Write Killer Resumes

The forthcoming G20 meeting in London in April 2009 will be important in deciding if the world goes up or down. Upon the meeting’s decision and sincerity in implementing the necessary rescue measures rests the fate of the world.

However, we should not be held ransom to the decisions of the world’s 20 richest nations. Don’t give the power to decide your life. Take matters into your own hand. How to, you would ask.

My answer is meditate to protect your mind-especially in these turbulent times when nobody knows what lied ahead.

To start, what is meditation? It is a very old religious practice of going within your mind and yourself through a form of stilling the mind.

It is easy to do but you must have the discipline of doing it daily. Otherwise there won’t be any cumulative benefit.

There are many forms and styles of meditation but they all have common and basic elements.. First you have to find a time and place when and where you will not be disturbed. Quietness is necessary for you to calm the mind. Then you make sure you sit in a comfortable position ( in a chair is alright). Wear loose clothes so you blood can circulate.

Here, you have to choose the method of focusing the mind that appeals to you. Some focus on a word, mantra( religious word), theme or just their breathing.

Just meditate until you have reached your limit. Nobody can tell you your limit. You have to try it out for yourself.

Meditation has many benefits. It lowers blood pressure, calms your mind, reduces or eliminates anger and other negative emotions.

Use that as an anchor in these uncertain times.

Most of all it’s free.

For more information on meditation products, go to The Unexplained Store.

Just today, I read a newspaper article that said , in effect that more and more bosses are telling job applicants that if they were 35 or older, don’t bother sending their resumes because they won’t be considered for a job.

I thought to myself –“My word, what has become of the world?” Old at 35? You must be joking. Well not really, The world is getting more impatient and it is not only because of the recession.

Many factors have come together to create this prejudice. One factor is of course, the use of the Internet and the role of IT. What that means is that better technology can replace more mundane jobs done by seniors.

Also since this is a world that uses so much of computer technology it would be a young person’s world.

I don’t buy that because at 70, I am still working. I do admit that I could not get a job because of my age. However, I work for myself and so should you.

I don’t mean to say that nobody should work for others. I only urge that you start laying the groundwork of working for yourself.

The old world of 9 to 5 is gone. The current recession sends signals that things are never going to be the same again.

Become an entrepreneur.

What is entrepreneurship? We shall examine that in the next article

These days, tension is so high that you could cut it with a wire! Those words meant nothing until I saw the number of people laid off in shopping centre just walk around dazed.

Many of them were long-serving employees who had just got the chop!

So what are they to do? They are to keep their minds together and not lose that most precious of their possessions-their sanity.

And how would you do that? Many turn to religion but you don’t have to do that. You can turn inwards and go to meditate. Meditation is stilling of the mind and filling it with calm.

It is a proven stress buster and many countries are adopting it as a way of healthy living. There are many types of meditation – Buddhist meditation, transcendental meditation or even Christian meditation to name just a few.

Meditation lowers your blood pressure, your sugar levels and refreshes you.

It is free and you can do it nearly everywhere.

I suggest that you contact one of the many meditation masters and get instructions.

You won’t regret it because it s so enlightening.

If you can save your mind, you must for you need that to go to work,

This is the best stress buster!

The book ,” The Relaxation Response “ makes this bold claim that you will reduce so many illnesses with this simple technique of relaxation.

Go ahead and try it! You might just become an advocate!

Nowadays, people are looking for ways to make money that do not depend on being employed by others. These are uncertain times and as such, the more you are independent, the better.

There are so many programmes that promise you an easy way to make money on the internet and many of them are scams.
However, one way that is genuine is Googles Adsense.

Basically what Google does is to use you the viewer in a profitable way by having you help them extend their reach. How do they do this? They allow you to host links in your text on your computer and when someone clicks on the links, you get paid. Then every month, Google will send you a cheque.

The good thing about this is that you don’t have to deal with technical issues, clients or complaints and you don’t have to collect money, store goods or keep inventories.

Simply identify what interests you to recommend to others. Then start a website and after that, join Adsense and place ads on your website. Google will give you a code to paste on your pages.

This is a good way to make some money and some firms are solely dedicated to this practice.

Nowadays, the transmission of texts is so convenient that most organisations are opting for electronic transfer of everything from income tax to bank accounts, to income tax forms to resumes.

Electronic transfer of resumes is just the vehicle and the item remains the same as in either a conventional or functional format we had discussed in the previous article titled,”

When you send an electronic resume, you would use any of the many formats recommended: ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) .This is the most versatile format that is recognised by Macs, PC, UNIX workstations and they can be in hypertext, rich text or plain text.

Each format has its own pluses and minuses: Plain text is the most popular and is recognisable by the .txt at the end of the file name. It is plain vanilla and has no frills.

Rich text is more versatile and offers more formatting options. It identified by the .rtf at the end of the file name.

Lastly, the hypertext which is a webpage requiring a web browser is identified by the .htm or .html at the end of the file name.

Depending on what you want to achieve, you would choose any of the three.

Just remember your resume must look neat and not necessarily be a work of art.

Your resume is not the only thing that decides if you get that job. And the resume is not just a piece of paper-more than that it is you!

Therefore how you carry yourself at the interview can decide if that job is yours. So, pay attention and use these tips about body language.

#1 Don’t turn your back on interviewer. When you enter the interview room, don’t turn your back on the interviewer to close the door. Doing so will psychologically signal to him or her your hostility even if there is none. Instead close the door facing him or her.

#2 Don’t look all over the place because that would mean you have no clue. To show you are focussed on the interview, zero in on the triangle area around interviewer’s nose. That will show he or she has your attention.

#3 Put hands on table to show an open-ness. This is of course just psychological as hands that are not on the table. Signify you have something to hide.

#4 Don’t rest back on chair-sit in middle of chair. Resting your back on the chair’s back makes you slouch and that means you are not interested. Sit upright half way into the chair.

#5 Nod only three times at most. If you nod more than that, you say you are compliant.

#6 Don’t point at interviewer. That means war.

#7 Carry in only resume for that would mean you are focussed.

#8 Wear some colour that belongs to company so show you are “with them”

#9 Finally, seal the deal with a firm handshake.

Body language speaks volumes more than piece of paper.

For those of you who are just about to start a business on the internet or are thinking of doing so, you should fully appreciate the many plus points about the internet. Nowadays, many offline conventional businesses have switched to online business or are thinking of doing so. Whatever the case, the march of the internet is unstoppable.

The internet has become the engine for change in every sphere- economics, politics, business, air travel, online business and education, to name just a few. Its reach is immense and powerful. And there is one area that many individuals look at to prosper from the internet and that is online business.

Why is this so? What is so compelling about the internet? Here are some reasons:

#1. An online business can be rum from home and it can be inexpensive. You won’t need office rents, office staff or parking lots or commuting fees. That is because the internet can connect you to anybody across the globe at the touch of a button.

#2. Connectivity is the keyword and main feature of the internet. Because of it, you can work anywhere in the world that has internet connection. Sorry but you could not do so in the Amazon jungle! This means that as long as you have your computer and your connection, you can be in business.

#3. You can also work flexi hours as you can connect to anyone in the world. While one part of the world sleeps, you could do business with the other part. The internet still can reach anywhere.

#4. You can do many businesses simultaneously thereby increasing your earning potential. Hence the internet can propel you to exponential wealth.

#5. An internet business is easier to start than an offline business. You don’t have to do so much groundwork as you would with an offline business.

#6. The sky is the limit with the internet. Though so many people know about the internet, much of the world still does not .So there is room for growth and with that comes more business opportunities. You can sell to a much wider audience than you could if doing conventional business. Remember this is one area where viral marketing works at the touch of a key.

#7. The costs of operations are lower with the internet. For example, you pay much less if you send an e-advertisement than by sending a normal advertisement on printed paper. In the second case, you have to factor in paper, ink, and postage.

For the small entrepreneur the internet is the best solution to working for his or her own self and having the flexibility to react to changing situations and innovations that are so common in the IT industry.

The current economic turmoil is changing the way we live and work. And many people are out of work. To make things worse, this is one of the worst recessions in many decades.

Out of the window has gone the traditional role of the organization as employer and family. That does not exist anymore. There is no such thing as security anymore.

At most risk are older people of both sexes with some say women bearing the brunt of discrimination. Ageism is a big issue and what was young is now old. Can you believe it when people say you are old at 40?

So what can you do? Be flexible and humble. This applies to employers as well as employees.

In this article, we shall address the employees.

As workers your fate depends on your employees. Many of you have worked well with your organizations and been loyal to them. So it is natural that you expect them to take care of you.

That is something that has gone out of fashion as bosses wise up to the act that the bottom line is more important than being sentimental. More and more so, many workers are striking out on their own and becoming their own bosses. Here, technological innovation has made it easier to be mobile in that sense.

Still there are some other measures to take besides that.

What can you do?

Explore flexible hours and flexible pay.

This means you can re-shape the work schedule to fit circumstances. Perhaps you could reduce the work and get paid half your previous wages.

Work to a contract.

Instead of working full-time, you can negotiate a term contract that could be renewable. This would be easier on your employer so your chances of getting work are improved.

Meanwhile, you could have a few such contracts with other organizations.

Take no-pay leave

Don’t get flustered as many do when they are approached to take no-pay leave.

You will still have your job later.

Don’t have a complex about your age

Instead of feeling old, see yourself as experienced.

Finally, be willing to start in a new job and start learning a news skill.

The current economic turmoil is changing the way we live and work. And many people are out of work. To make things worse, this is one of the worst recessions in many decades.

Out of the window has gone the traditional role of the organization as employer and family. That does not exist anymore. There is no such thing as security anymore.

At most risk are older people of both sexes with some say women bearing the brunt of discrimination. Ageism is a big issue and what was young is now old. Can you believe it when people say you are old at 40?

So what can you do? Be flexible and humble. This applies to employers as well as employees.

In this article, we shall address the employers.

As bosses, you hold the fate of your employees. Many of you have fair practices and treat your workers well. But during tough times, many resort to sacking. Please remember that that should be the measure of last resort. Your workers have children and spouses to fee and clothe.

So can you be a little bit more flexible and not chop off the workforce?

How can we do that you might ask? Here are some measures:

Start flexible hours and flexible pay.

This means you can re-shape the work schedule to fit circumstances. Perhaps you could reduce the work of each worker to half and pay them half their previous wages.

Take back less pay

By taking back less pay, you set an example for your workers so that they will more willingly accept it when you reduce their pay.

Urge your employees to take no-pay leave

Instead of laying off your workers, urge them to go on no-pay leave. That would be to the good of the firm as well as workers.

Don’t target the older workers

The tendency is to sack the older workers as they cost more and have less stamina.

Try to see them in a positive light and value them for their experience.

Your resume is the accumulation of all that you are at one glance-on paper or the computer screen.

It is therefore vital that you choose the correct type for your resume that you want to submit.

There are basically three types and you should choose the one most suitable to your aspirations and circumstances.

Here they are:

Conventional Resume

This is the most conventional type and emphasises a detailed employment history. Usually, applicants will write their career milestones in reverse chronology with the current or most recent job.

Within each job description, responsibilities should be listed along with some accomplishments or awards in bullet points.

Candidates with sound experience and progressive careers will like this as it build up their profile. However it is better for those who would like to continue on his career path or something similar.

Resume experts think that most employers prefer this style because it factual and easy digestible to understand. Moreover it shows your career progression.

While it always advised that you use the format to fit the situation you should follow this suggested schedule:

1. Objective
2. Summary
3. Employment History
4. Education
5. Professional affiliations
6. Community Affiliations

Functional Resume

This is more flexible hence it is called functional, that is serving a purpose. With this type, you organsise work history sections focusing on different skills and achievements.

With the functional resume you can emphasise certain skills and experiences most relevant to the post you are applying for. People who would like this are job hoppers, or new graduates.

Again while you have to use judgment in writing this type of resume, the standard format is as follows:

1. Objective
2. Summary
3. Skill Areas
4. Employment History
5. Education

As you can see you have to think things through before using either style.