3 Keys to Customizing Your Resume -

3 Keys to Customizing Your Resume -In recent blogs, Ive written a lot about the importance of investing time into every job application you submit, even if this means applying for fewer total jobs. While its fruchtwein efficient to get your resume fine-tuned to a point where it needs little modification for each new job application, you generally will need to make a few changes each time in order to customize your document.UTILIZE PROPER LANGUAGEThe first rule of customization is to ensure that your resume contains the same language found in the job advertisement. Many companies use junior human resources staff as the first reviewers for the resumes they receive. Since HR staff typically know a lot about HR and less about the business of their company, they often look to match your resume with the keywords used in the job ad. This is why its important to customize your resume for an untrained eye generally, the first part (or software program) looking it over is not discerning enough to know what you mean unless you use the exact same language.RESUME KEYWORD OPTIMIZATIONFor a job seeker who is looking at several different industries, matching keywords can be the most time consuming part of the process. For instance, someone with a background in nonprofit development may be looking at various nonprofit positions as well as opportunities in sales. Although both jobs essentially involve bringing in money for the employer, the nonprofit industry talks about fund-raising while the sales industry talks about market share. In order to save herself the hassle of changing the language of her resume every time she applies for a job, this job seeker would want to design both a voreingestellt nonprofit resume and a sales resume as the basic documents to work from for either schriftart of job.IMPORTANT DETAILS FIRSTAnother way to customize your resume for a specific job opening is to construct the various sections of your resume in the same order as the items listed in the ad. For instance, if an advertisement says, Seeking licensed masters level social worker for clinical supervisor, then your resume should display your academic degrees and social work license near the top. Employers generally use their ads to tell you what theyre looking forso dont make it hard for them to find itAs you start or continue your job search process, keep a standard resume on hand for each industry in which youre looking, and adjust the keywords and section order as needed. Employers will appreciate itJessica Holbrook Hernandez is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, speaker and President/CEO of Great Resumes Fast. She creates high-impact, best-in-class, resumes and cover letters that transform job searches into interviews and ultimately job offers. For more information about professional resume writing or to read more career and job search related articles visit http//www.greatresumesfast.com or call 1.800.991.5187.

