You Are Not Entitled to a Job!

Résumé Tips

Some basics about job hunting...

First of all, nobody owes you a job! This obvious fact is often overlooked by the eager job hunter -- at least for a couple of months -- when he or she gives up looking for a job! Many people think employers should hire them because of their award-winning personality.

You have got to have a little something to show for yourself besides your pretty smile. The simple truth is, you need to find a way to stand out from the crowd so that your potential employer will actually listen to what you have to say.

A great résumé is the best place to start. Action statements about what you have accomplished really stick out on a résumé. Vague statements can really hurt your chances for a position. Your résumé is the first chance to impress an employer. Do not ruin that chance with silly spelling errors and cloudy information. Employers love concise, well thought out résumés. Your résumé is your map to a job. It should lead to a job and not the garbage. Write it like you spent the last year perfecting it. It should never sound like it was slopped together in an hour.

A good way to STAND out from the competition is by expressing your desire for the job with a little extra effort. There are ways of straying from the convention and yet remaining in the norm. A paper résumé is the norm. Résumés can take any form your imagination takes you. Some employers will welcome creativity and other formats such as portfolios or website résumés. A great place to discover new ways of impressing employers is at Vision-Résumé. This extra effort might just help you stand out from the crowd and provide the traction needed to remain in an employers mind. However, standing on your creative submission alone is not very wise. You should back up your portfolio or website with a traditional paper résumé as well to appease the unmoved hirer.

The most important thing to remember in this battle-ground of job seeking is that employers do not owe you a thing. They have a position to fill and you are just one of a few, if not hundreds of persons asking for the job. So, enter the task of job-hunting as if looking for a soul mate. It takes effort, and only the most dedicated win the best jobs.
Résumé Tips

Some basics about job hunting...

First of all, nobody owes you a job! This obvious fact is often overlooked by the eager job hunter -- at least for a couple of months -- when he or she gives up looking for a job! Many people think employers should hire them because of their award-winning personality.

You have got to have a little something to show for yourself besides your pretty smile. The simple truth is, you need to find a way to stand out from the crowd so that your potential employer will actually listen to what you have to say.

A great résumé is the best place to start. Action statements about what you have accomplished really stick out on a résumé. Vague statements can really hurt your chances for a position. Your résumé is the first chance to impress an employer. Do not ruin that chance with silly spelling errors and cloudy information. Employers love concise, well thought out résumés. Your résumé is your map to a job. It should lead to a job and not the garbage. Write it like you spent the last year perfecting it. It should never sound like it was slopped together in an hour.

A good way to STAND out from the competition is by expressing your desire for the job with a little extra effort. There are ways of straying from the convention and yet remaining in the norm. A paper résumé is the norm. Résumés can take any form your imagination takes you. Some employers will welcome creativity and other formats such as portfolios or website résumés. A great place to discover new ways of impressing employers is at Vision-Résumé. This extra effort might just help you stand out from the crowd and provide the traction needed to remain in an employers mind. However, standing on your creative submission alone is not very wise. You should back up your portfolio or website with a traditional paper résumé as well to appease the unmoved hirer.

The most important thing to remember in this battle-ground of job seeking is that employers do not owe you a thing. They have a position to fill and you are just one of a few, if not hundreds of persons asking for the job. So, enter the task of job-hunting as if looking for a soul mate. It takes effort, and only the most dedicated win the best jobs.

John Harbison is a contributing member of Vision-Résumé. For more job help check out the Career Center.


