You will find resume writing tips galore on the Internet and in books. Some are great ideas. Others, not so great. When searching for resume samples you will find several dozen samples that are offered as the “best” style to use. But the information can be confusing and overwhelming.

What’s the best way to write a resume that is compete, honest and stands out from the crowd? I recommend that you first write an outline. It will be an invaluable tool as you organize, format and write your resume. Include the following in your notes:

1. Your goals- Write them all down and then compact it to an objective that clearly states a goal that your potential employer will see on your resume. Do not include desired salary and be careful about self-serving statements. (Consider what you can provide for the employer versus what you want from them).

2. Your Job History- Dig up your job history, including name/address of employer, dates worked, salary and specific duties. Also note any special accomplishments while in that job position.

3. Your Skills- Make a list of the skills that you have and don’t forget the basic ones. Remember that not everyone can type at the same WPM that you might be able to and believe it or not, not everyone knows how to use the Internet. Add any special skills that might be applicable only to the positions that you are applying for.

4. Your Education- List your education, including the name/location of the school, dates attended and concentration of study, including your high school. Include any classes, seminars and continuing education. Include degrees and certifications obtained.

5. Your Awards- If you have obtained awards in your professional or personal life, make a list of them including the year received and what they were for. Also include any publishing credits you might have.

6. Your Volunteer Activities- If you volunteer your time outside of your home to help others, include this on your outline. This shows that you are a caring individual with goals other than earning a living.

7. Your References- Prepare a list of people who might be willing to be a reference. Call them or send them an email to make sure that they are okay with it. Concentrate on those you know from a professional arena and ones you’ve known longer than a year or two, if possible.

In the next post, we will discuss how to organize and format your resume to be the best that it can be in this competitive job market.

Recently we were pleased to meet with Paul Knoch, an HR administrator with 17 years of experience in the industry.  Paul told us about the challenges and fun parts of his job, as well as how the economy is affecting current employees and applicants.

HDJ- What draws you to a candidate in an interview?

Paul- First impressions do count. I look for a confident demeanor as well as the usual first impression things like how they are dressed, if they are on time, etc.

HDJ- What makes the caution flag fly for you?

Paul- If someone appears really nervous (some nervous is normal) or if they interrupt. I had an applicant interrupt me many times on the phone and when she talked with the department manager, she did the same thing. When we didn’t hire her, she asked why. I told her why. By the way, she was interviewing for a customer service position.

In addition, someone who is trying too hard, who is overly friendly or tries to oversell themselves doesn’t work for me. Being too forward, taking a phone call during the interview (that has happened) or appearing distracted are also red flags. In a competitive market, those behaviors will quickly put someone to the bottom of the list.

HDJ- Do you have a lot of applicants right now?

Paul- It has doubled or tripled from a year or two ago. Also our turnover has decreased. So it makes it tough with not as many positions open.

HDJ- How have things changed?

Paul- One change I have seen is that people are less likely to quit a job even if they aren’t totally satisfied with it. With fewer jobs available, I think employees aren’t confident that they will find a better job so they are more willing to try to make things work where they are at.

Another change is that it’s an employer’s market right now with all the massive applicants available. Five or six years ago it was the opposite and employers were throwing perks out to entice employees to come on board.

HDJ- Have you seen many people apply from out of state?

Paul- Currently, fifty percent of applicants come from out of state. With our organization, people commonly come because they want to find meaning in their job. It’s not about money. It’s about being part of an organization that they care about and support.

HDJ-Has the recession made your job harder in any way?

Paul- The recession has been tough on all of us I think. I really feel for the people who call and share their life situation, hoping for a job even when we don’t have openings. It’s heartbreaking. I think most people who call are realistic and know we can’t create a position but they are trying to make contacts. One thing I have done is refer some to other organizations that might have openings through a network of emails.

HDJ- That’s certainly above and beyond. What’s difficult about your job?

