Tweet

Does Your Resume Have That Extra Zing?

Written by: Geoff Low

Article Overview: What are your dreams, goals, resolutions and commitments for the months ahead? For many it will be to get a new job. Maybe you have been made redundant or just left college or simply fancy a change of role. To make this goal of getting a new job reality, however, you’ll need to create a resume or brush up your existing one.

Does Your Resume Have That Extra Zing?

What are your dreams, goals, resolutions and commitments for the months ahead?

For many it will be to get a new job. Maybe you have been made redundant or just left college or simply fancy a change of role.

To make this goal of getting a new job reality, however, you’ll need to create a resume or brush up your existing one.

We all know in a resume you list your previous jobs, accountabilities, successes (latest one first), but what about ensuring your resume stands out from the crowd by giving your resume that extra zing!

So what am I referring to?

Simply add a section that focuses on your volunteering work, your work in the community, your work in a local church.

Maybe you manage or run a local kids club, are a member of the School Governors, or organize local fetes.

Such activities can say more about you than your professional job experience. For example, consider how valuable you’d be to a company as a department manager or event organizer if the hiring manager read in your resume that you managed a group of people who got together to decorate rooms in a Youth Hostel. Imagine how well you’d be thought of for spending one evening a week teaching the unemployed a skill they can use in the work place.

So how do you add such activities to your resume?

Simply add a headline, for example: Community Affairs Volunteer Work

Then list your responsibilities and the successes you had. Add a sentence or two to describe how your volunteer work relates to the job you are seeking.

For example: My work with the Youth Hostel has given me the experience to train, lead, and motivate individuals to serve others. I learned more can be achieved using relationships, networking, and common courtesy towards others–skills that I can use to increase the bottom line of your company and improve employee-customer relations.

A well-worded statement such as this will show the hiring manager what kind of person you are, where your values lay, and the level of integrity you operate with when you engage with people on the job and in the community.

The objective of the resume is to get offered a job interview, no more. This simple tactic can grab the reader’s attention with your ability and experience to do the role and exercise kindness toward others at the same time.

Add a bit of zing to your resume with some examples of your kindness and realize your goal of getting a new job.

Related Articles
  Should You Hire A Professional Resume Writer?
  Understanding Resume Styles
  Will You Beat The Jobs Rush?
  The Creative Resume
  Does Your Resume Get Attention?

Article Tags: bottom line, commitments, community affairs, crowd, customer relations, event organizer, fetes, hiring manager, integrity, kids club, local church, new job, professional job, relationships, resolutions, resume, school governors, successes, volunteering work, zing



