How to List a Degree on a Resume [Associate, Bachelors Masters]

How to List a Degree on a Resume [Associate, Bachelor’s Master’s] Putting your degree on a resume may feel like a no brainer.But thats until you actually start doing this.All of a sudden, a flurry of unexpected questions appears:How to list my associates degree on a resume? What if Im currently pursuing a degree? How to write a bachelor's degree on a resume? Do I use periods in the abbreviation?Calm down.This article will show you:All you need to know on how to write a degree on a resume.Examples of how to list your academic degree on a resume.Tips on common questions about writing a degree on a resume.Want to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume builder. Its fast and easy to use. Plus, youll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here.Sample resume made with our builderSee more templates and create your resume here.One of our users, Nikos, had this to say:[I used] a nice template I found on Zety. My resume is now one page long, not three. With the same stuff.Create your resume nowHow to Make a ResumeWhat to Include in a ResumeHow to Put Your Education on a ResumeCollege Graduate ResumeCollege Student ResumeEntry-Level ResumeHigh School Student ResumeMBA Application ResumeResume Examples for TeensResume With No ExperienceScholarship Resume1How to List an Associate Degree on a ResumeAn associate degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after two or three years of post-secondary education. Its a degree thats halfway through a GED qualification or high school diploma and a bachelors degree.You should put your associate degree on a resume in a dedicated education section.Depending on how much experience you have, the resume education section could either come before or after your experience resume section.Heres an example of how to write an associate degree on a resume:Associate Degree on a Resume20162017Sandhills Community College, Pinehurst, NCAssociate in Arts in EnglishAs a rule, you should spell out the full name of your degree rather than a bbreviate it.That saidIf youre short of space on your resume, youre free to abbreviate your degree. Just make sure its understandable to the recruiter. If in doubt, dont abbreviate.Heres a list of several common ways to abbreviate an associate degree on a resume:AA (Associate in Arts)AAB (Associate of Applied Business)AAS (Associate in Applied Science)AAT (Associate of Arts in Teaching)ABA (Associate of Business Administration)AS (Associate in Science)Pro Tip: Your college may call the degree either Associate in or Associate of. Make sure you use the correct preposition when listing your associates degree on a resume. Check out your colleges style guide to be 100 percent sure.Remember:Dont use an apostrophe when you spell out your degree on a resume.Your resume education section should read e.g. Associate of Applied Science, not Associates of Applied Science.And one more thingIf youre making your first resume, you may want to add some extra information, such as relevant coursework o n a resume.2How to Write a Bachelor's Degree on a ResumeA bachelors degree is an undergraduate degree you can earn after four (sometimes five) years of full-time study.Just like any other degree, you should list your bachelors degree on a resume in a dedicated education section.If youre fresh out of school, you may want to put the education section above the experience section. Also, consider including additional details on your educational background, such as relevant coursework, or the GPA score.Heres an example of how to list a bachelor's degree on a resume:Bachelor's Degree on a Resume20132017UCLA, Los Angeles, CABachelor of Arts in EnglishIts advisable to put the full name of your degree on a resume, but if youre economizing on space, you can use an abbreviation instead.Bachelors degrees on a resume are commonly abbreviated to:BA (Bachelor of Arts)BS (Bachelor of Science)These two abbreviations are the most common in the US.However, you may also come across other abbreviations, such as B.A., Bach. Sci., B.Sc., S.B., B.S., ScB, or BSc.All of these abbreviations are correct, understandable, and refer to a bachelor of arts/science.But apart from these types of bachelor degree on a resume, recruiters may come across other kinds of bachelors degrees:BJHum (Bachelor of Journalism and Humanities)BMPD (Bachelor of Media Production and Design)BMusA (Bachelor of Musical Arts)BPAPM (Bachelor of Public Affairs and Policy Management)BScFS (Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science)If youre applying for a position related to your field of study, chances are that even a less common abbreviation wont take anyone by surprise.But remember:Always make sure your resume is as informative and clear as possible. If a recruiter doesnt know what an abbreviation stands for they wont google it. Theyll reject your application.This is why its advisable to avoid abbreviating your bachelors degree on a resume.Pro Tip: You can use periods or not (e.g. B.A. or BA) when you put the abbrevia ted name of your degree on a resume. Either spelling is correct.And finallyIf you didnt manage to finish your degree, you can still list it in your education section. Just make it clear how much of a degree you did manage to complete.Heres how to list an incomplete degree on a resume:Incomplete Degree on a Resume20122015UCLA, Los Angeles, CACompleted 50 credits toward BA in EnglishIf your work experience isnt impressive yet, use the education section to tell the recruiters a bit more about yourself. Consider adding information on your minor on a resume, or display your GPA on a resume.3How to List a Master's Degree on a ResumeA masters degree is an academic degree awarded by a university or college. It usually takes two years to complete a masters program, and having a bachelors degree is a prerequisite (most of the time).Write a masters degree on a resume in the education section.Pro Tip: List your degrees on a resume in reverse-chronological order. In other words, put your most re cent degree at the top, and follow it with the previously earned one(s).Heres an example of how to list a masters degree on a resume:Masters Degree on a Resume20152017UCLA, Los Angeles, CAMaster of Arts in EnglishJust like in the case of all the other degrees, you can abbreviate your masters degree on a resume.Heres what some typical abbreviations may look like:A.M., M.A., MA (Master of Arts)M.B.A., MBA (Master of Business Administration)M.E., ME, MEng, M.Eng. (Master of Engineering)M.Ed., MEd (Master of Education)M.S., MS, M.Sc., MSc (Master of Science)M.S.Met. (Master of Science in Metallurgical Engineering)Remember: clarity and understandability are vital when listing a degree on a resume.PlusIf you decide to follow The Gregg Reference Manual and put periods in your degree (e.g. M.A.) do it consistently throughout the entire resume. If you prefer The Chicago Manual of Styles recommendations, and decide not to use periods (e.g. MA), also be consistent.Last but not least.If you're currently pursuing a degree, you can still list it on your resume. The only thing you need to do is say when youre expected to graduate.Look at this example showing how to list a masters degree in progress on a resume:Masters Degree in Progress on a ResumeUCLA, Los Angeles, CAMaster of Arts in PsychologyExpected graduation date: June 2019Did you graduate with honors? Why not put cum laude on a resume?Pro Tip: High schools issue diplomas. Technically, theres no such thing as a high school degree on resume. Learn how to put high school education on a resume to avoid lying about your degree on resume.Key TakeawaysHeres how to list a degree on a resume:Create the education section on your resume.Put it either before or after the experience section (depending on your experience).List all your degrees in the education section of your resume.Put your degrees on a resume in the reverse-chronological order.Consider adding extra information about your degree on a resume (e.g. GPA, Latin honor s, coursework, etc.).Format the information on your degree on a resume consistently.You can list an incomplete degree on your resume, or a degree in progress. But never lie about your degree on a resume.Do you have any questions about how to write your degree on a resume? Maybe youve got some advice youd like to share with others? Give us a shout out in the comments below. Wed love to hear your voice.

