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What if I told you that we all have two resumes? The first is the crisp white sheet sprinkled with bullet points and carefully chosen verbs. On it are descriptions of our education, the positions we’ve held, and acquired skills. This one we reserve for j ob interviews. And then there are our other “resumes:” the Instagram account that reveals our love for happy hour, the Twitter account turned gossip column and the Facebook profile that has pictures that are just a bit too NSFW. The reality is that hiring managers are looking at your social media just as thoroughly as your resume or cover letter. In fact, 45% of hiring managers use social media to learn more about potential candidates. Which means you want it to be just as pristine. But cleaning up your online image doesn’t mean you need to change everything about who you are. It just means you may need to monitor how you post or what you share (and with whom). Here are eight tips that’ll help you project your best online self—without sacrificing your personality. 1. Make Your Accounts Private Let’s start here in case companies are already looking at your social media. Simply go to your settings and choose only “friends” to see your activity. Also, if you really want your profiles to remain personal, maybe only accept friend requests from people you know and not anyone in your professional network, like old bosses or co-workers. That said, if you want to remain public, you should… 2. Hide or Delete Any Inappropriate Posts These posts don’t need to go away completely! You can always a rchive Instagram photos, save Snapchats to memories, h ide content from your Facebook timeline, or set your settings to “Only me” so certain posts are private. 3. Deactivate Old Accounts Like your middle school YouTube account that’s been floating on the internet for far too long. If you wouldn’t care to revisit your teenage self, you probably don’t want hiring managers to, either. Even if you don’t think you have any, google yourself! You might be surprised by what you forgot you signed up for. 4. Add the Right Photos Your photo is literally the first thing hiring managers see when they find you online. No need to get a professional headshot, but do make sure that your profile and cover photos are professional and easily visible (and actually have one , none of that Twitter egg nonsense). 5. Add a Professional Bio This is the best way to explain who you are, what makes you unique, and why you’re the perfect hire. Not sure how to write one? Here’s an article that can help you craft the perfect bio for each platform. 6. Edit Your Handles and URLs Because a custom URL takes less than a minute to create and looks far more intentional. 7. Post-Industry-Related News, Quotes, or Articles Post, share, or retweet anything related to the industry you’re in or want to be a part of. When a hiring manager sees that the mission of their company falls in line with your own brand, they’re even more likely to consider you for a position. 8. Follow Inspiring People and Companies Blogs, news sources, and any other website you love to count, too! This tells managers what you’re passionate about, which leaders you admire, and what trends you’re up-to-date on. As weird as it may seem, we also are who we follow. Use career-graphed Twitter and LinkedIn influencers to follow. Lastly, make smart social media choices. Before you post something, contemplate whether it matches the online presence you wish to uphold. Think of it this way: If a hiring manager brought it up in an interview, would you be able to explain why you posted it?

If the mention of “performance review” makes your heart race and your palms sweaty, you’re not alone. Many people get unnecessarily anxious when it comes time for the common annual evaluation. Personally, I’m not a huge proponent of the performance review as I believe feedback should be ongoing, but I understand why companies rely on them and how they’re used to help employees grow within their roles and department. But rather than approaching this with an overblown sense of dread, I recommend that you view it as an opportunity. Along with receiving feedback on your past year’s performance, you’ll also have a chance to brag about your accomplishments, address shortcomings, ask questions, and get direction for the upcoming year. If you are prepared to make the most of this sit-down, it’ll be a relatively painless process; in fact, it might even be eye-opening and super insightful. At a minimum, you should bring a list of accomplishments and a catalog of questions. Think of how you can self-promote, but also be prepared to respond to your boss’s feedback. (Or, fill out a 10-minute worksheet weekly.) The following phrases can apply to numerous situations and will help you navigate the annual loaded meeting with aplomb. 1. Can You Tell Me More About That? Maybe your boss throws a surprise your way during the evaluation, or perhaps she vaguely comments on upcoming expectations. Let’s say she says, “I’d like to see you be more assertive.” There is zero context or further explanation, but as this is your evaluation, you have every right to ask for clarification. You might say, “I’m a little surprised to hear that. As you’ve seen from the accomplishments I shared with you, I had a productive year. Can you tell me more about what you mean?” Ask follow-up questions as necessary. Understanding your supervisor’s feedback and acting accordingly may help you be even more successful in the year ahead. 2. I Want to Be Sure I Understand Maybe your boss tells you he wants you to take the lead on some market research this year (good news!), but by the time you are wrapping up, he still hasn’t volunteered any specifics. This is your chance to have him elaborate. Say to him, “I want to be sure I understand your expectation with the market research. I’m really pleased to have the opportunity to start taking the lead on some of this. We have a meeting with a new client later this week, and I think this would be the perfect opportunity for me to step into a lead role. Does this align with your expectations, or did you have something else in mind?” 3. Let Me Provide a Little More Context You know what you do every day, but your boss can’t possibly know the ins and outs of your work because she’s not in your head and is busy leading a team of people. So, if your supervisor brings up a situation that doesn’t exactly paint you in a good light, you should feel at liberty to speak up. I’m not advocating that you make excuses or avoid ownership. "But, if there’s something missing in the history of events that your boss is recounting, then it is your right to enlighten her as professionally as you can". If, for example, you deftly handled an out-of-control client, but your boss is under the impression that you angered a client, setting the record straight helps her understand what really happened. It may positively influence her opinion of you and your abilities, and that’s something you obviously want going forward. 