Related Forum Posts
Re: Two Useful Books To Help You Focus On The CLIENT - Hi David, To add to your thread, I'd like to recommend Jonathan Tisch's "Chocolates On The Pillow Aren't Enough: Reinventing The Customer Experience". Tisch's book includes content on "Welcoming Customers", "The New Art of Customization", "The Challenges of Customer Diversity" and "Offering Something Extra to Your Customers" to name a few.
How To Make Up for Mistakes? - This topic has more to do with restaurants, I would think, than any other type of business, but I just thought I'd throw it out there. Earlier today I went to my local Kentucky Fried Chicken, where it quickly became clear that probalby 2/3rds of the staff were brand new... As I came in someone was complaining that they'd been given the wrong order, and 30 minutes later when I left, it was just after a man came into complain that he'd been given the wrong order. (Obviously through drivethru.) Why was I there for 30 minutes? I came in and ordered an 8 piece original meal. 5 minutes later I was told it was going to be another ten minutes, as the chicken had just gone down. 10 minutes later, I was told that *that* chicken had been the Extra Crispy, and they had run out of original and so it would be another 15 minutes for that. 15 minutes later...the manager told me that the original recipe had *just* gone down, the person he'd told to do it 15 minutes ago hadn't done it. Now, to make up for my 30 minute wait, the manager did give me 4 extra pieces of chicken, free. And then I got home to discover that instead of being given a side order of coleslaw, I'd been given green beans. Even if the green bean/cole slaw mixup hadn't happened... I seriously, seriously doubt if I'll ever go back to that KFC. Granted it was obvious that they were training in new people, but there's a point where sheer ineptitude begins to be apparent - they should be training people such that no one is on the floor who doesnt' know their job! And even though the manager gave me those 4 extra pieces of chicken as an apology, and although I appreciated it - and felt I deserved it - I will not be going back to that KFC any time soon. So.... from a restauranteur's standpoint, was it a waste of good chicken to give me those extra pieces when chances are I would never return?
Securing Financing - This is a short article that a friend of mine put together. He's a business banker and it seems that he would be the right person to put the info together. He compiled it for inclusion in a book about opening a pizza shop. There could be some useful info here - In order for a bank to even consider financing for a business loan such as a pizza restaurant, the first step is to have good personal credit. If you have previous credit issues that have lowered your credit scores, make sure you are prepared to either hear, “No”, or “Please explain this (these) credit marks.” If you have not demonstrated the ability to manage your own personal finances then most likely you will not have the opportunity to manage the financing from a bank for a business. When you make the initial contact with a bank, ask to speak to a commercial loan officer. Other types of loan officers include consumer (think car loans) and mortgage (think home purchases and home equity loans). The commercial loan officer will be able to provide a list of things you will need to give him/her in order to consider the restaurant financing. Information required for a new business most likely will include the following: Personal financial statement (Assets – Liabilities = Net Worth) Personal tax returns (two years) Business Plan If leasing property, copy of the lease agreement If purchasing property, copy of the sales contract Personal History / Resume (may not be required but is very helpful) If an existing business, add the following to the list above: Business tax returns (two years) Copy of State Corporation Commission Certificate Copy of Federal Tax Identification Number or Employer Identification Number (EIN) Copy of Articles of Incorporation (if corporation) Copy of Operating Agreement (if partnership) One common mistake a new business owner often makes with regard to financing is that one loan will cover all the financing needs. This is typically not the case and can lead to cash flow problems that could result in default on the loan, which is not what the lender or borrower want. In most cases, either two or sometimes three separate loans would be appropriate. For instance, if one is purchasing real estate then a long-term mortgage loan would be appropriate to finance that purchase. However, the pizza restaurant may need to purchase equipment and have cash available monthly to meet payroll and purchase rolling inventory. An equipment loan could take the form of a five or seven year loan with a fixed monthly payment much like a car loan. A line of credit, on which one would pay interest monthly on the outstanding balance, may be prudent for short-term cash flow purposes. All three should be addressed in the business plan and discussed with the commercial loan officer. Chris
eBlogging 101: Getting Your Internet Business To Stand Out F - Since the inception of eCommerce websites there have been a growing number of brick and mortar businesses expanding their sales online. With this growing trend it means more competition and less market share. I have mentioned that eBlogs are becoming more popular as well (an integration of an eCommerce shop with a blog) and I spoke more about it in the post I wrote: e-Commerce With Integrated Blog (e-Blogging). The question Internet businesses face is: how do you stand out from the crowd? Design and User Friendliness This is almost too obvious but I still see poorly designed websites lacking user friendliness and easy to use navigations. A well designed website is easy to use, looks professional and instils confidence in potential customers. This reassures them that they can safely buy on your website knowing their products or services will be delivered on time. Furthermore a professional website conveys high quality and strong branding, just how you would attend a business meeting in a proper suit and not a pair of Billabong shorts. Ease of use of your website is equally important. If a potential customer can not navigate through your website easily and find the information they are looking for, they will go to the next website on the list. It is very easy to lose a sale because of poorly designed navigations. One way to test the ease of use of your website is to watch friends and family while they complete a few simple task of purchasing and finding specific information. A few things to observe are: * Do they have to keep backtracking through the website? * Can they find what they are looking for quickly? * Can they easily click on images to enlarge the product? * Does the search function work and return the appropriate results? * Are the images of high quality without sacrificing time to load the website? * Is it easy to add items to the shopping cart? * Is the checkout easy to use? Additionally, ask them for their feedback and thank them for their time. Be sure to take these findings and implement them to your website. Once you get this right, you will have a higher conversion rate. Show Your Testimonials Testimonials is a powerful tool for any Internet business. In the past I’ve utilised this tool to promote and market my products for Dragonboating and it increased my sales by two fold simply by having them displayed. Prospective customers will also feel confident to purchase from you because they see positive feedback from others. With the right mix of testimonials including website’s easy of use, quality of product, speed of delivery and fast resolution of issues, it will cover all aspects of the buying process for a prospective customer. So next time when a customer receives their product, follow up with them 7 days later and ask them to write a testimonial for your website. Help Customers Find Your Delivery And Returns Information It’s important to show a link to your delivery and returns page which should be displayed prominently on your website. Most customers want to know whether or not you can deliver to their location, how much it will cost them and how you will handle returns if there is a problem. I have had customers tell me how frustrating it is to find the cost of delivery at the end of the check out page, which is why I have it clear displayed on the website. It shows you are transparent and operate with integrity. This builds stronger trust with your customers as well. They will thank you later in repeat and referral business. Extra eBlogging Tips With these basic principals in place, your eBlog should start appealing to more customers. We want to give them that extra incentive for them to buy from you because you will be competing with other popular websites in the marketplace. eblogging101_2Offer Customers To Join Your Loyalty Program: A great way to attract more customers and to keep them coming back for more is to encourage them to be part of your loyalty program. In the past I have set up e-Commerce websites with an option to reward them with 1 point for every dollar they spend. The more points they accumulate, the more chances of earning a nice reward. Your customer will be able to exchange their points for a new gadget - an iPod for example or a product in your range. Reward Purchases: You can reward customers who come back and order from you by giving them a discount on their next order. The more purchases they make, the more discounts they receive. It encourages them to purchase from you every time. Bulk Discounts: If you sell products that people buy in large quantities consider offering a bulk discount rate. It’s a great way to encourage larger orders and higher turnover of product for your Internet business. We love to think that we have saved money, even though we have spent twice as much to get that discount. Aldi, the supermarket chain is a classic example of buy in bulk and save, which encourages shoppers to spend more. The UPOD principle (Under Promise, Over Deliver): This is a principle I practise all the time in my businesses. Let’s say you offer normal delivery to deliver a product, which takes between 3 - 5 days to receive. What if you sent the product overnight via courier and it arrived the next day. Would your customer be ecstatic to receive their product earlier than expected? Of course they would! They would refer it to their friends and family because of fast delivery and good customer service. This is the under promise and over deliver (UPOD) principle that you can apply in your Internet business. There are a lot of similarities between a brick and mortar business compared to an online business. Businesses that offer good products and excellent customer service are able to capture market share much faster with smarter techniques. They will be the businesses that succeed and do well online. Gone are the days where you just put an eBlog website and hope for the best. You need to implement strategies and be smart to attract good quality customers for your Internet business, then you will reap the rewards. Tyrone Shum eBlogging 101


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Why Marketing Outsourcing is Growing So Quickly

The Digital Diet by Daniel Sieberg

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.