Boost Your Resume

According our national survey of human resources personnel and hiring managers, your resume gets a 15 second glance. 15 Seconds! In today's competitive job market, your resume has to be a door opener.

Here are five important techniques to use to make your resume get noticed.

Emphasize Results: Employers stress that demonstrating the results you achieved matters the most in getting noticed. Lace your resume with the accomplishments you achieved in past positions. Show the impact you had and your productivity by including details concerning money earned or time or dollars saved. Use numbers to reflect, how much, how many, and percentage of gain or reduction.

Use Keywords: Many employers sort resumes electronically, so resume selection is dependent on the keywords contained in your resume. Make a list of the "buzz words" connected to perform your type of job. Look through employers' job ads to uncover the major ones. Incorporate these keywords into the sentences describing your previous work experience.

Target the Resume: Be specific and clearly show you meet the requirements of the job you are applying to. Employers search quickly and skim to see you can do a certain job -- and they will trash any resume that isn't geared to that position. You may need to have more than one resume if you target different positions i.e. one for Project Manager, another resume when you apply for Systems Analyst.

Limit Resume to two pages: Employers are primarily interested in the work you've done in the last 5-7 years no matter what level the position is. State results and says exactly what you mean, using the smallest number of words to make the point. Be a skilful editor. Delete anything not relevant or helpful to securing that particular job.

Use action verbs: Never use "I" on the resume. Start each sentence with a descriptive action verb - such as directed, organized, established, created, planned, etc. Short impact sentences demonstrating what you have done gather more attention.

Proofread carefully before you hit send. The #1 complaint employers have is about spelling errors and typos.

Aerizo Group - HR Consultancy

Think like a consultant

Your manager has a huge impact on day-to-day quality of life at work. If your manager likes and trusts you, chances are that you're going to find your work life more pleasant and fulfilling, and you'll probably advance more quickly, too.

While you won't click with every manager out there, here are few things you can do that will significantly improve your relationship with the vast majority of managers – and will make you the beloved favorite of many of them.

Quite understandably, employees tend to personalize their relationships with their manager, the feedback they receive, whether their suggestions are used, and generally how a manager responds to them. Consultants – who have clients instead of bosses – tend to have an easier job of approaching clients from a more emotionally detached place.

Make it easy for your boss to give you feedback. As much as you don't enjoy receiving critical feedback, your boss probably likes giving it even less; most managers feel awkward about delivering criticism, and some actively dread or avoid it. 

Pay attention to your boss's "themes." Most managers have certain hot buttons or categories of things they particularly care about – whether its responsiveness time, how to play to a particular political sensitivity or budget issues. By paying attention to the things your boss asks about most often or most closely manages you on, you can often draw larger lessons about the sorts of things she'll care about in the future.

Accept your manager's idiosyncrasies with grace. Most people, including managers, have a few weird preferences that might seem annoying or strange to others. For example, you might have a manager who wants everything printed in Courier 12 font without exception, or who insists on talking face-to-face about every little matter rather than using email.

Don't get frustrated when you disagree. If your manager's perspective is different from yours, don't focus on persuading her to see things your way or get frustrated by the disagreement; instead, focus on figuring out why you see things so differently.

When you're confused, anxious or concerned by something your manager says or does, ask about it. Too often, people stew silently rather than simply broaching the topic and getting it resolved. For example, if you noticed your manager seemed uncomfortable with a topic you raised in your last meeting, don't second-guess and speculate about why. 

Most importantly, be on top of your own realm. Do what you say you're going to do (by when you say you're going to do it), spot problems and address them proactively, don't let things fall through the cracks and give your manager peace of mind that if you say you're handling something, it will be handled well.

Aerizo Group – HR Consultancy

Managing Your Early Career

Many young people are already clear in their minds by the time they throw their mortarboards into the air. Some have known since childhood, or simply decide to follow in their parents' professional footsteps. The braves among us may open their own businesses, arguably, the most interesting option, and one that while it requires sacrifice to begin with, in the long term can garner the greatest rewards, financially as well as professionally. But a lot of people in their early twenties, fresh out of university, are still undecided about what they want to do or which company to join, if any.

In the first place, and using a much-employed but appropriate analogy, we need to see our professional lives as a long-distance race, one with constant change and filled with uncertainty. There are three phases to this: what we might call the early years, followed by the mid-career, and finally, the senior career. But careers are rarely linear, and instead are prone to luck, good and bad, disruptive opportunities, as well as requiring the help of mentors, while what we can achieve through our own work can shorten, lengthen, or omit some phases. It is more appropriate to characterize a career as a series of different lives related to each other or that become a whole only when we look back on them in later life. In short, we live blended lives.

