19 Jul 09 Your Resume: Admission Ticket Through The Door Of Your Future Work Place

Your resume should be viewed and handled as if it is an airline ticket to your destination of choice. This may just be a piece of paper with words on it, and it may not reveal who you are personally but it is the only means by which you are going to get to the interview (your destination) so in that regard it is just as important as the interview is. Therefore you need to use this document to gain the reader’s trust and not provide any source of hesitation.

As a former employer I can tell you that when I was hiring I often hoped there were mistakes or things that just didn’t strike me right in the massive stacks of resumes that I would have to go through for different positions. These would allow me to toss that applicant out of sight and out of mind, moving through the pile faster, and narrowing down the interview pool. So these should not be view as mainly a way to stand out in a good way, but rather a way to not stand out in a bad way. No grammar errors, missing punctuation, funny words/wordings, contrived language, outlandish claims! Simply put what you are on paper in a concise, correct, logical form that doesn’t sound like a sell job but rather like an “about the author.”

That said it is helpful to not appear robotic. It is really the blend of no mistakes and the subtle yet unmistakable personal flair that people added to their resume that resounded with me and got them an interview. So how is this done? Well be honest! If you are hesitant to put something in because you see the potential for misunderstanding, then don’t put it in! If you can’t answer all the questions that come to your mind concerning an entry then its best to leave it out.

So to help you understand what I am talking about when I say personal flair or touch let me give you an example. Employers value a good work-ethic right? Well most everyone knows that and I can’t tell you how many times that I read the words “I possess a strong work-ethic,” and nothing else! You need to explain yourself—something that proves that statement such as “possess strong work ethic, missed only 5 days in 3 years of work, was voted most valuable employee 3 times, and was counted on to assume more responsibility when bosses were out of town.”

Tags: Admission Ticket, Airline Ticket, Funny Words, get that job, Getting A Job, Good Work Ethic, Grammar Errors, Hesitation, job, Misunderstanding, Moving, Out Of Sight, Outlandish Claims, People, Personal Flair, Piece Of Paper, Pool, Punctuation, Regard, Resume, Resumes, Stacks

13 Jul 09 Tips for Cover Letters to Get More Interviews

Here’s a tip for cover letters to get more interviews.  Use a bulleted format cover letter rather than a standard letter in paragraphs.  The bulleted format is more eye catching, and is more likely to be glanced at by the hiring manager or other person assigned to sort through resumes.  This format will help you get your resume seen by more people and as a result get more interviews and more job offers.

If you follow this advice and decide to use the bulleted format, make sure that each bullet point specifies a reason for the hiring manager to talk with you.  This reason can be your number of years experience, your education, a personality trait that you have, or an accomplishment.

Examples of bulleted points would be:

• Over 20 years experience in Human Resource Management.
Or…
• Outstanding work ethic.  Lead by example.
Or…
• Master of Science in Education.  Currently enrolled in Doctorate program.
Or…
• Saved last employer $30,000 in revenue through modernization of accounting system.
Or…
• Increased sales by 25% last quarter.

This bulleted format allows you to toot your own horn, but in a way that does not seem egotistical because it is obviously part of a resume package. 

Another tip that will increase the readability of your cover letter is to use bold faced fonts on occasion to emphasize points you want read.  Bold face catches the eye, and is a common device used by graphic designers in advertising copy.  Your resume and cover letter are marketing tools for you, just as a print media advertising piece is a marketing tool for a business.  Consider using bold face as tip from the Fortune 500 ad agencies that you can use without charge.

The next piece of advice to consider concerns the final paragraph of the letter, and will help you in your follow up efforts.  When following up often times the hardest thing to do is to get past the gatekeeper.  The secretary or administrative assistant that screens calls for his or her boss has an important job to do, but so do you, and reaching the decision maker will make you look good.  The gatekeeper will try to stop you if the decision maker is busy—after all, he has better things to do with his time than speak with job seekers.  So, in the final paragraph of your letter, before the “sincerely” and your name, simply state “I will call you next week to check on a convenient time to speak with you in person.”  You’ve told the hiring manager you will be calling.  Logically he should be expecting your call.  For this reason you may tell the gatekeeper that ” Mr. HR Manager is expecting my call this week.”  This will increase your chances of getting through, and of getting the interview.  This tip is a variation on techniques that good business-to-business sales people use, and will work for you as well, bringing you more interviews and more job offers.

Tags: 7 Ways To Get That Job Offer, Accounting System, Bold Face, Bullet Point, Bulleted Points, Cover Letter, Cover Letters, Doctorate Program, Fortune 500, Gatekeeper, Getting A Job, Graphic Designers, Hardest Thing, Hiring Manager, Human Resource Management, Increased Sales, Master Of Science, Personality Trait, Piece Of Advice, Print Media Advertising, Toot Your Own Horn, Work Ethic

03 Jul 09 Finding the Dream Job by Having a solid Resume

Without those interviews, you will not be getting any offers.  So in order to achieve this goal of getting a job offer, the compressed biography of your achievements must be stellar.  Keep in mind that this is a summary of your achievements, not of your life story.  Most importantly, write a well organized, concise CV.  In working towards this goal, keep in mind the goal of your resume.  This goal is to get you an interview.  Be sure that your resume stays within those boundaries and is a neat and well organized document.  In the same vein, keeping your resume neat and organized will ensure that you know the contents of your resume inside and out.  Too many college grads, especially, fill their resumes to hide any experience lacking, and upon landing an interview, hesitate when being asked specific questions about information included on the resume.  Avoid this situation by arriving at the interview fully prepared to elaborate on anything you have included in the resume.  A resume that sticks to the aim of getting an interview will be a resume that is carefully thought through and well organized, and which is focused on things relevant to your career past and career future.

