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Resume Tips

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Content from Dawn Quesnel

We know the job market is tough right now, and that a faulty resumé can hinder your job search before you’re able to get your foot in the door. We reached out to Dawn Quesnel, CPCC, PCC, better known as Coach DQ, to share some of her top tips for building a dynamic resumé that will keep you in the running.

DO think Results.When writing your resume, think about results you’ve achieved for your employer. What are your quantifiable accomplishments? Think in terms of achievements like:

  • Increased sales
  • Reduced expenses
  • Secured valuable exposure
  • Helped expand into new markets
  • Created systems to improve efficiencies

Quantifiable accomplishments show the exact impact of your previous work.

DO specify. Saying “significantly decreased customer wait time” has less impact than “decreased customer wait time from 15 minutes to 30 seconds.”

DO use action-oriented words. Make yourself sound proactive with terms like accelerated, chaired, changed, channeled, charted, debugged, decentralized, decreased.

DO go with a summary or profile instead of an objective. The goal of this section is to develop a hard-hitting introductory declaration packed with your most sought-after skills, abilities, accomplishments and attributes.

DO write your resume after you have identified your ideal job. Start by searching jobs for your ideal position. Compare the ads and write a list of common job requirements and preferred qualifications. The more closely you can target your profile to the employer’s needs, the better your results will be.

DO have a hobbies or special interests section (but keep it short). Do you run marathons a few times a year? Are you into mountain climbing, building or restoring your own cars, or inventing gadgets and doodads? Certain activities are quite challenging — physically, psychologically and emotionally — and can show that you’re self-motivated, goal-oriented, persistent and unafraid of facing difficult circumstances. If your hobby or interest falls into this category, including it couldn’t hurt and could peak interest.

DO use spell check, but DON’T rely on it. Using “their” when you should use “they’re” is just as bad as an outright typo. Have at least one other person proofread your resume for mistakes.

DON’T use “I”. A resumé is a source of professional details and facts. Cut the pronouns, passive and unnecessary words and get straight to the point.

DON’T put the years in your summary. Some disagree with me on this, but I advise you to leave out phrases like “15 years experience” – if your resume is accurate it will speak for itself.

DON’T get stuck on your job titles or descriptions. You’ve likely had many more duties and the skills required to do them than indicated in industry-standard job titles and descriptions. Accept this and let the content, not the title do the talking.

DON’T exaggerate.

DON’T overlook non-work experiences. Your time organizing a charity fund-raiser, presiding over a cultural organization or participating in groups not only looks good on resumes, but also gives you legitimate professional experience with value.

DO keep your resume updated – you never know when you might need it.

Dawn Quesnel, CPCC, PCC, aka, Coach DQ is bold, innovative, passionate, fun, and stands out from the crowd! Her motto is: “Life is too short! Do what you love!” Her work has been recognized by industry leaders including being named by the International Coach Federation New England “Career Coach of the Year” in June 2011. Certified as both a career, and a life coach, her company Career Life Balance, specializes in working with top performers through job and career changes, help them to better negotiate raises, and promotions to accelerate their career so they can love their life with a little more balance.

To find out more about DQ’s Coaching Programs and Services, please visit us online at http://www.CoachDQ.com<http://www.coachdq.com/> or http://www.CareerLifeBalance.net<http://www.careerlifebalance.net/>

Continuing Education Resources for Veterans

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Repost from: http://www.accreditedonlinecolleges.org/resources/veteran-continuing-ed/

Active soldiers and veterans are important members of American society: soldiers because they fight to keep the American people safe, and veterans because, additionally, they bring their past experiences and wisdom back to society–which can help catalyze better decisions surrounding war and protection in the future. In 1944, when the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act (the G.I. Bill) was created, it was meant to provide benefits to World War II veterans that could help them acclimate back into life outside of fighting. Since then, the bill has grown to focus very heavily on providing subsidies and scholarships for the education and career-based training of America’s veterans. However, the G.I. Bill system has been wrought by technological instability, as well as an overwhelming influx of returning veterans seeking its benefits, resulting in late reimbursement. If you are pursuing financial assistance for higher education as a veteran from the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, there are some important things you need to be aware of as you navigate the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

What Kinds of Education Will the Post-9/11 GI Bill Pay For?

