Considering an internship? Read this!

Is an internship relevant for students from all streams or is it best left to MBA graduates?

If this question has ever crossed your mind as a student, the answer is -- yes. Students from all streams can benefit tremendously from a structured internship in any organisation.

Internships form a bridge between the academic learning and the business world which goes a long way in shaping the professional career of the candidate. Here are some ways how internships add value to a young professional's career. 

Integrate theory and research into practice
An internship helps you apply theoretical business knowledge gained specifically from a course and translate it to real life business situations. You can then compare yourself with other graduates who might have work experience but no theoretical business knowledge.

Building professional networks
Through internships, you start developing business networking skills and can make connections in the industry of your choice. Networking is a valuable tool for not only getting started in a competitive career but also in rising up the ladder of corporate success.

The contacts you form will go a long way and can also help you change jobs later. These networking contacts help to move ahead in your career path.

Finding mentors
Finding a mentor is important for both personal and professional growth. You can learn from your mentor's experience and also get that much-needed guidance to sail through the challenges posed by the industry especially if you are a newcomer.

Your mentor need not be only a senior executive. He/ she could also be a colleague who is well aware of the nuances of the industry. Don't be afraid to ask for advice and learn from other people's mistakes.

Opportunity to change industries
Internships provide an opportunity to candidates to identify which jobs are most appealing and suitable to them. You can switch industries and shift to the one where you can realise your full potential and can gain maximum growth opportunities.

"Development and acceleration of a student does not come from technical skills and knowledge alone, but from the ability to solve problems in teams, to work in cross-cultural teams, to present to different groups, and articulate ideas verbally and in written papers. This is typically not taught at most colleges, so it is left to the employer and the individual," says Harish Rajput, Head of Recruitment for a leading retail firm.

Obtain relevant work experience
Although, many students have work experience which could be in any industry irrelevant of their educational background, through an internship they gain experience that is relevant to the industry in which they want to carve out their career in the future.

It is crucial that the experience you gain is relevant as it will provide you with the insight and knowledge about the industry you want to work in. 

Opportunity for final placement
Interns are viewed as prospective candidates who could be hired by the organisation. It is mutually beneficial for the intern as well as the employer as they find fresh ideas along with prospective talent/ employees.

Employers are able to evaluate interns as to whether they are a good match with the organisational culture and work environment.

Deciding a long-term career path
Internship also helps in long-term career planning. It enables you to identify the area of specialisation and then gain practical knowledge about the job and the industry in which you want to work.

Aligning the area of specialisation with the internship profile ensures accurate insight into the kind of work you would be exposed to, once you start working.    

Doing a personal SWOT analysis
An internship can act as a sounding board and help you realise your professional strengths and opportunity areas. This kind of a self realisation can give you a headstart in your career as you will be able to take on responsibilities which are in alignment with your strengths.

Proper self analysis will ensure you identify your strengths and weaknesses and align them with the goals of the organisation. This way you can maximise your gain from the internship.  

An internship is a sure-shot career booster and with the right kind of support, the opportunities for a young professional end only where their imagination does.

 

Careers in Advertising: Colleges and courses

As part of our ongoing career series, some popular and some unique career options, this week, we look at various aspects of advertising and what it takes to carve a niche for yourself in the field. Yesterday, we looked at the different career paths available to youngsters, whether on the creative side of things or the client relations side. Today, we look at how you can gain the skills and prepare for a career in the ad-mad world. Here are some of the best courses: 

National Institute of Advertising
The National Institute of Advertising is a fully private educational facility belonging to the 'Awards Diplomas as Good as Degrees' category.

It offers a 15-month PG diploma in Advertising (full time) which has 14 courses (10 compulsory and 4 optional) which rage from Principles of Management to Creative Strategies and Marketing Research. The course costs Rs 1,98,000 plus taxes.

It also offers a one-year PG diploma in Advertising and Public Relations (full time). There are 10 subjects in total (all compulsory) and the fee is Rs 99,000 plus taxes.

Also on offer is a four-year graduate diploma in Graphic Design, a course which is deeply rooted in art, design etc. This demanding course costs Rs 90,000 per year. Students are selected on the basis of a written creative test and interview.

Students have found jobs with such companies as Everest Advertising, Lowe, McCann Erickson, Percept Advertising, Mudra Communications, Oglivy Mather, Rediffusion DY&R, MDTV, Outlook Magazine, Times Group, HT, Star TV, SAB and Zee TV among others.

