5 Steps to a Winning Tech CV

5 Steps to a Winning Tech CV Technology plays an important in role in the workplace, and it doesn’t look like the demand for tech professionals will be reducing any time soon. If you’re looking to land a top tech role, competition can be high, so it pays to have a CV that makes you stand out from the crowd and clearly demonstrates the value you can add to an employer’s business. In your tech CV, it’s your responsibly not only to display your technical abilities, but to show how you apply them effectively in the workplace, and describe the positive changes you drive. 1. Start with a logical structure Many tech candidates make the mistake of turning their CV into a list of all the software, tools and programming languages they have ever used â€" this doesn’t make for easy reading, and doesn’t give readers a clear picture of your impact. Use a simple clean font, clearly divide the sections of your CV and write in plain English so that all non-technical staff and recruiters can understand your message. To create a CV that is easy for readers to digest and pick out key information, the following structure will work best: An introductory profile at the top to grab recruiters’ attention and highlight in-demand skills. A bullet-pointed core skills section under the profile to provide a snapshot of technical knowledge and skills. Roles structured with short sharp bullet points to provide a quick and easy reading experience. 2. Sell yourself with an impactful intro Head your CV up with a short punchy introductory profile that gives a high-level overview of your skills, experience, knowledge, and what they key benefits you deliver to employers are. For example, if you are web designer, you need to outline your design skills and tools that you use, and explain how those skills help your employer to improve their customer experience and generate more sales. Before writing your CV, you should do some thorough research to identify the most sought-after attributes in your field, and then ensure you reflect them in your profile. This will create the perfect first impression when your CV is opened by recruiters or hiring managers. 3. Keep technologies updated As a tech professional, it stands to reason that your CV should contain much evidence of your technical know-how. However, you need to regularly review your CV and ensure that you’re including the most up-to-date and popular technologies if you want it to show up in recruiter searches and get past ATS scanning systems. You should also keep your technical skills relevant, and only include those that are important to the roles you are applying for â€" extensive lists of your entire technical skill set can dilute your message and force your CV to become too long. 4. Demonstrate your non-IT skills Being a technical expert is great, but you need a whole host of non-technical skills to contribute to an employer effectively. For example, you may need to secure funding for an essential IT upgrade, or you may need to report on the benefits of a new database implementation. Give plenty of examples of your wider skills such as communication, stakeholder management and leadership in your CV this will prove that you have the ability to make a wider impact outside of the IT department. Understanding how technology impacts business, and being able to drive positive change through IT, is a powerful selling point for your tech CV 5. Include metrics Many candidates make bold claims of their technical abilities, but very few back them up with proof. Use facts and figures to provide clear-cut evidence of the impact you have made in your previous technology roles. Use metrics throughout your CV, such as the following: Leading a £10m public sector project and a team of 25 staff. Relocating 200 desktops and upgrading 2 internal database systems. Supporting 5,000 users and responding to requests with 1 hour. Including numbers with widely recognisable scales, such as monetary figures and timescales, gives recruiters an easy way to understand your level of seniority, and benchmark you against other candidates.

Three More Ideas for Effective Leadership Communications - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Three More Ideas for Effective Leadership Communications - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Business owners and key executives create their company culture and that culture drives  their organizations results. In my last post, I offered Four Tips for Effective Leadership Communications. It mostly focused on how YOU can communicate more effectively. In this post, I want to share three  additional ideas that are geared more toward gaining  inputs from OTHERS.  Here they are: Speak Less, Listen More People jokingly say that you were given two ears and one mouth for a reason. A more fundamental expression that I like even better is “When you’re talking, you’re not learning.” If you are dictatorial and like to bark orders and have them followed, then you can ignore this first suggestion. Otherwise, it’s important that you listen more and work to become a better listener. Some ideas toward these ends are: Make fewer statements and ask more questions Listen beyond the words to the tone of voice, body language and facial expressions of the other person Don’t speak for more than 30 seconds at a time, then pause to let the other person speak Ask Others for Their Ideas First Once you have managed to get your talking under control, a good next step is to curb your need to state your opinions or offer solutions to problems. By intentionally withholding your ideas and asking for the thoughts of others, you will give them the opportunity to offer their own ideas. Believe it or not, there are reasonable odds that their solutions will actually be better than yours! If you agree, then they will feel more empowered because they will be doing what they believe is right rather than merely following your orders. If you don’t agree with their ideas, you can thank them for their suggestions and at least you will have given them a chance to express themselves and “feel heard.”  Withhold Immediate Judgment If you have your urge to blab under control and are giving your people more chances to express themselves and bring you creative ideas, then a good next step for improving communications is to withhold your immediate judgment of those ideas. How can you do this? Once you have begun to control your knee-jerk urge to judge everything instantly, then you can move the conversation along positively by asking non-judgmental questions or requests such as: How did you come up with this idea? How exactly would we get that done? Tell me more …. Empowering Your People through Conversations I know these three suggestions sound pretty basic, but, I can tell you from personal experience coaching business leaders that most fall short in one or all of these areas. The great ones do these three things naturally, without thinking about them. With a little practice, so can you! By giving your people a chance to talk more freely, asking for their ideas first and withholding immediate judgment, you will give others the opportunity to bring you fresh ideas and feel more empowered in doing their jobs. And people who feel empowered stay longer in their jobs and tend to enjoy them more. What do you think? What other ideas do you have to improve your leadership communications?