P- Probably the most difficult part is walking the line between what state and federal laws require and what feels appropriate and compassionate in a situation. They don’t always line up. Sometimes I have to treat people based on HR laws and what I want to do is feel compassion and help people. Also, sometimes ADA and FMLA conflict each other. For instance, privacy laws say you can’t access people’s medical records. And yet, in a situation like FMLA, medical records are needed.

I have done things that I think are right and they may not necessarily be “HR-approved”. Sometimes you have to be courageous. It might mean talking to an employee about a situation instead of letting them go. It might mean that there is a grey area and I have to determine what is best, compassionate and within regulations all at the same time.

HDJ- What do you enjoy about your job in Human Resources?

Paul- I work with great people. There is a lot of variety and fun in my job. I interact, lead staff events, provide training, connect with them on social sites and more. Even the challenging part of confronting someone is good because I can help someone learn and grow and develop as worker-especially the younger people. To some small degree, I am helping with that.

Jobs are a big part of our life. But job satisfaction is less than fifty percent. And a lot of times it stems from how the employee is treated versus what they are being paid. So it’s very rewarding when things that I have intentionally done create a positive impact.

HDJ- This is great information, Paul. Thanks for your time!

Discouragement happens to all of us, whether job searching or not. But it’s my belief that the discouragement directly related to not being able to find a job is one of the worst discouragements possible. There is a lot at stake when one is unemployed or underemployed and it usually means that bills are going unpaid. Often there is an inability to pay rent (therefore forcing the unemployed to rely on family or friends) and often there is a family dependent on that job to live.

Ever notice how discouragement can pull you down even further? It is tough to “go find a job” when you are sad. In fact, it can be tough to do much of anything. Although some of us are able to pull back up after a few hours or a day of discouragement and still other people somehow are able to turn it around as a challenge to get something done, some people just can’t.

Here are some steps that you can take to stay productive, even with the discouragement monster threatens:

1. Find some understanding friends or family who have “been there” and ask to bend their ear. Vent to a friend, post on Facebook and just be honest. You will often be surprised and encouraged at the responses. Many will understand your plight and although it doesn’t fix the problem (although you never know!), you will feel better for getting it off your chest.

2. Stay busy. There are many, many cheap or free activities available in your community. Take advantage of those. Make new friends. Find a community group and become involved.

3. Help other people. There is great satisfaction in helping other people who are worse off than you. When you concentrate on other people, you have a very hard time concentrating on your own problems. So volunteer at a retirement home, help the homeless or handicapped or be a mentor to children in your community. Often a few hours is all it will take to bump your spirits back up-but we hope that you continue to volunteer even after you are feeling better.

4. Take short breaks. Sometimes a small break from job searching is needed. However, it is far too easy to let that break become a week, then two weeks and so on. Before you take a break from the job search, set a pre-determined time period for that break. Commit to get back to the grind in two or three days and let someone know this who can hold you to it.

5. Look for a temporary or contract job. Consider taking temporary jobs in the meantime, even if the job duties are different than your usual or ones that you feel would be a “step down”. It will help pay the bills and may even open opportunities for full time employment somewhere. And don’t discount contract jobs. It’s easier than you think to temporarily work as a contractor for a good organization.

6. Consider professional help if the discouragement lingers. Never be afraid to seek help if you need assistance. You will feel a lot better with counseling even if it just ends up being a venting session on a regular basis.

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It’s a tough economy right now and certainly not the easiest time to find employment.

Take for instance, two close family members of mine. They are both well-educated and experienced in the film production industry. But six years ago, they moved from California to Oregon. This year, they moved back to California and are struggling immensely to find jobs in their arena. After four months, one of them finally found a starter position in administration in the industry but it is low-pay and his entire paycheck won’t even cover their rent. And she found herself interviewing for a barista position the other day-discouraged that her Dream Job in the film industry is not yet to be found. I stress that they are very experienced in their arenas. But apparently six years out of state was detrimental to getting their Dream Jobs back-in spite of the networking and industry volunteering they are doing while there.

