?? Resume Objective Statements That Cause Recruiters To Reject You

?? Resume Objective Statements That Cause Recruiters To Reject You 320 How to know if your resume has an objective statement that helps or hurts. Photo by Meiying Ng This is a guest post by Paula R. Stern. Does your resume have an Objective Statement that starts with something like, “A responsible position allowing me to fully utilize my professional skills and which provides me with an opportunity for professional advancement”? If it does, consider that you've just asked a potential employer to read 20+ words that say absolutely nothing and risked having that person close your resume rather than learn what you can really do for them. This could be the fastest way to lose a job before they even read your resume. When going through the job-seeking process, it is very important to understand the stages and the roles of the documents that support each stage.eval Did you include an Objective Statement in the last resume you sent? Yes No View Results Free bonus: The One Resume Resource You’ll Ever Need is a handy reference to make your resume get you more job interviews. Download it free now Cover letters that get your resume read eval In today’s job hunting environment, most jobs involve emailing your resume to someone. Too many job seekers fail to realize that the job of the cover letter is to get the recipient to open the attached resume. That’s all. No one gets a job because of a cover letter, but if the recipient opens the resume, the cover letter worked brilliantly. I receive dozens of emails from people looking for work, maybe even hundreds over the period of a year. If I receive a blank email, I am as likely to delete the email as I am to open the resume. Perhaps even more so. My feeling is best summed up simply be explaining that if you can’t be bothered to write me a brief note, why should I feel obligated to open the resume? Resumes that open the door for you Like the cover letter, the role of the resume is not to get you a job. It’s to get you an interview. If you are called and asked to come to a company, your resume worked. From there, the process goes on, but what is in the resume is critical â€" every line, every bullet, every section. Your name and address should be placed at the top of the page or file, not on the sides, not on the bottom. The name of the file should include your name; not “resume2011.doc.” I might like what I see, but if I save a file that uses that type of naming, I’ll probably never find it again, never open it, never call you for that important interview. (Here are more samples of resume filenames that recruiters won't respond to.) Resume Objectives that… attract or repulse? The next big question I have often been asked to discuss, is what to put in the Objective portion at the top of the resume. Understand that a manager will glance quickly at a resume and decide in seconds whether to bother reading further. In a sense, the manager is looking more for reasons not to continue reading, rather than trying to gain a true assessment of how you can fit into their company. Is a resume Objective needed? Does it add or detract from the resume? The answer, I believe, is “it depends.” 3 rules to decide if you need an Objective Statement in your resume Here are a few rules for deciding whether to include it or not. 1) Who will see your resume? If you apply directly to the person who has advertised the job and is responsible for hiring the ideal candidate, the resume Objective Statement may well be redundant. Even more, it may be distracting. On the other hand, if you are sending your resume to the Human Resources department or to a general email address within a company, the Objective Statement can be helpful in directing your resume to the proper person within the company. 2) What do you want to accomplish? If you are applying for a specific job and your resume clearly reflects that direction, the Objective Statement may not be necessary. After all, it is obvious you are a dentist, a technical writer, a translator, etc. Nothing is gained by stating the obvious and given that you have only seconds to impress the recipient, it is often best that they begin reading your background information, rather than confirming you are looking for the job they are offering. After all, if you weren’t interested in the job, you would not have sent it to them, right? On the other hand, if you are applying for multiple positions within the company because your goal is to get a job and you hope by seeing your abilities, the recipient will decide you match “one of” the jobs that are available, rather than “the” job that was advertised, a good Objective on your resume may well open additional possibilities. 3) Finally, what should you write in the Objective Statement, if you decide to include it? It is very important to make the Objective Statement as directed as possible. You can damage your positioning or lower their impression of your abilities by making it too broad. If I see an Objective Statement that states the person is seeking a position as a technical writer, editor, or translator, my first impression is that they should make up their minds what they want to do. My second thought is to wonder if I offer them the job, will they leave it as soon as their “true” objective is offered somewhere else. Don’t include a statement of your personal abilities. Though you may be a team player, quick to learn, responsible, etc. these are only words until proven. The proof should be in the sections that follow, in your Experience and Education. The goal of the resume is to impress the recipient enough to invite you to an interview. If they are so busy reading the Objective