Updating your resume for the new year

A few tips for updating your resume for the new year:

1. Show your results – Don’t use the space on your resume to list the duties of your job. Use it to highlight the results you achieved for your current and past employers in numbers (for example, number of employees hired or supervised, $$ of budget or increase in sales, % of new business increased or expenses reduce, major accomplishments.) Show them what you've achieved for your last employer. Let them picture you doing it for them.

2. Focus on the job you want, not the job you have. Check out some online job descriptions for the job you want. Make sure the words you use in your resume match the industry/organization's language. Use your resume to shows you:

• have done your homework,
• know the business and
• can translate your current skills and abilities to make their company a success.

3. Count your words & tell the story in highlights. If your sentences are over 10-15 words long, make them more succinct and straight forward. See #1 above.)

4. Don’t rely on your resume to get you a job. Resumes may be lost, thrown away, deleted or missed in a data base search. A large percentage of hiring still depends on who you know and referrals. Make sure you spend the bulk of your time on informational interviews, making a positive impression on the hiring manager and demonstrating the ability and willingness to do a great job for the organization.

Learn Something New Every Day!

Ok, scratch yesterday's suggestion. I've been reading Dr. Carol Dweck's book "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success," and learned that it's actually the trying, even when you fail, and following up to learn that leads to greater success. Practice doesn't make perfect (a fixed mindset would want that), but it does lead to more growth and learning (a growth mindset.) So how about this, write down three things you tried today and whether you succeeded or failed. It's the trying and practice that leads to growth that matters. Writing down successes is just patting yourself (myself) on the back for getting the easy stuff done.

I'm reminded of my favorite author Susan Jeffer's book, "Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway." Successes that don't cost anything aren't really successes. They're just away to avoid the hard stuff. Now if I could just remember that each day a little bit more.

Have a great week!

Happy 2008!

Welcome to 2008! If 2007 went by in a blur and you can't recall all the great things you did and find yourself overwhelmed by the "to do" list for 2008, try this: (1) Buy or create a 2008 calendar. A small notebook or pocket calendar will do. (2) commit to writing down 3 of your successes each day. At the end of each month, you'll have nearly 100 successes. At the end of the year, nearly 1000 successes. (3) review your successes on a monthly basis and evaluate whether you want to keep on the same course or re-focus your priorities. My goals for 2008? To eat 3 fruits a day; visit weight watchers once a week; record 3 successes a day; and continue to build Polish Your Star. Feel free to help keep me honest.;0)