Blog 5: My Secret Tips on how to write a successful resume

Hi Readers, 

Resumes are so important for getting a job. They summarize your entire life in just a couple sheets of paper, yet almost all jobs require one for you to get hired. There is no one right way to write a resume, but as my experience being an HR Rep for Anderson Atwood Consulting has shown me, there are patterns and simple tools you can use to make your resume stand out from the crowd and look more successful. The process of how to write a successful resume is hard, but honestly, it's worth your time to nail down. 

Fact: The average time a hiring manager looks at a resume is 10 seconds! That's literally it, (and most of us look at our phones for a longer period of time) the only time you have to make an impression, except for in an interview. With COVID-19 making most job applications virtual, it becomes more difficult to stand out as you're not there in person. Don't despair, because there are many ways to stand out for a potential job, including having a great cover letter (I'll write about that next time), resume, skill set, and making sure to have a solid interview when you get to it. I wanted to share the patterns and tools I've seen as an HR rep that you can use to make yourself stand out more and make sure you know how to write a successful resume. 

1. Be Brief 

    This may seem like common sense, but it's more difficult than you think. It's hard to summarize the months or even years of experience you may have had at a job, or volunteering, but showing you can properly and effectively summarize your work history shows education, intellectual thought, and the ability to remember facts, which are things any employer wants of their employees. Keep your sentences short, and use only one to two sentences per section. I usually do bullet points in my resumes, as they're to the point and easy to read. Again, time is against us as we only have ten seconds to impress. You want to use those ten seconds wisely and not have to worry about a hiring manager getting lost in your text. There are different ways to format a resume, and you can format it however you feel comfortable. 

2. Use action verbs for descriptions. 

    This again may seem self-explanatory, but in describing your previous experience, it's all-too-easy to use the same verbs for each bullet point. Words like "created," "established," or even "developed" or "assisted," get repetitive and boring. Wouldn't you stand out better if you "designed" something? or "boosted," sales? Those two verbs, along with others, can add color and variety to your resume, making you look like a more powerful candidate. It also shows that you're better read and, by extension, a better writer/communicator. Even if you're going into a job that requires no writing, for example, engineering, you still need to communicate effectively right? Think of your resume as not just your work history, but a preview of how you think and communicate with other people. 

3. Only include relevant information 
    I can't tell you how many resumes I've looked at that were longer than they should have been. The descriptions may have been brief, but the work history included was not at all relevant to the job they were applying for. Make sure your work history reflects and suits the job you're applying to. If you're applying for a sales job, have previous positions about customer service, sales, or even leadership. Do not include jobs that have nothing to do with sales, such as working in a day-care. Keep your resume focused on the skills needed for the job, and center your work history around the jobs that have given you those skills. 

Like I said earlier, there's no one way to write a resume, but hopefully, these tips will help you to learn how to write a successful resume in no time. Let me know your thoughts and how you go about writing a successful resume. 

Until next time, 

Katie 

Lifestyle Blog 2: My tips on How to tell Someone Something Difficult

Hi Everyone! 

So I want to talk about telling people difficult things. Sometimes as leaders, we have to be blunt with ourselves and others, telling them things they need to hear, even if it means that we may lose their friendship, or business, or something else. Telling someone something difficult can be challenging, but it's a process we all go through when we don't agree on everything. 

I've had to do this quite recently, as one of my friends began dating someone that was not well suited for her. He wouldn't reciprocate the sacrifices she had made for him, as she would buy him dinner all the time and help him with his work. I got really frustrated watching her be frustrated with him because I knew she deserved someone way better. But I was nervous to approach her because I didn't want her to think I was judging her for dating this man or that I wasn't going to support her. My nervousness ended up causing me so much anxiety the next few times I spoke to her as if I had some big secret to get out, and I began trying to avoid talking to my friend. Finally, I just decided that I needed to come clean and tell my friend about her boyfriend and my thoughts, as I wanted to be honest. I spoke to her over the phone, and while it was hard for both of us, I felt really good afterward and found my anxiety had vanished. 

