Resume Writing Tips

10 Tips For Writing A Winning Resume

Copyright © Shaun R. Fawcett

Your resume (or curriculum vitae), combined with the cover letter, are the master keys to opening the prospective employer's mind and door so that you can proceed to the next step in the process - the big interview!

RESUME WRITING TIPS AND STRATEGIES

Here are 10 valuable tips for anyone writing their own resume, or who is having someone else write their resume for them. These tips and strategies are an abridged version of what is contained in my new eBook, "Instant Home Writing Kit".

1. Keep It Focused and Business like

A resume should be specific and all business. Don't try to be too smart or cute. After all, you are asking an employer to invest significant time and money by choosing you over many other similarly qualified people. Employers mainly want to know whether you are appropriately qualified and experienced, and if you have the ability to "deliver the goods."

2. More Than Two Pages Is Too Much

For students, recent graduates, or people with just a few years of experience, try to keep your resume to one page, two as an absolute maximum. Even a resume for someone with 20 years or more of extensive working experience, should not exceed three pages. In some cases, one or two "optional" pages can be referred to as "available upon request." These would be such optional annexes as a list of references or an inventory of recent projects and/or publications.

3. Get the Words and Punctuation Right

Make sure the grammar, spelling, and punctuation in your resume are perfect. Any obvious mistakes will hurt your credibility. Also, be sure to keep the language clear and simple. If you draft it yourself, have someone with excellent writing skills do an editorial review and a careful proofread of it. If a professional prepares it for you, such reviews are the responsibility of the resume preparation firm. Use an accepted English language "style guide" if you want to be sure of the finer points of word usage, punctuation, capitalization, abbreviations, etc.

4. Read Between the Lines

Customize the resume to match the stated requirements of the job that you are applying for, without being misleading. Review and analyze the job advertisement carefully. Look for, and itemize the key qualifications, skills, and abilities the employer is seeking. Then identify certain key words that are usually repeated in such ads. Make sure that the wording and sequence of points in your resume reflect and address these "corporate terminologies" and "code words" as much as possible. When possible, study the company's annual report and Web site, and weave the themes and terms found there into your resume and cover letter.

5. Make Sure It Looks Good

Use a crisp, clean, simple presentation format for a professional looking resume. Just a bit of simple line work and/or shading, done with standard word processing software will do the trick. If you don't have the aptitude for this, there is most likely someone among your friends or in your office who can help you achieve a professional presentation. If not, seek professional advice. It won't cost much for a good simple layout, but it will make a world of difference to the product.

6. Show What Can You Do Today

Focus, first and foremost, on your recent experience that is most relevant to the position at hand. Less relevant and/or dated experience should be either eliminated or summarized in brief point form near the end of your resume. When reviewing your resume information, a prospective employer wants to know what you are doing now, what you have done recently, and how that relates to the job requirements of the post they are trying to fill.

7. Be A Straight-Shooter

Be completely honest. When people lie or "creatively exaggerate" on their resume, they are almost invariably exposed, sooner or later. Think about it - who really wants to get a job based on a lie(s) and then have to live in fear of eventually being found out? We often read in the newspaper about high-profile folks who get caught in a resume falsehood or exaggeration, and it isn't very pretty.

8. Follow the Instructions

Submit your resume in exactly the form that the prospective employer requests. If they say e-mail or fax is okay, do it that way. However, if they ask for it by regular mail, send it the way they ask. They must have reasons for requesting it in such a form and they are geared up to process it that way. If your resume is to be sent by snail mail, use the complete address that they specify, or it could go to the wrong office, especially in a large organization.

9. Don't Get Lost In the Mail

Be careful to respect certain conventions that the prospective employer may require in your resume. For example, make sure that the cover letter mentions the exact name of the specific position you are applying for, and the competition number, if applicable. Sometimes an employer will request that the job title and/or number be printed on the outside of the envelope. You would not want to miss out on a job because you didn't follow minor administrative requirements.

10. Don't Repeat Yourself

In the cover letter, don't repeat what is already detailed in the body of the attached resume. It is a "cover" letter. It should be short and to the point. Introduce yourself first, and then briefly summarize why you believe that you have the qualifications and experience to fulfill the duties of the position better than anyone else. Express enthusiasm about the job and the company. Close by stating how you are looking forward to hearing more from them soon, and that you will follow-up if necessary.The above list can be used as a "checklist" both during the preparation phase, and when reviewing your resume just before submission. Cover off these 10 points and you won’t go wrong.

