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The question 'Does aluminum really cause the disease of Alzheimer's?' could be more accurately re-stated as 'Could exposure to aluminum cause Alzheimer's disease and could a causal link even be proven?' simply because aluminum is such a pervasive element in modern life, it's practically impossible to pinpoint frequency, duration and dosage of exposure at the individual level, let alone establish a cause-and-effect linkage between this one element, aluminum, on the one hand, and a complex, obviously multi-factorial disease such as Alzheimer's (AD) on the other hand. Simply, conclusive data's lacking. Rather epidemiological support of link between cumulative aluminum exposure and correlative risk of developing AD is confusing and inconclusive.This answerOutlines some basic facts about aluminum as it pertains to degree and variety of biological exposure.Summarizes conclusions from some recent meta-analyses, and systematic and umbrella reviews on the link between Aluminum and AD.Aluminum’s Pervasive in Human Foods, Daily Use Products and EnvironmentThird only to oxygen and silicon in its prevalence, aluminum is estimated the most abundant metal in the Earth's crust (1). Although there's as yet no evidence it is metabolized or even metabolizable by living things, its exponential industrial use from mid-20th century onwards has likewise exponentially increased human exposure to it. Though since the early 1970s, the pervasive soda can is a poster child of such use, it's far from the only one since aluminum has now become ubiquitous in not just human food and drinks but also in construction and the aircraft industry. After all, industrial aluminum use is pervasive, being used in everything from water treatment to generate drinking water to cosmetics, food, medical use and vaccines (see sequentially below from 1, 2),'The largest markets for aluminium metal and its alloys are in transportation, building and construction, packaging and in electrical equipment. Transportation uses are one of the fastest growing areas for aluminium use. Aluminium powders are used in pigments and paints, fuel additives, explosives and propellants. Aluminium oxides are used as food additives and in the manufacture of, for example, abrasives, refractories, ceramics, electrical insulators, catalysts, paper, spark plugs, light bulbs, artificial gems, alloys, glass and heat resistant fibres. Aluminium hydroxide is used widely in pharmaceutical and personal care products. Food related uses of aluminium compounds include preservatives, fillers, colouring agents, anti-caking agents, emulsifiers and baking powders; soybased infant formula can contain aluminium. Natural aluminium minerals especially bentonite and zeolite are used in water purification, sugar refining, brewing and paper industries.'Source of ingested aluminum is thus either natural, or through food and drug additives and daily use products, which constitute both consumer as well as occupational exposure (in the form of work in aluminum production and user industries).Natural: from its presence in foods grown in aluminum-containing soils. This can vary widely since aluminum compounds are more soluble in low pH soil, which is often the consequence of acid rain. This in turn increases aluminum content in plants animals and surface water (1, 3). Drinking water is another source since Flocculation - Wikipedia, a commonly used water treatment process, uses aluminum salts (1, 2), though the concentration is estimated low, <0.2mg/liter (4).Food and drug additives: With regard to aluminum in foods, starting sometime in the late 19th century and progressively more so since the mid-20th century, large-scale industrial food production the world over has enabled the abrupt and dramatic switch from a largely unprocessed to processed diet, the so-called 'Western' diet. Doing so has only increased aluminum bioavailability, especially human oral exposure. Such additives are found in dairy (milk, processed cheese, yogurt), staples (cereals, flours, grains), sweets (sugar, jams, jellies, baking sodas, powdered or crystalline dessert products (1, 2, 4). Use in food thus ranges from anticaking agents to buffers, emulsifying agents, firming agents, leavening agents, neutralizing agents and texturizers (2, see below from 4).While diet-based aluminum consumption is estimated to be ~10mg/day, over-the-counter drugs such as analgesics and antacids can increase this by several grams per day (5). Aluminum hydroxide for example is a common antacid ingredient that helps neutralize stomach acid while aluminum in antacids helps increase bioavailability of the active ingredient which is typically poorly soluble in the stomach's acidic environment (4).Daily use products: Cosmetics (perspirants, sunscreens, lotions, pigments), cookware, packaging are aluminum-containing daily use products. Aluminum's heat conductivity explains its pervasive presence in cookware. Leaching from cookware and packaging is estimated to add 2 to 4mg of aluminum per day in food, representing ~20% of daily aluminum intake (6, 7, 8).Estimated daily exposure between countries varies as much as 4-to 8-fold (see below from 4). This makes the task of estimating cumulative exposure in epidemiological studies attempting to discern a link between aluminum and AD or any other disease all the more challenging.Aluminum and Alzheimer's Disease (AD): Conclusions from Meta-analyses, & Systematic and Umbrella ReviewsAlzheimer's disease is classified as either the less frequent familial (1 to 5%) or the far more prevalent late-onset AD (LOAD), which is presumed the outcome of complex genetic, epigenetic and environmental interactions. Since hereditary factors fail to explain most AD cases, environmental factors have become prime research focus.Aluminum emerged as a candidate in the 1960s when a 1965 study observed neurofibrillary tangle (NFT)-like degeneration after directly injecting aluminum into rabbit brains (9), i.e., lesions similar but not identical to those considered a hallmark of AD. A 1973 study followed-up with the report of higher levels of Aluminum in post-mortem AD brain samples (10).Numerous mechanistic studies in the succeeding decades have proven inconclusive. After all, brain tissue degeneration in AD may simply make it better suited to accumulate metals such as aluminum. How to prove cause and effect? In addition, AD brain increase in aluminum levels isn't always accompanied by aluminum level increase in CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) with some studies suggesting it does and others not (11).Thus, establishing a conclusive link between increased human bioavailability of Aluminum and Alzheimer's disease remains elusive. For example, aluminum use in cosmetics such as antiperspirants became a focus of attention starting in the 1980s and yet, after decades of cumulative study, the FDA concluded (12),'The agency does not find the current evidence sufficient to conclude that aluminum from antiperspirant use results in Alzheimer’s disease.'Epidemiological studies trying to establish link between aluminum exposure through food and risk for AD are extremely complicated since it's present in such a wide variety of foods. Since AD's assumed to require years if not decades to develop, such studies would have to monitor aluminum exposure not just long-term but also at great depth, examining large study populations so that subset numbers remain large even after stratification, all amounting to a prohibitively expensive proposition.OTOH, epidemiological studies that tried to establish link, if any, between aluminum exposure through drinking water or occupational exposure and risk for AD have more promise since there's less ambiguity about the degree of daily and cumulative exposure. One 2016 meta-analysis of 8 such studies (4 drinking water, 4 occupational) on a total population of 10567 individuals found a significant association between aluminum exposure and risk for AD (13). Specifically, this study established chronic exposure to aluminum increased AD risk by 71%, where chronic exposure was defined as >100µg/liter aluminum in drinking water or its equivalent occupational exposure.A 2016 umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses (14), also concluded suggestive link between aluminum and AD. Other factors that also showed up as suggestive included factors as disparate as education, herepesviridae infection, low frequency electromagnetic fields and NSAIDs. OTOH, factors they concluded were highly suggestive included cancer, depression at any age, physical activity (high level being protective). However, the authors concluded cautiously (see below from 14, emphasis mine),'Several risk factors present substantial evidence for association with dementia and should be assessed as potential targets for interventions, but these associations may not necessarily be causal.'Thus, as of 2017, there is no consensus on whether and how aluminum exposure, specifically its bioavailability, influences AD risk. This is because numerous meta-analyses and systematic reviews that examined the totality of aluminum exposure, not just through drinking water or occupational exposure but also through cosmetics, over-the-counter drugs, processed food, vaccines, found the evidence to be inconclusive. For example, following a massive 2007 systematic review (1) that concluded there was little unambiguous evidence that aluminum exposure increased AD risk, a 2014 systematic review examined in great detail a total of 469 peer-reviewed studies, delving into not just exposure sources but also routes, amounts and potential toxicity to different organ systems. Evaluating the data by comparing to existing standards and guidelines for aluminum, it too concluded that (see below from 15, emphasis mine),'The results of the present review demonstrate that health risks posed by exposure to inorganic Al depend on its physical and chemical forms and that the response varies with route of administration, magnitude, duration and frequency of exposure. These results support previous conclusions that there is little evidence that exposure to metallic Al, the Al oxides or its salts increases risk for AD, genetic damage or cancer'Bibliography1. Krewski, Daniel, et al. "Human health risk assessment for aluminium, aluminium oxide, and aluminium hydroxide." Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B 10.S1 (2007): 1-269. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Robert_Yokel/publication/5764224_Human_Health_Risk_Assessment_for_Aluminium_Aluminium_Oxide_and_Aluminium_Hydroxide/links/0fcfd50187fc6a9eb4000000.pdf2. Yokel, Robert A. "Aluminum in food–the nature and contribution of food additives." (2012): 203. http://uknowledge.uky.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1030&context=ps_facpub3. http://www.who.int/ipcs/publications/jecfa/reports/trs940.pdf4. Vignal, C., P. Desreumaux, and M. Body-Malapel. "Gut: An underestimated target organ for Aluminum." Morphologie 100.329 (2016): 75-84. http://www.spritzer.com.my/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Vignal-Morphologie-Gut-Al-2016.pdf5. Reinke, Claudia M., Jörg Breitkreutz, and Hans Leuenberger. "Aluminium in over-the-counter drugs." Drug Safety 26.14 (2003): 1011-1025.6. Jorhem, Lars, and Georg Haegglund. "Aluminium in foodstuffs and diets in Sweden." Zeitschrift für Lebensmitteluntersuchung und-Forschung A 194.1 (1992): 38-42.7. Wang, L., D. Z. Su, and Y. F. Wang. "Studies on the aluminium content in Chinese foods and the maximum permitted levels of aluminum in wheat flour products." Biomedical and environmental sciences: BES 7.1 (1994): 91-99.8. Al Juhaiman, Layla A. "Estimating Aluminum leaching from Aluminum cook wares in different meat extracts and milk." Journal of Saudi Chemical Society 14.1 (2010): 131-137. http://ac.els-cdn.com/S1319610309000751/1-s2.0-S1319610309000751-main.pdf?_tid=45465cbe-999a-11e7-968e-00000aab0f02&acdnat=1505427532_7874942c940894faf91bf7c71b0a5f059. Klatzo, Igor, Henryk Wiśniewski, and Eugene Streicher. "Experimental production of neurofibrillary degeneration: I. Light microscopic observations." Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology 24.2 (1965): 187-199.10. Crapper, D. R., S. S. Krishnan, and A. J. Dalton. "Brain aluminum distribution in Alzheimer's disease and experimental neurofibrillary degeneration." Science 180.4085 (1973): 511-513.11. Kapaki, Elisabeth N., et al. "Cerebrospinal fluid aluminum levels in Alzheimer's disease." Biological psychiatry 33.8 (1993): 679-681.12. FR Doc 03-1414013. Wang, Zengjin, et al. "Chronic exposure to aluminum and risk of Alzheimer’s disease: A meta-analysis." Neuroscience letters 610 (2016): 200-206. http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0304394015302512/1-s2.0-S0304394015302512-main.pdf?_tid=a04de4d8-99a9-11e7-90f5-00000aab0f02&acdnat=1505434127_91565c1d9cca3832c1bc29264a97ff4214. Bellou, Vanesa, et al. "Systematic evaluation of the associations between environmental risk factors and dementia: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses." Alzheimer's & Dementia 13.4 (2017): 406-418.15. Willhite, Calvin C., et al. "Systematic review of potential health risks posed by pharmaceutical, occupational and consumer exposures to metallic and nanoscale aluminum, aluminum oxides, aluminum hydroxide and its soluble salts." Critical reviews in toxicology 44.sup4 (2014): 1-80. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Thomas_Wisniewski/publication/265790897_Systematic_review_of_potential_health_risks_posed_by_pharmaceutical_occupational_and_consumer_exposures_to_metallic_and_nanoscale_aluminum_aluminum_oxides_aluminum_hydroxide_and_its_soluble_salts/links/54ca2caf0cf298fd2627a86d.pdf

The following are some various notes I've accumulated on Product Management. Enjoy!ResponsibilitiesProduct Manager is accountable for the overall success or failure of the products. This includes not only envisioning how your product will be successful today but how it will continue to grow revenue, profitability and market share over time.- maintain a prioritized list of market requirements that continually improve your products’ performance and the financial return to your organization- manage a rolling tactical roadmap that outlines what customers can expect from your going forward- lead cross-functional collaboration efforts across the organization in support of product objectives- interact externally with customers, prospects, analysts and business partners which include focus groups advisory committees surveys or customer visits- provide training and support to internal stakeholders who interact with the customers that use your products- establish and communicate performance metrics for your products and report progress versus plan- allocate most of your time to the 20 percent of activities that drive the highest probability of your organization’s success- execute a 3-5 yr vision and a shorter term tactical execution plan that covers a rolling 12 months- to balance competing priorities ask 2 key questions: does this help us attain the company’s product objectives more quickly? will supporting this request enable you to become more efficient by reducing future or redundant requests for your time?- Apply your time first to those things that help you attain your objectives or make you more efficient by reducing future demands on your time- Central mission of product managers is to know their markets, customers’ needs, competitors, and trends better than anyone else. Objective is to collect information from a variety of sources and focus on what is most important based upon the best data and facts available.Draw an influence map that visualizes people who will be the most important contributors to your product’s success and get access to a copy of the business plan or at least the sections that pertain to your dutyFigure out what the company is trying to accomplish with its product activities: creating new value through innovation or augmenting existing valueStartups focus on creating new value through innovation - a high degree of flexibility is required to succeed as your assumptions about the market and customer needs are continually challenged. Lots of facetime with clients and development team and a lack of detailed processes. Skills needed at this stage are:Creative thinkingEntrepreneurial SpiritConceptual and analytic abilitiesMidsized companies focus a significant amount of resources on augmenting their existing products to ensure continued high rates of growth - company is tapping into mass market and bringing along early adopters that initially made it successful. Customers are looking for complete products with all the bells and whistles AS WELL as a product roadmap. Skills needed at this stage are:StrategicProcess developmentCross-functional engagementAnticipating problemsCalm under pressureLeadershipBudgetingMature companies require both augmenting and innovation skills. Innovation is necessary to achieve ever growing revenue targets via partnerships, or M&A. Skills required are:StrategicLeadershipPolitical astutenessAnalyticHighly developed interpersonal skillsCross-functional abilitiesProfit and lossCalm under pressureThree Product Management ApproachesCapturing the voice of the customer - what customers tell you they want.Allows you to capitalize on readily available sources of info, many of which reside inside the organization.Enables you to augment existing product and preserve existing prod. dev. momentum while you gather necessary market info with which to make informed decisions about product’s future direction.Good for augmenting existing products. NOT well suited for developing new innovations given its reliance on explicit needs.Establish process to capture customer inputs from variety of sources, ranging from 1on1 convos to customer queries.Establish framework for prioritizing various inputsEnsure proactive collection and a continuous feed into a product decision framework for evaluationFollowing these methods will quickly point to ways that your existing product line can be augmentedDecision frameworks provide logical rationale for explaining why you decide to invest in one product enhancement over anotherWorkflow Analysis - What you observe about how customers do their job.Allows you to