MorCareers

It’s funny how a career can develop. Many years ago, I did not set out to be a career professional. Truthfully, when I was younger no one encouraged me to think beyond what I might do once I found and married my prince. But, oh what a surprise when I realized that I could be a great wife and mother and still have a career as well.

Following a very untraditional path, I ended up starting my career as a volunteer, realizing I loved what I was doing and then growing into a professional. It was a process and one that continues to evolve. Along the way, I learned that I was very good at writing resumes. It is a real kick for me to sit down with someone and translate their experience and disjointed information into something worth reading. I love when I help someone see for themselves in black and white that they are awesome and have accomplished some incredible things in their career.

Recently, I started thinking about how resumes have changed over the years and then I did a little research as to when resumes first started being used. Remarkably, it is said that Leonardo da Vinci penned the first resume in 1482. For a fascinating look at the document check it out at: http://www.cenedella.com/job-search/leonardo-da-vincis-resume-2012/

Resumes didn’t pop up again until the 1500’s when gentry traveling in England offered handwritten letters of introduction to acquaintances. Then we don’t see much information about resumes until the 1930’s. They were just formalities; scraps of paper scribbled on over lunch with prospective employers. They served as letters of reference as well.

Follow the timeline below for some interesting factoids about the progression of resumes.

•  1940     Resumes are like Facebook profiles. They include personal information such as: weight, age, height, marital status and religion.
• 1950     Resumes are no longer just formalities, they are now expected.
• 1960     Resumes start to include outside interests like sports and clubs.
• 1970     Digital typesetting and word processors make resumes more professional and sales-like
• 1980     The first VHS portfolios are recorded and used. Books on resumes and career counseling start to boom.
• 1985     Online background checking begins
• 1986     Microsoft releases an RTF universal doc
• 1987 – Enter, fax machines — the new, cool way to send resumes
• 1994     The Internet and World Wide Web go public. Monster.com goes live, and CareerBuilder is founded.
• 1995     Email is the new, cool way to send a resume
• 2000     Dot Com boom hits full stride.
• 2002     Interactive resumes begin and mark the beginning of Optimal Resume
• 2003     LinkedIn launches
• 2005     Optimal Resume releases an online resume builder
• 2006     Video resumes pick up, more and more high school students begin sending them to colleges
• 2007     Video resumes hit YouTube
• 2008     Resume objectives are out, Summaries and position statements are in. Social Media enters the picture, LinkedIn dominates employment and networking. Personal branding via SEO and keywords become a worry; nearly all employers Google prospective employees.

Information provided by: http://www.businessinsider.com/how-resumes-have-evolved-since-their-first-creation-in-1482-2011-2#

Very interesting, don’t you think. So, what’s next? Computer chips embedded in our arms? Beam ourselves over to prospective employers? Hmmmm…I don’t know, but if you look at the timeline you can see it is speeding up not slowing down.

What can you do? Stay on top of the latest trends, don’t be afraid to try something new…or learn something new. Keep reading about cutting edge practices and by all means consult a professional Career Coach or Resume Writer (I happen to know a good one).

And speaking of trying something new.

Stay current with my food interests. Here is my latest fun recipe!

• 2 – 1oz. unsweetened baking chocolate
• ½ c butter at room temp.
• 2/3 c brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/3 c white sugar
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 large egg
• 1 Tblsp. Red food coloring
• ¾ c sour cream
• 2 c flour (firmly packed)
• 1 c semi sweet chocolate chips

Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper; spray with Pam. Unwrap chocolate and melt in microwave (I did this in 90 second increments). Stir until smooth. Set aside to cool while you make dough.

Combine butter and sugars with electric mixer. Beat on medium about 1 minute.

Add egg, beat until batter is smooth; add food coloring and mix for 30 seconds.

Shut off mixer and scrape down bowl. Then added melted chocolate and then mix again for another minute.

Shut off mixer and scrape bowl again and add one cup of flour. Beat until fully incorporated. Scrape bowl again and add second cup of flour; beat until fully incorporated.

Remove bowl from mixer and add chocolate chips. Batter will be stiff. Refrigerate for at least two hours.

Preheat oven to 375◦ and drop dough by teaspoons on cookie sheet with parchment paper. Put 12 cookies on a sheet and bake for 9-11 minutes or until they rise and firm.

When done slide cookies on parchment sheet to cooling rack. When completely cooled drizzle cream cheese frosting on top.

Share this:

Without a doubt the best job in the whole world for me has been Motherhood. I was just shy of age 22 when our daughter was born. Young even by the standards of 1976. I was so in awe of that little bundle and I clearly remember the first conversation I had with her. She looked at me with her big blue eyes and I felt that we had known each other forever.

