Many candidates get rejected before they are interviewed because they do not update their resumes. Unfortunately, most of the job seekers are unaware of this mistake. Here are five reasons why updating resume is so important:
1. In today’s world, there is no such thing as job security, so you should always be prepared to grab another opportunity just when it appears. Just imagine if one day your friend comes to you with an exciting new job offer and he asks you to forward your resume now, what will you do if you don’t have your resume updated? You may loose a great opportunity and that is a big loss.
2. As economies change without any warning, big companies and industries too take unexpected turns. It may happen that one bad morning you wake up and find yourself in an industry in complete distress. That’s true, it has happened to many people before and it could happen to you as well. If you keep your resume updated, you will be to tab various opportunities at a time.
3. As financial crisis approach, companies begin to downsize their resources. They start to cut their costs and man power. You could also become a victim of downsizing anytime and then suddenly you will feel the need to update your resume but that stress is not worth taking. However, by keeping your resume updated you could deal with such a situation when needed
4. Updating your resume could also help you with a better position within your current work place. When your performance and capabilities are reviewed during the annual evaluation, your updated resume would make it clear to your boss that you have been contributing a lot to the company all along.
5. If all of a sudden your family decides to shift to another city or country, how will you manage your job? Now that you are required find a new job in a new place, the need for an updated resume increases even more. Therefore, keeping your resume up to date is just like planning ahead.
Now that you know how important it is to update your resume regularly, we will tell you five ways of how you can update your resume.
1. Ask yourself where you want to see yourself in a few years time and what are your goals? Your resume must reflect your career goals. Replace your objective statement with a focus statement that describes the position title you are aiming at.
2. Mention all the tasks that you have accomplished since your last update. These accomplishments can include short term goals, special projects, tasks or anything beyond.
3. Don’t forget to write down the conferences you have attended since last update, they do matter a lot when it comes to selection. Also add any training sessions or seminars that you have attended.
4. Update your personal information if required. If you have changed your cell number, moved to another city or have another email address, mention it on your resume.
5. Mention any awards or honors that you have received since last update.
What you could do:
Be careful not to let the quality of your work suffer in your desire to be "accepted".
How to Love Your Job?
You might have heard the famous saying, “I don’t love my job but I am doing it because I have no other choice.” This is the saying of a looser who has surrendered his will power to his weaknesses. We say that a job that you don’t love is no job. Read the following step by step guide to find a job that you will love.
1. Decide your career
Determine your career by comparing your ambitions with capabilities. Your ambitions should match with your capabilities or else you won’t be able to find a job that you could enjoy.
a) Avoid glamorous goals
Don’t eye at something very big, it may be out of your reach. Remember, a glamorous career could be very competitive. Look for short term achievements that you could enjoy.
b) Create a career growth plan
In order to achieve success throughout your career you should design a career growth plan like where do you want to see yourself after 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?
c) Look forward to long-term benefits
In the beginning, if you are offered low-paying jobs don’t ignore them. Take them as your learning and training opportunities.
d) Look for a work that you could enjoy
Whatever you do, it should keep you happy. Look for a job that you could enjoy and not get bored with
2. Get necessary experience
Every job has its own requirements, and experience is one of these requirements. Whatever job you are applying for you should have the necessary experience to qualify for that position. Therefore, do whatever it takes to gain necessary experience for the position you are targeting
3. Expand your options
In order to develop your career you should not limit your options to a few selective jobs. Rather you should expand your list of available jobs based on your current experience.
4. Plan out your career
Make a plan for your career development based on realistic goals. Select five jobs that you can competitively interview for right now. List them priority wise based on your education and experience. Select another five jobs that you can qualify for in 5 to 10 years time. Prioritize them giving the highest rank to the one that is most appealing.
5. Just do it
You don’t need to learn any rocket science to follow this whole process. Just decide and get disciplined, believe in yourself and don’t let any doubts to deviate you from your career path. Don’t slow down, send as many resumes as possible, keep it up and running. Don’t get depressed over rejections; you will only loose confidence in yourself. Life doesn’t stop with a few rejections, the race is still on.
10 Reasons Why Employers Might Reject You
Many job seekers fail to understand why they are still unemployed despite all their efforts. They search thoroughly, apply to a number of jobs everyday and update resumes, yet they don’t get a job. So they ask themselves, “What’s wrong with the employers?” Well, the truth is that the problem does not lie in the employers but the jobseekers themselves. Unfortunately, many job seekers are not ready to accept this truth.