gain deep insight into how your customers and prospects accomplish their work and correctly identify the problems they deal with so you can provide solutions.Allows you to identify common business problems shared by a broad set of customers and prospects, which provide insight into larger market opps. to reduce inefficiencies, save time, save money and increase the satisfaction of those performing tasks as part of the business process.Allows you to be embedded in your company’s processes, resulting in a codependent relationshipUltimately this allows you to transform the way your customers accomplish their objectives and make your marketing and sales processes more effectiveGood for both identifying opps. to augment or creating new value through innov.Approach customers with a clear and compelling value prop, with a promise that your insights will generate a significant return that both parties can benefit from as these steps require a significant amount of cust. engagement and time.Spend time with customers and capture steps that are taken to achieve a desired outcome, the people involved and their interactionsDocument each step of a customer’s workflow - the interactions between people in a process, their productivity and output, to establish a baseline.Outcome-driven approach - Understanding what customers are trying to achieve as they do their jobs and the metrics used to define success. It postulates that once you know what jobs and outcomes cust. are trying to accomplish, you’ll be able to methodically create products and services that generate valueAllows you to determine which performance metrics matterAllows you to reduce variation in the success or failure of value creation activities by offering a means to fully understand customer success metrics upfront BEFORE any investment in developing or extending a product.Allows you to target areas that give you the best chance of enabling cust. success without wasting resourcesGood for augmenting existing prod. and creating new value through innov.Determine where you need to focus: end user, buyer, partner or someone else? Who in the value chain makes the most important judgments about value and the metrics used to define success?Capture the measures of value that define how customers want to get the job done: the process steps taken, outcomes they are striving to achieve, definition of what it means to do the job perfectly, and the constraints that stand in a way of successfully completing the job.To collect this info, conduct a series of customer interviews from a statistically significant sample of the client baseScore the collected data and chart them on a graph that shows areas of opportunity that reveal 3 categories of needs:Underserved - opp. for growthOverserved - opp. for ceasing investment. cost reduction or potentially disruptive innovationAppropriately servedTurn a blind eye explicit customer statements that don’t conform to the process you’re followingCustomer ResearchMarket Research - used to investigate new business opportunities, identify causes of problems and provide additional information to aid in making an important decisionsMarket information - size of market, how its segmented or current trendsMarket structure - identifying the major players and their market share, brand market share or market’s distribution structureBuyer perceptions - buyer needs’ assessment or perceptions of various brands and suppliersProduct - analysis of the available products, usage and consumption patterns, differentiation, segments served or satisfaction levelsNew Prod. Dev. - defining unsatisfied needs, product acceptance or communicationPricing - sensitivity, trends, or mapping existing pricing structuresCustomer satisfaction surveyCustomer list - acquire a descending dollar volume list of active customers from finance department. If list includes inactive clients than ever better.Look for patterns in active customer listWhat do top 20% of customers have in common?How far reaching are your products in terms of geography?Does the list contain resellers of products or end users?Look for patterns in inactive customer listWhy did they stop?Any common characteristics?Identify thought-leading and valued customers who will help you enhance your product and plan to meet them once readyCollect presentations and collateral - collect the most current sample of your cust.-facing presentations from each functional area currently in use across your organization (brochures, PR, publications, articles, advertising, product fact sheets, white papers, case studies, webinars etc.)Is the product(s) consistently portrayed?Do they discuss future dev. activities? if so, what is promised?Does the sales support materialWin/Loss Analysis DataAllows you to gain current understanding of how new customer or prospects perceive the product and organizationAllows the sales team to identify ways they can improve executionStart by reaching out to unsuccessful sales prospects or newly acquired client and ask a series of questions:What companies were involved in selection process?How did we stack up?What are our perceived str and weaknessesWhat factors led to our victory or loss?Can you overview the decision-making process? who was involved and what were the key selection criteria?What could we have done diff. to improve?Customer Agreements and Signed ContractsAsk for recently signed customer agreementsAnalyze patterns and any changes that emergedAvailable Competitive InformationRequest competitive information available ‘in the public domain’.This Allows you to develop a superior market position by understanding customer needs better than anyone elseIdentify Internal Customer Data SourcesInvestigate where databases of customer information are being kept within your organizationLook in incoming customer support calls, online client discussions groups, fan page interactions, info related to lead generation, trade shows, conferences etc.Defect or “bug” reportsMany of these defects are identified during QC processOthers make it past QC and are identified by customersOnce a defect is confirmed, a priority rating is assigned to the problem using the following framework: critical issue, high priority, medium priority and low priority.Ask engineering team for defect reportsProduct Cost or Profit and Loss InformationAcquire a product P&L statement IF there is oneAsk Finance to walk you through it to make sure you fully understandThis allows you to determine if your product(s) are profitableExisting Product-Related MaterialsProduct roadmaps, visioning documentation, product-level business cases, product launch materials etc.External info sourcesAnalyst ReportsSocial mediaBusiness IntelligenceSurvey your internal constituentsWhat do you see as the biggest opps. and challenges in next 2 months to a year? 2-5 yrs?Do you believe we have clear prod. vision? is it clearly communicated throughout the org?Does our prod. roadmap enable achievement of our vision and plan?Are we on track?Is prod. management appropriately aligned with other functions?3 yr product visionbounce off ideas with thought leaders in your org. and then clientsThink of a 3 yr vision and begin with end in mind. Highlight what will happen at end of year; mid-point and end of 3 yearsList strategic product milestones in a ‘vision slide’ along with key deliverablesProduct MilestonesCall thought leaders together and facilitate a brainstorming session to capture their views of the marketBefore meeting, send every attendee explanation of meeting objective and copy of product vision MARKED DRAFTDuring meeting, capture all comments in bullets on the slideKeep everyone involved although a few will dominateStart from discussion of current state, jump to end and then goto middleAfter the meeting review the ideas and follow up with those who provided itPull out customer list and reach out to key customers and prospectsDiscuss with sales people and thought leaders in org. who the key customers areSetup meetings, preferably in person and take the sales person alongDuring meetingExplain objectives and ask the client where they believe the market is headedHave them describe the top 3 challenges they are facing today and how they are handling them.Explain to them you are finalizing thoughts regarding future direction of product and that you’ve developed a plan that you want to get their feedback on.Post-meeting assess customer’s reaction and see if the vision addressed any of the top 3 challenges the customers told you aboutFurther define each concept for the vision slidePull together several short paragraphs that describe the substance behind the concept; flesh out each conceptual milestone that will enable everyone in your org. to receive the same message and help you manage client expectationsThe presentation slide detailing each milestone contains:Title of milestoneDescriptionCustomer value prop.Operational considerationsDate slide was createdHave 1 slide per milestone and create short paragraphs that describe the substance behind the conceptual milestone. i.e. FOR “public accountability” milestone, write: Public accountability reporting will provide relevant executive level summary information and