Whats the One Thing You Must NEVER Include on a CV

Whats the One Thing You Must NEVER Include on a CV This week, we asked you what is the number 1 thing you should never include in your CV? You got back to us saying generally avoid irrelevant information, plus Selfies! Think about the job youre applying to- do they really need to see your best night-out pictures? Do they need to know the names of your three cats, or when you left primary school? Be ruthless with information you share. Get to the point, straightforward and emanate confidence. This will save a recruiter time. Join our  #UROpinion  discussion  every Monday  on LinkedIn, where you can comment on our latest discussion now!   #UROpinion Whats the number 1 thing you should never include in your #CV? Tweet or reply here http://t.co/N6QNVD5cMd pic.twitter.com/0FIw1aLPLr â€" Undercover Recruiter (@UndercoverRec) December 8, 2014 Here are the replies we received throughout Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus: Twitter: On Twitter we received the following  replies. The most interesting response was from @Louisasmudge, who claims that shes been told not to include  anything related to her religious beliefs: @UndercoverRec @jorgensundberg Never include your age! â€" Job Search Bible (@JobSearchBible) December 9, 2014 @UndercoverRec @LinkHumans I got told not to include that Im a church goer or have an affiliation with a particular religion- fair point! â€" Louisa CS (@Louisasmudge) December 8, 2014 LinkedIn: Samantha Burgess is the first commenter in the discussion, with a vital point on avoiding irrelevant information: Samantha Burgess  Talent Acquisition Manager at Swarovski Family status such as Im 42, married with two children both boys aged 10 and 13 its completely irrelevant information when applying for a job. Samantha Jones adds a perfect example of what not to include in a CV! Samantha Jones   Currently hiring at Secure Data Recycling, SWRD Group   Ha, agreed Samantha, see this excerpt from an application received last week, for a Telesales Executive: I enjoy time spent with my wife ***** and my children ***** and ***** from a previous relationship. ***** and I have a number of shared interests including world cinema and cooking, although I am very much *****’s student in the kitchen Why?? ?? Samantha Burgess   Talent Acquisition Manager at Swarovski   Hahaha! Photos and hobbies really frustrate me as well!! I feel sorry for candidates as there is some shoddy advice out there to support you writing your CV but I do just wish people would think about the job that they are applying too and what they think the person screening their CV needs to know. Robin Stanton agreed with avoiding irrelevant information, along with never including inaccurate or outdated information. Recruiters considering strong candidates leave no stone unturned! Robin Stanton, CDR   Linking people to opportunities to make a difference ? @Jobbin_Robin   I agree with both Samanthas, personal information should be left out. You should also never include inaccurate/outdated information. A resume that says XYZ Company 8/2012 Present and then when you speak to the person you find out that they left XYZ in 2/2014, but didnt update their resume to reflect they are no longer employed (or at UVW Company since 8/2014) is an example of this. It seems obvious, but please dont include awkward selfies! Abby Robbin explains: Abby Robbins   Recruitment Partner at Yellow Bricks, 01628 566 447   A selfie photo, I am seeing this more and more. Its just awkward and not required, I would never pass a CV to a client with a photo attached and always explain to the offenders why this is not cool! Kim Bonavia gives a slightly different opinion to the discussion, explaining that she landed a job due to mentioning her hobbies at the end of her CV, as it gave the interview an added discussion point. Kim Bonavia  Recruitment Specialist, IT, Telco, Gaming, Hospitality industries, Customer Service, Account Mgt, Candidate Mgt   Agreed with all of the above, although having said that I did  get a job once because of the hobbies I had listed at the END of my CV. It helped build rapport with the hirer as it was something different and we both had in common. So from that perspective, I dont mind hobbies too much, so long as they are at the VERY END of the CV. Melissa George reiterates the anti-selfie movement Abby Robbins  began: Melissa George   Consultant Temporary Recruitment (Commercial)   A profile picture on your CV that is clearly a selfie. You would be surprised at the number of CVs that I have received that have Saturday night selfies attached. Not professional by any means. Robert Taylor adds to the selfie discussion. Photos on CV are largely agreed to be unnecessary in most vacancies and a distraction. Robert Taylor   Co-Founder of Pure Resume | Senior Digital/UX Designer | Entrepreneur   A photo of yourself as it could lead to potential discrimination issues and from a U/X angle the eye is drawn to faces, so it could be a distraction from your key skills. Plus Recruiters/Employers will always check your LinkedIn profile (and other social media platforms, such as Facebook) where they are able to see your photo anyway. Jennifer Nelson believes that whilst CV errors should be avoided by candidates, it is the responsibility of recruiters to potentially look past such problems to focus on the abilities of the candidate. I used to recruit for IT professionals they are not hired for their resume writing ability but for their technical skills. Jennifer (Jenni) Nelson   Talent Acquisition; Recruitment Model Review and Design; Business Analyst; and Trainer   I agree with the comments, although I think as recruiters, we should look past the resume blunders and be skilled to look for the talent. I used to recruit for IT professionals they are not hired for their resume writing ability but for their technical skills. Christopher Thoman echos Jennifer Nelsons point above as he works with many strong candidates that are let down by their CV. Christopher M. Thoman   Executive Recruiter/Principal at Kaylin Search Partners    To the point of this topic.what are you all doing with resumes that need work?? I do work with strong candidates that fall short in the resume area. To help leverage my time better I have been looking for a skilled resume writer/editor that has experience in my areas of placement (finance/accounting) that I can get my candidates over to that really need it. Any thoughts or input here would be great. Thank you. Ben Chua   Social Media Community Manager   Your non-smiling ID picture. ?? Ana Sofía Guajardo Cienfuegos says keep qualifications and academic experience focused.  Consider carefully what qualifications are relevant. Ana Sofía Guajardo Cienfuegos   Recruitment Specialist at ITESM Campus Monterrey   I agree with all the above. In my opinion, it doesnt matter that much the information about elementary school. I think only with the Major and Master degree (in case of) is enough. William W. Sanders   International Development Recruiter | Freelance Resume Specialist   Objective statements, closely followed by professional references. We know you want the job; thats why you applied. And most applications ask for references so you can use that space for more pertinent information. ?? Julie Edmondson follows on from Robin Stantons point of making sure all dates and information is correct and up-to-date. Julie Edmondson   Sales Director at Perfect Fit People Ltd   Most of the above; dates that are wrong; unaccountable gaps in employment, spelling mistakes, photographs and hobbies / interests (unless requested by the client). I think format of a CV tells us a lot about the candidate Rish Baruah makes a great point about including some personality professionally in your CV. Including in his CV that he played in a band impressed a manger so much that he got a job. Rish Baruah   Careers Consultant at Nottingham Trent University   As a Careers Consultant, I encourage students to use Interests and Achievements rather than Hobbies and Interests this allows you to showcase what you like doing in a positive way, rather than the bland I like reading and socialising. Incidentally, I got a job on the basis of this section once; I mentioned playing in a band, and the manager said that he liked me including that in my CV, and it stuck in his mind ?? Donta Moore  says leaving out information not relevant to your current career goals is vital. Retail experience  from when you were 14 years-old isnt going to be relevant if your occupation is rocket scientist.   Donta The Connector Moore   Technical Recruiting Consultant at Rhapsody International   This is simple DOB, marital/family status, and High School. I would also say leave out dated information that is not inline with your current career goals. Example: If you are a Software Development Engineer, we do not need to see the time you spent working fast food 10 years ago on your resume. Google Plus: On Google Plus, Link Humans  Jörgen Sundberg reiterated that leaving out a photo and age is avoiding a headache. Recruitwheels also reiterates that leaving out personal details is recommended. We ask our #UROpinion question every Monday on Twitter. Be sure to join us on LinkedIn, where you can comment on our latest discussion now! #UROpinion What is YOUR recruitment/job search resolution for 2015? Let us know here: http://t.co/9mGJBzuIP2 pic.twitter.com/syyfx4gi7X â€" Undercover Recruiter (@UndercoverRec) December 15, 2014

Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom Current Trends in Learning Focusing on Performance

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom Current Trends in Learning Focusing on Performance At last summersSilkRoad Connectionsconference, David Wentworth, principal learning analyst at Brandon Hall, shared that most organizational learning is still done in the classroom (66 percent). But classroom learning has its limitations. For one thing, 61 percent of companies believe that employees need to interact with learning on a daily or weekly basis in order to be effective at their jobs. Furthermore, according to the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve, people forget 90 percent of what they’ve learned after a mere month. What High Performing Companies Do Brandon Hall’s research illustrates that one of the most effective learning methods is coaching and mentoring, and on the job exercises are almost as effective. Over 90 percent of high performing organizations think tailoring learning experiences and offering experiential learning in multiple modalities are important or critical to the business. These companies report following about their learning and development offerings: Learners can participate in coaching/mentoring Learners have access to subject matter experts Learners can comment on and rate content Learners can share content with one another Learners can generate and contribute their own content Learners can discuss content and development paths in the learning environment Learners can meet virtually to discuss topics without the need for formal scheduling Learners can use simulations to learn a skill in a no-consequence environment Learners can take on stretch assignments and special projects In high performing organizations, learning is embedded in the job and incorporates a blended approach. It is contextual (according to my role and development path), digestible, informal, social, and often mobile. For the rest of Davids insights, check out the SilkRoad blog.