4. What Would it Take to Score Higher? First, keep in mind that some companies won’t allow supervisors to give perfect scores. So, if you get a couple of “4s” instead of a top-ranking of “5” on every section of your evaluation, it may have more to do with company restrictions than your performance. Nonetheless, you are certainly within your right to ask how you can improve, or what it would look like if you performed at a top level. Additionally, if you truly believe you deserve a higher score, asking your boss what it would take to reach that score makes him think his way through his expectations. If your performance closely aligns with his answer, you just might earn an upgrade. 5. I Would Like to Discuss My Priorities for This Next Year Always wrap up an evaluation by ensuring that you know what your boss is looking for over the next year. If your review includes goals for the upcoming year, be sure you have a clear grasp of what they entail. The last thing you want is a miscommunication on what your supervisor is expecting and what you think he is asking of you. And if your evaluation doesn’t include goal-setting, you’ll want to be sure to address agreed-upon priorities and vision for the new year so you have something to point to in next year’s review. 6. How Will I Know I’m on Track Between This Evaluation and the Next? Hopefully, you have a boss who communicates with you more than once a year (and if not, you may want to think really hard about your future with your company). However, if you feel there is room for improvement in your communication with each other, don’t be afraid to ask a question like the one above. As with anything else, your word choice is key. Even a slightly more pointed, “It would really help me to have some more frequent feedback about my performance between evaluations. Can we talk about a way to make that happen this year?” invites conversation about your needs and the way feedback is communicated. The performance review really doesn’t need to cause you anxiety. Be armed with ways you can learn from the conversation, and don’t forget that for many managers, the yearly evaluation is a chance for them to dish out the praise, and thank you for your hard work. #performancereview #performanceappraisal

What Is Burnout…Really? Unfortunately, there hasn’t always been one centralized definition of burnout to point to. However, in May 2019, the World Health Organization announced the 11th revision of its International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11), which includes an updated and much more detailed entry on burnout. Previously defined only as a “state of vital exhaustion,” it’s now classified as a “syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” The WHO emphasizes that burnout is specifically work-related—it “should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life”—and is characterized by: A sense of exhaustion or depletion Mental distance from or negativity or cynicism about work Decreased effectiveness at work This new description echoes some common themes that most researchers and experts tend to agree on. “Burnout is when somebody just feels depleted from doing the task at hand,” says Alice Domar, Ph.D., Director of the Domar Center for Mind/Body Health. “It happens when the demands being put upon you exceed the resources you have. The tank is empty.” Domar points out that burnout is more than a bad day or a tough week—after all, every job has those. “Burnout tends to be when you just don’t have any good days, and it goes on for a long period of time,” she says. What Are the Signs of Burnout? Sure, you get the overall idea and understand that it’s something that persists for longer than a week or two. But it can still be challenging to turn the magnifying glass on yourself and recognize when you might be veering straight toward feeling burnt out at work. Take it from someone who’s been there before: I totally get it. So let’s try to make things as black and white as possible by looking at a few of the most common and prevalent symptoms of burnout. 1. You Can’t Get Excited About Work Anymore Domar explains that one of the telltale signs of burnout is a lack of interest or enthusiasm about what you’re doing. Even the projects that used to make you feel fulfilled now leave you feeling completely depleted. “They don’t get the same level of satisfaction,” says Domar of people who are experiencing burnout. “They don’t get the same thrill if it goes well.” In the worst-case scenario, this attitude of indifference can extend beyond your work and negatively impact your interest in various aspects of your life outside of the office. Put simply, if you’re struggling to muster up even a shred of enthusiasm for things that used to energize you, that’s a giant, waving red flag not just for burnout, but for depression. (If you think you might be depressed, talk to your doctor or mental health professional.) 2. You’ve Stopped Putting in the Effort That lack of excitement often leads directly to a negative and even apathetic attitude. “A lot of it is just not caring anymore,” Domar explains. “You think, ‘Okay, I’m going to go to work and I’m going to complete the tasks that are set in front of me. But I’m not going to put myself into it and I’m not going to go out of my way to improve it. I’m just going to do the bare minimum to get by.” She adds that people who struggle with burnout are often those who have reputations as high achievers, so these signs of burnout on the job are typically a stark contrast when compared with their normal approach to their work. 3. Your Performance Is Suffering As you might expect, this disinterest in daily tasks often leads to poorer performance—because people who are burnt out simply don’t care enough to do things well. Personally, this was one of the biggest warning signs that I was majorly struggling. I’m normally compulsive about double-checking my work and meeting deadlines. When my editors kept pointing out errors and I was letting submission dates slide by without a single care, I knew I had a far more significant issue on my hands. 4. You’re Totally Exhausted Fatigue and an overall feeling of exhaustion are commonly cited indicators of burnout, Domar explains. You’ll not only deal with a lack of energy physically, but you can also feel emotionally depleted and drained. So if getting yourself out of bed and to the office each day is a more demanding challenge than normal, you could be tiptoeing into burnout territory. 