As you look for an educational program that best fits your interests and skills, it is very important to keep in mind that there are many academic programs the Post-9/11 GI Bill will not fund for you. The types of programs that the bill supports include:

  • Institutions of Higher Learning – If you are interested in pursuing a bachelor’s degree from a private or public college, or a graduate degree, the Post-9/11 GI Bill will fund up to a specific amount depending on your institutional choice. The maximum reimbursement for in-state students attending public universities is full tuition and associated fees (likes books and room and board). If you pursue education at a private or foreign university, the VA will fund up to $18,077.50 per academic year (as of 2011). This maximum for private universities fluctuates if you are in certain states, like Arizona, New York, or Texas. The money is paid directly to the university you attend; your stipend for books and other living expenses is sent directly to you.

  • Non-College Degree Programs – If you are interested in vocational training that does not require university attendance, such as becoming a barber, EMT, or acquiring HVAC certification, the VA will provide funding. The Post-9/11 GI Bill will pay up to $18,077.50 during the academic year. You may also be eligible for housing allowances, book stipends, and a “rural benefit” for those who live far away from a training institution.

  • On-The-Job and Apprenticeship Training – If you are interesting in learning a trade hands-on by shadowing a professional and training while you work, the VA will fund some of your expenses. Example training areas include firefighting, hotel administration, and plumbing. The VA provides a comprehensive list of employers, by state, that participate in this program.

  • Flight Training – If you are interested in becoming a flight engineer, or receiving things like rotary wing or B747-400 qualification, the Post-9/11 GI Bill may help pay for your education depending on which type of flight training you are enrolled in. If you are taking flight training at an institution of higher learning, you are eligible to receive up to $18,077.50 if it is a private institution, or the full cost of tuition if it is a public school in your state of residence. If you are enrolled in vocational flight training, you will be reimbursed for whichever costs less: the cost of full training, or the current yearly limit of $10,333 beginning the day you start training. The VA does not pay for your books or housing if you are enrolled in a vocational program. You can find out if your institution of choice participates in this program here.

  • Independent, Distance Learning, and Internet-based Training – If you are interested in taking online courses or engaging in other independent learning, the Post-9/11 GI Bill will compensate you for the cost of those classes. Since these classes are traditionally offered by institutions of higher learning, the VA will fund you at similar rates that it would if you took on-campus classes. However, you will not receive a housing allowance unless you are enrolled in at least one classroom-based, on-campus course with your institution of choice.

  • Correspondence Training – If you are interested in taking learning modules that are completed through paper-based mail, the Post-9/11 GI Bill will fund whichever costs less: the cost of in-state tuition and fees, or $8,500.

  • National Standardized Testing Programs – If you are interested in taking national exams for academic admissions purposes, such as the SAT, LSAT, GRE, GMAT, AC, or MCAT (for a complete list, go here), the VA will reimburse you for registration fees, fees for the test itself, and any administrative fees. It will not reimburse you for things like pre-tests or other outside training not directly needed to actually take the exam.

  • Licensing and Certification – If you are interested in taking examinations that will allow you to acquire professional certification, the VA will provide certification for the tests (but only the tests, not for anything else).

  • Entrepreneurship Training – If you are interested in starting your own business, the VA will pay for programs that are affiliated with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC).

  • Work-Study Programs – If you are interested in working and earning a wage while you study, you can apply for a work-study program funded partially by the VA. The VA will work with a participating employer (which can sometimes be an academic institution) to reimburse you in the form of a paycheck, based on the hours you work. You cannot work more than 25 times the number of total weeks you are enrolled in an educational program. The VA provides examples of acceptable work on its website.

