What is the Best Resume Format Functional, Chronological or Combined

What is the Best Resume Format Functional, Chronological or Combined The more resumes you look at, the more confused you can get especially since there are so many different formats to choose from. Most people don’t realize that the format is one of the most important choices when writing a winning resume. Get this wrong and you could effectively be hiding your own career highlights from the reader. The bad news is that you only get about 10 seconds attention from the person screening your resume so you best make a good first impression. The good news is that I have narrowed it down to only three formats worth considering. Here they are, complete with reasons why you should choose them and in what order the content should be in your resume. Chronological format: The chronological resume is the most used out there, it’s the employer’s favorite as it is very easy to read and it’s hard to hide anything in it. It works brilliantly when you have stayed consistent in your career. As long as the job you are applying for is in the same field, the full chronology will be relevant to the reader and therefore the focus is on your experience. Your employment history is actually in reverse chronological order and your current position will be at the top of the list. The chronological resume doesn’t work well when you have gaps or when you have shifted industries often, as it will expose your weak points. Objective Summary Experience Education References Functional format: The functional format should be used when you want to draw attention away from your work experience due to job hopping, a very long career, a very short career, long gaps, re-entering the job market and so forth. The functional resume focuses on what you can do, what your achievements are and your core competence. This format is used by graduates, people seeking to change their career completely and anyone with employment gaps that don’t add any value to their experience. If you are looking to change industries, make sure to focus on transferable skills such as sales or people management. A word of warning; employers are known to raise their eyebrows when they see a functional resume so only use this format if you absolutely have to. Objective Accomplishments Capabilities Employment History Education References The combined format The combination format is exactly what it sounds like; it combines the chronological and functional formats to give you the best of both worlds. It allows you to use the tasty features from the functional resume but you can still fly in under the radar in the eye of the reader. Examples of people that can benefit from this would be someone wanting to change careers and has some relevant skills for the new field. It can also be useful when someone wants to pack more skills in than the work experience section allows for or would not bring out adequately. Objective Summary Accomplishments Experience Education References 5 housekeeping rules that apply to all formats: Make sure you put all your contact details on every page, make it easy for the employer to call you up for an interview. You have to put exact dates against every employment and education. If you don’t it will look slightly dodgy and you have to be prepared for a lack-of-dates grilling. All education and qualifications should be listed. The fact that you majored in art history doesn’t mean you can’t apply for a Java consultant job; it means you are trainable and can learn anything. The layout should be pleasing on the eye and never distracting, allow for enough white space in between your text, boxes and bullet points. Make it a habit to use a spel cheker [sic], as your intended audience will swiftly delete a resume that contains typos. Great, so which format do I use again? If you can, go with the chronological as it’s everyone’s favorite. If you are shifting careers and possibly have transferable skills, go combined. If you have a short career or big holes in your experience, go functional. Which format do you use and are you getting interviews? Let us know in the comments below! RELATED: What Is the Best Resume Font, Size and Format?

What Do Your Doodles Say About You

What Do Your Doodles Say About You Whether it’s in a dreaded monthly staff meeting or during one of those long phone calls with a chatty client, many of us find it irresistible to start sketching a little something on a piece of paper nearby. You may feel safe with the idea that you are drawing at random, but most people, it turns out, create from a small array of different forms.   And while these shapes and designs seem meaningless, there might be subconscious intent to be gleaned from your personal brand of scribble. This idea has been the topic of numerous psychological studies and the concept of free writing has been pegged for study of everything from glimpses into the human psyche, the spiritual world, or even the possibility of spying on enemy secrets (such as in the remote viewing STARGATE experiments that the CIA conducted this is true). While the science of interpreting meaning from doodles is somewhat inexact, the infographic below from GetCRM  outlines findings from numerous studies that delve more into the psychological than the psychic. Is doodling good for you? The study says that any writing while also assessing information is good for retention, in particular when you are sketching graphic representations of what you are hearing. How do you doodle? Anything may have personal meaning. Write your name very large, the study says, and that shows signs of an inflated ego. Put a circle around your name and you may feel isolated. Different shapes and pictures hold particular meanings too. Spirals show a lack of direction. Drawing dogs may signal a need for companionship. Ultimately, the study shows, that practicing visual artistic endeavor or any kind is simply good for the brain, so keep it up. But however you doodle, get a good look at what it might mean about you.

