Tips For Interviews And Resumes

A good resume is the tool that can get you an invitation to the interview for your dream job. If writing a good resume is part of your preparation for the job hunt, performing at the interview is an even greater part. Here are a few tips on how to write a good resume and ace interviews.

TIPS FOR WRITING RESUMES

Select A Format

A critical part of writing good resume is using the right format. Without the proper format, your resume will look like a PhD dissertation that will instantly bore the interviewer. A scattered and cluttered appearance will send the wrong signals about you. One suggestion is to use tables with light grey background for headings and to use bold font for subheadings. Details under the subheadings can be on white background and can be laid out in columns or bullets, if appropriate. You should always start with your name and contact details first. Don't forget your email address. You want the person reviewing your resume to know that you at least have an email address! This sends the signal that you are tech-savvy.

Proofing Your Resume

A resume with lots of grammatical errors, or one that contains lots of typos drives recruiters crazy. Don't forget that your resume is really an index of your abilities. If you can't do this and you are applying for a proofreader's job, you have failed miserably. More importantly, you run the risk of looking incompetent. If you can't proofread your resume yourself, get a friend or a professional do it for you!

Presenting Your Skills As The Employers Would Like To See

This is where you can make the best possible impression, even if your education is not exactly what the employer is looking for. For example, you have applied for a job where the employer wants to know whether you can handle 1ooo payable and receivable accounts. Simply writing a bland statement that you maintained account records will not interest him. You need to make your skills match that of the job description. Put yourself in the shoes of the employer.

Use Power Words

Use power words or phrases such as "managed workflow direction" instead of "gave work assignments to staff". Also use action-oriented words and instead of passive ones. Using high-end industry jargon also immediately creates a positive impression about you, that you are professional and knowledgeable. You want the employer to know that they are looking at a senior-level resume, not one of someone who merely takes orders.

Be Truthful

Quantify your achievements and highlight them in bullets. But being truthful is just as important. Telling a lie now, even if you get hired, could cost you your career later if you are exposed as a fraud.

TIPS FOR INTERVIEWS

Research The Company

In brief, you need to have gathered sufficient information on the organization. This should be information that has the potential to affect your long-term employment, such as ethics, environment and culture, potential for growth for both you and the company, your potential boss and subordinates etc. You also need this information so that you can ask intelligent questions during the interview. You don't want to come off like a robot, or worse, like you were not even interested in the company enough to do come basic research.

Be Polite:

This sounds like a no-brainer, doesn't it? Sadly, it isn't always practiced by everyone. Be polite when greeting the interviewer. Shake his or her hand, and finally ask questions politely, even if the interview has lasted well over 2 hours. This is the time to take particular care to mind your manners. Never try to expose the faults of either the company or the interviewer (if any). Speak in an well-organized, structured manner. Mixing up concepts has the potential to confuse the employer and you potentially lose out if they perceive you as not having clarity of thought.

Present Your Skills

Present your skills separately - close off all other discussions. Before starting on this subject, make them understand what you are beginning to say, so that they are attentive. This is the most important factor they want to know about you after your character. Use concrete examples, and explain how they can benefit by hiring you. Speak about six sigma, justifying your expertise in this area with examples of various companies that are benefiting by implementing the methodology. Tell them that you can implement it in their company as well, or at least become a key player. Let them know that you play to win!

Ask Questions

Any questions should be limited to your work and the company. They should never be personal unless you have a special reason.

Practice, Practice!

Even if you are well prepared, employers can smell anxiety a mile away, and if you display this to the employer it will wreck your chances of getting the job. Anxiety often comes across to employers as desperation. Don't let this happen to you. Practice, with a friend or in front of the mirror if you have to. The point to remember about the interview is to not let yourself fall prey to your own anxiety.

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Teen Job Search Tip - Get a Professional Resume Prepared

This is your time to shine. Your resume is a personal marketing tool that if done right, will snag you the interview. It is important to build a resume that is polished and effective. A resume that presents a concise and authentic picture of your skills is worth its weight in gold during the job search because it tells the employer very effectively why they should choose you.

Keep Their Interest!

In this competitive job market, employers receive hundreds and thousands of resumes every day. A busy employer going through a stack of resumes will look at your resume for less than a minute. In order to keep their interest, your resume needs to be concise and have a professional, current look.

What a Professional Resume Looks Like

A professional resume will have the following sections: Objective or Professional Summary, Skill Summary, Employment History, Education Section, Honors /Awards Section, and a Professional Membership Section. It will be printed on beige or white resume quality paper stock that can be purchased in the office section of your local department store.

How to Build A Resume

It is a good idea to check out some online resources for assistance when building your first resume. There are free templates that you can download to assist you. Also, if you need some individual help you can contact your local school guidance counselor, local Workforce Development Office or local Department of Labor Office and speak with a career counselor for free.

No matter how you decide to put your resume together, work on it until it absolutely sings, "Choose me!". Make sure you spell check it and then ask someone you trust to read it for spelling errors and clarity. Take your time! Preparing a great resume will give you confidence; it will help you discover your strengths and demonstrate them effectively to an employer.

Happy Job Seeking!

Marcy Travis 

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Professional HR Consultant Resume For Your Job Application

You may be applying for the job of Professional HR Consultant in an organization, but are you prepared with your job application formalities? Have you drafted your resume? If you have not yet formulated your resume then, you must write down your own resume immediately, because this document plays a major role in any job selection.

It is necessary that, any candidate applying for the HR consultant position in a company, must insert his professional skills, working experience with prior organization and other specific details in his resume document. His interview calls depends largely on his professionally made resume because, any hiring manager or employer gets the required information of the candidate, through his resume.

Efficiently drafted resume with needed HR skills and other information, offer greater chance for his recruitment. Poorly made resume, without proper format and details may deprive him of his employment opportunity.

Any candidate applying for the Professional HR Consultant job must include following skills along with other proficiencies in the resume:

• Excellent Communication and Presentation skills

• Knack for Business Development and professional manner

• Selection, screen and short list the ideal candidates.

• Prepare and train the candidates for the job interview.

• Maintain data base of potential proficient candidates

• Head hunting and cold calling

• Relationship management

• Target achiever

• Maintenance of records and documentation

• Keep track of candidate fees and negotiate for them.

The resume format should provide separate sub headings such as, Contact Information, Summary, Professional Experience & Achievements, Academic Qualification, Certificates & Awards and Technical & Additional Skills.

Well articulated resume with proper format offers, short listing, interview call and selection for the applied HR job.

If you are unaware of writing Hr Consultant Resume, you can view the sample HR Consultant Resume for your own resume preparation.

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Ten Resume Writing Tips You Can't Live Without

For some job opening, employers receive
hundreds and even thousands of resumes.
When you are looking for a job, how
can you best promote yourself? How
can you convince a prospective employer
to pick-up the phone and call you for
an interview?

