Proofread Your Resume for Typos and Misspellings

Proofread Your Resume for Typos and MisspellingsProofread Your Resume for Typos and MisspellingsSometimes we read and revise our own resumes so often that it becomes hard to find errors.A few steps you should take before sending out your resume1. Use a spell-check program to find misspelled words.Dont rely exclusively on spell-check to find all errors though.A word may be spelled correctly- it just may not be the word you want to be using.2. Proofread your resume slowly, line by line.Take a break and then proofread it again.3. Read your resume from end to beginning.By reading the resume backwards, youre less likely to skim the materials and more likely to pay attention to EACH word, making sure they are all spelled properly.4. Have someone else proofread your resume.Ask them to look specifically for typos and misspellings.The bottom line is that competition for jobs is at an all-time high. Dont let overlooked typos and spelling mistakes undermine your ability to get interviews and to secure a job. Take the time to make your resume an error-free showcase of your experience, skills, and competence.Check out this resource to have a professional proofread your resume, make sure its in tip-top shape, and give you a resume revamp if needed

10+ Ways to Mentally Detach from Work on Holidays

10+ Ways to Mentally Detach from Work on Holidays 10+ Ways to Mentally Detach from Work on Holidays As a professional, while at work you know to leave personal issues at the door.However, the reverse should be true, as well. While on vacation, you need to give yourself and your family your full attention too.To do this properly, you need to unplug and detach yourself from work, but this is easier said than doneUse this guide as a checklist to effectively disconnect from work and give you and your travel mates the attention you all deserve.1Configure a Perfect Out-of-Office ReplyAn out-of-office emaillele auto-response is the first tool most employees use to alert others of an ongoing leave of absence.However, it might leid do much to allay any anxiety over whats coming in, as well as how youll be able to cope with the deluge of emails awaiting you upon your return.So, its up to you to craft one that helps you out more effectively and efficiently.First, add an associates contact infor mation (after clearing it with them, of course) to take some of the workload off of your hands. This will also ensure that any urgent priorities get the attention needed. Also, kindly request that they re-email you when you get back to the office. You could also think about auto-forwarding emails, especially from specific email addresses. Finally, consider starting the OOO reply a day early or adding an extra day onto it at the endthis will give you some free time to take care of thingsOh, and dont forget to apply an O response to your personal email accounts, as well2Make Sure They All Know Youre OffA great out-of-office reply is, well, great, but thats more for clients and those in your company that might email you. For your colleagues that dont email you, how would they know?Make sure you set your days off on your companys calendar, especially. Also, set a position on any chat or other applications you use, such as Slack or Skype.3Silence Work NotificationsFor most of us, our per sonal phones double as another portal into our work life. To give yourself a real holiday from the office, turn off all your work notifications. Keep a note with a list of the accounts youve muted, and set yourself a calendar reminder for the day after you return to re-enable all the notifications youve silenced.Lauren, of Health Labs, goes even further. I remove all work apps from my phone. We use Slack as the messaging system for employees within our company to communicate with each other. Previously, I would mark my status as away and put my notifications to snooze, but I would still find myself checking it. In an effort to combat that, Ive begun removing the app from my phone completely. While Im on vacation, I know I wont go through the trouble of downloading the app, figuring out my two-step verification and re-logging in.4Pack Personal Devices OnlyIf you were given a work phone or other device, leave it at home (unless you are obligated to keep it on you). Strategically give a few key people at work your personal cell number to reach you only in the case of the most dire of emergencies. Oblige them to stick to this rule by mentioning that you may be out of network, or the international roaming fees will be exorbitantly preposterous.5Go on the OffensiveIn addition to setting that great out-of-office reply, consider being proactive. The day before you leave the office, send out an email message to your most-contacted clients and coworkers to inform them of your upcoming plans. You can add the same info that you would in your out-of-office response. This will help cut down on the total number of emails you return tonow thats a vacationLaura Handrick, an HR Analyst for FitSmallBusiness, emphasizes the importance of this technique. Two weeks prior to my extended time off, I work with my team to determine who will be the go-to person for each of my areas of responsibility long before Im out of the