Never lose sight of the objective of the resume.  The main objective is to secure an interview.  An effective resume conveys that the employer needs you.  If you manage to secure an interview, you have won half the battle.  Approach the interview as a live transmission and expansion of what has been stated in your resume.  Do not view the interview as an hour of scrutiny upon your life and experiences.  Remember, your resume was good enough to be noticed, and your life achievements created the resume; thus you deserve the job.  When composing your resume, review every point you have included, and check to see that it both states something positive about you and is said in an original way.  Use words that indicate that because of you, things happen.  Your presence was a catalyst in moving the company forward.  Don’t be shy; the resume has no place for modesty, but it also has no place for bragging.  In other words, your resume should turn heads, but never in doubt as to what have you said about yourself. 

While achieving the goal of the resume - the interview, work to make an organized resume.  Organization applies to all levels of the resume:  the aesthetic format, the ordered placement of the facts, and the previous employments you choose to include.  The aesthetics should be friendly to the eye, and help to draw attention to the most important points.  Those that are most important should always be located nearer to the top.  In other words, activities and employments that are most relevant and current should be listed first.  Bullet point formats are popular for their neatness and visual aid in drawing attention where it is due.  Within each bullet point, include only the most applicable and important information that your future employer will want to know about your other jobs and activities.  Keeping these points concise and to the point is helpful, as not much time is spent on reading a resume, so paragraphs describing a job will be skipped over.  Concise points also help achieve the end of an aesthetically organized resume.

Every company wants well-organized employees, so showing off the bat that you are organized will be a benefit for you.  No matter how gifted you are, if your resume looks like a crossword puzzle in its organization and format, it will be hard for the potential employer to see your talent.  When your resume is well-written, clear, and organized, you are marketing to potential employers your writing skills along with good standards of neatness and organization.  Having made this impression on paper will smooth your sailing for an easy interview, as the employer’s opinion of you will already be positive.

Once the interview date has been set, this is a time to calm your nerves instead of working them into a frenzy.  Don’t forget that you are going on this interview because you have already impressed the employer.  Your job now is to continue the positive impression already made, and to show your character, which can’t be shown on paper.  The best way of continuing a positive impression is to be prepared to talk about yourself directly and in focus, just like your resume has.  When asked why you want to work in the specific career, don’t recount all the twists and turns in your life that have brought you to the conclusion; be to the point.  Remember that you must be able to back up and expand on anything that you have included in your resume.  Thankfully, that little piece of paper referred to as the resume has already accomplished quite a bit of work for you.  It has informed the employer who you are, and what you want in a job.  Now it is your turn to better acquaint yourself with who the employer is and what he wants in an employee.  View the interview with such an attitude:  the chance for both potential employer and employee to learn more about each other.

The resume is your formal introduction to the career world.  It discloses your talents to those who are seeking just such talents.  To this aim, it is important not to lose sight of the goal of the resume.  The resume lets the employer know who you are, why he needs you, and where he can reach you so that he can secure an interview with you.  Write your resume to reflect these goals, in a concise, organized and well-phrased document.  Use this organized and well-phrased resume to your advantage at the interview, as the document is, essentially, the first impression that you have made.  This is the manner in which you should view the preparation and presentation of your resume.  Once at the interview, put a smile on your face and pat your resume on the back for the great job both you and it have already done - your dream career is now very near!

Tags: Aim, Boundaries, College Grads, Concise Cv, Dream Job, Experiences, Finding The Dream, get that job, Getting A Job, Half The Battle, Job Offer, Job Resume, Life Achievements, Live Transmission, Main Objective, Original Way, Resumes, Scrutiny

16 Jan 09 Persuasive Cover Letters Can Make The Difference

If you are able to follow these guidelines, you will surely get the response that you deserve out of your job application. 

Definitely, cover letters should not be taken for granted - and not let your resume do all the talking for you.  If you can make use of two venues to sell yourself, wouldn’t it be practical and logical to use both? 

Make use of your resumes and cover letters effectively.  Both can work together to promote and market you well.

While resumes may have the necessary content and details that are relevant to your job applications, the reader will still have to do some thinking and some more analysis of your qualifications and their needs.  But with well-written cover letters that go along with these resumes, you make it easier for the prospective employers to choose you because of your effective sales pitch on what you can offer to their organization. 

These sales pitches are but only necessary - and anyway, these are not manipulative efforts since what you are saying here are the truth - you are just making it easy for them to realize that you are fit for the job and you have lots to offer.  In the sales pitch, you are merely highlighting your strengths and expertise that matches what they need.

Never give the reader who is screening your cover letters to doubt if you are truly qualified for the position – don’t let him or her entertain that thought, not even for a second. 

Let the guidelines stated above be your reference so that you will get the right impression from the prospective employers though your persuasive cover letters.

So the next time you make your cover letters, don’t miss on the opportunity to make cover letters with taste.  It should always be professionally written – brief, well organized and truthful.  With cover letters written appropriately, you already have the edge and interviews are surely forthcoming.

Tags: Application Letters, Cover Letter, Cover Letters, covering letter, Effective Sales, Fit, Interviews, job application, Job Applications, Job Letters, Opportunity, persuasive, Prospective Employers, Resume, Resumes, Sales Pitch, Sales Pitches, Truth

12 Jan 09 Effective Guideline no.12: Check your spelling and grandma

There is nothing worse than your resume and cover letters containing spelling and grammatical errors. 

Not only do such errors give you negative points, it might be interpreted by the prospective employers of the quality of the work you do.  What do you think they will expect once you’ll be working for them?

Tags: career, Check Spelling, Cover Letters, covering letter, cv, gramma, grammatical, Grammatical Errors, Grandma, job, Prospective Employers, Resume, Resume Letters, Spelling