High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Staying Positive After Layoff

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

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• Careers: Top Ways to Stay Positive After Being Laid Off: "While becoming laid off can be a very devastating experience for a number of reasons, it is important to take positive steps in your approach to this situation."


• 7 Ways You’re Making the Job Search Even Harder: "Many job seekers are trying to apply what worked in the past in a new set of circumstances. Much of their delay in landing that next position is self-inflicted; they are making the job search even harder."


• What to Do If You Lose Your Job: "If ever found in the position of losing your job, having a plan with the right attitude and approach to taking the step forward in the next chapter in your career helps."


• 4 Ways to Ignite Your Job Search Right Now: "We’re in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the season but that doesn’t mean career dreams need to be put on pause. There are a few ways to rev up that search even when it’s tempting to convince yourself the holidays will stall it."


• How You Should Address Getting Laid Off On Your Resume: "For your resume, there are a few tips those with job gaps should consider to up their chances of getting the interview."

The Top 3 Categories You Must Include on Your Resume

Fall is the season for resume writer conferences. I attended one session and listened to a recap of another session with recruiters and hiring managers from Fortune 500 companies that are currently hiring globally. In these sessions, they shared with our group of career services experts these 3 key points they are looking for on your resume.

Your Value Proposition
An employer is searching for the best, most cost-effective candidate. When reading a resume they are looking for your core competencies, your strengths, your areas of expertise, and a clear statement of the benefits you can deliver their company. Think of yourself as a product, what would your brand statement be? What can you deliver that others can not? How do you differentiate yourself from your peers? The answer to these questions must be found in the resume and cover letter.

Your Chronological Work History
Most recruiters admit to skipping right over the summary (although they say you should still include this section) and going straight to work history first. They want to know what you did, where you did it, and how long you did it. Include details about each company such as number of employees, annual revenue, its core customer base and competitors, and whether it was a start-up or an established public company.

When discussing your experience, detail the big picture - not the minutiae of everyday details - of your position's functions and challenges. Use statistics that measure your value such as number of personnel supervised, dollar amount of budgets managed, and promotions through the company.

Education and Professional Development
Employers want to know that you are dedicated to keeping your knowledge current and your skills updated. Seek out opportunities to further advance your skills by attending free workshops, webinars, seminars, or courses in your area of specialty. In addition, affiliations with industry-relevant organizations is another way to demonstrate your focus on honing your craft.

How to Create a Video Resume To Wow Potential Employers

Most readers will have had the experience of creating a traditional resume but have you ever considered creating a video resume? A video resume would be especially helpful if the job you're aiming for puts you in front of the camera or involves working with different types of technology. It is a sure fire way to stand out from the countless paper resumes.

Here are some tips on getting a video resume done right:

1. Keep the video short and sweet (about a minute). Just like a paper resume, if you keep rambling on, your potential employers don't have enough time to spend more than a few minutes on each resume (sometimes less). You have to get your point across pretty quickly to keep their attention.

2. Dress professionally. Think of it as an interview practice run and act the way you would as if you were being interviewed.

3. Think of the video as a pitch of your personality and talents. This is a chance for you to go beyond your paper resume and share your great communication skills, passion for your industry, and people skills.

4. Don't forget about your regular paper resume. Include the link to your video resume in your actual resume. If you attach the video in an email, it is likely to get put in the spam folder. Also, in your video, don't just read your resume word for word. That would be redundant...remember, you want to stand out!

If you want a good laugh, check out Barney Stinson's video resume from the popular television series, "How I Met Your Mother". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rMVx2JbztU

Hobbies That Look Great On a Post Grad Resume

Just graduated college and having trouble finding a job? Sitting at home doing nothing most of your time? It is time to find you something to do besides being discouraged by the constant job hunt! Here are a few hobbies or activities you can do with your free time that you can also add to your resume. Having extra activities that relate to the career you want can only be a bonus. Use this time to increase your chances of landing that perfect gig!

1. Volunteer. Pick a cause and devote your free time after job hunting to it. Bonus points if it relates to your major. For example, if you're an English major hoping to teach kids, volunteer to read to local school kids. If you got your business degree, help out a small non-profit organization in any way you can. These volunteering activities show character and initiative.

2. Take a class. This doesn't mean you have to go back to school. Find classes at a local community center that has something to do with your passion. Interested in an IT job? Take some computer classes to give you a leg up. Want to be a chef? Take a class on how to bake fancy cupcakes if you've never learned that before. These classes are usually short and cheap and can be something to do that shows you love learning and take charge.

3. Only put hobbies that really matter to an employer on your resume. I wouldn't list all the things you do such as: hanging out with friends, hiking, going online... etc. It will just make your resume unnecessarily long and your potential employer won't care. Only put hobbies that stand out or include ones that pertain to the job or where you received some type of award or outstanding achievement.

What Belongs on your Resume?

There are essentially five questions that your resume should answer for your potential employer. These questions make up the aspects of what you need to include on the resume. Check back later in the week for a list of what does not belong on the resume. Here are the key areas that your resume should highlight.

What are you seeking?
This question typically used to be answered using the objective. However, the use of an objective is often done poorly. Using a vague objective such as “seeking a challenging position that offers growth opportunity” is ineffective. If using an objective, ensure it is focused and targeted to a specific position or company. The most effective way to convey your objective is to use a clearly stated and focused summary of skills or profile section at the beginning of the resume.

What can you do?
Your resume must convey what skills and abilities you possess. Utilize past accomplishments to demonstrate your knowledge and skills. Instead of offering a “laundry list” of your skills, use a fact-based and example-driven method of proving you have the skills to succeed.

What experience do you have?
It is critical to offer a chronological work history that includes dates. Avoid functional resumes that focus on skills and do not include dates. When communicating your past work experience, it is important to discuss only relevant skills. If you have limited experience, or no formal work experience, you can list volunteer work, extracurricular activities, clubs, memberships, or any offices held.

What have you accomplished?
Each position you have listed on your resume should contain at least two to three accomplishments. Focus on measurable accomplishments whenever possible that highlight dollars, percentage, or hours. Use a three step formula when writing accomplishments that defines the problem faced or task accomplished, details the actions taken, and states the end result of your actions.

What education or training have you received?
List degrees completed, degrees in progress, and even courses towards degrees when citing your education. Evaluate training courses you have taken and identify the training that is most relevant to the job or career you are seeking.