Address: NiA Campus, 9, Institutional Area, Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003
Telephone: 011-4356 0060/ 61/ 62/ 63/ 64/ 65
Email: admissions@niaindia.org
Website: www.niaindia.org

Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad
MICA offers a well-known 15-month PG diploma in Management (Communications). This diploma, which aims at training managers with an advertising background, claims a 100-per cent placement.

It involves 'global immersion' in which the student studies at one of the sister organisations abroad and a three-month industry internship.

The entire full-time residential course costs Rs 7.5 lakhs. It also offers a one-year Executive Development Programme in Media Management to teach the effective utilisation of media outlets. It costs Rs 99,000 and classes are held on Saturdays between 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm. It also offers certificate courses in:

• Retail Communication
• Visualisation (Visual Merchandising)
• Creative writing (Crafting Creative Communication)

These cost approximately Rs 2.5 lakhs each.

Students have worked with such names as L'Oreal, Leo Burnnet, Procter & Gamble, Ogilvy & Mather, CitiFinancial, Mindshare, NDTV, The Times of India, HLL [Get Quote], AC Nielsen ORG Marg, IBM, Star TV, CavinKare, Hutch and many more.

Address: MICA, Shela, Ahmedabad - 380 058, Gujarat, India
Phone: 2717-308250
Fax: 2717-308349
Website: www.mica-india.net

Indian Institute of Mass Communication
The IIMC offers a PG diploma course in Advertising and Public Relations under Dr Jaishree Jethwani. Preference is given to those who have a post-graduate course in any field or experience in anything related to the media.

It charges Rs 27,500 as course fees, with Communication, Marketing, Advertising, Concepts and Principles, Advertising: Creativity and Campaign Planning, Public Relations, Corporate Communication, Oral and Visual communication, Production Techniques and Methods, Media Planning, Research Methods and Application covered in the syllabus.

Address: Indian Institute of Mass Communication, JNU new campus, Aruna Asif Ali Marg, New Delhi - 110067.
Phone: 011-26742920/ 60
Fax: 011-26742462 
E-mail: pbapaiah@yahoo.com

Xavier's Institute of Communications
The XIC offers a 10-month postgraduate diploma in Advertising and Marketing. While they prefer graduates, anyone with five years of experience in advertising etc will also be considered. 

Preference is given to non-working students (due to the workload). The Xavier's placement service ('Xpress') is of good quality and the courses are career-oriented, so getting a job shouldn't be difficult. Candidates are selected on the basis of their college marksheet and a written online entrance exam

Address: Xavier's Institute of Communications, Xavier's College Campus, Mahapalika Marg, Near Churchgate Station, Mumbai-400001.
Phone: 022-2262 1366/ 2262 1639/ 2262 2877 
Fax: (91-22) 2265 8546
E-mail: edita@xaviercomm.org   
Website: www.xaviercomm.org

 

Now find out how much your skills are worth

For those mulling their first job offer and wondering if they are being paid right, here is a website that could give an indication.

 

After the successful launch of paycheck.in, a portal that gives transparent wage rates across sectors, cities and countries, the Indian Institute of Management - Ahmedabad (IIM-A), IT Professionals Forum, Bangalore and Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore are now planning to launch fresherpaycheck.in.

 

This would be one of the first websites in India providing salary information to companies hiring at entry-levels and to those without work experience, who want to know their professional worth.

 

fresherpaycheck.in will be part of the WageIndicator Foundation, a non-profit organisation and a joint initiative of FNV (Dutch confederation of trade unions), the University of Amsterdam/ AIAS (Institute of Advanced Labour Studies) and career website Monster.com. The portal will contain entry-level information for those wanting to apply across several sectors like IT, finance and services.  

 

Like paycheck.in, visitors to the site will be asked to fill up a short questionnaire pertaining to their current employment, salary, incentives and educational background, which would be added to the database.

 

Companies will also be able to fill in details on their wage structures, making it easy for freshers to have an idea of what salary they can quote during interviews. To protect the identity of the users, the portal will have personal details like teh name and company under wraps.

 

"We are working on fresherpaycheck.in and will look to discuss more details with the Wageindicator Foundation in Amsterdam," said Biju Varkkey, an IIM-A professor. He said the website was being planned to help young professionals and that nearly 1,000 hits a day were expected after its inception around July 2008.

 

Despite providing information on specific domains like womenpaycheck.in and ITpaycheck.in, Varkkey said most visitors to paycheck.in wanted to know others' salaries and did not want to put their own salaries on the database. 

 

The website receives as many as 1,500 hits a day but just 300 or so fill up the salary questionnaire. To counter this, the website is looking at fewer questions so that the process would be simpler.  

