Not everybody can say that. Job site CareerBuilders.com recently asked pollsters Harris Interactive to survey hiring managers and find out the wackiest resume items they've seen lately. Out of 2,627 responses, here are the top ten:
A job candidate...
1. ... attached a letter from her mother.
2. ... used pale blue paper with teddy bears printed around the border.
3. ... explained a three-month gap in employment by saying that he was getting over the death of his cat.
4. ... specified that his availability to work Fridays, Saturdays, or Sundays is limited because the weekends are "drinking time."
5. ... included a picture of herself in a cheerleading uniform.
6. ... drew a picture of a car on the outside of the envelope and said the car would be a gift to the hiring manager.
7. ... listed hobbies that included sitting on a levee at night watching alligators.
8. ... mentioned the fact that her sister had once won a strawberry-eating contest.
9. ... stated that he works well in the nude.
10. ... explained an arrest record by stating, "We stole a pig, but it was a really small pig."
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
interview blunders
Top 10 Resume Blunders
If someone were to make a list of what causes you to not get a job, she/he is sure to include blunder resumes at the top. Avoiding mistakes takes one of the few steps like consulting a professional resume writer, career counselor or searching for internet resources. The list of top 10 mistakes in resumes is here with possible reasons and remedies explained in brief:
Top 10 Resume Blunders
1:Bad Cover Letter: Cover letters could be poor because of bad address placement, wrong job reference, being very figurative, setting unmatched goals/objectives. The reason for the first two mistakes is not being alert. The next two mistakes arise because of lack of knowledge or focus.
2:Spelling and Grammar: Oversight or lack of time can cause mis-spelling. Attempts to copy friends’ resumes to suit yours is another possible reason. Such trivial spelling mistakes lead to instantaneous rejection of resumes. Get your parents or friends to proofread your resume 3-4 times to eliminate any chance of spelling and grammar mistakes.
3:Too Focused on Job History: The more jobs you post in your resume does not mean they will automatically impress the interviewer. What counts is what you have learned on the job. The reason for this mistake could be a false belief that more jobs get new jobs. Instead, focus on your strengths and abilities.
4:Irrelevant Information: This type of information does not answer what the interviewer is looking for. They fail to find information concerning their worries like how will you help them support the sagging production, etc. Avoid information like your basketball exploits or video game skills.
5:Poor Descriptions: This goal is to interest the interviewer and catch their attention. For example: “handled 100 ledgers and pay roll” compares badly against “managed receivables, inventory, payable ledgers and pay roll flawlessly for two years”.
6:Keywords: Keywords show you mean business. For example: FCFS, FCLS or EOQ show you have experience working in inventory/store management. Include keywords when applicable.
7:Goofy Emails: Can you expect to be hired for the GM position with cooldude1234@somewhere.com as your email? This is perceived as unprofessional.
8:Resumes, not Bios: Your personal and family history has no place in resumes in America. Provide this information only if asked for.
9:Playing Out of Your League: Pretending as if your experience is greater than it really is can get you in an unpleasant situation if the interviewer begins asking difficult questions. Stay within your realm of knowledge and you will not be exposed in the interview.
10:Ending After Sending Resume: Not following up to know whether the resume reached the interviewer is a mistake that can potentially cost you the job. Always double check that your resume arrived if you do not hear back within a few days.
If someone were to make a list of what causes you to not get a job, she/he is sure to include blunder resumes at the top. Avoiding mistakes takes one of the few steps like consulting a professional resume writer, career counselor or searching for internet resources. The list of top 10 mistakes in resumes is here with possible reasons and remedies explained in brief:
Top 10 Resume Blunders
1:Bad Cover Letter: Cover letters could be poor because of bad address placement, wrong job reference, being very figurative, setting unmatched goals/objectives. The reason for the first two mistakes is not being alert. The next two mistakes arise because of lack of knowledge or focus.
2:Spelling and Grammar: Oversight or lack of time can cause mis-spelling. Attempts to copy friends’ resumes to suit yours is another possible reason. Such trivial spelling mistakes lead to instantaneous rejection of resumes. Get your parents or friends to proofread your resume 3-4 times to eliminate any chance of spelling and grammar mistakes.
3:Too Focused on Job History: The more jobs you post in your resume does not mean they will automatically impress the interviewer. What counts is what you have learned on the job. The reason for this mistake could be a false belief that more jobs get new jobs. Instead, focus on your strengths and abilities.
