How to Explain an Employment Gap

By Alison Doyle, About.com

Many of us take time off, for one reason or another, from working. Sometimes, it’s by choice. In other cases, it can take time to find a new job. What the best way to explain an employment gap on your resume? It depends on the situation and what you did while you weren’t employed.

Cover the Gaps
When listing dates on your resume you don’t need to list the month/year if you were in a position for over a year or if your position spans multiple years. For example, you could say 2004 – 2008 (rather than May, 2004 – April, 2008) which would give you some room to cover the gaps:

Store Manager, XYZ Store
2004 – 2008

Sales Associate, ABC Store
2002 – 2004

As you can see, the resume doesn’t specifically say when the candidate started and ended employment, which can cover an employment gap.

Check Your Format
You can format your resume to minimize the gaps in your employment history. For example, don’t bold the dates and/or use a smaller font than the one you use for the company name or job title. Start your resume with a Summary Statement and Career Highlights section so you are highlighting your skills and accomplishments, rather than when you did what.

Omit a Job (or Two)
You don’t need to include all your experience on your resume, especially if you have been in the workforce for years. It’s acceptable to limit the years of experience you include on your resume to fifteen years when seeking a managerial or professional position and ten years when looking for technical or high-tech job.

Other Experience
What did you do while you weren’t employed? Did you freelance or consult? How about volunteering? All those experiences count as work and can be included on your resume. List them as you would list your other jobs – with job title, company name, job description, and dates of employment. If you took a class, you can list that in the Education section of your resume.

Use Your Cover Letter
When you have employment gaps that don’t fit on your resume (you took time off to care for an aged parent or to raise a child) use your cover letter to explain the gap. That way, the employer will know that there’s an explanation for you being out of the workforce.

Tell the Truth
What’s most important, is to tell the truth. If you lie on your resume, it will probably come back to haunt you. Employers verify work history and if you put incorrect information on your resume, I can guarantee that they’ll find out. In fact, most of the job seekers who answer or comment on our survey Would you Lie on Your Resume? say that they’d never lie. That answer makes really good sense when job searching.

The Four Questions

The Four Questions
By: Southworth

Answering the following four questions in a fully persuasive way will greatly increase your odds of developing a winning resume. The questions are the crucial elements of the resume writing formula. Answering them will not only give you the material you need for building a strong resume but will also prepare you for networking and interviewing. Use the resume writing examples below as a point of reference.

What do you want?

What is your job target? The resume should be built around your job target (whether you include an objective or not) so that prospective employers can immediately see what position you are aiming for.

Why are you qualified to do it?

That’s the summary or “professional profile” section. This is where you outline the skills and credentials that qualify you for the job. You can break your skills into functional sections or use bullet points to highlight key points. If this section is done properly, it will convince prospective employers that the rest of your resume is worth reading, bringing them to the next question.

Where have you done it?

That’s the “experience” section. The reader needs to know whom you worked for, the city and state where they are located and what you did. Ideally, your job descriptions should include lots of active verbs and focus on keywords and functional skills that are most relevant to your job target. See our list of words below.

How well have you done it?

Listing accomplishments and special projects shows by example that you have contributed to previous employers’ bottom lines. The best accomplishments are those that demonstrate quantifiable results or your willingness to go “the extra mile.” Did you come up with an idea that saved the company money? Were you promoted because of your team building skills? Were you selected for a key program because of your positive attitude? Whenever possible, describe how you improved previous employers’ bottom lines – i.e., doubled sales, cut costs, reduced errors, streamlined processing or improved efficiency.

Why You Need a Job Search Champion

Article Source

Posted by: Meridith Levinson in Best Practices

Job search champions aggressively market job seekers to prospective employers, helping job seekers land new jobs more quickly.

Job search experts and hiring managers agree that networking is the most effective way to land a new job. But more important than an extensive network is a network that includes one or more job search champions. 

Job search champions are people in your network who know you well and whose names would appear on your list of professional references were it not for the fact that they don’t wait for prospective employers to call them to endorse you; they proactively and aggressively help you find work by drawing on their networks and marketing you to prospective employers, says Howard Seidel, a partner with Essex Partners, which provides career management and job transition services.

