What To Do When The Layoffs Hit? Now Even Snoopy Knows The Answer

Layoffs hit every industry, especially in today's "New Normal" economy. Now, according to this Down To Earth comic, it looks like Charlie Brown's favorite dog Snoopy has gotten fired, too.

Should I Send My Resume In Word Format or As A PDF File?

This morning, one of our Community Business College graduates called and asked for a bit of advice – Should she send her resume to a potential employer in the Microsoft Word format or should she send it as a .pdf file?

Here’s why she asked – She said she first attached it as a Word document for convenience sake but when she tested it and re-opened it, the resume lost some of its formatting. Not bad, mind you, but it did throw some text onto a second page and the margins shifted some.

Our advice to her was to send a second e-mail using the pdf format which does not have the changing formatting issues and offer it to the employer an option with a note to saying something like, “I thought I’d also send you a pdf copy of my resume so that you have a choice to use the format you prefer.”

Now we’ll wait to see if she gets the job interview.

So just what are the rules on file attachment in sending your resume to employers?

First, there’s the

The Golden Rule on resume attachments is – first always do what the employer asks. If the employer asks for resumes but “no attachments,” for example, then do not attach anything, but copy and paste your resume. If the employer asks for “no Word documents,” then do not send word documents.

Advantages of the Microsoft Word Format

1.      One advantage to sending a native Microsoft Word document is the job seeker can just send the most current resume and doesn’t have to worry about different versions.

2.      The second advantage is the employer who receives your Word document can open the document without any additional software (e.g. Adobe Acrobat Reader) and can then copy the data over into either other hiring software or a template used to hire candidates.

Disadvantages of the Microsoft Word Format

1.      One reason employers may ask for “no Word documents” be sent is some Word documents can carry viruses and malicious code that can hurt the recipients computers.

2.      As in our graduate’s case, you probably won’t know which version of Microsoft Word that the employer is using. If you have saved your Word document in a more current version than the employer, the formatting may get a little funky. It’s still going to be legible and the document can still be used but it won’t be perfect. Remember, resumes should be as perfect as possible. Sometimes little imperfections serve as an excuse for a screener to reject a given resume without having to read it further.

Advantages of the Microsoft Adobe PDF Format

PDF stands for Portable Document Format and is usually used to present and exchange documents reliably and works equally well across different hardware and operating systems. Invented in the 1990s, Adobe’s PDF has become the standard format for document sharing.

1.      Because the PDF format is now an open standard maintained by the International Organization for Standardization, PDFs look the same the world over. The type of machine doesn’t matter and the operating system an employer might be using doesn’t matter either. As long as they have the free Acrobat Reader DC software they can see any pdf document the same way it was sent.

In that sense, this makes it closer to a piece of paper than almost any other digital format.

2.      Most other software programs now recognize the PDF format and will open or import .pdf files without any problem.

Disadvantages of the Microsoft Adobe PDF Format

1.      Sending in PDF takes an extra step and requires you to track more than one document. When you convert your resume from Microsoft Word to a .pdf document, you are creating one more file to keep track of.

Say, for example, you’re applying for a job today and you convert your resume to a .pdf format and send it off. Next week, another job opportunity comes along and you want to make some changes and send it again. Now you’ll have another version of your resume. After a few times of this, you can end up with a whole bunch of versions of your resume that can get confusing.

A simple way to fix this is to always create a new pdf before sending it. Then, delete it from your storage file after you’ve submitted it. This way the Microsoft Word document is always the most current form of your resume.

Another option is to use the same file name when saving your .pdf document. Here’s an example: BenFranklinResume.pdf. Then, the new .pdf file replaces the old one and you’ll only have one file to worry about.

2.      Although most pdf documents can allow for text to be copied in the document, some are locked. If, instead converting the Microsoft Word document to .pdf, you scanned it off a printed copy, it might even be more difficult to extract text.

Unless otherwise directed (remember the Golden Rule), Community Business College recommends using the .pdf format when submitting resumes.

Need to learn more Microsoft Word tricks?  Take a Microsoft Word class with us. You can purchase a short course  directly from Community Business College at http://www.cbcwebcollege.com/shopcart/

Do you find the job search process frustrating?  Try taking a class on finding a job with our six-week, instructor-led online course at:  http://www.ed2go.com/cbc123/online-courses/12-steps-to-successful-job-search

 

Free PowerPoint Certifications Are Here at Community Business College!

Community Business College has been selected as an official Microsoft Office Specialist  beta testing center for the newly developed Microsoft PowerPoint 2016 certification exams.

The beta testing will be offered free to volunteers who would like to participate and will take place through May 30, 2016 (or until enough exams have been administered to provide complete results). The college is waiving the regular exam proctor fee for the duration of the beta testing period.