 

The questionnaire takes information relating to the user's sector, geographical position, profile, salary package, perquisites and other wage-based information anonymously, which could be compared by someone interested in the same position.

 

To encourage visitors to fill up the questionnaires, prizes like a trip to Africa or an iPod are also being offered by paycheck.in and similar wage websites affiliated to the Wageindicator Foundation. 

 

The site also has a separate section called VIP paycheck, which gives details on salaries drawn by famous personalities like Pratibha Patil, Sachin Tendulkar Serena Williams and Hillary Clinton.

 

Study US: While renting...

One of the first important decisions any new international student to an American university faces is regarding housing. While all the University locations have adequate housing to accommodate ever increasing student population, the quality of apartments varies drastically.

Here are a few things to keep in mind while searching for an apartment to rent for the duration of your studies.

Don't commit till you inspect: The internet makes it possible for students in India to shop around and sign up for rent apartments here before they even board the flight. The rule about quality of any information you find on the internet applies in this case as well. So take it with a pinch of salt and do not get into contracts that you will regret as soon as you land and see the place in person.

While renting an apartment remotely might appear as a good way of planning ahead, almost all the universities have India Associations that provide temporary accommodations to new students for few days while they find a place for themselves.

Use that service or stick around for the first couple of days with kind-hearted seniors whom you have met on networking websites and visit the different apartments in person before signing up.

Cheap will be cheap: Money is foremost in the mind of new students, especially if they have student loans to worry about. So it is natural that they are attracted to the cheaper apartments in the market. But cheaper invariably means lower quality.

While it may be true that some of the costlier places might be overpriced for what they have to offer, the reverse is never true. Cheaper apartments definitely mean lesser amenities, unreliable maintenance, older construction and another set of problems. This doesn't mean these are unworthy of living in since strict inspections from the cities are enforced. But shelling out a few more dollars could get you substantially better quality.

Opinions matter: Before signing a lease for an apartment that appeals to you, it is a good idea to listen to what others who have experienced the place have to say. Here the internet comes in handy. Running a dearch on the prospective apartments' name along with words like "sucks", "bad", "horrible" and anything else you can imagine can bring up interesting results!

Also, you will surely find a lot of "seniors" from India who are more than willing to give you their expert opinions freely. Listen with an open mind but decide with a sharp one.

Safety first: It is very important to find out whether the neighbourhood you plan to live in is safe. Make sure the area is adequately populated.

Go for places with reputed management. Ensure ample street lighting. This is important if you are looking for a place closer to campus which you can walk or bike (meaning bicycle) to instead of driving.

Many students get attracted to apartments that are closest to campus. Staying in those could blur the home and workplace boundaries. It becomes very easy to think about going home while at work and going to school while at home.

For some this may lead to time management issues. Keeping some distance between apartment and department helps you plan your work hours better at school and relax better at home.

Ambience: All the university towns have "little Indias" which are apartments almost completely rented by Indian students. While it might look like the safest thing to do, the downside must be kept in mind. Education is the fundamental reason (at least on paper) you have come abroad. "Little Indias" tend to be crowded places with "friends" dropping in to visit you almost round the clock. If you are the type who needs a little privacy and quiet to concentrate on your work, this may not work for you.

Secondly, one of the greatest experiences from an international university is getting a global feel and exposure. However patriotic you are, graduating without making a single friend from another country does not bode well in a world where careers mostly involve multinational companies. It is advisable to choose apartments which have a fairly diverse tenant population.

Noise pollution can be a problem even if the apartment has reasonable sound insulation. Avoid renting apartments too close to main roads, railway tracks, power plants or construction sites.

The contract: The lease is a legal contract. And the rule of law is one of the fundamental pillars of a developed country. It is absolutely important that you read and understand all of it before signing up.

Pay special attention to clauses about terminating the lease. Find out what are the steps necessary to end the lease and how much it will cost you to break it before the duration (usually 9 or 12 months).

If you are not sure about your decision, it is better to sign up for a month-to-month lease. It might cost a bit more but it will work out a lot cheaper than trying to wriggle out of a 12-month lease after only two months.

If the apartments are good quality, then you might be able to find someone to sublease it to which makes getting out easier. Enquire about the maintenance policies, regular pest control, emergency contact numbers etc.

Amenities: Try renting apartments that are relatively new. Make sure that the air conditioning, refrigerator, microwave, smoke alarms, washer-dryer and other facilities are all working fine.

Ask for new carpeting or at least get it steam cleaned especially if you are in a location with hot and wet climate.