1. You tell lies
Your resume might have been rejected because it contained too many lies. The employer dismisses you the moment he learns that you have told a lie in your resume. Even if you manage to deceive your employer today, it will be discovered later in your career.
2. You disrespect your previous employers
You would certainly love to slander your previous boss in his absence but you must not do it in front of your new hiring manager. Talking negatively about your previous employer in front of a hiring manager is considered to be one of the most harmful mistakes that a candidate can commit.
3. You don’t have enough potential
Employers look for candidates who have the required potential to grow with the company. If you don’t show them what they are looking for, they will definitely reject you. Therefore, let them know that you have envisioned a future with a successful career in this company.
5. You are not enthusiastic
Many candidates are rejected because they did not show any enthusiasm for that job. Employers don’t want such people to work in their organizations; they rather look for enthusiastic people who are ready to take up the challenge
6. You are being personal
Telling too much about yourself, your hobbies, your activities and your life in the interview can also cost you the job offer. Your personal information could offend some people or it may be misused by your employer. Therefore, you must not tell anything that is not asked.
7. You only care for money
During the interview you were only concerned about money which made the employer dismiss you. When giving an interview, do not bring the issue of salary until the employer asks you about it. Secondly, if you are currently employed do not lie about your salary because the employer can verify it within no time.
10. You don’t give examples
In order to determine how you can help the company, employers look for specific examples in your resume. If you do not demonstrate your role with specific examples in your resume, you may get rejected.
11. You are not experienced
These days managers don’t have much time to train new employees; therefore they look for experienced candidate who will save their time, effort and money. If you do not have the required experience for a particular job, the employer may reject you right away.
Get Promoted Quickly
Every one of us wants to get promoted after a certain period of time in his/her career but not all of us succeed in doing it at the right time. This is because we do not build strategies and plans to move up on that corporate ladder. Today, we will discuss few important ways that can help you get promoted at the right time. Interested in entering another phase in your career? Read the points mentioned below:
1. Establish your network
This is very important in the development of your career anywhere in the world. Those who promote you want to know whether or not this guy could take more responsibilities. Therefore, volunteer more and never say no to your seniors. Prove to them your value; prove to them that the company needs you and that you deserve to be promoted. Assist your colleagues, team leads and managers as much as possible. The more you volunteer, the more it signifies your willingness to be successful in the company.
3. Be a problem solver
Another way to improve your chances of getting promotion is to be a problem solver and not a complainer. Whenever problems arise, managers and bosses do not usually appreciate receiving continuous complaints. Therefore, whenever you are faced with a difficulty, try to resolve it on your own instead of complaining to your manager. Offer your help to your team leads, colleagues and your manager as well when they are faced with a problem.
4. Take up new challenges
One reason why people do not get promoted quickly is because they don’t take up new challenges. You should starting looking at challenges as your opportunities to get promoted quickly. Work hard and never complain about it, show your managers that you are ready to take up any challenge.
5. Work for the next level
Working for your current position will not take you to the next level any soon. If you continue working for your current position without moving any forward then you will remain here for a longer time. In order to get promoted to the next level you should start working for that level now. If you are a team lead, then do some tasks that are done only by an assistant manager. This will allow your boss to think that you are capable of that position already
Obviously, there are numerous tips on how to get promoted quickly and many of them could be helpful. However, the above mentioned tips are the ones that have been followed and successful in getting quickly promoted to a higher level by many people.
10 Jobs to Look for in Pakistan This Month
Although employment in Pakistan fell in several industries last year causing many people to loose their jobs but now as things have started to improve, the abundance of jobs is also getting better. The market still offers a variety of good paying jobs for deserving candidates. Interested in getting your hands on a new job? Take a look at these 10 jobs that will add most workers from Pakistan this month:
1. TSR (Telesales Representative)
Since business outsourcing is on its high in Pakistan, telesales is one particular business that has seen huge growth during the last few years. Outbound call centers offer large number of TSR jobs to candidates with different age groups and educational backgrounds. This is one place that accommodates fresh graduates, undergraduates, jobless and even the retired ones. It involves the selling of a product or service to foreign customers over the phone. Good communication skills, fluency in English language and excellent selling techniques are the requirements to qualify for a TSR job.