5. You’re Dealing With Physical Ailments Burnout doesn’t have a consistent physical manifestation for everyone. However, there are numerous physical complaints that have been reported with burnout, including: Insomnia Chest pain Headaches Increased illness Heart palpitations Shortness of breath Dizziness or fainting Gastrointestinal pain Of course, there could be a slew of other explanations for these sorts of aches, pains, and issues as well. But particularly if you’re experiencing them along with the emotional changes discussed above, they might serve as a physical indicator of your burnt-out state. You’re Burnt Out...What Now? Okay, so you recognize several (or even all) of these signs of burnout from work in yourself. Uhh...now what? What can you do to stop this train from speeding down the tracks—and eventually off the rails entirely? Oft-repeated advice would tell you to take some time off, and it’s true that a break can at least give you a bit of breathing room. But Domar explains that if a vacation is all you do, it’s really just a Band-Aid on a bullet wound. “If you take a day or even a week off, you’re still coming back,” she says. “You’re still the same person and the job is the same job.” Instead of merely pressing pause and removing yourself from your situation, for the time being, you need to do something to actively change it. Domar says that really boils down to two things: Changing your attitude Changing your workload To change your attitude, you’ll want to learn to recognize negative habits and thought patterns and work to stop them when they happen. “For example, thinking, ‘I have to do this perfectly or I’ll be a failure.’ You challenge some of these thoughts and get away from that all-or-nothing thinking,” Domar says. Research suggests that perfectionism is closely linked with burnout. So recognizing and then removing some of these self-imposed pressures can help you breathe a little easier at work (and hopefully feel a little less stressed on a daily basis). The second change is to decrease your volume of work. Burnout can happen when you simply have too much on your plate, and in those cases what you really need to do is lighten your load. Approach your boss to have a conversation about the fact that you feel overworked and identify ways that you can manage a more reasonable workload moving forward. In my own situation, I finally (after a lot of convincing and cajoling from my loved ones) ended up dropping some of my clients to free up a little more time for myself. That action alone helped to decrease my anxiety, increase my energy levels, and help me feel at least a little bit like my old self again. Finally, to tie this all back to the “changing your attitude” aspect, it’s important that you also recognize those moments when you find yourself saying “yes” to an obligation—when you know you should really turn it down. Catch your tendency to overload yourself, and you’ll (hopefully) kick that bad habit to the curb and prevent this same situation in the future. Here’s a lesson I had to learn the hard way: Burnout is hard to recognize, and it doesn’t go away on its own. Nope, it doesn’t get better because you finally reached a new week or checked off another item on your to-do list. Identifying and then addressing burnout requires some conscious thought and effort (which, I know, is pretty much the last thing you want to think about when you’re already feeling worn down). However, one final thing I realized is that I was ultimately the only one who could do something about my situation—I needed to settle into my spot in the driver’s seat and take control over what wasn’t working for me in my career. #workstress #burnout

One of the most common refrains I hear from frustrated job seekers is that they spend tons of time applying to jobs, but never hear anything back. If you’re not getting the response you want in your job search—but have no idea what you’re doing wrong—it’s time to go back to the basics and make sure you’re not making the following classic mistakes. 1. You Don’t Have a Target Employer Strategy You may think that because you’re submitting application after application online, you are conducting an effective job search. Not true! Blindly applying to any and every position that you come across doesn’t usually yield good results. The most effective way to find the right job for you is to target your ideal employers—the companies that interest you, align with your passion and need your skills. Once you develop a list of dream companies, you can tailor your applications specifically to those organizations, which will give you a much better chance of getting noticed and landing the job. 2. Your Resume and Cover Letter Are NOT Targeted to the Employer Even if you have a targeted job-search strategy, a generic resume and cover letter can quickly stall your efforts. One glance at your resume will tell an employer if you wrote it specifically for the company or if you created a one-size-fits-all document that you emailed to every business on your list. Your search will be much more successful if you c ustomize your cover letter and resume to specifically address the company’s business problems and your capacity to solve them. 3. You’re Wasting the Top Third of Your Resume Because so many resumes are read online, through applicant tracking systems, or on mobile devices, the top third of your resume is prime marketing real estate. If a hiring manager does not i mmediately see a compelling reason in that portion, he or she will swipe to the next resume—meaning, “You’re out.” Start by keeping your personal information at the top short, sweet, and to the point. There’s no need to include a street address; simply list your name, one phone number, one email address, and your LinkedIn URL. That leaves you plenty of space to get to the meaty stuff within that top third. If you have an objective statement, remove it. Instead, either include a professional s ummary statement or dive right into your experience. 4. Your Resume Is Too Long When I see a resume that’s multiple pages long, it usually indicates that the job seeker hasn’t tailored his resume to the specific job—and instead, included everything but the kitchen sink. While you may think a longer resume allows you to show off more of your qualifications, in reality, it usually causes your reader to get bored, become confused about why you applied to the job, and then toss it aside. A resume is not your whole life story. You simply want to provide enough applicable information to score an interview. To do that, layout the most relevant aspects of your experience and why you’re qualified for that particular job. By doing that, you should be able to keep it to one page (or t wo, at the very most, if you have lots of meaty content that’s relevant to the job). 