Windows that open are rather important. Masala-based cooking can be overwhelming otherwise. Also closets with doors are necessary so that the cooking aroma doesn't permanently settle on the clothes leading to the noticeable "Indian smell" next time you walk into a classroom or job interview.

Sharing: At least during the first few months, you will invariably share your apartment. It is good to have company while you get a hang of the place. It also reduces the cost of living.

However roommate problems are the greatest reason why people want to break their lease. The incredibly complex problem of choosing roomies truly deserves a separate article�next week.

 

Careers in Advertising: An unusual option

In our on going career series on Advertising, we have looked at the various options available in terms of job profiles and soem of the well-known colleges and the courses they offer. Today, we look at the not-so-common career in typography and what it entails.

Typography refers to the art of designing 'types', ie the selecting of fonts, spacing, lines and line length, spacing etc, which is an essential component in the creation of everything from posters to flyers.

While it was once a very specialised profession, the proliferation of computers and "desktop publishing" software has made it a secondary skill, which graphical designers etc are expected to possess.

"Desktop publishing" is a phrase attributed to Aldus Corporation founder Paul Brainerd who attempted to contrast how cheap, simple and small an affair the new typesetting software on the market was compared to the chemical/ machine-heavy typographing methods of the past.

While it is true that DP is a relatively commoditised affair nowadays, there are many functions which require specialised training and years of experience to learn. There exists a good niche for specialists.

Places where typography is used

• Typesetting and typeface design
• Inscriptions
• Architectural lettering
• The design of posters, billboards and signs
• Business communication
• Promotional material
• Logo designs
• Clothing
• Films and television (these are referred to as 'kinetic typography')
• 'Industrial Design': the written, engrave or printed components of pens, electronics etc.
• Poetry
• Web design
• Mobile phones
• Video games
• Computer screens
• Packaging

Duties
One of the primary duties of the typographer is to select a font which is appropriate for the medium and message at hand. Book publishers, for example, are more likely to use 'book romans'. Newspapers and magazines are more likely to use compact, tightly fitted 'text romans'.

Advertisements have any number of fonts depending on the kind of message or campaign. The selection of the font is a daunting, tedious task for laypersons and most creative cells in advertising agencies employ a freelance typographer towards the end of their projects.

The typographer must also do the text layout and adjust the margins, text and white space so that they resonate with the rest of the project. S/he must select the colour to be used. A good typographer must also have a through knowledge of the various types of paper and printing methods, since s/he may be required to select them.

A good typographer must be up-to-date with the current trends in typesetting and legibility research.

Education
While many communication institutes offer courses in graphical design (with typography as a subject under it) there are few stand-alone certificate courses in typography.

It is advisable to take one of these courses (the extra information might be useful later on) and then, after a bit of work experience, start specialising in typography alone. There is no fixed method of becoming a typographer and there is no substitute for experience.

Computer skills required
The following programmes are used in desktop publishing and are of immense importance to a typographer:

~ Adobe FrameMaker (for large documents)
~ Adobe InCopy (a word processor of newspapers and magazines)
~ Adobe InDesign (a desktop publishing software)
~ Abortext (used by such magazines as Nature, Cell, Science, Astrophysics Journal)
~ Ikarus (an analog-to-digital converter)
~ Lout (a batch document formatter)
~ Prince XML (a file converter)
~ Scribus (a free typesetting software used to publish small newspapers, brochures etc)
~ XML Professional Publisher (a desktop publishing software used to publish directories, dictionaries, etc)

Remuneration
An entry level desktop publisher can earn between Rs 4,000-Rs 8,000 per month depending on the size of the firm. The increase in salary depends on experience and talent and can be as high as Rs 20,000-Rs 30,000 within three years.

Typography is an unusual specialisation but if you enjoy playing around with fonts and margins and can extract pleasure from a well-structured document, then you might want to consider making it a full-time profession.  

 

Prescription for a successful resume

1.     Don't be vague, and be sure to customise your resume for each employer. The inability to do this on-line accounts for some of the low return rate on-line applications. Anytime you try to do a "one size fits all" approach (by agency, computer, or just passing a resume around an organisation courtesy of a friend) you lose the all-important opportunity to craft the resume to fit a particular position.

2.     Don't be long-winded. Be pithy and keep it to one (preferably) or two pages unless you want a job in academia, research or the arts.

3.     Don't confuse a resume and a curriculum vitae. The latter is for employers who will want to know all about what you've studied, taught, written, researched, exhibited. Resume readers want a quick summary of what you've done with just enough detail to let them know the depth of your skills. The rest they'll find out in the interview. If you drown them in verbiage, you'll never get to the interview.

