NetKiEnt Career Blog

By Bram-Naus on unsplash.com Make your Resume Stand Out by Covering These Seven Areas Are you struggling to capture compelling information for your resume? Does recruiter or hiring manager inquiries and interviews for your target position seem to evade you? When you review your resume does it make you feel as if your experience is not properly represented? If you can answer "yes" to any of the above questions, the issue could be within your resume. The good news is that with a little time investment, you can improve and achieve your desired results. While many struggle with writing their own resume, the process can be simple while optimizing its effectiveness. The key is understanding the value you bring and simply giving the companies what they are looking for by outlining their key criteria within your resume. Many people are unaware that there is a strategy to writing a targeted resume to attract hiring managers and get the interview. Mo...

How I Built My Confidence by Tapping into My Own Experiences. You Can Too! Sebastien Le Derout by Unsplash. Media's impact on my confidence.  Media has played a major role in how people tend to view themselves and their place in society. I was not an exception.  “ Fake it until you make it. Never let them see you sweat. You have to be twice as good to go half as far .” These are the things that I and many of my friends were taught growing up in a black home.   The same statements were told to many black children in 1970’s and 1980’s. I grew up at a time where most girls were taught to be a secretary or a nurse; never a doctor or any profession that were (at that time seemingly) reserved for males. The Cosby show was one of the first black show that broke through the stereotypes and was the epitome of the American family. Mom was a fierce attorney and Dad was a doctor.   There were five children who seemed pretty “normal” by television standards. I adored the sho...

Three years ago, I posted an answer on Quora regarding unspoken rules during the job interview. At the time, I had no idea that it would still actively generate upvotes three years later. My goal was to help a candidate feel better prepared during the interview process. 177K+ views and 700+ upvotes later, I’m thrilled that my response still resonates. The following is the question and response (edited for better readability): What are some unspoken rules during a job interview? Unspoken rules of the interview that I share with my clients include: Dress professionally, be polite to everyone and arrive at least 15–20 minutes early. Have a firm handshake. Realize that you actually control the “climate” or “flow” of the interview. Approach the interview with confidence in your abilities (not arrogance).  Remember that the interview is a two-way street - your expertise is a blessing to a company. Approach the interview as a “discussion” versus an interview. Say the interviewer’s n...

  This article was first posted in 2017/2018. It has been updated for 2022. Have you ever heard the old adage, “The grass is always greener on the other side?” A better description would be “The grass always APPEARS greener on the other side.” It is a part of human nature to want more, to compare ourselves to others and think that their lives or in this case careers are more exciting or the companies they work for are super wonderful. We may even go as far as to say, “If I had (fill in the name)’s career, I would be so much further in my life.” Or “If I worked at (fill in the company name), I would be happier and better appreciated.” However, when we get to the “ other side ” we find that the grass was painted green and isn’t even real and not only that, we have also now been assigned the task of painting it green. By this time, unfortunately too late, we realize that the grass really isn’t greener on the other side at all and are now full of regrets.   We n...

The following is a response to a question I received on Quora regarding a failure resume.  What is a failure resume and is it a good idea to have one?  A failure resume is one that lists all of a person’s failures with high emphasis on “lessons learned” from failures. It is supposed to highlight the candidate’s ability to overcome obstacles while being “interesting.” I don’t recommend anyone to submit one to a company unless it matches the company culture from a creative standpoint. The risk is too high. The key to a great resume is to emphasize “ What’s in it for the company .” While there’s something to be said about a failure resume; transparency, honesty, and humility, how would the company benefit and accomplish their goals? The candidate may have learned their lesson, but what action caused them to actually accomplish a goal? What is the  action  besides learning a lesson? A company wants to know what a candidate  can do and has done , not what th...

A few weeks ago, I spoke with a client who was distraught over humiliation she experienced at work after learning that many in her office believed she was only promoted because of Affirmative Action. She found it difficult to work because she wondered how many others held the same belief.  As I tried to convince and remind her that she earned her promotion, she questioned her abilities. The experience shattered her confidence.  Unfortunately, many people of color are challenged with this same experience. The stress of trying to fit-in to a culture that doesn't seem to include them or the responsibility of properly representing their race is a part of their norm. Navigating Around Workplace Bias describes their experience and provides tips on how to navigate around workplace bias.  If you have experienced discrimination of any type, report it. If the company has a process, go through the internal process first. The following resource can help determine...

Recently, I participated in the BMWOC3 podcast with Anne Alston from AlstnTec.  During the podcast I discuss my career transition from distribution management to career services. I share a funny story of when I was sent home on my first day as a distribution supervisor because I was over-dressed for a warehouse. I also share a moment when an employee attempted to remind who was in charge (It was a rough facility at the time). We also discuss the impact of ageism, having confidence and the importance of maintaining your personal brand.  Enjoy the podcast and let me know what you think!  Best, N -  Check out the podcast here:  AlstnTec BMWOC3 podcast

It’s 2018!  This is the year that will be different. It has to be for your sanity. Years of being in the same career that is rapidly changing or you’ve frankly outgrown is wearing on you. Perhaps you’ve been with a company where you’ve hit the brick wall or glass ceiling.  Maybe you’ve been out of work for a long time and you have now questioned your ability to even get hired. There has to be a change. This year has to be better. Many times, I meet clients who are unsure of the direction they want to go. I also meet clients who seem to know where they want to go but are unsure how to get there. There are others who know what they want to do, know how to get there, but simply aren’t motivated to do the work. Whatever the issue is, there are easy steps to help you figure it out. Build Your Career Strategy. Many people become intimidated by the concept of strategic planning or strategy building. It sounds overwhelming and complicated. However, it’s really pretty ...

If your  résumé  is longer than two pages, keep reading.  A common question many tenured professionals ask is how to best fit 20 years of experience into one to two pages on their résumé.   It’s understandable to want to reflect all of the hard work accomplished spanning 20 long years. The problem is not in sharing the things accomplished through hard work, it is how to communicate the key accomplishments so that it effectively maintains relevance within today’s business environment. While it may appear overwhelming, with a little organization, a novel length  résumé can easily be reduced to one or two pages.  The following are a few tips to help condense the tenured résumé: Writing for the reader will help you stay focused on only including relevant information. 1)     Write for the reader :  Think about what the recruiter and hiring manager want to know. Use the position job description from multiple companies a...