This is the exact number of words your resume should be

This is the exact number of words your resume should beThis is the exact number of words your resume should beThough it was recently found that a two-page resume is now acceptable if not encouraged you still need to be wary of your word count.According to new research by TalentWorks thatanalyzed over 6,000 job applications from 66 industries, the sweet spot for resume length is between 475 and 600 words. In fact, if you go over that 600-word mark, you are 43% less likely to get hired.But there is definitely a fine line when it comes to length because if you go below 475, even 450, in an attempt to keep it short you are also hurting your chances.Less than 450 had lower interview rates (less than 5% and this was the same for over 600 words.)But that sweet spot means your resume is going to be fairly dense but interview rates reach 8.2% in this range.However,if youre an academic or industrial scientist, college professor, school teacher, or social service worker longer resumes are actua lly better. behauptung are all industries that put an emphasis on achievements and motivations.But for all other industries keep it short and in that sweet spot, especially in business. The research found thatlong resumes were 72% less hirable than those in the acceptable rangeDont stuff yourselfAlso, beware of keyword stuffing. The researchers found thathaving more keywords in a resume didnt correlate with a higher interview rate. This was surprising considering that some resumes wont even get looked at unless they have certain keywords. But clearly, it is quality over quantity, and by quality they mean keywords that match the job description.

You Got Laid Off...Time to Work!

You Got Laid Off...Time to WorkYou Got Laid Off...Time to WorkLets be frank. Being laid off from work sucks. You were doing your job, but the money to pay you ran out or the company restructured. If you got laid off, the chances are you were not the only one. It is a confusing time. In fact, over the last five years, more than 20% of the US workforce has experienced being laid off from a job.Some say, irrationally, that getting fired is better than being laid off from a job. You know why you get fired, but rarely do you have an answer to the question, Why was I laid off?. The job just ends and you are told some templated response to reduce confrontation. The real reasons are known only by those who made the decision to lay people off.Is this the time to sell your car, take out dangerous loans with high-interest rates, and plan for the Apocalypse? NO Try the following below. You may not have a job, but it is time to work.Spread the korrekt You are on the market againIt is time to let former colleagues, friends, family, and anyone you consider to be a professional reference know, I got laid off. I need to find work.Check out the fine print on all contracts BEFOREWhen you initially were hired there may have been an agreement to offer you severance pay in the case of you being laid off.Check old agreements or talk to your HR representative BEFORE you sign anything after the layoff. The last thing you want to do is sign away your rights to severance pay or legal rights to sue.The language of that last document you sign will not be geared towards doing you a favor. Watch specifically for ways companies protect themselves in the form of non-competes, NDAs, or lower-than-normal severance packages.File for unemployment immediatelyEven if you have a job waiting in the wings and do not find it necessary, file for unemployment anyway. You are protecting yourself and giving yourself a budget to continue to look for work.Also, no one ever really knows how long they will stay out of work or what will happen next. If you do get hired before unemployment goes through, never cash the check and cancel the unemployment.Get yourself ready to look again quicklyTime to reboot your resume. Practice up on your interview skills and start contacting companies who help people get hired every day.Keep your work regimen upWe do not always think about the fact that our job was a workout bung of sorts. You got up at the same time every day. You went to work. You prepared for your job and you had a set time to relax.And now...You got laid off.The very next day after being laid off, when you do not have to wake up and everyone goes to a job, it hits you, Oh man I am unemployedInstead of standing still, worrying about the fact you got laid off, replace your regimen with something else. Ideally, you should replace it with your new job of trying to find a job. Keep in mind, applying online is just one method of looking, but it is not the only oneSeek out people who inspire y ouTo close, we share a post from a recent blog by Nadia Noel-Anglade. She writes about how to reinvent yourself after a job loss.One of the most important things you need in your life during difficult times are people who support you, not with negative ideas and criticisms, but those who want to help you progress in your careerThe next time you find yourself in the shoes of that 20% of Americans who were laid off in the last five years, do not say, I got laid off. I am in trouble.Try saying, I got laid off. It is time to get to work.

5 hazardous habits all creatives need to be wary of

5 hazardous habits all creatives need to be wary of5 hazardous habits all creatives need to be wary ofOne of my favorite quotes comes from Mozart The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between.Too often, we try to cram creativity into a box the saatkorn way we would a deliverable.In our project plans and our timelines and spreadsheets, we have given it its own box - Here is when youll be creative.But we all know thats not really how creativity works. After all, the truly creative would never do any of the following1. Say something is doneA deadline implies the project is done. Complete. Finished.Stored away and never touched again.If you have a creative bone in your body, you know deep down a project is never done.A project or a piece of work is an extension of you, and is constantly a work in progression - just like you, as an individual, are constantly a work in progress.Now, this isnt to say that there arent checkpoints or milestones along the way where you may declar e a project as complete for now, but being creative means always looking for ways to improve your craft.Whether that means starting something new or going back and revising something old, its all about leaving the door open for adjustment.Thats where the magic happens.2. Think youre originalNas said it best - No Ideas Original.Being creative is all about pulling from people who came before you, learning from their strides (and stumbles), and then evolving.Too often, people try to be creative and make something in a vacuum - a dark room with zero inspiration and no outside influences.While that can be an effective exercise from time to time, whats much more effective is to study and pull from others work. Chances are, someone has already tried what youre creating, and you can save yourself a lot of unnecessary time by studying their process as you continue to explore your own.As the clich goesGood artists copy. Great artists steal.3. Stay comfortableDoing meaningful, creative work, is not easy.In fact, most people would rather say, Oh, Im not very creative, because they know creativity is hard.Why?The majority of the time, creativity is the result of leaping and exploring what hides outside your comfort zone.Whether you are a starving artist or a (true) Creative Director in the corner office, the mindset is the same push the boundaries, go where others arent willing, and embrace the unknown.Quoting a mentor of mine and Creative Director himself, Ron Gibori always said, Great ideas dont happen behind a desk. They happen out in the world.Get out of your comfort zone.4. Accept the word noDo you know why most people dont try to be creative?Because that would mean waking up every single morning and standing in the face of No.When you do go outside your comfort zone and begin to embrace the unknown, the rest of the world, those nuzzled safely in their comfort zones will hold their hands up in the air and tell you not to go that way.Youre wrong You dont know whats o ut thereIts as if they are shouting at a friend on the outskirts of a black forest, just before he or she decides to turn and enter.To be creative, you have to be willing to give yourself permission before anyone else does.You have to move forward despite the rest of the world telling you No.You have to not be afraid.5. Compromise yourselfAh, the hardest one of them all.At some point along the journey, someone will try to tell you how its done. He or she might offer you nice rewards for your cooperation, may even plump up your ego and tell you how amazing you could be - if only you changed your imagination to be more in line with theirs.And it will tempt you.But in the end, you have to decide what is most important to you.The truly creative are willing to risk it all.Reputation. Money. Ego.These come second to the vision, and thats the difference.Brilliance doesnt come from a calculated business plan.Brilliance doesnt appear in the form of a perfectly formulated excel spreadsheet, or wake in the morning to a stadium of applause from stakeholders.Brilliance has to break down wall after wall after wall before anyone takes notice, and what feeds that brilliance in a creative mind is heart.Compromise yourself and you compromise your heart.And if you compromise your heart, you have nothing that will truly make a difference.This article originally appeared on Inc Magazine.