Creating a Human Resume

I saw the following great article on yahoo buzz this morning! As someone who once read over 300 resumes to fill one position, I would have really enjoyed a resume that sounded like the owner actually wrote it. For anyone tired of the corporate mumbo jumbo, make this your paradigm shift!


The Savvy Networker
10 Boilerplate Phrases That Kill Resumes
by: Liz Ryan


The 2009 job market is very different from job markets of the past. If you haven't job-hunted in a while, the changes in the landscape can throw you for a loop.

One of the biggest changes is the shift in what constitutes a strong resume. Years ago, we could dig into the Resume Boilerplate grab-bag and pull out a phrase to fill out a sentence or bullet point on our resume. Everybody used the same boilerplate phrases, so we knew we couldn't go wrong choosing one of them -- or many -- to throw into your resume.

Things have changed. Stodgy boilerplate phrases in your resume today mark you as uncreative and "vocabulary challenged." You can make your resume more compelling and human-sounding by rooting out and replacing the boring corporate-speak phrases that litter it, and replacing them with human language -- things that people like you or me would actually say.

Here are the worst 10 boilerplate phrases -- the ones to seek out and destroy in your resume as soon as possible:

* Results-oriented professional
* Cross-functional teams
* More than [x] years of progressively responsible experience
* Superior (or excellent) communication skills
* Strong work ethic
* Met or exceeded expectations
* Proven track record of success
* Works well with all levels of staff
* Team player
* Bottom-line orientation

You can do better. What about adding a human voice to your resume? Here's an example:

"I'm a Marketing Researcher who's driven by curiosity about why people buy what they do. At XYZ Industries, I used consumer surveys and online-forum analysis to uncover the reasons why consumers chose our competitors over us; our sales grew twenty percent over the next six months as a result. I'm equally at home on sales calls or analyzing data in seclusion, and up to speed on traditional and new-millennium research tools and approaches. I'm fanatical about understanding our marketplace better every day, week and month -- and have helped my employers' brands grow dramatically as a result."

You don't have to write resumes that sound like robots wrote them. A human-voiced resume is the new black -- try it!

Liz Ryan is a 25-year HR veteran, former Fortune 500 VP and an internationally recognized expert on careers and the new millennium workplace. Contact Liz at liz@asklizryan.com or join the Ask Liz Ryan online community at www.asklizryan/group.
The opinions expressed in this column are solely the author's.

Progressive Pioneer

If you are in the motherhood, and looking for inspiration - give this blog a try! www.progressivepioneer.com. If you visit before Friday, you can register for a FREE subscription to Mothering Magazine, and who doesn't like a little FREE these days! Win or no win, this blog is informative, fun, and the author (AMY) will definitely challenge the norm and leave you thinking... now that's something!

Recipe of the Day - Monterrey Chicken!

I actually first saw this recipe on the back of an Uncle Ben's converted rice box, so they get the credit, but I've made a few adaptations. The recipe for Easy Monterey Chicken is below. It's easy to prepare, inexpensive, and creates little mess. In my book, that's a win, win, win!

Monterey Chicken

Ingredients: butter, 1 lime, 1 avacado, 1/2 white onion 1 lb of boneless skinless chicken breast or tenders, 1 can of blackbeans, 1 can of pinto beans, salt, pepper, cumin, cilantro, 2 cans of chopped tomatoes with liquid. 1 box of your favorite rice (whole grain, white, yellow, anything works! I used Uncle Ben's boil in bag rice.)

Butter a casserole dish. Arrange chicken breast or tenders evenly around the bottom of your dish. Salt and pepper chicken breast, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp of cumin and about a palm full of fresh chopped cilantro (or one cube of frozen cilantro - you can find these at Trader Joe's.) Sautee chopped onion until traslucent. Sprinkle cooked onion evenly over chicken breast. Empty contents of both bean cans including liquid onto the top of chicken, onion mixture. Empty contents of tomato cans on top including liquid. Bake at 350 degrees about one half hour, or until chicken is cooked through. Prepare rice according to package directions. Serve chicken and sauce over rice. Garnish with lime wedges, and sliced avacado. Serve with hot crusty bread for dipping the sauce.

This dish was so easy, and both of the kids loved it, especially squeezing the limes. The best for mom: it onlly dirties two dished, and you can feed your family for under $10, unless you have like more than 4 kids, and then you need a personal chef at this point!

God Bless.