5. You Expect Others to Do the Math Do you talk about your work in terms of tasks or accomplishments? In many resumes and cover letters, job seekers use sentences that describe activities, rather than outcomes. Explaining a task sounds like this: “In my current job, I oversaw the project to automate time cards.” Now, I’m sure that’s good stuff. But if you don’t tell a potential manager what it means to him or her, it won’t mean anything . You have to do the math for the potential employer and specifically show how you’ll create value for the company. To do this, ask yourself: What was the outcome I achieved, and how is the organization better as a result? For instance, you could adjust that previous line to: “When I led the project to automate time cards, we were able to reduce the payroll processing time by 20%, saving the company $15,000 per quarter. Now that’s a powerful accomplishment. 6. You Don’t Take LinkedIn Seriously Imagine that you’re in charge of hiring a candidate for an important position, and you’ve narrowed it down to two strong applicants. You look up both on LinkedIn. One has a profile packed with accomplishments, a great personal story, tons of connections, and samples of her work. The other has a couple of connections, no photos, and little to no content. Who would you choose? Companies are increasingly using LinkedIn as a component in their hiring practices—meaning that your profile is often the first place employers go to check you out. If you don’t already have a profile, sign up for LinkedIn now—then make its usage as effective as possible. 7. Your Social Media Presence Scares Employers Away Hiring is a big risk for employers, so they aim to use gather as much evidence as possible to either validate their choice or eliminate the bad applicants. A whopping majority—93%—of h iring managers go online to research a candidate before they offer him or her a job. Worse, 55% have changed their minds about a candidate after getting a negative impression of him or her from social media. So, clean up your social media. Comb through all your social profiles and ensure you’re comfortable with your privacy settings—i.e., what potential employers can see. Remove anything that could be perceived as offensive, including badmouthing former employers. No company wants to hire a "problem". And if your social media content makes you look like a l awsuit waiting to happen, you’re a problem. If you don’t pay close attention to these details, you could be losing opportunities to snag your perfect job. Nail the basics, and you’ll be on your way to securing an interview and getting hired.

My favorite definition of culture comes from Terrence Deal and Allan Kennedy’s book Corporate Culture: The Rites and Rituals of Corporate Life, in which they define it as “the way we do things around here.” Years ago, my cousin, came out for the holidays. He asked how we could really be serious and get work done while wearing fleece and sneakers. I told him we worked long and hard and therefore had to be as comfortable as possible: Didn’t he find wearing a suit a distraction? Culture ranges from how people dress and talk to leadership and reward structures. We all know that culture fit matters—you’ll be happier and more successful (as will your supervisor) if there’s a good match. Thankfully, there are specific interview questions you can ask to find out whether a company is right for you that will give you much more information than the standard, “What’s your culture like?” Of course, you won’t use all of the questions below with every interviewer, so pick the ones that are most important to you. If you’re deciding between multiple offers, ask the same questions across organizations so you can compare responses. Figure Out How the Company Engages and Supports Employees With these questions, your goal is to see how engaged employees are and whether they feel like they have a good “deal” with their employer. That includes growth opportunities and support—even when projects don’t meet desired outcomes. Companies who really live their values integrate them into their talent management processes. You’ll see those values showing up in everyday behaviors and important decisions, not just displayed on the walls and coffee mugs. Here are five questions you can ask to get a better sense of company values and employee engagement: What makes you proud to work at this company? How does the organization support your professional development and career growth? Is risk-taking encouraged, and what happens when people fail? What role do company values play in hiring and performance reviews? What’s one thing you would change about the company if you could? Figure Out How the Company Deals With Conflict and Politics Conflict is everywhere—and that can be a good thing! Healthy conflict allows employees to share and resolve multiple viewpoints. When people consistently avoid conflict, differences fester and may lead to resentment. On the other hand, high-performing teams have a productive approach to disagreement and problem solving, so that everyone feels heard. Additionally, strong leaders are open to innovation. The best managers share real-time feedback—be it positive or constructive. A lack of two-way feedback may be a sign of conflict avoidance. Here are five questions you can ask to gain a clearer understanding of conflict and politics at a given company: What causes conflict, and how is the conflict resolved? How would you describe “organizational politics” at the company? How are decisions made when there’s disagreement and stakes are high? When and how do people like to give and receive feedback? Titles aside, who in the organization has the power to gets things done? Figure Out What the Day-to-Day Work Environment is Like Naturally, you want to join a company that recognizes people’s achievements, celebrates success, and cares about its employees and the community. And if you’re hoping to work remotely or find a job that fits your schedule, you should definitely probe the organization’s flexibility during the interview process. Choose a place where people have fun, feel valued, and where the environment fits your needs. Here are five questions you can ask to gain more insight into the work environment: What are some of the ways the company celebrates success? How do you as a manager—or, if more appropriate, how does your manager—support and motivate your team? What kind of flexible work arrangements do people have? Do you have a matching gifts program or sponsor local volunteer events? If you have a specific need, ask about it. For example, “I take my kids to school on Wednesdays, is it OK if I come in late once a week?” (Note: Save a question like this for a final interview. If it’s the very first question you ask—before questions like these—it could count against you.) Remember, every company has a unique value system, approach to conflicts and internal politics, and working environment. If someone tells you otherwise, be suspicious! While the only way to know what a company is really like is to experience it first hand, investing time upfront and learning as much as you can help minimize surprises.

