how to list accomplishments on your resume when your job doesnt have easy measures

how to list accomplishments on your resume when your job doesnt have easy measures how to list accomplishments on your resume when your job doesnt have easy measures A reader wriesI work as a receptionist. I think Im pretty good at it. My job is basically to answer phones, take messages and relay them promptly, open and sort mail, prepare outgoing mail, schedule courier pickups, make copies, type documents, etc, when requested. My question is, what kind of things would someone with this kind of job use as an accomplishment when updating their resume? I mean, its not exactly a job that has real accomplishments to brag about. Any thoughts?Lots of people have jobs where their accomplishments dont lend themselves to easy metrics and instead are more qualitative, but that doesnt mean that you cant come up with accomplishments to list on a resumeThe trick is to think about what the difference would be between the way you perform your job and the way someone mediocre would perform it. (Now, if youre the mediocre person, then I cant help you.)For instance, maybe you unlike your predecessor keep a busy amtsstube running smoothly, completely revamped the client billing system to ensure bills are now sent out on schedule, resolved an inherited four-month backlog in three weeks, took over troubleshooting the phone system so that the I.T. department didnt have to do it, and regularly garnered unsolicited praise from callers and visitors to the office for your helpfulness.Those are all accomplishments, and they can all go on your resume.To get at this stuff, try asking yourself What did you accomplish in this job that someone else might not have? Did you make improvements or do something that got better results than your employer had been getting before? If you were asked what made you really great at your job, what would you say? What might your boss or coworkers have said made you really great? Somewhere in there are qualitative accomplishments and, ideally, a track rec ord of getting things done.

5 Reasons Why Resume Advice is Getting Tougher to Follow

5 Reasons Why Resume Advice is Getting Tougher to Follow5 Reasons Why Resume Advice is Getting Tougher to FollowSo much resume advice, so little time and money to work on it. It seems like no matter who you talk to the advice always changes. Through the storm of advice from experts who all claim they know better than anyone what works best, we explain 5 reasons why resume advice is tough to follow. Stop and make sense of what you should be doing while job searching.5. There is clearly too much general adviceGoogle the term resume advice and you will see 2,300,000 results. Usually, the first result is Free Resume Advice and there is no such thing as free on the Internet. There is always some sort of catch. The last search result would take an hour to find after sifting through all the pages.The advice is usually generalized for creating a resume, offers templates, and leaves out mention of the fact that one resume does not work for all jobs.4. Peoples preferences differ based on the j ob market and industrySome say, Tailor the resume while others say, Chronological resumes are a mustThen, others will let you know why a Skills-based resume is best.How is everyone right if everyone else is so wrong? The fact is you have to know your industry and what they like to see better than anyone.This experience only comes to you through doing and not seeking advice. Resumes differ between media, arts, technology, nonprofit, and many more. Ultimately, if someone asks you to change your resume for a job interview, this would be the better time to change it. Your resume got the interview. Now, change it to make the employer happy, if they ask for it.3. Fear of doing something wrongIn a world of resume advice, you will come across the blogs that tell you what is absolutely wrong. They will offer advice such as, Dont say too much and Dont say too little, which sounds like, You cannot win.The fear of offering too much or too little always leads to mistakes on a resume, especially when someone can always come along and tell you a varying opinion.The word you should be thinking about here is a balance. Find the balance between the job you want and what the company needs to see to prove you deserve it to discover what works.2. Mistakes are expensive both mentally and financiallyIf you are the type of person who once thought, I will spend money to get the best resume EVER you most likely got burned at least once.The end result is that it led you not to trust anyone. So, lower prices are too good to be true and higher prices remind you of the people who took your money and gave you a poor resume.The resume mistake was not how much you spent, but instead the fact you did not properly research who was helping you write your resume. Still, trust is not something you possess anymore and that will make finding a new professional resume much tougher.1. The people offering the best resume advice are hard to findYou have to imagine reading resumes with all of them follow ing the same advice has to make things difficult. Those offering different and eye-catching resume advice are hard to find and exclusive because they know what works.To avoid facing competition, it is safer to make money offering their services through networking on sites like LinkedIn. behauptung resume writers are usually freelancers who cannot compete with resume shops.Finding such resume writers takes a great deal of research, networking, and trial and error. But finding the right one that strikes a balance between excellent and affordable.

