There is a major difference between conventional resumes and executive resumes. Accomplishments are usually the center point of a conventional resume (i.e., indicating how much money was saved, how sales increased, what processes were proposed, planned, initiated, implemented, or streamlined). The executive resume, on the other hand, has more than one focus. It alludes to the executive's ability to drive profits (accomplishments) and the capacity to lead (that is, to blend various "soft" skills) an organization.
Successes are easier to hone in on. The result is clear, often quantifiable. After all, either you penetrated a market or you didn't, or either you were a top-performer or you weren't. It is harder to capture emotional competencies on paper, to indicate who you are, what you stand for, how you relate to others, how you affect change within an organization.
"Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me." This childhood chant is familiar to many. It is probably the most famous comeback line in playgrounds across the country. But does this jingle have merit outside of the playground? In the real world, does it matter what others think of you? Visit http://www.careerstrides.com for more career advice
The notion that employers are only interested in where you have been and where you are heading is pure nonsense. Experienced hiring managers take into account both your experience and your character. After all, in the end, they are hiring a human being, not a robot. Still, many believe that personal attributes just take up space and make the resume "fluffy."
After reading countless job descriptions that make it a point to mention personal characteristics and speaking directly with hiring managers on this specific topic, I've come to realize that it's not the inclusion of personal attributes that make resumes superficial. It's how the characteristics are presented that is the cause of concern. In this article, I will focus on the top three characteristics employers seek (good communication skills, honesty, and a strong work ethic) and discuss how you can seamlessly integrate them into your resume. Visit http://www.careerstrides.com
Here’s a newsflash: Cover letters work, plain and simple. This is why I’m intrigued by the fact that a) jobseekers rarely submit them and b) hiring managers seldom read them. As a result, I started asking questions. Specifically, “What’s your problem with cover letters?” Visit http://www.careerstrides.com
A surefire way to separate yourself from a sea of other qualified candidates is to write a follow-up letter after an interview. Most job seekers neglect to write a letter, assuming that once they leave the interviewer’s office the interview is over. Well, it isn’t. The interview process extends beyond the one-on-one meeting and it is up to you to keep your candidacy in the forefront of the decision-maker’s mind. Visit http://www.careerstrides.com
So, why don’t you tell me about yourself?” is the most frequently asked interview question. It’s a question that most interviewees expect and the one they have the most difficulty answering. Though one could answer this open-ended question in a myriad of ways, the key to answering this question or any other interview question is to offer a response that supports your career objective. This means that you shouldn’t respond with comments about your hobbies, spouse, or extra curricular activities. Trust me, interviewers aren’t interested.
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It's an inescapable fact that interviews are the "make or break" factor on whether one lands the job. So it is surprising to find that most job seekers approach interviews with a cavalier attitude, without any preparation - they simply wake up the morning of the interview, cross their fingers, and hope for the best.
Unfortunately, walking into an interview cold rarely works. Human capital is the biggest expense an organization has. When all is said and done, a wrong hiring decision costs a company time and resources. Through a series of well thought out questions, a skillful interviewer will use the interview process to distinguish between those candidates who have experience and those who are experts in the given field.
An interview can be won or lost within seconds, and by implementing simple strategies, you can vastly improve your interview performance. Interviews can be challenging but they are manageable when approached as a five-step process. http://www.careerstrides.com
A stellar sales resumes open doors to interviews.
This sales resume video demonstrates the difference between a responsibility and an achievement.
Examples of each are provided.
To view resume samples from CareerStrides visit: http://www.careerstrides.com/resume_samples.html