Showing posts with label Resumes Cover Letters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Resumes Cover Letters. Show all posts

how to write mba resume?

When preparing a set of documents to enter a school of your dreams, you seem to have used it all: pass GMAT and TOEFL tests excellently, composed great essay, collected recommendations and it seems you can already relax. You just copied your CV, which is an indispensable element of any set of documents, as you repeatedly prepared it during your career.

However, a CV for employer and resume for business school are rather different things. Resume, you submit to a selection committee of any MBA program may once again convince everyone you're the right candidate or terminate your chances of learning where you want. In order to define the role resume plays in a set of documents, it would be useful to reiterate briefly what a group of experts searches in it. Of course, this is general information, such as: professional experience, position, previous employers. In fact, while reading your documents a person pays attention to three specific elements: logical sequence, diversity of experience, success of entire professional career.

Ideally, relatively interlinked experience is when various stages in a young professional's career are connected with each other by opportunities that appeared in his life were created by him. That is, it is important that you do not just wait for such opportunities, but are constantly in a search of them, or, more importantly, create them independently. In addition, they should be combined with your long-term goals, being a logical successor to a started path.

Diversity of experience

This factor as important, as interconnectedness of what you were doing. Member of an admission committee is looking for a candidate able to bring something new and useful in the audience, as well as understand and cover all richness and complexity of proposed training material. Many MBA programs even developed a sort of formula for compliance with this requirement: Experience in managing a team consisting of representatives of various nationalities + experience in organizing a new business in international markets. All this perfectly increases your chances of admission to an MBA program.

Visible signs of success

In order to evaluate your professional status, selection committee will look at the length of your experience in various companies, duties you performed, and the progress of your salary and bonuses in continuous communication with the results you've achieved both personally and in a team. It is ideally, if you were a leader of this team.

Some practical tips

Adjust your resume to a chosen MBA program. As well as an essay, it is important to choose what is most appropriate in this case. Give more importance to points that have been colorfully described in your essay. For example, if you wrote about teamwork, then it would be natural to describe your experience of team management, knowledge in project management.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Yana_Mikheeva

It's All in the Packaging

Browsing through the shelves at Kinokuniya reinforced one important point that marketers tend to forget: the power of packaging.

Yes, the brand name matters. In the same way that most people will gravitate towards the best-selling authors such as Dan Brown, Danielle Steele or Jodi Picoult, consumers in a supermarket will readily look for big-name brands such as Heinz ketchup, Pantene shampoo or Colgate toothpaste. Yet, if you're in a very cluttered or crowded area such as Kinokuniya (or any hypermarket like Carrefour or Cold Storage), the problem is standing out among the thousands of seemingly identical items.

If the average customer is like me, he/she will quickly scan the shelves and look at items that grab the eye. For example, while browsing aimlessly through the non-fiction sections of Kinokuniya, I tended to look at books whose covers caught and held my attention through colourful or interesting graphics, or succinct titles that hinted of something fascinating (e.g., "The Fall of Advertising & The Rise of PR" by Al Ries and Laura Ries; "Guns, Germs and Steel" by Jared Diamond). All other books fell to the wayside, with nary a thought given to them. With the countless selection offered by Kinokuniya as well as the limited time I had in the store, I could not be bothered to look at each book one by one and read each of their precis on the back cover. Similar to being at the supermarket as well, when you've got a harried mother of two looking for mayonnaise while being plagued by the constant cries of her child who WANTS ICE CREAM... NOW!

Sadly, though, packaging (as well as shelving and visual merchandising) has been largely out of the product mix whenever marketers do their brainstorming. Most of the time, we get bland and generic labels that do nothing to excite a customer's attention and imagination. Even worse, we get packaging labels that aren't even seen by the customers! To quote one recent article by Scott Young and Jonathan Asher, "Consider rounded containers. They look great in the conference room (or when viewed in a focus group) when they face directly forward, but, in-store these containers are often turned off-center, which can greatly compromise their impact and communication. Bagged products can also be a challenge because they are likely to sag or get 'scrunched' on shelf, which can impact quality perceptions and/or make key copy points (claims, variety, etc.) unreadable."

