Take Your Job Search Anywhere and Everywhere

Jennifer Fry
Careerminds Consultant

These days, much of the job search process happens online, in front of a computer screen-- searching for open positions, writing resumes and cover letters, submitting applications, even networking. The trouble is, you may be on the go, but your computer, even a laptop, isn't. It's just not practical to carry around your laptop everywhere you go, but your smart phone is another story.
Smart phone and tablet apps are making the job search a mobile activity, allowing users in career transition to browse job listings, organize contacts, manage documents and more from anywhere. According to a 2011 survey, approximately 77% of job seekers are using smartphones or tablets in some capacity, most taking advantage of mobile apps to quickly access and react to new job openings-- imagine, you could discover a newly open position, spruce up your resume, and submit your application, all without having to wait until you finish running errands!
While this survey cites that most job seekers, or at least those using mobile apps, stick to Android, every smart phone and tablet platform has a variety of relevant options. Some are available for free, while others may cost anywhere from 99¢ to $9.99, but each serve their own purpose to their own effect, so take these factors into consideration when browsing your phone or tablet's app store.

• Monster.com, CareerBuilder, and Indeed.com all have their own apps, as do many other job board websites, and best of all, these three apps are free to iPhone and Android users. Job Finder may also be particularly useful, as it aggregates results from multiple job boards and organizes them for you into one neat list. This app costs only 99¢.
• Social media apps are available on most every platform, and can be helpful in keeping up with your network and all the important information that shows up on your feed during the day, and for staying engaged in relevant conversations. Even some mobile phones that are not smart phones may be able to access these sites. Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn apps are typically always free.
• ABContacts and Lunchmeet are both apps that can help you keep your contacts organized and set up personal meetings. ABContacts ($3.99 with a free version available, as well) groups your contacts based on particular standards that you can customize-- create groups based on company, job title, location, etc.-- and this app can be integrated with Outlook. Lunchmeet (free) allows you to search for appropriate restaurants if you've already got a business lunch or dinner planned. Or you can search for contacts and fellow job seekers to meet if you're planning to eat out but you've not yet planned to meet anyone. This app is accessible through your LinkedIn account.
• BeamME and Blackberry Card Reader both allow you to share and save business cards over the phone, but these are also among the most expensive options, costing $7.99 and $9.99, respectively. With BeamME, you can create and send your virtual card to any mobile device or computer, and it's available as a free, limited version, as well. Blackberry Card Reader can scan and organize business cards that you receive at networking events, meetings, etc. and transfer the information to your phone's contacts.
• Lastly, apps like Documents to Go (free) allow you to access important job search documents (i.e.: Word Documents, spreadsheets, etc.) from your phone.

If conducting your search wherever and whenever fits your schedule sounds appealing to you, check out some of these apps that can help make it happen.

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Careerminds provides scalable, strategic solutions to organizations seeking affordable, web-based outplacement services. Using a Web 2.0 e-learning platform that delivers affordable, online career transition services, Careerminds provides a high-tech and high-touch blend of on-demand career transition education supported by senior-level career consultants to help displaced workers reenter the workforce quickly

So You Have a Professional Brand? Now Sell It!

Jennifer Fry
Careerminds Consultant

By now, I'm certain that you're familiar with the concept of a personal or professional brand; it's a concrete identity by which you can quickly and accurately describe yourself as a professional, and it's a great way to efficiently sell your skills and abilities to potential employers. Once you've devised your professional brand, however, the question becomes, how do I go about selling this brand effectively? After all, a great brand is nothing if people don't know about it-- at least not if the right people don't know about it.
With the on-going interest personal/professional branding, it's become more important to not only come up with an attention-grabbing brand, but also to market it creatively and effectively. Perhaps some of these ideas will be the right choice for you and your brand.

