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5 steps for updating your resume
Are you still using your resume from four years ago? If so, follow these five tips to update your resume.

Monster staff
5 steps for updating your resume
When was the last time you had a chance to update your resume? Was it a different season? Was your hairstyle still in fashion? Not sure? Oh boy.

“You should update your resume every six to 12 months to add new skills and experiences,” says Monster career expert Vicki Salemi. But the truth of the matter is, most people shelve their CVs once they're comfortably employed, letting them gather dust. If this is you, it's safe to say you need an updated resume in order to be a top contender in your quest for a sweet new job.

Why bother with a resume update? But you never know when the next awesome job opportunity will arise, and you want to be ready for it since you have the best chance of being considered for a job if you apply within the first 24 hours. You don’t want to delay applying because you need time to update your materials.

Plus, if you haven’t revised your resume in a while, you probably have some stuff on there that dates you or makes you look stale. And with recruiters spending about six seconds viewing a resume, you can’t afford to be anything less than sparkling.

These five quick “spring cleaning” moves ensure that your resume will be a strong contender when it reaches the desk of a recruiter, and better yet, a hiring manager. So, isn’t it time you freshened things up a bit?

Tips for a resume update

1. Start with the look and lingo

"Whoever says looks don't matter hasn't been out on the job search battlefield lately," says resume expert Kim Isaacs. "You have to use every possible advantage to compete in today's job market."

For starters, get rid of the "objective" field. That's yesterday's news and a potential red flag to hiring managers that you're not on top of current standards and practices in the workplace.

And while you're at it, toss out any mentions of outdated skills, old software programs or other examples of terminology from yesteryear that may make you seem out of the loop. "Terminology changes from year to year," says Isaacs, "so be sure your resume reflects current trends."

2. Toss the snail mail and boost your social profile

An active online presence speaks volumes to your potential employers. In fact, a recent study by the Society For Human Resource Management (SHRM) found that 84% of employers recruit via social media, and 43% of employers screen job candidates through social networks and search engines. Include links to your personal website, blog and social pages. Just make sure that people who are searching for you online will like what they find.

3. Look alive!

Employers want to recruit talent that is passionate about what they do and enthusiastic about their company. Nothing kills mojo quicker than lifeless verbs floundering on your resume. A handful of action verbs on your resume will help liven things up a bit.

4. Check your fonts

Playful, unprofessional fonts are an eyesore. The worst fonts for your resume should be pretty obvious (hello, comic sans), but in case your'e not sure, take a look at some current sample resumes to see what is and is not in fashion.

5. Temper the testimonials

Of course your references are available upon request—that's a given. Don't waste valuable resume real estate by offering something to potential employers that they're going to wind up requesting anyway. Use the extra space to expound on your winning skills and work experience.

12 surprisingly high-paying part-time jobs

Elizabeth Bromstein| January 18, 2016 09:29 am


Making ends meet can be difficult, even with full-time work, particularly if you live in a big, expensive city like Toronto or Vancouver.

Maybe your hours have been cut, or maybe your bills are already covered but you want more cash for vacations, shoes and gadgets. Whatever the case, lots of people have to take on part-time jobs to cover expenses. Teachers and small business owners often have to find more employment. Life’s hard.

But not all part-time jobs are created equal. Here are some suggestions that can pay better than average and offer other advantages as well.

Rideshare driver: Rideshare drivers earn between $15-$30 an hour on average. You’ll need a reliable vehicle, smartphone, and to pass a background check. “Over the past year, we’ve seen a huge influx of drivers and a few rate cuts so while it’s not as lucrative as it once was,” drivers can still make good money, Harry Campbell, publisher of TheRideShareGuy.com tells Time. “Generally, the bigger the city, the better the money.” He says drivers tend to make the most money on Friday and Saturday nights. Best of all, he says this work offers “immense flexibility.”

