Resume Writing Tips
Writing a resume is not an easy job. Writing an effective, creative resume that gets results can be tough. Most prospective employers decide whether or not they want to interview you after reading the first few lines of your resume. So, be careful in writing your resume. Use the 10 tips below to help parlay your resume into a winner:
1) Don’t skip the small stuff. Make sure your resume includes your name, mailing address, phone numbers, and email address -- all possible ways you can be contacted. Should your résumé happen to get separated from your cover letter, a potential employer will have no way of getting in touch with you.
2) Use language that sizzles. Use active language and strong, energetic words. Avoid the use of personal pronouns such as “I” and “me.” Steer clear of buzzwords, acronyms, and industry-specific jargon. Avoid the use of phrases such as “responsibilities included” or “duties included” -- employers want to hear about your accomplishments, not how well you carried out your assigned duties.
3) Get to the point. It’s a smart idea to quickly capture an employer’s attention with easily digestible information. Consider beginning your resume with a specific, highly condensed summary of your professional background, skills, and attributes. A summary also helps to give your résumé focus.
4) Edit and proofread carefully. The importance of painstakingly proofing your résumé for typos, misspellings, and grammatical errors cannot be stressed enough. Enlist several other pairs of eyes to go over it as well, preferably belonging to friends who are professional writers or editors. Having to review so many résumés can make many employers look for reasons to eliminate applicants; that first typo usually does the trick. Even small mistakes can lead a potential employer to believe that a candidate might not make a very careful or conscientious employee.
5) Customize. If you have a broad range of experience, you may want to consider having more than one résumé, each targeted to a specific industry or job.
6) Be truthful and accurate. Make sure you have not included any misleading or false information on your résumé. Chances are your “inaccuracies” will eventually be discovered and you’ll lose all credibility with your prospective employer.
7) Name your motivation. It’s important to paint a clear picture of your goals and objectives, as well as the industry or position you are targeting. Don’t make an employer guess; he or she should be able to take a quick glance at your résumé and have a good sense of what you want to do.
8) Emphasize achievements. Employers are less interested in titles and duties and more interested in previous accomplishments. The fact that you implemented cost-cutting measures that reduced your department’s expenses by 15 percent is far more meaningful than simply stating you oversaw a budget. Quantify your achievements in terms of percentages, dollar amounts, or time frames to make your accomplishments more concrete.
9) Put education in the right place. If you are a recent graduate who does not yet have much work experience, make sure to put the emphasis on your education. In addition to listing the university you attended, include information on degrees earned, majors and minors, grade point average, date of program completion, and any scholarships or honors received. Once you’ve got several years of work experience under your belt, this education information can move to the end of the résumé.
10) Include references and portfolio. While many résumés promise references “upon request,” sometimes it’s a good idea to include a list of references up front. Make sure it’s a list of professional acquaintances that you trust to speak well of your skills and past accomplishments to prospective employers. You may also want to attach a portfolio of your professional-quality work to illustrate your abilities.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Saturday, December 02, 2006
SAMPLE OF RESUME
Tracy Q. Graduate
Campus:
456 College Hall
Normal, IL 67890
(111) 222-3333
tracy.graduate@ilstu.edu
Permanent:
123 Main Street
Anytown, MI 12345
(777) 888-9999
tracygraduate@hotmail.com
OBJECTIVE: Management trainee position in the retail industry.
SUMMARY: • More than three years experience in retail and food management.
• Retail internship with Walmart.
• Magna Cum Laude graduate with BBA in Management.
EDUCATION: Bachelor of Business Administration in Management, May 2005
Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois
Graduated Magna Cum Laude with a GPA of 3.6 on a 4.0 scale
Courses taken included:
Strategic Management Personnel Planning and Selection
Organizational Decision Making Compensation and Performance Appraisal
New Venture Creation Business Data Communications
Quality Assurance Staffing and Selection
EXPERIENCE: Retail Internship, August 2004 to Present
Walmart, Bloomington, Illinois
• Responsible for stocking and floor management for softlines.
• Develop inventory tracking reports on a monthly basis.
• Participated in annual inventory, including preparation for first barcode reporting.
Swing Shift Manager, August 1997 to August 2004
McDonald’s Restaurant, Bloomington, Illinois
• Management of 12 to 16 employees during an eight-hour shift.
• Responsible for customer service and overall satisfaction.
• Awarded Employee of the Month three different times.
• Began as counter person and promoted to management position within 8 months.
ACTIVITIES: • Vice President, AMA Student Chapter, 2004-2005
• Secretary, Beta Gamma Sigma honors society, 2004-2005
• Dorm Resident Assistant, 2003-2005
©2004-2005 CollegeGrad.com, Inc. All rights reserved. For personal, individual use only.
Dealing with anxiety
It would be a shame to let something as insignificant and short-lived as an attack of nerves conceal your winning attributes. Here are some tips to prevent nervous tics and other imperfections from interfering with your best interview ever.
- If you're concerned with a piece of clothing in your interview ensemble -- maybe the naked-lady tie is a little racy and you're on the fence about it -- change it. In addition to favorably impressing your interviewer, your clothes should do nothing but support and feed the confidence and comfort of the intelligent, sensitive creature wearing them.
- During the interview you'll want to look neat, clean, and well-composed. You should always wear a suit. Even if the workplace where you're applying is business casual (or has no dress code whatsoever.) Even if the interviewer tells you that you don't need to wear a suit. It's always better to overdress than underdress. Stick to conservative navy, gray or black. Women, wear pantyhose and closed-toes shoes.
- If a deficiency on your resume worries you, don't obsess on it and let it sink your spirits. Think about this deficiency and how you will explain it before you go in for the interview. It's there, so deal with it and move on. Remember, they've agreed to interview despite this flaw, so it can't be a stopper. If there is any way of putting a positive spin on it without making it a feature of the interview, plan a short but sweet response.
- On the day of the interview, breathing exercises can help you relax and focus your energy. Closing your eyes, imagine a peaceful place. Or, visualize yourself acing the interview. Here's another one: place your tongue at the roof of your mouth just behind the teeth and then breath quickly and forcefully through your nose for as long as you can. If you push yourself at this, when you then inhale deeply through your mouth again, you should feel energized.
Your interviewer will want to measure how well you think on your feet, on your seat - how you think, period. How does that brain of yours channel and process information - rationally, creatively, sporadically? Companies prize the ability to think analytically. Many of the most successful people in business attribute their success to the fact that they surrounded themselves early on with intelligent people.
It would be a shame to let something as insignificant and short-lived as an attack of nerves conceal your winning attributes. Here are some tips to prevent nervous tics and other imperfections from interfering with your best interview ever.
- If you're concerned with a piece of clothing in your interview ensemble -- maybe the naked-lady tie is a little racy and you're on the fence about it -- change it. In addition to favorably impressing your interviewer, your clothes should do nothing but support and feed the confidence and comfort of the intelligent, sensitive creature wearing them.
- During the interview you'll want to look neat, clean, and well-composed. You should always wear a suit. Even if the workplace where you're applying is business casual (or has no dress code whatsoever.) Even if the interviewer tells you that you don't need to wear a suit. It's always better to overdress than underdress. Stick to conservative navy, gray or black. Women, wear pantyhose and closed-toes shoes.
- If a deficiency on your resume worries you, don't obsess on it and let it sink your spirits. Think about this deficiency and how you will explain it before you go in for the interview. It's there, so deal with it and move on. Remember, they've agreed to interview despite this flaw, so it can't be a stopper. If there is any way of putting a positive spin on it without making it a feature of the interview, plan a short but sweet response.
- On the day of the interview, breathing exercises can help you relax and focus your energy. Closing your eyes, imagine a peaceful place. Or, visualize yourself acing the interview. Here's another one: place your tongue at the roof of your mouth just behind the teeth and then breath quickly and forcefully through your nose for as long as you can. If you push yourself at this, when you then inhale deeply through your mouth again, you should feel energized.
Your interviewer will want to measure how well you think on your feet, on your seat - how you think, period. How does that brain of yours channel and process information - rationally, creatively, sporadically? Companies prize the ability to think analytically. Many of the most successful people in business attribute their success to the fact that they surrounded themselves early on with intelligent people.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
The Interview Questions
In most interviews, knowing what the interviewer is looking for means you have won half of the battle. Often, the interviewer hopes that you are the right person for the job. Therefore you are in a greater position of strength than you think. Concentrate on what you have to offer in the way of qualifications and experience instead of feeling intimidated.
A number of questions in the interview will give you an opportunity to demonstrate how your mind gathers, sorts, files, and discards information. Sometimes the best thing to do when faced with a difficult question is to take a deep breath or to ask for a minute to consider it, instead of launching into a hurried, muddled answer. The interviewer will respect your decision to think your answer over carefully.
Generally, The interviewer will be interested in three main areas of questioning. You will be asked questions about (1) your qualification and skills; (2) your previous work experience; and (3) your character and personality.
The Ten Questions you may be asked
1) Tell me something about yourself?
2) What do you know about our company?
3) Why did you leave your last job?
4) Why do you want this job?
5) Why are you looking for a new job?
6) What are your strengths and weaknesses?
7) Why do you want to join this organization?
8) What are your long-term goals?
9) What kind of position are you looking for?
10) Where do you see yourself five years from now?
More examples of the interview questions
a) What do you most enjoy doing in your current /most recent position?
b) Describe your current / most recent position.
c) What made you want to make this change?
d) How would you describe yourself?Describe your future ambitions.
In most interviews, knowing what the interviewer is looking for means you have won half of the battle. Often, the interviewer hopes that you are the right person for the job. Therefore you are in a greater position of strength than you think. Concentrate on what you have to offer in the way of qualifications and experience instead of feeling intimidated.
A number of questions in the interview will give you an opportunity to demonstrate how your mind gathers, sorts, files, and discards information. Sometimes the best thing to do when faced with a difficult question is to take a deep breath or to ask for a minute to consider it, instead of launching into a hurried, muddled answer. The interviewer will respect your decision to think your answer over carefully.
Generally, The interviewer will be interested in three main areas of questioning. You will be asked questions about (1) your qualification and skills; (2) your previous work experience; and (3) your character and personality.
The Ten Questions you may be asked
1) Tell me something about yourself?
2) What do you know about our company?
3) Why did you leave your last job?
4) Why do you want this job?
5) Why are you looking for a new job?
6) What are your strengths and weaknesses?
7) Why do you want to join this organization?
8) What are your long-term goals?
9) What kind of position are you looking for?
10) Where do you see yourself five years from now?
More examples of the interview questions
a) What do you most enjoy doing in your current /most recent position?
b) Describe your current / most recent position.
c) What made you want to make this change?
d) How would you describe yourself?Describe your future ambitions.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
The Interview Tips
The interview is a crucial area, therefore, knowing how to play the interview cat and mouse game cannot be overemphasized. There are different types of the interview, however the basic principles of good interviewing remain the same. Here, several tips for a winning interview performance.
Analysing the Company
Do some research before the interview regarding the company’s products, services and operations. These information can be obtained from their annual report or website.
Come early for the interview
Arrive early for the interview can minimize your nervourness and giving time to be cool and calm. Therefore, leave for the interview at least one hour earlier than necessary to cope with any contingencies such as poor weather or traffic jam.
Smart Appearance
A large part of the way we judge other people comes from first impressions. Research has shown that 55% of this first impression is based on appearance and behavior, which can include clothing, posture, body language and facial expression. So, formal clothes show you consider the interview important enough to have taken pains to dress up.
Reply calmly and confidently
Due to nervousness, there are some candidates unable to listen to the questions carefully, thus giving half-baked answer. Therefore, try to be calm and listen properly to the questions and organize you’re your thoughts before answering the questions confidently.
Ask good questions
Good questions are important for the interviewer to know how you underline your keen interest in the company and position. Some example of good questions should include the company’s plans, directions, culture, the specifics and expectations of the job.
Show proper etiquette
Do not forget to send a thank you letter after the interview to show that you are really appreciate their time and efforts for inviting you for the interview. Thus, shows basic courtesy and proof of your sincere interest in the position you apply for.
Saturday, October 14, 2006
According to the dictionary an interview is a face to face meeting for the purposes of consultation. In other words, it is a dicussion for one reason or another. It is normally take place sitting down and can range from an informal to a formal panel interview. It is also come in many shapes and sizes. Means that not all interviews are to do with applying for jobs. You also may be interviewed for a place at college, to join a club or society or for voluntary work.
What are interviews About?
Interviews are like examinations at the end of a course. Meaning that, you know that you have done well so far on the course, and you know in advance roughly what areas the questions are going to cover in the same way you know that you have done well in the selection process up to this point or the employer would not have invited you for the interview.
What leads to Success in Interviews?
In the same way as through preparation leads to success in examinations, so a system for approaching interviews can have the same outcome. Most of the talking done in the interview will be by you. This means that you have a fair measure of controling deciding where the interview is going. Though we cannot set all the questions yourself, but we can calculate fairly accurately what subject areas will be covered and plan our answers accordingly. In other words, the key word is preparation. Mean that you need to be prepared; the day before the interview; the night before interview and the day of the interview. However the best approach is try to present ourself in the best way and treat each interview as a learning experience.
What are interviews About?
Interviews are like examinations at the end of a course. Meaning that, you know that you have done well so far on the course, and you know in advance roughly what areas the questions are going to cover in the same way you know that you have done well in the selection process up to this point or the employer would not have invited you for the interview.
What leads to Success in Interviews?
In the same way as through preparation leads to success in examinations, so a system for approaching interviews can have the same outcome. Most of the talking done in the interview will be by you. This means that you have a fair measure of controling deciding where the interview is going. Though we cannot set all the questions yourself, but we can calculate fairly accurately what subject areas will be covered and plan our answers accordingly. In other words, the key word is preparation. Mean that you need to be prepared; the day before the interview; the night before interview and the day of the interview. However the best approach is try to present ourself in the best way and treat each interview as a learning experience.
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