How to tap your network and ask for help

How to tap your network and ask for helpHow to tap your network and ask for helpEvery couple of years I find myself at a career inflection point that fork-in-the-road feeling of not knowing which path to take next.The older I get, the less unterstellung periods of self-doubt and spinning my wheels completely unravel me, because Im able to see them for what they are an opportunity to push back on inertia, evaluate my options, and move forward mindfully.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraThe best way Ive found support in moving past these pivot points is through powerful conversation with people I admire. Whether its meeting with mentors and advisors or folks Ive met more recently whose careers I admire, the way I tap into my network and ask for help is the same. Its all about respecting peoples time and their willingness to share it with you.After the publication ofthe Bossed Up Boo k, Ive been feeling a bit aloof myself. Its completely expected after completing a massive goal that Ive been striving towards for years, and to navigate whatevers next for me and Bossed Up, Ive been reaching out to a whole bunch of mentors lately to discuss where I might go from here.Heres how I reach out to my network and ask for help1. Ask fortimeWhen I reach out for support, I start with a brief email asking my mentor for their most precious resource some time on their calendar. I never ask the big burly questions Im wrestling with in the body of the email itself, but instead give them a sense as to why I value their perspective and would love time to connect.Heres a recent email I sent to a former professor of mine (whose personenname Ive changed)Subj Hey David Coffee?Hey David I hope this email finds you well.Im wondering if you might have time in the next few weeks to grab a virtual coffee via video chat. Id love to catch up properly, and Id especially love your insights as I come up on nearly 7 years of pursuing Bossed Up.Im starting to feel like Ive hit something of a growth ceiling and would love your thoughts on how I can ensure Im continuing to set myself up for long-term growth and maximum impact.Im just now beginning to think about whats next for me and Bossed Up and would so appreciate the perspective of someone like you whos been so instrumental at various points in my career thus far and whose own career I admire so muchIf youre down to share a half hour or so of your time, let me know when works best for youMy best,EmilieKeep it short, be specific about how much time youre asking for, and allude to what youre looking to discuss.2. Do your homeworkIn preparing for these conversations, I always take a few minutes to review the online profiles of the folks Im about to speak with. David recently published another book and spoke on MSNBC, so you can bet I wanted to read up on all his latest and greatest happenings, both personally and profession ally.This helps me connect personally with the appropriate congratulations at the top of our call, of course, and it also helps inform the questions I might prepare to ask. For instance, had I not seen his MSNBC appearance, I wouldnt have known to ask how he got invited on the network. In the age of social media algorithms, its not always easy to passively keep up to date with your friends and mentors, so do your due diligence before your call so you can show youre keeping up with whats happening in their life and career, too.3. Be honest about your challengesAsking for help is a vulnerable act, which makes it uncomfortable for many of us. But keep in mind acknowledging that youre dissatisfied or frustrated doesnt detract from your achievements thus far. Im incredibly proud of the work I do here at Bossed Up, but that doesnt mean I cant strive for more and maintain ambitions beyond what Ive already done.So when reaching out for help, its important to be as clear as possible about wh ats got you down. Dont get caught in the perfectionistic trap of saying everythings fine or downplaying your challenges. Articulate them, so the person on the other end of the line can help.If youre having trouble putting your finger on exactly whats got you feeling bummed, try tapping into envy instead. Who do you have a career crush on? Who do you want to be more like? What about them do you admire? Sharing those details can help the person whos trying to help you get a better understanding of where youre at and where youd like to go, which can spur their suggestions and ideas for what to do next.4. Listen activelyOnce youve articulated your challenges, resist the temptation to manage the conversation too much from there. Let your mentor or friend spitball some ideas and listen carefully to truly understand what theyre trying to share with you. Ask follow-up questions like, What do you mean by that? and Can you tell me more? to get them to expand on their advice and share more of how theyve learned from their own experiences.Its ok for these conversations to be meandering. Its not about landing on a solution right away, its about exploring options and following your curiosity. Dont feel the need to land on a perfect finish line, consider this a start to a broader exploratory conversation, one that can continue via email and future meetups as well.5. Follow upAfter you meet up, make sure tosend a thank-you note or giftto show your appreciation and keep in touch as you make progress on your career journey. Send an occasional email update or follow-up question to keep the ideas flowing and as always, look out for opportunities for mutual support.Be specific about how youre acting on what your contact shared with you. How have you taken their advice to heart? How are you moving forward? Or still feeling stuck? Loop back with them either way, just be considerate about not constantly asking for one persons time. When navigating a career inflection point, hearing f rom lots of different perspectives you respect can help you move forward.This article first appeared on Bossed Up.