If you are wanting to break into the field of Human Resources, you will most likely have to start at an entry-level position and work your way up. A Human Resource Assistant is a position that does not require a great deal of experience. Since the main focus of the job is maintaining records, there are many possible ways to gain this experience without having to be directly employed in an HR position.

For the purpose of this article, the resume tips listed below will help in writing a resume that provides prospective employers with the information they need to make a good decision about whether or not you will fit in with their organization.

In short: You will learn how to create a resume that employers WANT to read.

If you want to impress prospective employers, you have to make the most of your credentials. Here are some excellent tips for creating a resume that sells your skills and accomplishments to employers.

Human Resource Assistant Resume Tips:

1. Make sure you are include the main sections within your resume. Typically, they are: Heading, Objective, Education, Experience, Activities/Awards and References. Employers like to know where to find the information they are seeking. Choose a common resume format, such as: Chronological or Functional.

2. If you do not have much work experience, consider listing volunteer work and/or school-related experiences, such as laying out copy for a yearbook, tracking equipment for a sports team, creating programs for school event or something similar. Anything that might be considered a task associated with the work environment is fine to use on your resume.

3. Accomplishments are probably the most important things you can list on a resume. This is true regardless of how old you are or how much experience you have. The reason is that accomplishments show that you worked hard, were involved and got things done.

4. Proofread everything until you are certain that your resume contains no mistakes. Also, have someone else read your resume in an effort to ensure it is error-free. Typos and grammar errors are the first things an employer looks for when weeding out the good resumes from the bad ones.

These resume tips will not guarantee that you get a job immediately, but they will make it more likely that an employer will read your resume. That is the first step toward getting a call for an interview.

A resume is the one tool that can help you realize your future employment dreams. It does not matter if your first job is working for an automobile dealership or at a printing company. A good resume will lead you toward job success.

If you want to find a great job, do what it takes to ensure you are looked at more favorably than your competitors. Lead the crowd by using the resume tips listed above and make your career as fantastic as possible. You deserve the best, right?

Job opportunities are just a step away yet many times, people have difficulties finding a job but with the right cover letter templates, finding and getting the job you are applying for can be easy and time saving.

Cover letters are helpful because it provides employers a brusque overview of the applicants' abilities and certain skills for the specific job requirements and as means to introducing their resume. Templates however are advisable for applicants applying for different positions because cover letter templates allows an applicant to revise and edit their cover letter at the same time make improvements to their letter in a more stylish yet formal manner. A cover letter template can be easily filled in because templates are meant for revision that most applicants most consider other than having it written and thought out.

Every cover letter templates provides the applicant to write their abilities and skills that are essential for the employers to know about the applicant that can also result to the next phase in the employment procedure. Many employers are intimidated to read cover letters with attention grabbing introduction that will surely get applicants a positive employment in the position applied for.

Because of computers and internet technology, cover letters have become more modern whereas available programs of cover letters are now possible. Cover letter programs gives a variation of the different forms of a cover letter format that are also impressive, and interesting especially when it comes to the letter templates included in the program for those applicants trying to save time. Because of this program, anyone will be able to make a cover letter professionally and formally.

A cover letter template can be written in an impressive or boring way that employers may not even have the interest in reading the letter. In such, writing a cover letter is not necessarily that simple as others may think, however, a cover letter is really helpful for applicants on the verge of job hunting. Usually, a cover letter is written by applicants emphasizing their special abilities and skills that help employers determine whether the applicants are qualified for the job or not. Employers are most attentive to well-written cover letters than reading a more detailed resume. In fact, well-written cover letter can easily tell the employer if the applicant can be an asset in their companies. Even so, cover letter templates are most advisable to individuals looking for a job.

Cover letters can be written in a different manner either impressive or even boring that employers may disregard even the slightest reading of the resume. Letter templates is a perfect way for applicants that have problems making a cover letter and can also help manage their time during the job hunting process that can result in a fast employment but having a cover letter also needs some attention in order to make a perfect cover letter.

As mentioned, cover letter templates is a great time saving method to sell one's self to the employers because overall, it has instructions provided to make cover letters and assist in vocabulary for a professional yet business letter format that will intimidate the employers to check out the resume.

Having the perfect cover letter can really attract employers' decision in hiring an applicant or not. As a matter of fact, cover letter templates are very helpful for those on a job hunting process that allows the applicant to decrease time and lessen the process of applying for a job resulting in a faster employment.

Thousands of profiles, everyday, flood the desks of recruiters. It is essential to create a different design and an interesting profile that will stand out among the others. All the traditional one- or two-page resumes look similar and have little or no effect on the recruiters. Thus, in order to have an edge on the competitors, applicants need to break free from the "resume box" and start developing resume portfolios that are powerful and effective.

A portfolio focuses on individual expertise and interest areas. It is very helpful in enabling the organization to come to a sound conclusion about a candidate. On the other hand, a resume provides only an overview of the various relevant details and may not be always helpful in reflecting the candidate's actual personality and efficiency areas.

Due to the length of the portfolio, it is believed that the HR personnel might not have the time or interest to go through the entire thing. However, the truth is that portfolios are passed along to the decision-making personnel of the organization, such as the departmental head or the vice president. The portfolio that is well presented, interesting, and matches the organization's requirements, ensures consideration for the vacancy. This approach increases the interview rate and success, compared to the age-old approach of one or two page resumes.

An effective resume portfolio includes in-depth reviews of the applicant's accomplishments, educational, and professional qualifications, responsibilities, and community services. Visuals might be added wherever necessary, including graphs and charts to accentuate key accomplishments. A list of all completed projects is also very effective in evaluating the candidate's expertise. A glimpse of the applicant's personality and career shifts are reflected in the independent study or activities summary that can be added, along with the other information.

A student's portfolio is a collection of accomplishments, reflecting his or her performance and interest levels. Portfolios serve as evaluators of personal strengths and weaknesses of the students and illustrate work progress. Student portfolios can include a record of comments to support cooperative teaming. A video recording of students speaking French in the classroom can be shared and used to evaluate conversational skills.

Student portfolios are then ideal method of assessment because they represent classroom-based performance and, hence, can be easily included in the course curriculum. According to the view of numerous educators, teachers, and researchers, they provide a much better method of student evaluation, as opposed to the age-old procedures of conducting separate tests on different subjects. Unlike the conventional trend of stuffing assignments into notebooks, portfolios represent the natural aptitudes of the students and provide a way of saving their own performance for future reference.

There is no established way of developing a student portfolio. It is the student who has to choose and collect, according to his or her individual preferences, and reflect the same in the portfolio. It is therefore better to start early on the matters of interest that the student would like to preserve in the portfolio. The matter can consist of a mathematical trick or an economics project.

However, proper guidance from the teachers and input from peers are essential for developing good portfolios. The age or grade of the student may influence the quality of the portfolio. Elder students can develop impressive portfolios that reflect a deeper understanding of a represented topic combined with audio- visual means, such as videos and photographs. Younger students may need more help and guidance in choosing the topics and developing the portfolio. The resulting portfolios help to assess improvement and genuine interest.

A teaching portfolio illustrates a collection of selected samples, demonstrating an individual?s specific method of teaching. The portfolio would ideally provide all the documented evidence of the subject taught. It might also include self-reflections, student work samples, reports of faculty development efforts and classroom research. While deciding what must be added to a teaching portfolio, individuals and institutions may consider focusing on the methods and standards of effective teaching.

According to research, there are some important steps to follow when putting together a teaching portfolio. Teachers can begin with recognizing their teaching responsibilities and the roles they would play in a specific department. Based on these responsibilities, they can gather appropriate data for the portfolio. A brief introduction to the individual subject and the overall responsibility of the teacher can then be prepared. Proper arrangement and organization of the planned documents is very important for a well-developed portfolio. The arranged data must be presented accordingly with conclusions that support the vision of the teacher. A completed portfolio can then be incorporated in the individual's curriculum vitae.

Teaching portfolio materials include one's individual teaching philosophy, course titles, descriptions of the different ways in which he or she has taught various courses, and students? evaluations of the courses. These materials also include innovative initiatives of the teacher to improve instruction procedures and the non-conventional methods employed for effective teaching. A brief description of the various activities, involving supervision of students of different levels, and a personal statement that highlights his or her teaching aspirations for the next five years, can be included.

Evaluations from fellow faculty members and the mention of honors, awards, and recognition received during one's teaching career add to the quality of the portfolio. Teachers, benefit from well-presented and planned portfolios. It gives them a chance to analyze their performance over the years.

