CHANGE

Today the United States of America made history. We elected the first black President.

In the 1860's, President Lincoln said it would take 100 years to undo the crimes of slavery and he was right. In the 1960's Martin Luther King took our country down a new path, a path of change-- promoting, no, demanding equal rights for all races. And now, today, 40+ years later, here we are. Our great country proved we could change and we could savor the taste of hope again. Despite our splits, despite our different views, today we made history. I am so very proud to say I live in the U.S. Especially now. Change is a good thing. Sometimes it is painful or uncomfortable, but it also helps us to grow.

What changes have you made in your life lately? Have you left your comfort zone, even a little? For me, it is this blog. It is painful to me to be anything but immensely private about my life, but I have realized that it is in sharing that you build relationships. I have always been very, very private, so believe me when I say that even blogging about this is pretty uncomfortable. This is one of my "Small Attainable Goals" for 2009-- to get out of my comfort zone and open up a bit. I know I can grow from it. I know it will create deeper relationships with friends and clients.

Another thing I did, which is equally as big of a deal to me, is I cut my hair. OK, guys you may be groaning here, but for women, IT'S A BIG DEAL. I cut 8 inches off my hair. I've always had long hair, but this year felt different. Something was in the air and I kept hearing, "A New Year, A New YOU" in my head. So I did it. It was pretty scary, seeing 38 years of my life floating down, gently drifting toward the floor, but it was also a feeling of, "Ahhhh!". Now, here is the new me... sassy and stylish. The best part is, I feel really good about it. I walk past a mirror, expecting to see my staticky hair down past the middle of my back, but WHOA! who is that fun-looking person? Oh yea, that's me!

Think about something you would like to change. It could be as big as quitting smoking or as small as taking a new route to work. Change is good. It helps you grow and learn new things about yourself, "Hey, who knew I would get up my nerve to stand up in front of 22 students and teach a night course in Economics?" Great things can happen when you change. You will meet new people, experience new things, and take a different path perhaps leading you to something new and exciting.

What change would you like to make? I would love to know-- and to know how you feel now that you DID IT (or at least made up your mind to do it). Talk to me...

"Cover Letters for Dummies" is here

The 3rd edition of this recognized brand, "Cover Letters for Dummies" is finally here. 10 years after the 2nd edition!

I just got my copy of it in the mail from the publishers and yours truly is on page, um... let's see, OK, here we go... Page 194!

It is a wonderful compilation of cover letters for every scenario including: job ad reply letters, networking letters, broadcasting & prospecting letters, resume letters, and thank you and follow up letters.

Grab a copy of yours at any bookstore today. Very valuable to have on hand, ready for any situation you are applying for.

NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS AND OTHER B.S.

Alright. I'm just going to admit it and put it out there. I hate New Years Resolutions. Just those 3 words make me feel like a failure... I know that I'm going to say I will do something and then after 2 days of effort, quit doing it and be mad at myself. Like dieting, or blogging, or not swearing (my vice). I just know I am going to fail.

This year, I've decided to try a different tactic. This year I will set up some SMALL ATTAINABLE GOALS. Now, those are 3 little words I can deal with. Small attainable goals implies that I can really do it. I can meet small goals. Little groupings of goals. Like, instead of "I want to lose 20 pounds by January 31", I will say, "I will lose a pound or two a week until I like how my jeans are fitting". Doesn't that feel better? I like it. I can handle a pound or two a week. I can blog a couple of times a week, versus my "resolution" of every day. That is too much and frankly, feels unattainable deep down. So, I know this now and will take a different route.

People put way too much pressure on themselves this time of year. "I will job search every day and find the perfect job by Jan. 15". That is a lot of pressure especially if already in a job, and really don't have the time to search that much. Maybe you could say, "I will do my best to put the word out every few days that I am looking for a new job. I will remember to tell my barber, the people at the coffee shop, the guy in the elevator, and will update my LinkedIn profile and make a huge effort on that site" etc. Don't you feel better already? In my experience, small attainable goals are the ones I really have achieved. So, sit down and make a "SMALL ATTAINABLE GOALS" list and be happy with yourself.

Job Fair News for 2009!

Get ready to get hired because National Career Fairs and Monster.com have joined forces to put together over 350 job fairs in 77 cities. Now is the time to dust off your nicest outfit and update your resume. Head on over to the nearest job fair and talk with an employer who is looking for YOU! Don’t let another job pass you by. Click here, or copy and paste the link into your browser:

http://www.nationalcareerfairs.com/

Job Searching in a Recession

The first thing I am going to tell you is this: DO NOT GIVE UP HOPE. COMPANIES ARE STILL HIRING EVERYDAY!

