Hello, my name is Anna Tulchinsky. I am the editor of this newsletter as well as all other stuff that gets published on the PulseHR website. If you find this newsletter interesting and helpful, feel free to forward it to your friends and colleagues.
Issue 05
November 12, 2002
C O N T E N T S:
1. Health related goodies
2. Did you work on your objective?
3. Summary or no summary?
4. What employers are looking for in a resume
5. Convention announcement - repeated (Toronto, November 18-20)
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Health related goodies
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· Low Self-Esteem - Not The Problem
Many of the most commonly held beliefs about low self-esteem are myths without reliable evidence to support them, says a study published on Wednesday.
Low self-esteem has become one of the most frequently cited explanations for social and personal problems, ranging from young people's involvement in violent crime to adult failures in business, and the US state of California has gone so far as to invest significant public funds in trying to raise the self-esteem of its citizens.
But Nicholas Emler, a social
psychologist who conducted the study, said his research showed that people with
a high opinion of themselves could pose a far greater threat to others than
those with a low sense of self-worth. [Anna: that’s news?]
A drug used to
stop people falling asleep is showing promise in enhancing brain power.
Scientists at Cambridge University say it could make people better at
remembering things and solving problems. This
will offer tremendous insight
into how the mind works.
· GM foods pose risks, admits UN
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) could endanger human health and would not solve the problem of world hunger, the United Nations' special rapporteur for the right to food said on Tuesday.
"Genetically modified organisms could pose a danger to the human organism and public health in the medium and long term," Jean Ziegler, who writes UN reports on food rights, said in a statement issued in Geneva.
"The argument that GMOs are
indispensable for overcoming malnutrition and hunger is not convincing," said
Mr. Ziegler, a sociologist and former member of the Swiss parliament.
· Student Project Thrives Despite Real Obstacles
"Hi, I'm calling from MIT down in Boston," says the 21-year-old neuroscience major, repeating a pitch he's made hundreds of times. "I'm part of a nonprofit pharmacy network that distributes AIDS medicines. Can I speak with a supervisor?"
For the past
year, Mr. Basu's tiny dorm room, sporting a Che Guevara flag and a shelf of Noam
Chomsky books, has been transformed into a prescription-drug-transfer center,
where he collects and then sends thousands of doses of AIDS medicine to a clinic
in Haiti. Between classes, the senior is building a network of pharmacists who
send him FedEx packages of unused AIDS drugs, sometimes secretly. So far, he has
recruited 26 in 18 states.
· Test-tube pregnancy OK for some women over 50
Age alone shouldn't bar a woman from using donated eggs to become pregnant, the results of a small study suggest.
Women aged 50 and older who are "appropriately screened" can conceive by egg donation and have similar success rates to younger women who undergo the same procedure, although they do face a higher rate of certain pregnancy complications, Dr. Richard J. Paulson of the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, and colleagues report.
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Did you work on your objective?
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When scrolling through dozens of resumes and profiles, the first thing I am looking for is the objective line. I can’t evaluate a person without knowing what they are looking for. Sounds obvious, doesn’t it? And yet, I receive many resumes which would either have no objective line at all or have something like this: “I am looking for a challenging position in an intellectual environment where I can advance my skills while contributing to the development of the organization”. Hhmm?
Focus on your objective statement. This is also your chance to promote yourself. For example, instead of saying “I am looking for a position in Medical Sales” say something like “Looking for a Medical Sales position in the healthcare setting where I could contribute my previous experience as a Nurse and Lab Assistant”. That will give your reader a clear knowledge of what position you are looking for and it will also “feed” them the fact that you have a background in healthcare which is beneficial for medical sales. But don’t pull your pants down all the way. Leave some room for curiosity. Your goal here [in the objective field] is to make your “reader” read on.
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Summary or no summary
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- Summary.
As a courtesy to your readers, provide a summary of your background right after your objective. Call it “Highlights of Qualifications” or something similar.
List 5 or 7 points [note: odd numbers]. Never more than 9. [this has been noticed in a few sociological studies, and just for fun I always pay attention to whether it makes a difference, if the points add up to an odd or even number. I think it really does make a difference. The odd number is much better for some reason].
Don’t just state facts. Advertise yourself. Show how great you really are [but don’t overdo it]. Make one statement per line, no runovers onto the next line.
Make your “greatness” appropriate. If a high school graduate applies for a position of an office admin and lists as one of their important skills “leadership”, I might say, well, there is a need for a support person, not a leader, really. Besides, leadership is a strong quality when it is combined with experience and knowledge. I would not market it as a stand alone skill.
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What employers are looking for in a resume?
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- Proof.
Employers are looking for proof that you can do the job on the position they need to fill. Your task as a job seeker is to convince your reader (employer!) that you have all the required skills they are looking for. Therefore, when applying for a particular position, you need to bring those facts from your background that would “match” you with the job in question. Leave all irrelevant experience out. I hope nobody gets offended, if I tell you that employers have no interest in your life story. Treat your resume as a marketing tool, not a biography.
Do not list your experience in a chronological order (unless all the jobs you have had perfectly fit the new one you are applying for). Start with the most relevant experience and work it backwards. Remember, your goal is to “convince” your employer that you are THE ONE.
Do not make employers think and guess and look for information on your resume. Give it to them right away and provide hard core proof.
Here is a quick example from my personal experience:
I open a resume and see the name and address. Great. Then I read on and I see experience #1 Sales Assistant in Future Shop [okay, he worked while being a student, hardworking, it’s a plus [or was he a student..? hmm], then I get experience #2 Library Assistant [great, knows how to do bookkeeping, organized [or is he? He didn’t say what kind of assisting he was doing…hmmm], then experience #3 Lab Assistant [great! we have quite a few lab positions. Let’s see…it was in a medical clinic, all right, but again, what exactly was he doing…doesn’t say.. hmmm…assistant, assistant, we have quite a few admin assistant positions…but, was it an admin position he was looking for…can’t tell…any other skills? achievements? …no, nothing really… oh, well, move on to the next one. “Dear applicant. Thank you for sending us your resume. We will keep it on file for 6 months….” – I think you get the point.
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Convention announcement - repeated (Toronto, November 18-20)
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Ontario Hospital Association will hold its Annual Convention and Exhibition on November 18-20 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
More than 300 exhibitors will be present. What does it mean to you as a job seeker?
Even if there is no career fair, try to get in (without paying, if you can). Bring your resume and mingle with exhibitors. They can be your potential employers. Tell them about yourself, ask clever questions (review the exhibitor list in advance and do some detective work). Never estimate the power of a personal charm. After you've talked with them, send a follow-up email 1-2 days later and then another one a week later. Customize each email so that to help employers "remember you" from the crowd. Make it personal, but keep it professional.
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- The End -
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To give me your feedback or ask a question, write to me at anna@pulsehr.com . I personally reply to all questions in the hope that my information and advice will be of help to people seeking employment, i.e. means to advance in life while supporting themselves and their loved ones. If you send me an email and do not receive a reply within two business days, there might have been a communication error or our server may have rejected your email, in which case please re-send your message.
Anna Tulchinsky,
Ph.D.Can. & PulseHR Co-founder
+1(613) 231-6308
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