I had no idea of how to take of a little baby. Really…no idea. It’s amazing to me that my daughter survived those first few weeks of life as I had her bundled up to the max and barely let her squeak out a sound. Thankfully, babies are really tough little creatures and they hold up through the nurturing of a new mother.

Then two years later our son was born and the joy of motherhood continued. I was a little more seasoned mother by then and I knew that he would do just fine and would probably even survive if I let him have his binky in public.

I really do consider motherhood a job. A wonderful, glorious, tender, and sometimes exhausting job. When you think about it there is little preparation officially required for being a mother. Unless there are extenuating circumstances shortly after giving birth you are on your own (with your spouse hopefully). The hospital gladly discharges you if you show up with the proper car seat 24-48 hours after the birth. Very little instruction, no degree required, no resume and certainly no experience…actually there probably is no amount of preparation that will make you ready for this lifetime job.

Sometime around the late teen years, I realized my full-time Mom job was going to end. Really, your kids don’t need you as much. Don’t get me wrong, they do need you but it is definitely more of a part time gig. But that’s a good thing. You want your children to grow up and leave home. They usually come back and visit.

My children are totally grown-up now with families of their own. They survived my initial attempts at motherhood and grew and thrived and turned into wonderful people. I can’t begin to describe how proud I am of them. They chose wonderful spouses so now I have two more children though of course they are adults. Now I am a happy grandparent of seven beautiful kiddos. It is a wonderful thing to see your babies grow up and have their own babies. And being a grandmother is also a job, one with less stress and never ending fun. I love it.

If you are a parent, relish your job. If your children are young or teenagers driving you crazy, remember the days are long but the years go so very fast. Celebrate the good times and hang on through the difficulties. I can tell you, it is the most worthwhile job EVER.

Share this:

I have played hooky from blog writing for a few weeks because I was welcoming another beautiful baby to our family.

 Van Scott Morrison

April 25, 2012 – 8lbs, 10 oz., 21″ long

 Holding this little guy has made me think about the debate on whether working at home mothering children is a full-time job and therefore equates the same status as the workplace. As a woman that has done both I say unequivocally YES. Being a stay-at-home Mom is a LOT of WORK.  At this time of my life, my children are grown having their own families. When I leave the workplace I can go home and enjoy some peace and quiet. When you are a full-time, stay-at-home Mom that is not the case. You are on call 24/7 and only get a day off when someone is willing to take on your job.

If you ever return to work outside of your home you definitely need to leverage your years of working at home into your resume. Yes, that is possible!

What about those Mom’s that do both? I say, you are amazing. How do you do it?

If one or two of you have time, email me and tell me your secrets. sally@morcareers.com

I’ll be back to blogging next week.

Share this:

A QR CODE!!  Congratulations to those of you who guessed correctly!!

What is a QR code?

A QR code is the small, square barcode that can be scanned by mobile phones and other devices. QR stands for ‘quick response’. And isn’t that what you want when you send out a resume? If you look around they are popping up everywhere. They are becoming very popular for marketing. The idea is that when you see a QR code you take a picture of it with your camera phone (assuming you have the right application installed) and you’ll be directed to the embedded information in that code, such as a website or text message.

Why could this be relevant for job seekers?

Well for one thing, it shows that you are not afraid of technology. You are learning new things and trying them out – it helps you stand out from the crowd. Adding a QR code to your resume, business card, portfolio or any other personal marketing tool could be the detail that helps you get noticed by an employer, particularly if you want to work in an industry such as marketing, real estate or technology in which QR code savvy is important.

How do I create a QR code?

Here’s the great news. You don’t have to create one yourself. I will do it for you. I am now offering it as part of my resume package.

What will it do for you?

It will get you some attention that’s for sure. Even if someone doesn’t know what to do with it on your resume it will generate conversation. I believe it also shows you as someone who is technically proficient, and is working to stay current on business trends and technology.

So what do you think? Want to give it a try?

Contact me: sally@morcareers.com

Share this:

Do you know how this fits on your resume?

If you do, email me at: sally@morcareers.com

If you don’t, check back here tomorrow and I will tell you all about it!

Share this:

Job search can be a string of happy events coupled with some disappointments and irritants.

My question today. How do you deal with the disappointments?

Here is what I do

Chowing Down right now…

Share this:

I am sure that you are not a stranger to disappointment, anxiety, sorrow, heartache or outright PAIN. All of us experience times when we question Why me? What did I do to deserve this? And generally when we ask these questions it isn’t because something wonderful had just happened.

Let me share a treasure with you. About a year ago, I started to see this button on some of my favorite blogs. Huh?

What is a ‘Nie Nie Dialogue’?  Another one of those perfect blog-a-thons? Uh….no. Seriously, absolutely NO.

Nie Nie Dialogues is about a beautiful young woman with some adorable children and a very handsome husband living in a darling little cottage in Utah. But, skip the perfect part. This gal is the survivor of a plane crash where she suffered (and still suffers) from burns over 80% of her body.