That said, dust off your portfolio and get out your resume and cover letter. When was the last time it was updated? Is all information current? Do you have a .txt version or ASCII version of your resume? You will need that version for your online job posting. Read over your cover letter, does it still say everything you want it to say? Does it reiterate your strong points and showcase some of your accomplishments? If not, you will need to add those things. If you are unsure, send me an email and I can look it over.

Your job search must be your full time job. Get up every morning, TURN OFF the news, and start returning emails. Set up a LinkedIn account and connect with old colleagues and friends. Let everyone know you are job searching. The number one way to get a job is through networking!

Keep looking locally even if everyone around you tells you no one is hiring (there is always SOME PLACE interesting that is hiring). Go to local business mixers and get to know folks in your area.

Stay positive and hopeful. Work on your job search every day. I guarantee you will find a job you love.

Until next time...

Road Warriors get a Break!

Good News for Job-Related Travel!

According to www.compensation.BLR.com, "The Internal Revenue Service has raised the standard-mileage-reimbursement rate for the final six months of 2008, citing recent increases in gasoline prices.

The IRS normally updates the mileage rates once a year in the fall for the next calendar year.

The rate will increase to 58.5 cents a mile for all business miles driven from July 1, 2008, through December 31, 2008. This is an increase of 8 cents from the 50.5-cent rate in effect for the first six months of 2008."

To read the full story, go to: http://compensation.blr.com

BLOOPERS: What NOT TO DO when writing a Resume or Cover Letter...

I recently stumbled across a blog called, "Dumb stuff I read on resumes" started by a recruiter. He is a bit mean-spirited at times, but when reading some snippets of resumes/cover letters he's posted, it does lead one to say to themselves, "What were they thinking?"Here are a few examples of WHAT NOT TO DO OR WRITE ON YOUR RESUME:

"My hobbies include regular attendance at my local gym and swimming poo" (OK. ick.)

"I have developed a healthy work-life balance" (this from a fellow who had ONE part time job...)

"6/2007 - Present - Supermarket Sales Assistanti as a online shopper .our dept,its called grossory online.i m a shopper,n do all the work in absence of supervisour n manager.managing the dept well.i.e doing paper work,making sure tht we have enough shoppers n drivers 2 make sure the deliverys is on time,allocating vans to drivers n work to shoppers accordingly." (this is not a text message... need I say more?)

"Successfully handled money. Received money from customers.And successfully issued the correct amount of change back to the customers" (we get it. a bit redundant...)

--You may wonder why I request you to this at our behest and this is due an inner feeling in me which tells that you a woman who believes in human bondage, not to re-mention compassion and kindness. I am often told by others in the manifold spheres of my activities that there is a mystic in what I do." (ummm- ahem... errr... ok...a little too much info here.)

"For the past 3 months I have also been living at home with my brother as my parents have gone on holiday for 3 months as a retirement presents. I believe this experience has matured me as a person, as I have had to look after the house, shop and generally do a lot more tasks for myself. This has given me a new outlook on life and what I want to do with my life in the future." (Good boy... and this has to do what with the clerical position you are applying for??)

"wonder, I have no money, but again, although being "loaded" is commonly used as a measure of being successful, this does not apply to my view and it is not a true measure of "success". Personally I'd rather be a poor free man, rather that rich slave. Strangely it may seem, but I've noticed that what I am doing today, others do couple years after.Instead of being a follower I prefer to be a leader. I never fail to do what I believe is right and I don’t care what other people think about me. also easily bored so I prefer chaotic environment, no wonder admin is not quite my cup of tea.I guess I prefer to work with people that can inspire me, both creatively and spiritually (although I am not a religious person). (your cover letter is not a blog... it is meant to help you get a job...)

"interests and hobbies none at present" (huh? no interests or hobbies??)

"I have a wide variety of skills and experience, some of which I have taken for granted and cannot readily recall". (huh?? just put the pen down and walk away)

Well, I can go on and on here, but I think you get the drift. If you think you are adding too much personal information, then you probably are. Keep both the rez and cover letter about the job and you should do just fine.

Until next time.

FACEBOOK & NETWORKING SITES

I admit, at first I thought the idea of Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and other networking sites were, well, silly. It seemed juvenile and strange... not to mention an invasion of privacy. Why would anyone put pictures of family members on a site where virtually EVERYONE could look at them? I didn't get it and poo-poo'ed the idea.

