ParExcellenceMag Career Center

Post your Resume Anonymously AND for FREE!

You can post your resume anonymously and only send your contact information to the employers whose opportunities you are interested in! The best part-It’s FREE!

• Search Over 10,000 Professional Job Postings — We currently have 10,000+ job postings and are adding more every day!
• Access a Library of Career-related Articles & Resources — We offer Career Coaching, Ask the Job Search Expert, and an entire library of career-related articles.
• Post your Resume and Have a 1 in 5 Chance to Receive a Resume Upgrade…Move your Resume to the TOP of the List!

http://careerchoices.parexcellencemag.com

Soooo, first impressions? Here are mine, just from the ad:

• Anonymous is good if you don’t want your boss to know you’re looking for a new job…but how much are potential employers going to like looking at anonymous resumes? They can’t Google you, for instance, as prelim research.
• Free is good so you’re not committing to anything that you’re not sure is useful…but that also means LOTS of people are probably going to be using the service, so how are you really going to stand out?
• 10K job postings is great all in one place…but what kinds of jobs are they?
• Career resources are hot.
• Resume upgrade? Do I have to be at the top of the list to get attention? Yikes.

Clicking through to the site anwered some of my questions (like what kinds of jobs), but I’m still on the fence about the whole anonymity thing. What do you think? Have you used an anonymous resume posting site, or perhaps even ParExcellence? Tell me about your experience!

Either way, this is definitely a resource worth watching. The content is solid in terms of career advice, and the concept is appealing. Let’s see where it goes.

Contents © Copyright 2008 Kristen King

Tags: women and business, women in business, women, woman, business, free resume posting, anonymous resume posting, parexcellencemag, glam network, resume website, job website, find a new job, job postings, biz chicks rule, kristen king

Post from: EveryJoe

Anonymous and Free Resume Posting from ParExcellenceMag Career Center

PT. PLEASANT, NEW JERSEY (April 30, 2008) – Jersey Shore native Kristen Fischer will be holding a book signing for her newest release, Ramen Noodles, Rent and Resumes: An After-College Guide to Life. The event will take place at Borders in Eatontown, NJ, on Wednesday June 11 at 7 p.m.

In Ramen Noodles, Rent and Resumes: An After-College Guide to Life, author Kristen Fischer encourages grads to embrace–instead of dread–life after college. Instead of the "quarterlife crisis", she introduces the concept of "The After-College" in which graduates learn to thrive during their 20s. Highlighting dozens of real-life graduates who have navigated their way through this challenging but exciting phase of life, Ramen Noodles, Rent and Resumes: An After-College Guide to Life is packed with valuable strategies for career advancement and personal growth.

The book helps recent graduates:

• Determine what career path will bring satisfaction
• Select a job hunting strategy that gets results
• Decide if graduate school will benefit their career
• Prioritize work responsibilities with personal commitments
• Cultivate better relationships with family and friends
• Organize a living plan-at home or on their own
• Manage their finances with the future in mind
• Overcome stress, anxiety or depression

"I look forward to meeting soon-to-be graduates and recent graduates-as well as their families," says Fischer, who resides in Pt. Pleasant, NJ. "Just by being aware of how hard life after college can be, it can be a great time for 20-somethings."

About Kristen Fischer

Kristen Fischer is the author of Creatively Self-Employed: How Writers and Artists Deal with Career Ups and Downs. She has also contributed to College Bound magazine, FreelanceSwitch, Home Business Magazine, and StartUp Nation. She lives in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. To find out more about the book visit www.kristenfischer.com or www.ramenrentresumes.com.

If you want to submit questions for Kristen’s interview, send them to the Biz Chicks Rule Kristen via e-mail or leave a comment on this post.

(image source: Amazon.com)

Contents © Copyright 2008 Kristen King

Tags: women in business, women and business, business advice for women, kristen fischer, ramen noodles, rent, resumes, book release, book signing, quarterlife crisis, after college, recent graduate, real life, what do i do after college, kristen king, biz chicks rule

Post from: EveryJoe

Transition Tuesday: Preview of Coming Attractions — Ramen Noodles, Rent and Resumes Author Kristen Fischer to Visit Biz Chicks Rule

Image details: John McCain Attends Economic Summit Meeting In Milwaukee served by picapp.com

There’s nothing like a little controversy to close out the week on a fun note.

My super-cool Channel Editor Kelly Phillips Erb, aka taxgirl, forwarded me some very interesting info this morning, which she received from MomRising.org. For those who haven’t heard of it before — and I hadn’t before today — MomRising.org is a website about workplace discrimination. Here’s an excerpt from what Kelly forwarded (bold link is mine, not theirs; all other emphasis as in original):

We woke up this morning to an article which made us think the calendar had been switched back 50 years while we were sleeping. Yesterday, the Senate failed to pass the Fair Pay Act. What was almost worse than that defeat were the out-of-touch, misinformed — and downright insulting — statements about women.

Senator John McCain (R-AZ), who didn’t even come to vote, said that instead of legislation allowing them to demand equal pay, women simply need “education and training.”1 Not only is his information wrong — women are currently paid less for the same work, even though they have the same education and training — he’s also sending a message to our nation, to our sons and daughters, that this pay gap is okay, and it’s women’s fault for being paid less. Not so!

We have the perfect way to show Senator McCain just how qualified we really are.

*Sign the Petition for Fair Pay & Send Senator McCain Your Resume (or thoughts on the matter) while you’re at it:
http://www.momsrising.org/fairpaymccain

When you sign the petition, you’ll join us in telling Congress: “We Need Equal Pay for Equal Work — it is good law, make it enforceable again.”