4:Irrelevant Information: This type of information does not answer what the interviewer is looking for. They fail to find information concerning their worries like how will you help them support the sagging production, etc. Avoid information like your basketball exploits or video game skills.
5:Poor Descriptions: This goal is to interest the interviewer and catch their attention. For example: “handled 100 ledgers and pay roll” compares badly against “managed receivables, inventory, payable ledgers and pay roll flawlessly for two years”.
6:Keywords: Keywords show you mean business. For example: FCFS, FCLS or EOQ show you have experience working in inventory/store management. Include keywords when applicable.
7:Goofy Emails: Can you expect to be hired for the GM position with cooldude1234@somewhere.com as your email? This is perceived as unprofessional.
8:Resumes, not Bios: Your personal and family history has no place in resumes in America. Provide this information only if asked for.
9:Playing Out of Your League: Pretending as if your experience is greater than it really is can get you in an unpleasant situation if the interviewer begins asking difficult questions. Stay within your realm of knowledge and you will not be exposed in the interview.
10:Ending After Sending Resume: Not following up to know whether the resume reached the interviewer is a mistake that can potentially cost you the job. Always double check that your resume arrived if you do not hear back within a few days.
10 things not to be on resume 10 -1
10) Using a cutesy email account to send the CV. Any email arriving from snookums12 or bigboy69 that gets through the spam filter will get caught by the human filter before being dumped in the trash filter. Email from billgates1 is probably not going to help at Microsoft either.
9) Mentioning low grades (Hebrew) or test scores. If you had problems in a course, why mention it at all? You’re too honest. Emphasize the positive and achievements you can be proud of.
8) Forgetting ineffective information on your CV only to have it surprise you in the subsequent interviews, such as alternative musical tastes (which I have), esoteric hobbies (I would get asked about mixology too much) or even a past job experience unrelated for the position at hand. Every detail you leave on your CV should have a purpose or not be there.
7) Unless requested specifically in a job posting, avoid sending your CV as an email attachment and clearly put the CV text directly into the email itself. In this age of spam and viruses, many emails are wrongly flagged as dangerous and are quarantined from their destination, taking your hard work and hopes with them. Besides, the recipient can always ask you for a different format after the fact, and will. Some people think otherwise.
6) Using friends as references. This is especially funny when your friends do it also and everyone applies to the same company. You’re better off keeping your references in a separate document anyway.
5) “Don’t include reasons why you are leaving your current employer or why you may have already left,” says Tracy P. Miller of TearTaylor’s Career Corner. However, be prepared for the question if it comes up in the interview and ‘the pay was too low’ is not a good answer even if it may be true.
4) Using non-traditional fonts or symbols. This is especially relevant when applying internationally. The resume recipient’s computer may not be equipped to handle these symbols, and you’re overly optimistic if you think that person is going to understand why your CV looks like garbage on their screen. They’ll reject you as quickly as they can confirm a file deletion (guess which). Another reason is that resume-search or -scanning software may also have a hard time deciphering this special text, rendering your CV a waste of space in a company’s candidate database.
3) Writing with expressions that only made sense at a past job. Only a handful of people are going to understand when I say that I could be counted on to quickly knock out hotfixes from Racine while the site was gone fishin’, and unless you’re applying for an internal promotion, your own cultural siblings are unlikely to be on your upcoming list of interviewers. Employers are making efforts to speak simply, and so should you.
2) Breaking the law. Seriously. For example, in Canada it’s illegal for an interviewer to ask about marital status, sexual orientation, race or age so save precious page space by keeping that information to yourself.
1) Lying. This is so obviously a bad idea, it boggles the mind that people continue to lie on their resumes all the time. Admittedly, in my experience few companies do their homework and verify final candidates’ claims on their CVs with even a single phone call to a past employer, which is perhaps the reason people keep trying. Just don’t do it.
Bonus Mistake
0) Leaving text for video. This pseudo-cool Web2.0 trend of performing your CV on camera continues to annoy recruiters. Would you want to hire someone that you feel has wasted your time before they even walked in the door? Keep the video camera for family events and catching people doing dumb things.
9) Mentioning low grades (Hebrew) or test scores. If you had problems in a course, why mention it at all? You’re too honest. Emphasize the positive and achievements you can be proud of.
