How to Write a Resumé for Minneapolis Job Openings

/in

If you have started applying for jobs, you may have noticed that most companies will ask for your resume. As a potential employee, having a well-organized resume increases your chances of being hired. Here are some tips regarding how to write a resume:

Define Your Objective-

Before you start writing your resume, you need to define your objective. Is this resume for a specific job, or is this resume a generalized job-searching tool? Once you are clear with the objective, you will be able to tailor the content more specifically you place on your resume to fit your exact needs.

Education-

Education should be at the top of your resume. The highest level of education you have completed should be listed first, and any subsequent education experiences should be listed underneath that.

Recent Job Experiences-

When you’re detailing your most recent job experiences, they should be listed in chronological order. In general, it’s a good idea to include job experiences that are related to the field for which you are applying. This will show recruiters that you are a good fit for that specific position.

Job-Relevant Skills-

If you have any specific skills such as woodworking or you being able to type quickly, you want to make sure you list those skills on your resume. Your skills are what set different candidates apart, so you want to list as many relevant skills as possible.

Soft Skills-

List your soft skills also, and include examples of how you’ve used those skills in previous jobs. Examples of soft skills include a strong work ethic, positive attitude, excellent communication skills, time management abilities, problem-solving skills, acting as a team player, self-confidence, ability to accept and learn from criticism, flexibility, and working well under pressure. If your interviewer is trying to decide between two candidates and you have more soft skills than the other candidate does, you will always have an advantage.

Format it Correctly-

A resume should be no longer than one – two pages. Margins should be a minimum of one inch on each side. Include your name, address, and phone number on your resume so your interviewer can call you back for a second interview or a job offer. Once you have your completed resume, you can use it as a tool to help you find the right job for you.

If you’ve successfully edited your resume and are in need of a job, contact Award Staffing. We will be able to help you find a job that is the perfect fit for you and your unique skill sets. Our team of hiring professional located in Bloomington, Chaska, Crystal, Delano, Maplewood, and Ramsey Minnesota are here to help you find you your next new job opportunity!

Make a Great Impression on Your First Day at a New Job

/in

To make a good impression on your first day and to create a seamless transition into the company. Follow these simple, but essential keys.

Come Early-

One of the easiest ways to make a great impression on your first day is to arrive early. When you arrive early, you are letting your superiors know that you respect company time and take the job seriously. You will be seen as responsible, trustworthy, and diligent. Plus, your superiors won’t have to worry about reminding you of important dates and times.

Overdress-

It’s always better to be overdressed than underdressed. If you don’t know your new company’s dress code, it’s an excellent idea to overdress so being underdressed doesn’t embarrass you. For example, if you are hired for a light industrial job, denim and a nice clean T might be acceptable, but show up on your first day in clean and pressed slacks and a shirt with a  collar – button down or polo style. If your first day reveals that less is ok, then you can adapt. Going beyond on the first day shows that you respect the company and respect your job

Ask Questions-

Make sure to ask many questions on your first day. This will show your new colleagues and superiors that you are engaged and ready to learn. It also shows them that you are interested in your new position and want to know as much as you can to be able to succeed. Of course, choose your questions wisely, take time to listen to the answer, and apply the knowledge.

Be Friendly-

The most important way to make a great impression on your first day is to be friendly. If you walk into the job with a positive attitude and a smile on your face, your colleagues are going to remember you and enjoy your company from day one. When you’re building your career, colleague relationships and networking are one of the most important aspects of helping you achieve your professional goals.

If you feel like you can embody these tips on your first day of work but you’re having a hard time finding somewhere to work, contact Award Staffing. We will be able to help you find a job that is the perfect fit for you and your unique skill sets. Our team of hiring professional located in Bloomington, Chaska, Crystal, Delano, Maplewood, and Ramsey Minnesota are here to help you find you your next new job opportunity!

5 Ways to Boost Your Resume For Any Minnesota Job

/in

When you submit your resume to most companies, the first person who sees it is a recruiter who sees dozens of resumes a day. You have one chance to make the kind of the first impression that gets you to the next step. Here are five ways to boost your resume past the first stage and move you on to more face to face interviews:

Make It Clean and Readable-

Want your resume to be read? Make it easy to understand. No wall of text sections. Use short, punchy bullet points, clear, concise information and sufficient white space. This makes it easy for your resume to be scanned.

