Need to get some attention with your resume?

Resume Tricks that Actually  Work  - 

Bullet the top of your resume with as many of the skills you have that match the job description. Be specific to what the company needs.  


All very important information needs to go on the top half of your resume - not the second page or the third page.  Fold your resume in half to make sure that everything important - top skills, email address, phone etc fits up there. The top half is the prime "real estate" section.  

Don't forget your phone number and LinkedIn profile link! I've had resume sent to me with no contact info. It's about the details.   

Mail  - Don't just email your resume ---  USPS mail your resume. No one gets actual mail anymore so you have a better chance of getting some attention if you actually old school mail it.  Seriously when is the last time you got a real letter? 

For resume format ideas go to our Pinterest page - https://www.pinterest.com/ankenbrandtg/

Traveling with a pack of dogs

We traveled with our three dogs for two weeks. I thought we’d be fine because we have taken them with us on vacation previously but this trip we were in hotels the entire time  -- 

I learned a lot.

Lower your expectations.

You will not be staying in any high end or glamorous hotels. We ended up at La Quinta Inns and Candlewood hotels because they allow 3 dogs. They were nice and clean just not fancy. Not many hotels  - Ok pretty much no hotels allow 3 dogs. 

Per the contract we signed at both hotel chains we could not leave our dogs in the room by themselves so that pretty much puts the kibosh on any dinners out. We took advantage of the breakfasts served for a 10 minute break from the beasts. Dinners were take-out or delivery to our room.

Most “dog friendly” hotels have dog friendly grounds but be advised if you are in a big city find the nearest park ASAP and bring your own doggie bags.

Most outdoor attractions like State and National park attractions are OK with your dogs on the grounds but you can’t take them inside – plan ahead. You may not be site seeing as much as you had hoped.

Bring travel bowls for the car, food, water and all their medication. We were never asked for their vaccination records but we still had them just in case.

Be flexible and walk the dogs a lot – you can see a good portion of a city walking.  

Laid-Back

I traveled to the South East recently and wow what a difference in manners.  People opened doors and held them open, people were gracious, driving was pleasant and overall it was just such a relaxing and friendly experience. Our manners out here in Southern California have become almost nonexistent. People cut off each other driving, don’t stop at stop signs, doors rarely get held open, people don’t say hi or even give a friendly nod when you walk by.  It’s changed here. The once laid-back surfer style has become more of a city style.  I prefer the laid-back friendly pace of the past. Let’s try to bring it back.

Internet Black Hole

I get asked the question, “How do I get their attention?”, all the time from candidates looking for a job. They have trouble getting anyone at the company they are interested in to pay attention to them. Typically, it’s because they have emailed a resume or put an application in online into the internet black hole. 

It doesn’t work.

We all get too many emails and electronic communication – it’s overwhelming. Try something old school – mail your resume directly to the person in charge. If you are applying for a finance or accounting job – the CFO. Need an HR job – VP of HR, General Manager or often the CFO. Need a sales job – hit up the VP Sales.  No one gets mail anymore – USPS mail. Think about it? When you do get mail it’s the occasional medical bill. Go old school and mail that letter directly to the person you want attention from!  Then follow up with an email article that they might be interested in inquiring about your mailed resume. It works a good amount of the time! Now go mail that resume.

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July! 

We live in a city where everyone goes crazy on the 4th. Fireworks blanket the sky and the kids and adults light them off ladders in the street and ride bike with sparklers flying off them - it's a lot of crazy fun. 

We hope you have a fabulous holiday with lots of fabulous fireworks too!!! 

God bless the USA! Happy 4th! 

3 Day Weekend Favorites

Idyllwild, CA – Rent a cabin or stay in town at a bed and breakfast or motel. Idyllwild is a fun small town with lots to do! Hiking, mountain biking, fishing at Lake Hemet or Lake Fulmor, off-roading in Garner Valley, shopping in town – our favorite store is Rough Riders -  for all your outdoor needs!

La Quinta, CA  – we love La Quinta Resort – 41 pools – YES 41! They love dogs and kids. There is tons of outdoor space for kids to play/run all over the expansive grounds without bothering anyone. We bring scooter or bikes and rafts to play with in the pool.  Order room service pool side for lunch and go to Twenty6 for dinner.

The Beach – Any beach will do but we usually stay close to home. Newport to be exact. Go early to get parking. For little dudes Blackies is usually the best place – check surf report if you’re not sure. It’s near the Newport pier and has all the amenities - bathrooms, restaurants, lifeguards and smaller surf in the summer. (Again - check surf report!) For bigger surf head North to the 40’s or 50’s – the streets are all numbered and the numbers correspond to the lifeguard towers.  We recommend SlapFish for lunch – yummy food! 

TEAM

Years ago, with my business coach Tony, we defined our companies version of team. It’s a pretty good definition and holds up today be it your home team or work team - 

A group of people who function together in an extraordinary way – who trust one another, who complement each other’s strengths and compensate for each other’s limitations, who have common goals that are larger than individual goals, and who produce extraordinary results.

Texting a Job Offer

Since my blog post in 2012 about not texting offers – it’s happened a lot – texting an offer. And it works.  To make a text offer go smoothly the key is to make sure as a candidate, that you’ve had a detailed communication with your recruiter/HR representative/potential boss about salary, benefits, vacation, bonus etc.  Seems obvious, but in this age of minimal phone calls and even shorter texts - good, solid communication is ideal.  Have that detailed talk sooner rather than later.