Tag Archives: resume

TIME FOR TOUGH LOVE

Posted on March 28, 2013 | Leave a comment

resumewritingtipsBY: Adam Gavriel

It’s time to set the record straight here, America.

A bit of tough love here, but it has to be said. You are NOT going to find work if you give up looking for work. A job is not going to fall straight on your doorstep if you’re patient enough; you have to be willing to go out and fight for it.

Some economists will have you believe that America’s economy is on the upswing when presented with a chart showing the unemployment rate decreasing steadily. What is not visible on that chart however is how many American’s have just plain exited the work force.

A report published earlier this month by Forbes.com reports:

“The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported unemployment fell to 7.7% from 7.9%, but the drop was at least partially attributable to a decline in labor force participation, Baker says. The employment-to-population ratio (EPOP) was unchanged at 58.6 percent, exactly the same as the rate in February of 2012 and just 0.4 percentage points above the low hit in the summer of 2011. This compares with an EPOP of 63.0 percent in 2007, pre-crisis.”

The only thing more discouraging about this statistic are the Americans who are looking for work, but essentially not even trying anymore.

Recently here at Crossroads Consulting a resume was submitted to us that really hit home in a very depressing way. To avoid any conflicts of interest, and to protect the identity of this applicant who we are trying to work with, we will just post a few snips from their resume so you can avoid these mistakes in the future.

In addition, please, if you are not comfortable with your resume contact us immediately. We have a highly recommended resume service that can help you most effectively optimize your resume for the eyes of employers.

The resume we received went as follows:

“Objective: To find a job in a sea of joblessness.”

The ‘Objective’ of your resume will be the first thing any recruiter or HR manager reads. This applicant did everyone in that business a favor. The average HR Manager spends six seconds looking at a resume. This applicant brought the average down to whatever time it takes to hit the delete key.

But it gets worse.

Instead of listing their internship experience under work history, the applicant listed it as a part of their education section. As was the case with all other job history written on the resume by the applicant, there was no description of what the duties of the jobs entailed.  Not to mention under job history, the applicant included “currently unemployed.”

This resume was just an absolute train wreck. What makes it TRULY sad was that it was avoidable. There are unlimited resources available with a simple Google search about putting together a strong resume. You do not have to have a listing of accomplishments a mile long to have a good resume to get yourself under serious consideration for a position.

As we look back and monitor the number of Americans who have just given up altogether, what about those still in the job market not really even trying anymore. We have hit a serious inflection point in America’s history at the moment, and we can go one of two ways. Everyone works together to get the economy going again, or we continue down a mediocre path where nothing happens.

It pains us here at Crossroads Consulting that we even had to mention this kind of resume in a blog post. If you have been following along here at OutOfOurMind.net you know how many times we have posted resources about how to bring your resume to an optimal level. We want to make sure nobody is sending horrific resumes like this one to any recruiter or HR manager, not just us. It does not help and helping people is the central tenant of our mission statement. It is why we are in this business.

Our main goal here is to get Americans working again. Whether it is through a position that we place the person in or not, if our system helped your resume or interview preparation skills, then we have done our job.

Even if all this article did was get you thinking, that is something for us to be proud of.

Please visit our website and feel free to send your resume our way for critique and helpful tips. And while you’re there, feel free to take a look at our job openings from across the nation that we are looking to fill TODAY.

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Posted in Crossroads Consulting, LLC, Hiring Company News, Interviewing, Job Seeker News, Resume

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SUBMITTING RESUMES TO A BLACK HOLE

Posted on February 7, 2013 | 4 Comments

BY: Adam Gavriel

When you’re looking for a job, it might be best to search for recruiters, or smaller job boards, rather than the company’s website that you’re looking for.

This may seem like an odd concept to you, but think about it. If you’re submitting your resume through the company’s own website, you’re file is just another blip on the radar in the companies feed of resumes for that day.

In this Sunday’s New York Times, the author referred to this process as “submitting your resume to a black hole.” This trend will only continue to grow the more important the internet becomes in the hiring process.

Best case scenario for searching for a new job these days seems to be having an “in” with the company that you’re looking at. Knowing a current employee of the company who can put your resume in the hands of the right people.

The article reports:

“Some, like Ernst & Young, the accounting firm, have set ambitious internal goals to increase the proportion of hirings that come from internal referrals. As a result, employee recommendations now account for 45 percent of nonentry-level placements at the firm, up from 28 percent in 2010.”

“The company’s goal is 50 percent. Others, such as Deloitte and Enterprise Rent-A-Car, have begun offering prizes like iPads and large-screen TVs in addition to traditional cash incentives for employees who refer new hires.”

