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In a casual conversation over beer with your friends, you could easily list dozens of the greatest achievements at work that you are proud of -  skills you've mastered, languages you've learned, contacts you earned - and yet, now that you're looking for a job and you need to put it all down on a resume, it's like nothing seems good enough. This is what the professionals do - they keep their resumes up to the minute, whether they're looking for a job or not. They know that if you put it off until you actually need it, all the little details, the instances of your day-to-day abilities and competencies, will be forgotten in the heat of the moment. And then, here's the thing about competing in a field that is overcrowded when you're desperate for a job - what you'll remember will be so minor, you'll just end up saying the same things everyone else does. Clichés, well-worn phrases, resume-ese (to coin a word).

When you think about how to create a resume, you need to remember that you are a brand at that job competition, and your resume is your advertisement. Think of just how annoyed you are to see an advertisement with words peppered all over that go - "because we care", or "just the way you like it", or "cool and ready to rule". Why would the hiring manager be any more pleased to see vague claims, and have worn-out phrases paraded before him that are supposed to remind him of how competent you are? Let's look at ten of the most worn-out phrases, that, if you feel compelled to use them, would do better with a little extra qualification.

There is a set of descriptive clichés people use for how good they are to work with. You know the ones, clichés like "Team player", or "Go-to man". It's easy to understand what you're trying to say here, but it's better said without these phrases. Try to say something like: Understand the team dynamic well enough to inspire friendly group effort and recognize that team achievements deserve no individual credit. "Go-to man" is better expressed in something that stretches out to say, "Chosen and named out of 20 possible candidates by the regional VP to fix pressing and chronic retail customer satisfaction problems".

Another route to avoid mistakes when learning how to create a resume would be to describe your abilities with lines like, "Well-developed communication and organizational abilities", or "I possess leadership, and motivational abilities". You'd be much better off saying something like, "Proven communication skills in the planning phase on a project resulted in a reduction of the estimated planning time by 15% and contributed to the completion of the project ahead of schedule" or "Demonstrated leadership qualities have been recognized by the director, and by team members, 90% of which members were promoted to positions of greater responsibility".

You see where we are going here - the idea is to keep the meaning of the clichés, and taking your time to go where they really go; but you're supposed to stretch them out, and say what they mean, instead of just using them as some kind of shorthand. The idea also is to give specifics, and not just say things like "Strong work ethic". Give them specifics like, "Have on occasion sacrificed personal time to get the project in on time". That ought to do it.

Technorati Tags: cv, resume writing

1 or 2 years gone, I was out of work and hopelessly attempting to find a job. I dusted down the old resume and cover letter and got them prepared to send to my first possible employer, and after signing up for the position I felt miles better already. Then I began to realize that each job for which I applied ( and there would be many ) will require some edits to my resume and cover letter, and it occurred to me that those are 2 things that need continuous attention, particularly when you're looking for a job.

The 1st job for which I applied was as a journalist for a construction newsletter based in my area. I made some updates to my resume and cover letter and sent them in.

I knew that my possibilities of getting that job were probably not as good as they would've been 5 years back, so I chose to take what my bro calls the shotgun approach and just start firing out as many applications as practicable. The difficulty was, not every job was in the writing field, and I shortly found myself having to make major overhauls to my resume and cover letter in order that they would seem sensible for the job for which I was applying. I had originally made a decision to send out ten resumes a day, and I had to chop that to seven a day simply because making those 2 documents applicable for each job was so time-intensive. Lots of the resume and cover letter really stayed the same, re my work experience and education and that kind of thing but I did desire to re-word my reasons for desiring the job and why I was an acceptable fit for the job in just the best way. I also needed to tailor my work experience to the prerequisites for the job.

I wasn't deceptive about what I could and couldn't do, but I did make a point of it to emphasise that I was skilled in the job abilities needed on my resume and cover letter.

It didn't so much trouble me I had to do a little bit of work to get my resume and cover letter into shape for each job. It was just the indisputable fact that I had it in my mind that after you had them finished, they may be used transposably for any job. In the final analysis, I was capable of finding work as a writer. My employer was impressed with my resume and cover letter and I suspect that was truly a very sizeable part of the reason why I got the job. I'm aware that if I find myself in the situation again where I want to find a job, and I need to provide my resume and cover letter, it'll take more work than I used to believe. At least now I know.