• Brand your Facebook profile. Employers are becoming increasingly interested in what their employees and potential employees are doing on social networks, so why not take advantage of their interest by putting your brand's best face forward on your profile. Use your profile and cover photos to illustrate your brand and keep the content that you post professional, consistent and relevant to your brand. The Timeline feature makes outlining your experience easier than ever.
• Use video or video features. This technique can be used independently or in conjunction with any number of other marketing tools (i.e.: Facebook, LinkedIn, website, blog, etc). Create a video resume using a storytelling technique or just touching on highlights; provide video footage of presentations you've made, or events you've put together or hosted; ask colleagues, clients or mentors to give testimonials on video. These are only a few ideas, but the possibilities are endless. You could set up an entire YouTube channel to your brand!
• Start blogging. Create and maintain your own industry-relevant blog, or offer to write guest posts for other blogs that you read, which is a great way to put your name and ideas out there while also building your network. Think about what issues keep industry leaders up at night, and address them, and invite readers to ask questions-- thought-leadership will be a major asset to your brand and your job search. Consider integrating your blog with other social media or video components.
• Create a website. The personal website could be falling to wayside while personal blogs are on the rise, but integrating the two could be the best way to provide stable pages with unchanging information plus new, up-to-date content. A website, as opposed to a blog, may allow you to more easily include tabs for "About Me," "Resume," "Testimonials," "Blog," "What I Can Do For Your Company," etc. so that some content stays constant, such as "About Me" while your blog content can be updated regularly.

While you don't have to take advantage of every single personal marketing tool there is, and while this list only provides a few possibilities, you and your personal/professional brand will benefit from being available to those who may be interested (i.e.: industry leaders, potential employers, etc). And remember, many of these tools and techniques can be used together, one complimenting the other(s) to be represent you.

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Careerminds provides scalable, strategic solutions to organizations seeking affordable, web-based outplacement services. Using a Web 2.0 e-learning platform that delivers affordable, online career transition services, Careerminds provides a high-tech and high-touch blend of on-demand career transition education supported by senior-level career consultants to help displaced workers reenter the workforce quickly.

Negotiating Skills for Every Professional

Jennifer Fry
Careerminds Consultant

Negotiating skills can get you far in your career transition and beyond-- good skills will get you far ahead, and bad skills will leave you far behind. It's not just about salary, either. Take it from salespeople and marketers, selling your "product" (aka: your skills, experience, etc.) may take some negotiating, as well.
To help you along the way-- pitching your skills to an interviewer, negotiating starting salary and benefits, discussing raises and promotions, and so on-- here are some tips to help strengthen your powers of persuasion.

• Practice. Consider putting your negotiating skills to work when you're out as a consumer-- button missing from that blouse you've got your eye on? Try to reach a deal with the salesperson. Often, people are nervous about negotiating because they lack confidence, so practice when you can to polish your skills and gain confidence.
• Prepare. They say that the negotiator with the most information will win out in the end, so make sure that negotiator is you. Do your research on the situation, whatever it may be.
• Build trust. Others are more likely to concede to or compromise with you if they trust what you have to say, so try to think of your interview or meeting as a relationship-building situation as well as a negotiation. That way, you'll be more likely to focus on the personal aspects of the discussion, such as mutual interests, while also setting yourself up for success.
• Present with strength. Use a strong voice when presenting your offer or making a request. A weak voice can be a signal to the other person that you'd be willing to make a greater concession.
• Have a good alternative. It's probable that some negotiations won't go 100% your way, so be prepared with a plan B that is still just as appealing to you as plan A, but may speak more to what your negotiating partner has in mind, as well.

While we're not all professional salespeople, we should all know at least a little bit about successful negotiating that can help get us where we want to be, whether that is in a new position, a better position, or a higher paying position.

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Careerminds provides scalable, strategic solutions to organizations seeking affordable, web-based outplacement services. Using a Web 2.0 e-learning platform that delivers affordable, online career transition services, Careerminds provides a high-tech and high-touch blend of on-demand career transition education supported by senior-level career consultants to help displaced workers reenter the workforce quickly.

Make the Shift from Intern to Employee

Jennifer Fry
Careerminds Consultant

It's that time of year again: graduation season. College graduates from all over will be leaving campus and heading out into the job market this spring, and while some may be lucky enough to have landed a job already, others are likely still looking. Several college students, however, have prepared themselves for the "real world" not only by taking relevant courses, but also by participating in hands-on internships in their field.
An internship program is an excellent way for students to gain experience, especially considering that many would otherwise not have work experience apart from summer jobs, and to get a foot in the door at an organization in their desired field. For some, one semester at a company as an intern can actually become years at a company as a full-time employee, and here are a few steps an intern can take to do just that.