2. CSR (Customer Service Representative)
Customer service is another business that is outsourced to Pakistan and since it is an integral part of any organization, many companies based in Pakistan also offer CSR jobs. It involves providing the customer with necessary help, support and assistance regarding your product or service over the phone. The candidate needs to have good communication skills, customer friendly attitude and quick in response. This job is also open to graduates and undergraduates but it varies from company to company.
3. SEO (Search Engine Optimizer)
Search Engine Optimization is all about giving your web site a better rank in the search engine results (i.e. yahoo, Google e.t.c). An SEO (Search Engine Optimizer) is required to undertake several tasks such as on-page optimization, off-page optimization, link building, blog postings, article submission, websites directory submission and forum submissions. With the increase of business outsourcing in Pakistan, the demand for SEOs is also increasing everyday. It has now become an important part of leading online businesses of the world
4. PHP Developer
PHP development is one area in software industry that has seen huge growth in recent times and it continues to grow despite tight financial circumstances. The demand for PHP developers in Pakistan is higher than ever and the number of PHP developers is also growing everyday. PHP internees, graduates, junior developers, senior developers, experts all find good value for their skills. The primary requirements for a PHP developer are PHP, MySQL, CSS, AJAX, Frameworks, Graphic Tools, Joomla and Wordpress (if needed).
5. ASP.Net Developer
Another popular programming language is ASP.net which has its own usage and qualities. ASP.net has its own features and uses that differentiates it from other languages and creates a unique market value for it. With the rapid increase in foreign clientage in Pakistan, the demand for ASP.net developers is also increasing. The requirements for this job may vary depending upon the need of the company but these are few basic necessities for an ASP.net developer: C#, ASP .NET, AJAX, XML, SQL Server, HTML, CSS, Frameworks and necessary development tools.
6. Mobile Application Developer
The latest innovation in the world of web development is mobile applications. The demand for mobile application developers in Pakistan is high but the number of developers available at the moment is not sufficient. Yet, the importance of this wonderful innovation in the world of I.T has been recognized and the resources are being made available. The requirements for this job vary depending upon the type of mobile i.e. J2ME, Symbian, iPhone, Windows Mobile, Blackberry or Android. The basic requirements include Java, C#, C++, Object C
7. Web Designer
With huge amount of business being outsourced to Pakistan, the demand for web designers has increased to a great extent. This is also due to the growing development of the local software industry. Web designers are required to have a grip on HTML, XHTML, CSS, PHP, MySQL, Adobe Photoshop, Dreamweaver. Exposure to AJAX, JQuery, MySQL and ASP.net is a plus point in many cases.
8. Graphic Designer
Graphic designing is another art within the field of web designing. It requires expert designers with specialized skills. Along with web designers, the demand for graphic designers is also high in the software industry in Pakistan. The basic requirements of a graphic designer job are Adobe PhotoShop, Corel Draw, FreeHand, Illustrator and Flash, Fireworks is also a plus point.
9. Marketing Executive
Marketing executive jobs are on the high in Pakistan despite the recent recession. Multi-nationals still consider it the most important tool to gain popularity and generate revenues. All the sales of products and services depend heavily upon the marketing techniques used. Therefore, marketing graduates need to work hard and grab this opportunity quickly. The marketing executives do not need to know any rocket science; they should have good communication skills, convincing power, quick learning and knowledge of basic marketing techniques.
10. Sales Executive
The sales department is one of the pillars of any company that sells a product or service. As multi-nationals continue to expand their businesses in Pakistan, the demand for sales executives continues to grow. The necessary requirements for a sales executive are quiet similar to that of a marketing executive.
Teamwork Makes the Difference
Teamwork is one of the most critical factors behind the success of any company. The power of teamwork is such that it can turn around the whole situation in a matter of few days or weeks. Here, we will discuss some of the most important benefits of Teamwork in a workplace:
1. Teamwork increases the overall performance in work production, problem solving and business growth. Not only this, teamwork also boosts up the morale of the employee and as a result increases the input if managed correctly.
2. Teamwork replaces your weakness with the strength of others. When working in a team if you are lacking somewhere you can get some assistance from your co-workers in that particular area. By doing this you actually tap on their expertise to compliment your weakness with their strengths
3. Teamwork leads to creative and better solutions. Every one of us has different skills, knowledge and personal characteristics. If all of these features are utilized when working in a team, more ideas can be produced. As more ideas are produced, more creative solutions are generated, this leads to better results.
4. Teamwork increases the level of satisfaction among the employees. One of the major reasons behind the lack of job satisfaction among the employees is that they work alone and get fed up very quickly. However, individuals who work together in a team find success and satisfaction.