Statement, they are delayed in getting to the important sections that follow. Who you are and what you can do, is best represented by the Experience and Education sections. While there are times that an Objective in a resume is important, even critical, there are often times when it can work against the job seeker. If it is too long, if it is too broad, if it is too obvious or redundant, the damage may be enough to create a lost opportunity. On the other hand, a resume without an Objective Statement may be lost in the vast network of job seekers. It may not open other doors if the particular door of interest isn’t available to you. So, should you have an Objective for your resume? While this is a decision you have to make based on many factors, the most important consideration is what you plan to put into it. A short, direct, proper, Objective Statement may help you land the job of your dreams; a long and winding Objective Statement may well close doors of opportunity as quickly as the manager will close the resume you sent them. Like all elements of your resume (and your cover letter), if you choose to include an Objective Statement, spend time reviewing it so that it is concise, clear and relevant. Other opinions 100 Examples of Resume Job Objective Statements Do You Really Need A Résumé Objective? Stop Writing Resume Objectives and Start Writing These Instead 3 Tips: How To Write A Resume Objective That Sells (video below) Free Bonus If you want a handy resume and CV resource that you can keep on your smartphone or print out for easy reference, this special bonus is for you. This free download contains: 111 Smart Resume Section Headings and Titles 60 Resume Achievement Writing Ideas and Expressions 500 Positive Resume Action Verbs That Get Job Interviews 35 Resume Filenames Recruiters Won’t Respond To Click the image below to get access to The One Resume Resource You’ll Ever Need: JobMob Insiders can get this free bonus and other exclusive content in the JobMob Insider Bonuses area. Join now, it's free! About the Author Paula R. Stern is the CEO of Writepoint Ltd., a leading technical writing company in Israel providing comprehensive documentation and training services to Israel’s hi-tech companies. WritePoint was founded in 1995 and has been providing quality documentation at affordable prices ever since. Paula can be reached at paula@writepoint.com. Paula is the list owner/moderator of Techshoret and is an Adobe Community Professional. This article was part of the Over $5000 in Prizes: The 5th Annual JobMob Guest Blogging Contest, which was made possible thanks in large part to our sponsors: Marcus Tandler’s JOBlog is Germany’s oldest blog about job search careers. Rabbi Issamar Ginzberg is an internationally acclaimed advisor to successful business owners, known for his small business ideas. READ NEXT: The Secret “So What?” Method To Resume Writing Success

The Career Prospects of A Resume Writer

The Career Prospects of A Resume WriterA resume writing business is a very good opportunity for a person to get started in the business world. It is also a great way to make money. If you have an exceptional knowledge of the business world and a general familiarity with financial situations, you can make a good income by working from home doing this.Many people, especially those who have attended formal education for years, don't have a lot of time to devote to a job. This is one reason why they may turn to freelance or contract positions. One problem that these types of positions may have is the lack of a formal education.One alternative for those without a formal education is to become a resume writer. There are many schools that offer programs in resume writing. People who are enrolled in these programs often receive credit for previous work experience or even some type of formal education.It is sometimes difficult to know how much resume writing experience is required to pass suc h an exam. Typically, there is a minimum requirement in most cases. However, it's not as difficult as it may seem to pass. Those who fail the test for resume writing job positions rarely have a college degree and in most cases will have no specific skills.The most difficult part of resume writing involves the key information that will appear on the resume. The key information for a resume generally has to do with previous work experience and qualifications, which the employee must provide as well as other important factors such as education, prior experience, and any other credentials. Because the resume writing jobs are generally for educational purposes, the applicant's education usually has to be in order.If you were to become a business analyst, you would be very well suited for these resume writing jobs. Business analysts review information for companies that offer goods and services to consumers. For example, a store with products to sell, but no employees, may be listed as a data entry job by the business analyst. The data entry job is only considered if the company actually has an employee or if it only needs data entered into a database.The work environment for business analysts is one that is in high tech industry. They often have to travel to client sites to evaluate the types of products or services that are offered to customers. If a business analyst is making enough money at his or her current job, he or she may decide to change careers to become a resume writer.It is a good idea to check out the different schools that offer training in resume writing. These programs may require a specific amount of work experience in order to pass the certification exam. If you pass the certification exam, you should then become a business analyst and begin looking for a job.

New Technology Thats Helping Employees Improve Collaboration -

New Technology Thats Helping Employees Improve Collaboration - By the year 2020, an enormous 50 percent of the workforce could be remote. Being able to hire workers with varying schedule needs or in dispersed locations is great â€" it broadens the pool of talent to choose from and improves diversity. With technology like applicant tracking, it’s easy to discover the very best employees from that larger pool. However, getting everyone on the same page, figuratively and literally, can become challenging. Today, companies of all sizes are using collaboration tools in order to come together in one space, efficiently work on projects, and pave a smoother road for creating a far-reaching business.   Heres some that will help you improve collaboration in your company. Flow Flow is a project management app that doesn’t look as crowded and complex as others you may have tried. It’s easy to use and simplistic in design, which is especially great for design-focused brands that don’t need any aesthetics getting in the way of their own. You can plan projects, write lists, and prioritize tasks, then delegate responsibilities and check the activity log to see how much progress has been made. Business small and large have been putting this platform to good use. Dribbble is virtual marketplace where you can go if you need to find creative professionals and design experts. They’re a small company that’s 100 percent remote, but they cater to half a million users daily. Dribbble has been using Flow since 2017 to help their team of 27 better communicate and collaborate with their huge network of designers, illustrators and photographers. Dribbble’s main issue was finding a way for smaller teams to work simultaneously on ongoing projects and keep up with their many changes. They use Flow as a way to always know what’s going on in those projects at any time, no matter the size or current stage of the project. According to Dribbble’s Director of Product, Sarah Kuehnle, Flow was particularly interesting to me because it was so flexible. It doesn’t subscribe you to a particular way of workingâ€"you don’t have to have whatever ‘flavour of the month agile’ that people are excited about at the moment, and you can get Flow to work the way that you work.” Dribbble’s team is able to work on projects in the same virtual space despite being dispersed around the world. Huddle Massive companies and enterprises, especially those in fields with high security needs (healthcare, government, and finance) should consider Huddle. Documents can be assigned, viewed, and edited. They can also be accessed either online or offline. Most importantly, though, there are several controls for authentication and access. California Almonds, the leaders in the export of almonds, uses Huddle to coordinate global marketing campaigns. Since they market globally, their team is also dispersed globally, with staff everywhere from California to Shanghai. Additionally, they collaborate with third-party ad and marketing agencies across the world. Before California Almonds started using Huddle, the marketing team was struggling when it came to file access and sharing. Remote workers were having trouble getting into the system to share or edit documents. Even when they could access the system, it was unclear whether or not a team member was working on the correct, most recent version of a file. A small team from California Almonds initially tested Huddle and loved how easy it was to use, especially when it came to sharing and commenting on files. According to Melissa Mautz, the Associate Director of Marketing Services, “We now use Huddle every single day of the week and it is part of the very fabric of the way we operate. It is used to manage every single marketing project we work on, big or small, internal or external.” Flock Flock is a communication tool for teams that connect via email, meetings, and an assortment of other apps. Conversations, along with the other productivity tools everyone uses, are brought together in one place and organized. Flock supports both group messaging and one-on-one messaging, and you can segment discussions by department, project or interest. In addition to keeping everyone in touch, you can also add files and links, including documents, images, videos, and Google Drive links. One of Flock’s standout features is the ability to hold an audio or video call right in the app. Namecheap, a domain name marketplace, uses Flock for collaboration. Their headquarters are in Arizona, but they have hundreds of team members working remotely. The team needed help with collaborating in real time, juggling different time zones and keeping track of who was working on what. They tried using an instant messaging app to help with fast communication, but it wasn’t robust enough to fit all their needs. Competitors like Slack