Technorati Tags: cover letter, resume writing

Listing your pro experiences on your resume is a hard job. There are such a lot of elements to think about : job descriptions, time frames, key responsibilities, transferable abilities, for example.

The method becomes even more tricky if you have openings in your work history. Your possible employer won't have a means of understanding why there's a 3 and a half year opening in your pro experience simply by revisiting your resume, as an example. The employer may wonder whether you skipped over one of the roles you held as it doesn't meet your career objective, or they may say that you did not work at all during the time-frame that's unaccounted for on your resume. Any openings in your job history will have to be explained in writing ; therefore, don't skip any info deliberately.

There are some general rules about resume openings : - Any unaccounted time that's shorter than a quarter doesn't have to be explained. Having 60-90 days between jobs isn't too peculiar, and often goes unobserved inside a resume. any openings extending beyond 3 months should be addressed in your cover letter or email. Whether you had private or pro reasons for not working, the openings in your employment record must be explained as you do not need to leave the employer to make their own expectations.

- Be honest! We will not stress this matter enough. If you're truthful with your potential employer, you won't have to fret about them checking your references, doing a background investigation, or surprising you with questions in an interview. - Don't exclude months of your work from the job listing. You are better off explaining the openings in your resume than making an attempt to cover them up. Truthfulness is actually the best policy when it comes to your resume. - If you have held roles that aren't applicable to your career objective, list them on your resume anyhow. Instead of create openings in your resume, reveal why you held roles outside of your field in your cover letter or in a mail to your prospective employer. Again, whether the explanations are private or pro, explain yourself truthfully and do not leave room for expectations on the part of your possible employer. - with no regard for the reasons for the openings in your pro history, it is vital the tone in your cover letter and your resume stays positive. Don't sound apologetic life occurs and you do not want to be sorry for taking time off work. Be positive, and show your possible employer that you never lost target your career.

While we all agree that life takes surprising turns and respect that there'll be circumstances that create openings in our resumes, we will always consider the following actions so as to stay competitive inside our field : - Apply our time and experience to volunteer positions, community projects, and consulting or independent work.

- Take a class at a community varsity or at the community centre that improves your work-related talents and lets you have interaction with folks with similar pro backgrounds. - Read about the new developments in your field.

Get a subscription to a pro publication / mag, or get the recently broadcast books that debate changes or enhancements in your profession. Most of all, be truthful and keep positive. You can not change your work history, so do your utmost to show your employer you're a perfect applicant for the job by targeting your experience and your education, highlighting your feats and your qualifications.

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When applying for jobs, it is important that you read through the job description thoroughly before submitting your application. A lot of what employers are actually looking for in their potential associate is written right in the job description and requirements. In fact, you should review your resume against the requirements listed in order to make sure you have covered everything the employer is looking for. If you can address all the requirements by the information in your resume or in your cover letter, you will be on the right track for getting the job.

However, there is a whole list of skills employers look for that are never spelled out in the job description. These skills are typically referred to as employability skills, which are skills beyond your technical knowledge and qualifications that make you a great professional in your field. Don’t panic, you already have employability skills, you just may not think of them as critical for getting a job.

The employability skills have been grouped in eight categories:
•    Communication skills
•    Teamwork skills
•    Problem-solving skills
•    Initiative and enterprise skills
•    Planning and organizing skills
•    Self-management
•    Learning skills
•    Technology skills

Now that you have read the categories, you are thinking to yourself, yes, I have those skills. But did you ever think to list them on the resume? Most people focus on their professional achievements and responsibilities, and they often skip these skills in favour of those that are job specific. However, more and more employers look for these skills in resumes. Your potential employer wants to know that you are a team player, that you communicate well, and will show initiative when needed. While you may think this is implied by your interest in the available position, employers like to see these skills called out on your resume or cover letter.

