How to Get Your Resume up to Speed
April 26, 2010
After spending time as a stay-at-home mother, it goes without saying that you will need to update your resume once you decide to re-enter the workforce.
Your resume should be updated to include the skills you attained while raising your kids, such as budgeting or multitasking. If you worked part time on the computer from home, or made and sold crafts, write it down.
In addition, be sure to add any volunteer activities you were involved in. Were you the president of the PTA? If so, include that on your resume.
Active voice is more dynamic than passive voice, so keep this in mind when listing your accomplishments. As an example, Planned and prepared meals for a family of five has more impact than Grocery shopping and cooking.
In addition to ensuring that your resume is up-to-date, you will need to decide what resume format will present you most effectively. The two main resume formats are chronological and functional.
A chronological resume is the right one to use if you had a solid career path before taking time off to care for your family. This format lists your experience and education in reverse chronological order. Do not be afraid to include the dates you were out of the workforce raising your kids, as this will be less worrisome to potential employers than an unexplained gap.
How to Break Into a Fab Job as an Event Planner
April 22, 2010
By Jan L. Riddell
From the FabJob Guide to Become an Event Planner
A village feast to welcome home hunters in the wilds of Borneo and a glittering fund-raiser soiree at a swanky New York hotel may not sound like they have much in common, but they do have at least one similarity.
Someone, somewhere, got the ball rolling and using a little resourcefulness, creativity and sheer determination successfully pulled off a spectacular event. (Well, someone had to figure out how much food and drink was required at the feast and where the chief would sit!) That person is an event planner.
If event planning sounds like it could be your dream career, here are 7 steps to become an event planner, based on the FabJob Guide to Become an Event Planner by Jan L. Riddell, Carol Palmatier and Peter J. Gallanis.
Non-verbal Communication During Your Job Interview
April 14, 2010
By Carole Martin
Slouching is out!
It’s about demonstrating confidence – standing straight, making eye contact, and connecting with a good, firm handshake. That first impression can be a great beginning, or a quick ending to your interview.
Body movement or lack of
Once the interview begins you should be relaxed, use your hands in talking – most people do. Do not overdo anything! Small gestures with your hands is fine but when you start waving your arms around you are out-of-bounds and could strike out.
On the other hand, the worst posture is to fold your arms across your chest. This is a hostile posture – very closed.
Sometimes women fold their arms this way because they are cold. Wear a sweater or jacket - but don’t fold your arms over your chest.
Contact – The Hand Shake
The handshake is the first contact you will have with the interviewer. It’s often looked at as a telling gesture to judge the confidence of a person.
The interviewer extends his hand and you in turn extend your hand. If your hand is sweaty it will give an unpleasant feeling to the interchange.
Image – Attire
You are judged by how you look!
Whether we like it or not – how you look – your general appearance – does set the impression for the rest of the interview.
This is going to take some research on your part. You can call the HR Department or even the Receptionist to ask about the company dress code. If the answer is “Casual,” you should think one level above to “Business Casual.” A good rule to follow is: “Dress One Level Above the Company Culture.”
There is something else to take into consideration and that is the position that you are seeking. The idea is to look like someone who will fit in, but someone who could also represent the company to people outside the company.
Play to Win – Choosing Growth over Fear in Work and Life
April 12, 2010
Larry Wilson, entrepreneur, training and organizational consultant and author of the award-winning book, Play to Win, was recently featured on Total Career Success, an Internet show on VoiceAmerica Talk Radio Network.
Play to Win is about figuring out how to go as far as you can with all that you have – at work, at home, in all your relationships, in your community. Wilson shares the tools to leave fear behind and choose to grow and thrive in one’s career and in every part of life.
People today from the shop floor to the boardroom are grappling with tough questions and decisions that give shape and meaning to their lives, such as:
What are work and life about?
Why am I really here?
What difference will I make?
What will I leave behind?
In his interview, Wilson provided insights gained during his thirty-year career in training and development. He suggested that rather than defeating others, one can adapt a childlike approach of playing with intensity, focus, learning, and relating to others to live a full and meaningful life. He believes that everyone can win by living with meaning, passion and purpose, and that one of the keys to success is learning to change, adjust, and adapt to the changing workplace and economy. Wilson shared,
“You can learn how to quit old, unproductive thought and behavioral patterns and discover what you really want and how to get it.”
For more information, you can listen to Wilson’s interview online or download it as an MP3 at http://www.voiceamerica.com/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=45532. His book, Play to Win – Choosing Growth over Fear in Work and Life, is available from Amazon.com and Amazon.ca.
7 Careers That Pay You to Give Advice
April 8, 2010
By Tag and Catherine Goulet
Founders of FabJob.com
Do friends frequently turn to you for advice? Do you enjoy offering suggestions or solutions to problems? Do you ever post your opinions online?
If your answer to any of these questions is “yes,” why not consider a career that lets you earn a living giving advice?
Here are seven careers that give you the opportunity to get paid to do what you love. Each career description starts with an inspirational quotation from some of the best advice-givers in the world — moms.
Business Consultant
“I just want what’s best for you.” – Mom
As a business consultant you can get paid to give advice to business owners and executives. Business consultants meet with clients in companies and other organizations to identify business problems, then gather information and recommend solutions.
Some business consultants focus on a particular industry such as health care, while others specialize in areas such as marketing, human resources, technology, or small business.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 28% of consultants do not have a degree, but you do need business-savvy and experience in the area you are consulting in.
For advice on how to get started in a career in business consulting check out the FabJob Guide to Become a Business Consultant.
Etiquette Consultant
“If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” – Mom
Help for Mothers Returning to Work
April 7, 2010
In today’s economy, families are less willing to rely on one salary, and more mothers are considering a return to the workplace. Meanwhile, many women who have never taken a break from working find themselves looking for options to balance career and family pressure. There’s a constant struggle…and women are often left frustrated as a result.
Women in Waltham, Massachusetts, will have access to helpful experts and resources at the Detours & OnRamps Forum on May 4, 2010. This one-day conference for working women, or those wishing to restart a career, will offer networking, discussions with the companies leading the way in solutions for work-life balance, expert panels, and dynamic sessions on some of the most common dilemmas faced by women – or anyone who is trying to make work, work for them.
Topics covered will include strategies and advice on resumes, job hunting, balancing work with your personal life, and many others.
Successful conferences have previously been held in the New York City and Boston areas, and another event will be held in Annandale, Virginia, on October 20, 2010.
Women who are unable to attend the Detours & OnRamps Forum may benefit from our e-book, Returning to Work for Moms.