“The champions are real advocates for you,” says Seidel. “They grease the skids and say, ‘This guy is fantastic. You have to talk to this person. He did a great job here and would be terrific for you.’ They get prospective employers really excited.”

Having a job search champion can make all the difference in the length of your job search. Seidel, a career and executive coach, believes job seekers with champions land jobs faster because champions give job seekers entrée into potential job opportunities.

“Getting in the door is the biggest obstacle today for job seekers,” notes Seidel. “There are hundreds of résumés for a role and so many screeners. A champion can get you through the screeners to the people hiring. If you can get in that way, the hiring process tends to go faster and you come in with a lot of good will.”

Moreover, adds Seidel, by championing the job seeker, champions predispose hiring managers to liking the candidate. This is particularly helpful in a recession, when hiring managers are inundated with applicants for opens positions, asking gotcha questions during job interviews, and looking for any reason to screen out candidates.

“If you’re being introduced [to a prospective employer] by a champion, you’re going in there with a leg up because the hiring manager is [now] excited about what you can do for them,” says Seidel. “If you’re not going in there with a champion, you’ve got to do all the work yourself.”

In a market where job searches for CIO positions are lasting an average of a year, having a champion gives a job seeker a clear advantage over the competition. The more champions you have, the more effective and powerful your search is going to be.

5 Interview Types and How to Ace Them

All interviews were not created equal.

Depending on the role, the industry and the ruthlessness of your potential employer, you may encounter one – or a combination – of the common interview types.

Each one is unique, and demands a tailored approach to its preparation.

Lucky for you, we’ve identified the five most common interview methods.

We’ll give you the low down on each, and tell you how to ace them.

Click here for the entire article.

Hot Tips on Resume Writing

Article Source:  Yana Parker, http://www.damngood.com/jobseekers/tips.html

1. What IS a resume anyway?
Remember: a Resume is a self-promotional document that presents you in the best possible light, for the purpose of getting invited to a job interview.
It’s not an official personnel document. It’s not a job application. It’s not a “career obituary”! And it’s not a confessional.

2. What should the resume content be about?
It’s not just about past jobs! It’s about YOU, and how you performed and what you accomplished in those past jobs–especially those accomplishments that are most relevant to the work you want to do next. A good resume predicts how you might perform in that desired future job.

3. What’s the fastest way to improve a resume?
Remove everything that starts with “responsibilities included” and replace it with on-the-job accomplishments. (See Tip 11 for one way to write them.)

4. What is the most common resume mistake made by job hunters?
Leaving out their Job Objective! If you don’t show a sense of direction, employers won’t be interested. Having a clearly stated goal doesn’t have to confine you if it’s stated well.

5. What’s the first step in writing a resume?
Decide on a job target (or “job objective“) that can be stated in about 5 or 6 words. Anything beyond that is probably “fluff” and indicates a lack of clarity and direction.

6. How do you decide whether to use a Chronological resume or a Functional one? The Chronological format is widely preferred by employers, and works well if you’re staying in the same field (especially if you’ve been upwardly-mobile). Only use a Functional format if you’re changing fields, and you’re sure a skills-oriented format would show off your transferable skills to better advantage; and be sure to include a clear chronological work history!

7. What if you don’t have any experience in the kind of work you want to do?
Get some! Find a place that will let you do some volunteer work right away. You only need a brief, concentrated period of volunteer training (for example, 1 day a week for a month) to have at least SOME experience to put on your resume.
Also, look at some of the volunteer work you’ve done in the past and see if any of THAT helps document some skills you’ll need for your new job.