Web Designer: Time lists the pay for web designers at $20-$150, so at the upper end you can do quite well for yourself. Josh Lindenmuth, CIO with the payroll company Payce, Inc. tells Time her know one designer who earns over $15,000 a month on the side. “Designers with strong portfolios can make incredible money, particularly if they team up with small website marketing firms that build/maintain websites for small- and medium- (sized) businesses,” Lindenmuth says. Web design jobs on Workopolis

Translator: Put your ability to write in another language to work. Translators are paid approximately $25 an hour. The highest hourly rate is in Montreal, QC, where you can pull in $34/hr, while translators in Fredericton, NB, make a piddling $14/hr, so there is a wide range. French speakers are going to be in big demand in Canada, but if you speak, say, Afrikaans or Finnish, the competition won’t be as fierce. Translation jobs on Workopolis.

Waiter: There’s a reason actors and musicians make their livings as waiters. It pays the bills. It’s pretty much impossible to average out what servers make, considering how widely it ranges but suffice to say that if you get a good gig, you can do really well on minimum wage plus tips, certainly topping $20 an hour. One bar waitress I know made $100,000 a year. But that was full time. Don’t be crazy. Hospitality and food service jobs on Workopolis.

See also: Confessions of the $100,000 waitress.

Bartender: Similarly, slinging drinks can net you a pretty penny, particularly in busy places. Plenty of bartenders can make about $1000 working three nights a week. So, it’s great work if you can get it. Bartender jobs on Workopolis.

Editor/Writer: A good freelance editor, who may work on anything from books, to magazines, to websites, will earn about $40-$60 per hour, though, often you’ll find yourself working on a per project basis. The good news is you set the rate. Some editors may also ask for retainers or a daily rate. Some may also work for less – say $30/hr – which is worth it if the work from one client is regular. It saves on the hustle, which eats time. Freelance writers, meanwhile, can earn hundreds to thousands of dollars per month. Arts and media jobs on Workopolis.

Tutor: If you were a wiz with any particular subject at school – math? science? French? – you can put this to work helping out kids who are struggling. While the internet suggests the average hourly wage for a private tutor is about $25 an hour, I know people who have charged $40-$60 an hour. If you work for a tutoring company you will make quite a bit less.
Glassdoor lists the hourly rate for tutors at Sylvan Learning Centers at $15-$16/hr.

Fitness instructor: Trainers can work in gyms, their own studios or in client homes. According to Payscale, the average pay for a Personal Trainer is $19.87 per hour. But most I know actually average $30/hr and, for in-home personal training sessions, $75-$100/hr. This job does require specific training and certification, the level and intensity of which varies depending on the physical discipline – yoga, aerobics, weights etc. – which does cost time and money itself.

Music teacher: If you play an instrument, like piano or guitar, well enough to teach others, there’s good money to be made giving music lessons. The pay varies widely, beginning at around $12 for a half hour, while one drum teacher tells me the standard rate for private lessons is $50/hr and up. Very experienced and in-demand teachers can charge $100-$150 an hour. Probably more.

Social Media Strategist: The social media expert is, as we know, a dying job title. This is because as businesses become more accustomed to social media, it will be less of a specialized skill and more of a common one. In the interim, however, Social media strategists can make some good coin. The job involves updating Facebook, Twitter, and other sites for companies. It’s unclear what it works out to per hour but people tend to charge $500-$1500 a month, so if you can score a couple of clients, you can do quite well on a part-time basis. Social media jobs on Workopolis.

Computerized College Note Taker: Note takers attend classes and type notes for deaf students. I’m informed by an acquaintance who used to do this that at one college note takers can earn $36 an hour after the first year. And you get to learn stuff at the same time.

Dog Walker: Being great with man’s best friend is something you can turn into great part time income. If a dog walker charges $16 for an hour-long group walk and walks 3-5 dogs at a time, once a day four days a week, that’s nothing to sniff at. For private half-hour walks you can charge $20-$25. You should check the laws for licensing and insurance in your city, as cops do hand out tickets for infractions. Know that caring for people’s furry loved ones is a serious commitment, though, not to be taken lightly

What your employer knows that you don’t in salary negotiations

Colleen Clarke| January 8, 2016 12:45 pm


When a hiring company falls in love with you, they offer you a job. Because they are in love with you and they believe you will take the job and they believe the long, tedious job search is finally over, you are in the bargaining seat.