If you still don't believe in the power of good packaging, consider the Japanese who have elevated packaging and gift wrapping into an art form. The food contained inside the beautiful packaging may not always be good (and for non-Japanese speakers such as myself, we may even be clueless as to what is actually inside the package), but we must have that item because it's simply exquisite! Moira Cullen, the Senior Director for Global Design at The Hershey Company, said it best when she spoke about the packaging employed for food, confections and teas sold in Japan's leading department stores: "On a purely visceral, visual level, I was seduced by these objects. The boxes and pouches and bags were exquisite. Each one was uniquely exceptional. I didn't always know what was inside, but I didn't care. I was so amazed I bought an extra suitcase just for samples. I had to bring them home with me."
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I Really Need to Use a Professional Resume Writer?

People look at me strangely when they ask, "Do I really need to use a professional resume writer?"

"Come on," they say, "I can easily just write my own resume - what are you going to do that I cannot just do myself?"

Of course it's true that anybody can write their own resume. The same is true that anyone can attempt to build a house or change the plumbing or paint some artwork, however in each of these examples you'd prefer to call on an expert because of their specific skills, knowledge and experience in their particular trades. The same can be said of a professional resume writer.

How long should a resume be? Should I include a qualifications profile or a career summary? How many duties and responsibilities should I include for my current role? Do I include the same amount of information for all my previous roles and how far back should my resume go?

How about questions relating to "soft skills" - should you include information like "volunteered for the Red Cross"? Is this relevant on your resume? How about the fact that you were the football captain at school - is this relevant?

Have a look at your resume and see if you have words such as "hard working", "dedicated", "team player", or "loyal" - do these type of words enhance or actually detract from your resume? If you are using these types of words do you think your competitors are as well?

And what about achievements - do you have any on your resume? Is a hiring manager going to take one look at your resume and be impressed with your past experiences, skills and success? Have you mentioned initiatives you introduced to the business or awards you have won?

This is what a professional resume writer can do for you. They can open doors to get that interview. Remember - resume writing is not about reinventing the wheel, it is about ensuring that you adequately highlight everything that is required to make sure that your resume is selected and you are given the chance to present yourself in the interview. Once you make it to the interview you have the opportunity to prove to the hiring manager how good you really are. Without a professional resume you may never get this chance.

Gavin Redelman is the founder of RedStarResume and known as being a master of "Achievement Based" resume writing. Recognised as an expert in the field of resume writing and also as a prolific blogger, Gavin has had articles published around the world in newspapers, journals, student and graduate publications and magazines as well being the only resume writer to feature on the Commonwealth Bank of Australia's website in their "Living In Australia" section.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gavin_F_Redelman

Page Versus 1-Page Resume

If you are seeking a job, then a good resume can benefit you in exhibiting your skills and qualifications in a manner to influence the interviewer. Whether you acquire a job or not, can depend on various things. A resume is like a tool for the jobseekers that can be utilized to make an impression to the interviewer and boost probabilities of attaining a job.

While writing a resume, you will need to take care of various aspects like the format, layout and tone of the resume, there should be no grammar or punctuation errors, effectively market job skills, an effective cover letter and a lot more. An important aspect that makes some job seekers confused is the length of the resume, whether it should be 1-page resume or 2-page resume.

Well, it depends upon your experiences and professional circumstances. It is not necessary that if a 2-page resume works good for a person, it will also work well for you. If you have recently finished your studies or have a little experience, then a 1-page resume is sufficient for you and you are not required to surpass one page. However, if you are a professional-level candidate and want to exhibit your qualifications, experience and accomplishments to the prospective employer, then you can go for 2-page resume.

Nonetheless, if you do not have sufficient information to load two pages, just stick to one. Never include inappropriate information just to fill two pages just because you think that is the best length.

So, whatever be the length of the resume, be ensured that the first page actually gets the attention of the interviewer. So, you must place the important information on first page to catch the interest of the employer. You must include your basic information, qualifications, experience on first page, and references, hobbies, accolades and extra-curricular activities can be on second page.

While writing a resume, always write the most important information first and apply this rule for overall structure of the resume as well as within the sections.

A well-structured resume may make a big difference in your presentation and help you in getting the job of your imaginings.

Jatinder Kaur

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jatinder_Kaur_Dhingra

Resume Writing Tips - Keywords for Computer and Person

Writing a resume that improves your position among other contenders for a job opening involves recognizing that many businesses are now using computers to perform the first screening of applicants. If you don't write your resume to address this, you won't make it through that first cut.