Why do I point this out to you and what does it have to do with job search?  It’s all about HOPE my friends. Hope and finding joy in everyday life. This young woman, Stephanie Nielsen is an amazing portrait of courage, faith, strength, and beauty. Her blog is motivating and Hopeful beyond my comprehension. I read it everyday.

This week Stephanie’s book was released – “Heaven is Here: An Incredible Story of Hope, Triumph, and Everyday Joy”. My sweet daughter Sarah had one delivered to me for my birthday. I can’t wait to read it. In fact, I had my husband hide it until the weekend because I know it is a one-sitting read (with loads of chocolate, Diet Coke and tissue).

So friends, join me in discovering that Heaven is Here…

Share this:

I love Spring. Although, sometimes spring is fleeting here in the Midwest. We have been blessed with an early warming this year; flowers and trees are blooming and the lawn already needs to be mowed. Significantly warmer temperatures than normally felt at this time of year. Some people feel anxious about it, but I truly love it. I love the feel of the warm sunshine. I am slowly turning into an Arizona girl.

Besides the weather I also love the new beginnings of Spring. Seeing the new buds getting ready to burst into beautiful flowers on my Redbud Tree makes me happy, but then I get the itch to clean, decorate and organize something.

This year it is going to be my home office. My office used to be a bedroom for children (of course) and so far we have not gotten around to taking away the nautical theme for something more Sally Morrison like. I have decided to paint it turquoise with white trim and white hurricane shutters for the windows (not that I’m expecting a hurricane) I just love those shutters.

Meanwhile, I am also cleaning and organizing.

How about you? Is it time to clean and organize your job search? By that I mean, have you tidied up your 30 second summary and truly made it your own? What about your power statements? And of course your resume. If your resume is not helping you secure interviews, then you need to give it another look (or have a professional look at it) and make some changes.

Spring…a wonderful time of renewal and hope. Embrace it!

And for a great Spring treat try this:

Strawberry Squares

Crust: I generally double the recipe for the crust because everyone likes the extra crumbs.

• 1 cup flour
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup pecans, chopped
• ½ cup melted butter

Mix and spread mixture on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes stirring three times. When cool, sprinkle 2/3 evenly in a 9×13 pan.

Filling:

• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups sliced, fresh strawberries
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 cup whipping cream, sweetened and whipped

Beat all ingredients except whipped cream on high 10 minutes (volume will increase dramatically). Fold in cream. Spoon mixture over crust. Sprinkle remaining 1/3 cup of crust on top. Put in freezer. Best if made at least a few hours up to one day before serving

Share this:

Yes, you definitely need keywords!

I have heard from several clients lately that they need more keywords in their resumes and they don’t have a clue as to which ones are important or which are just taking up space.

So, let’s take a minute to review why you need keywords. With the rapid growth of web technologies, keywords are the key (pun intended) to being found online. Therefore you have to know what group of words will highlight your skills thereby allowing potential employers to find you. The same holds true when it comes to top recruiters coming across your resume. Whether they’re sourcing your information from the web or an off-line database, keyword searches are the primary tool they use to sift through the thousands of resumes available.

That being the case a serious job seeker would be wise to regularly review their online postings and keep keywords and content fresh.

So, which words should you use? The best way is to identify the verbiage employers are using to define your skill set. Search out job listings for positions similar to what you’re looking for. Monster.com, indeed.com, careerbuilder.com and many others are free resources for job seekers and can source hundreds of jobs to pull keywords from. Find online job descriptions for the position you’re seeking. Typically they are great repositories of desired skills and competencies for any given job title. Research the latest industry news–specifically searching out anything from the employer’s viewpoint.

The next step involves integrating all these great keywords in to your resume. I am not a big fan of specific sections for keywords. Computers are capable of finding keywords anywhere in your resume whereas the human eye is not as likely to review a list of words. Consider sprinkling your keywords throughout your resume. But, if you insist on a special section use titles such as ‘Areas of Expertise’ or ‘Core Competencies.’

That wasn’t so hard. Now that you know how important keywords are, give your resume a check-up and make sure that it is keyword friendly.

Share this:

It seems that I have many friends dealing with trials these days. Sometimes you can’t allow yourself to believe that they will ever end. Yet, like the difficult semester in college, it eventually does. The crying newborn baby grows up, the critically ill get well in one way or another, the errant child returns…life eventually mends.

To this end, I would like to post one of my favorite readings of Maya Angelou

“I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. I’ve learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you’ll miss them when they’re gone from your life. I’ve learned that making a “living” is not the same thing as making a “life.” I’ve learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back. I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one. I’ve learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn. I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

― Maya Angelou

So my friends and dear readers. Take heart, this too shall pass.

Share this: