How Important is a Resume in Applying for a Job?

Imagine this. You applied for this particular job because and you send them a copy of your resume in their email. A few days later, you still have not received any phone calls from the company where you applied. Several weeks have passed and you still have not received any phone interviews or call backs from the company despite a few follow ups. They just say, "we'll call you", and that's it. 

What could have happened during your application process? Maybe the problem is your resume!

The worst financial transaction you will ever make is selling yourself short. --- Greg Gilbert

What is a Resume?

A resume is a document created and used by a person to present their relevant job experiences, background, skills, accomplishments, and education. Résumés can be used for a variety of reasons, but most often they are used to secure new employment. It is something a potential employer (the company you have applied) sees first to screen your work qualifications or skills for the position you are applying for in their company.

In a simple analogy, your resume is part of your marketing strategy to sell yourself. Remember when you watch your favorite TV show or perhaps while streaming on YouTube, a couple of advertisement pops up and you just can't skip the ads. In the job hunting scenario, YOU are the product being endorsed to and YOUR RESUME is the TV advertisement. You sell and present yourself to a potential company using your resume because you know you are worthy of their time. However, if there is an option of "skipping the ads", your resume might be in big trouble and so are your future employment.

The Importance of Resume

Resumes can be as simple and as plain as possible or may be as colorful as a festival of lights. Depending on the job position you are applying to, a resume should not be generic at all times. It should be designed or tailor-made according to your relevant work experiences to the work or position you are applying in a company. 

Say for example, you have a significant work experience as a graphic designer, and you want to try your luck to the vacant position of graphics artist in a company, you might want to tweak your resume a little and make it more like it was made really by a graphics designer. A plain resume would only say that you are just a so-so graphic designer, but if you make your resume speaks for itself, chances are, you will be called for an interview once they saw your resume. Also, don't forget to put on your portfolio.

Always remember that you are selling yourself and your skills and talents in a company. If they saw something on your resume that is not worth checking, the trash bin will be your resume's final destination.

Making Your Resume Stand Out

According to Brad Karsh, author of the popular book, "How To Say It on Your Resume", he pointed out the following items below to make your resume become one of the potential candidates by the Recruitment Manager. Here are some of them: 

• Do your homework. Applying for a job is not really an easy task. Sometimes, you just have to make a research about the company you are applying for to know even the slightest detail that company has such as awards and recognition or even the nature of the company. If you don't even know what's going on that company, you might end up not being hired. Oh, that's for sure!

• Focus on your job accomplishments. Your job accomplishments should be in line with the job that your are applying for in a company. If you are applying for an IT Officer position (because it is the posted job vacancy) but all your work experiences are related to Procurement Services, you are just wasting your time and the time of the Recruitment Manager. Again, you will not end up being hired, or worse, you will not be called for an interview.

• Keep it short and powerful. A good resume is something that is short and precise and can be fitted into one page. A typical Recruitment Manager would only read or scan a resume for a few seconds, so keeping it short, precise, and relevant is always a must!

Overall Thoughts

A resume will make or break you if all goes well. It is your ticket to fame for a new job or a new company. Want to know how to write a winning resume? Watch this YouTube clip below from Thomas Frank, a social media content creator that posts videos of different genres. See you soon!

Internet-based Work From Home Jobs For You To Try!

The World Wide Web or simply the Internet offers a vast opportunity of different online jobs that you can work on right at the comfort of your own home. You just have to have a decent Internet connection and a working laptop or computer and you are all set to different Internet-based job opportunities out there in the web! I was once a living proof to that when I became a Virtual Assistant sometime in 2014 when I was hired as a writer and proofreader to a Europe-based travel website. 

The Virtual Assistant job was short-lived though, but I enjoyed it very much because of the things I learned from assisting my client. The online job was basically write and edit articles for them and upload them in their travel websites. They also asked me to do other travel-related tasks which are also needed for the entirety of the project. The tasks were easy really, but the down falls of the job were that I have to be on Skype for the whole 8 hours of work and my time was not even mine at all. It was not a part-time online job but a full time one. 