Ernst & Young nearly doubled their new hires from employee recommendations. This is a trend that is here to stay. And judging by their goal of 50% in-house recommendation hires, you can believe they’re going to continue to trend upwards; making it that much harder for the thousands of people who are submitting their resumes online with no destination in sight.

Unfortunately for many, the connections we have are either unavailable to help at the moment, or are simply unapproachable. This can be due in large part to the fact that many Americans are currently suffering from long-term unemployment and haven’t been able to make new connections in the professional world. According to the Times, 4.8 million Americans have been out of work for 27 weeks or more, three times as many as in late 2007.

These are numbers that are just simply unacceptable as the American economy continues to rise and fall, rise and fall, with no level consistencies to be found.

Think about it this way. If you take a look at our website over at Crossroads Consulting, you’re going to see over 50 job postings across the nation that we’re looking to fill for companies today. By going through us, rather than the company itself, we can guarantee that someone will actually be looking at your resume with an open mind, and once we get it, it will go right into the hands of the important people at the hiring company. This seems infinitely better than the system where you just hit ‘submit resume’ and pray that it’s all going to click at that moment.

Referred candidates are twice as likely to land an interview over other applicants. Let us, the recruiter, be your referral and gateway into the organization.

We want to help. Our job is to get you working again and we are here to help. Remember here at Crossroads Consulting we are trying to put the ‘human’ back into ‘human resources.’

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Posted in Crossroads Consulting, LLC, Hiring Company News, Interviewing, Job Seeker News, Resume

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THE C-R-C OF JOB SEEKING

Posted on November 21, 2012 | Leave a comment

BY: Adam Gavriel

As you may or may not know there are three key pieces to getting hired in today’s market. Well, really everything you do is an important part of the hiring process, but most employers are going to be looking for the key three. These being, of course, the cover letter, resume, and what cannot be measured tangibly, connections. I know we have posted here many times resume tips and cover letter tips, but it never hurts to refresh the memories. And as the unemployment rate remains higher than anyone would like it to be, we feel as if a fresh reminder can’t hurt.

However instead of just going for pure tips here in this post, we are going to remind you why all three elements are necessary, and very important.

First off, the cover letter.

I find it hard to believe that the cover letter has become a lost art, one in which is rarely used anymore. I can count on one hand the amount of resumes I get per day with a cover letter. Trust me, I do read them. That’s not to say I don’t give equal consideration to a resume without a cover letter, I do. But what if the job includes a necessity for writing skills? You better believe that a cover letter can help in your consideration there. Just like your college essays (remember those?) a cover letter can help differentiate between two very similar candidates. Make sure you write your cover letters. Make sure they are personalized to the hiring manager (researching and finding their name can go a long way in your consideration for the position) who is easy enough to find on most companies websites. Make sure they get the employer to flip the page, or scroll through the e-mail to your resume.

Now everyone’s favorite, the resume.

Resumes are simple in concept but tough to master. It’s hard to make a great resume. So many factors go into the creation of a resume, personalizing it to your liking, getting your objective and work experience in there all while trying to limit it to one page. Remember, most hiring managers use only 6 seconds of their time to peruse a resume. You have to make an impact, and fast. Mix up your verbs. Nobody wants to read a resume that shows how you “managed” 100 times over. Make sure your relevant experience to the position you are applying for is readily accessible. And try to keep it to one page!

Finally, what most people don’t consider but ALWAYS should, connections.

Everyone you have met and you will ever meet is a potential connection. Old boss? Connection. Old Co-worker? Connection. Try not to burn any bridges in life, because you never know who can come in handy in the future. And that’s not saying that you should be “using” people, but if the opportunity presents itself where an old acquaintance can get your foot in the door, you better jam your foot right in there.

There are many professionals out there who will tell you that they have not even had to use a resume or cover letter to obtain a position solely due to connections, and they aren’t lying.

At Crossroads Consulting we strive to be the ultimate connection. With job openings to over 50 positions nationwide we’re here to help you get your foot in the door to that position. Of course, we’ll need to see a resume (and preferably a cover letter as well) we’re here to get Americans back to work. As true patriots we are horrified at the current unemployment rate and are striving to return it to a normal percentage. We understand that times are tough, that you may have even given up on seeking employment these days, but we implore you to get us your resume TODAY so we can start helping.

