What is an Infographic Resume?

When you are out into the real world looking for a job, the biggest challenge you face is how you’ll stand out.

Whether or not you are aware of the term ‘infographic’, I’m sure you have come across many of them while browsing the web. Infographics are mostly used by companies or brands that want to capture their audience’s attention with visual marketing. Infographics, short for information graphics, are a graphical or visual representation of data or information or knowledge.

Over the last couple of years, infographics have emerged as an effective marketing tool for businesses of all sizes.

Images and visuals grab our attention pretty fast. This is because the human brain is programmed to respond to visuals.

But what exactly is an infographic resume?

Turn your resume into an infographic – and it becomes an infographic resume. In an infographic resume, all the information and data regarding your education, skills and experiences is presented using both images and text.

Since most employers or hiring managers hardly spend time reading a resume from beginning till end, an infographic resume gives jobseekers an excellent opportunity to quickly grab their attention through an attractive graphical representation. An infographic resume makes it easier to scan the document in a few moments and grasp the essential data quickly.

If you have been struggling to attract employers’ attention with your traditional resume, you should definitely consider an infographic resume.

An infographic resume helps you –

  • Stand out in the crowd
  • Showcase your creative abilities
  • Tell a compelling story
  • Build your network

Though an infographic resume isn’t a complete replacement of a traditional resume, it can do a great job for you in many cases. Your success with infographic resumes depend on how attractively you design them.If you are applying for a job in an industry where creativity is an essential skill, creating an infographic resume may hit the nail on the head. Even if the field is conservative, you can set yourself apart quickly with a well-designed infographic resume. However, you shouldn’t use an infographic resume to cover up some ugly truth such as bad job history. A great infographic presents all the essential data or information in a concise, interesting and creative manner.

Before you start putting together your own infographic resume, you should take a closer look at other people’s infographic resumes. The internet is a great source to check out the key features of a great infographic resume. Also, there are many online tools that you can use to put together an infographic resume. If you can’t do it on your own, you should seek the help of a graphics designer.

Job Hunting In the Digital Age: Reputation, Resumes & Video Interviews

Job hunting has changed a great deal since the digital age became a prominent fixture in daily life. Recruiters are utilizing the web to search for potential candidates at home and abroad. And HR is using the social media platforms to investigate candidates’ personal lives as well. This has become a common practice among college recruiters as well.

Interestingly, recruiters are using what they find about you online to make hiring decisions. Making your digital reputation invaluable to acquiring your dream job. How much thought have you actually put into your digital reputation? It is essential to understand that you are leaving a digital footprint HR recruiters are indeed following.

Leave a Unique and Positive Digital Footprint

Your unique digital footprint can be a positive when it comes to your latest job hunt. However, it can certainly hurt your reputation too. Developing your digital reputation is more important than ever in the digital era. And it allows you to connect and network with recruiters and corporate decision makers without even leaving your home.

In fact, studies have found that 75 percent of HR recruiters look for career candidates online. They use social media, and it’s often acts as your cover letter. Other research found that 70 percent of job application resumes would get dropped in the “no” pile due to a poor digital footprint.

Make Your Digital Persona Professional

Developing a digital persona is a fantastic way to really boost your digital reputation. A professional digital persona will showcase your talent while making it easy for HR recruiters to find.

Create a LinkedIn profile and serve up a professional platform for recruiters. A survey conducted by Bullhorn, a tech product company for HR departments, found that 89 percent of recruiters hired candidates via LinkedIn.

Many jobs are posted solely on the professional social media site and online. Having a digital persona that is professional is vital. However, only 36 percent of job seekers are using professional sites like LinkedIn.

The Social Media Catch-22

There is certainly a clear social media catch-22 when it comes to your job hunting. HR recruiter will browse to find the positives, as well as the negatives. And a potential candidate with a professional online presence is definitely what recruiters are looking for.

If you are worried about what you have online, you can set your social media accounts to private. This will allow only your friends to see your posts and pics. You may also want to create fake usernames as well, leaving no trace of you online when recruiters begin their investigation.

There are lots of wonderful tips you can employ to ensure you get your dream job without your social media getting in the way. Develop your professional digital reputation today and highlight your marketability. The infographic below will help you build a strategy for the most efficient and effective job hunt in the digital age. It will most certainly assist your job hunting efforts, and help you leave a digital footprint recruiters will love.