solved this problem as well, surpassing major messaging apps like iMessage and Facebook Messenger to become the innovative communication tool of choice for businesses around the globe. With Flock, the team at Namecheap has reduced the time it takes for team members to communicate. Customizable activity statuses mean that team members can share what they’re working on without being interrupted. Namecheap takes advantage of Flock’s built-in productivity features, like setting reminders and sharing to-do tasks. They’re able to do all this and still inject the casualness and fun that’s become their company culture. According to an engineer at Namecheap, I can send text messages, have video calls, share files, add and control tasks, and create reminders. I can even send GIF by using keywords, which adds a bit of entertainment into communicating.” How to Add a Collaboration App to Your Workflow When you’re first starting out with a new collaboration or project management app, it might seem tech savvy to move all of your information over to the new system. This is a recipe for disaster, though, and it’s a good way to misplace important documents and details. Instead, go slowly, test the waters, and be open to the process: Hold a training session for employees instead of assuming they’ll figure it out on their own. Outline security guidelines and policies, particularly if employees are going to use the software on their own internet connection or device. Set boundaries regarding when employees and supervisors are available via the tool and when they won’t be expected to be accessible. Collaboration tools have an around-the-clock aspect to them, but that doesn’t mean employees should work 24 hours a day. Gather data regarding workflow efficiency, turnaround time for projects, and number of tasks completed. Many collaboration apps make this information easily accessible, and collecting it can inform not only your workflow procedures but also data presentations to potential clients. Choosing the right collaboration tool depends on the type of access you want employees to have, the work that’s being tackled, and the specific features you need to improve workflow. Since many tools offer different levels of service plus a free trial, play around with a few until you find one that’s suited to your specific needs. This guest post was authored by Brooke Faulkner Brooke  Faulkner is a writer, mom and adventurer in the Pacific Northwest.  She spends her days pondering what makes a good leader.   And then dreaming up ways to teach these virtues to her sons, without getting groans and eye rolls in response.

Action Steps To Get Started With Blogging (Part 1) - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Action Steps To Get Started With Blogging (Part 1) - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Job loss is (unfortunately) a way of life for most of us nowadays. In  many cases, its due to factors that we cant even control such as a bad economy devastating our employer.   In the last four years, I lost my job because the economy impacted my employer more than expected. In the last couple days, this happened to some good friends of mine   and an ueber-hardworking relative of mine  is on the verge of losing his job for that same reason. So it happens a lot these days! And when a job loss comes, it can be really hard to know what to do and where to start.   Its especially hard when you keep hearing You need to have a blog.  I saw this recently when I was  part of a panel discussion  on job-hunting.    When we started talking about branding yourself online,  some people in the  audience  did their best impression of deer faced with the headlights of an oncoming car! Your own personal branding blog I dont blame them!   For those of you who  are just starting your personal branding journey, its intimidating to hear that you *must* start branding yourself online and that you should have a blog. So, since I keep seeing this as an intimidating subject, here is exactly what I would tell my friends about how to get started. Note: This is not a primer on how to create a top blog. This is about how to make it simple for yourself so you can hit the ground running. The focus is on moving forward. Here is exactly what Im telling my friends to do in order to show their expertise online: 1. Buy your domain.   (Time commitment: 10 minutes) Seeing if yourname.com is available is the absolute first thing you should do.   If it is available, buy it right away.   Yourname.com is the easiest way to immediately make it easy for people to find you online and is the most professional url you can have. Sure, YourName.com is kinda bland, but its the base for your online presence. CrazyCreativeGalMN.com may be a fun dating handle, but its not going to impress the people that you want to hire you. How to do it: I suggest using  GoDaddy.com to register your domain name (to go with Action Step #2), but you can go with any domain registrar that floats your boat. Just avoid the cheap sites you need to be able to connect your blog to your website and some registrars can make you jump through hoops. 