Why Chicago Is The Right Place for Women in STEM

Why Chicago Is The Right Place for Women in STEM Carissa Miller had just finished her masters degree in computer science and was ready to leave the world of classrooms behind her. Previously a high school math teacher on the verge of burnout, shed decided to make the leap to software engineering with little technical experience in her past and a lot of hope for more varied waters in her future.And thats exactly what Miller, now a senior software engineer at Chicago-based principal trading firmDRW, found not only in her new role, but in the city as a whole. Known for its burgeoning tech scene and diverse span of businesses, Miller calls Chicago a particularly stand-out choice for women pursuing STEM careers.Being in a place where theres this amount of variety is really helpful in keeping me grounded, as opposed to being somewhere like Silicon Valley where its all tech, all the time, she explained. We have so many different kinds of businesses, and there are a lot of different ways tec hnology is being applied to them.Chicago has long been the capital of the derivatives industry, abfluging with the first exchange opening in 1848 and more recently becoming a hub for financial technology, or fintech. Last year alone, tech employees increased 15% within the city, and the community continues to grow as opportunities expand (including at DRW, which ishiring in a big way).One of the ways this opportunity boom has benefited the Chicago tech community is through its corresponding slew of local meetups and events. At these events, where folks from Chicago industries ranging from manufacturing to consumer web to trading can co-mingle, developers are able to gain a fresh perspective on their work.Being in the financial industry, there are always new challenges that we come across that require us to find new aufgabe-solving techniques, Miller said. These meetups and other groups not only help newcomers become more familiar with Chicago in general, but also its a healthy way t o shake up your mind a bit, so youre not so stuckverzierung in one way of solving technical problems.Though the pace of Chicagos growing tech scene may be energizing, Miller added that shes still given the autonomy at DRW, her employer of more than eight years, to craft a schedule that suits her familys needs.I love how flexible it is, she said, explaining that her start and end times typically revolve around that days child care situation. I just keep my manager in the loop, and Im really able to make a personalized schedule. I think thats how DRW works in general. There arent a lot of strict rules. Its very personal in making sure that employees have an environment and a schedule that works for them.Miller is also able to apply that same emphasis on personalized flexibility to her lunch breaks, which shell spend away from her desk at an in-house yoga class or in DRWs game room, complete with shuffleboard and pool table.Having that midday break is really helpful, because you might encounter a problem in the morning that needs a new perspective, she said. Being able to get away at lunch and do something else, you can go back to that problem in the afternoon feeling like you can take a fresh look.Today, Miller is loving all the flexibility and space for creative problem solving that her work affords and couldnt be happier that she opted to shift career paths. But the actual process of changing careers isnt always the smoothest endeavor, and that can hold even truer when one lacks prior experience in their new field. For Miller, who hadnt owned a computer until college, the first bump along her new path came upon learning she was the only woman in many of her masters-level computer science classes.Instead of thinking about yourself as one out of 100 people in a room trying to learn something new, you start thinking about yourself as the only one I am the only woman here. Should I even be here? she recalled. You really put yourself at a disadvantage when you thin k that wayit puts an extra level of pressure on you.To other women who have an interest in switching over to STEM fields but fear they lack the expertise to do so, Miller advises focusing on the bigger picture.I think its easy to say, in the moment, I cant do this right now, she said. But in a field like technology, there are a lot of well-paying, satisfying jobs out there. So looking at the bigger picture and saying, My future growth and earnings potential will be much greater thats really what carried me through.Interested in continuing or creating your tech career at a company thats as dynamic and diverse as it is flexible? Check out DRWsopenings in Chicago and beyond

Help Candidate Show Personality in an Interview - Spark Hire

Help Candidate Show Personality in an Interview - Spark HireInterviews are a nerve-wracking experience for everyone involved. The candidate is trying desperately to put their best foot forward, unsure what the interviewer wants to hear but trying to deliver it. The hiring manager, on the other hand, is hoping to get a sense of what this candidate is really about, knowing that they may be supplying canned answers just to get a job offer. In order to make an interview as authentic as possible, its important to give a candidate every opportunity to show their true personality. Here are some ways to do that Meet in a neutral location.Bringing a candidate into your sekretariat can make the experience even more intimidating. Not only are they meeting you in an unfamiliar space, but theyre also meeting dozens of employees too. If possible, suggest meeting at a low-key coffee shop instead to help put the individual at ease.Ask them about what makes them feel truly happy.Its easy to throw que stions like Where do you see yourself in five years? at a candidate, but these inquiries are frequently met with clich responses. Instead, get a person to talk about when they feel most satisfied. This can give you some insight into what really drives them. If they feel happiest when a client praises them for a job well done, youll want them to be in a role where they get a lot of interaction with clients. Youll also know that positive reinforcement is a major part of managing them. On the other hand, if family is everything to them, youll know that work-life balancewill be crucial.Ask them about what they would deem major accomplishments in the role should they get offered the job.This shows you that they understand both your company and the position for which theyve applied on a deep level. If the items that they list as major achievements in the role are hardly important to you, you might find that the candidate isnt a great fit.Be honest about your experience with the company.Le t the candidate ask you questions, but be frank in your responses. If they ask you what you like about your job, tell them honestly. While youre representing your company, you also want to be genuine with them. Dont give them an answer that feels as if it came straight from a PR representative. Speak from your own personal experience.How do you help a candidate to let their personality shine through in an interview? Let us know in the comments