Focus On Success-

You want to include your full toolbox of applicable skills and experiences. Don’t forget to show off these attributes as part of past accomplishments. Tie a skill with the way you used effectively and give specific results.

Use Relevant Keywords-

A good resume is like a good Google search: You get better results when you use the right keywords. Robin Ryan says you should “make a list of the “buzz words connected to perform your type of job. Look through employers’ job ads to uncover the major ones. Incorporate these keywords into the sentences describing your previous work experience.”

Tailor Your Resume for Each Application-

Every job post will clearly state what the company is looking for regarding skills and experiences. Make sure you include matching information using the same keywords as the job post every time you send out your resume. A short intro that has the exact info the recruiter is looking for is also a good idea.

Less Is More-

Remember your resume isn’t being read like a book, it’s being scanned like an outline.

According to Nancy Collamer, “we all skim more than we read, so to reward that reading style. Also, add white space between paragraphs to provide “breathing room.”

Excessive words are just clutter. Check your word count when you write your resume and see if you can cut 20% of the words without losing any essential info. You will be surprised how much cleaner and more professional this makes your resume look.

If you’re ready to get your resume out in front of prospective employers, contact Award Staffing. We will be able to help you find a new job opportunity that lets you take advantage of your abilities to take the next step you in your career.

The Minnesota Way to Dress For a Job Interview

/in

If you dress well for an interview, no matter what type of job it is, you are more likely to be hired. Here are some of our tips on how to dress for an interview.

Dress For Success-

When you go in for an interview, you want to make the best first impression possible.  In other words, what you wear matters!  Choose professional clothing that doesn’t show too much skin. Men can’t go wrong with some nice slacks and a button-down shirt. Women can’t go wrong with a cute business skirt or slacks and blouse combination. Before you go into your interview, iron your clothes or have them dry-cleaned to make sure they’re not wrinkled

Be Mindful of Tattoos and Piercings-

If you have a lot of visible tattoos and piercings, it’s a good idea to remove them before the interview. Regardless of whether or not it is fair, some companies will make judgments and associate tattoos and piercings with being irresponsible or reckless. Even if this is not the case, you want to make sure you remove them so the interviewer can get to know the real you and not fixate on your tattoos and piercings. Furthermore, in light industrial jobs, excessive piercings can sometimes create a safety hazard.

Keep Hygiene in Mind-

When you’re trying to make a good first impression, you always want to keep hygiene in mind. Part of good hygiene includes brushing your hair, showering, washing your face, and brushing your teeth. You wouldn’t want your interviewer to have a wrong impression of you based merely on how you look or smell. Spend a few minutes before you have to leave for your interview focusing on hygiene, and your interviewer will be able to focus on what you’re saying.

Add Tasteful Accessories-

Wearing tasteful accessories to an interview can accentuate your overall appearance and presentation. An example of an elegant accessory for a man would be a nice watch. An example of an elegant accessory for a woman would be a necklace or some earrings. Adding an exquisite accessory, without overdoing, tells your interviewer that you care enough to take that additional step and are responsible enough to find a balance. If you have an interview, you are seriously being considered for a job. You can increase your chances of being hired if you dress well and present yourself positively for your first interview.

If you need help finding job interviews, contact Award Staffing.  We will be able to help you find a job that is the perfect fit for you and your unique skill sets. Our team of hiring professional located in Bloomington, Chaska, Crystal, Delano, Maplewood, and Ramsey Minnesota are here to help you find you your next new job opportunity!

The Pros of Changing Jobs Frequently in The Twin Cities

/in

Have you been stuck in the same job for more than a few years? Do you want to get a new job or field of work? Some people change jobs every few years, which can be a good thing. Here are the pros of changing jobs frequently:

Get More Experience-

Any time you start a new job, you will develop more experience because you will be handling different tasks and skills. Even if your day-to-day operations are virtually the same at your new job, you will still have to figure out how to achieve the results in a different environment, working with different people, or using different equipment. The diversity in these new workplace environments will help you gain more experience, which in turn will make you more employable and adaptable to any new situations that are thrown your way.

Learn About Your Strengths and Weaknesses-

When changing jobs, you will likely be exposed to many different tasks or skills that you previously never had to think about or deal with in any other job. This is great because you can easily find out what your strengths and weaknesses are at work and apply them directly to working environment situations. By this same method, you may find out that you don’t like doing a specific task that you’re good at, but you like doing a particular task that you’re not necessarily good at yet. Use all this information as a barometer for where your career should go, and where you should focus your educational efforts for the future.