trends at a glance in real time to support governance and public reporting mandates.Next construct the value prop outlining why your cust. should be interested in the capability you’re planning to bring to market. i.e. Alpha Tech Ventures’ real-time public reporting capability will enable executives to review and effectively comply with mission-critical governance and public reporting mandates and reduce the risk of incurring a legal liability by 50 percentFinish with operational considerationsCreate a Solid Business Case - cost benefit analysis justifying investment. Business case details the various benefits, costs, and risks of pursuing a suggested course of action and supports the request for a budget to enable the effort to proceed. This allows you to align executive leadership team behind your product vision, build momentum, enlist support from diff. components, and align thought leaders, key customers and prospects behind your vision.Executive summaryConsolidation of most important info that enables a busy exec. to understand at a glance (1-3 pages)Should be the last section you writeProblem or opportunity statementProvides the necessary context to understand your request for additional resources.Needs to be aligned with company’s overall business strategyDescribe what is happening today that provides an opportunity to capitalize on (i.e. if you identified new market niches that are underserved or a means to improve your product’s market performance by adding services)Solution overviewHigh-level description of desired outcomeExplanation how your proposed sol’n addresses the market opp. or problem that you’ve highlightedRange of alternatives consideredDescribe why you’ve selected preferred option, demonstrating you’ve considered all available options to sol’n you’re proposingCost estimatesOutline total projected costs and future financial return on investmentCosts include prod. dev costs, FTEs, QA/testing, maintenance etc.Benefit analysisOutline benefits with the goal to compare estimated costs with benefitsProjected financial returns need to exceed anticipated costs and hurdlesMention all benefits: incr. market share, cust. satisfaction, decr. employee turnover etc.Implementation timetableState key milestones and how long it will take to bring new capabilities to marketIdentify what resources will be required to make this happen.Critical assumptions and risksConclusion and final recommendationsSummarize key themes and benefits and anticipated financial returnsProduct Lifecycle Management (PLM) Framework - guides products from an idea to ultimate retirement, going through 4 distinct stages (introduction, growth, maturity and eventual decline). PLM integrates cross-functional product activities - information, people, and processes throughout the product lifecycle with the aim of increasing efficiency and reducing execution risk.This allows each participant to understand the overall process, their role and expectations.This allows the company to create standardized deliverables that other parties involved in the process are counting on to do their jobs7 Phases of product lifecycle - each has defined activities, owners, collaborators and a descr. of expected deliverables at each stepStrategyRequirementsAnalysis / DesignDevelopmentDeploymentOperationRetirement12 diff activities that take place over the course of a product’s life - and each has defined owners, collaborators and descr.Strategy (development)Business case (justification)RoadmapRequirementsPlanAnalysisDesignBuildTestDeployOperateRetireDetermine who owns the PLM process. If none exist, then collaborate with key participants to define the PLM process for your org.Developing requirements - gathering inputsDetermine which product management methodology to useIdentify which sources you will use to collect inputs fromCollect relevant inputs into a central repository and convert the data into a useful formCreate a rational framework for evaluating and turning centralized inputs into prioritized requirements (Product Decision Matrix)Begin by drafting the metrics you intend to use to filter the inputsPresent draft to senior leadership team for buy-inExplain to everyone involved, and the requirements that rise to the top become the foundation of your product roadmap.Once you create your own product decision matrix, you end up with a prioritized list of high-level requirements in descending importance that list opp. your org. has to create value for customers.Form a standing cross-functional team of members from various areas to look at each prioritized requirement from an operational perspective and identify potential issues before they happenSelect people knowledgeable about the product and good team contributors with influence over their counterpartsHave a range of divergent perspectives (not just yes people) and preferably those in the same room as youList possible candidates (2 from each functional area)Explain mission of the group and decide on first meeting date as well as frequencyYou now have a req. list vetted by cross-functional counterparts for operational feasibilityDeveloping Product Roadmaps - operational plan that highlights your products’ quarterly development activity over a rolling 12 months. Most companies have 1 roadmap per product or family of related products. It’s best to create 2 types of product roadmaps: internal and externalRelease - planned deliverable that is slotted into a calendar quarter over the course of the annual plan.Items placed in roadmap provide high-level descr. of each release (not intended to communicate detailed scope or cost)Releases fall into 1 of 3 categories and you must balance these to sustain market growthNew Value Creation - release of a new product, component, capability or feature that gives customers increased value.Maintenance and Support Releases - updates to existing cust-facing products that preserve product’s revenue stream. This does not create new value but enables cust. to continue to extract expected value from productInternal Product Releases - investments made in the components of your offerings that aren’t seen by customers. These help daily ops.Internal use - roadmaps are used to coordinate cross-functional activities in support of a release, manage expectations of internal constituents, drive accountability and measure product dev. team’s productivity and performance (scope, cost and schedule)Your company’s staff must be trained on new products’ capabilities to support client inquiriesMarketing must be prepared to get the message outSales must be ready to communicate value of release to clientsExternal use - used to manage client expectations and as part of the sales processProduct Development - execution phaseAlign incentives by drafting shared performance-based objectives between different functional groups and improve coordination.This allows the company to achieve their desired goals by linking them to compensationEngineering and product management team need to accurately estimate the time and resources needed to create a given requirement.Product management must communicate clearly about the scope of what is to be accomplished based on previous prioritizing efforts; this involves relating priorities back to the business value they are attempting to createRevise the cross-functional meeting structureHold coordinated meetings at standard intervals (at their end) in the PLM process:Strategy - Objective is for prod. manag. to propose the new prod. capabilities to internal cross-functional prod. dev teamReq. - Objective is to establish a final set of expectations that clearly demo. that the commercial success criteria can be metObjective is to focus on the proposed design of prod. or capabilitiy and seek approval from biz owner and buy-in from extended cross-fxnal team members who would support the prod. post-dev.Development - Obj. is to be sure that your prod. is ready to launch, with testing and refinement complete and sign-off from biz owner and cross-fxnal dev. team.Include the business owner and internal cross-functional team members involved in prod. dev.This allows you to make sure that there is a business owner review with the extended team to agree to the plan, mitigate risks and improve overall coordinationFurther Defining Requirements - Various sections of the requirement document. It’s important to maintain flexibility and to indicate that any plans are subject to change based on market conditions (markets, competitors, M&A etc.)About this documenthistory of the doc (date, version, who made changes, descr.)descr. of key termsBusiness analysisDescribe business need at a high level and highlight key business questions the new capability is attempting to addressProposed release date tied to product roadmapList high-level biz/market req., with associated descriptions, If necessary insert SWOT and any underlying assumptionsFeature Matrix - prod. dev. estimates for prioritized list of features. Goal of this is to provide a ‘cut off-line for prod. dev. based upon available time, resources and moneyHigh-level use casesUse cases capture detailed biz req. which are then turned into fxnal specs for your productCreate a diagram