• Take time to meet people. Depending on the size on an organization, co-workers may be too distant or too busy to take a moment to meet and greet with the new interns. Take the initiative to introduce yourself when you (and your co-workers) have a moment to begin forming professional relationships that could help you immensely down the road.
• Find a mentor. In addition to simply forming professional relationships with co-workers, fellow interns and supervisors, it can be incredibly helpful for a young professional to form a mentor/mentee relationship with a co-worker or supervisor to really get one-on-one, personalized lessons and advice. Moreover, having that more personal connection with someone you admire in the field will only help you succeed in the future.
• Set your own goals. Going into your internship, know what you want to achieve for yourself and for the company. A good intern will keep him/herself busy at all times, even when the duties assigned by his/her supervisor have been completed, so if you find yourself with nothing to do, ask for something! Employers love employees who take initiative.
• Voice your opinions. Asking for additional work is one way to show initiative. Another is to share great ideas and useful opinions. Just because you're an intern doesn't mean your knowledge or insights will be any less useful to the company, so don't be afraid to speak up. Even if your idea isn't used, you can still learn from the situation by asking why. An internship is meant to be a learning experience, after all.
• Talk to former interns. If you can, contact the company's previous interns and ask questions. Find out what tasks they performed, how they feel about their experience, and where they are now. This practice will help you in a number of ways. First, you'll know what to expect; second, you'll know what they did and how they performed to know what you can do make your efforts even better; and third, you'll know how this internship helped them move on. Tip: If you can find a former intern who has since started working for the company, then ask them how they believe they turned their internship into a job. Nothing like getting information straight from the source.

Even if you do not wind up with a full-time position following your internship, you will absolutely go into the job market with a unique experience that has given you added knowledge applicable skills, not to mention professional connections that may be able to get you in the door at another company in the field. The key is to make the most of your semester to wind up in the best position to keep moving forward after graduation.

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Careerminds provides scalable, strategic solutions to organizations seeking affordable, web-based outplacement services. Using a Web 2.0 e-learning platform that delivers affordable, online career transition services, Careerminds provides a high-tech and high-touch blend of on-demand career transition education supported by senior-level career consultants to help displaced workers reenter the workforce quickly.

What Are You Saying Without Words?

Jennifer Fry
Careerminds Consultant

Job interviews are all about making face-to-face connections with potential employers, answering the questions well and really making it clear that you're the best candidate for the job. Your responsibility as the interviewee is to send the right message: "I'm perfect for this position! Hire me!" That's all true, but one thing that job seekers can fail to recognize are the messages they send without saying anything.
Body language is often something people don't consciously think about-- maybe you'll sit up a little straighter in a formal situation, or you'll make eye contact with someone when they're speaking, but honestly, how often do you think about the non-verbal communicators you're sending out? A professional in career transition and going through the interview process, or even employed and sitting in that meeting to negotiate a raise needs to remember that not everything you say can be heard, and that those things that are seen can have a major impact on the impression you'll leave.

• Handshake: Probably the first thing you do upon meeting an interviewer is shake his/her hand, and as you may have heard before, your handshake can say a lot about you. A strong handshake is an indicator of confidence and enthusiasm, so be sure to take your interviewer's hand firmly, without squeezing, and offer one solid shake. Tip: If your palms feel sweaty from nerves, make sure you wash them or at least wipe them dry before going into the interview.
• Posture: Mom always told you to sit up straight, so here's hoping you'll take her advice. Slouching in your seat will make you appear too casual and disinterested. Keep your feet either on the floor, or crossed knee-to-knee or ankle-to-ankle, and lean forward slightly to indicate interest. Also, avoid sitting on the edge of the chair, as this may seem like a sign of discomfort or nervousness.
• Facial Expressions: It may be necessary to keep yourself conscious of the expressions on your face-- some people just settle into a scowl or frown without thinking of it, and although they don't mean to, they may appear worried, uncomfortable or down-right crabby to others. A smile can go a long way to make you look enthusiastic, interested, confident and personable, even if you have to remind yourself to do it every now and then.
• Gestures: Gesturing in a natural means of non-verbal communication, but some people may need a reminder to keep their gestures in check. Wild movements, or simply too many, can indicate a lack of control. On the flip side, little to no movement can appear unnatural, a possible side effect of nerves. It's perfectly acceptable to talk with you hands a bit to emphasize points and so on, but avoid distracting or over-the-top gestures. Additionally, when you are not speaking or using your hands to gesture, it's best to leave them on your lap-- no fidgeting!
• Responding to Others: To show that you are engaged in what another person is saying, maintain eye contact, nod, use facial expressions to react, and employ a technique called mirroring. Mirroring is simply the practice of adopting another person's general posture, movement and tone. You don't want to copy exactly, but something as simple as smiling or leaning forward at the same time can indicate to someone that you are invested in what he/she is saying.
• A Few Additional Tips:
  • Don't lean back in your seat, as this can appear too casual.
  • Don't cross your legs with one ankle resting on the other knee. This can appear too relaxed or even arrogant.
  • Avoid looking around you too much, averting your eyes to the floor or ceiling, as this makes you appear disingenuous or distracted.
  • Don't interrupt. Instead, use non-verbal responses discussed previously to indicate agreement, interest, etc. until the other person is finished speaking.