You nailed your walk in interview in Dubai. You answered “ tell me about yourself ” perfectly, discussed your relevant experience with ease, and established a great rapport with the hiring manager. You hear you made it to the next round of the process. But after all of the excitement, you start to wonder what on earth you have left to talk about. Should you just repeat what you’ve already said? Or, is the hiring manager looking for something new? Well, as the rounds of interviews continue, you’ll do some repackaging of old stories and introduce some new information. But the secret is not to go overboard either way. Here’s how to find the balance that’s just right. Don’t Give All New Information You might be thinking that the interviewer has already heard everything you said once, so none of it’s worth repeating and you should come up with all new information. That’s not really the case. More often than not, you’ll be meeting with new or additional team members who weren’t present in the first round. They’ve never heard your pitch, and while they may have seen your resume or heard a quick overview from the interviewer, the best person to sell you is, well, you. Not only that, but odds are the person you spoke with only remembers the highlights of your talk. He/She might have had meetings or only taken notes on the discussion. So, if you don’t repeat anything the interviewer may not remember the really relevant skills you shared in your last meeting. But rather than quoting yourself exactly, make sure to connect any new information back to what you said last time. That way you’ll know you’re not skipping over any of the big selling points of your candidacy. If you’re asked (again) to “Tell me why you’re drawn to this role?” you can say, “Last time, we discussed the strong management component, which is still something I’m very enthusiastic about. Additionally, the information you shared about the collaborative nature of the team is very appealing to me.” This way you added something new, but you still led with your most relevant skill. Don’t Share Too Much of the Same Information Of course, some people mistakenly assume that you must ensure your share the same information without any distortion. While fabricating stories could get you caught, and definitely not encouraged, it’s nice to share additional examples and connect with each interviewer so the overall feedback during the review is positive with everyone. Moreover, if someone asks you back it’s because he still wants to learn more. This is the time to dive deeper into your skills and experience. So, if you catch your answers mirroring what you said before, try a transition like this: “As I shared previously with [name of the first interviewer], my current role is very sales-heavy. Another example of my work in client-facing roles would be my first job, where I learned…” By peppering in some new and different stores, you’re reinforcing the idea that you’ll bring even more than what you shared on your resume. Give Consistent Answers With New Examples Well, before you even start the interview process, you should give yourself a slogan that describes yourself as a candidate. What would you want the hiring manager to remember about you. Let’s say your focus is on how you love (and excel at) working with people and that you’re creative. What you’ll keep the same in all rounds of interviews is that theme: You’ll want to make sure that some of your answers tie back to those qualities. Now what you’ll change are the specific examples. So, maybe in the first interview, you list working with others as your greatest strength and give an example from your current job. The second time, you might mention working with the company’s demographic as something you’re excited about. Similarly, in the first interview, you might talk about a time you had to be creative to solve a problem in your side gig, and in the next round, you might discuss how creative thinking is a key attribute of someone who inspires you. Keeping your slogan in mind will help guide you as far as if you should answer a question similarly or differently than you did the time before. It can be daunting to have to make a good impression—yet again, but remember, being called back for an additional interview is often a strong sign that you’re moving forward in the hiring process. Use the tips above to keep selling your strengths and make your answers fresh and interesting.

