As the name suggests, this method can be used to assess the competence of a candidate. Moreover, this can be done based on real examples. How does this usually happen? Let’s try to figure out what a competency interview is, in more detail.

How does the competency interview go?

Each company and each position has a specific list of competencies for which you can be tested. To get confirmation of each of them, during the interview, you will be asked questions about the tasks you have performed in the past.

This means that during a competency interview, you do not solve hypothetical problems, as in a situational type of interview, but describe real-life experiences. And thus you prove that you are suitable for the company and can complete tasks in your new position.

For example, to test you for stress tolerance and predict your reaction to conflicts, you may be asked to tell about a case of communication with an aggressive interlocutor. This means that you need to remember in detail what you said to this person and how you behaved in a particular situation.

Please note: general phrases like “I always get out of conflict situations gently, I get along with clients, I have successfully communicated at my previous jobs” and the like will not work here. We need a detailed example – your memories. And honest!

Competency interview: examples and types of characteristics

If you are no longer new to the “art” of employment, the word “competence” will hardly surprise you. In short, these are characteristics that enable an employee to perform their duties effectively. If we say that a person is competent in some profession, we mean that he has the set of knowledge, skills, and behaviors that make him a professional in his field.

Conventionally, competencies are divided into the following types:

• Corporate Competencies apply to any position. Depends on the values ​​of a particular organization, its strategy, and corporate ethics:
  • business ethics;
  • professional development;
  • teamwork;
  • result orientation.
• Professional Competencies are applied to a specific position or group of positions. For a salesperson:
  • effective communication;
  • focus on results;
  • work with clients;
  • customer focus.

  For the position of a translator:

  • perseverance;
  • being organized;
  • attentiveness;
  • rich vocabulary.
• Management competencies, as the name suggests, is needed when evaluating employees who will have other employees subordinate:
  • business management;
  • work with people;
  • planning;
  • ability to make decisions;
  • ability to motivate;
  • strategic thinking.

Sometimes it is additionally highlighted:

• Personal Competencies :
  • learnable;
  • activity;
  • self-organization;
  • responsive;
  • attention to detail.
• Communication competencies :
  • negotiating;
  • written communication;
  • good speech;
  • the ability to persuade.

Competency interview: questions on STAR and PARLA methods

The most popular behavioral interview techniques are the so-called STAR and PARLA. They involve a specific sequence of questions: with their help, the recruiter receives complete behavioral examples from your life and career.

STAR Method

• S – Situation. You are asked to talk about a situation you have experienced in the past. How did it arise and under what conditions did it take place? This can be a case of communicating with a difficult client, a story about a project and your participation in it, or an example of your most creative solution in a previous job.
• T – Task (task). What was your goal in this situation? Who set it up: you or your boss?
• A – Action. Here you describe what exactly you did to complete the task. Were there any difficulties in the process and what?
• R – Result. The outcome of the situation. How did it end, did you manage to achieve the goal, what conclusions were made. You may also be asked how you would deal with the same situation in the future.

PARLA Method

The first three steps in this technique are the same as the STAR steps.

• P – Problem.
• A – Action.
• R – Result.
• L – Learned. What conclusions did you draw from the situation, what did you learn from her example.
• A – Applied (applied). The experience gained from the above case was subsequently applied.

Why is the competency interview method good?

With the help of competency interviews, you can predict how a candidate will work in a new position. The recruiter doesn’t just ask about some hypothetical situations but learns real details from your experience. So it becomes clear how you have already applied your skills at work and how you will fulfill your duties in the future.

This method also works for applicants without work experience, since behavioral examples may well be from life or school.

How to prepare for a behavioral interview

To prepare for a competency interview, you can analyze your profession and predict what competencies you will be tested for. Study information about the company on the Internet and, of course, the text of the vacancy for which you are applying.

Based on your own prediction, think about what questions you may be asked and what in your experience is that can be the answer.

Since it is quite difficult to do this work yourself, we advise you to contact a career counselor to prepare for the behavioral interview as best you can. With a specialist, you can simulate an interview and find out what impression you make and how fully you answer questions.