Sought-after career coach and author
of the critically-acclaimed book,
The Dark Before the Dawn: 70 Secrets
to Self-discovery, Theresa Castro
states that you should take into
consideration that your resume is the
first exposure a potential employer will
have of you. Given this, you shouldn't
take your resume lightly. Castro
offers a list of ten tips that will
assist you in creating a winning
resume and increasing your chances
of getting called for an interview.

1. Do address employment gaps briefly
in the cover letter only if the gaps
are a significant amount of time
such as maternity leave. Use a
functional resume to address gaps
in employment or changes in field
of interest.

2. Think from the perspective of your
future employer. What's in it for
them? Why should this company call
you? Keep in mind that your resume
is not the only resume that will be
considered.

3. Recognize that your resume is your
"sales person". This "sales person"
must convince the prospective
employer to pick up the phone and
schedule an interview with you. If
your "sales person" isn't convincing
enough then guess what ... there won't
be any phone calls. Thus, take the
time to make your resume sell, sell,
sell...yourself.

4. Ask a friend or co-worker about your
accomplishments. Some times, we don't
readily recognize or recall the many
things that we have done.

5. Make certain that your contact
information is correct. It would
dreadful to think that an employer
wanted to reach you but you mistakenly
listed the wrong information.

6. Take advantage of internet technology
and place your resume on various
websites. There are numerous websites
such as Monster, Career Builder and
HotJobs that allow you to find a job
based on your particular interests.
In addition, there are websites that
will list jobs that are specific to
a particular industry. For example,
Medzilla is a website that has job
listings exclusively for the medical
industry.

7. Demonstrate the key traits in your
resume: leadership, communication,
teamwork, decision making and problem
solving. For leadership, how are you
an innovator? For communication, are
you approachable? Are you open-minded?
Can you communicate effectively orally?
In a written format? In regard to
teamwork, can you work with others?
What examples of teamwork could you
illustrate from the past? As far as
decision making is concerned, what
have you done to play into the success
of the companies for whom you have
worked? In regard to problem solving,
when have you seen the big picture and
created a change that had a positive
and quantifiable outcome?

8. Each job listing has a particular list
of required experiences. If you
possess these experiences, then make
sure that you express this in your
resume. You can't make any assumptions
about what the potential employer knows
about you or your work history.

9. Read your resume out loud. By doing
this, you will find missing words,
grammatical errors or content that
just doesn't make sense.

10. Have at least three friends review your
resume. You are utilizing their
assistance to ensure that you haven't
missed something or made an easy to fix
mistake.

(c) 2005, Theresa Castro

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Resume Writing - Tips When You Change Careers

Drafting and writing a resume in which you wish to change careers raises some special challenges. First, you need break down what you have accomplished in your current career into smaller more generic bites. These smaller parts of the current career will become the building blocks of the new resume.

You need to do some detective work on the new job or career. Find one or more people currently in the proposed new career position and contact them and see if you can come in for a short fact finding interview. If an interview is not possible find the best time to talk to them on the phone for a few minutes. Have your questions prepared. You need to know the three or so critical skills of the new career that would make you a good candidate. What skills or what lack of experience would absolutely not qualify you for the new career?

For example, if the new career required you to work in a team orientated environment and you've never worked in that type of environment, would you be disqualified? Not necessarily. Upon reflection in your present position, for example, although working alone there was a great deal of coordination required with others and with other departments to get your work done. In truth you were working in a quasi-team and doing very well.

Your resume will now be written to reflect your skills at working with others. Point out results achieved by your abilities to work with and through others.

In another example, a long time flight attendant was growing weary of the travel and other headaches and decided to move to another career. She had previously had her kitchen remodeled and was appalled at the real lack of customer service in the whole process. After some thought and interviewing the principals of several small and larger companies that performed this type of remodeling service she began drafting her resume. It focused on her considerable customer service skills, her analytical abilities, her first hand experience in remodeling her home, and her sales skills. In a relatively short period of time she landed a job in the trades' office of a larger construction firm that specialized in remodeling projects. Within a short time she was doing estimates and some designing. She now views her new career as having a future that is almost unlimited.

In yet another example, the applicant used his success at fund raising for his son's high school band
to leverage his way into another career. His former position as a parts manger for an automobile dealership had little room for growth. After he reworked his resume he uncovered a growing position as an area technical manager for a large manufacturer. The key to the new career was his showcasing of his fund raising experience, along with his technical background made him a desirable candidate for the new career.

The key in both examples was to break down the current position into smaller parts. And then take those parts and build a resume that directly addressed the needs of the new career. Of course, if the new career requires additional education, it can be secured through self-study, the internet or local educational institutions while you continue in your present position.

Once you find the relevant skills needed in the new career you'll be surprised how many of them you perform on a daily or weekly basis. The secret is to write the resume to highlight the required skills. For if you successfully perform a particular task infrequently what's to say that you can't be successful doing it closer to full time. With this approach, you'll be closer to your ideal planned career.

John Groth

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How To Write A Job Winning Resume That Puts Yours On Top

