Do You Really Need a Resume in Today's Job Market?

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AppId is over the quota

Though I have no plans to leave my current job and search for another one, every once in a while I call up my resume on Word and update any pertinent information. I find that a resume is one of those things that should remain ready to go...just in the event somebody asks to see it. I view it not only as a good exercise in charging my memory but as an opportunity for nostalgia - I'll find skills listed there that are likely not relevant now. Would a prospective employer be impressed that I know how to use Adobe PageMaker, which was discontinued in 2004? Probably not.

Some aver now, though, that the resume is obsolete, that in certain professions a detailed bio accompanied by a portfolio suffices. While one can argue that companies looking for designers, photographers, and graphic artists would be more interested in the quality of candidates' work rather than lines on a paper explaining their work history, some in Human Resources may still wish to learn how you evolved through employment.

According to a recent article on the website of The Wall Street Journal, sales of resume-style paper have dipped over the last year. Surely the practice of sending resumes via e-mail, or online job applications on company websites and job site, have diminished the need to print your vitae. Does this mean, however, that you need not bother updating your information at all? Interviews with HR personnel in the same article tend to disagree.

When you apply for a job or e-mail a Human Resources manager to express your interest, you may attach your credentials or at the very least paste them into the e-mail. If you are contacted for an interview, you should consider bringing in spare copies of your resume, in print. Here's why:

1) It's a great safety net. If for some reason the person interviewing you doesn't have your resume in front of him/her, you can produce one if necessary so you can go over the finer points of your work.

2) E-Mails do get lost. If your interviewer has accidentally erased your e-mail, you can readily offer a spare for consideration.

3) You should make copies available to multiple people. In some cases, you will talk to more than one person during your interview. Extra copies make it possible for several people to see your resume and help them decide if you're the one for the job.

Above all else, having a resume handy conveys the message that you are prepared, responsible, and ready to work. So don't dismiss the resume just yet.

Kathryn Lively is a freelance writer specializing in articles on accounting jobs and jobs in finance.

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Why Executives Really Need Coaching in Today's World

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Executives are normal people and they need coaching too. The leaders in each organization who have proven over time that they can do a lot for the company can get bogged down. Those ideas that seemed so revolutionary before can become a thing of the past. The truth is that anyone can reach a point in their lives where they might have stagnated and they need a boost to get them back up. And like anyone else, executives need someone there to help them get back on track - that someone is a coach.

The top athletes in the world each has one of their own, executives can and should also have one of their own when they need it. Here are some reasons why having a coach for your executive can work to your advantage:

It gives you the edge over your competitors. When you get a coach who is dedicated to working with your executives in order to help them improve, you provide your people with a resource that can really help them to achieve peak performance on an ongoing basis, to increase their thinking skills and improve hugely their communication ability.

Their ability to assess situations thoroughly and make the correct conclusions rises dramatically

The coach can then help and mentor the executive to build up in their areas of strength and improve on any weaknesses.

An executive who is working in the "Zone" can quickly get a grasp on situations and easily bring fresh ideas to the table, especially when they feel more confident through the help of their coach.

The executive can then be an incredibly effective resource for the company, one that they can use to gain an edge over others through their revolutionary ways of thinking brought on when they get revitalized through coaching.

More effective results when you need them. When executives are honed to the best of their abilities they are able to function better. They get to deal with each situation quicker and easier, and more importantly they also interact much better with each of their team members. When this happens, an executive can easily tread the line when to become the authoritarian manager and when it's better to become the charismatic leader. This will help make their team and in turn the organization achieves goals and results quickly and effectively.

The coach in this instance helps the executive to become the best manager and leader that they can be so that the organization can benefit. The executive can then inspire others to strive for the same goal as the company. When this happens, the company sees results quicker and more effective ones at that.

Correct any potential problems before they happen. When executives function on their own for a long time, they often don't recognize any opportunities for improvement that they may have. The opportunities are left untouched and unaddressed unless something catastrophic happens. The coach can spot these opportunities for improvement before any damage is done and they can immediately draw the executive in to get it resolved.

See the effect spread. Once an executive gets coaching and observes how coaching made them better and more effective, they in turn can pay it forward and become executive coaches for their team members and subordinates. When an executive becomes an executive coach, the benefits of coaching starts from one person and cascades down through the rest of the organization.

Even if you are a company CEO or holds an executive position in an organization or corporation, you will certainly need coaching help from an expert or specialist. If you are new to this industry, we encourage you to Download Our Free Coaching Reports to initially help you understand on how it works. Please do check on my blog about other writings that might interest you at Coaching Blog.

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