The Resume Experiment (3 of 5) Formatting The Resume

The Resume Experiment (3 of 5) â€" Formatting The Resume Formatting matters. Or does it? I dont know. Lets see what the experts say about formatting John Does resume Part I The Recruiters Carl Chapman This guy doesnt have enough meat to have a two pager not nearly enough. Most people (except very specific positions in specific industries) can get away with one page. (and following up on that one-page theme) what happens if the pages of your resume get separated? With a single page resume, that can’t happen. another plus is that you are forced to remove boring drab statements and replace them with powerful statements that are more likely to garner interest. (regarding the lack of address, which is a popular thing amongst my guest-experts) You are fooling no one by leaving off address information, put an address on your resume and avoid this unnecessary red flag. See an image of the new resume that Carl is suggesting his complete post is more comprehensive and a good reference from the desk of a recruiter. Daniel Sweet As an employer, if see a candidate who has so many revealed extra-curricular activities as you have listed, it says that I’m never going to have your full attention, focus, and effort directed to the work you’re doing for me. Use Bullets. Steve Levy What is it with the lines embracing each section? My mantra for resumes is to eliminate non-essential ink. Get rid on one of them, will ya? One horizontal line please, not two [Jason: hes referring to putting the skills at the top]. Another pet peeve – A section entitled â€Å"Professional Experience† or â€Å"Work Experience.† Whenever I see one of these, I always look for an â€Å"Amateur Experience† or â€Å"Play Experience† section. If you have a two page resume, include right justified at the top of the page, your name, a title representing who you are professionally, and â€Å"Page 2† – just in case someone manages to separate the pages. What to bold, italicize and underline: Generally speaking, the name of the company and major dates are in bold, the job title is underlined, and nothing is italicized. Don’t bold and underline – one or the other. Why no italics? Because some fonts lose their ability to stand out when italicized. Remember – clean and simple has the additional quality of being more easily â€Å"read† by an automated ATS. Part II The Resume Writers Alison Doyle If the blog, web site, writing are related to the type of jobs hes looking for, he may want to work them into the first experience section. Im wondering if there is a way to merge the company Y/Z listing to address the perspective (at first glance) that hes job hopping. [Jason: I know, that remark is kind of about content but the question is, how do you list x number of jobs effectively? Comes down to formatting + content] Barbara Safani, a repeat from yesterday but important with regard to formatting: Because there is no profile or summary on the resume, it’s hard for the audience to get a quick read on all this candidate has to offer. Most people look at the top third of the first page of the resume. Billie Sucher Think of a resume as having major parts / categories, if you will, and each part plays a role in helping you get noticed by the employer. When one part is missing, or not addressed, you are taking a big gamble that the reader will be interested in figuring you out on their time, their dime. They wont; they dont; they cant (for the most part) they simply dont have time to do so today. Here are the basic parts or categories I would suggest you use in reinventing yourself in your new resume†¦ Name / pertinent contact data Include your full middle name, not just an initial. (Think Google search) Insert specific street address, city, state, zip code (Think roots / commitment) remove ( ) from 555 Area Code On the line separating name/from Work Experience, make that line pop/look good. (Think: improved vs. average) Go to Clip Art Dividers Dec. finding something that looks great insert it! (or create your own) Focus (or Target) or Goal or Mission or Objective (choose word you like) Profile (or Qualifications Summary) Core Competencies / Key Skill Areas Professional Experience Rename group Work Experience / Work Experience Other into one section only titled Professional Experience. Then present your employer position(s), city, state, dates of employment. If one employer merged into another, present that as a single entry. Bullet this section to clean it up. Organize it for the reader. Education Present the highest level of education attained to date, including degree first (if you have one) university/college/school city/state/date of graduation/ completion. Major/minor achievements? Organizations / Affiliations / Military / Interests / Activities (all optional / supplemental text) Testimonial (Insert in body of resume where it has greatest WOW impact) / looks the best. Brad Attig providing career services to retail executives: Unless you are hiding from the mob or the FBI, put your address on the resume. It is a red flag for any recruiter; what do you have to hide? I assure you your resume will not be sent to any bill collectors. Others might suggest a functional resume but as a recruiter I don’t like them. I want to know what , where and when you did it. I feel functional resumes send up a lot of red flags. Either you are trying to disguise (hide) a lot of career changes or age or haven’t done much recently to put on your resume. Deb Dib Deb has an EXCELLENT post she put up yesterday called The Five Golden Rules of Resume Writing for 2007. From that post: Bear in mind that this may not be whats needed in 2008, and its not what was needed a few years ago! Resume styles change because the market changes, ways of receiving information change, ways or perceiving information change, and ways of sourcing change. Bonus Rule #4: Keep it SHORT. No one has time to read a wordy resume. And no one has time to read junk. Make every word count. And plan on spending many, many, many hours to do it. Liz Handlin Liz had a number of formatting changes in a document that she reworked, including: change some margins, added or deleted line breaks just general make it look better stuff a brief company description below each company name including ticker symbol (if relevant), website, size, number of employees and function. She says: You want to put some context around your experience. added Selected accomplishments include