You’re Exposed to More Company Cultures-

Every company behaves and works differently. Whether it’s a change in the HR policy or a change in workplace communication style, you will soon see that every company has its way of working that is most conducive to achieving the results it wants. By changing jobs frequently, you’re being exposed to more company cultures on a regular basis. This is a good thing because it will allow you to compare and contrast different aspects of the various cultures that are appealing to you and not appealing to you as you figure out what your next career move should be.

If you’ve determined that it’s time to get a new job, contact Award Staffing. We will be able to help you figure out what is the best type of job to transition into and help place you in that job opportunity. We can also help you determine what’s the best step for your career.

Resume Mistakes That Minnesota Job Seekers Make

/in

If you’re applying for jobs and haven’t looked at your resume in a few years, it’s time for revision. Mistakes on your resume signal that you’re not only not ready for a job, but that you lack the discipline and focus on honing in on, and taking your career seriously. Here are some of the top resume mistakes you should avoid.

Don’t Add a Picture-

For some reason, people have started adding pictures to their resumes, but we’re here to tell you that’s a wise choice. Why? Because it invites the reader to make judgments about you based on your looks rather than your skill sets and education. If they are interested, they will see what you look like when they invite you in for an in-person interview.

Don’t Send an Unformatted Resume-

Don’t ever send a resume that’s unformatted. This will look messy and likely disqualify you from the job for which you have applied. One way you can remedy this is to make sure you always send resumes as a PDF instead of a Word File. This way, the formatting will be “preserved” so you don’t have to worry about your recipient receiving a disorganized version.

Don’t Keep References from More Than Three Years-

Don’t put references on your resume if they’re more than three years old. First of all, there’s a good chance that they no longer remember you and will be unable to give you an accurate reference. Second of all, this shows that you haven’t been able to make any new meaningful connections in the last few years, which is, of course, a negative.

If you’ve successfully edited your resume and are in need of a job, contact Award Staffing. We will be able to help you find a job that is the perfect fit for you and your unique skill sets. Our team of hiring professional located in Bloomington, Chaska, Crystal, Delano, Maplewood, and Ramsey Minnesota are here to help you find you your next new job opportunity!

The 5 Best Ways to Stand Out to Minnesota Employers

/in

Getting a job interview is a big deal in a crowded job market, but you have to take the next step to seal the deal. You need to stand out to a prospective employer to get the job offer you deserve. Here are 5 ways to help take your move from job seeker to employee:

1. Make a Great First Impression-

You don’t want to be hot sweaty and breathing hard from running across a parking lot during the interview. Get there with enough time to look relaxed and happy to be there when you meet. It should go without saying that you want to be dressed well and have your grooming spot on for the interview.

2. Know Your Company-

Research them online. You can check traditional sources like their website or Wikipedia (for larger firms) but use the search features on social sites like Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and LinkedIn to get more up to date and insider type info. Knowing a lot about the company can make all the difference when it comes time to answer questions in an interview.

3. No Distractions-

A prospective employer won’t be impressed with your new ringtone. Turn the phone off and keep it in your pocket or purse, or better yet in the car. Same with gum, candy, or a drink. Looking more interested in your texts than what a prospective employer has to say is not the right way to stand out!

4. Know What a Prospective Employer Wants-

Companies will tell you what they are looking for in their job post. Read it carefully. Make sure you understand every sentence on it regarding what they want from a new employee. Be prepared to demonstrate that you have all the skills and experience they are seeking. Showing a prospective employer how well you fit the bill with specific examples is a great way to stand out in an interview.

5. Follow Up-

An e-mail thanking them for their time and making yourself available for any follow-up questions can make all the difference.

If you are looking for a new job opportunity, whether it a short-term or long-term opportunity, contact Award Staffing. Our team of hiring professional located in Bloomington, Chaska, Crystal, Delano, Maplewood, and Ramsey Minnesota are here to help you find you your next new job!

Is it a Good Idea to Work With Friends?

/in

When you’re searching for jobs, it may be tempting to work at a Minnesota company at which you have one or more friends employed. However, working with friends can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you handle yourself. Here are the situations you need to should be aware of when working with friends:

Only one of you receives a promotion-

If you are working with friends, it could be that either you or your friend gets a promotion even if the other doesn’t. While this seems like it would be easy to be happy for the other person and just move on, that’s usually not how it works. Make sure you’re aware that this is a possibility; it wouldn’t hurt to discuss what you and your friend would do if you were in that situation.