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How to create a resume in Word from a template

Resume templates will be useful for those people who do not know enough Microsoft Word text formatting tools. Having a ready-made resume form, it is much easier to cope with its preparation.

You can use both ready-made resume templates in Microsoft Word and downloaded them from the Internet. But be sure to pay attention to whether the downloaded document contains all the necessary sections, whether it follows the structure of the resume correctly. You can find this information in our article on the correct resume writing.

• To use the pre-installed Word resume templates, open the New Document menu (File > New). Here you will find document templates from which to choose a resume template.
• If for some reason you are not satisfied with the predefined template, you can find a better option through Office Online. To do this, in the same menu for creating a new document, find “Search for templates on the web”.
• You can also find resume templates for Word on various specialized sites.

When you find a resume template that suits your job, open it, delete the default text, and replace it with your information. When finished, reread the document carefully and save it (File > Save As).

You can also create your own document template to make the process of creating a resume in Word easier. To save the file as a template, when saving, change the file type from Document Word to Template Word (File > Save As > Computer > File Type).

Your resume should be clearly structured, so start by planning the sections of the document and their order. Your resume should include the following sections:

• Full name. Write your full name as the title of the document. Do not include the word “resume” in the title.
• Photo. Insert a good quality color photo into your resume. To do this, select Picture from the Insert menu, select a photo on your PC, and click Insert. You can use the cursor to edit the size of the photo (it should be small).
• Accommodation. Indicate the country/city/region of residence and, if necessary, where you are ready to move.
• Contact. Please enter a phone number and email with a neutral title.
• Vacancy. Clearly identify the vacancy you are applying for.
• Desired income level. The item is optional. If you want to indicate the desired level of income in your resume, try not to overestimate or underestimate this figure – soberly assess yourself as a specialist.
• Key Skills. Choose those skills that will be useful for your future position. Don’t overdo it – 5-7 skills will be enough.
• Experience. For each organization, you worked for, indicate the period of employment to the nearest month, job title, main responsibilities, and city/country if you have moved or are planning to move.
• Achievements. Indicate the main results of your professional activity.
• Education. For each educational institution where you studied, indicate the year of graduation, faculty, specialty, and qualifications. You can also mention the courses and seminars you have taken if they are relevant to the desired vacancy.
• Additional information. Indicate your level of proficiency in foreign languages ​​and PC.
• Recommendations. Here you can either write “Recommendations are available upon request” or specify the names and titles of persons with whom the recruiter can contact if recommendations are needed.

Once you’ve finished filling out the sections of your resume, start formatting it. Highlight the text and choose one of the standard fonts (Times New Roman, Book Antiqua, Arial, Calibri), font size (from 10 to 14), and black.

Use headings and lists to keep your resume easy to read. Bold headings and highlights. Lists can be used to register key skills, achievements, work experience, education.

For example:

Key Skills

• Project Management
• Public Speaking Experience
• Ability to multitask

When you finish and check your resume for errors, save it to your hard drive (File > Save As > Computer).

The title of the resume file should be clear and informative. It must contain your full name and the position for which you are applying. To make it easy for the employer to open your resume, save the file in doc or PDF format.

Try to design your resume properly to demonstrate your seriousness and competence. The convenient appearance and format of the resume will greatly facilitate its readability for the recruiter.

The post How to create a resume in Word first appeared on insigniatalks.com.

The subject of the letter when sending a resume

Job seekers often neglect the most important rule – the correct subject line when sending a resume by email. In no case leave this field empty: without a subject line, your letter may end up in spam, or the employer simply won’t notice it.

The topic should be short but contain the necessary information. Examples of successful topics: “Response to the vacancy of an assistant designer”, “Resume of the chief accountant”, “Resume by A. Ivanova for the position of a translator.”

Sometimes the employer asks you to indicate something specific in the subject line (for example, a vacancy code). Be sure to pay attention to this so that you are not considered absent-minded.

Do not send an empty letter to the employer with an attached resume file. Having a cover letter is not only considered good manners but also shows your genuine interest in the proposed job.

