I am 12 years old & I just recently sent resumes and headshots to 20 different casting directors. Am I most likely to get an audition relatively soon? Thanks for your help! Best answer get’s rated. (:

Well, it depends. We must consider a few things before we can decide

1) Have you been in a large amount of shows (25+)?
If not, then many casting directors may consider you to inexperienced to get a role in a movie or proffesional show

2) Have you been in a large variety of shows?
If not, then the directors may think you lack the flexibility necessary in proffesional theatre.

3) Have you acted at a decent theatre level?
High school and community theatre are good, but you may want some higher level experience, such as lessons or parts in proffesional shows or movies before you can be considered for bigger and more prestigious roles. Middle school theatre won’t cut it, and neither will high school or community theatre if you aren’t in big or at least upper medium sized roles.

If all of these are answered "Yes," then you are likely to get offered an audition or small role by some of the directors somewhat soon.

Keep at it!

And always, Break A Leg!

My client can "mine’ resumes. Can they use a program to use a program to extract names ,titles and email addresses from a group of resumes?

It’s possible, as long as the resumes follow the same format. Usually it’s easier to obtain that information if candidates submit their resumes through an online form or through a standard resume template. That way the program knows exactly where to look.

I like ice-skating and so far i have learned up to single lutzes. What should i do to make it look good for college resumes? i am going to be a freshman. pls dont tell me to just do it for fun. i already do it. im in the ISI system.

You have to highlight your achievements, such as your ISI test level, the competitions you’ve done well in, shows/exhibitions, and any volunteer work related to skating. I’ve read some essays where the skater outlined what they’ve learned from skating about organization, committment, persistence, and goal-seeking. They also talked about "giving back" to skating by volunteering to coach Special Olympics, or helping out at competitions/shows/etc. If you received any special awards (sportsmanship, scholarship, citations, etc.) mention them as well. If you’ve done special training, like traveling to Lake Placid or Lake Arrowhead for clinics or camps, mention that.

Synchro is really heating up at the college level, even though it’s not an NCAA sport. If the college has a synchro team and you’ve got experience, don’t forget to mention that. You can also ask to meet with the synchro coach to discuss options and requirements during a campus visit. (Ask when you make the appointment in advance - the coach may have to travel to campus if s/he’s not a staff/faculty member.)

Did you know that the ISI has a scholarship program?
Overview: http://www.skateisi.com/site/Sub.Cfm?Content=ISIa_Education_Foundation
Application: http://www.skateisi.com/site/Contentpdf/Foundation/Scholarshipapp.Pdf
Unfortunately, the applications were due March 1st.
Keep it in mind for next year - you can apply before you start your senior year.

I’m not sure there is anything more frustrating to today’s job search process than companies that post online for open positions, insist that candidates contact them only via online forms, and warn against trying any other means of applying for the position. Obedient job seekers then follow all the requirements, sit dutifully by and wait, and what happens? Nothing!

I shutter to think of all the resumes that have been submitted into the proverbial HR black hole. They go in, but do they ever come out?

I find it a bit dumbfounding that a company claims it needs candidates, goes through all kinds of measures to insist qualified candidates contact it in a specific way, and then proceeds to disregard the responses it receives or, at the very least, make it virtually impossible for a candidate to get into contact with them.

But, I know, “it’s the don’t call us; we’ll call you” attitude….

I’ve spoken to several HR personnel who loathe candidates phoning them. “I don’t have time to be on the phone with job seekers all day!” they wail. And to some extent, we can all understand that. Who wants to be on the phone saying the same thing over and over again? However, I also find it stupefying that a department that is set up for the sole purpose of supporting corporate employees and assisting in finding suitable new candidates is so averse to actually speaking with them!

The person I really feel badly for is the hiring manager, however. Here is a department that really needs help. It has an open position, and it wants to find a good person to fill it. So they put in a request through HR to advertise the opening. HR complies. After that, the hiring manager is at the mercy of the HR department to send up resumes of suitable candidates that fit the right parameters.

Sounds good, right?

The problem, of course, if that all too often candidates fall through the cracks. Something happens between HR and the hiring manager (the black hole, remember?). I’ve seen great candidates, meeting most, if not all, requirements posted, and yet they never hear anything. How can that be?

Is it that the company posted for a position that is not really open? Or is that HR gave up after reviewing the first 100 resumes and only sent up a few of those to the hiring manager? Or is that something breaks down in the communication between HR and the hiring manager, and quality candidates aren’t properly identified?

Honestly, I am not sure, but one thing is clear, there is a definite disconnect between candidates and companies. Recruiters love it because it makes them look like heroes when they find the best candidate, but it really wouldn’t be that hard for corporations if they would just let their hiring managers do what they should do best, find qualified talent for their team.

Somehow in today’s job search market we’ve all bought into this concept that the best candidates are the ones that most fit a list of qualifications someone drummed up as the “ideal,” which sounds good on paper but rarely works out the best.

Although companies most certainly need a way to screen out unqualified candidates, they also need to be careful that they don’t become so closed off that they impede the possible connection between the hiring manager and the candidate.