The college began working with the Microsoft testing administrator earlier in 2016 to assist in beta testing the suite of programs that make up Microsoft Office 2016. Beginning with Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel, the Microsoft PowerPoint exam is now ready to be tested.

Officials at Community Business College report they will be starting the testing with current students and graduates but are also opening the testing opportunity to members of the public who would like a no-cost attempt at earning technical computing certifications.

These exam certificates are the official acknowledgement from Microsoft that holders possess certain levels of competence in the program and this information has been independently verified.

MOS Certification

The purpose of the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification is to allow people to earn a certificate in a specific Office Suite program. Microsoft states that one of the advantages of earning an MOS certification is that holding a MOS certification can earn an entry-level business employee as much as $16,000 more in annual salary than uncertified peers.

Community Business College was selected because of its expertise in the technologies required for implementing the exams and its extensive experience in beta testing technical certification exams.

To implement the beta testing program, Community Business College is providing free MOS Certification vouchers to volunteers who would like to assist in the beta testing of these fully online exams. In exchange for their evaluations of the exam system, participants who pass the exams will receive official certifications at no charge to them. The school is absorbing all costs for this high-technology project and will provide these services all at no cost to the participants. The vouchers will be distributed on a first-come-first-served basis up until the project is complete.

Exams are primarily performance-based and conducted in a "live," or simulated, environment. Exam candidates taking these certification exams are asked to perform a series of tasks to clearly demonstrate their skills. For example, a Word exam might ask a user to balance newspaper column lengths or to keep text together in columns. MOS 2016 presents the candidate with a project to build, with tasks and steps that build on each other.

Each beta exam takes about 2 hours to complete (although some test takers may finish quicker).

Why Community Business College?

Community Business College’s director, Dan Guerra, said, “Our goal in participating in this high technology project is to test the functionality of the updated exams and their new delivery engine environment. Modesto, with its new initiatives to kick start its technology sector, is a great place for this to happen. It’s also an excellent opportunity for people in the Central Valley to earn an official technology certification at no cost to them.”

People who do well on this exam, even if they don’t pass, might want to try their hands at the Microsoft Office Specialist World Championships.

The Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship is a global competition that tests students’ skills on Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Top students are invited to represent their respective countries at the World Championship. In some countries or regions, students are required to participate in a National Championship, and the winners of that event continue on to the World Championship.

Community Business College is also offering a complimentary study guide and informational outline on its website for those interested in learning more about the exam. Once the beta testing is complete, the live version of the exam will be continuously available at the institution.

People who would like to participate in the beta test can contact the school’s main office either by phone or e-mail through the webpage www.cbcwebcollege.com.

A Fall Job Fair That Left Us Lonely

The Job Journal hosted a job fair yesterday and Community Business College staff helped out by providing free resume critiques. Here's what happened...

Each time we attend a job fair, the experience is a little different.  This job fair in Modesto was notable because we ran out of resumes to critique. That almost never happens.  Why did it happen this time? Here are some theories:

     People are gearing up for the holidays so job search is on hold.
              The word didn’t get out about this particular fair.

                  More people have jobs than need jobs.

Of the possibilities, the first two seem to make more sense than the third theory.

But, needless to say, offering unemployed job seekers free critiques on their resumes we learn about what’s trending. It’s a good service that a lot of people appreciate.

All told, we helped 34 people with their resumes, from the job fair. It always provides us with a good feeling to help those in need.

In fact, one service group brought a class of youth with intellectual developmental disabilities over and we were able to help them spruce up their resumes and practice interacting with strangers.

We also had a job seeker travel all the way from Ione, California for this job fair and we had a priest who is no longer a priest and needed help on his resume to get a secular job.

By the way, another resume evaluator reminded job seekers that their job search efforts might be tax deductable.

And, finally, one other interesting factiod from this job fair – this may be the first job fair we attended that had two nut companies recruiting for employees at the same time: Diamond Nuts and Fisher Nuts.

So here are the trends we saw amongst the resumes:

Here are some of the tips that came up at this fair:

Rules? We don’t Need No Rules

In addition to the regular rules of job fairs, we did find one worth adding.

First, the regular rules still apply:

          Come dressed as you would for an interview;

          Bring copies of job-ready resumes to hand to employers;

          Be prepared to answer interview questions;

          Take lots of notes to follow up later.

 But here’s a new rule: Don’t come to the job fair if you’ve finished drinking a few beers and spilled some on your shirt.

Yes, it happened. Somebody walked up for a free resume evaluation smelling like a homebrew factory. And, needless to say, he was not as sharp as would have been if he had come in sober. Now, granted, looking for a new job can be really stressful, but it’s not bad enough to hit the brews BEFORE you go in.