4.     Students and recent graduates: put your education up top and include relevant courses.

5.     Find out which skills the employer is seeking and be sure to showcase them. If you're short on actual job experience, include a HIGHLIGHTS or SKILLS SUMMARY section to "editorialise" about yourself a little.

6.     Be clear about what you want. If you intend to be both a full time student and a full-time employee, for instance, this might be a turnoff for some employers.

7.     Use verb phrases -- "conceived campaign for student elections", "created online student newspaper", "initiated weekly meetings for minority students", "lead charity drive" -- not sentences; this is not an essay or an obituary you're writing.

8.     Use dates to show when you did things, not just the vague "one year".

9.     NEVER overlook spelling errors or typos. That's a one-way trip to the circular file. Check and recheck. Typos and spelling errors usually occur when you try to do something at the last minute. So leave enough time!

10.  For new graduates without much work experience, have an "EXPERIENCE" section rather than one called "EMPLOYMENT," because you can include traineeships, class projects and independent study under the former, but not the latter.

11.  Tailor the objective to a given position or leave it out altogether. Objectives are helpful when you're trying to show the relationship between your skills and a particular position, but they merely annoy when they say inane things like "a challenging position suited to my education and skills." What position? What skills? Resume readers will give yours, on average, seven seconds; don't make them cranky with filler.

12.  We had an entry from a poet. Poets don't write resumes, they write and rewrite poems, enter contests, and try to sell them. Better to start there.

 

Get your resume noticed

I sent out 300 resumes last month, and I had only two responses and no interviews. What's wrong?

The Career Coach responds: What's wrong is that you're trying to take the easy way out - one resume, one mail-merge cover letter and 300 stamps. No big deal - also no results!

This is the age of customisation, my friend, where you'll have to make every letter and resume different to match the particular culture and needs of each organisation.

The key element is research: you should be doing everything you can to find out all about an organisation and the job it has open - through the Web, people who might know people there, newspaper articles, hot tips from the competition, etc. Your resume is not only about you. Well, who is it about? It's got to be half about you and half about the people and the organisation to whom it's being sent.

So save your stamps and your ego - do your research and send out 10% of that number. They will, of course, be well researched and perfectly tailored to each position. It's painstaking, but it gets much better results! And that's what you're after, yes?

 

Do's and Don'ts when emailing your resume

Emailing your resume to an employer or recruitment consultant is fast, inexpensive and shows your ability to handle this form of technology, so use it as often as you can.

But there are do's and don’ts that apply specifically when sending your resume electronically:

Do keep it simple
Your resume should always only be a summary of your relevant skills, abilities and qualifications, and this is particularly true when emailing your resume. The person reading your resume may have less time, patience and computer power to read reams of information on their screen.

Don’t use fancy font styles
The recipients’ computer may not have the decorative fonts installed or the large and colourful screen that you're used to. As a result, your resume may look quite different when it is received. The fancy fonts you have spent time creating may be removed or even worse become distorted, giving your resume a very unprofessional look.

Do use simple margins and proper page breaks
With systems and printers varying from one workplace to another, your resume may not appear as it is supposed to when printed. To reduce the chances of this, keep tabs and margin changes to a minimum and insert proper page breaks.

Don’t cut and paste your resume into the email message
Unless requested, only include your resume as an attachment. A cut and pasted resume often looks distorted, is unformatted and can be difficult to read.

Do include all relevant information in one attachment
Many email addresses displayed in job advertisements belong to support staff who print your resume and pass it on to the person who has the power to put you on the shortlist. Your actual email and other attachments such as covering letters may not be passed on and simply deleted.

So make it easy for them and increase your chances of success by including your covering letter, your resume and any other relevant information in the one attachment.

Do check your attachments for computer viruses
If your resume is found to contain a computer virus, the recipients’ virus checking system may delete your entire resume, or worse, you may be remembered as the candidate who corrupted the organisations’ computer system.

Tradition
Many employers and recruitment consultants will print your resume and still use it in the traditional sense. It is important that your emailed version contains the same factual rather than subjective information and includes positive language in a succinct and concise manner, just as your traditional resume. Be careful with spelling and present it professionally within the guidelines set above.

 

Common blunders in traditional resume

Make sure your resume is top-notch by avoiding the top 10 resume blunders:

#1: Too focused on job duties
One of the most prevalent resume blunders is to turn a resume into a boring listing of job duties and responsibilities. Many people even use their company job descriptions as a guide to developing their resumes. To create a resume that is a cut above the rest, you should go beyond showing what was required of you, and demonstrate how you made a difference at each company. Provide specific examples of how the company benefited from your performance. When developing your achievements, ask yourself the following questions:

·  How did you perform the job better than others would have?