Investing in Retirement Accounts

Investing in Retirement AccountsWhen it comes to recipes for Retirement Accounts, RSum is still the best way to save for your future. For those of you who don't know, a RSum is a financial account that pays a monthly dividend based on your investment in stocks and bonds. This allows you to enjoy all the tax advantages of an IRA with none of the expense.The way that RSum works is pretty simple. First, you deposit the minimum amount of money each month, which is usually less than one-third of one percent of your annual income, and after a while your account grows tax free.Then, when you retire, if you decide to cash out the account, you can simply withdraw the amount that you have paid in so far, minus the tax deduction you have gotten from doing so. It is the most basic way to protect your future as an investor. Once you have finished paying in the initial payment of the dividend that is paid out each month, you simply continue with paying the dividend based on the investments that yo u have made in stocks and bonds.Now when it comes to choosing a RSum fund industry, there are many things to take into consideration. First of all, you want to look at the history of the company. Also, you want to make sure that it has a history of paying dividends and making a profit. Then once you have done this, you want to compare the amount of earnings that you will have at retirement and the amount that you will be paying in taxes.There are many types of companies that offer RSums, and you want to make sure that you make your choice based on what type of companies are best for you to invest in. It is also a good idea to choose a fund industry where you can invest in both stocks and bonds as well. It is never a good idea to invest solely in one type of stock, though you do have the option of investing in both.Now, there are several types of accounts available. If you are not comfortable investing in stocks and bonds, then you might choose an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). These are accounts that allow you to invest in both stocks and bonds without being subjected to tax penalties.There are also some investment options that allow you to build the assets that you want to in stocks and bonds. These are called both segregated funds and target date funds. A nice benefit is that you can either take the money that you have invested and use it for your own retirement, or you can use the money that you have invested and make a tax-deferred income.In closing, the best way to invest in a retirement plan is through RSum. As mentioned earlier, there are many different types of RSums available. When you do your research, make sure that you choose the right RSum for your financial needs and then continue with your retirement plan for life.