The best way to demonstrate these skills is through your experience and under your qualifications. Point out the initiatives you have participated in that required you to work in a team, under a deadline, or as a self-starter. Demonstrate your loyalty through pointing out your accomplishments at an organization and how they benefited your team as a whole (not just you). You can showcase the employability skills in your cover letter by openly showing your enthusiasm for the available position, stating your commitment to your career objective, indicating your motivation and your integrity, and showing that you are above all un-selfish and credible. These skills are just as critical to your ability to do a great job as your professional experience and education – employers are looking for someone who will be a great fit on their team and in their organization, someone who works well under pressure but also has a sense of humour and has a balance between their personal and professional life.

Review your existing resume. Does it contain any employability skills? If not, make revisions to incorporate those employability skills you feel you excel in. If you are unsure, ask your friends or family for an objective opinion, so that you can get a better idea of how people around you see you as a person as well as a professional. Keep these attributes in mind as you compose your resume and your cover letter, and especially as you are taking part in interviews.  These skills can make a difference between knowing how to do a job and being qualified to exceed goals and grow in your career.

Technorati Tags: cv, qualifications, resume

In today’s competitive job market, employers relay on well-written Resumes to screen potential candidates. In many instances, employers look through job search web sites, such as HotJobs.com or Monster.com, to find professionals with skills, education and experience that fit their needs. These employment search web sites, along with many companies’ own online applications, require candidates to upload their resume in order to express interest in a specific opportunity. Without an opportunity to send a personal email, or a cover letter, you have to make sure that your resume expresses your personality in addition to listing your professional and educational experiences and achievements. To do so, you can include a professional profile or summary at the beginning of your resume that allows you to market yourself through a narrative. This section allows your potential employers to learn something unique about you and your career, as well as get a good feel of your communication skills.

To write an effective summary, you should first understand what information should not be communicated in your resume. While a summary provides an insight into what is unique and competitive about you, it is not a place for you to indicate any personal information that does not relate to your career. Information such as ethnicity, marital status, sexual orientation, religious beliefs and affiliations, etc. should be left out of your resume. While descriptive of who you are, this information is not relevant to your potential employer in order to pre-screen your qualifications for their opportunity. Additionally, the summary should not contain your previous professional experience, unless you can clearly demonstrate how such background can be of value in your future career development. Beware of generic statements, such as “I am well organized and detail oriented.” Employers want to hear your unique voice and get a sense of your communication skills while reading the summary portion of your resume. Using generalizations about your abilities will make the employers believe that you are either a poor communicator or are using such statements to fill up space on your resume.

Your summary should be in form of a short paragraph or bulleted statements, containing only several sentences. There isn’t a sentence limit, but as a rule do not take up more than one quarter of the page. Your summary should begin by a headline that summarizes your professional title and/or your professional statement. Emphasize your title by featuring the headline in bold and larger font, as it allows your potential employer to grasp who you are quickly. For example:

Financial Planning Professional
Achieved Double-Digit Return for All Clients through Well-Balanced Financial Portfolios

It is important that this title is well crafted, as it is the first impression your potential employer will have of you.

There are three things a well-written summary should address:
-    Your experiences and skills as they relate to your idea job
-    What you can bring to the organization and the open position that no other candidate can
-    Your professional goals.

Even though your resume summary is written by you, it should be composed in third person, in present tense. Think of it as a summary of what one of your best colleagues would say about your professional achievements. Reinforce your title, and sell only the experiences and skills that meet your career objective. If you have multiple career objectives, such as you wish to get a position in either marketing or public relations, develop separate resume summaries for each of the objectives.  A summary can also contain a brief bulleted section highlighting only a few vital competitive skills that you bring to the table. An example of an effective summary would be as follows:

Successful financial planning professional with over 15 years of personal and retirement planning experience. Managed a small financial planning firm, achieving double-digit financial returns for all clients by developing personalized investment portfolios. Leader in development and professional growth of four other financial planners in the firm through effective and motivating mentoring strategies.

Key competencies include:
o    Personalized portfolio development
o    Financial forecasting
o    Retirement portfolio management
o    Development on-going professional growth strategies

Much like your overall resume, your summary should be well-written and error-free. Make sure to review your summary, and customize as necessary for the various opportunities of interest. An effective summary will help you “hook” your employer; it should sell you as a primary candidate for the job, leaving your employer with a great first impression of you.

