An Infographic Resume and a Timely Source

The guidelines for writing a resume are numerous, seemingly in constant flux, and confusing. It is a certainty that anyone who has worked on a resume has wrestled with at least two pieces of conflicting information: 1) Make your resume as concise as possible. It should be two pages at most, but one is preferred; 2) Your resume is too bare bones, there is not enough to it. How does one marry concise and meat? Convey a breadth of experience without a breadth of space to do in it? For anyone searching for sources to help them craft their resumes, this is just a part of the challenge.

One resolution to the dilemma can be found in the source The Infographic Resume by Hannah Morgan. Most who think of infographics, if they think of them at all, do so in terms of marketing. Perhaps such a resume would be proper in marketing, but certainly not a format to give serious consideration to in other professions. This book’s intent is to dispel such a notion and provide and individual with the tools necessary to punch up their resume through the use of an infographic. The benefits are somewhat obvious. One can include more information and detail in regard to their experience while using fewer words. It is eye catching and will stand out from other resumes. It exhibits a comfort level with technology that is important in just about any profession these days. The value in learning this effective skill is appealing. But is it the right source for the searcher?

The answer, of course, depends. We’ll start by examining the source. Hannah Morgan, the author, also co-wrote Social Networking for Business Success: How to Turn Your Interests into Income with Miriam Salpeter. Additionally, she co-edited the book Disability, Spaces and Places of Policy Exclusion. While her other works are not directly related to job searches, they are still related and exhibit a degree of professional understanding. She is a self described speaker and author specializing in career advice, and maintains her own blog on the subject. 

The book is published by McGraw Hill, one of the most prominent education publishers in the United States. The publisher alone speaks to the credibility of the source, due to their volume of educational texts published. And the author appears a credible source to speak on resume building. The timing is right, and if you perform a Google search on infographic resumes, you’ll receive close to 1.5 million hits. There is validity in the idea’s prevalence.

Still, the individual will need to evaluate whether or not the source is right for them. Resume writing is still an individualized process. It would be wise to familiarize themselves with other writings by Hannah Morgan, her blog for instance, to determine whether or not her advice is right for them. An infographic is certainly not the only way to create a resume.

Source

·         Morgan, H. (2014). The Infographic Resume. McGraw-Hill Education.

Company Research Information

Company Research Information

Finding information about a company before employment and the interview is crucial in the job search process. First, one must make a list of potential companies desired for employment. Next, research is required to ensure that the skills of the applicant match those that the company requires. Researching a company can provide information such as:

1. Salary information
2. Educational and/or experience requirements
3. Company History, Mission Statement, and Goals
4. Size of company, future outlook, awards or certifications, 
5. Human Resource information for networking and contact information

Resources that can help in this process:

What Color Is Your Parachute is a book that details the career/company research process. It describes in detail the process of how to search for information regarding a company in the job search process. It gives resources and information about Internet searching and search engines. It describes:

         1. Best search engines and links to this resources
         2. Meta-search tools
         3. The UnderWeb and deep searching
         4. Beyond the web
         5. Directories
         6. How to evaluate the data- Authority: Who put the information here? 
           Who wrote it? Why?
           Accuracy - How much is verifiable? What were the writer's sources?                                                         Objectivity - Why is the material here? Who supports the site? How does                                                   the information relate to any site advertising? 
                                              Currency - How old is the information? 
                                              What does the site look like? Professional? How is the data presented? Free                                               of typos and spelling errors?

This guide can help the reader to find pertinent information about the company they wish to work for. It describes the importance of conducting company research and provides instructions on how to find this information efficiently. This book is updated yearly and has sold over ten million copies worldwide.

Source: Bolles, R. (2012). What color is your parachute?, 2012 (40th anniversary ed., rev. ed.). Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press.

Resume/Cover Letters/Interviewing

A resume is a document that is designed to introduce you to potential employers with the goal of being hired based on your skills, accomplishments, and experience. The Guide to Basic Resume Writing is a guide to help the reader plan, develop, and execute a professional, strong, and effective resume. The Job and Career Information Services Committee of the PLA was formed by and for public librarians, experts in locating the most up-to-date information about preparing and executing the perfect resume. 

The Guide will show you how to:

• Highlight your educational and work experience
• Use direct language to showcase communication skills
• Use action words to liven up the resume
• Create an electronic resume
• Create different resume formats with examples and templates
• How to avoid resume mistakes that can prevent you from being hired
• How to write a cover letter with examples and templates

The many templates and resume examples included in this guide range from the first time job-seeker to a career changer and older worker. This is a very simple easy-to-use guide that is designed to help the reader design a resume that gets noticed. It offers expert advice, answers to frequent questions, and is revised and updated ,

The guide to basic resume writing (2nd ed.). (2004). Chicago: VGM Career Books.

Concise Resume and Cover Letter

The Elements of Resume Style: Essential Rules for Writing Resumes and Cover Letters That Work by Scott Bennett is a great resource for everyone to have. It is beneficial to all types of job seekers, from the experienced worker to the candidate looking for their first job. This guide is easy to read and follow; it even includes some step-by-step directions on formatting. Bennett includes a lot of information in this book but it is not overwhelming. He uses everyday language that readers of all backgrounds can understand. 