I encourage you to keep your job skills and networking current-even if you are gainfully employed and think you will be there forever. If this economy has taught us anything-it is that no job is truly secure. We’ve seen huge companies take losses and close and people with twenty years plus seniority kicked to the curb. Our economy and employment rates may improve-but no one else will watch your back better than you.

Although the biggest argument I hear against this is the lack of time to network, etc, I want to stress the priority of it to you. If the unthinkable happens, you will regret not finding the time to keep current. So make it a goal and invest some time in this now by:

1. Remain educated in your field. Don’t hesitate to take continuing education workshops or even take classes toward an upper degree in your field. If the time comes, someone with current education is much more valuable than someone who hasn’t continued their education in many years. Education, of course, will benefit you personally too.

2. Stay online. Odd, I know. But while you’ve likely been happily employed for the past several years, the job search has moved mostly online. Familiarize yourself with job listings, who is hiring in your industry and don’t hesitate to look at the financials of public companies. Scour industry websites, newsletters and blogs. Learn as much as you can.

3. Improve your platform online. When a Twitter friend I know was laid off from his insurance position, he held over 50 “informational interviews” with various companies. Basically, he messaged us and asked for one to learn more about the companies we are with. Many of us gave him some time and due to this network, he has had several job offers. So dig up that old Twitter account and start making yourself valuable to your followers online. Already on Facebook or Linked In? Find friends in your industry and become a resource to them. Join the groups and answer questions when you can. Also consider other social sites in your industry.

4. Make some contacts. Remember that doctor you met at a conference last year? You still have his business card in your briefcase. Set aside a couple of hours each month to connect with people via email or phone, even if you just leave a voicemail. Or send them a card in the mail with your business card and thank them for the time they spent with you/class they taught, etc.

5. Stay technologically current. This can be difficult, but is important. You will be at an extreme disadvantage in future job searching if you don’t use email, know how to navigate a website, can’t use Microsoft Excel etc. What’s an I-Pad? Find out, if you don’t know. For good technical advice, read some tech blogs and keep up with the changes in the industry. Also consider learning software specific to your industry.

6. Keep your resume and references current. Keep your resume on the computer and add to it as you increase your learning, skills and job duties. And remember that someone who was a reference when you were job searching six years ago may not remember you well today. Find current references who can and will give a glowing report.

Following these tips will serve you well when and if you need to find a new job. You will already be halfway to your goal.

1. When you know more than your boss, but still aren’t being promoted. As I see it, your boss shouldn’t be holding you back if you have the skills — it is always in management’s best interest to train their replacement, so to speak. But if they are holding you back, consider flashing some of your talents to other areas and supervisors — in a nice way, of course. And if it doesn’t pan out and you want promotion opportunities, look elsewhere!

2. When the guy in the next desk constantly instant messages you. Hey, it’s either a new job or a new department. Although you may want to try chatting with HR first, this guy has an obvious obsession and it’s not with his work.

3. When the people around you think they live in a zoo — and act like it too. Whether they hang from the rafters, fight over food, can’t stop bickering or stare at newcomers with a glazed look as they pass through the department, it might be time to look elsewhere.

4. When your paycheck comes with a note that says “please don’t cash until Monday.” Whoops. Big warning sign there that the medical center is living paycheck to paycheck. Don’t let it affect yours. Start looking now.

5. When your boss has sworn you to secrecy. “Oh my gosh, PLEASE don’t mention I was flirting with a patient on rounds. I mean, you’re my friend…right?” Uh huh and need I say more?

6. When you find yourself covering for your boss more than once a month. Everyone messes up here and there but if you are covering for someone on a regular basis (other than your own), you are setting yourself up for continued issues. For starters, you are just plain making your boss out to be better than they are. And secondly, your boss will expect it from you in the future and there will be heck to pay the first time you stand up for yourself and refuse to cover them.

7. When your co-workers start ducking, hiding or becoming very busy as you enter the room. Before you stomp all over the place feeling ignored, you should note that the above behaviors are an indication that something is wrong. You aren’t communicating well, there is an issue with the team, they feel like you hate them etc. So, by all means bring your slingshot to work with you as you are looking for a new position.

