Developing Your Hobbies on Resume

Developing Your Hobbies on ResumeTo be included in the top of your resume, to get the position you want, or to begin with on your career path is a result of developing hobbies. We sometimes don't even realize it but hobbies can be a great asset for your resume. It's an effective way to show that you have interests in the right area and to describe what you do for a living. To develop your hobbies on resume, there are three steps you can take.Choose a hobby - This is the first step in developing your hobbies on resume. Decide which hobbies you would like to concentrate on when applying for a job. You may have a passion for writing, for reading, for sports, for animals, or even for a hobby like designing. This can help you narrow down your choices of hobbies to those that can be easily performed. You should also make sure that you choose one that is focused on a specific area of interest.Write down your hobbies on resume - The next step in developing your hobbies on resume is to list a ll of your hobbies as well as a summary of the different activities that you do. This is a good place to include your hobbies that can be performed in your spare time. But you may want to add a few of them to make sure that you don't include too many. You might also want to consider creating your own hobby to show that you are a person who is interested in everything that interests you. This can be a good way to demonstrate your passions.Describe the activities you perform - Now that you have listed down all of your hobbies, it's time to list out the different activities that you perform. Try to focus on the kinds of hobbies that you would enjoy. For example, if you enjoy writing, then you might write articles, publish articles online, or plan and pursue writing projects.Develop hobbies on resume by taking action -The last step in developing hobbies on resume is to take action. By acting, you will show that you have put some thought into the choices you made and you have taken actio n toward the goals you have set.For most people, this is usually the last step in developing hobbies on resume. But when it comes to defining the hobbies that you should focus on, you need to make sure that you don't fall into the trap of listing out every activity and it's limitations. It's very important to decide that you want to focus on a specific activity so that you can begin to evaluate it.These are just a few tips for developing hobbies on resume. If you are interested in improving your chances at getting the job you want, then consider these things to get started.

Make More Money at Work Overtime Pay, Spot Bonus, Pay Raise

Make More Money at Work Overtime Pay, Spot Bonus, Pay Raise About four years ago, Olivia Jaras started a new job as a compensation analyst for an Ivy League college. She was enjoying her position, but within a few months it became clear that the job she was doing went above and beyond the job she had applied for. When she pointed this out to her manager, Jaras was told there wasn’t enough money in the budget to give her a mid-year raise. So she got creative. “I took the existing position description and made a note of all of the additional responsibilities I’d taken on; these included overseeing the work of others,” she says. Jaras also made sure to mention that she enjoyed her job and had received positive feedback on how she performed the duties that lay outside her original scope. (And it didn’t hurt that, as a compensation analyst, she had a good grasp on how much that extra work was worth.) While all this effort didn’t get her an immediate salary bump, “I proved my case that it would be fair to be given a monthly stipend for as long as those ‘additional duties’ would lastâ€"in other words, until my next formal salary review,” says Jaras, 32, who has since gone on to start Salary Coaching for Women, a consultancy that helps women negotiate their pay. Jaras’ story is likely one that many workers can relate to: You keep plugging away at your job, maybe even taking on more than usual, in hopes of nabbing that big pay jumpâ€"only to be told that “no one’s getting a raise” or “we don’t have the budget” or “we can only afford to give you a cost-of-living increase.” Frustrated much? We don’t blame you. But if you really love your job and want to stick with it, don’t go full force with the job hunt just yetâ€"your company may offer more opportunities for extra money than you think. Below, workplace experts offer up examples of how you might be able to squeeze out more income from your job if you can’t quite get that raise. These tips could help tide you over until your managers approve that fatter paycheck. 