Correct File Format to Use

Companies that are large enough to use computer screening use three formats almost universally --.txt,.doc and.pdf. If you submit your resume in one of these three formats, the computer will be able to "read" your resume for the target keywords the employer has programmed into the computer.

Identifying the Right Keywords

There is another advantage provided by larger companies. They always have a moderately detailed job description. This is where you go to identify which keywords the computer is likely to be scanning for.

First, look for the job title. This is a guaranteed keyword you don't want to miss. Then look for words that describe the job duties. These are also likely to be keywords for the position.

Identifying Skills Keywords

The employer will describe the essential skills for the job. These are your keywords. You want to look for two different types of skills keywords. There are skills that are related to your credentials or occupation. Then there are keywords that are related to general skills. The credential or occupation related keywords are the keywords you don't want to miss.

If you aren't sure what skills fit under "Experience," consider looking up your career description in the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook. It is an excellent resource.

Another even more effective way to identify if you are using the right keywords on your resume is to go to a job site and search for job openings using the keywords you have selected. If you don't find jobs that fit your skills, you aren't using the right keywords. Keep on trying until you start finding jobs you can apply for.

When it comes to occupational keywords, you don't have to list every single one, but be sure you use the keywords that apply to the skills you can prove you have. It isn't volume. It's quality that matters.

Once you've made sure you have covered your occupational keywords, you can add other general skills keywords that reflect additional non-industry specific skills that might interest an employer. These skills are generally more important to a human reader, yet this doesn't make them any less important. Certain skills--such as the ability to multi-task, work well with others, speak publicly, speak in more than one language or work in a variety of computer programs--are very attractive to an employer.

Never forget that a resume needs to be ready for both computer screening and human screening. This means that you want your resume to contain keywords that stand out both for the computer and the person who gets your resume after the computer approves it.

Denise Rutledge has provided resume and cover letter writing services for over three years through WritingasaGhost. Her clients have said things like: "I've always gotten an interview when Denise has written my cover letter." R.F. "You are the best money I have ever spent." K.S. She shares this information to empower others to write their own resumes and cover letters for successful job search results.

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Design Your Resume for Maximum Impact

Resume development consists of two parts: writing and design. I think of these equally important components as the "one two punch" essential for a truly effective resume that will get you the job.

The first impression of any resumé is made with the appearance: Does your resumé look professional? Are the key points easily visible? Is the material well organized? An attractive appearance will capture your readers' interest immediately. To keep that interest, your copy must be compelling, well written and relevant to their needs. Assuming that you have already completed the draft copy of your resumé, it is time to move on to organizing, arranging and highlighting the material to create visual appeal and greatest impact.

A well designed resume does not mean a fancy or complicated resume. Whether you are using chronological resume examples as a format or any other layout, you want it to be clean and easy to read with ample white space and logical organization. This appeals to a busy hiring manager who needs to grasp the essential information and rapidly decide "yes," "no," or "maybe" about a potential candidate.

Give yourself the greatest possible chance of getting the "yes." Skim through the resumé examples you can find online and in books. You'll notice many similarities among many resume styles of effective job seekers:

Major headings are in large or bold print for easy navigation through the resume.

Job titles are generally more important than company names and should be emphasized with bold print, underscoring, or other enhancements.

Accomplishments are clearly distinguishable from job responsibilities, either through a paragraph/bulleted list format or through subheadings.

Horizontal line frequently separate sections of the resumé.

Text formatting is consistent throughout the resume.

Font sizes are large enough to be readable but small enough to look professional.

Times Roman is the most common font used in business today and is what you should use on your resumé. Do not get fancy with script and other fonts.

Bullet sizes and shapes compliment the resumé layout.

The indents and tab settings of the resumé are clean and precise.

Dates are easily located but not over emphasized.

Chronological resume examples are the most common format. Some job seekers' resume may be two pages long; maybe even three pages long, while others fit comfortably on one page. Professional with 15 to 20 years of experience will find it difficult to compress their background and achievements on one page. There is no reason they should. If your resumé is more than one page, just be certain that your strongest selling points are on the first page, so they are not over looked by a quick read.

By following these simple design rules, you will have a resume that will have the best impact and catch a hiring manager's eye.

For over a decade David J. Clemen has helped individuals find gainful employment through job search coaching. Currently David is an active contributor to http://jpcservicesinc.com a completely free job search resource.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Clemen

Video Resumes - Are Recruiters Maximizing Their Value Added?