8. When the same person has stolen your reserved parking space for most of the year. You shouldn’t leave because they are being a pain but because you are being a wimp! Approach them already and check any sarcasm at the door.

Disclaimer: Of course, here at Hospital Dream Jobs, we truly encourage you to be an adult first and do everything you can to solve your issues at your current place of employment, especially if it is indeed your Dream Job. Remember that there is always someone who will do your job for less than what you make doing it.

Job search video on how to effectively network and find hidden jobs. Please note that there is a short 10 second advertisement before the video plays.

Click to view the video: Finding Hidden Jobs

Referrals and recommendations are an important part of the job searching process, whether online or off. Job searchers should, as a rule, consistently seek these while job searching. You can never have enough, but five or so recommendations/referrals that are current (last 6 months) are important to keep in your file.

As we discussed before, a Linked In profile can be essential to a solid job search. Within the Linked In profile options; there is an area for recommendations where the people who are connected with you on Linked In can write a recommendation about you. Often people trade recommendations. As an example, I recently taught a class on social media marketing and one attendee afterwards was especially enthusiastic about the class and all that she had learned. She asked how she could “thank” me and I told her the best way was to write me a quick recommendation on Linked In. She agreed, and I wrote her one back.

But wait! I had only known the woman a couple hours and only in a class setting. Could I really recommend her for a job? No, but this didn’t make me uncomfortable writing a recommendation. Why? Because a recommendation should focus on only what you know. I clearly stated that she attended one of my classes, that she asked good questions and seemed very detail-oriented and willing to learn. That was the honest truth and I clearly stated that I didn’t know her well. But it helped her build her recommendations and the one she wrote about me (clearly focused on the class she took) also helped me when someone else was looking for social media people to speak at a conference.

A recommendation should also only focus on the good points of a person. Although on Linked In, the connection has a final choice whether to publish it or not, positive is the name of the game and the most professional way to approach a recommendation. “I liked Mike until he showed up for work late two days in a row” is not acceptable and reflects poorly on the writer, as well as Mike. So if you can’t think of positives or are uncomfortable, don’t write a recommendation. I do have one writer connection on Linked In who is continuously asking for one. I keep saying no to her because at this point we haven’t connected at all outside of Linked In. If I hired her to write for me, I would probably be able to write her a recommendation but in the meantime, I won’t.

Don’t be afraid to ask for a recommendation from a connection. You can never have too many and it gives a wonderful impression to those employers who are looking at your profiles.  As soon as I conduct business with someone, meet them in person or collaborate with them in some way, I ask for one. Do I always get one? Of course not. But every bit helps.

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How important is continuing education for your health care career? Very. Not only does it provide you with current information on many diseases, syndromes, new treatments and research that can advance your career, but it increases your chance of finding the health care job of your dreams. Continuing education, even if you are satisfied with your current job position, will put you in the lead should the unthinkable happen. And yes, you should always list continuing education on your resume or CV.

One of the greatest challenges, of course, is finding the time to continue learning. However, with the continuing education now available on the web, it’s much easier to be flexible and carve out moments when it works for you.

NurseCEU is a guide of available online education for nurses. You can view courses via the subject/title or choose to view all courses. Once you click on topic, the site provides you with a list of classes, who provides the class, how many contact hours (actual class hours) for the class and the cost of it-a very handy feature to compare rates.

Harvard Medical School provides great options for continuing education. You can learn at your own pace and take as much time as you need to complete a course. In addition, for people in developing countries, the cost is half. The classes are reasonably priced and you can register and pay right on the site.

FreeCE provides listings of free continuing education opportunities for pharmacies, pharmacy technicians, nurses, physicians and physician assistants. The site also provides resources such as blogs and forums.

For CME classes, check out CMELLC. Credits are listed with the class description and each class is described in detail when the title is pointed at with your mouse. You can search by category and additional resources are also listed on the homepage.