We hate sharing bad news or giving honest opinions, don't we? We think that telling small white lies are better than saying the truth, because we feel we're sparing feelings by hiding our own opinions. But who are we kidding, we're just giving ourselves more anxiety and drawing out the drama. In my own life, I've found that it's better to just be honest and blunt with people, saving time and drama. So I wanted to give you some tips on how to make it easier on yourself to tell someone something difficult. 

1. Pick a good time 

    If you're worried about someone, do not tell them about a choice they made five years from now. It's not timely and they'll not care by that point. If something is worrying you, bring it up now, while it's still recent and fresh for everyone. They'll be more grateful that you did. 

2. Be Honest 

    Enough beating around the bush, honesty is the best policy. No more white lies, no more apologies. Your feelings are valid, and you have a right to say them. The person will hopefully respect and thank you for your honest observations and opinions. 

3. Do not be mean 

    While honesty is the best policy in this case, do not be mean about your feelings. Do not act rudely towards the person you're talking to, or condescending about their decisions. If they have acted mean towards you, act respectful, and show them that you're above reciprocating meanness. It'll go a lot smoother and avoid any arguments if you keep your calm and don't act mean. 

4. Realize that they may not agree with you 

    This may seem self-explanatory, but it's easy to forget in the heat of the moment. The person you're speaking to may not find what you're saying agreeable but hopefully will understand why you are saying that thing. Know that you may not come out of that conversation being the most liked or popular, but you will hopefully come out with a feeling of peace, knowing that you have gotten something stressful off your chest. 

5. Do not confront the person in a public area 

    If you're going to tell someone something difficult, think about their feelings and dignity, and have the courtesy to do it in a private setting. If you're firing someone or telling someone that they made a mistake, most people would prefer to hear this news in a private setting, as they have time to collect their thoughts and avoid public embarrassment. If you rush into telling someone something, you may make things worse for that person by telling them in a public area. 

I hope these tips help you the next time you have to tell someone something difficult. Hopefully, this will help ease any anxiety or nervous energy you have, and allow for a better and more productive conversation with that person. Let me know what you think about these tips, and if you have any of your own. I know I'll be using these in the future as well for any difficult situations I find myself in. 

Until next time, 

Katie 

Blog 4: My Secret tips for winning at job interviews

Hi, Lovelies,

I wanted to give a pretty hands-on blog about interviews. We all go through interviews, and whether you've done only one job interview, or a million, each time can be a bit nerve-wracking. I know for me personally, I never expected to go into sales, as my degree is in English, and I was nervous when I first interviewed for my first sales position. As I've continued to interview for jobs, as well as recruit people for my company, Anderson Atwood Consulting, there are many patterns and techniques I've learned that can help you succeed in interviews, that you may not have even known about. 

So let's get started, shall we? 

1. Make eye contact 

    I can't tell you how many people I've interviewed that are extremely shy or nervous, and because of that, won't make eye contact. Eye contact is extremely important in showing confidence and honesty to whoever you're talking to. It gives the subliminal message that "I'm equal to you, respect me and listen to me." People who avoid eye contact, studies have shown, appear more untrustworthy and nervous, and because of that, seem unsuccessful. Employers are looking for people driven by success, and confident in what they do. By giving eye contact, you show confidence right away. 

2. Make the most out of the small talk 

    While many interviewees just want to cut to the chase, small talk is important as it shows the interviewer how well you can socialize and relate to other people. While this may seem trivial, it's extremely important, especially in the world of sales. If you can't befriend a customer and enjoy a conversation about his/her day-to-day, then you won't be as successful at making the sale. Invest in the small talk and show your interviewer that you are capable of socializing and relating to anyone. It'll help you in the long run, especially if there are a lot of candidates for the position. You'll stand out as more memorable and personable, which is what almost all employers are looking for.

3. The Waiting Room is impression #1 

    What I mean by that is that employers, or even their PAs, will pay attention to what you are doing when they come to fetch you from the waiting room. As a recruiter, I have definitely done this before and noticed that most of my interviewees are on their phones while they're waiting. While this isn't necessarily a bad thing, those who are reading books, or newspapers, tend to stand out to me more than people on their phones. As many employers enjoy the old-fashioned work ethic, many of us also enjoy the old-fashioned technology, such as books, and may give a more favorable impression if we see you reading a book in the waiting room, as opposed to being on your phone. 