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese Say Buh-Bye to Flexibility and Hello to Longer Hours

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese Say Buh-Bye to Flexibility and Hello to Longer Hours I went on eBay the other day to try and purchase a crystal ball. Unfortunately, the ones that were available didn't come with a guarantee, so I decided to pass.I mean, who wouldn't want a crystal ball to see into the future -- to see how we're all going to survive this mess and whether or not the Rays really can go from being the worst team in baseball to winning the World Series in a year's time?OK, so when the crystal ball thing didn't work out, I decided to just talk to a lot of different people about the situation on the job today. I didn't talk to just experts, but also regular folks who worry about their jobs, who wonder if their bosses are telling them the truth and if they need to be looking for a second job.While this is unscientific, this is what my gut tells me -- after decades of covering the workplace -- what you may see come to your workplace:1. Less flexibility. Companies already are operating lean, but because of the nervousness about how deep and long the recession w ill last, employers will want employees to really buckle down. And that means that bosses or companies offering flexibility options such as working certain hours or working from home may start to cut back those choices because they want to stick really close to workers right now. So that means where and when the boss works -- so will you.2. Less tolerance for whining. Bosses are tense. I mean really tense. Maybe they're not showing it to employees, but trust me, they're very stressed by what is going on. They want to be there for employees who are worried about their jobs or the economy, but they can only take so much whining. Those workers who don't recognize when to suck it up and just shut up and work are going to put themselves in jeopardy. Remember: There are lots of great, qualified people out of work right now, and the boss's pickings to replace you have never been better.3. More generational conflict. Things between older and younger workers have sometimes been tense, but th ere's always been the argument that baby boomers are going to be retiring in droves soon, so employers will be forced to pay attention to what younger workers want. But with so many baby boomers seeing their portfolios and 401(k)s tank, chances are good many of them are going to stick around much longer. And that's not going to sit well with GenX and GenY, since it mucks up their plans. Employers are going to have little patience (see No.2) for workers who can't get along.4. Longer hours. Maybe you thought your workload couldn't get any worse. Guess what? It can.5. Fewer benefits. Those goody packages used to attract and retain top workers are going to start drying up. Companies have pretty much cut as many bodies as they can, so they're going to look for other ways to trim costs. So, if you're thinking of using your company's tuition reimbursement, adoption assistance, gym memberships, etc., do it now. Before too much longer, they may be gone.What other trends do you think we'll se e -- or already are seeing -- in the workplace because of the struggling economy?Social Bookmarking

Lead a Killer Meeting, Not A Mind-Killing One Full of Meeting Boredom

Lead a Killer Meeting, Not A Mind-Killing One Full of Meeting Boredom Death by Meeting Silvia was dying of meeting boredom. Her manager, Tom, was nice guy, but his bi-weekly Leadership Team meeting drained her energy and wasted her time. Too many speeches, no conclusions, nothing accomplished. What was the point? Sighing, she remembered how her previous boss, Melissa, had done this. Those meetings were worth attending… The Right Frequency and Attendees Melissa limited her full Leadership Team meetings to once per quarter, for routine business. Urgent matters were handled in smaller groups, including only those who were absolutely necessary. They updated the full team at the next quarterly session. Looking around Tom’s meeting, she counted 15 attendees, most of them as bored as she was. And really, every 2 weeks? A Structured Agenda and Meeting Prep Two weeks before the quarterly meeting, Melissa solicited topics and curated them with their sponsors. She issued the final agenda and any pre-reads one week in advance. Everyone had time to prepare, so they had robust discussions and made decisions. Tom’s agenda was presented as a slide at the start of the meeting, and changed as they went along. Since no one knew what was coming, no one was prepared. They wasted valuable time explaining basic ideas and usually accomplished very little. Focus During the meeting, Melissa kept them on track and focused on the agenda topics. They ‘parked’ other items that came up for later discussion, using a flip chart. Everyone in the team felt comfortable walking over to the flip chart and writing down a topic, without interrupting the flow of the discussion. They always finished the agenda items, and often had time to deal with a couple of parked items, before the meeting ended. By contrast, Tom ran his meetings like a stream-of-consciousness novel. They started new topics without finishing old ones, argued irrelevant points, or endlessly debated the solutions to problems outside their control. Most people were more confused coming out of the meeting than they were going in. Rules of Conduct Everyone knew the ground rules in Melissa’s meetings: Prepare thoroughly. Listen when others speak. Tell the ugly truth. Disagree respectfully. Work together to implement team decisions â€" no post-meeting ‘shark attacks’. Woe to the person who broke her meeting rules. Listening to the conversation around her, Silvia heard 3 people speaking at once, about why Finance was allowed to travel when their team was not. Steve called Barbara’s idea stupid; Michelle told Steve keep his unhelpful comments to himself, and Tom just looked at his smartphone and let them continue. It sounded more like a schoolyard than a senior leadership team. Minutes and follow up Melissa’s assistant issued minutes within 3 days of the meeting, including decisions and actions. Each action had a responsible person and a due date. Tom’s minutes usually came out so far after the meeting that everyone had forgotten the discussion. Even worse, if any actions were captured, they did not have owners or due dates. Silvia was surprised that they accomplished anything! Stifling a yawn, Silvia thought ‘I never yawned in Melissa’s meetings. I felt energized, part of a team, proud of our accomplishments and clear about our next steps. If only Tom could run a meeting like that…’ Are you Melissa or A Tom? Be honest…what kind of meeting do you run? If your meetings are like Tom’s, try Melissa’s approach and see the difference!