Are There Any Problems With the Post-9/11 GI Bill?

Due to a large volume of veterans returning home from places like Iraq and Afghanistan, there has a been a surge in applications for Post-9/11 GI Bill funding. In the spring of 2012 there were over 400,000 veterans who enrolled in classes funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs, which caused a monetary crisis for the department (and for the students it funded at the time). Colleges across the country have consistently reported chronically late payments from the VA, whether associated with work-study programs or housing subsidies, and when surveyed, many students between 2011 and 2012 mentioned that the VA often failed to respond to their emails and phone calls seeking late money owed to them.

It is clear that the department’s technological infrastructure and monetary payouts are significantly affected by the quantity of veterans returning home and applying for assistance. In the last two months of 2011 more than 40,000 veterans returned from Iraq alone, and 2013 is expected to see a rise both in individuals returning and in applications for GI Bill funding. The Department of Veterans Affairs claims that they have no systemic issues with payouts, but the last two years have been riddled with late payment cases nevertheless. Several universities across the United States have created “emergency scholarship funds” for veteran students who, for example, are unable to afford rent or books because of late payments from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

If you plan to apply for assistance from the Post-9/11 GI Bill for continuing your education, make sure you consider your financial calendar. Do you have money saved already, or will you be relying solely on the money from the VA to fund your rent and books? If so, you may want to have your own emergency fund set aside in case reimbursement payments are ever late. Anticipating these types of issues ahead of time can save you a lot of headache and hassle later on.


Why Should I Attend an Accredited College?

Currently in America there is a shortage of jobs for veterans prompted by both economic recession and a lack of qualification among returning soldiers. If you are a veteran seeking education as a means of improving your chances for employment, it is strongly recommended that you attend an institution or obtain certification that has some type of accreditation. Accreditation ensures that your education’s quality is backed by a professionally-recognized agency, which will help you remain competitive among an employee pool that is filled with people who have bachelors’ degrees. Both accredited online colleges and campus-based institutions exist today, and many exemplary veterans have found creative ways to get advanced degrees under the current unusual economic circumstances.

Since not every academic institution or certification program in the U.S. is accredited, the VA will only providing funding for students who attend schools that meet a specific set of criteria. A database of each of these schools, by state, can be found on the VA’s website. If the school you wish to attend is not on this list, you should contact the Post-9/11 GI Bill commission directly to determine if there are compromises that can be made.

US Veterans Pay Heavily for War

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By  Chris Adams

WASHINGTON – Ten years after the United States went to war in Iraq, one of the most common numbers associated with the conflict is the tally of Americans killed: nearly 4,500. Add in the twin war in Afghanistan, and the tally goes to more than 6,600. * The Iraq toll includes 199 Ohioans, while 76 Ohioans have died so far in Afghanistan. * But for the men and women who served in America’s war on terror, the number of people affected is far larger. And for many of those people, the impact of the war will last a lifetime.

“I give presentations all over the country, and audiences are routinely shocked and surprised at the numbers,” said Paul Sullivan, a former senior analyst at the Department of Veterans Affairs who handles veterans outreach for Bergmann & Moore, a Washington-area law firm that specializes in disability issues. “Quite often, they will challenge me.”

Since the U.S. went to war in Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003, about 2.5 million members of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard and related Reserve and National Guard units have been deployed in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, according to Department of Defense data. Of those, more than a third were deployed more than once.
In fact, as of last year, nearly 37,000 Americans had been deployed more than five times, among them 10,000 members of guard or reserve units. Records also show that 400,000 service members have done three or more deployments.

“When I say 2.5 million people have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, jaws drop,” said Paul Rieckhoff, the chief executive officer of the advocacy group Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. “I know which lines are going to get gasps, and that’s one of them. I don’t think they appreciate how many people have served, and particularly the number who have had repeated deployments. “You’ve had an unprecedented demand on a small population. The general public has been incredibly isolated from those who served.”