under each companys intro, and then has bullets to list these accomplishments with particular focus on anything that is quantifiable. deleted the References section added a MEDIA/AWARDS section added AFFILIATIONS section moved CONTACT INFORMATION section to the top. Louise Kursmark WHO ARE YOU? Needs introduction – who you are, what you do well, what kinds of problems you solve, where you might fit into my organization. Professional profile/personal brand information to â€Å"set the stage† for the rest of the resume. Key information (the SKILLS section) should be included as part of introduction. Jasons Thoughts In Susan Strayers book The Right Job, Right Now she talks about formatting from an HR perspective. Did you know that some companies have software that they run every resume through? This Applicant Tracking System allows HR to search, prioritize, log notes, etc. on hundreds or thousands or billions of resumes. And, according to what Ive heard from Susan and others, it either messes up your formatting or is confused by it. Dont try any cool formatting tricks that would mess up this system. Are there exceptions? Sure of course. Graphics artists and creative types usually opt for a portfolio. Or perhaps you e-mail one resume but bring another one in to the interview, part of your first impression thing. Thats one reason why I like Emurse.com once you create a resume you immediately have it available in different file formats (Word, PDF, HTML, TXT, etc) bloggers are even starting to put this on their blogs (see image to see Matthew Bookspans emurse-hosted resumes). Anyway, my bottom line for today: Dont let formatting be a distraction. Barbara Safani says: Hiring managers want to know how candidates help the companies they support make money, save money, save time, grow the business, or maintain the business. They want to see dollars, percentages, and numbers to qualify these accomplishments. Dont distract the resume reader from getting this information by funky, faulty or overly fancy formatting remember, you get less than 10 seconds to not mess it up. — The Resume Experiment Series Post I Introduction Post II First Impressions/Reactions Post III Formatting (todays post) Post IV Content (Thursday) Post V Wrap-Up (Friday) The Resume Experiment (3 of 5) â€" Formatting The Resume Formatting matters. Or does it? I dont know. Lets see what the experts say about formatting John Does resume Part I The Recruiters Carl Chapman This guy doesnt have enough meat to have a two pager not nearly enough. Most people (except very specific positions in specific industries) can get away with one page. (and following up on that one-page theme) what happens if the pages of your resume get separated? With a single page resume, that can’t happen. another plus is that you are forced to remove boring drab statements and replace them with powerful statements that are more likely to garner interest. (regarding the lack of address, which is a popular thing amongst my guest-experts) You are fooling no one by leaving off address information, put an address on your resume and avoid this unnecessary red flag. See an image of the new resume that Carl is suggesting his complete post is more comprehensive and a good reference from the desk of a recruiter. Daniel Sweet As an employer, if see a candidate who has so many revealed extra-curricular activities as you have listed, it says that I’m never going to have your full attention, focus, and effort directed to the work you’re doing for me. Use Bullets. Steve Levy What is it with the lines embracing each section? My mantra for resumes is to eliminate non-essential ink. Get rid on one of them, will ya? One horizontal line please, not two [Jason: hes referring to putting the skills at the top]. Another pet peeve – A section entitled â€Å"Professional Experience† or â€Å"Work Experience.† Whenever I see one of these, I always look for an â€Å"Amateur Experience† or â€Å"Play Experience† section. If you have a two page resume, include right justified at the top of the page, your name, a title representing who you are professionally, and â€Å"Page 2† – just in case someone manages to separate the pages. What to bold, italicize and underline: Generally speaking, the name of the company and major dates are in bold, the job title is underlined, and nothing is italicized. Don’t bold and underline – one or the other. Why no italics? Because some fonts lose their ability to stand out when italicized. Remember – clean and simple has the additional quality of being more easily â€Å"read† by an automated ATS. Part II The Resume Writers Alison Doyle If the blog, web site, writing are related to the type of jobs hes looking for, he may want to work them into the first experience section. Im wondering if there is a way to merge the company Y/Z listing to address the perspective (at first glance) that hes job hopping. [Jason: I know, that remark is kind of about content but the question is, how do you list x number of jobs effectively? Comes down to formatting + content] Barbara Safani, a repeat from yesterday but important with regard to formatting: Because there is no profile or summary on the resume, it’s hard for the audience to get a quick read on all this candidate has to offer. Most people look at the top third of the first page of the resume. Billie Sucher Think of a resume as having major parts / categories, if you will, and each part plays a role in helping you get noticed by the employer. When one part is missing, or not addressed, you are taking a big gamble that the reader will be interested in figuring you out on their time, their dime. They wont; they dont; they cant (for the most part) they simply dont have time to do so today. Here are the basic parts or categories I would suggest you use in reinventing yourself in your new resume†¦ Name / pertinent contact data Include your full middle name, not just an initial. (Think Google search) Insert specific street address, city, state, zip code (Think roots / commitment) remove ( ) from 555 Area Code On the line separating name/from Work Experience, make that line pop/look good. (Think: improved vs. average) Go to Clip Art Dividers Dec. finding something that looks great insert it! (or create your own) Focus (or Target) or Goal or Mission or Objective (choose word you like) Profile (or Qualifications Summary) Core Competencies / Key Skill Areas Professional Experience Rename group Work Experience / Work Experience Other into one