Single Dad Life » career

Power Up Your Resume

admin — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 19:15:43 +0000

The first thing that an employer usually sees about you is your resume. It is not just a listing of your qualifications, experience, and education. It is an actual extension of yourself. Your resume is your first interview with the employer, and it should be just as dynamic as you would be if you were there – even more so, in fact! You already know how important first impressions are. Since your resume is your very first impression, even more attention needs to be paid to that presentation than to what you wear to your first interview.

Taking this concept even farther, think about your resume’s first impression. What image of you does it project as it comes into view for the very first time? In what way does it stand out from the rest of the stack and draw the reviewer to want to pull it out and read it first? It’s appearance, the paper it is on, not being bent or folded, an attractive layout, all being on one page, and easy readability of the font all contribute to the reader’s experience. And that experience needs to be all positive!

Don’t go nuts on the paper choice, however. It shouldn’t be on super-thick stock or too much of a non-resume color. Go with a nice quality, medium stock, off-white color such as beige or light gray. Do pay attention to the layout and font choice. Arial is probably best. Use bold where appropriate and lead the reader through the document naturally, without having to do any straining. A potential employer should not feel like they have to work to read your resume.

The most important part of the document is your employment objective. This should be right at the top, the first thing they see after your name and contact information. It should be customized for each potential employer! There should be some boldness to it (not just in the type style), tempered with respect and professionalism. For example, if you are applying for a receptionist position at ABC corporation, your objective might be: “To begin my life-long career as a top executive at ABC corporation by being the flat-out most outstanding receptionist in the history of the company.”

There are only two additional sections that are necessary to a resume after the employment objective: Work Experience and Education. And even education may not be necessary in some situations. Which order you put them in depends on your work experience, education, and the type of work you are seeking. For example, if you just graduated from Harvard you won’t have any work experience but you can certainly expect job offers. Your education will be what you are highlighting. On the other hand, if you are an account executive in a niche industry then you could even leave education off the resume entirely, because all anyone cares about is your experience, past production, and contacts.

When writing your work experience, throw a parade for yourself! This is no time for modesty. You were the absolute best at what you did, and you need to phrase your descriptions in that light. Pay no attention to what your previous employer’s stupid job title for your position was – instead, use your own job title that accurately describes what you did (keeping in mind they will be calling your previous employer to verify). For example, if your last job title was officially “Janitor,” on your resume it could be “Facility Maintenance Manager.”

Similarly, in your previous job description you always managed something. Whatever your position, I guarantee there was something you had to manage, so describe it that way. More importantly, I’m equally sure that there were problems which you solved. Be SURE to mention those.

If you received any recognition awards in the past, create a separate section at the end and list them in a less-than-modest manner. End the resume with a line about references available upon request, and do prepare them on a separate sheet. Almost any employer will follow up on references these days. If you have room, you can even list them at the bottom of your resume and save that step.

Remember, you are the best at what you do. Every line of your resume should be written with that in mind, and your resume should be the best one that’s ever been compiled for the position you are seeking. If you can get that through your head, and permeate it unto paper effectively, you ought to be able to get any job you want.

You can get more resume writing tips from Andrew Kasch at his website: http://www.freeresumetips.info

An Education You Can Take to the Bank

admin — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 02:58:00 +0000

By Richard B. Brooke

I listen with interest each year, as parents share their angst over the rising costs of sending their kids off to college. It’s not just parents of college-aged kids; it’s a topic on the hearts and minds of nearly every parent at some point. After all, doesn’t a college education guarantee a successful future?

After barely graduating high school with a D average (and only after I cheated off my best friend’s Civics final), it was no surprise that college wasn’t in the cards for me. It’s not that I didn’t have the intelligence or ambition. In fact, I wanted the benefits of a lucrative career. I just lacked the patience to muddle through more of what I had just escaped. Sound familiar to any of you?

As luck would have it, early in my career path I was introduced to Network Marketing and embarked on a whole new kind of education. Coincidentally, it wasn’t until halfway through my fourth year that I began to really apply what I was learning and experienced phenomenal results. And the rest, as they say, is history.

IMAGINE a whole new kind of college education …

Money magazine reports that colleges nationwide continue to jack up tuition four times faster than the inflation rate. With college costs escalating – and average salaries dropping – you may find yourself asking: Is a college education worth the price?

THE CURRENT PARADIGM LOOKS LIKE THIS:

You save a substantial amount in your child’s first 18 years to pay the $25,000 to $50,000 a year for him or her to earn a four-year degree. Often, there is no clear outcome in mind; no clear career plan or income path.

They go to school for four years, studying many of the same subjects they did in high school: history, math, English, etc.

They earn little or no income. Had they held a full-time job, this lost income would be more than $100,000 over those four years. Lost income plus expenses adds up to $200,000 to $300,000 per child. And you are out the cash with no recourse … keeping your fingers crossed that your investment will pay off for them.

They graduate from college having learned how to get – and hopefully keep – a J.O.B. working for someone else. For those of us acquainted with the harsh realities of the workaday world, there is little security in that.

WHAT IF IT LOOKED LIKE THIS:

A university staffed by people who love to give back – teachers, coaches and mentors. Many are successful Network Marketing leaders who live a life of choice and contribution. The economic paradigm shift is staggering.

Using the Network Marketing model, the UNIVERSITY is a distributor in your favorite MLM company. You would sponsor the University, which in turn would sponsor your child.

There is no tuition. The University earns based on how successful the student becomes. It earns on as many different distributorships as it has students. There are hundreds of MLM companies involved, and therefore thousands of income centers funneling in. With no significant overhead except for staff, the University is very profitable.

You are not out any tuition and the University stands to earn – potentially forever – based on the efforts of your child. Plus, you get to invest the $100,000 you would have spent and watch it grow.

Your child learns invaluable life skills, like leadership, self-motivation, public speaking, listening, sales, self-esteem building, team building, project management and all aspects of marketing.

Your child works all four years to build his or her own Network Marketing Empire. They learn how to market themselves and their products; how and where to find prospects, to approach and language their offers, to give effective presentations, to speak powerfully to groups, and manage their business profits/losses and growth. They are held accountable to hit their numbers each week: numbers of approaches, presentations and new representatives.

Graduation is achieved by reaching a specific level in the comp plan, with a residual income of $4,000 to $5,000 a month – which exceeds the average first-year income for most college grads. If they do not graduate, they “stay in school” until they get it.

Upon graduation your child is free to design their own life, either continuing in Network Marketing, or pursuing a full-time career.

What could you have done with your life had you graduated college with a residual income of $4,000 to $5,000 a month? Would you have chosen the same career path you did, or would you have done something more fun and rewarding? How would you have invested that extra income over the past 10, 20, or 30 years? How much more net worth would you have? How would your parents lives been changed, had they redirected tuition into their own financial freedom and fun? How would their lives be different had you earned them $4,000 to $5,000 a month since college?

I am NOT advocating that a college education is NOT valuable. It is. And if the student has an entrepreneurial spirit, they are likely to be in business for themselves eventually anyway. Why burden them (and your bank account) with a traditional algebra education, which they may never use. Think Bill Gates, Michael Dell, Steve Jobs, Larry Ellison and Richard Branson – none of whom have college degrees, yet are wildly successful.

Since the MLM University does not yet exist, you can start your kids on this path by instilling the principles of Network Marketing early on. Create a vision for your own success and you will naturally model for them what is possible. Then mentor and encourage them to achieve their own greatness.

Now there’s an education you can take to the bank.

THINK ABOUT IT …

Do you think this idea is crazy?

Would you enroll your children in such a program?

Are your children going to inherit your business?