Cube Think - I Have to Find a Better Way

Am I Ready to Send Out My Resume?

By: Doug Brimmer
Posted: Saturday, July 31, 2010

No matter where you work, or what your position is, or your length of service or dedication to the company - You should always be ready to send out your Resume. Even if you think your job is safe - You should always be ready to send out your Resume. So please ask yourself - Am I Ready to Send out My Resume?

Economic conditions have deteriorated so fast and so many people have been caught by surprise and one of the lessons that we all should learn is that we must have our Resume updated. Many of us have not written or updated our Resume in many years and one reason why we have not is that it can be a scary and confusing task. To think that on one or two sheets of paper we are essentially putting down our life story for someone to read. And when you realize that a potential employer may only spend at most 30 seconds to skim over your Resume, writing it becomes an even scarier proposition.

Years ago when I wrote my first Resume there was no Internet to search and I had to go to the library to look for books that gave examples of Resumes and tips on writing one. Today, the Internet offers an abundance of information on-line with tips on writing a Resume. If for whatever reason you do not want to write your own Resume, you will find on the web many services that will write your Resume for you for anywhere from less than $100 to a few hundred dollars. The choice is obviously yours, but either way you go you will still need to sit down and spend time to determine what should and should not be included on your Resume. To do this, I recommend that you also spend time to educate yourself on the Do's and Dont's of writing a Resume.

As I surfed the web and visited sites offering tips on writing a Resume, I took some notes that I want to share with you. There seems to be common themes that all of us should be aware of when writing our Resume. Here is what I found:

1.) When writing your Resume, remember to keep things Clear and Concise.
2.) Bullet Points with Succinct Sentences should be used rather than long sentences or paragraphs.
3.) There is no one set layout for a Resume, but all Resumes should include:
        - Your Identification
        - A Career Objective
        - Work Experience
        - Education
        - Professional Activities
        - Skills and Accomplishments
4.) List Your Most Recent Experiences / Accomplishments First.
5.) Summarize Responsibilities and Focus on Accomplishments.
6.) Use Numerical Figures whenever possible when explaining Accomplishments.
7.) Always Proofread and Spell Check the document.
8.) Have a number of people review your Resume: Family Member, Friend, Co-Worker, Resume Writing Service.

Listed below are a number of sites that may be helpful to you when writing your Resume. However, these are only a few of hundreds of sites that provide information. If you have other sites that may be helpful when writing a Resume, we would appreciate it if you would forward them to us at comments@cubethink.com.

Article: California State, Fullerton - Resume Writing Tips
From: campusapps2.fullerton.edu

Article: Yahoo - How to Write a Resume That Gets Interviews
From: hotjobs.yahoo.com

Article: How to Write a Resume.org - Resume Writing Tips
From: how-to-write-a-resume.org

Article: About.com - 7 Tips for Effective Resumes
From: jobsearchtech.about.com

Article: Resume Tips from Taos
From: taos.com

Article: Monster.com - Declutter Your Resume in 5 Steps
From: career-advice.monster.com

Article: USAJobs.gov - Resume Tips
From: usajobs.gov

Should I Take the Company Offered Buyout?

By: Doug Brimmer
Posted: Monday, January 5, 2009

Every day you will find on the web, read in the newspaper, or hear on the radio about another company that has announced a reduction in their workforce. The reason for these disturbing announcements is simple, each organization is trying to conserve cash and needs to take dramatic steps in the hopes of riding out the economic downturn. In a number of instances companies are also offering Buyouts to their employees rather than just handing out the dreaded Pink Slip.

If you are one of those employees that has been offered a Buyout, then you have a tough decision to make - Do I or Do I Not take the Buyout?

The answer to this question is a simple - Yes or No. The way each individual comes to their answer and the number of factors they add into their own personal equation may not be simple and can limitless like the colors in a rainbow. We can only hope that everyone takes time to collect as much data as possible in order to make an informed decision.

We know that coming to an answer may be scary, confusing, and excruciating, and to help You develop Your Right answer we are listing the following articles. Our hope is that these articles may be useful and assist you in the decision making process.

We are certain that there are other useful articles and would appreciate it if you would forward them to us. If you have recommendations for additional articles, please send them to comments@cubethink.com.

Article: Should You Take That Buyout?
From: www.forbes.com

Article: Read This Before You Take a Buyout
From: www.mainstreet.com

Article: Questions to Ask Before You Take a Buyout
From: www.mainstreet.com

Article: Tough Time Series: Negotiate Before Accepting Employer's Buyout Offer
From: http://hffo.cuna.org/22035/article/1740/html

Article: 8 Steps to Dealing with Forced Retirement
From: www.about.com

Article: Many workers sitting pretty after buyouts
From: www.usatoday.com