Writing an Engaging Resume in 2023

In today's competitive job market, a well-crafted resume is your ticket to securing job opportunities and standing out from the crowd. Your resume serves as a marketing tool, showcasing your skills, experiences, and qualifications to potential employers. To maximize its impact, it's crucial to create an effective resume that captures attention and leaves a lasting impression. In this career coaching article, we'll provide you with essential tips and strategies to help you write a compelling and effective resume.

1. Understand the Purpose: Before diving into resume writing, it's important to understand its purpose. Your resume should not merely be a summary of your work history, but rather a strategic document that highlights your most relevant accomplishments and skills. Its goal is to pique the interest of hiring managers, showcase your value proposition, and secure an interview.

2. Tailor Your Resume for Each Opportunity: Customization is key when it comes to writing an effective resume. Take the time to carefully review the job description and research the company you're applying to. Tailor your resume to match their requirements and align with their values and culture. Highlight specific skills, experiences, and achievements that are most relevant to the role you're targeting.

3. Choose the Right Resume Format: There are various resume formats to choose from, including chronological, functional, and combination formats. Select the format that best suits your experience and the job you're applying for. For most professionals, the chronological format, which lists your work history in reverse order, is the most common and effective choice. However, if you're changing careers or have employment gaps, a functional or combination format might be more suitable.

4. Create a Professional Summary or Objective Statement: Begin your resume with a concise professional summary or objective statement that captures the essence of your career and what you bring to the table. This section should be tailored to the specific job and highlight your key skills and accomplishments. Use compelling language and concise bullet points to make an immediate impact.

5. Highlight Achievements and Results: Instead of just listing job responsibilities, focus on your achievements and results. Quantify your accomplishments whenever possible to provide tangible evidence of your success. Use action verbs to start each bullet point and emphasize the impact you made in your previous roles. Employers are more interested in what you achieved than simply what you did.

6. Showcase Relevant Skills: Identify the key skills required for the job and ensure they are prominently displayed on your resume. Include both hard skills (e.g., proficiency in a specific software, project management) and soft skills (e.g., communication, leadership) that are relevant to the role. Provide specific examples or situations where you have demonstrated these skills to further substantiate your claims.

7. Keep it Concise and Readable: Recruiters often spend a short amount of time reviewing resumes, so it's important to make yours easy to read and digest. Keep your resume concise, preferably limited to one or two pages. Use bullet points, subheadings, and white space to organize information and enhance readability. Choose a clean and professional font and ensure consistent formatting throughout.

8. Proofread and Edit: Typos and errors can make a negative impression on employers, so proofread your resume carefully. Pay attention to grammar, spelling, and punctuation. It's also helpful to have someone else review your resume to catch any mistakes you may have missed. Additionally, consider using action words and descriptive language to make your resume more engaging.

9. Include Relevant Keywords: Many companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to screen resumes. To ensure your resume passes through the initial automated screening, incorporate relevant keywords from the job description. However, avoid excessive keyword stuffing and maintain a natural flow.

Apathy in the Workplace

By Dr. Sue Ann T. Guy

Definition, Occurrence and Symptoms: Apathy is a lack of interests, enthusiasm or concern; Lack of feeling or emotion.1 Absence or suppression of passion, emotion or excitement; Lack of interest in or concern for things that others find moving or exciting.2  (Bystander apathy is when people witness others in need and choose to do nothing to help, intervene or offer assistance.) Symptoms of apathy include lack of interest, motivation or emotion, inability to perform well at work, disrupted social relationships, low energy levels, reduced participation, anhedonia (inability of enjoyment), lethargy (slowness, sluggishness). Apathy may be caused by depression, low self-esteem, trauma or anxiety.3, 5 The opposite of apathy is sympathy (sharing the feelings of another, especially in sorrow or trouble; fellow feeling or compassion), enthusiasm, interest and passion.4

Coping Strategies: An apathetic person in the workplace influences the environment. To cope, an apathetic person must be aware for triggers, digitally disconnect, exercise, seek support systems, set small goals, change routines and breakdown large projects into small steps.3 People negatively impacted by an apathetic person in the work environment may foster and communicate a work environment that reaches out to the apathetic person, express concern and offer support without judging.5

References

1.       https://www.google.com/search?q=define+apathy&oq=define+apathy&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i512l5j0i22i30l4.2093j1j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

2.       https://www.dictionary.com/browse/apathy

3.       https://www.verywellmind.com/apathy-lethargy-and-anhedonia-379832

4.       https://www.dictionary.com/browse/sympathy

5.       https://jedfoundation.org/resource/understanding-apathy/

What are your Career Goals?

By Dr. Sue Ann Guy

Definition, Occurrence and Symptoms: Goal setting motivates employee performance  within the workplace.1, 2, 3 When employees both plan and receive clear goals for employment, employee job satisfaction increases. Goals for employees clarify how to prioritize tasks, how decisions impact employment, teamwork expectations and compensation for overall employment success. Employment goals should be established with employers before hire, but only after individuals consider personal goals. For example, you plan to complete a $6 million project within two years before returning to your home State to care for parents. Employment goals may change during the course of employment for any reason (i.e., changes in personal needs, business goals, etc.). Keep in mind that employers may or may not support personal goals during the course of employment. Failure to plan achievable employment goals may lower employee morale, incite team resentment, reduce productivity, decrease role clarity or stir employee disengagement.

Coping Strategies: Again, consequences exist for failing to plan employment goals (i.e., lower employee morale, disengagement, low productivity, etc.). When employer goals and employees’ personal goals coincide, job satisfaction is maximized.1, 2, 3 Start planning by first understanding your own personal goals (i.e., job preferences, salary requirements, family plans, income planning, etc.). While job seeking, listen attentively to the interviewer’s employment goals to ensure your personal goals align. For example, if an interviewer mentions that salary raises occur only after gaining seniority (or 5 years of employment), consider if your cost of living will surpass your current salary during that period of time. Discuss goal planning with your employer as necessary. Aligning your personal goals for employment with your organization’s employment goals is mutually beneficial. Foster and communicate a work environment that encourages employees to plan employment goals. 

References

1. https://engagedly.com/7-reasons-why-goal-setting-is-important/#:~:text=Goal%20Setting%20is%20an%20easy,their%20confidence%20and%20job%20satisfaction

2. https://hbr.org/2011/02/making-sure-your-employees-suc

3. https://www.kbibenefits.com/the-importance-of-goal-setting-for-new-hires

Helplessness in the Workplace

By Dr. Sue Ann T. Guy

Definition, Occurrence and Symptoms: Helplessness is the temporary inability to defend oneself or act effectively. Lacking protection or support, especially when faced with difficulty. The feeling or state of being unable to do anything to help yourself or anyone else. Feeling defenseless, powerlessness, out of control, unable to manage.

Learned helplessness is an ongoing behavior that occurs or manifest when someone is repeatedly subject or controlled by an aversive stimulus that is inescapable. Eventually, the person will stop trying to avoid the stimulus and behave as if utterly helpless to change the situation. Even when opportunities to escape are presented, this learned helplessness will prevent any action. When people feel that they have no control over their situation, they may begin to behave in a helpless manner. This inaction can lead people to overlook opportunities for relief or change. Learned helplessness may also contribute to feelings of anxiety and may influence the onset, severity, and persistence of conditions such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).1 Low self-esteem, frustration, passivity and lack of motivation or effort are other symptoms of learned helplessness.2 The opposite of helplessness is feeling guarded, protected, shielded, capable and in control.

Coping Strategies: When experiencing helplessness, seek someone’s help or continually practice independently. Research suggests that learned helplessness can be successfully decreased, particularly if intervention occurs during early onset. Long-term learned helplessness can also be reduced by CBT therapy, although it may require longer-term effort.1 Fostering and communicating a work environment where you and coworkers feel guarded, protected, shielded, capable and in control.

References

1. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-learned-helplessness-2795326

2. https://www.betterup.com/blog/learned-helplessness