4. Phones away! 

    Speaking of phones, this should seem pretty self-explanatory, but do not ever look at your phone during an interview. Even if your interviewer is looking at theirs, looking at your phone gives a message of rudeness, and implies that your time is better used on your phone, then winning in an interview. With that being said, make sure your phone is on silent or off when you begin an interview. The last thing you want is your phone interrupting your impressionable answer! Keeping your phone off and away shows you respect your interviewer, and are more attentive and wanting the position. 

5. Take water in the interview with you 

    Many interviewers provide water for you during an interview, but I always take some if I'm interviewing with me. It not only shows I'm prepared, but I'm also health-conscious, which a lot of employers see as a bonus, as you'll cost less overall as an employee for their company. Plus, drinking water during the interview allows you to pause and collect your thoughts before coming up with an impressive answer. 

While I'm not an interview expert, everything I've just told you is from my own experiences and successes of my employees in their own interviews from when I recruited them. I hope that these tips help you along your career path, and to let me know if you have any favorite interview tips that you use. 

Until next time! 

-Katie. 

Blog 3: Five Best Habits to have to make yourself more successful

Hi, Lovelies! 

Today I want to talk about some of the habits that I've used to make myself more successful. I think we all understand the importance of a good routine and getting ourselves into a rhythm where we can be as efficient as possible at the time when we have our energy and motivation up. I have those days where I feel like I can't concentrate on one thing and I want to run over to the gym and just get all my jitters out. But having these habits in place for my routine helps me to stay sane and focused on the tasks in front of me, and allows me to be successful wherever I am. 

1. Read read read! This seems pretty self-explanatory, but there are studies showing that the most successful people in society, like leaders or entrepreneurs, are always reading! This is because they're always learning new things, and reading is an easy way to do that. I allow myself to have curiosity, and ask "why this?" or "what is this like?" In allowing yourself to be curious about something and try to follow that curiosity, you discover more about yourself, how you think, and how you learn. Once you know how you learn, It's much easier to change your work ethic to fit your learning style, so you soak up more and grow more. Reading is one of the ways to explore your curiosity. I try to read at least part of a book every night, whether the book is about sales, or leadership, or something random and fun like historical fiction. Reading is proven to help you relax more and challenges your brain. Unlike staring at a computer screen, reading won't strain your eyes as much. I add reading to my routine at night, before bed, and I have learned a lot of information quite easily by doing that. 

2. Get up earlier. This one is definitely not that easy. I love to sleep in when I can, but I notice that if I don't wake up near the same time every day, I can get groggy and more sleepy. I try to get up earlier because I feel more refreshed and have more of my day to be productive. As the old saying goes: "Early to bed, Early to rise, makes one healthy, wealthy, and wise." I usually get up early and do a bit of meditation and stretching to wake my mind up and listen to how I'm feeling. I think people don't listen to their own bodies as much, as we do tend to have other things that distract us. I take the time of getting up earlier to listen to my body and see where I am. Are my legs sore from my workout? Do I need to stretch more to work on my flexibility? Allowing yourself to get up earlier gives you more time in the morning to wake up and get in that productive headspace. 

3. Work during the times when your brain is best working. By this, I mean work during the hours when you know you're most productive. For me, I'm a morning person, so I work better in the mornings. Knowing this, I schedule most of my meetings in the mornings, when I'm the most concentrated and motivated. I do all my harder tasks in the mornings as well because I'll be more focused on them and do a better job. 

4. Take the time to invest in your dreams. This may seem a bit cliche, but honestly, it's not. Dreaming big seems to be overrated now, as most people understand that they will have to settle for something less than what they want. However, if you have dreams to be a runner, why not invest in your dream right now and do a light jog? Or if you want to be really good at the violin, why not work on it right now and practice for a bit? What's holding you back? Your dreams can be as big or as small as you want, but investing little bits into your dreams will make you happier and make them more achievable. Even if it's 11pm and you didn't work out, just do five push-ups before bed. The contribution doesn't have to be huge, but every little bit helps. 

