When describing your job on a resumé, do you use the -ing form of the word, the present tense or the past tense?

It should be 1st person simple present. The easy way for candidates to remember this is for them to remember the invisible "I" before each bullet point... [I] Manage quality improvement processes; [I] Oversee day-to-day operations of office, etc. That invisible "I" seems to be understood by candidates when they write in the past tense for older positions but for some reason they often seem confused when writing in the present tense. The same rules apply: the proper tenses are simple present tense and simple past tense. Employers know job descriptions.They don't know what their candidates accomplished in the job. 

Visit us at www.scarlettcareerservices.com to receive a free resume critique. 

    

A Lesson On Dressing For A Successful Interview

  It's easy enough these days to do the research needed to find out what people in a particular organization or type of organization typically wear to work.

A client who had worked in a small law firm that had a fairly relaxed dress code was pursuing his first role in a big firm. He told me that he spent time in the foyer of the building in which the firm he wanted to work to check out the people going out for lunch (the firm occupied several floors of the building). He noted the kinds of shoes, suits, shirts, ties, haircuts. That way, he already looked like one of them when he arrived for this interview.



But it really is those little things -- like white socks, or a poorly formatted resume, or calling the interviewer by the wrong name, or being a few minutes late -- that usually tip the scale.

Of course, there is a line where you have to say "this is who I am and if it doesn't work here, then neither should I" -- as someone with tattoos, I do not encourage people to pretend to be something they are not in an interview -- after all, you will have to work there every day, and a job where you have to hide your true self is rarely worth it. 

LinkedIn to replace Resume

For lower income, less experienced, non-professionals a resume may be their only tool. Your profile in LinkedIn should contain much the same information as a resume. Branding is not in everyone's ability to establish. We have blogs, personal websites, etc. Those venues are being utilized by companies, recruiters and anyone else with an agenda on who they are seeking. A resume and the exercises used to populate it are still in demand. For those who are career changers or good in several different fields because of ability or their own interests in life will find it difficult to target one thing for everyone. LinkedIn would be the most popular venue where Branding is a must. One profile, one direction, but with industries failing and many employers seeking the best of the best in a particular field, some can be overlooked; so LinkedIn can continue to be the networking tool to help you go and find the people you need to connect with. The fact that Recruiters are using it to find candidates will also limit their choices because at the time of the search, the perfect candidate is trolling and not specific enough to get caught. Candidates should still reach out, find those who can help and use the Social Media for that purpose. How do you stand out from the crowd? Go to the leaders, not wait to be found.

Yes, recruiters and hiring managers look at LinkedIn profiles to get the gist of someone's experience, see their photo and read what people say about them. LinkedIn is a very important tool for a job search and for building your professional brand.

But depending on a social profile to present your experience tailored to a specific opportunity is a bad idea, and when you sit down in an interview, as Perry says, the interviewer is not going to be using your LinkedIn profile as a guideline, nor can they take notes on it.

A resume is your chance to present yourself for a specific job. It's your marketing document and it presents the information you want them to have about you in the way you want them to see it. It will be evaluated and filed digitally, but not showing up to an interview with one printed on paper is a big mistake. A great resume creates the impression you want, gives the information you want to give, and can be the tipping point for getting the offer.

The Companies Hiring The Most Right Now

Here are the 10 companies hiring the most right now (for jobs that pay $60,000 or more):

1. Amazon: 2,407 openings
2. Oracle: 2,350 openings
3. Microsoft: 2,089 openings
4. Dell: 1,862 openings
5. JPMorgan Chase: 1,761 openings
6. IBM: 1,755 openings
7. PwC: 1,571 openings
8. SAIC: 1,537 openings
9. CRST International: 1,378 openings
10. Apple: 1,374 openings

Source:forbes.com

Ask SCS:Adding the Pursuing Course to Resume

I’ve already completed my B.E. in Aeronautical & have been working since April 2011. Now (this January 2013) I joined a MBA (Project & Operations) Course Part Time and I would like to know whether it would be good enough to highlight it in my resume. Or will the HR think it as a distraction that I am trying to hold on to the studies and put the resume to hold.

If at all I am adding it to the Resume,

how to make it look or how do I put it.
Should it go before the degree or after it.
how do i define the Course period (presently pursuing or just 2015)

SCS Says: I recommend that you add it above your education section. You can entitle it, "Post-Graduate Studies" and then list the course and the name of the school.  

Rule of thumb is that valuable information for the employer is always included and useless information is omitted.

Relief for Long Termed Unemployed in NYC

Long Term Unemployed will NOT be Able to be Discriminated Against in NYC.
Read this article for the details on the new law.

NYC Law Aims to Protect Unemployed from Discrimination

What annoys you when reading jobs posted by companies online?