Place a cover letter in the body of the message. The text of the letter should be laconic and may contain:

• contacting the employer;
• name of the vacancy you are interested in;
• information on how you found it;
• brief information about your experience, skills;
• completion of the letter (thanks for the time spent, full name).

Example of a cover letter:

“Hello, Alexander Ivanovich!

I saw your job posting for a translator on the website. I propose my candidacy for the specified position and send my resume. I am a certified philologist and translator of the English language, I have five years of experience in translating technical documentation. I carry out tasks clearly and effectively.

Please consider my candidacy and thank you for the allotted time. You can contact me by phone at (123) 456-78-91.

Sincerely, Ivanova I.P. ”

What is the best format to send your resume?

As a rule, the resume should be attached as a separate file to the letter. The generic extension for a document is “doc”, but “PDF” is also possible. Do not use less popular formats, as the document may not display correctly on the recipient.

How to name files correctly

When sending a resume by e-mail, it is worth taking care of the names of the attached documents so that they do not get lost on the employer’s computer among other files. It is better to immediately see what the document is and who sent it. For example, a suitable title for a document with a resume would be “Resume_Ivanova_confectioner”.

What is the best time to send your resume?

Most hr-specialists say that the time of sending a resume does not matter. But you can still consider some tips. For example, so that your letter is among the first at the beginning of the working day, you can send it at night or early in the morning. Besides, it is undesirable to send your resume on Friday, as the letter sent before the weekend may get lost.

Should I call the employer after submitting my resume?

Experience shows that it can be difficult to contact an employer. If the phone number is still left, the next day after sending the resume, you can call the company and inquire if they received your letter. The call will show that the proposed position is really important to you, and also will not allow your letter to be ignored.

If you failed to get through, do not worry: if you followed all the recommendations for sending a resume, your letter will be received. And you will be called back if you are among the selected candidates.

Sending a resume to several recipients at once

Never send your resume to several companies at the same time. The fact is that the employer will definitely see the list of recipients of your letter and think that either you are a frivolous person and send your resume to everyone in a row, or you are just too lazy to write each a separate letter.

Name of the mailbox for communication with the employer

The employer is unlikely to take seriously the person with the mail “lapochka@mail.ru”. Create a separate mailbox with a neutral title, for example, with your last name.

And of course, don’t forget to check your letter and resume for grammatical errors

Your letter will be the first impression of you, so it is important to take your resume seriously and take into account all the nuances. The employer will definitely note your competent approach to business and will see that you are really interested in the vacancy.

The post How to send a resume first appeared on insigniatalks.com.

Correct Student Resume Sample

Denis Sukhov

Desired position: English translator
Desired income level: 50 thousand

Date of birth: 14.06.2000

Accommodation: Moscow, m. “Voykovskaya”
Ready for business trips. Not ready to move.

Contact information:
Phone: +7 (9хх) ххх-хх-хх
Email: denis.suhov@ххх.ru

Key knowledge and skills:

• High-quality translation, while maintaining the original meaning.
• Translation of legal, artistic, and technical texts.
• Experience in compiling and maintaining glossaries.
• Working in professional translation software.

List here the skills and knowledge that will help to present you as a professional in your field (albeit a beginner) in the eyes of employers. Make sure this information matches what is listed in the Education and Work Experience sections.

Achievements:

• Took III place in the All-Russian competition of literary translation (2019).
• Completed an internship at English Learners and received good references in recommendations.
• Took 1st place in the English Language Olympiad at Moscow State University (2018).

It is important to indicate as many achievements as possible related to the desired vacancy. It is worth mentioning awards, certificates, participation in competitions and olympiads, etc.

Work experience:
05.2019 – 07.2019 Internship, English translator
Babylon Translation Agency
Industry: Publishing institution

• Translation of legal, technical, and marketing texts.
• Work in programs for proofreading and translation of texts.
• Compilation and maintenance of glossaries.

