resume cover letter

Resume - The Basics of Preparing a Resume

2007-07-10T04:35:00.002-07:00

I am sure that I am not the only person who find preparing a resume a painful task. I hate it and this maybe the reason I have not updated mine. In this article, I will share with you the basics of preparing your resume.

A resume is a tool used to gain a competitive edge during the process of obtaining job. I say 'competitive' because you will be competing with others who want the same job you are applying for. It is a first impression that you make on a prospective employer. Therefore, it is important that your resume provide as much relevant information as possible about you. Keep in mind these points before preparing your resume:

1)A resume should be kept brief as possible usually one page on a 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of paper. However, as your extent of work experience increase, this may change. In this case, try to not go more than two pages.

2)Use an even margin spaces on both sides, top and bottom. A margin format of 3/4 inch should be good.

3)It should be neatly typed using single spacing.

4)Use special highlights such as underlining, capital letters, bold and italic type, and bullets or asterisks to emphasis important information.

I will now go into a more detailed of the actual preparation of the resume. Begin your resume with a heading or header. This is usually positioned at the top of the page. This heading includes your name, address, home or work telephone numbers, and email address. Age, marital status, and other personal facts is not necessary. This heading can be laid out in any way you find appealing to you as long as space allows. A resume is divided into four main sections which are career goal, work experience, educational background, extra-curriculum, and reference.

1)Career Goal: Include this section if you are looking for a specific job type or position. However, omit it if you are considering any possible job position or career. An example of this section can go like this: "CAREER GOAL: Systems engineer responsible for monitoring, maintaining, and improving plant facilities."

2)Work Experience: Most resume starts out with a chronological outline of work experience with the current or most recent experience outlined first. List the date or period of work, the job title or position. For each job listed the important duties and skills involved should be described. In some cases,relevant high school or college employment, internships, and part time work can be included, depending on how much 'real world' experience you have.

3)Educational Background: Outline your educational background in the same chronological way as the work experience section. List the date of graduation or period during school years, the name of the school or course attended, and certificate or diploma obtained. You may include a more detailed description of your higher education, depending on your extent of work experience. If you are a college student you may list your high school and any pertinent coursework or special achievement.

4)Extra-curriculum: List any work done with civic or charitable organization as well as any awards or certificates of recognition you have received. If you have no such background then leave the section out.

5)Reference: In this final section, list the name and contact information of individuals you previously worked with who can vouch that you are a worthy candidate for the position applied for. Family members or friends are normally not recommended as they will be biased. There are times when individuals may write "References Available Upon Request". This is unnecessary because anyone looking at it will assume you can provide references at hand and will ask for them.

So there it is, I have shown you the basics of preparing a resume. Following this helpful information should get you on the easy path of preparing a resume.

Writing an Effective Electronic Resume That Gets Read

2007-07-10T04:35:00.001-07:00

More and more employers are using electronic resumes to help them find the right candidates for a position. And this means they aren't reading your resume. They aren't even glancing at it to decide if it goes into the reject or possible pile.

No, instead, they are using software programs to scan the resumes for certain words and phrases. If your resume isn't designed with those words and phrases, it will never get seen by human eyes. And that means no job interview, and no job.

And it doesn't matter that you may be, by far, the most qualified person for the job. Your potential employer will never know. And you'll still be job hunting.

Here are some things you need to know to make sure your electronic resume gets read.

Use nouns, not verbs. Nouns are the dominant words in an electronic resume. Words like account, sales executive, vice president, etc.

Use Keyword Descriptors. These are very important. Keyword descriptors have to do with your accomplishments and skill set. Keyword descriptors include words like educationm, experience and accomplishments.

Forget fancy. This means nothing in an electronic resume. The simpler, the better. You don't need different fonts, etc.

Simple, Simple, Simple. No fancy graphics, tables, or even bullet points.

Don't Use Abbreviations. Forget BA. Spell out Bachelor of Arts.

Put your name first and then your contact information on another line.

White space is good. Make sure to leave spaces between sections of your resume. This makes it easier for the scanner software.

Use words everyone understands.

The Salary Game in Cover Letters and How to Play it Right

2007-07-10T04:26:00.000-07:00

The whole process of applying for a job may be likened to an Olympic race. All may be highly qualified, possibly training to bag the actual trophy (in this case, the job) but only one gets the gold. It's like a battery of games which may or may not bring you the much-needed job. Your cover letter is your arsenal that will help propel you to reach greater heights and get lucrative job offers.

A job offer is not complete without the issue of the salary. The declaration of salary is double-edged sword in your cover letter. It is a game, and a tricky one at that. If you want to be able to nail that job, you must be able to maneuver your way into this salary game, among many other things. The companies are particularly sensitive on the issue of salary expectations of their prospective applicants. Depending on their manner of screening applicants, your salary expectation may be formed for or against you.

It is very difficult to find the balance between a reasonable salary, an overly declared one or an underpaid one. If you put in too little an amount in your cover letter of your salary expectation, they might hire you but you will be at a losing end since they will no longer allow you to negotiate for higher pay beyond your salary declaration in the cover letter. On the other hand, if you declare a very huge sum, they might get turned off and boot you out of the list of applicants to be considered due to that.

The best way to avoid the nuances of the salary game is not to play the game at all. You heard me right. Do not ever declare salary expectations in your cover letter. Given that it is possible to decline stating your salary expectations, this is what you must do. However, if you should be forced to give an amount by the companies, you must give not an exact amount, but a range with which you can flexibly negotiate should you proceed higher and land that job offer. The range must be comfortable enough come actual salary negotiation time.

The range of salary that you will be giving must not be a product of whim. But it must be something based on research of people who have the same job. Know the average net worth of that job and base your salary range declaration according to that. This way, you will have enough justification for declaring such and such an amount. This will also lessen resistance on the part of your potential employer, who probably knows as well as you do how much this job is really worth.

You must also know the profile of the company you are intending to work for. Are they highly profit-oriented and willing to sacrifice the quality of screening applicant in lieu of lower employee compensation? Or are they generous? If your potential employer proves to be the former, you might as well think twice before filing for an application and being forced to play the salary game in your cover letter. Typically, the really good companies would not mind shelling out huge compensation for deserving applicants. And if you are the deserving applicant, why settle for less?

Fax Resume Distribution Services

2007-07-03T22:59:00.001-07:00

You can make your cover letter and resume stand out amongst the rest by opting for various fax resume distribution services out there. There are 2000 resumes reviewed for any position available. Only 100 are granted for a personal or telephone interview. If you want to make the cut, then your cover letter must be something that is visually appealing to any reader.

Fax Resume Distribution services deliver your cover letter and resume to recruiters that specialize in the career of your expertise. With the cost-effective medium that gets a distinct handling upon receipt, your resume and cover letter maximizes your career opportunity with these firms. You will get the exposure that you deserve.

Fax Resume Distribution services are the solution to any job hunter’s problem, considering the amount of competition he or she finds himself in nowadays. By resorting to these services, an applicant’s resume and covered letter will fall to the desk of those executive recruiters who need their services as soon as possible.

The processes used by fax resume distribution services are the following: 1. The cover letter and resume of the applicant are reviewed in order to determine how effective the attached documents are. Of course, the applicant must have the very best because it will guarantee him years of wonderful experience in the working world.

2. By clearly indicating your objectives, experiences and geographical preferences, fax resume distribution services cross-matched the industries and firms that are perfect for you. The selection is quite efficient, therefore saving your time as well as that of the recruiters. You have control of the number of executive firms that have access to your resume and cover letter.

3. Once your resume and cover letter have been approved then these are available through fax transmission. This is addressed individually to prospective recruiters and potential employers in manner that is distinctive and most personal.

The key to getting the attention of the employer and to be granted an interview is to be different amongst the other applicants. Your resume and cover letter clearly goes to the hiring firms and executive recruiters who are looking for an applicant like you so that already gives you an edge. Of course, what they can read on your documents is the next crucial part.

1. You have to review the contents of your cover letter and your resume. This is to determine how effective your documents are in getting their attention.

2. Because these are delivered to the hands of recruiters who are looking for applicants who can offer what you can offer, your cover letter and resume will be more effective if you indicate your interest in working for them, as well as what you know about their company.

The staff behind this business critiques the spelling, grammar and diction of your cover letter first and foremost. They help you in strategizing the cover letter and resume that will get the attention of the reader.

Preparing for these documents take a lot of time and if you want to get the interview in the industry that you really want to work for, you have to make sure that the fax resume distribution services are able to get that point across on your cover letter and highlighted on your resume.

Fax resume distribution services have so many tactics in improving the dialogue between the applicant and potential recruiters that all you have to do is wait for the scheduled interview.

Tips for Keeping Your Resume & Cover Letter Looking Great When Sending Via Email

2007-07-03T22:58:00.002-07:00

According to recent World Internet Usage and Population Statistics there are approximately 233,188,086 internet users in North America. With 70% of the population using the internet it's no wonder that more and more employers are utilizing electronic resume and cover letter submissions.

We like to use email because it's faster and easier, right? Such convenience may come at a price if your resume and cover letter don't travel well (electronically!) Follow these four tips to ensure your electronic personal representation bodes well when sending via email.

While Word .docs may be your word process or choice, make sure you save both your resume and cover letter as a txt file. Not everyone uses words and depending on a number of variables it may not arrive in the same format as it was originally sent. Also replace all formatted items that mess up (like bullets) with dashes (-), asterisks (*) or arrows (>) – those are more universal symbols.

Again, it may look like a masterpiece on your end. That does not mean the receiver will view that same Pièce de résistance! Use a simple divider to designate where the cover letter ends and the resume begins. This will alleviate confusing the recipient. (=== Begin Resume ===)

Keep the width of your cover letter to about 65-70 characters wide. As a point of reference – a standard page with 1.25 left and right margins, font size 12, typically holds 75 characters without spaces included and 90 with spaces.

Address the hiring person by name. Make every effort to find out the name of the person reviewing the document. It will show that you've done your homework and may give you an extra edge. Many people just say Dear Employer… too impersonal! Dear Mr. Boyd – is much better. By all means, avoid using To Whom It May Concern. That just screams Form Letter!

Putting together a winning cover letter and resume takes quite an investment of time, creativity and in some cases financial resources. If you're investing time preparing these important documents – and you should put substantial effort into this step – follow the above tips to ensure it gets read by the reviewing official.

Video Resumes - Are They Really The Future?

2007-07-03T22:58:00.001-07:00

The buzz around video resumes has been going on for some time now, yet we have seen an explosion on the usage.

With the low cost of webcams and the ease of implementation of video recording software and technology, more and more companies are moving away from traditional marketing means such as print ads and TV commercials to online video advertising. People have found that short video clips are easy to digest and deliver (Share with a friend!). It is also a known fact that images and sound sell much better than words written on a piece of paper (or words shown on your computer screen). The biggest benefit of using online video advertising is that it creates a more personal bond with the viewer.

Therefore, video resume seems to be the logical evolution to traditional paper resume because you can form an instant bond with the reviewer to better market yourself; you are no longer just a piece of paper in the reviewer’s hands.

However, why hasn’t video resume been widely adopted by hiring companies?

First of all, when a job position opens, a company would usually receive hundreds of applications. Recruiters would need to sort out resumes in a timely manner to set up interviews. Because of the time crunch, the average time a recruiter spends on going through a copy of printed resume is about 20 seconds, no more than 30.

If a recruiter hopes to spend the same amount of time sorting out applications in order to achieve the same timeframe to start the interview process, it means a video resume would need to have a length of no more than 30 seconds.

What can you say in a 30-second video that’s presentable without rushing? Not much.

Keep in mind, too, that while viewing your video, the reviewer needs to make notes on points you’re making. He or she may need to replay the video again to catch some of the points. Now a 1-minute video may turn into a 2-minute view, which would delay application filtering process.

This is a scenario where written words can pack in much more information on a piece of paper than a video clip.

Secondly, because you are able to see the face of the applicant prior to making a decision on calling the candidate in for an interview, some companies may not want to adopt this method of job application due to possible gender, racial, or age discrimination issues.

A written resume allows the applicant to remain faceless and allows the hiring company to be mostly neutral about the applicant’s gender, race, and age. Traditional resumes allow applicants to compete fairly for an interview based on skills and qualifications presented to the hiring company in the same format.

Traditional resumes could offer protection to hiring companies from possible lawsuits.

With that said, I am not completely dismissing the use of videos in job application process. Video is a great technology and a useful tool. If anyone would like to use videos in this process, my suggestion is to use a hybrid approach: Replace traditional cover letters with video clips that are no more than 30 seconds, and keep resumes in printed format.

This method makes sense because the applicant would be able to make an introduction in person via video to talk about basic qualifications and skill sets allowing the “best possible first impression” to be made, and leave all the glory details in the traditional format that is easy to scan by the reviewer. This way, recruiters would still be able to sort out applications efficiently within a reasonable timeframe, while making highlights and notes on applicants’ resumes to determine eligibility for an interview.

The use of video resumes can be effective and exciting. However, traditional resumes will never go away… Just like email will never replace fax.

he Most Important Job Interview Secret

2007-07-03T22:57:00.000-07:00

The most important secret you must always remember at every job interview is that you will only land the position if you stand out above the crowd in a positive way. Job interviews have always been very competitive and quite often there ends up being a huge crowd of people all competing for a single position or just a few positions at best.

But how does one stand out in a job interview? Actually the best strategy revolves around doing plenty of research and then focusing on a case study from your past where you solved a problem similar to the one the organization you have a job interview with is grappling with.

There are many obstacles that are bound to hinder you from doing research on an organization that you are about to join and from getting useful information. In many cases you may already be working somewhere else and getting time off to do some serious research may not be easy. This is where the web comes in. It is possible for you to miss your lunch break or even come in an hour earlier to concentrate on doing some serious research on the company you intend to join. There is also the option of you staying in late to read every relevant article and piece of information that you can lay your hands on.

This is the most important job interview secret because your prospective employer will not be able to resist your knowledge and understanding of their business and the fact that you have the proven skills to solve the problems they want to tackle by filling in the position you are interested in.

Preparing For Your Job Interview Tip - Impress With Your Research

2007-07-03T22:55:00.000-07:00

Those who fail to prepare thoroughly for their job interview do so at their own risk and chances are that more often than not they will end up missing the position they interview for.

There is actually no substitute to doing intensive research in preparation for your job interview. It will always pay off in a big way for you.

So how does somebody do some job interview research? Where do they even start?

Whether you know it or not, you usually already have more than enough information to help you embark on your research in preparation for the job interview. You already know the position that they are looking for and since you have been summoned for an interview, this means that you have been short-listed. Others were not called for a job interview and so there must be something in your resume and cover letter that struck the right code and created interest in you. A good place to start is to try and figure out what in particular it is. Clues for this can easily be picked up in the original ad for the position.

The next stage of your research must focus on finding out the problems and challenges that the company is facing at the moment that you can contribute to solving based on your training and past experiences. If you have a case study of how exactly you worked round a similar case in the past, then that is a gem you must find a way of delivering during your job interview.

As it is with most things in life a successful job interview is closer to 90 per cent preparation and only 10 per cent in the actual interview session. In other words the more research you do and the better prepared you are, the higher your chances of success.

Why Your Resume Should Focus On Problem Solving

2007-06-22T04:51:00.001-07:00

Most prospective employers will hardly take the time to focus on reading your resume through. Most will just scan quickly through and toss it aside only to pick up the next one or click on the next one online.

The question here is what is it that they are usually looking for that will catch their attention and cause them to pay closer attention to your resume? It has to be something that really occupies the minds of managers all the time, and what may that be? Ask any manager that question and they will all give you the same answer. Managers are occupied most of the time with problem solving. They are constantly making decisions that are aimed at solving problems that fly at them constantly.

So it makes a lot of sense for your cover letter and resume to focus on problem solving. You can easily do this by highlighting problems that you have faced in previous positions and how you solved them. This is the single thing that is bound to catch the attention of anybody looking to hire you for a position.

When you really think about it, companies usually hire to solve problems already being faced. This is even truer in our world of downsizing and shrinking workforces.

This is by far the best strategy of getting into that happy situation where your resume and cover letter have exactly what your prospective employer is looking for. It is bound to make you quickly stand out way above the rest.

You Must Re-Write Your Resume To Focus On The Agenda Of Every Employer, Or Else

2007-06-22T04:50:00.004-07:00

If you are serious about securing a position, then you must be prepared to re-write your resume for every position that you go after so as to focus clearly and directly on each of the employers you are targeting. Gone are the days when all you had to do was make endless copies of the same old tired resume and distribute them all over the place.

Today's resume is a personal marketing tool that is vital to your landing a job interview and ultimately the position that you crave with the company or business that you have set your eyes on.

With the rather intense competition in the job marketplace, your resume has to be re-written every time to focus on the current agenda of you employer. This will require you to stop thinking like an employee and instead start thinking from the employers' point of view. What this will do is enable you to see clearly what your prospective employer's requirements are which will greatly help you to "push all the right buttons" to attract lots of attention and interest in you from your prospective employer. This will cause you to stand out above the crowd and thus dramatically improve your chances of landing the position, even if competition for it is high.

Besides it is not too difficult these days to rewrite a resume. Especially if you know where to find online resume resources that will make the whole exercise a breeze. Computer word processing software also enables you to prepare and retain several different versions of your resume that you can always quickly retrieve, make changes and deliver—many times via email.

Resume Changes You May Know Nothing About

2007-06-22T04:50:00.003-07:00

The information age has brought about major changes in resumes that many of those who seek jobs have not been able to keep up with.