Great Deals of the Day

Last night I did my weekly shopping sprint for groceries (the last time I went grocery shopping was last Saturday night.) Having scanned the sales circulars and clipped coupons both in the ads and online, I decided Target was the best place to go. I got the ingredients needed to feed my family of 4 for the week for $48! (Now, we do have staples in the pantry, so these were fresh ingredients and anything else we had run out of during the week, including laundry detergent, hair gel, and shampoo!) I'll say it again, $48! The total before my coupons was $91 dollars, which means I nearly cut my grocery bill in half. Some of my favorite deals of the day:

Kellogs Low Sugar Strawberry Poptarts (I don't buy these often, but the kids think I'm a hero when there are poptars in the grocery bag, and the low sugar ones aren't so bad.)
Regular Price: $2.19 My price: 24 cents! (new store special for $99 less 75 cents manufacturer coupon.)

Large bag of Fritos Scoops for popcorn night:
Regular Price: $2.75 My price: 75 cents! (on sale for $1.75 less my $1 off store coupon)

5 lb bag of Green Giant Russett Potatoes:
Regular Price $3.19 My price: 49 cents! (on sale for $1.49 less my $1 off store coupon)

160 Pack of Huggies Sensitive Wipes:
Regular Price $6.19 My price: 49 cents! (on sale for $5.99 less $5 off huggies manufacturer coupon printed from website, less 50 cents store coupon.)

Fiber One Bars:
Regular Price $3.19 My price: $1! (on sale for $2.25 less $1.25 store coupon.)

Gold n Plump Farm Raised Chicken Breast = 1.25 lb pack of boneless skinless
Regular Price$3.49 My price $1.50! On sale for $2.50 less $1 store coupon from sales ad

California Pizza Kitchen BB@ chicken Pizza:
Regular Price: $5.49 My price: $1.99 (on sale for $3.49 less $1 off store coupon, less 50 cents manufacturer coupon.)

There were many more great deals, but those are the ones that really made me smile! I do love a great deal. I also had a $5 off a $50 purchase coupon, and I got a $10 gift card for transferring a prescription, so I still have $10 left to go back and purchase some more FREE stuff!

Saving $$$ while you Save the Planet!

In the current economy, advice on how to save money is cropping up everywhere. Cheap is suddenly the new chic and the blogging world has gone crazy with soccer moms becoming experts on how to save your family hundres of dollars per year. (Something the greatest generation knows we should have been doing all along.) Admist the frenzy of all this clipping and saving, there is a tiny little nagging voice in our heads about not forgetting to be responsible about how we take care of our planet, the foods we feed our kids, etc. Let's call it a "bargain hangover" created by the guilt we feel when shopping at the big name stores, forgetting the little local grocer who depends on us, buying stuff you wouldn't normally feed your children because it's nearly FREE, abandoning organic because of the hit it takes on your wallet. Well I love it when I find a way to still make the best choices, be "green-minded", wholesome, and still save $$$. The following shopping guide from Kelli B. Grant of SmartMoney.com will show you when it's good to buy organic, and when it really isn't necessary!

Organic Produce
Sure, buying organic makes you feel like you’re doing the right thing, but it isn't always the best choice for your wallet. Fruits and vegetables like kiwis, sweet corn and broccoli require very little pesticide to grow. Others -- like avocados, onions and pineapples -- have thick or peelable skins that reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals. “Any pesticide that remains is not getting through,” says Lempert. For a handy reminder as you shop, download the Environmental Working Group’s wallet-sized organic produce guide.
Potential Savings: Organic broccoli costs $2.99 per pound at online grocer FreshDirect, which also offers conventional broccoli for $1.49. A pound of navel oranges is $4 for the organic and $2 for conventional. Someone buying a pound of each item weekly could save $182 over the course of a year.

Read Kelli's whole article here: http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/106780/7-Things-You

Siblings

Ok, so I wasn't adbucted my aliens or savagley chased down by some wild turkeys at the library (don't laugh, this happened to Beth!) Now that Emalee is getting close to 2, I am learning to survive two toddlers. It's interesting, and we'll leave it at that for now. I'm not here to bitch about my job, on most days I love it, and I am totally grateful that I get to stay with my kids.

My favorite thing this week (maybe i should rename the blog) is watching the relationship grow between Emalee and Cayden. They are so funny when they are making each other laugh. Most of the time, they are even funny when they fight. I love the way Cayden is so protective of her when we go somewhere, and the way he always wants to speak up for her, and let me know what she wants. He's always quick to make sure she doesn't get left behind in a crowd. I love the way Emalee looks up to him, but not too much. She's definitely her own person, and can put her big bro in his place when he's trying to boss her around. She's going to be a tough one, for sure. She may be a little peanut, but there's a big wild woman in there waiting to come out.

Nothing warms a mother's heart like seeing her siblings looking out for each other. I'm sure this doesn't change no matter what age your children are. I think my hubby's mom would say she is still so proud when her kids (all in their 30's) are helping each other out or laughing over something together. I guess at the end of the day, there's nothing like Family, and watching the one within your own four walls develop is really a gift from God.

God Bless you all, and your own families too.

