We talked about what a webinar is and how you can use it in your job search. The concept is pretty neat. You can learn on a whole range of topics that you need to know about and you can learn without needing to get in your car. Pretty handy! I just learned about a webinar that AARP is offering on June 17^th from 2-3 p.m. EST. I also learned that  AARP is offering webinars throughout 2010 to help you succeed in your job search. Each webinar offers practical tools and resources tailored to the needs of 50+ workers.

This particular webinar Refresh Your Resume for Today’s Job Market is FREE and will focus on how to better craft a resume to help you get a job!

Click on this link to register for this valuable webinar

The webinar is scheduled for 2:00-3:00 Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). This means it will be held at 1:00-2:00 Central Daylight Time, 12:00-1:00 Mountain Daylight Time, and 11:00-12:00 Pacific Daylight Time.

To participate in the webinar, you must have a computer with Internet access and audio capability (internal or external speakers). An audio bridge will be provided for Mac users. Not able to attend on June 17?  A recording of the webinar will be posted on the AARP website for you to view at your convenience. Check back at AARP.org after the webinar.

2010 as started with or without me, I have been off line sharing the joys of the season with family but I missed you all out there in WiserWorker.com land.  Along with enjoying the family over the holidays I’ve kept busy getting WiserWorker.com ready for 2010.  We have lots of exciting events and tools that will keep you primed and ready to get a new job.  

As always I have positive news to report: According to Help Wanted Online 2009 hiring ended on a positive note, rising 255,000 in December. More importantly the number of employers who placed now “hiring ads” online also rose. This is GREAT news indicating that yes folks there are companies that are hiring.

So dust off your resume and shake out the cobwebs from our holiday brains and let’s get reengaged in the search for a new job.  The best place to start is online with wiserworker.com dedicated to older workers.  

So while we are 6 days into the new year we still have time to catch the excitement and find a new career and still have time left over to enjoy all that life has to offer.

Sometimes there’s things better left unsaid and yes that applies to your resume: keep it short, relevant and to the point. With the most important message being RELEVANT!

Remember to get to the point when developing your achievements and ask yourself what of our skills and ambitions will benefit any future position that you might hold and list those achievements.  Don’t get bogged down with your past job descriptions because those rarely have any spark and you need SPARK to catch the recruiting managers attention.   

Make your objective statement that’s meaningful to you it’s easy to pluck a dressed up paragraph that means very little to anyone but looks great on a resume. Create a statement that catches the reader’s attention and accurately describes you and what you can do for a company. Make an impression and make it loud and it will stick.

There is something to be said short and sweet; when you send your resume to a hiring manager make sure that it’s concise.  The message on who you are, what you have done, what your skills are and how you can benefit a company should be conveyed in one page.  No longer than one page is usually too much information.

It’s easy to over inform and offer too much information and often what happens is that information isn’t what you want to convey. It’s hard enough to find a job don’t create obstacles with your resume.

Account Management Accounts Receivable Accounting Software

Make your resume appealing

Write a resume that would appeal to you if you were hiring for a job. Would you want to read your resume?  Include areas that you have excelled, your relevant skills, additional skills that you feel are essential to the company, education and volunteer projects you may have participated in.

Tip: Providing as much relevant information in the most concise nature. This will increase the number of interview requests you receive.

Job category title

The title of your career categories is important. It’s the eye catcher part of your resume because it serves as the headline of your skills. It must capture the recruiter’s attention. Your skills title should be compelling, but most importantly, relevant, so that recruiter picks up your resume over others. Choose skills categories that fit you; here are just a few examples: Customer Service Manager, Administrative, and Hospitality.  

Sell your resume opportunity

Give your prospective recruiter a reason to pick you out of all the other job seekers.

Tip: To help you sell your career opportunity, answer these questions: What made you decide to accept the position you’re in now? What attracted you to your position when you first applied?

This morning I was reading okay watching the news and I came across the following article: “Over 50, and zero job offers”.  Okay that’s just silly; yes the job market is tough I give you that however; you need to remember this:  As an older worker have something that other applicant’s lack…..EXPERIENCE.

Your only obstacle is connecting with employers who are ready and willing to hire YOU. Get started today by creating the right resume, connecting on the social media sites that will get your connected and of course visit WiserWorker.com the only site for older workers!

Functional Resume usually starts with summary of qualifications to put emphasis on skills particular areas of focus. Examples might include: customer service, word processing, computers, accounting, data archiving, office, telephone reception and problem solving. Rather than listing specific details, the job seeker lists responsibilities and achievements under the three main highlighted areas. The employment history is simply listed underneath the functional areas followed by education, training and other complimentary sections.

LinkedIn exists to help you make better use of your professional network or create a network.  Their mission is to connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful. Jump right in and create a account and make sure you select that you are looking for a job. You will be amazed at how many people seek you out because you are qualified.

WiserWorker.com YOU already know the most valuable resource online helping older workers get back in the workforce. WiserWorker.com is dedicated to providing quality employment opportunities and resources to people just like you.  

Good Luck!

Ok, because of your awesome resume and cover letter, you have gone on an interview. I suppose your think that is the end of it, right?  Wrong!  Now you have to write a thank you letter.

Send the thank you letter within 24 hours of the interview, whenever possible.  They should be typed unless you have been corresponding via email the whole time.  Getting a business card will help you remember who you interviewed with and their title.

Be concise.  Use the same paper that your cover letter and resume were printed on. 

Address any unresolved issues that came up during the interview.  If questions came up during the interview or if more information was requested, the thank you letter is the perfect place to include that information.

