Are your “Highlights of Qualifications” reflecting your most relevant skills or are they “fluff” on your resume?
Highlights of Qualifications or Skills Summary, is an extremely important section on your resume; however most job seekers are not utilizing this opportunity to sell their best skills to an employer and place themselves ahead of the competition.
Highlights of Qualifications or Skills Summary is located near the top of the resume usually below the job objective. Unfortunately, many job seekers use this section to place generic skills which take up space and do not promote their skills adequately for the job in which they are applying. It only takes a few minutes but this section of the resume should change to reflect the position in which you are applying. When deciding what to incorporate in to the Highlights or Qualifications or Skills Summary section, ask yourself: “Am I targeting the position in which I am applying?” “Is my resume standing out from the competition?” “Will employers notice my resume?”
If you are not sure if your resume is selling your skills effectively, come into VCCS Employment Services and we can show you how to best effectively sell your skills.
9 Questions That Will Impress Your Interviewer
John Kador, Monster Contributing Writer
Based on my interviews with dozens of recruiters, human resource professionals and job coaches, here are nine of the most memorable questions candidates can ask:
1. What exactly does this company value the most, and how do you think my work for you will further these values?
2. What kinds of processes are in place to help me work collaboratively?
3. In what area could your team use a little polishing?
4. What’s the most important thing I can accomplish in the first 60 days?
5. Can you give me some examples of the most and least desirable aspects of the company’s culture?
6. Am I going to be a mentor or will I be mentored?
7. How will you judge my success? What will have happened six months from now that will demonstrate that I have met your expectations?
8. This job sounds like something I’d really like to do — is there a fit here?
9. Now that we’ve talked about my qualifications and the job, do you have any concerns about my being successful in this position?
Use these questions as prototypes for questions based on the particulars of the position you are interviewing for. Make them your own and polish them until their shine reflects on you. Asking questions like these is not for the faint of heart but, then again, neither is succeeding in today’s competitive job market.
This article was originally published on Monster.com.
How often do you update your Facebook status? Or Tweet your latest revelation about your industry? How savvy are your social media skills? I ask because these skills are becoming increasingly useful for finding and landing jobs.
Social media job searching is no joke. It’s happening and there are plenty of success stories to prove it.
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs, are all tools that companies, recruiters, and job seekers are using to find jobs, post jobs, and seek out potential candidates. Sure some of the opportunities that arise out of social media are serendipitous, like the bloggers that have landed book or movie deals, but it happens.
Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are networking tools. They are designed to connect you with friends, family, and employers.
It is important to note that as a job seeker, you need to exercise caution when using these tools as recreational methods of keeping in touch with friends and relatives... It is also possible to Facebook yourself right out of a job!
How many times have to you caught yourself procrastinating on Facebook?
You know what I’m talking about right?
Looking at pictures (sometimes of people you don’t know), reading status updates, finding out who’s doing what and when.
It’s addictive.
Despite the voyeur attraction of Facebook, it’s also proven to be a valuable job search too. Job searchers post status updates about the type of work they’re looking for; Employers post hiring updates.
There is more to this nosey social media tool than catching up with old friends, or looking at strangers.
But, there are boundaries and discretion is advised if you’re going to create an account, or use this application on a regular basis.
While employers may post they’re looking to hire, beware they can just as easily use Facebook to investigate and judge you based on your profile.