More Resources

Interview Preparation Made Easy: Create An Interview Preparation List
Here's a quick way to compare your own job experience and qualifications with those that your prospective employer is looking for in a specific job position. Make an "Interview Preparation List".
Working as a Knowledge Worker in the Information Age
The old adages: "It's not what you know, but who you know" and "High Tech, High Touch" could be the mottos of knowledge workers in the 21st Century.Never before in the history of the world has both networking and interpersonal communication been potentially easier, broader, more wide-spread and paradoxically, more difficult.
Workplace 911
I've watched a few episodes of Nanny 911 and with the chaos, out of control children and seemingly irreparable behavior, it strikes me as a precursor to Workplace 911. No, not a new reality TV show, but everyday workplace problems.
How to Get the Job You Want in Any Economy... Act Like a Headhunter
Having spent the last few years of my career in the staffing and recruiting industry, I'm asked all the time by friends and relatives if I can help them find a more desirable job. I've helped my fiancé get a job, helped my college buddies get jobs after graduation, and even helped a few high school buddies find jobs having not seen them for years.
How to Turn a Job Search into a Career Find
The only way to find a new career is to stop looking for a job Career success requires the identical effort and targeting as setting a course for continuous professional development.Job opportunities are found through the strategic use of the same steering mechanism that successfully sells products and services: Positioning, Exposure and Marketing.
Employment Under A Microscope
A certain amount of oversight is involved in almost any job. The more important, the more highly skilled, the more successful the position, the lower the degree of oversight.
The 10 Biggest Career Change Mistakes - And How to Avoid Them
Career change is no walk in the park.If it was easy, the castle gates would have burst long ago under the stampede of restless corporate warriors.
The Night Worker
In the process of musing about our perennially awake world for my Social Psych blog, I started to think about our present work world and how its operations have changed the lives of millions of workers.I manage a 24/7 emergency crew (mental health).
Take Charge of Your Job Search: 12 Steps to Success
Despite what many people may say, a job search does not have to be an unpleasant experience. There are those people who choose to take charge of the process, who actually find the process to be very rewarding and stimulating.
Growing Up On A Delaware Farm
Growing up on a Delaware farm was a wonderful and rewarding experience for me.I grew up in an area where a couple of dozen families in an area of about hundred square miles had farmed, married each other and been a stable community for centuries, along Delaware Rout One just north of Lewes.
You Are Not Entitled to a Job!
Résumé TipsSome basics about job hunting..
How to Crash - Proof Your Job Search
Think you have the speed, endurance, and know-how to fix what's broken? Bet not. The smartest people in the world are those who can leave their ego at the door, and know when its wise to seek help.
Update Your Resume Today
A friend was just promoted to a position of vice-president of a company. I am happy for him and the first thing I told him after congratulations was "update your resume".
Tips on How to Write High Impact Letters of Recommendation
Congratulations. You've been asked to write a letter ofrecommendation for an employee or colleague.
Have Some PASTA with Your Interview
When cyclists prepare for a big race, they always make sure they load up on the carbs. It is not uncommon to have a pasta feed the night before an important event so that the athletes can store up some of the carbohydrates they will be burning up the next day.
6 Steps to Re-inventing Your Career
Meaningful work honors the deepest part of your being. It is the embodiment of your gifts and talents and all that you value.
Dont Quit Your Day Job! Convincing Your Boss To Let You Telecommute (Part 2 of 2)
Ok, so you've determined that you have the right skills and qualities todo your job effectively from home. You're sure that your job is wellsuited to telecommuting.
What A Former Stay At Home Mom Knows About Creating A Stunning Resume That You Dont
Recently I was asked to touch up a friend's resume. Her challenge was simple.
Bartending School Online- Earn Your Bartender Training From Home
Many young adults flock to bars, lounges and clubs on a weekly basis. They spend hundreds sometimes thousands of dollars on entertaining themselves and their friends.
Mystery Shopping - An Excellent Part Time Job Or Additional Income Source
Though the name itself may seem a bit mysterious, the concept of mystery shopping is actually straightforward. Also referred to as secret shopping, performance evaluations, service checks and frontline evaluations to name a few, mystery shopping allows companies to obtain a "snapshot in time" by trained researchers who know in advance what they are to evaluate.