8. What do you do if you have gaps in your work experience?
You could start by looking at it differently.
General Rule: Tell what you WERE doing, as gracefully as possible–rather than leave a gap.
If you were doing anything valuable (even if unpaid) during those so-called “gaps” you could just insert THAT into the work-history section of your resume to fill the hole. Here are some examples: 

• 1993-95 Full-time parent — or
• 1992-94 Maternity leave and family management — or
• Travel and study — or Full-time student — or
• Parenting plus community service

9. What if you have several different job objectives you’re working on at the same time? Or you haven’t narrowed it down yet to just one job target?
Then write a different resume for each different job target. A targeted resume is MUCH, much stronger than a generic resume.10. What if you have a fragmented, scrambled-up work history, with lots of short-term jobs?
To minimize the job-hopper image, combine several similar jobs into one “chunk,” for example:

• 1993-1995 Secretary/Receptionist; Jones Bakery, Micro Corp., Carter Jewelers — or
• 1993-95 Waiter/Busboy; McDougal’s Restaurant, Burger King, Traders Coffee Shop.

Also you can just drop some of the less important, briefest jobs.
But don’t drop a job, even when it lasted a short time, if that was where you acquired important skills or experience.

11. What’s the best way to impress an employer?
Fill your resume with “PAR” statements. PAR stands for Problem-Action-Results; in other words, first you state the problem that existed in your workplace, then you describe what you did about it, and finally you point out the beneficial results.

12. What if your job title doesn’t reflect your actual level of responsibility?
When you list it on the resume, either replace it with a more appropriate job title (say “Office Manager” instead of “Administrative Assistant” if that’s more realistic) OR use their job title AND your fairer one together, i.e. “Administrative Assistant (Office Manager)”

13. How can you avoid age discrimination?
If you’re over 40 or 50 or 60, remember that you don’t have to present your entire work history! You can simply label THAT part of your resume “Recent Work History” or “Relevant Work History” and then describe only the last 10 or 15 years of your experience. Below your 10-15 year work history, you could add a paragraph headed “Prior relevant experience” and simply refer to any additional important (but ancient) jobs without mentioning dates.

14. What if you never had any “real” paid jobs — just self-employment or odd jobs? Give yourself credit, and create an accurate, fair job-title for yourself. For example:

 Here’s an example: “Transformed a disorganized, inefficient warehouse into a smooth-running operation by totally redesigning the layout; this saved the company thousands of dollars in recovered stock.”

Another example: “Improved an engineering company’s obsolete filing system by developing a simple but sophisticated functional-coding system. This saved time and money by recovering valuable, previously lost, project records.”

• A&S Hauling & Cleaning (Self-employed) — or
• Household Repairman, Self-employed — or
• Child-Care, Self-employed

Be sure to add “Customer references available on request” and then be prepared to provide some very good references of people you worked for.

15. How far back should you go in your Work History?
Far enough; and not too far! About 10 or 15 years is usually enough – unless your “juiciest” work experience is from farther back.

16. How can a student list summer jobs?
Students can make their resume look neater by listing seasonal jobs very simply, such as “Spring 1996” or “Summer 1996” rather than 6/96 to 9/96. (The word “Spring” can be in very tiny letters, say 8-point in size.)17. What if you don’t quite have your degree or credentials yet?
You can say something like:

• Eligible for U.S. credentials — or
• Graduate studies in Instructional Design, in progress — or
• Master’s Degree anticipated December 1997

18. What if you worked for only one employer for 20 or 30 years?
Then list separately each different position you held there, so your job progression within the company is more obvious.

19. What about listing hobbies and interests?
Don’t include hobbies on a resume unless the activity is somehow relevant to your job objective, or clearly reveals a characteristic that supports your job objective. For example, a hobby of Sky Diving (adventure, courage) might seem relevant to some job objectives (Security Guard?) but not to others.

20. What about revealing race or religion?
Don’t include ethnic or religious affiliations (inviting pre-interview discrimination) UNLESS you can see that including them will support your job objective. Get an opinion from a respected friend or colleague about when to reveal, and when to conceal, your affiliations.

21. What if your name is Robin Williams?
Don’t mystify the reader about your gender; they’ll go nuts until they know whether you’re male or female. So if your name is Lee or Robin or Pat or anything else not clearly male or female, use a Mr. or Ms. prefix.

22. What if you got your degree from a different country?
You can say “Degree equivalent to U.S. Bachelor’s Degree in Economics-Teheran, Iran.”

