VP Gets Help Maturing a Mid-Level Resume

VP Gets Help Maturing a Mid-Level ResumeVP Gets Help Maturing a Mid-Level ResumeThis vice president of systems engineering knew how to hone technology, but needed help tuning his resume.A large technology company is getting swallowed by a larger technology company. After 20 years of rising through the ranks, this 46-year-old executive knows full well he may not be part of the meal.close dialogAdvertisementclose dialog/* effects for .bx-campaign-1012257 *//* custom css .bx-campaign-1012257 */.bx-custom.bx-campaign-1012257.bx-type-agilityzone .bx-close z-index 2-ms-keyframes bx-anim-1012257-spin from -ms-transform rotate(0deg) to -ms-transform rotate(360deg) -moz-keyframes bx-anim-1012257-spin from -moz-transform rotate(0deg) to -moz-transform rotate(360deg) -webkit-keyframes bx-anim-1012257-spin from -webkit-transform rotate(0deg) to -webkit-tra nsform rotate(360deg) keyframes bx-anim-1012257-spin from transform rotate(0deg) to transform rotate(360deg) bx-close-inside-1012257 top 0 right 0 /* rendered styles .bx-campaign-1012257 */.bxc.bx-campaign-1012257.bx-active-step-1 .bx-creative *first-child padding 0width auto.bxc.bx-campaign-1012257.bx-active-step-1 .bx-creative background-color transparent.bxc.bx-campaign-1012257.bx-active-step-1 .bx-close stroke whitebackground-color blackborder-style solidborder-color whiteborder-width 1pxbox-shadow 0px 0px 0px 3px black.bxc.bx-campaign-1012257 .bx-group-1012257-3RBnJGC position absolutetop 50%left 50%transform translate(-50%, -50%)z-index -1.bxc.bx-campaign-1012257 .bx-element-1012257-wryzWV5 width 55px.bxc.bx-campaign-1012257 .bx-element-1012257-wryzWV5 *first-child animation-name bx-anim-1012257-spinanimation-duration 800msanimation-iteration-count infiniteanimation-timing-function linear.bxc.bx-campaign-1012257 .bx-group-1012257-lyDBLV9 width 900pxheight 550px.bxc.bx-campaign-1012257 .bx-group-1012257-me4p1bl padding 10px.bxc.bx-campaign-1012257 .bx-element-1012257-ZdLO37u width auto.bxc.bx-campaign-1012257 .bx-element-1012257-ZdLO37u *first-child padding 2px 4pxfont-size 10pxcolor rgb(255, 255, 255)text-transform uppercasebackground-color rgb(0, 0, 0)background-color rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.34)At the level of higher management, like vice presidents and directors, there may be more of a gelegenheit of not being acquired with the new company, said the pre-sales systems engineering vice president, who requested anonymity for himself and the involved companies because of the legalities involved with the merger. So its better to explore a new opportunity.After two decades with the company, this technology VP knows plenty His expertise lies in consulting and product development, along with IT services and software. Hes got nuts-and-bolts technology know-how and business acumen, along with global busin ess operation experience, managerial experience of 800 pre-sales technical support staff who support revenues of $7 billion to $8 billion, and much more.Bringing his resume up to his levelNevertheless, he welches challenged when it came to communicating the depth and breadth of his worth on a resume - particularly given his high ranking on the corporate ladder. And without that powerful document speaking on his behalf, he knew his chances of getting a foot in the door when interviewing were severely diminished.Writing a resume, going through the interviews, thats not something Ive done often, he said. Especially writing the resume, I havent done that in such a long time. The issue I had, I didnt know how to write one at my level.Before he was introduced to Ladders professional resume-writing service by a colleague, the VP wrote one himself. What he produced exhibited a host of classic resume problems First, the 3.5-page document was too long. It also failed to reflect the VPs statu s properly. The VP also made a mistake typical of those unfamiliar with equal-opportunity laws in the United States He included personal information such as age, marital status and nationality at the resume top.But the most problematic aspect of his original document was that it didnt tell a resume reader what the VP is good at and what he wants to do, according to Tina Brasher, a certified professional resume writer who works with Ladders and recently reworked the resume.His original heading read Professional Services IT Executive. What would you think hes qualified to do? Brasher said. From a resume readers viewpoint, he could be perceived as anybody from a manager to a C-level executive a CIO (chief information officer) or a CTO (chief technology officer). His resume was giving out a poor and an incorrect impression right off the bat with that heading.He was also trying to focus the readers attention on cross-functional and cross-cultural expertise, Brasher said. But those words - cross-functional and cross-cultural expertise - by themselves in a subheading dont mean a hill of beans to a resume reader because they dont communicate what hes really skilled at doing.DIY can turn into imitation, often of poor examples Brasher streamlined the resume to two pages, reworking every aspect of it, including the summary paragraph, which she changed totally, the VP said.Brasher also stripped out what she called fluff phrases from the summary paragraph - phrases and words that resume readers have seen 10 million times, she said. Those included subjective terms such as highly qualified, results-focused, effectual leader, has talent for, energetic and confident.(Such wording) doesnt tell the reader what he wants to know, Brasher said. What they want to get out of a resume is 1) How can you make the company money? and 2) How can you save the company money? Theyre looking for a resume not only for that but Are you qualified for the job opening I posted? And Whats your s kill set? How did you make a positive difference in the company you just left? How are you different and more valuable as an employee from John Smith whose resume I just read or John Doe whose resume Im about to read? The resulting document is as different from the original as night and day, Brasher said, and the VP agreed.In terms of experience and achievement, she got it down to being very concise and right to the point of highlighting my achievements and so forth, he said. Tina, she just did a wonderful job. She came back with two pages. The content was superb. She knew exactly what needed to be done at my level. Im so happy with the result that I got. The combination of the worksheet Tina gave me and Tinas editing resulted in a completely new resume that I really like and that reflects my accomplishments.