·  What were the problems or challenges that you or the organisation faced? What did you do to overcome the problems? What were the results of your efforts? How did the company benefit from your performance?

·  Did you receive any awards, special recognition or promotions as a result of your performance?

#2: Objective statement that is flowery or too general
Many candidates lose their readers from the very beginning of the resume -- the "objective statement." The worst objective statements start with, "A challenging position that will enable me to contribute to organisational goals while offering an opportunity for growth and advancement." This type of statement is overused and too general, and therefore wastes valuable space. If you are on a career track, consider replacing the objective with a tagline, which is a statement of what you do or what your area of specialty is.

#3: Too short or too long
When writing your resume, ask yourself, "Will this statement help me land an interview?" Only include information that elicits the answer "yes" to that question.

The rule about the appropriate length of a resume is that there is no rule. Factors that go into the decision regarding length include occupation, industry, years of experience, scope of accomplishments and education. The most important guideline is that every word in the resume should sell the candidate.

#4: Use of personal pronouns ("I" and "me") and articles ("an" and "the")
A resume is a form of business communication, which should be concise and written in a telegraphic style. There should not be any mention of "I" or "me" and only minimal use of articles. Here is an example:

The statement:
I developed a new product that added $2 million in sales and increased the gross margin of the market segment by 12%.

Should be changed to:
Developed new product that added $2 million in sales and increased gross margin of market segment by 12%.

#5: Listing personal or irrelevant information
Many people include their interests, such as reading, hiking, snowboarding, etc. These should only be included if they relate to the job objective. For example, if a candidate is applying for a position as a ski instructor, he or she should list cross-country skiing as a hobby.

Personal information, such as date of birth, marital status, height and weight, should normally not be included on the resume. There are several exceptions, however, such as some entertainment professionals.

#6: Using a functional resume when there is a good career history
One of the pet peeves cited by hiring managers is a candidate who describes his or her skills and achievements but doesn't connect them with a particular job. It is irksome not to see the career progression and the impact made at each position. Unless you have a resume emergency situation, such as virtually no work history or excessive job-hopping, avoid the functional resume format. One of the most effective resume formats is the modified chronological type. Here is the basic layout:

·  Header (name, address, email address, phone number)

·  Lead with a strong profile section (detailing the scope of your experience and areas of proficiency)

·  Reverse chronological employment history (emphasising achievements in the past 10-15 years)

·  Education (this might be moved to the top for new grads)

Other related topics include professional affiliations, community activities, technical expertise, publications/patents and languages spoken.

#7: Not including a summary or profile section that makes an initial hard sell
A summary section is one of the greatest tools that a job seeker has. Candidates who have done their homework will know the type of skills and competencies that are important in the position. The summary should demonstrate the skill level and experiences directly related to the position being sought. To create a high-impact summary statement, peruse job openings on Monster to determine what features are important to employers. Next, write a list of your matching skills, experience and education. These selling points can then be incorporated into the summary.

#8: Where are the keywords?
With the majority of large- and medium-size companies using technology to store resumes, the only hope a job seeker has of being found in an applicant search is the inclusion of relevant industry keywords. These do not have to be a separate section; rather, they can be sprinkled throughout the resume.

A good way to determine keywords is to read job descriptions for positions that interest you. If you see industry buzzwords, incorporate them into your resume.

#9: References available
Employers know that if you are searching for a job, you should have professional references. So this statement mainly wastes space. Use it only as a graphical element - to signal the end of a long resume or to round out the page design.

#10: Typos!
One typo can land your resume in the garbage. Two typos or more, and your chances are greatly diminished. Proofread, proofread, proofread, and show your resume to several friends to have them proofread it as well. This document is a reflection of you and should be absolutely perfect.

 

Keeping your resume current

During your job search it is essential to review your resume regularly, checking that the information contained is still relevant to the sort of work you are looking for as well as seeing if any improvements can be made to its format, structure or detail.

The following tips will help ensure your resume is up to date and promoting the very best of you to an employer.

Assess your resume every time you apply for an advertised position
Different employers can have different needs and so job advertisements may differ for the same job. It is therefore crucial that your resume emphasises that you have the skills asked for in each particular advertisement responded to - something that cannot happen without you going through it for each application.