If you’re not confident in your resume or interviewing skills, we have the ability to help you there as well. Our staff wants to be there from point A to Z in securing you the position as we are here to put the ‘human’ back into ‘human resources’

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RESUME TIPS

Posted on August 29, 2012 | Leave a comment

BY: Adam Gavriel

In times of uncertain employment, we cannot preach enough here on the blog how important a resume is in your potential successes of landing a job. Unfortunately what we see some times are resumes that are not nearly complete enough in order to grab and keep the attention of the HR manager or recruiter you’re sending your credentials to. Remember, on average these employees who separate the resume pile from “call backs” to “trash” spend an average of 6 seconds looking at your resume. Now, at Crossroads Consulting we take the time to look at the resume from top to bottom, but most HR managers do not practice this system. Continue reading →

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YOUR RESUME NEEDS TO BE RIGHT

Posted on July 10, 2012 | Leave a comment

BY: Steven Murray, Special to Out of Our Mind

Simple ways to avoid common resume errors

For job seekers, a good resume is their best bet for getting an interview call. However, many applicants may find preparing a resume a challenging task. It is, in fact, quite easy to unknowingly make mistakes such as typing errors in your resume. Errors in a resume can cost you dearly and, so, it is necessary that you pay attention to all small details and ensure that your resume is error-free and well crafted.

To help you prepare an impeccable resume, we present some common resume blunders and also show how you can avoid them-

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SPRING CLEANING

Posted on March 22, 2012 | Leave a comment

BY: Adam Gavriel

When it’s March 21stin Buffalo and outside there are people tanning, in shorts or t-shirts, throwing a football around, you know something has to be wrong. That’s one of the signs of Armageddon in Revelations isn’t it?

One of the warmest winters in recent history has come to a close and the start of spring is just around the corner. Finally, here at the University at Buffalo it looks like a college with people outside congregating and doing the things you see on every college flyer, handbook and website instead of avoiding snow covered roads and running for cover in the comfort of nearby buildings.

What usually happens though at this time of year is that many American’s will engage in the yearly tradition of spring cleaning when early April rolls around. Like a New Year’s Resolution, spring cleaning can come in many different forms. Of course there’s the obvious straightening up your home, changing the air fresheners to that sort of resemblance of the smell of flowers or as in-between-the-lines as it gets of cleaning up everything.

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Posted in Crossroads Consulting, LLC, Hiring Company News, Interviewing, Job Seeker News, Resume, Social Media

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RESUMES…GETTING THEM RIGHT

Posted on November 7, 2011 | Leave a comment

BY: ADAM GAVRIEL

If you’re using your resume to get you a job, here’s a piece of advice – STOP!

The resume’s sole purpose in the job hunt is to allow you to be introduced to the employer and hope that one sheet of paper impresses that person enough to get you in the door for an interview.

Last week in class, my MGO 403 (Strategic Management) instructor informed the class that most HR professionals or head hunters spend on average six to eight seconds looking at a resume. If that is in fact the case, those six to eight seconds is the amount of time that you’ll have to impress the person looking at your resume. Although when I get a resume sent to my email, I like to spend more than seven seconds looking at it there a few things I’m looking for right away.

Continue reading →

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YOU WANT TO DO WHAT?

Posted on July 14, 2011 | 1 Comment

Resume Objective

BY: Adam Gavriel

Searching for a job right now? Take a look at your resume quick. If next to the objective you have something like “Looking to obtain a job in the marketing field” you have already found one of your problems. There’s a reason your objective is to be placed at the top of the resume and that’s because it is the gateway to the rest of your experiences and skills. It is used to prepare the reader, and hopefully future employer, about what your resume entails and what kind of skills you have built up over the years. However above all, you can use your resume to show the employer that you’re interested in helping them, but not just yourself.

Take a look back at the objective at the top of the blog here: “Looking to obtain a job in the marketing field.” One way to easily beef up this objective would be to simply add “Looking to obtain a job in the marketing field where I can apply my social media skills.” Right away you’re showing the employer what you’re all about, or what your biggest strength in the marketing field is. Then when the reader continues to read further down your resume they don’t need to be surprised that you have experience with social media.

Let’s take it even further.

When an employer is thinking about hiring a new employee they’re not thinking about how they can help that employee but how that employee can help their firm. Knowing this it’s never a bad thing to show the employer that you’re interested in applying your skills not to further your career but to aid the firm in their ultimate goal. “Looking to obtain a job in the marketing field where I can apply my social media skills in order to build and maintain rapport with clientele.” This objective notes that the main goal of this firm is to increase consumer opinion via social media. Going back to a few weeks ago where we blogged about researching the company before you interview, it would also be of great importance to research a company before you write your resume. If you can learn what the main goal of that firm is, and can somehow work it into your resume’s objective the hiring firm will know you’re serious when you send in your resume.