Technorati Tags: professional summary, resume writing

A resume is a one- to two-page document summarizing your career objectives, professional experiences and achievements, and educational background. The heading of the resume should contain your name, address and contact information. The body of the resume should be broken into the following sections: career objective, profile/summary, professional experience, achievements, scholastics, and references.  Your career objective should be brief, up to two sentences; it should give your potential employers an idea of how you wish to move forward in your professional life. A concise profile or a summary should discuss who you are and how your skills and experience best apply to the job you are interested in.

The summary, as well as other parts of your resume, should not contain personal information that discloses ethnicity, sexual orientation, marital status, age, living situations, or any other personal information that is not directly related to your career. Personal profile/summary should only contain a few well-written sentences that convey what you can bring to the table in terms of the specific job. Use this section to attract the employer’s attention, but don’t go overboard in trying to be creative – stay professional.  Your experience listing should include information on one to five jobs you’ve held, starting with your current or last job, and listing previous positions in chronological order.

The listing should include the date range of your employment, name of the companies or person(s) you have worked for, and the city and state where the place of employment is located (full address of employment is not necessary). List your title and your main responsibilities, with emphasis on duties that are applicable to the type of work you are seeking.  Your education should include college, graduate and post-graduate work, as well as any courses or professional certifications that are relevant to your career development. Achievements, volunteer positions, publications and interests should only be listed if they apply to your professional work experience References should be listed if requested; best practices suggest not to list generic statements about references being available upon request as this is understood.

In the competitive, internet-driven world of job searches, your resume represents you to potential employers. It serves as your tool to attract attention, get the interview and/or get a job. A great resume will make you stand out from other candidates by showcasing your aptitudes. Think of your resume as your sales pitch – you need to sell yourself in the best possible way. Invest some time and research into developing your resume. You will want to make sure that your resume is error free – double check your grammar and spelling, make sure that all company and school names and cities are spelled properly. A resume containing errors, no matter how minimal, will give your potential employer an impression that you do not have attention to detail, that you don’t take time to double check your work, and that you are a poor communicator.

Additionally, make sure that your resume is formatted well. Stick to basic fonts, like Arial and Times New Roman.  Keep the font size and color standard; don’t use large fonts or multi-colors in your resume. Don’t go overboard with bold, italicized, or large-cap text. Keep your format consistent and make sure that the resume looks great when viewed online as well as when printed out. Keep your resume to one or two pages – any additional pages give an impression that you either don’t know how to concisely summarize your education and experience, or that you are listing unnecessary information for the sake of taking up space. If you’ve never written a resume before, reference books, Internet resources or seek assistance from a professional resume writing service.  A well-written resume can make a difference between being stuck at your current job and getting an interview to land the job of your dreams.

Technorati Tags: cv, resume, resume writing

If you have never written a resume, you may wonder if it is easier to embark on the task yourself or to hire someone else to do it for you. Resume writing services or professionals concentrate on developing and writing resumes for professionals in any industry, with any caliber of experience. These professionals are skilled in formatting your resume, knowing how to create winning statements that draw attention, and customizing your resume to the industry or field you are interested in. In addition to their writing skills, resume writing professionals are familiar with the scanning software that most companies use in order to review resumes for key words.

You should consider using a resume writing services:
-    If you have never written a resume and you don’t know anyone who can assist in the process
-    If you have not written a resume in years and are unsure of the appropriate format that translates well online
-    If English is not your first language or if you know that you typically have problems with spelling or grammar.

A resume writer can assist by first collecting your information and understanding your career objective. If you have an existing resume, even if it is not the most up to date, you should make sure that you give that to the writer as a starting point. When you work with a professional resume writer you can expect that they can help you in composing your career objective statement, listing your responsibilities in a concise manner, and perfecting the final document. Additionally, a resume writer will be able to help you address any concerns potential employers may have about your resume, such as explaining a change of career, or gaps in your professional history.

There are truly no cons to using resume services, but there are certainly some things you should consider in order to get the best service for your money.