illustrating the system that the user is interactingw ith to receive value from the new capabilities you’re developingList an actor heirarchy if more than 1 party is using product and list all use cases that have been developedFunctional req.These are the specific elements that define what a product is supposed to accomplish and are used to the guide the design of the productThese roll up into a use case - into the behavioral elements of how the product will be usedCompliacne req.Regulatory compliance refers to any rules, regulations and req. that re relevant to meeting a governing body’s laws or mandated procedures.These might include data use rules, security, contractual requirements, governmental obligations etc.Report req.Inputs, layout, report fields, headers and footers and any groupingsUI req.Begin with a conceptual site map and detail the associated navigationOften presented in a diagram detailing the analysis that has been conductedEnvironment req.This often includes architecture standards relating to system performance and any environment considerations as well as operational and integration requirementsIterating with customersinteract with customers as much as possibleTake a structured approached with your customers that lets them know that you value their timeStart by defining an objective.. what are you hoping to accomplish?Assess how much time they have by asking them upfront.Pick an appropriate forumSite visitsSurveysVirtual meetingsVisits to your corporate locationRegional client meetingsClient conferencesFocus groupsCreate a frameworkWalk them through product visionReveal your roadmap quarter by quarterDemo a prototypeExplain various pricing scenariosSend a thank you noteCustomer Advisory CouncilsAllows you to put a structured client input process in place to aid your product activities by ensuring thoughtful customer input into strategic or tactical product matters.Typically comprised of 7-9 clients who possess a keen insight into your market or the use of your productAsk yourself what roles do you intend to include in your council? hands-on users or economic buyer who may not be the hands-on user?Geographic distribution - its better to have those in the same room as youAdvisory council charter should cover the following topicsObjective of the groupFrequency of meetingsMeeting durationMeeting locationParticipants in the councilTimeframeMeeting dates and topicsOther expectationsExpensesPoint personSupporting the Product LaunchLaunch stylesLaunching your product into an existing marketExisting markets typically have a # of dominant competitors all jockeying for market shareRequires you to have a distinct value prop that lets you stand outLaunch plan needs to single-mindedly focus on acquiring new customers and creating demand for your productLaunch plan relies on ‘all in’ approach using every available demand creation tool at your disposal to gain maximum attention over a specific timeframeLaunching your product in a new marketPrepare to invest for the long term with the objective of driving awareness and ultimately adoption of your productTarget early adopters to establish momentum and spark interest of a currently uncaring mass market by educating themResegmenting an existing marketThis effort focuses on carving out a piece of an existing market by offering a lower-priced product than your competitors or by targeting a segment of the market that plays to your product or services strengthsObjective is to both educate and capture market shareIf market is ready to buy then consider the “all in” approach; if not focus on attracting early adoptersCreate a product brief on the product or capability you’re launchingOutlines the critical information regarding your value prop., customer audience you’re targeting and the key messages and channels you’re use to get your message outContent will be created once and used many timesThis allows your executive team to see your thought process and value prop. before the launch.Marketing will use the structured content you provide to professionally craft the message in their marketing plan and sales support materials as well as select the right channelsIt contains the following information:Product name and release dateWho the product is targeted toDescr. of the product or capabilitySummary of the key customer business needs that the prod. or capability will addressCustomer value prop.Client impactDescr. of the launch plan and timing of key eventsBenefits and featuresSales and cust. service talking pointsPricingResources and additional info.Create a launch plan frameworkEstablish your launch date and work back from thereList the activities that need to take place before that date to determine when your plan needs to startCreate a calendar that includes dates and breaks time down into weekly increments over that timeCreate columns to list the activity, owner, deliverable, target and source of needed material in chronological sequenceMarket Dynamics and Competitive Analysis FrameworksPoint-in-time Analysis: Market view analysis generally consists of the following. Place each in 1 slide.Market focus - Frames the specific market that your company is targeting and sets the context for other aspects of the analysis (i.e. BI software sol’n for U.S. hospitals)Market Size and anticipated Growth Rate - (i.e Detail how the segment targeted fits inside the overall U.S. healthcare market)Current Company Market Position Overview - Market leader? contender or further back in the pack? List company’s market share and detail where company fits into context of competing companies all vying for a piece of the BI sol’ns market)Market Segments Description (i.e. BI sol’ns for hospital finance, clinical decision support, and client satisfaction)Top Competitors Matrix, segmented by market - describe how competitors compete with organization. Do they only impact 1 market segment or multiple? List competitors on left and have series of columns that show revenue and market segments they play inDetailed Competitor Breakdown -Prepare short narrative describing each top competitor’s profile, strategic direction and partnerships.The profile paragraph should outline each company’s primary focus and what differentiates their market approach from competitors.Strategic direction segment should outline known strategy and where you think the company is headedCurrent Position Overview - Describe company’s core capabilities. Ask, what are the core gaps that need to be filled? What segment-level opps. exist that can be capitalized on?Buy-vs-Build Opportunities - Outline each gap that needs focus and the str and weakness of the current position. Also frame whether it’d be better to buy or build certain aspect of products’ future capabilitiesPossible Acquisition Candidates - detail possible targets over short and long-term to shore up competitive position. List target companies, revenue and market segment they serveList of Risks and Contingencies - detail risks with buy recommendations.Is it clear how target company should be valued?Spell out contingency plans. What happens if preferred target is not open to being acquired? what is next step? will organic dev. be pursued or other acq. targets be looked at?Potential Competitive MovementsHave competitors been on acq. binge lately?Have they raised capital?Are they trying to control strategic channels important to business?Deep Dives into Specific Competitors - Create a quick summary of each competitor, annual revenue, # of employees, ownership status, products and any conclusion that has been reached.Narrative Competitive Analysis: Customer-facing frameworkName of competitorOrg. historyBusiness model and revenuesMissionVisionStrategyEstimated client levelsPartnershipsPositioningDetailed analysis of product/service offering and stated benefitsPricingRecent developments

