Job Search Diary

2. A short book created by specialists of Resume Writing Lab with tips for job seekers and freebies that will help to keep everything under control Table of Contents Setting Aims Planning Resume Writing Tips Cover Letter Writing Tips Effective LinkedIn Profile + Free Sheets for Job Seekers Job Application Record Job Interview Tracker

3. Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude. Thomas Jefferson You have already understood that job search should be started with the right attitude, because there are no techniques or tips that can help you, if you are depressed or pessimistic during seeking for a new job. Probably, it will be difficult to change the mood and attitude just like you switch TV channel, but nobody can do it instead of you, though this diary can be really helpful. So, let’s forget about regrets and start thinking about aims you want to gain and life you want to have. Spend several minutes to visualize your dream job, think about every detail, place, people, salary, how you start your day and why you really enjoy this job. Now write all your thoughts here


4. Now, when you know what you want to get, you have to make the plan how to achieve this aim. Check this instruction and add your own steps.

5. Create/Improve Your Resume and Cover Letter As the first step is creating resume, we offer to follow these tops and avoid mistakes… 12 Rules to Create A Successful Resume A good resume is a job candidate's first opportunity to make a  strong impression on future employers. A  resume that is not up to par will not convince hiring managers to invite you for an interview. Thus, it is critical that you put your best foot forward and sometimes applying to  resume writers online  is a good decision. The  following tips will help you understand how to create a successful resume. 1. Be Honest The golden rule of all resume tips is to be honest about your job experience, education, and the assessment of your skills. In the computer age, it is easy for any hiring manager to verify the information you present. If something seems fishy, it will immediately eliminate you from the hiring process. Don't

6. waste your time, or that of the human resources department, by submitting questionable information. 2. Drop the Objective Most resume templates include an objective section at the  beginning which briefly describes the position the candidate is seeking. This practice is unnecessary. In the modern world of internet based job applications, uploading a  resume for a  particular position already notifies hiring managers that you want a certain job. Therefore, it is unnecessary to waste valuable resume space to restate the obvious. 3. Be Succinct Most HR departments are flooded with applications every time they post a new position. Aside from reviewing resumes, they are also busy handling daily workforce management duties for the company. Thus, the typical hiring manager doesn't have a lot of time to sift through a long resume. Keep yours short and to the point to make it more likely that it will get reviewed. Learn also how to deal with references on resume. 4. Choose E-mail Service Wisely Every job candidate should have a professional looking e-mail address. Do not use an address that describes your hobbies or other personal preferences. Try to create an address with your

7. name and combine it with a few numbers if necessary. Also, use a modern e-mail provider, such as Gmail, to show that you are in touch with technology. 5. Combine Files If you are one of the few people who need a two-page resume, or you will be sending other documents with your resume (i.e.  references), put everything in one document. You can do this by creating everything in the same word processing file, or by converting multiple pages into one PDF file. This will allow the HR team to  quickly view your information without having to open various files. 6. Be Accomplished A good resume does not merely list your previous jobs and duties. It should thoroughly explain what you accomplished for past employers, and how you contributed to the success of the company. You can list awards you received, major projects you completed, and how you helped increase sales or productivity numbers.

8. 7. Be Careful With Margins Readability is the main factor in attracting the eyes of hiring managers. Sufficient margin space increases readability and makes the resume appear to be well-organized. Do not go beyond quarter inch margins to keep your resume readable. 8. Sans Serif Is Your Friend When choosing a font for your resume, keep it simple. Sans Serif fonts look clean and are the easiest to read. Creativity in formatting is abhorred by most hiring managers, so stick to the basics. 9. Take The Time To Convert Word processing documents are notoriously difficult to  translate from one program to another. Sending  your resume in word processing format means you run a substantial risk that your organization and proper resume formatting will be lost when the company opens the file. Avoid sending a garbled mess by converting the file to a PDF document. The PDF will look exactly like the document on your end, and cannot be altered by the opening process. 10. Don't Overdo Bullet Points A good resume isn't overladen with bullet points. Use of bullet points or arrows should be limited to things that deserve highlighting, such as impressive accomplishments or computer

9. language skills. Aim for a maximum of 4 bullet points after you describe your previous positions. 11. Leave Out The Personal Touch Effective resumes focus on the  candidate's professional persona. Talk of hobbies or other personal interests that  are irrelevant and space consuming. Keep you resume focused on things that directly relate to the  job you are seeking. Ask Resume Writing Lab for help, in case you don't know how to do it. 12. Use A Second Pair Of Eyes No one can create a good resume on their own. What you think is understandable may not be so for another person. Therefore, it is important to have your resume reviewed by other people to make sure it conveys the information you desire.

10. Top 5 Glaring Mistakes In Your Cover Letter During job search process, when messing with our resumes, we kind of forget about the other documents. Your perfectly polished CV is wonderful, but it wouldn’t guarantee you a job if your cover letter is a total mess. In fact,  cover letter writing can be as important as your resume. What if you unconsciously make several serious blunders without even knowing it? Hence, if you’re wondering how to write a great cover letter, you must know about some mistakes. ResumeWritingLab experts figured out which glaring mistakes are inexcusable and must be avoided in a cover letter. Being Too Exacting Remember once and for all: your employer has no interest in knowing how you could benefit from his company. So, there is no need to write a whole paragraph about it. Instead, he wants