By Julia Tang


Many people would love to get a better job. And most of these same people have the proper training and skills to achieve this goal. Unfortunately, so many job hunters have very poor communication skills. They are unable to clearly tell potential employers about their job qualifications. In short, they do not have good job seeking skills. In many cases, this prevents them from getting a high paying job that they could easily do. Often, the job will go to someone who is less skilled but who has written a eye-catching resume. Often, job seekers have a few mistaken opinions about potential employers. They believe that employers are able to easily separate the qualified job applicants from the less qualified applicants. But this is likely not true. Sometimes there are from 30 to 300 resumes for the same job. So the interviewer first does a fast screening of all the resumes to eliminate as many as possible. The "good" resumes usually make it through the screening process. Many times the best job candidate is screened out due to a poor resume. In today's business world there is often many qualified applicants applying for the same job. What if, out of all of those who apply, one job seeker turns in a skillful resume? Who do you think stands the best chance of getting the job? It's the one with the "best" resume, of course. This is so often true even through some of the other applicants may be better qualified for the job. In order to get a good job you must communicate to the employer that you are ready, willing, and able to do the job. So if you are capable of producing a top notch job resume, you definitely increase your chances of getting a better job. Virtually every potential employer will want to see a resume from you. The resume will determine who gets a job interview. Your resume is a mini-statement about yourself. After reading your resume the employer should have a better "feel" for you as a person and as a potential employer. It serves to get acquainted with the employer so that they can decide if they want to know more about you. The resume is the first step, your introduction to an employer. First impressions really do count. If you make a poor first impression, you'll never get to step two -- the job interview. To the purpose of your resume is to make a good first impression. In effect, your resume should tell the employer that you have good abilities and are truly interested in working. This report will help you make that good first impression. And it could very well help you to get the better job you're looking for. RESUME BASICS All good resumes follow the same general basic guidelines. While there is some flexibility in these guidelines, you don't want to stray too far from them. You want a resume that is bold, exciting, and enticing. But not too much so. You also want a resume that is somewhat conservative. In other words, it must be bold. Not flashy. You must show that you have confidence in your abilities, but not sound like a braggart. You must sound eager to do the job, but not desperate. So there is a fine line that you must walk in order to produce the best possible resume. You want to use intelligent language. However, you don't want to try and impress the employer with long, flowery, or uncommon words or phrases. Use everyday language whenever possible. Of course, if you are applying for a highly technical position, it's acceptable to use some of the special terms used in that particular profession. But as a rule you should keep it simple and straight to the point. The word resume comes from the French word "resumer" which means to summarize. So the exact purpose of a resume is to summarize your experience, knowledge, and accomplishments. Therefore, you must avoid being too wordy. Say exactly what you mean in the least number of words possible. The length of your resume is important. Resumes should be from 1 to 3 pages long. Don't be tempted to make your resume longer than 3 pages, even if you have a lot to tell. Remember, a resume is supposed to be a summary. A resume that is too long simply will bore the reader. There will be so much material that nothing will stand out and be remembered. RESUME APPEARANCE The overall appearance of your resume is also important. A sloppy looking resume will greatly lessen your chance of getting a job interview. The first thing that an employer, or personnel manager, evaluating your resume will notice is it's appearance. There are several different things that can be easily done to increase the overall appearance of your resume. The first of these appearance factors is the paper that your resume is printed on. There are many different kinds of paper other than regular typing paper. You could make an improvement by using a colored paper. I suggest a subdued color like brown, off- white, or gray. Next, you could use a better grade of paper. Go to a local office supply store and examine the different types of writing paper. You'll notice some big differences. Pick out a nice looking, more expensive grade of paper for your resume. The next thing to consider is the quality of the material that is typed onto the resume. Never use a low quality typewriter to type your resume. If necessary, rent a good quality typewriter. Then make certain that it has a fresh ribbon in it. It's very important that you make sure the writing on your resume looks good. This means clean, crisp, and sharp looking letters. Another good way to produce a top looking resume is by having it typeset. If your resume was produced using a computer and saved on a disk, you can hire a commercial typesetter who can use this file. Or, you can locate another computer user who owns a laser printer. Laser printers can produce a good grade of typeset documents. The other alternative is to find a local word processing service that can typeset your resume for you. You can use the typeset master copy of your resume to make more copies. But be certain that you use a top notch copying machine. Otherwise, you'll still end up with poor looking resumes. Another alternative is to have the typesetter produce as many original copies as you need to ensure that they all look good. A third aspect of your resume's appearance is more subjective. It takes into account such things as the letter spacing, how each section is arranged, and it's overall appearance. Some resumes simply look better because of the way they have been designed. At the end of this report, you'll see an example of a properly prepared resume. Never overcrowd the resume. Leave some "white space" so that important points can appear to pop out. Never submit a resume with handwritten corrections. You can highlight sections of a resume by using a different typeface or size or by using "bullets." If possible, use larger letters for the headings used in the separate sections of the resume. Never try to be too fancy by using wild colors, cute graphics, and so forth. Don't be overly creative. A simple, straightforward, factual resume will do nicely. Make it stand out, but stay conservative. Another phase of your resume's appearance is it's accuracy. Make sure there are no misspelled words! Mistakes will create the wrong image. Make sure that the punctuation is correct. And make sure that all of your columns line up. See that all of your facts are correct. Don't say you attended 3 years of college, but only show two years worth of grades. Potential employers will note all inaccuracies and wonder why they appear in your resume. OPTIONAL DATA There is a variety of personal data that may be somewhat controversial if included in your resume. In the past it was acceptable to include all kinds of personal data, but times and laws have changed. Affirmative Action laws have made it illegal to discriminate based on such things as age, sex, marital status, race, religion, and so forth. Therefore, most experts recommend against placing this kind of personal data into your resume. Your salary requirements should not be listed in the resume, if you can avoid it. The reason is that if you put too low of a salary, you might be paid less than the real value of the job. If you put down a figure that's too high, you may not get considered for the job. If an employer likes you, it may be possible to negotiate a higher salary during the interview stage. Another thing that your resume doesn't need is your photograph. Potential employers can decide if they are interested in you after reading your resume. They can see what you look like during the interview. RESUME STYLES There are several styles of resumes along with numerous variations. Your experience and the kind of job you are applying for will help to determine the style of resume you use. The two basic styles are: Chronological Resumes and Functional Skills Resumes. Some of the variations include the main themes of business, academic, general, student, standard, professional, or engineering. A Chronological Resume lists work experience in reverse chronological order (the most recent experience first). It includes some descriptive text about each position, usually described in about one paragraph. This type of resume offers several advantages: it is widely accepted, they are easy to read, and they show a clear pattern of your development. The disadvantages include: it does not highlight your major accomplishment(s), nor do they effectively show your other skills. Functional Skills Resumes highlight your skills and accomplishments rather than providing a chronological record of your job history. Your accomplishments and skills are listed at the beginning. Your job history is listed at the end of the resume. This type of resume allows you to call attention to your achievements. The major disadvantage is that employers may find it difficult to follow your work experience. Many people discover that a combination of