07.2019 – 10.2019 Trainee
English Learners Center, Moscow
Field of activity: educational organization

• Conduct and participate in meetings with native speakers.
• Compilation of booklets and translation of the necessary documentation.
• Promotion and participation in the development of the project.

Since you do not have enough work experience (or none at all), it is recommended that you include any activity in this section that indicates aptitude. Side jobs, internships, personal projects, university internships – all of these are excellent proofs that you are ready to take a responsible and active approach to a new job.

Education:
2017 Language Center Yes
English courses, certificate

n. in. – 2021 Moscow State University, Moscow
Specialty: “English translator”, higher education
Enter here information about your education, including various courses or tests that have helped improve your qualifications. If you have not completed your studies yet, please indicate the year of your expected completion.

Additional information:
Foreign languages: English – advanced level (C1).
PC knowledge: confident user (MS Office, SDL Trados Studio, Wordfast Pro, Oddjob, Translation Workspace XLIFF Editor, Memsource editor, Linguistic Toolbox, Xbench).

Recommendations are available upon request.

The post Student resume sample first appeared on insigniatalks.com.

An organization’s resume is typically larger than a standard resume and is 4-5 pages.

How to write an organizational resume

1. Company name. Placed at the very top of the document.
2. A Brief History. Here you need to give a general description of the company – the date and place of its creation, development process, achievements.
3. The essence of the activity. Describe the main functions of the enterprise: field of activity, products produced, services provided.
4. Manager and staff. Tell us about the availability of specialists in the headquarters and their qualifications.
5. Current market position. This section is needed to characterize the current state of affairs of the organization. To fully describe it, pay attention to the general characteristics of the market in which your company operates. Tell us about your target audience, main competitors, and distinctive features that can give your company a competitive advantage. Sum it up with quantitative measures of firm success.
6. Development prospects. Here you can provide a general description and a step-by-step plan for the development of the company and its projects.
7. Financial feasibility. This subsection should contain information about the financial needs of the company, as well as a calculation of the payback period.
8. Contact information. This includes:
   • Postal address
   • Contact phones
   • Link to the official website
   • Email Address
   • Fax

When writing a resume for an organization, it is extremely important to have comprehensive information about the enterprise. Therefore, if you are not a leader, but you were instructed to draw up this document, be sure to get all the necessary data from your superiors so as not to miss anything.

Executive summary: short sample

LLC “ZZZ”

The ZZZ company was founded in March 2005. The purpose of the enterprise is to build a network of car service workshops in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region. At the moment the company has 5 points in the city and 4 in the region.

Over 13 years of activity, the company has developed a huge client base, and our car services have repeatedly reached the final of competitions for service stations (STO).

We provide a full range of car maintenance and repair services. A related activity is the wholesale and retail sale of auto parts.

Today the company employs over 50 employees. The head of ZZZ LLC, A. Ivanov, regularly organizes events to ensure the quality of service station services and also controls the conduct of advertising campaigns to attract new customers.

We are constantly improving the professional level of the provision of services by introducing more modern equipment and conducting training events for employees. The company receives many positive reviews and gratitude from customers, which can be found on the website.

Since every year the number of calls to our car services, and, accordingly, their popularity is growing, we plan to expand the geography of the enterprise.

The total cost of investment costs at the first stage will be ZZZ. The price includes the development of technical projects for the construction of 3 car services, the construction of facilities, the purchase of equipment, furniture, the formation of working capital.

Financing is expected at the expense of the head of the company “ZZZ”, A. Ivanov, as well as by attracting investment funds.

At the current level of the company’s income, the project for the construction of new facilities can be recognized as financially sound. The payback period of investment funds is X years from the beginning of implementation.

Company contacts: (address, phone numbers, website, e-mail, fax).

The post What is an organization resume first appeared on insigniatalks.com.

They say that a successful resume is already 50% of success in employment. After all, it is this that forms the first impression of you at a potential job. But how to make your resume truly unique and stand out from the crowd?

To help you with this task, here are 10 rules for the perfect resume – simple but very important guidelines to help applicants.

