stop claiming subjective traits on your resume

stop claiming subjective traits on your resume stop claiming subjective traits on your resume Do you have anything like the following on your resume?excellent written and oral communication skillsstrong initiativevisionary leadercreative innovatorable to present strategic concepts clearly and persuasivelyIf so, remove it Remove it allYour resume is for experience and accomplishments only. Its not the place for subjective traits that anyone could claim without evidence. Moreover, hiring managers generally ignore anything subjective that an applicant writes about herself, because so many peoples self-assessments are wildly inaccurate what theyre looking for on your resume are facts.Heres the thing If you really are a visionary leader, or you have strong written communication skills, or you have a track record of taking initiative, the way to demonstrate that is by including accomplishments that demonstrate those traits.Employers want to landsee evidenceof the traits youre claiming, not just proclamations.So What have you done what have you achieved that illustrates your work ethic, or your great writing, or your amazing customer service skills, or whatever else it is that you want employers to see that you have? Thats what belongs on your resume.

What To Do When The Recruiter Doesnt Call Back

What To Do When The Recruiter Doesnt Call BackWhat To Do When The Recruiter Doesnt Call BackINBOX Hi, Jewel. For the 2nd time in 2 weeks a recruiter found me and called me. I heard all about the positions, said I was interested, and they said they would arrange next steps. But both times Ive heard nothing, and I cant get either of them on the phone, plus Ive sent schmelzglass.When the phone rings and the email pings, the emotional rush is on. Its like, Finally Yes Somebody wants to take a look at me and have an actual conversationThat high you get when a real person calls you about a real opportunity can quickly turn into a low when nothing comes to pass. While there isnt always a cut and dried solution to tracking down that particular ghost recruiter and getting them to respond, you can devote your energy to other elements of your job search that wont leave you waiting and hoping, but will have you more squarely on the path to the roles you ideally want.What Do You Ideally Want, Any way?The answer is not just that you want the person to call you. That only seems nice on the surface. Plus, you cant control what other people do and when they do it, so dont lose mental energy trying to, and definitely dont give away your power.Take control of your conversations. Key to doing so over and over when youre in active job search mode is to learn how to clearly, engagingly say what you want.The fundamental question, though the actual words can be phrased 100 different ways, is, So, what do you do? The voreingestellt reply most of the time when youre speaking in a conversation is to provide some factual description of your current or most recent job.Nope.You werent asked what a project manager does, or what a marketing director does. The question is, What do YOU do? Lets take that 1 step further and pretend the question is, What do you want to do? The answer to that should automatically veer away from history (which is boring, sorry), and lean toward whats going on right now today.Heres how a clear, engaging response can sound Im in chemical engineering, most recently for DuPont. Now Im looking at companies like Astra Zeneca, McNeil, and Johnson & Johnson for Senior Researcher roles, because what I really want to do is have my hands on a scientific breakthrough that impacts public health.That answer conveys excitement it sounds like youre on the edge of pouring your heart into meaningful work. That answer also clearly tells he other person where you used to be, but much more importantly where youre looking to go. When youre specific, the other persons wheels may start turning, and they may be able to provide you with useful information or a relevant contact.Once You Know What To Say, How Do You Say It To Get Results?Direct contact with a relevant decision maker means all the difference between your job search being a long and winding road, or being the shortest straight line from A to B.It matters how you say what you want and how you ask for help , because youll either get the help or youll continue to get ignored.Find something in common with the person youre approaching. Jobseekers who get hired fast will not only research the company, but they will also research the individual.Some Internet stalking will take you far here. The Google Machine is the prime place to start. See what comes up when you enter the persons name articles, media mentions, awards, etc. Twitter is your next best resource. What does the person like to talk about when they get social? And dont overlook LinkedIn. Look at the persons activity and groups to find a point of commonality.Eliminate extra thought and extra work for the person youre approaching, especially when you dont know them. Instead of wasting time and space with a preamble telling them how much you value their time, show them you value their time by getting to the point of what you want to ask.Additionally, ask for 1 thing, and 1 thing only. That 1 thing is not, if you know of anybody. I know a lot of anybodys. But if I have to invest the time to wonder and guess at who you might need, the response will take a lot longer if a response comes at all.Heres what an ask can look like Joe I saw your post on the 3 steps you to raise team engagement, and Im going to steal your 2 strategy for myself Regarding a post I came across for a Researcher II role with your organization, and I applied. My background is chemical engineering, most recently for DuPont. I really want to have my hands on a scientific breakthrough that impacts public health. Are you open to a 5-minute call this week? Id certainly appreciate your insights.Make a regular habit of submitting your application, and virtually at the same time, reaching out to a relevant person with a clear, simple message. This puts some control back in your hands, so you dont continue to be slave to the job boards, and living on a hope and a prayer that a recruiter may call.Successful job search isnt an either / or scenario. Sh ould I apply online or should I email the decision maker? People get hired because they take control of the things they can control in their job search, and they execute with an and / plus mentality. Im going to identify the role(s) I want, apply the regular way, then find a way into the organization through a real human being. Its important to do not just those steps, but all your steps in the right order. Find out what you need to do, and when to do it with maximum impact, using our new Cheat Sheet over and over again pursue the opportunities they know perfectly well theyre qualified for, and land those jobs.