these two kinds of resumes is the best way to go. You may want to try several different types of combinations before settling upon a final design. WRITING YOUR RESUME Some specific topics that your resume should cover are: (1) Job Objective -- lets the employer know that you are interested in a specific type of work. This can be done in 2 or 3 sentences. Example: work in an analytical chemistry laboratory that focuses on environmental samples. Oversee and coordinate the activities of other lab technicians. (2) Summary of Qualifications -- is a short paragraph that summarizes your experience and skills. Example: I have 8 years experience working on all p samples for metals C. Used CLIP and SW846 methods hases of analytical chemistry. Including work with a wide variety of instruments and computers. Was second-in-command of a lab with 8 technicians. (3) Professional Skills -- is the section where you give specific details about your qualifications. Example: INSTRUMENTS OPERATED A. Atomic Absorption Spectrometer B. Microwave Digestion System C. Polarograph D. Laser Fluorimeter E. IBM Computers ADMINISTRATION A. Supervised 8 technicians when the Department head was absent. ANALYSIS A. Waste oils for metals B. Water and soil (4) Work Experience -- in this section you give a one paragraph summary for each of your previous jobs. This should include starting and ending date, reason for leaving, job title and duties, and any special accomplishments for each of the jobs. (5) Education -- gives a summary of all schools attended, degrees earned, and special seminars or training courses that you have attended. (6) Honors and Awards -- it's a good idea to list any special awards you have received. (7) Personal -- information about your hobbies and activities should be included. (8) Others -- professional organizations that you belong to, computer or programming skills, articles or books published. (9) References -- you can state something like, "references available upon request," or list at least 3 on your resume. It's important to include all of the basic information on your resume. But, what is also important, is the way you say it. Don't use dull, lifeless statements. Instead use action words. Here are some typical action words: Accelerated, achieved, advised, approved, assisted, built, calculated, completed, conceived, controlled, coordinated, created, decreased, defined, designed, developed, directed, earned, edited, engineered, evaluated, found, generated, implemented, improved, invented, managed, operated, organized, planned, proved, revised, scheduled, tested, trained, verified, wrote. These words give the correct impression that you have been responsible for do different kinds of jobs tasks. In other words, you weren't just a follower. Of course, you should always be truthful. Don't try to oversell yourself by claiming you did things that you didn't do. As you can see, a resume is really a very simple document. It is not that difficult to produce a good resume, if you follow the simple steps outlined in this report. By dividing it into sections it becomes a much easier job. These different sections also help you to stay organized. If you have worked on a special project or had a lofty responsibility on a previous job, you may want to include that in a section all by itself. Example: "I organized a training department for AMCO Scientific and was responsible for overseeing the production of training lessons." Another good way to get familiar with proper resume writing techniques is to review a good resume. There's an example included in this report. You can use it as a model. Then produce several different resumes for yourself until you find the best possible combinations for your specific skills. You may also want to have a friend to read your resume and point out any problems. UNCOVERING JOBS Many people do not have good job hunting skills. They are not experts at locating job openings for which they may be qualified. Here are some ideas to help you uncover those jobs. NEWSPAPER ADS -- usually draw the greatest number of applicants, so you'll end up with a lot of competition. If you have no geographic restrictions, you may want to check out of state newspapers. Find a way to make your resume stand out so that it isn't lost among the many applicants. Here are a couple of ideas: (1) Send a customized cover letter with your resume. (2) Call before you send the resume in. If possible, talk to the person who will be doing the interview or who you'll be working for. If this isn't possible, talk to the personnel director about the job and let them know that your resume is coming. This will help them to remember your name and may help you get through the resume screening process. PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES -- these are agencies that try to match employees and employers. These agencies vary in the way they work. Some can be very helpful. Others are somewhat unscrupulous. Your best chance is to go with an agency that specializes in your field. Beware of agencies that continually run the same ad because, often, they are just trying to build a list of candidates. I recommend that you only use agencies that don't require you to pay a fee. TRADE JOURNALS AND PERIODICALS -- Are often the best places to look. This is one of the primary means of job advertisement for some types of professions. Example: The magazine Environmental Science continually carries ads for environmental professionals. Other good places to look include: trade shows and professional conventions, personnel offices, college placement offices, friends you have who are in the same profession as you. Another method is to simply go through the yellow pages and look for companies which may need a person with your skills. Then contact these companies by phone and follow-up by sending in your resume. Job seeking is a skill that requires persistence. You must not become discouraged. Keep making plenty of contacts. Sooner or later, you'll find the job that's right for you. THE JOB INTERVIEW Most people are nervous when they go to a job interview. However, by preparing beforehand you won't have anything to worry about. Believe it or not, occasionally the person conducting the interview is nervous, too! Most interviewers will make a decision within the first 5 to 10 minutes of the interview. There are a number of steps that you can take that will greatly improve your chances of getting the job. The first (and perhaps the most obvious) thing to consider is your appearance. No matter what type of job you apply for, you should dress appropriately. A nice suit is your best bet. Dark blue or a gray pinstripe are the best colors. Don't wear a loud tie. Make sure all of your clothes are wrinkle free and that your shoes are polished. Women should wear a conservative suit dress. Avoid excessive jewelry, make-up, perfume and bright nail polish. Interview do's and don'ts: (1) Arrive early. If you arrive late, you'll be rushed and the interviewer may consider you unreliable. (2) Walk briskly, with purpose, and stand up straight. (3) Don't smoke, chew gum, slouch, read a novel, or other similar activities while you are waiting in the lobby. If some of the company's literature is available, read that instead. (4) Give the interviewer a firm handshake, and don't be afraid to look him or her in the eye. (5) Be prepared. Carry an extra copy of your resume and academic record. (6) Don't talk too much ... or too little. (7) Above all, try to be natural and relaxed. Be yourself. Questions that the interviewer may ask you include: what are your career goals? How many sick days have you taken in the past two years? What are your strong points? Do you have any hobbies? Why do you want this job? Tell me about yourself. What did you like most or like least about your last job? Do you have any questions? She or he may also ask you some specific questions that relate to equipment or procedures you'll need to use on the job. This is a way of determining your overall knowledge and skills. Before and during the interview ... (1) Be positive and enthusiastic. (2) Try to focus upon your accomplishments and achievements in past jobs. (3) Find out as much as possible about the job duties and requirements of the position you are applying for. This will help you to be able to ask further questions. (4) Find out as much as possible about the company. (5) If you are really interested in the job, let the interviewer know about it. (6) Questions you need to ask include: when will the job start? To whom do I report? What would a typical day be like? (7) Don't be too concerned about salary and benefits at first. If you are selected, they will make you a salary offer. Toward the end of the interview you can ask about benefits. AFTER THE INTERVIEW There are a number of things that you can do after the interview that will make you an even more attractive job candidate. Here are a few tips: (1) Write a thank you letter. If you really want the job, say so in the letter. (2) If you have not heard anything within 8 to 10 days, you may want to call. Assure them that you are not trying to be pushy, but that you are just interested. If you aren't hired, you can still send a thank you letter to the company and ask them to keep you in mind for any other similar job openings. Also, you may want to ask the interviewer for a specific reason as to why you weren't hired. This information will help you as you search for other jobs. CONCLUSION Getting a good job that you want is not always easy. There are many qualified people after every top paying position that is available. But if you use the strategies described in this report, you'll stand a much better chance of success. Be persistent and don't sell yourself short. You could end up with a much better job in a very short period of time. AMPLE RESUME