It's important to read surveys and guides about careers and tendencies, they shouldn't be too influenced by data. Statistics shouldn't determine somebody's career: at most they should be an incentive to be the exception to the rule. There are CEOs with degrees in English Literature, or who have spent much of their career working in human resources rather than finance or sales.

Patience is particularly necessary in the early stages, it is important to monitor one's professional and personal progress, and to make sure that one's merits and efforts are being recognized.

Aerizo Group – HR Consultancy

The Three Challenges for Job Seekers

Challenge #1: We must pull ourselves out of the boxes employers put us in.  We have to re-imagine who we are in the workplace.  We must no longer accept the label of "worker" or "employee" or "labour."  We have to see ourselves, instead, as a "person of talent."

Talent is not something reserved for the winner of some made-for-TV dance contest or the NCAA basketball tournament.  It is the capacity for excellence.  And that access to superior performance is an attribute of our species.  Like our opposable thumb, talent is a defining characteristic of being human.

Challenge #2: We must refuse to fit into employers' "normal distribution" of talent.  They believe only a few of us are capable of doing great work and that the best the rest of us can accomplish is mediocrity.  We have to show them they're wrong by living up to our decision to be a person of talent.

Talent can only be expressed and experienced, however, if it is taught the skills and knowledge for a compatible career field.  A person of talent, therefore, sees him or herself as a "work in progress."  They are a perpetual student who is forever upgrading their ability to bring their talent to work with them AND use it effectively on-the-job.

Challenge #3: We must deny our talent to those who don't deserve it.  We must no longer lend our talent to abusive employers who treat working men and women as disposable widgets with DNA, costs to be offloaded the minute the economy gets tight (and threatens their bonus).

Employers believe they are engaged in a War for Talent.  Sadly, they're right.  An awful lot of people don't know what their talent is, haven't bothered to give it up-to-date skills and/or don't bring it to work with them.  And, ironically it's that reality which makes employers vulnerable to economic disobedience.

The shortage of talent gives a huge competitive advantage to those of us who see ourselves as a person of talent and act that way.  In essence, we can cherry pick the best employers – the ones that will respect and support our capacity for excellence. 

Aerizo Group – HR Consultancy

Why job satisfaction is so important?

Job satisfaction is perhaps the most important aspect in professional field in order to excel. With the rise in worker dissatisfaction, the main focus would be to avoid this situation. Moreover, there are lots of people who are working dissatisfied, but then what can we do about it?

First and foremost thing that one should be aware of is that there are various kinds of job satisfaction. But, most of the surveys that we come across investigate about overall satisfaction. This only happens when any person take into account everything related to a job. Overall job satisfaction is nothing but an amalgamation of both intrinsic and extrinsic satisfaction.

Intrinsic satisfaction is related to the job that a worker do and the entire task related to the job preformed. On the other hand, extrinsic satisfaction is related to the work conditions which revolve around supervisor, pay and co-workers. Both of these satisfactions are quite different and both are important and unique as they deal with different aspects. For instance, if you are dissatisfied with your work, you might question yourself “is it because of the kind of work I am performing?” or “is it because of the work condition that I am in?” If the reason relates to the first one then it is a classic case of intrinsic job dissatisfaction. This type of dissatisfaction has different solution than the one which is extrinsic in nature.

You are also aware of the fact that satisfaction related to job is also influenced largely by job expectations. People look for certain things from a job, such as job pay, security, independence, prestige and other things. There are also people who have higher expectations from their jobs than others. So, what are the expectations you have from your job and how strong are those expectations?

What are the things one can do to maximize job satisfaction? You can use some of the methods that are based on research and experience.

• You should know what is important to you and what is not. What are the tasks that attract you? It is important to write down things that you expect from the job.
• It is important for you to know more about the jobs that will meet your job expectations. This will help you to determine the job that will fit your personality.
• You can also consult a career councillor who will help you in achieving what you desire.
• Do find solutions for your job dissatisfaction because it might lead to accidents, job loss, mental illness and more. It might also lead to anxiety, depression, worry, interpersonal problems and others.
• It is better to have realistic expectations from work.
• Look for the kind of job separately and relate it with the condition of the work you are in.

Aerizo Group – HR Consultancy

Get a Job by Thinking like a Hiring Manager

Instead of focusing on the things you’re thinking and feeling, why not think like a hiring manager? Going on an interview is nothing short of nerve-racking. From sweaty palms to knots in your stomach, it’s easy to let the fear of being in the hot seat consumes you.

