Tag Archives: Resume

Employment Expertise: 5 Tips to Help You Change Careers

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By West Michigan Works!

 

Did you know that the average person will change careers five to seven times in a lifetime? Not just a new job, but a completely new field. For example, leaving a marketing position for accounting or moving from manufacturing to retail.

 

If you’re considering a career change, these tips can get you on the right path.

 

Understand yourself. Take time for self-reflection. What are your passions, strengths and weaknesses? Not sure where to begin? You can find many free, online self-assessments to get started. Check out the 16 Personalities assessment that combines aspects of a few popular personality-type tests into one.

 

Assess your skills. Do have any transferrable skills? These are skills that were gained in one job that can apply to another one, even in a different industry. They can include time-management, good communication skills and attention to detail. The free online resource, O*Net OnLine, can help you figure out what transferrable skills you have.

 

Find the right fit. Explore the skills and traits needed for the jobs you are interested in and compare those to your current skills as well as what you’re looking for in a job. Do they match? Pure Michigan Talent Connect offers the Career Explorer tool that matches your interests and skills with the best career for you.

 

Use the right resume format. A chronological resume focuses on your work history. This format works well when looking for a new job within the same field because it shows you have specific experience in a similar position. A functional resume focuses more on your transferrable skills and abilities. This format will allow you to highlight the skills you can bring into a new career, even if you haven’t worked in that field before.

 

Network. Do you know anyone who is already working in the field? Would they be willing to provide a reference, or do they know of current job openings? Join a professional network in the field and attend local networking events. Prepare a strong elevator speech to let your new connections know why you want a new career.

 

Want to learn more? Check out this video to get more in-depth, expert advice from West Michigan Works! career coach, Mark.

 

The career coaches at any Michigan Works! service center can also help you understand your skills, explore career options, build your resume and much more. Visit a service center near you to get started!

 

Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works! Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.

Employment Expertise: The Résumé — Make a first impression they won’t forget

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By West Michigan Works!

 

Recruiters and hiring managers can receive hundreds of résumés for a single job opening. They take 10 to 15 seconds on average to scan each resume. With this kind of competition, how do you make your résumé stand out?

To get noticed, your resume must:

  • Quickly create interest for the reader
  • Entice the reader/potential employer into wanting to know more about you
  • Speak to the needs of the employer

How do you do this? Here are five tips to get you started!

  • Make it relevant. Include only the experience, training and skills that are related to the job you are applying for. Employers want to know what you can do for them.
  • Be honest. Don’t exaggerate your qualifications. You need to be able to back up any statements you make.
  • Keep it professional. Don’t include personal information or hobbies. Use a professional font that is easy to read. If you don’t have a business-like email address, create a new one. Keep it simple and use your name, if possible. Example: J.Smith@gmail.com not DogLuvr100@gmail.com
  • Make it easy on the eyes. Keep some white space and use a font size above 10 point so it is easy to read. Keep it uniform, using the same bullet points and structure throughout.
  • Proofread. Check spelling, punctuation and grammar. Then have someone else check it for you. Don’t let a typo ruin your chances of getting an interview!

Learn more about writing a résumé at one of our free workshops. Check the workshop schedule to see when the next résumé workshop is scheduled near you.

 

Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works! Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.

Employment Expertise: Common, yet avoidable, résumé blunders

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By West Michigan Works!

 

You may have a long list of accomplishments and years of experience, but a formatting or spelling error can send your resume straight to the wastebasket or delete folder. Your résumé shows an employer the kind of work you’re capable of producing.
Don’t let a careless mistake make a bad impression. Watch out for these common, yet avoidable, résumé blunders:

  1. Spelling and grammatical errors. Spelling and grammatical errors tell employers one of two things: “This person can’t write.” or “This person just doesn’t care.” Spell Check isn’t foolproof, so ask someone to review your résumé before you send it off.
  2. Incorrect or missing contact information. You’ve got a strong résumé, but you’ll never get contacted for an interview if your email address is missing a letter or you’ve switched digits in your phone number. Triple-check your contact information for accuracy.
  3. Using “fancy” fonts. These fonts not only make your résumé harder to read, but studies show that the reader will absorb less information. Stick to one standard font like Arial.
  4. Crowding too much information on one page. A crowded page can also make your résumé hard to read.  It’s okay to go beyond one page if you need to, but make sure the information is relevant to the job.
  5. An unprofessional email address. “Catluver63@hotmail.com” might seem clever and fun, but it doesn’t convey a professional image. Use a simple email address that includes your name.

Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works! Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.