Not long ago a friend of mine came by and asked me, ‘Dude, can you recommend me a service which can polish my resume and make it spotless?” I started thinking about a couple of services I’ve written reviews on previously like Careers Booster and ResumesPlanet. But then I thought why not kill two birds with one stone: order a resume for my friend and then review it. I’ve been meaning to review Resume101for a long time, but something got in my way and I had to put that review aside.Resume101 is a service which deals only with CV/Resumes and Cover Letters. Yeah, I know you can’t wait to find answers to questions like “ Is Resume101 scam”, “Is Resume101 legit or worth it”. So, let’s cut to the chase.2.Pros and ConsPROS:Fast and polite supportsFree SamplesMoney back guaranteesCONS:High prices3.Online reputationBefore placing an order I decided to search for Resume101 reviews. First I googled Resume101 reddit and unfortunately found nothing. Without a second thought, I headed to Sitejabber and Trustpilot. There were 10 reviews on Trustpilot and 17 reviews on Sitejabber.The most astounding thing is that they are all positive. I tried to dig up some reviews of unsatisfied customers but didn’t manage to. It can only mean two things: the reviews are moderated or the Resume101 is really good at what they do.4.GuaranteesYou can find their guarantees by clicking on Legal tab in the footer of the site. I liked Resume101 refund policy as it is very detailed and straightforward. Check it out5.Types of ServicesSpecializing in resume writing, Resume101 offers three types of the services: resume writing, CV writing, and Cover Letter writing.6.Ordering ProcessThe ordering process is two-fold and quite easy. Select you Career Level, Type of Work, Deadline, and upload your details. Once you’re done with it, login in or create a new account and proceed with the payment. That’s it. It took me around 3 minutes to do all that stuff.7. Prices and FeesPrices at Resume101 start from $99 per page. There are three career levels, namely Entry, Professional and Executive. Pricing varies depending on career level, deadline, and type of the service. One more thing to pay attention to - the maximum deadline is 5 days. I chose “Professional” career level with the maximum deadline, resume writing. I had to pay $119 for that. Thanks God, my friend gave me that money. If they screwed me over, I would have two options either return the money to my friend or write his resume myself - something I was not excited about.8.Paper QualityThe paper came on the 4th day. When I opened it I instantly saw that these guys did an excellent job. The resume was neatly-written and appealing. They changed the wording so that the qualities of my friend really stood out. Should I have to hire him, I would do so without hesitation. I wanted to make some screenshots and place them here to show how awesome it looked but my friend didn’t let me. Just take my word for it.9.Customer SupportI didn’t have an opportunity to chat with them a lot. But the support agent seemed fast and professional.10.Offers and Extra ServicesThere some interesting features which called “Package.” Assuming you’re looking for a job, so these guys know what you might need for it and offer:I find such service extra useful ‘cause you don’t need place separate orders for all documents you need.We know how HR people think, and we speak their language. So let us help you get an interview and a call back with a professionally done resume, CV or cover letter.What Is So Special About A Resume?A resume is your one and only chance of making a good first impression when you seek a job. Send out a poorly formatted resume, and HR managers will ignore your application. You can forget about an interview if the list of your achievements does not spell "professional" and "trustworthy".The best resume will inform your potential employers about your main strengths and outline the previous experience that might give you an edge on a new job. Your perfect resume should also make you stand out among other candidates so that you get a test assignment or an interview invitation.How To Write A Perfect Resume?There are only four key parts to a basic resume. Start by providing your name and contact information. Don’t forget to add your professional social media accounts on Facebook or LinkedIn, especially if you are looking for a job in IT or Marketing.Previous experience will make up the largest portion of your resume. Every entry should include the name of the company, the period of your employment, the job title or position, as well as your responsibilities or achievements. You don’t have to provide information about every small position you have ever held. Sometimes it is best to include only those companies that work in the same industry as the one you are applying to at the moment.Education is another important part of your resume. List your college names and the degrees you obtained. This section can also contain the awards and honors you earned during your academic years.The best resume should also include a list of your skills that might be related to the job you apply for. This list can include your knowledge of foreign languages or computer skills. Optional sections of a professional resume can also list your career highlights and the objective of your application. References can be attached to the resume or provided in a separate document upon request.These are the basic building blocks of a good resume. You can take it a step further by customizing and personalizing your resume for every company and position you apply for.Professional Resume HelpIf you are not sure you can organize and format your own resume, let us help you make it look polished and streamlined. All you have to do is upload your resume file and place an order. Our professional writers with years of experience under their belts will enhance your resume to present your best qualities and skills to potential employers.Our resume writing services include a number of steps. First, we will carefully assess the data you provide and decide on the best strategy to organize it. HR managers will be able to glean the most important information about you in one glance. This is bound to attract attention to your applications.Second, our professional resume writers will format the resume to emphasize the key figures, facts, and dates. Your resume will have a perfect balance of detailed data and free space. The bold-face, italics and bullet points will help HR managers quickly identify you as the best candidate for a job.Third, we will thoroughly proofread every page of your document to make sure no mistakes make it to the resume you send out or print. Professional resume writers know, that even a single typo can ruin the first impression. They will be especially careful to catch every minor error before sending the file for your approval.If you need resume help, contact us. We will gladly help you write a professional resume to get you the job you want.Remember this key fact – the purpose of your resume is to get you an interview. Everything about the development of your resume must be focused on this fact. An effective resume gets you the maximum number of interviews.Your resume must contain the right information for the right job.To be effective, your resume must be attention getting AND use keywords and phrases that effectively communicate your value for that job and company. Extraneous information detracts from this communication.You have a short period of time and a limited amount of space to attract attention, demonstrate your value and get an interview. Use it wisely. If your resume is focused and succinct, it will increase your chances of getting decision makers to call you.Many executive resumes will have three or even four pages; most not more than three.How your resume looks is important too.Your resume must capture attention by using design elements such as type fonts, bolding, layout and white space so it stands out from the mass. These design elements are not just visual. They serve a key purpose: To guide readers’ eyes to the information you want them to see, in the order you want it seen.Remember, a resume that simply looks good but does not contain the right information in the right order won’t make it past the initial review.What resume format is best?There are distinct styles in which resumes are written. The traditional style is reverse chronological; another is functional (skills based). When hiring managers, recruiters and executive search firms were asked which style they preferred, 50% of them said they like a combination of traditional and functional. Only 10% preferred functional, leaving 40% who want to see the traditional (reverse chronological) format.How an organization will process your resume.There has been a dramatic development in the job market. Employers, recruiters, and executive search firms are receiving hundreds of resumes for every job available. Competition is fierce, even for jobs on the top rungs of the corporate ladder. Jobs that were once considered recession-proof.Today, 90% of medium to large-size organizations use electronic scanners to search for keywords; words that are industry-specific and even job-specific. If they are not found in a resume, it is quickly tossed. Smaller companies still use people to scan resumes, but these human scanners also look for those all-important keywords.Most resumes, typically 95%, will be discarded in this initial review/scan. Those passing this review are evaluated to see if the candidate meets the minimum requirements. This is a competitive evaluation against all other resumes that made it through the initial review/scan. Typically, another 3% will be discarded at this step. Finally, the remaining resumes are evaluated in detail and the top candidates invited for an interview.Only 1-2% of the resumes received will result in an interview!It is crucial that your resume be prepared with the goal of passing all three levels of review.What do hiring managers want to see in your resume?Foremost, verifiable accomplishments; 88% of hiring managers polled listed this as the single most important thing they look for in a resume. Hiring managers also want to find answers to some key questions in your resume.Can this person fill my need? Even if your resume lists all of the required qualifications, if it’s not targeted to the specific company and opening, your qualifications could appear unrelated to the job. Customizing your resume to fit the specific position shows