Don't know how to write a cover letter? A cover letter template can guide you in writing that perfect cover letter to get that much desired job interview.

A cover letter is one of the most important things you have to make in order to catch the attention of your potential employer. This means that the cover letter is the first actual contact you have to make with your potential employer. This is why impressing them with your cover letter is very important in order to earn that job interview you are waiting for.

However, what if you don't have any idea on how to write a cover letter? What if you don't know the correct format on writing it or what to mention in a cover letter? One great way to assist you in writing a cover letter is by downloading a cover letter template. A template can greatly assist you in writing your cover letter. It will include instructions on where to put what on the cover letter.

When you download the template you will see that there is a prewritten instruction in a form of a letter that you should follow.

The first thing you should consider in a cover letter is the heading. The head of the letter is located on top of your cover letter which will contain your name, address and contact numbers or emails.

The next thing you will see in a cover letter sample below the heading is the date. Obviously, you will put the date here on when you sent the letter. Below the date, about three spaces of the document, you will put the name of the person in charge in receiving the letter, or the human resources. Below that you will then put in the name of the company and below that, you will put in the address.

The next thing you have to do is write the body of the cover letter. A template will usually include a prewritten cover letter body to help you write your cover letter. It will usually mention what position you are interested in, where you saw the job description and that you are interested in applying for the job.

On the next paragraph, you will put in why the company should consider hiring you. Here, you will include your qualifications, one or two of your accomplishments in your previous career and a few of your experience. In this part of the letter, you will convince your potential employer on why you should be considered to work for their company.

The last part of the cover letter template will state that you want an interview. It is written in a polite way and it will also require you to put in your contact details such as your home phone number, your mobile phone number and/or your email address.

In the last part of the letter, you will put in your name, your signature and your current position in your current company.

Writing a cover letter is much simpler if you have a guide. A cover letter template will allow you to get a better idea on what to put in a cover letter. You can download these templates from the Internet and all you have to do is change some of the information in the cover letter template.

With a cover letter template, it will give you a much better idea on what to write and where to write it.

When you type in cover letter samples in your favorite search engine, hundreds of search results will always tell you that this is the kind of cover letter a potential employer will read or that this is the kind of cover letter sample that will get you the job you want. People get confused and end up getting frustrated on what kind of cover letter sample they should follow.

It is a fact that writing a cover letter isn't always easy. A cover letter is basically the first contact you will ever make with your potential employer. It is where your employer will determine if you will be invited for an interview or not. You should consider that there are hundreds of jobseekers like you who want the same job you want. Therefore, it is wise that you should make a good first impression on your cover letter alone in order to at least make the employer to even bother reading your resume.

Sure, you may have a lot of qualifications, but hundreds of people have that same qualifications or are even better than you. So, in order to catch your potential employer's attention, you should start catching it in a cover letter.

It is a fact that there are thousands or even millions of people out there who are qualified for the job but always get rejected by their potential employer. Always remember that the employer will bother reading your resume if he or she likes what he or she reads in your cover letter.

Back to cover letter samples, you should look for a sample that contains three effective little things. Here are the three things you should look for in a cover letter sample:

The first and the most important thing you should consider when writing a cover letter is by being yourself. Don't use big words. Try using simple words that is easy to read. It should be in plain and simple English.

People tend to fail getting their letter read because they overdo it from the beginning to the end. Writing a cover letter that sounds human is much easier to read than cover letters containing big words and one that sounds like a robot.

Another benefit in writing a simple cover letter is that it shows your personality. This is why you should write a cover letter as if you are really speaking to your future employer in person.

Of course, the main objective on why you are writing that cover letter is not actually landing that job you want. A cover letter is simply expressing your enthusiasm in working for the company and getting that job interview.

So, if you want a job interview, all you have to do is ask. Always remember to be polite and be enthusiastic. A sample cover letter should contain a way for asking for that interview at the end of the letter. Include your contact number and/or email address so your potential employer can contact you as soon as possible.

The third and last thing that should be included in a sample cover letter should be the simplicity. A simple, formal, and professional letter is always the way to go when writing a cover letter.

A simple cover letter will tend to be more noticeable than letters that contain technical terms. It is always best to go simple.

These are the things you should look for in a sample cover letter. If you don't have any idea on what sample cover letter you should look for, look for a cover letter that contains no big words, asking for an interview, and simplicity.

For one, sales cover letters are pretty much identical to business cover letters in their format or rules, but differ crucially in their content. Your cover letter reflects directly on your ability to “make the sale”.

Sales Cover Letter Basics

So here are the basics of sales cover letters. Sales cover letters must be written on a clean bright white paper and must be delivered to the addressee in an equally decent, stiff envelope. It must have contact information and three paragraphs neatly typed in their designated places. Cover letters are completely devoid of trivial things such as spelling and grammatical errors. So, it goes without saying that the letters must be proofed and edited a couple of times to thrash the trash. So if you think the language or tone of the letter needs drafting and redrafting just go ahead and do it. But at the same time, remember that the cover letter must be limited to less than a page long to ensure complete reading.

Selling Ice Cream To Eskimos

Making the big bang with HR is the fundamental quality of sales people. The fact is, all companies need sales people, all the time – the question is why they should hire you. In the body of the sales letter, usually the second paragraph, including a couple of examples of selling under trying, extenuating circumstances to hesitant/unwilling customers and making it the focus point of the entire cover letter will turn the tables in your favor. But this should be done with aplomb without throwing off the balance of the rest of the letter.

Dedicate a few lines to explain how you beat the competition - which eventually becomes the point of discussion among every company executive. Employers will be only too happy to invite you for an interview if you can prove that you can bring in money regardless of the circumstances. Sales cover letters should exhibit the character traits of successful sales people - friendly and pushy in nature and being able to effectively convince others into buying their products. Sales people are some of the most prolific speakers with a good command of language skills and voice modulation. They also get friendly with people easily and love to talk.

The bottom line is that landing a sales position is all about the money. If you can show in your cover letter good sales figures and compare and contrast positive figures before and after your tenure, then you will have a good shot at landing the interview. Balance this with examples of your aggressiveness, determination and ability to outwit the competition, and you will be well on your way to landing your next sales position.

You have to create an excellent resume if you want to get a great job. There are so many job candidates vying for the same position that you want. You have to ensure your credentials are presented to employers in a way that reveals your ability to at least meet their expectations – and hopefully even exceed them.

Review these awesome resume tips and make sure your resume is the hiring manager's dream resume.

Resume Tips:

1. Do not think simply in terms of duties and responsibilities. You must also demonstrate accomplishments from your job history.

2. Choose items from your work experience that show the employer that you can do the job you are applying for. If your work experience is limited, include volunteer work, school jobs, offices you have held and extracurricular activities where you were especially successful.

3. Be consistent in your use of tense-specific statements (i.e. prepared, designed, and created).

4. You want a resume that is bold and stands out, but not so much that it makes the hiring manager wary. You want to use active language to show the employer that you are achievement-oriented.

5. Avoid being wordy.

6. The length of your resume is important. Resumes should be no more than 2 pages long. Hiring managers do not have the time to spend reading anything longer than that.

7. The overall appearance of your resume is also important. Keep everything aligned neatly and allow some room for white space. A hiring manager has to read a lot of resumes and their eyes get tired, too.

8. Do not use wild colors, cute graphics, or odd colored paper. Nothing will rule you out faster than not adhering to the norms of resume writing.

9. Use high-quality paper. Make sure the paper you use for your cover letter is the same paper you use for your resume.

10. Proofread everything, even your contact information.

If you want a hiring manager to take more than 30 seconds to review your resume, you have to be willing to put in enough time creating it to make it a worthwhile read. When you follow the resume tips listed above, you will stand a much better chance of creating a resume that gets read from top to bottom. More importantly, you are more likely to get a call for an interview.

Besides your resume, the most important thing you should consider when applying for a job is a cover letter. The cover letter is the first contact you will make in the company and this is where the person in charge of hiring or the human resource department will consider inviting you for an interview.

A cover letter is an important marketing tool where you will highlight your qualifications as a potential employee of a particular company you applied for. This is the first thing your employer will read before he or she even considers reading your resume. If your cover letter didn't impress the person in charge in human resources, don't expect him or her to even bother looking at your resume.

Writing a cover letter is perhaps the trickiest letter you will have to write as a jobseeker. It is very much different from a personal letter that you would write for your parents. So, it is recommended that you should first consider a few things before writing the cover letter and sending it to your potential employer.

Before you start writing a cover letter, you first need to know the company. You need to determine the company's job requirements and needs in a specific employee. Once you have determined this, you are now ready to write your cover letter.

In the cover letter's body, you should first mention the most important items first and should be supported by facts. Try putting yourself in the reader's position. This way you will have a better understanding on what the reader needs in a cover letter. Try letting your friends read your cover letter draft and ask their opinion about it.

After determining the needs, you have to mention your background training, work experience, your career highlights and other things that will catch the attention of the person reading it. You should put in data that is useful for your desired position in order to impress your potential employer.

Always remember that you will be the one who will be responsible whether the employer will invite you for an interview or not. Making a good cover letter will definitely catch your potential employer's attention. You should know that companies receive hundreds of letters from your fellow jobseekers. Because of this, you should never expect your potential employer to read a badly written cover letter just to figure out what you can do for their company.

Here are the things you should consider when writing a cover letter:

- Research the company that you are applying for and personalize the letter - By showing your potential employer that you knows about the company, you will be saying that you are interested in the company.

- Highlight your one or two of your accomplishments - This will show your potential employer why they should hire you instead of the other hundreds of candidates.

- Be polite and formal - Giving respect to your employer will ensure them that you are a team player.

- Use action verbs and active voice - This will give your potential employer the impression that you are really interested in the job and you have that sense of enthusiasm in working.

These are the things you should remember in order to write an effective cover letter. By following this, you will surely have a much greater chance getting that job you have always wanted.

# The primary purpose of a CV or Résumé is to tell prospective employers something about you. It should make him/her want to give you that all important interview. (From time to time there may be others to whom you may also wish to send a summary of your career and interests.)

# The terms CV and Résumé are virtually interchangeable but, from time to time, one or the other may be more fashionable. If a prospective employer uses one of these terms, it may help to use the same term when corresponding with them.

# A covering letter is an opportunity to be a little less formal than in a CV. This is your chance to tell your prospective employer how enthusiastic you are and how excited you are about applying for their specific position.

# Always keep in mind that employers use the PLU (‘people like us’) principle and try to pick employees who will fit in. Therefore, it’s not a bad idea to do a little research about the company and include some of these facts in your covering letter.

# Prospective employers see many CVs and covering letters and, therefore, it should be your aim to compile documents that stand out from the crowd. There are a number of ways of doing this:

* By using an attractive writing style that’s easy and quick to read

* By only presenting information that will be of interest to your prospective employer

* By making your document attractive and eye-catching

* By not making the document too long

* By using the bullet format

# Never alter the facts and never make things up - it’s amazing how often you’ll be caught out. However, a seasoned writer should be able to take the bare bones and make them sound interesting. Also remember that there are good ways and bad ways of presenting the facts.

# Many people put their job history at the top of a CV but it’s modern practice to begin with a list of your personal attributes
# You should always keep a standard CV that can be modified to suit the particular employer.

Let’s say you have experience and qualifications as a hairdresser and as a masseuse; if you were applying for a job as a hairdresser you wouldn’t put the qualities that make you a good masseuse at the top of your list of merits.

Your standard CV may say that you are a member of a number of car clubs. However, if you were applying for a job in a motor showroom, you would elaborate on your interest in cars, show some technical knowledge and use jargon that the man in the street may not know.

# Make sure that your list of references is carefully selected. It always helps to include someone like a doctor or Member of Parliament. Always make sure that everyone on your list knows that they’re there, so that they don’t get a surprise if they’re contacted.

# Although it’s illegal for employers to discriminate on the grounds of sex, sexual preference, religion, age or disability, an employer is not obliged to give reasons for not employing people. Therefore, these are things that are better left out of a CV. As an example of a potential problem, let’s take the case of a person in a wheel chair. If they put that in their CV, the prospective employer would probably not invite them in for an interview because he/she would anticipate problems that probably don’t even exist. If they don’t mention their disability and they get an interview, the prospective employer would soon see that they’re disabled but, of course, the interview would be the time when they should be able to convince the interviewee that there won’t be major problems in employing them.

Let’s take another example: if one is over 50, there are ways that good writing techniques can be used to present a full CV without mentioning age or the year one started work.

# There is an art to writing attractive CVs and covering letters. Obviously you know more about yourself than anyone else but, often, one may fall into the traps of being too verbose and of not readily seeing the specific things that will make you attractive to an employer. It should also be kept in mind that poor spelling, bad grammar and inadequate expression of thoughts, often lets people down. Write-to-the-Point, an Australian company offering a range of professional writing services, recently conducted a market survey that showed that 91% of those polled said that they could see advantages in a professionally written CV. There are a number of individuals, organisations and businesses that offer to compile CVs and covering letters, so you may decide to shop around before selecting a writer that suits you.

Write-to-the Point’s market survey also revealed that people identified a number of possible pitfalls to having a professionally written CV:

* Expensive

* No individuality

* Time-consuming process.

The same market survey revealed that the overwhelming majority of people were prepared to pay up to A$100 for a good CV and even more if it was an intricate document.

Therefore, based on the results of this poll and of industry experience, I would recommend that you look for a professional writer who offers:

* Individualised service based on a viewing of your current CV

* A reasonable price

* A quick turn-around time.

If you give consideration to these hints you should end up with an attractive CV and covering letter that will help improve your job prospects and, thus, your quality of life and your lifestyle.

Whether you are preparing to interview, preparing to be interviewed, or just interested in conducting a quick self-analysis, the following topics tips will help you develop a perspective.

PREPARATION

If you are preparing to conduct an interview, begin with a clear definition of the roles and responsibilities for the position. Create a list of requirements, objectives and priorities associated with the position and use this as a guide to create specific questions for the TOPICS below.

If you are preparing to be interviewed, research the job description and the company profile thoroughly. This information can frequently be found on the company web site. Develop a list of potential responses and also create your own questions to ask about the position role and responsibilities as associated with the TOPICS listed below.

Even if you are not prepared to conduct an interview, or to be interviewed, you can review your current career roles and responsibilities to reflect on the following TOPICS.

TOPICS

What have you learned from your previous success?

Can you identify significant achievements that highlight your talents, skills and capabilities? How can this knowledge and experience be leveraged to develop future success?

What have you learned from your mistakes?

Can you identify decisions or circumstances that you might change if given another opportunity? How can this knowledge be applied to mitigate future risks?

What have you learned from your experiences and industry knowledge?

Can you identify personal experience and perspectives that make you unique? How can unique experience or industry position be used as a strategic advantage?

What have you learned from other people?

Can you identify skills or knowledge that you have acquired from other experts, peers or mentors? How willing and able are you to learn from the expertise of others?

What have you taught other people?

Can you identify specific skills, motivation or direction that you have shared for a positive influence to others? How do you contribute to the community and improve your environment? How willing are you to share your knowledge?

What behavior did you learn as a child?

Can you identify specific characteristics that would best describe your behavior? How would you describe your work ethic?

REFLECTIONS

Every individual is a unique blend of talent, skills and experiences. Character traits can be acquired or learned over the course of our childhood, education and careers. These character traits can contribute to success, reduce risk and be used to enhance the environment around us.

In some cases conflicts may arise as a result of different character traits. For example, one person may have experience shaped by previous achievements or errors that have not been experienced by another, creating significantly different perspectives. In some cases the disparity may be related to work habits or personality traits that were learned as child and not easily changed or influenced in the work environment. These conflicts can be mitigated with a better understanding of the experience that shapes another's perspective. During the interview process it is the obligation of the interviewer and the individual being interviewed to determine how well the personal experience, knowledge and character match between the person and the position. This increases the potential for future success.

If you reviewed the questions as a personal assessment, it can be a meaningful review to reflect on your contributions, motivation and impact on your environment. As a unique blend of talent, skills and experience, you have the opportunity to share something of yourself with those around you. In return, you have an amazing opportunity to continually develop your personal knowledge by learning from the unique experiences of those around you. What you do with these opportunities will shape your character and your potential for the future.

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Words of Wisdom

"All of us learn to write in the second grade. Most of us go on to greater things." - Bobby Knight

"I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn't learn something from him." - Galileo

"It is of interest to note that while some dolphins are reported to have learned English -- up to fifty words used in correct context -- no human being has been reported to have learned dolphinese." - Carl Sagan

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You may distribute this article freely, print it, sell it, or include it as part of a package as long as it is intact, unchanged and delivered in the original format with acknowledgement to Executive Blueprints Inc.

With the many job sites out there, as web professionals, one probably has one, two or several resumes online from which prospective employers can peruse. It's getting to be a challenge to stand out from the crowd. Why not take it one step further and turn your resume or CV into a website.

Find Webspace

The first step is of course, finding webspace. There are many free web hosts. The downside is that most of them have advertising on the pages. It's a good starting place since most of them allow you to build and publish the pages on the spot.

However, if you are more experienced you could opt for no ads web-hosting and a URL. The good news is that web-hosting rates are coming down. They are even as low as $5.00 US a month. Some web-hosts have What-You-See-Is What-You-Get (WYSIWYG) builders to help beginners establish their web presence.

Domain names (also known as URLs or web addresses) prices are also coming down as well. Some web hosts can handle the registration as well.

Back to the resume

Take a look at the resume and see how many visible sections there are. Those sections can be your pages. A sample listing of sections can go as follows:

1. Experience
2. Education
3. Activities
4. Contact information

This is already four sections that can turn into 4 webpages. As the experience grows, the website can branch out to be more pages. Also feel free to provide external hyperlinks(links that are not a part of your website.) This will enable people to visit the external website without closing or navigating away from your website. One can link to employers, educational institutions, etc. so that the resume can have an interactive feel.

Don't forget the main page or the homepage, the first thing that visitors see when they arrive on your website. Think about a headline that will grab someone's attention that in a few words summarizes the website. It can be your name or your function. It's also a good idea on the homepage to have a paragraph summarizing who you are and what you do. Another recommendation is to have a full-page version of the resume as well. This gives people a choice if they want to view a section or the full version.

Its is also a good idea, if you have the webspace to have multiple versions of your resume accessible by linking to them on your site. .DOC and .PDF formats are widely known followed by .RTF.

Lastly, as we all know, a resume is always growing and changing; such as a website and the nature of the Internet. Always take the time to review and enhance your website. It's important that your online resume should show growth and evolve to meet new challenges and opportunities.

Writing a Resume

Not that long ago, the easiest way to get a job was to visit the company you wanted to work for and ask for one. Today, however, it's not quite that simple. Most companies require you to submit your resume to them before they'll consider you for a position. So the resume has become a great deal more important, because it's the first, and possible last, chance you have to make the right impression. That's why it's so important to get it right!

First off, you need to start writing a resume by being clear about what you're trying to achieve. Which company are you planning to apply to? What type of job are you hoping to get? The answers to those questions will give you a direction for your resume. Remember, no matter how good your resume is, if the person reading it doesn't think you’re suitable for the job, you won't get any further. So make your resume good, but don't spend countless hours stressing about making it perfect; you're probably wasting your time.

It's a good idea to keep your resume short and simple. The person reading your resume probably has dozens, if not hundreds more resumes to read through, and rather than waste time reading your lengthy life history, will put your resume aside and read somebody else's. Work out the types of things the employer is most likely to want from an employee, and make sure your resume shows you have those skills or qualities. For example, if the job is likely to require attention to detail, mention your ability in that area. Summarize your past job responsibilities with a focus on skills requiring attention to detail. Give your prospective employer plenty of chances to see how your skills could benefit their organization.

Perhaps you've never had this type of job before, and so don’t know exactly what the employer will be looking for. That's okay; just spend some time researching the industry. If possible, ask some professionals in that industry what type of skills or qualities they'd look for in a person holding the job you're applying for. Look at job advertisements, searching for clues, particularly if they mention certain qualities they're looking for. Check out newspapers at the library, or search on the Internet. Even better, look at the website of your potential employer, if they have one. Learn as much as you can about the business you're trying to join, so that you have a better chance of targeting your resume correctly. That knowledge will pay off in an interview, because you can show you know something about the employer's industry.

One word of warning - never make the mistake of writing a general resume, hoping that you'll hit all the right buttons. That almost never works.

Now that you have an idea what sort of direction you need to give your resume, start putting it together. Most resumes contain the following sections, although they can vary a little depending on the industry. Still, you should always try to cover these areas somewhere in your resume:

- Employment history
- Positive personal characteristics
- Computer or technical skills
- Educational background and results (include GPA if it's over 3.0)
- Any other relevant accomplishments, such as a public speaking award

Once you get the hang of it, writing a resume really isn't hard. All you have to do is put in everything you can to show the prospective employer that you can add value to their business, and take out anything that doesn't.

It's true that nobody really likes writing cover letters or resumes. What's even more interesting is that cover letters are not even enjoyed by their recipients. The problem derives from the cover letter templates. If you want to get the message quickly to as many recipients as possible then you have to create a cover letter template. It's impossible to structure a new sentence or paragraph for every cover letter.

This causes all cover letters from all job seekers to look the more or less the same and the phrases in the letters to sound repetitive. This repetition simply destroys the entire letter. Imagine 100 job seekers using the same cover letter template and send their letters to the same recipient. After reading some letters the recipient is frustrated and there's no point at reading any more..

Here are some tips to make your cover letters stand out from the crowd and look inspiring and fresh:

Make A Good Start
It's true that the beginning of a cover letter is the hardest part. Most writers get stuck and cannot come up with an inspiring first sentence or paragraph. So, write down a list of good "first phrases" and use them accordingly. Here are some examples:
- I am writing to you to introduce myself and to apply for the current opening in your company for a skillful ...
- Does your department look for a talented ...
- I've heard a lot of people talking about a potential opening in your company for a ...
- Please accept this letter and my attached resume as an interest in the position of...
- I am a ... with ... years of experience in ... and I hope to utilize my skills at your department...
- I have just completed my ... studies at ... university and I am looking for a position that will capitalize my experience as a ...
- During the last ... years I have held complex positions within the ... industry. My areas of expertise are ...
- There's nothing that would please me more than to join your team of talented ...

These are some examples of interesting and eye-catching first sentences that could help you.

Add Your Contact Details At The Top
On the top of every page write your name, address, phone number and email address. You can create a simple letterhead with this information on your computer. You can use smaller fonts. It will save you a lot of time from writing the same information for every recipient.

Decide What You Want
Before writing a cover letter be realistic and decide why you want to be part of a specific company. What is so different about that company that makes you want to work for them? What specific parts of your work do you like the most? Do not just write a cover letter just because you need a job. Everybody needs a job. So sit down and write the things you like the most about the specific company. Then carefully add this list of things to your cover letter template. It's also a good practice to use bulleted lists of abilities and skill areas. You could make a grid that matches your skills with the company's needs.

Professionalize Your Cover Letter
Do not use sentences like "To whom it may concern" or "Dear Human Resources Manager", it really looks nonprofessional and boring for the reader. Instead try to find the actual name of the recipient.

Closing Is Important
Make a smart close. Do not use begging sentences like "I really hope to talk to you soon". Be brief and straightforward. Show your intentions. Here are some examples:
- I would be interested in an opportunity to interview for this position and will look forward to scheduling a meeting with you.
- Thank you for your consideration. I will call you next week to talk further or schedule an appointment.

These examples are a bit direct and if this is not you then you can use the good old "..I look forward to hearing from you..".

Here are some tips to transform a boring old-fashioned cover letter to a fresh sales letter.

When you write a cover letter be sure to point out all your skills and experiences, biggest career successes. A cover letter is the best place to show your personality. You know that already. But you have to do it in a way that your skills and experiences match the requirements of the job you are after. In order to do that you have to research the company you want to work for. There's nothing more compelling to a hiring manager than to show him/her that you've made a research for the company and you know what you're looking for. You are not just looking for a job, but you are after that particular job and company.

Another important factor that a lot of job-seekers miss out when writing cover letters is typos and punctuation errors. Relax and take your time while you're preparing your cover letter. Proofread your letter twice before getting it out. This is critical. Try not to use the same words all over your letter. This would distract the human resources manager.

Remember you are not playing scrabble here. Use simple words and be concise. The hiring manager will not approve your cover letter just because you are wordy. Stick to the point. Outline your skills, abilities and interests on the job, in a bulleted list using simple words and phrases. Do not use acronyms. Not all people are familiar with acronyms. A hiring manager reading a cover letter full of acronyms or abbreviations will get confused.

Do not try to be humorous or cute. This is a really bad technique that many people use. Be serious. You will not impress a hiring manager by showcasing your wit, but by highlighting your skills, education and experience.

This will sound a bit stupid but do not write cover letters for jobs which you haven't got the skills or qualifications. Instead filter job openings/offers. You don't have to send hundreds of cover letters to companies which you are not ready to work for. Make groups of job offerings, categorize them. Prepare your cover letters and send them to a few selected departments or companies. Make sure you follow-up. A few days later call the companies to schedule an appointment. If you have no results go for another group of job openings/offer.

Use a professional e-mail address. A lot of hiring managers get tons of cover letters for a particular job. They certainly use some filters to keep the best candidates and then read the letters and make a choice. A lot of them pay attention to details like the first part of an email address. For example if you where a hiring manager and had two candidates with the following email addresses:

Today some employers ask you to email them. Since most of us use email in a rather casual fashion it is useful to take your time and write carefully. Do not sacrifice quality because of the ease of using email. Remember that applying for a job is a serious matter and business etiquette is important.Here are some tips to help you.

Chose an email address that reflects your name instead of something which might make you look ridiculous in a business setting.It is a good idea to set up a special account for your job hunting emails.

Print out the advertisement, highlight the key requirements for the job and respond directly to them in the main part of your email.Briefly and succinctly state the experience you have which is directly relevant.

Ensure that your subject line is informative and pertinent by including the title(or Job code) of the position you are applying for.

Create an email signature with your contact information-- home address,email ,fax and phone number.

A tightly written version of your cover letter would be your first paragraph in the email.

Your first important task is to present yourself to your future employer in the best possible way.

Resist any temptation to be clever,frivolous or even to hint at any criticism of your former employer or fellow employees.

Show that you have read their instructions carefully by following them.

if they ask you not to phone, or do follow up emails then do not do so.

Arrange your email into carefully structured single-sentence paragraphs.

Proof your email and attached resume extremely carefully.Employers or Human Resource personnel will react nd negatively to grammatical and spelling errors. Do not rely on software spell checking only. Use at least one other careful reader to proof read your writing.

Your resume should be tailored for the post you are applying for, only contain relevant details, and be one page long.It's best to submit it as a PDF file(Portable Document Format) . This format which is easily readable maintains your fonts and layout faithfully.If you cannot convert to PDF then use MS Word or a text only version.

Many employers may not accept attachments. If they do not, paste your resume into your email message. Use a simple font. Take out any fancy formatting. Test the appearance of your message by emailing it to yourself and printing it out to do a final proofing. If all is well then send your message.

Today’s job market is competitive and cutthroat. In order to even get in for an interview you’ve got to stand out and shine. The best way to get your foot in the door is with an outstanding resume.

Before you begin, map out a list of your previous work experience and skills. Make special note of any awards or unique work relevant abilities.

Now it’s time to begin writing. Your contact information (including the phone number where you can be reached) should be listed at the top of the page. Your address should be something permanent. If you are transitioning from school consider using your parent’s address. If you have an active e-mail account you should include that as well as many companies will communicate with you about available positions via e-mail.

If you are a recent graduate, it is common to list the name of your college or university and follow it with your work experience. If you have been out of school for more than two years list your education information below your work history.

When making a list of your work experience include the position, the name of the company that employed, the dates of your employment and the city and state. Supplement this with a short description of what your duties were and be sure to highlight any skills learned on the job.

Think about who would be a good reference for you regarding the jobs that you are applying for. References should not be included on your actual resume, but on a separate list. Your references should be reachable and most importantly aware that you have listed them.

Before you submit your resume have someone else look it over to help you double check for grammatical or spelling mistakes. Many companies have a zero tolerance policy for resume blunders and an accidental error could cost you a job.

The resume is an essential part of job searching. Most employers are going to be strongly influence by not only the information in your resume, but also in the form and quality of the document itself. In the past, unless you were a fairly good writer, and had a real good idea of just what kind of information constituted a superior resume, you needed to seek help from a professional resume writer.

The advent of the internet age has changed that and made it easy to prepare your own resume guided step by step by an online resume builder that walks you through the process step by step. Most of the resume builder programs are extremely user friendly. Once you begin the program, you are asked questions one by one. Sometimes the answers are even provided, and all you have to do is check the appropriate one. Usually, however, you are going to have to fill in the blanks with your own information. Once you have provided all the answers, you merely press a button, and the program prepares the information in proper resume form. The completed resume is printer ready, and can be printed out in as many copies as you need.

Although the online resume builders are available to purchase and load into your computer, you can also find sites where they can be downloaded, or even that will allow you to prepare the internet on their site. Also, access to a computer and printer is not an excuse for not using this tool, as most employment offices today will have computers already loaded with resume builders waiting for you. Employment offices will also have people who will walk you through the process. All you need is your own personal information. Make sure you have complete work history and references ready before you begin the program.

There is no excuse to not have a professional looking resume any longer, and going on a job search without one will put you at a serious disadvantage in landing that important job.

When you are seeking for a job, the first thing that comes in to your mind is to write your resume. However, you should also think for the "second thing" which is your cover letter that is also known as your application letter.

Some job recruiters or employers ask for your cover letter together with your resume; while others don't. Whatever the case may be, it is still an ethical and a professional attitude to write your cover letter. Why? Your cover letter is the front-page of your resume. This may also serve as your ticket toward those precious requests for job interviews. That is why your cover letter must be carefully written. But it doesn't mean that you must over-emphasize your intent by writing a long letter of application. It doesn't pay that much if you lose your reader - the job recruiter or the one in-charge for the position applied for. Consider the attention span of the reader of your cover letter.

So, what are you waiting for? Let your pen do the writing and your mind do the thinking by simply following these do’s and avoiding these don’ts of an effective cover letter.

Do’s

• Be concise

As mentioned earlier, don’t let the reader suffer when he reads your cover letter. A cover letter with three to four paragraphs is enough to emphasize your qualifications, credentials, and suitability for the position. Moreover, avoid lengthy sentences. An average sentence contains 15 to 20 words. Just write what you think the employer wants to know from you and what you know to the company that you are applying with.

• Be original, professional and personal in style

If you are applying for a job to different employers, you probably just get on customizing your ready-made cover letter. That saves time and no rule prevents you in doing so. But you may also try to flavor your cover letter with creativity. You may emphasize your best achievements yet or how did you meet the requirements of your last project by using two columns. Put the scenarios of your recent top projects on the first column and your achievements to the second.

Professionalism with personal style always has a room. What do you feel if you are Mr. McKelly and yet addressed as Ms. McKelly? Isn’t that pretty embarrassing? There are cases where job ads do not include the contact person for a specific position. Calling the company and asking the receptionist to whom you could address your application is worth it.

• Proofread

Proofread. Even the most excellent writer in the world could not write a perfect article at once. Try to keep your cover letter for a while. Then, go back and take a glance. This time, you could easily notice the mistakes of your cover letter in terms of grammar rules, punctuation marks, misspellings, and sentence fragments. An error-free cover letter creates a positive impact to the hiring manager. The rule: take the habit of revising or proofreading.

Don’ts

• Being passive in tone

As a rule, prefer active verbs than passive verbs. Active verbs set you up as the subject. Remember that in writing a cover letter you are also marketing or selling your self to your prospective employer. Instead of writing “The net sales of my previous company was raised by me.”, change it as “I raised the net sales of my previous company.” Now, it creates a strong impact by being the subject. Be the man!

• Repeating the resume verbatim

Don’t make your cover letter look dull to the eyes. Learn the art of paraphrasing the sentences on your resume. Treat it like you are just telling a story of “My Toughest Accomplishments in the Workplace”.

• Forgetting to sign your cover letter

As part of professionalism, have the act of signing important documents. This will not just formalize your job application. It will also serve as a confirmation that the letter content is originally-based on your knowledge and information.

Now, you are ready to beat that winning cover letter. Remember that what you are to be initially on the eyes of your employer is what you wrote on your cover letter.

WHAT SHOULD MY RESUME IDEALLY LOOK LIKE, FOR A JOB IN CANADA?

A question that I am asked very frequently by New Immigrants, when I meet them for an Interview. I do advise them on this issue; however the following components need to be addressed. This MUST be done before one starts applying for employment in Canada.

Generally a resume MUST HAVE the following: CONTACT DETAILS: This includes the name of the applicant, address, phone numbers and email address. Please drop the PHOTOGRAPH, as it is definitely not required. Furthermore, there is no need at all to mention your Age, Marital Status and your Residency, Country of Origin and religion. There are laws governing these issues in Canada and hence they may not be the basis, on which any individual may be discriminated against in terms of employment.

Clarity of an Objective at the beginning of a resume can certainly help in inducing the Reader to continue reading. Eg –

Looking for an opportunity in the area of Financial Analysis and Planning, within an Organization that is value driven and customer oriented OR

Looking for a Supervisory position in Sales, within the Consumer Packaged Goods Industry. Here is an executive summary of the individuals experience and skills. Eg – Controllership experience of over 10 years in Manufacturing

Designated Accounting and Finance professional Excellent leadership and interpersonal skills Managed large groups of staff ranging from 5 – 15 Have been exposed to Public Company Reporting for over 5 years Proficient in the usage of computers and various softwares WORK EXPERIENCE: A Chronological submission of employers worked with in your work life, beginning with the Most Current one. Important components to note here are - the name of the employer, tenure of employment with month/year, title of position and brief of the company worked in. Then you may describe the role you performed. Eg. –

General Manager Jan 200 – Aug 2006 A Manufacturing Organization with Revenues - $100 million and 2000 employees Role Description ACHIEVEMENTS: Do not misinterpret this as a role addition or activity performed. This is a specific mention of an Accomplishment, where you have done more than required and gone that extra mile. Eg –

Managed to bring down the month end closing days from 5 to 3 OR Successfully implemented a Costing system that resulted in an annual savings of $2 million across the company

Listing of your degrees, certifications and so on. Please list the most current one first with details like – Degree obtained, year of certification, Institution that certified you and location. Eg –

CA – ICAO – 2004 B.Com – University of Waterloo – 2000 SOFTWARE SKILLS: This is a comprehensive listing of the various softwares that you are proficient in like SAP, Lawson, Great Plains, Excel, Access, and ACCPAC.

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS/VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES: This is not a must have for resumes, however cannot harm you in anyway. You may want to mention your involvement in a ROTARY CLUB for example, in addition to your association with CICA, ICAO, etc.

Overall, a resume that has all or most of the above mentioned components stands a better chance of getting its owner an Interview than a resume that doesn’t.

Vikki Mungre is better known as The Immigrant Coach by those he has helped, not only in their careers, but in their lives. He is passionate about helping people succeed, especially Immigrants from across the world.

A seasoned Management professional with over 20 years of extensive international experience in diverse industries like Logistics, Office Automation, Hospitality, Car rentals, Retail and Staffing. Specific areas he likes and enjoys working with are Success Coaching, Career Counseling, Motivation and Recruitment.

"I'll start looking for a new job as soon as I get my resume together." Sound familiar? And then, days and weeks pass with no progress on either - resume or job hunting. Don't put off looking for a new job just because you don't have the "perfect" resume. It doesn't have to be painful or time consuming.

Make it simple. Don't get intimidated or overwhelmed by the process of putting a resume together. Your resume is essentially a one-page summary of your employment history, nothing fancy needed. By breaking it down into sections, you can take each piece one step at a time and you'll be prepared to search for, find and apply to the "perfect job."

First, you must understand what your resume is going to do for you. It is an introduction, a way to present your skills and how they relate to the position. Your resume creates interest and, hopefully, gains you an interview where you can further discuss your abilities.

The most basic resume, and quickest to produce, is one that is in chronological order - list of employment in reverse order of most recent to least recent. After each record of employment, include two or three bullet points of responsibilities and accomplishments in the position.

Begin with your contact information, followed by career summary or objective, work history and then your education/training - in that order. If you find it necessary, you may include any volunteer history, awards and recognitions you find relevant. This is also a good place to list your willingness to relocate if appropriate but remember to keep it short.

Section 1: Contact information.

Your name, mailing address, phone numbers and email address are all very important. Make sure there are no errors as this is the only way the employer has to contact you. The email address listed should be professional and not a reference to your religious, political or any other personal belief or extra curricular activity. Another option is to set up a new account specifically for your job hunt - Yahoo, Google and MSN all offer free email accounts.

Section 2: Career summary/objective.

Simple one or two sentence statement about what you are looking to obtain in your career.

Section 3: Work history and education/training.

List company name, location and dates of employment followed by two to three statements about the skills, experiences and responsibilities for each position.

Section 4: Education and training.

Document the name of the school, location and date of completion or attendance. List any other types of training, certifications or relevant classes you may have taken.

Now that you have the information down, you can continue to add and enhance your resume. You know the purpose of your resume is to showcase your abilities and to make you stand out in a crowd. Developed in a chronological order, developing your resume will be simple and take no time. Just remember to consider your past experiences, specific duties, what you are good at and the things others count on you to do.

Done! Now you can move to the next step of finding a new job.

It has been a couple days you and you have sent out many resumes and wonder why employers are not calling? Have you asked yourself: Have I sent a sloppy resume? Have I followed special requests from the employers?

Anyway you have had no luck leading you to an interview even though you think you have a desirable skill set in high demand.

Not one resume in a hundred follows the principles that stir the interest of prospective employers. Your present resume and cover letter are probably much more inadequate than you now realize.

Mistakes frequently made by job seekers might be preventing you from getting an interview:

- A resume’s appearance matter, a messy resume can be seen as the candidate’s lacks of professionalism and attention to detail. Make sure you proofread for grammatical mistakes and formatting problems.

- Avoid going into details of jobs held in your career that do not relate to the job for which you are applying. A resume is one or two page summary of your education, skills, accomplishments, and experience.

- Employers often require in the job advertisement special instructions that you should follow.

- Follow up: a simple phone call or e-mail to a prospective employer can cost you an interview. Who knows? After sending out cover letter and resume, your work is not done.

A resume is your ticket to an interview where you can sell yourself. It does its job successfully if it does not exclude you from consideration.

With a well written resume and cover letter, you should be invited to interview more often than many people more qualified than you.

The main point why you are writing a cover letter is to give the biggest answer every employer seeks in every applicant, why you are worthy of the job. You write your purpose in the letter succinctly and you will definitely get that job (of course your resume needs to look great too).

Cover letters need a touch of personality. The only way for that to happen is if you write it yourself. Do not depend on templates available in books, the internet or the one available in your computer. Letter that are basically the same are normally neglected specially if the company is in search for creative employees.

Before you even try to write the letter make sure you have researched all the necessary information about the company. Get full names, company names, head officers, goals, vision-mission and all the other important elements necessary to point out that you belong in their company.

Your cover letter must have three major paragraphs.

Starting paragraph

Let them know why you are writing to them. Remember to indicate your intended position. You need not let them know where you got information that they have an opening because it doesn’t really help you with anything instead let them know why you want to join the company. Apple polishing is great here but do not over do.

Middle paragraph

Let them know why you

are great for the job. List a few achievements, experiences and skills in this part so they will see how valuable you are. This is a good way to explain to them why you are the worthy one. Share examples but don’t put in the whole dramatic story.

Ending paragraph

Let them know you attached a resume in the next page. You can request for an interview here as well.

Remember to end the letter with gratitude.

Be succinct in all the parts. Don’t bore them to death with a letter that has so much stuff to read and words that only people of ancient times could understand.

Double check your letter for grammatical errors, punctuation marks and typo errors. Make sure that the letter will look professional. Avoid saying I too many times. They just may think you are too self centered this is something you don’t want to happen. Remember to sign in your name and signature before you submit the letter for a more personal note.

For your benefit and the reader of the letter it is best to keep the letter a one pager. Most of the time long letters bore employers and so they neglect the novel you painstakingly wrote for them.

Aside from the form and the grammar what is important is how well you fit the job description. Before you even try to insist and waste the time of both parties make sure that you fit the description to a T!

A great cover letter will garner greater results. Write well and write with a heart. The employer will see your willingness and effort.

Once everything in your cover letter is finalized, check one last time for errors or word that was not typed but were suppose to be there. Look at every single nook and cranny before passing the letter. Make sure your resume is equally as enticing as your letter.

If you are accepted you need to acknowledge their letter immediately and remember to say thank you for their effort and for choosing you.

Your closest co-worker just got a new job...and it makes you crazy because that could have been you. You’re as qualified as her; you have the same background and experience…why weren’t you the one who got a new job? Oh yeah, because you actually have to apply for a job in order to be offered it.

How many times has this happened to you? You are technically job searching but you only casually look through job postings not having any intention to apply for any of them and you haven’t really gotten your resume and cover letter in the best shape possible. So what do you really expect to happen? It seems that many people are waiting for the Job Search Fairy to come and drop the perfect job in their lap. As you may have guessed, it doesn’t work that way. So, what can you do?

Get Out of the ‘Wish Mode’

Stop wishing for a new job and start actively looking for one. It’s a common situation: you look through job postings and picture yourself with that company, doing that job, earning more money. Sound familiar? Or someone close to you got offered their dream job and you’re still sitting on the sidelines wishing it was you who was moving onto bigger and brighter career endeavors?

You need to take your job search into your own hands and be proactive. Don’t sit and wish each day away. Work doesn’t have to be such drudgery.

You just have to…

Buckle Down and Do It

You’ve been putting off getting your resume and cover letter up to par and that can be a huge force that holds you back. If you’re not confident with your job search documents you send out, chances are you’re not going to get a whole lot of calls for interviews.

If it’s a task that you don’t want to tackle yourself, don’t. There is no law that says you have to write your own resume and cover letter. In fact, a professional resume writing service can garner very positive job search results, in most cases. It is money well-spent if you choose the right company for you.

It’s a win-win situation: you don’t have to stress about writing your resume package and you can be assured that the package you send out is above average…exceptional in many cases.

Now, It’s Time to Get Excited

You’ve got everything in place and you’re ready to start applying. So, instead of just daydreaming about the jobs you see listings for, apply for them. Today. Don’t wait until tomorrow or next week. Take the time to apply right now and you’ll see that you’ll get into a pattern of acting immediately. It’s a good habit to get into. You’ll get a lot more results that way. Why? Simply because you’ll end up submitting your resume package more often.

Every time you submit your resume, just think: “This could be it. This could be my new job.” Isn’t that exciting? You never know what will come of your applications right away but the possibilities are endless. That alone should get your blood flowing and your heart pumping.

Now get out there and take charge of your job search. There’s no time like the present.

If there is one thing that worries an individual who want to pursue a teaching career is that their cover letter must sound very good and their writing skills must be perfect. Of course you need to write well but it doesn’t have to be perfect.

Sometimes when we try to write perfectly we tend to put our writing sound odd by using words unknown by most people or we use a style of writing that was used by ancient people.

Do not worry too much about having to write a cover letter just because you are applying for a teaching position because if you can write any cover letter then you can write this one. This is just a cover letter it is no different than any other cover letter with any other job application.

Remember that your focus here is to get that teaching job. Make that your goal and inspiration in writing the cover letter.

Start by knowing whom you are going to address the letter to. Make sure you have their full name, status (Mr./Mrs./Ms/PhD), address and position in the company you are applying to. This is a sign of respect this is a plus point for you.

Be specific. Show them that you are eager to work for that specific school and that their acceptance is the most important thing in the world for you. Write their school name so it sounds more personalized.

If you will be applying in several schools at the same time and want to use a generic cover letter just change the school name in you letter. It is still best if you mention the school.

Do not write like you are trying to show them your lesson plan or that you sound like a professional teacher. Cover letters with a heart gets more YES than those that write like a teacher. If you know of anything interesting in that school include it in your letter. Let them know that you like to work from them. Show them gusto.

After all that emotion of course you need to check the technical part too. Look at your grammar, punctuations and sentence patterns.

Be different. Be creative. Use a different font, use a good paper (don’t be too acquainted with scented paper it doesn’t really show much professionalism) and try a different writing style. Creativity is one major trait that is needed for someone to be a good teacher.

Originality still tops the list in cover letter writing. Available cover letter in the internet is not really much help because it is too generalized and shows no heart. And by any chance the reader of the letter just might have seen it before by someone who used the same template as you did.

The most important thing in all this is that you write everything that is in your heart. Show the school your yearning to work for them and to share knowledge with the kids. Tell them your love and dedication for children and what you hope for them.

By opening up to them and showing them that their school is different from other school, you are opening the doors to that school. Showing them intelligence and heart together will definitely catch their attention.

Sincerity is the key of them all. Be honest and write your heart out.

The most common mistake among many jobseekers is not updating their resume in the correct way. All too frequently, those in search of a new job pull out their most recent resume and simply add details of their latest position.

This easy to fall into habit makes for a very long and boring read for hiring managers. If you don’t edit or delete obsolete information, your resume can very easily become cluttered and long-winded. Here are a few tips that will help keep your potential employer awake and interested while evaluating your qualifications and experiences.

Determine your goals and keep your resume relevant.

Not enough job seekers stay focused on what they really want from a position or even what position they want for that matter. By determining ahead of time what your job goal is, you will be able to maintain focus. Consequently writing your resume around your goal will be easier. If you have more than one focus, make sure to create multiple resumes for each one.

Focus on your accomplishments versus your duties.

Show a potential employer how you made a difference in the past, not just what you were required to do for the job. Place your skills in a short summarized section. By summing them up you give yourself something to discuss during an interview. Point out your accomplishments and quantify exceptional events. If you keep your accomplishments general, it can easily go unnoticed.

Ditch the self-centered, general objective statement.

Employers don’t care what you are looking for. They want to read what you can do for them. Get their attention immediately and stay focused on the employer instead of you. For example, here is the objective statement from a reader who recently sent in a resume to be reviewed.

“Highly qualified professional with over 10 years of significant experience seeking a position with an innovative organization.” What does that mean? Qualified in what? What does he/she consider innovative?

This objective statement could be rewritten to answer all of those questions and keep the focus on the employer. “Customer centered professional offering more than 10 years of experience in a fast-paced environment seeking a management position in the airline industry.” See the difference?

Keep your education current.

If you are a recent graduate, noting when you received you high school diploma is ok. If you are fresh out of college, internships and honors could be displayed. However, if you have been employed for a few years, then remove your high school information and list only the degree(s) you hold (if any) and when you received them.

Customize your resume for every position.

It’s career suicide to have only one generic resume that you send to every job opportunity. Each time you apply for a job, recreate your resume to fit that position, just like you do your cover letter.

The most important thing to remember when creating your resume is to think like the employer. With each and every resume you send out, make sure you address what you have done in the past, how it benefits your potential employer, and how you are you able to put those things into action and duplicate your past successes.

Whether you are applying for a job or for funding, whether you are presenting business papers or an artist’s portfolio, you cannot expect the recipient to know your purpose for applying or showing such things immediately. In all these cases and more, you need a suitable, polite, and persuasive cover letter.

What is a cover letter? It is your chance to make a first impression – it may also be your only chance to make any impression at all. In fact, a cover letter can make or break an application, so it has to be written briefly, correctly, and neatly. Depending on your needs, it has to contain all the essential information about you and your goals in as few sentences as possible.

What does a cover letter look like?

All letters begin with an address. Do your research immediately by knowing the complete name of the person interested in your materials. Is this person a man or a woman? How should this person be addressed? Make sure that you do not begin your letter with a simple “Dear Madam” or “Dear Sir”; and never begin your letter with “To Whom it May Concern!” This actually does the opposite: it shows no concern on your part, and the company will most likely show no concern for you as a result. Include the contact person’s name and position in your heading, then make the address.

All letters contain a body – and this body has to be brief and full of information, all on one page. To write this section well, you have to know your goals. Are you applying for a job? Do you know the duties you have to undertake? Are you presenting an artist’s portfolio? What is that portfolio for? Let the goals guide you, and your letter body will surely be written well.

When writing the body of your letter, introduce yourself in one sentence. State your career goals in the next sentence if you are applying for a job, or the goals of your letter if you are looking for funding. State your interest in the job or company in the next sentence. If you are looking to make a deal with a company to ensure it commercial exposure, then state so in one sentence.

Maintain an air of politeness and strength in the letter. This straightforward tone will grab attention easily.

All cover letters need to show that you are reachable. Provide all your contact information. If you will not be reachable at certain numbers during certain times of the day, then state so. The company has to know that you care about it, so it cannot be troubled by trivialities like looking for you all over town.

All letters end with a closing address. Be brief, polite, but forward looking in your conclusion. Endings such as “I look forward to your quick, positive response” can end a letter on a good note. Be sure to thank the contact person for their time – after all, the contact person can have very little of it, and the least you can do is to thank them for spending it on you!

Sign your name and give that cover letter a personal touch. Be sure that it is neat and presentable as well. First impressions count!

Are you applying for a job by presenting your credentials, or by showing off your portfolio? Are you looking for funding for your research project, or are you soliciting products to give away at your next company outing? Get to writing that cover letter and make your supplementary materials all the more attractive. You will have that job, funding, and whatever you need in no time at all.

Employers always look for competent applicants, and screening through piles of lengthy resumes is tiring and laborious. It is, without a doubt, only sensible to always attach a well written cover letter that shows sincerity and commitment to make it through the cut.

Now, since people of today need everything in a flash. Time is essential specially in a world that is fast paced. It is only a logical move to make things easier to access and quicker to use. Constructing a personal template is a great idea. This does not only make things more simple, but it also shows a sign of efficiency and the hopes of being employed right away.

Cover letters can be written in two ways. The more common and traditional type, and very much preferred by many employing bodies because of its smart appearance, is in paragraph form. The less common type is bulleted, also known as the Executive Outline. Though the paragraphed form seems to be neater, it could be a bit long. The bulleted form's advantage is that it can be read in a shorter time and it is easier to make revisions to.

The paragraphed layout starts with writing down the current date, greeting and customary formal letter writing protocol. The paragraphs should be written in block format with about three to four paragraphs.

The first paragraph should emphasize the years of previous job experience, schooling and other skills and credentials followed by the second paragraph which should state the ultimate desire to become a member of the company. The third one should stretch further into more facts pertaining to knowledge and job qualifications. For example, asserting of personal skills on personnel management. To back this up, listing down the current accomplishments will not hurt.

The last paragraph should state the obvious. Affirm that a copy of the resume is attached with the letter and then assert the desire to meet and swap ideas with the hiring manager soon. Repeat the contact information in the end and the days of availability and if it deems appropriate, inform the reader regarding a call to follow up on the application. The letter should end with a signature.

The bulleted format also starts with the current date, address and greeting. Then, the position being applied for should be cited. Begin the template with a brief paragraph that highlights the basic qualifications; the years of previous job experience, then emphasize on the personal capability to contribute well to the organization. This should be backed up by not less than two bulleted paragraphs citing basic qualifications listed in the resume.

The last section ought to radiate optimism and should also indicate personal contributions that can be given to the company. Write down the contact information again and then express thanks to the reader for taking the time.

Employers are more interested with applicants who express the drive to make a big contribution to their business and not the other way around. This is why cover letters should be thought of meticulously. Not everybody can commit most of their time writing something down in just one sitting that is why a template is not only time-saving, it also releases too much pressure on the writer. These templates don't just serve as a guide but serves as a personalized work.

This is the very first thing the employer reads before your CV - so, it is important this stands out and that you create a good first impression! Make sure you follow these straight forward important points when writing your cover letter...

DO NOT..
..have a weak opening, e.g. "please consider me for this role". Instead you must grab the readers attention straight away and intrigue them to read on. For example, "I am applying to the job ref xxx and your need for this event organisers role would match my excellent 5 years experience in the industry".

DO NOT..
..use 'I' too much. People get fed up reading I, I, I - it seems like you are self-centred and it should not focus on your life story but the role you are applying to and how you would fit it perfectly.

DO NOT..
..make it too short. You need to have enough information in the cover letter in order to pull out the most important selling points - include your skills and experiences that relate to the job.

DO NOT..
..make it too long. You do not want to waffle and bore the reader. Keep it too the point, punchy and short and focus on the most important factors relevant to the job.

DO NOT..
..regurgitate your CV as the recruiter will hopefully read this AFTER they have read your cover letter. The cover letter is to pull out the most relevant and attractive points about yourself and why you are the most suitable candidate for the job.

DO NOT..
..mass generate. It is extremely important to customise your cover letter to each company. Recruiters will spot these mass produced letters straight away and it will most probably go in the bin. You can use a template keeping the introduction similar and the content structure the same but make sure you tailor the letter to the company.

DO NOT..
..end the letter abruptly. Tell them you will follow up with a phone call or tell them when you are available for an interview. Provide your contact details so that they can contact you if they wish. Thank them for their time in reading the letter and be polite. Do not forget to sign the letter politely.

Cover letters go hand in hand with resumes. Ads do not really mention anything about having one. Applicants are just expected to make one.

What to write in it is not the hard part, but knowing how to write it is. A cover letter should get top priority with every applicant's attention since it is the best way to build a decent impression to the hiring bodies.

Since the skills are already outlined and highlighted in the resume, the primary objective of the cover letter is to justify and explain how the skills listed correlate to the job posting's criteria. A successful letter ought to give the reasons regarding the interest in a certain company or organization and also in the position applied for. This should influence the resume screening body to feel the need for an job interview, and then maybe getting the job after all.

Landing a job is very important and it is a good thing that books and websites are very much accessible regarding cover letters for public review, especially for those who do not have any idea as to what it should contain. Of course, samples are only there for reference purposes and not for copying.

The first thing that should be found in a cover letter is the complete name, current mailing address, the number by which the employer can contact you and a valid e-mail address. For addressing a job posting, the letter itself should include the position desired, the interest in filling the position offered, elaborating skills and experiences gained from previous jobs, matching these skills to the criteria set for the said position and the indication of looking forward for an interview.

With an e-mailed cover letter, it also discusses the intent for the position, the skills possessed and the competence for the position offered. The only difference is that e-mailed letters are very brief and straightforward.

There is another type of cover letter called a prospecting letter which does not respond to any job postings, but rather an inquiry to a potential employer if they are hiring or not. It is imperative to indicate as to why the company or organization is appealing and how an aspirant's talents could be a positive feature to that company.

Being a fresh graduate is not an excuse for having a poor cover letter. It should radiate confidence, flaunting qualifications that are acquired during internship. Indicating an interest for the interview and in following it up is also a plus.

It is strongly advised to have cover letters personalized since different people have different interests when it comes to seeking a job. Specific companies need specific details as well. Hiring supervisors will take it as an indication of laziness from cover letters that are generic. On the other hand, with a tailored letter, employers would take the resume attached to it as noteworthy.

Cover letters reflect the writer's personality, a good communication skill, intelligence, an overall attention to details, and interest with the job. A cover letter gives a chance to put emphasis on what a person has to contribute to the betterment of a company. It's all about marketing oneself. Might as well make the employers be interested in that first chance in making a big impact.

Would you like an innovative idea to help market yourself when looking for employment? A way to send out resumes without having to pay for stationary or postage? The answer is simple! Convert your resume to an HTML (web page) format and publish it online. Having your resume in HTML format keeps you online 7/24 giving multiple employers access to your resume for simultaneous viewing. This way, you can query employers using an email cover letter with a link to your resume. In order to do this you will need to know how to work with HTML and have access to a web server to host your resume.

Now here’s the thing: many employers use email scrubbers to filter out junk mail with links. So, you must have a professional way to present the link to your resume so it won’t get scrubbed and the best way to do this is to use your email signature function to set forth the link to the URL in your email, a common practice.

If you have a web site server which you are using for other things and you don’t want to mix apples and oranges, you can set up a blog at Google’s blogspot.com and use the blog for your introduction page with a link to your online resume. It’s really a snap if you know how to use HTML and can upload files to your server. By using HTML you can create a resume with point and click technology with links to supporting files like letters of testimonials, scanned images of certificates, newspaper clippings and anything else you consider relevant to your resume.

Keep in mind that many employers will still want a printable version of your resume and this can be easily accomplished by up loading a MSWord version or PDF version of your resume on to your server with download links to both within the resume itself. In this way, an employer can view your online resume quickly and either print or download either version to the hard drive where they can save it or print it later.

Web based resume technology is a very cool way to create a point of differentiation between yourself and the masses when querying employers for employment. Everyday employers are bombarded with resumes but it is not every day they have access to a point and click resume!

Another nice feature to this technology is the ease of the job seeking process. For example, most online chambers of commerce sites have member directories organized by business category, easily enabling you to identify potential employers and giving you access to their websites where you can easily contact them via email. It doesn’t get any easier than this…

You can click into my author bio area where you can view my personal URL for an example of what I am talking about. Remember, getting a job requires you to stand out of the crowd and this is one way to do it.

I hope you found this tip helpful.

Looking for a job in these times is very competitive and can often be an unforgiving affair. In this article we will show you some tips that will help you be more competitive and find the perfect job.

The first thing you need to make sure you have is a strong resume. Your resume is ultimately what will get you in the door; unless you know the interviewer personally the only thing the employer will have to go on is the resume.

Here is some information to follow:

1. Write Your Resume Based On the Job Description

It is more than o.k. to have different resumes based on the job description. Obviously, you will want to keep the main information the same such as time on job or education. But what you can do is change the certain information that fits the job description to give yourself a better shot at getting an interview.

2. Showcase Your Best Accomplishments

You are selling yourself on a resume and what better way to do it than to showcase your achievements. Let the employer know what skills you have what you have accomplished.

3. Keep it short

Most employers when they get your resume will quickly scan to see if the work experience and accomplishments fit the job. Try to keep your resume to 1 page if possible and make it easy for employees to read.

4. Make Your Resume Stand Out

With the ease it takes today to apply for a job, you want to make sure that your resume stands out from the others. What is it that makes you special and would make somebody offer you a job? Ask friends and family to point out your strengths and make sure you focus on them in your resume.

5. Have Your Resume Proofread

After completing your resume let somebody who has strong english skills proofread it. If you have errors on your resume it will could automatically disqualified you as a candidate. Nothing is worse than to find out after you have sent out several resumes that there were errors on it that could have been corrected.

Your resume is a representation of you and it is the first thing employers look at so make sure you have one that is strength versus a weakness.