How to Create a Survey That Grows Your Business (Podcast #52) - Classy Career Girl

How to Create a Survey That Grows Your Business (Podcast #52) Today I am excited to introduce you to someone who has worked on the Classy Career Girl team and helped me create a survey to re-design and re-launch our Love Your Career Formula 2.0 program in September-15. She created an AMAZING survey for all of the clients who had been through the program previously and gave me an improvement plan that I used during the entire launch to make the 2.0 program better than ever for our participants. Click play below or  right click here and save link as  to download or subscribe on iTunes  here on this link: If you are enjoying our podcast, please leave us a review on iTunes! It would mean the world. Thank you! If you have an idea for a new business, there is always one place you should start. Gathering feedback from your potential future clients so you can identify the frustrations that they are facing, what their goals and dreams are and how you can help. The best way to get this feedback is either by talking to them or by doing a survey. Since helping me, Rebecca has also actively gotten involved in our Corporate Rescue Plan membership community and officially launched her business, Creative Habitat, to help busy moms and mompreneurs carve out time to invest in their creativity. I couldn’t be more proud that she officially quit her job last month! So, if you are looking to launch a business or maybe make some changes in your business, you’ll love this interview with Rebecca, my survey expert. I’m confident she can help you as much as she’s helped me. So let’s dive in. How to Create a Survey That Grows Your business Here are the five sections you need to have in order to create a survey successfully: 1. Audience What is this group like? Who am I gearing this question towards? Put yourself in their shoes and pretend as if you were taking the  survey. If you know the audience really well, make the survey a little more complex. I made this survey for Anna a litle more complex because the audience had already built a relationship with her and I thought a ten question survey would be ok because I wanted to get as much information as possible. How well do you know your audience? 2. Objective What type of information are you trying to get from them? When I am starting something new, there is so much information I want to design a program to meet their needs. But, sometimes you just need to hone in on one focus. What is one problem that you have? Your objective is which social media would I be able to reach you best? Focus in on the one problem that you want. There are a lot of questions you can ask related to the multiple platforms. Choose three tools that you feel like they all have. I try to summarize key components of the question that I am trying to uncover. I would summarize them and come up with three questions. I look at the cross section and narrow it down to something that is more simplified and ask a question that is something more related. I start with one general question and then I break it down a little more into a specific question. You dont want to overwhelm them. Its good to have an introductory question that allows you to introduce what you are asking and that leads them into more specific questions so it is easier for them to answer a question. 3. User Experience Put yourself in their shoes. Think about how they will approach your survey. You want to start broad if they dont know a lot of the functionality of the questions you are asking.  If you were taking your own survey, what time and place would you want to take it? Make sure you send it out at the right time. 4. Incentive I always try to set a goal in the advance for the response rate I want. If you write out your goal, it helps push the process and keep seeking those survey results. Sometimes it is about trying different things and try sending out in the morning and in the evening. Catch people at a time that may be the best for them. Think back to the user and what time are they most available and likely to check their email. Sometimes Ill even send out individual emails with the survey or make phone calls. Rebecca recommended a free coaching call as an incentive for Annas survey. Anna decided not to do it because she was on a road trip and didnt know what state she would be in. We decided instead on $10 Starbucks card and we could just email a digital link. We do both love the free coaching call incentive though. When Anna was getting started and sent out her first survey, she just gave out a free interview guide. She emailed people and put that link everywhere and she got 70 responses. Thats why people were signing up to take the survey. They wanted that interview coaching workbook! The more you can learn about them and talk to them, it could turn into a future client. Warning: The automatic survey did end up in peoples junk mail. It might need a check in or a phone call. If they didnt respond, it might just end up in junk mail. 5. Analyzing Results Reviewing the results and putting it into an improvement action plan. Actually take action with improving your business with the results you receive. Find someone to review the data with you and help you take action with improvements in your business. What  Survey Service To