3 fun outdoor exercises for people of all shapes and sizes

3 fun outdoor exercises for people of all shapes and sizes Quite a number of us are particular to the type of fitness program we engage in as much as our diet. For some, hitting the gym isnt an option. Even those that regularly lift weights and hit the treadmill get bored of the routine after some time. Head for the outdoors when waiting in line for equipment and gross locker rooms. In addition to alleviating the boredom of watching mindless TV shows or staring at a wall, going outside presents an opportunity for better exercises. One British study revealed indoor runners require to increase their treadmills incline to match the workout of a person in the outdoors. Another 2007 study, revealed indoor cycling was lacking in comparison to outdoor cycling, owing to the absence of wind resistance in the former. Bear in mind, opting for hilly routes increases your effort significantly. Lets look into fun outdoor exercises just about any person can partake. 1. Biking Cycling offers an excellent opportunity to enjoy scenic views as you exert yourself. Even though its possible to bike just about any place, not all locations are ideal. Bikers in towns might get irritated by headlights and road rage. Biking in a rural set up reduces running into such issues, but you also stand running into a poorly kept road. Wed encourage bikers to take a shot at wooded trails. Bulky lovers of rough terrain may opt to seek the services of a bike seller that need a heavy duty bicycle for heavy riders. Such bikes handle bumps remarkably well. 2. Rock climbing As challenging and thrilling as it is, this adrenaline-fuelled activity usually entails the use of harnesses and ropes to negotiate routes across or up steep vertical humanmade walls or natural rock structures. Owing to the physical demands of the rock climbing â€" as it calls for a great deal of hoisting, careful maneuvering and stretching, it improves balance, flexibility, muscle tone and power in the legs, arms and back, cardiovascular strength, and burns calories. On a psychological level, owing to its concentration demands, participants boost calmness, meditative capabilities, and relieves stress. 3. Trail Running Even dedicated runners eventually get bored by their preferred exercise, and a lot has to do with monotony like hitting the treadmill or taking the same routes every other time. One way to break the monotony is hitting the trail for a scenery change, while also boosting the effort. A Mayo Clinic research revealed a person weighing 160 pounds burns roughly 606 calories upon running five miles inside an hour. Applying the same effort to a path yields better result thanks in no small part to occasional hills. Although people fear to injure themselves on a bumpy surface, trails provide a better workout choice for injury-prone fitness enthusiasts. The softer a terrain, the more gentle it is on the shins and IT bands. Occasionally you may run into rocks or ruts, so remaining alert to your surroundings is imperative.

5+ Best Budget Analyst Interview Questions Answers - Algrim.co

5+ Best Budget Analyst Interview Questions Answers - Algrim.co We’ve compiled the absolute best budget analyst interview questions and answers to help you prepare for your upcoming job in the accounting or risk department. Budget analysts are an essential part of the business. They help to evaluate the spend and overall budget allocation to a variety of departments. Simply put, if departments are spending too much money, they put the business at risk. Being able to have some level of approval over what budgets and expenses are being asked of the business and being able to say no to them is an invaluable resource for the CFO. Budget Analyst Interview Questions & Answers 1. What is the role of the budget analyst? The role of the budget analyst is to help be more risk-averse for the business. When a budget is requested it is up to me to help evaluate whether or not that budget should be approved. This is dependent on a variety of analysis that I must consider. From the performance of the department to the reason for the budget request, and much more. 2. How do you evaluate budgets? Budgets should be evaluated on the reason for the budget request and for the potential outcome the budget is estimated against. There are a variety of outcomes that a manager may say we are using a budget for. For example, it could be for staffing. This needs to be properly defined and then estimated against the businesses balance sheet. 3. What would you do if you had to deny a budget? Budgets should be denied in such a fashion that it does not discourage the department. If I can provide some type of option to them that may be able to get their needs met without the original budget request, that would be more ideal. Communication in this scenario is extremely important. 4. What would you do when you accept a budget? The manager should be informed right away and then the CFO should be informed as well. We need to account for the allocated budget in our balance sheets and general reporting. 5. How can you go above and beyond in this role? Good communication with the teams as it relates to their performance, their future plans and have some expectation of what the teams would like to do in future quarters is a way I can better do my job. If I can anticipate future needs I can better prepare for the analysis as well as the potential effect it might have on the business or balance sheet. Related Hiring Resources Budget Analyst Job Description Sample

