In this Issue:
New Year's Resolutions
How Much Time Do You Devote to Your Resume?
Ask the Career Doctor!
What To Do If You Lose Your Job
This Issue's Cartoon!
New Year's Resolutions
We associate January 1 with many things, from Dick Clark to college football bowl games to the Rose Parade to the determination to get into the gym and lose that extra weight we gained over the holidays. That magical date when we open a new calendar also leads us to make our New Year's Resolutions.
The symbolism of a new year inspires us to improve ourselves; resolutions usually center on self-improvement: better health and fitness, more time with family, and a more dynamic career. Of course, people want to be healthy and spend time with their kids, but why does someone's current job suddenly seem to lose its luster just because January 1st rolls around?
In other words, why are resolutions about one's career always so high on the list?
New Year's Resolutions regarding one's career rank high on the list every year because our job affects all the other items on the list. A stressful job affects one's health … poorly managed jobs can take unnecessary time away from family … jobs with unfair compensation hinder one's growth and plans for the future. We chart our position in life in part by how we are progressing in our careers.
So if a career change is high on your list this year - now is a great time to check out the jobs posted on ConstructionJobs.com and to post your latest resume on the site.
Companies look hard for individuals around the first of the year for a variety of reasons, ranging from new projects that will be starting to new budgets in place. Apparently the hiring authorities we know in construction have the same determination to hit the ground running every January 1, too!
As a result, our website lists hundreds of job options in all parts of the country - and international options, too – and a real sense of urgency behind those postings.
You control your future and your future happiness. Take charge now and make the steps necessary to make 2010 a happy and more prosperous year.
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How Much Time Do You Devote To Your Resume?
I review countless resumes at ConstructionJobs.com and am continually amazed that most job seekers seem to throw their resume together in about five minutes. Even the candidates who spend more time than that and produce a slick-looking document with boldface dates and italicized names often fail to produce a resume that will actually help them get a job.
If you really want a job in this economy, you must spend the time to make your resume stand out and concentrate that time on what matters. And I don't mean correcting misspelled words, formatting problems, and grammar errors.
Your resume has to be more than a road map which tells someone where you've been. Employers reviewing resumes typically spend 10-15 seconds looking at a resume. If nothing catches their eye – NEXT.
So what can you do when there are literally thousands and thousands of job seekers looking at the same job in today's market?
You need to get the employer's attention. The best way to do that is to have an "Accomplishments" section at the top of your resume. You must emphasize things you have done that have:
- Saved the Company Money
- Made the Company Money
- Solved a Problem for the Company
That is how YOU will get noticed and moved to the top of the resume stack. Companies now more than ever want employees who demonstrate their value – and that declaration of the value you – and you alone – can bring to an employer - starts with your resume.
There are hundreds and hundreds of candidates that have commercial experience building a school with over 5 years of experience. Only a few have listed at the top of their resume facts such as:
"I saved the company $500,000 in costs by effectively managing subcontractors."
or
"I made the company over $300,000 by completing the project 40 days early."
or
"I found a solution to a foundation problem which saved the company 2 weeks of construction time."
Facts like these are more important than the road map of your career.
If your resume doesn't highlight your accomplishments, it's time to throw it in the trash before the employers do and spend some time focusing on what is really important in your job search: a grab-them-by-the-throat-in-five-seconds resume.
Your resume is only the first step in your job search process, but if you don't produce a great resume – you may never get to step 2.
Bill Wolfe
President
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What To Do If You Lose Your Job
By Hallie Crawford, MA, CPCC
If you're like me, you hate turning on the morning news these days because of all the doom and gloom with the economy. There's no doubt about it. The world is a scary place right now. And for many of us, what is especially unnerving is the way the unemployment rate continues to rise.
If you are one of those fearful of losing your job – or if you have already joined the unemployment line – I urge you to maintain a positive attitude. Worrying won't help and, in fact, may create even more problems.
Having been through the experience of not having a job, I'd like to offer some tips to help you through this unsettling time:
This article is continued HERE.
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ConstructionJobs.com has
helped thousands of job seekers all across America find employment.
Our award-winning job board and resume database is endorsed
by various top national associations (see Partners)
as their preferred partner in online recruiting; our site represents
over 50,000 contractors and design firms. For more information
or assistance with your account, please email us at: info@constructionjobs.com.
Happy Searching,
The ConstructionJobs.com Team