About the Author: Shaun Fawcett is Webmaster of two of the most visited writing-help Web sites on the Net. He is the author of numerous “how-to” books on everyday practical writing help. He also writes about how to create and publish books and ebooks. His main “writing tools” site is:http://writinghelptools.com/

Resume Writing Resources

These sites have received the official Careeritch endorsement:

1. For Students and Entry Level Employment, First Time Resume Writers: The About.com Job Search Tool Kit: Resumes and Cover Letters for Students.

2. Extensive Career Resource Site for Job Research, Career Development, and Resume Writing: Quint Careers

3. Rockport Institute: How to Write a Masterpiece of a Resume

Great resource, I use it often as a point of reference.

4. Riley Guide for Resume Writing
Another great resource for simplistic resume writing techinques

5. Collegegrad.com Template Download
Awesome site, not does it contain templates but a free job search engine.

I Want Money, Lots and Lots of Money....

To pay all of these bills.

Job Search Tip:

Its always important to consider whether the salary you are being offered is enough to cover your expenses before accepting a job. When taking this into consideration do not forget to consider cost of living expenses for the area that you will be relocating to.

Do you make enough to maintain an adequate life style? What if you move, how much would you need earn in order to maintain the same standard of living?

CNN: Cost of Living Calculator

Career Personality Test: What Color are You?

picture source: www.bettiolo.com


The Princeton Review: Career Quiz

This quiz is a 24 question quiz that categorizes your job interest and personality type based on a color system. Click here to take this exam:

http://www.princetonreview.com/cte/quiz/career_quiz1.asp

Once you are done taking this exam don't forget to rate it by leaving a comment in the comments section:

Rating System:

1 Scratch- Helpful

2 Scratches- Great Information, very useful, you would recommend it to a friend

3 Scratches- Useless

Resume Writing

FOR A FREE RESUME CRITIQUE SIMPLY COPY AND PASTE A COPY OF YOUR RESUME OR SEND AS A WORD ATTACHMENT TO MENTORSHIP@CAREERITCH.COM.COM.

MORE TO COME IN THIS SECTION SOON!

Shake a Hand, Be a Friend, Get to Know Sombody....

What's in a Handshake: Examining Gender Roles in Corporate America

Written by: Kristy K. Taylor (Careeritch TM)

Picture Source: www.cs.miami.edu

Have you ever judged someone bases on a simple handshake? If their handshake was strong, it probably gave you the impression that this individual was a confident person. If they had a weak handshake, however, it probably gave you the impression that the person was either weak or very passive. According to Wikipedia.com: "The handshake is initiated when the two hands touch, immediately. It is commonly done upon meeting, greeting, parting, offering congratulations, or completing an agreement. Its purpose is to convey trust, balance, and equality." Click Here to Continue Reading This Aritcle:

For a free resume critique, simply copy and paste a copy of your email or send as a word attachment to mentorship@careeritch.com.

September Issue: Careeritch.com Newsletter

Your Job Search Resume Cover Letter Do You Send It To Human Resources Or Directly To The Hiring Person ?

By William Z. Piker

Your Job Employment Cover Letter: How do You Know Where to Send It In submitting your job employment resume cover letter how do you know where to send this letter? Some organizations do not accept unsolicited applications, resumes or cover letters. Often applicants who address communications to the human resource (H.R.) department get a standard form letter stating that no applications are currently being accepted. So much for the successful job hunter. The task just got more challenging. How do you know how and where to submit your employment search cover letter? First of all find out who hires. You cannot go fishing if you do not what bait the fish like and where the fish are located. To boost your chances of getting an interview address your letter to the specific person or areas that have hiring authority for the position that you are applying for. If possible address the letter to the supervisor / department head / manager who would directly supervise your work. It should be patently obvious that it is not wise to address your cover letter to "Whom It May Concern". This job seeking tactic will target your letter to the trash bin. How do you get to know the right person's name? It all comes down to diligence and standard investigation and research tactics. One method is to call the target employer and say that you are doing career research and want to address the letter of inquiry to the person who specializes in your career area. Get the person's full name and title. Verify and recheck the spelling and address to ensure that it is correct. When you do call, introduce yourself, get the name of the person you talk with and thank that person by name for her or his help. Always say that you are a student or are doing research. The person that you speak to could possibly help you later, and using names establishes a friendly, courteous tone. Another tact is to go directly to the human resources officer, if one exists. Ask whether there is an organizational "chart" or organizational "map" which you could use for your career planning class or personal research. This chart of map should provide you with the name of the department head to which you can address your cover letter. If this method seems inappropriate for your job career employment search, ask members of your job search employment network to help you devise and plan a more workable approach. Always use your creative abilities to dare to different and innovative. To be on the cutting creative edge, however always be most courteous, polite and professional. If possible contact the department head of your target job personally to get you in the door sooner. If you send your cover letter and resume only to the human resources department, it may well be that the person or persons who head that specific department you are interested in may never see these documents. On the other hand, if you send a letter and resume directly to the person that you would work for, then your chances of getting an interview ill be greatly increased. It is true however that the human resources department may feel sidelined and resentful at being circumvented in the organizational structure. How do you handle this situation? I the employer is accepting applications, send one letter and resume to the Human Resources department and one letter to the department head. Indicate in your letter that you have sent similar communications to each party. At the worst both letters will wind up in the human resources department. I the employer is not officially accepting applications, send your cover letter and resume to the department only. If your resume and cover letter are persuasive and well prepared then you may well still get that interview.