section only titled Professional Experience. Then present your employer position(s), city, state, dates of employment. If one employer merged into another, present that as a single entry. Bullet this section to clean it up. Organize it for the reader. Education Present the highest level of education attained to date, including degree first (if you have one) university/college/school city/state/date of graduation/ completion. Major/minor achievements? Organizations / Affiliations / Military / Interests / Activities (all optional / supplemental text) Testimonial (Insert in body of resume where it has greatest WOW impact) / looks the best. Brad Attig providing career services to retail executives: Unless you are hiding from the mob or the FBI, put your address on the resume. It is a red flag for any recruiter; what do you have to hide? I assure you your resume will not be sent to any bill collectors. Others might suggest a functional resume but as a recruiter I don’t like them. I want to know what , where and when you did it. I feel functional resumes send up a lot of red flags. Either you are trying to disguise (hide) a lot of career changes or age or haven’t done much recently to put on your resume. Deb Dib Deb has an EXCELLENT post she put up yesterday called The Five Golden Rules of Resume Writing for 2007. From that post: Bear in mind that this may not be whats needed in 2008, and its not what was needed a few years ago! Resume styles change because the market changes, ways of receiving information change, ways or perceiving information change, and ways of sourcing change. Bonus Rule #4: Keep it SHORT. No one has time to read a wordy resume. And no one has time to read junk. Make every word count. And plan on spending many, many, many hours to do it. Liz Handlin Liz had a number of formatting changes in a document that she reworked, including: change some margins, added or deleted line breaks just general make it look better stuff a brief company description below each company name including ticker symbol (if relevant), website, size, number of employees and function. She says: You want to put some context around your experience. added Selected accomplishments include under each companys intro, and then has bullets to list these accomplishments with particular focus on anything that is quantifiable. deleted the References section added a MEDIA/AWARDS section added AFFILIATIONS section moved CONTACT INFORMATION section to the top. Louise Kursmark WHO ARE YOU? Needs introduction – who you are, what you do well, what kinds of problems you solve, where you might fit into my organization. Professional profile/personal brand information to â€Å"set the stage† for the rest of the resume. Key information (the SKILLS section) should be included as part of introduction. Jasons Thoughts In Susan Strayers book The Right Job, Right Now she talks about formatting from an HR perspective. Did you know that some companies have software that they run every resume through? This Applicant Tracking System allows HR to search, prioritize, log notes, etc. on hundreds or thousands or billions of resumes. And, according to what Ive heard from Susan and others, it either messes up your formatting or is confused by it. Dont try any cool formatting tricks that would mess up this system. Are there exceptions? Sure of course. Graphics artists and creative types usually opt for a portfolio. Or perhaps you e-mail one resume but bring another one in to the interview, part of your first impression thing. Thats one reason why I like Emurse.com once you create a resume you immediately have it available in different file formats (Word, PDF, HTML, TXT, etc) bloggers are even starting to put this on their blogs (see image to see Matthew Bookspans emurse-hosted resumes). Anyway, my bottom line for today: Dont let formatting be a distraction. Barbara Safani says: Hiring managers want to know how candidates help the companies they support make money, save money, save time, grow the business, or maintain the business. They want to see dollars, percentages, and numbers to qualify these accomplishments. Dont distract the resume reader from getting this information by funky, faulty or overly fancy formatting remember, you get less than 10 seconds to not mess it up. — The Resume Experiment Series Post I Introduction Post II First Impressions/Reactions Post III Formatting (todays post) Post IV Content (Thursday) Post V Wrap-Up (Friday) The Resume Experiment (3 of 5) â€" Formatting The Resume Formatting matters. Or does it? I dont know. Lets see what the experts say about formatting John Does resume Part I The Recruiters Carl Chapman This guy doesnt have enough meat to have a two pager not nearly enough. Most people (except very specific positions in specific industries) can get away with one page. (and following up on that one-page theme) what happens if the pages of your resume get separated? With a single page resume, that can’t happen. another plus is that you are forced to remove boring drab statements and replace them with powerful statements that are more likely to garner interest. (regarding the lack of address, which is a popular thing amongst my guest-experts) You are fooling no one by leaving off address information, put an address on your resume and avoid this unnecessary red flag. See an image of the new resume that Carl is suggesting his complete post is more comprehensive and a good reference from the desk of a recruiter. Daniel Sweet As an employer, if see a candidate who has so many revealed extra-curricular activities as you have listed, it says that I’m never going to have your full attention, focus, and effort directed to the work you’re doing for me. Use Bullets. Steve Levy What is it with the lines embracing each section? My mantra for resumes is to eliminate non-essential ink. Get rid on one of them, will ya? One horizontal line please, not two [Jason: hes referring to putting the skills at the top]. Another pet peeve – A section entitled â€Å"Professional Experience† or â€Å"Work Experience.