For instance did you know that today three page resumes are acceptable? More so for experienced candidates ad especially those in the sic figure salary range. Even for lesser mortals, two pages and one and a half pages are normal these days. Few realize that the old-fashioned one page resume is now more or less gone forever. In the old days the one page resume rule was written on stone and anything different was looked at as being totally unorthodox.

The resume has also changed from the stiff, dry boring format of stating facts briefly to the situation today where employers expect the job seeker to quantify their accomplishments. In a case you have helped increase productivity is it is expected of you to state the increase and benefit that this resulted for the company in dollars. Just remember that sweeping statements just won't do anymore.

Another crucial thing that is often looked for in a resume are signs that the applicant is a team player and can work well with others. This is very important these days. Your resume therefore has to include words like "collaborated with" or "coauthored the report on."

Time worn cliché phrases in resumes like "Achieved the following" and "Responsible for… are out. In their place has come active use of appropriate verbs to describe what you actually did and how.

These are but a few of the major changes that have been brought on the resume by the fast paced information age in which we live in.

How Your Cover Letter Gets You the Job

2007-06-22T04:50:00.001-07:00

The thing about first professional impressions is that it is not always visual. Preceding your face to face encounter with the human resource representative or anyone in charge of screening applicants is your cover letter. It is quite ironic that few people pay close attention to this piece of paper which pretty much determines whether they will be considered for interview or if their resumes will merit perusal of the busy person who is screening various cover letters like yours.

Cover letters are for mind-setting. You do not really need a psychology degree to make a lasting impression. A well-written cover letter will precede you, give you an inherent good impression and erase all your inhibitions. If you are able to pull off the writing of your cover letter with flair, you can definitely expect pools of job offers to come your way. This is for real, and you got to give it a try. The only way you can talk your way into getting the job is by means of selling yourself well in your cover letter.

Excellent cover letters which produce job offers to applicants highlights best qualities of the applicant. If you want your cover letter to lead you to getting hired, you need to fire it up with your good qualities. Be careful not to overdo this, however. You will have to be able to catch up with whatever image you are painting in your cover letter. If you place there that you are punctual and speedy, you must be able to deliver that promise. Make sure that you are selling yourself but not going beyond true facts about yourself.

In a way, the cover letter is a way of introducing yourself to the company or the person who will be reviewing your application. This is very vital. It is like shaking hands with a stranger for the first time. The even crucial fact is that you must leave that stranger impressed and confident of your capabilities. Your cover letter must be polished, no grammatical errors whatsoever and having the best quality of paper you can afford. Make it as pristine as possible, concise and with neat spaces that communicated utmost professionalism. Remember, until you see your interviewer face to face, the only thing they will remember are the things in your cover letter.

Your cover letter is also the usher for your resume. Yes, you may have worked hard to make your resume as meaty and impressive as possible, but if your cover letter is badly written, your resume might go ignored. The cover letter is the very first thing that the person will read in your application details. It is the usher that paves the way to your more specific resume details. If you are not able to pull this off effectively, you will find yourself at the losing end.

Generally, the best jobs are most sought after. Many applicants will most likely be vying for that job. In a way, you will be competing against all the other applicants for this position. It is, at least in the beginning of the application process, a battle of the cover letters. Yours must stand out and show out your very best facets. In this aspect, you can never afford to be mediocre with your approach. You must always give your cover letter your best shot, because it does not just cover your resume, but it defines if you are going to be hired or not.

My Resume Is Done - Now What?

2007-06-22T04:49:00.001-07:00

When applying for a new job, preparing your Resume or Curriculum Vitae to a high standard is a key step in positioning yourself for further consideration. There is a wealth of information, (including posts on this forum) about developing the kind of Resume or CV that will cause recruiters to pause for a moment and explore further.

Your Resume - A “Temporary Visa”

If we were to consider career development in terms of being a journey, your Resume or CV is a “temporary visa” to a new destination. However, what you need is a passport that allows you to take up residency in this destination for as long as you want.

Applying for a “Passport”

Permanent residence in a new job is a sustained effort. When the recruiter/employer is hooked by your Resume or CV, you need to be prepared to follow this up effectively in the next stage of the process. Often this is a face-to-face interview, although increasingly recruiters are using alternative or supplementary strategies such as group interviews and psychometric testing, for example.

The same principles underpinning a strong Resume apply to further stages in the selection process. If there is one key principle it is to understand, as far as is possible, the needs of the employer and to have evidence “at your fingertips” to demonstrate your ability to meet these needs. This means both research and reflection. Research the organisation in whatever way you can, such as brochures, annual reports, internet, staff within the organisation and clients if possible. Be creative in identifying ethical sources of information.

Reflect on what you have learned. What are the unwritten rules that appear to drive the organisation (i.e. the culture). What kind of employees are publicly recognised and acknowledged? Is the company behaviour consistent with client perception? Can you identify areas of growth and development? What capacity do you have to contribute as an employee?

I have interviewed countless people who, when asked at interview for further evidence or deeper evidence of a specific competence, simply repeat what is in the Resume. Not surprisingly, recruiters come to the conclusion that they have a candidate who is “good on paper” or 2 dimensional. Being able to articulate 2 or 3 additional examples of your competence is a strong asset. There is no reason why this kind of mental preparation cannot happen while you are writing your Resume or CV.

As with writing a job application use language with which you are familiar, and which is comfortable for you (and the listener). Don’t fall victim to the temptation to use complicated language or language you are unsure of because you think it will impress others. This kind of (very common) approach to interviews comes across as somewhat pretentious. It also places the candidate at risk if the recruiter asks a clarifying or expansive question, which readily identifies the candidate’s depth of knowledge. As with all communication, put yourself in someone else’s shoes and think about the styles of communication that would persuade you of someone else’s capacity.

Remember, your character is in the spotlight as well as your skills. Be authentic and be positive. Show that you have developed some understanding of the context in which the organisation operates. It is possible to do all this and demonstrate modesty.

“Permanent Residence”

When offered a position by the employer, be mindful that all that each of you has written and said forms a kind of “contract” that goes beyond the paperwork. Just as the employer should commit to supporting you in your new role, you must commit to honouring the promises you have made in the application process. Your new employer will reasonably expect your loyalty to the vision and mission of the organisation, competence in the role and your willingness to work within policy and to develop further.

How to Rewrite Your Resume - The Objective

2007-06-19T03:50:00.001-07:00

Does your resume begin with a section like "objective," "professional summary" or "summary of qualifications." If so, I've got bad news. Your resume stinks.

A big chunk of the resumes I see each week contain these paragraphs - normally the very first thing the reader sees. You will also see them recommended in just about every “how to write a resume” book on the market today.

These paragraphs are useless and counterproductive. Take the typical “objective” line (I pulled this off an actual resume I recently received): “OBJECTIVE: A position as an administrator/coordinator.” This says that the resume is about what you want - a job - and not what you can do for the company. That is a dumb way to start the conversation about your next job.

Why would you waste this precious space at the top of your resume, where your reader will be making the crucial decision about whether to read further or to toss your resume in the trash? If you have a line like this on your resume delete it now.

The fist lines of your resume better grab the hiring manager by the throat and not let go. You need to start with a bold declaration about what sets you apart - this is a great place to state your "brand" or your "unique selling proposition"

Make sure that the information you put at the top of your resume is written with the hiring manager in mind. Summarize your business results, and pick things that you believe are business problems facing your prospective hiring manager now. Get your 2 or 3 “highlight” results near the top of your resume and you'll start getting calls for job interviews.

How to Rewrite Your Resume - The Numbers

2007-06-19T03:49:00.001-07:00

Scan your resume. If the last number on your resume is your phone number or a date of employment. Are many of your numbers preceded by dollar signs? If not, you need a rewrite.

I'm a lawyer and was an English major in college. I have written 12 books. I get words. Not only that, I can't add 2+2 twice and get the same answer. The last math class I took was first semester algebra in college (my worst grade in college). That is why it pains me to say this: numbers rule.

You need to figure out how to explain your accomplishments in terms of results delivered and, whenever possible, to do so using numbers and measurements. Hiring managers are asked every day to deliver business results, and usually those results are measured. If you want to get hired, speak in terms your audience is already using every day.

Using numbers and results to tell your story does three things. First, it gets you noticed. It is surprising the number of resumes I see that don't mention one result or number - a resume that does will stand out.

Second, it needs no translation. Using results and numbers will sell your skills and abilities in terms the hiring manager uses daily.

Third it shows that you “know the lingo.” It immediately communicates that you are comfortable in a business setting. It makes you easy to hire.

Look at every business accomplishment listed on your resume and try to attach a number to it. Answer these questions:
How much money was saved?
How much time was cut?
How much more efficient was the process?
How many employees did it take to complete the task before and after the change?
What was the budget (and did it come in over or under)?

You don't have to have a number on every line of your resume, but there should be one anywhere it can reasonably fit. Try to tell your story with numbers and your resume will speak clearly to your hiring manager. It is an almost hypnotic technique to get the hiring manager to pick up the phone and ask you for more.

How To Write A Resume

2007-06-19T03:48:00.000-07:00

A resume must be reader friendly, pertain to the job you are applying for, and can be up to two pages long. The key is to have information that will convince a manager, person hiring, you are perfect.

Look no further is seen through your objective, and supported throughout the resume.

It is not necessary to use the word objective. In place of objective: looking to, seeking, or goal.

Tailor-cut every resume to the position.

Name
Address
City/State, Zip Code
Telephone Number
Email Address

Objective: Your first line explains how you can help a company,

and the rest of your resume re-inforces it.

Experience: Display jobs you have held. Start with the most

recent, include dates.

For those that do not have job experience, jot down

the qualifications you feel is best suited to prove

line one.

Education: College degrees, course, and credits fill this space.

Mention internships if relevant.

Computer: State the fact you are knowledgeable in Excel, etc.

The mission is to uncover everything you have done to show worthiness for the job. In fairness, always state your actual experiences and/or qualifications. Sometimes, one is hired before the complete background check is done. If a false statement is uncovered that equals immediate termination.

In conclusion, before reaching for a certain job, make sure you have the required tools for it. You do that by searching through your education and/or experiences to see if you are the "one." It is a good idea to send resumes out to a number of employers at once.

5 Resume Tips - Do What Most Job Seekers Don't

2007-06-19T03:47:00.002-07:00

When it comes to writing a great resume, there are no hard and fast rules or specific formats that you should adhere to; however, your resume should be targeted to each specific job that you are applying to. In addition, it must be concise, clear, command attention and stand out from the pack.

Include a Title for the Job You Want

Use a professional title for the position that you want. An improper job title will only serve to position you at a level far below the responsibility or salary level you are seeking to achieve. Including a job title can greatly increase the number of interview calls that you get for higher positions and improve your chances of clinching a higher salary – and when you start at a higher salary, your career growth is also accelerated.

Include an Executive Summary (what you can do for them) - Not an Objective (Me-focused)

An executive summary should be clear and well defined, consisting of a short paragraph or four to five bulleted points. It should focus on how your skills can benefit the employer, not on what the employer can do for you. Using action words will help to convey you as an intelligent and active individual capable of making contributions to accomplish company goals. Highlight your strengths and achievements clearly and quickly. Recruiters and hiring managers want to see information that is to the point, and hardly have time to dig for buried nuggets of information hidden in your resume.

Include Relevant Information

Let’s state the obvious - your resume is targeted at landing interviews. In effect, you are advertising your capabilities and experience. Therefore, you need to provide precise, accurate and relevant information. Your resume should be able to convey relevant information, but at the same time, the resume should also convey a message that if the hiring manager buys this product (YOU) it will lead to positive and direct benefits in specific areas where their needs exist (the job).

Brag - With PROOF!

When it comes to your resume, you can forget modesty. Brag if you have irrefutable proof that establishes you as an outstanding performer (notice I didn’t say exaggerate or lie). Give your resume an accomplishment-driven profile. Accomplishments are results you produce by resolving problems, or when you overcome a real or perceived obstacle. Mention any project that you spearheaded that served to heighten employee morale, revenues or company savings. Formulate 'Problem-Action-Result' (PAR) statements to convey your ability for producing similar or better results in your future employment.

Highlight Achievements - NOT Responsibilities

Although important, listing responsibilities should not form the focus of your resume. Responsibilities are passive - achievements project you as an active, dynamic individual. When you are seeking a higher position, your achievements rather than your responsibilities acquire crucial importance – so don’t clump the two together. Write a paragraph giving an overview of your responsibilities and then highlight your achievements with bullets. When you want to sell something, you must make it stand out.

Having a well-written resume is crucial when it comes to getting interview calls. Following the 5 tips above will ensure that you maximize your chances.

Easy Common Sense Tips for Writing Cover Letters

2007-06-19T03:47:00.001-07:00

Of course it's easy to write a cover letter. The only challenges are determining what to say and knowing how to say it, which, if you looked at it, are pretty much the reasons that make cover letters so tricky to write. But if you want to solve the mystery of the cover letter and want to be able to approach it more easily, here are some ways with which to effectively do it:

Know why you need a cover letter
All employers expect that you include a cover letter in your application, unless of course they specify otherwise. A cover letter is your brief introduction to your prospective employer, a chance for you to summarize your qualifications and show your best qualities at a glance.

When employers receive dozens of job application letters everyday, the least they want to do is to pore over the details of your resume just to see what exactly it is that makes you special enough to deserve an interview. Not only that, it's been the standard practice in the job market for several decades, so you would do well to include one with your resume.

Are there different kinds of cover letters?
Aside from the styles, there are only two basic types of cover letters that you should know about: the solicited cover letter and the unsolicited cover letter. The solicited cover letter is one you write and send in response to known and published job advertisements. The unsolicited cover letter is one you send if you're prospecting for a job, exploring job possibilities or as a way to inform future employers of your presence and availability.

What is included in the cover letter?
A cover letter, very simply, is a type of business letter. It includes, among others, the current date, the person and company you're addressing the letter to and the purpose. In the case of a job application cover letter, it's to present to a prospective employer your qualifications that you believe will fit the employer's current need.

How do I write a cover letter?
If you want to know the correct tone and words to use, I suggest you find good samples of cover letters, specifically those that have demonstrated giving their writers positive results or those that have been prepared professionally. As mentioned earlier, cover letters are business letters so expect a little formality. If you don’t have an idea of how to go about it, find three or four samples and take note of how they were written.

Once you've determined the important elements that make up a great cover letter, begin writing your own draft. Go for a targeted cover letter, one that is as unique as the company you are sending it to. This will show you as a diligent and driven individual who will not stand for the mediocrity of writing generic letters.

Your cover letter should be brief but it must contain enough information about you to let your prospective employer know what your capabilities are. This is your letter of introduction and should include what kind of things you have done and achieved in your past work experience that your prospective employer find extremely useful.

Don’t brag. Simply state the facts and include numbers and figures if you must, but keep your cover letter short. Don’t go into a long-winded lecture of how successful you've been and how you've changed things for the better. Just mention the things that you feel your prospective employer will appreciate and have great need for in his organization.

A cover letter is supposed to sell your qualities, so make sure you do an honest job about it. Don’t sell yourself short but don’t blow your trumpet too hard either.

HOME::Business/Resumes-Cover-Letters

2007-06-19T03:46:00.001-07:00

Cover letter are almost always inseparable with resume and job hunting. You can never find a good job if you haven't gone past the hurdle of making a cover letter. Yet, there are many people who believe in what I call myths on cover letter templates and end up getting less than what they bargained for in their cover letters. This is a sad reality, but the few who have managed to learn the facts and turn it to their advantage kissed those myths goodbye. Here are a couple of myths that make cover letter templates hindrances rather than pathways to getting that dream job.

Single template for all seasons
There is a common belief that cover letter templates is like those ready to wear clothes that fits all sizes. No it never does, and it never will. The cover letter template in itself is not sufficient to land you that ideal job. The cover letter template serves not as a thing to copy and paste. It may sometimes serve as a guide, but do keep in mind that the rest of the world is probably using the same thing for their application and it is already boring those who screen applications to tears. This single template mentality makes a person stick to a single way of writing his or her cover letter and mass sends it to all of his or her target companies. This makes the cover letter very generic, when in reality, the specific cover letters are those that get the job for the applicant.

What worked for Harry will work for Sally mentality
You may have a friend who got your dream job last week. So you maybe thinking that when you copy his or her cover letter, you will be able to get yourself that job as well. There is a grain of truth to it, but it is not something you can always rely on. One of the best ways to make a good cover letter is getting a good grasp of who you are professionally and what you can do for a company. Your specific details, experience and qualification as well as the standards of the company you are applying a job for are a mixture of unique factors which will spell your doom and success in applying.

Robot View
The view that your resume cover letter must be dead serious is another one of those myths that hamper one's capacity to get a job. It is true that you must have some degree of professionalism and formality in your letter, but not to the extent that the letter will be devoid of emotion and enthusiasm. These are the two things that most cover letters miss. The way one's personal “voice” talk through the lines of the cover letter is already a way of introduction of yourself.

Useless Cover Belief
The biggest myth of all myths in cover letter writing is that cover letter writing is useless and requires the least priority in preparing your application details. The cover letter is the most important part of the documents pertaining to your application, and you must give it as much attention, time and energy as it deserves. With this in mind, cover letter templates are quite tricky to use, and it's a great irony that people just leave the fate of their job hunting in the bounds of a generic cover letter template.

The Free Cover Letter Example is Dead - So Why Are You Still Using It?

2007-06-19T03:45:00.000-07:00

So you're ready to go after that job but writing a cover letter terrifies you? You've done a great job at writing your resume and yet a simple cover letter gets you stuck in writer's limbo. How so? Almost every part of the job application process has some degree of difficulty, but many job hunters find that writing the cover letter is the most challenging, which is probably why they often turn to free cover letter examples to help them out.