You distract each other-

Because you are friends, it would be natural to want to talk to your friend like you usually do. You need to be aware that you can both distract each other and should try to make a concerted effort not to do so. If you think it would be too much of a problem, you might need work in different areas or even companies.

Both friends are promoted-

High-achieving people typically associate themselves with other high-achieving people. If this is the case, you and your friend could help each other out so much that you would eventually both be promoted. If you have a good synergy with a friend who works for a company that is hiring, this is an option worth exploring.

One or both of you gets demoted/fired-

It is a possibility that both friends could be fired due to reduced productivity, illegal activities, or a decline in customer service. Make sure you and your friend discuss the possibility of one or both being fired if something goes wrong. Choose in advance to refrain from holding the other person accountable for your errors or misfortune. With all this information, you should be able to make a good decision whether or not you should work with friends. Though this will vary from person to person, you know yourself and your professional goals best, so keep these in mind.

If you’re looking for a job, contact Award Staffing. We will be able to help you find a job opportunity or temporary work that is right for your unique circumstances.

Minnesota Nice is Customer Service at Its Best

/in

Customer service is often a thankless job that gets a lot of attention if it isn’t performed correctly but usually is unrewarded when executed right. If you want to make an impact on a customer, you need to go above and beyond to provide that experience for them. Here are some tips about how to be the best at customer service:

Smile-

While this seems simple, many people underestimate the value of a smile. Your customers have likely had a stressful day, and just smiling at them before you interact with them can change their entire mood for the better. Once you have set the mood to provide a good experience, you can move on to some of the other steps that will make you a customer service pro.

Compliment Them–

Compliment your customers. Most likely, this will throw them off – many of your customers will be in a hurry or frazzled or in the middle of something else. By complimenting them, you are forcing them to be present to reflect on the compliment you have paid them. It’s essential that the compliment is not forced or a lie because this will show in the way you deliver your compliment. By providing a real compliment, you will make their day and encourage them to have a moment of relaxation before heading back into their busy day.

Ask if They Need Help Before They Need It-

The number one way to be a pro at customer service is to anticipate and ask if they need help before they need it. For example, if you see a customer ordering four drinks, go ahead and get out that drink holder for them before they have to come back to you and ask for it. By anticipating the needs of your customer before they realize it, you’re reducing the number of problems they may have, but you’re also displaying thoughtfulness, which is the hallmark of customer service.

If you’re a customer service pro and are looking for a job in which your talents can be appreciated, contact Award Staffing. We will be able to help you find a new job opportunity that puts your talents and strengths to good use so you can benefit a company and start helping your new customers.

Looking For a Job in The Twin Cities? Here’s How to

/in

Where you decide to work is an important decision. You will spend one-third or more of your life at your job, and it will grow with you as you grow in your career. Of course, you want to find the best-fitting job, but this is often easier said than done. Here’s how you can find the perfect job for you today:

Perfect your Resume-

Your resume essentially will serve as the template on which your job search is based. Before you can successfully find your ideal job, you need to make sure your resume is in tip-top shape. Polishing your resume will make you stand out amongst others.

Contact a Staffing Agency-

Contacting a staffing agency is a great option if you want to find the perfect job for you. Staffing agencies often know of many job opportunities you may not have even considered. Also, a staffing agency will be able to help you determine what is available as well as when the timing is right for your unique career goals.

Make a List of Your Wants and Needs-

To find the perfect job, you have to know what you want and need out of a job. Take some time to make a list of what you want out of a job regarding goals, the skillsets you would like to use, and location. Now, compare that with what you need out of a job such as your minimum acceptable pay, experience/training opportunities, or type of work. Once you compare both of these lists, you will have a much better idea of what kind of job is perfect for you.

Prepare for Interviews-

Once you have figured out what type of job is perfect for you, you will need to prepare for your interviews to ensure your chances of job offers. The easiest way to do this is to do your research about your company of interest. When you do this, you will have information to talk about during your interview, and you will be able to reference points of excitement about the company.

If you’ve determined what the perfect job for you is but you’re having a hard time finding available positions, contact Award Staffing. We will take your job requirements as well as your unique skills and talents into consideration so we can help you find that perfect job opportunity in the Twin Cities.