If you are not thrilled with your current work situation, chances are you have probably discussed your options with family or friends. You may have even confided in your co-workers. But there’s probably one person you haven’t run it by your boss. Whether you’re unhappy in your present position or simply seeking new challenges, you may be wondering if sharing your feelings with your immediate supervisor would be more helpful or harmful. What should you do? Tell your boss you’re job hunting or keep it on the low-down? You may never know, but here are a few things to consider. Evaluate Your Relationship Before doing something you may regret, take some time to evaluate the nature of your relationship with your boss. If you have a supportive boss, the professional speaker and career strategist say you can let him or her know you’re looking for more or different responsibilities, and together you can explore every possible opportunity internally. Most often, it’s in the company’s best interest to try to retain a valuable employee, and while your boss may be sorry to lose you on the team, he or she may help you move within the organization. But if months pass and nothing comes of it, or if you’ve been given a few promises that don’t pan out, it won’t come as a surprise to your superior if you end up leaving. Engaging in the conversation takes the conflict out of the situation. It shows you don’t want to leave, you’ve tried to stay but it just isn’t happening. When your boss learns that one of his/her top employees is interested in switching careers, initially he/she may be upset but ultimately may even help you find your way in the new endeavor. A supportive manager can also be helpful if you think you could be on the cusp of receiving an offer and need a reference. Believing your supervisor would give her a good recommendation, let him know you were looking to move on early in her job search. You may be in the process of applying for other positions and want to be upfront about what you are doing. You may feel that your boss would be an appropriate reference for some of the openings you were applying for, and so keeping him/her informed in the early stages in case it got to the point where I needed to provide his information, maybe a good idea. If your boss is understanding of your decision, his/her behavior towards you will not change, as you continue to work at the same pace. Beware the Pitfalls While it may work out in that instance, you may probably want to take it on a case-by-case basis before disclosing a possible departure down the road. In one situation, you may feel it was the appropriate move, but in the future it would depend on the company and your relationship with your manager.” Unless you have a good relationship with your boss, it does not advocate sharing the news. When one gentleman was thinking about leaving his job in marketing, he chose not to tell anyone until he’d returned the signed offer letter for his new role. You may not want people thinking that just because you were looking for something new that meant you were not going to do the best job possible while you were still working there. You may have an expected or sudden opportunity and have no idea how long it might be before you have been offered something that made leaving worthwhile. In the meantime, you may not want to be passed over for interesting projects or looked at as the employee who couldn’t wait to jump ship. Don’t Tell By Showing If you opt not to tell your boss you’re thinking about making a move, be sure not to do anything that could easily tip your hand. In short: Don’t use your company’s internet to look for a new job (many employers track usage), and if you need to make or take a call, do it on your cell phone from outside the building. Conduct the bulk of your job hunt off hours. Further, don’t advertise that you’re looking on social media, which could quickly alert higher-ups to the fact that you’re hoping to leave. Potential employers may also scan your profile and consider your lack of discretion a trait they’d prefer to avoid in a new hire. Deciding to tell your boss that you are searching for another job in the UAE is an incredibly personal and definitely a case-by-case decision. Weigh your options carefully, talk to a trusted friend or colleague first, and, no matter what you decide, keep bringing your A-game to the office until the day you leave. Whether you disclose that you’re leaving or not, how you handle your last few weeks or months can do a lot (good or bad) for your professional reputation.

If you are a fresh university graduate, the education section in your CV Format will probably shape your career. Here are some CV Tips to tailor-make your CV for education qualifications. Also, ensure that your CV IS NOT TOO LONG and correct it N OW . Very often, you may find yourself at crossroads meaning you may want to choose a different career path. I am an engineer by qualification, tested my skills in IT, moved into sales and marketing, and now have gained a lot of experience in recruitment and executive search. Quite a lot of testing waters. I did not know much at that time but now I cannot think of moving because I really enjoy what I do. Sure, have wasted or invested time doing other roles, but then I use what I learned even now. So don't worry, if you have changed education fields. I'd probably say it is a big advantage. If you have missed the importance of writing a CV HEADLINE, then you can read it  H ERE or if you want to catch up on  C AREER SYNOPSIS  or  W ORK EXPERIENCE , I am confident you will get a lot of insights. If you have been applying for jobs and your CV is getting rejected or you are not getting a response, then here's probably why? Some important points when preparing the education section of your CV 1. EDUCATION is second most important to work experience If you are a fresh graduate, your qualifications, training, projects will be most important. Keep studying and learning even when you are 50. There is no replacement for knowledge. 2. Keep Education in REVERSE CHRONOLOGICAL Your most recent qualification comes first. You don’t need to share your marks or grades, but mentioning “Honors”, if applicable, adds loads of value. Your post-graduation or graduation + Major subject + University name + City/Country is important. 3. SKIP the Graduation Dates? Maybe NOT Mentioning graduation dates may be important to understand what learning or training you have done since then. Lack of further education shows a lack of initiative to keep learning. Though some recruiters may feel that mentioning graduation dates may not be essential, I may tend to differ. 4. Highlight Your education ACCOMPLISHMENTS If you are an “honors” student or a top 10 student, then don’t forget to BRAG about it in your CV. If not, then no need to share your marks, grades, or GPA. If you are a fresh honors graduate, then it would be wise to tag it on top of your CV headline. E.g “Top Finance Graduate with Honors” OR “Leading Marketing Specialist and Honors Graduate”. Any learning, training, or education even if it online must be added to your CV. Do not feel that online learning is less important than attending classes. Online learning is better than no learning and shows your interest to keep developing. Every course and seminar needs a mention. You have the edge over someone who has procrastinated. This sums up the education section. We will next cover " Brag about Training and Development "