# 1. Make your resume easy to read

Recruiters don’t have much time to spend on deciphering acronyms or looking for the information they need in their next resume. Be clear and understandable. Structure your information. Use a standard font, subheadings, and lists. And don’t go overboard with the size – the size of the document is no more than two pages!

# 2. Don’t be too lazy to insert a photo

A photo in a resume is another opportunity to attract attention. Still, your appearance can tell a lot about you, even if your job is not related to something like a modeling business. Thanks to the photo, the recruiter is no longer a faceless text, but a living person.

Choose a good quality photo and place it in the upper corner of your resume. It may not be as formal as for a passport, but in no case is it “home”. Your appearance in the photo should correspond to your profession (most often business style is preferable).

# 3. Focus on the desired vacancy

Describe yourself so that your characteristics match the job for which you are applying. Everything from personality to achievement should indicate that you are suitable for the job for which you are applying.

If in previous jobs you performed tasks that will be useful for your new position, be sure to mention them. If perseverance or sociability is important for your profession, tell us how these qualities manifest in you. If you’ve taken special courses that will come in handy in your new job, don’t forget about them.

Important: if you are applying for more than one job, create a separate resume for each with different accents.

# 4. Achievements

Many job seekers begin to rewrite the so-called job description from their previous jobs in the Achievements block. But this section is by no means for that. Do not be afraid to brag and have more specifics and numbers!

Not “engaged in attracting clients”, but “attracted 6 top clients in a month.” Not “increased sales,” but “increased sales by 45%,” and so on. It will not be superfluous to mention professional awards or even university achievements. Provided, of course, that all these successes are relevant to the desired position.

# 5. Describe your work experience in detail

The section of the resume “Work experience” should inform the employer about your competencies: what skills you possess, what you did, what you could achieve in your career. For this, of course, it will not be enough just to list previous jobs.

When describing your activities in a particular company, focus on the desired vacancy. What things you have done in your previous jobs will be useful in your new job? And remove the excess.

Describe even those companies and projects that are not listed in the workbook. Any experience is important to fully show what you can do.

# 6. Don’t ignore the “Additional Information”

The “Additional Information” section is needed for those data that were not included in the previous resume blocks. This is most often the level of proficiency in foreign languages ​​and PC, personal qualities. There may also be marital status or a driver’s license.

Why not neglect this section? The absence of such an “afterword” will give the impression that you have nothing to tell about yourself. But it’s not worth writing too much: after all, this is not an autobiography. Only information that can give you additional “points” in employment.

# 7. Confirm your personality

Applicants rarely pay attention to the subsection “Personal qualities”: it happens, and it is completely skipped. Meanwhile, according to this block, certain conclusions can be drawn about you: why not tell yourself what is useful for a potential position?

For example, write about your scrupulous attitude towards work and confirm this with a case from your career. Or, if you’re in a creative profession, share your imagination and support with an example from your portfolio.

# 8. Avoid templates

Oh, this “sociability” and “stress resistance”! Recruiters no longer know where to go from them. To make a truly perfect resume, write “on your own” rather than clichéd phrases.

Yes, the document should be in a business style, but at the same time, does not allow an abundance of clericalism and platitudes. In other words: write in a way that will interest the reader.

# 9. Check spelling and punctuation

Even if you’re not trying to be a literary editor, don’t feel like you might submit a resume with an abundance of errors. If you still have problems with this, ask someone to check the document or use special online services, and only then send it.

Also no emoticons, ellipsis, or exclamation marks.

# 10. When the resume is already written

After carefully reviewing your resume, pay attention to a few more details.

• Name the document using your full name and job title.
• Save your resume in doc or pdf format.
• Don’t forget to write your cover letter.
• Send your resume and letter to the employer with a clear subject line (for example, “Ivanova I. I.’s resume for the position of the translator”).

The post The perfect resume first appeared on insigniatalks.com.

To write about the sides of your character in your resume, you must not only look at yourself from the outside and assess yourself adequately but also interest the employer. The difficulty is also not to overdo it with praising yourself and, conversely, not to underestimate your merits.