We are all now connected by the Internet, like neurons in a giant brain. --- Stephen Hawking

Internet-based or Web-based Work From Home Jobs

For the past 15 years or so, job opportunities have significantly changed its landscape from the travel-to-work in the office to what is now more popularly known as Work From Home. Perhaps the never-ending traffic and the hassle of commuting are the main contributing factors to the rise of Work From Home job opportunities, aside from the COVID-19 pandemic problems. For now, here are some of the Internet-based Work From Home Jobs that you might want to try:

• Be an Online Content Writer. This job requires minimum knowledge of different online platforms such as Blogger.com, Wordpress, Joomla, or at least a comprehensive understanding of the client's own Online Content Management System. Aside from that, most Online Content Writer job opportunities come from offshore, so it will be helpful if you have a handful of tricks for a good command of the English language and at least an understanding of the subject-verb agreement to be hired as one.

• Be a Freelance Website Developer. To become a freelance web developer you have to have at least an advance knowledge of HTML5 codings or PHPs, some basic Photoshop skills, a decent Internet connection, some marketing skills (this is the part where you endorse yourself to others), and perhaps some personal connections to different clients. Being a freelance website developer takes a lot of guts because your greatest rivalry here are those with the same profession as yours and other big companies out there that offer website development.

• Be an Independent Video Editor or Filmmaker. While there are already apps out there that offer instant video editing and filmmaking, nothing can really compare with the works of a professional video editor and filmmaker. Video editors are mostly used in the recent years during weddings, debuts, and other significant occasions for their SDE or same day editing, but a filmmaker is a different story. Nowadays, if you have a basic video editing skills, you can upload videos on YouTube and start earning from home. However, a video editor with advance video editing skills together with a filmmaker's mind can make a short movie with CGIs to make the video more exciting to watch. Back in 2018, a pre-wedding Avengers-themed film went viral, which was created by Wonderlast Films, an independent film maker in the Philippines. Below is the said video, you decide:

• Be an Online Tutor or Mentor. Online classes are so in these days so why not try a career in online tutoring or perhaps online mentoring if you really want to ride the bandwagon. Being an online tutor or an online mentor requires a mastery of any subject that you can think of! It may be school subjects like Math or English, tips on how to improve financial stability, or even an online live art workshop! Of course this work from home job requires like I said, a mastery of any kind of topic, a good Internet connection, and some online connections that might turn into profits! 

• Be a Social Media Manager. A few decades earlier, a social media manager would mean being a ghost writer to anyone of elite status. Nowadays, it is kind of the same thing, however, the medium for ghost writing just evolved from published books to different social media pages and accounts. A social media manager for a particular person or organization would require the skills and knowledge of different social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. It may also require organizational skills, and a slight knowledge of Photoshop and some photography skills. I have met people who manages up to 8 social media pages and accounts. Can you do more?

• Be an Online Seller. Even before the pandemic, selling online is already the hype, it just accelerated even more when the COVID-19 pandemic affected the worldwide health and social status of everyone. Nowadays, it seems like everyone is on online selling, maybe because everyone is also into online shopping. Online shopping gives us the convenience of buying a desired product online right at the ease of your own home. To become an online seller, you have to have at least a skill for selling products, a decent Internet connection, knowledge of different social media or online selling platforms or website, and of course, products to sell! 

Overall Thoughts

The work from home setup is not really a new concept and it has been going on for years now, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the work from home job opportunities have started to shine like they weren't there before. The world today is now on work from home mode to keep us safe and secure, and to keep the economy alive! It looks like this setup will be staying here for a little while.

See you soon!

Minimum Health Protocols in Workplaces to Avoid COVID-19

 

Since the start of the pandemic, many companies around the world has switched to the "new normal" phase and started to implement minimum health protocols in their workplaces (only applicable to companies with no Work From Home setup) and work areas to help prevent the spread or at least reduce the transmission of this dreaded disease called COVID-19. This "new normal" has been going around the world for more than a year now and it may not stop anytime soon. What are the different minimum health protocols in your workplace?

Supermarkets, malls, and many companies nowadays are strictly implementing a "no mask, no entry" policy just for starters. Even in production lines and different food manufacturing facilities are also implementing this new policy with added restrictions such as the strictly wearing of face shields, frequent handwashing and sanitization, and strictly no talking to co-workers especially in the production area. 

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. --- Benjamin Franklin

Minimum Health Protocols and Safety Guidelines

Helping to stop the spread of coronavirus is one of the main objectives of implementing the minimum health protocols and safety guidelines in workplaces. These are a set of instructions that employees should follow in order to reduce or prevent yourselves from getting COVID-19 to infected or suspected people that might show symptoms of the disease.