8) Forgetting ineffective information on your CV only to have it surprise you in the subsequent interviews, such as alternative musical tastes (which I have), esoteric hobbies (I would get asked about mixology too much) or even a past job experience unrelated for the position at hand. Every detail you leave on your CV should have a purpose or not be there.
7) Unless requested specifically in a job posting, avoid sending your CV as an email attachment and clearly put the CV text directly into the email itself. In this age of spam and viruses, many emails are wrongly flagged as dangerous and are quarantined from their destination, taking your hard work and hopes with them. Besides, the recipient can always ask you for a different format after the fact, and will. Some people think otherwise.
6) Using friends as references. This is especially funny when your friends do it also and everyone applies to the same company. You’re better off keeping your references in a separate document anyway.
5) “Don’t include reasons why you are leaving your current employer or why you may have already left,” says Tracy P. Miller of TearTaylor’s Career Corner. However, be prepared for the question if it comes up in the interview and ‘the pay was too low’ is not a good answer even if it may be true.
4) Using non-traditional fonts or symbols. This is especially relevant when applying internationally. The resume recipient’s computer may not be equipped to handle these symbols, and you’re overly optimistic if you think that person is going to understand why your CV looks like garbage on their screen. They’ll reject you as quickly as they can confirm a file deletion (guess which). Another reason is that resume-search or -scanning software may also have a hard time deciphering this special text, rendering your CV a waste of space in a company’s candidate database.
3) Writing with expressions that only made sense at a past job. Only a handful of people are going to understand when I say that I could be counted on to quickly knock out hotfixes from Racine while the site was gone fishin’, and unless you’re applying for an internal promotion, your own cultural siblings are unlikely to be on your upcoming list of interviewers. Employers are making efforts to speak simply, and so should you.
2) Breaking the law. Seriously. For example, in Canada it’s illegal for an interviewer to ask about marital status, sexual orientation, race or age so save precious page space by keeping that information to yourself.
1) Lying. This is so obviously a bad idea, it boggles the mind that people continue to lie on their resumes all the time. Admittedly, in my experience few companies do their homework and verify final candidates’ claims on their CVs with even a single phone call to a past employer, which is perhaps the reason people keep trying. Just don’t do it.
Bonus Mistake
0) Leaving text for video. This pseudo-cool Web2.0 trend of performing your CV on camera continues to annoy recruiters. Would you want to hire someone that you feel has wasted your time before they even walked in the door? Keep the video camera for family events and catching people doing dumb things.
Monday, January 21, 2008
How to Attain Serenity Before Giving a Speech
How to Attain Serenity Before Giving a Speech
Here's the setup: you are seated at the head table of a large banquet hall, waiting to be introduced.
You are about to deliver a keynote presentation to a gathering of several hundred executives in your
particular field of endeavor.
Are you feeling jittery? Do you have butterflies flippity-flapping around in the pit of your stomach?
Good. If you didn't feel a bit nervous, then I would be concerned that one or more of the following
were true:
1.You are too overconfident in your subject matter.
2.You are too arrogant in general
3.You have ingested too much alcohol and/or too many other mood-altering substances in the
previous 30-60 minutes
However, in my experience as a technical trainer, IT professional, and astute audience member I have
seen not an insignificant number of public speakers blow otherwise fine presentations by needlessly
psyching themselves out due to mishandled fear or over-jangling nerves.
In this brief essay I will share with you some suggestions passed along to me by my mentors that help
me to attain a comfortable level of serenity before I teach classes or deliver other types of public
presentations. Note well, friends: by serenity I am not for one minute referring to an attitude of
lethargic, monotonic, sleepwalking, yawn-inducing platform speech. That is misunderstood,
stereotypical 'serenity.'
Rather, I'm talking about a form of serenity, or stillness of mind, body, and heart, that involves being
freed from the bondage of fear and therefore being able to move, speak, and act confidently,
dynamically, and vibrantly from your core. I find that when I am speak from this 'serene-state,' for
lack of a better word, my mind is as sharp as a tack, and my energy is channeled on the audience and
the subject matter (where it belongs)—not on my self-centered fears (where it does not belong). Make
sense? All right—Let's get started.
Here are the serenity tips in a nutshell:
1.Loosen Your Body
2.Wiggle Your Toes
3.Practice Deep Breathing
1.Loosen Your Body
Regardless of whether I am seated or standing when I am 'on deck' prior to giving a talk, I always
take special care to maintain an open body posture. There is something to be said for body language,
folks.