How To Really Impress During A Job Interview

How To Really Impress During A Job InterviewHow To Really Impress During A Job Interview Next to a root canal appointment, few things in life are as nerve inducing as the job bewerberinterview . In this day and age, the face-to-face interview is typically the first time a prospective employee will speak to an actual person. This actual person literally has your career in the palm of their hand. They will determine, based on this portion of the hiring process, whether or not the process will continue or come to a screeching halt.Wow No wonder youre nervous. Right?Below are a few ideas that will go a long way toward taking some of the pressure off of you and making the most of your time with the interviewer .1.Keep in mind, this company called you. From the stack of resumes theyreceived, something about you gave them the confidence in your qualifications and abilities to want to get to know you better. That knowledge alone should put a spring in your step and arm y ou with the confidencenecessary for a successful interview.2.Save the bright colors for the first casualFridayat your new job. For the interview, though, keep it neat and professional. Doing so will immediately create an air of quiet confidence that will be evident in how the interviewer responds to you.3.Few things in life can boost your confidence levels like a good round of exercise. Try to schedule avigorous workout routine as close to the interview time as possible. Doing so will keep the butterflies in your stomach at bay, and will help you to interview from a standpoint of strength versus weakness.4.Get plenty of rest the night before. You may be thinking to yourself, Well, duh. But believe it or not, manyjob seekers are so nervous they find it hard to sleep and wind up pacing the floor half the night, only to be exhausted by the time they get to the interview. I dont have to tell you how adverse this condition can be to an interview.5.Dont forget to eat. Studies have pro ven, time and again, that anutritious breakfast increases concentration. The ability to focus is essential for a winning interview. And besides, few things are as distracting asthe sound of a growling stomach.In addition to the simple suggestions above, get ready for your interview by conducting a few preparatory steps1. Equip yourself with ample research on the companys needs . Visit Glassdoor.com, Hoovers.com, BizJournals.com, WSJ.com, LinkedIn.com, Forbes.com and the companys website. Simply Google the companys name or a combination of the company name + targeted keywords to vet as much detail about the company for which you are interviewing as possible.Read between the lines about how their current growth patterns, product or marketplace positioning and so forth speaks to present and future needs their areas of pain.2. From that info, ferret out where you sense their needs and your talents intersect . Make sure you prepare at least 4-5+ mini-stories (Challenge-Action-Result f ormat) that vividly describe how you have achieved solutions similar to problems this company has faced, or will face. Paint a picture that YOU are THEIR solution , a better fit than the next interviewing candidate.3. Prepare for the multiplicity of questions interviewers often ask, such as4. Prepare questions to ask them, such as5. Have a friend or family member (or hire an interview coach) to act the part of the interviewer. This will go a long way to quieting those nerves by giving you an opportunity to practice your tone and ensuring you wont verbally stumble during the actual event.The person interviewing you has one goal in mind fill a vacancy with the best-qualified candidate possible. You can make their job easier by being that candidate.So practice, prepare and be cognizant of the fact that this company would not have called you, if they didnt need you.

New Study Your office fridge is ridiculously dirty and disgusting

New Study Yur office fridge is ridiculously dirty and disgustingNew Study Your office fridge is ridiculously dirty and disgustingOffice fridges are an interesting social experiment on peoples warring definitions of cleanliness, hygiene, and manners. Every day, silent battles are fought in office kitchens over food storage in the workplace fridge. Relationships have been ruined because of them, harsh judgments made.When is it okay to use someone elses hot sauce bottle? Is it a mercy killing to throw out someones two-day leftovers, or is the action a call to arms? Shouldnt that pizza be wrapped in plastic rather than just sitting there gathering bacteria?In a new survey exclusively shared with Ladders, appliance repair companyGo-Assist found that when it comes to cleaning the office fridge, cleanliness is one of the last things on our minds.Survey average office fridge doesnt get cleaned for 93 daysWhen Go-Assist asked 1,000 U.K. adults about the last time their office fridge was clean ed, the survey participants answers are alarming to anyone who likes storing their food in clean, sanitized spaces. The average answer was 93 days.93 days.If this answer isnt sounding alarm bells, it wasnt sounding enough alarm bells in participants heads either. Almost half of them lacked basic food hygiene knowledge. 49% of participants reported not knowing how to adjust the temperature in their office fridge or what the correct temperature should be.These answers would get you a failing grade by a health inspector. The Food Standards Agency, a U.K. regulatory department, requires businesses to keep cold food at8C or below and hot food at 63C or above.According to our research, a worrying amount of people wrongly believe they dont need to regularly clean their fridge. But even in a cool environment, food can go off and bacteria can rapidly contaminate other items. Go-Assist spokesperson James Holden said about the fridge cleaning misconceptions. We recommend doing a deep clean of your fridge every four weeks.Okay, so we need to be cleaning our office fridges more often, so we dont get a side of bacteria with our stored sandwiches.Now, you can fight over whose duty this should be.