Use? Surveymonkey.com its free. Its the most widespread free and accessible one. There is so much you can do with this free software tool. Here is the survey that Rebecca mention in the podcast interview to see the variety of survey questions and unique way we asked the questions. Here are the questions we asked in our survey: We had 10 questions. I knew that all 10 questions would be ok since Anna already had a relationship with this group. If I was developing a survey for people who Anna had never worked with, I would have limited to 5-6 questions and I wouldnt have done as many different types of survey questions. This should just take about 2 minutes. Audience: Previous members of Love Your Career Formula coaching program Objective: Wcomponentsenets of the program did they most value and what time were they most likely to put effort into their goals. I was trying to gauge their timeframe. I was also looking for suggestions and how we could improve the program. 1. Rank Survey Question: Please rank the Love Your Career Formula coaching resources starting from the most valuable to you. I looked at the program and I had a ranking system.  We had training videos, Annas guides and forms, bonus audios, tip of the week and coaching calls. I broke down the offering and gave them a ranking. This lets me know what was most valuable to the most people. 2.  Value Survey Question: Which of the resources was the most valuable to you? Anan has so many resources and PDFs that she was offering so I gave a ranking scenario. This time there were 12 and I asked them to only rank the top 3. I am continuing another question with a ranking. I am trying to make it similar as the first one and a little simple but I am also getting more details. 3. Suggestions Survey Question: Are there any additinal coaching topics you wish were covered in Love Your Career Formula? Yes or no. If yes (multiple pronged question), I added a comment box to give feedback and I made sure it was limited to 100 characters. 4. Time Commitment Survey Question: Was the LYCF time commitment what you expected. If not, what surprised you. The first two questions required more ideas and ranking. It takes a little more work to  provide a comment now. Keep this in mind. Comments are not required. Its just a way to get a little more information. We are making questions a little easier to answer as we go so they dont lose interest. 5. Time They Would Study Survey Question: What time are you most likely to take action in progressing your career goals? Three options. Morning, afternoon or evening. I also have these bubbles for weekends or weekdays. 6. Accomplishments Survey Question: Please list 3 actions you are most proud of taking as a result of participating in the Love Your Career Formula coaching program. This time I gave them three comment boxes with action 1 action 2 and action 3. I want to keep them motivated to continue the survey. 7. Future Suggestions Survey Question: What method would you prefer for future group coaching. This is where I gave them some ideas for what they want in the future. They can choose all three or just one to see how open they were to different ways of receiving Annas coaching. Teleconference, live video conference and other where they could specify what they wanted. 8. Live Event Interest Survey Question: Would you be interested in attending a live event? Yes or No. If yes, how far would you be willing to travel for this. I am trying to get a lot of information out of this for ONE question. 9. Accountability Partnerships Survey Question: If paired with an  accountability partner, which would you prefer? I am trying to gauge their flexibility in the different ways. For the comment section, you can limit the number of words. You just want their quick ideas. That is a way to keep your results shorter depending on what your goals are. Competitor Analysis Doing a competitor analysis means looking at people who are doing the similar thing you are doing and are trying to reach a similar audience. You cant analyze everyone. But, get a grouping that have the most similarities and compare and contrast pros and cons. The focus on what your business mission is really your key to success. You cant copy all the good ideas. You have to choose the best and make sure they are in alignment with your mission and move forward with that. I took some key ideas an suggestions for that. I think its important not to copy and create your own mission for your own busines. But, be aware of what is out there and what you can do even better than your competitors. Sometimes we are scared to asking for help or getting feedback. I dont want to hear the bad stuff but being comfortable with accepting good and bad is crucial. Its all about improving. The previous membership site wasnt bad or terrible but there is always ways that we can be improving and growing and benefiting our clients even more.  How can you take it to the next level and help your clients even more in the future. Make sure every year yo ugo out with another survey and learn something new and update with something new you learned. Another way to get surveys too is having someone else outside of our business like Rebecca do this for you. A lot of interns have business plan projects and maybe there is some college student that can help you do something similar to this.