Clients begun sending me "invites" to "connect" on their different sites and boy, are there a lot of them.. Plaxo, LinkedIn, Fast Pitch, Tagged, and Twitter, just to name a few. Not wanting to seem rude to my clients, I finally broke down and started an account with LinkedIn. I found it to be very professional and a great way to have an online bio that perspective clients and colleagues can read to have a better idea of what it is I do.

Finally, after hearing my nieces and nephews talk about Facebook all summer long, I decided to cave and start an account. I did one for business and one for personal. Once I got the hang of it, it was like a giant light went on and suddenly, without warning, I was hooked. The first two weeks I was like a fiend, "connecting" with old friends and family in my personal account--catching up on what everyone had been doing, who was having children, where were they working, who had moved, married, etc. I had to keep checking. It was like a drug. Who was doing and posting what? After about a week and a half, the dazzling draw of it started to wear off. Thank goodness.

I realized a few things in my networking journey so far:

1) You can control your privacy settings, so only your "friends" can see what you posted... not the whole world.

2) With my business account, it is a fantastic way to see what my colleagues are doing, what articles they find useful, clients or projects they are working on, etc.

3) You don't have to invite EVERYONE in your address book (my first mistake when joining-- I invited everyone to join me). Invite who want to hear about.

4) Use these sites sparingly at work--remember, many companies ban the use of these at work due to loss of productivity and the system resource drain. Your job could be in jeopardy if use them without permission (although, c'mon who ever really asks their bosses if they can Facebook while at work?). Save your networking for home.

5) Pick and choose your networking forums. You don't need to join every one. It gets to be too time consuming trying to keep up with more than one or two.

I still check my Facebook everyday. Although maybe just one account or the other, and only about twice a day. Who has the time? I am still catching up from the work I missed while on my Facebook high.

If you are contemplating joining one of these sites, read my 5 tips first and be ready to enjoy yourself. As a former skeptic, it's easy to get hooked.

Until next time...

Erin Kennedy

UNUSUAL JOBS

A special thanks to Laura DiCarlo of Career Directors International (CDI) for sending this over to me. Thought I'd share it with you!

+++++

CareerBuilder.com released a new survey on Unusual (and Fun) Jobs A to Z. They asked 8,700 works and the following are the top entrants, A to Z:

A - Autopsy assistant
B - Bartender at the Liberace mansion
C - Cat nanny
D - Donkey trainer
E - Elf at Santa's workshop
F - FBI fingerprint examiner
G - Grave digger
H - Hurricane hunter
I - Ice sculpture carver
J - Junk mail machine operator
K- Kitty litter box decorator
L - Laser tag referee
M - Magician's assistant
N - Nuclear electrician on a submarine
O - Opera singer
P - Parachute tester
Q - Quality control/taster for chocolate factory
R - Romance specialist
S - Scratcher (scratched backs for patients)
T - Turkey wrangler
U - Undercover vice decoy
V - Video game tester
W - Wallpaper peeler
X - X-ray technician for zoo animals
Y - Yawn counter at a sleep clinic
Z - Zamboni driver

EXECUTIVE MBAs

Considering advancing your education even further? Executive MBA programs are known for turning managers into full-fledged executive and c-level leaders, showing you how to think strategically, motivate staff, and expand business.

In an article in the Wall Street Journal's Career Journal, these are the top 5:

1. Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management
2. University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School
3. The Thunderbird School of Global Management
4. University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business
5. University of North Carolina's Kenan-Flagler Business School

To read the full article, go to:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122244975223379303.html

Resumes versus CV's-- What's the difference?

I get asked often by clients if they need a CV. Then the next question inevitably is, "What IS a CV?"

A CV is a Curriculum Vitae. It is generally used by college professors, physicians, researchers, lawyers and any profession where lists of information are required. Examples include publications, presentations, conferences, residencies, education, etc. They can even be over 20 pages long in some cases.

Internationally, in some areas of the world resumes are called CVs, but they really are resumes. Other countries require a CV type of a format (lists) from candidates. Those are usually the countries where pictures on resumes are required as well.

If you are planning on staying in the United States and do not plan on going into medicine, law or academia, chances are you will only need a resume.

SEPTEMBER IS INTERNATIONAL "UPDATE YOUR RESUME" MONTH

Not only are the kids preparing to go back to school, but it's time for the "grown ups" to prepare, too-- for unexpected opportunities! Is your resume ready to be viewed? Is it loaded with everything you've accomplished? Would you hand it out to a stranger (i.e the Hiring Manager) tomorrow?

IF NOT, YOU NEED TO UPDATE IT!