For those who did serve, the effects of the war could linger a lifetime, according to a review of VA documents.

Already, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have produced more disability claims per veteran than other wars on the books, including Vietnam, Korea and World War II. While Vietnam extracted a far higher death toll – 58,000 died in that war – the total number of documented disabilities suffered by recent veterans is approaching that of the earlier conflict, according to VA documents.

As of last September, more than 1.6 million military members who’d been deployed in what’s classified as the global war on terror – in Iraq and Afghanistan, primarily – had transitioned to veteran status, VA records show. Of those, about 1 million were from active-duty service and about 675,000 from reserve or guard deployments.

And of those, about 670,000 veterans have been awarded disability status connected to their military service. Another 100,000 have their initial claims pending, according to a November VA analysis.

Those numbers are constantly climbing – and might continue to rise for decades.
According to Linda Bilmes, a Harvard University professor who’s written extensively on the long-term costs of the wars, the ultimate bill for war costs comes due many decades later. As veterans age, their health deter-iorates and their disabilities – which might have been manageable early in life – worsen.

In a paper released on Thursday, Bilmes notes that the peak year for paying disability compensation to World War I veterans was 1969; the largest expenditures for World War II veterans were in the 1980s.

Today’s veterans are far more likely to put in for benefits than their fathers’ and grandfathers’ generations were. Beyond that, far more soldiers in this all-volunteer military have been back for multiple tours, and the long-term impact on hearing and from traumatic brain injuries caused by improvised bombs will be felt for years.

The VA’s disability benefits are awarded to veterans who suffer physical or mental injuries during their military service. They range from $129 a month to $2,816 a month. Separate from the disability payments, veterans have access to the VA’s health system, and so far more than 860,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have taken advantage of it.
Among the most pressing – and potentially costly – disabilities is post-traumatic stress disorder, which can have a dramatic impact on a veteran’s life. As of last year, the VA’s

health system had seen more than 270,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans for potential PTSD, and the agency’s disability system had awarded PTSD benefits to more than 150,000 of them, according to VA reports.

In her paper, Bilmes says the cost of providing Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with disability and medical care and related services will approach $1 trillion; it might top that if the number and complexity of claims continue to grow.

Resumes

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We continue to Part Two of four in our newsletter series.  In Part One, we identified how to fine tune the type of work you are targeting and formulate the right approach towards your job search.  Part Two will focus on one of the tools in selling yourself; the resume.  I hope you will continue to keep Pearl Interactive Network, Inc. in mind as a referral source for your candidates search for home based and client site employment.  If you have candidates that may be a fit for us, please point them to:  http://pearlinteractivenetworkinc.appone.com/.

3 Types of Resumes – The type of resume you choose will be dictated by your level of experience.

The Chronological Resume – this resume gives a candidate’s chronological job history. This format may work best for people who have had an extensive employment history.

The Skills Resume – this format lists skills an employer is looking for.  This is an ideal format for someone without a lot of work experience.

The Chrono-Skills Resume – the Chrono-Skills Resume format combines the best of both worlds.

If you possess Military experience, military training is an invaluable asset to the civilian market place.  There are websites that will assist you with translating your military skills into a resume attractive to civilian employers.  The following are sites that assist you with transforming your military resume to a civilian work place.

VA for VETS Military Skills Translator – this military skills translator translates your military skills, experience, and helps to explore career options.

Mil2FedJobs Federal Jobs Crosswalk – this site translates military occupations to federal jobs.

Department of Labor (DOL) Military to Civilian Occupation Translator – this site matches military skills and experience to civilian occupations.