Why free isn’t always good

When people tell you that all the best things in life are free, they probably didn’t have cover letter examples in mind. It's a good thing it's free and accessible to anyone but if you looked closely, those are the very reasons why you shouldn’t even think of using free cover letter examples.

When it's free, it's often written without care. Imagine this: if you had a valuable thing in your hands, would you give it away for people to use for free when you know that it can be mutually rewarding? The same is true with the free cover letter example. It's written as a general reference for the rest of us, regardless of what we really need. A free cover letter example can be used by just about anyone – an intern, an accountant, a secretary, a doctor, a computer technician, a waitress – because there was really no definite purpose as to its design.

So what is the significance of using a free cover letter example? A lot rides on your cover letter's ability to attract the attention of your potential employer. If it's too weak, you will be perceived as such, which will probably convince the company you're applying to that you are the wrong person to talk to. Conversely, you can project a stronger, more professional persona by simply presenting a cover letter that speaks of your confidence and ability.

Another reason why you should stay away from free cover letter examples is that these letters contain such familiar, commonly used words and phrases that hiring officers must have seen a hundred times before. When yours comes along, it will probably be viewed as another clone and treated as pure rubbish. When than happens, you lose the opportunity of ever getting a shot at the job of your dreams.

What you can do

Don’t leave your future to chance because statistically, you're bound to lose. Instead, create your own opportunity and stay away from free cover letter examples that could spell disaster to your efforts. Imagine working that hard for so long only to receive rejection due to an ill-conceived cover letter.

If you must use a cover letter example, make sure you choose one that was written with your needs in mind. A targeted cover letter has so much more appeal than a loose cannon. It shows your professionalism and pride in your education and work background, a sign that you're not the kind of person who will settle for less.

Let's face it: job hunting is stressful enough so why bother putting more anxiety upon yourself when you have a chance of using and creating a cover letter from a professionally planned and written piece, giving you a better chance at improving your professional life. That job you're applying for could be your one chance at a truly rewarding career. Don’t let it go to waste when there's a factor you can control.

Winning a Job Interview With a Winning Resume

2007-06-19T03:43:00.001-07:00

Does your resume unlock your potential, take your skills to the highest level and win you the interview and the job you want now? The job market today is highly competitive and even if you think you have what it takes to get an interview you won’t get over the line without a polished, professional marketing document. Listing responsibilities are no longer going to make an impact on the recruiter. The results of your work challenges are the driving force behind what makes a winning resume. Remember that you are selling your best qualities and achievements and these should be highlighted on the first page.

Here is an example of selecting the right power words to communicate success:

“Globally focussed and goal oriented graduate with strong awareness of complex business and financial management systems. Combine analytical and research expertise, with strong academic results. Keen to develop a career in International Accounting & Finance.”

The successful ingredients are created with powerful words, potential and talent, layout and essentially a unique blend of your knowledge, experience and value.

Remember that you have only a short amount of time to impress the company. Recruitment staff and employers will scan your resume for 15 seconds before they decide whether to invite you in for an interview.

USE THE BEST STRATEGIES TO GET THOSE PHONE CALLS FOR INTERVIEWS Your resume / CV is your marketing document. It’s the ultimate tool to highlight your value, boast your strengths, successes, skills and knowledge. It must be visually attractive and communicate your achievements and talents.

• Powerful key words or action verbs to describe credentials, qualifications, strengths and potential. For example: direct, spearhead, orchestrate, initiate, instruct, manage, formulate, challenge.
• Education and training, achievements, job experience, interests and volunteer work.
• Clear layout and easy to read and scan.

My Resume Checklist
 Highlights strengths, knowledge and skills.
 Lists achievements.
 Information in the correct order.
 Lists accomplishments.
 Presented all necessary information.
 Sufficient power words that persuade and impress.
 Targets the position and job description.
 All qualifications documented including on the job training certificates and workshops.
 Lists Memberships and extra curricular.
 All redundant information removed.
 Used all appropriate subheadings.
 Lists 2 referees.

Resumes Online will create a resume that will immediately attract recruiters and employers within the first 15 seconds. The results will take you to the next step, the job interview. Call for a free resume critique today on 1300 761 121

To Your Continued Growth and Success! Debbie Navara

Winning a Job Interview With a Winning Resume

2007-06-19T03:43:00.000-07:00

3 Common Job Interview Questions

2007-06-19T03:42:00.000-07:00

Job interview questions vary widely across organizations and depend on the nature and attributes of the job on offer. However, there are some typical questions that are invariably asked by almost all interview boards. If you are prepared with their responses from before, you can present them flawlessly in a structured manner and create a good impression. Take a look at these 3 most common job interview questions:

1. Describe Yourself: To have a first hand idea about you, your interviewers may want you to give a short description about yourself. Have a good answer prepared for this covering all aspects of your background, your educational attainments, your professional exposure, your family and your personal interests like reading books, listening to music, taking photographs etc. Don’t draft it like a speech. Deliver it in the manner of a conversation, smiling occasionally and taking short pauses. All the while, maintain eye contact with the interviewer. If somebody in your family was in the company or in the sector where your company operates, make a humble reference and tell them that you owe your inspiration to him or her for a role in the organization or sector.

2: Your Interest for this job: You have to convincingly demonstrate in this response that you are the fittest candidate for this position. So, know the requirements of the job as much as possible and relate your background, achievements and future aspirations to them. You have to impress upon them that since you meet all the requirements of the job and have capacities to add more value to the output, you are particularly interested for this job. Tell them that you have been regularly watching for this vacancy notification and have taken tips from experts about getting prepared for the selection process. The interviewers have a great possibility of being impressed with your sincerity and attachment.

3: Your expectations: Tell them honestly and clearly what are your expectations from the job. Satisfying job content, good working environment, nice colleagues, attractive pay and perks, some amount of authority and independence, avenues to grow higher up are the common contentions. Don’t talk big. It’s always better to place a conservative expectation profile.

There are many other typical questions that can be found on career advice sites. Take note of them and be prepared.

CV Advice To Get a New Job

2007-06-19T03:32:00.000-07:00

Make a great first impression with your CV
Your CV is the first impression that any prospective employer has of you – so it’s important to get it right. The information you provide must be accurate, realistic and positive, and be tailored to suit the particular role you are applying for. The following format provides a guide to information you should include.

Layout
Make sure your CV is clearly laid out and presented using a consistent typeface throughout. And don’t be tempted to employ a fancy looking font – you won’t win any brownie points with employers if they can’t read your CV. Keep the CV to a maximum of two pages. Many employers don’t have the time or the inclination to dredge through pages and pages.

Personal Details
Always have your contact details at the top of the front page. This makes life a lot easier for your prospective employer when flicking through a pile of CVs.

Interests
These will give employers a 'fuller' picture of you. Brief titles will suffice e.g. 'hill walking', 'sailing' . These should be realistic and current as there is little to be gained from adding an interest that was a school or past activity.

Education Details
Should include secondary, higher and further education, including dates attended and qualifications gained. Include the number of GCSE / Standard Grade passes you achieved and detail the subjects and grades of A/AS Levels or Highers. University Degree(s) and diplomas should also be noted, including your class of degree attained and Honours subjects studied (if relevant).

Current Employment
Details including the name, location and dates employed with the company are important. If you have been promoted, changed roles or gained any particularly notable experience, make sure that this is highlighted at the beginning of the text. As much relevant detail as possible is important with regard to experience. Information regarding supervision, teamwork, training and development should also be outlined.

Past Employment
Brief details of any previous employment will again provide a fuller picture. Less detail is needed - company / dates, job title and a brief job description will suffice. List your previous employment / experience in reverse chronological order (beginning with the most recent post)

Experience
Always provide evidence of any claims you make. You don’t necessarily have to draw on work experience; examples from any sphere of your life could work. For example – You are good at managing a budget as you have run your own home for 5 years.

Find Out More
NB - If there are any gaps i.e. time travelling, a year out etc, these too should be noted to ensure that no details are left uncovered. Make sure you also include your personal interests as this helps employers build up a broader picture of you as a person.

References
You don’t need to include referees’ contact details but where possible make sure you say ‘references available on request’.

Seek professional help!
Pass your CV to a recruitment professional if you can, or at the very least to a friend who knows you, to make sure you are promoting yourself as well as you can.

Finally
Check, double check and check again for spelling, grammar and punctuation errors. If you can, get a friend to check this as well.

Resume Tips for Human Resource Assistants - What You Need to Know

2007-04-17T05:25:00.002-07:00

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?

Save Time with Letter Templates

2007-04-17T05:25:00.001-07:00

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.

Resumes and Portfolios

2007-04-17T05:24:00.002-07:00

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.

Student Portfolios

2007-04-17T05:24:00.001-07:00

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.

Teaching Portfolio

2007-04-17T05:22:00.000-07:00

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.

Cover Letter Templates: A Great Cover Letter Guide

2007-04-16T04:48:00.002-07:00

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.

Cover Letters: Finding the Best Sample

2007-04-16T04:48:00.001-07:00

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.

Sales Cover Letters – Don’t Sell Yourself Short

2007-04-16T04:47:00.001-07:00

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.

Creating an Excellent Resume: Ten Tips You Must Know

2007-04-16T04:46:00.000-07:00

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.

Cover Letter: Landing That Job You Want

2007-04-16T04:45:00.000-07:00

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.

Tips on Writing a Tip-Top CV

2007-04-10T00:14:00.000-07:00

# 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.

Interview Questions - Things to Think About Before the Interview

2007-04-10T00:13:00.000-07:00

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.

______________________________________________________

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

______________________________________________________

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.

How to Turn Your Resume or CV into a Website

2007-04-10T00:12:00.002-07:00

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.

Write Your Perfect Resume

2007-04-10T00:12:00.001-07:00

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.

Cover Letter Tips: A Winning Formula

2007-04-10T00:11:00.000-07:00

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..".

Cover Letter Tips: Sell Yourself Effectively

2007-04-10T00:10:00.002-07:00

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:

Email Job Application - Some Tips

2007-04-10T00:10:00.001-07:00

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.

Tips On How To Write A Good Resume

2007-04-10T00:09:00.001-07:00

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.

Online Resume Builders: Good Or Bad?

2007-04-10T00:08:00.002-07:00

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.

The Secret of a Winning Cover Letter

2007-04-10T00:08:00.001-07:00

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.

Effective Resume that Works in Canada

2007-04-10T00:07:00.001-07:00

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.

Resume - On the Fast Track

2007-04-10T00:06:00.001-07:00

"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.

Mistakes Keeping You From Getting An Interview

2007-04-10T00:05:00.001-07:00

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.

How to Make Your Cover Letter the Rose Among the Thorns

2007-04-10T00:04:00.002-07:00

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.

New Job Envy - Do You Have It?

2007-04-10T00:04:00.001-07:00

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.

Writing a Cover Letter for Teachers

2007-04-10T00:03:00.000-07:00

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.

Is Your Resume Too Cluttered?

2007-04-10T00:02:00.002-07:00

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.

Powerful Pens: A Sample Cover Letter for Your Needs

2007-04-10T00:02:00.001-07:00

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.

How to Create a Cover Letter Template

2007-04-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

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.

Cover Letter No No's

2007-04-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

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 Letter Samples for Different Needs

2007-04-09T23:59:00.002-07:00

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.

Web Based Resumes-Point & Click Technology-A Key To Your Point Of Differentiation

2007-04-09T23:59:00.001-07:00

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.

Writing A Great Resume-5 Tips You Need To Know!

2007-04-09T23:58:00.002-07:00

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.

Just for You, an Example of a Cover Letter

2007-04-09T23:58:00.001-07:00

For some people, a cover letter is something that though is truly worth doing, is actually quite stressful and even daunting.

Usually, a cover letter is something one would attach to a resume. A cover letter could make or break your opportunity to score an interview. It makes sense therefore to devote serious effort and time in writing a cover letter that is good and effective.

Basically, cover letters should always complement but never duplicate a resume. The purpose of cover letters is interpret the resume – which is usually factual and focused solely on data – and give it a very personal and soft touch.

Cover letters are basically an employer’s first impression of you.

Cover letter types

There are basically three types of cover letters. The application letter is a type of cover letter which is made in order to respond to a particular job opening.

Another type of cover letter is a prospecting letter. The purpose of this cover letter is to inquire on possible job positions available.

A networking cover letter meanwhile has the purpose of requesting assistance and information in one’s search for a job.

Cover letter design

The cover letter must be created and designed particularly for your specific purpose. It is not advisable to design and write a uniform cover letter and sending it out to all your preferred employers. This is how junk mail works, remember?

A cover letter to be effective needs to explain your specific reasons for getting interested in a particular job and an organization.

It is also best that you identify all your relevant work experiences and skills, these should all make your prospective employer interested in you.

Cover letter example tips

As much as possible, try keeping the paragraphs in your cover letters as short as possible. Remember that employers receive not just your cover letters but a slew of other cover letters.

Keeping your letter short, sweet and straightforward makes it easy for employers to read through it.

Cover letters should also be printed on a standard size paper, preferably on a laser quality bond paper.

Also make sure to double check your letter for any punctuation, spelling or grammar errors.

An appropriate margin is one inch. Letters should only be a page long. Paragraphs found on the page must also look balanced.

When beginning a cover letter, address a specific individual and do not forget to include this person’s title or designation.

To be able to know who to address and how, it is best to research. Check the web site of the company. You could also try to call the company and ask for a specific title or name.

You could also try looking at trade publications, directories or guides as found in a library’s reference area.

Cover letter example

The cover letter should basically “cover” the following points: the letter’s first paragraph must indicate the purpose of your letter, the second paragraph should indicate what you could offer, the concluding paragraph must detail the follow-up you will make later on.

All in all, a cover letter is the first step of getting your foot at the door.

It is also best to mention a contact that you and the employer mutually and positively know of. Highlight your positive qualities but always be honest.

Doing so speaks much of your integrity as a person and as a potential employee.

Emphasize Your Skills On The Interview - 3 Tips

2007-04-09T23:57:00.001-07:00

In a competitive job market companies will take a look at candidate's skills and decide how they will best fit into their environment. During an interview you want make sure that you emphasize your skills to set yourself apart from the other candidates.

In this article we will focus on three different types of skills:

1. Portable skills

These are skills that you currently have that can be utilized for the job or the company. Many employees will take a strong look at what your current skills are that will require no additional training. This is what you emphasize on your resume and probably the main reason you got the interview in the first place.

2. Personality

When an employee is interviewing you they are trying to figure out how you will fit into the current office environment. They also will be assessing you personality to see if you will fit into their team environment and what strengths you will bring to that team.

When an employee ask you to tell them about yourself, let them know about your professional situation but also them about your personal attributes as well. Let the interviewer take a sneak peek into what you will bring on a personal level to improve the office.

3. Experience

This will include educational attainment, training outside of the job, any professional tradeshows or seminars you may have attended to further develop your skills.

Based on the industry you are in this will vary and if you have attended any continuing education make sure that you let them know if it is not stated on your resume.

Let the employee know what you bring to the company and the job by highlighting your skills. Everybody has unique experiences and skills make sure that yours shine through during the interview.

10 Things to Include in Your Personal Statement - Undergraduate, Graduate & Beyond

2007-04-09T23:56:00.002-07:00

Whether you are applying to enter undergraduate school, graduate school, or applying for a job, you may be asked to include a personal statement with your application. A personal statement is a supplement to your application that allows you to elaborate on your skills, experience, etc. Some personal statements ask you to respond to a very specific question, while other personal statements may ask a general question, which gives you a little more leeway on what should be included.

Writing your personal statement is your opportunity to shine. It is your opportunity to describe yourself, list the reasons you are interested in becoming part of the institution you are applying for, and the goals that you have set for yourself to achieve. The personal statement is also your platform for elaborating on the abilities that you possess that are not reflected in the standard form questions that you complete on an application. Finally, by completing your personal statement, you are showing the review board that you have the ability to organize your thoughts and that you can write clearly and effectively.

10 Things you should include in a personal statement:

1. List and thoroughly explain your personal experiences and qualifications. Be as specific as possible. Your experiences may be related to school, extracurricular activities, community service, or work experience.

2. Explain what makes you special, unique or impressive. Set yourself apart from your competition. Explain why you should be chosen over the other applicants that are volleying for your position in the institution.

3. List and fully explain the specific reasons that you are interested in attending this institution. It may be that they offer a course of study that no other institution does. It may be that they have the top medical school in the country and you want to me the top brain surgeon in the country. Also include how you came to know of the institution and/or field of study that you are interested in pursuing.

4. Explain and describe any work experience that you may have as it applies to your interest in your course of study. Relevant work experience may be what sparked your interest in pursuing this line of study or the line of work that you would eventually like to take on as a career. For example, maybe you volunteered in a battered women's shelter and this has sparked your interest in becoming a social worker. You feel that studying social work will prepare you for a career in social work, which will allow you to help try and change or better certain aspects of society.

5. Describe your career goals. Be as specific as possible. For example, don't just say that you want to be a doctor, when what you really want to be is a pediatric researcher. Explain the rationale behind you choosing to set these career goals for yourself. Maybe what sparked your goal was that your baby cousin died of a rare disease and you want to be able to conduct medical research, specifically for children, to try and find new and innovative cures for certain diseases that affect kids.

6. List the skills and achievements that you have accomplished. Provide supporting evidence as to how you accomplished the achievements or why you received the awards that you have listed.

7. Describe your most prominent characteristics and attributes. Again, provide supporting evidence to show how these attributes are beneficial to your growth and to their organization.

8. Fully describe some responsibilities that have you taken on and what you learned from them.

9. Describe some difficulties in life that you managed to overcome. Describe how you were able to overcome these difficulties and what you learned from these difficult times or incidents.