Every good recruiter works with the unemployed or job changing client to present the client in the best light. They evaluate their client's resume and give them guidance on how to make it more directly applicable to hiring managers. Whether the job seeker is paying the fee or if some employer is paying the fee, the candidate should discern if the recruiter is throwing mud against the wall hoping some sticks or truly adding value to the effort.

Many recruiters save themselves extra effort by saying that video resumes are not mainstream yet. They say that some employers may be afraid of discrimination issues. Some employers have reduced their hiring effort to key word searches on applications and won't take the time to view videos. But, in all cases, recruiters may be missing an exceptional opportunity to provide value to their clients by helping them to create a focused, professional video resume. The would be in addition to the other tools in the job search tool-box.

A job seeker must be able to succinctly and quickly tell their story. Most recruiters advise clients to memorize the words in this elevator speech which should be less than two minutes. This short, personal commercial answers the question, "tell me about yourself". During the job search process, some may get flustered or tongue-tied reciting their story in face-to-face meetings. If the job seeker records this short speech on video and creates a web-link to it, they can make sure it presents a perfect first impression.

Recruiters, using video resumes, can maximize their value to their clients by:

1. teaching them what to wear for the interview,
2. teaching them what to say,
3. teaching them how to say it,
4. help them with cameras, backdrops, and computers,
5. help them critique and improve the video product for certain employers,
6. teach them how to best use it with their networking effort,
7. teach them how to use it with their paper resumes,
8. teach them how to use it with cover letters or thank-you letters,
9. use the video effectively with the recruiter's business clients,
10. host the client's video privately while advertising services on their own web site.

There is very little investment, other than time, by the recruiter. Their client's video becomes a powerful job search tool that can be used profitably. The video does not replace the paper resume, it adds to it. When the web-link address is included at the top of a paper resume, the hiring manager might give it a second look. This second look is an advantage over someone who does not have one.

Recruiters and employers both know that discrimination issues can occur just as easily in the first interview, as with a video. At the time of a face-to-face interview, much time, effort, money, travel and worry for all parties has happened. Job seekers just want to be treated fairly and honestly. Steps can be taken to insure fairness. With a short video, first interview decisions can be made earlier with less stress for all. Job seekers would not have to go through the emotional roller-coaster ride only to be disappointed walking in to that first interview. Finally, if a hiring manager has viewed a video resume and invited the candidate in for an interview, it is actually the second interview. The employer has already seen them and the pressure is off. The job seeker can relax, be themselves, and win the job.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jerry_Cronlund

How Many Resumes Do I Really Need?

As a career counselor, career guidance professional, HR professional and staffing executive who has hired or placed 1,275+ individuals, I'm asked again and again, "do I only need one resume?"

The answer from my perspective is a resounding, "No. One is not enough."

My reasoning is as follows:

* One resume is needed for job boards.
* A new (revised) resume is needed each time you apply for a new job.

The first resume for general posting on job boards should be a chronological list of your achievements, what you have done, where you have done it, and the results your employ has generated. Be as specific as possible and indicate savings, benefits, and accomplishments again in a chronological order starting with most current and backwards. Be certain to mention education and any specialty certificates, etc.

A "rule of thumb" is that a better means of securing a new position (instead of "post and pray" above) is to search for a specific job that meets your background. This "meeting background" is paramount or key to a successful job hunt.

This puts responsibility on you:

* First, you respond to a job that matches your background.
* Then a modification to your resume must show how-your-background

matches the job opening. You will need to revise your resume to show what you have / how you have done it / and how you match requirements.

The answer to "how many resumes?" Two? Five? Remembering that a job search is a full time effort, tweaking your resume may result in several versions of the resume.

If you're still confused over the number of resumes or specialty resumes you need, use the perspective of a possible new employer.......How can this person help my group or my department or my company? Companies today want to know how you will help them. Period.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Carlson

Teacher Cover Letter Sample - Do Not Copy Paste

People who need to apply for a teaching job need to differentiate between a teaching profession and other profession as in teaching profession; competition is very tough due to the limited job opportunities and too many applications. School administrator gets hundreds of requests for few openings and in order to get noticed, one has to write a teacher cover letter sample which sets the trend and looks attractive with a difference.

A perfect letter sample should be capable enough to grab the prospective employer's attention the moment he/she picks it up for reading because of high volume of applications they receive and due to the time constraint, they do not devote more than 1 minute in reading a letter. If such letter impresses then they turn the page to read the attached CV and other documents. The unimpressive letters get rejected and deserve the attention of the office dustbin. It ends the prospect of the candidate.

There is a great availability of books and internet sites which offer many attractive teacher cover letter sample, which can easily be referred for the idea and information on writing an effective letter but they should not be copied as a copied letter gets identified easily by the recruiters and get rejected immediately because they think that the person who is applying for a teacher's job should be knowledgeable enough to write a cover letter of his own using his own language and sets of vocabulary. Copying a letter available in the market is not a good idea for any type of job application and it gives a negative feedback of the applicant.

The teacher cover letter sample has to look original and summarized with as many information of the candidate as possible. Another important thing which needs to be kept in mind while writing a letter is that such letter should not be lengthy and need to be contained in a single page. The body of this sort of letter must contain the introduction, the reason of applying to that school and something about the applicant like personality, major areas of specialization, any past achievements, study and work experience details and the suitability factor. The last line should mention the list of enclosures like resume, certificates etc.

Alan Bleiweiss is an excellent writer who has an experience of providing the content on different kinds of job application cover letter samples. The author is specially known for creating an awesome cover letters in just a few minutes.For more information visit Teacher Cover Letter Sample and Teacher Cover Letter Example.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alan_Bleiweiss

6 Keys to Becoming a Successful Executive Resume Writer

Most people agree that a successful resume is the one that generates job interviews. So the big question is, how do you become a successful executive resume writer? Few truly important things are easy, but here are six keys to help you write an interview-generating resume.

Key #1 - Prove Your Value: While every resume highlights past career activities, the greater point is how your past success might benefit this potential employer. The fact that you solved a shipping problem may not matter at a company with limited transportation issues.

As much as possible, tailor your information to the needs of each employer. While you probably can't create a new resume for each job opportunity, build four or five resumes, each focus around different areas of concentration. Then make careful selections each time you send a resume.

Much of your resume is generic and will probably apply to any situation. Consider what every company wants and include past success at things like controlling cost, increasing business or keeping existing customers satisfied.

Key #2 - Demonstrate Leadership: Executives are hired because they can maximize the production of their team. The successful executive resume writer builds a document that clearly demonstrates how past strong leadership resulted in measurable, favorable outcomes. Remember, the successful leader always credits the team. Claiming an almost Superman-like ability will probably fail.

Key #3 - Two Pages Are Fine: The "one page only" rule generally applies for individuals looking for entry-level or production employee status. If, and this is an important "if," you have sufficient powerful and impressive experience, education and training to warrant it, two pages is just fine. Even so, include 75% of what is most important to the employer on the first page.

Key #4 - Get Help from Friends: Assuming that your job search is not a secret, your network of friends and acquaintances can be a huge help. Share your resume ideas and drafts with people whose opinions you respect and encourage their brutal honesty. Have someone else proofread your final document. Even a single undetected typographical errors and improperly used word can cost you countless interview opportunities.

Key #5 - Present Your Complete Education: Your education didn't end at college graduation. Professional development, both formal and informal, are valuable assets to present. Service as an officer in an industry association demonstrates leadership. Don't sell yourself short when it comes to this part of your executive resume.

Key #6 - Properly Present Your Age: This is a tough question. Should you hide your age? If so, how? Executives want to appear experience, but not old. While dates of employment are necessary, consider withholding things like the year you graduated college.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=J._Peter_Grant

Spring Cleaning Your Resume!

New job opportunities can arise in the blink of an eye in today's job market. Being prepared, specifically with regards to your resume, is the key to seizing them. If you haven't looked at your resume in a while, pull it out, dust it off, and use these strategies to make sure it's presenting you at your best:

1) PASSING THE VISUAL TEST

Glance briefly at your resume, then away. Now ask yourself what sticks in your mind: a bit of formatting or a portion of text? The problem with the vast majority of resume templates floating about the Internet is that they err on the side of the former. Take it from a Professional Resume Writer: artificially calling attention to your resume through a flashy border, logos, fonts, etc. is one of the best ways to get rejected during submissions. Keep it simple and make sure it SUPPORTS the text instead of detracting from it.