Top 10 Reasons to Buy Organic Foods

Top 10 Reasons to Buy Organic Foods While I typically try to eat local, seasonal food, every once in a while I will crave something that isnt in season here in Chicago. So last week I stopped into Whole Foods to pick up a cucumber and grapes, and since those are two items on the Dirty Dozen list of produce with the most pesticides, I opted for organic. Not really paying attention to the price, I was met with a bit of sticker shock when the cashier told me the damage: $9.29! For a bag of grapes and a cucumber! Needless to say I was taken aback, but still went ahead with the purchase, because I really dont want my fruit served with a side of cancer-causing toxins. That said, here are 10 reasons I strongly suggest buying organic food whenever possible. (And remember, if  its not logistically or economically possible for you to buy organic, having some fruits and veggies in your diet is so much better than none at all!) 1. Keep chemicals off your plate. Pesticides are poisons designed to kill living organisms and thus are harmful to humans. Many approved pesticides were registered long before extensive research linked these chemicals to cancer and other diseases. Organic agriculture is a way to prevent any more of these chemicals from getting into the air, water and food supply. 2. Protect future generations. Children are four times more sensitive to exposure to cancer-causing pesticides in foods than adults. 3. Protect water quality. Pesticides pollute the public’s primary source of drinking water for more than half the countrys population. 4. Organic farmers work in harmony with nature. Three billion tons of topsoil erodes from croplands in the U.S. each year, and much of it is due to conventional farming practices, which often ignore the health of the soil. Organic agriculture respects the balance necessary for a healthy ecosystem; wildlife is encouraged by including forage crops in rotation and by retaining fencerows, wetlands and other natural areas. 5. Save energy. More energy is now used to produce synthetic fertilizers than to till, cultivate and harvest all the crops in the U.S. 6. Help small farmers. Although more and more large-scale farms are making the conversion to organic practices, most organic farms are small, independently owned and operated family farms. USDA reported that in 1997, half of U.S. farm production came from only 2% of farms. Organic agriculture can be a lifeline for small farms because it offers an alternative market where sellers can demand fair prices for crops. 7. Support a true economy. Organic foods might seem expensive at first. However, your tax dollars pay for hazardous waste clean-up and environmental damage caused by conventional farming. 8. Promote biodiversity. Planting large plots of land with the same crop year after year tripled farm production between 1950 and 1970, but the lack of natural diversity of plant life has negatively affected soil quality. 9. Nourishment. Organic farming starts with the nourishment of the soil, in turn producing nourishing plants. Well-maintained soil produces strong, healthy plants that have more nutrients than conventionally grown produce. 10. Flavor. Organic produce simply tastes better. Conduct your own taste test! Why do you buy organic?/Whats keeping you from buying organic?

Do You Need A Poetry Writing Coach Resume?

Do You Need A Poetry Writing Coach Resume?Have you ever seen a poetry writing coach resume? If you haven't then here are some tips to help you understand this resume.Poetry writing coaching involves your ability to write a well-written and elegant resume and cover letter. This is what your writing coach will be doing for you. His job is to improve your resume by implementing the most suitable job opening. But your job is to make sure that you can offer all the required qualities.Now, what are the advantages of hiring a poetry writing coach? First, hiring a coach is one way of meeting a professional who can teach you on writing and how to edit and polish your resume. He can also provide you with valuable resources like a sample resume or other resumes he has worked on. This will help you have an idea of how it should look like.The second advantage is that the professional writer is a part of the organization. He can offer his expertise and knowledge as well as his experience. This is very important because if you are inexperienced then he can correct you on certain aspects that can work against you. You can also approach him in case you don't know how to do something.Once you hire a poetry writing coach, you will get tips and tricks to edit your resume by using a variety of techniques. For example, he can make sure that your employment history is correct and will not seem so amateurish. He can also edit it for certain topics that you have ignored. Sometimes, you can find some solutions that will make your resume look fresh.You can also apply his tips in editing your resume. He can also prepare a sample resume that you can use to show him what you want to do with your resume. In this way, he can see if the sample is appropriate or not. And he can also see if you can really get what you want.Poems are very good when you want to impress others. Your coach can help you write a resume that will be different from the rest. It should be unique and simple. Your writing coach will also help you make it sound professional.So if you have decided to hire a poetry writing coach for this purpose, do not waste your time with a resume that looks perfect but that does not really suit you. Make sure that you get the one that is ideal for you. The results can be truly amazing.