Last week in our CV Tips series we covered the EDUCATION section. Those who have missed this topic can read it here . Other modules completed so far Writing a Winning CV Headline – Read the complete blog Career Synopsis AND Core Competencies gives your CV an edge – Read the complete blog The Influence of Work Experience on Your CV – Read the complete blog This week we learn more about TRAINING, DEVELOPMENT, and ACHIEVEMENTS Highlight Your Skills You must ensure that every skill you have learned to accomplish a job is stressed upon at least once. It may even be a good practice to mention how long have you worked on that skill. For example 4 years of HTML and 2 Adobe Creative Suite and 6 years in JD Edwards and IT Policies.  Skills like MS Office (Word, Excel, and Powerpoint)  tend to be ordinary and probably worth a skip or only one mention. I may elaborate if advanced level like using Macros in Excel. ​ Create a Training and Skills Subsection You may consider creating a Computer or IT-based Skillset listing your computer literacy or Language Skills listing the native or fluent languages, the working proficiency language, and the learning or basic language skills. Similarly, this section can have an Awards and Achievement subsection too or you may create a new heading for your accomplishments and recognition. ​ Add a Professional Interest Section Competitive Sports, Reading business magazines, health-related work, and news articles or trekking, etc can be including and speaks a lot about who you are. Definitely do not even think of mentioning stamp collections, watching movies in your CV. ​ Be Careful About Controversial Interests While religious causes and beliefs are very you, it could be a point of disagreement even the reader is of another faith. I would recommend making it more humanitarian than religious. Take into account that you also have to understand that the reason why you prepare a CV is for it to be read, understood, and agreed upon by the reader ​ Brag About Your Awards Awards and Accolades deserve to be highlighted and specified in an impactful one sentence, e.g. “Earned company-sponsored family holiday for being the company’s top sales performer four quarters in a row.” OR “Completed a marathon in the 2019 UAE Marathon Challenge” That's all for this week. Next week join me as we learn more about HOW TO MAKE USE OF SHORT TERM JOBS AND GAPS IN YOUR CV

If you have missed our series of CV Tips you can read them in the same sequence as below How to Write a Winning CV Headline - Read here Using Career Synopsis and Core Competencies - Read Here The Influence of Work Experience in Your CV - Read Here Education is Critical in Your CV - Read Here Your CV Must Brag about your Training - Read Here Use of Short Term Jobs in Your CV - Read Here How Long should my CV be? - Read Here Professional CV formatting is one of the most important ingredients for creating a professional CV. If your CV is not properly formatted, then you might lose a golden opportunity for a great job. Use a Simple CV Professional CV Format The most basic principle of good CV formatting is to keep it SIMPLE. Use basic but modern fonts, like Times New Roman, Helvetica, Arial, or Century Gothic. A font size between 10 and 12 with consistent spacing between words and lines goes down well with its reader. You may use a different font and a 2 font size larger than the rest of our text for your name. Your resume headline/sub-header, and the companies for which you’ve worked must be highlighted, but keep it simple and keep it consistent. Use of GRAPHICS Be thoughtful and careful about the usage of infographics, images, icons, videos (digital CV or link), or presentations (digital CV or link). While these are very effective and grab the reader's attention, you should give good thought to planning its usage. Creative professionals such as graphic designers must use their professional expertise in their CV design. Remember your CV is who you are, professionally and personally. A word of caution, ATS systems struggle to read images, charts, diagrams and colors and getting the data in your CV passed through these robotic systems can be a a nightmare. Use graphs or charts when you personally hand over your CV to the the interviewer. KEYWORD Utilisation in CV Formatting Your CV is for the reader and must be designed for the reader. Changing words to better optimize your CV for ATS searches (which is in almost every case) is common and highly recommended. e.g for a sales CV words like “targets, ”presentations”, ”negotiation”, ”sales”, etc are a must. Similarly for digital marketing, CVs words like “SEO”, ”backlinks”, ”links”, ”content”, ”SEM”, “analytics” are mandatory, since the recruiter will use words most similar to what they are looking for. Use industry/product /service/education-specific words, each, at least a few times. Highlight Your Contact Information Your home address is not required, but your city of location, mobile number, email address, social media profiles (if you want to) are essential. E.g LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter handle, etc. These must be in close prominence to your name at the top of the first page at least. You do not want to miss an interview call because HR could not find your mobile number or email. Other Key Formatting Points DO NOT center align Any of Your Text (except maybe your Name and contact details on the first page) Keep Everything the Same FONT and SIZE. Your Name can be a couple of points larger. You can BOLD, your company name and position. Use CAPS very sparingly. Maximize BULLET POINTS. Work experience can be 8-12 bullet points with each point on one line (strongly recommended) or a maximum of 2 lines. Choose your words carefully Use consistent SPACING between every line, between every job, and between every section. Use DIGITs when writing numbers. SPELL CHECK is mandatory. You do not want someone to correct your spellings. I recommend using GRAMMARLY, a free spelling, and grammar tool to help you with every word and every sentence you write. Get Help From a Professional It is getting more common to approach professionals to help design and prepare your CV. While most candidates and job seekers have always prepared their own CV, due to a high volume of lack of response, or rejections, the operand mode is shifting towards professional CV writers who deal with hiring managers to prepare your CV. You can have your CV professionally prepared by experts.

