resume help

What’s the Difference Between a Resume and a Professional Resume?

August 16, 2016 By jenowenby

There are times that I speak with potential clients, and they aren’t clear on the difference between a resume writer and a professional writer. To begin with, it’s the training.

Most resumes I review will list the company, title, years, and job duties. If you’re working with a professional here are a few things you should expect:

A new format that includes an excellent eye-appealing design that can be used as an attachment and also passes through the ATS system without any issues. Also, no Word templates.
Works with you to identify your value and presents it in the resume. This is critical to separate you from the other applicants.
Understands that your document is a marketing snapshot of your expertise and can work with you to identify the key information without over sharing.
Presentation of information─it’s more than job duties, and if your writer is trained well, they know exactly how to do this.
A professional resume writer is up to date on the ATS system and provides a clear explanation to the client about what it is and how it works.
Keywords are a must. They need to be strategically placed throughout the resume to be picked up electronically and through keyword searches by hiring managers.
Position placement is also crucial. Professionals are trained to strategically place information in sections of the document.

I hope this helps you when you select someone to write your documents.

The Best Kept Secret About Job Searches

December 17, 2015 By jenowenby

It’s the holiday season, and I like the majority of you sat down to an amazing meal with my family and shopped like crazy the rest of the weekend. It was wonderful to have a few days to relax.

This time of year is about family and friends as it should be. The interesting piece, though, companies aren’t taking a break. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. It’s the best time of year to apply for a job! And, the hiring process is typically shorter than any other time of year.

I think I heard a few people groan. Just one more thing to do, one more item added to the list, and how in the world are you going to accomplish a job search and applications while basting a turkey, feeding the kids, putting up the tree, laundry, groceries, and everything else that occurs during the holidays?

Don’t despair and remember you’re not in this alone.

Is your LinkedIn ready? I’ve mentioned it before, but a staggering 97% of hiring managers fill positions directly from LinkedIn. And, I don’t mean to offend anyone, but a great professional photo with a friendly smile will open doors for you. If you have a picture of your pet with a Santa hat, I highly recommend you change it.

Connect, connect, connect. You can connect with new people on LinkedIn just by spending approximately 15 minutes a day. When you need a break from cooking and shopping, hop on the computer and reach out to others in your industry.

Apply online for three solid jobs a day. This can be added to your schedule instead of watching a sitcom or reading a novel. Once you’ve applied online, the next application will come easier, just don’t forget, if your resume isn’t ATS friendly the system will kick it out, and you will never know the difference.

It’s the season to mingle so make yourself some networking business cards for parties. When you meet someone, hand them your card that will include your name, profession, and contact information. I don’t recommend walking around simply handing them out to everyone, but take a few minutes to make connections. People are more willing to help when there are friendly smiles and warm personalities involved.

Is your resume ready? Is it accomplishment focused and can you answer the hiring manager’s questions within 6 seconds? If not, hire a professional resume writer to take the stress off you.

Just to clarify, a professional resume writer is different than someone listing your job duties. We are trained to format your resume for the ATS system as well as any other avenue of submission. As a former recruiter, I offer not only the insight of a hiring manager but also a trained professional resume writer. I’ve worked both sides and offer over eight years of industry experience.

One of the best things I learned in martial arts was to use the opponent’s weight to my advantage. Use the holiday season to your advantage. Companies are hiring now, and they need to fill a need before the year ends, so they aren’t wasting time.

One last thing. ALL EBooks on my site are on sale for $1.99! Grab them while you can. Just click here.

If you’re located in the U.S. or Canada, click here to schedule your free strategy session today!

Jennifer Owenby offers her combined expertise as a recruiter along with training as a professional resume writer. Please visit ONB Professional Resumes and LinkedIn Services for additional information and scheduling an appointment.

Why Do I Need My Résumé In Multiple Formats?

October 22, 2015 By jenowenby

As a service to my clients, I provide three formats of the final resumes.
I’m often asked which resume is best in particular circumstances. Here is a brief overview of the formats you will receive, and how each is used:

• The Microsoft Word format is the most versatile. It is an editable document, so you can make changes to your address and contact information at any time. This format is best used when your résumé is requested by a hiring authority or recruiter, and can also be uploaded to career websites when a Microsoft Word (or .doc or .docx) file is requested. Most applicant tracking systems can read Word-formatted documents, as long as they do not contain graphical elements such as columns, lines, tables, or charts.

• The ASCII text format is required for submission on many online websites. This is the format you will use when you’re required to copy-and-paste your résumé into a text block. The ASCII format is designed for this request, as it removes all formatting problems.

• Adobe Acrobat PDF. This format cannot be edited, but provides you with an original résumé file that retains all of the formatting and fonts as it was originally designed. Unless you need to edit the Microsoft Word file, this will be your best bet for printing résumés to submit by snail mail and in person. Some applicant tracking systems can accept PDF files; however, make sure that is the case before uploading the document. The system does not typically read the PDF format well.

If you’re located in the U.S. or Canada, click here to schedule your free strategy session today!

Looking for a New Job? A Few Words You Need to Hear

August 11, 2015 By jenowenby

I’m a firm believer in positive thinking no matter what you’re facing in life. However, we all need words of encouragement especially while looking for work or a new job. It’s a major game changer on many levels. I hope you’re inspired by the quotes below.

“Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.” — Confucius

“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, magic, and power in it.” — Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

You only need one job. So don’t send out 500 resumes. Focus on finding the right companies with the right roles.

“Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell ‘em, ‘Certainly I can!’ Then get busy and find out how to do it.” — Theodore Roosevelt

There is no “right” or “wrong” time to look for a new job. There is just “now” and “later.”

Stuck? Do something different. “If you keep on doing what you’ve always done; you’re going to keep on getting what you’ve always got.”

“Be open to the amazing changes which are occurring in the field that interests you.” — Leigh Steinberg

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” — Wayne Gretzky

It’s easier to get a new job when you have a job. Just like it’s easier to get “a new boyfriend” than “a boyfriend.”

“I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder the work, the more I have of it.” — Thomas Jefferson

Don’t be discouraged in your job search. Remember, it’s always darkest before the dawn.

“Getting fired is nature’s way of telling you that you had the wrong job in the first place.” — Hal Lancaster

“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” — Jimmy Dean

“Nothing is impossible; the word itself says ‘I’m possible!’” — Audrey Hepburn

“Start by doing what’s necessary, then what’s possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” — St. Francis of Assisi

“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” — Theodore Roosevelt

Schedule your free strategy session today! www.onbproresume.com

Jennifer Owenby offers her combined expertise as a recruiter along with training as a professional resume writer. Please visit ONB Professional Resume and LinkedIn Services for additional information and scheduling an appointment.

Are You Doing This One Thing That Can Stop You From Getting Hired?

June 4, 2015 By jenowenby

Nine out of ten hiring managers are looking at your social media profiles before making a hiring decision, according to Jobvite’s annual Social Recruiting Survey (2014). More than half of those surveyed said they’ve reconsidered hiring a candidate based on what they found online!

As a job seeker, it’s important to consider what a prospective employer will learn about you online. Social media profiles aren’t just used to “rule out” candidates — your online presence can also improve your chances of getting the job, by providing examples of your work ethic, spotlighting mutual connections, and identifying cultural fit.

What a company finds about you online should reassure them about your qualifications and suitability as a prospective employee … not raise red flags. But it’s the negative information that can hurt your chances of getting the job. Things like posts or photos about illegal drugs, sexual activity, guns, or alcohol can hurt your chances of being considered. But even things like poor spelling/grammar or profanity on your social media posts — or sharing information about your political affiliation — can impact your chances of being hired.

There are dozens of examples of candidates who have been dropped from consideration because they complained about their job on their social media accounts, or made fun of their boss or team online, or posted while they were supposed to be working, or revealed company secrets.

What is online about you is more important than ever, and this guide will help you manage your online presence as it relates to your job search.

Assess Your Presence
The first step is to see what’s out there already. Monitoring your online presence is easy if you know which tools to use. Many of these are free.

Start by Googling yourself. On the Google homepage (http://www.google.com), type in your name.
If you have a common name, you will want to see what information is broadly available through a simple name search, but then also narrow it by your profession or geographic location. (For example: “Jane Jobseeker Public Relations” or “Jane Jobseeker Omaha.”)
You will want to note how many search results are returned — but you will primarily be looking at the first 2-3 pages of search results.

Note: If you have a Google account (i.e., Gmail or YouTube), you will find you get different results if you are logged into your Google account when you conduct your search. Log out of Google before conducting your search so you can see a better representation of what others see when they Google your name.

Google Alerts
You should also set up Google Alerts for your name, so that you can be alerted when new information is posted online about you.

Go to: http://www.google.com/alerts
Put your name in the search box. Then, click the “Show options” link.

Note: You can create multiple alerts with variations of your name — but also your location and industry as well — i.e., “Jane Jobseeker Public Relations” — like when you Googled yourself.

Then, determine how often you want the query to run.

You can also determine what sources you want searched. The default is “Automatic,” but you can also limit the search to the following: News, Blogs, Web, Video, Books, Discussion, and/or Finance. You can also specify what language you want results for, if you want to limit your search by region, how many search results you want returned, and which email address to deliver your results to.

Then click the “Create Alert” button.

You can also use quotation marks to make your search more specific. Removing the quote marks makes it more likely that you will receive results that are irrelevant.

You can modify these alerts at any time, so start with broad results and you can refine them over time.

Using Google Tools to Manage Your Online Presence
Google provides some tools to help you manage your online presence. You can also use Google+ to create a profile to put your best foot forward.

Access your Google+ profile here: https://plus.google.com

You will need to sign into your Google account — or create one — to manage your information, including your bio, contact details, and other information. You can also link to other sites about you – or created by you. For example, you can link to your blog, online photos in Picasa, and other profiles, such as LinkedIn and Facebook.

Google recommends keeping your profile updated so people who are searching for you will be able to find precisely the information you want them to find.

Click here to schedule your free strategy session today!

What’s the Difference Between a Resume and a Professional Resume?

The Best Kept Secret About Job Searches

Why Do I Need My Résumé In Multiple Formats?

Looking for a New Job? A Few Words You Need to Hear

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