Resume Tips
When creating your resume be concrete and use numbers as proof of what you’ve done.  For example: “Increased sales by 35 percent.“ The more you can quantify your efforts with actual numbers the better.  Cover letters are back so tailor your cover letter to address why you want the specific job at that specific company and why your skills would benefit the organization.  Keywords are your friend so pay attention to the keywords in the job posting.  Be sure to use them in your résumé and cover letter.  Applicant tracking systems are based on keyword searches.  Resumes can be formatted to put your best foot forward.  Your level of experience and training may determine if a chronological, skills or combination format is best for you.  Your opportunity for a positive interview is enhanced by researching the company you want to work for, the person you are interviewing with and the job before the interview.

Always check your resume over several times for spelling and formatting errors before using it in your job search.  Enlisting in the help of one, even two others to proof it is a good idea.  Once your resume is complete you are ready to move to the job search and networking phase of this process!

Feeling Fear and Doubt When Job Searching

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Feeling fear and doubt when embarking on a job search is inevitable.  There are Techniques that can help you push past the fear including  exercise, discipline and positive affirmations.

Additional techniques for overcoming fear and getting the job:
1.    Focusing on the Now
2.    Praying
3.    Talking to members of Job Networking groups
4.    Plan what calls you are going to make  the day before
5.    Force yourself to start making calls by a certain time
6.    Set goals,
7.    Find encouraging quotes and keep them close by
8.    Write in a journal and be grateful
9.    Mentally picture what need to do to get the job

Stay tuned for more information #1!

New technologies open job opportunities for injured veterans

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By Leo Shane III
Published: October 18, 2012 in Stars and Stripes (http://www.stripes.com/)

WASHINGTON — When Pfizer was considering sending some administrative jobs overseas, Merry Korn convinced them to outsource them to wounded veterans instead.

Korn, owner of Pearl Interactive Network said she currently has four home bound, injured veterans working as administrative assistants for the pharmaceutical company, handling scheduling and office management for corporate officials from hundreds of miles away. The feedback so far has been so good the company has approached her about finding more veterans to work as remote employees.

Korn said technology has advanced so dramatically in recent years that jobs one thought closed off to severely disabled individuals can now be done off-site without aggravating the veterans’ limitations.

“The veterans we’re dealing with, if they can’t work from home then they can’t work,” she said. Some have injuries to limbs or to eyes that make travel difficult. Others have post-traumatic stress disorder or similar challenges that make working in an office unbearable.

PIN has about 40 disabled veterans working from home now, a small subset of the company’s contracted workforce. The work includes call center and human resources tasks, and flexible hours depending on the company.

“It’s still a business,” she said. “They expect to get people who will excel, people who are highly motivated and can deal with complicated interactions.

“But companies want to hire these veterans. They know there are skilled and talented disabled veterans out there.”

CEO of Pearl Interactive Network, Inc. completes Tuck-WBENC Executive Program

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Merry Korn, CEO of Pearl Interactive Network, Inc. completed the 2012 Tuck-WBENC Executive Program, an intensive weeklong executive learning experience held at IBM’s Learning Center in Armonk, NY, along with 50 other women entrepreneurs earlier this month. The Tuck-WBENC Executive Program, which was established in 2003 and has been sponsored by IBM since then, stemmed from an idea to create a program tailored to the needs of women business owners. Today it offers step-by-step tactics designed to help women entrepreneurs grow their business with a focus on improving strategic planning, organization, resources, and systems and processes.

Tuck is the nation’s oldest graduate school of business and is renowned for its collaborative learning approach. The Tuck-WBENC program is designed to prepare the business owners to think differently about how they approach and operate their businesses. To enhance the relevance of the experience, the course used Pearl Interactive Network’s business plan as a case study in the curriculum. Pearl Interactive Network expects to reap immediate benefits from the marketing, financial and organizational strategies taught in the class.

Pearl Interactive Network, Inc. is a for-profit social enterprise that provides staffing for home based or client site administrative services and contact center positions. Their workforce is comprised of disabled veterans, veterans, military spouses, veteran caregivers and people with disabilities.

