Just a girl from Detroit Job Ready

Should you always use a cover letter when applying to jobs?  I will leave that for your discretion. Personally, I don't include a cover letter each time I have applied for jobs. However, I will provide you with 4 reasons of when to include your cover letter. First, let’s start with the basics.  What is a cover letter? A cover letter is an introduction or proposal to your resume. The goal is to get the reader to look at your resume. A professional cover letter can contain,  2-3 short paragraphs with some of your key strengths and skills. Example, introduce yourself and tell how you learned about the position in first paragraph; Next, mention key aspects of your experience and strengths and last mention how you believe you are a good match and refer the reader to your resume.   Cover letters are meant to be tailored to  each  job you apply to.  When should I include a cover letter? Required . If the position y...

I've noticed as I am researching available jobs for teens in for our Facebook group, Dallas Teen Job Search, some online applications require a resume. Even if a teen never held a job, a resume can be done. I create and revamp resumes as a part of my nonprofit and wanted to share some tips for teens. A resume is a document that highlights your skills, abilities, education and work experience. A resume is a job marketing tool. See example picture above 😉 Here are some pointers on what goes on a resume for a high school student even if you never held a job. Also, some main sections a basic student resume should have.   Contact information: First and last name, phone number and email address. Some would add full address but city and state where you reside is fine. This should always be at the top or listed first! Objective summary: This is a few sentences that summarize your qualifications for the job. List some of your strengths and skills that are most relevant to th...

Whether you are preparing for an interview, presenting your portfolio or explaining intricate details about your business....learn how to communicate to market yourself verbally as well. One thing recruiters/managers despise is a candidate who can't communicate what they do or have done. Business to business as well.  An elevator speech is a concise, well-practiced, and careful description of yourself, your profession, your business, or your product. It should be easy to convey in a short amount of time as it takes to ride an elevator just a few floors. 😉 This will help with that infamous question,"Tell me about yourself." during a job interview  Also, can inadvertently be used to tell about your business or brand.  Write it out and say it out loud to a friend or family member to get their feedback. Practice. Your elevator speech should be about 30 seconds minimum to about 1 minute max. Here are a few ways to help you prepare your elevator pitch: ...

I had a friend that would put everything on a calendar. This was how she organized. If you weren't scheduled on her calendar it wasn't important or was in conflict with something else. This was how she organized and it worked for her. It is proven that what you organize, you have control over. My saying is, "You have to prioritize in order to be organized". Staying organized can help with being less overwhelmed and increase your productivity. These tips can help with work, school or at home as well as produce that time management skill.  Here are some things you can do to get organized. Organize and tidy up your workspace. Before you start committing to being organized. Plus each day, tidy up afterwards. Write it down. Have a to-do list. This will help sort out some stuff. Sort of in order of priority. What projects need immediate attention first. If you are spending most of your time on one project, you may need to ask for help. Make sure you take b...

LinkedIn is a social media network for professionals. They started out as just connecting professionals, but this site is so much more now. You can build your professional profile to match your resume and add on other professional items to show your work such as publications, blogs, videos, post articles, share your brand, create a business page, and follow your influences. You also can upgrade your hard skills by taking online learning courses and preparation certificate courses. As well as search for jobs, easily apply through LinkedIn and connect with recruiters. You can even find professional services to help such as career coaches, photography, graphic designers, accountants, and much more! LinkedIn has definitely evolved, and I believe every adult should take advantage of this network. If you haven't already created a LinkedIn profile.  16 is the baseline minimum age required to access and use LinkedIn services. If you haven't used LinkedIn in a while login and updat...