Why You Need a Good Resume for Landing a Job

One of the most important and commonest questions job aspirants ask is, "Should I waste my time in creating a good and impressive resume?" Experts who have always been involved with giving career advice and guidance opine that having a good resume is very, very important. According to them, their opinion is not just about the resume alone. If you delve deep, you will find their advice more fascinating than what meets the eye.

You may have acquired various types of qualifications. Similarly, you may have worked in various capacities and gained experience. You may have developed a passion for a hobby or may have interest in an activity. Your life may consist of a few note-worthy accomplishments as well.

But when you decide to seriously begin your career journey, you cannot go about it in a haphazard manner. Despite your qualifications, experience, knowledge, expertise, and your passion towards your hobby or activities, no one in the world is aware of them. At the same time, you may think that by sending as many job applications as possible, you will be increasing your chances of landing a job. But remember that your so-so resume will not impress any of the employers to whom you send your applications.

There is also another group of job aspirants to which you may belong as well. This group may chicken out and hesitate to load their resume with details of all their qualifications, expertise, knowledge, achievements, and accomplishments because according to them, this may be akin to blowing one's own trumpet. But unless they put all this information in their resume, employers may not come to know of them. This means that if you do not pull your courage together and if you keep hesitating to tell the world about your details, you may never be able to land a job of your choice.  

Remember that time is one of the major constraints faced by employers. Though they require the most suitable employees for their organizations, it may not be possible for them to look for or search for the right employees. Your resume is a very useful tool that will help them in deciding that you are the right person for the job.    

Don't be unduly worked up as to how to prepare your resume. You have several technologies that can unburden your mind of the terrifying thoughts as to how to go about it. Of course, you have experts who can help you in this task as well.

To sum up, your Facebook or Twitter accounts are not yours. They belong to Facebook and Twitter. But your resume is yours and you have complete control over it. In fact, your resume is not just a document but it is an "impression creator." How prospective employers will perceive you depends on your resume, and the words and the message on it. In short, your resume should make the employers understand your value. It should help you in selling you and the services you are offering. So, spend time and prepare a good resume. You will soon land a job you have been aspiring for.

Washing Machine and Your Choice of Career

You may certainly have a washing machine in your home. But have you ever paused for a moment and recalled how you bought the appliance? You might have done your research online, made inquiries with your friends, or might have visited the showroom personally so you can get guidance from the "omniscient" sales people there. Conversely put, the washing machine makers or those who deal with the item may have made enormous promotional efforts so it reaches consumers like you.

Let us look at how a washing machine is promoted:

1. There may be graphics or description texts on the box in which the appliance is packed.

2. Makers or dealers of the washing machine may have described the product on their websites or they may have done some other form of advertising.

3. They may have advertised the item during commercial breaks on the television.

But is that all? There may be hundreds of other steps, more particularly, related to marketing, involved in bringing the washing machine to you. Let us take for example the box in which the appliance is packed. The manufacturer may have got the box custom-made and so, the services of a packaging company may have been sought. In turn, the packaging company might have promoted their services through sales letters, ads, emails, press releases, and of course, their websites.

Like packaging, there are a number of other steps such as procuring the electronic gizmo that is used within the washing machine, etc. involved in bringing the appliance to consumers. Of course, steps like conducting demos, posting letters, sending emails, posting ads, responding through auto-responders, and training the sales force are important as well and hence, are carried out before the appliance reaches consumers like you.  

What is the connection between all these and your choice of career? Just the manufacture of a washing machine and bringing it to the consumer itself offers several opportunities. This means that if you take into account all the products or services that are now available to consumers, you will have millions of job opportunities. The only point is that you have to zero in on the job in which you have interest, and focus on it. Even if you make a wrong choice, you need not worry. You can make a switch to a more suitable one any time you want. But at the same time, avoid making several or frequent switches. Remember the age-old adage - "Rolling stones gather no moss."

Steps That Will Help in Choosing a Career

Want to choose a career, land in a good job but are not able to choose your career? Don't worry because you are not alone. Not only that, no one including your parents can blame you because your bewilderment at the fierce competition you see in every field is justifiable. The following points may help.

Be determined and have focus

If you want to increase the chances of success in your life, you need to put in hard work and of course, you should be determined as well. But your hard work should be targeted towards a specific field. In other words, you should have laser-like focus towards the field you choose. 

Remember that employers expect value from you

Never forget the fact that companies want employees who can provide them with value. This means that they expect that you should have good knowledge and expertise in the fields they operate. This should not surprise you because even if you head a company, you will prefer employees who have knowledge in your field.

In this context, how can you choose a career? You have hundreds or even thousands of fields. Consider these suggestions. 

1. What is your background? Build on it.

You may be qualified in a particular field. Or you may have acquired certain degree of specialized knowledge in a specific subject. Since you have career aspirations, you must try to leverage your knowledge in that field so you can get a break. 

Let us assume that you have acquired a reasonable level of knowledge in a particular field. This knowledge is likely to open several doors for you provided you build on it. You may even get a career opening in a field that is not directly related to the field in which you possess knowledge.

2. Market yourself effectively

You cannot assume that you will get calls from potential employers just because you have some knowledge or skill in a particular field. You have to market yourself effectively. So, wherever you go or whoever you meet, do not hesitate to share the details of your knowledge in the field. Remember the fact that if you do effective marketing of yourself, you need not look for jobs. Employers will rather come looking for you. Experts advise that you should jump at whatever opportunities that come your way. Even if they are not related to your field, you should grab them. Such opportunities may end up as a gold mine and you may be able to earn well.

But while trying to market yourself, never speak lies nor exaggerate your level of knowledge. Such blunders will doom your career aspirations very soon. 

3. Better to choose an industry you are passionate about

Experts strongly advise that you must choose a field over which you have developed affinity. Thanks to your fascination for the field, you will willingly put forth efforts to acquire more and more knowledge in it. Once you gain confidence, you will not hesitate to reach out. This will ultimately get you success.

The above suggestions are not exhaustive. If you are determined and if you act with self-belief, you will be able to identify more appropriate steps that may fast-track your success.

The Head-Start You Do Not Know You Possess for Your Career Growth

Imagine a scenario. You and another colleague of yours are holding important positions in your company and the rank of both the positions is the same. Suddenly, there is a chance for a promotion for both of you because the person holding that position has resigned. The management has to make a choice now between you and your colleague. How will they decide? Let us find out.

You:

You have all the qualifications required for the position. You have experience as well. You have been winning accolades for the good work you have been able to do. 

Your colleague:

Your colleague is more qualified than you are. He has as much experience in the field as you have. Thanks to the inputs he has been giving the company, the management has been lavish in extending additional perks to him.

The question now is: Who will get the coveted promotion? Before answering this question, let us find out what Phyllis Schneider has to say. In an article entitled "Career Charisma," that he wrote in a magazine called "Working Woman," he said, "The real winners in business and in life, the women and men who are tapped for golden career opportunities, have something extra.

The people with charmed careers have a way of looking at the world that takes top management feel they can do almost any job superbly, that imbues everybody with whom they work with a kind of enthusiastic, winning spirit. Their success is as much a matter of attitude as of hard work and talent. They are optimists. That optimism is astonishingly powerful, and it can be cultivated.

...................The optimist almost invariably has an edge over less enthusiastic colleagues."

In short, if you have an optimistic mindset, you can certainly be confident that the management will choose you for the promotion. So, pause for a moment, and check if you are an optimist or not. If you are not, don't lose heart. You can cultivate this attitude, and once you master it, you can be confident of your career growth.