Business

Your Contact Information: Make It Easy to Reach You

Published

3 years ago

May 31, 2021

Nick Kossovan

Last week I mentioned the 5 must-have sections your resume requires:

Contact information
Resume summary
Professional experience
Skills/Certifications
Education

This column will deal with the first section, your contact information.

Regardless of how you design your resume, your resume begins with your contact information, which creates your resume’s first impression. The question: What information should you include?

Answer: Information that will make it easy for the reader to reach you, along with easily being able to view some of your digital footprints.

A great resume will contain the following contact information:

Full Name

Use the format [first name] [last name]. Don’t abbreviate or add “aka” (also known as), which I’ve seen done several times. Just ‘Nick Kossovan.’

Professional title

Right under your name, include your professional title. This will help your resume pass the ATS.

IMPORTANT: Your professional title should mirror the position you’re applying for. Let’s say you’re applying for a “Project Manager” position, but your last/current professional title is “Junior Project Manager.” Whoever reads your resume will most likely discard it, assuming you’re underqualified for the position.

As a rule, avoid words like “junior,” “senior,” and “level 2”. Simply state your professional title without creating what I call experience bias.

Home address

Career coaches tend to advise not including your home address. I’m of the school of thought job applicants should be upfront regarding their current physical location. Besides, even in 2021, many hiring managers expect to see it, I am one of them. Not including your address may trigger a red flag, making the reader question why you left it off and wondering if you’d have a lengthy commute.

The last thing you want is for your resume to trigger red flags!

There’s also the employer’s ATS (Applicant Tracking System) to consider. Often an employer will program terms found in an address’s anatomy (cities, province, postal codes). You want your resume to be as ATS friendly as possible.

Understandably you may be uncomfortable providing your home address. If this is the case, at least provide your city, province, and postal code.

Professional Email Address

Your email address needs to be professional, not something you created back in the day (CheesyPete33@gmail.com). Ideally, your email address should be formatted along the lines of [first name] [period] [last name] @email.com (nick.kossovan@gmail.com). If your first name, period, last name isn’t available with your current email provider, try other email providers (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, AOL, to name a few). Also try removing the period (nickkossovan@aol.com) or try your first initial, period, last name (n.kossovan@yahoo.com), or your last name, period, first name (kossovan.nick@outlook.com).

Phone Number

Use the format [area code] [7-digit telephone number] — (403) 555-1234.

Besides basic contact information, you should include links to any relevant Internet presence you have. As you know, your digital footprint will be scrutinized before deciding whether you’re interview worthy. Making it easy for the reader to find you online can only earn you a few points.

Make sure your LinkedIn profile is current, however, not merely a repeat of your resume. Job titles, dates of employment need to match those on your resume.

URLs to your personal website/portfolio/blog/video channels

If you have a website or personal blog that’s relevant to the job you’re applying for and positions you as an expert in your field, include it! The same goes for an online portfolio you may have. Then there are video channels, such as YouTube. Suppose you’re applying for a job as a chemist or science teacher. In that case, videos of you explaining organic chemistry will give you a competitive advantage, and therefore belong on your resume.

Only put relevant social media profiles/URLs on your resume. If you’re applying for a Java Developer position, your Stack Overflow profile will be more appropriate than your Twitter account. However, if you’re applying for a social media management position, including your Twitter account, which has over 25,000 followers, would be beneficial.

Never include social media accounts that are more personal than professional, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, however, presume employers will seek these accounts out.

Next week I’ll discuss writing a resume summary that will make the reader want to read your resume.

______________________________________________________________

Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers advice on searching for a job. You can send him your questions at artoffindingwork@gmail.com.

Business

What Difference Will You Make to an Employer?

Published

10 hours ago

October 21, 2024

Nick Kossovan

It’s common knowledge that companies don’t hire the most qualified candidates. Employers hire the person they believe will deliver the best value in exchange for their payroll cost.

Since most job seekers know the above, I’m surprised that so few mention their Employee Value Proposition (EVP). Most job seekers list their education, skills, and experience without substantiating them and expect employers to determine whether they can benefit their company; hence, most resumes and LinkedIn profiles are just a list of opinions—borderline platitudes—that are meaningless and, therefore, have no value. Job seekers need to better explain, along with providing evidence, how they’ll contribute to an employer’s success.

Employers don’t hire opinions (read: talk is cheap); they hire results.

You’re not offering anything tangible when you claim:

I’m a great communicator.
I’m detail oriented.
I’m a team player.

Tangible:

“At Global Dynamics, I held quarterly town hall meetings with my 22 sales reps, highlighting our accomplishments, identifying opportunity areas, and recognizing outstanding performers.”
“For eight years, I managed Vandelay Industries IT department, overseeing a staff of 18 and a 12-million-dollar budget while coordinating cross-specialty projects. My strong attention to detail is why I never exceeded budget.”
“While working at Cyberdyne Systems, I was part of the customer service team, consisting of nine of us, striving to improve our response time. Through collaboration and sharing of best practices, we reduced our average response time from 48 to 12 business hours, resulting in a 35% improvement in customer feedback ratings.”

These examples of tangible answers provide employers with what they most want to hear from candidates but rarely do; what value the candidate will bring to the company. Typically, job seekers present their skills, experience, and unsubstantiated opinions and expect recruiters and employers to figure out their value, which is a lazy practice.

Getting hired isn’t based on “I have an MBA in Marketing and Sales,” “I’ve been a web designer for over 15 years,” “I’m young, beautiful and energetic,” blah, blah, blah. Likewise, being rejected isn’t based on “I’m overqualified,” “I’m too old,” “I don’t have enough education,” blah, blah, blah. Getting hired depends entirely on showing employers that you can add value and substance to their company; that you’ll serve a purpose.