2) "IT'S ALL ABOUT SKILLS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS"

How many times have you heard the above phrase used when talk turns to resumes? While true, what TYPES of skills you highlight and the QUALITY of your accomplishments is the key to landing interviews. Did you recently complete a project drawing on previously untapped skills such as client relationship building, budgeting/cost control and others? If relevant, be sure to mention it within the OPENING SECTION of your resume, typically a 3-4 line summary of what you're bringing to the table.

The accomplishments you've racked up at previous positions are best served by being listed in bullets. Try to make them as quantifiable as possible. For example, a line like, "Managed all aspects of residential construction project, working with staff and regularly updating client" would work much better along the lines of, "Controlled all aspects of $22M condominium project, liaising heavily with cross-functional staff and delivering weekly client status updates." See the difference?

3) HIGHLIGHT WHAT MAKES YOU UNIQUE

Sometimes in the panic to integrate industry keywords and play up professional credits, we forget to highlight what SETS US APART. While it's crucial to make sure your resume is up to professional standards, oftentimes the deciding factor in calling someone in for an interview resides in a seemingly unrelated detail such as fluency in another language or volunteer work with a respected organization. These details provide a window into the personality of the candidate, and highlight VERSATILITY, which is a quality that is valued by all hiring agents and recruiters regardless of industry.

Anish Majumdar is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Owner at Resume Orbit. 95% of clients report a significant increase in interviews within 30 days, and all work comes backed by a 100% Satisfaction or Money Back Guarantee (in writing).

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anish_Majumdar

Resume Writing Services

To be hired to a desirable job, help from resume writing services can make all the difference. They are experts in providing neat and structured resumes, as well as precise and appealing to the employers. Resume writing services have a personalized approach to develop a kind of resume that will surely provide the highest quality of professional resume writing. Not everyone is proficient in writing their personal advertisement in the form of a resume, and even those who are experienced will benefit from having another expert read the resume.

Most of the job seekers blame the recession for not having a job. However, there are a lot of factors that need to consider why it is so hard for some to get hired. In fact, underestimating the significance of resume in job search is one of the reasons why it is not easy to stand out from the rest of applicants. Remember, majority of the companies do not have time to interview all the candidates. Resume that was submitted to them are their instrument in eliminating the volume of the aspirants.

Based on the information given like employment history, specific positions in the company and job responsibilities, resume services will create an accurate and credible resume. They will determine what should be included or eliminated since they are professional in identifying the important key words to emphasize. Resume writing services analyze career direction; choose the right format and design of resume; and utilize persuasive statements in delivering introduction and objectives.

Resume written by specialist will highly increase the response rate of employers and shorten the job hunt time for aspirants. They are helping job seekers to get interviews quickly because they have an in-depth knowledge of what the employers exactly need.

Today's job market is complicated and it's essential to get the best resume writing services. Careful evaluations of at least several resume writing services before selecting a resume writer to work with should consider first. Will it be the company of expert or will it be a less proficient amateur? In selecting the best resume writing services, search for companies with a proven track record, a good reputation and a strong affiliations with large organizations.

A good resume writing service will be able to show you their own resume. Reading a sample of the work is a logical place to begin. If the company cannot even produce their own resume, it stands to reason that they will not be professional online resume writers.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Halasz

Points Not To Do While Writing a Resume

A tight economy means more competition for job seekers. When more people are out of work, employers get to pick the best of the best. A great resume is always important, but today it is more important than ever. If you want your resume to lead to a job interview, you do not want to make these 8 common mistakes.

1. Errors

Typos, spelling errors and grammatical errors are a sure-fire way to send your resume to the shredder. You might be unsurpassed in your field with all the education and experience that any employer would want, but errors on your resume will kill your chances to tell an employer about it. Carefully spell-check your resume. If you have errors that could easily be found with a spell-checking program, your message to a potential employer is that you are careless. This simple step is vital before sending off a resume, but it is not enough. Read through your resume carefully. You might have made a mistake the spell checker cannot catch like using send instead of sent.

Ask several people to look at your resume.. One person might see something another did not. Listen to their opinions. If someone thinks a sentence sounds awkward, look at it objectively and see if there is better wording to use. At the same time, it is your resume, so carefully think about all suggestions, and then use the suggestions that fit your personality and style.

2. Pronouns (I or me)

Resumes do not need I or me. These pronouns are understood - when you use them, you are telling an employer that you do not really know how to write a resume. Instead of, "I was responsible for troubleshooting networking malfunctions"; it is accurate in a resume to use, "Troubleshooting networking malfunctions".

3. Not enough white space

Long, run-on sentences are hard to read. Use short, but revealing sentences and leave space between sections it will be much easier to read. Don't try to run your margins all the way out to the edge. When you look at your resume from a distance, it should have some order and organization. You should be able to clearly see where one section ends and another begins. If your resume is confusing to an employer, it may stand to reason that you might just be a confusing employee.

4. Inconsistency

Formatting should be the same throughout your resume. All headings should be in the same font. If one is bold, they all should be bold. The body under each heading should use the same font in each section. If one of your dates is formatted with the year as 2002, then another part of the resume should not use 04. Pick a date style and stick with it.

Stay consistent with the tense of your resume too. If you wrote, "developed IMS support software" in one area of your resume, another should not have 'design and employ data migration process"' unless it is your current job. Another example of mixing tenses would be: "filed monthly reports, inputting data in Excel, managed database." Either use...ing or...ed but don't mix them. Consistency on the job is an important employment quality. Your resume should tell an employer you understand that.

5. Leaving off important information

A resume needs to have addresses of employers, names and phone numbers of the person they can contact that can tell them about you, dates of when you worked there and the details of what you did. It's not OK to say, I don't know their phone number or I don't remember the dates. You need to look it up. When you leave off important information, it says you do not pay attention to details.

6. Downplaying skills

If a resume says "worked on various computer projects"', it doesn't tell anyone very much. The following changes would tell an employer this person had skills and experience: "Member of a team that deployed software for 1000 stations, developed protocol for implementing system-wide troubleshooting database, led a team of three in updating..."

Think about the skills an employer is looking for and spell them out. Don't assume that some things go without saying. A resume does more than tell an employer your job title; it states how well you can express what it is you did.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pancy_Singh

How to Perfect Your Resume/CV by Capitalizing on Your Work Experience

Employers skim over your qualifications, but do relate more to your Work Experience on your Resume/CV... In the past employers would have been satisfied with a brief description of your previous employer and your duties and roles performed during that employment. However, today as we see a tough job market, we also see a change in the attitude of employers. They need to see a longer description of your performance and duties in order to see the relevance you have for the current job available.

That said therefore, you may need to tweak these roles, duties and performance explanations and statistics for different employers. Your Work Experience section of your Resume/CV should leave the employer with a clear picture of where you have worked, what skills are evident and what experience you have related to the vacancy available.

So how do you best approach this task? First and foremost be aware how powerful WORDS are... Use words that describe actions in your previous roles, such as: delegate, coordinate, investigate, instigate, evaluate, examine, formulate, identify, yield, reconcile, prescribe, support and many more other action verbs. Suddenly the picture you're painting becomes powerful and not just dreary.

Another aspect that many people forget to include is the role of 'decision maker' - How can an employer know of your capabilities if you haven't given an example of what tasks you've previously been involved in; and no doubt completed them successfully. You may for example have been an important part of achieving a $million target, or perhaps you resolved a software computer error through research. Whatever successes you've had in your career to date should be reflected as Work Experience in your Resume/CV.

Don't forget that the layout of your Resume/CV is of paramount importance. If your resume flows onto several pages then index the important aspects of your career on the first page. Employers don't have the time to read everything on your resume when they are initially preparing the selection process. Each and every profession has different priorities when sifting through 50 resume's to determine a shortlist. If academic qualifications are more important than experience then make sure they are listed first. If your application is for someone who is more experienced based then make sure the experience appears first.

What happens if you haven't had much Work Experience to put on your Resume/CV? If this is the case you maybe better prepared than most, as expanding on fewer jobs is easier than for those who've had a job a year. Remember the importance of choosing the right action verbs, then explore your recent work experience and find tasks within there that can be deemed as relevant and used to determine your suitability. For more Work Experience advice for your Resume or CV please follow the link below...

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Phil_Boo

What Should A Resume Look Like? How To Type A Resume

This question has brought anguish to many searching for a job. This is especially true in the present environment of high unemployment. We hope to help alleviate any concerns you may have on how to type a resume. A resume is a summary of your job experience according to the actual job being applied for. Many make the mistake of sending a mass produced resume regardless of the job being offered. A professional resume will have a high content of active verbs. An example is making reference to your 'team building' experience. A good resume will also include an introductory cover letter.