Pearl Interactive Network, Inc. has been WBENC certified since 2009, which is one of the pre-requisites for applying to the program. The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) is the leading authority on and advocate for women-owned businesses as suppliers to the nation’s premier corporations and government entities. WBENC certifies women-owned businesses with a world-class, rigorous process recognized by corporations and government agencies, and is authorized by the Small Business Administration to certify Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB). The WOSB Program provides government-owned procuring agencies a tool to help meet their WOSB contracting goal of 5% of prime contracting dollars being awarded to WOSBs.

“The Tuck-WBENC Executive program is an exceptional opportunity for women business owners to examine their business plan, strategize for growth and network with other prominent women in business” stated President and CEO of WBENC, Pamela Prince-Eason. “The caliber of the Tuck faculty

To learn more about Pearl Interactive Network visit us at www.Pearlinter.org.

Career Job Networking

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Source: About.Com

Informal Job Search Networking

60% of jobs are found by networking. Develop contacts – friends, family, neighbors, college alumni, people in associations – anyone who might help generate information and job leads. You can take a direct approach and ask for job leads or try a less formal approach and ask for information and advice. Contact everyone you know. You may be surprised by the people they know. Make yourself pick up the phone and call. It helps to assign yourself a quota of calls to be made each day. The more phone calls you make the easier it will become

Formal Job Search Networking

Go to business, social or association meetings or networking events. You’ll find that many of the participants have the same goals you do and will be glad to exchange business cards.

Pointers:

  • Have business cards
  • Focus on the person you are speaking to
  • Develop rapport with the person you are speaking to
  • Be an active listener
  • Clearly state what you are looking for
  • Always follow up and stay in touch

Informational Interviews

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Source: www.about.com

Chances are that when you respond to newspaper or online ads, your resume is one of hundreds that will be viewed.  We recommend “informational interviews”.

An informational interview is an interview conducted to collect information about a job, career field, industry or company. It could also be used as a source of contacts that could lead to jobs.

An informational interview is not a job interview. Rather, it’s an interview with an individual working in a career you would like to learn more about.

When you’re interviewing for information, you are seeking information about a specific type of job, about a career field, an industry, and/or a company. You’re attempting to discover what the person’s job is like, what they do, what responsibilities they have, and what it’s like to work in their job at their company.  This could also be an excellent way to get referrals to additional people who may want to hire you.

Why informational interviews work when nothing else does?  The people who can help us get hired could be parents of your children’s friends in Little League or could be active members of your church.  This technique can assist with using your contacts as a key and vital source of getting a job. Even if there is no one in your network, through research, you can identify people who work in fields that are of interest.

A sample outbound message to someone you want to meet with:

“Hi, my name is Merry.  I am calling with hopes of spending 20 minutes with you to learn more about becoming a clinical social worker.  I have always been intrigued by the type of work you do and was wondering if you could share your thoughts and insights with me. I can be reached at (phone number) or at (email address).”

The following are some questions that you may want to ask:

  • What are the duties performed during a typical day? Week? Month? Year? Does s/he have a set routine? (As the person describes the duties, ask what skills are needed). How much variety is there on a day-to-day basis?
    • What educational program is recommended as preparation?
    • What degree or certificate do employers look for?
    • What kind of work/internship experience would employers look for in a job applicant?
    • How can a person obtain this work experience?
    • What are opportunities for advancement? To what position? Is an advanced degree needed? (If so, in what discipline?)
    • Which skills are most important to acquire? (i.e. – which skills do employers look for?)
    • What are the main or most important personal characteristics for success in the field?
    • What current skills to you have that would give you access?
    • What are the employment prospects in the advisor’s geographic area?
    • Where are the best employment prospects? What are the employment prospects at the advisor’s company? Is mobility a necessary factor for success?

Always end the informational interview with asking for additional names of people who you could speak to. Follow with a thank you note and a resume.