the hiring manager you are a perfect fit. One way to customize your resume is by using numbers. They will stand out in an ocean of words. For example, “Restructured operations to increase profit 27%.”Will this person remain with the company for a long time? It costs companies a lot of money to screen, interview, hire and train employees. If you have changed jobs frequently or have gaps in your employment, offer valid explanations, within your resume, for these career missteps. Hiring managers want someone who is committed to the long term; not a short-timer.Is this person professional? The hiring manager judges your ability to communicate well and conduct yourself in a professional manner only by looking at a few sheets of paper; your resume. So make sure it is free of typos and grammatical errors and is easy to understand and travel through. In a recent survey, 76% of the hiring managers asked, said they discard resumes that have typos and grammatical errors. Hiring managers are busy and demanding people. They will eliminate you for the slightest infraction and they won’t call you for explanations.How a recruiter will process your resume.Recruiters and executive search firms weed out candidates not suited to their clients’ positions. They look at resumes for only a few seconds before deciding which get discarded and which get marketed. Recruiters and executive search firms want a resume that looks good and is easy to read. They also look for:Common job titles like CEO, COO, CFO, CIO, Operations Manager and Human Resources DirectorEducational titles; i.e., MBA, JD, CPA and BSBrand names (well-known companies you have worked for; schools from which you graduated)Dates that tell them how often you have switched jobs and how long you stayed in each particular employment situationCharacteristics and skills that highlight the special talents you have acquired and in which corporate areas your experience is heaviestSound-bites; quick, action-oriented paragraphs and statements that describe actions you’ve taken and the results of those actionsRemember, recruiters and executive search firms use resumes to screen out candidates more than to find candidates. They will not waste time trying to uncover critical facts in your resume. They must see them in the first few seconds of picking up your resume or it will immediately be discarded.Recruiters and executive search firms also want to know personal information about you in order to better market you to employers, such as marital status, age, leisure activities, etc. However, this information should be provided to them outside of your resume. Personal information should not be in your resume.What is a resume factory?Some resume writing companies develop resumes from templates. They have clerical staffs who use the templates to write resumes, and hence can offer low cost. While this does get a resume written quickly, it depends on a template to express who you are and what you can do for a company. The results? An uninteresting and ineffective resume – typical of what organizations and recruiters see day in and day out.What is a resume rewrite?A resume writing organization may take your existing resume and reformat it for you. This is a rewrite. It doesn’t add anything to your resume. It reorganizes the existing information into a more pleasing format. Usually, this is only cosmetic. Remember, content is the key to getting interviews.How do ethical, professional resume writers work?Resume writing is indeed a profession – with standards, education, and certifications. Professional resume writers stay current with developments in the employment field.For example, a Branding Statement has become expected as the leading element in a resume. Without this Branding Statement, a resume will be less effective. This is only one example of items you need in your resume that a professional resume writer will automatically provide.Also, professional resume writers will work directly with you. They will not subcontract your resume to unqualified persons. They will take the time to get to know you through questionnaires and telephone discussions.They will be able to uncover information about you that will be extremely effective in developing your resume. Information you might not remember to mention or think is important. They are truly consultants in presenting you to the marketplace you target for the job you want.What is the value of an average resume versus an excellent resume?An average resume is a listing of your contact data, job history and responsibilities. It’s a professional obituary. Like an obituary, it will be Dead On Arrival. It will not get you interviews. And it will guarantee your job hunt will be a long and frustrating journey.A recent study reported that the typical job search for an executive or professional is about 38 weeks. That’s because the 100-plus candidates for every available job have submitted average resumes. They all look alike. Average resumes jam the circular file.An excellent resume will significantly reduce your job search time. It will position you as a prime candidate for the job you want. It will get you interviews. If you don’t send an excellent resume… one that SEPARAT.This list of five online resume generators offers a variety of professional, modern, and unorthodox options. Some of them also make it easy to share your resume with potential employers from the website.And unless otherwise stated, you can create many versions of your resume with each of these services, allowing you to target the different positions you are applying for.VisualCVWith VisualCV, you can either upload your information from an existing word document, or enter the information manually through an easy-to-use interface. The free version of the service is quite robust, but with a $12/month upgrade, you will also gain access to all CV designs, the ability to export your CV to Google Docs, and advanced analytics.You can also use your own domain name with a premium account, and can remove VisualCV branding from PDF downloads.Pros:VisualCV offers a clean and professional looking final product, which you can either publish online or share privately with potential employers for free. VisualCV’s free analytics will let you know how many times your resume has been viewed or downloaded, as well as letting you know where visitors came from.The service also provides many example CVs, based on the industry, so you can get some hints and ideas as to how your CV should look, based on your career path. If you need more tips on how to put together a resume, take a look at our guide to putting together the perfect resume, and how to get past the applicant tracking system.Your All-In-One Guide To Building The Perfect ResumeWhether you just graduated, are returning to school or are looking for a new job, within or outside your career, you need a resume. But not just a resume. You need a great resume. One...Cons:While it’s convenient to upload your CV rather than manually enter the information, I found that it didn’t map the information properly whereas other services were able to identify the sections and their associated content correctly. This means it will require quite a bit of editing on your part to fix.While the free PDF download is also a useful feature, the watermark doesn’t really make it usable in a professional setting.KickresumeKickresume’s free accounts give users access to basic resume templates, limited entries and categories, and access to cloud storage for resumes. For a $48/year or $15/month paid upgrade, you gain access to all the existing resume templates, unlimited entries and categories, full customization, an online resume website, cover letter options, and email support.ating a CV using Kickresume, you have to manually enter your personal information, education, and experience. Once you’re done, you can download your resume as a PDF. Premium account holders can also publish their resumes online, choosing a unique Kickresume URL, which allows them to put their name in the link for a nice personalized touch. The URL can also be shared with potential employers.Pros:When selecting a template for your resume, you can filter them by profession, which is a nice touch. The interface is slick and easy to use and takes away a lot of the hassles involved in creating a resume using programs like Word.Kickresume will also be offering resume analytics — a feature that isn’t available yet, and one that is likely to be available only to premium accounts. That said, it should be a supportive feature when job hunting, so that you can get a sense of whether or not your resume is being looked at by recruiters.Kickresume also makes it easy to craft a cover letter using the same design as your CV so that you can keep all the documents in your applications consistent. That, however, is a paid feature.US-based Kickresume users can also search for jobs on the site’s job board, powered by ZipRecruiter.Cons:When it comes to filling in your content, you have to manually enter your resume. There’s no option to upload an existing document or to connect your account to your LinkedIn profile, which can be tedious.The free version of Kickresume