Avoid dead metaphors and done-to-death cliché

Think like this: In a hiring season, an employer or HR manager has to go through hundreds of CVs every day before he could call any one person for the Interview. And the worst part is almost all the résumés he reads are written using same set of dead metaphors and done-to-death phrases. It is boring. If you want to make your résumé stand out from the similar-looking crowd of résumés then avoid using any clichés. Use your own language and make it appealing.

Update your resume

Now is the time to answer the question posed in the opening sentence. Have you or haven’t you? If your answer is no then go ahead and start constructing your résumé yet again. Add freshness to your dust-biting résumé.

Do not give complete work details

If you are 45 then chances are you have been part of workforce for close to 25 years, and it is but natural to have done many jobs in all those years. But do not put all of them in your résumé. No one is interested in reading 1000-page epic résumé, and no one cares about where you provide janitorial services during tough times. Only mention things relevant to the current job, and things that increase your chance of employability.

Even if heaven falls on earth, your résumé should not be longer than 2 pages. Not even and half pages.

Enough of reading for today, now it is time to start working on your résumé. Get going!

Act now, do not wait

Waiting is not the game you are in the position to play. Go out and take action. Make this “out of job”
a temporary thing. You indeed need some time to figure out what you want, but do it as quickly as you can. Waiting for long will delay the possibility of getting hired. Get out of home now, and start searching for the job that suits you.

Think and decide about career change

If you are tired of doing the same thing again and again, then this is the perfect time to consider a plan change. Make a list of things that you are interested in, and match them against the ability you have. Bingo! You have the list of alternative careers in your hand. It is time to act now, make a resume befitting the needs of new job and start shooting them off.

Go temping

Temping may not offer you permanent solution, but it can fill the gap. You can also use it to gain experience of a new job in which you want to shift. Temping can provide a viable stopgap solution that gives you experience which further can help you in securing a fulltime job.

You should start putting these things to use as soon as you are laid off. These will work wonder and save you from the agony of unemployment, and will help you pay your bills.

Plan and prioritize your projects so that you don’t feel overwhelmed by having too many things to do at the last minute.  Figure out what you need to complete now, so that you can push a few things off until later.  By creating a schedule ladder of importance, you can focus on the tasks and complete them with plenty of time.  Taking the stress off, allowing you to relax a bit, and keeping you happy as well as productive.

Remember to take your breaks.  Even if you have a ton of work, and you want to skip a break to work through it, don’t!  Skipping your breaks will only make you feel more disheartened and overwhelmed.  Take that break so you can get some fresh air, maybe a cup of coffee, and relax for a few minutes.  You’ll feel better, and will work more effectively when you resume your duties.

Know when to ask for help.  Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s just finding a solution to a problem that you can’t solve yourself at the moment.  What’s worse that having to ask for help, is not getting your work done because you didn’t.  Failing on your own instead of succeeding with help should never sound like the better option.

Always stay polite and courteous no matter what.  Keeping in a positive mind with a positive attitude is the best way to work through the problematic times.  By staying positive you’ll feel better, as will the people around you.  You’ll all get more done, and you’ll be much less apt to get overwhelmed, or feel unhappy at your job.

-Make sure that you have a good schedule, and that you stick to that schedule.  If you’re a writer that works from home, the biggest part of making that transition is remembering that this is still a serious job.  Just because your environment is the comfort of your own home, doesn’t mean you can slack.  Schedule out your projects and stick to them, in the long run this will help you feel like you’re in more of a professional environment, and you’ll be more apt to get your writing done.

-Know when you need to take a break.  Because writing is so creative, sometimes you need to take a break to keep the creative juices flowing.  Give yourself 5-10 minutes when you’re feeling especially unproductive.  Take a moment, go outside and get some fresh air, then go back to work.  You should feel calmer, and more willing to resume normal duties.