1. Make Your Case for a Spot Bonus OK, maybe there really is no budget for that 10% salary increaseâ€"but what about a reward to recognize you for, say, the stellar customer service you provided or that time you worked until the wee hours when your manager needed a board presentation, stat? “If you knocked it out of the park this year, your company may be willing to throw you some extra, one-time bonus money,” says Carol Cochran, director of human resources at career site FlexJobs. “This [often] works because it doesn’t raise your salary any more than [the company] needs to, but it also keeps you happy and compensated for your hard work.” Still getting pushback? Ask your supervisor if the company has an annual award for standout employees, and figure out how to apply or get nominated, suggests Jené Kapela, president of Fort Lauderdale, Floridaâ€"based leadership training and consulting firm Kapela Leadership Solutions. “Usually, the recipients of these awards receive a cash bonus or other incentive as part of the recognition,” she says. Read More: Management or Bust? 5 Questions to Ask Before Accepting That Promotion 2. Seek Overtime or Overload Work Asking to work overtime is, of course, one of the most obvious ways to fatten your paycheck sans a pay raise. But depending on your position, you may not qualify for overtime, or it may not even exist in your company. In that case, see if your employer offers another variation. “[Ask about] ‘overload’ payments, which are different from overtime,” suggests Kapela, referring to the term (most commonly heard in academic or higher-education workplaces) used to describe extra pay for work that falls outside your full-time job description. “It might not be time-and-a-half, but there could be compensation for taking on additional workâ€"which, hopefully, will also help you grow into another higher-paying role at the company.” Kapela says that overload pay may involve a one-time payment or ongoing payments added to your paycheck while you continue to absorb the extra responsibilities, similar to Jaras’ situation. One thing to note, however, is that any work associated with overload pay may have to be done on your own time. The bright side? Going above and beyond, at least temporarily, means “you can grow professionally while also reaping the financial benefits,” Kapela adds. 3. Find Out If Your Job Offers a Referral Bonus When a company hires someone new, there’s a lot riding on the success of that employee. Think about it: It takes resources (read: money) to train new people, and there’s potential for lost productivity when a worker isn’t up to snuff. In fact, more than a quarter of employers in a 2013 CareerBuilder survey estimated that one bad hire cost them more than $50,000. It’s no wonder, then, that many businesses rely on the judgment of their current employees to find people who will be a good cultural and organizational fit. “See if there is a referral system that pays you for recommending talent,” says Samantha Lambert, director of human resources for New Yorkâ€"based digital marketing agencyBlue Fountain Media. Lambert’s company, for instance, offers employees $500 for bringing in new hires. If there’s no referral bonus for talent, perhaps there’s one for new business, Lambert adds. Even if you’re not in sales, ask your manager if it’d be possible to get some sort of one-off commission tied to bringing a new client into the fold. Read More: How to Succeed at Work the Lazy Way 4. Ask for Additional PTO If padding your paycheck just doesn’t seem to be panning out, then your other option may involve taking advantage of company perks in a way that indirectly pads your wallet. Case in point: Consider requesting additional paid time off, suggests Dave Benjamin, a manager at Addison Group, a staffing services firm in Chicago. “PTO doesn’t necessarily mean more money in your pocket, but time equals money,” he says. “So it’s a big benefit either way. You could spend those extra paid days off earning cash outside of your regular job,” such as by doing seasonal work or spending more time on a side gig that you enjoy but often have to put off because of your full-time job. If your request for more PTO is declined, you could try negotiating for comp time, adds Benjamin. For example, if you attend a trade show, conference or continuing education course on a Saturday and Sunday, consider asking your manager if you can take two comp days to make up for those weekend hours. 5. Spend More Time Telecommuting Does working from home sound a bit more appealing to you these days? If the potential for a 10-second commute doesn’t automatically do it for you, then consider it for the cost savings: According to research from FlexJobs, the average worker can save $4,172 a year by working remotely. And it’s not just gas that you’ll be cutting down on. “No more dry cleaning, commuting costs, lunches out,” Cochran adds. Indeed, FlexJobs estimates telecommuters save about $832 in coffee and lunches, and up to $1,000 in dry cleaning and laundering costs. “Even if you only work from home 50% of the time, that’s still more than $2,000 saved per year. Not a bad ‘raise!’” Read More: The Right Way to Ask for a Raise … and Get What You Deserve 6. Get Another Job Offer So you’ve strategized all the ways you could squeeze more into each paycheck, and you still keep coming up against a brick wall. In that case, ask yourself whether it’s time to start putting out feelers and applying to other positions in hopes that your employer will know just how in demand you are. The best possible scenario? “Showing you have an offer from another organization might