This does not mean you need to write a new resume every time you apply for a job, but you do need to tailor your resume every time. Do this by checking the information you currently have and then adjusting the detail in line with the employers needs. Focus on the skills and qualifications listed as essential or required, increasing the number of facts and/or being more specific on your experience and training in these areas. You can then give less or more generalised information on skills that are of reduced importance to this employer.

Regularly check that the detail is still relevant
Over time, the sort of positions you apply for may change due to demands for certain kinds of work or simply as a result of your own personal preference. Make sure your resume follows this change in terms of both content and presentation.

Think about how far back your resume goes
Information on both your work experience and training should always only go back approximately ten years. Anything older simply loses its relevance in today’s ever-changing workplace.

There may be other detail in your resume though that is more recent but still outdated - and so not adding value but taking up space or worse still showing you in a negative light. For example, computer training completed five years ago for software that is now completely obsolete or certain work practices used that are now considered ineffective. Regularly critique your experience, with a view to ensuring your resume focuses on current work processes and ideas.

Be aware of industry changes and assessment
Like everything else, what employers and recruitment consultants want to see in a resume changes over time. How resumes are short listed also changes, with the introduction of computer software that searches for keywords being a recent addition in many organisations.

With a considered approach, you can keep abreast of such changes and tailor your resume to get the best chance in today’s job market.

 

A Creed for Self-Discipline

A Creed for Self-Discipline

Napoleon Hill
Excerpt from ‘The Master-Key to Riches’

Willpower:
Recognizing that the power of will is the Supreme Court over all other departments of my mind, I will exercise it daily, when I need the urge to action for any purpose; and I will form habits designed to bring the power of my will into action at least once daily.

Emotions:
Realizing that my emotions are both positive and negative I will form daily habits which will encourage the development of the positive emotions, and aid me in converting the negative emotions into some form of useful action.

Reason:
Recognizing that both my positive emotions and my negative emotions may be dangerous if they are not controlled and guided to desirable ends, I will submit all my desires, aims and purposes to my faculty of reason, and I will be guided by it in giving expression to these.

Imagination:
Recognizing the need for sound plans and ideas for the attainment of my desires, I will develop my imagination by calling upon it daily for help in the formation of my plans.

Conscience:
Recognizing that my emotions often err in their over-enthusiasm, and my faculty of reason often is without the warmth of feeling that is necessary to enable me to combine justice with mercy in my judgments, I will encourage my conscience to guide me as to what is right and what is wrong, but I will never set aside the verdicts it renders, no matter what may be the cost of carrying them out.

Memory:
Recognizing the value of an alert memory, I will encourage mine to become alert by taking care to impress it clearly with all thoughts I wish to recall, and by associating those thoughts with related subjects which I may call to mind frequently.

Subconscious Mind:
Recognizing the influence of my subconscious mind over my power of will, I shall take care to submit to it a clear and definite picture of my major purpose in life and all minor purposes leading to my major purpose, and I shall keep this picture constantly before my subconscious mind by repeating it daily.

Signed_____________________________

Discipline over the mind is gained, little by little, by the formation of habits which one may control. Habits begin in the mind; therefore, a daily repetition of this creed will make one habit-conscious in connection with the particular kind of habits which are needed to develop and control the six departments of the mind.

The mere act of repeating the names of these departments has an important effect. It makes one conscious that these departments exist; that they are important; that they can be controlled by the formation of thought-habits; that the nature of these habits determines one's success or failure in the matter of self-discipline.

 

TEN DON'TS

[1] DON'T be obsessed with the people you can't help. Focus on the
people you can. You are a mortal. You, like everyone else, are
limited. Obsessing about what you can't do prevents you from thinking
about things you can do.

[2] DON'T let the lack of kindness and giving of others influence you
to stop helping and giving. Some people feel resentful, "Other people
aren't helping. Why should I?" We learn from role models. Learn from
those who are kind, not from those who aren't.

[3] DON'T keep trying to help someone who truly doesn't want your
help. Some people are very independent. They could gain from
accepting your help. But their need to be on their own is stronger
than their wish for your help. Be aware that some people really want
your help but are embarrassed about it. If you feel that is the
situation, try to say things to put the person at ease.

[4] DON'T give up too soon. Some people might think that you really
won't be able to help them so they initially tell you not to bother.
If you don't give up, both you and the other person will see that he
will gain much more than he thought.

[5] DON'T complain that other people keep asking you to do things for
them. If others come to you for help, it's an expression that they
believe you are a kind person. You might not be able to meet other
people's needs right now, but by being aware of their needs, you might think of a creative solution.

