The Summit of Success

So by now you should already have an incredible resume to show everything that you’ve learned so far.  I don’t want you to look at a resume as a resume, but look at it as a portfolio, and let’s create an entire portfolio of everything that you’ve done.  By now, you should be able to document where you volunteered, competitions you’ve participated in, and the internship that you’ve completed.

You should also have information about your peer networks.  Maybe you’ve been going to the opera or the polo club or you have that ballroom dance group that you hang out with.  All of this is important to show that you aren’t just somebody that gets a college degree, is going to work 9 to 5, then go home and watch TV all the time.

I would suggest that you build a website with your skill set.  There are simple options like Wordpress where you can design a site in less than three hours.  This website should link to your business social networks.  Update it with the books you’ve been reading, philosophies you believe in, and activities that you participate in.  In time, people will see how dedicated you are to a stronger business mind and will understand the longevity of hiring you.

Anyone that completes a Facebook profile can build their own website on Wordpress, and it’s 100% free.  That’s how easy this is. So go to Wordpress.com and fill out a profile there.  If you want to put some money into it, for $10 a year you can get your own website and host that as well and you’ll learn in later chapters how to get a really great site.  For now, just make a Wordpress site. 

How do you get the job you really want?  When you read the rest of this publication, you’ll learn the difference between just writing a resume and making a resume that really captivates who you are and what you’ve done and it should just show passion.  I have interviewed thousands of people and I just see a lack of passion and a lack of direction.

It’s okay to not have direction, but understand that you don’t have direction and exemplify that in your resume.

So go ahead and add the rest of the text that we already have written for the rest of this

• Create an incredible resume that shows all of what you’ve learned so far.  By now, you should be able to document where you’ve volunteered, competitions you’ve participated in, and an internship you’ve completed.  You should also have information on your peer network such as the polo club or Opera House you attend regularly. 
• Build a website with your skill set.  There are simple options like Wordpress where you can design a site in less than three hours.  On here, link to your business social networks.  Update this with books you are reading, philosophies you believe in, and activities you participate in.  In time, people will see how dedicated you are to a stronger business mind and will understand the longevity of hiring you.  Anyone that designs a facebook profile can build their own website on wordpress.com & it is 100% free. 

 

How To Get The Job You Really Want

 

Have you ever applied for a job, but never heard back from the company? It is possible that they did not find your resume and cover letter up to their expectations, but you can avoid this problem in the future. Matt Hackney, CEO of MOVFitness, was gracious enough to share some insight into what bosses look for when reading cover letters and resumes. Although he says that without a good cover letter, no one will even read your resume, you must construct a strong resume before beginning your cover letter.

 

Resumes

Contrary to popular belief, when a company is hiring, they are not looking to fill an open position, but they are expanding the business. When a potential employer looks at your resume, he or she wants to know how you will make them money. They also want to know that you will stay with the company permanently. Your resume should tell the hiring agent that you are an investment. For instance, if you were a lifeguard at the YMCA, rather than writing, “I handled cash, interacted with customers, and taught swimming lessons,” provide an example of how you were able to make the Y money, or how you expanded their programs. Being able to write, “while I was a lifeguard at the YMCA I used my free time to voluntarily start a mother and infant water communication program that is still running,” shows that you take initiative and create satiable programs.

 

Even if you did not start new programs, another great way to show your value is through progression. This means working for the same company over a longer period of time and gradually moving up. If you were hired as a concession stand worker,  promoted to lifeguard, and then promoted to lifeguard manager, this reflects your ability to stay with a company and your ability to handle more responsibilities.

 

If you were a volunteer, rather than writing, “volunteered 30 hours a week,” write about programs you started or the ways you helped your organization flourish. Maybe you were in charge of fundraising, and before you came, the charity only brought in $8,000 a year on their various charitable events, but under your direction, annual revues increased to $16,000 a year. It is this type of proactive work that employers are seeking when they look at resumes. These types of projects also show that you can be an employee and not a boss. They show that you can lead, but you do not have to have that coveted leadership position to be able to do a great job.

 

Hackney also feels that everyone, regardless of their job title, should be published somewhere. If you are a lifeguard at the YMCA, you should at least write blurbs about the swimming program in the monthly newsletter. Having writing experience on your resume shows potential employers that you know how to be creative, and you can make your company money in more than one area.

 

 

 

 

Cover Letters

When a new employee is first hired, no matter how great they are, there is always a three-month learning curve. A cover letter shows the hiring agent that you spent at least an hour of your time researching the company, and you are truly interested in the company’s goals. It shows that you are worth that initial three-month training/orientation. Before you write your cover letter, read over the company’s website, Google the company, and find out all you can about the company. Then, pick the elements you like most about the company and tell how you will use your skills and knowledge to help in that area. In other words, your cover letter should show that you are offering exactly what the company is looking for. Again, an employer is looking for someone who plans to stay with the company, and the effort you put into your cover letter shows your dedication and interest in the company. Under no circumstances should you use a generic cover letter – each cover letter you write should be tailored to the company and job you apply for.

 

Network

Every employee is a salesperson. When you work for a company, the more people you tell about that company (in a good manner), the more potential clients you create for the company. If you are the editor of a small magazine, you want to be able to say that you raised sales from $100,000 a year to $500,000 a year over the course of your employment. However, increased sales will not happen overnight, and that is where networking comes in. As the editor, rather than just sitting in the office working from nine to five, you should spend time teaching creative writing or college writing skills classes at the local community college. This type of work-related extra curricular activity builds your business network and creates potential employees and clients.

 

Also, rather than going to a bar with a bunch of people who feel trapped in dead-end jobs, join an affluent club or organization in your community. Purchase season tickets to the opera and attend. During intermission, work the crowd; when you introduce yourself, mention your company and what you do. You never know, the next person you meet might be in the market for a publishing house. Introducing them to your company could bring in a new client and boost your company’s sales. Always present yourself in a good capacity and remember to conduct yourself professionally at all times.

 

Online Identity

Upgrade your email. Potential employers will skip over your resume if your email is ritasat6@yahoo.com. Your firstnamelastname@gmail.com is a quick and easy was to remedy this problem.

 

Google yourself – hiring agents do. In fact, at some universities, academic advisors and professors Google their students. Professors have been known to come into class and rattle off the questionable materials they found after Googling their students. Go to your MySpace, Facebook, or any other account you have and remove pictures of you and your friends partying and any other questionable materials. If you are not sure, take it down anyway.

When blogging, use the same caution and care that you would if you were writing for work. Check each post for spelling and grammatical errors. Remove anything that alienates an individual or group of people because of religious views, race, or sexual orientation.

 

As you can see, presenting your potential employer with a well-rounded picture of the added value you would bring to their company is the key to getting the job you really want. Although it is simple, the process goes far beyond just creating a resume.

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