NEWS
Atlanta Latino (www.atlantalatino.com) |
November 14, 2002 |
How to write a Résumé. Part IV |
By Yanira Puy & Caroline Pineres |
In last week's article, we discussed how to describe your professional experience in a résumé, as well as the importance of including achievements earned in past positions. Today we will conclude the series on the résumé, explaining its remaining elements. We will continue next week, addressing employment issues and methods for achieving a better future in the United States.
Insert your educational background beneath your work experience. Only put this section first if you are a current student or a recent graduate with an esteemed degree from a prominent university, such as an M.S. from Georgia Tech. Education must also be listed in reverse chronological order.
First include your university degrees and licenses, followed by certificates and advanced training with their respective dates. If you have already graduated, list the date beside the degree. If you haven't graduated, list the anticipated graduation date. If you started your studies, but never finished them, mention which field of study you pursued, the school and dates, omitting the fact that you didn't receive a diploma. Don't add detailed information about your academic experience unless you've returned to school, and only insert your grade point average (GPA) if higher than 3.4.
Awards and professional affiliations should only be included if they are related to the job for which you're applying. If you won awards or participated in associations while studying in the university, include them in the education section below the degree received.
The personal interest section should go last and is very subjective. Based on our experience, personal interests shouldn't be cited, since the interviewer may not share the same interests. This could jeopardize your chances of being called for an interview.
Personal references are not necessary in the résumé either, as it's understood that the manager will request them if needed.
In the past four weeks, we have covered the importance of a résumé for landing a job interview. Remember: Be organized and clear about your objective, don't make spelling errors, customize your résumé to the specific job and seek help from specialists to improve your résumé.
By following these recommendations, you will be able to compose an effective tool that will help you get an interview for your dream job. Next week we'll continue discussing important work-related topics.
Caroline and Yanira work for Bilingual Staffing Solutions, a staffing agency for Hispanic professionals in Georgia. |
Atlanta Latino (www.atlantalatino.com) |
November 6, 2002 |
How to write a Résumé. Part III |
By Yanira Puy & Caroline Pineres |
Last week we discussed in detail how to write an objective and a summary of qualifications. We mentioned the importance of knowing what you want professionally and how you should adapt it for each position.
After taking this into account and knowing how to write these first two parts, you are ready for the next step.
Once you have established your professional objective and qualifications, it's time to discuss your work history and the most impressive positions in your professional career. If you have worked at companies that are not well-recognized, include a small description of them.
Put the dates of employment, the name of the company, the city and state, the position and the specific achievements you made that gave positive results to the company.
Use past tense when you are describing activities in the past; use present tense if you are still performing those functions. Never use pronouns.
It is very important to be specific when writing this section. Take into account three things: What you did, how you did it and what results you achieved.
Here are two examples of a job description. If you worked as a production supervisor for Motorola, you could say: "I reduced errors on work orders." Here you are saying what was done, but not how, nor any positive results you achieved through your actions.
The correct form of describing this activity would be: "I reduced errors in work orders from 50 percent to 20 percent after I implemented procedural guidelines."
If a manager reads both of these sentences in two different résumés, whom do you think he will call for an interview? Exactly. It's important to show the recruiter what you are capable of doing because generally your performance will be repeated in the next job.
Remember to write your résumé in an assertive format. In this section, you can adapt your work history to the job that you desire.
For example, if you have worked as a manager in brand management and you want to work as a manager in promotions, focus all of your past experience around any of your projects that included skills used in the field of promotions.
The goal is to emphasize whatever experience that is closest to the requirements for the job you desire.In the next article we will finish our discussion on how to write an effective résumé.
Caroline and Yanira work for Bilingual Staffing Solutions, a staffing agency for Hispanic professionals in Georgia. |
Atlanta Latino (www.atlantalatino.com) |
November 1, 2002 |
How to write a Résumé. Part II |
By Yanira Puy & Caroline Pineres |
Now is the time to sit down and start writing your résumé. Last week, we mentioned some basic things to take into account when you start revising this tool that is so crucial in helping us score an interview for the job we want. Now, we'll help you get started by explaining where to begin and which type of information to include.