Slow city - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Slow city - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog A kaospilot student told me about the slow city movement. As soon as I heard the term slow city I knew what it meant, and my first thought was I wanna live there. Of course, my second thought was Naaah, what I really want is to live in a slow neighbourhood in a fast city, so I can have the best of both worlds. A slow place to live with speed bumps in the streets so people drive slow. Lots of nature, little noise, no McDonalds or 7-11s, nice little caf?s thatll serve you a good cup of coffee and neighbours you can actually talk to. And then a few blocks away, all the trappings of the fast city. According to the website, Slow Cities are cities which: 1- implement an environmental policy designed to maintain and develop the characteristics of their surrounding area and urban fabric, placing the onus on recovery and reuse techniques 2- implement an infrastructural policy which is functional for the improvement, not the occupation, of the land 3- promote the use of technologies to improve the quality of the environment and the urban fabric 4- encourage the production and use of foodstuffs produced using natural, eco-compatible techniques, excluding transgenic products, and setting up, where necessary, presidia to safeguard and develop typical products currently in difficulty, in close collaboration with the Slow Food Ark project and wine and food Presidia 5- safeguard autocthonous production, rooted in culture and tradition, which contributes to the typification of an area, maintaining its modes and mores and promoting preferential occasions and spaces for direct contacts between consumers and quality producers and purveyors 6- promote the quality of hospitality as a real bond with the local community and its specific features, removing the physical and cultural obstacles which may jeopardize the complete, widespread use of a citys resources 7- promote awareness among all citizens, and not only among inside operators, that they live in a Slow City, with special attention to the of young people and schools through the systematic introduction of taste education. More and more cities around the world are joining the movement and becoming certifiied slow cities, and I think this is an excellent development, and a nice balance to the increasing speed in many other aspects of todays global culture. Rock on slowly! Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