If this same firm’s main goal with social media was to increase consumer activity or consumer spending, that would work in the objective too: “Looking to obtain a job in the marketing field where I can utilize my social media skills in order to build sales and consumer loyalty.”

Right off the bat an objective that appeals directly to the firm will be of greater importance to the hiring manager rather than an objective that is bland, or only in place to build up the interviewee.

This is just one part of what Crossroads Consulting can offer you with our resume service. We will tackle your resume from top to bottom increasing its efficiency and making sure that when an employer reads your resume it best outlines your skills and presents you perfectly.

Remember that we’re always updating our job openings and also make sure to like us on facebook, and follow us on twitter!

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PRESENTING YOURSELF

Posted on June 17, 2011 | Leave a comment

BY: Adam Gavriel

When you look in the mirror what do you see?

Do you see a successful; did whatever they could in life, no regrets man or woman staring back at you? Probably, if you’re human.

We grow up our whole lives with our mothers telling us how great we are. With significant others and spouses telling us we’re perfect and we have nothing we need to change about ourselves (most of the time…maybe).

Now if only your mother was the person who was doing the hiring at a firm, you’d get the job 100 times out of 100. Unfortunately (for all of us) this isn’t the case.

The hiring process is all about presentation.

Interning for Crossroads Consultingfor about 2 months now I have seen many resumes come through the job postings I have on the internet. Now I’m no expert as my resume, interview, and cover letter skills all come from a course I took at the University at Buffalo (MGG 300) but I know what is pleasing to the eye.

Flashy fonts, colors other than black, graphics are all unnecessary on a resume. Some of those may even make you come off as unprofessional to employers. If hiring managers had it their way, there would be one absolute set way to present yourself in a resume, unfortunately there isn’t. There are many ways to develop a successful resume, and it’s all about presenting yourself.

If you’ve been keeping up with the blog here on Out of Our Mind, you’ll know that we have blogged before about quick resume tips (see the Three R’s to Resume Writing).

Quick tips won’t solve everything.

What will solve everything is taking the time to let a professional look at your resume. Or if you’re not comfortable with that, hand your resume to a friend and see what they think. Ask them key questions like: How do you think I presented myself here? If you were a hiring manager, would you keep this resume?

Fortunately there are services out there that can help you. At Crossroads Consulting we offer resume optimizationservices that will help you best present your abilities to an employer.

What many lose sight of in their plight to perfect their resume is the fact that it’s not all about the resume. The resume is just the gateway, only used by employers to judge who gets an interview. Why would an employer give an interview to someone who can’t present themselves well?

I wouldn’t.

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UNEMPLOYMENT TIME IS NOT VACATION TIME

Posted on June 8, 2011 | Leave a comment

BY: Adam Gavriel

While managing the Crossroads Consulting twitter @EmploymentDepotI came across a tweet that really engaged my interest as it read along the lines of: “Use your time unemployed to better yourself and discover new interests. Knowledge is power” forgive me as I seem to have trouble finding it now and don’t remember it word for word.

It got me thinking. Knowing now that roughly 70% of Americans know someone who is currently out of work and looking for it, while many of that same 70% know someone who has given up on the hopes of finding a new job. This is the kind of tweet that should reach millions and hopefully change the perspective they may have on their current life predicament.

Unfortunately (for the sake of this blog) I cannot relate to the many Americans out there today out of work, at the young age of 21 I’ve been lucky enough to come across steady part-time jobs as I need them while never having the burden of looking for full time work. I can however understand that time unemployed can be a very frustrating time. Bills piling up with no income to pay them off with, feeling like there is no end in sight. Feeling stuck in employment purgatory as a cartoon I saw today explains…

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As part of putting the “human” back in human resources as our mission, Crossroads Consulting has tweeted and blogged many things to help you get out of the rut you may find yourself in.

Blogs on resume, cover letter, and interview tips are out there everywhere (including here on out of our mind) to help set you aside from the competition. If it helps your field, maybe try learning a new skill to put on your resume. Work with computers? Try learning Flash, HTML, C++ or other types of programming tools that you can put on a resume in a field highlighted with the title “Computer Skills” to gain an employer’s attention.

It may not be the free time you WANT but it’s the free time you HAVE to do what YOU want to do with it. Why not spend it making yourself appear better? Crossroads Consulting can help you on this path. With upwards of 50 job openings on the website, resume optimization services and interview preparation Crossroads Consulting is here to get you back into that 9-5 grind you hate while you’re in but crave when it’s gone.

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Posted in Crossroads Consulting, LLC, Hiring Company News, Interviewing, Job Seeker News, Resume

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