Wine Cubes

No, I'm not talking about cheap wine that comes in a box. Take your leftover wine and pour into ice cube trays (you can find them at the dollar store) and freeze. They are great when you want to cook with wine, but don't need/want to open a new botte. Now I know many of you - especially those who knew me BK (before kids) are thinking Leftover wine? What? Well, we traded in lots of wine for lots of whine around here recently, and too much wine with dinner does not help one to pop out of bed at 6:30 am rounding up sippy cups, brushing teeth, and changing diapers! The frozen cubes are a great addition to flavor stews, sauces, gravy, or soup. And since you should never cook with a wine that you would not drink, (the flavor concentrates) it's a great way to save on adding some wonderful flavors to your favorite dishes. Ok, before you think I am a total June Clever here, its also a great way to add ice to your favorite mixed drinks without fear of watering down your booze! Pop them in Sangria, wine coolers, summer wine, tinto verano, martinis, you get the idea.

The concept also works well for marinara cubes, chicken stock or broth, etc.... Just make sure to label your storage containers, as chicken stock flavored Sangria will not go down well at your next cocktail party. Enjoy!

Smoky Sweet

We had a few friends over for dinner last night and I made these chicken soft tacos I saw on the Rachel Ray show. I tivo'd this show because Salma Hayek was on and I think she's an amazing person. I like Rachel, but only in small doses, so I definitely don't watch her show everyday, but I must admit that when I do watch it, I usually find something I like.

I found that ancho chiles were hard to find, so I used chipotle peppers instead. The tacos were a huge hit with family and friends, so I'm making them my favorite thing for today.

http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/ancho-chicken-soft-tacos/

Barefoot Contessa - Back to Basics

So I was half way watching food network yesterday, and half way napping. I would have given into the nap fully if it were not for the fear that one of my children would wake up too quickly and I would be sound asleep. That has happened only a few times, and its not good. I don't do cat naps, I do bear naps. I sleep like a brick during the day... I don't know why. I wake up easily at night.. maybe because I rarely take naps? Well I fluttered my eyes open and Cayden was standing at the foot of the couch. "I want to watch cooking with you, Mommy." So, I pulled him onto the couch with me and we watched a new episode of Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten.) Okay, who knew she had a new cookbook out and didn't tell me? You are rotten! If anyone had shared this information with me, I would have surely cooked something for you already. Anyway, her new cookbook is Back to Basics. It looks dandy. I read cookbooks like novels, by the way. I committed the Brownie Pudding recipe to memory and made it last night for Matt as a Valentine surprise. Thanks Ina, quite good timing! Here's the recipe:

4 extra large eggs
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup of "good cocoa" powder
1/2 cup of flour (plus extra for buttering the dish)
seeds scraped from one vanilla bean
2 sticks of unsalted butter (melted)
1/2 tablespoon of framboise (Ina's key to "unlocking" the flavor) I used chambord.

Blend eggs and sugar in your mixer (using paddle attachment if you're fancy and have one - I don't.) Mix until thick, smooth, and light yellow - about 5 to 10 minutes.
Sift the cocoa and flour together - or let your 3 year old do it, this is great fun for a toddler... little messy, but who cares, right?
Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean by slitting the bean from stem to stern with a good kitchen knife, and then scraping out the inside.
Add the flour mix and bean scraping to the mixer, and mix just until blended.
Finally, pour in the melted butter and framboise, mix just until blended.
Butter your baking dish and pour the entire mixture into the dish.
Bake at 325 for one hour. Baking in a water bath keeps it evenly done.
Check with a toothpick. Sides should come out clean, middle should be wet... and chocolate, moltenly delicous. Try it out, hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Serve with vanilla icecream. As Dolly Parton would say, "you need something to cut the sweet!"

Christy Needs

This is new to me, so I am going to share it, but it's been traveling around blogs and facebook for a bit. Google "your name needs" and see the first ten results that come up. It's easy, and good for a quick chucke. You may find some that apply, and some that you don't want to admit apply! When I google "Christy Needs" these are the results:

1. Christy needs to blog
2. Christy needs help
3. Christy needs a sheltie to boss the deerhounds around
4. Christy needs her own tv series
5. Christy needs to take her opinions elsewhere
6. Christy needs more pop video on AOL
7. Christy needs an intervention
8. Christy needs rainbow chills ????
9. Christy needs a new computer
10. Christy needs pleasing

I do like to blog, and I often do need help - of all kinds... I think my deerhounds will be okay without a sheltie for a while???? I am thinking #10 was a link to a bit of a naughty website, so we'll hold off on that for now. Smile! If anyone knows what rainbow chills are please let me know. Is it anything like a frosty penguin? (circa Ally McBeal days.)

Well enjoy your list. You never know what you may need!