† Whenever I see one of these, I always look for an â€Å"Amateur Experience† or â€Å"Play Experience† section. If you have a two page resume, include right justified at the top of the page, your name, a title representing who you are professionally, and â€Å"Page 2† – just in case someone manages to separate the pages. What to bold, italicize and underline: Generally speaking, the name of the company and major dates are in bold, the job title is underlined, and nothing is italicized. Don’t bold and underline – one or the other. Why no italics? Because some fonts lose their ability to stand out when italicized. Remember – clean and simple has the additional quality of being more easily â€Å"read† by an automated ATS. Part II The Resume Writers Alison Doyle If the blog, web site, writing are related to the type of jobs hes looking for, he may want to work them into the first experience section. Im wondering if there is a way to merge the company Y/Z listing to address the perspective (at first glance) that hes job hopping. [Jason: I know, that remark is kind of about content but the question is, how do you list x number of jobs effectively? Comes down to formatting + content] Barbara Safani, a repeat from yesterday but important with regard to formatting: Because there is no profile or summary on the resume, it’s hard for the audience to get a quick read on all this candidate has to offer. Most people look at the top third of the first page of the resume. Billie Sucher Think of a resume as having major parts / categories, if you will, and each part plays a role in helping you get noticed by the employer. When one part is missing, or not addressed, you are taking a big gamble that the reader will be interested in figuring you out on their time, their dime. They wont; they dont; they cant (for the most part) they simply dont have time to do so today. Here are the basic parts or categories I would suggest you use in reinventing yourself in your new resume†¦ Name / pertinent contact data Include your full middle name, not just an initial. (Think Google search) Insert specific street address, city, state, zip code (Think roots / commitment) remove ( ) from 555 Area Code On the line separating name/from Work Experience, make that line pop/look good. (Think: improved vs. average) Go to Clip Art Dividers Dec. finding something that looks great insert it! (or create your own) Focus (or Target) or Goal or Mission or Objective (choose word you like) Profile (or Qualifications Summary) Core Competencies / Key Skill Areas Professional Experience Rename group Work Experience / Work Experience Other into one section only titled Professional Experience. Then present your employer position(s), city, state, dates of employment. If one employer merged into another, present that as a single entry. Bullet this section to clean it up. Organize it for the reader. Education Present the highest level of education attained to date, including degree first (if you have one) university/college/school city/state/date of graduation/ completion. Major/minor achievements? Organizations / Affiliations / Military / Interests / Activities (all optional / supplemental text) Testimonial (Insert in body of resume where it has greatest WOW impact) / looks the best. Brad Attig providing career services to retail executives: Unless you are hiding from the mob or the FBI, put your address on the resume. It is a red flag for any recruiter; what do you have to hide? I assure you your resume will not be sent to any bill collectors. Others might suggest a functional resume but as a recruiter I don’t like them. I want to know what , where and when you did it. I feel functional resumes send up a lot of red flags. Either you are trying to disguise (hide) a lot of career changes or age or haven’t done much recently to put on your resume. Deb Dib Deb has an EXCELLENT post she put up yesterday called The Five Golden Rules of Resume Writing for 2007. From that post: Bear in mind that this may not be whats needed in 2008, and its not what was needed a few years ago! Resume styles change because the market changes, ways of receiving information change, ways or perceiving information change, and ways of sourcing change. Bonus Rule #4: Keep it SHORT. No one has time to read a wordy resume. And no one has time to read junk. Make every word count. And plan on spending many, many, many hours to do it. Liz Handlin Liz had a number of formatting changes in a document that she reworked, including: change some margins, added or deleted line breaks just general make it look better stuff a brief company description below each company name including ticker symbol (if relevant), website, size, number of employees and function. She says: You want to put some context around your experience. added Selected accomplishments include under each companys intro, and then has bullets to list these accomplishments with particular focus on anything that is quantifiable. deleted the References section added a MEDIA/AWARDS section added AFFILIATIONS section moved CONTACT INFORMATION section to the top. Louise Kursmark WHO ARE YOU? Needs introduction – who you are, what you do well, what kinds of problems you solve, where you might fit into my organization. Professional profile/personal brand information to â€Å"set the stage† for the rest of the resume. Key information (the SKILLS section) should be included as part of introduction. Jasons Thoughts In Susan Strayers book The Right Job, Right Now she talks about formatting from an HR perspective. Did you know that some companies have software that they run every resume through? This Applicant Tracking System allows HR to search, prioritize, log notes, etc. on hundreds or thousands or billions of resumes. And, according to what Ive heard from Susan and others, it either messes up your formatting or is confused by it. Dont try any cool formatting tricks that would mess up this system. Are there exceptions? Sure of course. Graphics artists and creative types usually opt for a portfolio. Or perhaps you e-mail one resume but bring another one in to the interview, part of your first impression thing. Thats one reason why I like Emurse.com once you create a resume you immediately have it available in different file formats (Word, PDF, HTML, TXT, etc) bloggers are even starting to put this on their blogs (see image to see Matthew Bookspans emurse-hosted resumes). Anyway, my bottom line for today: Dont let formatting be a distraction. Barbara Safani says: Hiring managers want to know how candidates help the companies they support make money, save money, save time, grow the business, or maintain the business. They want to see dollars, percentages, and numbers to qualify these accomplishments. Dont distract the resume reader from getting this information by funky, faulty or overly fancy formatting remember, you get less than 10 seconds to not mess it up. — The Resume Experiment Series Post I Introduction Post II First Impressions/Reactions Post III Formatting (todays post) Post IV Content (Thursday) Post V Wrap-Up (Friday)