5. Exercise a bit each day. This is another hard habit to get into, but you'll see and feel the results immediately. Exercise has so many good benefits for you and very few bad ones. Even just going for a walk in a park, or sitting in your office doing some crunches on the floor, will help your stress levels. Exercise helps to release endorphins which make you more awake and happier, as well as help with neural connections in your brain. So you can actually exercise your way to becoming smarter! I tend to do at least one hour of cardio every day if I can, but you definitely don't have to do this much. 

With all these habits, take them in a way that works best for you. Don't overdo anything, and give yourself grace if you're not perfect the first time. Within time, these habits will help you to become more successful. 

Lifestyle Styles 1: How to dress like a boss

Hello, my Savvy Readers, 

This is my first lifestyle blog, and I'm kicking it off strong by talking about fashion. Now I didn't go to school for fashion, and nor do I brag about being a fashion expert, but being a high-ranking saleswoman at my company, I know I have to dress the part. And I want to give you the fashion tips that I use every day to look like a boss and act like one.

It's amazing how what we wear affects our attitude! I know for me my attitude drastically changes if I'm wearing something like sweatpants or a swimsuit compared to a dress shirt and slacks. Studies have shown that what we wear does affect how we behave and act towards others. So I want you to think of your wardrobe as a tool for boosting your confidence and esteem. If you're already nervous about a big meeting or a presentation or a date, use your clothes to your advantage. Think of your upcoming event as a battle, you have to have the right armor on to win right? 

I start by picking an outfit that I've had previous good experiences in. Science has shown that we attach memories to everything, smells, food, even clothes. I can remember shirts I've worn on a day where I had a great sale or watched my son do something cool, and those memories stick with the clothes. By wearing something already associated with a good memory, you'll trigger that memory again when you wear the clothes and get those feelings of happiness from that memory. This will help you to feel happier already, even before walking out of your room! 

Secondly, when I pick an outfit, I take the time to think through the statement I'm making. People usually wear their clothes for a purpose, whether it's to run in their jogging shorts, or make a presentation in a dress. Make sure your clothes fit the purpose you have. You wouldn't wear flip-flops to a business convention, because flip-flops have a purpose for outdoors and the beach, while most conventions are indoors and usually business professional. It's as simple as that, ask yourself what your purpose is for your upcoming event or day, and then find the clothes to fit the purpose. 

So, right now you're thinking, what about actually picking the clothes? Well I have a very simple method I use, and it's super easy, and I call it anchoring. I'm sure there's another name for it, but it pretty much works by picking the busiest piece of your clothing (whether it has the most pattern or color) and making that your anchor piece. Once you have your anchor piece set (it could be a scarf like mine here or a dress), you work all your other pieces of clothing around your anchor piece. So if I picked a striped scarf for my anchor piece that's black and white, I may pick some black or navy slacks to go with it and a black shirt. These both go with the anchor piece and aren't in competition with it, by clashing in patterns or colors. We've all had those fashion faux-pas where we've worn clashing colors or patterns that are just too much. By using anchoring, you're minimizing your patterns and colors to a professional level, and allowing yourself to look more composed.  Like my scarf to the right, has pink in it, and I've used both my vest and shirt underneath to bring out the colors in the scarf and work with it as an anchor piece. 

Honestly, it's just that simple when it comes to dressing like a boss. Remember, be purposeful, use your past memories, and anchor to dress your way to success! If you have your own fashion advice, let me know below! I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments, and am always open to suggestions. 

Until next time! 

Katie 

Blog 2: Some suggestions for improving your motivation

Hi Readers! 

Today I wanted to focus on talking about how we can increase our motivation, not just for work, but for hobbies, dreams, and goals that we may personally have. You may have a dream to play tennis for a club or want to paint a beautiful landscape, but currently, you're just not feeling the motivation to do it. I want to give you some tips and tricks to help boost your motivation and make you feel better about yourself. 