For those companies who really can't have a work from home setup, and requires their employees to still go to work in their respective workplaces, some of these minimum health protocols and safety guidelines could be use by the employers in their workplaces in response with the worldwide preparedness against the COVID-19 disease:

• Always put your facemask on. We've seen this as a reminder ads on TV or in one of your local health center's medical posters. I have personally seen this in a poster almost everywhere I go! COVID-19 transmission is known for travelling microdroplets of fluids from an infected person to another. The main exit and entry points of these microdroplets are your nostrils (nose) and mouth. So, covering up these two (2) parts of your face for prevention of acquiring or spreading the disease could be of a big help to stop spread COVID-19.

• Your face shield is your second line of defense. While others put on a second layer of facemask, some people also use face shield to protect them from microdroplets from getting in their mouth or nose. This is quite difficult at times, but just think of it as a safety protocol to prevent you from getting the coronavirus. 

• Wash your hands frequently. Disinfect them regularly. Studies have shown that frequently washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds can help remove whatever germs and viruses you acquired from touching any surfaces around. If soap and water are not readily available, make sure that you have an alcohol spray or hand sanitizer with you every single time to instantly disinfect your hands. Choose the one that has a moisturizer in it so that your hands will not dry.

• Always have your temperature checked. Since the start of the pandemic, companies are now required to check the temperatures of their employees before entering any company premises. Any temperature scanned above 37°C should not be allowed to enter the company premises. A body temperature of higher than 37°C could only mean one thing, there is something wrong with that person and he/she could be sick or might show symptoms of COVID-19.

• Always observe cleanliness and orderliness. If in the pre-pandemic era you have been singled-out by your co-workers because you are a clean and neat freak, they should be thanking you for setting a good example around. Having clean and orderly workplace is a nice place to work. If you feel safe with your working area in terms germs and viruses, you probably are.

• Mind the gap. A physical distancing of at least one (1) meter to your left and to your right can help you prevent getting COVID-19. The operative word here is "at least", which only means that anything below 1 meter is bad and anything above it is good in stopping the spread of the disease! Here's a quick metaphor video I found on YouTube about what physical distancing can do to help stop the spread of COVID-19:

• Make sure there are sufficient ventilation areas in your workplace. COVID-19 and other germs and viruses live longer in cold and moist environment. Having your workplace windows opened for air circulation may help stop the spread of the coronavirus. COVID-19 is known to be airborne and may stick to moist air as microdroplets. Air circulation to prevent moist air from coming might actually work.

• Avoid group gatherings and talking during breaks. Breaktimes are always a good time to catch up with your co-workers during the pre-pandemic days. However, things have already changed and talking to a person at an intimate distance is now strictly prohibited. If you want to talk, make it a habit to put on your facemask. A strictly "no talking while eating" policy must be implemented in a workplace to help stop the spread of COVID-19. And oh, no sharing of food should also not be allowed especially when you are using the same utensils for your food sharing. 

• Do not go to work if you feel you are sick. During the pre-pandemic days, going to work even if your body does not want to go is a sign of a workaholic. Some would say, it's just a fever, or it is a slight cold, and you can work efficiently even if you have these illnesses. But showing up to work with a slight fever and colds nowadays are not acceptable anymore because these are some of the symptoms of COVID-19. In order to stop the spread of this disease, not showing to work when you are sick or having different symptoms of COVID-19 is a sign of having respect to others.

• Be honest and always check yourself. Preventing COVID-19 to spread from one person to another is sometimes could be done with just logical explanations. If you think you got the disease, just be honest. Only you would know first if you are sick or not. Your body would always tell you to make a halt first with whatever you are doing if there is something wrong inside you. You may do a self-isolation to prevent others from getting your illnesses. If everyone would be honest with their own body conditions, we can reduce or stop the spread of COVID-19.

Overall Thoughts

Minimum health protocols and safety guidelines are just a set of reminders for us to observe, implement, and obey to help prevent or minimize the spread of the coronavirus in your workplaces or wherever. It should be embraced and learn to deal with it everyday, otherwise, if we don't want this pandemic to end sooner.

See you soon!

