Writing your resume is about showing yourself in the best light. This informative infographic put together by Colorado Technical University gives tips on fonts and typefaces to make it easier for the recipient to read on a computer screen, as well as other advice for the traditional paper resume.
Paying attention to these basic elements and more can make all the difference in having a resume that gets noticed.
Posted in career
Tagged business, career, infographic, job search, personal brand, Résumé
Here is some career advice we can all be reminded of:
Sometimes we let our guard down, and forget that what we share on our social networks is indexed by Google and other search engines, and our not so squeaky clean behaviour can be found online by a potential or current employer. As a golden rule, be the person online that you are offline.
With data from Jobvite, the folks at Column Five Media have put together this fantastic infographic of tips for using social media and making positive first impressions with the job seeker in mind.
Posted in career
Tagged business, career, facebook, Google, infographic, job search, personal brand, social media
More and more savvy job seekers are using social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to help them find a job. Most people associate LinkedIn with job searches more than Facebook, but this infographic shows some interesting statistics that may surprise you. MBA Online have put together this intriguing infographic on Social Job Search – Can Facebook Get You a Job?
How did you find your last job? Feel free to share in the comments below how much of a role social media played in your last job search.
Infographic courtesy of MBA Online
Posted in career
Tagged business, career, facebook, infographic, job search, LinkedIn, social media, twitter
799 friends on facebook – Wow! Sounds sort of like an accomplishment doesn’t it?
But, who do you really know out of those 799 people? Guess who is reading the resume you just submitted to that huge advertising firm you really want a job with? Remember Ryan, that older guy from high school? Ryan has you on facebook (you never spoke in high school besides that one time you accidentally walked into him) and he is now searching your profile and notices all the party pictures, that not so friendly page you “liked”, and your recent status update of having a few double caesers on your lunch break. Now flash-forward to the recycling bin – your resume is in it. Who knew that Mr. Ryan would be the person who received your resume? Think about that every time you apply for a job. The people you added on facebook, and never think about could be your next boss, or friend of your next boss!
As a Gen-Yer I am very active on the social media platforms. How can I not be? It’s part of what my generation does. I go on my laptop and iPhone more than I watch TV. I check facebook more than I check my mailbox. I update my facebook more than I update my closet. I have found out some of the most intimate details from some of my “friends”, or should I say “acquaintances”, on facebook just by their photos and statuses. Who had a baby, who got married, etc.
It’s very easy for me to assume that everyone in my generation is partaking is some form of social media. If my Gen-Z nieces and my Baby Boomer mother is, then you better believe that all the Gen-Yer’s sure are! Which is where I get confused. Why are Gen-Yer’s, fresh out of university and looking for that career job, posting party pictures and joining controversial online groups? Does my tech savvy generation have no clue how easy it is to Google someone? All a future employer needs is your name and POOF! Your entire online life is at their fingertips.
Sure, I have pictures I wouldn’t want seen by my employers, but guess what? I know my way around privacy settings. And let’s not forget about your friends’ privacy settings. Are they open? If so, it may be time to do an audit of their party photos which you’ve been tagged in. A future employer could judge your character by the people you choose to friend with. And if it’s an absolute must for you to add that racy picture or join that not so PC group, hide it from the ones that matter or could matter. Or, use the fail proof option of just-not-posting-it.
The simple fact of whether or not you get hired for that dream job, regardless of your experience, can be based on your facebook, Twitter, or blog. So watch out Gen-Y and all other generations for that matter. Technology has made employers smarter than you think, and it’s the very social platform you’re using that will be your demise.
Posted in career
Tagged career, Employment, facebook, Generation Y, Google, job search, social media, twitter
What do you want to be when you grow up?
We’ve all been asked this question. And we don’t always have an answer. There are so many different vocations out there. People always say, ‘follow your passion’, ‘do what you love’ etc. I have a childhood friend who announced when he was 12 years old that when he grew up, he wanted to sell Mercedez Benz cars. His entire adult life, he has been a Mercedez salesman, and he loves it. He’s the only person I know who knew what he wanted to be when he grew up at such a young age, pursued it, and continues to love it.
Vancouverite Sean Aiken set out to do something different. He decided to try out 52 jobs, one week at a time. An inspiring documentary are the results of Sean’s One Week Job project.
This Saturday, January 15th the ‘One Week Job’ Vancouver premiere will be at Pacific Cinémathèque. Buy advance tickets here.
Posted in Inspiration
Tagged career, inspiration, job search, meaningful work, One Week Job, Sean Aiken, video
Posted in corporate culture
Tagged career, corporate culture, Human Resources, job search, new employee orientation, video
A lot of people ask me how I got into recruitment. Is it something I had always wanted to do? Is that what I did before I joined McNak? Will I always be an agency recruiter?
The truth of the matter is that I fell into recruiting – and was wooed by everything that was (and continues to be) McNak. When I first came in to meet with McNak, I was on the hunt for a job…at that stage, a temporary job was top of mind. When the interviewer asked me what sort of work environment I was looking for, I glanced around the funky Yaletown office and answered, “Somewhere like here.” The next question was: “Have you ever thought about being a recruiter?” And the rest, as they say, is history.
I’ve been with McNak through one office move, two database conversions, three job titles, four anniversaries, countless successful job placements, and hundreds of interviews with candidates from every background imaginable. The learning opportunities have been immense, and McNak’s unique corporate culture has both nurtured my professional growth while allowing me the autonomy to develop my own style as a recruiter.
But all good things must (really, is it a requirement?) come to an end. What McNak has also given me is a true sense of where I want to go in my career. It was not my original goal, but I have recognized that my future lies in the broader realm of Human Resources. I now have an opportunity to take that to the next level with an in-house HR Generalist and Recruiter role. And I would never have gotten to this place if not for the winning team at McNak.
My thanks go out to Cheryl and Sarah, of course, but also to the amazing team of McNakers, both former and current. And although I’m moving on, you know that in spirit I will always be a McNaker! (I don’t know, Sarah – should I get the tattoo?)
Posted in career, Human Resources
Tagged career, corporate culture, empowering, Human Resources, job search, McNak, meaningful work, staffing
Check out this amusing video clip from BBC’s The Armstrong and Miller Show. We hope your company doesn’t still interview this way!
Posted in career
Tagged fun, Human Resources, interview, job search, laughter, Management, video
Appearances may be deceiving. Employees and companies have been through so much in the past 12 months.
Posted in career
Tagged career, economy, employee retention, job satisfaction, job search
Finding your dream job- here at McNak we are often asked: how do you do it? We believe it starts with your unique vision. From our experience of examining thousands of jobs a year, we know there is a career that plays to your individual strengths. A place where colleagues truly appreciate your concepts and contributions. You just have to find it. It is not a ‘job’ where you fill your time from 9 to 5, but an environment that stimulates you to innovate and create.
The most critical step in acquiring your dream job is networking. Cast a wide net by speaking to former colleagues and acquaintances. Specifically, gather a list of two to five companies you’d like to work for. Articulate your interest in these businesses – what makes these firms compelling for you? By being specific, you give your audience a clear idea of your skills and the culture you’d like to work in. You’d be amazed at the results – when people understand your motivations, they are in an excellent position to introduce you to the right people. You’ve drawn them a clear picture of who you’d like to meet. Securing an introduction to the right person is far more likely, and it can make the difference between loving your career …or not.
Of course if you’ve worked with McNak in the past, you know that we enjoy introducing like-minded people so much we’ve chosen it as a career! We have always been passionate about introducing you to your perfect match.
photo credit: D Sharon Pruitt