While some people recommend writers who are accredited or certified as professional resume writers, this is not the key to finding someone who will do a great job on your behalf. Make sure that you speak with the writer, and have him/her address any concerns or questions you have about composing your resume. They should be able to provide you with a sample of a before and an after resumes they have recently completed for a client, as well as professional references. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about their writing process; ask about their background (what other writing services do they provide?), their writing and editing process, turnaround time and a detailed explanation of their fees.  If you receive a draft of your resume, and you are not satisfied with the format or there are discrepancies, ask for the writer to address your concerns before accepting the final document. The costs will vary, depending on the professional’s experience. Make sure that you understand what is involved in the cost. It is also in your best interest to talk to a couple of different professionals, so that you can better idea of the cost range.

Most importantly, make sure that you feel comfortable with the writer and the terms of the agreement you have with them, before you decide to hire them to work on your resume. Trust and understanding will result in the best working relationship, therefore producing the best resume for your career objective.

Technorati Tags: cv, resume writing

When it comes to looking for a job, there are several things a job seeker can do to increase his or her chances of success with a potential employer. Here are several tips to follow.

1. Research the company. Any career oriented job will require you demonstrate some kind of knowledge about the company. Recruiters and job interviewers will ask this question because it helps gauge just how interested you really are in their company. Are you more likely to be a job hopper or do you look like someone who will stay for a couple of years?

2. The Phone Interview. You just received a phone call from the executive assistant to some top dog in management. And he wants to interview you, but over the phone. Before you think - easy, you'll ace it, try this. Before the phone call, get dressed in your business attire. And stand up during the interview. You will sound more confident and it will feel more real as if you are interviewing in person.

3. Do you have any questions? This is always expected. Whenever the interviewer asks if you have questions, be sure to say absolutely yes!

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This is your chance to rate the company and get a feel for them. This is a two way street here. Of course the employer needs to hire you, but you also need to agree to work for them. Just like taking someone new out on a couple of dates. During the courtship process - the interview process - you find out if the company culture matches your interests, values and philosophies.

4. If you get invited back for a follow up interview, make one to two significant changes on your resume. There is always time to continually update your resume. It's like a living document - not something static and hardly changing. When you bring in a resume this lets the interviewer know you continue to refine your skills and work on personal development.

This shows resolve, motivation and tenacity. An employer can teach skills easily to a someone. However, the biggest battle is finding the motivated people who take challenges upon themselves.

5. Do you know what you applied for? Before even saying yes to a job interview, do you remember exactly who and what you applied for? If you like the low-tech method, keep a simple note book of places you sent applications to, call backs and interviews lined up.

Or you could use a simple spreadsheet like Excel and keep everything in one file. The idea is to keep track of which position at which company you had shown an interest in.

Follow these five tips and you can virtually guarantee a more memorable impression upon an employer when it comes to job hunting.

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Résumés are the driving force in the work related arena. Without a good résumé you are probably not going to be getting much in the way of work. Not unless you plan on working at a fast food restaurant for the rest of your life. If you are in a professional career like IT or marketing then your résumé must be accurate and concise to such a degree that the company will feel like they desperately need you to work for them. Play your cards right and you could end up with the job of your dreams.

There are plenty of sites online that can help with résumés. Most of these sites offer you access to their professional résumé programs for a nominal fee. Take the time to research the ones that you think could help you the most and give them a shot. If you feel that they are not offering you what you need to make your résumé shine, then try using something else. Even if that means doing your résumé in Excel or, a word program, and printing it out instead. Take your time and make sure you get everything just right.

In Just 10 Minutes Flat, You Can Quickly And Easily Crank Out An Amazing Resume

If résumés are not your strong point, then you can find someone out there to help you. There are some sites that offer you résumé writers that can write your resume for you with the information that you give them. You can also try looking at your local employment office for assistance in helping you write yours up if you need the extra help. There are plenty of organizations that will make this task a lot easier for you in the long run. Just make sure you have all of your information written out beforehand.

Once you’re done, print out your résumés so that you can get them ready to send off. But before printing, make sure all of your information is correct and easily readable. Nothing says no more to an employer than a sloppy unreadable résumé. Most importantly, never lie on a résumé. Most professionals will be checking all of the little details of your résumé, and lying on it is a sure fire way of not even getting a call back. They might even contact other businesses to tell them about your discrepancies and that can ruin it altogether for you. If you are posting it online they can leave feedback for anyone else to see also. So make sure everything is the truth.

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