Although classes are not listed, the American Council for Continuing Medical Education provides a helpful site with accreditation standards. In addition they list volunteer information, tutorials and commentary. Their mission is “the identification, development, and promotion of standards for quality continuing medical education (CME) utilized by physicians in their maintenance of competence and incorporation of new knowledge to improve quality medical care for patients and their communities.

Twitter is another social site that can be helpful when job searching. With the wonders of modern technology, those who list job openings can automatically post each job to twitter as they are listed, giving you the heads up that something has become available within the category that you are searching. In addition, job posts are a popular retweet-meaning that people often pass on information about jobs posted to their own followers.

If you don’t have a Twitter account yet, go to Twitter and sign up using your email. Once you activate your account, log in with your information. You will already be following people as Twitter has this set up automatically, and if you want to you can easily unfollow them by clicking on their name and then using the option to unfollow under the sunshine. Click on “profile” to see the page that other people see when clicking on your username.

To change your background, choose “settings” and then “design”. Twitter provides several optional backgrounds, or you can upload a photo for your background. You can also change the colors of font for your links and your sidebar colors. Experiment until you find options that you like and then click on “home” to see the results.

We do recommend that you both upload a small picture (60 pix) for your avatar and that you also include a one-line bio. To do this, go to “settings” and then choose “profile”. If you have a website, list that there as well.

Now you are on Twitter and it’s a great time to search job listings and also develop relationships with people who can recommend you for job positions. To start this, use the “find people” tab at the top of your page. Search for the words in your specialty and follow those people who might be a resource in your job search. You also have the ability to create a list if you want to place different accounts in various categories. Also follow our list of 176 (and growing) health organizations/recruiters that regularly post jobs and check it on a regular basis.

Here are some accounts of ours to follow for job listings:

RadiologyJob

StaffNurseJob

TravelNurse_Job

Pharmacy_Job

NursingMgmtJobs

Surgery_Jobs

RadTechJobs

BioTech_Job

Physicians_Job

Hospital_Jobs

Nursing_Job

If you want to connect with us on other news in addition to job listings, follow us on our main account at HospitalDrmJobs. See you on Twitter!

If you have found yourself searching for a job in this economy, you may have also found yourself in a quandary. The job search has almost exclusively moved online. And online networking has become truly key in finding your Dream Job.

In this series we will highlight the best social sites for making job network connections and review the benefits of each one. The first one is the best for job connections: Linked In.

The benefits of LinkedIn are numerous and include:

Online Resume- The profile option on LinkedIn allows you add your work experience, including the employer, dates of employment and more. Anyone can go to your page and get some basic information on your past (or current) employers and you can also use the Work History option to list any volunteer positions that you hold. How much you want on your profile is up to you. Profile page example.

Recommendations- The recommendations option truly sets LinkedIn apart from many other social sites. You can recommend your connections and they can recommend you. Others can view what is written, if you choose. It’s a great way to give potential employers the ability to view positive opinions of you. And it is completely acceptable in LinkedIn land to request recommendations from your connections if they have worked with you in some way.

Pull-Ins- From your Twitter feed (we will cover Twitter in another post) to your blog, LinkedIn can pull various applications into your homepage which means that not only can your connections see your resume, but also other things that you are working on, expertise from your blog and your interaction with other people online (should you choose).

Connections- LinkedIn has sophisticated technology in place to recommend connections to you. When you are looking at job listings, for instance, it will tell you if you are connected to that employer in some way or if someone in your network is connected with them. This can give you the ability to connect with someone connected more closely (and often working for) that organization. In addition, LinkedIn also recommends people that you might know in a sidebar and lets you know when new colleagues from your listed organizations arrive on LinkedIn.

Groups- LinkedIn has many professional groups available where users post discussions and job opportunities. You can choose to receive a daily or weekly digest which includes a briefing of all the activity in that group. Sign up for groups in your area of expertise and reply within the discussions when there are subject matters that you can talk about. You can also befriend those people within those groups.

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