To keep it simple…or not…

Keep it Simple

We’ll talk about getting creative in order to stand out in a minute. But the most basic principle of good resume formatting and design? Keep it simple. Use a basic but modern font, like Helvetica, Arial, or Century Gothic. Make your resume easy on hiring managers’ eyes by using a font size between 10 and 12 and leaving a healthy amount of white space on the page. You can use a different font or typeface for your name, your resume headers, and the companies for which you’ve worked, but keep it simple and keep it consistent. Your main focus here should be on readability for the hiring manager. That being said, you should feel free to…

Carefully Stand Out

Really want your resume stand out from the sea of Times New Roman? Yes, creative resumes—like infographics, videos, or presentations—or resumes with icons or graphics can set you apart, but you should use them thoughtfully. If you’re applying through an ATS, keep to the standard formatting without any bells and whistles so the computer can read it effectively. If you’re applying to a more traditional company, don’t get too crazy, but feel free to add some tasteful design elements or a little color to make it pop. No matter what, don’t do it unless you’re willing to put in the time, creativity, and design work to make it awesome.

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Bellevue Job Tip, Make the best first impressions…

Be Authentic, Upbeat, Focused, Confident, Candid, and Concise.

 

Once the interview starts, the key to success is the quality and delivery of your responses. Your goal should always be authenticity, responding truthfully to interview questions. At the same time, your goal is to get to the next step, so you’ll want to provide focused responses that showcase your skills, experience, and fit — with the job and the employer. Provide solid examples of solutions and accomplishments — but keep your responses short and to the point. By preparing responses to common interview questions, you’ll ideally avoid long, rambling responses that bore interviewers. Always attempt to keep your interview responses short and to the point. Finally, no matter how much an interviewer might bait you, never badmouth a previous employer, boss, or co-worker. The interview is about you — and making your case that you are the ideal candidate for the job.
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Career tips for Job Seekers in Seattle

Keep your eyes on the prize:

Every person you meet is a potential door to a new opportunity—personally or professionally. Build good bridges even in that just-for-now job, because you never know how they’ll weave into the larger picture of your life.

Open mind:

The best career or job is the one in which you’re using the skills you enjoy. But, not every job needs to address all of your passions. Use every job as an opportunity to learn something new and keep an open mind; you may find that you really enjoy something you never imagined would appeal to you.

Its not always easy:

If the career you have chosen has some unexpected inconvenience, console yourself by reflecting that no career is without them.

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Learn a new skill

Learn a new skill.

Whether you love or hate your job, why not prepare yourself to take on a future career path that you are interested in? Develop a new skill and invest your energy in fostering it. If it’s also something that could help in your current role, ask your employer to send you to a seminar or pay for an online course. At the very least, you can start to prepare for your next job down the road while learning something that is of interest to you.

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Advanced Search Options

You can save time job searching by using advanced search options on job boards. All the major job boards (like Indeed.com, SimplyHired.com, CareerBuilder, Monster, and Dice) have an “Advanced Search” option where you can search by keyword, location, a radius of a location, job title, company, type of job, date posted and other options.

Here’s a list of the top 10 best job sites, and tips for using Advanced Job Search options.

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Develop One New Skill

Select One Skill to Develop

You cannot realistically acquire all of the skills and experiences required while searching for a new job. However, select one specific skill you are lacking, and make an effort to develop that skill.

For example, if you lack knowledge in a particular computer program, but it is a requirement for your dream job, sign up for a free or inexpensive online course that will help you develop that skill.

If you cannot find an online course that fits your needs, look to your local public library, adult education program, or community college to see if any of these institutions offers free or inexpensive courses on such topics.

The new skill will allow you to sharpen your resume while also allowing you to shine in an interview.

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Are you Prepared to dominate your job search?

Be Prepared. Have a voice mail system in place and sign-up for a professional sounding email address. Consider getting a separate email account to use for your job search, so you can stay organized. Put your cell phone number on your resume so you can follow up in a timely manner.

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Job Interview Tips

You’re almost there. Your resume landed you an interview and now it’s time to seal the deal. So what’s the best way to prepare?

To find the answer, I looked back on my interviews, sifted through research, and most importantly, asked employees from today’s most coveted companies. I tried to find deep insights beyond the typical “sit up straight!” and “dress to impress!” tips we hear too much.

Read More on Forbes

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Resume and LinkedIn

Does your resume match your LinkedIn? While your resume may very well be a ‘condensed’ version of your LinkedIn (so that it fits on one or two pages), for positions that do show up in both places, be sure that details such as a job title, dates of employment, and key responsibilities are consistent across both platforms.

Use your LinkedIn profile as a resume: It’s easy to save your profile as a PDF file. Once you’ve saved it, you can print out a copy to review.

  • Click the …More icon in the top section of your profile, to the right of the photo and to the left of the Edit icon.
  • Select Save to PDF from the drop-down menu, and your profile will be saved to your computer. You can open it, then print.
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Interview Tips for Seattle Candidates

Develop a Connection with the Interviewer

In addition to indicating what you know about the company, you should also try to develop a connection to your interviewer.

Know the interviewer’s name, and use it during the job interview. (If you’re not sure of the name, call and ask prior to the interview. And, listen very carefully during introductions. If you’re prone to forgetting names, jot it down somewhere discreet, like in small letters at the bottom of your notepad.)

 Ultimately, building rapport and making a personal connection with your interviewer can up your chances of getting hired. People tend to hire candidates they like, and who seem to be a good fit for the company culture.

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