William Z. Piker Documention Counsellor http://www.ace-training.net/

http://www.aceemploymentservices.net/

How To Find A Career You Love

By Andrew Rondeau

Can you really find a career you love? Is it really possible to wake up on a Monday morning and WANT to go to work? If you believe the results of a recent 2007 survey by US based "The Conference Board Inc." it's not very likely. The survey revealed that more than 50% of the workforce is unhappy. Some of these people are dissatisfied with the conditions at their workplace. Such things as rates of pay, co-workers, job security, physical working conditions, benefits, or even their boss, affect job satisfaction. For these people, a change in pay or recognition for something achieved, may be enough to improve their situation. But all the other unhappy people are not satisfied with the actual tasks they are doing in their job. The only way they will be happier is if they do something totally different - i.e., take a different career direction. These people didn't ask the right questions in the first place to avoid making the wrong career decision. The biggest thing preventing you from getting a career you love... believe it or not... is YOU! Many people are simply not prepared to put in the effort needed, preferring to take the easy way out and accept second best... or maybe even whatever seemed like a good idea at the time. And that is such a huge shame! It's important to realize that choosing a career (or changing careers) is right up there with getting married, having kids, and buying a house. It is one of THE most important decisions you will EVER make in your lifetime! You spend more than half of almost every day of your life either at work, or travelling to and from work. And what happens at work, whether it's good or bad, affects ALL the other aspects of your life - your health, family, finances, relationships, self-esteem and so on. Choosing a career is NOT something that can be done in less than five minutes, but unfortunately, that's how much thought some people put into it. Choosing a career involves: 1. Looking closely at yourself 2. Researching jobs which might be suitable 3. Being able to make a decision, and 4. Acting on, and being happy with, that decision. The first of these steps in finding a career you love is "self-discovery". It looks at such things as: * The things you like and dislike doing * The things you are good and bad at doing * The skills you have or need to get * Your achievements to date, and what you want to achieve in the future * Your family background * Your attitudes, values and personal style. Many people find it extremely difficult, if not even threateningly impossible, to answer such questions about "me". But a thorough, honest and realistic self-assessment is vital if you are to gather the necessary information to make a good career decision... if you are to find a career you might love to do! Because once you are armed with all this information about yourself, you'll start to get a really good picture of career areas most suited to you. And just as important, you'll have a much better idea of what does NOT suit you! Then it's time to do some more research... this time into the different types of specific jobs available in the area you are suited to. Find out such things as: What training is required? Where can you do it? What duties/tasks are involved in the job? What hours will I work? How will it impact on my lifestyle? What companies offer work in this field? Where? What opportunities are available for future advancement? There are always many hard questions that come up that need answers in the pursuit of the ideal career. For example... suppose you find out you need to do a four-year training course in a different town. Are you prepared to move? How can you support yourself? Are you going to "have a go" and see what happens? Or are you going to be committed and stick with your decision? What's going to happen if you have to go in a different direction? Do you have a "plan B" that you will be just as happy with? You can see why so many people give up chasing a career they might love. It is just so much easier to take the path of least resistance. Are you going to get what you want from your career? From your life? Or are you going to settle for second best?

Andrew Rondeau offers a FREE e-Course that informs and educates on all aspects of Management and Leadership. He is the author of top selling management e-Books including 'Accelerate Your Management Effectiveness'. Article website - http://www.greatmanagement.org// http://www.andrewrondeau.co.uk/0