Posted By: Dave Landry

Moving forward: How to deal with career setbacks

We all have great plans and ideas about the future and our career. However, nothing good in life comes easy. There are times that we feel like the whole world is against us. But is there anything that you can do? Well, life is never perfect; there will always be ups and downs. The big difference is how you deal with all the challenges and failures because sometimes, things won’t turn out according to plan no matter how hard we try. Even if we think unquestionably, plan undoubtedly, and work unmistakably, setbacks, failures, as well as many other circumstances can come when we least expect them. And we don’t have a choice since its part of human life that we all can experience.

How nice would it be if only setbacks aren’t real? But since it is an ineluctable fact, you don’t have to remain a victim. You need to rise again no matter how many times you fail and do not let it paralyze you. Yes, career setbacks are absolutely one of the hardest failures in life. It can be the loss of work, the rejection from a job application, the failed salary increase, the rejected proposal, the declined promotion, or maybe the lack of job opportunity. No matter how much you want to change the scenario or erase all the mistakes you’ve done, you can never bring back time. This is a devastating challenge to many, which may cause depression and anxiety.

So if you are one of those individuals suffering from career setbacks or you know someone who can hardly move on because of failure in their professional career, here are the best ways to deal with it.

1.  TAKE TIME TO BREATHE 

If you didn’t put “too much effort” and “expect too much”, there will be no disappointments, anger, and sadness. But since you placed your best foot forward for the sake of your career and it ended up as a failure, give yourself some space to slowly accept the setback. Take a little time to breathe and spend more time on the things that make you happy such as being with your family and friends. Somehow it will help you deal with the struggles that you’re going through. It may not heal all the pain and worries right away, but at least it’ll help you handle disappointments gracefully.

2.   VENT OUT ALL YOUR FRUSTRATIONS AND DISMAY TO SOMEONE

People have different ways of dealing with problems. Some like to pretend like it never happened while others prefer to isolate themselves. However, it can lead to severe depression so why not try expressing your feelings of distress to someone? Reach out and seek advice from your family, friends, or someone you trust and vent out all your emotions. This will help you organize your thoughts and feel better knowing that there are people willing to listen, understand, and help.

3.   EVALUATE AND IDENTIFY THE CAUSE

Making the same mistake twice or more isn’t a mistake but a choice. Now is the time to face the reality and reassess what went wrong.  Why are setbacks happening in your career, was it something you did, what were the reasons behind the failure?  Evaluating and identifying the cause will help you avoid making the same mistakes and failures again.

4.  BE OPTIMISTIC

The way we think will affect our behavior and our life. If our thoughts are all negative, it will rule over our life but if we think positively, it’ll make us happy and content.  Setbacks and failures are part of life and you must learn from them.  Viewing life in a positive manner will also help you move on and aspire for a wonderful career path.

5.  CHANGE FOR THE BETTER

There may be times when you know you’ve worked hard and it still ended up as a failure.  Change your plans and your old habits. Do not be afraid to make adjustments, take other steps, and try something new. Maybe, just maybe, what you did before just wasn’t effective in that situation.

6.  PLAN AHEAD AND SET YOUR GOALS

Setbacks may have happened and you may have failed in your career but never stop there. It’s not because your dreams are unreachable you just did not get the desired outcomes.  Continue to adjust your plans and goals based on your leaning experiences (success and failures) and continue to move forward.

In reality, setbacks and failures happen even if we have given 100% of our efforts just to make things right. But a successful career isn’t easy to achieve, it needs a lot of patience, courage, and determination to be able to earn and attain the career you desire. This is why it’s important to control yourself, your mind, and your emotions. Do not let setbacks and failures define your life. Instead, learn from them and find the positives to help inspire your career. After all, it is only you who can make or break your career.

Curriculum Vitae versus Resumé

In almost all professions, there is a great deal of competition in finding jobs so being highly educated and well experienced isn’t enough especially for those newly graduated students. With the uncertainty in the job market and the increased competition it is even more important to find ways to stand out.  Can you consider yourself qualified or deserving of the kind of job you’re looking for?  Even if you think that you’re qualified and a top performer, you also have to consider that there are other candidates who are as qualified as you.