2. Set-up a Blog.   (Time commitment:  1 day max shoot for 4  hours) Next step is to set-up your blog. This is a source of angst for many people because most people know nothing about web design.   Dont worry about that and certainly dont obsess about having to make your blog perfect.  Pick a blog service (Blogger, Typepad, WordPress, etc) and put up a basic, clean white-based blog.   Skip the frills,  go for a simple design and get it up. Bottom line, your blog is a base to show your knowledge.  Yes, having an amazing design and snazzy effects will be cool but the focus of your website needs to be on you.  Youd never send a resume on pink, scented paper with gold stars all over it and your blog is your online resume. Plus, getting all wrapped up in blog design is a fun way to procrastinate. Youre unsure about how to go forward and not feeling great about yourself so you spend hours trying to get the blog exactly right and delaying the next step.   Trust me, unless youre a designer or someone who specializes in building websites, a plain website will be completely fine. How to do it: Limit yourself to having 1 day to do this.  That will prevent you from getting lost in  fancy design  and color schemes.    Its  most important to get the blog up.   (If business guru Seth Godin can be so successful with his  ueber simple design, you can too.)Spend 30 minutes checking out  Blogger, Typepad and WordPress.org/com to see which one seems the best fit for you. No more, or else youre just procrastinating again. Heres a quick rundown of Blogger WordPress.  Heres a review of Typepad. The key is that you want something easy for you to set-up so  pick whatever one is easiest for you. Then set-up that blog.   Chose a simple, clean design.Then set-up domain-mapping so that your blog connects to the yourname.com web address that you bought in Action Step 1.   And youre done. 3. Decide what you really want to do (1 week) This might sound like a crazy step but its not. You need to figure out exactly what you want to do as you move forward.   Personal Branding is about showing that youre really, really good at one area and are the person to hire in that one area.   You cannot be the jack-of-all trades in Personal Branding.   There is no possible way to convince someone that you are both an excellent Product Manager, an amazing copy writer, AND a crack financial analyst. Why not?   Each of those would require dramatically-different content for your personal branding and trying to focus on branding yourself for multiple areas will split your attention between those areas. If you try to do everything, youll end up with a bunch of superficial articles that impress no one.   When you choose, you can really dive into a subject, find your target market and gear your personal branding efforts exactly towards them. When I started my personal branding efforts, I knew I wanted to work at a company that helped other companies come up with ideas.   To be more specific, I wanted one with 20 employees that got the ideas by facilitating groups from the client and the target consumer. Pretty specific, huh? But because I was so focused on that particular target market, I was able to focus my blog on exactly the type of material that would interest the people hiring at those companies and thus convinced them to hire me.   At 2 separate companies, no less! Focusing works and youll never be able to brand without it.   You need to know exactly what you want out of branding before you get started. How to do it: So spend a week really diving into what you want moving forward and figure it out.   What do you want to do?   What kind of company do you want to work at?   What do you want your responsibilities to be? Where do you want this next job to take you?   (Is it a stepping stone to the next career goal? If so, what is that?   If its not a stepping stone, what do you want out of it?   Really figure it out, because this will guide everything you do with your blog moving forward. Whew! Feeling overwhelmed yet?   Dont worry this is the hard part.   Getting the base set-up for your blog and then figuring out what your goal is for the future is difficult and its the part where most of us get stuck.   But in order to brand effectively, you need to get through those steps quickly and efficiently. Moving on to the next step Next week, Ill write about my advice for what to do after you have that basic blog set-up and know what you want out of it.   Be ready to move to the next step! Author: Katie Konrath blogs about creativity, innovation and “ideas so fresh… they should be slapped” at www.getfreshminds.com.   She works for leading innovation company, Ideas To Go.