MomRising.org also did a big chunk of my job for me by compiling links to press coverage of and other organizations’ takes on the Senate decision:

• New York Times Article
• New York Times Editorial
• Washington Post Article
• LA Times Editorial
• Alliance for Justice
• Alliance for Justice’s 5 minute documentary short on Lilly
• National Women’s Law Center
• National Organization for Women

What do you think about this Senate decision? How will it affect your career, our economy, and the future of women in business? Do you support MomRising.org’s petition? Leave a comment.

Contents © Copyright 2008 Kristen King

Tags: women in business, women and business, women, woman, business, john mccain, senator, senate, fair pay act, lilly ledbetter, resume, petition, discrimination, sex, gender, pay gap, lower pay for women, discrimination against women, fair pay for women, momrising, momsrising, mom rising, moms rising, workplace discrimination, national organization for women, national womens law center, alliance for justice, biz chicks rule, kristen king

Post from: EveryJoe

Send Your Resume to Senator John McCain: Show Him Women Are Just As Qualified As Men

So with that in mind, here’s an ad for a video resume service: VidRez.com

Honestly, the quality and content of this ad don’t exactly sent my heart all atwitter and convince me that this company can help me land my dream job. But hey, maybe I’m just biased toward print. Let’s take a look at some actual video resumes. Natalie, college junior:

Patricia Schuldenfrei, seeking new career in Florida:

Pia, recent grad and former pro athlete seeking sports reporter position:

Alaina M. Slempkes, social worker:

Jordasche, wannabe actress (Is this one a joke? I hope???):

Do you think these hopefuls avoided the three most common video resume errors?

Share your opinion on these resumes and video resumes in general: Leave a comment!

Contents © Copyright 2007 Kristen King

Tags: women and business, video resume, video resume service, youtube, job hunting

Post from: EveryJoe

Video Resumes: Good Idea or Bad Idea?

I got a kick out of Darlene’s post at Interview Chatter. The woman on this YouTube is classic and a major reason why hiring effective employees isn’t easy to do. When you have to find professional and skilled people to help you run your company, what should you look for?

• People who are passionate about what they do and not those who simply want to “draw a check.”
• People who are knowledgeable about the company’s industry. If you are looking at taking on an apprentice, they need to at least have a teachable  personality.
• People who have upbeat, positive attitudes. Nothing like working with someone who hates their lives. And hates yours too.

Back years ago when I was in traditional corporate America, I used to be a hiring manager at a staffing company. My job involved interviewing and hiring applicants for clients that had staffing needs that ranged from industrial settings to office settings. My days would wonderfully consist of deciphering an applicant’s resume or “work sheet” to helping them form complete sentences to be able to articulate their work ethic to potential employable clients. The thing that bothered me the most about the position was that the applicants did not take their interviews seriously. They felt that until they got the job, they wouldn’t step up their game or “show-off” for us, the middleman. What a mistake! They didn’t realize that they needed to impress me just as much as they needed to impress the client. I was their window to opportunity and unfortunately they didn’t treat it as such.

What has been the most disastrous interview you’ve done or been given? Do share.

Post from: EveryJoe

Hiring Effective Employees Isn’t Easy To Do

1. Unclear objective. I constantly see resumes with objectives like this: “To secure a position that will allow me to use my skills.” Um, duh. What job do you want? What field are you targeting? Stating a clear objective helps recruiters and potential employers figure out where you’ll be a good fit. Think of specific job roles rather than vague, say-nothing statements full of buzzwords: “Director of Marketing Communications,” “Sales Executive,” “Administrative Associate.” These are objectives that actually mean something.
2. Vague or bland job summaries. Let’s get one thing straight: What you did in your old job and what you accomplished in your old job are very different things. Your day-to-day responsibilities are certainly relevant, but a job description should not be the main focus of your professional history; focus on your individual accomplishments and contributions. In other words, what makes you different from the people who held that job before and after you?
3. Missing information. Don’t leave huge gaps in your work history. If you had a personal situation that prevented you from working or a job that you really don’t want to talk about for some reason, a brief explanatory note to fill the gap would be appropriate. For example, a single line note: “1997-1999, home-based consulting during personal leave of absence.” Also, don’t omit education or other relevant information.
4. Overly personal information. Not only does it make you look completely unprofessional, but it can create problems for your potential employer by giving them information they legally should not have. For instance, if you include on your resume that you’re a divorced single mom of 3 who loves playing Bingo at the Catholic church on Wednesday nights, you’re providing all kinds of details that employers aren’t allowed to ask you about in interviews, which means that they could be open to legal issues if they bring you in and then you don’t get the job. And seriously, how is that relevant to your strategic business development prowess anyway?
5. Negative comments about previous employment. It’s one thing to mention that you were laid off following corporate downsizing. It’s another to vent about it, call people incompetent, or complain about your boss/coworkers/pay/etc. Just don’t do it. It makes you look petty.

DO include these elements:

• Clear and complete contact information.
• The full name, location, and dates of previous employment (year is sufficient; no need to specify month and specific date for each job).
• Your official job title for previous positions.
• Education, training, and certifications.

Lots of resources recommend a 1-page resume, but for most folks that’s just not possible. Try to keep it at 2 pages. If you have a long work history that makes this challenging, you don’t need to get into elaborate detail for every job you’ve had over the last 25 years and then some. Expand on the most recent 4 or 5 and limit older positions to a line or two, remembering to focus on what you personally contributed to the organization, not mundane daily tasks. “Answered e-mails and phone calls” is boring. “Coordinated written, telephone, and face-to-face communications for sales teams nationwide” is not only more specific as to what you actually did, but it’s also more impressive.

What resume do’s and don’ts do you recommend?

Contents © Copyright 2007 Kristen King

(photo via SXC.hu)

Post from: EveryJoe

Does Your Resume Sing or Sag?