What would you do if you were told about a fantastic opportunity that seemed tailor-made for you, but you only had a day to submit your resume to the person? Are you ready? Worse, what if you look at it and realize, it doesn't need to just be updated, it needs to be REWRITTEN! I don't know about other resume writers, but I am booked up for at least a week in advance.

What have you accomplished since your resume was written? Certifications? Training? Career advancement? Continued education? A job move? 2? 3? Yikes! What are you waiting for?

Be prepared for the golden opportunity-- update your resume today and spare yourself the pain of missing out it tomorrow.


--Erin Kennedy
www.proreswriters.com

CAREER SUMMARY

Take a look at your resume. What does it say at the top? Does it accurately describe your strengths and skills? Does it grab you? If you were the hiring person, would you read it and say, "Wow! Who is this person?", or would you put the resume in the circular file?

The top half of your resume needs to be fantastic in order to catch the attention of a hiring manager. If they have 200 resumes to look at a week, they will put aside the dull and uninformative ones to get to the more eye-appealing and exciting ones.

If you are still using an objective, say for example: "To obtain a position where I can use my education and experience to achieve a high-paying position with room for advancement"... BEEP! Wrong answer. If your resume says that, crumple it up and throw it out. It's not doing you any good, in fact it is hindering you from landing a great position.

Your career summary needs to have action words and action phrases, along with a keyword summary of some sort, to stand out and put yourself above the competition. It needs to have tangible statements of what you've done and what you can do for the company.

The quickest way to land an interview is having an effective resume, if you haven't been getting calls, you should consider having it rewritten... and watch the calls come in!

------------
Erin Kennedy

PERSONALITY/BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENTS-- THE NEW HIRING TOOL?

These days, just because you have your Masters or Bachelors degree from the right school with the right major, doesn't necessarily make you the right candidate for the job. More and more companies are requiring potential employees take a personality or behavioral assessment to help identify a candidate's work style and behavior.

According to an article in the CareerJournal, more than 80% of midsize and large companies use personality and ability assessments for entry and mid-level positions as part of a pre-employment or new employee orientation tool, says Scott Erker a senior VP at Development Dimensions International, a global human resources consultancy. Where they were used mostly in retail positions, they have now spread to other industries including finance, technology, health care and operations.

The main goal of these assessments is to help a company hire a specific type of person for a job that may require particular traits, or rule out traits that are most likely to lead to job failure. Further, some companies are using them to screen candidates as they apply; candidates won't even get an interview unless they reach a certain score or result.

There are a few things you can do to be prepared for a personality assessment, namely understanding the organization and why they use that particular assessment. Do your research to give you more insight into the company's rationale behind their assessment choices.

Another idea is: TAKE YOUR OWN ASSESSMENT WITH YOU. Go straight to the interview armed with your own behavioral assessment. For example, our company offers a variety of Behavioral Assessments that help you expand upon your work habits, interview preparation, communication style, management style, customer service, sales skills and more. We've had clients potential employers ASK for our numbers in order to be able to give these assessments to their own employees! For a minimal cost, you can have a complete portfolio of assessments at your disposal to impress a hiring manager and get a leg up on the competition.

Companies see the assessment as opportunities for individuals to better understand themselves and their value to the company.



For more information on the behavioral assessments we offer, call 1-866-793-9224 or email me at: ekennedy@proreswriters.com

Until next time,

Erin Kennedy

PRESS RELEASE

Erin Kennedy, CPRW, CERW
Professional Resume Services
Lapeer, MI 48446
(866) 793-9224
ekennedy@proreswriters.com
Http://www.proreswriters.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LOCAL BUSINESS OWNER AWARDED INTERNATIONAL WRITING CERTIFICATION

Erin Kennedy, President of Professional Résumé Services, has been awarded international certification as a Certified Expert Resume Writer (CERW) by Career Directors International (CDI). She has demonstrated her superior knowledge and experience in resume writing and career development through an intensive examination, professional writing and professional development process to assess and demonstrate her industry knowledge and resume writing skill. Recognition as a CERW sets Ms. Kennedy apart from the competition and distinguishes the high caliber of her credentials in assisting clientele with professional resume and career coaching services.

Professional Resume Services offers expert resume writing and career coaching services to entry-level through executive clientele in the global marketplace. Their expertise is in empowering clients who wish to transition either within their existing career fields or to another industry. Ms. Kennedy is a recognized national expert, author and multiple T.O.R.I. award (Toast of the Résumé Industry) nominee with over 9 years of assisting clients to meet their career goals. Samples of her work have been published in eight resume writing and cover letter compilation books. To learn more about Professional Resume Services, visit her website at www.proreswriters.com.

CDI is an international association that provides proactive resources and assistance to empower its members in the undertaking and application of career development, resume writing and employment practices.