I don't know about you, but whenever I see a platform speaker with his or her arms folded tightly
across his or her chest, legs crossed, etc., I think "this person is either defensive, nervous, or both."
Another strong argument in favor of keeping your body in a wide-open and relaxed posture, and
believe me, I'm no yogi by any means, is that by doing so you increase blood flow throughout your
body. It stands to reason, as far as I am personally concerned, that increased blood flow to the brain
leads to a decreased probability of light-headedness. Similarly, increased blood flow to the extremities
leads to a decreased probability of tingling, numb limbs. And so on.
When I am seated prior to giving a presentation, I sit with my back erect. That said, while I sit waiting
for my turn at the podium I spend my time performing mini-stretches, isometric holds, and subtle
yoga poses with my neck, shoulders, arms, wrists, hands, back, torso, legs, and feet in order to
improve cardiovascular flow as well as to discharge nervous energy. As long as I'm discreet with these
movements, I don't appear like I have Tourette's syndrome to the audience.
A maxim with which I'm sure my fellow instructors and public speakers will heartily agree is that you
are always 'on display' to your audience, even before you appear on stage. Therefore, I always remain
hyper-aware of my body language both immediately prior to and immediately after giving a talk so as
not to inadvertently transmit mixed or negative signals to the audience.
The same body loosening suggestions apply for when I'm standing prior to giving a talk. Too much
movement is conspicuous (especially if I am standing at the front of the room already); however,
there are conservative yoga poses or stretches than can be undertaken that are practically invisible to
bystanders and other presentation attendees. I'd encourage you to do some research on posture,
stretching, ergonomics, and yoga for additional information.
My second suggestion, "Wiggle Your Toes," is related closely to this first topic.
2.Wiggle Your Toes
I referred to the 'wiggle your toes' tip in my related post "Three Good Public Speaking Tips." However,
it is a good suggestion and it bears repeating in this space.
When I was in elementary school my teacher told me when I was preparing go on stage to deliver a
speech during our third-grade play to "wiggle your toes and it will make your nervousness go away."
I'm not precisely certain what scientific method is at play behind the 'wiggle your toes' trick (I suspect
it has to do with the principle of distraction). Nevertheless, I recommend that you spend some or all
of your 'on deck' time in the minutes before you receive your stage cue wiggling your phalanges and
discover for yourself what effect, if any, this technique has on your fear/nervousness level. You may
be mildly or dramatically surprised.
3.Practice Deep Breathing
Stated simply, the practice of meditation, mindfulness, and deep breathing (they are all a single
concept, really) has changed my life. Before, during, and after a presentation, I'm aware of my
inbreaths and outbreaths. Doing so keeps me serene. Doing so delivers me from self-absorption and
allows me to focus on who and what are truly important: my students or audience, as well as the
information that I am obligated to pass along to the good people at the venue.
A great beginner's treatise on mindfulness and conscious breathing, in my opinion, is Thich Nhat
Hahn's The Miracle of Mindfulness.
You can also learn much about diaphragmatic breathing by searching the ol' Interweb. Check out the
following sites at your convenience:
Vacuuming the Lungs
Deep Breathing:
43 Folders: Mindfulness
I hope that you found this essay helpful. Surely, it seems to me that one could find benefit in these
suggestions even if you do not make your living as a teacher or as a professional speaker. After all,
almost everyone is asked to, say, offer a toast every once in a while, right? Or say a few words in
honor of a retiring colleague.
Have a great day.
Here's the setup: you are seated at the head table of a large banquet hall, waiting to be introduced.
You are about to deliver a keynote presentation to a gathering of several hundred executives in your
particular field of endeavor.
Are you feeling jittery? Do you have butterflies flippity-flapping around in the pit of your stomach?
Good. If you didn't feel a bit nervous, then I would be concerned that one or more of the following
were true:
1.You are too overconfident in your subject matter.
2.You are too arrogant in general
3.You have ingested too much alcohol and/or too many other mood-altering substances in the
previous 30-60 minutes
However, in my experience as a technical trainer, IT professional, and astute audience member I have
seen not an insignificant number of public speakers blow otherwise fine presentations by needlessly
psyching themselves out due to mishandled fear or over-jangling nerves.
In this brief essay I will share with you some suggestions passed along to me by my mentors that help
me to attain a comfortable level of serenity before I teach classes or deliver other types of public
presentations. Note well, friends: by serenity I am not for one minute referring to an attitude of
lethargic, monotonic, sleepwalking, yawn-inducing platform speech. That is misunderstood,
stereotypical 'serenity.'