Personal Branding Weekly and Your Visibility - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding Weekly and Your Visibility - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career PERSONAL BRANDING WEEKLY Editor’s Note: This week there’s some great advice on modifying a position before you leave it; how to ruin your brand as a sales professional; the power of “we” to your personal brand and even the power of a SNL skit to your personal brand.   Enjoy! 6 Fundamentals Helped Me Celebrate 6 years by Deborah Shane How Objective Statements Affect Your Personal Brand by Phil Rosenberg Shocking New Plague in Business: Mouth Sewage by Nance Rosen Looking to Improve Your Personal Brand? Ask These Questions by Heather Huhman Roadblocks are Gifts Getting You on the Right Road by Elinor Stutz How Crisis in the Workplace Creates Opportunity by Jason Kleinerman 5 Ways to Energize a Long Job Search by Glassdoor.com CBSs The Job: The Job Interview on Steroids by Skip Freeman The Price of Choosing Generosity by Kayla Johnson The Fastest Way to Get Promoted by Jeff Shuey Your Brand and the Power of We by Peter Sterlacci Can an SNL Skit Make You Reexamine Your Life? by Erik Deckers Thinking About Changing Your Career? Consider Modifying Before Leaving by Beth Kuhel How to Ruin Your Brand as a Sales Professional by Michael Spinale Welcome to our newest contributor â€" Jason Kleinerman!   Jason is an entrepreneurial minded management expert specializing in multifamily residential real estate. Currently a Regional Manager for Universal Management, LLC, he has helped shape the direction of this residential firm over the past 6 years in a team setting while driving bottom line returns over many different assets through shrewd management and thorough planning. Coming up this next week are guest posts from ChamberofCommerce.com;   Kayla Johnson; and the Young Entrepreneur Council VISIBILITY AND WORD OF MOUTH Attaining visibility through your social networks isn’t always as simple as it might first seem. One of the most actively open social networks, Facebook, can also be one of the most difficult to expand your brand’s presence on. Of course, that doesn’t mean that you can’t gain visibility. It just means that you have to have the right strategy and the right approach. Content creates visibility   There are a few essential ingredients to any social post. The first and most important thing to understand is that Facebook is not necessarily a popularity contest. More likes doesn’t mean you’re engaging the audience. Instead, it is good content that contains share-quality material which will gain you the most benefit. This is primarily due to the fact that initial exposure is often limited to a small number of users, often depending on their recent activity in the social network. If someone has recently posted or “liked” your content or page, they’re more likely to receive access to some of your posts on their feed. So instead of going for initial popularity, your target content should develop around discussion and sharing. Basically, you’ll need to create relevance to your audience and influence your potential customers. The ultimate goal here is to stay engaged and develop brand loyalty. Where many marketing strategies go wrong is that they post and wait for the likes and comments to roll in. The truth is that you have to be proactive on through your posts and remain active long after they’ve gone live. In fact, some of the best practices utilize continuity, such as bringing up subjects from a previous conversation and using it to address more situations. Posts should generally contain a catchy title, an applicable picture that’s easy to see and easy to read, along with a question to start a conversation. This last portion is your call to action which will hopefully induce sharing via word of mouth. Without this last component, the audience may scan through and pass up an opportunity to engage your content, and you’ll miss out on a chance to improve your visibility. The idea is to make the audience feel involved with your brand by calling them into the conversation. Gaining an edge If you’re good at what you do on Facebook, the Edgerank will rate you higher and improve your brand’s visibility. This system challenges brands to generate quality content instead of simply being able to flood streams with lots of content, so while you might think its troublesome to overcome, it’s actually up to you to create content that the audience is going to want to see. Something to consider for visibility purposes is to introduce your audience to interest groups and notifications. Not all users know what these are or are even aware of how they can be used. Use it to inform and create content that many Facebook users will find useful, even if they aren’t familiar with your brand. When it comes to visibility, the use of pictures, apps, and video content are much more influential and attractive on the newsfeed. Even infographs can swiftly deliver a message about your brand and still remain visually appealing to the entire audience. Author: Maria Elena Duron, is managing editor of the Personal Branding Blog, CEO (chief engagement officer) of  buzz2bucksâ€"  a word of mouth marketing firm, and a professional speaker and trainer on developing social networks that work. She provides workshops, webinars, seminars and direct services that help create conversation, connection, credibility, community and commerce around your brand.   Maria Duron is founder  and moderator of  #brandchat   a weekly Twitter chat focused on every aspect of  branding  that is recognized by Mashable as one the 15 Essential Twitter Chats for Social Media Marketers.