office. Then I put that information in an auto-reply email res ponse so that its crystal clear who the emailer (or caller) can talk to or forward their question to for whatever the issue.Dont forget to set a vacation voicemail and chat message, as well, if they apply.6Win the MorningTo successfully win the day, you have to first win the morning. Thats the advice from Colorados top retirement planner, Matthew Jackson.I have found that I must completely disrupt and replace my work routine with a routine specific to vacationing. During my focused free thinking I set the intention of what Id like to accomplish that day. I visualize it vividly. What I focus on depends on the type of day I want to have relaxing, adventure travel, laying in a hammock, getting sun, meeting new people, exploring new places, followed by the visualization of the perfect evening all the way to bedtimefeeling happy, refreshed, and relaxed.7Unplug From More Than the OfficeSometimes, to properly get yourself into vacation mode, you may have to go further than just stopping di rectly work-related items. If youre in finance, avoid your routine berichterstattung briefing on the stock market, for example. Another thing to avoid might be your Google Feed, or any machine learning-based news feed these get to understand your interests and topics over time, and they could often include items thatll get you thinking about work.Jeff Walsh of Nomo-FOMO (a true expert for this article) adds, Delete authentication if possible on your phone so even if you want to plug back in, you dont have the temptation.8Set Up a Plan for Your ReturnA great way to conquer any anxiety about all that awaits you upon your return is to have a plan in place of how youll tackle your first day back. On a more detailed level, you can plan out how youll knock out specific tasks in segments.For example, for handling my inbox after I get back from a holiday, I immediately delete all newsletters that have come in this usually lowers my unread emails by half or more. Then, I start from the most recent, because sometimes a problem will have fixed itself (like email B saying, Oh, never mind, I figured out email A).Another thing to plan for is to have a coworker designated who can spend 5 to 10 minutes briefing you on whats happened when you get back. If you feel guilty that you are enjoying the sun while that colleague gets double the work, bring them back a nice souvenir and tell them youll do the same when its their turn.9Commit (And Stick to It)At the end of the day, youre the one responsibleyou can give yourself the restful vacation you deserve, or you can be your own worst enemy.Set boundaries, and stick to them.10Consider an Emergency Email AddressSeb Dean, founder of Imaginaire Digital, gives this advice Set-up an urgent email address sometimes youre going to have to be contactable as the head of the business. I generally set up an urgent email address which I can access on my phone which is only for the crucial emailsi.e. a disaster strikes. I tell my team not to ema il anything else to this address.When youve got your urgent email setup, temporarily remove your normal email address from your phone so that you cant check it and give somebody in your team access to check it. Unfortunately, if you leave it active, youll find yourself checking your emails even if theyre not important. By having a team member checking your main email account, theyll be able to forward anything truly urgent to your urgent address.11Pick a Different DestinationSometimes the problem isnt you, but rather its the destination. Ketan Kapoor, CEO cofounder of Mettl, says this Your vacay destination must allow your brain to acclimatize and adapt all over again to external conditions such as culture, environment, weather and dietary preferences. Going to the local cafe and sipping your routine cup of coffee isnt going to help at all. Instead, you must choose a location that is completely different from the places that you generally visit that will instigate your mind to rewi re completely around new factors, thereby allowing you to unplug in a true sense.Anthony from the Travel Tart adds, When cell phone towers were proposed to be installed on Lord Howe Island, the community overwhelmingly opposed it. So the entire island doesnt have cell phone coverage. When I went there, it was so refreshing to not be able to receive mobile phone calls, and I didnt miss it at all The only way I could be contacted was by old fashioned landline at the hotel. Everyone should try it sometime12Have Someone Hold You AccountableIf you are taking a trip with someone, like a group of friends or your significant other, have them shoulder some of your burden.If you know you cant do this on your own, and you are traveling with someone, have them hold you accountable to your commitment of not doing any work while on vacation. Do something that will make you think before you reach for the phone and check work emails, something like pay your travel partner every time you do any work , says Theresa Nguyen, RN MSN.So, what do you think?To effectively detach yourself while on holiday, you need to do so physically, mentally, emotionally, and digitally.I hope these tips will allow you to unplug from the office on your next trip