But is it worth it at all to indicate personal qualities in employment? As a rule, the description of the sides of the character is more accepted in English-language resumes. In our country, this item may simply not be paid attention, since applicants rarely write something original in it. Therefore, specialists with experience should focus on competencies.

But for candidates with little work experience and recent graduates, the character side of a resume can play into the hands. If you can’t focus on your professional career yet, why not show your personality traits that you are serious about your new job? This will give the recruiter additional information about you, and with a competent approach to filling out this section, it may well convince him of your competence.

Character sides for a summary: general rules

• A place for your character in the resume – section “Additional information”, subsection “Personality”.
• Try to avoid clichés like “stress tolerance” and “determination”.
• Write honestly, evaluate yourself sensibly.
• Don’t get carried away, five character traits are enough.
• Specify aspects of character based on position.

About the latter in more detail. When listing character strengths on your resume, think about what exactly is required of you in a potential job that will profitably present you as a future employee of the company. In this case, you can focus on the text of the vacancy (if there is enough information there), but you should not copy everything cleanly from there. Otherwise, the employer will think that you are just making up and all these qualities are unlikely to be inherent in you.

Weaknesses of character in the resume

Job seekers are often worried about whether to indicate their negative qualities in the resume. And if so, how to do it correctly.

In fact, this is not at all necessary and often even undesirable: if you are not sure that you can turn “disadvantages into advantages” and if the employer himself did not ask you to write about negative qualities, then it is better not to indicate them.

But if you do want to give it a try, it can demonstrate your healthy self-criticism and honesty, and your willingness to get better.

Personality on the resume: examples of strengths and weaknesses

These are by no means universal examples since for each position this or that quality can become both a weakness and a strength. In the note after each example, you can read the situation for which this quality is appropriate.

Strengths:

• Always extremely calm, even in critical situations.

If your responsibilities include negotiation or team management, this will be a good advantage. But if in fact, you are a conflicted person, do not write this, as, most likely, the deception will quickly be revealed.

• Creativity. I try to approach tasks outside the box.

For designers, artists, copywriters, etc. Just be prepared for the fact that during the interview you may be asked to talk about your most original projects or show some of them in your portfolio.

• I always complete tasks on time, have repeatedly dealt with urgent deadlines.

Suitable for many professions. The same “responsibility” and “punctuality”, only more original.

• Since childhood I have been attending various courses, I am constantly engaged in self-improvement and training.

Also a good summary for most professions. This shows that even if you don’t have enough experience, you are trainable and will be productive in your responsibilities.

Weaknesses:

• Excessive emotionality. I express feelings vividly, which can lead to awkwardness in everyday life.

This “negative” quality is good for creative professions like acting.

• Lack of specialized education. But this does not affect the quality of my work, I am ready to improve.

The recruiter will already see this in the “Education” section, and you will receive an additional point for self-criticism.

• Poor communication skills. Because of this, I don’t communicate much with people and chose a “sedentary” profession.

If you are planning sedentary work outside the team, then this can be proof that you will not waste time chatting, but will actually do business.

• Too outgoing. I like to talk a lot and loudly.

This side of character for a resume is suitable for moderators and other professions that involve public speaking or communication.

Please note that the examples of personality traits for the resume are written in detail to give the recruiter enough information without writing templates. As mentioned at the beginning of the article, you should not limit yourself to “sociability”, “punctuality” and other hackneyed phrases.

Output

Write in detail, but not too verbose. Try to keep the “golden mean” between “overpraise” and “under praise”. Be ready to explain your qualities at the interview, prove them with examples from your life/career.

The post Character for resume first appeared on insigniatalks.com.

Often, job seekers do not understand how to correctly indicate their professional goals in the resume and write something banal or in no way related to the real position. In fact, the goals can be very diverse, depending on the vacancy chosen by the applicant. However, there are some tips to help you figure out what purpose to put on your resume.

