How to Reinvent Your Career

Job advice for assistants

Today’s competitive job market is just a reminder that being on you’re A-game is always a good idea. There’s no room for complacency when competition for jobs is at an all-time high. If you’ve found yourself not getting as many interviews or job offers as you’d like, then consider the following:

Is your resume specific about your abilities? Your resume should not read like a job description; it should list accomplishments from your prior jobs – preferably with some statistics to back it up.

Focus on getting a realistic position. Instead of just blasting your resume to 200 jobs and hoping for the best, hone your target list and customize your resume to highlight skills that fit the employer’s needs. Less is more, so go for quality and not quantity.

If you want to change careers, be sure to demonstrate how your “transferable skills” can serve the employer’s needs.

Spruce up your resume. If you’re using an outdated resume style, then it’s time you catch up with the 21st century. Kill the objective statement and use the top of the resume for a “Summary of Skills”. This allows employers to know in an instant if you have what they want.

Optimize your resume. It’s statistically proven that you have less than 10 seconds to impress the recruiter before they delete your resume, so be sure the layout is clean and contains relevant information about the position you’re applying for.
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​Don’t include a photo. Resumes are not the place for a photo, but you can’t put one on your LinkedIn profile. Since human resource departments are using scanning software these days, photos and text boxes can prevent the software from doing its job; thus deleting your submission.

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