The shift I needed to make was not just in blog content. During my maternity leave with James, I had the chance to reflect on who and what was really important to me in my life and my career.
I launched Catalyst Executive Search on September 1st, 2021 and my creative outlet has been transitioned there.
carlyanne.com has had a great run. I’ve removed most of the content from this site other than a few my Career, Life, Balance posts.
So thank you all for being along with me on this journey for the past almost 20 years, it’s time to turn the page.
I’ve had two children of my own now and I am not ashamed to tell you I was terrified about the labour & birth both times. Going into my second pregnancy I decided I needed to be better prepared and do anything I could to help minimize the mental and physical toll it takes on me. The two books I read, Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth* and Mindful Pregnancy* completely changed the way I felt. I went into the labour & delivery with the confidence that I was built to do this and it gave me a sense of power and peace I didn’t know I could have
One of my close friends is a nurse and she’s had 2 babies at home naturally. She recommended hypnobirthing to me and Ina May’s book. I honestly thought she sounded crazy at first (sorry M!) and now I can’t believe it’s not required reading from the get go.
I had both of my babies in the hospital, with an epidural (and morphine with #1). With the second birth I believe I was able to bring my labour on naturally, as well as to manage my mindset and anxiety levels to keep calm, using some of the techniques from these two books. My husband and I had a good discussion and verbal birth plan and he read parts of Mindful Pregnancy to understand what I needed from him as support. I went in to the hospital with a job to do AND the knowledge of how to work with my body and mind to help ease myself through the labour process.
The births were both considered “traumatic” for me and for the babies. Though with #2 all of the nurses and doctors in the delivery room (there ended up being about 8-10 people in there) commented on how calm I was able to remain throughout the process. My husband also noticed a complete difference in my mental state from #1 to #2. I know that my mindset was more stable from gaining an understanding of how a woman’s body physically births a baby and of course, the epidural for my pain management.
One of my delivery nurses was newly pregnant and she asked about my ability to remain calm during the labour. I told her about hypnobirthing and recommended she read them. I saw her a couple weeks later while visiting my son in the NICU and she said that the techniques had actually helped her with her patients.
If you are in the position of birthing a baby, I highly recommend reading these two books for your own sanity. We truly are built to do this. The techniques for relaxation & meditation and the understanding of how your body works and reacts to itself is an amazing thing.
I would also recommend them to any person working in the labour & delivery environment. It truly made a difference for me!
What you need to know to have the best birth experience for you.
Drawing upon her thirty-plus years of experience, Ina May Gaskin, the nation’s leading midwife, shares the benefits and joys of natural childbirth by showing women how to trust in the ancient wisdom of their bodies for a healthy and fulfilling birthing experience. Based on the female-centered Midwifery Model of Care, Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth gives expectant mothers comprehensive information on everything from the all-important mind-body connection to how to give birth without technological intervention.
Filled with inspiring birth stories and practical advice, this invaluable resource includes:
• Reducing the pain of labor without drugs—and the miraculous roles touch and massage play • What really happens during labor • Orgasmic birth—making birth pleasurable • Episiotomy—is it really necessary? • Common methods of inducing labor—and which to avoid at all costs • Tips for maximizing your chances of an unmedicated labor and birth • How to avoid postpartum bleeding—and depression • The risks of anesthesia and cesareans—what your doctor doesn’t necessarily tell you • The best ways to work with doctors and/or birth care providers • How to create a safe, comfortable environment for birth in any setting, including a hospital • And much more
Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth takes the fear out of childbirth by restoring women’s faith in their own natural power to give birth with more ease, less pain, and less medical intervention.
Trimester by trimester, this beautiful book gives you safe yoga, meditation, natural remedies, nutrition, and hypnobirthing techniques to match your stage of pregnancy. Encouraging, practical advice from midwife and positive birth expert, Tracy Donegan, will help you to understand your body, relish your pregnancy, and bond with your growing baby.
Troubleshoot pregnancy aches and pains with appropriate exercises, quell morning sickness with natural remedies and food, bond with your baby through meditation and movement, and prepare your body and mind safely and healthily for childbirth using strengthening exercises and hypnobirthing techniques.
Feel empowered to nurture and give birth to your baby with strength and confidence, and embrace your life as a new mum.
“A must-read for all parents who want to create a healthier, more joyful, more peaceful world.” – Deepak Chopra, MD
*I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post contains affiliate links which means that if you make a purchase using my link, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you
I review hundreds of resumes every year and there are so many opinions on what makes a resume stand out – from creative ideas like the Donut Delivery Resume to your standard Microsoft Word template.
With the hiring function now taking place almost completely online, there are a few things that you must do to make sure your resume gets in front of the person hiring.
Here are my tried, tested and true Resume Tips Everyone Should Know.