5. Teamwork also increases the speed of the work force. A task that is allocated to a single person could take months to accomplish but by simply distributing it to a number of persons you can have it one within days.
6. Teamwork also helps in deciding the best option in less time. We have a list of options when we are trying to figure out which one is the best for us. At times, it makes it so difficult for us to make a choice and we can not move forward. While working in a team, we have team members who help us cut through the options and get on with those that are most likely to achieve our desired goal.
Those who understand the power of teamwork and its importance create an environment for their teams that makes them feel greater and better. Whatever you learn through teamwork helps you throughout your life. Teamwork polishes you to the level of perfection.
Be In Charge Of Your Career!
Many people pledge to improve their professional careers and review their goals with the aim of achieving them. However, very few of them manage to stick to their aim, the rest forget their goals very quickly. This could be the reason behind your failure as well. Read the following tips very carefully as they could help your improve your professional life.
1. Discover an ideal career
Analyze your current job and compare it with your talent, abilities and needs. Ask yourself these questions: Am I utilizing my professional skills and talent with my current job? Does my job allow me to take the best out of my earning potential? Do I really like this job? If your answer to all these questions is “no” then you should start searching for an ideal career. Review your personality characteristics, mode of work and professional skills and abilities. With this you can start your search and discover an Ideal career.
2. Update your professional skills
If your current job suits you then you definitely need to upgrade your knowledge and professional skills so that you can excel in your field. Get the latest training that would upgrade your industry expertise and in today’s world of internet it is not difficult at all. You will find a number of career training courses online that will enhance your skills and strengthen your resume.
3. Take the necessary input
Your personal analysis is not enough, in order to determine your career you must take the necessary input from your colleagues, team mates, manager and most importantly, your boss. They will tell you things that you had never noticed in your personality. So spare some time to sit with them individually and get their opinions on your performance and skills. This will not only highlight the strong and weak points in your personality but will also boost your confidence and will to advance rapidly in your career.
4. List down your goals
Think about what you want to achieve within a certain period of time, make a list of your goals by prioritizing the most important ones. Your goals should be realistic and attainable.
5. Create an action plan
Now that you know your personality traits and have set your career goals accordingly, the next step is to create an action plan that serves your mission. Write down the necessary steps that need to be taken in order to achieve your goals. Set deadlines against each step and keep your action plan realistic.
Future Belongs To PHP
Different scripting languages like Java, ASP.net, C#, VB.net and Coldfusion are being used in web development industry but PHP has seen the best time among all. This is because of the high demand it maintains in local and foreign market. The demand is high particularly in countries like Pakistan and India due to the amount of cheaper outsourcing that is directed to these countries. This, of course, is great news for PHP developers in Pakistan.
The recent recession has cost many people their jobs but surprisingly, it didn’t affect the PHP developer jobs. In fact, it increased the demand for freelance PHP developers particularly in the local market. We know that most of the private companies and government organizations have started cutting their IT expenditures. At the same time, it is important for them to have up to date online information in order not to lose the customer faith. Therefore, the response to this tightening financial situation was the adoption of open source technology and the best way to start was PHP development.
PHP has received great community support in the recent times and this has made it an undisputed leader in the web development industry. This is because PHP is providing the most robust features online with a cost effective solution to the present need. The increasing popularity of the PHP language is causing great concern for the existing owners of proprietary programming languages.
PHP is popular because it is an easy-to-use open source language that is specially designed for the web. It can be hosted on Linux server which is cheaper and much more secure than widows. Programmers of all programming languages are taught OOP in their academics; therefore, it is very easy to migrate to PHP from any other language. This is another factor that fuels the rapid expansion of PHP among the developers in Pakistan and elsewhere.
The future belongs to PHP therefore; ASP.net and Coldfusion developers should also keep a second line of defense. This could help them secure a job in future.
Qualifying For a Graduate Web Developer Job in Pakistan
Since the use of digital interactive media in continuously growing all over the world, the role of IT and Telecommunication is also increasing. This, in return, has created a lot of opportunities for graduate web developers in Pakistan. Everyone is aware of foreign investment and business outsourcing in Pakistan and this trend is expected to develop even further in the coming years. So there is more good news for talented web developers of Pakistan.
However, the nature of web developer jobs is significantly diverse; a web developer may be required to work as a designer and a programmer at the same time. In fact, these are the basic skills that every graduate web developer is expected to have. Be it government or private, commerce or education web developers work in all sectors of the industry. They create applications for World Wide Web that normally operate a server or web browser.