In the last blog of our CV Tips Series, we covered the Training, Development, and Achievements in your CV. For those, you have missed this can read it here . Other modules completed so far Writing a Winning CV Headline – Read the complete blog Using Core Competencies, to give your CV an edge – Read the complete blog The Influence of Work Experience on Your CV – Read the complete blog Education is critical in your CV Format – Read the complete blog Brag about Training, Development, and Achievement - Read the complete blog This sums up the education section. In this blog, we learn more about How to Make Use of Temporary Jobs and Gaps in Your CV It is very important for me to stress that a progressive career is very important when your CV is being reviewed and needs to beat the competition for jobs. Work experience and constant learning are the best way and you will see its importance as we understand more about the effect of gaps and short-term roles in your career. Do Not Include Very Short Jobs If you have been employed in a job for one or two months and chose to leave for a better opportunity, then it is best not to include it in your CV. You can disclose the same if it comes up in an interview and you need to talk about the role. Temporary jobs are not the best especially if you are looking for a long career since the interviewer is going to feel that you are going to leave them as soon as you get a better opportunity. They want loyalty and performance Covering Gaps in Your CV The experience you may have gained in a short-term role can be shown as training and development or learning under a separate section. Some recruiters feel that you need not be specific about months and years but stick to the year of employment. E.g. 2018 – 2020 but I feel it may arouse suspicion. Then again it may warrant a call and give you the opportunity to explain more about how much you have achieved and contributed and not focus on the dates. Best to be honest and transparent always. Note : Remember, “lying” or “misrepresenting” your CV is when you have not done a certain responsibility or completed a qualification and saying you have done, whereas presentation is more to chose what you want to share and what not as long as you have done it. Explain Temporary Jobs More Precisely You may find that your CV shows a constant change every one or two years. This may not always go down well with the interviewer unless you are so good that companies chase you and ready to offer you what you want. You may otherwise want to mention the reason for the move and immediately below your employment dates/job title. E.g. My position was made redundant or was not paid a salary for 2 months, the company forced me to relocate to XYZ country. Explain Unavoidable Career Breaks Sometimes career breaks have to be taken based on choices, e.g mothers who have to take a career break when their precious newborn arrives, or burnout and stress due to intensive work over several years or a career break to study further. A long break to find the right job may not be the best idea and often seems detrimental to your career prospects. I have seen so many candidates wait for a perfect job and land up unemployed for even up to a year and finally forces to take up a role which they had rejected a few months earlier. Learn New Courses Between Jobs The moment you lose your job or have chosen to take a break, your CV is going to have a career gap maybe just a short one. We do not know how soon you will get your next job unless you have already signed an employment offer. Use this time wisely – learn a new skill, join an online course or classroom-based training, do freelance work if required, attend networking events, rethink your options too. There is quite a lot you can do until you find the right job. Do not leave open gaps. You do not want your CV to have gaps and short durations like in the below example. ABC Company Recruitment Consultant January 2018 to May 2019 XYZ Company Recruitment Officer March 2016 to November 2016 Genesis Executive Search Recruiter July 2015 to December 2015 That’s all for this week. Next week we learn HOW TO FORMAT YOUR CV

CV is valuable and important because it is your first and maybe only direct communication with a potential employer, In order to help you make a good impression here we have brought some CV Tips to help you achieve the goal. Those who have missed our previous blogs can read them below Writing a Winning CV Headline – Read it here Core Competencies and Career Synopsis – Read it here Work Experience – Read it here Education – Read it here Training and Development - Read it here Short Term Jobs and Gaps in your CV – Read it here Formatting Your CV - Read it here Today we move into the finale of our CV Writing Series with our final topic “ Giving the Finishing touches to your CV ” No Need for References Share when asked. This goes for your interview(unless it is a Selling point USP) or in this subheading. There is no need to give information when not required. If the hiring manager is interested, he/ she will ask you. If it always good to have 2-3 professional references ready. Your reference must be your reporting manager, hiring manager / HR person with access to your information, your head of department, or top management. References of family, friends, or colleagues are not professional references. A client or in certain cases a vendor or supplier may be a reference depending on your job. Read your CV Thoroughly Read your CV multiple times. You may want to get feedback from your HR network or recruiter or even have a family member or friend proofread it. No need to change unless you feel so and if there is consistent feedback on the same point. Thoroughly check for spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. If you feel your CV is too long then read  this . Use a PDF Once you have completed your CV, save it as a PDF file. Also, email it to yourself and your friends to see how it appears before using it professionally. Sometimes saving a Word doc in PDF or Google Doc to  PDF causes chaos in CV formatting and you do not want this to be sent to prospective employers. Always email or present your CV in PDF format. Smart Name your CV I have seen so many CVs saved as CV.doc or CV.pdf or XYZresume.pdf. Very ordinary naming style. Use your name to save your CV or even the month and year you prepared it e.g “Dinesh Dsouza” or “The CV of Dinesh Dsouza” OR “Dinesh Dsouza - September 2020” OR “Dinesh Dsouza – Recruitment Manager”. These can be more meaningful CV names. Keep Updating your CV Your CV must be constantly updated. Every time you change your job, have a new work responsibility added, attend a seminar or training or upgrade your skills and educations, you must update your CV. You show initiative and activity and you can promptly send it when required rather than wasting time when urgently required. This completes our CV Writing Blog Series. Join me next as we begin a series on "How to Prepare for Interviews".