23. What about fancy-schmancy paper?
Employers tell me they HATE parchment paper and pretentious brochure-folded resume “presentations.” They think they’re phony, and toss them right out. Use plain white or ivory, in a quality appropriate for your job objective. Never use colored paper unless there’s a very good reason for it (like, you’re an artist) because if it gets photo-copied the results will be murky.

24. Should you fold your resume?
Don’t fold a laser-printed resume right along a line of text. The “ink” could flake off along the fold.

Use Numbers to Highlight Your Accomplishments

Source:  http://career-advice.monster.com/resumes-cover-letters/resume-writing-tips/numbers-to-highlight-accomplishments/article.aspx

By Peter Vogt, Monster Senior Contributing Writer

 If you were an employer looking at a resume, which of the following entries would impress you more?

• Wrote news releases.
• Wrote 25 news releases in a three-week period under daily deadlines.

Clearly, the second statement carries more weight. Why? Because it uses numbers to quantify the writer’s accomplishment, giving it a context that helps the interviewer understand the degree of difficulty involved in the task.

Numbers are powerful resume tools that will help your accomplishments get the attention they deserve from prospective employers. With just a little thought, you can find effective ways to quantify your successes on your resume. Here are a few suggestions:

Think Money

Organizations are and always will be concerned about money. So as you contemplate your accomplishments and prepare to present them on your resume, think about ways you’ve saved, earned or managed money in your internships, part-time jobs and extracurricular activities so far. A few possibilities that might appear on a typical resume:

• Identified, researched and recommended a new Internet service provider, cutting the company’s online costs by 15 percent.
• Wrote prospect letter that has brought in more than $25,000 in donations so far.
• Managed a student organization budget of more than $7,000.

Think Time

You’ve heard the old saying, “Time is money,” and it’s true. Companies and organizations are constantly looking for ways to save time and do things more efficiently. They’re also necessarily concerned about meeting deadlines, both internal and external. So whatever you can do on your resume to show that you can save time, make time or manage time will grab your reader’s immediate attention. Here are some time-oriented entries that might appear on a typical resume:

• Assisted with twice-monthly payroll activities, ensuring employees were paid as expected and on time.
• Suggested procedures that decreased average order-processing time from 10 minutes to five minutes.

Think Amounts

It’s very easy to neglect mentioning how much or how many of something you’ve produced or overseen. There’s a tendency instead to simply pluralize your accomplishments — e.g., “wrote news releases” or “developed lesson plans” -– without including important specifics — e.g., “wrote 25 news releases” or “developed lesson plans for two classes of 20 students each.”

Don’t fall into the trap of excluding numbers. Instead, include amounts, like these:

• Recruited 25 members for a new student environmental organization.
• Trained five new employees on restaurant operations procedures.
• Created process that bolstered production 25 percent

The more you focus on money, time and amounts in relation to your accomplishments, the better you’ll present your successes and highlight your potential — and the more you’ll realize just how much you really have to offer prospective employers. Add it all up, and you’ll see that playing the numbers game is yet another way to convince employers that you should be a part of their equation for success.

Surviving Unemployment

Source:  http://www.askmen.com/money/career_200/233_career.html

By Malcolm MacMillan

Entertainment Correspondent

 The quick decline in the North American stock markets in the last few weeks has many of us on edge. With an uncertain economic future ahead, that job that you don’t like very much might be worth hanging onto — at least it’s better than nothing. Chrysler’s announcement in late October that it would cut a couple thousand jobs later this year has many people in the automotive industry wondering if their positions will be on the chopping block, but the automotive industry isn’t the only one that’s scaling back. This period of uncertainty can easily drag you down, but if you find yourself out of work, there are steps to surviving unemployment that you can take.

Here are some of those steps to surviving unemployment to follow during the harder times.

1- Stay positive

If you’re handed a pink slip, your first rush of emotions might include shock, anger, sadness, and perhaps, a bit of embarrassment. Don’t hang your head, though; you were laid off due to the company going through a period of financial uncertainty and cutbacks. You weren’t fired because of poor performance.