is handy, but most of its standout features are understandably reserved for premium users, including sharing an online version of your resume with potential employers. While you can filter templates by profession, you can’t filter free versus pro templates, meaning you have to wade through a big selection of templates that you can’t use if you prefer to stick with the free version of the service.Some basic features are also only available as a paid upgrade such as adding new sections to your resume, and customizing fonts and colors.CanvaOme among Canva’s many features is the option to create a “visual” CV. You can either choose from over 30 existing templates or if you fancy yourself a designer, you can select from a variety of grids that give you complete control over how your resume will turn out.If you opt for a pre-designed layout, you can just edit the dummy text, replacing it with your own information. You can also add extra design elements (shapes, lines, icons, and more), change the background, and upload images.Once you’ve completed your resume, you can share the link through Twitter, Facebook, or via email. Downloading a JPG, PNG, or PDF version will set you back $1 per download, but you can also download a watermarked draft for free.Pros:Canva offers users some pretty heavy duty customization features that are uncomplicated. With a drag and drop interface, someone with little or no design skills can put together a professionally designed resume. If you’re overwhelmed by all the options, you can also just use one of many great templates.Even if you don’t have a strong design aesthetic, Canva offers a lot of great features such as font pairings and a great library of free icons.You can create a stunning resume using nothing more than the free features that Canva offers — a rarity in online resume builders.Cons:The most tedious aspect of using Canva is having to fill in your information. There no option to upload your CV or connect to your LinkedIn account; and there is also no handy interface to enter your information. It all has to be filled in the template as you edit it.While you can share your CV with potential employers with a handy URL, you can only do so if the CV is made public online. If you’re searching for a job and don’t want your current employer to know, it’s certainly not the most discreet option.VisualizeMeVisualizeMe is another interesting option for job hunters looking for a visual resume. As the name suggests, you’re creating a visualization of your experience and education. Users can either fill in their information through a handy form or better yet, can connect to LinkedIn to generate that information. VisualizeMe will then present that data in an infographic format.You have to, of course, be conscious of the kinds of jobs you’re applying to if you’re going to use a service like VisualizeMe. The final product is unorthodox and might not be well received in a more corporate or straight-laced environment.Pros:With VisualizeMe, not only is the process of filling out your information made easier by connecting the service to your LinkedIn account, you can also personalize the final product choosing from a selection of fonts, colors, themes, and backgrounds.You can also share the final product with a URL or embed it on your website. Embedding it on your website will give you the ability to track who is viewing your resume through your own analytics, but the service itself offers you its own set of analytics as well.Cons:If you want to download an image file of your VisualizeMe resume, you’ll have to sign up for a premium subscription that will set you back $19 a month or $190 a year. To be frank, it’s not worth it.The other significant disadvantage to using VisualizeMe is that the look and feel of the graphics are dated. The font and icon choices have remained the same for several years, and the service is in desperate need of an update. VisualizeMe also allows users to create only one version of their CV, limiting its utility.CV MakerCV Maker is another service which requires you to manually enter the information on your resume – your work experience, education, qualifications, interests, and references. You can add custom plain sections, and can remove the standard sections, by leaving them blank.With the free version of CV Maker, you can choose from six basic templates, but have much more to choose from with a one-time paid upgrade of $16. The premium version also allows users to send their resume with a single click. Access an advanced rich text editor and add custom special sections.Pros:CV Maker is another service with robust features in its free version. It’s one of the few options where you can download or share your resume for free, with no strings attached. You can download your resume as a PDF, HTML, or TXT file. You can also publish it online and share it with potential employers using a shortened CV Maker url.It’s also the only service listed here that offers you premium features for a one-time upgrade, rather than having to pay a monthly fee.Cons:With CV Maker, you have to manually enter information, which like with other similar services, can be tedious. There is a sameness in the free templates, and you can’t make any changes to layout, font, or any other design elements in your CV. The only thing you have control over is the order of the sections.Hiring managers and recruiters alike say they've seen more poorly written resumes cross their desks recently than ever before. Attract more interview offers and ensure your resume doesn't eliminate you from consideration by following these six key tips:1. Format Your Resume Wisely "Do the Hiring Managers" Work for ThemNo matter how well written, your resume won't get a thorough reading the first time through. Generally a resume gets scanned for 25 seconds. Scanning is more difficult if it is hard to read, poorly organized or exceeds two pages.Use a logical format and wide margins, clean type and clear headingsSelectively apply bold and italic typeface that help guide the reader's eyeUse bullets to call attention to important points (i.e. accomplishments)2. Identify Accomplishments not Just Job DescriptionsHiring managers, especially in technical fields like engineering, seek candidates that can help them solve a problem or satisfy a need within their company. Consequently, you can't be a solution to their problems without stating how you solved similar problems in other companies and situations.Focus on what you did in the job, NOT what your job was there's a differenceInclude a one or two top line job description first, then list your accomplishmentsFor each point ask yourself, What was the benefit of having done what I did?Accomplishments should be unique to you, not just a list of what someone else didAvoid using the generic descriptions of the jobs you originally applied for or held3. Quantify Your AccomplishmentsQ: What's the most common resume mistake?A: Making too many general claims and using too much industry jargon that does not market the candidate. A resume is a marketing document designed to sell your skills and strengths rather than just portray a bio of the candidate.Include and highlight specific achievements that present a comprehensive picture of your marketabilityQuantify your achievements to ensure greater confidence in the hiring manager and thereby generate interest percentages, dollars, number of employees, etc.Work backwards to quantify your accomplishments by asking, If I had not done X, what could have happened?4. Cater Your Resume for the IndustryUnlike advertising and design professionals who have greater creative license in designing their resume for those fields, the mechanical engineering industry won't be impressed and may be turned off by distinctive resume design.Err on the side of being conservative stylisticallyYour accomplishments, error-free writing, grammatically-correct, clean, crisp type and paper will make the impression for you5. Replace your Objective" with a "Career Summary"A Career Summary is designed to give a brief overview of who you are and what you do. Most Objectives sound similar: Seeking a challenging, interesting position in X where I can use my skills of X, Y, and Z to contribute to the bottom line. Not telling at all.Grab a hiring manager's attention right from the beginning, remembering youhave only 25 few seconds to make a good impressionSpend time developing a summary that immediately gets their attention, and accurately and powerfully describes you as a solution to their problems6. Network. Network. Network.For unemployed candidates, handing out resumes should be a full-time job. The majority of mid- to senior-level positions are filled through networking, so contact absolutely everyone you know in addition to recruiters who are in a position to hire you or share insights. Networking can includePersonal business contacts, people you've worked for or who worked for youVendors and sales representatives you've dealt with in the past five yearsPeople listed in the alumni directory of your alma materWith a solid resume in hand you'll greatly increase your odds of earning a closer look and getting that interview.