Remember that not every person gets the job they wish for so what makes you stand out among the other applicants? And what makes you more qualified and deserving for the job? Well, it is only a matter of “selling yourself”. It’s imperative more than ever to learn how to sell yourself to be able to find potential employers and the right job. Selling yourself means convincing an employer that you’re the one that he or she’s looking for and that they should hire you.

Two of the best ways of “selling yourself” to companies and employers are, (1) writing a resumé and (2) writing a curriculum vitae. However, these two are often used interchangeably, so to be able to understand further, let’s discover the purpose and differences between a resumé and a curriculum vitae, and which one is the most significant to use when applying for a job.

Differences between a resumé and a curriculum vitae

  1. In a layman’s term, a resumé is a specific version or somewhat like a summary of your skills and experiences that’s generally written in one page. While a curriculum vitae (CV) is a broader version about your accomplishments and qualifications such as your academic credentials, but are longer and would usually take three pages or more.
  2. “Curriculum Vitae” is a Latin word meaning “course of life” and it is mostly used by European countries. While a “resumé” is a French word which means “summary” or a brief document that contains a precise information of an applicant. It is mostly utilized by the Americans and Canadians.
  3. When applying for a job, the resumé’s information will always depend on the job requirements. Thus, it can be shuffled because you will only provide those work-related information, work-related skills, as well as work-related experiences. Whereas in a curriculum vitae, everything must be in chronological order – of the whole achievements, experiences, and skills you have acquired, since it is an overview of your entire professional career.
  4. A resumé is generally used by the majority and when applying for a job specifically for those “non-academic” organizations. Basically, it is what most employers want to see. Why? Because employers and Managers wouldn’t want to read a 3-page resume or more, having the same “flowery words/phrases” over and over again while there are hundreds or maybe thousands of applicants waiting to be reviewed. This is why, you need to create an effective resume that will convince an employer to interview or hire you by seeing the most valuable information of you within 5 seconds or a maximum of 5 minutes.

A curriculum vitae is mostly used by individuals who are seeking for medical position, research position, post-secondary teaching, faculty jobs, scholarships, fellowships or grants, and many other academic applications since it provides a more comprehensive information. It is more detailed, longer, and must be updated more often.

  1. A typical curriculum vitae will include the following information:

Name, contact number, address, email, education information, awards, experiences, certificates, employments, publications, presentations, personal data/information such as civil status, height, hobbies, sports, and expertise, letter of recommendation, and references.

A typical resumé will include the following information:

Name, contact information, education, work-related experiences and skills.

Which one do I need?

As a job seeker, reading the facts above will give you an idea on how significant it is to know the differences between a resumé and a curriculum vitae. In other words, it will always depend on the job you’re applying for. The best thing to do is to evaluate which is more qualified to use, or if you’re still confused, you can always ask politely, “Would you prefer a resume or CV?” However, you need not worry since majority of the job hiring/application opportunities provide specific requirements.

Keep in mind that the economy is changing drastically and your resumé or curriculum vitae can help create a good “first impression”.  Your need to catch their attention and make them want to know more about you and position yourself as the most qualified candidate for the job. So, let the first impression last by writing a powerful and effective resumé or a curriculum vitae.

Do you need help?

Do you have all of the information you need to create your resume based on the requirements of specific jobs you are looking for?  View careers across all industries and use the job overview, tasks, skills, and education requirements to prepare your resume. You can also search for specific jobs in your area to help shape your resume to meet the needs of the employer and stand out among the crowd.

Careers at all Hours

Do you do your best work at night or early in the morning?

Most of us work during the day between 8 am and 5pm but there are many occupations that work odd hours to accommodate the job requirements.  If you have schedule restrictions that force you to work non-standard hours we have jobs that will fit your schedule.

Three categories of non-standard work shifts:

  • Evening – between 6pm and 10pm
  • Night – between 11pm and 3am
  • Morning – between 4am and 8am

Evening:

If you work the standard 8am to 5pm shift you will be looking for services after you leave work.  Restaurants and bars staff up to accommodate patrons in the evening.  Movie theatres, casinos, and other entertainment venues hire many part-time and full-time employees to accommodate the demand in the evening hours.  Here are some examples of occupation groups and careers that start in the evening hours.