However, when unemployment is low the job seeker has the advantage and when the unemployed rate is high, it is an employer’s market.

You are offered the job; the employer knows how much they are willing to pay in salary.

Secret One

You might not know what the top of the range is for the position, but the employer knows. And, the employer hopes to get you for less than the top range.

The employer starts the bidding low, the candidate starts high. The plan is of course to at least meet in the middle. Where the employer starts bidding and where they are willing to go determines the range. If the employer can afford to pay you $60,000/year but they try to get you for $53,000/year then the range is $53-$60,000.

Based on what you think you are worth at the time of hiring, this should be your starting point. You have every right to negotiate the highest salary the employer is willing to pay.

Secret Two

Mentioning a salary figure first costs you money. History has shown that whoever speaks first loses. This theory is true in the sales process as well. Once the pitch has been made, the sales person learns to quit talking. Whoever breaks the silence, the deal goes that way.

Experienced interviewers will try to get you to mention a figure first. They will ask, “What salary are you looking at?” Try not to tell them an exact number. It is not kindness by asking you to disclose your preference, it is a tactic. Your reply will be something like, “What figure did you set when you created the position?” OR, “I know the industry standard for roles like this is $XX – my experience puts me near the top of that range. We can negotiate the precise figures once I learn more about the particulars of the job itself.”

Secret Three

Be prepared to discuss a range, never a single figure. Let’s start with the employer’s range. Often the ranges are posted so it is simple to start negotiating. When salary ranges aren’t posted, your research skills will come into play. Start with who you know who works for the company or the competition in an equivalent position. If that fails, ask a recruiter what the going rates are. Stats Canada can help in some instances and Robert Half publishes accounting position salary ranges yearly.

You want to place yourself just below the maximum of the employer’s salary range and go up from there. The increments of the range are determined by the level of salary. Below $45,000 the increments should be less than ten grand, whereas over $45K the range can be $10,000, Over $75,000 look at a $15-20K variance.

If the offer is much lower than you are willing to consider, and you really want the job, try offering to work part time. If you want $60,000 and the offer is $35,000, offer to work three days a week. Offer to work as a consultant rather than an employee so you can pursue other work and have write offs for being self employed.

Secret Four

Perks typically add 15-28% to your salary. Salary isn’t all that has to be negotiated. There are the perks. Perks include health and dental coverage, RRSP contributions, a pension, travel expenses, car allowance, professional development training, holiday time, time in lieu, retirement programs, severance, working from home and moving costs.

Before you go into an interview you need to know your values and what is important to you. Once the salary has been determined it is time to discuss the benefits the company offers and what you need to be a happy, fulfilled employee.

Know that some items are totally written in stone, like health care packages possibly, but others are surely negotiable like vacation time, time in lieu, severance packages and mileage. You want to ask politely and gently and please do not be greedy or unrealistic. Know what your industry standards are so you aren’t asking for the stars and the planets.

Keep in mind that you might have to grow into some of the perks, and sometimes, the salary. Six months down the road you have a lot more to offer a company than you do on day one. That can be a negotiating point as well. When asking for a salary review in six months be sure it is a salary review and negotiation not just a review, and get that in writing in the letter of intent or the contract.

Secret Five

It is possible to lose a job offer at the last minute. Even if you’ve survived the resume scan, wowed the interviewers, and been offered the job – you don’t officially have it until the contract is signed. If you come across as too demanding or unreasonable in the the negotiation phase, an offer can be rescinded.

No matter how low on the totem pole you are, ask for a letter or contract. When you receive it, read it over carefully to ensure all that was agreed upon is clearly and fairly stated in writing. Make any necessary changes, add your initials to the change, send it back to the employer and pray it all goes through.

It ain’t over till the fat lady sings!

See also:

How to earn more money: Top tips for landing greater salaries and pay raises
How to ask for a raise and get one
10 surprisingly high-paying jobs

Colleen Clarke, Career Specialist & Corporate Trainer

www.colleenclarke.com