spark a counteroffer from your current employer,” Lambert says. Just be careful with how you present your new job prospect; she suggests wording like, “I am really happy working here and love what I do, but received an offer with a higher compensation package. I wanted to present it to you to see if anything could be done, as I would prefer to stay on board.” But this tactic doesn’t come without its risks: “You should be prepared to leave in case you don’t receive a counter,” she warns. (Not to mention the bridge you may burn with both a current and prospective employer by trying to use your offer as a bargaining chip). So think hard about whether you want to go this route. Ultimately, what you might find is that you’re not actually willing to risk leavingâ€"you’re just trying to crack the code of why that raise seems so elusive. “Really, the first thing an employee should ask if they’re disappointed with their raise is what they can do to improve their odds next year,” Cochran says. “Getting some specific feedback and action steps for the coming year will be their key to long-term success.”

Beyond The Job Boards Networking For Executive Career Success -

Beyond The Job Boards Networking For Executive Career Success - Job seekers today have many options for finding new opportunities. No longer do you have to wait for the morning paper to be delivered so you can scour the classified ads. A quick Google search can lead you to companies all over the world with “Careers” pages on their websites, putting your resume up on Indeed.com or having an effective LinkedIn profile can bring opportunities right to your email inbox, and nice job boards online let you stay up-to-date with openings in your industry very easily. But as convenient as this is, at the executive level you still need to rely on more than the internet and the openings that companies are willing to list online. How Networking Can Help Executives in Their Job Search Networking has a twofold purpose for executive job seekers. First, it can help you learn about the opportunities that are out thereâ€"all opportunities. At the executive level, there may be positions available that aren’t going to be listed on Indeed or even on a company website. This is the “hidden” job market, and you are only going to learn about these opportunities through word of mouth. Second, networking helps you get to know people at different companies and organizations. As a result, your resume and cover letter won’t be just one more list of dates, skills, and achievements attached to a random name. Instead, the hiring manager will be able to put a face or a reputation with a name, even if just because your connection gave them a nudge of “Hey, so-and-so is applyingâ€"I’ve heard they might be a good fit for us. Keep an eye out for their resume.” The combination of these two factors makes networking much more than just an annoyance or an awkward social adventureâ€"it’s a crucial component of achieving your career goals. Without networking, you won’t know about opportunities and you won’t have the connections to get the interview and get hired. How Does Networking Improve Your Chances of Finding a Job? So does networking actually improve your chances of finding a job? It absolutely does. Look at the statistics: LinkedIn reports that 70% of people in 2016 were hired by companies where they had some kind of connection. With those kinds of numbers, it’s clear that networking is an essential part of a successful job search. When you have an “in” with a company, you have access to a resource that other job seekers don’t have. You have someone you can ask questions of before your interview and as you tailor your resume to fit the company’s needs and better address what they are looking for in employees. But before you can even get to that point, you have somebody who can tell you that the company is looking to fill an executive position before other potential applicants are even aware of the opening. Use your network to find out this information. Even if you are still employed, you can let people know that you are open to hearing about opportunities. If you’re out of work and actively job searching, you can politely let people know that and they will hopefully keep you in mind as they hear about openings at their company or within their own networks. If you don’t know about an available executive job, you can’t apply for it. If you don’t know about a company’s challenges that match with your problem-solving skill set, you won’t know to send them a letter of inquiry about a job along with your resume. You need to build a professional network so that you have access to the information that will help you find a job. How Do You Network for an Executive Job Search? Networking does not need to be an awkward, desperate attempt at getting information or asking for a job. In fact, it should never be that. Networking should be about making actual connections and should be a give and take of information, advice, and assistance. Don’t approach networking as a “job search” per se, but instead approach it as an opportunity to get to know people. In doing so, networking will become