Night:

Most of us are sleeping during the night shift getting ready for our next 8-5 shift. There are occupations that are up and running to help protect us and be there in case we need them. Fire fighters, police, and healthcare providers are all working around the clock to make sure we have the support we need.  Here are some examples of occupation groups and careers that start in the night hours.

Morning:

There are occupations that need to stretch the day out as long as they can. Farmers, Ranchers and Construction Laborers start early to capture seasonal cycles and get the most out of their day. Here are some examples of occupation groups and careers that start in the early morning hours.

Whatever your time preference is or your schedule demands are there are jobs that will fit your needs.

Take the Career Aptitude Test to see whether you would be a good fit for any of the careers above!  Or browse job openings today in your area to see what jobs are available today in the careers above.

Adrenaline Careers – Intensely Rewarding Careers and Jobs

Are you looking for a different type of job?  A job where every day is a new challenge?  A job where every day is unpredictable and exciting?  A job that provides an adrenaline rush?

Although every job has the possibility of intense situations– remember the last time you had to explain the mistake you made to your boss?– there are specific jobs and careers where intense, often life threatening situations are part and parcel of the job description.  These occupations are certainly not for the average person.  However, it may be exactly the type of job for some individuals.  Fortunately, for those of us that are looking for such a career, there are a variety of ways to go about it.

In general, these types of high intensity jobs fall into 3 broad categories.

  • Jobs to Protect and Serve
  • Jobs that Save Lives
  • Dangerous or Adventurous Jobs

Jobs to Protect and Serve

The need for people to protect the public and maintain the law is a bedrock of every society.  Protecting the public and maintaining the law is becoming even more important as the criminal element is becoming more pervasive and other factors such as natural disasters are becoming increasingly unpredictable.  These jobs are both personally very risky and unbelievably rewarding.  In many cases, these are the individuals that stand between life and death for many in our society.  In doing so,individuals in these jobs are also at the forefront of risking their own lives as well.  It’s expected that there will be strong growth in job openings for these occupations with a good portion of the growth being driven by the need to replace retirees in these positions.

Some jobs in this category include:

Jobs to Save Lives

Many people in the emergency and healthcare services area deal daily with individuals that are facing life-threatening situations. Whether the issue is purely medical in nature or is the result of some other actions, jobs in the healthcare and emergency services sectors are there to ensure that everything is done to save lives.  These are the jobs and careers that are responsible for saving our lives when we are injured or sick.  The demand for these jobs will increase significantly, partially as a result of the increasingly volatile nature of society today and largely due to the aging demographic in the U.S.

Some jobs in this category include:

Adventurous or Dangerous Jobs

There are a number of jobs that require its workers to go to places and do things that are, by definition, dangerous.  These careers are typically in specific industries that require a physical location or the use of dangerous materials in order to perform the job.  These jobs are growing slower than other jobs primarily due to the advancement of tools and technology to de-risk some of the dangerous elements going forward.

Some jobs in this category include:

Is It the Right Fit for You?

Although we may wish for more excitement in our jobs, it’s altogether different to have a career in the jobs that we’ve outlined above.  It takes more than just a desire for action or excitement.  It requires the ability to adapt to unique, unforeseen situations, and often under timing constraints and significant pressure.  Judgment and self-control are also important factors.

Take the Career Aptitude Test to see whether you would be a good fit for any of the careers above!  Or browse job openings today in your area to see what jobs are available today in the careers above.

Reasons to Consider a Career Change

In the past, people learned a trade and generally stuck with it for life. Those days however, are long gone. In today’s world the workforce is more diverse, options are more complex, and the number of considerations people make about their careershas gone up astronomically. It’s fair to say that with increased options havecome increased expectations, and sometimes with expectation comes disappointment.

Many people get pushed — or simply fall — into a career path. Whether or not it suits them or brings the best out in them is debatable. Down the line some people may start questioning things like: is their salary high enough? Are they being challenged? Do their benefits cover them? Are they over-worked or dealing with too much stress? Add in any numberof other existential factors and it’s easy to see why career change are common.  Bulleted below are some reasons why changing careers can be a good thing, and may be right for you.