How To Ace the Wonderlic Test CareerMetis.com

How To Ace the Wonderlic Test Source â€" Admissions360If you’re reading this, you may have recently applied for a job and have been asked by the employer to take the Wonderlic test.This is very common â€" the Wonderlic is used by thousands of companies around the world to help them screen job applicants and to ensure that the person that they are hiring will be a good fit for the job role and the company.The Wonderlic is also used by colleges, trade schools, and other educational institutions to evaluate individuals who have applied to their programs. These institutions typically use a slightly different version of the Wonderlic test, known as the Wonderlic SLE There are several different types of Wonderlic tests administered and it is important to know The types of questions found on the Wonderlic are fairly similar to what you might find on an IQ test. The types of questions are structured quite differently, but they are generally related to skills acquired from language arts, mathematics, and logic solving.H ere’s are a few examples of the different types of questions that may appear on a Wonderlic test.An example of a word matching question:Are the following two words similar, contradictory, or not related? Competent | IneptSimilarContradictoryNot RelatedAn example of a mathematics question:A store buys eggs from their supplier at a price of 33 cents per egg. How much would a dozen eggs cost the store?$3.66$3.96$4.12$4.48An example of a general logic question:If the first two statements are true, the third statement is true? false? unknown?eval#1: A man works at Dan’s Gardening Center.#2: All the employees at the gardening center wear green shirts.#3: The man wears green shirts.TrueFalseUnknownKnow the Time LimitWhen people “fail” the Wonderlic test, it is usually not because they incorrectly answer questions but because they do not have enough time to complete the entire test. In fact, the majority of people who take the Wonderlic test say that they run out of time and are not able to fully complete the test.The clock is definitely not your friend, so it is critical to know exactly how much time you have to answer each question.If you are taking the standard 50 question test that must be completed in 12 minutes, you only have 14.4 seconds to answer each question. If you are taking the quick test If you are taking practice tests that do not have an automatic timer, be sure to use your phone or a clock to time yourself during the test. Again, the clock is not your friend on the test, so it is best to get used to the speed at which you need to answer the questions.Use a Calculator â€" If You CanTechnically calculators are not allowed to be used on the Wonderlic, but you may be able to use one if you are taking the Wonderlic test in the privacy of your own home. Often times the employers are the ones that are supposed to specify if a calculator can or cannot be used while taking the test.With the number of math problems on the test, having a calculator avail able can be a big help. Try to find out in advance if you will be able to use a calculator while taking the test. Pencil and paper are always allowed â€" if you know that you will not be allowed to use a calculator, make sure to take practice tests only using pencil and paper to solve the math questions.Be Mentally and Physically PreparedLike any test, you should be ready to go both mentally and physically on the day of your test. The basics of good test preparation apply to the Wonderlic:Try to get a good night’s sleep the night before the testDrink plenty of water throughout the dayEat a healthy meal prior to your testUse the restroom before taking the testStick to your normal routine â€" don’t plan other big events or tasks for the day that may leave you mentally distractedDrink your regular amount of caffeine â€" don’t drink a ton of coffee before the test if you are not a big coffee drinkerWear comfortable but appropriate attireHave a healthy snack available for if you ne ed itGive yourself enough time to get mentally prepared for the test â€" don’t show up late to the testing room or try to squeeze the test into a busy scheduleAll in all, try to relax. The test will be over in just a few minutes and no one answers every question correctly. If you take the time to do your research, take practice tests, and mentally and physically prepare for the test, you will be far more prepared than most people who take the Wonderlic test.eval