7 Reasons You Might Be Feeling Stuck at Your Job

7 Reasons You Might Be Feeling Stuck at Your Job7 Reasons You Might Be Feeling Stuck at Your JobAt some point in your career, youre likely to feel like youre in a rut. Maybe you took a job for the money thinking that its temporary, and five years later, youre still there. Or youve signed on for a sttte you were told was one thing and suddenly you realize youre wearing 20 hats- and hardly any of them are the ones you thought youd be wearing. Though you may feel stuck when these career roadblocks crop up, there are concrete ways to circumvent them. Here are seven common career mistakes that can trip you up and how, with some proactive work, you can overcome them and tackle your current job (and future jobs) with renewed perspective and purpose.1. Taking a Job for the Money- Then Feeling Like You Cant LeaveA lucrative job can sometimes be like a siren song It pulls you in because the money is too attractive to resist, but then you find yourself in a role that makes you unhappy. For inst ance, you took a role as a consultant because the pay is high, but now you dont have any work-life balance because your career is all-encompassing. At certain ages and certain stages, your career is number one. But as youre building your career, youll start looking toward your overall life goals How does the job or career that Ive selected fit into all the other things that I want in life? explains Bonnie Diamond, career management consultant at global career management agency Right Management. What to do if you land in a high-paying job that is affecting your overall quality of life? Diamond recommends creating an exit plan, a budget, and a timeline. You may say, Ill work really hard at this job for the next two years and sock away money so that I can look for a career change that will give me more satisfaction on the personal side.And while you remain in that job, keep an open mind. Observe other people that you work with and see what type of projects they are on and if any of tho se might be a better fit for you, adds Victoria Crispo, managing partner and career coach at Morganville, NJ-based Career Services USA. There may actually be an opportunity at the same organization that fits you better.2. Taking a Job Without a Full Understanding of the RoleSearching for a job is a lot like dating, says Diamond We look for someone who has certain characteristics, but in the end were looking for the fit, the ability to work together, get along together, and have a lot of the same values and life goals, she explains. So, what happens when that great job you take isnt the sterling suitor you expected? If you feel that youre seeing your job responsibilities change, schedule some time with your direct supervisor, suggests Crispo. Be prepared to present your case in a way to explain this is what you understood you were hired for, and these are your skills and how you feel you really fit this type of role.To try to avoid getting into the scenario in the first place, dont f orget that youre an equal player in the equation when youre seeking a job. Do your due diligence, talk to people whove worked at the company, and thoroughly research the organization and the culture on sites like Glassdoor. If you see common themes throughout the reviews, take them into account, explains Crispo. But also once you get to the einstellungsgesprch process, really use that as your opportunity to interview your interviewer and the company as much as theyre interviewing you.3. Getting Too Comfortable in a PositionThe challenge in staying in the same job for years is that when its time to look for a new role, the perception can be that your career has stalled. Career management is managing your career the same as you manage every other piece of your life, advises Diamond. We need to be forever learning and improving our skill set, being current, being flexible, being up on technology, being aware of whats going on in the industry. A big piece is knowing how to market yourse lf Have you played many roles within that job? Have you been with the company through times of change? Be clear about your own personal branding statement- what you bring to the table that no one else does.And never underestimate the value of joining professional organizations. You may be interested in event planning but youve never worked in the field. So, join the conference committee of a professional association, advises Crispo. And a hobby or interest can open up unexpected career opportunities. Maybe you start a book club, and if that book club is joined by people who are doing a variety of different things in different industries, it will open up your network, she explains.4. Working in a Specialized Role in a Shrinking FieldThere are benefits and drawbacks to having a specialized role. In an online search, if somebody has very specific skills, that can make them very hirable, explains Diamond. The flip side is when that niche is in a field thats not as significant as it once was. If youre in retail today, you need to be looking at e-tail because its not going away. If youre in technology and your product isnt on a mobile app, beware. Youve got to really be watching and in this world of fast-changing technology, were only as good as the skills that we have.Still, regardless of how specialized your skills are, they can be transferable to another industry. Crispo recommends taking inventory of your strengths and enlisting friends and family members to help you. Sometimes the outside perspective is really helpful, she says. Especially if youve been in the same career and doing the same thing for a long time, you may not really even be aware of what youre excelling at.5. Allowing Your Skills to Get Out of DateIts never too late to update your skills. In fact, if you feel youre not growing in your position, take a proactive approach to rectifying that. Talk to your employer and ask about opportunities for further training and professional development- and be prepared to explain how it benefits the company. Be able to say, If I was able to learn X, Y, Z, I could do things like this, says Crispo. Give a good argument for why its important for you to gain this skill in your current job. In the end, keeping your skills fresh is an investment in yourself just as you might have invested in yourself or your parents invested in you and sent you for a college education, explains Diamond.6. Staying in a Role Too Long Out of FearInertia in a career can happen because of the fear of making a move. They say that usually you make a change when the pain of where you are is greater than the pain of the unknown, says Crispo. Its a common issue that a lot of people deal with- that feeling of being stuck. If this sounds like you, its a good time to start brainstorming with a friend or family member or a trusted colleague about ways to make a change. Take it in steps because it took you a long time to get you to that point of feeling stuck. It may take a few steps to get out of it as well, Crispo adds.7. Getting Out of Touch With Your Values and DriversManaging your career is looking at a long-range picture of your professional accomplishments and your life, says Diamond. The trick is that sometimes we lose sight of the things that are really important to us because we go on autopilot in a job. We do an exercise with our candidates called values and drivers that allows you to take a look at whats important to you- what are your deal-breakers, what are the things you must have and what are the things you must avoid. You really need to be true to yourself. If, for instance, you really aspire to work for a nonprofit but are firmly ensconced in the corporate world, figure out an action plan to make that transition. It may not happen overnight- or even in a year- but you can plot a course now so that it becomes an eventual reality.More From DailyWorthWhat Your Boss Wont Tell You (But You Should Know)The Worst Money Mistakes You Can Make at Any Age10 Easy-to-Fix Cover Letter MistakesPhoto of paper clips courtesy of Shutterstock.