How to Quit Your Job The Right Way

How to Quit Your Job The Right Way How to Quit Your Job The Right Way But no matter how long youve dreamed of storming into your anfhrers office and quitting in a blaze of anger, its important to leave your position gracefully.Thats why were here to offer five ways to quit your job with no regrets1. Give Much MoreThan Two Weeks NoticeIts common courtesy to give two weeks leidice before leaving a job. However, if youre looking to maintain great relationships, consider giving much more notice before your departure, and consider offering to help hire and train your replacement. This will demonstrate that you arent making a mad dash for the door and that you truly care about the well-being of the company. This will also quell the grumbling of coworkers who are normally forced to pick up the slack following a team members departure.When you do give notice, make sure to inform your boss and human resources before telling anyone else yes, even before your work BFF or work spouse so th at they dont find out through the rumor mill first.2. Dont Quit Before Its About to Get BusyIf you are looking for a surefire way to burn bridges, quit your job just as the going is about to get tough. Everyone will remember the accountant who disappeared right before tax season, or the product manager who abandoned ship just prior to a major product launch.If you want to leave a positive brdeing impression, dont leave your team high and dry.If you absolutely must leave at an inconvenient time, try to find a way to compensate for the burden you are shifting onto others. Make yourself available for questions after you start your new job (within reason). Although this may involve sacrificing a few precious free hours, people will appreciate and remember you for it.3. Thank Your Employers and CoworkersWere all taught to say our pleases and thank yous as children for a reason They are extremely effective. Before you bid farewell, make sure to go out of your way to express genuine apprec iation for the experiences and opportunities that company afforded you.If you had an all-around terrible experience (and youre leaving, so you may have), focus on just one or two things for which you can genuinely feel grateful.A great way to do this would be by writing a handwritten thank-you letter, which has been found to bemuch more effective than email. You might even consider bringing in a small parting gift for the whole office on your last day. Bagels, anyone?4. Start Clearing Out EarlyYouve said your farewells and youre excited to leave as early as possible on your last day. Maybe you have happy hour plans with those coworkers youre leaving behind. But wait you have how many months of work files to organize and store? And saving everything you need from your work computer is going to take how long?There are inevitably a thousand small things to do before you can leave a workplace behind forever. Dont leave yourself scrambling to clear out on your last day. Start this proce ss up to a full week before you leave.This means more than cleaning out the picture frames and succulents on your desk. Make sure to send yourself important files or documents (without violating confidentiality, of course) while you have access to them. For future job interviews, reviewing these will prove invaluable in order to speak about previous work accomplishments.5. Make Sure You Know Why Youre QuittingMaybe youre leaving because youre ready to move to the next level in your career. But if youre quitting because you are unhappy, make sure that your problem is with the specific position and company, and not the industry or career path.Consider taking an aptitude test to verify that you are in the right line of work. There are some fantastic free (and freakishly accurate) career assessments out there for you to take. For instance, this test fromPathSource andthis test from Rasmussen College bothmake specific recommendations for careers that match your interests and personality. So, before you quit, seriously introspect on the source of your career unhappiness. It could save you from years of boredom and misery. Otherwise, you may find that your new job is just as unfulfilling and end up right back where you started rereading this article.-Rubina is marketing manager atPathSource, a career exploration company that aims to transform lives by connecting people to their ideal career paths. She enjoys hiking, traveling, and all things food-related (including cooking it, eating it, and watching reality shows that revolve around it).*Brandon is a senior at the University of Minnesota, where he studies strategic communication and Spanish. Following a string of odd jobs, including waiting tables at not one, buttwoIndian restaurants, he now finds himself interning forPathSourceas their social media and marketing intern.

