Inspiring Excellence in
Administrative Professionals

Since 1990

800-STAR-139
(800-782-7139)

Underneath It All by Joan Burge
10% of all
proceeds goes to
Pancreatic Cancer Research

 

Assistant Edge

Joan Burge's Administrative Blog

Resumes That Will Land You a Great Job!

Posted by: Joan Burge on 7/16/2009

Are you aware of all the changes that are taking place in marketing yourself to get the job you want? With an unemployment rate of 9.5% there are plenty of good people job hunting. And even if you don’t lose a job, you may want to apply for a position within your organization or just work somewhere else.

I wanted to quickly tell you about a great resource Jasmine and I came across called Visual CV. It’s a tool to help you create a better resume – includes video, pictures and a portfolio of your best work samples. For those of you who know me, I’ve had participants in my World Class Assistant workshop create a hard-copy Career Portfolio. And I still believe you need that so you can “carry” it into the reviewer. But this resource helps you get noticed so you get the interview! Check out Visual CV.
 

Create a trackback from your own site.

7 Comments

    • Aug 28 2009, 11:40 AM Tori
    • Wow! Thank you so much for sharing this. I always keep a little library of fantastic resources I use if I need to look for another position and will add this to it. I also need to create a Career Portfolio and am currently learning how to do one. Another great resource that I really don't tell everyone because it's a secret tool I kept in my toolbox, until now, is "Find the Perfect Job" at findtheperfectjob.com. The information she offers is truly insightful and covers everything from looking at ads and what they really mean to preparing cover letters to interviewing, etc. I've looked at other resources who offered similar information and found them to really falling short to what Judi Perkins offers.

    • Jul 22 2009, 9:07 PM Donella Robbins
    • Thanks for the resource information. I too keep a binder of accomplishments. I am retired with 20 plus years of experience and looking for part time work. Some tips on dealing with the age factor would be helpful.

    • Jul 24 2009, 8:36 AM Joan Burge
    • Hello Tori! I've noticed you have contributed good ideas to my various blogs. Thank you for taking the time to do so. Please keep up the great work. I appreciate your contributions.

    • Jul 30 2009, 11:22 AM Tori
    • Thank you, Joan. I thoroughly enjoy your blog and the additional services you provide. It's at the top of my list as a Class A resource.

    • Jul 30 2009, 11:38 AM Tori
    • Donella, the additional resource I included above does discuss age factors, as well as, looking for part time work. Employers disqualify excellent candidates for, many times, ridiculous reasons. She actually gives you some examples as to what to say. I don't recall what they are because I pulled the information I needed at the time. She offers so much information, I have to review it over time until it becomes second nature to me. She also doesn't have one of those long drawn out voices that put you to sleep. She's upbeat and really cracks me up with some of the things she says. If you enroll for one of her webinars, you can email her questions beforehand. She answers a bunch of them at the end of the session. You also receive a recording of the webinar to listen to later. That's what I do now because I'm too tired to attend the actual webinar by the time I get home from work. Also, she is coming out with online classes, I think this August. She might also be able to answer your questions in her newsletter.

    • Nov 23 2009, 10:07 PM Amber
    • Hello Tori, You have offered so much great advise. I am an adminitrative professional desperately trying to transition myself out of the contruction industry. In the past, my job titles have been administrative assistant, assistant operations manager, office manager, and project coordinator. What do you suggest is the best way to apply for Executive Assistant positions? Would a functional resume work in todays job market? I am struggling to set myself apart from the competition and show prospective employers that I am capable of doing a great job.

    • Nov 25 2009, 10:36 AM Joan Burge
    • Hello Amber! You do need to set yourself apart. Your resume should reflect your accomplishments more than the tasks you performed. One format you can use is to write an overall experience paragraph at the top of your resume. This is where you would cover the typical things great executive assistants do such as calendaring, traveling, etc. Then you list your employers, dates, you title. Then emphasize under each employer what you accomplished or outcomes because of what you did and try to list different ones under each employer so the interviewer can see the breadth of your experience. Focus on outcomes! I really like to see extra-curricular activities such as if you serve on any committees or volunteer (not reading, skiing, etc.). This shows the interviewer that you are a go getter, have leadership skills, organizational skills, and more. Also, many of the best positions never get posted. It is usually through networks so I encourage to meet lots of people in all walks of life because we all have a huge network. Make sure you always shine and have a great attitude. Best of luck.

Leave A Comment



CAPTCHA image
Please enter the CAPTCHA phrase above.