Bennett begins the book by giving eight reasons why job seekers may receive no response or interview, reasons that have nothing to do with the job seeker or their resume. This book discusses a range of topics from using social media sites to writing a concise resume and cover letter to knowing how to prepare for the interview. 

The Elements of Resume Style has many great features. Two of the best parts of this book focus on the vocabulary that resume writers should use and avoid. Bennett gives readers a list of vague claims to avoid and includes a chart that compares vague claims and specific action statements and explains why avoiding vague claims is the way to go. 

Bennett is focused on making things easier for the person that will be reading the resume. Since he has experience with reading resumes and hiring, he knows that making the most of your resume and showing that you value the reader’s time is essential. Bennett (2014) shows job seekers how to do this by giving tips on using shorter heading titles, “work experience” rather than “professional experience” and writing brief statements rather than using bullet points because “neither a bullet nor any other symbol will propel a reader's eyes and interest on a resume as quickly as a thoughtful and succinct paragraph” (p. 29).

Some of the advice in the book goes against the common resume and cover letter information. Bennett encourages job seekers to send a short four-sentence cover letter because he believes it will help make the candidate stand out and will let the reader get through it faster. Most cover letter advice is to write four concise paragraphs addressing why you are interested in the job and company and a few examples of your qualifications, etc. 

Bennett’s dislike of bullet points is also controversial, Alison Green, writer of the blog Ask a Manager, states, “hiring managers will only skim your resume initially, and big blocks of text are difficult to skim (not to mention, they often make employers' eyes glaze over).” 

While The Elements of Resume Style offers a lot of great advice, tips and formatting help, readers should take some of his advice with a grain of salt. 

Bennett, Scott. (2014).  The elements of resume style: Essential rules for writing resumes and cover letters that work. New York, NY: Amacom

indeed

indeed is the world's largest employment meta search engine for job listings. With indeed, users have the ability to search for thousands of jobs posted on hundreds of websites and those posted directly on indeed.  Resumes created on or uploaded to indeed allow employers to find job seekers with desired qualifications.  Users can also receive daily email alerts of jobs that match their saved searches.  In addition, the indeed mobile website and app allows users access from their smartphones or tablets. 

For help in conducting a basic search, watch the YouTube video below.

To improve the quality of results generated, users can employ the advanced search option or utilize the following helpful hints.  These shortcuts apply only to entries to the What search box (Joyce, 2014):

• Enclose job search phrases in quotations so the results will include the search terms exactly as you typed them and will eliminate extraneous results.  (e.g. “executive assistant” will result in job postings for executive assistants and not account executives).
• Specify specific job type or experience level (e.g. "part time" AND "career change, temporary, "entry level" or "recent graduate")
• Search for specific job titles by entering “title:” before the actual job title in the What search box (e.g. title: meteorologist)
• Search for the job title you desire while subtracting less desirable attributes of the position (e.g. title: “administrative assistant – receptionist)
• Search for a specific position listed by a specific employer (e.g. title: archivist company: “New York Public Library”)

For all the benefits of accessing job listings from several engines (e.g. Hotjobs, Monster, Career Builder, et. al.) simultaneously, the site does have a few shortcomings:

• There is currently no evidence that access to 1000’s of job listings leads to actual employment by job seekers (Corcodillos, 2014).
• You cannot apply for available positions on indeed.  indeed will redirect you to the original job listing site to apply.
• Although indeed is a free site, in some instances you may be directed to a job opening on a pay site.

In conclusion, indeed is the largest, free meta search engine that provides access to both employees and job seekers to a continuously updated listing of job openings and resumes.  The site makes it easy and convenient for users to retrieve several job listings from one location and  delivers daily updates of saved searches via email.  Extensive listings from numerous sources (especially for distance job seekers) are unsurpassed by other websites and add to the overall benefit of using indeed as a preferred job search resource.

Sources:

About indeed. (2014). Retrieved October 19, 2014 from http://www.indeed.com/about

Corcodilos, N. (2014, March 31).  The bogus-ness of indeed.com. Ask the Headhunter. Retrieved from http://corcodilos.com/blog/7152/the-bogus-ness-of-indeed-com

Joyce, S. (2014, July 30).  10 hacks for using indeed.com for your job search. Brazen Careerist. Retrieved from http://blog.brazencareerist.com/2014/07/30/10-hacks-using-indeed-com-job-search/

The Twitter Job Search Guide, An Evaluation of its Place

When it comes to job searching, the process is different for every individual. The jobs one is qualified for, the desired position, and the current job market will all vary. An individual searching for a source to aid them has an important question to ask of themselves: how much information should I gather to aid me in my job search? If you are currently looking for a job, the answer is likely as much as you can possibly gather. As a search strategy, though, this is not a great launching point.

Given the term “job search” many will instantly think of newspaper classifieds (perhaps less commonly today), job search websites such as monster.com, employer/company websites, and perhaps even LinkedIn. Today, this is scratching the surface of what a job search means. While we have started to emerge from the economic downturn of 2008, job growth remains slow and the job market is highly competitive. A job search candidate needs to differentiate themselves, and this is where a comprehensive search of resources will aid them.