Jerry Jobseeker
12345 Main St.
Anytown, U.S.A.
555-5555

SKILLS

Professional Skills: Experienced in operating a wide variety of analytical instruments including, Flame and Furnace AA, Microwave digestion, Laser flourimeter, and more.

Familiar with the full range of EPA and CLIP methods and protocols for inorganic analysis

Expert with IBM-PC computers and have over ten years of computer experience.

BUSINESS
EXPERIENCE

1971 to 1977 Austin Powder Company, McAuthur, Ohio
Chemistry
Chemist:
Performed a wide range of chemical analysis on raw materials, finished products and competitor's samples. Used classical wet chemistry methods.

1977 to 1982 Mead Paper Company, Chillicothe, Ohio Mead Research Paper Technologist: Worked to improve paper formulations, solve problems, and improve quality using pilot plant and mill studies. Performed a wide range of paper tests, wrote reports, and evaluated results.

1982 to Present Martin Marietta, Piketon, Ohio
Senior Chemist: Performed a full range of analytical methods for metals on all types of samples (soil, water, air, waste samples). Responsible for quality control and in charge of department supervising 14 technicians when supervisor was absent.

EDUCATION

Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
BS in Chemistry, 1971
Minor: History, Math
GPA: 2.4 Concentrated in inorganic chemistry

PROFESSIONAL
SOCIETIES

1975 to Present American Chemical Society

PERSONAL DATA I am very active with a number of hobbies including: golf, gardening, baseball, computers, and writing. I have authored a number of books about computers and various chemical related subjects.

REFERENCES Available upon request.

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Resume help: free cover letter samples and examples for human resources

Many people believe that when applying for a job, the cover letter is an optional addition to the resume. However, most hiring managers expect a cover letter and do not even consider resumes that do not come with one attached.

While the resume is in fact the meat and potatoes of your presentation to a potential employer, the cover letter acts as the spice that makes the meal worth sitting down to eat. Your resume is where your accomplishments are listed, but your cover letter is where you highlight some of the more relevant ones and pitch yourself as the person the company should hire. There may be hundreds of other candidates with equally impressive resumes, so use your cover letter to stand out.

Be original, but don't be "cute". To be original is to present your unique ability to handle the job requirements, whereas to be cute is to use the highly unprofessional "giggle factor", hoping your humor will get you a call back. It won't.

Your cover letter should be addressed to the person whose job it is to hire you for the position. If you do not know his or her name, call the company and ask. Make sure you have the correct spelling and title for this person. Of course, make sure you have meticulously checked your spelling and grammar.

The person who will hire you probably doesn't have much time for all the resumes on his or her desk, not to mention the other work that he or she needs to get done. Therefore, getting to the point and putting as much information as you can in as few words as possible will raise your letter's chances of being read in its entirety. An effective cover letter would read something like this:

DATE

Mr. John Doe

President

Big Company

123 Any Street

New York, NY 00000

Dear Mr. Doe:

Please find enclosed my resume for your consideration for the position of ____________.

Your ad in the New York Times specifies that the ideal candidate will have a bachelor's degree or three years experience in ___________. I have recently completed my bachelor's degree, and I also have over two years of experience in the field.

My coursework in __________ has provided a solid foundation for work in _____________. Furthermore, my experience in ____________ began with my first job at Dynamo Company and continues into my present employment with ABC Corporation. I understand the importance of ___________ to Big Company, and am excited about the opportunity to help enhance it.

I have references available upon your request. I would appreciate the opportunity to speak with you. I can be reached at (phone) or by email at (email address).

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Your Name

Of course, you can't just take any cover letter, change the name and address, and send it off to every employer. Nor can you simply fill in the blanks in the suggested format shown above. The point of your cover letter is to let specific employers know that you have knowledge of their company and demonstrated skills that you can offer them.

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How to make a good resume from a bad one

HOW TO MAKE A GOOD RESUME OUT OF A BAD ONE

The three biggest mistakes that most people make when preparing their resume for a job search are (1) lack of good organization, (2) excessive wordiness, and (3) poor presentation. This brief overview will show you how to analyze your current resume and make the necessary corrections that will allow you to outshine the competition.

ORGANIZATION

A prospective employer shouldn’t have to peruse your bio with a thick magnifying glass in order to learn crucial information about whether your education and skill level would be a solid match for his or her company. Each category should stand out and allow for a quick read-through. Accordingly, you want a summary of your background and qualifications that can be neatly confined to one page.

At the top of the page and centered should be your name, address, phone number, and email address. If you have a website with content that is pertinent to the position for which you are applying, go ahead and list that as well. For instance, perhaps you are a photographer or artist and have an online portfolio of your work. Or perhaps you are applying for a job as a writer and have excerpts posted from different publications. Interestingly, this is the one section of a resume that prospective employees invariably forget to proofread. Why? Because they’re so used to the repetition of supplying this information that they assume they could do it in their sleep. I can’t tell you, though, how many resumes I’ve received wherein the person misspelled his or her own name or transposed numbers in the address or phone!

The next item in your resume, entered at the left-hand margin, should be your area of expertise. This can either be shown as “Specialization: Graphic Arts” or as a mini-summation of your talents which will encourage the reader to drop down to the next section in order to learn how you acquired these skills and/or expert knowledge.

The third section is devoted to your actual work experience. This can be categorized in one of two ways. The most common is a chronological listing, starting with your current or most recent position. If you’ve been in the job market for a long time, those experiences which were in the distant past (i.e. your first job after high school or college) can gradually be dropped off with the passage of years. If you’re a newcomer and your resume is a bit light, don’t forget that volunteer activities can count as experience, especially if they allowed you to demonstrate leadership, coordination, mentoring or participation in fundraising. The second format, especially if you have diversified experiences, is to separate them by headers such as “Writing, Publishing, Teaching” and list the specifics under each one. This is also an effective approach if you are applying for a variety of different positions because it enables you to move these elements around and put the one that is most relevant to a particular job in the top slot.

The next section of your resume is your educational information; specifically, your degree, major, and name of school. This is also where you will list any professional, fraternal or scholastic organizations you belong to.

BREVITY

Never mistake a resume as a forum to be chatty and conversational. You’re not writing a letter here. You’re advancing a written profile of who you are. Hopefully this door-opener will be of sufficient interest that you will be invited to come in and show them who you are in person.

What an interviewer is going to look for in your background experience is a brief summation of job duties as well as demonstrated results. You wouldn’t write, for instance, “My next job was at Black & Green which is a construction company that builds single family homes and apartments and where I was put in charge of the typing pool and did other office manager type things like deal with all the vendors and purchase orders and sometimes when it was really busy I was also asked….” Following the title of “Office Manager, Black & Green Construction,” you would identify your duties as: “Supervised pool of 15 typists, initiated and monitored vendor contracts, etc.” If you can show results or innovations, even better! For instance, “Implemented employee incentive program which cut absenteeism by 20% in first 6 months.”

The assumption will be made by most employers that each time you left a job it was to go to a job that offered more money, more responsibility or better benefits. Thus, it’s not necessary to delineate these reasons in your resume. It’s also taboo to cite reasons that either cast aspersions on your former employer(s) (i.e., “My boss was a real jerk”) or on you, (i.e., “I got bored out of my mind.”)

PRESENTATION

Remember back in high school when you figured out that a neatly typed term paper was sure to get a better grade than a handwritten one on binder paper with the holes ripped out? The reason it garnered a better grade was twofold: (1) it looked as if the student put more work into the paper and (2) it was easier for the teacher to read. The same holds true with resumes. This is, after all, the very first impression that you are going to make on someone. Would you show up at a first meeting wearing a stained T-shirt and old jeans? Of course not! So why should you send your resume off to represent you in anything less than its best look?