Using a College Senior Resume Writing Plan

Using a College Senior Resume Writing PlanWhen it comes to college senior resume writing, not everyone knows what to include in the cover letter. The purpose of a resume is to make you stand out from the other applicants and grab the attention of the hiring manager. The perfect resume will do this but unfortunately a lot of college senior resume writing suffers because they don't know how to properly do it.You are only as good as your first impression and it can come across during your job interview. The way you dress, how you present yourself and the tone you choose are all important things to consider when applying for jobs. College senior resume writing is often the same. If your personality is too serious or stiff, you might come across as not interested in the job and that can turn off the hiring manager.It's important to realize that making a top-notch resume does not happen by accident. The best way to achieve success is to be organized. Taking the time to write a great resume and sending it to hundreds or even thousands of people can be difficult to accomplish. To get better results, you need to follow a systematic approach to produce an excellent resume.The first thing you need to consider is the formal professional salutation. When you introduce yourself, the following professional phrase is best: I am David Smith, a second year engineering student. It indicates that you are very serious about your resume and have read through the job posting thoroughly.The next part of your resume should be your professional title. First and foremost, you need to make sure that you include your full name, your college name, the last name of your high school and your phone number if possible. Your cover letter, however, needs to be addressed to your college hiring manager; you do not want to give away your professional information.When submitting your resume, there are certain abbreviations you need to know when writing for your college senior. One example is applying for professor -as in professor, associate professor, or Professor. Whenever you write one of these abbreviations, you should make sure you include a space after the abbreviation or a dash before the letter.Spelling and grammar should be checked prior to sending in your resume. For example, if you misspelled the word 'on the job training,' it may come across as disrespectful and unprofessional. Including a paper trail of your past work related experience will help your resume stand out from the other applicants.In addition to your resume, you will also need to show your creativity when it comes to college senior resume writing. Include some sample cover letters and jot down all the information in your resume.

Interview Series - Career Experts - Karalyn Brown from Interview IQ CareerMetis.com

Interview Series - Career Experts - Karalyn Brown from Interview IQ â€" CareerMetis.com In this interview series, we caught up withKaralyn Brown from Interview IQ, who shares her expertise and insights about job search, career change, etc. in today’s marketplace.Tell us a little bit about your companyevalMy company helps mid to senior level professionals market themselves to prospective employers.Typically we offer challenges, like the Straight to Shortlist Challenge which helps people approach employers directly â€" something many people know they need to do, but struggle to do so. The promises we make are tangible and not fluffy.For example, the promise of the Straight to Shortlist Challenge is to get 5 meetings with 5 target employers in 5 weeks.We also offer a range of services such as LinkedIn profile optimization and interview coaching services.How did you get started in this path?I started writing resumes about 10 years ago as a way of combining my love of writing with knowledge and skills I had gained from my previous career in recruitment and HR.Is this somet hing you decided early on in your career?No, it was more like happenstance â€" I was looking for a way to create a business for myself, found my very first client very quickly and grew my business from there.What is the most exciting part of working in thisindustry?It’s delightful to be able to help people make a change or see something in themselves that they have not been able to see.I believe this type of work adds value in a tangible economic way to our society as people can find work, express their talents more fully in the right type of role or organisation and feel like they are making a valuable contribution.evalHow do to stay abreast of the industry as an expert?I network with like minded professionals.I read a lot of blog posts and listen to many podcasts around communication, marketing, business networking, business and self development.What are some of the things that you see job seekers struggle with the most?Understanding the value they can offer others, identifying the right jobs for themselves and being able to network effectively.Many people routinely undersell themselves.People also struggle often to change jobs as applying for jobs via job boards or websites makes it difficult for them to know how to target their search or get feedback on what they should be doing.What are the common mistakes that you see them do?I see many people be guided by what others tell them are their strengths, or direct their job search efforts based on what they think they can get or see advertised.The strongest foundation to start a search is to reflect on what makes you tick â€" where you think you could thrive, what you enjoy and the skills you can offer.The research says find a job aligned to your strengths and you’ll enjoy your role, you’ll be more productive and you’ll be promoted more often.How should job seekers approach job search today?You need to take advantage of all the tools that are available to you.People are far more accessible today online than they ever have been before, so understanding how to contact people and market yourself is a real skill.What is the biggest trendKaralyn BrownandInterview IQhave also been featured in our recent compilation of the most resourceful career experts and career blogs â€"Top Career Advice Websites.

