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

03 Dec 08 7 WAYS TO GET THAT JOB OFFER: 1) Emphasize your strengths

There are times that we see a job opening that we just love to have, and we are willing to do anything to get it.  It’s as if we are so convinced that we are well suited for it, that we can already even picture ourselves working for that company, contributing to achieve their goals and moving up their corporate ladder.

It would have been nice if we are well qualified for the position we applied for, or we have that special knowledge, skills and education that would give us the edge over the other applicants – if not, getting that job would quite require a miracle – and some bold effort in our part.  If we have qualification however that at least closely matches those required by employers – the problem might be workable on our end alone, without the hope of miracles or divine interventions. 

If one is thus really bent on getting that job offer, there are some ways one may proceed to become true contenders for the position.
To follow are the 7 ways to get a chance to sign that job offer:

1.) Emphasize your strengths.

Relate your qualifications to the employer’s needs.  Highlight these matching qualifications and specify how you can be effective on that area. 

Make mention on instances of the past that support your claims.  If you have been awarded with Certificates of Recognition for being the ‘Model Employee of The Year’ or ‘Best Employee of the Month’ – this would be a positive addition to your achievements’ portion.

If there are related specialized skills you have that you have learned through workshop courses or through work experience, these will definitely put you on their shortlist.  Expert knowledge on applicable processes and systems on their organization will set you apart from the rest. 

Certain traits that you possess - and being recognized officially through citations by your previous employers will also give the prospective employers a perception that you can be trusted and counted upon – and that you could also become a valuable employee once you will be in their organization.

Tags: Bold Effort, Certificates Of Recognition, Citations, Contenders, Corporate Ladder, Divine Interventions, Education, Employee Of The Month, employer, Expert Knowledge, Instances, interview, job, Job Offer, Job Opening, Knowledge Skills, Miracle, Miracles, Model Employee, Moving, new, Perception, Prospective Employers, qualifications, skills, Special Education, strengths, Work Experience, Workshop Courses