-Don’t get down on yourself, or bully yourself into writing.  Everyone goes through phases where they don’t feel like writing.  You just have to stay confident and positive, and keep plugging away.  The feeling will pass, but don’t give in and stop working because of it.

-Finally, try making a reward system for yourself.  If you have a lot of articles to do, map out the articles and make up rewards for completing a certain amount.  Like if you desperately want to take a break, set a goal to finish four of those articles before you do.  If you’re hungry and really want to eat lunch, make sure you complete another two beforehand.

Your fist tactic should always be networking.  Before you leave college make sure that you’ve got your name out there to the right people.  You want to stay in contact and make yourself known to a few of the select students around you, and your professors.  They will be a great resource for work down the line, so remember that, and keep those relationships avenues open.

Keep networking outside of school.  Try professional sites like linkedIn, etc, that offer connections with other professionals in the field.  Create lasting professional relationships, as these are where the best jobs will come from.  Companies frequently don’t openly advertise their best positions, and the only way you’ll hear about them is through somebody that you know.

Try your local newspaper, you won’t find fantastic jobs here most of the time, but you will find some decent options to pad your resume and provide income in transition.  Usually jobs advertised in a local newspaper don’t have a high applicant rate, so your chances of landing the job will also be better.

Finally, remember to stay professional.  Whether networking, or applying to the jobs, keep your demeanor professional, as your attitude says a lot about what manner of employee you will be at that company.  One of the biggest complaints about college graduates in the job market lately is that they have a false sense of entitlement.

Many recent grads almost feel as though a high paying job should be instantly available to them.  But that isn’t the case.  You have to work at a company and career to make it succeed, sometimes from the lower ranks of the ladder.  Stay courteous and polite always, be proud and confident, but also humble and realistic.  You don’t want to come off as a cocky self important applicant, because companies tend to stay away from them.  They aren’t hard workers, and they have no long term loyalty.  Both bad strikes to have against you.

You should absolutely use your hobbies to illustrate skills that you have that can come in handy on the job.  So only use hobbies that apply to your career, so to speak.  If you play videogames a lot, you’re going to have trouble making that one come through, so an employer gains more interest in you.  So stay away from hobbies like that, and stick to outgoing proactive hobbies.  Anything that gets you out, as a positive force, and that likely showcases your leadership or problem solving abilities.

Remember to keep your hobbies job related, otherwise you’re just wasting space and an employer’s time, with content that doesn’t matter to them.  The idea of this section is to help them learn about you, and why you would be a fantastic employee.   So limit your hobbies to 2-3, so that you have a short but informative section.  This is just a little place to sell yourself, don’t drone on for too long.

That can’t be stressed enough, you absolutely don’t want a large hobby section.  Otherwise the rest of your resume will look worse off because of your hobbies.  Also, never let your hobbies section be the reason your resume spills over to a second page.  You want to keep your resume at page length, and if you can’t do that with a hobbies section, it’s better to go without.

Remember to do your research.  That should be a part of preparation for any interview.  Know the company, what you want from them, and why you want to work there.  Find out about the services they provide, how they apply to your skills and goals.  Those are all very necessary parts of any interview.  Being prepared to talk about them beforehand will keep you calm when the subjects come up in the actual interview.

Study yourself.  You’d be pretty embarrassed if you were asked a question about your resume, and you were unable to answer.  Study that resume, and know it by heart.  Consider why you put the credentials you chose on the resume.  Knowing this beforehand prepares you for any questions you’ll receive regarding your resume during the interview.

Finally, on the day of the actual interview, take time to unwind and calm down beforehand.  You want to be relaxed and confident.  So take out a little time for yourself.  That way you can collect your thoughts, relax, and keep a positive attitude for your road to securing that job.  Stay courteous and professional, and remember your research.  That way, no question will stump you, and you’ll answer all of them to the best of your ability.

By preparing you give yourself the best chance to make a good impression.  During the interview process, a good impression is invaluable.  The best impression you can make will help good credentials stand out, and any shortcomings disappear.