Good News and More Good News for Job Seekers

Good News â€" and More Good News â€" for Job Seekers Good News and More Good News for Job Seekers (Okay, first I have to give you the not-so-good news: the job market is highly competitive out there!) Good News #1: Jobs ARE still being filled in the public job market, meaning those positions posted publicly: on a company website, on job boards, or as social media postings on sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook. They take longer to fill and candidates will most likely not hear back unless they are seriously being considered. The key to success: these positions are filled by matching the skills listed in the job posting with those on your résumé. In kindergarten, did you ever have an assignment to draw lines matching an object in column A with an object in column B? Either the letter “C” and car or a sheep and a lamb? Well, job seekers need to “draw pictures” for hiring managers too, in a much more powerful way. Even the best résumé doesn’t do this. Far from it! Tricks for Good News #1: Add this innovative yet professional technique. Create a one page “Job Description Profile” to be included as the summary and top page of your résumé, in the same Word or PDF document. In a two-column table, list the key requirements or specifications of the job one per row â€" in the left column. Then in the right column, match your skills, experiences, and training to the requirements. Note: There is an entire chapter in my book devoted to this technique and a free download of a template to copy. In your cover letter â€" required for every application do NOT simply regurgitate your résumé. DO pull out 3 reasons why you are an excellent fit for their position, from your Job Description Profile. Subtlety is not necessary; punch the reader between the eyes! Show them that you are not only a good fit, but that you have carefully studied the specifications in the job description. Good News #2: The hidden job market is still vibrant and important. NOTE: These jobs are often the same jobs posted on the public market, but the way they are filled is “hidden.” Most companies are required or have the desire to post all of their positions publicly. However, the decision-making process may be heavily weighted toward the hidden job process. In this case, jobs are filled based on internal/employee referral programs, internal promotions or lateral moves to develop an existing employee, or some other process. Good news to job seekers who are actively networking within their company or community! It is also good news for those candidates who are not exact skills matches because they have the chance to be evaluated or interviewed based on a recommendation. Maria, whom I met recently at a networking event, has a clear job goal and has been job searching for 6 months. However she said, “I don’t apply on job boards or company sites since I don’t believe I will ever find a job that way.” She IS networking and having many meetings with people who could influence an interviewing or hiring decision. Maria is missing a key fact: she needs to do both. When she sees a position posted on Company XYZ’s website or on a job board, she needs to submit a GREAT application (the public market). AND (not or!) she should work her network to find somebody who can do two things: get Maria’s candidate packet on the hiring manager’s desk and recommend her. Job seekers, whether you are looking within your company or externally, broaden your “mix” of job search activities to include the attributes of both the public and hidden job markets.

