Should I Include My Picture On My Resume?
Here’s a simple answer- NO! Nothing against you personally as I am sure you have a very good professional look. And I am sure that you want the hiring authority to “put a face with the resume.” But what you may not realize is that by putting your picture on your resume you may inadvertently be eliminating yourself from consideration and putting yourself at risk. [Read more…] about PICTURE ON MY RESUME?
The Most Important Question Asked During An Interview
Interview always vary in length, style, and substance. Some managers (Like ones who work for Boston Scientific) will read from a pre-written list. So will not- so -savvy Regional Managers. Others will give you 45 minutes to assess whether or not you are a fit. And some will engage in a casual conversation to either get to know you or to distract you from the message you are trying on convey. In all cases, the implicit or explicit question they are asking is…
“Why should we hire you?” [Read more…] about QUESTION ASKED DURING AN INTERVIEW
Do I Need To Include a Cover Letter
Cover letters fall into the category of “Damned if you do, and damned if you don’t.” Generally speaking, it is a good idea to have a well-crafted cover letter. But depending on the situation, it may or may not be necessary to send one.
If you do craft a cover letter, try to mirror the job description of the position of which you are applying for. If the ad calls for a certain amount of experience, try to indicate as such. If they give you a line by line summary of the ideal candidate try to demonstrate how you fit the criteria. The trick, however, is not to make the cover letter too long. Just a paragraph or two outlining how you fit the specific criteria should do the trick. So, when do you or do not send the cover letter? Let’s look at some instances; [Read more…] about COVER LETTERS
Putting a Career Objective On Your Resume
I am often asked as to whether or not a Career Objective should be included on a resume. My standard answer is: It depends on where you are in your career. I have seen circumstances where an Objective can actually do more harm than good. For example, many people start their Objective with the words, “I am looking for..etc.” Generally, resumes are not written in the first person, and to open a resume with those words violates that premise. I’ve also seen candidates send a resume with an Objective totally different from the job they are pursuing. [Read more…] about OBJECTIVE ON YOUR RESUME
A Picture Is Worth…With the ever-increasing influence of social media, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat etc., into our mainstream culture, it is vitally important to remember that snap judgment of people is made almost instantaneously. Keeping that in mind, it has never been more important to ensure that your personal and professional portfolios portray you in the best possible light- especially if you are on the job hunt. In the medical sales field, it is almost a certainty that VPs of Sales and Regional Sales Managers will not only review your resume but will also check your LinkedIn profile and Facebook to gain a better understanding of your background and personality. To that end, it is imperative that you follow some simple reminders to ensure that you have your best foot forward in securing an interview. [Read more…] about SOCIAL MEDIA DOWNFALLS
Virtually every resume concludes with the tagline: “References Available on Request.”
May I make a suggestion? Stop! First of all, if you are not going to include references why bother to put that ridiculous comment on the resume? Do you think that if you neglected to include that tagline that the employer is going to conclude that you forbid them to check references? Do you think they will not want to interview you because you have something to hide? Believe me, if a potential employer wants references he/ she will ask for them during the interview process.
Now in my opinion including references on your resume is not a good idea. First of all, why would you volunteer information that is not asked of you? Why give the interviewer a chance to check you out before he/ she even meets you? And I have seen numerous circumstances where a hiring manager will look up your reference on LinkedIn, conclude that your reference is a better fit for the company, and contact that person directly? Don’t believe me? Call me- I’ll give you references.
In the judicial system, a deposed defendant is told never to volunteer information that is not asked of him or her. The same thing applies here. Do not put references on your resume, but be ready to eagerly volunteer them if you are deep in the interview process with a company. And please refrain from putting that ridiculous tagline at the end of your resume!
