Objective Statements Out, Executive Summary's In

Are you “looking to obtain a challenging position that will facilitate your work ethic”? “Seeking to obtain this challenging position in,” oh, let’s say the music industry? Perhaps you want to win “this challenging position that will utilize your expertise and education.” In other words, your objective is to get a job.

The recruiters and hiring managers who received your resume already knew that. That’s why you sent them your resume. Professional resume writers call this the “Duh! Factor.”

Unfortunately, it’s also the core of an old-fashioned objective statement.

Besides being self evident, an objective statement focuses on the farthest thing from hiring managers’ minds: your personal satisfaction. Instead of telling employers what’s in it for them, you’re telling them what you’ll get out of the deal (a job). That’s just bad marketing.
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Read the article here, and find out how you can improve your resume with an executive summary:
http://www.theladders.com/career-advice/trade-up-to-executive-summary

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Avoid These Words When Drafting Your Resume

When it comes to looking for a job, what you don't say can be just as important as what you do say. Here are nine phrases and words to leave off your résumé.

Try   

Try simply shows a lack of belief, passion, commitment, and confidence — all the qualities you need to succeed in today's tight job market. While try is the most dangerous word that an employee or job seeker can use in the workplace, there are certainly other danger words that also indicate negativity, uncertainty or controversy at work and can also doom your chances of getting (or keeping) a job. – Brad Hoover, CEO of Grammarly

Clichés

Don't use common buzzwords such as innovative, team player and results-oriented. These and others are so overused that they're now seen as clichés and have lost their impact altogether. Rather, list specific accomplishments. Instead of saying you have extensive experience in sales, note that you've worked in sales for 10 years, hit your quota the last 12 quarters and note specific deals you've closed. As a hiring manager I want real details of past jobs, such as how many people you supervised or specific ways you helped increase profitability.— Darnell Clarke, author of self-published "Employmentology: A Practical Systematic Methodology of Finding Employment by a Hiring Manger"
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Read this article in its entirety at: http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/4004-words-to-avoid-resume.html

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Should You Call That Potential Employer?

I often hear people say that you should always call after you send your resume to ask if it was received, to build rapport and get noticed; this post recommends that you follow up once a week for a month before moving on (which is a lot, I think). On the other side of the argument, HR expert Susan Heathfield calls these phone calls ‘Fishing for attention’ calls and resents this waste of her time, saying this is a way of making a very bad impression.

There’s lots of conflicting answers about follow up calls, but I didn’t realise what a contentious issue it was until I read this post. In the comments, a HR professional said she hates getting these calls and that “no one appreciates being constantly interrupted by unimportant phone calls to check on whether a resume was received or not.” Vitriol from job seekers rained down upon her head. I think she underestimated the emotional impact of her words. People call about their resume because they really want or need a job and they don’t want to be told that issue is unimportant.

We understand that sometimes you just desperately want to know the progress of your job search. As such, we’ve got ten do’s and don’ts about calling to chase up your job application.

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Get the ten do's and don'ts at: http://www.10collective.com.au/calling-your-potential-employer-10-dos-and-donts/#sthash.3tceMJb9.dpuf

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The 40 Highest-Paying Jobs - Bachelor's Degree Not Required

Check out these occupations - whether you're in pursuit of a college degree or not, they're worth looking at!

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College Debt - How much will you end up with?

This interesting article at CNNMoney addresses the realities of college debt for recent, and future, graduates.  The interactive map will give you an idea of the average debt for college grads in your state of choice.

The debt map over at the Project On Student Debt will give you a clearer picture, allowing you to see the average debt for grads at specific schools within each state.

Want to reduce your college debt?  There are steps that you can take - check out the helpful tips that Kiplinger provides in their article 9 Ways to Reduce Your Student Loan Debt after graduation.  Fastweb offers great advice on minimizing college debt while in school.

The good news - you don't have to be the average college student when it comes to debt!

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What's your Holland Code?

The Holland Code can be a very useful tool when it comes to learning about your work personality type.  Your work personality type can help you determine which careers would be a better fit (or the best fit) for your long-term career success and happiness.  Paying attention to who you are - how you seem to enjoy certain types of work better than others - can truly make a difference in the experience that you have in the workplace.

Identify your Holland Code using one (or both) of the surveys below:
Work Interest Personality Survey #1
Work Interest Personality Survey #2

Now check out the Holland Code descriptions here, and see if you can identify your top two personality types.

Finally... Visit O*Net Online and start searching for a career that matches your top personality types (Holland Code).  Start with your top personality type, and then plug in your second type to narrow the list.

Best of luck!!

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What are your priorities?

Use this very helpful Prioritization Grid to discover what you truly care about most.  The grid can be used to prioritize your career interests, work values, personal interests, college major options, goals - you name it!  Just follow the directions provided on the website.  

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