When you articulate a solid value offer, the “blah, blah, blah” doesn’t matter. Job seekers focus too much on the “blah, blah, blah,” and when not hired, they say, “It’s not me, it’s…” The biggest mistake I see job seekers make is focusing on the “blah, blah, blah”—their experience and education—believing this is what interests employers. Hiring managers are more interested in whether you can solve the problems the position exists to solve than in your education and experience.

Not impressive: Education

Impressive: A track record of achieving tangible results.

You aren’t who you say you are; you are what you do.

If you want to be somebody who works hard, you have to actually work hard. If you want to be somebody who goes to the gym, you actually have to go to the gym. If you want to be a good friend, spouse, or colleague, you have to actually be a good friend, spouse, or colleague. Actions build reputations, not words.

The biggest challenge job seekers face today is differentiating themselves. To stand out and be memorable, don’t be like most job seekers, someone who’s all talk and no action. Any recruiter or hiring manager will tell you that the job market is heavily populated with job seekers who talk themselves up, talk a “good game” about everything they can “supposedly” do, drop names, etc., but have nothing to show for it.

More than ever, employers want to hear candidates offer a value proposition summarizing what value they bring. If you’re looking for a low-hanging fruit method to differentiate yourself, do what job seekers hardly ever do and make a hard-to-ignore value proposition.

Increase sales: “Based on my experience managing Regina and Saskatoon for PharmaKorp, I’m confident that I can increase BioGen’s sales by no less than 25% in Winnipeg and the surrounding area by the end of 2025.”
Reduce cost: “During my 12 years as Taco Town’s head of purchasing, I renegotiated contracts with key suppliers, resulting in 15% cost savings, saving the company over $450,000 annually. I know I can do the same for The Pasta House.”
Increase customer satisfaction:“During my time at Globex Corporation, I established a systematic feedback mechanism that enabled customers to share their experiences. This led to targeted improvements, increasing our Net Promoter Score by 15 points. I can increase Dunder Mifflin’s net promoter score.”
Save time: “As Zap Delivery’s dispatcher, I implemented advanced routing software that analyzed traffic patterns, reducing average delivery times by 20%. My implementation of this software at Froggy’s Delivery can reduce your delivery times by at least 20%, if not more.”

If you want to achieve job search success as soon as possible, structure your job search with a single thread that’s evident and consistent throughout your résumé, LinkedIn profile, cover letters and especially during interviews; clearly convey what difference you’ll make to the employer.

_____________________________________________________________________

Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers “unsweetened” job search advice. You can send Nick your questions to artoffindingwork@gmail.com.

Business

Netflix’s subscriber growth slows as gains from password-sharing crackdown subside

Published

4 days ago

October 17, 2024

Anne Joseph

Netflix on Thursday reported that its subscriber growth slowed dramatically during the summer, a sign the huge gains from the video-streaming service’s crackdown on freeloading viewers is tapering off.

The 5.1 million subscribers that Netflix added during the July-September period represented a 42% decline from the total gained during the same time last year. Even so, the company’s revenue and profit rose at a faster pace than analysts had projected, according to FactSet Research.

Netflix ended September with 282.7 million worldwide subscribers — far more than any other streaming service.

The Los Gatos, California, company earned $2.36 billion, or $5.40 per share, a 41% increase from the same time last year. Revenue climbed 15% from a year ago to $9.82 billion. Netflix management predicted the company’s revenue will rise at the same 15% year-over-year pace during the October-December period, slightly than better than analysts have been expecting.

The strong financial performance in the past quarter coupled with the upbeat forecast eclipsed any worries about slowing subscriber growth. Netflix’s stock price surged nearly 4% in extended trading after the numbers came out, building upon a more than 40% increase in the company’s shares so far this year.

The past quarter’s subscriber gains were the lowest posted in any three-month period since the beginning of last year. That drop-off indicates Netflix is shifting to a new phase after reaping the benefits from a ban on the once-rampant practice of sharing account passwords that enabled an estimated 100 million people watch its popular service without paying for it.

The crackdown, triggered by a rare loss of subscribers coming out of the pandemic in 2022, helped Netflix add 57 million subscribers from June 2022 through this June — an average of more than 7 million per quarter, while many of its industry rivals have been struggling as households curbed their discretionary spending.

Netflix’s gains also were propelled by a low-priced version of its service that included commercials for the first time in its history. The company still is only getting a small fraction of its revenue from the 2-year-old advertising push, but Netflix is intensifying its focus on that segment of its business to help boost its profits.

In a letter to shareholder, Netflix reiterated previous cautionary notes about its expansion into advertising, though the low-priced option including commercials has become its fastest growing segment.

“We have much more work to do improving our offering for advertisers, which will be a priority over the next few years,” Netflix management wrote in the letter.

As part of its evolution, Netflix has been increasingly supplementing its lineup of scripted TV series and movies with live programming, such as a Labor Day spectacle featuring renowned glutton Joey Chestnut setting a world record for gorging on hot dogs in a showdown with his longtime nemesis Takeru Kobayashi.

Netflix will be trying to attract more viewer during the current quarter with a Nov. 15 fight pitting former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson against Jake Paul, a YouTube sensation turned boxer, and two National Football League games on Christmas Day.

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Business

All Magic Spells (TM) : Top Converting Magic Spell eCommerce Store

Published

4 days ago

October 17, 2024

Sven Eggers

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