In this grand tradition of list making, we are taking a swing at it – highlighting the things that we were most grateful for in 2008.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Ciao 2008 - It's Been Great!
In this grand tradition of list making, we are taking a swing at it – highlighting the things that we were most grateful for in 2008.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Make Your Resume A Star!
I remember clearly writing my first resume –fingers poised and ready at the key board – the makings of the most successful candidate an employer has ever seen ready to pour out of my anxious fingers onto the marbleized, specialty resume paper. I typed my first words – first and last name. Ooh – they looked good! My addresses (home and email) followed immediately. It was really shaping up.
And then I sat there – fingertips firmly set upon ASDF JKL; - for what seemed like an eternity. What exactly do I write?
A bead of sweat formed on my brow when I realized that in terms of experience, mine was moderately anorexic. I had just graduated and this resume was to be my entry into the professional world. Do I include my exciting stint with Old Town Trolley tours in Boston? Do I add some creating musings to add some flesh to the frail bones of my experience?
This year at the ASHA Convention in Chicago, the organization added Resume Star to their list of offerings. Attendees had the opportunity to have their resumes reviewed by participating companies. Progressus was one of the companies that signed up to help students and experienced clinicians. From that experience, here are a few resume tips.
Choose a standard font. Yes, Comic Sans is fun, but it does have the word comic in it and that should tell you a lot. Also – keep your font size between 11 and 12. Even on a seriously malnourished experience section, you don’t want to beef your resume up by using an 18 point font. On the verse - you don’t want an employer to need a magnifying to read a teeny tiny font that you used to cram all of your information onto one page. Which brings me to the next point…
There is an age-old urban legend that resumes MUST be one page. No more. I really wish Snopes.com would bust this myth. As long as your multiple pages are ripe with relevant and persuasive information, going to page two is not going to cause seven years of bad career luck. Because there is a double edge to every sword, your resume should fall quite short of a novella. If it’s looking like the latest Harry Potter book, you have gone too far.
Chronology counts, so count backwards. Employers want to know what you have done most recently. Start there and work backwards.
Don’t lie. Don’t cheat. Don’t steal. Seems basic enough, but temptation can be overwhelming when you are really trying to make a good first impression. Lying about experience on ability on a resume will be found – I promise you. I know this from shameful personal experience. I thought – I’ll just beef up my experience with using a particular software. Graphic design software. It’s not like they are not going to test me, right? Right? Wrong. Failed test. Failed interview. Lesson learned – DO NOT LIE! Figure out ways to highlight the experience you do have – highlight experiences, achievements. We all have them – we just need to hone in on them. As for cheating and stealing – don’t do it. Copying your friends resume or an online sample word for word, replacing only your name is never a good idea. You never know when your friend will apply for the same job that you are apply for.
Use a professional email address. Partygurl4eva@notreadytowork.com may have been a great email address for your college days, but this is not the address you want an employer to reach you through. For the serious job hunter, I recommend setting up a separate email account exclusively for your search.
Keep your resume up to date. As you gain new experience or reach a new goal, dust off the last version and update it. Even if you are not actively seeking a new opportunity. It will make the process much easier when you are ready to find a new position.
After participating in Resume Stars at ASHA ’08, I have to say that the majority of the resumes we saw were quite impressive, which was very exciting. The best piece of advice I can give is to be confident in your experience – don’t be afraid to celebrate your achievements or to be aware and honest about areas that you are looking to grow. Your resume is almost always your first impression with an employer, so make sure it’s a good one!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
The AOTA Recommends Making a New Year's Resolution You Can Keep
- Under 20: Get more sleep. Getting enough sleep not only increases alertness but it can also decrease behavioral problems.
- Age 20-40: Organize living spaces. Eliminating clutter reduces dust and mold and lowers the risk of slip and fall injuries.
- Age 40-60: Increase physical activity. 65% of Americans are overweight, increasing physical activity can decrease your risk of obesity related illnesses.
- Age 60-80: Take up gardening. Gardening is America's #1 outdoor leisure activity and can help aging Americans remain active.
- Over 80: Check your driving. Safe driving over 80 is possible. Limit your trips to daylight hours or residential areas, take a safe driving class or consider public transportation.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Toni Braxton's New Autism PSA
Networking + Fun = ASHA '08
Progressus sponsored two booths at ASHA – one in the main exhibit hall and the other within the Career Fair. Between both locations we were able to literally meet and chat with thousands of clinicians that were attending the conference. Networking is a significant part of an event like this. To have the chance to share ideas, make new friends and to sharpen our professional tools is priceless. With so much communication happening electronically these days, it is always refreshing to have a real-live conversation and put a face immediately to a name.
Fun was undeniably a huge part of the weekend! Friday night at the conference we hosted a networking soiree for some of our new friends. SLPs in the Windy City was the theme – and to make sure we stayed true to our theme, we introduced two signature martinis – the Progressus-tini and the Amelia-politan (named, of course, in honor of our logo). There were tattoos (fake of course), drinks and even a presentation of one of our Career Vision Scholarships! We were lucky enough to catch up with our winning SLP Felicia at the reception!
So, was the party fun? Let one of our attendees tell you!
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Great Careers Begin With Great Clinical Fellowships – Get the DVD – Our Compliments
Although this video is sponsored by Progressus Therapy (and produced by National CEU), it contains insights from SLP professionals from several organizations. If you are now or will be going through your CF experience, this is a must-have DVD. You can order it at http://www.cf.progressustherapy.com/ . Send this link to your SLP friends and colleagues.
Progressus Therapy has nurtured the careers of literally thousands of clinicians. One leader at Progressus, Laurie McCloskey, was a key contributor to the Stepping Stones DVD. Here we have an interview with Laurie, where she discusses her own CF experiences and explains her motivation for participating in the video.