• Hiring managers, and other interviewers, are not usually excited about conducting job interviews. Interviews come under the heading of "other duties as required" and are a necessary part of keeping operations moving smoothly. However, interviewing you is not usually the highlight of their day. Unfortunately, more often, interviewing a job seeker is an unwelcome interruption.
• Hiring managers not only interview for qualifications, but they interview for the right personality fit as well. Fitting into a company’s culture has grown increasingly important. No matter how great your skills are, if you don’t strive to point out your connection to the company you may not be extended a job offer.
• Research will be your guide as to how the company conducts business, how it is perceived by the public and what direction it’s aiming to go. Don’t wait for your interviewer to comment on these types of things, instead offer up your excitement to work in an environment that upholds the ideals of X, Y and Z.
• The adrenalin of an interview may have your pulse pounding and head spinning, but it’s unlikely to be the same type of experience for a hiring manager. After the same routine process of asking the same routing questions the experience can seem nothing short of vanilla.
• Spice things up by bringing your own unique and thought-proving questions to the table. At the end of your interview when you’re given the opportunity to ask any questions, pounce with both personality and poise!
• What changes do you hope the next person to take on this position will bring?
• What do you think is the key personality trait to do this job well?
• Questions like these not only showcase your dedication to doing this job (and doing it well), but they will get a conversation going with some natural back and forth. Afford your interviewer the opportunity to let their guard down and see you as a unique individual that hopefully later, will stick out in his/her mind.
• Don’t go into an interview, fold your hands, and politely wait for the experience to be over. Yes, it’s a hiring manager’s job to run the interview, but it’s your job to blow him/her away. Take charge, and work the experience so that the time not only flies by, but so that the hiring manager doesn’t want it to end.

How can you do this? Make a little extra effort. Chances are there is a specific reason for applying to each job you interview for; you either have the skills, the passion, or both.

Show your personal connection off by coming in with a proactive plan as to how you’ll make the position sing. Detail suggested areas of improvement (carefully - don't tell the interviewer that they are dumb), back them up with industry news and trends, and showcase the effort you’ve already made for a job that is still up for grabs. Good Luck.

Aerizo Group – HR Consultancy

How to Answer the Most Common Interview Questions

Wouldn't it be great if you knew exactly what a hiring manager would be asking you in your next interview? While we unfortunately can't read minds, we'll give you the next best thing: a list of the most commonly asked interview questions and, of course, some expert advice on how to answer them.

• Can you tell me a little about yourself? Don't give your complete employment or personal history. Instead give a pitch—one that’s concise and compelling and that shows exactly why you’re the right fit for the job. 
• How did you hear about the position? Another seemingly innocuous question, this is actually a perfect opportunity to stand out and show your passion for and connection to the company. 
• What do you know about the company?Start with one line that shows you understand the company's goals, using a couple key words and phrases from the website, but then go on to make it personal. 
• Why do you want this job?Companies want to hire people who are passionate about the job, so you should have a great answer about why you want the position. 
• Why should we hire you? Your job here is to craft an answer that covers three things: that you can not only do the work, you can deliver great results; that you'll really fit in with the team and culture; and that you'd be a better hire than any of the other candidates. 
• What are your greatest professional strengths?When answering this question, be accurate and share your true strengths, not those you think the interviewer wants to hear; be relevant choose your strengths that are most targeted to this particular position. 
• What do you consider to be your weaknesses?Strike a balance by thinking of something that you struggle with but that you’re working to improve. 
• What is your greatest professional achievement?Nothing says “hire me” better than a track record of achieving amazing results in past jobs, so don't be shy when answering this question. 
• Why are you leaving your current job?Frame things in a way that shows that you're eager to take on new opportunities and that the role you’re interviewing for is a better fit for you than your current or last position.  
• How would your boss and co-workers describe you?First of all, be honest then; try to pull out strengths and traits you haven't discussed in other aspects of the interview, such as your strong work ethic or your willingness to pitch in on other projects when needed. 
• What are your salary requirements?The #1 rule of answering this question is doing your research on what you should be paid by using sites like Pay scale and Glass door. You’ll likely come up with a range, and we recommend stating the highest number in that range that applies, based on your experience, education, and skills.  
• Do you have any questions for us?You probably already know that an interview isn't just a chance for a hiring manager to grill you—it's your opportunity to sniff out whether a job is the right fit for you. 

Aerizo Group – HR Consultancy