The resume is what gets you in door. It is what it takes to get the call for an interview. Many perspective employers like to see how well the candidate has done at working with others. Working closely with people daily can tax one's diplomatic skills. An employer wants to see how you deliver under stressful or trying circumstances. This is one of many skillsets that can be offered to your potential employer.

In addition to experience relevant to the job you are seeking a resume that contains pertinent education information. Any kind of business education will be of help. If you have the ability to deal with numbers, for example, you may be called to work with the books. Management skills can be gained through business management classes and political science courses. You may have skills in typing or writing. English classes are some key points that you may want to hit upon.

Now for the big question. What is a cover sheet for a resume? The cover sheet or cover letter is possibly the most important part of a resume. You can leave a good impression with a quality cover letter. It is the first thing the employer will see. It is a way to set yourself apart from the others. A cover letter consists of three basic parts. Those three parts include the header, main body (two to three paragraphs) and conclusion. We touch on the basics of the cover sheet here. More details are to come.

The header should include your name, address, city, state, zip code, phone number and email address. Follow this with the date after single spacing. Single space again and include the employer name (if you have one), title, company, address, city, state, and zip code. Single space and then include the salutation if you know the person's name. If not leave it out.

The main body should include the job position you are seeking and who referred you if you have a name to drop. Follow this with what you have to offer the company. They have no interest in what you want at this point. Stick with what they want and how you can help them. This is the moment where you will explain your resume's content not repeat it. This is a good way to let them know what you have to offer the company.

In conclusion you will want to thank them for considering you and let them know how you plan to follow up. I will be writing soon on how to write a thank you and follow up letter.

It has been said that you can't make a second first impression. Follow your resume with confidence in the interview and you should do well. Most important, don't take it personally if you don't get the job. Use the experience as a spring board to a successful next interview.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Barth

Professional Resumes - The Key to Your Dream Job!

Professional resumes have gained added importance because of the lackluster economy. Have you been looking for a job for a long time without any luck? Do your qualifications and experience deserve a better response? Perhaps you have not been presenting yourself adequately. Revisit your resume and see if you can improve it in any way. You could consult the services of a professional resume writer. They can offer you insights into what employers seek in candidates.

Purpose of Professional Resumes:

* The basic objective of resumes is to get you a job interview. Your prospective employers should want to know you better after reading about you.
* Your resume should give your future employer a comprehensive and informative idea of your goals, experience, aptitude, and qualifications.

Contents of Impressive Resumes:

* A well-written covering letter will act as the first step toward securing a good job. Cover letters introduce you to the company.
* Resumes should be brief. Time is always scarce. You will be appreciated for respecting your prospective employer's time and patience.
* It should be original. Employers will know if you use templates. It shows lack of interest and innovation.
* Brief your skills precisely rather than generically. If you are a good team player, give suitable examples. Don't offer general and open-ended statements of your strengths.
* Highlight what you want to be noticed. You cannot expect your interviewer to know your strong suits without some prompting.

Professional resumes may be required for the following reasons:

* to enter the job market
* to apply for a higher post within your organization
* to switch jobs.

Professional Resumes: What The Experts Offer

* They have the experience and knowledge of the selection criteria that help catch employers' attention.
* They know the art of accentuating your strong points.
* They are able to present your weaknesses in a light that explains gaps between jobs, lack of experience, and other question marks in your resume.
* Addressing selection criteria is a key part of resumes. You should be able to sufficiently match your skills to the job requirement. This will give the employer ample reason to choose you for the job. Professional writers can give you this edge too.
* You get an independent and informed third person's perspective. So, whether you sound pompous or understated, you get a chance to rectify it before an employer sees your account of yourself.
* As the experts have access to thousands of resumes, they know what the competition is putting out there. This is an unmatched advantage that you can make use of. Writers can differentiate you from the other applicants, promoting your cause.

Resume writing is a skill that few possess. Leave this job to the professionals. They will, of course, require information from you and then within a few days you can expect to own your ideal resume. Professional resumes must be accurate and honest. This is your only chance for that all-important first impression. Don't ruin your chances by sending out a less-than-perfect resume.

Resumes That Work is an organization that is involved in writing professional resumes and cover letters. They offer you result-oriented advice on facing interviews and help you prepare key selection criteria.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sunny_Williams