6 Ways to Personalize Your Desk Space - Career Advice Blog for Millennials

6 Ways to Personalize Your Desk Space - Career Advice Blog for Millennials Shout out to Lexie for this awesome guest post! You are a joy to work with, and a wonderful writer! I look forward to reading many more of your posts, and design tips!   If youre one of many who spend the bulk of your day at a desk, you know how monotonous the sights can be. A computer, a keyboard and maybe a mug or picture frame comprise the majority of your eyes view and little else. Boring, right? Since youre sitting at your desk all day, wouldnt it make sense to decorate like you would your home? After all, you spend more of your waking hours at work anyways. Personalizing your desk space is fun, and can actually result in a feeling of more control that can improve happiness and productivity. Want to spruce up your desk? Try adding one (or all) of these six decorations: Add Plants and Greenery Working at a desk may cause you to miss out on sunshine-filled days, but that doesn’t mean you can’t bring a little bit of the great outdoors in! Besides adding a little bit of color and life to your space, plants provide a sense of reward-based responsibility: You’re responsible for the plant’s care, but can also reap the benefits of doing so (watching your lovely plant grow!). This reward-based responsibility works well in an office. Plants are much more than a pretty desk accessory; watering or tending to them can provide a useful distraction when you’re feeling burnt out from staring at spreadsheets or typing emails. Plus, you get to experience improved air quality. According to a NASA study, growing live plants in the office will result in cleaner surrounding air. It will benefit you and your co-workers! Pick Up  Pictures The best way to personalize your space is to bring in personal photo reminders of your loved ones. In the midst of stressful work duties, a familiar and smiling face can be calming and reassuring. But let’s be honest: Our desks are already piled high with *stuff* and there’s not always room for bulky picture frames. Another way to remind yourself of great people and experiences in your life is to hang pictures up on a wire near your desk; it’s a less cluttered way to display your favorite photos and personalize your space. Spice Up Your Mug We all need to hydrate during the day. Where our hydration comes from, though, doesn’t matter. You could use a plastic cup or glass, but what fun is that? A plain cup is *not* fun to look at. A mug is one of the mainstays of a desk, so choosing one with your favorite colors, designs, photo or general aesthetic is a great way to add a touch of your personality to your desk. Bonus: it can double as a statement piece! It’s recommended to go for calming colors like blue, green and gray either alone or combined with your favorite colors to help provide a feeling of relaxation whenever you reach for your coffee, tea or water. Magnetize Your Memos In keeping up with schedules, post-it notes are a common go-to for remembering things. It’s very easy for them to get cluttered though, with the potential for outdated post-its to become a mainstay with lack of organization. To prevent the post-it note mayhem, organize your stickies once every few days, and use decorative magnets to stick them to the desk or nearby board. Magnets and pushpins are more visually appealing than post-its and inspire more frequent organization due to their application and general presence. You can also keep notes in colorful holders, or fill them with uplifting and motivational quotes, which can be great for inspiration during a stressful time. Get Creative with Bookends While many professions are going paperless, even the most digital of us have something to hold in place. The cool thing about bookends is that they can be practically anything, as long as they do the job; succulent pots, agate stones, and other pieces of art do the job AND look good, making it even more enticing to reach for the shelf when need be. If you’re looking for a cost-friendly bookend to make yourself, there are plenty of DIY methods available just check Pinterest. Give Your Pens and Pencils Some Life Pretty much everyone in an office needs a writing utensil at some point. Even if you only have a few pens or pencils, make the most of them by adding some effervescence via a flower or colorful design on the top, while using a small mason jar to store them. Even if you don’t use pens a lot, it’s worth making them visually appealing if they’re going to have a place on your desk. A dull desk can make days pass by slowly. Liven things up with some personal touches that show off your personality and creativity. What’s your favorite tip for sprucing up your desk? Share your ideas and photos of your desk in the comments or on Twitter, tagging us @SarahLandrum and @LexieLuDesigner While you’re here, sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more office design tips and tricks sent straight to your inbox! About the Author: Lexie Lu is a designer, writer, and coffee lover. She writes about trends in the web and graphic design industry at Design Roast. Follow Lexie on Twitter to keep up with her latest posts.