Building Positive Relationship at Your Workplace

How good are you in handling a positive relationship with your colleagues at work? Is it harmonious or is it stressful at your workplace? Whether you are working in an office, in a production plant, inside a warehouse or supermarket, in a fast food restaurant or even in a cafe, it is very important to have a positive relationship at work towards your co-employees or co-workers because this might be the key for your long-term relationship with your job or company. 

A few years back, I was connected to a company where I enjoyed the companionship of my office friends for eight (8) long years. When I was hired in that company, I told myself that I will be just staying there for three years because I have a personal career goal. But then again, the three years became 5, and then 6, and then 7 years have already passed and I seemed to be enjoying my work there together with my office friends. Until on my 8th year I made a bold move to assess my career and explore other job opportunities and leave my friends in the office behind. But that's another story.

During those 8 long years in my previous company, I made friends and a support group for all my office angsts. We also dined together after office, we ate together at lunchbreaks and chatted away like we didn't see each other everyday, we also loved watching movies together or just strolling in a mall after work. My office friends kept me sane and they made work fun and less stressful and that is why I stayed.

You can't control everything. Sometimes you just need to relax and have faith that things will work out. Let go a little and just let life happen. --- Kody Keplinger

A Healthy Workplace Relationship is the Key to Success

Having a positive and harmonious relationship in your workplace is always a two-way street. If you are stressed at work, it doesn't mean that your colleagues are less stressed than you. Believe me, they are, and you both share the same stress everyday. If you whine at work, your colleagues also might have something to whine about. But they just know how to handle everyday stress. Cope with your stresses together, talk it out, and work it out right away to relieve yourselves out. 

A strong and productive team starts with a good rapport, a healthy working environment, and an excellent support group. But it doesn't happen overnight. It takes time to build a strong and healthy workplace relationship that you can get along with and love in the years to come. Here are some of the things that you can do to get that long-term healthy workplace relationship and aim for that big group success:

• Make time to build trust. Trust is the most difficult to gain when you are starting and also difficult to build when it is broken. According to Natalie Ledwell, a successful relationship, whether it's for business, romantic, or friend relationship, is (mainly) built on trust. So starting today, give your trust to someone in your workplace and earn their trust as well.

• Respect one another. Being respectful comes in different shapes and ways, it may be using honorifics such as "Mam" or "Sir", asking for permission to use ones things like a ballpen or a ruler, bowing to someone of seniority to you when you meet him/her across the hall, be constructive in one's opinion, or toning down your voice when talking to your boss or Immediate Head. Like they say, respect begets respect. So give respect to those who earns it.

• Listen to one another. Great leaders are great listeners. When a leader is a good listener, employees or co-workers respect them. According to Forbes.com, in a typical business day, employees tend to spend 45% of time listening, 30% of time talking, 16% reading, and 9% writing (Source: Forbes, 2013). Now, that's a lot of time listening to long meetings, really!

• Value gratitude. Employees tend to exit a company because they felt that their efforts are not being appreciated at all. Everyone of us wants to be appreciated even in the slightest thing that we did. So the next time you see a colleague in the hallway, don't forget to say "Thank you" to him/her and appreciate his/her work. Who knows? You might be saving your colleague to stay for another year with you in the workplace!

• Stay away from gossips. Workplace gossips is not a form of communication to your colleagues. It may be harmless in nature but gossips hindrance productivity and efficiency at work. Aside from that, gossips ruin a healthy workplace environment due to giving false information and saying hurtful words to one another.

• Learn to help and uplift others. If someone is struggling in their work, extend a helping hand. The workplace is always a venue for competitive employees. Everyday, we all compete for the greatness and success of our company. However, success does not come from one person alone, it is always a group effort. So if you are someone who is happy with the failures of others, something might be wrong with you. Learn to change your ways. 

• Always communicate with one another. Lastly, but definitely not the least, communication is a key to progression. An effective and efficient communication tool can connect you better and gives you better results at understanding one another. Also, learn to communicate with respect and comfort towards the other person. 

Overall Thoughts.

Working with others is really hard because you just don't deal with the personality of your co-workers, you also deal with how they work with you. If you want a healthy and positive relationship at work, you must learn to adjust and have a give-and-take relationship with your co-workers. Building a positive relationship at your workplace is always a two-way street. It takes two to tango. If you want something to achieve all by yourself, a workplace with employees in not your cup of tea.

See you soon!