Remember that the purpose of this letter is to thank the interviewer for their time, not to try and sell yourself once more.  That part of the interview is long gone, and this is your chance to show your professionalism and appreciation.  Etiquette dictates that after an interview a thank you email should be sent within 24 hours, and a regular mailed letter should be sent within the first 2 days afterward.

In the actual formation of your letter you should make sure that it is business standard.  Type it up, make sure to use the interviewer’s name and company address, so as to refer to them professionally.  Then write a few paragraphs of thanks.  Don’t be afraid to re-outline your interest in working for that company.  But don’t get bogged down in mentioning your qualifications once again.  They have your resume, and you’ve given them an interview, they got a feel for you.  This letter is simply about thanking them for the opportunity given.  Don’t forget that, or push it aside to give them another personal sales pitch.

Taking the time to write a thank you letter could even be more effective than you might think.  So make sure you do, many people overlook the thank you letters and emails that they should be sending.  By ensuring you do this every time, you show your attention to detail, and commitment to getting the job.  Both are fantastic characteristics, and ones that you should use to your advantage.

1. Bad Performance Reviews

Okay, so it’s your monthly performance review and normally you excel at your job, this month has been no different, so you’re expecting a quick and easy positive performance review right?  Well what if you get a bad one out of the blue?  This could be a clue in that your company is setting you up to be fired.  It’s always favorable for Human Resources and the legal departments if someone has a few bad performance reviews on file before they are terminated, to show that the company had adequate reason.

2. Your Inclusion In Projects Is Limited.

If you’re starting to feel left out of your bosses tactics, and are feeling fairly underappreciated, you may not be imagining things, it may just be that you’re slowly being phased out of that workplace.  Anytime your boss is avoiding you more, leaving you out, or your own colleagues are leaving you out of private meetings, it wouldn’t hurt for you to start browsing some opportunities elsewhere.  At least that way your job loss won’t come as an earth shattering shock.

3. You Get A New Boss.

Managers like to work with employees that they are familiar with.  With workers that they know well, a boss knows what to expect, how far they can push, and which goals that they will be able to accomplish.  The problem with that strategy is for your new boss to make room for new people, he/she has to get rid of you.  A new boss is always a good time for you to brush up that resume and be prepared to be job hunting.

4. Coworkers Begin Getting Fired.

Even if you’re a star performer at your job, if the company starts making cuts on account of an economic crisis nobody is safe.  So if you see a lot of heads rolling at your company, get your interview skills practiced once more, because you could be following suite before too long.

Next you’ll really want to consider jobs that will pay you a realistic living wage.  These can be hard to find, but there are plenty that are available, you just have to be diligent in trying to find them.  Some real positions available as work from home opportunities include.

Translation services
Web developer
Writer/editor
Technical support
Virtual assistant …to name a few

All of these jobs are very mobile, and are available for the taking to anyone that wants a work from home opportunity.  The main thing about finding them or succeeding with these positions is just working hard.  Work hard to find them, and then once you have the position, work hard to make a name for yourself so that you can continue to find work once this opportunity has dried up.

Being a freelance worker means never getting too attached to any one job, as you are in a constant state of shifting positions at any number of companies.  You’re in charge of keeping that resume constantly updated, and being prepared to participate in interviews every few weeks.  Not to mention keeping track of your own earnings records so that you can properly pay the taxes owed according to the laws in your state.

But as long as you’re prepared for such a mountain to climb, freelancing offers you the opportunity to take control of your life and your job.

One sign that’s fairly easy to spot is if your company is in trouble.  Every company is in a relative amount of trouble, given the global recession that’s been battering the world for quite a while now, but if your company is in dire risk of bankruptcy, it’s a good time to think about abandoning ship.