Stephen Van Vreede
http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/job-seeker-dilemma-overcoming-the-hr-black-hole-681720.html

As a resume writer, I am always amazed at the amount of time I spend discussing the “wow” factor with job seekers. If any concept has been sold in regard to resumes, it is the idea that a resume must take on an almost magical quality that casts a spell over the reader, transforming the average professional into the “must-have” candidate of the year!

Of course, this magical quality is a moving target because no one quite knows what the special combination is to unveil this secret spell, and of course, everyone seems to have a different idea of what it means.

Not to mention the plethora of materials that are out there just promising to either create this almost-mythical document for you or to help you create your own.

“Get yours to the top of the pile! Just say our magic chant 15 times, spin around twice, and embed these special keywords behind the text of your document, and employers will be mesmerized!”

Laugh, if you want, but deep down, it is what every job seeker is really looking for…something that will make it easy for them, something that will overcome the fact that, by and large, they are just average working professionals trying to create a solid career that they enjoy.

Listen. I’ve seen a lot of resumes. Pretty ones. Flashy ones. Video ones. Two-column ones. Colorful ones. Conservative ones. Progressive ones. You name it.

Sorry to say, but flashy resumes have not really proven to be anymore effective than traditional professional obituaries. Both can seriously hurt a candidate’s chances.

So does this mean you can’t use color or get creative with a two-column masterpiece?

No, but a solid résumé must accomplish 3 things: (1) Utilize strong writing skills with solid action verbs, (2) organize the candidate’s information in such a way that a clear picture of the candidate is revealed (scope of knowledge and responsibility), and (3) be attractive without being offensive.

We all like things that look nice, but color isn’t what sells a candidate. Let the “wow” factor be in the strategy employed and the quality of the writing.

On the other side of things, however, don’t be so rigid that you force the writer to prepare a cookie-cutter resume (Times New Roman, 10-pt, with lots of bullets!!). You’ll just end up with something nondescript, that looks like it came from a Microsoft Word resume template, and is not much better than anyone with decent grammar skills could produce.

Do you know what really is the “wow” factor for employers? A well-crafted document that highlights the specific skills and accomplishments that they are interested in! Please don’t miss this point. It isn’t the skills/accomplishments that YOU are most proud of; it is the skills/accomplishments that THE EMPLOYER is most interested in for the type of position being filled.

Sadly, most job seekers are all worked up about the font and type size of the resume and less concerned about whether they really have the right strategy in place to attract their audience. Yes, a resume should look appealing, but if you can’t speak to your audience, then it is all just fluff and no “wow.”

Stephen Van Vreede
http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/the-resume-wow-factor-678011.html

I am going to the mall this Friday with a friend and we are going to hand out resumes. We are both 16 and haven’t had much experience. She hasn’t had a job, but I have had causal work making donuts for a friend’s family who owns a mini donut company. How would I go about giving the stores my resumes? Do I just say I’m dropping off a resume or should I ask if they are hiring?

You would go to the store and ask for the manager. You would then ask if they are hiring or are taking applications. If the answer is yes then you would leave your resume. Otherwise if you just give the resume to anyone or they are not hiring the resume will just wind up in the trash.

When Congress resumes April 12, 2010 and they pass the unemployment extension will it be retro active for those who will run out of benefits April 11, 2010 that just finished Tier II?

I believe so. Good luck!

I understand that people post their resumes at places like Monster.com and Careerbuilder.com, but you have to be an employer and pay for the privilege of reading them. Is there an easier way for regular folk to see what good resumes look like for people applying in a certain field? (I’m thinking of USDA/agricultural work specifically, but also wondering in general)

There are instructions and three samples of agricultural résumés at: http://www.bestsampleresume.com/agriculture-resumes.html.

For applying to a government job, forget trying to keep it to one or two pages. If you need more room to adequately describe your experience, then use more. And when you’re listing your experience, be sure to put the month and the year, the hours per week, and the salary. That gives the specialist a better idea of whether your experience matches what is needed. When you’re including your training, please don’t include copies of every flippin’ certificate that you ever received for every piddlefart class you ever took. It’s just annoying. But do include a legible copy of your official transcript. Some jobs will require an official, sealed copy, but if you have one sent, then have the transcript office include a copy of the announcement number on the envelope. Otherwise, it will never get matched to your application.

You can learn how to apply to USDA and find a sample resume at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/sp2userfiles/subsite/careers/applicant_guide.pdf

I have a letter of recommendation that a previous employer sent me via e-mail attachment. I want to include in when I send out my resumes. Should I print it in the same paper of my resume or will that look like a altered the letter? Should I mention in my cover letter that I have included the letter in addition to my resume?

Thanks!

Don’t include your reference list on your resume, this list is a separate document you must prepare, so that when an employer asks for one you would be able to send one immediately. Keep this list updated; call them up yourself to see if their number is still their current contact number. An unreachable number on your resume reference list will hurt your chances of getting hired; most hiring managers will treat this as a sign of negligence on your part.