Your resume should be typed in an easy to read font. The most popular are Courier, Times New Roman, Bookman or Palatino. Yes, yes, I know there are lots of wonderfully creative fonts like Mistral, Sydnie, Rage Italic and Braggadocio that you’ve been dying to use but this isn’t the time to do it. Nor is it the time to pick out an exotic font color like Tangerine or Lime Green and add lots of eye-popping graphics to pep things up a bit. Basic black, please. Your font size should also be 12 point. Anything less than that will make the reviewer start squinting. The more they squint, the less they will like you and probably not call you for an interview.

It’s also recommended that you (1) not include a photograph unless one has been specifically asked for and (2) not include supplemental materials unless they have been requested as part of the application package.

The type of paper you use also says a lot about you. Invest in a nice batch of high quality paper in cream, ivory, pale blue or pale grey, along with matching envelopes.

Before you put it in that envelope, though, solicit a second or even third pair of eyes to proofread for you. This will ensure that the resume that is going out the door will guarantee that you will subsequently be invited in the door and offered the job of your dreams.

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Get help writing your resume

In this marketplace, a great resume can get you anywhere. The problem is, there are not that many great resumes out there. Most resumes contain at least one mistake, and most have more than one. The trick to writing a good one is to carefully craft each section to reflect your particular talents. Use the following steps to create a concise, inspired resume:

1. Heading

This is your name, address and telephone. Place your name in the middle of the page at the top in bold. Make sure it is larger than all of the other text. Give a permanent home address and a temporary one, if necessary, and provide all of the telephone numbers and e-mail addresses that you own. If you have a webpage, add the URL here. Employers will be looking to contact you, and don't make it harder for them.

2. Education

This is where you place your education experience, starting with the most recent. Carefully label your section, and include degree, date of graduation, major and minor. If you've studied abroad, add that here. Always place the name of an institution in bold, and if you've taken part in any special programs or workshops, indicate that here. Your GPA should be clearly noted here.

3. Work Experience

Again, place all work experience in order of the most recent to the least. Carefully label this section so that the employer will be aware that this is your work experience. The most important work experience that you can place here is a steady job held for some years, or for students, an internship at a major firm in your field. Basically, an employer is looking to see if you can handle the work environment that a regular job provides. Summer jobs can also be listed in this area, but be sure to provide only those jobs that are necessary to get across your experience to an employer. Include the number of years you've worked during each job, and a summary of your position and its duties.

4. Additional Interests and Information

Use this area to put down an volunteering work that you've done. List also any special talents and interests that you have. This area is important because it indicates to the employer that you have balanced, active lifestyle. It hints at good people skills, and diligence in certain areas. Therefore, if you are applying for a computer position, but sing opera as well, let them know! Chances are, they will be very impressed. If you are applying in computers, use this area to highlight all of the computer programs that you know, and familiar applications. In any case, make sure you use this area to list any awards and honors that you may have received.

5. References

Place in this area the names of at least two people that an employer can contact for a summary of your performance skills. Pick people that will give you a glowing reference, and include all details, such as e-mail, phone number and cell phone number. Make sure to clear this with the person that you are using as a reference, or you may not receive so glowing a reference as you expect!

6. Use Active Words

Use active words in your resume. Words like "created," "managed" and "achieved" will make you sound like an active, successful person.

7. Be Careful

A resume tells all about you, so be careful to check for mistakes and grammar before sending it out. For a general resume, get beige, card stock resume paper. For a computer resume, get thicker card stock white resume paper. Make sure to use the same paper for envelopes and cover letters.

8. Don't be Shy

When preparing to write, think of your talents. Don't hesitate to express them aloud to yourself and be proud. Employers are not looking for someone that is not interested in impressing. Be assertive about what you can do, and employers will want to use you. Good luck!

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How to Write A Great Resume

1. Step 1
   
    
   Determining your objective before you began. You should know exactly what sort of a job you want, and know what kinds of skills and experiences are needed to do well in that job.
   
2. Step 2
   
    
   In the resume use bullet points with short sentences instead of long paragraphs that way your qualities will stand out. Highlight your strengths you want to stand out above all other persons applying.
   The font size should be 10pt-12pt and no longer than 1-2pages.
   
3. Step 3
   
    
   List the best the best jobs first where you gained the most experience. Don't included places you were laid off if it was for a really bad reason. Give the phone numbers of employees that you worked well with as references.
   

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How to Write a Resume

1. Step 1
   Write a cover letter. This is not a synopsis of your resume. Simply introduce yourself and say why you are the best candidate for the job.
   
2. Step 2
   Know what type of job you are applying for and what the qualifications are for employment.
   
3. Step 3
   Choose a design for your resume. You can search for samples that are specific to the job you are applying for, although it is more important to have an outline that best suits the job and fill in the blanks with your personal information. The outline could include objective, work experience, qualifications and references.
   
4. Step 4
   Put in the resume your objective, fitting the job description. This can determine whether you get the 10 to 30 seconds and if the reviewer will send your resume to the next round.
   
5. Step 5
   Use bullet points to convey information and strive to be clear and concise when writing the rest of the resume. Study the job qualifications and highlight any skills that meet those requirements. It is also best to use action words like prepared, directed, managed, developed, monitored, implemented, coordinated and presented. If you lack experience, focus on how your education has prepared you for the position for which you are applying.
   
6. Step 6
   Include symbols like %, $, and #. These symbols will save space, allowing you to include more information on your resume. A symbol like a dollar sign can also draw the HR manager's attention to a significant financial achievement. For example, "directed and closed first year with two million in revenue" should be changed to "directed and closed first year with $2M in revenue."
   
7. Step 7
   Highlight your strengths by putting the most relevant points first where they can be viewed quickly. Remain positive and avoid negatives such as reasons for leaving an employer and history gaps in employment. These can be discussed in person if necessary.
   

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Resumes & cover letter mistakes

Though the cover letter should be an exercise in attention to detail, there are far too many blunders that happen all too often in the job marketplace. The following are the top ten cover letter blunders that you should always make sure to avoid. Committing one of these all too common career crimes is the equivalent of telling the interviewer that you definitely don’t want the job.

Unattractive Layout

One of the first ways to get your resume noticed – for the wrong reasons – is to have a layout that is unattractive or inconsistent. For example, changing the spacing throughout the resume would be one way to achieve this; alternating between capital letters and boldface type to separate sections would be another way. Be sure that your resume is set up to look neat and sharp, and that you follow a consistent design scheme the whole way through.

Inappropriate Stationery

One of the great thing about having a great supply of stationery and writing paper is that it can really say something about who you are as a person. Though this is a great way to express yourself to friends and family, it doesn’t work as well with a potential employer. Save the cutesy flowers and animals for friendly correspondence; write all professional papers on a heavier stock of professional paper.

Too Fancy Fonts

Just like the elaborate stationery that can work against you in business correspondence, employing the use of too decorative fonts can also damage your reputation as a professional and business savvy job seeker. The best font to use is a Times or Arial font. Something basic, and that can be found on almost any word processing program.