A Time and Place - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

A Time and Place - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career If you work out regularly and are making great progress, you should be proud. Most of us want to share this elation by posting pictures of our shapely arms or rounded butts in celebration. It’s only natural now that so many of our closest friends and family members are more easily reached via social media. This being said, there’s a big difference in posting such things for your closest kin and posting these things for your entire network. One of these is a no-go. Professional or Not? If you are a personal trainer or work full-time in the fitness community, these pictures are expected. They are verifiable evidence that you know what you’re doing because you have achieved the results you’re promising to help others achieve. Because of this, you are expected to have these shots. From full body shots where more skin is showing than not to up close studies of your individual muscles, these are your portfolio. If you are anything but a professional trainer, do not post these photos on unsecured personal media sites. While impressive, they have nothing to do with your chosen field. If you post them for everyone to see, you’ll begin sending mixed messages to coworkers, bosses and clients as to what you do. Your professional life and your personal life need to have some division in this sense, otherwise the business persona you’ve tried for so long to build up will be deconstructed almost instantaneously. Working on Focus Keep in mind that workout photos are not inherently bad, especially if you’re looking to share your journey with others. The biggest reason they serve as a detriment to your career is that is draws focus away from your endeavors in the field you are working in. You may have written great papers and published countless successful articles, but none of these will matter if focus is shifted to the physical aspects of your body. Such photos imply that your validation is based on physical achievement, not intellectual â€" something that can easily be misconstrued as pompous or pretentious. As disheartening as it can be, posting workout picks for your industry to see devalues your worth as an executive.  Companies, coworkers and clients are expecting you to be able to compete in that specific industry’s arena successfully. Health and fitness is a different arena altogether, making it appear that you are trying to promote your current industry’s skills by a different method not everyone else can use. It’s like trying to underline your prowess in math by writing an essay on the history of the English language. While you could argue a connection between math and writing, it would be strained at best. Safe Space Even so, your personal achievements should not go unrecognized. After all, if you’ve taken a photo and are proud of what you see, you should have a safe place to share it with those that want to see you happy. That means keeping your social media sites private, never sharing them with anyone at work. Luckily, all major social media sites give you privacy measures. Have these set so that only those you are directly connected with can see your posts. As a word of warning, though, make sure those that can see your posts can be trusted. After all, some coworkers will inevitably become your friends, and you’ll want to share personal information with them. Should this happen and that coworkers begins sharing photos of you that should have remained private, warn them to stop. If they don’t, simply block them from your social media sites. Yet, this is often “too little, too late” so as you connect with people who you’re active with in your work life â€" proceed with caution. A best practice: Whether you use Facebook or Instagram to post your more personal pictures, get used to saying, I use that private site for only family members.     Keep in mind that there’s nothing really private on social sites. If you post it, it can be copied, downloaded or screenshot.       But, if you do have a close circle of friends or family members you are having an exercise challenge with; or they’re your support system and encouraging you on; or they’re a group you want to stay more connected with personally â€" then consider creating an Instagram account that’s private. And, for Facebook, you might want to create lists of people that can only view certain components of your Facebook page and certain pictures.   These slight changes are the ounce of prevention that can serve and protect your personal brand. Play It Smart In the end, no one can tell you what not to post. It all comes down to your better judgement. In terms of business acumen, simply ask yourself if the post directly relates to the persona you are working toward in the business world. If it doesn’t, either don’t post it or keep it private. If it does, share away. People appreciate your achievements within an industry so long as they are notable and help advance the business. If it doesn’t, it’s only a distraction.   Respect your audience, and they’ll respect you.