Ricotta Cheese Pancakes

Did I mention that I take weekends off? (Well not usually Mondays and Tuesdays too) but it's been a crazy week. Anyway, as you may have seen on my other blog www.motherload-christy.com, I have fallen in love with Ricotta Cheese. I'd never been a fan in the past, but I love it now. Someone told me once that your taste buds change every seven years (Ann, was that you?) I am going to make these pancakes for dinner. We had them over the weekend and they were fabulous. http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,175,130182-245196,00.html This recipe uses bisquick, so it is super easy - however there are several totally from scratch recipes involving egg separation and flour sifting on cooks.com for you "Marthas" and non-toddler having people of the world. Peace, Love and Cheese!

Christy

Warm from the Inside Out

I do like cold weather, but I like mine with precip - ice, snow, I'm not picky. I like to hear about everyone running to the stores for bread and milk. I like the idea of being holed up inside for a day or two, and just enjoying some old movies - okay - so it would have to be Disney movies now, but that's okay too. I like to say inside and bake bread and make soup, and store up fat for the winter... oh wait, mission accomplished. What I don't like is being cold in the house! Heat Pumps and weather as cold as we've had for the last several days do not mix! I also don't like wind that rattles the house, never mind my bones. Karen (Channel 2) says we're finally on the warm up, and she usually nails it, so that's good; however, I started my warm up yesterday with White Hot Chocolate and Peppermint Schnapps. Yum, Yum! It definitely warms you from the inside out, with the added bonus of slight appetite suppression, breathing easier through a stuffy nose, and it dulls the pain of listening to the Handy Manny toy tool truck repeating the same message 2,000 times. Below is Sandra Lee's recipe, or you can purchase the K-cups if you have a Keurig and then just add the schnapps... WARNING - this makes it dangerously speedy to concoct. Now, go warm up your bones, I am.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sandra-lee/white-hot-chocolate-recipe/index.html

Pom Poms - not the cheering kind!

Drum roll, please. Today's favorite is great, inexpensive, and easy-to-make. (I promise.) I recently discovered these great decorations at a shower given for Jessie and her new baby Logan. (Gosh, Logan, I can't seem to blog without mentioning your sweet little baby self.) I immediatley inquired about the joyful bursts of color hanging over the punch bowl and gift table. Lesley Graham (a party hostess with the mostest) told me to check out Martha Stewart for the tips on how to make these lovely and colorful balls. I did follow Martha's advice, and for once - it was easy and simple. Not that I don't enjoy most of Martha's creations, but they are rarely ever simple, or inexpensive for that matter - so way to go Martha! Love it, thank you for making something that your average person can muster the attention span to complete.

http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/article/pom-poms-and-luminarias

I also discovered that the pom poms are easily made out of left over party napkins. Cayden (my 3 year old) helped me make these for his birthday. The blue polka dot one and the red and white with snowflakes are made out of small cocktail napkins. They are easier for children to work with because it does take some patience to open up the tissue paper without tearing the paper. The same method has been used for making tissue paper roses for HS floats for years, so you see some of Martha's ideas are recycled as well. (Shout out to Ann for that tip!) Hope you enjoy these. We certainly have.

Pea Cup

Yes, pea cup, not pee cup, is my favorite thing of the day! It's a clever way to organize your writing pens, keep them from inking up the bottom of a favorite cup or jar, and is aesthetically pleasing. I must give credit for today's tip to Lime Tree - a boutique store in the fab new outdoor mall, Ashley Park, in Newnan. I first saw this neat idea when shopping for a gift for baby Logan's welcome home party! Look at that Logan, you're just over a month old, and already being blogged about! Find a sweet little potting cup, small glass vase, or any type of storage container you like. Add peas, and arrange your writing pens and pencils, and place a few little writing pads nearby for added function. I used a large amber colored glass candle holder from IKEA, and black beans. They used split peas at Lime Tree in a large clear apothecary jar. It looked great as well. Coffee beans can also be used, and then your pen display does double duty to frangance your kitchen or office with the smell of fresh brewed coffee.

Ground Hog Day

Today being Ground Hog Day, I thought of Bill Murray and what it would be like to keep living the same day over and over again, thereby leading me to the thought that today would be a great day to start this new blog. I've been thinking about starting a blog for a while to share my favorite new ideas, not always my own original ideas, but something new I've come across that I think other cool moms would like. Oops, did I just refer to myself as a cool mom, well something my grandmother always said was "you might as well think highly of yourself, or no one else will." Fresh Picked will be a new idea every day, a recipe, a design idea, a new spin on something old. Since these ideas will not always be mine, I will give credit where credit is due. Basically, I'll be scouring magazines, home improvement shows, other blogs, and the internet to bring you hip new ideas you can use or lose. If you like an idea, or take it to the next level, be sure to comment. Not all of the daily pickings will be geared toward kids, so that all readers can pick something to love.

PS - I do realize that yesterday was Ground Hogs day... I just didn't get to wrap up this post until now.