After you get the news, give yourself a few days to rest, recoup and, if needed, feel sorry for yourself. After that, the first rule of surviving unemployment is to hold your head up and focus on finding new employment. Don’t wait too long, however, because if you were part of a mass series of layoffs, most of your former coworkers will be job-hunting as well. You don’t want to be one of the last people to get your resume into the hands of potential new employers.

Keep in mind the skill set that you will be taking to a new job and be confident that you’ll be the person who gets called for an interview. If you’re dropping off a resume in person or calling about a position, put on your positive hat and make sure you come off as a confident, successful person. Follow the tips in this step and surviving unemployment will be that much easier.

2- Find a hobby

We don’t recommend spending day and night doing only what you enjoy because, at some point, you’ll have to pay the bills. However, spending eight hours a day searching for a job, especially if you’re hitting dead ends, will only leave you drained and frustrated. Surviving unemployment requires you to give yourself a few hours of escape each day — whether it’s going for a long walk, reading a book or watching a movie. During that time, try to avoid thinking of your predicament. When you can clear your mind, you’ll relax easier and the prospect of job-hunting the next day will seem far less daunting. A word of caution: Choose an inexpensive hobby — now is not the time to pursue your dream of collecting antique cars.

Surviving unemployment requires you to trim down in more ways than one

3- Cut out regular expenses

You don’t know how long you’ll be out of work, which means that while you’re surviving unemployment you’ll need to stretch every dollar in your bank account. If you’re addicted to $5 cups of coffee at the nearest designer coffee shop, now is probably a good time to quit that habit. Even if you’re only drinking one cup a day, that’s between $25 and $35 each week that you could be putting toward a better use. Also, if you drive a lot and are worried about the price of gas, consider walking or taking public transit. Eating out, even if you’re simply grabbing something at a fast food restaurant, is one of the biggest expenses you can eliminate. If you ate out during each workday, you were spending at least $50 a week. Save that money or put it to better use on such things as groceries.

4- Stay healthy

As you were told in school, a healthy mind is an active mind. If you’re filling your body with high-sugar, high-fat foods, you’re not doing yourself any favors. You need energy during this trying time, and heavy foods aren’t going to help you be at your best. Try to eat fruits, vegetables and fish, which won’t leave you feeling bloated and uninspired. Your brain and body need to be full of energy for the job-hunting process, so make sure you’re treating your body the way it needs to be cared for. And while you’re eating better, get some exercise. You’ll feel better physically and emotionally, and you’ll sleep better at night.

career opportunities

Remember, more often than not, good things come to people who not only work hard, but are positive. There are not a lot of positive aspects about being unemployed, but perhaps this situation will give you the chance to finally make a jump to a career you’ll really enjoy. Take this dilemma as an opportunity, feel good about yourself and look forward to the day when you set up your desk at a new office — it might be sooner than you think. 

Networking For Introverts

Article Source:  http://thehappenblog.wordpress.com/

We’ve all read enough articles and books about jobs and careers to know that networking is an essential tool to have in your career toolbox and I won’t reiterate all the reasons why. However, there is a problem with networking: many people dislike it and some avoid it completely. Though extroverts tend to be fairly proficient networkers even they find that the time and energy required to build and maintain a useful professional network can be demanding. For introverts, networking can be almost painful. But like many things in life, the fact that something is difficult is not reason enough to avoid it

People who are naturally shy feel apprehension, lack confidence or feel awkward in approaching or being approached by others especially in new settings, unfamiliar situations or with unfamiliar people. Unfortunately making contacts in new settings, unfamiliar situations or with unfamiliar people is an essential element of networking. If this process is something you avoid because of moderate discomfort (either emotional or physiological) you must first realize that this is not uncommon nor is it a “disorder” of some sort. (I should note that extreme feelings of shyness could be a sign of social phobia, which can be overcome with the assistance of a skilled therapist. What we are talking about in this article is the moderate shyness that many people experience.)