Most of you have already worked on your résumé at least once. But are you really sure that you wrote it in the most effective way possible? We'll start with some résumé basics and discuss each one of them in detail. Today, we'll focus on the first two sections: the objective and the summary. The objective specifies what you are looking for in professional terms.
Why is it so important to have a clearly defined objective? Because it allows your potential employer to determine where to place you.
If you would like to obtain a managerial position in the marketing department of Coca-Cola, you have to be specific and target your message to the company you would like to work for.
A good way to phrase your objective would be: "A position as marketing manager for a beverage company, which places an emphasis on advertising and promotions."
When writing the objective, you have to do three things: First, define the type of position you want. Second, demonstrate that you are the perfect candidate for the position by briefly stating the personal traits that make you the perfect person for the job. Third, include alternative objectives in case you need to change your specialty - for example, from marketing to finance. If you are looking for more experience in a different area, state this in your résumé.
The next section in your résumé is the summary. In this area, you must list the skillsets and achievements related to the requirements for positions you have held in the past.
How can you write a résumé that stands out from the rest? Ask yourself which qualities the ideal candidate needs to have in order to get the job, and include them in this section.
Continuing with the previous example, a good résumé would have a summary like this: "A highly motivated and creative person with eight years' experience in marketing, advertising, promotions and brand management in products intended for mass consumption.
Special talent for analyzing market information and creating innovative solutions. Tested ability to work in an international environment." This person would have what Coca-Cola needs for its ideal candidate.
Before drafting the first two sections of your résumé, you have to decide the following: First, know what you want to do.
It doesn't make much sense to rise through the ranks of a profession you don't want to be in. Second, know how you will focus your résumé, always targeting it to the specific position you want in the company you want to work for. Next week, we'll talk about job history and education.
Caroline and Yanira work for Bilingual Staffing Solutions, a staffing agency for Hispanic professionals in Georgia. |
Atlanta Latino (www.atlantalatino.com) |
October 25, 2002 |
How to write a Résumé. Part I |
By Yanira Puy & Caroline Pineres |
In our previous column, we discussed the U.S. job market and the influx of new, skilled professionals entering the labor force.
Due to the current shortage of employment opportunities and the large quantity of résumés that managers receive on a daily basis, a carefully designed "curriculum vitae" has become an essential tool that can guarantee you an interview for a position.
The old adage is true: "You don't get a second chance to make a good first impression." A résumé is the "first impression" that you give to the person in charge of interviewing job candidates, which makes it a crucial document in our professional career development.
In today's market, a typical ad for a job opening may attract from 100 to 1,000 replies, and this factor should be considered when sending your résumé. The average manager, faced with such an overwhelming response, spends a mere 10 seconds reviewing each one.
After the elimination process, only one applicant out of every 200 will be called for an interview. Considering these odds, it's vital that you present an impeccable résumé that piques and holds a manager's interest, leaving him or her intrigued to find out more about you.
How can you add a unique touch to this document so that it stands out on a desk stacked with other professionals' credentials? The answer is simple.
First, you must realize that the main objective of a résumé is to obtain an interview.
With this principle in mind, review the advice in this article to create a résumé that will captivate prospective employers. Each aspect will be covered in more detail in next week's edition.
Before you begin to write, make sure that you fully understand the specific objective of the position. When preparing your résumé - and yourself - for a job, you should ask yourself what the ideal candidate for that position would possess.
This knowledge will help you to customize your résumé to the job requirements and establish a connection between the company's needs and your own experience.
All written communication should be clear, concise and free of typographical or grammatical errors. We recommend that you show your résumé to several people before sending it, to correct any mistakes it may contain.
Another important point to remember is to place your employment experience before your educational background (unless you have recently received a degree from a prestigious university, such as a graduate degree from Yale, or if you're in the process of completing a college degree).