Security Officer Top Needed Skills

Security Officer Top Needed SkillsSecurity Officer Top Needed SkillsSecurity Officer Top Needed SkillsWriting your resume with a target job in mind requires having a clear understanding of the jobs skills and proficiencies.A well-crafted resume skills section, highlighting your relevant skills for a security officer position, will help your resume beat the Applicant Tracking System (ATS), which is the first step to getting your application noticed. Use the security officer top skills and proficiencies below to help you effectively write your resume.Security Officer top skills proficienciesWritten and Verbal CommunicationFollowing Complex InstructionsInterpersonal SkillsKnowledge of Security Operations and ProcedureManage Multiple TasksKnowledge of Basic Security and Fire Inspection ProceduresLiftingSurveillance SkillsJudgmentObjectivityDependabilityEmotional ControlIntegritySafety ManagementProfessionalismReporting Skills

7 revolutionary financial goals for the modern professional

7 revolutionary financial goals for the modern professional7 revolutionary financial goals for the modern professionalFinancial goals are important. And in order to get to a desired end, we first have to imagine it. Have you thought about how youd like your finances, your career, and your life to look in the next 20 years?Spend time thinking about what success and financial security means to you and write out a plan. To get you started, weve scoured the internets and interviewed industry experts for the top financial goals every young professional should haveParticipate in a retirement planWhether your employer offers retirements, or you have to start your own through an investment company, its important that you start and start early. Even small contributions like $50 per paycheck can make a dent in this critical financial goal.Need to pay for an important milestone like buying a home? Some retirement accounts allow you to borrow from them or withdraw from them early.Get out of debt Obviously, the less debt youre saddled down with the mora money you have to invest and put towards retirement. Scott Wellens, the founder of Fortress Planning, explained to Forbes magazine that people who have a lot of consumer debt and other loans do elend have the cash flow to save in the first place. Debt-ridden individuals end up paying interest to the credit companies instead of earning interest on savings.If youre overwhelmed and not sure where to start, try the snowball method or avalanche method.Have an accountability partnerWhether you are losing weight or quitting smoking, experts suggest using an accountability partner. Financial Planner Taylor Schulte suggests you apply this same accountability partner concept to your finances.Make a pact to help one another stay on track with financial goals and celebrate together when you meet them. This person could be a family member, friend, or mentor.Go on a cash-only dietLimiting your purchases exclusively to cash can really chang e your finances. This can be a very aggressive way of paying down your debt. The way it works is that you only use cash for discretionary spending. One woman gave herself $10 a week for her cash-only diet and she was able to pay down $35,000 in debt in two years. Unlike a credit card, when you run out of cash you, you are done spending.Have specific financial goalsQuantitative and specific financial goals are important. Instead of saying I want to save say I want to save $5,000 in 6 months.Knowing the amount you need to pay off debt and the timeline in which you want to do it is incredibly helpful for your pockets and your brain. Sure, you will see the benefits of this on your credit report, but you will also feel a sense of accomplishment because you are achieving goals.Financial goals can also be designed to help you build your savings. Just like paying off your debt when you hit your savings number you will feel a sense of accomplishment.Change your mindsetYou are what you think. If you think you can never pay off your debt, guess what? Youll never pay off your debt. The Muse suggests that you adopt positive financial mantras to set yourself up for success. Changing your mindset can help change your behavior.Negotiate your payIts your first job out of college and they offer you more money than youve ever seen. Most peoples gut reaction would be to take the money and run. Remember that you may be able to get more money or some additional perks if you negotiate.Things life benefits, titles, and time off can sometimes make up for a less than robust financial offer. Consider all of your options. Check out these Forbes tips on negotiating here.This article first appeared on Capitol Standard.7 revolutionary financial goals for the modern professionalFinancial goalsare important. And in order to get to the desired end, we first have to imagine it. Have you thought about how youd like your finances, your career, and your life to look in the next 20 years?Follow Lad ders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreSpend time thinking about what success and financial security means to you and write out a plan. To get you started, weve scoured the internets and interviewed industry experts for the top financial goals every young professional should haveParticipate in a Retirement PlanWhether your employer offers retirements, or you have to start your own through an investment company, its important that you start and start early. Even small contributions like $50 per paycheck can make a dent in this critical financial goal. Need to pay for an important milestone like buying a home? Some retirement accounts allow you to borrow from them or withdraw from them early.Get Out of DebtObviously, the less debt youre saddled down with the more money you have to invest and put towards retirement. Scott Wellens, the founder of Fortress Planning,explained to Forbesmagazine that p eople who have a lot of consumer debt and other loans do not have the cash flow to save in the first place. Debt-ridden individuals end up paying interest to the credit companies instead of earning interest on savings. If youre overwhelmed and not sure where to start, try thesnowball methodor avalanche method.Have an Accountability PartnerWhether you arelosing weightor quitting smoking, experts suggest using an accountability partner. Financial Planner Taylor Schulte suggests you apply this same accountability partner concept to your finances. Make a pact to help one another stay on track with financial goals and celebrate together when you meet them. This person could be a family member, friend, ormentor.Go On A Cash Only DietLimiting your purchases exclusively to cash can really change your finances. This can be a very aggressive way of paying down your debt. The way it works is that you only use cash for discretionary spending.One womangave herself $10 a weekfor her cash-only die t and she was able to pay down $35,000 in debt in two years. Unlike a credit card, when you run out of cash you, you are done spending.Have Specific Financial GoalsQuantitative and specific financial goals are important. Instead of saying I want to save say I want to save $5,000 in 6 months.Knowing the amount you need to pay off debt and the timeline in which you want to do it is incredibly helpful for your pockets and your brain. Sure, you will see the benefits of this on your credit report, but you will also feel a sense of accomplishment because you are achieving goals. Financial goals can also be designed to help you build your savings. Just like paying off your debt when you hit your savings number you will feel a sense of accomplishment.Change Your MindsetYou are what you think. If you think you can never pay off your debt, guess what? Youll never pay off your debt.The Musesuggests that you adopt positive financial mantras to set yourself up for success. Changing your mindset can help change your behavior.Negotiate Your PayIts your first job out of college and they offer you more money than youve ever seen. Most peoples gut reaction would be to take the money and run. Remember that you may be able to get more money or some additional perks if you negotiate. Things life benefits, titles, and time off can sometimes make up for a less than robust financial offer. Consider all of your options. Check out these Forbestips on negotiating here.This article first appeared on Capitol Standard.