How to indicate the purpose of the work in the resume

• Please list one specific position you are applying for and the goals you intend to achieve by working in that position.
• Please read the vacancy announcement carefully and study the field of activity of the company in which you want to apply. If you are applying for a translator’s position in a construction company, it is better to write not “get a translator position”, but “get a translator’s position in a construction company”.
• If your resume is not for a specific organization, but for posting on the Internet, indicate the common name of the position that you would like to receive. When a recruiter is looking for the right specialist, first of all, he pays attention to people who are ready to take a position similar to the one vacant in his company.
• Try to concisely express your professional interests and intentions: “To achieve growth in sales as a sales manager”, “To bring the company’s websites to a new quality level as a front-end developer”.
• If you want to talk about intentions more broadly, you can write a list of several goals, which will include the tasks that you want to solve, the benefits that you can bring to the company, etc. But still, be as laconic as possible, write only on the case.
• If you are unable to correctly formulate your goal, you can skip information about your professional intentions and leave only the name of the position and the scope of the company. But remember that in a highly competitive environment, such a resume may not stand out from the rest.

• Don’t make a resume for multiple vacancies. Putting more than one job in the Purpose column will only decrease your chances of getting a job. There should be a separate resume for each job.
• Avoid phrases that lack specifics: “find a good job,” “earn a lot,” “find additional part-time work,” “professional development in a large company.
• Don’t use too complex wording. As a rule, they do not carry anything semantic in themselves, but they can greatly spoil your path to the desired job.
• The same goes for too long sentences. The resume should be convenient and interesting to read.
• Don’t indicate unattainable, exaggerated intentions that are unlikely to be true. Realistic resume goals will show the employer that you are motivated and have a great chance of success.
• Try not to use formulaic phrases. All applicants are probably striving for career growth, you should not write about obvious things.
• Do not flatter your employer or the organization you want to apply for. “Working under the smartest boss”, “getting a position in the best company” – such phrases would rather alienate the recruiter than help you.
• Do not write about responsibilities that are already indicated in the ad. What you will do during business hours is not a professional goal.
• If you have multiple goals, don’t put them in a line. As with long sentences, this is not readable.

An employer who reads your resume with the correct professional goals will definitely not ignore your candidacy. He will not only understand what exactly you are striving for but will also appreciate your serious attitude towards his company and the desired job.

The post Purpose in resume first appeared on insigniatalks.com.

Attach a high-quality photograph to your resume where you look presentable and welcoming

We all know that “they are greeted by their clothes …”. And your job search is no exception.

With the help of a high-quality photograph, you can not only leave a pleasant first impression but also confirm some information about yourself. If you indicated on your resume that you are an outgoing and energetic person, hardly anyone will believe you if in the photo you are sitting with a gloomy face.

You should also not attach too “home” photos or photos of poor quality. It is best to order a photo for your resume from a professional photographer. The background is plain (white or gray).

Customize your resume for the vacancy

Each well-designed vacancy contains a list of characteristics that the employer wants to see in a new employee. After reviewing them, try to adapt your resume to the vacancy, describe yourself using the same characteristics. Just don’t rush to copy them: write about yourself uniquely and originally.

Do not overdo it with the list of personal qualities – three or four will be enough, otherwise, the employer may think that you are disingenuous.

If for the desired position you need some skill that you just studied in special courses, indicate them in your resume. If you have received awards for achievements related to this skill, write about them.

You can also mention your hobbies (in the “Additional Information” section) if they can somehow influence your professional activity. If the employer is looking for motivated and motivated employees, it is very appropriate to indicate their participation in any competitions, olympiads or competitions, success in sports/music, and so on.

Not only list the personality traits but also confirm them

Think about how you can confirm the qualities indicated in the resume in practice. For example, you have repeatedly led important projects and completed them successfully and on time, which proves your responsibility and leadership qualities.

Write not only about your past jobs but also about the tasks you performed

Especially if these tasks can be useful in a new place of work. Write about the projects you have led, the events you have organized, and simply the key professional responsibilities you have performed.

Write FOR YOURSELF, do not copy your responsibilities from the job description. Start the description of tasks not with the pronoun “I”, but with the words of the action – “led”, “contributed”, “initiated”, “participated”, etc.