# # #

COVER LETTERS FOR DUMMIES, 3rd Edition

Erin Kennedy, CPRW, has been chosen to have samples of her work published in the new upcoming career book, "Cover Letters for Dummies, 3rd Edition". The "for dummies" brand is internationally known and books become instant best sellers.

The new book hits stores as early as January of 2009.

OLYMPICS and JOB SEARCH

I was reading this morning through the blog of Adam Kreek, a member of the Canadian Olympic Row team (I've been into rowing this year because of my niece who was on Michigan State's Crew Team last year), when I read about the training that he puts in to get to where he is today.
Here is an excerpt: “The pain experienced while rowing is similar to middle distance running, biking really hard or speed skating. Your legs burn and scream for oxygen, while your lungs wheeze with your heart struggling to transport renewed blood to the complaining body parts. Suffering is the best word to describe how I feel in a race. The after-effects of competition are exhausting. My body aches and I have depressed energy and drive for weeks after the event.”

Or, the US Boxing Team who leave the comforts of home for 10 months to train at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs in intense preparation for China.

What does this have to do with job search? It is a job. Job search is a full time job. Similar to Olympic training, it has to be your number one focus. A person can't expect to land a dream job after posting his/her resume on 5 job sites. It has to be worked on daily. The good thing is, there are lots of job search activities you can do without leaving your house, and will keep you busy for hours.

When you get up in the morning, what do you do? Consider putting on nice clothes, not just your sweats. This makes you feel productive and gets you into the job search groove. Check your emails and respond to offers (with monster.com you will get hundreds of those that should end up your junk mail). Let all old acquaintances, family and friends know that you are job searching.

Go to companies you've thought you'd like to work for and research them online. Most companies offer hoards of company information, press releases, employment opportunities, etc. Get to know the companies well. Create a folder with information on the companies you like and organize it alphabetically, by industry, or however you like. When the time comes that you get invited for an interview, you will be armed with an arsenal of information that will impress even the most straight-faced hiring person. Know your stuff.

Join online networking groups like LinkedIn, Facebook, Plaxo, etc. It is a great opportunity to network with old co-workers, friends and strike up conversations with people from companies you would like to work for. The possibilities on these sites are endless.

And, as always, getting out and going to local business mixers and job fairs are excellent ways of getting your name out there. Be prepared and have your resume, references and any other documentation ready to hand out.

Job search isn't something you do once a day for a half hour or hour. It's a full time job. Not only will it keep away the anxiety of not having a job, it will keep you feeling productive while getting your name out there for potential employers to see.

Keep at it, stay the course, be positive, and watch great opportunities come your way!

Until next time,

Erin Kennedy, CPRW

Lapeer, MI Resume Writer Nominated for International Award

Erin Kennedy, CPRW, President of Professional Resume Services, was nominated as a "best of the best" resume by Career Directors International in their annual Toast of the Resume Industry™ (TORI) competition for 2008.

Recognition is based upon creativity, clarity, and visual appeal in professional resume development, with submissions judged by an international panel of professional resume writers.

Each year in May, CDI selects up to five nominees in various categories who represent the top echelon of resume writing worldwide. Awards will be announced at the annual conference in October 2008.

DEVELOPING YOUR 2-MINUTE COMMERCIAL

At some point in your job search you will be asked to tell something about yourself.

Focus on what you have to offer. This is like a television commercial about you. A commercial sells products. Therefore, you should emphasize those strengths and qualifications most suited to the position you are pursuing.

Watch your language and presentation style. Use the formula: language + motivation = outcome. In other words, positive language + positive body language and behaviors = a positive and favorable outcome. This means there is absolutely no room for negativity. When you see advertisements, you will notice that they emphasize the positive outcome you will gain from the product, not the downside.

A sample two minute commercial may include information such as: personal qualifications, technical skills, relevant education, training, certifications and achievements.

Look at this sample two minute commercial from a corporate accountant:

"I am a CPA with over nine years of corporate accounting and financial reporting experience. In my most recent position, I was selected to lead several special projects which included strategic planning, forecasting and corporate treasury functions.

I was recognized last year as Manager of the Year for my ability to develop my accounting staff and provide training in many facets of customer service, auditing, time management, problem solving and other key functions. I have an MBA and am active in both the National Management Association and the Space Coast Chapter of the Florida CPA's Association."

Developing a fluid, confident and natural sounding commercial takes time and practice.

Good Luck!

Erin Kennedy, CPRW

Quote of the day:

"All that we ARE, is a result of all that we have THOUGHT"

-- Buddha