10. Make sure that you have written a complete personal statement that includes a strong and attention grabbing opening paragraph. This should be followed by the main section of your personal statement, spelling out all of the details that are listed above. Finally, you should have a strong conclusion which ties the entire essay together. Also be sure to reiterate your interest on becoming part of their institution.

Remember that having to write a personal statement is your opportunity to shine like the sun. Be sure to include these 10 items to ensure that you submit a complete personal statement. And most importantly, be sure to put a positive spin on everything that is on your list to include. You are painting a picture of yourself with words and you need them to impress the reader enough to see you in the positive light that you are standing in!

An Example of A Cover Letter

2007-04-09T23:56:00.001-07:00

Letters are typically the most widely-used form of communication. These had survived the technological advancement, and are still in existence due to the following reasons:

1. Writing letters do not require the use of special devices, thus making it a cheap form of communication.

Even long distance communication is made possible even with limited means. This can be made at home or almost anywhere as long as paper and a writing material such as pen, is available.

2. If the letter is to be used as a promotional or advertising device, it could cover a much wider range of market or consumers since addresses are much easier to determine unlike email addresses which are personalized.

3. For purposes or record-keeping, letters are a much easier form of validating information that can be stored and kept for future reference.

Cover letters on the other hand are used mainly to introduce a certain topic or idea.

This may be done either through the regular form of writing on a piece of paper or encoding the same on an email message following the regular format for letter writing.

The most common use of cover letters is as follow:

1. For sending resumes for a certain job vacancy.

All application forms or resumes that are sent to an employer should have an accompanying cover letter that would introduce the intention of the sender to apply for a specific post.

2. To introduce a certain product or service that the senders wants to convey or offer to the reader.

These are most commonly found on submitted quotations or in expressing the intention to join a particular bidding. An overview of the product or service is discussed to grab the attention of the reader.

The main idea of which is to arouse interest on the part of the reader to consider the proposal submitted by the sender. There are a wide variety of attention-grabbing cover letters. All of which have the intention of directing the reader to consider the attached proposal.

The following should be taken into consideration when drafting a good cover letter for applying for a vacant post:

1. The opening paragraph

This should state or explain your intentions on sending your resume. It would be of great help if one would indicate where he or she had heard of the said job vacancy.

This may likewise include a brief overview about the individual’s background or some personal information such as the degree attained or past posts held.

2. Middle paragraph

This is the part from where the individual states why he or she is interested in the said post. He or she should expound on his or her selling points such as past work experiences that could be of great contribution for the position being applied for.

3. Closing paragraph

The closing part should state the availability of the sender of the letter for an interview or that other needed information by the reader would be readily provided by the sender upon request of the former.

Below is an example of a simple cover letter:

10 May 2006

MR. GEORGE LANE Real Estate Broker Goodland Fields Estates Vancouver, CA 22182

Dear Mr. Lane:

I had been immensely moved with speech that you have delivered at the St. James Auditorium last April 20.

This had enabled me to reflect and realize that I may have a good career as a Real Estate Broker in your good company, given my past experience as a sales agent and my inherent passion for interaction with various types of people. Attached herewith is my resume for your reference.

I am looking forward to being able a part of your good institution’s team. Should you have other questions, I would be in Vancouver next week and would be calling your office to answer any other inquiry. Thank you very much.

Sincerely, (signature of the sender in handwritten form) Michael Longland

Enclosure

Add Value To Your Resume with Accomplishments and Achievements

2007-04-09T23:55:00.000-07:00

As a Career Advisor for private college, I’ve seen thousands of resumes. Typically it is the same format and design: objective, education, professional experience, skills.

While most people think it is important to give a laundry list of duties and responsibilities many hiring managers prefer to see a list of accomplishments and achievements.

Examples of Accomplishments/Achievements

1. Successfully increased sales by 85%

2. Decreased office supplies spending by 42% by negotiating pricing with vendors

3. Served as a liason on a $45 million dollar construction project

4. Negotiated price on supplies which decreased cost by 50%

5. Reduced staff by 40% by reorganizing responsibilities and hiring part-time workers

6. Developed a training guide to assist new hires and other departmental staff

7. Organized a task force to address concerns of staff and students

Employers want to see where you have added value and how you will add value to their company.

Remember: everyone has accomplishments, they just may not be that easy to determine. Take a few minutes right now and thing of some things you have done at your current or former employer to add value. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Take out a separate sheet of paper for each position you have held.

2. Brainstorm - For each position jot down your accomplishments. Don’t be too concerned with punctuation and grammar.

3. Now go back to each sheet and fill in the details. Revise your statements.

4. Let someone else read your accomplishments. Any well thought out ideas should be incorporated.

Four Steps A Recruiter Takes To Trash CVs and Resumes

2007-04-09T23:54:00.002-07:00

Having 200-300 CVs or resumes to analyse, a tight schedule, and probably working late, an employer's or recruiting manager's approach is to scan the huge pile quickly and look for any little reason to trash your CV or resume. Learn how to avoid your CV or resume being trashed and how to almost guarantee that it gets noticed and shortlisted.

The scenario described above of a recruiting manager or employer is fairly typical. With hundreds of CVs or resumes, little time, and the pressure of identifying the best person for the job, the strategy a recruiter takes is to first eliminate all those who show any little sign of being worthy of elimination. And the basis of that is your CV and resume, highlighting the great importance attached to this one or two page document.

So what happens when the pile of 300 CVs and resumes are put in front of the recruitment manager? Well there are three main steps, which are taken to filter the pile. Filtering is needed to choose appropriate candidates for the interview stage. So those not worthy of being interviewed have their CVs or resumes trashed. Let’s take a look at them one by one.

The first stage: The 5-10 second glance

The recruitment manager is not going to spend minutes going through each CV or resume to find what he is looking for. Rather, his first step is to spend at the most 10 seconds to take a quick glance at mainly the first page and the following page(s) if the first page interests him. So the process of elimination begins with the following:

* Any CV or resume which is longer than 4 pages will be trashed. This is generally the case, unless the employer requires a detailed career history. But most CVs are no longer than three pages, and as for resumes they should be shorter. So the recruitment manager will not be bothered reading anything over 4 pages.

* Any CV or resume that does not have a profile, or objective or similar paragraph and an easy discernible list of skills on the front page will get trashed. The recruitment manager does not want to start scanning your CV or resume to see if he can find where your skills and achievements are, or what you are qualified to do. You are supposed to present that to the recruitment manager using your career marketing tool, the CV or resume.

* Any CV or resume which is written in long sentences and lengthy paragraphs and where a quick glance does not allow the identification of relevant information, such as skills and achievements will get trashed. The recruitment manager is not there to read essays or novels.

* Any CV or resume which is annoying. This is mainly due to bad formatting. Things such as using many different fonts and font sizes, cluttering the information with little white space, making it harder to read. Also the use of excessive underlining, bold and italics, in combination. All of these matters make the CV or resume difficult to read and follow and annoys the recruitment manager.

By now the recruitment manager has gladly trashed 70% of all the pile and is left with around 80-90 CVs or resumes. Happy with the time he has saved, he or she can now spend a little more quality time scanning what remains.

The second stage: 10-15 second glance at the first page

At this point, the recruitment manager is looking for what is specifically relevant. This requires a match between the skills required for the job and the skills and achievements presented by you. So without really looking at your or CV or resume in too much detail, he simply wants to identify what have you got to offer and does it match his or her organisation’s requirements. He or she will be looking to identify this on the first page and without having to try hard to locate this information. The match could be general or it could be specific. But because the recruitment manager is only interested in a general match, spending a relatively small amount of time (10-15 seconds) in gauging this, he will include CVs or resumes at this stage which will still be filtered later. By now there around 40 CVs or resumes that remain, about half from the first stage of filtering.

The third stage: Short listing for the interview stage

Here the recruitment manager spends a little more time, and picks out those CVs and resumes that have a specific match, or a very close match to the job requirements, and these are considered potential candidates. Here, the method of the recruitment manager has changed from elimination of irrelevant CVs and resumes to picking out highly relevant and quality matches. So after this stage, about two-thirds of the remaining pile will be discarded and we have around 15 CVs or resumes that remain.

The fourth stage: Picking candidates from the short list

It is only at this point that the recruitment manager will now look in more detail and go beyond the first page of the CV or resume to pick candidates from the short list. There are a number of factors that the recruitment manager will be focusing upon:

* Is the candidate’s latest work experience related to the job being offered

* Does the candidate have a strong academic background

* What type of companies has the candidate worked for

* What achievements has the candidate demonstrated from previous jobs

* What non-technical and job-specific skills does the candidate possess

After looking at these factors, the final interview list will be prepared which can be less than 5 candidates. So, have you got a CV or resume that will survive these four steps? The reality of the recruitment process shows that you need a targeted and focused CV or resume that not only grabs attention by showing a skills match, but is also crafted, worded and formatted to give you an edge over other candidates.

The Best Cover Letter Format

2007-04-09T23:54:00.001-07:00

Letters are described as written messages using various characters to convey or relay certain information.

It had be one of the oldest forms of communication, dating way back during the ancient Egypt. Written messages before, had been the only form of communication of people from different locations.

But with the advancement of modern technology, this has been just one of the many options for communication. Other forms had been introduced such as the use of telephones, telegraph and email messaging.

Letters are used for various reasons or purposes such as the following:

1. Personal communication of friends or relatives

2. Formal communication for business or office use

3. Public announcement

Cover letters in specific are used to introduce a need or a much broader topic. These are usually used for:

1. Application for a job posting or vacancy

2. Introduction in submitting a quotation for offered product/s or service/s

If the cover letter is used for applying for a vacant job post, the following should be included in the content of the letter:

1. An explanation on why the individual is sending a resume.

All resumes should have an accompanying cover letter that would explain what post the individual wants to apply for.

2. Indicate from where one had heard of such vacancy.

It would be of help if one would be specific in indicating where he or she had heard of the job vacancy, that is if it was from a television ad, from a certain website or through word of mouth.

Indicating the name of the individual who suggested that an application be sent or written is likewise appropriate.

3. Catchy enough for the reader to want to read your resume.

The letter should be polite and not over-demanding or too confident, so much as to arose interest to look upon the attached resume.

4. It should focus on the selling points of the individual.

This may include the education attained, past work experience or previous posts held, ever so slightly touching the said topic but not too much so as to loose interest to further read the accompanying resume.

5. The attitude of the individual should be a reflection of the letter.

Enthusiasm for work, politeness and motivation should all emanate from the letter so as to give the employer an overview of the individual’s positive points.

6. Any other information that is requested by the employer.

If the needed information is not stated in the letter or the attached resume, the individual should state the availability of the information upon personal appearance or request.

Below is the proper formatting of the cover letter for application purposes:

1. State the current date

2. Indicate the name to whom the letter would be forwarded

3. Designation and address of the person on number 2

4. An opening paragraph that is catchy or would arouse the interest of the person reading the letter.

5. The middle paragraph should point the interest of the applicant and should have created a desire on the part of the reader to consider for the position the sender of the letter.

6. The following paragraph should subtly direct the reader to read the attached resume.

7. The closing paragraph should ever so slightly hint or suggest a certain action from the reader, that is, the sender could state his or her available time for an interview, if needed.

Tips on Writing an Effective Cover Letter

2007-03-28T02:19:00.002-07:00

Day after day, professionals continuously look for a job that they are qualified for, jobs that best fits them. Some would even take up short courses or volunteer and some would spend time to gain competence prior to applying for their desired positions. An impressive resumé is a given. This is where the cover letters will come in very useful.

Cover letters normally come with the resumé that is being sent out. It should complimentary and not be a carbon copy of the resumé. The vital characteristic that a cover letter must possess is its personal touch, since making a good first impression is important. Making a mistake of writing a nonspecific cover letter would only merit a reject from any potential employers no matter how qualified a candidate could be.

It certainly is an overwhelming task to write a cover letter. It takes loads of practice, yes. Tedious as it may seem, writing these letters would not be a problem for long.

There are cover letters for different purposes. The ones that answers to a known job opportunity or application letters; the ones that inquire on potential positions or prospecting letters; and the ones that ask for information and help in occupational pursuits or networking letters.

1. Make sure that the cover letter is clean and error free: misspelled words, typos, grammar, and even blotches.

2. Instead of a humdrum introductory paragraph, use it instead to make an attention grabbing piece to make the qualifications known.

3. The cover letter should interpret the written information of the resumé. Specific cover letters should be composed for individual employers. Adding personal touches is best.

4. Be sure to refer the letter to the individual being addressed, or if in case it is a blind advertisement, make sure that the salutation to use is general.

5. The use of wordy phrases and clichés are just waste of space.

6. Make use of basic language and simple sentences. Anything more than that is just another waste of space.

7. Keep it short. One full page is enough.

8. Make sure that the personal information written is correct. Never give the employer a difficult time to contact.

9. Set the cover letter apart from other job hunters by highlighting qualifications.

10. Request for an interview either by indicating it on the letter and following it up.

11. Instead of pointing out how the company can help, do point out how the company can be helped.

12. Make sure that the cover letter written answers the question of the employer as to why the applicant should do the hiring.

13. The letter should radiate with positive vibes. There is no room for any pessimism.

14. Always sign the cover letter. Blue ink pen is preferred.

15. When applying online, make sure that the cover letters are direct to the point.

With millions of job seekers hounding for a good position, it sure is a tough competition making something that would stand out from everybody else. Weeding through hundreds of resumés a day is a headache. However daunting, it would be a pleasant reward to have a perfectly written cover letter that, not only would give a big impact on the employer, but could even result to landing at a perfect job.

Opportunities for Teaching Internationally

2007-03-28T02:19:00.001-07:00

Throughout the world, there are international schools looking to hire American, Canadian and British teachers. With over 900 K-12 schools in locations as diverse as China and Italy, the opportunities for teaching overseas are incredible. Despite the differences between each international school, they are all first-rate, private schools with great faculty members and top-notch facilities. Most of these schools also boast small class sizes and diverse student bodies. Considering the fact that there are over 5,000 vacancies each year at international English-language schools, there is bound to be a position that fits your personality and experience.

Many of these international English-language schools were formed to serve expatriate communities and other English-speaking families residing throughout the world. However, regardless of location, every school you discover will possess a unique vision and curriculum. Many schools will feel like private schools in the U.S., while institutions in smaller countries that enroll more local students might have more creative, native atmospheres. In schools with large numbers of native students enrolled, classes might also be offered in the host country’s language. Almost every capital city in the world has such an international school. Many of the schools are directly affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense and are generally referred to as American international schools, while other schools may call themselves colleges. However, all of the schools you will find during your search of international, English-language teaching opportunities will be U.S. accredited. Generally, international teaching opportunities pay about as much as private schools in the U.S. However, your salary will usually be tax free, both in the U.S. and your host country. Furthermore, nearly all of the international teaching opportunities offer paid housing or a housing allowance and round-trip travel between your home and the school.

Many even offer pension funds, insurance packages, home leave and free or discounted tuition for family members. Depending on where you decide to teach, you will also have the opportunity to save money, whether for additional travel or use back home. It should also be noted that the application process for overseas teaching positions isn’t as complicated as most assume. While there isn’t a formal organization governing all the international schools, placement agencies offer comprehensive services that allow you to organize your job search. In addition to newsletters and job search tools, the placement services act as liaisons between the international schools and prospective teachers. One of the best ways to learn about the international teaching opportunities is to attend a job fair organized by a placement service. Such conferences will allow you to meet the administrators of overseas schools, personally deliver resumes and analyze your teaching options. As very few schools are willing to hire an educator without an interview, this is also a good time to make yourself known to your schools of interest. When analyzing the available overseas teaching opportunities, here are a few extra tips to help you find the right school:

* Remain flexible. Target a particular region of the world or type of school, but keep your options open. You may find yourself teaching in an exciting location that you would have otherwise overlooked!
* Don’t wait to fill out your applications! You should always try to file your applications early – usually by October before the upcoming school year – to ensure the school receives the proper materials.
* Practice your interview skills. When it is time to meet administrators at the job fair, you don’t want your hard work to go to waste.
* Even if you aren’t looking for a fulltime teaching position, many language institutes throughout the world accept instructors on a more limited basis.
* Rely on your resources. Your placement service can answer your tough questions and help you avoid costly application mistakes.

How to Write that Attention-Grabbing Cover Letter

2007-03-28T02:18:00.001-07:00

In at least one point of our lives, we will have to look for a job and apply for one, ask for funding for an important project, or ask for assistance in any mode or form. With today’s businesses having more concerns, and with today’s companies and prospective donors becoming ever busier, anyone in need of help has to be more polite and persuasive.

One way to grab attention is to write a cover letter – and the best way to stand out among all the other piles of requests and applications is to write a cover letter that will grab the recipient’s attention immediately.

How do you write that attention-grabbing cover letter? Before you set pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard, you have to answer the following questions:

What is your goal? Are you applying for a job that you want? Are you asking for funding for a research project that needs to move forward? Are you looking for a deal that will ensure a company commercial exposure? Let this goal guide you in writing that cover letter. All language embellishments and good grammar aside, a cover letter will grab attention only if its goal is firmly and completely established.

How well do you know the company that you are applying to? If you are a job applicant, do you know the company’s goals and objectives? Do you know exactly what duties you will have once you take on that job?

If you are applying for funding for your research, are your research goals in line with the company’s goals? If you want to give the company commercial exposure, will your event ensure that the company’s prospective market will be present?

Know the company first before writing that cover letter. Remember, these companies do not care what you know. They want to know that you care about them first.

Do you have all the supplementary materials? Do you have your resume for that job application, the details about your research or company activity? The cover letter has to cover something – and that something has to be well written and complete.