9 SelfImprovement Strategies for Engineers

9 SelfImprovement Strategies for Engineers 9 SelfImprovement Strategies for Engineers Its all goodyouve graduated with a degree in engineering and landed a good job with an engineering firm that promises a stimulating environment and maybe even some interesting travel. Youre all set, right?Not necessarilyengineering is a competitive field and, as evidenced during the Great Recession, susceptible to big layoffs when the economy takes a dive. So what you can do in your first five years as a professional engineer to strengthen your long-term career and make you stand out from the competition? Here are some pointers from Carl Vieth, director of corporate education for the department of engineering professional development, University of Wisconsin-Madison.Learn the business.What is the core business strategy, how is company revenue made, and what are key sources of growth? Seek out opportunities to work with a diverse cross-section of business units within the company, including HR, manuf acturing, sales, marketing, and customer service. You may also find that your company offers boot-camp style learning opportunities that will give you a deeper understanding of your industry.Develop a love affair with your customers.Understand their business better than you understand your own and learn how your customers make money. Request assignments that allow you to work directly at a customer site be inquisitive about their needs and strive to understand how you can solve their problems. Regularly read market publications and familiarize yourself with what industry analysts are saying. Know your customers competitive marketplace and understand who their key competitors are, as well as the relative strength of the competitions value proposition relative to that of your customer, says Smith.Learn the upstream supply chain.Understand the sources and producers of inputs to your business. Become familiar with the variety of options available that you can bring to your organization. Strive to keep on top of technical innovations, both within your field and other engineering and technology disciplines.Dont stop learning.College has left you woefully unprepared for many of the challenges you will face (its true). Becoming an effective communicator, team member or leader, or project manager are worthy goals to aggressively pursue. Seeking out professional development activities related to growing your soft skills will drive professional growth in dimensions you never knew existed, says Smith.Keep your technical skills current.Join a professional society and participate as an active member. Share what you learn with your colleagues at work. If your local work group does elend have a journal club or study circle, consider starting one. Engineering associations also provide professional learning opportunities, including short courses and online learning. Search for universities that are active in providing technical education in your field.Find a coach.Being indepen dent types, engineers often feel they have to do it alone. Find a coach within the organization who can provide valuable advice, direction, and support. More important than having technical credibility, your coach should be adept at navigating the organization. Find the engineer who business leaders and customers seek out when they want to get an answer or solve a problem, advises Smith. Once youve established the relationship, honor it by listening carefully, following the advice, and carrying yourself in ways that will make your coach proud.Seek out new challenges and challenging assignments.The term stretch assignment defines an opportunity to challenge your knowledge, skills, and creativity in new and different ways. Challenging assignments take you out of your comfort zone and provide you with opportunities to set yourself apart.Critique your performance.Practice your new skills and try to be self-aware and realistic about how youre progressing. New abilities dont come easily a nd those who excel in their own personal development take advantage of opportunities that sharpen their skills and grow their knowledge base through practice.Think about the next step in your education.You wont get far without a graduate degree and you need to start planning, Smith advises. A few years of work experience will allow you to make the most of your next learning opportunity and to rediscover the joy in formal learning.Mark Crawford is an independent writer.Seeking out professional development activities related to growing your soft skills will drive professional growth in dimensions you never knew existed.Carl Vieth, University of Wisconsin-Madison