Your shyness may be an aspect of your personality, it may be an inherited genetic trait or it may be a reaction to the environment in which you grew up. It is, simply, a part of who you are. And, irrespective of its genesis, it can be overcome if you are willing to address it. Let’s take a look at some ways you can develop a sense of ease around new people, build your networking confidence, advance your career, and help you get more enjoyment from both business and personal social situations.

Paths Forward
· Scope It Out. If you are an introvert a conference room, company function or any other networking event can look like one huge hall full of unknown people where anything could happen. Fear of the unknown is a big part of shyness. But, in reality, most of these events are fairly predictable; agendas are usually published ahead of time and the organizer may share the registration list with you so you can identify one or two folks whom you already know. Scoping out the situation ahead of time will help you lower your pre-networking jitters and provide some material to help you prepare a few relevant conversation starters.

· Have 3 Ice Breakers Ready. Be creative; move beyond “So, what do you do?” which can be awkward if the person you’re speaking to is currently out of work. Try some such as:
· Have you attended this group’s meetings before? Have you found them helpful?
· What business books (or web sites or blogs) have you recently enjoyed?
· What do you like most about your job (or career, profession, employer)?
· How is your employer dealing with the current economic climate?
· What would be a great next step in your career?
You will often be asked the same question in return, which begins the give and take of a conversation.

· Buddy Up. You don’t have to do this alone. Walking into a networking event is easier with someone to chat with. Find out if a colleague, former co-worker or friend has heard about this event and see if he or she would be interested in attending. A good idea is for each of you to share what your goals for this meeting are ahead of time. A bad idea is to cling to each other to avoid making new contacts.

· Build a relationship. Networking is a two-way street. It is not all about you. Your goal is to start building relationships. Ask more questions, make fewer statements, listen actively, and offer help where you can. If you have never read How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie – go read it. If you have read How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie – go read it again. It provides an accessible, user-friendly understanding of human nature and will teach you how to connect with others in a humane and genuine way. It is a fantastic networking tool.

· Good Times / Bad Times. A couple of weeks ago a business friend of mine asked if I had recently heard from a mutual acquaintance. When I said I hadn’t, he laughed, “You will”. This was an inside joke between us referring to the fact that neither of us ever hears from this guy unless he’s looking for a new job. (For him, networking is a one-way street and more than a few folks know this.) The best time to build a network is when you need it the least and you have the most to offer. That way your calls will be answered when you most need help. Also – the best way to build a network is gradually. Suddenly adding tons of new “friends” or contacts to your social networking site is a sure sign to your current employer that you’re job hunting and hints at desperation to prospective employers.

· The Future Is Unknown (mostly). Let’s face it. If you could see the future (and next week’s PowerBall numbers) you’d probably be reading this from Tahiti or aboard your yacht in the Caribbean. But there is one aspect of your future that I can successfully predict: unless you retire fully and completely from your current job you will need to rely on help from your network to land your next job. It is going to be more – not less – crucial in the future. It is a necessary career skill for introvert and extrovert alike. Building your networking skills now is akin to learning to pack your own parachute before you need it. (For more on this topic go to http://www.drpaulpowers.com, click on LifeMap Archive, open 10/23/07, Pack Your Parachute – Now).

· Consult an expert. If you have tried some of my suggestions and find that your shyness or introversion is still getting in the way of your network building you may need more assistance that I can provide in this venue. As I noted above this may be someone trained in treating social phobias and you can find such a person with a referral from your physician. However, for many people a little of what I call biblio-therapy may suffice. There are a number of books available on the topic of shyness and introversion but one I like a lot because of its focus on specific strategies is The Successful Introvert: How to Enhance Your Job Search and Advance Your Career by Wendy Gelberg. Try it – all you have to lose is your painful shyness.

Courtesy of Dr Paul Powers
mailto: drpaul@drpaulpowers.com

12 Negotiating Tips for Job Seekers

Article Source:  http://www.resumebear.com/blog/index.php/2009/07/03/12-negotiating-tips-for-job-seekers/

Negotiating is a very important part of the job search process. It can set the tone for your work life and experience with the employer. These are some suggestions to consider when you receive a job offer. Negotiating is a two-way street. Try to achieve a win-win situation. It’s up to you to decide the tips that will work best for you.