11. to know how you, as a potential employee, can contribute to the company’s growth and development. In this case, the employer has the upper hand and you, as a job seeker, have to deal with it. You should demonstrate why you would be more useful to the company, than any other applicant. And, if you manage to prove it, your chances to get hired would rise significantly. Keep in mind that if you have a hard time putting yourself in a favorable light you can always attract attention with a resume headline and make your application stand out. Getting Desperate If you want to put pressure on the pity, do it, but not in any of your application documents, including a cover letter. Writing your cover letter with an I-am-ready-for-any-job manner, won’t be a great decision: remember that you won’t get a job just because you desperately need it. Why do employers avoid hiring people, who are totally desperate?  Any employer wants his workers to work for his company, not because of a good salary, but rather because he wants to start his career particularly at this place, not anywhere else. Writing Odd Information Of course, everyone likes to talk about his hobbies, interests and the way he spends his free time with family or friends. If

12. you’re an active community activist, all-around person, it’s great, but all the things above have nothing to do with your professional qualifications. The thing is,  your cover letter’s goal is bearing an interest to read your actual resume. And the only things the employer is interested in  are  your professional skills, knowledge and personal qualities, but only if they’re somehow related to the job. Making Mistakes If you haven’t thoroughly proofread and spellchecked your document, then be ready for a refusal once your HR manager notices a couple of those while he’s reading it. Why so strict? Well, what employer would like the fact that his employee skipped rereading a cover letter? It would only show that you don’t care whether you get a position or not. Too Short or Too Long R e c r u i t e r s f a c e hundreds of resumes and cover letters each day, but some of those application documents tend to  catch their attention easily. No, it’s not about elaborate and flawless resumes, but rather about too long or too short

13. letters. And it’s seriously crazy: some of those are only 1 sentence long, meanwhile, others get over 1,000 words. Keep in mind:  going over 700 words makes no sense, you would only fill your cover letter with superfluous info. Furthermore, which HR manager would want to read a lengthy novella, trying to figure out if he really wants to see the applicant’s resume after this? If you are unsure how to shorten your application pay attention to things to leave off a resume. The optimal length would be no more than 3 or 4 paragraphs of proper information. Save the part about your broad life history for the interview.

14. Create/Update Your LinkedIn Profile The second step is improving LinkedIn profile, though creating account is not enough… Why Creating LinkedIn Profile Is Not Enough LinkedIn is a must have for today’s job seekers but is joining it enough? Unfortunately, no. This irreplaceable tool accomplishes a  set of i m p o r t a n t t a s k s and  will definitely enhance your job hunt but only if you know how to use it. Simply joining LinkedIn and observing others won’t bring you a  promising position. Having a LinkedIn profile is about presenting your personality and standing out from the crowd. Professional LinkedIn profile writers provided us with several priceless tips on how to use this job hunting tool 100%.

15. Make a Substantial Presentation of Yourself Finding empty and abandoned LinkedIn profiles is weird. But finding empty and active profiles is stupid. Most of the recruiters can’t get the reason job seekers join LinkedIn, use it but don’t provide any information (or provide unclear data). Two reasons: they have nothing to write or truly don’t understand the purpose and the aim of this service. The solution of the first problem is simple – keep on gaining experience. The solution of the second problem is even simpler – keep on reading this article. In fact, the goal of such services as LinkedIn is to help job seekers find jobs and recruiters - find suitable employers. How could they notice your page, if it has nothing catchy, exciting, suitable for their position? You can check unusual ways to get a job if attracting attention is not your strongest point. Therefore,  provide exact information about your professional and personal skills, employment history, and abilities. Use keywords that can draw the attention of your potential recruiters. Accept and Create Invitations Building connections is another goal of LinkedIn. What’s the benefit? Any RIGHT connections will make you closer to the company and surroundings you would like to join. You won’t be judged for creating different events or misunderstood for inviting people you, actually, don’t know.

16. Make sure that expansion of your network is your number one goal  and it’s the goal of other LinkedIn users as well. Creating different events is your key to success – you meet the  right people, get closer to your dream position, gain popularity, become reputable, of course, if you manage to choose the right approach. Be Sociable – Join Groups Each user has an opportunity to join up to 50 groups but, in fact, it doesn’t exceed 7. Being a  member of the RIGHT groups is essential as, firstly, it helps to  build priceless connections that can change your career! If you are active and make a good impression, you gain credibility and respect. Furthermore, you are aware of the latest news in your professional field, events, changes, new job ads. It’s an  irreplaceable resource of information! Groups that are targeted to your location, occupation or wishes will help you to find a job or, at least, expand your network much faster. Therefore,  join those groups that are the most relevant to your goals and directions. Though, before becoming visible, make sure that you've managed to  choose good LinkedIn profile photo.

17. Give a Feedback Creating a flawless profile isn’t enough for a promising job seeker and we have just proved that. Thus, always give a  feedback. Have got an  invitation to a particular event? Accept it. Even if it isn’t really connected with your occupation or preferences, you are a job seeker and you probably have enough spare time. Thus, accept the invitation just to meet new people. The  Earth is round –  you will definitely find someone working in your dream company  (or someone, who has his best friend working in your dream company). Carefully ask about recommending you to the CEO, for instance, and it's a cinch!
 Again, remember that observing the activity of others is observing your life passing by. Therefore, be resourceful and active. Stand out of the crowd! If you are out if ideas, look through easy ways to refresh your LinkedIn page. As you can see, using LinkedIn isn’t about chilling at home with your laptop. It’s about creating an image, building your own network and reminding about yourself. Selling your skills and abilities is a difficult thing, especially nowadays when the proposal is lower than demand. Thus, use this amazing tool right and get an impressing outcome!


18. Sending Application Documents or sending application documents. The third and the fourth steps are posting This stage is rather monotonous but rather rewarding. You have to treat job search like a job. It takes time to gain success and it demands proper organization. Applying to hundreds companies and websites is useless if you don’t track your efforts. That’s why we offer this Job Application Record

19. Interviews and Networking Hopefully you will have lots of interviews and here is Job Interview Tracker that will help you to be organized and send post-interview letters and emails timely