You can highlight important points in your resume

It’s important not to go overboard with an emphasis in your resume, but if you have a specific skill that you would like to highlight, you can emphasize it in bold italics.

A “Special Skill” is what you think you really should be hired for. For example, specialized courses, impressive work experience, or useful skills.

In some cases, the originality of the resume can play into your hands. For example, if you are applying for a creative position and decide to create an infographic resume.

However, you need to learn how to determine whether your extravagance will be appropriate in this particular case. Think carefully before getting creative: study the company you are going to apply for and the vacancy you want to apply for.

Don’t use boilerplate phrases

A resume overloaded with clichéd expressions is unlikely to leave a good impression. Recruiters have to read over and over again about the “stress tolerance” and “customer focus” of job seekers, and this does not inspire confidence at all and gives the impression that a person just found a sample resume on the Internet and tailored it for himself.

Try to write about yourself so that later your resume would be interesting to read to a stranger.

Make your resume easy to read

Be sure to pay attention to the structure of your resume. Use paragraphs, short sentences, bulleted lists to make the recruiter easier to read. But avoid tables – this is deprecated practice.

Do not overload your resume with formalisms and criticalities – write in simple language, do not use “bulky” constructions and an abundance of complex terms.

Be honest

Perhaps very simple but at the same time difficult advice. Of course, if a good position with a good salary is at stake, you want to match it as much as possible and embellish some aspects of your professional life. Still, you shouldn’t do that.

If you end up not the person you described on your resume, the consequences can be dire. Write about yourself only what you can prove in practice (this also applies to work experience, qualities, and achievements).

The post Resume Secrets first appeared on insigniatalks.com.

What is an interview?

Simply put, this is an interview of an employer with a job seeker for a job. During the interview, a company representative asks questions to the candidate for the position, and after it, an employment decision is made.

At the same time, the applicant also has every right to ask questions that interest him and concerning a new job. Thus, during the interview, both parties look closely at each other.

What does the employer want to know?

During the interview, the employer needs to understand:

• how will you show yourself in communication;
• can you verify your information from your resume;
• do you know something about his company and how you can be of help to it?

As a rule, the form and nature of the interview depend on the individual approach of the employer. But we can highlight some types of interviews.

By the content of the interview:

• Biographical: you are asked about career experience, education, and skills.
• Situational: you are assigned some tasks in the field of your activity, and you offer options for their solution.

By form:

• One-on-one: You will be interviewed by a recruiter or supervisor.
• Group: you are talking with several representatives of the company or, conversely, the recruiter is talking with a group of candidates.

By organization:

• One-step: The final decision is made after one conversation.
• Multi-stage: you talk to different company representatives in stages (on the same or different days). It is also possible to have a multi-stage interview with one person, just on different questions.

A separate, “non-standard” type of interview is stressful. During such an interview, you may be asked tricky questions and put in unusual situations for verification.

At the same time, you need to be ready for any form of interview and any questions: this is not an exam and you have no “tickets” for it.

Do I need to prepare for an interview?

As a rule, only those applicants who apply for high positions are preparing for the interview. And that is not always the case. In fact, preparing for an interview goes a long way and can greatly increase your chances of getting a job.

As mentioned above, we face a paradox: you are not dealing with an exam (and indeed the nature of the interview should be casual), but you still need to carefully prepare.

1. Study the information about the company you are applying for. The employer needs to see that you understand what you are dealing with and where you are going. Job
2. It is also important to read your resume carefully. If you cannot repeat what you wrote about yourself, the impression of you will not be the best.
3. It is advisable to make a list of questions that may be asked to you in the interview and think over your answers. Special attention should be paid to “sensitive” issues like wages or reasons for dismissal from previous jobs.
4. Get ready, you can even rehearse in front of a mirror, but in no case cram your “speech” like a robot. Remember: you will have a casual conversation between two adults who need to reach mutual understanding.

Your goal in the interview is to demonstrate your knowledge and experience, prove to the employer that the company needs you, and finally – get the desired position.

The post What is an interview first appeared on insigniatalks.com.