Making Corrections

Perhaps it’s the fact that businesses themselves have been becoming more and more relaxed these days, but job seekers seem to take this philosophy to an extreme. Time and time again, candidates seeking employment think it’s okay to make a correction on their resume with white out or – even worse – a pen or pencil. Other candidates have opted for a quick Post-It note explaining the slip-up. If you make a mistake on your resume, go back and make the change directly to the document, and reprint it. There is no excuse for any resume to be less than perfect.

Incorrect Information

When sending out a cover letter, you should always have a specific name of the person to whom it is being sent. One common mistake – and it’s a mistake that can really bother a sensitive interviewer – is finding incorrect information on the cover letter. For example, if the cover letter send to “Chris Jones” reads “Dear Mr. Jones” when Chris is actually Christine. The same goes for incorrect information as it relates to the company name and address. The easiest way to avoid this mistake? Take a moment to give the company a call and double check the mailing address and name and spelling of the person’s name to whom you are sending the resume.

Typos

A major problem that is often encountered when an interview is reading one’s resume is a whole slew of typos. More and more, this type of error (even if the typo is one small one) is becoming enough a reason for interviewers to exclude someone from the running altogether. A quick spell check and a careful edit are two ways in which you can prevent this from happening to you.

Inappropriate Tones

In any sort of business correspondence, job seekers need to walk a distinct line between familiarity and professionalism. The tone of any cover letter should be polite without being obsequious, and professional without being too stiff. Don’t be afraid to show a little bit of your personality, just don’t show it all up front.

Comparisons and Clichés

In everyday language, it is likely that you will hear at least one overused cliché or obvious comparison come out of the mouth of someone you know. As is the nature of such phrases, they only serve to make you sound unoriginal. Avoid using clichés and obvious comparisons when writing a cover letter, as it’s likely that someone else is writing the exact same thing.

No Signature

One of the most important things employers are looking for nowadays is an employee with a great attention to detail. Sending off your cover letter without having signed it is one sure way to assure the interviewer that your attention-to-detail skills are certainly lacking.

Missing Resume

Another sign that a candidate is lacking in the attention-to-detail department: sending a cover letter without a resume. Though it seems like a ridiculous mistake to make, there are far too many people that send out a cover letter and forget to include what is really important here, their credentials.

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Resume writing tips: controlling exaggeration

The number one tool in the process of job hunting is the resume. This presents to the potential employer a brief documentation of your work history, your skills and abilities and your training. It could be said that the resume is the first impression that a potential employer gets of you, the job seeker.

At a glance, your resume tells the potential employer your possibility for being an asset to the company. Subsequently, you, the job seeker, have to sell yourself in the resume to the potential employer. Often, this entails a little exaggeration on your part as to your skills and abilities.

In almost all instances, the duties you've performed throughout your employment history will actually be a kind of index of what you're really capable of, whether you realize this or not. Here in comes the "exaggeration".

For example, say you were a childcare provider. The job description in its barest form is that you cared for the child or children in your charge. You made sure the child was fed, had a safe environment to play in, and in the case of older children, perhaps helped with homework and did some tutoring.

Now, when you stop to think about it, you actually performed other duties peripheral to your primary duty of caring for the child, such as cleaning up messes and organizing food preparation. These peripheral duties fall under the category of domestic services. So as a by-product, you have the skills necessary to clean homes on a professional basis.

So, even though you were not particularly paid to keep homes clean, should you decide to seek a job with a company that provides domestic services to customers, you actually have skills that would be usable in this endeavor. If you list these skills, though it is a stretch from your primary skill of child care, it is still a duty you can perform, hence you would put it on your resume as a viable skill.

The problem arises in the potential to "over-exaggerate".

For instance, if regular food preparation was part of your duties in your job as a child care worker, an exaggeration would be that you are a short order cook, able to prepare basic meals. An over-exaggeration would be if you put down on your resume that you are a chef (able to prepare full course, complex recipes) based entirely on your skill at preparing basic meals for the child you were caring for.

The key to controlling over-exaggeration in your resume is to be honest with yourself at what you are able to do beyond your primary skills with little or no additional training.

There is a useful tool to help you get a handle on this. It's called a Skill Tree List.

What this list does is categorize and extrapolates all of the skills you are capable of, branching off from the actually skills, your primary experiences, that you possess.

Using the child care provider example, here is what a Skill Tree List would look like:

CHILD CARE PROVIDER

Duties: Provide care and supervision for a child

DOMESTIC SERVICES

Household cleaning

Yard Cleaning (if part of your duties was maintaining a safe playing environment)

FOOD PREPARATION

Short order cook

TUTORING

Basic Math, Science, art, etc. (if you also helped the child with schoolwork).

Though each of these peripheral skills may not necessarily get you into the door of a company that outright performs these services, it may go a long way in either getting you hired at an entry level position or make you eligible for additional training the company may provide if they decide to hire you.

The thing you want to keep in mind as you prepare your resume in this manner is how capable are you in actually performing these exaggerated duties.

Another example would be if you were a word processor and possess good computer skills as well. Your Skill Tree List may look like this:

COMPUTING

Build and Repair Computers (this would apply if you actually built and maintained your own PC)

Software Installation

Software De-installation

Network setup

Database Entry

Word Processing

In closing, as you assemble your resume, think about your primary duties, skills and abilities you have listed in your work experience, then think about all the other little duties attendant to your main duties. Consider how they may be slightly exaggerated to show that you have the ability to perform these additional duties without having to "fake it".

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Resume writing tips

Having an attractive and informative resume can be the key to getting your dream job. While it is true that your qualifications should speak for themselves, often a resume that is eye catching can make the difference in getting your foot in the door. Here are some suggestions for better resume writing:

· The Header

Begin by writing the word "Resume" at the top of the page. Just below that, supply your name, home address, and phone contacts. If you have an e-mail address, include it in the header information.

Do not include your date of birth, place of birth or marital status. Employers are prohibited from asking for this information in an interview under U.S. Equal Opportunity laws. Eventually you may have to give this data on a job application but until then, keep it to yourself. If you voluntarily give out this information, your prospective employer can use it either for, or more importantly, against you.

· Objective

Include an objective after the header section. In your objective, explain what you are looking for in your next job. Keep it short but thorough. Use active verbs. For example: "To secure a position with a cutting edge firm that will utilize my extensive Internet skills". Be specific. Tailor your objective to fit the position you are applying for. You will probably want to have several different versions of your resume on file, depending on what job you are applying for.

· Experience

When listing experience, start with your present or most recent job. List the year pr range of years, your title, the company and the location in bold, underlining your title. Using active verbs, describe your duties. Avoid the phrase "responsible for". Simply tell what you do. For example: "Management of multiple high profile projects." Use past tense verbiage for past experience. If you worked in several different fields during your career, emphasize those duties, which pertain to the position you are applying for by listing them first.

