Posts Tagged ‘resume’

If you have never written a resume, the blank page you are facing can be very intimidating. While you can describe your job responsibilities to your friends, listing them out in a resume and showcasing how your experience to date meets your career objectives is a very difficult task.

To get started, you must first consider what type of a job you are seeking. Much like your career objective or summery should reflect your professional goals, your current and past experiences must showcase that you are the best candidate for the job you are applying for. In listing your current and past professional experiences, try to focus on those responsibilities that indicate you are qualified to take the next step in your career. Due to the fact that more and more companies as well as job search sites use scanning software to pick out candidates, it is very important that you use key words, including active verbs, to describe your skills. Instead of beginning your job descriptions with “Responsible for” try to use active verbs such as: Read the rest of this entry »

In today’s competitive job market, employers relay on well-written resumes to screen potential candidates. In many instances, employers look through various job search web sites, 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. Read the rest of this entry »

Hunting for jobs can be a very competitive and sometimes stressful affair. Here are a few tips to help give you the edge in searching out and landing the job of your dreams.

The Curriculum Vitae or Resume

The CV is the first, and at most times the most important part of applying for a job. Since potential employers have to whittle down practically hundreds of applications to a few valid ones, they will have to base their narrowing down efforts using the CVs they have collected.

Studies have shown that about half of the employers decide to accept or reject job applications based on the related work experience listed in the CV. A third of the employers decide to reject or accept these job applications based on the layout design of these applications. Read the rest of this entry »

Many people are unaware that to secure a job interview, that it is the cover letter and not the resume, that gets it in the first place. With a well drafted cover letter you have more chances of landing that dream job than you do by just relying solely on your resume. All job cover letters should be drafted in business letter format and with three to four brief paragraphs.

The first few lines will contain the purpose of the cover letter. The second paragraph would state your skills and experience for the job and the final paragraph will contain a request for being considered for an interview.

Most of the companies gauge an applicant’s interest for the job though the cover letter. A well drafted and lively cover letter would stand out and get noticed in a crowd. It can reveal a part of your personality that you might not be able to detail in the resume. It can highlight your eagerness and enthusiasm for the job. Read the rest of this entry »

It is crucial to understand the importance of including a cover letter with your resume. One of the most commonly made mistakes when submitting a resume is not including a cover letter. In the event that you are emailing your resume, the cover letter can be included in the body of the email, (employers typically prefer no attachments in email submissions). If you are faxing or mailing your resume, ensure that the cover letter is on the front. Read the rest of this entry »

A resume is a one to two page document summarising your career objectives, professional experience, achievements, and educational background. Ideally, the heading of your resume should contain your Name, Address and Contact Information. As a guide, the body of your resume should be broken into the following sections: Career Objective, Profile, Professional Experience, Achievements, Scholastics, References and a Summary.  Your overall Career Objective should be brief, perhaps, two sentences; it should provide your potential employer with an indication 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 would allow you to contribute to the Company in general and your position in particular. Read the rest of this entry »