How to Set Up Your Twitter Brand Account the Right Way - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How to Set Up Your Twitter Brand Account the Right Way - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Social media marketing is the best way to attract more leads and customers for your personal brand. People use their mobile phones as well as their computers to ask customer service questions, search for information, purchase services and products, and share with others what they have found. Twitter is still at the top of the marketing list, and there are several ways you can build both a professional and personal community. Managing your strategy in both types of accounts involves common sense, great planning, and management. Here are several steps to help you get started: Leave your personal brand account in tact Chances are you have a strong following on your own account. As your brand changes it’s important to maintain that presence while linking to your company’s Twitter account. This will enable you to add or delete information as things evolve in your career. Keep your brand account for business communication only Content and replies should be used for customer service and provide useful information. Keep personal updates on your own profile the types of followers on each account should also show this.  Send out the right amount of tweets With target market research find out what other brands are tweeting throughout each day. Sending out too much can turn away followers who will in turn perceive your account as spam. This will be based on your niche, your markets demographics, geographic location, and the response rate to your content. Be strategic with Direct Messages (DMs) A direct sales approach can be turn off for any follower on Twitter. Instead, use this as a way to solve customer issues, and to provide helpful information and advice. The feature should be about building relationships rather than pitching people. The world is watching your personal brand on social media. By understanding the difference between a personal account and a brand account your engagement on Twitter will become more focused and people-centered. This can also help build into your other social networks and your website for more leads and sales.

Barclays Q A Part 2 - Debut

Barclays Q A Part 2 - Debut How is Debut changing your recruitment process? Debut is supporting our recruitment activity by helping Barclays to target the brightest students on-campus through the convenience of their phone. Why would a graduate join Barclays over other financial institutions?   There’s a sense of purpose at Barclays that you can feel. We’re driven by growth, innovation, and the ambitions of our clients and customers. We’ve created an environment and a culture that’s open to new ideas and individual perspectives â€" and fuelled by collaboration. What questions should a student ask their interviewer? At your interview be inquisitive and make sure you ask two to three questions which are relevant to the role. Asking well researched questions demonstrates that the role is important to you, that you understand the industry and that you are well prepared. What opportunities exist at Barclays for non-financial graduates? Barclays offers a remarkable breadth of career opportunities for undergraduates, graduates and postgraduates from all backgrounds and degree disciplines. As well as a strong academic record and a commercial outlook, new graduates coming into Barclays need to be ready to express their ideas, learn quickly, build relationships and have the resilience and drive to maintain our momentum. Work life balance is cited as important at Barclays, what do you do to promote this, given the perception of long stressful working hours in banking? Dynamic Working gives all Barclays colleagues the opportunity to define how you work your life. By empowering you to integrate your professional and personal lives in a way that works for you. Dynamic Working can support you in being a charity volunteer, sports enthusiast, parent, traveller, student, carer, commuter, community worker â€" or whatever else you commit time to outside of your professional life. Working dynamically could enhance your well-being and help you work more effectively. It can also have valuable customer, client, stakeholder and business benefits and support us on our journey to becoming the ‘Go-To’ bank. We have an Executive sponsor of Dynamic working and a network of Dynamic working champions who have experience of working dynamically and are keen to support others who are keen to explore new ways of working. Connect with Debut on  Facebook,  Twitter,  and  LinkedIn  for more careers insights.

An Easier Way to Land Your Next Job

An Easier Way to Land Your Next Job Landing your next great opportunity doesnt need to involve an endless array of resume revisions, phone screens and interviews.There is an easier quicker way using less official channels and Marci Alboher was on Making a Living with Maggie this week to share her insights on this back door approach. According to Marci, a regular New York Times Contributor and Author of Working the New Economy blog, some of the best job opportunities are landed through contacts made at social events where people share a common interest whether that be kayaking or poker. Because the activity isnt work related, it gives people a chance to get to know each others interpersonal style which is key part of working well together.Marci also stressed how important it is to become visible to your network for what you do best. To do that she suggested proactively looking for ways to help the people in your network using your expertise. For instance if youre a graphic designer and learn about a friends new business venture, offer to help with some of the organizations marketing materials. Its an easy way to demonstrate your abilities to someone who could be in a position to hire you at some point. One word of caution, it takes a longer courtship as Marci puts it, to land a job in through unofficial channels. But considering that Marci landed a New York Times column through a monthly poker group of other journalists, it sounds like time well spent.For a replay of Making a Living with Maggie, tune in this Sunday at 6am EST. Use this FREE trial of SIRIUS Radio!Youll also hear a very inspiring day in the life interview with Laura Howard. A former entertainment executive, Laura decided to combine her passion for food with her work and is now a very successful ice cream entrepreneur and founder of Laloos Goat Milk Ice Cream.Heres to you Making a Great Living!