Win Friends and Influence People with your Smile

Win Friends and Influence People with your Smile There’s something about a smile, it transfers to others in an infectious way, and some say it is a window into a person’s soul. The global trend for healthy bodies seems to be here to stay, with cycling and other active pursuits becoming a part of everyone’s life. While doing one’s best to look and feel good, there are certain attributes that an exercise program won’t cure, and the teeth fall firmly into this category. Self-conscious A person who has a missing or broken tooth will be very aware of the fact, probably more so than the observer, and this awareness becomes acute when in social company. One cannot relax and smile as one would like, armed with the perception of how bad it looks, and so the occasion becomes a bit of an ordeal. The heavy psychological effect that bad teeth can have on a person is subtle, and the constant stream of media ads that show beautiful people with Hollywood smiles doesn’t help, and the more one sees gleaming white teeth, the more self-conscious one becomes. Bad teeth are often the cause of a person’s lack of confidence, and the good news is, this need not be the case! Dental implants Dental implants are similar to real teeth in as much as they are rooted into the jawbone, and are usually self-tapping. The implants are made from titanium, which is not only strong, it bonds well with human bone and tissue, and promotes osseointegration, which is the process of a substance, such as ceramic or titanium, fusing with human bone. Solid foundation Because implants are rooted to the jawbone, the prosthetic teeth that are fixed onto the implants, do not slip or move in any way, which cannot be said for regular dentures. This solid anchoring enables one to speak confidently, as there is nothing as embarrassing as when someone’s dentures drop down in mid conversation! The very thought of it holds people back, and they cannot be themselves when in the company of others. The perfect solution Whether an individual has a broken or missing tooth, or needs a full-mouth implant, modern dentistry provides a permanent solution, at an affordable price. One of the biggest myths surrounding dental implants is that they cost the earth, in fact, implant surgery is affordable, and with payment plans, it can be integrated into the budget. If a person were looking for dental implants in Perth, Accent Dental specialise in the latest implant technology, and providing the patient has good jaw-bone structure and healthy gums, implants can be fitted. That winning smile Many people have turned back the clock by opting for implants, and disposing of their regular dentures, which were never really perfect, and required high maintenance. Feeling confident is vital, if one is to reach one’s full potential, so if the teeth have always been an issue, now is the time to put that right, and implant technology is the ideal permanent solution that gives a person that winning smile. Image Source, Image Source; Image Source

My Career Journey The Start of Classy Career Girl

My Career Journey The Start of Classy Career Girl I never knew exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up. For awhile, I wanted to be  a stockbroker like my dad and then I wanted to be a flight attendant so that I could travel around the world.    Then, I fell in love with the show ER and wanted to be a Doctor until I realized I had to cover my eyes every time a scene with blood came on.  When I graduated from high school, I thought I knew what I was good at but I had no clear direction on what  career I wanted to pursue. My mom told me to say that I wanted to be an accounting major  on my college applications because it would help me get init must have worked because I got into the colleges I wanted to attend (Thanks, mom)  but I quickly changed to an undeclared major! Choosing a Major My  second  year of college I had an Economics teacher who after taking his class and getting an A (everyone else failed miserably) he said to me, What are you doing still an undeclared major, you should be a business major!   I said OK and there begins classy career girls  start up the corporate ladder. I always wish I had a more clear drive and vision of what I wanted to be when I grew up. I realized that I  just needed to  sample a few different industries and careers to find out what I was passionate about. I dabbled in a bunch of internships through college and luckily a door opened for me after graduation in consulting. After working a few years after college, I finally  discovered my passion for  teaching others to succeed. This is why I enjoy consulting and helping my clients. Some people probably wouldnt be able to handle  that  their client gets all the credit for their work, but I dont care.   I know that I am a good teacher, trainer, and facilitator  and it makes me happy to know that I can provide my clients with the tools to run  their organization more effectively. Ready to Build a Career You Love? Join Our  Love Your Career Formula 2.0! I love being two steps ahead and telling my clients what may happen in the future.   I love that my thoughts and opinions are valued and that my clients would find it difficult to do their jobs  without me. Now, dont get me wrong.   Not all clients are wonderful in the consulting industry.   I have had my share of difficult clients but what I have come to realize is that the difficult  clients make you a better consultant, leader, and person.   I wouldnt be who I am today without the difficult client experiences. So why am I sharing this? The reason that I am sharing this is because I think many young people think everyone else knows what they want to be when they grow up. I want to tell you that no, not everyone  has it figured out and it is OK to not know exactly what you want to be when you grow up. Try new things and learn about as many different careers as possible.   Try internships, take personality tests  and find a mentor to help  you find  the best career for you.   If you dont do your research, you wont know what you are good at and what you enjoy doing for eight hours every day. Trust me, you dont want to do something you hate for 40 hours a week! Do you know what career you are passionate about?  