Include something specific about your interview.  This will help the interviewer remember you and help you stand out from the pack.

Emphasize your strengths one more time.  Let the interviewer know that after meeting with them, you are more confident that your skills are a match for their organization.

Most importantly, thank them for their time.  Everyone’s time is valuable.  A simple acknowledgement will let them know you respect that.

Last, but definitely not least, proofread your document before sending it out.  Do not give the hiring manager an easy reason to eliminate you from consideration.

Now that you know how to write your resume, (Thanks Amy!), it is time to focus on the cover letter.  It is just as important as your resume.  Think of your cover letter as a bridge between your resume and the job you are applying for.

Do your research

Before writing your cover letter, research the company you are applying to.  Find out who the hiring manager is by calling the company.  Also, find out some information to use in your letter. For example, is company XYZ a leader in their particular industry?

Read the job description very carefully.  By doing so, you will be able to figure out the important skill / qualifications of the position.

Write the cover letter

Now that the research is done, it is time to start writing the cover letter.  Your first sentence should stand out and grab the reader’s attention.  The rest of the paragraph is the “why you are applying” paragraph.

The next 1 -2 paragraph(s) are the “what can you do for the company” paragraphs.  Highlight a couple of your skills that strongly match the qualifications in the job description.  Remember to keep the focus on how you can help the company.

The last paragraph is the “summary” paragraph.  Thank the hiring manager for their time.  Let them know you are available for interviews and that your resume is enclosed.  Indicate know you will follow up with them.

Finally, here are a few more tips for writing a good cover letter.

·         Proofread, Proofread, Proofread. Spell check your document and have a friend read it.  There cannot be any mistakes or typos.

·         Be concise. Don’t use two words when one will work. Make every word in your letter work for you.

·         Be upbeat and positive in your letter. Sound excited about the prospect of working for this company, all the way though the letter.

·         Do NOT write a generic cover letter.  It shows a lack of interest on your part.

Do you have other suggestions for writing a resume or cover letter?  If so, we would love to hear about it.

I remember the last time I was out of work and had just starting my job search; my ever so helpful mother gave me this advice: “You better get yourself out there and fill out LOTS applications”.   Little did my mother know that over the years the job market has changed and the job seeker needs to have an entirely different set of tools to look for a job in today’s job market.

Today’s job search doesn’t just mean knocking down doors and filling out applications. Don’t get me wrong many companies still use paper applications. Today, however the application is just ONE step in the job search process.  So what tools to you NEED to search for a job?    

1.    Updated Resume

2.    Updated Cover Letter

3.    Computer Access- Gain FREE access from any public library

4.    Know the Best Job Boards……WiserWorker.com

5.    A pad of paper – To take notes

6.    Your Employment History for times when you DO need to fill out a application.  

In some respects searching for a job today is easier because most of it can be done from home, you can cover a lot more territory from in front of a computer. It’s a different world so start with WiserWorker.com when you start your job search it was created for a job seeker just like you!

The most basic need for any job seeker is this you need to have an updated resume.  In this economic climate we should be reaching out and helping each other with the basic skills necessary to obtain a job. Your resume is your professional story it serves as a glimpse of what you can offer a company.  The bottom line is this: YOU can write your own resume, have someone proof read it and provides you any feedback.  

What you need is this a path on how to get started; so I am creating just that a path for you to help yourself….below is an example of what I found when I visited Google and entered “resume help” in the search perimeters.   Look out I found more information than you will probably ever need. Notice all of these options are FREE, they may have a paid service but they will give you free information as well.  Everything I needed was free!  

ResumeHelp.org They provide useful hints and tips for FREE; you can pay a small nominal price for advanced help. Everything I needed however was free and they have lots of examples 

JobStar.org Lots of great information on major cities and examples of resumes and cover letters and almost all the information I found was FREE.

WiserWorker.com check out our resume center

Free Resume Service Ten tips to writing a better resume

AARP.ORG Providing insight on what you need to get a job especially for the older job seeker.

You can use any one to these tools to create a resume that will tell your story and get your message out to perspective employers. If all else fails and you need help contact me direct and I will help you find the perfect resource for you.

Good Luck!

This morning I read an article about the one of the rarest fishes in the world the megamouth shark, researchers report that there are only about 41 reported megamouth sharks left in the entire world. Today there are only 40 left as this particular megamouth shark was accidently captured and eaten in a port city in the Philippines.  This fish is so rare that it has only been sighted a handful of times, and the first one recorded was seen for the first time in 1976 only 33 years ago. 

So how did this rare and almost extinct animal become the blue plate special?   Simple he got caught up in the fisherman’s net and the next logical step was his place on the menu as “today’s catch”.  Mr. Megamouth did nothing to make himself stand out among the crowd of fish so the fisherman didn’t know he was special.

Don’t end up like Mr. Megamouth shark in this tragic story. When you send in your resume make sure you stand out. Your resume is the first step in getting the job and you can’t take the risk that your story is going to get lost in the sea of other resumes.

Make sure your resume has these quality attributes:

·         Include your current salary range in the cover letter.

·         List specific accomplishments in each of your past jobs.

·         Talk about what you want to accomplish in your next job.

·         Tailor your resume to the position you are applying for.

·         Follow up with an e-mail.

·         Be persistent without being pushy.

You’re a rare type of job seeker and deserve to stand out when you apply for a job picture yourself as the best candidate and tailor your resume that way.  Don’t get caught up in the sea of lost resumes.