[6] DON'T tell anyone, "I had to go without this for a long time. So
you also can go without it." Other people have a right to something
even if you didn't always have it. If you don't want to help someone, just say a polite 'NO'

[7] DON'T be hurt if a selfish person complains that you are selfish.
Some selfish people try to manipulate giving people by telling them
they are selfish. Perhaps you are being selfish. Then again, perhaps
not. You might want to ask objective outsiders for their opinion.

[8] DON'T be na�ve. Don't believe every story you hear. If a story
seems questionable, check it out. If you have good reason to believe
that someone is lying to you, perhaps he is. But be very careful.
Someone's sad story might not at first seem true, but it could very
well be that it is. A person who loves kindness would rather err on
the possibility of helping someone who doesn't need it rather than
not helping someone who does.

[9] DON'T say things that might cause someone to feel badly when you
help him. Some people might say things such as, "This is so difficult
for me to do. I don't know why I agreed to do this for you."
Or, "This is the last time I'll commit myself to do this for anyone."

[10] DON'T embarrass someone when you do something for him. Be
careful not to say or do anything in the presence of others that
would cause distress to the person you are trying to help.

--as seen in Kind Words

 

5 Reasons Why Enthusiasm is Better than Confidence

We all want to be confident, do not we? It's a word that crops up fairly often in coaching sessions, even with people who are very talented and successful. We are all human, and for most of us there are times, places, audiences and situations where we feel we'd like to be a little more confident. For creative professionals, these typically include high-pressure performance situations, such as presentations, pitches, interviews, auditions and stage shows.

Of course we want to perform at our best in these situations, but I think the word 'confidence' creates more problems than it solves. I usually advise clients to change the word to 'enthusiasm'. Here's why:

1. Confidence is about you - enthusiasm is about your subject
As long as you are focused on 'being confident', you are the focus of attention. And when it's all about you, it's very easy to get caught up in self-doubt ("Am I really up to this? Will I be able to do it?"). But when you focus on a subject that's important to you - the work you're presenting, the information you want to share, the message you're trying to get across - then chances are you'll find yourself overtaken by enthusiasm. You will be energized, your voice will sound stronger, your hands will start gesturing, and you'll find your whole body moving as you warm to your task. You will lose your self-consciousness and be lost in the work itself, in the words and ideas you want to get across.

2. Confidence is about you (again) - enthusiasm is about others
I repeat - when you are trying to be confident, your attention is on yourself. But when you focus on your audience - whether one person, a roomful or a whole stadium - you stop worrying about your own performance. Instead, your attention is on the audience's experience: How are the ideas coming across? How do they look? Engaged? Confused? Intrigued? Have they 'got it' yet? If not, what can you do to help them? What feedback are they giving you? How can you use this to make it easier for them to learn, to enjoy or to see your point of view? How can you get them to share your enthusiasm?

3. Confidence is impressive - enthusiasm is infectious
How many times have you watched a presenter or met someone and been impressed with their confident manner - but without really warming to them? Confidence can be impressive, but beware the kind of impression you are leaving. Enthusiasm on the other hand, is highly infectious. Think of a time when you heard someone talk about a subject you had previously no interest in, but they were so enthusiastic about it, you could not help being intrigued, even fascinated. There is something contagious about the body language of enthusiasm - when you see someone talking excitedly, smiling, gesturing, full of energy and keen to share what they know, you can't help responding. It is as though at some level we look at an enthusiastic person and think "That looks good, that looks fun" and can't resist the urge to join in.

4. Confidence is certain - enthusiasm is creative
You can feel confident when you know what you are doing, and are sure you can do it well. There are lots of times and places for this kind of confidence, but too much certainty can be stifling. With enthusiasm, there is always an element of uncertainty, the excitement of not knowing exactly what you are going to say next and looking forward to surprising yourself. That is why scripted speeches are so dull, and why the atmosphere at an improvised show is electric. Accounts of the creative process abound with stories of images, ideas or words 'popping into' someone's mind - and invariably, the subject or medium is one for with the person has huge enthusiasm.

5. Confidence is serious - enthusiasm is fun
When you start talking or thinking about being confident, you are likely to start taking things a bit seriously. When you want to be confident about doing something, it is because you think it is important. And when something is important, it means Bad Things can happen if you get it wrong. Thinking about Bad Things is enough to make anyone serious. But when you're enthusiastic, importance translates into passion - and the whole thing becomes fun. There are few things more enjoyable than talking enthusiastically about something you are passionate about, and feeling others share your enthusiasm.

I will climb off the soap-box now. Enthusiasm is one of my enthusiasms. What are yours?