Top 11 Restaurant Interview Questions and Answers - Career Sidekick

Top 11 Restaurant Interview Questions and Answers - Career Sidekick Top 11 Restaurant Interview Questions and Answers Interview Questions and Answers / https://www.edenscott.com/blog If youre looking for common restaurant interview questions to practice, youre in the right placeRestaurant jobs are competitive and difficult to land And there are some tough questions youll be asked in restaurant interviews that you need to be ready for.So in this article, Im going to walk you through:The top 11 restaurant interview questions and answers for servers, managers, and moreQuestions to ask them in the interviewMistakes to avoidAdditional preparation steps to give you an unfair advantage!(And this all comes from direct experience. Not only have I worked as a Recruiter for years, but before that, I worked as a server in a restaurant. And I got hired without ANY prior experience because of the interview answers I gave).Top 11 Restaurant Job Interview Questions1. Do you have any previous restaurant experience?Before I was a recruiter, I got hired as a server as a summer job without ANY prior experience. So it is possible to land a job at a res taurant without past experience.You need to answer this question the right way, though. I got hired with a group of four other people, but I was the only one who was hired as a waiter immediately (instead of having clear tables or carry food from the kitchen to the tables).And I was the ONE candidate from our group to get hired as a server because of how I answered this interview question.If youve never worked in a restaurant, dont lie. The key is to admit that you dont have the exact thing theyre asking for, but then talk about whatever you HAVE done thats most similar.Heres a sample answer showing how to respond (based on the response that got me my first restaurant job):No, I havent worked in a restaurant before, but Ive been working in Customer Service at Whole Foods for two years and was promoted from cashier to supervisor because of my excellent customer service skills. So Im very comfortable interacting with customers and working in a fast-paced environment where you need to work quickly and without mistakes.Just point out whatever youve done thats most relevant. What strengths have you learned elsewhere that you can bring to the role? Its not always easy to find something, but do your best.Never just say, No and stop. Thats not going to help you get the job as a candidate without experience.And of course, if you do have previous industry experience, then just point that out!For example, you could say: Yes, I do. In fact, in my last job, I did ___ and ___, so Im confident I can step into your position and succeed immediately here, too.This is also one of the most common restaurant manager interview questions, so make sure you brush up on your prior experience and be ready to describe everything youve done in the industry up to this point if youre interviewing for a restaurant manager or supervisor role!2. Why do you want to work in the restaurant industry?If you havent ever worked in a restaurant before, the hiring manager is going to ask why you want t his type of position and why you chose to apply. So be ready to answer, and dont just say you heard you can earn a lot of money try to come up with another reason, too.Example answer:I enjoy interacting with people, and Ive enjoyed coming to this restaurant with my family while growing up, so I thought itd be a great part-time job to support myself while Im studying at college. I also believe it will help me build valuable skills that will transfer into future jobs.And if youve already held restaurant jobs and are applying for yet another, be prepared to talk about why you enjoy this type of work and why youre interested in staying in this industry.3. Tell me about a time you had to work under a lot of pressure. How did you handle it?Whether youre interacting with guests as a part of your job, or working in the back of house as a chef, etc., youre going to be under deadlines and schedules.The restaurant business always involves some stress, from entry level employees up to senior m anagement, so be ready for a few interview questions about how you handle it, whether youre okay with it, etc.Try to prepare a specific example of a time you worked through pressure and got a great result in a previous job. That way, youll be ready for this type of question.4. Do you prefer to work alone or as part of a team?Most restaurant jobs involve teamwork, so Id recommend saying that youre a good team player and that you enjoy teamwork when answering this question. Thats what they want in their employees.Its also possible to give a response that demonstrates youre comfortable working in either type of environment alone or as part of a group. So thats another good option. Heres how that would soundExample answer:I love working as part of a team, but Im also comfortable working alone without close supervision. In my last job, I worked on a team of 15 customer service staff. We had to cooperate and coordinate closely, but at times, I was also on my own and had to be self-relian t.5. How did you hear about this position?Be straight-forward and direct when explaining how you heard about the job opening. 99% of the time, honesty is the best policy here.Its perfectly fine to say you found out about the job online, on their website, from a friend or family member, from a coworker at your previous job, etc.6. Have you eaten at our restaurant before?Id recommend telling the truth with this question, too. Dont feel pressure to lie and say, yes if you havent eaten there before! Lies lead to more lies, and theyll likely ask follow-up questions like, Whats your favorite dish?Never having eaten in the restaurant wont always cost you the job, but getting caught lying will! One of the best tips I can give is: Avoid lying if you can possibly do so. This will help you stay confident and anxiety-free.If youre concerned about the fact youve never eaten in the restaurant and want to be able to say you have, just go have lunch a few days before your interview! Order something and try the food. That way, youll have something to talk about if the hiring manager asks this in the interview.7. Tell me about a time you had to deal with an angry customer or client. How did you resolve the issue?In any customer service job interview (including restaurant job interviews), theyre going to want to make sure youre comfortable dealing with an angry customer.And even if youve never held this type of job before, they might ask, howwould you deal with an angry customer?In your answer, you should explain that you always seek to show the customer you understand their frustration, and then you take action to resolve their issue. You never blame the customer (even if they really are wrong, or just unreasonable), and you never want to argue and make the situation worse.If you take this approach in your interview, youll be more likely to get hired for restaurant jobs and other food/service positions.8. What are your career goals?This is another question where I recommend bei ng honest. Restaurants hire all sorts of candidates from full-time professionals in the industry to students and other part-time workers.Be honest when answering what are your career your career goals? and let the management team figure out the best role to fit into your goals and