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Job Hunting? Make Sure Your Resume Has These Essential Elements

Posted: 14 Nov 2020 12:16 PM PST

Resumes are the first impression that business owners have of potential hires. As a result, employers must use them to figure out whether a person is worth bringing in for an interview. Every employer has its own demands for potential employees and looks for specific elements in candidates' resumes to determine possible fit.

So how can job seekers optimize their resumes to ensure they have included the essential elements employers are looking for? To help, we asked 13 successful entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) the following question:

What is one thing a resume must have in order for you to bring someone in for an interview? Why?

1. A resume that’s tailored to the business

We look for resumes that are tailored to our business. We want people who want to work with us badly enough that they adjusted their resume to fit our wants. It is obvious when someone cuts and pastes a resume—and that’s fine, I get it—but when someone takes the time to tweak theirs for us, it shows they are already invested. —Zach Binder, Bell + Ivy

 

2. A summary statement

I always like to see a summary statement. It is the most crucial part of a resume for me. Resumes need a summary section where candidates try to link their skills and motivations with the job. If the candidate has gone through the job description and has the skills for the job, they can easily craft a good summary statement. If I like the summary statement, I will read the rest of the resume. —Piyush Jain, SIMpalm

 

3. Extracurricular activities

For junior roles, extracurricular activities make all the difference: GitHub projects for developers; running a blog or small e-commerce site for marketers testing in the wild; Dribbble or Behance portfolio for designers. Having taken additional courses or boot camps is certainly a plus, but practical projects really tell a lot about a candidate and their motivation. —Mario Peshev, DevriX

 

4. Just the essentials

I find that resumes that are short or compact and focus only on the most important details say a lot about how professional and savvy a job seeker is. A resume that is several pages long and filled with large paragraphs is immediately off-putting. It’s a sign of thoughtfulness when a resume highlights the most important details. You can always add a link or a QR code to showcase more details. —Syed Balkhi, WPBeginner

 

5. Big-name brands or universities

A good resume needs to include an address. Jokes aside, the qualifications need to match up, and it has to be perfectly formatted. There isn’t really one thing. Correct spelling, proper grammar, punctuation, etc.,—all of those things are quite important. Mainly, though, if there are large brands or Ivy League education, that’s usually a quicker pass for an interview. —Nicole Munoz, Nicole Munoz Consulting, Inc.

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6. References

I always look for references on a resume. We specifically ask for potential hires to include this information on their application and resume. I’ve always felt that if someone isn’t willing to introduce you to people who can vouch for them, they are lacking transparency and are probably not a good fit for our business. —Chris Christoff, MonsterInsights

 

7. Clean, concise writing

A resume must have clean, concise writing as well as proper grammar and spelling. The job candidate must be able to tell me not only what they did at their previous positions, but also how they made a significant contribution. I want team players who can plan ahead and achieve their goals. To a lesser extent, all contact information must be correct. —Duran Inci, Optimum7

 

8. Imagery or video

A balanced portfolio that uses imagery, in addition to time lines and competencies, is really useful. If you are reading resume after resume, even if they are tailored to the job you are offering, it can get monotonous. Imagery or a video helps to showcase candidate information in different ways for different audiences. —Matthew Capala, Alphametic

 

9. Surprising skills and hobbies

I always look for skills and hobbies that can surprise me. Learning a foreign language is always good, and there are apps to simplify the process. Did you know that reading sheet music counts as a language? A musician can put that under the skills they’ve learned and impress someone reading their resume. —Riccardo Conte, Virtus Flow

 

10. Evidence of leadership skills

Good leadership skills are essential. Chances are whomever you hire will grow within the company, so you will need someone who can manage multiple people at a time, and guide your team onto the right path in order to have a successful business. —Patrick Barnhill, Specialist ID, Inc.

 

11. Impressive accomplishments

If a person has impressive accomplishments on their resume, that’s a great reason to bring them in. It means they have unique experience that could bring a fresh perspective to the table and solve issues differently. It’s always great to have different qualifications that make a candidate stand out and get chosen for an interview. —Jared Atchison, WPForms

 

Other important things to include with your job application

A personal note

I always look for a personal note along with the resume that highlights why a candidate wants to work for me or my company, and why they would be a good fit. It shows that they care about the position, and for me, that’s extremely important, as it’s an indicator that they are going to put in effort to succeed in the position. —Diana Goodwin, MarketBox

 

A personalized cover letter

I prefer to see candidates who write a cover letter specifically tailored to our company and the job itself. If someone sends me a standard resume with a generic cover letter, it shows me laziness and little initiative. A detailed cover letter that incorporates even basic knowledge of the company and the job will go a long way in helping that person get an interview. —Justin Lefkovitch, Mirrored Media

 

RELATED: How to Strategize Your Job Search

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Seeing Opportunity in the Blue Light Glasses Trend—Could It Be Your Next Business Idea?