Whether you realize it or not, non-verbal indicators say a lot without you saying anything at all. By paying just a little more attention to the body language you're employing, you can recognize where you may need a little adjusting, and make the refinements necessary to send the right messages (out loud or not) during your next interview or meeting.

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Careerminds provides scalable, strategic solutions to organizations seeking affordable, web-based outplacement services. Using a Web 2.0 e-learning platform that delivers affordable, online career transition services, Careerminds provides a high-tech and high-touch blend of on-demand career transition education supported by senior-level career consultants to help displaced workers reenter the workforce quickly.

Corporate Culture: Assessing Your Fit

Jennifer Fry
Careerminds Consultant

An organization's culture is a vital component in the job search-- an employer wants to hire someone who is the right cultural fit, and the job seekers wants to gain employment at a company that is the right cultural fit. The trouble for professionals in career transition, however, is that it's tough to accurately assess a company's culture from the outside. Sure, the hiring manager knows all about the corporate culture, and is able to effectively evaluate your fit, but you as the job seeker may have a harder time figuring out what it's like to be an employee at this company without actually being an employee.
That having been said, there are a few helpful steps one can take to learn more about the corporate culture at any given organization, and, assuming this is where you want to be employed for years to come, it's as important to you as it is to the employer that you won't end up struggling through a cultural shock.

• Check out the company's website. This is something that you should be doing during the application process, anyway, but it can also serve to teach you a little bit about the company's culture. Some organizations actually include a "Culture" or at least an "About Us" page as part of their official site, and this is a great starting off point, not to mention something you can do before you even consider applying for the position. If the description of the company's culture doesn't sound appealing to you at all, chances are you wouldn't be happy there and the employer may not be happy to have you there.
• Make use of company contacts. If you know someone who already works for the company, ask him/her what it's like. Even better, depending on how well you know this person, ask if he/she thinks you will make a good cultural fit. Most likely, a friend or acquaintance will be honest with you.
• Be observant. If you are offered an interview that takes place in the office, be sure to take a good look around you. Notice how employees are dressed, how they interact with one another, how the office itself is set up (i.e.: employees are in cubicles, totally separate from one another, or desks are arranged in an open area where co-workers are able to see and talk to one another easily).
• Evaluate the interview, itself. The way you are treated during the actual interview can also be an indicator of corporate cultural practice/values. Do the questions asked indicate some kind of theme or trend? Are you interviewed by a panel, or with other candidates? What is the overall tone and attitude of your interviewer?
• Ask questions. At the end of an interview, candidates are almost always invited to ask a question or two of their interviewer, and this is the perfect opportunity to learn about the company's culture. Ask questions about the employer's leadership style, or the company's code of ethics or philanthropic efforts. You may also want to ask how the interviewer would personally describe the corporate culture or simply the work environment in general. If anyone knows what it's really like to work for the company, it's one of its employees, so go straight to the source.

In some cases, the wrong cultural match can be the difference between landing what seems like the perfect job or not. If you want to know how well you'll fit in, or if you want to ensure an employer that you will indeed fit in, take these steps to learn about the company beyond its business efforts.

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Careerminds provides scalable, strategic solutions to organizations seeking affordable, web-based outplacement services. Using a Web 2.0 e-learning platform that delivers affordable, online career transition services, Careerminds provides a high-tech and high-touch blend of on-demand career transition education supported by senior-level career consultants to help displaced workers reenter the workforce quickly.

You Got the Job…and a Difficult Boss

Adrienne McGuire, DailyPath
Contributor

You submitted your resume, sailed through the interview process, and the job you worked so hard for is finally yours. The joy you felt upon being hired can quickly become overshadowed by the realization that you are now working for a difficult boss. Studies show that up to 80% of Americans say that they have worked for a "bad boss" or miserable manager at some point in their careers, and while popular media pokes fun at many lousy bosses, dealing with one in reality isn't funny in the slightest. If you feel like you're being bullied, overworked, harassed, micromanaged, mistreated or led by a clueless dolt, there are things you can do that will hopefully improve the situation.