scheduling needs.If you do have a goal beyond working in a restaurant, try to talk about how this job will interest you and help you build valuable skills. That way, theyll know youre going to be motivated and work hard.For example, you could say:Im just beginning college, and Im going to be studying Business and Marketing. My long-term goal is to get a job in a marketing agency. This job interested me because it will help me build related skills like customer service, communication, and the ability to work well in a fast-paced environment. Those are all things I want to learn more and become great at.This type of interview answer shows that youll be a good worker and stay motivated, even if working in a restaurant isnt your long-term goal. Thats extremely important to show as a candidate.9. Tell me about a conflict youve had at work and how you handled it?Along with making sure you can stay calm when serving angry customers/guests, the hiring manager will want to make sure that the candidate they hire can work well as part of the internal team.Try to show that you try to stay calm in a disagreement with coworkers, and always try to understand their perspective and de-escalate the situation instead of making it worse. Show that you dont have an ego and arent concerned with being right, but rather that you have a team-first approach and just want the restaurant or business to do well.10. What questions do you have for us?Always prepare a few questions for the interview that you plan on asking, too. Companies like to hire candidates who come prepared with thoughtful questions about the job and organization.You can ask about what the training will look like what the first month on the job typically looks like the biggest challenges new people face how your performance will be measured, and more.If you want more questions to ask in an interview, this list has 105 good questions.11. How much are you looking to earn?Finally, they may ask about your desired salary. In a first interview, you dont know very much about the job or whats required of you, so Id recommend not giving a direct answer or exact number for your salary expectations.Instead, tell them that youre focused on learning about the job and seeing if its a good fit, and that once youve done that, youre happy to consider any offer they feel is fair.Finish by explaining that you really dont have a specific salary in mind yet.Then re-focus the conversation back on the position. Ask if you can continue discussing the role to see if its a good fit.Adjust Your Interview Preparation for Back of House vs. Front of HouseWe looked at the most common restaurant interview questions above, but theres more you should d o to prepare based on the specific position youve applied forTry to think about which type of role youre interviewing for and customize your preparation for that.For example, if youll be working as a server, you might hear more restaurant interview questions like, What does good customer service mean to you? or What do you think is most important to ensure guests have a good experience here?However, if youre interviewing for a back of house position, youre not going to hear questions like that.Instead, youll be asked more restaurant interview questions about how you work as part of a team and how you get along with coworkers. Or they may ask more questions designed to find out whether youre reliable, whether youll be motivated to do the job, etc. (for example, What would your last boss say about you?, Why do you want this job?etc.).So just keep that in mind as you prepare!And FYI If you havent worked in a restaurant before, front of house means youre interacting with customers your e the host at the front door, youre a waiter, etc. And back of house means non-customer-facing positions like chef, cook, etc.Manager Candidates Should Expect Further Management-Related QuestionsIf youre already in the industry and interviewing for a higher-level position, you can expect many questions about leadership and management, too. For example, restaurant manager interview questions will also include the following:How would you describe your leadership style?Why do you feel youre ready to lead people? (the company will ask this if this is going to be your first restaurant manager job)How would you handle an employee who wasnt performing well at work?What do you feel are the most important priorities and goals of a restaurant manager?So study the common restaurant interview questions from the top section of this article, but also prepare further based on the specific level and type of role youre interviewing for. That will get you the best results and the most job offers from your restaurant job interviews.

The Biggest Mistake Twitter Newbies Make - Executive Career Brandâ„¢

The Biggest Mistake Twitter Newbies Make Youre skeptical, but youve heard that Twitter can help you with executive job search, so you decide to take the plunge and set up an account, even though you have no idea what to do with Twitter. Youve selected @yourname, or a variation, for your username and popped in your email address. Then you moved on to the Profile page. You inserted your location and put in your profile URL for Web, because you dont have a personal website. And you added the same photo you use on . You cant figure out what to put for your Bio, so you skip over that. You decided youll slowly feel your way around first, then come back to it, once youve got a handle on how to use Twitter. Thats your biggest mistake as a newbie. One of the first things youll be doing with your Twitter account is finding and following the right people . . . people you can learn from . . . people  you can  network with . . . people you can help . . . people who can help you achieve your career goals, or connect you to those who can help you. These are people you want to stay top of mind with. You want these people to follow you back and watch your tweets. Think about this. Unless these people you follow automatically follow back everyone, theyll probably take a look at your profile before deciding whether or not to follow you back. I know I do. Im selective about who I follow. When I look at the profiles of new people who have followed me, too often all I see is a nice photo (or sometimes no photo at all), their name, and maybe their location. Since theyre newbies, they havent tweeted at all, or only a few times. And theyve skipped over the bio. How can I determine who they are and what theyre about with so little information? They’re not generating interest. Theyre not giving me a reason to follow them. With a branded keyword-rich Twitter bio â€" even one that fits into  only 160 characters â€" I can get a feel for whether theyre someone I want to follow. If you havent worked on branding yet, at least get your job title and most important relevant keywords into your bio. You can go back later and get some of your brand messaging in it. And you can change your bio at any time. In fact, its probably not a bad idea to tweak it from time to time. Increase your credibility and follow-ability by taking a few moments to write your Twitter bio. Related posts: Twitter Turbocharges Executive Job Search and Personal Brand Visibility How Twitter Helped Me Build My Personal Brand Twitter Executive Branding Strategy: The Beauty of a Retweet 55 Top Job Search Experts To Follow On Twitter photo by josh semans 00 0

OAIs Why Old Age Internships Are Becoming More Common - CareerEnlightenment.com