Posted: 14 Nov 2020 11:17 AM PST

If there's one universal trait shared by nearly all entrepreneurs and small business owners, it's the hours we keep. We either get up early or go to sleep late—or both (I'm writing this article at 2 a.m.). And most of our waking hours are spent staring at a computer or phone screen.

As a result, many of us—and others who spend a lot of time in front of electronic devices (accountants, writers, graphic designers, just to name a few)—suffer from headaches, eye strain, bad sleep habits, and other assorted maladies.

Our devices emit a high-energy blue light, which is thought to be the source of the problems. To screen or filter the light, some people are increasingly turning to blue light eyewear as a possible solution (it's also an entrepreneurial opportunity). But not everyone believes these glasses work.

Blocking blue light: does it really help?

In an article on WebMD, the American Academy of Ophthalmology states that we don't need blue light glasses, advises against wearing any type of special eyewear for computer use, and adds that blue light does not cause eyestrain.

However, in the same article, The Vision Council says "specialized glasses" might indeed reduce eyestrain. And the former president of the American Optometric Association told USA Today he recommends using blue light glasses to lessen eyestrain.

WebMD says blue light glasses are not regulated by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) because they're not marketed as a medical device. Blue light, according to the article, is everywhere, with most of it coming from the sun. But our digital devices do emit a "brighter, shorter-wavelength (more bluish) light."

The Harvard Health Letter cites some studies that "suggest [but don't prove] a link between exposure to light at night [and] diabetes, heart disease, and obesity." Studies conducted at Harvard and the University of Toronto show a potential link between being exposed to blue light at night and the secretion of melatonin, which can interfere with our sleep cycles. Other research has shown that not getting enough sleep can increase your risk for depression, diabetes, and cardiovascular problems.

The University of Toronto researchers suggest wearing eyewear that blocks blue light prevents the disruption of our sleep cycles. WebMD reports on a study conducted by the University of Houston which found wearing blue light glasses "showed about a 58% increase in nighttime melatonin levels."

While the American Academy of Ophthalmology advises people to "decrease evening screen time" to help reduce eyestrain, that may not be actionable advice for small business owners working round the clock. One solution suggested in The Harvard Health Letter is to "consider wearing blue-blocking glasses or installing an app that filters the blue/green wavelength at night." The University of Toronto recommends if you're going to wear blue light glasses, use eyewear that blocks blue light only.

The entrepreneurial opportunity

That's where the entrepreneurial opportunity comes in. According to a Market Study Report, the global market for blue light eyewear will grow from $22 million in 2020 to $38 million by 2024. With that in mind, entrepreneurs Adam Rizza, Dave Weidetz, and Wally Rizza started their company BLNQ earlier this year.

As small business owners themselves, they realized how much time they spent in front of their digital screens. This was underscored by the results of a survey taken last year by Pew Research, showing 28% of American adults say they go online "almost constantly," up from 21% in 2015.

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BLNQ blue light glasses, which are crafted with Italian acetate frames, use a Q-TEC™ Lens Formula, which is a "premium anti-reflective coating" that eliminates computer glare, reduces eyestrain, and filters out the worst part of the blue light.

The company, which sells its products on its website, is off to a strong start despite the challenging economy. The increased demand for blue light glasses creates opportunities for manufacturers, distributors, and retailers/e-tailers.

Tips for taking care of your eyes

Regardless of whether or not you plan to start a business to help others reduce eyestrain, it’s important you watch after your own eye health. One way to reduce eyestrain is to follow the 20-20-20 rule: after 20 minutes of looking at a computer screen, you should look at something at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds. In addition, the American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends:

  • Keeping your eyes about 25 inches from the screen.
  • Position the screen so you're gazing slightly downward.
  • Use a matte screen filter on the screen to reduce glare.
  • Use artificial tears when your eyes feel dry.
  • If you wear contact lenses, give your eyes a break by wearing glasses every so often.

RELATED: 6 Tips for Staying Healthy at Work (When You're a Small Business Owner)

The post Seeing Opportunity in the Blue Light Glasses Trend—Could It Be Your Next Business Idea? appeared first on AllBusiness.com. Click for more information about Rieva Lesonsky. Copyright 2020 by AllBusiness.com. All rights reserved. The content and images contained in this RSS feed may only be used through an RSS reader and may not be reproduced on another website without the express written permission of the owner of AllBusiness.com.
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