What Is the Biggest Mistake Made By Job Seekers

What Is the Biggest Mistake Made By Job Seekers What is the biggest mistake job seekers make? Heres what job search experts say are common mistakes to avoid during job search. The response we got was more than we could have hoped for or expected when we asked our colleagues: What are the biggest mistakes you see job seekers make? These career coaches, resume writers, recruiters and HR professionals all want to help make your job search easier! Thank you to todays experts/colleagues/friends for their contributions! Weve included links to their Twitter accounts and websites! Please be sure to add them all to your must-read resources! My hope is, as you read these mistakes, that youll be objective and ask yourself if you might be making any of these mistakes (unknowingly). Youll find two major themes in the answers provided in this post: communication (saying the wrong things) lack of focus and a plan. 7 Wrong Things To Say During Job Search Youve heard the saying, Kids say the darnedest things. Yep, adults in job search do too! These are the mistakes our job search experts have heard or experienced. Recruiters complain that job seekers who are not organized sound like they are indifferent, or uninterested, in something they have applied to weeks or months earlier.  You must be organized.   ~ Jason Alba, @JasonAlba, Jibber Jobber Sometimes, job seekers do not ask for the job at the end of the interview, they do not ask about the next step in the interview process, and they forget to gather interviewer names and contact information for future conversations. ~ Dawn Bugni, @DawnBugni, The Write Solution Job seekers dont do the necessary research.  In the technology age, we have the information at our fingertips.  Doing a little research on the companys history, brands, values and corporate culture can help you decide whether or not youre a fit AND prepare you for the career fair or interview.  Youd be surprised at how many people have no idea what the company does.  Dont ask, what do you do?  Instead, focus on how your strengths will add value to the company! ~ Kirk Baumann, @kbaumann, Campus to Career Not returning calls or replying to messages from prospective employers. Just as you hope for a reply from every recruiter, so should you reply to everyone who contacts you about work opportunities, even if its only to say no thanks. ~ Jacob Share, @JacobShare, JobMob Simply asking people if they know of appropriate job openings is not networking! It creates awkward silence since people are not walking job boards. Instead, asking who else they know that would be a worthwhile contact for you is generally much more productive. ~ Harry Urschel, @HarryUrschel, e-Executives Many job seekers are not specific in what they need help with during a job search; saying “I need a job, any job” is too vague. Instead, tell your network you are trying to find the name of the person who does _________ at _______company, and you’ll have much better luck with people being able to help you. ~ Dawn Rasmussen, @DawnRasmussen, Pathfinder Writing and Career Services Job seekers don’t let the company fall in love with them before they start talking about “me” issues. They should focus on getting the job first. Then focus on the benefits and perks. Not only will it help in getting the job but it helps with negotiations.   ~ Sharlyn Lauby, @HRBartender, HR Bartender   Job Seekers Lack Focus Planning Having a clear focus and plan will help set you apart from the other job seekers!   Most job seekers do not establish clear and tangible job search objectives. They leave their network with no clear idea of how they can help. ~ Tim Tyrell-Smith, @TimsStrategy,   Tim’s Strategy Jobseekers dont create a project plan for managing their job search, with specific targets and metrics for each week. Some job search activities come easier than others, and without having targets and metrics for all activities, job seekers tend to focus on the ones that come easily to them. Confident networkers spend all their time networking but not researching companies. Introverts spend too much time looking at job boards and not stretching out of their comfort zone to network. An effective job search requires time spent on research, networking, follow-up, telephone calls, personal brand management, and so on. Without a plan, some of these activities will fall through the cracks.   ~ Karen Siwak, @resumestrategy, Resume Confidential The reality is, that transitioning (job searching) will most likely be the new normal and youll have to continue to stay up to date. Go here to catch Miriams collection of job seeker mistakes as identified by some of the best minds in the world of job search. See part two for more tips.

Writing a Good Cover Letter For a Resume

Writing a Good Cover Letter For a ResumeWriting a good cover letter for a resume is something that many people neglect to do. It is one of the most important parts of the entire process because it will make or break your chances at getting hired for a job.The basic idea behind a cover letter is to introduce yourself to the prospective employer, which is why it is imperative that you spend time on this part of the process. It is a good idea to write a cover letter that is not only personal and brief, but also fits the requirements of the job you are applying for.Some job seekers may not realize how important a cover letter can be in their job search. In fact, if you plan on doing everything yourself and writing it by hand, you will quickly discover that it is essential to take the time to research and learn the ins and outs of the process.Writing a cover letter that actually gets read is much different than the kind of letter that is sent out for research purposes. If you want to stan d out from the crowd and get noticed, it is important to find a way to show the company what you have to offer.One good example of this is to write an essay. You may already have a decent grasp of writing and critical thinking, but if you plan on writing a longer letter that will actually be seen by the hiring manager, then you may want to consider hiring a professional.Using a ghostwriter to write a cover letter is a good option for the job seeker. A professional is someone who has experience writing a resume, but cannot write directly from memory.Another good example of how a good resume letter can affect a hiring decision is with experience. If you have had several months of employment and have been well-received by your previous employers, then you may stand a good chance of getting hired over a fresher.If you want to stand out from the crowd and impress the hiring manager, then a great way to do this is to write a good resume letter and to utilize a professional to edit and pro ofread it. While a professional may cost more, the outcome will be well worth the expense.