If you are also one of those graduates who are looking for job in web development industry then read carefully the summary of skills and qualifications required for this job:
Programming languages required for a web developer job
• C#, C++, .NET, and Java for operating the servers.
• Scripting languages such as Perl, JavaScript, Python and traditional Shell.
• PHP programming language.
• Most popular skills for web browsers such as HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
• Other technologies such as Oracle, MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, and XML
A web developer is required to be familiar with following designing packages
It is not necessary for a graduate web developer to have a formal degree in IT or Computer Science. It is, however, essential for him to have complete knowledge of basic concepts of a website i.e. ‘front end’ and ‘back end’. To cut short, a web developers needs to know how exactly the technology works in the back end, apart from being aware of the front end side of a web site. Web developers who do have formal degrees in IT or Computer Science (BCS, BSc Computers, and BIT) have strong grasp on subjects such as:
• Web development
• Web Designing
• Multimedia Designing
• Computer programming
• Business information systems
• Digital media development
• Web content management
While these are the basic skills and qualifications, a graduate web developer job also requires some amount formal or informal professional experience. Since you have just graduated and are in search of your first job, the best way to gain experience in web development is to graduate internships or training programs. Also, look for contract positions as they are a good way of gaining experience. Apart from these, you can just start developing small web applications at home and learn about new things through internet.
10 Things Your Resume Shouldn’t Have
You sent your resume to a number of organizations but did not get any call. You did have the skills and experience that were required for those jobs but still, they did not consider you. What’s the problem then? Are you that bad that they did not even call you for an interview? Well, yes you are because that’s how you have presented yourself on the resume that was there in front of the employer. The real problem lies in your resume and not in you. It is your resume that is not producing any results and letting you down again and again. So you better get your resume fixed now. Here are 10 common drawbacks that your resume should not have:
It is not necessary for a graduate web developer to have a formal degree in IT or Computer Science. It is, however, essential for him to have complete knowledge of basic concepts of a website i.e. ‘front end’ and ‘back end’. To cut short, a web developers needs to know how exactly the technology works in the back end, apart from being aware of the front end side of a web site. Web developers who do have formal degrees in IT or Computer Science (BCS, BSc Computers, and BIT) have strong grasp on subjects such as:
1. Unreadable Fonts - The first common drawback that you should not have in your resume is unreadable fonts. Using fonts that are too small in size or complicated in style are hard to read and thus, the employer just squints through the resume without giving it any importance. What you need to do here is use simple fonts that are normal in size as well. Avoid writing long paragraphs and use bullets to create some empty space in between.
2. Vague Accomplishments – It may be that you are not being specific in mentioning your accomplishments on your resume. You may have had achievements in your professional career that are appreciable but they need to distinct as well. There are so many people out there who would have done similar things, so that will not catch much of the employer’s attention. Try to mention your accomplishments in numbers like 40 sales per month, 15 percent increase in sales, managing a team of 30 sales persons. Numbers catch employer attention at once.
3. Wrong Format – Another drawback could be the format of your resume. You may be using a chronological format while having gaps in your career history. A functional format should have been in such a case instead of chronological one.
4. Missing Basic Information – How big a blunder it is to not mention your name or contact details on your resume. No one does that intentionally but even forgetting it is considered a blunder anywhere
5. Selling Yourself Short – You may not have the ideal amount of professional experience but that’s not all what you have. You can mention any other work or activity that you did in past; it could be a volunteer work, a project or comined activity, an internship or any other considerable work. The employer will know that you are active member of your community who likes to contribute and participate.
6. Gaps in You Professional Career – You may have gaps in your professional career that are leaving a negative impression on the employers mind. You have to mention what you were doing in these intervals.
7. Typing Errors – Your resume may have typing errors that are causing you problems. Employers don’t like such minor mistakes in resumes, therefore, always proofread your resume at least twice before sending it out
8. Inconsistency – Your inconsistent writing style is also a drawback in your resume. If you have used bullets in the beginning then continue with it through out the resume.
9. Irrelative Information – Sometimes you write too much but tell nothing. You need to be precise and to the point in describing yourself to the employer. Avoid irrelative information.
10. Exaggeration and Lying – Lying about oneself or exaggerating the facts is another drawback of your resume. Employers are not fools; they have had many like you before. So be true to yourself and your employer.