• First, be sure that your complaints are valid and that your work is up to par. Are you meeting all of your deadlines? Does your boss have a valid reason for micromanaging you? Stay focused on your job duties and make sure that you have a clear understanding of your boss’s expectations.

• If the bad boss behavior continues, keep track of all of the negative interactions between the two of you. Include the date, time, location and a brief description of what occurred. Recording these incidents may be helpful later.

• Try to find support among your coworkers or other managers at the company. If you were not assigned a mentor, ask for one. Share your concerns with your mentor for some good advice on how to handle the situation.

• Consider speaking honestly with your boss about the behaviors that are upsetting you. This should be done out of sight and earshot of other employees and managers. Keep this interaction positive and non-accusatory for best results.

• Get comfortable with speaking up when you feel that you're being taken advantage of - learn how to set boundaries while still fulfilling your job duties and making the boss look good.

Be careful who you complain to about your frustrations, because sometimes people can act sympathetic but will go directly to management with whatever you tell them. Also try to avoid complaining to your boss’s superiors without attempting to resolve the problem yourself first. To do so can earn you a reputation as the “office complainer,” and that isn't good for anyone's career. However, keep in mind that no job is worth sacrificing your self-worth. If no resolution can be reached, consider moving to a different part of the company if possible.

Even though you just got the job, a nasty boss can make all 40 hours a week totally miserable and can bring down your self-esteem and ratchet up your anxiety to dangerous levels. If your bad boss sabotages your attempts to transfer, or if transferring is not an option, it may be time to admit that this particular job is not for you. Save your sanity and your sense of self by returning to the job search to find employment working for someone who appreciates your value and treats you respectfully.

Adrienne McGuire is a writer, educator and wellness enthusiast who abandoned the corporate ladder to create the life she really wanted.  Her journey down the road less traveled took her to http://www.dailypath.com, where she is now an integral part of the writing team.

Interview Prep for Every Job Seeker

Jennifer Fry
Careerminds Consultant

There is typically a list of any number of things a job seeker can do to prepare for an interview, and some of what is on the list is dependent upon the position, the company, the field, etc. Certainly, an architect will have a very different interview experience overall than a school nurse, for instance. In more general terms, however, most job seekers take many of the same steps to prepare for an interview, and they can be summed up as research and practice. When you put it that way, it seems pretty simple, right? And maybe it is, but that doesn't mean it doesn't require some real effort on your part.
To give you a better idea of exactly what "research" and "practice" entail, here are some more detailed preparation instructions:

Research

• First, get to know the job description. Presumably, you already have a fairly good grasp on the specifics of the position after having composed your resume and cover letter, but to prepare for an interview, it's a good idea to really learn the ins and outs of the qualifications and responsibilities listed. Just like your application documents, the questions and answers in your interview will be expected to center around these specific qualities, so knowing them back and front will help you formulate great answers quickly and easily.
• Next, it's vital to research the company. This may entail learning more about corporate culture around the office, the company's recent achievements in the news, the overall mission of the organization, or maybe even the CEO and other company leaders. Comb through their website for what you think is most important to know, gathering a general understanding of most everything-- you're expected to know what information is available to you, so don't get caught asking a question that's already been answered online.
• Also, research yourself! It's a good idea to perform a formal or an informal self-assessment, focusing on relating your experiences and skills to the requirements of the position and the overall needs of the company. Come up with a handful of great STAR examples that you'll have ready to go once you're in the interview, and give some thought to your career goals so that you can articulate them effectively in the moment.

Practice

• Once you've got all the information researched and stored in your memory, it's time to rehearse-- seriously! Look up common interview questions online, formulate your answers, and practice them out loud. The point is not to come to the interview with your answers already memorized word for word, but rather to familiarize yourself with questions you may have to answer, and to have an idea of how you'd like to respond. That way, your nerves won't get the best of you in the moment.

A few other preparatory steps may include putting together a nice interview outfit-- it's important to look the part-- and gathering any documents you may want/need to take with you (i.e.: extra copies of your resume, portfolio items, etc. plus a pad of paper and a pen to possibly take a few notes).
Preparation for your specific position may include a few more specific steps, but these are the steps that most every professional in career transition should know and adhere to for a successful interview.

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Careerminds provides scalable, strategic solutions to organizations seeking affordable, web-based outplacement services. Using a Web 2.0 e-learning platform that delivers affordable, online career transition services, Careerminds provides a high-tech and high-touch blend of on-demand career transition education supported by senior-level career consultants to help displaced workers reenter the workforce quickly.