OAIs Why Old Age Internships Are Becoming More Common It’s official: internships for the over-50s are a thing. From Barclays to Anne Hathaway, employers are increasingly hiring people of a more mature description for first-rung positions. So what’s the logic? And should we really be encouraging OAPs to apply for entry-level work?Well, maybe.In this modern world, it’s clear that the current working generation will have to work harder, longer and later in life than their forebears. A third of Americans admit they have no retirement savings. Couple this with the fact that Social Security is designed to cover only 40% of pre-retirement earnings, and it seems obvious that many will be desk-bound well into their 70s. That makes for a fifty-year career â€" plenty enough time to change track somewhere in the middle.Here’s why more and more of the over-50s are taking their career back to basics.Rewind!Finding the right job for you isn’t an easy task. Last year, the International Labour Organization revealed figures showing that 13-38% of UK workers are overeducated for their jobs and 17% undereducated. Throw in all the urban office slaves trooping through their daily grind â€" or, worst of all, living purely for the weekend â€" and it makes for grim reading. Finding a job you truly love can be a challenge indeed.For those hitting the big milestones in life and unhappy with how their careers have panned out, a senior internship can be just the rebrand they’re looking for.  Taking an entry-level position in an industry you’re passionate about can be the first step along the road to a healthier work-life balance, or simply doing a job you love. After, it’s never too late to try things out or find a new niche.Your story is your strengthWhen Paul Critchlow, former Head of Communications at Merrill Lynch, decided to take an internship at Pfizer aged 70, the ensuing events exceeded even his expectations. Working for $18.25 an hour, he not only blended in well with his fellow 20-somethings but offered them someth ing even more valuable: his story.Paul’s career ranged from managing nuclear incidents to witnessing first-hand the events of 9/11. He knew how to handle a crisis and his talks on the subject helped advance the education of his younger peers. He hotwired the junior workforce and found meaning for himself in his summer of employment there.Senior interns and apprentices have the benefit of a long history and career behind them. Far from holding them back, leveraging this advantage could be the key to finding prominence in a new career. Want to Read More Articles Like This One?Sign up here to receive weekly updates from Career Enlightenment, and never miss another powerful job searching tip! SUBSCRIBE! You have Successfully Subscribed!We hate spam too. Unsubscribe any time. You have a network to workOlder interns could also benefit from a lifetime’s network of successful working individuals. When 52-year-old Rosanna took an entry-level role at online content site High50 â€" a c lassic ‘returnship’ â€" it was her little black book that got the company excited.By leveraging her contacts, Rosanna was able to produce a top-notch series of video interviews for the site. She comments: “It’s beneficial to be able to use any knowledge that I have and the contacts that I have made over the last 30 years. I have used these to interview entrepreneurs and to build a series of films for High50.”It looks goodGoing back to the drawing board may not feel like the most forward-thinking move. However, taking things back a step may actually look better on your CV than forging onward.Midlife internships show potential employers that you are open-minded, self-improving and willing to go back to the drawing board. If it’s a career change you’re hoping to accomplish, it’s also a chance to prove yourself. After all, the shift from financial analysis to editorial isn’t the most obvious; getting a little bit of experience, however basic, will help prove you’re s erious about the move.It feels goodTo many, the idea of retirement â€" endless free time, zero responsibilities â€" sounds like heaven. But the human condition drives us to want to feel not only valuable but useful. It’s not in most people’s nature to sit back and let the world pass them by, when they can actively participate in it.As a result of this phenomenon, more and more retirees are launching back into work as a means of feeling good. Employment offers a clear direction and learning curve for those who might lack it otherwise. Basically, an internship might be the best way to preserve those grey cells into old age, and maintain lasting happiness as a result.And that’s not the only benefit. Operating in a communal workplace, particularly in an internship or apprenticeship program, is usually an intergenerational activity. Interaction with a diverse range of people including the young can not only expand a potential pensioner’s social circle but enrich it â€" a sure rou te to a happy old age.

Help on Resume Writing Tips

Help on Resume Writing TipsTo have a successful resume you should have a good idea of what kinds of resumes other people may be submitting and if they are actually good for you. There are many tips you can take advantage of when it comes to resume writing to have success.When it comes to choosing what format is best for you, you will want to have a good idea of how well the resume is written. Writing a good resume can be fun and may even be a little challenging at times. The challenge lies in finding information that is pertinent to your current position and location.There are many types of resumes, including non-profit, religious, corporate, non-profit, government, and more. These different types of resumes give different ideas to what you need to include on the page and what information needs to be removed. It is important to understand what type of resume will be used in the future.If you are having trouble in understanding the format of the resume, you should try to write the res ume in a manner that is easy to read. You can do this by going through the resume writing software and then seeing which ones are written in a manner that allows you to quickly scan through the document. Having a program that can help you see what is relevant and then see what has been omitted can make a big difference in how well your resume is prepared.One of the first things that you should do when it comes to the resume you submit is to know your strengths and weaknesses. Once you have decided on these, it is time to decide on the key areas that you want to highlight on the resume. You should make sure that you stay focused on one area at a time as this will help to give you the freedom to leave out any information that does not help you in your current position.Another tip to help you on resume writing is to remember that you can use a variety of different methods to help you remember important details that are important to you. For example, some people will put their title in the middle of the page where they want to be remembered, while others will utilize a bracketed paragraph with the title of the paragraph in the center and a few bullets under the title.This is a good tip when you are trying to remember the content of the page. Once you have used one of these techniques, try another method to remember the content. Remember, you can always have more information for future reference.