much more natural and you will be much more successful at it overall. But once you have connections in place, you do need to make an askâ€"and that’s not always easy, especially if you are actively looking for work. So how can you make an ask of your network appropriately? A networking power letter is an effective, professional way to do so. Here is my guide to writing a networking power letter to help you reach out to your connections. I also recommend that you treat all social occasions as a networking opportunityâ€"but do so appropriately, of course. When you’re at events, don’t be shy about working your job search into conversation. It doesn’t have to be a formal “networking” event hosted by your industry or a chamber of commerce for you to get some networking done. Even a casual social event can be an opportunity to introduce yourself to a new acquaintance and let them know through the natural course of conversation that you are looking for work. Discussing careers is often a small-talk topic, so why not take advantage of it and make yourself known to a potentially whole new network? While you can approach social events with an eye towards networking, you do also need to get involved with formal professional groups that can help build your network and provide chances for you to get in front of potential employers. Join organizations of like-minded people or industry associations that host networking opportunities. Your local chamber of commerce is a good place to start, as is the local alumni group for your alma mater. Once you start looking around youll be surprised at how many groups are out there that can help you build connections and find business networking opportunities. Networking breakfasts, industry conferences, seminarsall of these are also events you should be attending to introduce yourself, build professional relationships, and have conversations about professional opportunities. You can meet new people and benefit from their entire professional network as well. Professional networking events are an efficient way to meet a large group of like-minded people, and because everyone is there for the same reasonâ€"to meet people and to build professional connectionsâ€"its very easy to walk up to someone, shake their hand, and get a conversation going about work and careers. And of course, this being the 21st century, not all networking needs to happen in person. You should incorporate social media like LinkedIn into your executive networking strategy. Build a strong profile and start interacting on the platform. Follow a business you have your eye on for a job, and connect with former coworkers, friends, and community acquaintances. You might be surprised at the career opportunities that you find through not only searching the site, but also through commenting on posts and following company pages. Find some of my LinkedIn tips here. How Much Should You Rely on Your Network to Find You a Job? You can never rely on anyone but yourself to find you a job, but you can use your network and other resources to help improve your chances at landing a dream job and advancing your career. When it comes to deciding whether to spend more time perusing online job listings, a job search website, job postings on a company site, or more time attending networking events in person, thoughâ€"I say rely on the networking to find the prime job opportunities. When you make a personal connection, your resume and cover letter are more likely to stand out to hiring managers than when they are included with dozens of others in an online submission system for job openings. You are also far more likely to find out about exciting opportunities through personal conversations than through an internet search. People will remember to tell you about a new opportunityâ€"a job search website won’t unless you set up an alert AND the company lists the job. Then youre ahead of the game, ready to get your application in before other candidates even know about the position. When you’re ready to advance your career, rely on your professional network. Invest your limited and valuable time in professional networking with real people and not just on job sites. Time spent building up your professional network and cultivating relationships will pay off far more than sending your resume into the internet black hole hundreds of times to no avail. Have a strong network but still not getting the response you want to see from employers? It might be time to revamp your career documents. Learn more about Great Resumes Fast and how we can help you create a compelling resume, cover letter, and even LinkedIn profile to help you land the executive job you want. For more job seeker resources, job search strategies, and executive resume writing advice, head to our blog. Are you tired of your resume being rejected by applicant tracking systems? I know how frustrating it is to submit your resume and receive no response. I hate seeing qualified people never breakthrough the screening process. It shouldnt be that way. Thats why I created this guide and I encourage you to download the FREE PDF so you can start seeing better resume response rates!