How to Put Writing Samples of Past Work on a Resume to Good Use

How to Put Writing Samples of Past Work on a Resume to Good UseWriting samples of past work can be a great way to get your resume noticed. It's a good strategy, and when done correctly it can help you land that job you've been dreaming about. Here's how to put writing samples of past work on a resume to good use.First, take a look at the typical format of a resume. You'll notice several important things about that format. The most obvious is that you're going to see a chronological listing of your achievements in terms of jobs, roles, and positions. When you look at writing samples of past work, though, you'll notice that you can usually put an almost infinite number of examples of your accomplishments into just one paragraph or line.If you want to show off all of the writing samples of past work that you have, this is a great way to do it. That's because each example will show you all of the time that you've been working, the length of time you've worked for the employer, and what p rojects you were responsible for. These are excellent places to showcase your skill as a writer, and in order to make sure that your resume is written to move up the ranks you need to include as many examples as possible.A second thing that you should know about how to put writing samples of past work on a resume is that they really don't say much about your talents. This isn't to say that you shouldn't include them, but you should also consider how well they're used to show your skills. If they're included in an overly formal format they can actually be distracting from your point of view, which is why you should be as creative with them as possible.The third thing that you should know about how to put writing samples of past work on a resume is that you should include them in the proper order. Usually, employers start by looking at the longest period of time, then the shortest. If you have any long-ago examples, those are your best bets, because they show you a variety of experien ces that are relevant to the position for which you're applying. Don't forget that having them in the beginning of the list means that they'll catch the eye of a hiring manager faster, so make sure that you put your best examples at the end, too.The last thing to know about how to put writing samples of past work on a resume is that they don't really show anything about you. Employers aren't interested in what you do for fun or what you did as a volunteer. They're more interested in how well you've performed on previous projects, how quickly you got them started, and whether you showed up every day to work.Hopefully these few tips will give you some ideas on how to put writing samples of past work on a resume to good use. If you have experience with data entry, phone answering, or sales, consider using those skills on your resume instead.

The Three Words You Should Never Use in a Work EmailAnd What to Say Instead

The Three Words You Should Never Use in a Work Emailâ€"And What to Say Instead You’re waiting to hear back from a colleague, a boss, a prospect, a client, a potential employer. It’s been a while. You’ve checked your junk folder. Nothing in there. Are they avoiding you on purpose? Did they forget? Is it a no? Do they hate the idea you pitched? Do they hate you? All you know for sure is that you want an answer, but you don’t want to come across as pushy. So you drop them a note with those three deadly words: Just checking in. “Just checking in to see if you got my invoice.” “Just checking in to see if you’ve completed that report I asked for.” “Just checking in to make sure you’re coming to the meeting.” “Just checking in â€" did you get this, and are you able to meet with me?” When we say “just checking in,” we’re trying to soften the real message: “Don’t ignore me. I need an answer, already!” While it’s meant to be gentle, “just checking in” comes across as disingenuous. “Just” is a word we habitually use to minimize what we have to say. And “checking in” has a casual, “no biggie” undertone. Together, the phrase rings false when you clearly want something. So how can you follow up without being a passive-aggressive nag? Here are the steps to crafting the perfect follow-up email. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes. How many items are in your own inbox waiting for a reply? Everyone’s busy. Things fall through the cracks. Remember that this person’s attention is split a zillion different ways, and they probably won’t mind a kind reminder from you. My friend, a journalistâ€"we’ll call her Lisaâ€"recently found this perspective shift helpful. She was discouraged because she’d scheduled a meeting with a top magazine editor, and the editor had cancelled three times. Lisa was still waiting to hear back from her last two emails asking to reschedule and was wondering how she could follow up a third time without coming across like a psycho. “First of all,” I told Lisa, “Let’s assume that the editor, rather than deciding that you aren’t worth meeting with, is simply human.” Being human indicates that you are: Addicted to checking your emails, many of which you open while in line at the grocery store and usually flag as unread but sometimes forget to even do that, especially when you realize the cashier is yelling “next customer” and it’s you. Even if you meant to answer that email when you got back to your desk, it’s now buried beneath new ones. Overwhelmed by all the things. Grateful, rather than annoyed, when someone reminds youâ€"in a guilt-free wayâ€"that they’re waiting for an answer. “That makes me feel better,” Lisa said. “So should I say something like, ‘Hey, just checking in?” I wrote something for Lisa that I think is way more effective: Hi [First Name], At the risk of being a [nudge, nag, pest], I’m floating this back to the top of your inbox. I know how much you must have to get done before you leave, and I hope I can get my idea in front of you in that time. If an in-person meeting is tough to schedule right now, would it be easier to hop on the phone? All I need is [number] minutes, and I can be available at any time that works for you. Looking forward to hearing back. Thanks so much, Lisa It worked! Lisa heard back from the editor, and scored a meeting. Be direct but understanding. Rather than saying, “Just checking in,” here are some options that feel more authentic. Each one does the crucial job of reminding without chastising. Some are more buttoned up, some more familiar. Choose one based on your relationship with the recipient. I’m circling back to see if you’ve had a chance to think about this. I’m floating this back to the top of your inbox. I know how much you have on your plate, so I’m putting this in front of you again and would love your take. I wanted to touch base with you about this [idea, issue, project, event]. At the risk of being [overeager, a nag, a nudge], I’m popping into your inbox again to see if we can move this forward. I hope this is an appropriate time to circle back with you. I hope this is a good time to pick this conversation back up. Hi! I’m here to bug you about this again. Offer an easy answer, an out, or an alternative. Often, people don’t answer an email because it requires a lengthy, thoughtful answer. Make their response as simple as possible with one of these options. If an in-person meeting is tough to schedule right now, would it be easier to hop on the phone for [10, 20, 30] minutes? If now isn’t a good time, I’ll gladly follow up again next week. If that works for you, simply hit me back with a “Yes, next week” and I’ll check back with you then. If I don’t hear back this week, I’ll assume it’s a pass for now. If there’s someone else I should direct this to, please shoot me a name and I’ll gladly take it up with them (I promise to leave you out of the back-and-forth). These phrases have helped me both on the sending and receiving end of follow-up emails related to my copywriting business. If you’re still stuck, fill in these blanks. You probably have an email you need to follow up with right now, so here’s a template you can use to clear it off your to-do list. Hi [First Name], At the risk of [nagging, bugging you, driving you nuts, being overly persistent], I’m [circling back, following up, moving this to the top of your inbox, putting this in front of you again, cheerfully hunting you down]. I know how busy you are with [fill in with specific detail if possible]. [OPTIONAL: Add compliment, like: By the way, I loved your recent post, talk, interview. ?So inspiring!] Would love to make this as easy as possible for you. Would it be better if we [suggest alternative way to communicate]? Looking forward to hearing back. [OPTIONAL: Offer an easy out, like: If I don’t, I’ll assume it’s a pass for now or if this isn’t a good time, say the word and I’ll circle back next month.] Balance persistence with patience. It’s always fine to follow up, especially if you indicated you would. But before you do, consider the question: Is it truly urgent to get an answer now, or do you just want one? It’s helpful to check in with yourself. Just don’t say “just checking in.”

