines of text. Beyond four lines and your block of text gets ignored completely. 4.Use white space to separate bullet points. The purpose of bullet points is to visually separate text so that your information stands out in easy-to-digest bits. **End Summary** Topics: resume]]> job search]]> job-search]]> interview]]> write a resume]]> interview tips]]> resume tips]]> prepare for interview]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Deborah Walker, CCMC is a Career Coach helping job seekers compete in the toughest job markets. Her clients gain top performing skills in resume writing, interview preparation and salary negotiation. Learn more about Deborah Walker, career coach at: http://www.AlphaAdvantage.com

It's Time To Update Your Resume

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 04:26:44 -0400

Now is a great time to update your resume. You never know when the opportunity to interview for a great job or internal promotion may come along. If its been a year or more since you've polished your resume chances are it may no longer support your current career goal. Take the time to follow these four simple steps and you'll soon have an enviable resume that opens doors of opportunity for you. 1. Identify your new career objection. If you're dissatisfied with your current job this is the time to ask why. Before making any changes to your resume ask yourself the following questions: * What part of my job would you rather not do in my next position? * What skills, tasks or responsibilities would I like to continue in my next job? * What other industry might I use my skills? * What other type of work could I do? Your response to these questions will shed light on the changes in your career path. Write out your answers and do a reality check to see how likely you are to obtain your new career direction. 2. **End Summary** Topics: resume]]> job search]]> job-search]]> interview]]> write a resume]]> interview tips]]> resume tips]]> prepare for interview]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Deborah Walker, CCMC is a Career Coach helping job seekers compete in the toughest economy. Her clients gain advanced skills in resume writing, interview preparation and salary negotiation. Read more job-search tips at: http://www.AlphaAdvantage.com

Three Resume Rules for Baby Boomers

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 01:19:10 -0400

The most common concern among job seekers over 50 is that their resume tends to date them. While it's true that with age comes wisdom, it's also true that securing a great new job becomes challenging after a certain age. If you are a member of the baby boomer generation you'll want to take note of the following three resume rules. 1. Don't make it a history lesson. One sure way to date yourself is to take your resume all the way back to your first job out of college. That type of ancient history only serves to give a time line to your age. Worse yet, it may show a zig-zag career path that leaves the reader wondering how you arrived at your current career destination. When deciding how far back in your career history to go, think in terms of relevancy rather than years. As a general rule, go back only as far as it relates to your current career objective. There are a few exceptions to the rule. First, if your current career path is five years or less you'll need to show a few years prior. **End Summary** Topics: resume]]> job search]]> job-search]]> interview]]> write a resume]]> interview tips]]> resume tips]]> prepare for interview]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Deborah Walker, CCMC is a career coach helping job seekers nationwide. Her clients gain skills in resume writing, interviewing and salary negotiation. See her sample resumes and read more job search tips at: http://www.AlphaAdvantage.com

The Interview Preparation Checklist

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 03:24:11 -0400

Does the thought of a job interview make your palms sweat and your guts churn? If so, chances are you don't know how to prepare for interviews. There is no great mystery to interview prep. Anyone can perform better if they do two things, (1) Research the company or organization thoroughly and (2) Anticipate and prepare to answer the toughest interview. The following is an eleven-point check list to help you. Research the company or organization: 1. How well do you know their industry? Trade journals and professional association websites are a great source to find up-to-date information concerning the organization's industry. Internet search engines make this chore a breeze. 2. Do you understand the current challenges of their industry? One of the best ways to anticipate possible interview questions is to know the typical challenges their industry is facing. Many challenges depend on their market maturity. Are they an emerging, mature or declining market? 3. Who are their top competitors and how do they rank among them? This information is easy to find if they are a public company. Hoovers Online and Business.com are great places to start. **End Summary** Topics: resume]]> job search]]> job-search]]> interview]]> write a resume]]> interview tips]]> resume tips]]> prepare for interview]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Deborah Walker, Certified Career Management Coach helps job seekers coast to coast in gaining resume writing, interview and salary negotiation skills. Find more time-saving tips at: http://www.AlphaAdvantage.com