Whats wrong with my résumé?!

Very good… The first step to improvement is to find the problem. If you are struggling to find a job and you rarely get invited to a job interview, it is very likely that your résumé - let me say it nicely - probably is real bad. But here are 5 tips on how you can pimp up your résumé notably with just a few changes. Your welcome!

1. Don’t be a chatter-box 

Image your résumé is like a conversation at a speed date. You don't have a lot of time to shine. What do you say? About you're favourite cake (cheesecake of course) or do you drop the small talk and get right to the important topics? Your résumé doesn't need to show all the jobs you ever did. If you are applying for a job as banker, please don't mention your first job in a nursery. 

In what job did you collect skills that are important for the role you applying for? Don't try to fill your résumé with ridiculous stuff just because you're scared of blank space. 

2. Embarrassing email adress 

No, “hunnybunny7@gmx.de" ist nicht okay. If you are still carrying around an embarrassing email  from schooldays where the teacher made you create one, please please make a new one! It only costs you a few minutes and looks so much more professional. 

3. Application photo from hell

You decided to add a photo to your application? Then you should definitely keep away from the photos that are made in Disney Land Paris on the Indiana Jones Achterbahn in 2010. It really does pay off to spent a couple of Euros for a professional picture. You can even use it for your Ding Account or you can frame it for mom and hang it up above the fireplace. 

4. Less is more

You really don't need to tell anyone that the long series of numbers is your mobile number. They know. The same applies for mail and home address. Also, Comic Sans MS is not the best choice when deciding for a font. Keep it simple and if possible adjust the style to the role you are applying for.  Create a nice overall picture with key words. Please don't use too much and too small text. The first impression counts. In love and in your résumé. 

5. Don’t play Pinocchio

A study by careerbuilder.de showed that 52% of all employers found out about lies in résumés. It doesn't really appeal to say you were Tom Cruise’s baby sitter or the minister president of a country that doesn't even exist. Better concentrate on the abilities that you really have! Mom would say, “You’re awesome the way you are, sweetie!”.

To be completely honest, we don't have any influence on what cards life deals out. What we have influence on though, is what we do with the cards. The same applies to the tasks that are assigned by the employer. They might look like much and stress is inevitable. The most professional people, and also the nerds at school, who we secretly were envious of, have one thing in common: they master the art of working productively.

Pull the plug on infinite to-do lists, unanswered E-mails and long hours. “Work smarter, not harder” is our motto! But how? Explaned in six easy Tipps.

Getting up on the right side of the bed

Productivity starts with the second you open your eyes in the morning. People who start there day stressful, tend to stay unproductive throughout the day. Don’t set your alarm 5 minutes before the bus leaves, but take your time to properly wake up. Maybe working out in the morning is the perfect thing for you to do? If that doesn’t work for you, try meditating for 10 minutes every day with the Headspace App (hy approved). Create a routine for yourself, to prepare your mind and your body for the day. 

Sleep more

Let’s be honest, we know it all. “I’ll just check facebook really quick” can easily lead to an hour of senseless scrolling. Something of that sort usually happens at night, when we should be asleep already. Make sure you sleep at least 7, best 9 hours a day. You’ll notice how much more happy, productive and less prone for illnesses you are. Try it, Sleep works wonders!

Allot time 

Ever heard of the Comodoro-Method? No? It’s a system for arranging time for work and pauses in the intervals 50 - 10 or 25 - 5 - 25 - 5. After 100 minutes of work you should have a bigger break of about 30 minutes. This is how you stay focussed and know how much time a certain task will take.  And don't deceive yourself, amply with the pauses. 

Planning

Create a to-do list with deadline, that is realistic. Be as precise as possible and assign priorities to every task. It is very tempting to pay attention to an upcoming idea but it’s better to write it down than to work on it immediately. We can recommend a great new tool for project management: “Agganty”. 

Social media + emails

As hard as it sounds, but try not to check any emails in the first hour of working. Social media is also a really big productivity killer. You loose yourself quickly in the digital world and boom - times over and you haven't accomplished anything! Switch your mobile phone to silent, so you don’t get distracted. 

No Man

Things can easily get too much, when you undertake more than you can handle. Sometimes you just have to say no. If you do that, you can give the tasks you have to fulfil 110%. 

You’re almost at finish line! You're résumé was good enough to get you a job interview. Congrats!

Admittedly, a lot will be required of you in a job interview. You might know, that you're the king and the search is ends with you. But how do you convince your counterpart? 

We collected some tips for you (by papa hy personally!), that would help you prepare for your next interview. 

The Interview with hy

These point are to be considered 

• Preferably wear your favourite clothes
• Take off the working-mask - just be yourself
• What are you really up for?
• What don't you like about your current situation? 
• What aspect of your work keeps you going? 
• What things does your new job need to fulfil? 
• Why do you want  job change? Could it just be a short term down? 

hy found a company that fits your demands - nice! 
 

Prepare well and show them what you got!

In case you don't think about your outfit ever, now is the time! You can’t go wrong with dark jeans and a pattern-less shirt at most interviews. But more important is for you to feel comfortable. Only thus you can really be yourself. 

Check out the internet presence of the company. Including Google News, Kunun, Xing, LinkedIn and the website of course. You should also search into the major revenue source. Thus you can think about what added value you can bring in your potential position. In positions that cause expenses, concentrate on economise costs by e.g. automating processes which thereby saves time for other things. 

To learn to gradually identify with the company you should know what philosophy is followed. When and where was the company founded? How does the company manifest itself in front of clients? With which clients are they working anyway? Is the field they working in future-oriented? If you want to know the details look up platforms like www.handelsregister.de or bundesanzeiger.de (free) and www.firmendatnbank.de (fee required). You’re welcome!

In the interview you won’t get plus point for presenting a summary of your research, though. More for asking questions that you built on your research. 

Questions that are asked your counterpart, should be answered shortly. Don't start yarning a net of stories and waste your valuable talk time. Present the facts of you that represent yourself. 

In case your not a good speaker, try to prepare small parts. For example the explanation of a certain field or a project. That’s how you prevent the “Äh’s” and “Ehm’s”, that we all like to avoid.

Important questions you could have for the employer

• Did my position exist before me or is it created by me? 
• What exactly will be my task? 
• With whom will I mainly be working? Which interfaces will there be? 
• What expectations do I have to fulfil in what time? 
• What are the biggest challenges for the company? 
• Where will the company be in 5 years? What are long term goals? 
•  

(Heads up: The last two questions can be asked by the employer as well)

Next to all the tips we just gave you, we would also like you to take to heat to primarily concentrate on your tasks and don’t get distracted by monetary promises.
Isn't the daily motivation, the appeal of the job, the joy to get up everyday and create something cool, much more important? This is the only way to be happy with ones working life long term.