9 Simple and Effective Tips to Find Remote Jobs - CareerMetis.com

9 Simple and Effective Tips to Find Remote Jobs Are you having a hard time looking for remote jobs?You are not alone.evalJob search is a time taking process and finding remote jobs is much more strenuous.But in today’s times when there are thousands of remote workoptions available, finding a niche specific online job is not an impossible task.With more and more startups embracing the ‘global workplace’ culture, you have a very bright chance of landing a great work from home job.Just follow the tips below, and you could be very well checking your emails on Sundays and working in your PJs.1. Look beyond the Traditional Job BoardsThe big job search giants like Monster, CareerBuilder, Indeedare great for your office jobs, but you will have to do a ‘out of the box’ search for remote jobs. The first step is to dig deep and find the job boards that specially cater for flexible jobs.These job boards are more focused on remote working options like freelancing, project-based work, telecommuting, etc.Some of very authentic flexible jobs boards are Authenticjobs, We Work Remotely, Virtual Vocations, etc.2. Change your search termsevalYou would be surprised to see the diverse results you get when you make simple changes to your search terms. Usually, we type in the job we are looking for and category ‘full-time.’ Depending on the job board, test different search terms like remote, freelance, telecommute, anywhere, etc.Sometimes you might miss on good opportunities just because you didn’t enter the right search terms.For example, in Monster.com, ‘work from home’ term gives you more search results than any other remote search term. This could give you more chances of applying for the right job.3. Check forumsA decade ago forums were the places where everyone would just chat or share opinions, but now it’s completely changed. Forums are a great place to find new and unique remote jobs. These are user posted jobs, so you need to do a bit of research before applying, but you will find many options.4. Get notified through emailevalThere is nothing better than getting fresh job leads right in your inbox every day. This saves a lot of time for a job seeker, whether it is for remote jobs or desk jobs.Like any other job search, you can specify your parameters or the type of work from home jobs you are looking for and sign up for emails with job boards. This has two advantages, you get notified as soon as a new job is posted, and this gives you a higher chance to land the job.ZipRecruiterand FlexJobsare two good examples of job boards which send out emails religiously no matter what types of jobs you choose.5. Don’t fall for too good to be true scamsThis is probably the most important thing you need to keep in mind before starting your job search. Working from home or doing a remote job is not a get rich quick scheme.It is as hard as any other office job.The web is full to ‘earn 10,000 in a day’ scams. Honestly, I don’t know if anyone can ever earn that income unless they worked really hard to achieve that success.So, don’t believe everything you see when it comes to remote jobs, especially if it feels too good to be true.6. Network with othersSometimes we find job leads in the places we least expect. Social Media is a great place to start networking for jobs and even find job leads.Platforms like LinkedInare fast becoming the go-to places to showcase your skills and get in front of recruiters or companies. This is also a great place to network with your remote work peers and find suitable opportunities faster. There are many great groups on LinkedIn where you have remote jobs posted regularly. It helps be active on this social media platform.7. Always keep a list of remote companiesevalIn this growing remote working economy, you can easily find companies that exclusively hire people to work from anywhere. There is a big list of startups that employ remote workers for many roles like WordPress Engineers, Technical Assistance, Chat Agents, Virtual Assistan ts, etc.Having a handy list of companies that recruit remote workers can give you quick exposure to advertised roles.Generally, remote jobs get filled up very quickly. If you are qualified for the job, then it is always the first-come-first-serve basis.8. Know what you wantStarting your search is the first step to finding remote job success. You need to know exactly which category of flexible jobs suit you. This makes it easier for you to look for the right type of job.Very often I see people getting confused about what type of remote work positions they should choose. It all depends on your goals, availability and many factors which depend on your lifestyle.evalAlways read the full description of the job and see if they are asking for any travel or training periods etc. If you are looking for a complete online job, then these type of roles might not be your thing.9. Finally, don’t lose HopeI know too well how frustrating it is to find the right work-at-home opportunity. I went th rough all that. It might take some time to find a good online job, eventually it is possible to find and land a good remote job if you know what you want and where to look. The remote opportunities now are far more diverse and more in number than they were a decade ago, so there is a good chance for everyone.It is daunting but a possible task to find remote jobs. If you look in the right places keeping some key parameters, you will surely find good work from home opportunity. It is all about your search strategy and proactiveness to get the job you want.

