Practice Your Interview Techniques in a Mock Interview. As with every skill you've ever learned, you have to learn the technique and then practice, practice, practice. A mock interview will not only help you perfect your technique, but it will also allow you to get valuable feedback and coaching on your performance. Sue is an accomplished tennis player who has worked on her stroke and technique for many years. She has taken lessons from pros, and listened to their advice when they gave her their critiques. She is now graduating from college and has signed up for some on-campus interviews with recruiters.
She feels confident that she knows her subject and is a pretty good talker but decides advice from a professional would be a good idea. Working with a professional and getting feedback on your performance in a mock interview is similar to working with a sports coach to learn how to improve your game. Before Sue interviews with potential employers, she signs up for a mock interview at the campus career center. What Is a Mock Interview? Resume Critique Checklist. Resumes normally get less than a 15-second glance at the first screening. If someone has asked you to review his resume and you want to help him ensure it gets read -- or want to know if your own is up to par -- be sure you can answer yes to the following questions: First Impression Does the resume look original and not based on a template?
Is the resume inviting to read, with clear sections and ample white space? Does the design look professional rather than like a simple typing job? Appearance Does the resume provide a visually pleasing, polished presentation? Resume Sections Are all resume sections clearly labeled? Career Goal Is the career objective included toward the top of the resume in a headline, objective or qualifications summary? Accomplishments Does the resume include a solid listing of career accomplishments? Relevance Is the information relevant to hiring managers' needs? Writing Style Articles in This Feature: Let an expert write you a job-winning resume and cover letter. How to Use Numbers on Your Resume. Suppose you're a hiring manager looking at resumes. Which of the following statements would impress you more? Wrote news releases. Wrote 25 news releases in a three-week period under daily deadlines.
Clearly, the second statement carries more weight. Why? Because it uses numbers to quantify the writer's accomplishment, giving it a context that helps the interviewer understand the degree of difficulty involved in the task. Numbers are powerful resume tools that will help your accomplishments get the attention they deserve from prospective employers. Think Money Organizations are and always will be concerned about money. Identified, researched and recommended a new Internet service provider, cutting the company's online costs by 15 percent. Think Time You've heard the old saying, "Time is money," and it's true. Assisted with twice-monthly payroll activities, ensuring employees were paid as expected and on time. Think Amounts Don't fall into the trap of excluding numbers. Become a Resume Wizard: Customize Your Resume for Best Results. You have a resume, but it's not working as well as you'd like it to.
What can you do to increase the number of calls you receive for job interviews? Customize your resume. Submitting the same resume for every position can't possibly meet each employer's individual requirements. If you want to grab hiring managers' attention, you need to give them what they want. You must take the time to tailor your resume to each employer and its goals to strengthen your chance of getting noticed. Before responding to a job posting, review the job description to see what credentials are important. The most efficient way to create customized resumes is to develop one general resume and then tweak it for each particular job opportunity. Copy Your Monster Resume Before you apply for your next job on Monster, log into your My Monster account.
Title Your Monster resume title should state your career goal, along with one or two of your top credentials. Objective Qualifications Summary Job Descriptions Skills. Get Ready to Get Out There. Informational Interviewing: 10 Tips to Prepare. Informational interviewing is a largely overlooked process, because it is misunderstood. In an informational interview, you are seeking leads and information regarding an industry, a career path or an employer by talking to people you know or who have been referred to you. But before you run out and begin informational interviewing, you have to do your homework. Follow these 10 tips to prepare: Identify the Information You Want Deciding which position, company or industry you want to learn about will depend on what you want to do with your life and career.
Make a List of People You Know Choose those who can help you connect to other people within a company or an industry. Make the Appointment Set up a 15- to 30-minute interview with the person identified, regarding his specialty. Plan an Agenda for the Session This is your meeting. Conduct Yourself as a ProfessionalDress and act the role of the position you are seeking. Show Interest A little flattery goes a long way. Get Names.