Resume Guide for an Operations Manager

Resume Guide for an Operations ManagerResume Guide for an Operations ManagerTo sell yourself in ops, your resume cant just say what you did it needs to say how you did it.Dont ignore the process, said Kristen Jacoway, a certified professional resume writer who works with Ladders.A successful resume for an operations executive cant simply say what you accomplished it must explain how you did it what welches the process, she said.Most resumes I see are missing either the action or the result when theyre talking about past jobs, Jacoway said. Some people will say they saved the company $100,000. Thats great, but how did you get there? What was the project, and what did you do to create that savings?Demonstrate valueDemonstrating your competence and even your level of excellence is absolutely the right thing to do, but it might not be enough in an economy like this, said Tim Noble, the managing principal for The Avery Point Group, Inc, a search firm in Alpharetta, Ga., that also speci alizes in efficiency expertise.In an employers market, companies get selective about hiring. They know they can be choosey, Noble said, and they have to be more careful committing to the expense of filling an empty job slot.Demonstrating youre good at your job an A player who got laid off, not a C player someone got rid of is only half the battle. You have to be able to show on your resume and in your interview where you acted creatively to save money or time, solved a problem, or showed the persistence to continue improving a process even after having seen some results.Speak the right languageOperations executives are typically faithful to one process or discipline (like Six Sigma or Information Technology Infrastructure Library), and they speak that one language, Jacoway said. The HR managers and recruiters who write the job listings probably describe it the same way. Unless your resume follows the same discipline and employs the same terms and language, the recruiters and Appli cant Tracking System (ATS) software that sorts resumes will probably remove your resume from consideration.When you read the job postings, you have to look at the keywords that the company is using, then go back and customize that resume with those keywords, she said. Apply them to your experience, put them in your keywords section, and weave them into the text of the resume. You have to be sure the description is accurate, but which words you use make a big difference.Summarize your core competenciesJacoway usually leaves the first section of the resume a list of the candidates core competencies for last.It helps me get to know the person a little better, but you also have to be sure there is evidence in the statement describing the job duties that supports that core competency. You dont just put it up there because someone is looking for it. Theyll read farther down and you have to show why its a real competency.

What to Consider Before Applying to Music College

What to Consider Before Applying to Music CollegeWhat to Consider Before Applying to Music CollegeFinding a good music degree program can be a challenge. Since careers in music are ultra-competitive, it can be tricky to know which programs offer glorified business school degrees and which will actually prepare you for the career you want. Before you apply to a music school, do a little research to find the right fit. Here are a few things to consider. The Schools Reputation and What You Will Learn Look for a degree to which the bulk of the courses are music related. In other words, look for courses on legal issues in the music industry rather than a general course about business legal issues. While picking up some basic business fundamentals may be useful, you want to get into the nitty-gritty of what makes the music world tick. What kind of accreditation does the school have, and what kind of financial assistance does it offer? Any reputable school will be able to tell you how m any students receive financial aid. If that percentage is high, then it may indicate the cost of tuition is unreasonably high. Who Is Teaching the Courses The best people to teach you about the music industry are the people who have been a part of it. Check out the profiles of the faculty members and find out their involvement in the music industry. If most of your vermgen professors seem to have business experience but no actual music business experience, you may not get the knowledge you need. Professors who have been there and done that and still have connections to the music industry will be better positioned to help you locate a job after graduation. Internship Opportunities Even with a music-related degree, when you start hunting for a job, any potential employer is going to want to see that you have some experience. Getting good internships is maybe the best selling point for getting a music-related degree, so a school that cant deliver some work experience is not wor th your time. Pay especially close attention to this if the school you are considering is not located in a city with a music industry presence. Find out what they do to make sure their students get hands-on work. Job Placement Assistance A music industry related degree is no guarantee that youll be a shoo-in for a job in music when you graduate. Many jobs in the music industry still get filled by word of mouth, and the best way to get a job in music is to know someone who knows someone. In that case, you want to make sure the school you are choosing knows a lot of someones who will be interested in employing graduates of the program. Check and see if the school has a good record of placing students in music-related employment after graduation. A good way to judge a music industry degree program is to find out how things turned out for previous graduates. Are they working in music? Are there are any big name success stories? Are the alumni active in helping graduating students fi nd their first job? If the admissions office isnt offering any such tales of glory, do a little homework. If the school has an alumni association, go through them to track down some past grads and find out how and if their education has helped them in their careers.

Get the Most Out of LinkedIn Groups

Get the Most Out of LinkedIn GroupsGet the Most Out of LinkedIn Groups24Whether youre looking to meet people in your profession, other job seekers like you, or just trying to learn more about a particular topic,LinkedIn Groupscan meet your needs.Just like the site itself, LinkedIns Groups are professional-only discussion boards where people go to network, learn, and engage one aleidher. Its one of the fastest and easiest ways to abflug networking and meeting new people through LinkedIn, which is really the whole point of the siteLinkedIn has a robust help section to guide you on any questions you may have about LinkedIn Groups. Below were going over a few ways to utilize these groups to your advantage.Heres how to get the most out of LinkedIn GroupsFind groups to join.There are two ways to find groups to join. The first option is searching for a group. You can do this by using the search box at the top of your LinkedIn homepage. Try searching forkeywords related to your career, your college alma mater(s), or professional associations. After hitting the search button, click on the Groups tab to see what comes up.You can also see what groups LinkedIn recommends to you based on your profile. From the LinkedIn homepage, click on the Work icon at the top right and select Groups. Click Discover see what LinkedIn recommends for you.Its okay not to jump right in.Once youve joined your groups, check out yourlist of conversations, which highlights the discussions happening and even points out your most active groups. Its wise to start off just lurking, meaning that you read through the active discussions, see who the groups influencers are, and gauge the overall tone of the group before diving into the discussions. Most groups will let you start a new topic or comment on other posts.Make your comments knowledgeable, helpful, and professional.Discussions are a fantastic place to be visible and highlight your skills and expertise to a broad audience. You can answer a quest ion, add your opinion to a discussion, share advice with someone seeking help, comment on a posted article or all of the above, says Lindsey Pollack, a LinkedIn ambassador.LinkedIn isnt a place for sounding off with negative opinions or controversial topics. Think before you type, and make sure what youre saying is valuable, adds to the conversation, and would be viewed positively by potential employers and networking contacts. It also helps to use proper grammar and punctuation, and to not type in all CAPS.Build one-on-one relationships.Even though LinkedIn Groups are mostly a group environment, the option to Reply Privately exists so that you can send a message directly to someone with whom you want to network and maybe build a relationship. Pollack reminds users that, Your goal is not to directly ask for a job or client, but to network in a mutually beneficial way with someone who shares similar professional interests.Here is Pollaks example of how you can start a private convers ation with someone from a LinkedIn GroupDear Greg, Thanks for sharing your question about how to find a social media marketing job in the Denver area. Im looking for a similar role, but in the Boston area. Perhaps we can chat sometime and compare notes?If youre not using LinkedIn Groups yet, its time to get started. The LinkedIn Groupis a great place to test the waters as you begin learning more about Groups. And check out ourthis post on networking on LinkedInfor more great tipsRachel Jay contributed to this post.OriginallypublishedJuly 5, 2012. Updated November 9, 2017.