Some firms prefer that you limit your resume to one page only. For many people that is virtually impossible. Therefore, your experience should only cover the past ten years.

Avoid "holes" in your experience. If a gap in your career is obvious it can be addressed in the interview. It is better to be honest than to "fudge" on experience.

· Education

List any degrees you have earned, beginning with the most recent. Include the type of degree earned, the institution it came from and the year it was attained, in bold face, with the degree type underlined. Don't clutter your resume with lists of courses unless those courses pertain to the job being applied for. Even then, show only the most important classes or certifications.

· Professional Accomplishments

Use this section for any professional organization you belong to which pertain to the prospective job. Also list here any significant awards you received, such as being named Employee of the Year. Just as in the Experience section start with the most recent award, give the year, the name of the award, the company that gave it, and why it was given. Use bold face for the year, the name and the company, and underline the award name.

· Special Skills

In some instances you may want to highlight any special skills that were not specifically covered in other sections of the resume.

· Appearance

As to the overall appearance of the resume, make sure you use plenty of white space on your page. Keep it clean and uncluttered. It is a good idea to use bold horizontal lines to separate the sections from each other. Be sure to "print preview" your resume if composing it with a word processing program so that you know exactly how it will appear on the page when printed. Always use the spell check program built into the word processor, but don't entirely depend on it to find all of the mistakes. Thoroughly proofread your finished resume and then have someone else look at is as well. Spell checking programs will not correct language usage problems. When printing your resume, consider the color and weight of the paper to be used. If you are applying for a job in an artistic field, brightly colored paper and/or eye catching type fonts may be appropriate and will serve to set your resume apart from others.

After your resume is completed to your satisfaction, turn your attention to writing the cover letter. This is by far the best device for getting your resume noticed. Write in the style of a formal business letter, addressing it to the hiring manager if possible. State what position you are applying for and give examples of how your experience makes you the best candidate for that position. Close by expressing an interest in arranging a meeting with the hiring manager at the earliest possible convenience.

Using these simple tips is sure to make your resume stand out from the crowd and position you as the best person for your dream job. Good luck!

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Writing resumes and cover letters

To start any job search you first have to have a resume and cover letter. These two documents are your potential employers’ first glimpse of you. It’s these documents that will make them decide whether to contact you – or not. By following the practical advice below, you can create a resume and cover letter that will give you the step ahead you need.

The first thing is your resume. Tailor each resume to the job that you are applying for – selecting only the relevant skills, qualifications and work experience. If you’re applying for a driving position, it probably won’t matter that you were previously a dog walker – unless you had to drive the dogs to the park. Try to fit your resume on one page if you can, or two – but never on one and a half, and format it so that attention is brought to your highest qualification. For example, if you’re applying for a kennel position, and you have no professional work experience with animals, but do have personal experience, then bring attention to you skills – pointing out what personal experience gave you the skill. If you do highlight your work experience, then list what duties you performed or what responsibilities you had in connection with the job. Use action verbs such as organized, performed, categorized, improved, created, increased etc. But try not to use the same word too much. If you wrote performed four times for one work experience, then check a thesaurus and find words to replace it with. For ideas on how to format your resume, look at examples of other people. The only “must” in a resume is to have your name, address, and contact at the top of the page, and include the little blurb “References available upon request” at the bottom. (But only if you do have references)

The next thing you need is a cover letter. This too should be tailored for each job. Format this in the form of a business letter and try to get the name of whom you are applying too if possible. Start by expressing you interest in the job and mention where you heard about it. If it was in a paper then name which one. In the body of the letter summarize your skills, qualifications, and education, but try not to just reiterate your resume. The most important thing is to explain why your qualifications and the job requirements are a good match, and it doesn’t hurt to mention why you would like to work for the company. Wrap the letter up by stating when you’ll be available for work and when the employer can reach you. Also mention that your resume is attached. In the last sentence, thank the employer for their time or consideration and say that you look forward to hearing from them.

When you’re finished writing your resume and document, proofread it carefully and watch for grammar mistakes. Then print them out using a good quality printer. If you don’t have one, then use one at an office depot or hire a student. Never send in a handwritten resume or cover letter. A good resume and cover letter won’t get you a job in themselves, but they will certainly help.

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Creating a winning resume

The path of your career is greatly dependent on a single piece of paper: your resume. It is as important to a businessperson as a portfolio is to an artist. Very rarely do you get an interview before that piece of paper is assessed and approved. Your resume is a prospective employer’s first impression of you and it’s your strongest tool. Presenting a professional package is imperative and arming yourself with a refined resume is worth your time and effort.

Success begins with concise clarity. All of your experience, employment history, abilities and attributes need fit on one page. Gone are the days of lengthy objectives and summaries, so it’s a good idea to compile an outline of the information you wish to convey.

The first section of your presentation should be work history. Your last three to four jobs is adequate, but if you feel prior history is pertinent feel free to list it off. Your most recent employer is listed first, accompanied by the dates you worked with that firm. If you just moved or have lived in many places, it’s also good to include the location--city and state is all that’s needed. Under the heading for that employer state your job title and responsibilities.

The second section should include a summary of your education. College, trade school and technical training are accounted for here. You’ll want to list the name and location of the institutions, as well as your course of study and any degrees, diplomas or certificates attained. Refrain from listing your high school unless you’ve just graduated or it’s the highest level of education you have completed.

Lastly, the third section addresses skills, interests and personal achievements. Although this section should take up the least amount of space on your resume, it should be packed with information. Listing computer knowledge, activities and awards helps give your resume a face and demonstrates that you are multi-faceted.

In some cases it is appropriate to also state a career objective before job experience is listed. If used, the objective should be written in an active form like: “To obtain an entry-level position in the e-commerce industry”.

Getting your information organized can be quite a chore, but doing so will make writing your resume a breeze. Here are some points to keep in mind when composing the document.

Don’t go nuts with underlines, italics or fonts. Keep it simple with one style. You can bring attention to key factors like names, titles and dates by formatting the text in bold or by changing the font size.

Use active language when listing off job responsibilities. By using the present tense, you are communicating that you still have the ability to perform these tasks. For example, instead of saying: “Assisted customers and wrote reports”, try using: “To assist customers and write reports” or “Assisting customers and writing reports”.

Write the resume like it’s being read by a speed-reader because it will be. Doing this will help to keep the language concise and will prepare the document well for its purpose. Instead of using complete sentences or thoughts, whittle your words down to the most important statements.

Garnish your presentation with a logo or letterhead. This is how you give your resume personality. A little creative license can be used here, but remember you must still convey professionalism. Err on the side of caution--if you have to ask yourself if what you’ve concocted is appropriate, it probably isn’t.

By following these guidelines, you and your resume will be set for success and it won’t be long before you’ll be adding your dream job to the top of the page.

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