Finally, your document should be no more than one page in length, if possible, and printed on an 8½-by-11 sheet of preferably white or ivory paper.
Caroline and Yanira work for Bilingual Staffing Solutions, a staffing agency for Hispanic professionals in Georgia. |
Atlanta Latino (www.atlantalatino.com) |
October 18, 2002 |
The U.S. Labor Market |
By Yanira Puy & Caroline Pineres |
Why can't I find a job here in the United States? What do I have to do to be hired by a good company? What are the steps I need to take to get the job of my dreams? These are the key questions we ask when we find ourselves looking for a job that will boost our career and improve our quality of life.
Your professional career is a key part of your life. In this weekly column, we'll examine job issues in depth, give you tips to help you improve your performance, and provide you with the tools you need to find the job you've been dreaming of. Although these tips and tools can be used by anyone, the column will focus on Hispanic professionals.
We've all been touched by the economic recession that the United States experienced this past year. Companies laid off thousands of employees in order to preserve financial stability. After September 11, the unemployment situation became even more acute, directly affecting the country's economy and labor market.
The first quarter of this year saw some favorable changes after steps taken by the Bush Administration.
But in spite of this, other developments exacerbated the economic situation, like the Enron bankruptcy and the Arthur Andersen legal battles, as well as that of WorldCom, Xerox, and Dynergy in more recent weeks.
Furthermore, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, unemployment reached an average of 5.75 percent this year, its highest level since 1994. As we all know, the recession has definitely had a negative impact on the labor market, because it has put more people on the streets looking for work, thereby increasing the demand for jobs in a market where the pickings are already pretty slim.
The labor market is already filled with qualified professionals looking for jobs, so you've got to try even harder to get what you want. Being Hispanic in this country affords us advantages that we need to take advantage of and transform into opportunity.
Perseverance and determination give you the winning edge. The Spanish writer Miguel de Unamuno once said: "You don't hit the nail on the head until after you've hit the horseshoe a hundred times." Next week, we'll talk about how to write an effective résumé.
Caroline and Yanira work for Bilingual Staffing Solutions, a staffing agency for Hispanic professionals in Georgia. |
Atlanta Latino (www.atlantalatino.com) |
October 10, 2002 |
A Solution for Bilingual Latino Professionals |
By Carlos Hernández |
ATLANTA - According to Yanira Puy, marketing manager of Bilingual Staffing Solutions, supply currently exceeds demand in the employment market.
"But the opportunities are always out there," she said. "And that's where our company goes to work."
The company was founded one year ago by a group of professional Latinas who dedicated themselves to recruiting and placing bilingual personnel in prominent local businesses.
"There's a large amount of Latino professionals who are waiting for an opportunity to demonstrate their potential in a job market that is in dire need of bilingual employees," Puy said. She added: "The skill level of Hispanic personnel is often superior to that of employees born in the United States."
Bilingual Staffing Services has developed arrangements ranging from client services to more complex positions like assembly plant engineers.
"We receive an average of 10 résumés per day, which are directed to the human resources department," said Puy. "The HR staff is in charge of screening them and selecting the best candidate for the job. Each month, we typically place two or three people in positions."
Among the company's plans to expand and grow, during the first quarter of 2003 it will organize seminars, inviting representatives from different companies to learn about sponsoring Latinos who still lack a definite legal status.
"Many businesses believe that the process of sponsoring work visas is very complicated," Puy said. "Actually, it's much easier than what people think, and we're hoping that these seminars will bring greater opportunities to the companies and the employees.
EASY ACCESS
To better serve the community, Bilingual Staffing Solutions has its own website, www.bilingualstaffingsolutions.com, as well as a database with 1,066 résumés of professionals with a minimum prerequisite of an associate degree.
On the web page, applicants can see positions that many companies offer to professionals who are fluent in English and Spanish.
Résumés can also be sent by fax, but this process causes short delays, because the document is not directed to the database immediately, as with those received by e-mail. |
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