It sends the wrong message. It’s like the one person who went from employer to employer, wearing a t-shirt that says, “I’m not laughing with you, I’m laughing at you.

Another thing we came across is someone with Lotus 1-2-3 and old Word Star listed as software skills. Our advice? Stick to listing contemporary programs on your resume unless you find a job opening that specifically asks for one of these classics.

Loyalty To The Extreme

One job seeker was quite concerned that she wouldn’t want her next employer to see that she was still working.

Why?

She thought it would make her look disloyal to her current employer. She is working at a part-time job position but is looking for a full-time job her current employer couldn’t provide.

Her leaving for a better position is just the way of things and almost every employer understands that. The bottom line is if employers really want to keep employees, all they have to do is offer better wages, better perks, more hours, etc. That’s part of being an “At Will” employer. If employees can get a better deal somewhere else, they should take it. After all, the employer is under no rules of loyalty to keep employees and layoffs happen all the time.

The Dreaded Double Entendre.

One resume was an electronic oriented resume with lots of technical skills listed. One of the attributes was “Sound Design Skills.”

So was he saying he has audio skills like for dubbing in audio in movies?

Or was he trying to say that his design skills are sound?

When working on your resume phrasing, remember to watch out for phrases that can be read more than one way.

There have been other, more extreme examples of this, like the ever embarrassing – “I was told by my last employer that he was lucky to get me to work for him.”

Sometimes it helps to have friends and family read your resume for that reason alone– it gives you a new pair of eyes who can read things differently like a potential new employer might.

The Real Job Of The Resume

One of the school’s resume evaluators found a common concern - Getting interviews can be quite a challenge.

Here’s one of the most common reminders we offer:  It’s the resume’s job to get you the interview. Then it’s up to the interview to get you the job.

We’ve never heard anybody say that they got a job just off the resume. There almost always is an interview required.

The last quirky thing that occurred at this particular job fair? One job seeker couldn’t stop sneezing. It must still be the end of allergy season.

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Do you find the job search process frustrating?  Try taking a short course on finding a job with our six-week, instructor-led online course at:  http://www.ed2go.com/cbc123/online-courses/12-steps-to-successful-job-search

Need some tips on developing your resume? Get the professional resume development package on sale now at Groupon.

Or try taking a six-week, instructor-led resume class or job search techniques class at Community Business College.

And of course, there’s always our popular Use Linked In To Jumpstart Your Career certification class.

What To Expect At September's Job Fair?

The Job Journal hosted another job fair on September 22, 2015 from Noon to  4 pm at the University Plaza Waterfront Hotel  in Stockton. Admission is always free for job seekers (Click Here for Details).

Community Business College provides job placement staff to offer free professional resume critiques to attendees. This is normally a component of a resume development package but the college provides the service free of charge as part of its community outreach.

Stockton Job Fair - September 22, 2015

What jobs were being recruit for at this fair? Here's the official list (each listing has an active link to a job description, CBC does not endorse these jobs and advises its job seekers to check before purchasing any job leads):

Account Executive (Digital and print advertising sales) Adult/Youth Sports Officials (Seasonal/PT) After School Recreation Leader Banking Analyst Chief Plant Operator - Water CNC Operator Coach Counselor Crane / Rigging Instructor Deduction Coordinator Deputy Director of Human Resources Deputy Municipal Utilities Director/ Wastewater Director of Food and Beverage Electrician/Mechanic Environmental Manager Financial Services/Sales Professional Financial Services/Sales Professional Financial Services/Sales Professional (Bilingual) Health and Safety Manager Heavy Equipment Crane Instructor Hospitality Supervisor Human Resources Manager Industrial Maintenance Technician Industrial Maintenance Technician Inventory & Order Fulfillment Specialist IT Applications Manager Layout Fitter / Welder Machinist Maintenance Mechanic Maintenance Supervisor Manager, SOX Compliance and Controls Mold Maintenance Technician Office of Violence Prevention Manager Order Selector Packaging Mechanic Packaging Mechanic Police Officer - Academy Graduate Police Officer - Lateral Police Officer - Recruit Police Officers – Lateral, Direct Entry Police Recruit Press Brake Operator Production Supervisor Production Workers Production/General Labor Public Safety Radio Dispatcher Trainee Ready Mix Instructor Recreation Leader Safety Manager Scheduling Coordinator Senior Code Enforcement Officer Shear Operator Shipping & Receiving Clerk Welder/ Fitter

To find current job opportunities in the Central Valley, the school has set up a page with the most popular places to post resumes and search new job opportunity listings: http://www.cbcwebcollege.com/jobsearch.htm 

Please feel free to check back to this blog for results of future job fairs.