This is the best day to take off from work during Fourth of July week

This is the best day to take off from work during Fourth of July weekThis is the best day to take off from work during Fourth of July weekIn many ways, the Fourth of July is the best holiday. Its all the drinking of Christmas minus all the hanging out with your awful family, its all the food of Thanksgiving without all the hanging out with your awful family, and its all the missing work of a funeral without all the hanging out with your awful family. Plus its a whole weekends worth of eating, drinking fireworks and pledging to the flagor whatever. According to a new Office Plus survey of 430 white-collar professionals, 58% of workers will be taking at least one day off during the fourth of July week, with Friday being the most frequently cited day by 82%.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreFired-worksThe Fourth of July week will essentially be a gelbkreuzgas one for businesses as th e bulk of professionals are taking time off during the holiday week. And the few workaholics that arent taking time off may be showing up to the office with a slight hangover the day after the fireworks, the authors behind the Office Pulse survey report.Again, the vast majority of professionals are eyeing the Friday after the fourth to treat themselves to an Independence day off by 82%, though 19% plan to take off on the previous Monday, 23% plan to take off on the previous Tuesday, and 37% intend to call out of work on the previous Wednesday. Of the brave troops that said they plan on coming that day, 26% said they expect to be either hungover or extra tired, which is 7% higher than the number that said this last year when surveyed by Office Pulse.Older professionals seemed to need the time to recuperate more than the younger respondents, given 62% of them reported no intention of coming in following the fireworks. Senior management was found to be even more keen on the idea of tak ing the day, with a shocking 78% reporting so.AAA reports that 2019 will experience the highest amount of Americans traveling on Independence day since the organization started keeping track back in 2000. Just about 49 millions citizens plan on doing a bit of traveling on for the Fourth, which is 4.1% more that did so last year.