Once you have answered all the questions, then you can start writing your cover letter. To write the best letter, follow these tips.

Address your letter to the person most concerned with its contents. Do your research, and never start that letter with “To whom it may concern.” This shows that you are not interested in the company you are contacting – and if you don’t show interest, why should the company show interest in you.

Be polite but brief. Introduce yourself, and provide only relevant information. State the purpose of the letter and the attachments in as few words as possible. Do not go beyond two paragraphs in stating your purpose, and keep your letter to one page. Remember that you are only one in a pile of thousands, and the person concerned has to sift through thousands of letters a day. The shorter the letter, the faster it will catch attention.

Provide all your contact information, and make sure that all the information you state is correct.

Sign your name above your printed name. This shows that you are personally taking care of your correspondences, and not sending letters out randomly.

Print your cover letter on clean paper, and make sure that it is neat. First impressions count, even in paper correspondences.

So, if you want to get that job, if you want your project to push through, and if you want to move forward in your career, write that great cover letter to go along with your documents. It might just be your ticket to a better job, a good project, and stardom, no matter where in the business world you may stand.

Grabbing that Job: Writing a Cover Letter for Your Resume

2007-03-28T02:16:00.001-07:00

Looking for a job is easier nowadays, what with the advent of the World Wide Web, fast searching for jobs online, and more job opportunities. What has not changed, however, is politeness. No matter what employer you go to, no matter which company you apply to, you have to follow protocols in your job application.

One such protocol is the polite and quintessential cover letter. A cover letter is your first impression: your chance to catch attention and make yourself seen amongst the thousands of other applicants. If you can grab your prospective employer on the first page, then your resume will look all the more attractive – first impressions count even in paper correspondences, so you have to make a great cover letter to go along with your credentials.

What are the essentials of a good cover letter for your resume? Before you start typing or writing that resume cover letter, take note of the following:

You have to have the company’s complete address. Never address your prospective employer as simply “Sir” or “Madam” in the letter; and never address the letter recipient simply as “To Whom it May Concern.” This shows that you do not care about the company – so why should the company care about you?

Do your research before writing that resume cover letter. Who should the letter be addressed to? Is this person a man or a woman? Should this person be addressed as Doctor or Attorney? Your initial address not only shows politeness – it also shows that you are willing to know more about the company.

Be brief but polite. Businesses are very busy, and they have only a few people to sift through thousands of letters every day. Grab attention by being very brief. Introduce yourself in one sentence, state your interest in the job posted in another sentence, and state what you have attached to the cover letter in the third. Brevity is indeed the soul of wit – it can also be the key to that job.

Know your career goals and let these goals guide you in writing your cover letter. A cover letter may be short, but if it does not speak of someone well focused and willing to meet their goals, then a company may turn you down. Be focused on those goals when writing your cover letter. Your enthusiasm and willingness to do a job will shine through.

Provide all your contact information in another paragraph. Make sure that all the information you provide is correct. If you might be out of the house, indicate when and where the company can reach you. Remember that you have to be reachable: you are the one in need of a job, but do not grovel and throw yourself at the company’s feet like a slave. Strike the balance among strength, politeness, motivation, and a willingness to work.

Sign your name above your printed name. This shows that you are not sending out the same letter to thousands of other companies – and it shows that each letter has your personal touch. Remember, a company will not care about who you are and what you know – until it knows that you care about the company first.

Last, and most important: watch your grammar!

Are you ready to get that job you want? Then start typing that cover letter! Before long, you will be sitting at that much desired desk, or conducting that field survey you’ve always wanted to do, or simply acting as the boss. The power of the cover letter is up to you.Looking for a job is easier nowadays, what with the advent of the World Wide Web, fast searching for jobs online, and more job opportunities. What has not changed, however, is politeness. No matter what employer you go to, no matter which company you apply to, you have to follow protocols in your job application.

One such protocol is the polite and quintessential cover letter. A cover letter is your first impression: your chance to catch attention and make yourself seen amongst the thousands of other applicants. If you can grab your prospective employer on the first page, then your resume will look all the more attractive – first impressions count even in paper correspondences, so you have to make a great cover letter to go along with your credentials.

What are the essentials of a good cover letter for your resume? Before you start typing or writing that resume cover letter, take note of the following:

You have to have the company’s complete address. Never address your prospective employer as simply “Sir” or “Madam” in the letter; and never address the letter recipient simply as “To Whom it May Concern.” This shows that you do not care about the company – so why should the company care about you?

Do your research before writing that resume cover letter. Who should the letter be addressed to? Is this person a man or a woman? Should this person be addressed as Doctor or Attorney? Your initial address not only shows politeness – it also shows that you are willing to know more about the company.

Be brief but polite. Businesses are very busy, and they have only a few people to sift through thousands of letters every day. Grab attention by being very brief. Introduce yourself in one sentence, state your interest in the job posted in another sentence, and state what you have attached to the cover letter in the third. Brevity is indeed the soul of wit – it can also be the key to that job.

Know your career goals and let these goals guide you in writing your cover letter. A cover letter may be short, but if it does not speak of someone well focused and willing to meet their goals, then a company may turn you down. Be focused on those goals when writing your cover letter. Your enthusiasm and willingness to do a job will shine through.

Provide all your contact information in another paragraph. Make sure that all the information you provide is correct. If you might be out of the house, indicate when and where the company can reach you. Remember that you have to be reachable: you are the one in need of a job, but do not grovel and throw yourself at the company’s feet like a slave. Strike the balance among strength, politeness, motivation, and a willingness to work.

Sign your name above your printed name. This shows that you are not sending out the same letter to thousands of other companies – and it shows that each letter has your personal touch. Remember, a company will not care about who you are and what you know – until it knows that you care about the company first.

Last, and most important: watch your grammar!

Are you ready to get that job you want? Then start typing that cover letter! Before long, you will be sitting at that much desired desk, or conducting that field survey you’ve always wanted to do, or simply acting as the boss. The power of the cover letter is up to you.

The Information Age Resume

2007-03-28T02:14:00.000-07:00

What’s on your resume? Do you have an “Objectives” statement followed by a chronological listing of your last five jobs? If so, toss it into the trash.

In the tight, fast-paced, and highly competitive job market of the Information Age an effective resume is shaped by a distinctly different philosophy than were its predecessors only a few years ago. Then, the stress was chronicling a candidate’s experience, whether or not that experience fully reflected his or her talents or was germane to the application at hand.

No more. Today’s resume is a personal marketing tool, streamlined and compelling in both form and content. Intense competition for jobs and the wide availability of desktop publishing programs have changed resumes in several ways.

The defining quality of today’s resume is functionality. Resumes today must address very clearly and directly the employer’s agenda. You must think from the employer’s point of view. You can no longer think from the standpoint of what a company can do for you, rather, you must approach it from what you can do for the company.

For example, instead of an “Objectives” statement, your resume should have a short paragraph under your name that summarizes your credentials and one or two juicy accomplishments. You want to convey both that you are basically qualified for the position and that you are particularly well suited to add value to the organization.

An effective resume must be lean, targeted to what the employer wants to know and free from extraneous information. Specificity and clarity are keys to a good resume. You should downplay or omit irrelevant personal information, such as marital status or hobbies because they are unrelated to your work experiences.

The secret to a good resume is not being restrained by your previous job descriptions. Instead, detail your accomplishments, mentioning your official responsibilities only where relevant to your achievements. The point is to define your abilities, which probably have not been fully utilized in your job experiences to date, in terms of how they could help your next employer.

In the Information Age length of time spent at a particular job is not as important as what you accomplished there. So you want to de-emphasize dates. Longevity at a single company was considered a virtue in the Industrial Age, but today it is seen as a lack of gumption. So, you should put dates of employment on the right side of the page or in parentheses after each job title, rather than in the eye-catching left margin, as was done in the past.

To help determine what your targeted employer wants, you’re going to have to do some research on the company. Call the personnel office to ask for the full job description; research the prospective company on the Internet and look for articles about the company in business journals. If this seems to imply tailoring your resume for each job application, that’s exactly what you must do in the Information Age. It’s a lot of work, but not as much as not getting the interview.

Here are some other important guidelines that will help you develop a good functional resume:

• Omit information that could trigger unconscious biases in the person screening your resume. While equal employment opportunity laws are supposed to prevent discrimination on the basis of personal qualities, in today’s hypercompetitive job market, age may be a subtle but definite disqualifier. Thus, if you are young, it might be better not to list a college graduation date. On the other hand, if you an older job applicant, do not list accomplishments that are more than 15 years old.

• Always use action verbs. Don’t use the timeworn phrase “Responsible for…” which was common on Industrial Age resumes. Instead, choose the verb that most vividly describes what you accomplished. Show a draft to family and friends; ask if it dynamically expresses you at your best.

• Quantify your accomplishments. If you helped improve productivity, state the benefits in dollars. Specify the number of persons you supervised, trained or counseled.

• Be sure to include accomplishments that resulted from team efforts. Use terms like, “coauthored”, or “collaborated” to describe your role.

• Consider making your resume slightly longer. In the Industrial Age, one page resumes were the norm. Today, three pages are acceptable for experienced candidates, especially those in the six-figure salary range. People in other income brackets should still limit their resumes to one and a half or two pages.

In the Industrial Age if you worked hard and did a good job you could pretty much be assured that you would have a job for life and if not you could easily get another one with benefits and a pension. So, a simple one page resume was all you ever needed, but not today. In the Industrial Age where change is happening daily and there is no job security, you must have a functional resume that can be quickly tailored to a specific job opening at a moment’s notice.

If you put together a well crafted functional resume it can help open doors you may never have considered when your job experiences were expected to move along a predictable continuum, buy you must always remember that a good resume can open the door for you but the rest is up to you.

How To Write Your Close Protection Resume

2007-03-28T02:13:00.000-07:00

Submitting your CV should be considered part of your employment interview and thus be treated with the same level of professionalism and preparation. First of all there are a common misunderstanding that a resume and a CV is the same thing, it is not! CV stands for Curriculum Vitae, which is Latin and means "Life history". A CV is therefore commonly from 4 to 10 pages long as it covers ones "life history", the CV is most commonly used in higher positions within the corporate and intellectual environment.

The Resume

What is most commonly used in the Close Protection world is a Resume. A “Resume" is a really a brief introduction to your full CV. Thus in your resume you include the vital points from your CV in a short and simple manner. As the resume is a short version of your CV it should preferably be one to two pages long.

Getting started

If you are using Microsoft Word as your editor then save yourself time on the layout, by simply opening Word. In the "File" tap choose "New", from the "right panel" options choose "General Templates" and from the Templates menu choose "Other Documents", then open "Elegant Resume" or "Professional Resume" based on your personal preference. I prefer the elegant version, but that's just me.

The template you have opened will give you a general layout of what information should go where etc. However, when it comes to writing your details then the template cannot provide you with more than a generic description; this is where you need to be creative. Having a resume that merely looks good isn’t going to cut it, you need a resume that will be opened and read.

Don't be lazy and just quick type your resume into the email message, there is nothing more annoying for the receiver, than having to copy and paste the information into a Word document before it can be saved. Ask yourself why should someone else do your work for you? And then ask yourself, if you think that will help you get a contract? I am sure it won't! Most résumé’s that have been written directly into the email message gets lost in the inbox somewhere or are simply deleted.

Your Cover Letter

It always amazes me that so many applicants send their resume, with the subject line flatly saying “My CV or Resume”, and the email itself often contains no text but simply has an attached CV or Resume. How well prepared is that? The first thought a receiver will have of the person, who emailed this message will likely be something like this; “if you are that lazy when it comes to writing and delivering your resume, your work ethics is most likely just as lazy…”. After that thought they are very likely to simply press the delete button!

A CPO, who is sending out his CV or Resume, is actually asking strangers in HR positions, to either hire him or find him a close protection contract. But he does not even have the courtesy to say thank you, or please, or even introduce himself first. He is so full of arrogance that he feels everyone he sends it to, should be overly joyful that he has shown them mere humans, the honour of applying for a position with their company. Well no matter what is in that resume, it is not going to place him on top of any HR managers lists for anything; it is simply going for the deleted items bin… and I am know that I am not the only one who does that!

Therefore you need to write a cover letter, which goes with your resume that introduces you and your reasons for sending your resume. The cover letter is the key that unlocks the door for you and give the receiver a little knowledge about you, before he either deletes your message, or opens and read your resume. To not just unlock the door, but also open it, requires that your cover letter makes the receive wants to read your attached resume!

The AIDCA Approach

The AIDCA approach has been used in advertising and marketing for decades and it is still being used because it works. Your resume is your advertising brochure, aimed at selling your personal services to a CP employer; you need to approach your job applications as if it was a marketing campaign, which it is! Because, if you want to compete for the few contracts that are available for outsiders; you need to “sell” yourself and your experience and skills better than all the other applicants.

AIDCA stands for:

• Attention
• Interest
• Desire
• Conviction
• Action

Attention: is what your email subject line should create. Many persons base their decision, on whether to open and read an email or ignore it, simply on what is in the subject line. So make sure it is short, direct and most of all informative.

Writing "My CV" is definitely short and direct, but it is definitely not informative and worse it is just plain rude. "Experienced & SIA Licensed CPO at Your Service" is short, direct and yet informative and much more likely to catch the attention of the receiver. Think about it, next time you compose the subject line before sending your resume by email.

Your Cover Letter, whether it is in printed form or an email message, should also use the "Attention" factor in its first "heading" and the first full paragraph. The first paragraph should ideally consist of 2-3 or max 4 lines, and basically further "bind" the reader’s attention, so that he will be compelled to read your resume and do it with a positive attitude.

So your first "heading" and paragraph have to be well composed and follow this simple and proved guideline:

• Communicate the offer - what is your purpose of the communicating and what you are offering.

• Highlight your best aspects - what are your best qualities and what makes you the ideal candidate for the job.

• Engage the reader – what do you know that is of direct relevance to the position or company you are applying with.

When your head line and opening paragraph accomplishes to deliver all three points, then the Human Resource department or receiver will open and read your resume! So put some real work into it, after all it is your economic future and security career that you are securing by adding a little extra work to your resume.

Your resume (or curriculum vitae), combined with the cover letter, are the master keys to opening the prospective employer's mind and the company door; so that you can proceed to the next step in the process - the job interview!

Interest: this is the first "body" section of your resume, and this is the second most important part. You have to make sure it that the first two parts stimulates the interest of the reader, so that he will continue to read the rest of your CV. That means that in the interest part, you should describe your last employment relevant actions such as; a recent job function, related military background, police background of relevance, specific security operations or special training you have completed etc.

Desire: this is the third part of your resume and should describe your complete employment history in order of relevance. Always place the most relevant position first, then follow with a chronological list of your all other employment records. Always start the chronological section with the most recent position first and then backwards through time.

If your history of employment includes positions of little relevance to what you are applying for, then simply state the position, date and company/employer, do not describe what you did if it is not relevant. For all prior job positions that are of relevance, you should describe what responsibilities you had and the positive effect your involvement had. This is where you have to take some honour upon yourself, whether you like it or not. A resume is not the right place to display humbleness; unless of course you are applying to be a priest!

Basically the desire part should make the reader think positively about having you and your skills in their company and how they would benefit from that; you need to make them desire to have you working for them!

Conviction: this is the part where you include your references, your written recommendations, your accomplishments and any merits and medals you have received. Provide full contact details for at least two people, who hold positions of relevance and are ready to vouch for you, and recommend you to the new employer. Make sure the referee, is a person that would himself hire you again if needs be. There is a standard “coy” question all human resource managers ask… “Well that sounds fine, so you would be happy to have him work for you again tomorrow?” “Eeeh… well no because we did not get along that well and his work ethics are different than mine eeeehhh so…” And that is all the HR manager needs to dump your application in the waste bin. Make sure you only provide the referees that were happy with your performance!

When reading this part of your resume, the reader should feel confident that everything you have stated so far is correct, and that you are indeed a competent and highly trustworthy individual, whom the reader would be lucky to employ before someone else gets you.

Action: the final part of your resume, this is where you should include an "action trigger" that will compel the reader to contact you for a conversation or to schedule an interview. Therefore this part has to be specific about when you will be available and how to best contact you. A lot of CPO's who sends out their resume, only place their contact details at the top; which is a good place to have it, but you have to repeat the contact details again in this part and with a prompt, to contact you today.

One way to get the reader to take action and contact you are to include a specific date and time, which you are planning a visit with them for an interview. "As you have seen in my resume then I have the necessary skills and experience that your company needs and would therefore like to present myself for a proper employment interview. I will be in your area/city on Wednesday next week and will call on you at 10 am, if that suits your schedule."

With a direct and timed call like that, the reader will have to get back to you, even if he does not want to or are not capable of meeting you at that time. This response gives you an extra opportunity, for communicating with the reader. Just make sure that you are ready and able to keep the appointment yourself!

Now print this message and read it again; then sit down and rewrite your resume using the basic guideline included in this message and then go and apply with those companies that have not employed you yet. Don't be concerned about sending your resume to the same company again; just include in the description line that this is your updated resume. Send it every three to four months, and within a year they will remember your name even if they have not had any positions for you yet. Being known and remembered is a key to getting employed. In many sectors of the private security industry it is not “What you know but who you know, that gets you a job”. So get known by repeated communications, but don’t stalk them!

My last resume advice is these ten points, which are wise to remember when writing your resume.

1. Keep it focused and businesslike

2. More than two pages is to much for a resume

3. Check the grammar and try to get the punctuations right, always remember to spell check and have someone read it over for you

4. Keep the resume relevant to the specific company or position

5. Make sure it looks good and reads well, have "white" space in it, that mean empty space and not a page that is filled from edge to edge.

