Francine Fabricant | 29 May 2017 | no comments

Ready to hit send?

Getting a resume ready for employers in today’s job search may start with clearly written job descriptions and spellcheck, but today’s most successful resumes also get past high-tech recruiting tools such as applicant tracking software (ATS) and online job boards.

Today’s best resumes are written for people and robots.

The time you spent on font selections and spacing will pay off later on. Real people will read your resume once it makes it to their computer. However, if you can’t get your resume past the robots “screening” it, employers may never see it. Effective resumes now work just as well with the latest, high-tech recruiting technology as they do in the hand of a hiring manager.

Surprisingly, this is easier than you may think.

This list will help you make sure your resume is attention-grabbing for robots and also sets you up for a great interview in person.

Want more resume-writing tips for today’s high-tech job search, or resume-writing tips for an internship search or your first resume? Click here for tips on your first resume, and here for more advanced resume-writing tips and samples.

If you’re ready to share your resume with employers, but just want to check it over . . .

Use this resume checklist to hit “send” with confidence!

Francine Fabricant | 18 February 2017 | no comments

Using Creating Career Success at Home or In Class

With all the resources in Creating Career Success, I want to make sure that you’re getting the the most out of the book, so that you can better manage your career, make decisions, and move forward.

You may have challenging questions, and not know where to start. What skills will I need? What jobs will I like? How might those jobs change over time? What education is helpful?

The resources in Creating Career Success help you explore tough career questions like these, find real answers, and build your own career success.

What resources are part of Creating Career Success? 

Creating career success is not just a book, it is a comprehensive career program.

The program starts with self-assessment. This section has exercises and activities to help you consider what’s important to you in your career. Have you been thinking about taking a career test? We help you use results from 4 popular, evidence-based career tools in each of these important areas: Skills, Values, and Interests. Two of these are included with your purchase of the book. To access these, go to Cengage’s website, and open CourseMate, the student online companion. Interested in additional tools? Chapter 3: Preferences helps you use RIASEC Theory – a career theory that helps you identify careers that are consistent with your interest, and for which you can take an assessment called the Self-Directed Search(r) – and results from the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator(r) — also called the MBTI(r). While these tools don’t tell you what you should (or shouldn’t) do in your career, they can help you consider a wider range of careers and gain insights about yourself.

The program continues with a section to help you explore careers and make decisions. In this section, you explore the careers that sparked your interest in Part I. With tools to research, network, and make decisions, this section helps you evaluate your options, and put yourself in the position to take advantage of opportunities.

Finally, the third section prepares you to market yourself in a job or internship search. Included are sample resumes, cover letters, thank you letters, networking suggestions, emails, and suggestions for using social media in your job search.

Can I do this at home if I’m not in a career course?

Yes! The program is designed for use in a career course or at home. Career counselors and career coaches also use Creating Career Success with their clients.

At the end of each chapter, you complete a one page Q & A called “My Flexible Plan” to help you summarize your thoughts and feelings. This is your plan of analysis or plan of action, and it will help you move forward.

Are you an instructor, career counselor, or career coach?

We have resources for professionals, including an Instructors Resource Manual (with sample syllabi, suggestions for ice breakers and classroom activities, suggested videos, and more). To access these, create an account on Cengage Learning’s instructor companion site.

We also share career thoughts, resources, and insights on our Facebook page.

Do you have questions about using Creating Career Success? Let me know!