5 Tips to Use Social Media to Find a Job - CareerEnlightenment.com

5 Tips to Use Social Media to Find a Job The article is written by Joe Yeager and first appeared on socialmediaclub.org.I read many stories about social media impacting the workplace.Most revolve around how social media impacts the employee or even the potential employee. Very little show the possible impact on the company, unless it’s  to say how they use social media when recruiting or researching information about potential employees.According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average length of time that an  employee stays with an employer is 4.4 years.Forbes reports that for the youngest workers, the average is less than half that number; that for Millennials (those born between 1977-1997), the average  is less than three years and that they would have 15 to 20 jobs over the course of their working lives!That makes it even more important for you to insist that your new employer creates an environment that is acceptable. Just as human resources managers do  their homework on potential employees, you should research your future employer.In a recent article by human resources expert Susan  Healthfield, she goes one step  further. Companies need to “mine the web for talent.” Acknowledging that companies can use social media to perform background checks, she says that the  Society for Human Resources Management reports that 76% of companies in a recent survey either already use or plan to use social media to help recruit talent.I think you need to mine the web for the best places to work.LinkedIn  is a great place for companies and people to find each other. I am routinely shown information about potential new jobs when I sign onto LinkedIn. Those  ads are based on criteria that have nothing to do with what kind of fit you would be in with those companies.Here’s what you can accomplish by using social media:Use LinkedIn and Twitter to connect with decision makers at potential employers.Join online discussion groups where you are likely to find either current or former employees at potential employers.Review corporate social media sites to see how they treat customers.Look at social media monitoring sites, such as Social Mention, Google Alerts, and  paper.li to keep on top of  what’s going on at companies.Research the C-Level staff and/or HR directors that you will meet at  interviews to get a feel for them in advance.Connecting with Decision MakersYou have an ideal opportunity to get to know the decision makers at companies that you wish to work for in the future. Even if you aren’t actively looking  for a new job at the time, getting to know them and  getting them to know you can make you someone that they think of when an opening occurs.Not only can you find them using social media (the first of the five points above), but by providing solid discussion in places such as in a LinkedIn  group, you can show off your talents and impress them.Though you can get a job from classified ads, job-oriented websites, etc., there is no substitute for a personal connection wi th the decision maker. The  higher up on the corporate ladder a position is, the more likely that it will be filled as the result of a personal connection, not because of a classified ad, no matter where it’s placed.Avoid spreading yourself too thinly online.You should join several groups on LinkedIn, but not too many. You need to be active enough in the groups that you can become a true thought leader, not  someone who makes “drive by” postings sporadically.When I was on the scholarship committee at West Chester University, we always looked at people that did too many extra-curricular activities in a lesser  way than someone who was in fewer activities but took an active/leadership role in those groups. Want to Read More Articles Like This One?Sign up here to receive weekly updates from Career Enlightenment, and never miss another powerful job searching tip! SUBSCRIBE! You have Successfully Subscribed!We hate spam too. Unsubscribe any time. See How They Treat CustomersFor companies that you may not be that familiar with, using social media to help get a grasp on their corporate culture can be very helpful. I believe that  this is especially true for smaller to medium-sized  companies and for privately held companies. Large companies often have social media sites that are impersonal, making it a little less effective.One example that comes to mind is Waste Management.Their Facebook page has quite a few complaints posted on the site. The reply by the  company is a boilerplate response that apologizes and asks people to send an email to a specific email address to get help.That is what happened to my family when we had an issue with them a few years ago.Most of the people that posted their original complaint posted again later that they did as asked, but nobody ever got in touch with them to help them. In  many cases, social media was not their first attempt to get help from the company, but they probably hoped that by doing something in a public forum , that  the company would be more accommodating. Many customers told stories of extremely poor customer service with what I consider an almost total lack of  empathy for their customers’ problems.To me, Waste Management does not have a corporate culture that I would appreciate. I won’t be applying for a job with them anytime soon, despite the large  facility that they have not too far away from where I live.Monitor Potential EmployersMany of you are probably already using sites such as Google Alerts or Technorati to monitor the internet for mentions of your company and possibly even  your competition.I love using paper.li to create “newspapers” on social media and some fun papers  about my  hobbies, such as fly fishing.If you know some of the companies that you know you’re interested in working for, you can use the site to gather stories from the web. Just make sure that  you don’t select the option to automatically send out tweets for each edition. The site archives pre vious editions, making it easy to review several days’  worth of stories at a time.Research C-Level StaffEven if you don’t connect with the decision makers from potential employers, you can observe them online and get a feel for their personality and their  leadership/management styles.Review their tweets to see how they interact with people.Look at their LinkedIn profile and see what they do on the site.Are they active or do they just “belong” to the site because they feel it’s expected of them?You can get to know them so that when the interview comes, you can be sure to reference things that you  learned about them from their online profile.The End GameBy doing the same thing that many companies are doing during the employment hiring process, you can use social media to help identify potential employers  that are more likely to be rewarding and make you feel fulfilled.Sure, some of the reasons why people have such a short tenure with their jobs are because of the economy . Another reason why people leave is because they  find that the company is not compatible with their personal code of conduct, ethics, etc.You can avoid making those kinds of mistakes and find a place where you will want to stay for a long time.

Do I Always Need A Resume

Do I Always Need A Resume Every once in a while someone asks, Do I always need a resume? The reason they wonder is because there are many other ways that your information gets to potential employers. Between online profiles, electronic applications, and your personal website, there could be a point when resumes are no longer required, right? Wrong. Most of the time a resume is going to be the only way you stand out from the crowd to a potential employer. Many times you will be asked to bring a copy of your resume to an interview because that paper resume is going to be passed around in hiring discussions. Your resume is your chance to customize your sales pitch to the specific job description and give an impression that goes beyond the template of electronic data input. Its true that there will be an occasional exception. When NOT to use a resume  is a matter of knowing exactly why that resume is not needed. A resume will not be needed if the company specifically tells you they dont want one. Or, maybe you wont need a resume if you are working for someone who knows you very well. But heres the reason its good to have a resume, even if a potential employer doesnt want one: Your resume has all your information condensed into one place. This comes in handy when you are filling out the forms they are using instead of a resume. Its just a lot easier to have your work history and dates written down instead of trying to accurately recall your hiring date for the job you had five years ago. I think you will always need a resume when you come in for an interview, even if you dont give it to anyone.