File Name
Save your resume file as “Your Name Resume YYYY” – Jane Doe Resume 2021 – and not just “resume“. It may be the only resume file on your computer – but when you are sending it to a Recruiter or HR you are one in a million. You have no idea how many resumes I get that are just titled “resume” and it will get lost in the file.
File Format
A Word (DOC, DOCX) file is the simplest format for your resume. Recruiters/HR are generally using a talent management software, so when you email or upload your resume it is automatically parsed into the database. A plain old word document ensures that it is uploaded correctly and that the content is legible*. A PDF file is also acceptable but remember to keep the file size under 400kb.
The likelihood of someone editing your Word doc resume is extremely slim – so send your applications in Word or PDF.
Graphics, Photos, Images
There is no room for your headshot on your resume. I know there is a very popular Word template that gives you the option. Unless you are applying for a role where you will be the face of a business (spokesperson, on-camera role, etc.) cut the photo.
Graphics and images get you noticed on a hard copy (printed) resume but leave them off when submitting online. They can and will interfere with how your resume uploads and formats in the company’s database. If you have your name as an image, have it in the header or as a logo this can mean that those fields will be left blank and when the potential employer looks at the file, there’s no way to tell who you are.
Resume Length
Typically a Recruiter/HR spends about 3.5 seconds reviewing resumes on the first pass. This sounds like no one gets a chance – but that’s why it is so important to make sure the information** we need is easy to find. A resume should be 1-2 pages in length max. You can use your LinkedIn profile
**What Information Are We Looking For? The initial pieces of data we are looking for are Job Title, Company Name and Length of Employment. It should be bold or underlined.
Customize Your Resume For Each Role
You should have a standard, general resume or CV** with all of your work experience listed and bullet points under each role. Use this as the basis to customize your resume pertaining to each role you are applying for. Use the job description to pick out any themes for your resume “voice” and look for recurring keywords or skills and make sure you include them when editing.
**Use your LinkedIn profile as your full resume/CV and make sure it’s optimized for SEO so you can be found when Recruiters are searching!
Use a Template!
I recommend using a Microsoft Word template or there are free sites like cvmkr.com or resume.io which allows you to edit/customize the information and gives you a format to choose from to export.
Contact Info
This is an area that has changed over the years. A best practice is to have your direct personal phone number (Cell) as well as your email address*. I also recommend having your LinkedIn Public Profile Link, Portfolio/Website (if you have one).
You no longer need to provide your mailing address on your resume because you’re not mailing out paper resumes or receiving paper responses generally . But if you’re applying to a role in a small market/location and currently live in that location it can help. Use your discretion!
*Make sure you have a professional email address – yourname@mail.com OR yourname1234@mail.com. Don’t send applications from your old “sk8rgurl_92” address!
Profile Summary
Think of your resume as your professional marketing document. A profile summary should be 1-3 sentences to“sell yourself”. It’s your chance to write a great headline and capture the reason you are a fit and the person hiring should continue. This is not your life story or your “about me” section, it is what you do and bring to the table to solve their hiring need.
Experience
Unless you are a recent grad, your Work Experience should be the next section of content in your resume. Typically you want to put your full-time work experience here and as you get older, this section can make your resume pretty long. It’s tough to know what to cut so my advice is – if you’ve been working more than 15 years, you can keep the company name, your title and employment years of your early roles.
Build out the recent and increasingly senior experience with bullet points of your key accomplishments, specialty/area of expertise and anywhere you were able to add value to the role/organization.
Education should be underneath Work Experience, but keep it short – College / University name, Degree/Certification and Graduation Year are all that you really need.
It is my recommendation to put volunteer work on your resume, but only if you have enough room. Again, you want to keep it short with the Organization Name, Your Role and Year.
Awards
Accolades from industry associations and professional organizations are a good way to stand out and these can be included at the botton of your resume.
References
“Excellent References Available Upon Request” was always standard at the bottom of my resume, but my advice is to ditch this section altogether. It is filler and there is really no need to add it. It is assumed by hiring managers/Recruiters that you will be able to provide professional references.
You should also never give out your references without being requested. Whenever you’re giving a person as a reference, make sure you’ve contacted them beforehand. Confirm they are available and willing to give one and let them know who will be calling.
If you have any questions about Resume Tips and Best Practices then leave a comment below or email questions[at]carlyanne.com
Carlyanne.com has always been a space for sharing my life and over the past few years I have tried harder to live in the present and not online. I believe it is so important to make time for the real priorities in life – and for me that’s family, career and myself.
We’re evolving to a space where I can add the most value to your day – sharing advice to help you in your career, tips I’ve learned over the years to make the most out of every day life, because it’s not all sunshine and rainbows over here! And things I love, to remind myself to take a step back and make time for my well being, to balance it all out.
I’ve been lucky enough to have some great mentors in my life and I hope I can share insights to inspire your own journey or add a little light to your day.
So grab a tea, get cozy and get ready to dive in to the next chapter with me.