6. Make sure you describe what you can do today, not only past skills but also what you are presently learning

7. Be honest; self advertising is good, but exaggerations are not

8. Follow any specific instructions if required by the company you are applying to, for both the format and content

9. Make sure your resume is received, specify the receiver and follow up with further emails or even better a phone call

10. Use a cover letter and keep it short and focused on catching the attention of the reader

Good luck with your job hunting! If you need ideas about where to seek your next foreign close protection contract, then read my last EzineArticles.com article; Close Protection Versus Crime in Mexico.

The Dangers in Adopting Cover Letter Examples

2007-03-28T02:12:00.002-07:00

Cover letter examples are all over the internet. There are even books especially designed and published containing cover letter examples. These are of course tools that will aid you in your quest of writing your own cover letters. Cover letter examples do help you gain knowledge in efficiently writing a piece of your quality cover letter.

If the cover letter examples are generally scented to become appealing to you, there are certain dangers which you have to warn yourself about. Are you aware of these dangers that may bring you to your downfall?

If at one point in time the realization that no one seems to be calling you for interviews or exams start dawning on you, you should start worrying. You may have spread out large numbers of cover letters to innumerable companies but then not one confirmation from them seems to knock on your door. If you think there is something wrong, then you are probably right in your speculation. Start looking into the kind of cover letter that you are sending out. How on earth did you conceptualize your cover letter? Did you simply copied and pasted it from some sort of source? Did you scrutinize the source you got?

Many of today's jobseekers plainly use the standard cover letters which they derive from the internet websites or from the books they have purchased. As this cannot be rid of, you have to first take into consideration some pointers before you end up copying and pasting from your sources.

When dealing with cover letter examples, figure out the purpose expressed in them. You have to know that the main aim of your cover letter is to come up with a brief but detail-filled set of information about you. This is in turn necessary so that the employer will get to know you better. If you are able to meet the demands of the employer and if he or she gets satisfied with the presentation of your cover letter, congratulate yourself because you are likely to get an interview in no time at all.

Cover letter examples give off the inspiration you need so that you will be able to create your own original cover letter. In your masterpiece, you have to include the skills that will make selling yourself effective. Going for the canned cover letter examples will give off an impression that you are not creative at all and worst, that you are lazy. If this kind of impression is what the employer derives from your cover letter, then he or she will automatically think that you are not the perfect individual suited for the position. Don't think that the employers cannot track copied and pasted cover letters. They are not that dumb.

Adopting the cover letter examples that you find in the net will limit your chances of expressing yourself freely. It will likewise hinder you in including the necessary information which you ought to include in your cover letter.

Most people stick with the excuse that they use the cover letter examples because they are not creative enough. They may not be creative to the fullest level but it will not hurt a bit if they try working out on their own cover letters though. Just bear in mind that your cover letters determine your future in the corporate world!

What if You Get Caught Lying On Your Resume

2007-03-28T02:12:00.001-07:00

Face it, the job market can be a extremely hard scene to compete. If every Tom, Dick ,and Harry inflates their knowledge then how can an ethical individual get a job? Well, as seductive as it may be, you do not want to risk dishonesty on your resume. Whether it's personal information, job experience, or education - employers are discovering new ways to ferret out liars and you don't want to be one of them.

Experience

Plainly this is not the spot to brag about false occupation as you are going to list the businesses you worked for which may be contacted for confirmation. As this is the most probable area your interviewer will do a check on, keep from misrepresenting yourself at all costs.

Education Level

Believe that nobody will notice if you slide in an education you do not genuinely have? Even if you have the skills for the job there are several companies and programs on the Internet that can do a check to make sure you have the education that you are claiming you have.

Personal Information

While some information may not be effortlessly verifiable, information such as a criminal record, can be extremely costly to you in the event it is checked out. With sites available on the Internet today you can not at all guarantee that an business won't be able to discover the information, even if your business is hiring you for domestic work and is not a business.

What to Include

Better safe than sorry , how can you produce a resume that will spotlight your skills and abilities without telling white lies?

Grant yourself credit. Your skills in the workforce can be immense indicators of your capacity to work in a given job. You may not know what a firm is looking for. With numerous jobs that don't command a certain expertise, you many discover that they are looking for people who are capable to learn on the job. Evidence that you have gained skills as a worker can be very beneficial.

Highlight your skills and make sure that the skills you have you elaborate on. Instead of saying I was responsible for sales and customer support you may say I increased sales by 110% and client retention by 250% if these are accurate statements.

As you can see you are saying the same thing but you are putting a good spin on it.

Well, that's the end of my article. I hope you will be able to use this information.

Noteworthy Tips for Writing A Cover Letter

2007-03-28T02:11:00.000-07:00

It seems that not a single individual expresses his interest in writing resumes or cover letters. The fact that the cover letters are not the least enjoyed to be read by their recipients add up to the fact of its being too boring. Why are the cover letters perceived to be dull and uninteresting?

The main reason comes from the cover letter templates. The cover letter templates are important especially when the message needs to be disseminated to several recipients. They make things easy and comfortable for the cover letter writer.

You should know that it will be too hard for you to create new paragraph or sentence structures all over again for every single cover letter that you need to finish. The disadvantage to this is that the cover letter appears to be redundant and the recipient companies get the notion that the resumes they get from the jobseekers are repetitive. Such redundancy almost ruins the overall image of the whole letter. If you are the recipient, it will almost bring you to a faint to see cover letters with exactly the same opening salvos.

The end point is-the recipient is likely to read and entertain the cover letter sent by an applicant which stands unique above the rest.

Here are noteworthy tips that you may follow so as to maintain a delicious and fresh-looking cover letter. If taken seriously, you will realize that your cover letter will be the rose among the prickly thorns.

First, you must create a real good start. As you write any form of letter, you seem to realize that the hardest thing to do is to collect your thoughts so as to be able to create a nice and fresh start. It is true indeed because most cover letter writers find it too hard to come up with an interesting and inspiring salvo. You may start with writing down some modified phrases and sentences and choose from them the best that you think will create an impression for your cover letter. You may likewise look at a list of potential cover letter beginning sentences from books or previous letters.

Never fail to include your contact details right at the top part. It is important that you include your name, place of residency, phone number, and email addresses on top of every page of your cover letter. With your computer as your tool, you may create such information. You may likewise involve smaller font sizes.

Firmly decide on a choice which you have to make. Before you start writing a cover letter, you must understand from within yourself the reason why you opt to become part of a specific company. Why do you seek such position? Why do you want to work in that firm? What tasks do you expect to handle and will you be able to handle them efficiently? It matters a lot that you write a cover letter not solely because you are in desperate need of a job but because you are interested with the tasks.

Make your cover letter sound professional. Do not use the salutations like "To whom it may concern" or "Dear Manager". These things are too unprofessional and may even sound offensive to the reader. It is important that you know the exact name of the addressee.

Create an overall impression with your closing. Your closing should be witty. Do not let your cover letter appear like you are begging. Just be concise and straightforward. Most importantly, express your genuine intentions.

The length of your cover letter is not the main point. Just show your interest by following up your application.

Let's Play Show and Tell With YOUR Resume

2007-03-28T02:10:00.002-07:00

Remember being in elementary school? Wasn't it great when you could bring something to school for SHOW AND TELL? Lesson #1: It's great to be able to bring something that no one else has. You get more recognition. Lesson #2: If you show your classmates something, it has significantly more meaning than if you tell them something. They literally have something to touch. It seems more real.

When you tell a prospective employer that you are a good salesperson, it doesn't seem to pack much of a punch. When you show a prospective employer that YOU ARE a good salesperson by sharing stories of your accomplishments, then you have a better chance of making a good impression. Quantify those accomplishments and you are poised to get yourself a job offer.

For instance, if you increased production of the best selling product at your company, by HOW MUCH did you increase it? 15% 20% 25% Quantify your accomplishments whenever possible. Numbers SHOW results.

Your accomplishments are what distinguish you from your competitors in the job-search process. All things being equal, if a hiring manager were looking at two identical prospective employees who could handle the tasks of the job perfectly well, but one had accomplished more than the other, who do you think is going to get a phone call?

Employers are all about results. Employers are all about the bottom line. Show an employer how your accomplishments affected the bottom line in a positive way and you will make a huge impact. In your resume, you have to show the employer why you are the best person for the job. SHOW the employer that you have something to offer that no one else does. Make yourself look better than your competitors. Use descriptive active language to engage the employer when reading your resume. Make your words jump off the page and grab the reader's attention.

At the same time, you have to guide the employer through your resume clearly and professionally so that only one conclusion can be reached: YOU are the best candidate for the job. If you simply state your previous job title and the duties you performed, you are not helping them to SEE who you really are. You're just telling them what you have done before. Quantify your accomplishments and let them see just what you can do for them.

Three Guides to Improve Your Resume

2007-03-28T02:10:00.001-07:00

Sometimes your resume can hurt more than help you. In today's job-search market, you are often competing against large numbers of applicants, and your resume has to be good enough to make it past the first screening.

The first people to view your resume are often lower-level staff looking for a quick way to weed candidates out of consideration. You can minimize the chances of your resume being eliminated during this round by following three simple rules.

LESS IS MORE

Don't tell too much. A good resume should leave the prospective employer with a whetted appetite, a desire to know more. They will be likely to call and phone-screen you. So don't fill in all the details just yet. Save that for the interview. Do, however, paint a big picture of who you are and what you can offer.

For example, you may have worked several years at your present employer. Certainly you could fill up several paragraphs with all that you've done. Instead, think of the one or two most critical projects, duties or functions that you provide. List the most important and give them no more than a sentence or two each.

Here is an example:

EXPERIENCE: Mar 2003 to Present: XYZ Company, Their City, CA Senior staff design engineer. Products designed/Projects involved: A, B, C. Description of Most Important Project and why Description of 2nd most important project and why

Skip the hobbies and personal info. Avoid mind-numbing detail that will cause a reader's eyes to glaze over. One page is ideal -- two pages only if you are a 15- to 20-year veteran with a significant growth and promotion history.

MORE KEYWORDS

You want the computers to flag your resume for closer examination. Do this by including as many keywords as possible that are relevant to your job and your job skills, as well as specific industry words that may be appropriate. A convenient method to accomplish this is to include a separate "Keywords" section on your resume just below the "Objective". Think of this as an important catchall specifically for the computers to "see".

Here is an example from a candidate employed as a medical quality assurance auditor:

KEYWORDS: Quality System, QA, QS, Audit, Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP), International Standards (ISO), Corrective and Preventive Action Programs (CAPA), training, QSR, Medical Device, calibration, 510K, TQM, PMA, FDA.

Also, include the names of major companies you worked with or for, as this often is important to employers. Include those in the "Experience" section.

BE SPECIFIC

Don't just tell them what you did. Move beyond that and tell the benefit of your accomplishment. A good way to do this is to include several specific ways you helped your employer make money or save money. Remember, the only benefit you can bring to the table is past performance. When you interview (either phone or in person) this is what will be discussed.

Think of all your jobs in the past and bring forth examples of some of your best work. How can an employer think of you as a problem solver? If at all possible, try to "monetize" your accomplishments (state them in terms of money). At the interview, you will be prepared to enlarge upon these successes.

SUMMARY

Building an effective resume dosen't have to be drudgery. Using the above three guidlines will keep your resume lean and to the point standing a greater chance of landing on the "to call" stack and getting you a phone screen.

Cover Letter Examples: Your Guide to Crafting a Unique One

2007-03-28T02:09:00.001-07:00

The principal reason as to why you are looking for cover letter examples is that you simply want one thing-to be educated about how to go about with your own cover letter! Cover letters are typically utilized by jobseekers. These are the sheets that provide the necessary details about your personality which the employer dies to know of. Your cover letter should be very well-written so that you will be able to prove to the employer how worthy you are for the position. A good-looking cover letter will sell yourself and your skills in a manner so efficient that the employer will not let a minute pass without calling you for an appointment!

Cover letter examples are all over the internet and other printed materials. There are books especially designed for jobseekers like you. More so, despite the rampant existence of the cover letter examples, the real deal with it is that cover letters sent to employers require a touch of your very own personality.

So how can you have some personal touches on it?

It is simple-write it yourself! Do not rely on those cover letter templates and other stereotyped intros found in the books or websites. Just use them as your basis but not entirely to copy them in verbatim. Most of the companies prefer creative employees and you cannot deny that your cover letters are their way of mirroring your personality and skills.

So you have to remember the essence of being knowledgeable about the complete names of the head officers of the company, the nature of the job you are applying for, the goals, objectives, and mission and visions of the firm. Also, be aware of how you will construct your cover letter. You can observe the formats of the cover letter examples. The cover letter needs to be comprised of three paragraphs. They are:

The starting paragraph. The introduction is the one which typically draws the attention of the reader so you should make it as catchy as possible. Don't fail to point out the position you desire for. Also make mention why you have the firm intentions of joining the company. It is advisable to polish your intro but do not over decorate it.

The middle paragraph. In this part, give the specific reasons why you are suited for the position. Introduce your skills, expertise, and pertinent qualifications. Let them see how valuable and efficient you can be. This is the best part wherein you can let the employer realize that you can be an asset to the company.

The ending paragraph. Indicate that there is an attached resume at the back part of your cover letter. In here you must mention that you can be available for interviews. Always mark your cover letter with an ending that is filled with gratitude.

Other pointers to bear in mind include the reminder that you should not exhibit a very lengthy cover letter. Stuffing it with plenty of words means boring the reader. Do not forget to check for the grammatical errors in the cover letter. Refrain from committing errors in the use of the punctuation marks and other typographical mistakes. Do not use the pronoun "I" in a redundant manner. This will only give them the impression that you are indeed self-centered. Always scribble your signature over your printed name at the closing of your cover letter.

Cover letter examples will keep you abreast of the necessary pointers which you must not forget to pay attention to. However, you must not rely too much on these cover letter examples. It is more attractive and rewarding to write your own cover letter!

Creating a Powerful, Skills Based Resume – One Liners that Work

2007-03-28T02:08:00.001-07:00

I have heard people say so often that a skills based resume doesn’t work. From this, I can only assume that they just don’t know how to put one together properly, because a well written skill based resume is powerful, creates interest and gets you the interview.

So what is the difference between one that works and one that doesn’t?

The difference is whether just write down a list of skills you hope the reader will accept you have or whether you use one-liners to prove that you have the skill.

You may have a line in your resume which reads:

- organized, hard worker, excellent communication skills, computer proficient

This proves nothing, except that you’ve read the ad and are regurgitating the information onto paper!

If my resume says I have great computer skills, why should anyone believe me? Especially since under “Education and Training” you will find nothing related to learning computers!

They will believe me if I can tell stories to prove that I have the skill I am claiming.

So here is how to go about it.

First look carefully at the job description – or find out as much as you can about the job. What exactly are they looking for?

Let’s assume you are looking at a job advertisement which just says “excellent computer skills.” This is pretty vague and you don’t know what software they need you to know, but it’s a pretty safe bet that Microsoft Office is required.

Next, think of stories, true stories from your life – they can be as long as you like at this point – stories that describe your proficiency on computers. What have you done with computers? What projects? What software did you take courses in, teach yourself, and what did you use this information for after you’d learnt it?

I am self taught, so this makes it harder to prove I know what I claim to know. However, I have used computer for almost 20 years and this gives me a wealth of stories from which to draw.

Here is my story:

One of the first things I did once I learnt to use a Word Processor (it was Word Perfect 5.1, for those of you who were around in the “olden” days) was I undertook to create a newsletter for a social group of which I was a member. So, my one liner could look something like this:

- Created & produced a monthly 12 page newsletter, using various advanced formatting functions

I am also a handwriting analyst and as such I provide written or verbal consultation reports to clients. When I was at home with my children this was a VERY part time occupation, but the computer skills I used are still valid.

- Created & formatted 4 page structured reports for clients, responsible for grammar, spelling, layout and content.

Are you getting the idea?

Everything I am saying is the absolute truth, but I am phrasing it in business-like terms, and instead of just saying I know how to use Word, I have given them 2 concrete examples of what I have done with the program.

This is the basis of the skills based resume.

If you look back to my story about doing handwriting analysis – I mentioned to you I did either written or verbal reports. There is probably going to be a section in my skills based resume, no matter what job I am applying for, entitled “Communication Skills.” After all, what job wouldn’t be made easier if it’s incumbent had good communication skills? So can you guess what is going to appear in this section of my resume?

- Discussed sometimes sensitive report results with clients, using brevity, clarity and tact.

Now, I’m assuming most of you are not handwriting analysts! But you all have something going for you. You all do many things. Take a little thing that you felt you did or do well, and try creating a one-liner from it.

If you are feeling modest, and thinking it makes you seem too grand – don’t worry, this is normal. Try thinking of the action or skill as belonging to someone else, say your best friend. If you possibly can, think of someone else who actually does this same thing. Then describe it in a one liner describing it for their resume, with no inhibitions or thinking of it as being about yourself. Then objectively look at what you wrote, and ask yourself if this could in all honesty describe you also. The answer is probably “yes.”

Writing a skills based resume does not include any deception. It involves describing your skills in business-like terms, which unless you got the skills in business, is probably a way you have not previously looked at them.

Give it a try.

This, of course, is just the start. You have to understand how to put together the entire resume, but for now – get working on those powerful one liners which can land you the job for which you are qualified.

Writing a Resume - Basic Tips

2007-03-28T02:07:00.000-07:00

There are a variety of legitimate and appropriate styles and formats for a résumé or CV, and many of the choices and options are a matter of personal taste. You can choose a particular font, you can enclose your résumé in a folder or print it on one sheet of paper, or you can use "bullets" to outline your points. Those differences are important as they help the Hiring Manager actually "read" the résumé and differentiate from the "riff raff". In addition to the layout, the actual content and information you provide to a potential employer is crucial.