Our society seems to be all about performance, doesn't it? We have to do our best, be our best, look the best, etc. For me, I've always felt I've had to perform, not as just as a saleswoman, but as a parent. And both are challenging! But the stress to perform can be a negative motivation. Let's step back and talk about what is the difference between positive and negative motivations. Positive motivations come from feelings of wanting to better yourself, giving yourself joy in doing something, or knowing that you'll feel better after doing a certain thing. Positive motivations are healthy and are what we could focus on to help ourselves become more motivated. For example, my positive motivation for exercising might be: I'm going to feel great after this! Or my positive motivation for doing the dishes is that I'll have clean plates to use for my next meal. It's pretty self-explanatory. 

Negative motivations are also pretty self-explanatory, and they come from feelings of fear, sadness, or stress due to a stressful or scary situation. For example, in the past, I've struggled with body image, wanting to be a figure that was just impossible to obtain. Because of this, I had negative motivations of stress trying to obtain the perfect weight, and this led to unhealthy diet choices. Negative motivations can give you the effects you want, but in the long run, are unhealthy. By determining if your motivations are positive or negative, you can start to understand more about your own motivation process. 

Once you know whether your motivations are positive or negative, it's easier to understand how you can boost your motivation. If you know that you have positive motivations, you can boost those by setting small goals for yourself using those motivations as tricks to keep yourself going. For example, if I'm positively motivated to exercise because it makes me feel good, I can use that good feeling and set goals for myself of doing small exercises every-day, knowing I'll have achieved my goal when I feel good after the exercise. It's pretty easy to follow through on, and once you get into a rhythm, you'll be able to better understand how to boost your own motivations when they are lower. 

The last thing, don't overdo it. For me, I easily fall into a trap of trying to do too many things at once and can overwhelm myself and more easily burn out. To combat this, I've decided that I have had a productive day if I have gotten just three of my tasks done, they can be big or small tasks, it doesn't matter. But if I've accomplished three things, I'll go to bed feeling more productive and happier than before. If you're someone who tends to overdo things, try this tip and see if maybe that can also work for you. 

Remember that no matter what motivations you have, that you are capable of succeeding in your situations, and you're here for a reason. 

Until next time! 

Katie 

Blog 1: How to be a leader in difficult times

   Hello readers! 

My name is Katie and I am starting my own leadership and productive lifestyle blog. I believe that a healthy mind leads to a healthy body, which leads to a healthy business. I hope to use this blog to give you the inspiration you need to be an effective leader no matter where you are in life. You could be drinking wine in a bathtub or changing tires, there's nothing wrong with either. My lessons should apply to all audiences, including kids, so feel free to use this blog to also help teach your kids good skills to have for their future careers. 

So today I wanted to talk about being a leader in a difficult time. I would consider our current situations in society, with COVID-19 and the protests happening all around the world, a difficult time. It's during this time that our character can really be challenged, and we can use these challenging times to motivate ourselves to grow and learn more about ourselves. 

So the things to remember for being a good leader during a tough time is to listen, respect, and research for understanding. 

First off, listening. It may seem pretty simple, but it helps a ton. Just shutting up and letting someone else talk can allow the other person to feel valued and respected. They'll listen to you more if you reciprocate this listening skill. Silence can contain a lot of information, feeling, and emotion, and is good for helping to become an effective leader. Making sure that people feel that they're heard makes them want to respect you more. 

Speaking of respect, by giving your coworkers, superiors, and people under you, respect, you're showing that as a leader you respect all types and treat everyone the same. This idea can be summarized in a quote from J.K. Rowling: "if you want to see the true measure of a man, watch how he treats his inferiors, not his equals." By giving people respect who may not deserve it, you're sending out the message that you deserve respect yourself. People will have more positive feedback about your leadership, listen to you more, and possibly follow through on your decisions. 

Lastly, as a leader, it is important to do your research in order to understand your subordinates and peers better. This may be taking the time to get a cup of coffee and learn more about your coworkers' personal lives, or using team-building exercises to understand more about how your team works together. Doing your research will help you avoid both awkward situations, as well as make you look more personable and caring towards others. And who doesn't want that reputation? 

So that's it for my blog today. Take some time to be mindful and focus on these three tips that I've shared with you, asking how you can utilize them in your own life. And feel free to work on these skills with other people! The more the merrier. 

Until next time, 

Katie