3 Tips For Landing A Perfect Fit Job - Work It Daily

3 Tips For Landing A Perfect Fit Job - Work It Daily Are you a soon-to-be grad who’s still unsure of what you want to be when you ‘grow up’ and enter the “real world”? Maybe you’re a working professional who’s tired of your current position and craves a career change. Or maybe you’re a career nomad who hops in and out of jobs, never quite finding that “perfect” job. Related: How Do Employers Find Their Ideal Candidate? Finding that ‘perfect fit’ job can be a long and hard journey - but not if you know where to look! In fact, it’s easy once you know what you’re looking for. Here are three tips for finding the ‘perfect fit’ job for you: 1. Get advice from professionals who’ve actually held the position. Before you commit to your job search, you need to have an idea of what kind of job you want. A great way to do this is to learn more about specific jobs from people who’ve actually HELD the jobs. They’re the best ones to give you insight on the job, tasks, and general expectations to see if it’s really a good fit for you. There’s a great site called SecureTheJob.com that helps you find this valuable information. It’s a community platform that uses the give-to-get model, so the site is free, but users must share a piece of career advice about a job they've had before they have free-run of the site. SecureTheJob is the only site of its kind - it’s a great way to find the specific advice you need as well as “pay it forward” by providing some insight on positions you’ve held previously. It’s a win-win! 2. Make a list of target companies. Okay, so you’ve figured out what type of job you want - great! Now, it’s time to determine WHERE you want to work. Think about location - where do you want to work geographically? Think about the culture - are you looking for a competitive atmosphere or a more relaxed one? Once you have your list of target companies, you can start doing some research on them. Glassdoor.com allows you to find great information such as employee reviews, average salaries for positions, and job interview reviews for specific companies. Having this information will help you narrow down your list so you can focus on the companies you think are a good fit for you. 3. Get to know them. Go to their company website and check out staff page, if they have one. Think about who you’d be working closely with if you were to land a job at that company, then reach out to them via LinkedIn - Introduce yourself, briefly note your interest in working at the company, then see if they’d be open to having a quick conversation with you to help you learn more about the company. (Not sure how to do this appropriately? Check out this article for some pointers.) Note: Do NOT ask for a job. You’re asking for a conversation. Remember, if you want to land a ‘perfect fit’ job, you need to do your research. You need to know who you’ll be working with and have some insight on the projects you’ll be working on. The best way to do this is to set up an informational interview with someone who actually works there. Check out this article for some great tips on setting up informational interviews with employees at your target companies. Also, follow your target companies on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn. See what they’re posting, how they’re interacting with people online, and what events they are promoting. Use their social channels to get to know them. Hopefully, you find these tips helpful in your job search! Do you have your ‘perfect fit’ job? How did you land that opportunity? Share your story in the comment section below. Love Ariella's advice? She could be YOUR career coach! Visit her coaching page NOW! This post was originally published at an earlier date. Related Posts 4 Ways To Stand Out To Employers 4 Ways To Avoid Looking Like A Job Hopper On Your Resume 5 Skills Employers Want Their Employees To Have Photo Credit: Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!