The Most Promising Careers in 2020 - CareerAlley

The Most Promising Careers in 2020 - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. The United States has had a service-oriented economy since the 1980s. Many companies now outsource manufacturing jobs overseas, so these jobs arent available in the United States. The lines of supply in the United States are pretty stable, so many new jobs involve optimizing processes and improving them. Careers in supply chain management and IT are now some of the highest paying jobs in the United States. International business professions are also very lucrative. Our global economy is now very connected, and theres a lot of demand for employees who are willing to travel to other countries to conduct business. Healthcare workers are also needed. Those who were born before 1964 are retiring at an alarming rate, and the current healthcare structure cannot meet the new demands. The job market is changing very rapidly, so future workers will need to change the way they approach their job. Emotional intelligence and data literacy will be very important skills in the near future. Tweet This Fewer people work in retail these days because many consumers shop online. Brick and mortar stores tend to go out of business because they have to charge higher prices to cover employees and overhead expenses. Some retail jobs still exist, but they are very service-oriented. Best Buys business model is one example. Best Buy now offers consulting and repair services to focus on the customer experience. Companies need to diversify the services they offer to remain competitive, so many retail jobs are now hybrids of different service positions. Many people also work from home now. This is often beneficial for the company because the business doesnt have to cover the overhead expenses. A health insurance agency may be able to pay higher commissions if the business doesnt need to pay for the companys rent and utilities. Shared office spaces are also more common. Companies can cut down on overhead expenses if they split the costs. This is useful for businesses that specialize in services. Different call centers may share an office because they can put many employees in rows of cubicles. A shared office space Las Vegas business owners use may also be used to support business partnerships. Companies that share office spaces may be able to pool their leads or provide referral commissions for attracting new clients. Some companies may handle different business processes by using the work of another company in a shared space. An example would be a company that handles phone sales. One business might sell its products on the phone and a customer service company in the same building may handle client requests. Finding Jobs Currently in Demand There are a lot of high paying jobs out there, but they are often in niche fields. Jobs in education will never be fully automated. Students need an adult present to guide them while they learn. Education administrators earn a median salary of $81,500 a year. Technical education teachers earn quite a bit as well. These teachers are needed to teach very specific job skills to prospective workers. Many people know that engineers earn decent salaries, and there are many ways to specialize in the engineering field. Big data engineers earn a median salary of $155,000 a year. Youll need to know quite a bit about computers, but data mining is going to be a very lucrative field for decades. Chemical engineers earn six-figure salaries as well. Some of these workers may try to find environmentally-friendly solutions. Others may improve the quality of chemicals used in food and pharmaceuticals. Ideal Career Skills in 2020 The job market is changing very rapidly, so future workers will need to change the way they approach their job. Emotional intelligence and data literacy will be very important skills in the near future. Companies will have demand for blockchain developers. Many companies are also using blockchain technology to verify shipping ledgers digitally. Financial technology professionals will also be needed. Future finance experts will use technology to make data-driven decisions. Data analytics will also be used to help companies assess risk. Actuary jobs are also going to increase dramatically in the near future. Insurance agencies value these employees because they use statistics to set policy rates. One of the first things you should ask yourself is what is your dream career. Believe it or not, many young children have a career in mind, going back to elementary and middle school. It is not unusual for some children to make their career dream a reality, by getting a degree in that field. Regardless, if your dream career is a teacher or lawyer, you can make it come true. And, you do not need millions of dollars to make this happen. What Is Your Dream Career? It definitely seems like technology jobs are going to lead the business market in 2020. Some employees will also be needed to assist the aging population. The country has a shortage of speech-language pathologists. These experts assist those who have communication and swallowing disorders. You should definitely consider going into a technical field if you want to earn a nice salary, but education and healthcare jobs will offer future job security. What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to find the opportunities that help you grow your best career. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search

Guidelines For Writing an Effective RSum

Guidelines For Writing an Effective RSumWriting an effective resume is not as difficult as it may seem. It is however not as easy as it looks either. Most of the strategies to write an effective resume are guidelines for writing an effective resume.Just remember, in writing an effective resume, the first thing that is always going to be your guide is the power of your writing skills. This is a particular fact that most people do not realize. If you could not master your writing skills, then how are you supposed to master writing an effective resume?Nowadays, more tips 'n tricks are on the market to make you a more efficient writer. Well, the fact is that you still need to follow some basic rules. These tips and tricks are written down in order to ensure that you actually learn the things that you need to learn in order to write an effective resume.Just look at the reason why most people do not really want to learn how to write an effective resume. The fact is that when they write, it feels much better to them. It is almost like they enjoy the process of writing.The most important rule is one that actually does not matter much. The most important rule is the one that says that the whole purpose of writing is to be able to communicate what you have to say to another person.This is the most important rule for writing an effective resume. If you can master this rule, then you can certainly be the one who can help the reader to connect with your writings.So, do not forget these simple tips when writing an effective resume. Remember, the most important guideline for writing an effective resume is this. Also, as a last word, don't forget to check out some basic reading material.