Day: October 4, 2021

So, you’re looking to get a raise, but have no clue where to start. Well, you’re in luck! Below are BlastYourResume.com top tips for not only how to get a raise, but how to feel confident in doing so.

1. Ask for LinkedIn recommendations from previous employers and coworkers. LinkedIn reviews not only boost your credibility but grant you the opportunity to allow others to speak to you and all that you accomplished while working for them or alongside them. If you don’t feel comfortable asking your previous employers for a review, reach out to coworkers that you know and trust. It always helps to offer to write a reciprocal review (in return!). Win win for everyone involved! Once you receive recommendations, sift through them and choose your favorites to include in your resume or cover letter. 
2. Switch your job every three to four years. Yep, you heard us right! And we don’t mean switching roles internally at your current company — we mean leaving your company entirely. In fact, one study (though from 2014) showed that staying at the same company for more than two years on average leads to 50% less in lifetime earnings (Forbes). While finding a new job may be scary, opportunity awaits and if you’re looking for a higher salary, this may be the way to go. 
3. Never stop learning. Just because you finished your degree doesn’t mean that learning should stop! An excellent way to brush up on old skills and obtain new skills is through LinkedIn Learning or taking Grow with Google courses. Both websites allow you to complete courses and certifications that you can take (quickly!), add to your resume, and speak to. 
4. Last but not least, ask for a raise. If you’re not quite ready to leave your company, ASK FOR A RAISE! Don’t expect the opportunity to present itself — be a go-getter. A good place to start is to create a bulleted list of why you’re worth it and how much of a raise you’d like to see. This list will be very helpful when speaking to your boss about why you should get a raise and will help you to feel confident answering hard questions. 

Remember, you are worth it! Never be afraid of growth — confidence is key and know your worth.

Changing your career can be scary! But, updating your resume doesn’t have to be. Check out our top tips for what to put on your resume when changing careers

Write a resume objective. 

The purpose of a resume objective is to express the type of job you’re looking for in just a few lines. Make this section about you and highlight what you’re looking for in a role and what you can bring to the table in your new role. For example, if your background includes 7 years as a brand marketing manager and experience from that role (ex. agency management, design oversight, strategic planning) would be applicable to your new role, mention that! 

Be transparent 

So you are trying to change careers. Employers respect that! Write a brief blurb on your new career aspirations and any certifications / educational experiences that will help you transition easy.

Highlight your experience with featured skills. 

Chances are if you’re changing career paths, you probably have little to no experience in the field you are looking to enter…and that’s okay! You can still share your top 3 experiences that feel the most relevant to your new career and incorporate the type of skills you learned into the description. Skills can be related across industries and career paths. 

Make sure your education section is prominent. 

Go ahead and show off your degree(s)! It’s not often you get to show off your education, and this is the perfect opportunity. While your degree(s) may not be “typically matched” to the role you are applying for, you can share relevant courses that may help you in your new role. Additionally, you can add any relevant student association positions, volunteer work, work-study programs, or even hobbies that are related to your new career.

Show certifications. 

Only add these certifications if they’re relevant to the new role you’re applying to. For example, if you’re CPR certified and applying for a role in Public Relations… not too relevant. But if you’re certified in Google Analytics IQ, that would be relevant and helpful in your role! Feel like your resume is a bit light? Go take some micro courses and list them out once complete. This will show your dedication to learning this new field.

Getting your dream job isn’t always easy. But, writing a resume doesn’t need to be hard! If you’re looking to create a killer resume to get in front of the eyes of potential employers – we’ve got you covered. 

Here are our top 5 tips on how to write a resume:

1. Reflect on your  top three biggest achievements. 

These achievements should be among those achieved within the last ten years. The achievements should be top tier…and some that you are not only proud of, but also some that you can easily speak more in-depth to. Examples of great achievements to share include a project you’ve worked on with great results (ex. “negotiated to achieve $XX in savings”), money or time you saved a past company (ex. “designed a product that generated $XX in revenue over X time”), procedures you developed (ex. “workflow that increased efficiency by XX%”), etc. Once you’re in an interview setting, you are more than welcome to speak to other achievements that weren’t listed on your resume. 

(PS – when interviewing and elaborating on these achievements – remember to utilize the STAR (Situation, Task,  Action, Result) method to structure the story behind the achievement. This will structure your responses and ensure the interviewer can follow your thought process / work experience overview.)

2. Gaps in resumes are okay – just offer an explanation. 

Gaps in resumes happen – especially between major life events (new addition to your family, relocation, etc). Of course employers are also aware of the impact of the pandemic on the job market – and they are understanding! Simply explain how you continued driving self development during this “gap” period. Did you take any online courses? Did you take care of your newly homeschooled kiddos? Did you spend time reflecting on your goals and interests? All of this can convey organization, time management, self motivation, etc. Offer an explanation and state that skills were still exerted during the gap and you were continuing your education in your given field. For example, perhaps you mention some courses you completed, or how you have been listening to note-worthy podcasts in your desired field.

3. Include a maximum of three roles on your resume. 

While work experience on your resume is incredibly important, don’t clutter your resume with the last 8 jobs you’ve had. Instead, include the most relevant ones and one’s that you feel comfortable speaking to the most/ stand out the most. Yes, this means leaving off your college bartending job. Or, if you are further along in your career, consider pulling in achievements from the beginning of your career with simple skill bullets (ex. “IBM data science mastery” can replace “5 years implementing XYZ”). Just because it’s not listed on your resume doesn’t mean you can’t speak to it in the interview. If you’re asked a question about leadership and in a past role that wasn’t listed on your resume is a great example to share — go for it!

4. Have an awards and recognitions section. 

Having an awards and recognition section will help you level up your resume and show off all of your accomplishments. Appropriate things to add in this section are education awards, company awards, industry awards, community service awards, etc. Be sure to add the name of the award, the year you received it, the purpose of the award, the scope of the award, and why you received it. If you’re able to link any of these awards or recognitions to your reference list, be sure to note that in the list so your potential employer can speak to that when reaching out to any reference. 

5. Use at least an 11 points easy-to-read font

Your future employer needs to be able to read your resume quickly. On average, employers spend 6 seconds per resume, so your selling points need to be communicated immediately. Font any smaller than 11 points can put you at a disadvantage. Don’t clutter your resume with every single minuscule detail of your life, instead keep it informative yet brief at the same time so you can use a font that is at least 11 points or higher. Fonts like Times New Roman and Arial are great options!