Hiring managers get flooded with resumes for job openings. How can you ensure your resume will be looked at? Take some advice from hiring managers:

• Do the basics.
• Proofread for spelling, grammar, and tone. (Ask friends to proofread, too.)
• Use a simple, easy-to-read typeface.
• Follow instructions in the job posting. If the employer asks for information—such as references or writing samples—provide it.
• If you’re applying by e-mail, your cover letter should be contained in the e-mail. If you’re applying online and there’s no space indicated for a cover letter, put your cover letter in the comments section.
• Don’t let the informality of e-mail and text correspondence seep into your communications—whether e-mailed, online, or written—with potential employers.
• Organize your resume for the employer—Organize your resume information in a logical fashion. Keep descriptions clear and to the point. As possible, tailor your resume to the job and employer, emphasizing skills, experiences, abilities, and qualifications that match the job description.
• Customize your response—Address the hiring manager directly, if possible, and include the name of the company and the position for which it is hiring in your cover letter/e-mail response.
• Make it easy for the hiring manager—Use your name and the word “resume” in the e-mail subject line so it’s easy to identify.
• Focus on the skills and abilities you can bring to the employer, not what you want from the job—In your cover letter, answer the questions: What can you do to make the hiring manager’s life easier? What can you do to help the company? This is your opportunity to market yourself and stand out from the other candidates. Your resume should support that.
• Be professional—Use a professional-sounding e-mail address or voice mail/answering machine message.

Courtesy of the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

Social media is a great way to stay in touch with friends and relatives, but it also can be a useful tool in your job search. Employers are using social media sites like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube to both promote their organizations and connect with potential job candidates.

While social media can help you research employers (critical to your job-search success), be sure to use it more actively—as a way to connect with potential employers. By following a few basic tips, you can use social media to get in front of hiring managers.

Get Noticed

There are a few key points to keep in mind when using social media as a job-search tool.

Create a Profile That Gives a Positive Impression of You Think of it as your online resume: What do you want it to say about you? Hiring managers can get a stronger sense of who you are, and if you’re a potentially good fit for their company, through your profile.

Be Aware of the Keywords You Include in Your Profile This is particularly true for sites focused on professional networking, such as LinkedIn. Many employers do keyword searches to find profiles that contain the skill sets they’re seeking in potential hires.

Don’t Include Photos, Comments, or Information You Wouldn’t Want a Potential Employer to See

Don’t Mix Personal With Professional The social media you use in your job search has to present you as a potential employee—not as a friend. Follow the rules for writing a resume.

Make Sure Your Profile Is Error-Free You wouldn’t offer up a resume rife with misspellings, would you?

Choose Appropriate Contact Information Your e-mail address or Twitter handle should be professional—a simple variation on your name, perhaps—rather than suggestive or offensive.

Connect Many organizations have embraced social media as an extension of their hiring practices, and provide information that you can use to research the organization and connect with hiring managers and recruiters.

• Check your college/university’s social media groups: Many times, employers join such groups.
• Check social media groups that are focused around your field of interest or career.
• Search for the social media pages, profiles, and videos of organizations that interest you. Many organizations post job descriptions, information about salaries, and more.
• Ask questions. Even something as broad as “Is anyone hiring in [industry]?” may bring responses, and asking questions about a specific organization—“What’s it like to work at Company X?” can give you insight into the organization and its culture.

Stay Connected Keep in touch with recruiters or other decision makers you may interact with in cyberspace.

There may not be an available opportunity at their organization right now, but that could change, and you want to be considered when it does.

Finally, in addition to maintaining your network, use social media tobuild your network. Don’t just establish a social media presence—work it. Reach out. Interact. You will get out of social media what you put into it.

Courtesy of the National Association of Colleges and Employers

National Career Development Month and particularly today, National Career Development Day (November 18), is a great time to take a moment to reflect upon your career development.   Learn more about the four basic steps in the career development process by visiting NOVA’s Career Services website.

Continue to celebrate with NOVA Online this month by –

• Participating in special webinars to help you focus on your own career development.
  • Today, from 12:15 pm – 1:00 pm, a Conducting a Job Search webinar is being offered.   Learn more and register here.
• Following us on Twitter to receive a daily inspirational quote.
• Joining us on Facebook to participate in a weekly activity.
• Visiting the Virtual Student Union to learn about career development and related resources.
• Reading NOVA Onlineife for tips and to stay connected.

It is easy to become stagnant on the road to professional success. One can get stuck in the repetition of the day-to-day routine and settle into a state of complacency. Resting in complacency leaves no room for change. Growth and change are constant processes and opportunities for learning and developing should be actively sought daily. Take a moment to think of what you want for your future and ask yourself, what do I need to learn today to get myself there? What types of experiences do I need to get into the 4-year school I want to attend? What skills will I need to develop or practice to get the job I want, to be a better student, etc.?

Answering these questions on your own can be a bit daunting and you may need guidance on where to find such opportunities, i.e. internships, research opportunities, professional development workshops, etc. Luckily, NOVA has a staff of people who can guide you. Instructors can be a great resource for learning what types of professional experiences a student will need to be successful in a specific profession. Counselors can give you information on choosing your career path.  Success Coaches can help you develop the skills you need to complete your classes to get you to that end goal.

Access your resources to see what types of experiences you should be having and put yourself in the position to take advantage of any opportunity that may take you to a new level. Say “yes” to as many experiences as possible because you never know what the right “yes” will lead you to. Namaste.

NOVA Online Counselors: elicounselors@nvcc.edu

NOVA Online Success Coaches: elisuccess@nvcc.edu

Article written by Jennifer Reed – NOVA Online Success Coach