  • Health. Your job can take a big toll on your health, and without your health what do you have? If you experience any form of chronic illness, debilitation, and/or fatigue, your work may be the culprit. This can be caused by anything from overload to a toxic boss, but often it’s your entire career that needs a shift. Your body is a finely tuned instrument and it can understand things your mind cannot. Listen to it.
  • You lack passion or excitement. No job will have this all of the time, but if you feel no spark at all, looking elsewhere might make sense. Worried about educational requirements or other barriers to a new job? There are always ways to obtain or work around these things. Finding something that suites your aptitude and makes you feel motivated is a deal breaker in terms of career satisfaction.
  • Nothing kills interest like routine and monotony. Its cliche, but variety is the spice of life. Changing jobs and/or careers forces you out of your normal daily routine and into something new and refreshing, sparking renewed motivation.  Different jobs offer different ranges of personal freedom and flexibility. A different career might be a better fit for your personality and desired lifestyle. If you haven’t found it yet keep looking.

Life is always changing and those who become comfortable with transition and change are most likely to thrive. Changing to a new career can up your confidence. You can become more flexible, open-minded, and adaptable. You can learn to appreciate diversity and understand different cultural experiences with each new role. Your confidence will continuously develop and you will always be growing as a person, setting yourself up to be even more capable in the next exciting role.

If you have any inclination that your career isn’t right for you but aren’t sure what is, take a look at this career aptitude test. A diversified skillset never hurt anyone, either.

Music Careers

Do you love music?  Is it your dream to have a career in Music?

There are many jobs that involve working with Music that can satisfy your desires. Singers and Musicians are the most obvious of occupations in music but not all of us have the talent for those roles. There are multiple options that allow you to be involved in music.

Musical Occupations:

Outlook for Careers in Music:

The variety of positions in the music industry is appealing.  However, the number of workers in this industry is considered low.  A significant amount of workers in these professions are self-employed and music is not always their primary source of income. 

Projected growth for most of these careers is slower than average at 3%-7%.  There are a few standout careers such as Choreographers with expected growth at 22% and Audio and Video Equipment Technicians at 8%-14%.

Music is an exciting industry and you have the opportunity to work in an area that rewards you for having a passion for music.  Networking is an important aspect of the music industry and you will be able to collaborate with others who have a similar passion.

Education Requirements in Music:

Most of us were introduced to music at an early age.  Maybe you took piano lessons with the dream of becoming a guitar player and starting your own band.  If you have musical talents for being a singer or musician a degree is not necessary.  Other occupations may require additional training and education.  Audio and Video Equipment Technicians jobs require a certificate to be considered for the role.  Bachelor degrees are needed to be a Music Teacher or a Music Director.

Regardless of the occupation additional education is beneficial and considering many people in this industry are self-employed they are able to utilize those skills to run their business.  There are many education options to achieve the necessary certificate, associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or a postsecondary degree.

Do you have a passion for Music?  

Take the Career Aptitude Test to see whether you would be a good fit for any of the careers above!

Helpful Resume Writing Tips to Land Your Dream Job

Here are some important resume tips to consider when beginning the first stage of your resume writing and designing process. We have included these steps to help guide you through the do’s and don’ts of writing a resume, ensuring that you stand out amongst your competition. These tips have been proven to work well, and when followed, ensure positive results such as landing more interviews and possibly obtaining the position you favor the most. These tips are as follows:

  • Keep your resume clean, simple, and professional.
  • Focus on your major strengths and achievements; your resume should be a strong summary of your professional background and skills.
  • Always begin with either a short but strong qualification summary or include a proficiency/areas of expertise section above.
  • Have any awards, special recognitions, and publications? List them.
  • Make a list of your core qualifications and include them on your resume.
  • Use one or two different fonts, maintaining consistency throughout. Also, use a professional looking font such as Calibri, Arial, etc. Skip the Comic Sans.
  • Don’t overuse colorful graphics and font colors (unless you’re applying for a Graphic Design position).
  • Keep personal information, such as your birthday, hobbies/interests, number of family members, etc. off of your resume.
  • Include updated contact information such as your address, phone number, and email address; make sure you use a professional email address (for example, johnsmi[email protected] is great, but I’d leave [email protected] out).
  • Make sure to implement effective keywords throughout your resume. Remember, many times your resume will be sent through a scanning process for the specific position you’re applying for. If your resume doesn’t match some of the words used in the job description, you may just miss the boat.

And remember, the resume process takes time. So if you find yourself lost, stuck, or frustrated, take it step by step and follow the checklist provided above to help you on your way to a successful career.