More Careers & Employment Information:

Related Articles

4 Tips for Making Successful Job Offers
The interviews are completed, the paperwork is all filled out for Human Resources, and you have decided that this is the right candidate for the job. Now comes the formal job offer.
Your Attitude Is Screaming
There is more attitude around than the 'traditional 'positive / negative attitude. This issue's topic will expose you to the other kind of attitude.
Changing Careers? How to Get Around the Three Major Mental Roadblocks to Success
A part of you can't wait to dive into your new career -- but you're also smart enough to know that you can expect a few bumps along the road to success. By far, the biggest roadblocks exist between your own two ears! Let's take a look at three common mental roadblocks and learn how to overcome them.
Hospital Staff at Great Risk of Attack and Injury Whilst at Work
There are millions of people working extremely hard every day in the UK to ensure that the public are healthy and recover from illness or accidents. Countless medical staff around the country study hard to become doctors and nurses and then work long hours and endure stressful situations in order to save the lives of men women and children every day.
Interview Preparation Made Easy: Create An Interview Preparation List
Here's a quick way to compare your own job experience and qualifications with those that your prospective employer is looking for in a specific job position. Make an "Interview Preparation List".
How People Really Explore New Careers: What Does A Real Career Search Look Like?
The traditional model of career choice suggests a linear pattern. Get to know yourself.
Can Nurses Be Entrepreneurs?
Yes, Nurses can be entrepreneurs. In today's market place nursing has a unique service to offer not only to hospitals but nursing homes, private care and doctor offices.
The Interview - A Few Tips for Making a Great First Impression
Searching for employment is one of the most nerve-racking activities to engage in. As if the direct need for income is not stressful enough, the process of writing a résumé, networking in your industry, and applying for jobs can leave anyone shaking in their tracks.
Ideal Job and Handling Criticism
How many times have you been asked, "What is your dream job?"Even if you document a dream job on paper, will you be happy every day in that job? Unlikely. Heck, you could work in your dream job for two different companies and end up being happy in one and miserable in the other.
Doing What You Love
What do you want to be when you grow up? I'm sure you were asked this question at least once when you were a youngster. When asked the question, did you have an answer at the ready, or did you need a few minutes to think about it? We all had dreams of becoming something great, like a fireman, a teacher, or a rock star, just to name a few.
5 Key Factors to Consider When Selecting an Outplacement Firm
With today's economy, more and more companies are finding themselves faced with the situation of having to reduce headcount to remain competitive. Here are five key factors to consider when selecting an outplacement firm if your company is ever faced with a workforce reduction.
Surprise! Accounting is the Hot New Major
There was a time when accounting was the boring college major that many people regretted signing up for. A constant barrage of numbers, statistics and spreadsheets was none too interesting.
Create Your Plan B Before the Layoff Axe Falls
In one short week, the axe fell at a number of companies and thousands of employees were without jobs. Hewlett Packard, Kodak, Ford Motor Company of Canada, PNC Financial and Kimberley Clark each had to make critical business decisions and lay off large numbers of employees.
Writing Resumes That Attract Your Perfect Job
Let me introduce you to Ben. He made it happenBen was a comptroller.
Speak Up: Your Job Is At Stake!
How good are you at standing up for yourself?Do you run the other way when done an injustice or when someone steps on your proverbial toes?How do you react?Now's the time to speak up and stand your ground! If you've never done this, you need to master this skill.How many of you watched the "The Apprentice?" While the show is not the ultimate mirror of corporate life or a guide on how to be promoted, my clients have cited specific show episodes to highlight weaknesses they'd like to improve.
Cover Letter Magic: 4 Ways To ASK For The Job Interview - And Get It!
Just how important it is to ASK for the job interview clearly and directly in your cover letter?IT'S EVERYTHING!So the question remains: how effectively are you ASKING? The following four ways will help you nail down many more job interviews. Try them all and see which ones work best for you.
An Unexpected Career Direction
My starting point was how to draw on 25 years of experience in which I have helped thousands of people to their own career success, and make this knowledge freely available to anyone and everyone who could use it. I believe that if people are given the right information and helped to reach their own conclusions; they can make an outstanding success of their careers.
Five Mistakes That Can Derail Your Job Search
No matter how much time and energy you invest in job seeking, critical mistakes can derail your efforts. Consider the following job search scenario.
Illegal Interview Questions -- Be Prepared
I'll quickly cover the following:A) Why Employer Ask Illegal Interview Questions.B) Examples of Illegal Interview Questions.
Are You Tired of Hiring Other Peoples Rejects? - 12 Mistakes Recruiters Make and How To Avoid Them
When John applied for a job at Oakland Company, his resume looked fabulous, showing tremendous talent and advancement. His qualifications were beyond question and he built immediate rapport with everyone in the interview process.