Job Interview Tips For Second Interviews

By Belinda Sinclair

You did it! You followed all the job interview tips you know and impressed that manager job interviewer the first time around and so now you're invited for a second round of 'talks'. Now what? You read everything you could about job interviews (e.g., resume writing tips, business etiquette during a job interview, etc.) but now you feel that you need a different type of job interview tip. What do you do during second job interviews? Second Job Interview Tips to Land You that Job Offer For the first job interview for that manager job, you spared nothing concerning your job resume. You may have even hired a professional resume writer just to ensure that you present yourself as a ‘perfect fit' to the company's manager job description. You invested in your appearance too. You ‘aligned' your wardrobe to fit your career plans and even invested in an at-home tooth whitening system to improve the appearance of your smile (important for first impressions!). But now that you've been called for a second job interview, the panic sets in again. Relax, you must have done something right the first time so just focus on these job interview tips we have for you and you'll be fine. Second Job Interview Tip No. 1 - Get into the mindset of your employer. Keep in mind that you wouldn't have been called for a second interview if you are not a serious contender for that manager job. So get your nerves under control! Think about it; a managerial position entails for you to lead your staff in an authoritative and calm manner. If you're nervous and it shows, it goes against the qualities they are looking for, for such a position. Instead, make a list and focus on all your positive qualities. This way, you are 'primed' on all the factors that argue the fact that YOU are the perfect one for the job. Here's another second interview tip to help you relax, don't engage in anything stressful the day before the interview such as tackling your garden all of a sudden or going on a day trip with your kids. Also, don't set any appointments on the same day of your second job interview (more on this in free job interview tip no. 2). Second Job Interview Tip No. 2 - Ask for a 'schedule of events'. Most people forget that a second job interview has a big potential of being... an all-day event. Remember the advice to NOT schedule any other appointments on this day? Well this is the reason why. Imagine that you set up a lunch appointment with your spouse or promised to pick up the kids at school, or said yes to a business dinner appointment with someone else; wouldn't you be stressed out by the thought that you can't make that appointment because you have to stay and finish your second job interview? This stress will show during your job interview! And if you feel that you MUST end the interview because of a commitment you can't back out of, consider the consequences. Your potential employer might think you're not serious about getting the job on hand. Second Job Interview Tip No. 3 - Prepare yourself for a - yikes! - panel interview. It is not uncommon to find yourself in the middle of a group during a second interview. Often, this group will be composed of higher management (people above you), staff members (people below you) and maybe even an executive or two. Panel interviews can be daunting but not if you prepare! One very important job interview tip for you here is this: don't contradict yourself. Panel interviewers have that uncanny ability to somehow interpret what you say a tad differently or make you feel that you gave the 'wrong answer'. Don't be led (at least not easily) into backtracking what you say or strongly defending your reply. This is really a two-pronged issue: backtrack easily and you are perceived 'weak'; defend yourself too much and you are 'inflexible'. So how do you deal with this? Be truthful to yourself and don't always give replies that you think is what the interviewer wants to hear. This way, you won't be at a loss when asked why you gave such a reply. A second job interview means "you're almost there" so we hope these valuable job interview tips help you land that manager job. Don't forget... preparation is vital to achieve whatever it is you aspire.

Belinda Sinclair empowers men and women to increase their Wow Factor through personal development and image makeovers. Visit http://www.novawhite.com/?source=is11 for amazingly affordable professional tooth whitening systems

Career Quiz: I Don't Know What I Want to Be When I Grow UP!

Take this quiz in order to discover which areas you are the most interested in working in? (CLICK HERE IN ORDER TO TAKE THIS FREE QUIZ). These areas include:

PRACTICAL

TECHNICAL

CREATIVE

ADMINISTRATIVE

PEOPLE

HELPING

After taking the above quiz, click on the following link in order to find the job of your dreams:

CareerItch.com Job Board: Are you itch'n for something new?



For a free resume critique, simply copy and paste your resume into an email and send it to mentorship@careeritch.com

Maybe We Just Need A Little Space from Myspace....

Has Social Networking Gone Too Far? Maintaining a Professional Image on Social Networking Sites

With the recent growth of social networking sites such as My Space and Facebook, online self expression has become the latest trend.Many individuals dedicate countless hours, days, and even months trying to create social networking pages that give outsiders a bird's eye view of their thoughts and personal beliefs.While on one hand, social networking sites can be used to promote a positive cause or professional business, too much of a good thing can be detrimental to one's career and professional image. Click Here To Continue Reading.....

Written By: Kristy K. Taylor

A Little Something For the Entrepreneurs~Rebel Body: Health and Wellness Supplements

Rebel Body is the priemere health and wellness supplement site. Get namebrand health and wellness products at rock bottom prices. Founded by, Lawrence Muruako, in 2006, Rebel Body is on its way to becoming one of the most prominent names in the health an wellness industry. For more information log on to http://www.rebelbody.com/. For further questions and comments, you may contact, Karen Taylor, your local sales representative via email at kjtaylor88@yahoo.com. If you are interested in selling rebel body products or would like to speak directly to the owner, please contact Lawerence Muruako via email at lawerence@rebelbody.com or by telephone (662)-380-1136.

To advertise with us, simply send an email with the name of your business, a brief description, weblinks, and your contact information and we will post it to our blog.