If your company has just recently been turned over to a new CEO, or if you see new leaders at a lower level begin to be negotiated into the company, it’s a good time to think about leaving.  The problem with new faces, is that they bring in more new faces that they’ve been familiar working with in the past.  Chances are you don’t factor in to their plans, as they don’t know you, and most managers would prefer not to spend time learning how to work with new people, when they can let you go and hire a past employee at the new company.

You hit the plateau at any given company for your skill set.  If you’ve gone as high up the ladder as your education/skill set will provide for, it’s time to get looking for a new job.  Chances are, even if it’s the same level position with another corporation, you may be able to get a larger salary.  The chance to renegotiate pay with a well proven set of skills is always an opportunity you should take, and the new corporation will offer you new challenges and the ability to add a new credit to your resume.

Your boss or corporation fails to fulfill a promise that they had made to you during an interview, or early on in your hiring process.  These mean promises not put into writing as an actual contract, but something verbally promised to you.  Whether that means a certain amount of money you should be making over a set length of time, or a promotion you should receive within a set amount of time.  Whenever these promises are not met, they’re leading you on, and it’s time to find the exit as soon as possible to put your energy towards pursuing a more meaningful opportunity with a company that doesn’t lie to you.

Being unafraid to get your name out there as much as possible is usually a very good factor to have in your camp when applying to a job.  Work on increasing your online presence as much as possible, even Google your own name to see what pops up, in terms of your past accomplishments.  If you like what you see, why not throw an invitation for your prospective employer to do a Google search on you, to look up past accomplishments.  Nothing tells the truth like sources beyond yourself with nothing but good things to say.

Don’t waste your time writing about responsibilities you had beyond just previous job titles.  Usually any interviewer can discern the information that applies to them from that alone, and your time is better sent describing the difference you made at the company, and what you accomplished.  That’s what your next employer cares about, what you did at your previous job, not just what you were expected to accomplish.

Let your personality shine, so many people just send in form resumes, and that get’s extremely tired for the interviewer, and makes you appear unwilling to devote time and effort to a project.  Write everything as you would speak given the opportunity to have an interview.  This way you come across as a real person, and who you are is reflected as much as the abilities you can offer.

Finally, never underestimate the value of a few good references.  Well earned and picked references can be the difference between getting a losing a job opportunity.  Just like you would read a few film reviews when trying to find which movie you want to see, your interviewer needs sources about you, so that they can decipher what to expect and if you are the right addition to the team for them to choose.  Good references are key, so always do what you can to ensure you don’t burn any bridges on your journeys through the corporate system.

In short, a brilliant way to showcase your talents, and create interest in the unique services you can provide.  And in fact, a successful blog can even get contractors to approach you for consultations or even jobs.  But how do you get to that stage, where your blog can be found among the helpless rabble of a million pointless blog entries on the entirety of the internet’s blogosphere?

First off, your professional personal blog needs one thing more importantly than anything else, to be taken absolutely seriously.  This is a facet of your job, a way to sell yourself, and nothing will turn off a potential buyer like wasting blog space on your latest theory as to what’s going to happen in the final episode of Lost.  You want to stick to work related topics, and something that demonstrates your talents, and experience, or for lack of experience, then the educational experiences that make you a worthy professional.

And don’t forget, as with any blog, you don’t want to sound stiff or boring.  You want to take an appropriately humorous tone to educate as well as titillate.  This isn’t a resume, just your writings about the industry and your experiences therein.

Which brings me to another glaring error a ton of people make.  Never bash colleagues or companies you’ve worked with, as that also is a great way to make yourself undesirable as a worker.

Also, take advantage of putting yourself out into the Blogosphere by making contact with other bloggers in your niche.  Network yourself, read other blogs, learn from them to develop your unique blogging voice, and in turn see if you can exchange links by linking back to their site.  Linking is probably still the best way to grow you blog’s audience, and remains one of the most important aspects of building a successful site.

Follow those pointers and you’ll be off to a rollicking start by making yourself look like an excellent future employee to any hiring company surfing the net.  And they do that a lot more often than you’d think.