Tips to Find a Great Mentor

Jennifer Fry
Careerminds Consultant

Luke Skywalker had Yoda. Daniel had Mr. Miyagi. Maybe you have or are looking for a mentor of your own. Having a mentor can be helpful for a lot of professionals in career transition: young job seekers just getting started, experienced professionals changing career paths, or really anyone who may need a little guidance. If you think that you would benefit from finding a mentor to help with your professional growth and with your job search, but you're not sure where to look, here are a few tips that can steer you in the right direction.

• Consider these qualities to look for in a potential mentor:
  • Willingness and availability
  • Self-confidence
  • Well-respected in the workplace and community
  • Willingness to give honest, constructive feedback
  • Awareness of your goals and interests
  • Discreetness
• Next, with these qualities in mind, you can begin to think of where exactly you might find such a person:
  • Your alma mater
  • Professional or trade organizations
  • Your own professional network
  • Friends and family
  • Strangers (really! People you've just met at conferences, meetings, etc. may be helpful to you.)
• Lastly, consider these tips when deciding who is the best fit for you:
  • Be open to mentors of the opposite sex
  • Don't shy away from a long-distance mentor
  • Consider "impersonal" mentoring-- you can be inspired and motivated by people you don't even know!
  • Seek help finding a mentor-- friends, family and colleagues may know just the right person for you.

A mentor is not always a necessity during the job search or any other time in your career, but for some, a mentor is just what they need to put themselves on the right track to grow, learn and achieve their goals. A good mentor doesn't have to be involved in every aspect of your professional life, nor are they responsible for getting you a job, a raise, etc. A good mentor is there to motivate and guide you to do the best work that you can do so that you can achieve success, yourself. With that in mind, who wouldn't want their own personal Yoda?

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Careerminds provides scalable, strategic solutions to organizations seeking affordable, web-based outplacement services. Using a Web 2.0 e-learning platform that delivers affordable, online career transition services, Careerminds provides a high-tech and high-touch blend of on-demand career transition education supported by senior-level career consultants to help displaced workers reenter the workforce quickly.

Showing, Not Just Telling That You're the Best

Jennifer Fry
Careerminds Consultant

Job seekers are told time and time again to sell themselves with confidence during their career transition, and they should. The catch is that you can't just tell a hiring manager that you're the best choice and expect them to believe you; you have to show them what makes you the best candidate for the position by providing specific examples of your work and experience that clearly fit with the needs of the company at hand. Think of it this way, when you were in school, you wouldn't write a research paper with no evidence to support your points, so why would write a cover letter with no examples to support your claim that you're the best choice?
One simple way to show and tell is to make use of what is called the "branded cover letter" format. This particular format is constructed specifically to provide examples of your success in other positions. A branded cover letter consists of the following components:

1. Introduction/Reason You Are Reaching Out: First, grab the reader's attention, then tell them who you are and why you are writing (i.e.: the position you're applying for, how you heard about the company or position).
2. Specific Examples (STAR): You may be familiar with the STAR or behavioral interviewing format- situation/task, action, results. This is the information that you should provide in your cover letter, as well. Choose a specific example or two that will relate your past experience to the position in a very clear way. For instance, the position you're applying for requires that you have expert knowledge of Dreamweaver, a website design program, so you include a STAR example that describes your previous employer's need for a revamped company website, and your efforts using Dreamweaver to completely redesign the site's layout to create a more user-friendly interface, resulting in a 25% increase in traffic to the website. Based on this example, there is no question that you can use this software successfully.
3. Describe Key Attributes: Use personal examples of soft skills (i.e.: personality traits that fit the corporate culture) or special skills that fit the position. You may also want to use this section to further explain something on your resume.
4. Conclusion: Wrap up by briefly reiterating your qualifications and your interest in the position. Provide your contact information-- phone number and email-- and state if you plan to contact the employer, or if you plan to wait to hear from them. Also, don't forget to thank the reader for their time and consideration.

The lesson here is this: it is one thing to tell an employer that you are qualified, but they won't believe it without seeing some evidence, so show them some!

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Careerminds provides scalable, strategic solutions to organizations seeking affordable, web-based outplacement services. Using a Web 2.0 e-learning platform that delivers affordable, online career transition services, Careerminds provides a high-tech and high-touch blend of on-demand career transition education supported by senior-level career consultants to help displaced workers reenter the workforce quickly.