Rather, I'm talking about a form of serenity, or stillness of mind, body, and heart, that involves being
freed from the bondage of fear and therefore being able to move, speak, and act confidently,
dynamically, and vibrantly from your core. I find that when I am speak from this 'serene-state,' for
lack of a better word, my mind is as sharp as a tack, and my energy is channeled on the audience and
the subject matter (where it belongs)—not on my self-centered fears (where it does not belong). Make
sense? All right—Let's get started.
Here are the serenity tips in a nutshell:
1.Loosen Your Body
2.Wiggle Your Toes
3.Practice Deep Breathing
1.Loosen Your Body
Regardless of whether I am seated or standing when I am 'on deck' prior to giving a talk, I always
take special care to maintain an open body posture. There is something to be said for body language,
folks.
I don't know about you, but whenever I see a platform speaker with his or her arms folded tightly
across his or her chest, legs crossed, etc., I think "this person is either defensive, nervous, or both."
Another strong argument in favor of keeping your body in a wide-open and relaxed posture, and
believe me, I'm no yogi by any means, is that by doing so you increase blood flow throughout your
body. It stands to reason, as far as I am personally concerned, that increased blood flow to the brain
leads to a decreased probability of light-headedness. Similarly, increased blood flow to the extremities
leads to a decreased probability of tingling, numb limbs. And so on.
When I am seated prior to giving a presentation, I sit with my back erect. That said, while I sit waiting
for my turn at the podium I spend my time performing mini-stretches, isometric holds, and subtle
yoga poses with my neck, shoulders, arms, wrists, hands, back, torso, legs, and feet in order to
improve cardiovascular flow as well as to discharge nervous energy. As long as I'm discreet with these
movements, I don't appear like I have Tourette's syndrome to the audience.
A maxim with which I'm sure my fellow instructors and public speakers will heartily agree is that you
are always 'on display' to your audience, even before you appear on stage. Therefore, I always remain
hyper-aware of my body language both immediately prior to and immediately after giving a talk so as
not to inadvertently transmit mixed or negative signals to the audience.
The same body loosening suggestions apply for when I'm standing prior to giving a talk. Too much
movement is conspicuous (especially if I am standing at the front of the room already); however,
there are conservative yoga poses or stretches than can be undertaken that are practically invisible to
bystanders and other presentation attendees. I'd encourage you to do some research on posture,
stretching, ergonomics, and yoga for additional information.
My second suggestion, "Wiggle Your Toes," is related closely to this first topic.
2.Wiggle Your Toes
I referred to the 'wiggle your toes' tip in my related post "Three Good Public Speaking Tips." However,
it is a good suggestion and it bears repeating in this space.
When I was in elementary school my teacher told me when I was preparing go on stage to deliver a
speech during our third-grade play to "wiggle your toes and it will make your nervousness go away."
I'm not precisely certain what scientific method is at play behind the 'wiggle your toes' trick (I suspect
it has to do with the principle of distraction). Nevertheless, I recommend that you spend some or all
of your 'on deck' time in the minutes before you receive your stage cue wiggling your phalanges and
discover for yourself what effect, if any, this technique has on your fear/nervousness level. You may
be mildly or dramatically surprised.
3.Practice Deep Breathing
Stated simply, the practice of meditation, mindfulness, and deep breathing (they are all a single
concept, really) has changed my life. Before, during, and after a presentation, I'm aware of my
inbreaths and outbreaths. Doing so keeps me serene. Doing so delivers me from self-absorption and
allows me to focus on who and what are truly important: my students or audience, as well as the
information that I am obligated to pass along to the good people at the venue.
A great beginner's treatise on mindfulness and conscious breathing, in my opinion, is Thich Nhat
Hahn's The Miracle of Mindfulness.
You can also learn much about diaphragmatic breathing by searching the ol' Interweb. Check out the
following sites at your convenience:
Vacuuming the Lungs
Deep Breathing:
43 Folders: Mindfulness
I hope that you found this essay helpful. Surely, it seems to me that one could find benefit in these
suggestions even if you do not make your living as a teacher or as a professional speaker. After all,
almost everyone is asked to, say, offer a toast every once in a while, right? Or say a few words in
honor of a retiring colleague.
Have a great day.
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