Here are four simple tips to help you write a better résumé and land a better job:

1. Check for typos.

Misspelled words, incorrect grammar, and other typos not only look unprofessional; they reveal a lack of attention to detail and carelessness. They can sink your chances of landing the job. Have a professional proofread your résumé, to ensure that it is polished to perfection.

2. Send it to the right person.

One of the most common résumé mistakes is not in the writing of the résumé or CV, but in the distribution of it. Find out who makes the decisions at the company where you are applying, and make sure that they get the résumé. Otherwise it might wind up on the wrong desk, and then get transferred into the trash bin.

3. Put yourself in their shoes.

If you put yourself in their shoes, would you give yourself the job? Think about what the company wants and why they need to hire you, more than about what you want from the company. By seeing the hiring process from that perspective, your résumé will reflect the same perspective as the person who is reading it. Because your résumé resonates with how they think, chances improve that you'll be chosen.

4. Be ready to respond if you are granted a follow-up interview.

Be prepared for the interview, because if the résumé is out there circulating, you may get a call. If you have to scramble around at the last minute to update your wardrobe or practice your answers to interview questions, you won't be prepared mentally. Learn about the company, key players, competition and other industry information that will make you look (and feel) prepared. Plan ahead, be ready, and then be calm when it really counts.

Perhaps the most important aspect of résumé planning is setting aside the time to do it right. We live in a busy world, and if you are already juggling a job and other responsibilities, a résumé project may be hard to fit into your schedule. Hire a pro if it helps. After all, you're hoping that some pro will hire you, and a good résumé is the key.

Want A Killer Cover Letter? Follow These 5 Steps

2007-03-28T02:06:00.000-07:00

When applying for a job opening with a new company many companies will require that you enclose a cover letter with your resume. Even if a company does not require that you enclose a cover letter it is always a good idea to include one with your resume. Including a cover letter will show your professionalism and if written correctly could get your resume noticed.

In this article we look at 5 things you need to include or leave out of your cover letter.

1. Leave your contact information off of the cover letter. All of your contact information needs to be contained in your resume. Putting your contact information on the cover letter will be redundant.

2. Somewhere in the cover letter let the company know what position that you are applying for. Do not assume that there is only one job opening at the company and make sure the person who is hiring knows exactly the opening you are interested in. Stating the position you are applying for will get your resume to the correct person or department.

3. The cover letter is announcing yourself as such, let the company know that you are interested in a position with their company and enclosed is a copy of your resume.

4. Make the cover letter short and sweet do not go into your qualifications and what you have accomplished in the past, this is what the resume if for. Most people will scan the cover letter so make is as easy as possible for them to decide what your information is regarding.

5. Have somebody review your cover letter and your resume before sending it out. The last thing you want on either of them is typos. Having typos on your resume will almost in every case get it thrown straight into the trash bin.

As you can see adding a cover letter is not that difficult. If you have a template set up on your computer than you can tailor each cover letter for each position you are applying for in a short amount of time.

You just read are 5 steps you can take to make sure that you have a good cover letter for any situation.

Now go out and get that job.

Cover Letter Format: The Key to Your Future

2007-03-23T04:52:00.002-07:00

On a yearly basis, graduates who come fresh from college start scouting for the best jobs that will suit their fields of specialization and qualifications.

If you are one of these wandering individuals, then you better arm yourself with sufficient knowledge regarding the cover letter format. Do not simply walk into a company without bearing the necessary requirement-your cover letter. Are you sure you can withstand the pressures of the corporate world? If you say so, then prove it.

Start with gaining the knowledge about the cover letter format.

The very beginning of your cover letter must at once catch the attention of the reader. As you apply for a job, it is necessary that you submit a cover letter. But before you jump into its construction, you have to first know the cover letter format. Start off with a general knowledge about the nature of the cover letter.

Cover letters are mainly the tools that introduce you to the company employers and automatically express your intentions of enthusiastically joining the firm as you apply for a specific position. You are right in thinking that your cover letter must be juicy-meaning it must contain the essential information about you, your intention, and your reason for expressing your interest in the job.

Your submitted cover letter will speak on your behalf. It will make mention of your qualifications. Therefore, it is only proper that you come up with the precise cover letter format before you start sending out thousands of its copies to numerous companies. Do not only send copies of your resume, include with it the cover letter! Creating a good start will automatically gain a fine impression. Do it right with your cover letter format. Once you've established a good impression, then you can expect to be granted an interview.

What comprises a cover letter format? The cover letter format typically starts off with your name followed by your address. The address is composed of the street number, city, and the zip code. After which, your contact numbers and email address follow suit. You must leave a space after that and then write the date indicating the month, date, and followed by the year. Spaces again follow and then start writing the complete name of the addressee together with the title, the name of the company or organization, and its address. Another space comes after that and then the salutation comes in.

The cover letter format hence includes the three basic paragraphs. The opening paragraph or the introduction discusses the reason why you wrote the company, how you were able to know of the vacant position in the company, what you know about the firm, and the primary details about your qualifications.

The succeeding paragraph can be utilized in discussing the educational background and other trainings which you had been equipped with in your baccalaureate course.

The closing paragraph includes your want of getting an interview and expressing your availability at all times. Also mention that you've got attachments at the back. Never forget to express your deepest thanks to the recipient. Your closing and signature comes after.

The cover letter formats are in truth embodied in the examples that you are most likely to find from the internet websites. As you happen to spot these samples, make sure that you take note of the cover letter format.

If you are serious with landing on the job that you want, you have to work for it. Your stepping stone to a good job is all about getting the cover letter format done the right way.

Resume Keywords Are Necessary

2007-03-23T04:52:00.001-07:00

Hiring managers, recruiters, and business owners conduct numerous searches on career sites each day. The words they use to search for possible candidates are known as keywords. If your resume doesn’t include these keywords, it can’t be found very easily.

The bad news is that there are as many, if not more keywords as there are job openings. You can find many different keyword lists online with possible words that are highly searched for, but that doesn’t necessarily mean those particular keywords will match the position for which you are seeking. Just like performing a search on an internet search engine, no one person, or hiring manager, searches for the exact same phase each time.

So, what can you do to increase the chances of getting your resume found? Here are a few suggestions to help you find the right keywords to include in your resume.

Put Yourself in the Hiring Manager’s Shoes

When trying to decide what keywords will provoke the best response, think as if you are the one doing the hiring. What would you search for if you wanted to hire someone for the opening you are applying for?

Here’s another idea. If you know anyone who works in a hiring or human resources department or someone who owns their own business, ask them what they look for when searching for potential employees. Professional resume writers can also offer a good deal of insight into how employers think.

Pay Attention to the Ad

This is probably the best way to determine what keywords will get you noticed.

Look at the advertisement for the position you are applying for. Chances are the person doing the hiring is the one who wrote the ad and you will find the most important keywords right in the ad. Does the ad list specific qualifications, software knowledge, or experience that is required? If so, add those words to your resume where appropriate. Don’t forget about ads for similar positions, even if you are not applying for them. Those ads may highlight other important keywords that might be missing from other ads.

Resume Banks

If you add your resume to resume banks or employer databases with hopes of landing the perfect job, you must include certain keywords to get your resume in front of hiring managers.

No matter how qualified you are, if your resume doesn’t pop up in their search list, the hiring company may not even know you exist, let alone that you are interested in a position with their company. Do your research and make sure you have as many of the appropriate keywords included in your resume as possible for each job you apply for.

Objectives Of Resumes

2007-03-23T04:51:00.000-07:00

A resume objective statement, while an elective section of a resume, can be an influential tool for job seekers if it utilized to its full potential. Strong objectives show how candidates will be of importance to the company in a single clear and concise statement.

Including an objective at the beginning of a resume offers a short introduction to the purpose of the resume, stressing career objectives of the candidate and the type of job he or she is seeking. If incorporated, the objectives appear at the top of the resume, right beneath the candidate's contact information.

The objectives section can be an essential part of a resume and may be the first thing employers look at. As a result, candidates are advised to put considerable thought into constructing focused and clear objectives.

Some candidates may prefer to skip the objectives and utilize that space to emphasize other abilities and accomplishments. Whether candidates opt to use resume objectives or not will depend largely on their particular situation.

If candidates include resume objectives, it is very important for them to create several different resumes, each particularly tailored to the job they are applying for. The objectives segment may be the most excellent way to construct job specific resumes.

A disadvantage of not including objectives is that hiring managers may not be willing to search resumes to figure out job objectives and goals of candidates and may bypass their resume. A well-presented objective can be the high-impact device that can get a hiring manager's interest from the start.

Stating resume objectives can prove to be very beneficial for career changers and recent college graduates. Their objectives should be to the point about informing employers about their background and goals.

An alternative to the resume objectives may be the "qualifications summary" segment. This is a section where candidates can briefly discuss their skills and how they plan to use them.

Cover Letters For Resumes

2007-03-23T04:50:00.002-07:00

Cover letters are business letters that introduce candidates to their potential employers. Cover letters for resumes should be formal, competent, and convincing enough for optimistic feedback.

Some amount of skill is required to write resume cover letters because they help candidates officially submit an application for a specific post. Resume cover letters are not difficult to write, but they are essential for a candidate to create a great impression on potential employers.

There are several ways to write a cover letter. They must be brief, clear, and interesting. Candidates have to remember to include the particular job title or position they are applying for. It is important for the cover letter to motivate the potential employer to read the resume, believe the applicant to be a key candidate for an interview, and then call for a meeting or interview.

Cover letters clarify parts of the resume that might need explanation. They start the selling of candidates even before the employer gets to read their actual qualifications. They build up the credentials of candidates, so that potential employers are already interested in getting to know candidates better.

A cover letter is a great way to prepare the employer about what they will find in the resume. Cover letters are meant to show certain elements of character, accomplishments, and background of candidates. Cover letters have to be personalized and intended for each company in which candidates are interested in working. They must not come across as a common letter written for everyone.

Candidates are required to emphasize particular areas of the job that interest them and explain why working for a specific company is of importance to them. Writing cover letters for resumes is what sets apart the best job candidates from the rest of the crowd. Cover letters are a means to persuade employers to grant an interview.

Financial Resumes

2007-03-23T04:50:00.001-07:00

Finance experts will find career opportunities in abundance- and in any business sector. Regardless of whether individuals are applying for a post of CFO, financial controller, financial analyst or planner, portfolio manager, or investment consultant, the prerequisites for financial resumes are all similar.

Candidates are advised to divide their financial resume into separate sections and sub-sections, making use of short paragraphs and bullet points to make it simple for a reader to scan. Professional experience is the most significant section and it is recommended that this section be at the top. Education more often than not goes beneath, followed by additional information like language or other skills.

Financial resumes must give details of candidates regarding contact information, full name, campus address (if applicable) and permanent addresses, telephone numbers, email address, and career objectives.

A short statement of career objectives is often helpful at the top of a financial resume. Supplementary information like willingness to relocate can also be included here; however, it is advisable to keep it under two or three lines.

When writing a financial resume, it is crucial that the candidate's strengths and key qualifications be summarized within the top half of the first page of the resume. The profile section has to be followed with an area of expertise section, including a listing of keywords that are pertinent to the candidate's career choice.

It is essential for candidates to emphasize their accomplishments. They must give you an idea about quantifiable results of their work. This is one of the most significant points about writing a financial resume.

Job aspirants looking for good jobs can make use of sample financial resumes and improve their profile, as the wrong order of information can lead to a bad impression in the very beginning. Whether candidates write a financial resume themselves or employ external help, they are required to make sure the document reflects their abilities in the best possible manner.

How To Write A Good Resume

2007-03-23T04:49:00.001-07:00

In the constantly changing job market, a well written, effective resume is an exceptional tool for seeking desirable jobs. A resume should be written in a manner such that the reader is enticed to read it. A well-written resume arouses interest in meeting candidates and learning more about them. Each resume has its own way of communicating and creating an impression; however it is advisable for candidates to take into consideration certain things while writing a resume.

The resume must clearly state the career objectives of candidates, which must match the job they are interviewing for. It is essential to be precise in describing the skills and capabilities candidates have acquired and the accomplishments they have delivered. It is advisable for candidates to mention personal interests only if they present talents or experience that support the career interest. Personal details have nothing to do with the professional status.

People need not focus on size constraints, as a resume can be of one or more pages depending on the experience of the person. On the other hand, it is also important to bear in mind that the number of pages does not necessarily increase with experience. Furthermore, employers may be reluctant to select and read long resumes. Thus, a good resume should be brief, simple to read, and attention-grabbing.

Good resume writing is a skill in itself. It is a method of creating correspondence between candidates and employers. The resume is a tool with one precise intention, which is to win an interview. A resume has to be written in such a manner that candidates are able to convince employers that they are worth the job.

When writing a resume, it is important for candidates to focus most of the section on their related skills and experience and connect those to what the company is looking for. However, candidates should not just merely copy the job description terminology from the company's HR manual or the job advertisement.

In today's challenging environment, the resume is a very important weapon in the hands of job seekers. This makes resume writing a vital resource.

Best Resumes

2007-03-23T04:48:00.002-07:00

Resumes are documents that provide an outline of an individual's experience and qualifications. More often than not, the intention of making resumes is to secure a job. The best resumes are those that are well thought and entice the employer to continue reading.

A resume is the first item that a potential employer comes across when dealing with a job seeker. This crucial piece of information can help secure an interview for the candidate. The best resume writing styles may well differ according to the special job requirements.

The best resumes are to the point, simple to understand, and eye catching. The normal scan time for a resume is less than 30 seconds. Hence, it is very important for candidates to write a resume exceptionally well. They specify the skills and qualifications candidates have acquired and the accomplishments they have delivered. The best resumes are those that state a candidate's experience and what he or she has gained from it. It is advisable to list references upon request. However, candidates should have some ready if requested.

Most companies look for valuable skills and capabilities such as leadership, strategic thinking, and innovative thinking. The other important abilities are creative problem solving, communication, flexibility, and reliability. Hence, the best resumes will effectively bring out these qualities of a candidate.

There are a number of different types of resumes such as the chronological resume, functional resume, and combination resume. Chronological resumes state experiences and credentials of candidates in a chronological order. Functional resume concentrate on the different kinds of functions that the candidate has performed. Combination resumes are a combination of chronological and functional resumes.

Resumes are likely to be industry specific. The resume formed for a professional in the airline industry is certainly going to be different from that of a manufacturing professional. Several universities offer assistance in resume writing through their placement programs. In view of the fact that resumes provide the most critical information about a person, care should be taken when drafting it. The best resumes are those that are drafted properly and server their intended purpose.

Sales Resumes

2007-03-23T04:48:00.001-07:00

The ever-increasing competition in the employment sector has resulted in a product that can help job seekers. A sales resume can be considered to be the initial step in a sales presentation that sells a candidate as an employee to a potential employer.

One of the major defects that a sales resume can have is a lack of focus. The primary step to successful employment is defining a sales industry or career type that candidates want to pursue. College career centers, online evaluation tests, and even friends and family can give candidates an insight as to how they can switch their strengths and aspirations into a specific career goal. There are different skills that are required for specific sales-related careers, and a resume must reveal the keywords and conceptions utilized by that industry.

While writing a sales resume, it is very important for candidates to emphasize their sales achievements, awards, and every significant professional experience. The key to writing a successful sales resume is for candidates to make the readers believe in their individuality, professionalism, and ability to handle their job well.

A large number of sales resumes list sales accomplishments in professional experience and are written in a short, staccato manner with strong action verbs and exclusive details of one's professional personality.

There are free sales sample resumes that can serve as a guide in this process, and they can be obtained online. Some consultation agencies charge a fee for their assistance in creating a sales resume. However, the Internet is considered to be the most reliable source for finding sample sales resumes.

Even for those who are experts in the sales field, sample sales resume can be a very useful tool. With the help of a sample sales resume, candidates can learn that their ability for selling needs to be further developed so that they can compete among many other sales-oriented people. Sample sales resumes will help candidates make a resume that will sell their exceptionally ideal candidacy to the hiring authority. Sales professionals very frequently seek the help of professional resume writers to ensure such precision and accuracy.

Cover Letters: The Do's and Don'ts

2007-03-23T04:46:00.000-07:00

In your cover letters, remember that you are selling yourself to the business firms. And as you sell yourself, you must do it efficiently. Most of the corporate owners look into the cover letters which you attach to your resume. In seeking for a job, it is important that you include your cover letters because it will be the mirror of your intentions to the company.

It pays to remember that your cover letters should sound professional and must be well-written. It will be the basis of a possible opportunity which the companies will be offering you and your passport to securing interviews and examination appointments. So what are you waiting for? You should freshen up your mind and start conceptualizing your cover letters! Follow these do's and don'ts in writing your cover letters and foresee your gateway to the corporate world opening right before your own eyes!

The Must-Do's for Cover Letters

Always be concise. A very lengthy cover letter will be boring for the reader. Most of the recipients are busy individuals and a mere glance at your cover letter may already bring them some discouragement. Cover letters composed of three up to four paragraphs will do. Just remember that you ought to specify your credentials, list of qualifications, and why you think you are suitable for the said position. Never ever make use of lengthy sentences. A standard sentence usually comprises of 15 up to 20 words. Be straightforward in every sentence but do not sacrifice the thoughts which you think the company needs to know about you.

Be professional, original, and employ your personal style. If you plan to send your cover letters to a lot of the companies which you prefer to work with, it will be advisable that you create a customized one for your use. This will save you enough time. But remember though that you must spice up your cover letter. Never mistake the identity of the addressee. Be certain of the recipient's gender. It pays off to do some researches before finally drafting your cover letters.

Always proofread your cover letters. Do not brag that you are the most excellent writer which the world has ever known. You are still prone to creating mistakes. Take particular attention to the grammar, misspelled words, punctuation marks, and the sentence construction. If your cover letters are error-free, you are then likely to create a positive impact to the recipient. In short, make proofreading a habit of yours.

The Don'ts for Cover Letters

Don't employ a passive tone. Use the active voice of the verbs instead of the passive. Take note that you are marketing yourself and selling your skills in your cover letters. And this you must do effectively.

Don't repeat the resume in a verbatim style. Strive for an interesting cover letter. Make it pleasing to the eyes of the readers. Always paraphrase the sentences which seem to be redundant.

Don't ever fail to sign your cover letters. Important documents require your signature. This is not only for formality's sake but it will act as your confirmation to the application you just had. It will signify that the contents of the letter are with your full consent and knowledge.

Bear these things in mind and you will soon enjoy the glory of having a well-written cover letter.

Maximize Job Boards Effectivness - Compose Several Resume Versions

2007-03-23T04:44:00.000-07:00

When people are writing a resume they are thinking in terms of one version of this resume. You should actually be thinking in terms of several different versions of your resume. This doesn't mean that you have to change any of the dates or your personal information but you may want to change some of the key words on the resume.

If you only have one version of your resume you may be making a big mistake while searching online for jobs.

When you post your resume on a job board they will typically ask you if you would like to add additional versions of your resume. Most people do not do this but putting three four or even five resumes in different versions is a good idea because employers search for potential candidates by keywords.

The following is an example of how not having different versions of your resume can hurt you, let's say you write a resume and in that resume your past job experiences were as an account executives. If contained in your resume only says account executives and you are looking for a sales job and someone searching for the word sales rep, sales representative, or sales consultant in your resume will not show up in that search.

In the different versions of your resume you don't have to change your job title but in places like your objective you may want a sprinkle in the words sales rep or sales representative. Or if you have a bullet point that says top account exec. You may want to change it to top sales representative.

While searching for jobs in the job board database you may come across certain jobs that you're interested in but at the same time really does not match your current resume. If you have several different versions of your resume you can tailor them to each individual job opening and will make job searching less time-consuming.

Having several different versions of your resume is an advantage that you need to have. This will allow your resume to show up for different variations of key words for jobs you are suited for. It also save you time when you have to make any modifications to your resume.

Get Help with Cover Letter Samples

2007-03-06T21:34:00.001-08:00

Cover letter samples are often found in the internet websites. Mind you, there are thousands of cover letter samples that will pop out of your computer screens as you type the keyword in the search engines. Generally, these cover letter samples signify your fullest potential of landing into the job that you want. And because the cover letter samples are too plenty, sample seekers like you end up confused as to which one to pick and pattern your own cover letter.

Cover letter writers like you are acquainted with the fact that the quest for coming up with one is such a hard task. Cover letters are your passport to contacting an employer to become interested in you. You must bear in mind that there are positively a hundred and one percent of jobseekers who also have an eye on the job designation you are considering to handle. The type of cover letter which you submit indicates the possibility of you being granted with an interview. Therefore, you have to make an impressive cover letter. There is no need for you to worry because there is always a particular cover letter that will provide you the assistance you direly need.

Employers can feel too bored while reading cover letters. Do you want your own to be dumped right into the trashcan? For sure that is the very thing which you dread to experience. You surely have the best qualifications that will make you perfect for the job but if what you have is a poorly written cover letter, then you can start expecting for the worst thing to happen to you. The truth is, there are hundreds of individuals who may be better than you are so you must get the edge over them.

That is of course by creating a catching and impressive cover letter. How do you do it? Why don't you devote time researching for cover letter samples? One click of the mouse will introduce you to a pool of cover letter samples but you have to trim them down. Choose the ones you like best and then study the pattern. Cover letter samples must only be used to get noteworthy ideas but it does not mean that you will have to employ the same content with your own cover letter.

So what do you need to look for in the cover letter samples? There are at least three important things that you must learn from cover letter samples. First and foremost, be yourself and be natural as you write cover letters. Do not employ those high-termed words. The simple the words you use, the better. Do not try to impress the employer by using big words which are already too hard to decipher.

Secondly, do not overdo your cover letter. A lot of the employers fail to grasp the thought expressed in the cover letters they have in their tables plainly because they appear to be dramatic and novelistic. You've got to be straightforward in your cover letters but nonetheless you must not lose the professional tone in the entire cover letter. You are to write a cover letter not because you are in need of a security of a job but because you wish to express your enthusiasm in working with the company. Be polite and enthusiastic at all times.

The last one is to always strive for simplicity. A formal but simple cover letter is mostly entertained and granted a fraction of the employer's time.

The School Teacher Resume

2007-03-06T21:33:00.001-08:00

A school teacher resume has to focus on what you have done well in the past. It must focus on educational background, experience (subject area), professional development, special skills and more! School administrators want to know what has made you successful in the past. It is commonly believed that if you have done well in the past, you will continue to do well in the future. So, you have to show them what you have done in order to convince them of what you can do for them.

Here are two things you must do well in order to impress school officials with your school teacher resume.

First, identify your qualifications for the position you are seeking. While education is a field that is typically always looking for qualified applicants, the competition can be tough for jobs in good school districts. If you know at what you excel, then you can create a resume that reflects those outstanding abilities and make a solid, positive impression.

How do you accomplish this?

Know what the school district is looking for by asking questions, making phone calls, talking to other teachers in the district. Find out in what officials are most interested then meet those needs in your resume.

Second, show how you enhanced your former students' academic, social, creative and technological skills as a teacher. Success almost always follows success as a good school teacher has the ability to take what they have learned (that works) and apply it to a variety of school settings.

How do you convey all of this on a resume?

The key is to show, rather than tell. Achievements and awards are excellent for this. If you are able to show the school administration that you have excelled in previous teaching settings, then they will expect you to do at least as well, if not better, in the position they have available.

A school teacher's resume should always include these items:

ability to communicate with people at all levels (children, parents and school officials)
your ability to instruct children of diverse backgrounds and educational levels with a variety of differing approaches
accomplishments, awards, goals reached, specialized training, etc.

When you tell the prospective employer how you can meet their needs (what you can do for them), then you are one step closer to getting an interview. That is the whole point of creating an outstanding school teacher resume.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job market for teachers "continues to vary by school location and by subject taught" but "job opportunities for teachers over the next 10 years will vary from good to excellent."

Finding a job isn't going to be the tough part. It's finding the job in the school district you WANT that is going to cause the most worry. Competition will always be fierce for those coveted positions. That's why your resume has to be excellent.

Be sure to include the information that school administrators are seeking and your resume will make a great first impression. After that, you will be well on your way to a great job.

Preparing a Resume For an Online Job Search

2007-03-06T21:32:00.000-08:00

Did you know, according to a Wall Street Journal the top 15 job banks list close to half a million jobs every day. This number has increased over time and will do nothing but continue to rise as the ease to listing a job opening and finding a job opening are bringing in a lot of new companies and HR managers.

One of the problems with searching online is that you cannot just hand over your resume on a piece of paper to someone you have to have it formatted correctly or the person on the other end will not be able to read it. If your resume is not formatted correctly you will have no idea whether they were unable to read it or not. So you may be waiting to hear back from a company and they were never able to view your resume.

We are going to show you ways to prepare your resume so that when you do e-mail it or apply for a job on a job board the person on the other end will be able to read it.

Once you have your resume ready to submit to thousand job openings that you want to apply for have your resume ready in plain text format, this can be accomplished using Microsoft Word or several other software packages. This file can also be called ASCII so if you see that do not be worried these are basically the same thing.

Certain websites or job openings will not allow you to post your resume so you need to have it available to e-mail in a format that can easily be read by almost anyone. Again, if you use a plain text format almost all computers had a software program that can easily opened this format.

Finding a job online is the most time effective way of looking for a job, but if you do not have the correct tools it can be a big waste of time. Make sure that you have your resume and cover letter in a format that is easily viewable by most everyone.

Cover Letters: The Do's and Don'ts

2007-03-05T02:21:00.001-08:00

Maximize Job Boards Effectivness - Compose Several Resume Versions

2007-03-05T02:20:00.001-08:00

Get Help with Cover Letter Samples

2007-03-05T02:19:00.000-08:00

Teacher Cover Letter: The Secret in Getting the Job

2007-03-02T00:24:00.002-08:00

Why do you think the cover letters are of utmost importance? It is because the cover letters provide the company employer or recruiter with a concise review of your abilities and skills. The cover letters are written in a different manner compared with the resume and are given enough importance by the employers. It is through the cover letters that the employers get to know you as the applicant even though they haven't met you yet in person.

Teacher cover letters are not that hard to create. If only you know the basic technique and the format in writing a teacher cover letter, you can be certain that you will not face problems with doing it.

Teachers are always in demand. They say that the future of the young minds depend on the excellence of the teachers. But before any teacher can land on a teaching career, he or she has to first secure the teacher cover letter.

Statistics show that the need for efficient teachers will jump to at least 10% higher in the coming years compared to today's demand. Meaning, there will be more and more opportunities awaiting the teachers of the society. It goes to emphasize that the teachers like you must not worry because there will be great jobs lying in wait for you.

First things should be taken into consideration though. Before you assume any teaching job, you must start writing down your teacher cover letter. With the teacher cover letter, you are able to sell yourself. Face the fact that there are millions of teachers in the world and they may be a lot better than you. Therefore, you have to exert extra effort in working on your teacher cover letter. The society of today has a high regard for the teachers and the school administrators are likely to expect too much from you. It is essential that your teacher cover letter will spell one of your greatest assets-your efficiency.

As a form of communication, the teacher cover letter that you write must contain deep-set information about you and your enthusiasm in getting that job. You cannot tell stories in your cover letters. You have to be precise and all. You have to bear in mind that your teacher cover letter must show that you've got a bright mind in you.

With your words, your teacher cover letter speaks of who you are. It is just like talking face to face with the reader. Thus, you must know how to play with the words you use in your teacher cover letter. You've got to let the school administrators recognize how valuable you can be to their manpower. Being able to set a remarkable teacher cover letter is a plus point for your chances of getting hired.

In a stereotype belief, it is a great dismay for employers to read poorly written teacher cover letters. They always expect a lot better from you. Will you fail them? Will you risk your chance of landing on a prestigious career? For sure you do not wish for such thing to happen. Hence, it follows that you become your best in your teacher cover letter. Direct the attention of the employer to your teacher cover letter. Let him be interested in meeting you. Your teacher cover letter has an ultimate goal and that is to signify your sincere intentions for the job and to finally get that position for your advantage.

Cover Letters Can Only Create Interest - Not Get You a Job

2007-03-02T00:24:00.001-08:00

Writing a cover letter for your job application is so important but many people find it difficult to get the words just right. Yet if you produce a badly written cover letter you may ruin the chances of your application succeeding. If you could write a really good quality cover letter it would make the whole process much easier and take away at least some of the stress of job hunting.

Your cover letter is generally the first document most potential employers will read, looking for insight into your reasons for applying. So your job is to make sure it introduces you effectively and positively.

Let me show you what you should do and what you should not do.

A cover letter's primary job is to provoke the reader's interest. Once you have their interest it must provide sufficient relevant information so that they want to know more about you. Don't forget, a cover letter can only create interest it can't get you a job.

Now when writing your cover letters you must be sure to:

• Customize every cover letter so that it is specifically written for this particular job;

• Use an easy style of language with well chosen words and no jargon;

• Emphasize exactly how you are able to contribute to the company or organization;

• Illustrate your knowledge, interest and enthusiasm for the advertised job;

• Explain why you are interested in joining their organization;

• Illustrate how your skills match the job description;

• Check your cover letter carefully for any spelling errors or other typos;

• Use the formal style of address when you send your letter by name to the person advertising.

You will also find that your cover letter will get much better results if you always try to show that:

• You know what employers want;

• Your strengths have the edge over the competition;

• You tailor your cover letter to meet their specific employer's needs.

The obvious things to avoid that point to badly written or presented cover letters include:

• The same cover letter has been photocopied or obviously used for another job;

• The cover letter doesn't attach all the information the employer requested;

• The cover letter contains spelling, grammar or typo errors;

• Your skills and qualifications don't match the job description or person specification;

• No obvious effort has been made to show you interest in THIS job.

If you need more specific guidance on writing great cover letters or could use some examples to help you just visit my website at the address below.

How To Write A Pharmaceutical Sales Resume

2007-03-02T00:23:00.000-08:00

So you have decided you want to apply for a pharmaceutical sales job? Considering the pharmaceutical sales field has grown by over 300 percent in the last decade and is often called "recession proof," you have chosen a great industry to work in. Highly desirable working conditions including high income potential, top-notch benefits, a flexible schedule, use of a company car, and no overbearing boss, make pharmaceutical sales an excellent career choice, albeit a very popular one.

Given the popularity of the field, your pharmaceutical sales resume needs to really stand out from the crowd. What you need is a well written, focused resume that will spark the recruiter or hiring manager's interest and most importantly, get you an interview.

To distinguish your pharmaceutical sales resume from the hundreds or even thousands of other applicants, yours needs to be laser-targeted to the company and job you are applying for. Thus, every position you wish to apply for will require you to tweak your resume accordingly.

You will want to remove any references to skills or experience not needed in the position you will be applying for, while emphasizing those which are required for success. Go to an internet search engine and search for your desired position. This will help you to come up with relevant keywords specific to your targeted position.

Within your resume, employers expect to see genuine interest in their company, their job, and their specific needs. This means that each and every phrase, keyword, and qualification contained in your resume, should be laser-targeted to the advertised position.

Your pharmaceutical sales resume needs to demonstrate that you have the ability to sell. Obviously, experience selling pharmaceuticals would be ideal, but sales experience in any field is the next best thing. Applicants tend to overlook how much selling they actually did in previous jobs. All of the following are examples of jobs that involve selling: working at a retail store, performing oil changes (up selling better oils, more service, etc.), or volunteering to make phone calls for a fundraiser.

The reality is that most jobs involve sales in one form or another. While preparing your pharmaceutical sales resume, you absolutely must emphasize your sales experience. Make sure to include any sales-related accomplishments.

One great way to get an employer's attention is to use a little creativity. Since most resumes are sent through email nowadays, the resume title is the first thing a recruiter or hiring manager will see in the subject line when he or she receives your email. A resume title that is creative and interesting is much more likely to be opened. The key is to make your pharmaceutical sales resume stand out and be different, and this is one great way to accomplish that.

Still Typing Your Resume?

2007-02-27T01:20:00.005-08:00

Most professionals working today grew up composing typewritten resumes. Even now, some younger people who are perfectly adept on the computer keyboard unconsciously make errors and use habits learned from a manual or electric typewriter use in the past. This leftover skill set can be harmful to your employment success.

When you compose a resume, usually you are making simple statements, maybe not even full sentences. Usually they are one line long, or part of a line in length. Almost everyone will hit the enter key at the end of these lines. Some people have their word processor set to space two or even three lines down after an enter command. This is left over from the typewriter era and is not necessary in the word processing era. Let the machine word wrap at the edge of the document so you don’t have a page full of spaces.

Look at each line. Does it make sense? Is it in sentence form, with a subject, verb, etc.? Does it convey something important or is it repetitive? Is it based on feeling that you need to compose snippets of material to save time in typing and fixing errors? With the computer, you can compose all day long and not worry about spelling, punctuation, grammar, type face and spacing. The machine will point out all the errors and fix them instantly. It’s not about white-out and correction tape anymore.

It’s 2007. People are not printing out their resumes to read them. I think that is a mistake. When you read a resume online, in a message, or attachment, or in a file, it’s not the same as printing it in black and white and putting the entirety in your mind. Take your resume and pin it on the wall and step back 10 feet and look at it in the whole. What does it look like? Are there lots of white spaces? Do you find that half the resume text is on one side of the paper? Is there one last page with two lines on it? These are defects that are leftovers from the typewriter age when you had to retype the whole thing to fix the last line and had to set the tabs to get correct line width.

We have tabs in MSWord too. Learn how to use them. Learn about type faces. When you bought a new typewriter years ago it came with a little type wheel with Courier New on it because that was the standard type face. Don’t pick some obscure type face on your computer. Use the standard from years ago because that’s what people still expect. In the case of type faces, older is better because most of your high level readers will be older themselves and used to them.

If you learned to type a resume on a typewriter then you are used to putting in simple punctuation and maybe adding only one special character such as an asterisk. All of a sudden you can add bullets, arrows, squares, stars and so on easily. Don’t do it. The reason why is because these special characters cause problems in resumes sent by email or as attachments. Special characters are not always going to show up on the screen as what you desired. Frequently they will show up as %20 or #,. I have seen resumes with long lists of accomplishments highlighted by bullets that were all turned into %20’s. Not a pretty sight.

I often read resumes that seem to me to have been updated numerous times over the years and never started from scratch since the first year of employment of the candidate. These resumes have a sort of feel of scrolling through the history of different cultural eras in the employment arena. Some read like the 80’s or 90’s, other parts are more recent. We do use different words and phrases in 2007 than we used in 1987. This partial updating practice is left over from typewriting resumes on a manual typewriter. All of us just took the last resume, cut it apart, typed a few new lines and copied it and mailed it out. Where do you think “cut and paste” came from?

Your “typewriter” resumes need to be trashed and started over completely on the computer screen in MS Word using the guidelines in this article. Why use MS Word? Because it is the defacto standard word processing software in use in the business world. It’s like the modern day version of Courier New and will still be readable many years from now.

Still Typing Your Resume?

2007-02-27T01:20:00.003-08:00