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"Resume Action" Newsletter
April 2003 : Issue 11
A newsletter brought to you by Aussie Résumés http://www.aussieresumes.com
Aussie Résumés offer résumé writing services, a résumé and covering
letter critiquing service, The Aussie Résumés Cover Letter Software, in
addition to The Australian Résumé Writer software.
Editor: Tara West
In This Issue
> Welcome
> Guest Article: "Employ Me Because of My Age, Not in Spite of It"
> New Employer Survey Results
> V4.5 Available for Registered Software Users
> Subscribe / Unsubscribe Information
> Contact Information
Welcome
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I hope you enjoy this issue of Résumé Action.
GUEST ARTICLE:
Employ Me Because of My Age, Not in Spite of It
by Jan Andersen
How many times have you heard industry bosses and politicians say,
"There is a shortage of skilled workers"? This is an infuriatingly
ignorant statement that is often made by silver-haired professionals who are
probably not too far away from drawing a pension themselves. There may well be a
shortage of young, skilled workers, but there is a large and relatively untapped
sector of 40 and 50-something citizens, with a wealth of accumulated skills,
experience, wisdom and dedication that could be invaluable to employers.
I am still only 43 and now have four children but, thankfully, since I now
operate largely on a remote basis as a freelance writer, my age and family
circumstances are of no consequence. I presume that that is because I am not
required to decorate an office, nor greet people face-to-face with a youthful
glow, nor rush off home if one of my children has a temperature.
There is a myth that older generations are either out-of-touch with new
technology or else are reluctant to learn new concepts. Older people are often
more conscientious and have more patience and perseverance than younger
generations, and anyone who was competent with old IT can quickly learn new IT.
It's not difficult. When I was employed by my last company, Siemens, I had never
used Microsoft packages in my entire life. However, I learned "on the
job" and effectively taught myself very quickly. After a few weeks, I was
competent with Microsoft Word, Publisher, PowerPoint and Visio and within a few
months I was teaching other people, including my boss, certain formatting tips
and techniques.
Of course, ageism in the workplace exists at all levels. There will be
candidates in their teens and twenties who have been turned down for roles
because they are "too young", but the good news for these people is
that they will get older and more doors will open for them. Older people,
unfortunately, will not get younger, but the news is not all bad. There are many
more employers out there who have the judiciousness to take advantage of the
wealth of experience that older people have to offer and are thus not adding to
the endemic problem of workforce shortages.
Everyone ages and invaluable wisdom grows as each year passes, so isn't it
time that more companies employed people because of their age and not in spite
of it?
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Jan Andersen is a British Freelance Writer and the creator of Mothers Over 40
(www.mothersover40.com), an
inspirational and encouraging site for older parents. In addition to commercial
copywriting for a broad spectrum of industries, Jan specialises in compelling
articles, features and columns on diverse lifestyle issues. Until recently, Jan
had four children aged 20, 16, 15 and 3. Her eldest son, Kristian, tragically
took his own life via a Heroin overdose on 1 November 2002. Whilst campaigning
for drugs’ awareness and penning a monthly parenting page for the Western
Daily Press newspaper, Jan is also currently writing a book on child suicide
titled, "Chasing Death".
New Employer Survey Results
Results from the new Employer Survey are officially accounted for.
It's amazing how much an employer's opinion can differ from six months ago.
This reassures us that we're "doing the right thing" by conducting
these comprehensive surveys every six months (not just every now and then).
Considering the vast amount of conflicting information readily available on the
Internet it is imperative our survey is conducted, ensuring résumés and cover
letters are "geared" to what employers truly want - particularly when
they are receiving in excess of 350 résumés for the one job!
Having a genuine passion for assisting people in attaining their "dream
job" makes the huge task of compiling, collating and analysing the data all
worthwhile! Armed with this wealth of information our numerous clients do
achieve an increase in interviews - which is fantastic :)
Various employers were contacted, Australia-wide, which included government
departments and small and large enterprise, who were employing people in a
variety of different roles.
In summary, some of our findings were:
1) Australian employers still prefer "Australian" résumés. Forget
the 1 or 2 pager... most employers prefer 3-4 pages.
2) It's no longer acceptable to include a Career Objective only. Employers
prefer more detail about you as a person and your area of expertise. This short
"Profile" should in no way be overlooked - 81% of employers rated this
as Very High.
3) Stop sending emailed applications from unprofessional email addresses! One
employer specifically stated "The applicant MUST set up a professional
email address. I do not want to be replying back to someone with the address
sexymonkey69@hotmail.com". I personally receive many résumés (for
critiquing) with ridiculous addresses. Always act professional.
4) Only 5% of surveyed employers listed interests / hobbies as a high
priority. If you don't have the room, leave it out.
5) For IT related roles... it's important you state whether your role(s) were
contract or permanent.
6) Many employers specifically commented on the fact that applicants are not
selling their core skills and abilities, nor emphasising their suitability for
the role.
7) Think twice before typing "Referees available upon request".
Only 6% of surveyed employers stated that they want them provided at interview,
with 67% requesting a list of 3 referees. As one employer wrote, "Referee
names and contact details should be provided. Failure to do so indicates
something to hide."
8) Although CONTENT is the key, 86% of employers still rate presentation as
very high - and indeed, start "making piles" as soon as the envelope
is ripped open!
9) Some things never change. Double check everything, including an employer's
instructions as advertised in the vacant role. To sum it up, "Communicate
correctly. Advert for Secretary (stated) to be emailed or faxed to me. 50%
couldn't be opened. 30% couldn't get the specific job title right, and 70% of
those received had no relevance." Come on people, get it right!
Registered Software Users (The Australian Résumé Writer V4.5)
We invite you to download Version 4.5 of the software - updated and released
Tuesday, 1st April. Instructions on how to do this are contained within the
software.
New features / updates include:
1) Revised résumé and cover letter guide, containing relevant and pertinent
information pertaining to the latest employer survey.
2) New employer survey results.
3) Three additional styles (formats) when creating your résumé through the
wizard process.
4) Preview a style when generating a résumé through the wizard process.
5) Now fully compatible with Windows 95.
Every now and then don't forget to check for new updates!
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Contact Information
Editor: Tara West
Résumé Action published by Aussie Résumés
Email: admin@aussieresumes.com
Web: http://www.aussieresumes.com
Q&A: asktara@aussieresumes.com
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Telephone: 1800 777 110
*** The views expressed by independent contributors and / or authors are the
views of that author and not necessarily endorsed by Aussie Résumés ***
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