1. Know the salary you can reasonably accept and expect for the type of position you seek in comparison with your experience, education and the industry wage standards.
2. Try to find out the salary range for the position before the interview. Contacting the interviewer’s secretary, the personnel office or a networking contact that works in the company may be helpful.
3. It isn’t usually recommended to accept an offer on the spot. Express your appreciation and strong interest in the job. Request at least 24 hours to consider it, even when saying “Yes.” Ask any questions you need clarified.
4. Assess the job offer in terms of your needs, benefits and long-term career and life goals. Talk it over with someone you respect. Make a list of the pros and cons of the job offer.
5. Consider if the job description is clear. Note your reporting relationships, authority and advancement potential. Keep asking questions until you clearly understand. Careful thought and consideration will only gain you respect.
6. If you want the job, make it clear this is the job you want. If you’re uncertain, state there are some items you’d like to discuss before you can accept the job. Suggest meeting further to talk about the offer.
7. Begin the negotiation with reasonable requests. Those requests could include more money, benefits, tuition, training, more vacation time, a flexible schedule, stock options, a company car, onsite daycare, parking privileges, etc.
8. Negotiations should never become emotional or hostile. Use your value, skills, experience and education to negotiate. Don’t use your need for the job to negotiate.
9. Listen carefully. If the offer is less than you expected, let them know that, but state you’re still interested in the position if they want to reconsider their offer. Don’t assume the first offer is fixed. Even if the interviewer tells you it is– it rarely is.
10. If the same figure is offered a couple days later, it probably is the last offer. In that case, you can ask for a salary review in six months to evaluate your performance and value, or you can turn the job down, asking that they keep you in mind for future openings paying more money.
11. Even when saying “no,” leave the door open to negotiation. (Don’t use this to negotiate a higher wage. When you say “no,” be ready to lose the job forever.)
12. When you reach an agreement, always request the agreement in writing.

Anti Unemployment Organization Wants to Pay Utility Bills

Source:  http://news.aol.com/article/anti-unemployment-organization-wants-to/638403?icid=sphere_newsaol_inpage

GOODYEAR, Ariz., Aug. 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Founder and President Joshua Turner of Help My Resume, ( HTTP:// www.helpmyresume.org ) today announced the ” Flippin Pay My Bill ” contest, a state of Arizona approved contest, with the grand prize being a years worth of utility bills paid valued at $3,600. “Paying an individuals or families utility bill is another weapon that we have created to combat unemployment,” said Josh Turner, Help My Resume’s president and CEO.

“This contest will do two things for Help My Resume. It will satisfy a need to take a ‘necessity’ bill off of one individual or family’s plate. Allowing the winning individual or family to focus on other issues and hopefully get ahead in this tough economy. The contest will also let individuals know about the different free services that Help My Resume offers to all Americans eighteen years or older,” said Manon Chadwick, Vice President.

The “Flippin Pay My Bill” contest is open to all US citizens who are eighteen years or older, with the grand prize being a years worth of utility bills paid up to $3,600, with a second place prize of a new 2nd generation 32GB iPod Touch, and a third place prize of a $150 dollar Macy’s gift card.

Details and registration information for the “Flippin Pay My Bill” contest are available at http://www.helpmyresume.org . We are limiting only ten thousand entries into the “Flippin Pay My Bill” contest. Help My Resume will be announcing the winners of this contest on October 1, 2009.

 

About Help My Resume

Help My Resume, a Flippin Creative Inc. organization, is a national organization motivated by a love of America, and for the wellbeing of our fellow citizens and the dreams and hopes of a bright future and endless opportunities, each of us as Americans hold dear to our hearts. We work together with our corporate sponsors, private donors, and foundations across the country in order to motivate, build confidence, financially support and equip with new or upgraded skill sets, unemployed Americans from coast to coast all across the United States.

 

Help My Resume is a registered trademark of Flippin Creative Inc. a IRS approved non-profit organization.

SOURCE Help My Resume

2009-08-25 10:00:00