One such source is The Twitter Job Search Guide, by Susan Britton Whitcomb, Chandlee Bryan and Deb Dib. While the waning of Twitter’s influence can be debated[1], the book has valuable social networking and image branding advice that can be applied to a variety of platforms. The premise is simple, by spending a small amount of time per day cultivating your professional image and increasing your network, you will open up opportunities that might otherwise be closed to you. No matter what profession you are looking to break into, you can find influential people within the field to follow on twitter. You can gain insight into what these individuals view to be valuable, and quite frequently can find out about job openings they may not be posted yet or ones that are not widely posted.

The rules of engagement are also different. There is no barrier to interacting with a professional in your desired field through twitter. And in so doing, you can increase your network of contacts. The old adage of “not what you know, but who you know” is only partially true. It is also about who you make the effort to get to know.

The book also talks about building and maintaining a professional image. Social media provides opportunities for private life social networking, but one should never forget that employers are “Facebooking” their potential candidates. The picture of you taking a shot to ring in the New Year may seem harmless, but it is not consistent with a professional image. 

While the nature of the material seems valuable at face assessment, the job searcher should still critically evaluate their source. In this case, a good starting point would be the authors. Susan Britton Whitcomb has previously authored Resume Magic, Job Search Magic and Interview Magic. She has sixteen years of job search writing experience, and founded The Career Search Academy, The Career Coach Academy in addition to the Leadership Coach Academy. She has also written for Monster.com. She hosts seminars on job searching regularly, including for the Georgetown University MBA program.

Chandlee Bryan is also a job search specialist, and founder of Best Fit Forward, a consulting firm that specializes in career management services. Deb Dib has also co-authored Ditch, Dare, Do, has been featured in over 30 other career books, in addition to appearing in The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes.com and BusinessWeek.com. The publisher of the work is JIST, which specializes in works centered on careers.

The source is clearly focused on job searchers. It is also timely, published in 2010 and focusing on social media and twitter in particular. The one caution to this work is that it is written by consultants. 

No matter how good the intentions, consultants do what they do to make money. This book was a profit venture for them. This does not discredit the source, however. The topic is job searching, and if these individuals were not good in the advice they give and the quality of their product, they likely would not be as prominent as they are.  After all, job searching is a profit making venture itself. You are not looking for fact based information to write an objective research paper. You are looking for strategy and advice, which this source provides. 

Source

·         Whitcomb, S., & Bryan, C. (2010). The Twitter job search guide find a job and advance your career in just 15 minutes a day. Indianapolis: JIST Pub.

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[1] Piskorski, M. (2014, June 6). “Twitters in Trouble. Here's How it Can Avoid Becoming the Next AOL.” Wired. Retrieved October 20, 2014.

An Assessment of Career Development Quarterly

Career and planning research is not a one size fits all proposition. The skills and experience needed to grow in one field may have little applicability to another. As such, it is important for someone planning their career to take inventory of the field they are looking to enter into and determine what is specific to their goals.

This being said, a general resource on career research is not a bad place to start. While many skills are specialized, some are more universal in nature. Using the Wayne State University Libraries’ E-Journal research, an individual can access Career Development Quarterly. This is the journal of the National Career Development Association, an organization purportedly dedicated to advancing careers. The Quarterly provides access to abstracts from Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts, The British Library Medical Information Service, Education Index, Higher Education Abstracts, Psychological Abstracts and others. It also has a series of webinars, advice on continuing education, and leadership development programs.

These are all tangential to the Quaterly itself, a fully functioning journal in its own right. The most recent issue has such articles as “A Framework for Promoting Women's Career Intentionality and Work-Life Integration” by Megan Tajilli. An excerpt from the abstract reads as follows: “Career counselors may not be discussing the strain of work-life integration with female college students, leading them to believe "having it all" is attainable. A framework blending the Kaleidoscope Career Model with the Systems Theory Framework to help women understand the environmental, societal, and personal influences on work-life integration is proposed as a solution.” This is not the same as something along the lines of “The 5 Skills Every Business is Looking for in New Employees.”

 

The articles in Career Development Quarterly are not always so obviously aimed at the goal of getting a promotion next year, or attaining the most employable degree. If this is what the searcher is looking for, the Quarterly is likely not the resource they are looking for. Also, if you do not have access through a University library or other resource, there is a subscription fee in order to gain access. This being said, they are still insightful articles that can help you navigate your career successfully. Not every article may be relevant to every individual, but they are written by respected individuals in their field and can contain valuable insight. Megan Tajilli, for instance, holds a master’s in education, is a nationally certified counselor and is a licensed professional counselor associate who writes for respected, peer reviewed journals.

 

Overall, while this resource may not be right for everyone, it is a quarterly publication that provides up to date articles by respected professionals. Whether it is worth the value to the individual is a question they should evaluate by browsing titles and authors.

 

Source

·         Career Development Quarterly. (1990-Present). Retrieved October 21, 2014.