peoplematter

Last Sunday, more than 100 million people watched the New Orleans Saints snag their first Superbowl title, and I’m willing to bet that in between the action, 99.9 million could tell you which 30-second ad was their favorite.  If you were among those 99.9 million, you can probably list the company name and major points of your favorite ads too.

Does your resume have the same memorable impact?  If you’re trying to score a new position, would a hiring manager or recruiter find a reason to remember your name, and recall your finer points, within 30 seconds of reviewing your professional life on paper?

Show employers you're more than a workhorse in the way you write your resume!

Envision Yourself As A Budweiser Clydesdale
Superbowl spots go for bazillions of dollars, but when it comes to advancing your career and professional viability, your resume is worth far more in terms of your own recruitment as a star player. The way it describes you [along with how you launch it to the work world] drastically influences the decision to interview you — or not.

Resources abound online to help you better define yourself on paper for employers. I’ve included some helpful links below. 

Here at PeopleMatter, we like to see our job candidates’ star qualities described as: 

• how you excelled in your previous positions, both as an individual and as a team member, and what matters to you in a new role.

Your personal abilities and goals will shine through more clearly in your resume when you also employ the following tactics.

Whatcha Talkin’ About Willis?
Take a minute to think about the tone of your self-description. Does it sound like you’re out for a paycheck or seeking a life-changing experience?  Is it all about you or more about the ways you can help an organization?

Tone makes a big difference, because it’s an outward expression of your underlying attitude. It’s often said the best leaders seek to serve. If you do too, genuinely, in the way you pursue a career opportunity, more doors may open for you.

Wondertwins Activate!
Most hiring managers will tell you that the best candidates for their roles have a great fit, in terms of experience and ability to integrate with the company culture.  To better illustrate how you may complement both the role and the organization:

•  Take time to read the position description and the company information. 
•  Align your resume using keywords that are used often in the job posting and the company bio, as this will make your resume stand out when a recruiter scans it. 
• Be honest! Don’t fill your resume with keywords that have nothing to do with your experience or your ability, as fibbing will backfire on you in the end.

PeopleMatter Is Seeking Superbowl Candidates

Want to work in an amazing environment? View our open positions at peoplematter.com!

Lately, we’ve been making our own list of keywords, and checking them twice, as PeopleMatter is aggressively expanding its technology team with the goal of creating a new arena for the way HR managers offer training and performance management programs.

For us, the best candidates aren’t defined by acronyms. Recruiting star players begins with our understanding of who you are, in addition to your work ethic and team-building skills. See more of the qualities we embrace in our work environment here:
http://www.peoplematter.com/visionary-workplace.asp 

Sound like a place you’d want to work? Browse our open positions!

Resources We Like:
Video Clip of Geoff Smart, CEO of management assessment firm ghSMART, discussing his book, “Who, the A Method for Hiring” and four important steps employers should take in recruiting talent:
http://feedroom.businessweek.com/index.jsp?fr_story=d40d9e8338cedc42991c00b17edd5ba51091c2d8

Joel Spolsky’s concise guide to finding the best technical talent: Smart & Gets Things Done, pick up the book and more advice at Joel’s blog – www.joelonsoftware.com

List of Power Verbs To Activate Your Resume -
http://www.resume-resource.com/resumeverbs.html

Beware of the tempting fruit basket!

I spent two years at a former place of employment where communication was poor and plans weren’t well organized. I always felt no matter what I did, I was rarely, if ever, recognized for results. In the end, I walked away from a well-paying job that I was very good at doing…simply because of the way I was treated. Sound familiar?

Everyone has a final straw, or in my case, apple
For me, the last rotten apple was the day my boss stole a gift that a vendor sent me for the holidays. The boss received one too, but apparently decided he wanted mine as well. Can you imagine seeing a senior executive scurrying through the parking lot with an overflowing fruit basket under each arm, suit jacket flapping in the breeze?!  The basket didn’t matter so much to me, but his complete lack of consideration sure did.

What matters to you?
Everyday at PeopleMatter, we ask ourselves what matters to employees.  Some of the reasons why we’ve started this blog are to:

– share in your thoughts and dilemmas,
– help you with ideas that make work more fun, and
– offer advice that may advance your career!

Matt Chapman, PeopleMatter Marketing: matthew.chapman@peoplematter.com

Your career adventure guide
I’ll be your tour guide, navigating the workplace through this series of ongoing discussions for PeopleMatter’s growing online community, as I’m in the same boat!  I’m  just beginning my own journey as a PeopleMatter team member.  Each week, I’ll share viewpoints for and from career-focused individuals who are part of the PeopleMatter community of professionals.  We invite you to join us!

Send us your stories…or your fruit baskets
Do you have a story to share, good or bad, on how you’ve been treated in a current or previous job? 

Don’t hold back! The best [or worst] story will win you a $25 Starbucks giftcard.
We’re specifically looking for events that caused you to make a significant decision in your career direction or workplace approach. However, please leave out the names of those involved to protect the [not-so] innocent.

Looking forward to your comments! 
– Matt