The Art/Science of Writing A Winning Resume

Monday, December 31, 2007

The Art/Science of Writing A Winning Resume by Dennis Spring

The subject of good resume writing has never become obsolete, and in today's tough job market, it is smart to get the process down to an exact science.

Computers and the Internet have made it a lot easier for the erstwhile job-seeker to craft and distribute a resume.

However, easier doesn't always mean better. In fact, resumes have gotten longer - in some cases, three pages and beyond.

Do PR people have more responsibilities? Or, are word processing programs making it easier, faster and cheaper to write and distribute lengthy resumes? Or, are long-resume writers likely to be long-winded in person?

Good press releases Follow the basic principles of journalism - who, what, when, where and why. That means, short, substantive sentences that actually convey facts.

The two-page rule still applies.

"Chronological" format (titles, company names, job descriptions listed in date order) is the preferred format. However, people with many years of experience often opt for the more abbreviated "functional" version.

Arial and Times Roman are the recommended fonts. Exotic fonts are distracting and hard to read. Be font consistent throughout.

Keep bolding, italicizing and underscoring to a minimum. They are generally reserved for sub-headings which include company names, titles and dates. Use underscores for references to publication titles, quotations and such.

Use one-inch margins top and bottom, and at least half-inch margins left and right. It's better to have more white space than too many words.

Job and/or career objectives are okay when career direction is not obvious from reading the resume. Career summaries and highlights are also OK.

Avoid the "cutesy" approach. No gifts (like a chunk of Brie with a note inscribed to "The Big Cheese"), stunts (balloon/flower deliveries), teasers (telegrams delivered, saying on it: "I have a great idea for a campaign. Hire me today and I'll tell you what it is").

Resumes on tapes, CDs, disks and high-content rag pages are a nice touch, but expensive to produce and distribute. Keep it simple.

Word processing template resumes are certainly acceptable and useful at keeping the writer within basic format guidelines.

Letters

Keep to one page.

Don't start your letter by saying "If you are looking for a person with, etc. etc. "Well, look no further." Chances are our clients will definitely look further.

As your high school typing teacher warned you - don't sound too chummy when writing a business letter. Maintain professionalism at all times.

And remember, just about all correspondence software has a spell-checker and, in some cases, a grammar-checker. Use them.

If you're sending your letter and resume via fax or the U.S. mail, be sure to sign it. It's a nice personal touch in an otherwise impersonal, digital world. When sending an e-mail letter, close the letter with your name typed out.

Thank-you notes

Nothing in the computerized world can replace a handwritten thank-you note. It's polite, it's personalized, it's professional. Given the overabundance of e-mails that everyone, least of all employers receive, an e-mailed thank-you note can get lost, deleted or overlooked. By sending yours the old-fashioned way, you'll be remembered for your good manners in addition to all you'll bring to their table, should you be hired.

Job-seekers don't need to spend a fortune; a box of simple letterhead and envelopes from the local stationery store will do just fine. Keep your envelopes stamped in advance - this way it's harder to procrastinate about not having gone to the post office! Unless an interview was a complete disaster or you're definitely not interested in the job, taking this extra measure can help a great deal.

Email

In the sender's info area of your e-mail message, your name and the word "resume" in the subject is sufficient.

If possible, send both your letter and resume in the body of the email and also send them as an attachment.

Avoid email "priority" indicators. They are an alarmist tactic and should only be used in an emergency or when conveying classified information.

The beginning of a job search is a good time to change that "really cool" e-mail address to a more professional-sounding identifier. We've received materials from people with e-mail addresses with the words dudes, studs, vixens, gals, buddies, chicks, love machines and the like.

Unless you're auditioning for the next Bond movie or ghost-writing the next Jackie Collins book, leave the personal stuff on a second, personal e-mail address.

For obvious reasons, home or private e-mail addresses are always preferable to that of your employer.

Requesting a "return receipt" is OK; still, follow up within a decent interval.

When in doubt, use a PC platform. Macs are fine, but can display some quirks when being read by a PC.

After putting the finishing touches on your letter and resume, send it to a friend to make sure it can be read and doesn't have any viruses. Have a trusted associate double-proofread it to ensure it reads smoothly.

Lastly, computer address books are very handy. But it is easy to click on the wrong name and send your resume to THAT person - thus risking some serious embarrassment, or worse.

There you have it. When it comes to letter and resume writing, remember the old adage, "The more things change..."

About the Author
Spring Associates, Inc. is arguably the most imitated search firm in public relations. Dennis Spring created his firm in 1980. In addition to executive search services, the company also handles communications audits, mergers and acquisitions, client/agency reviews and PR agency selection searches. http://www.springassociates.com/PRSalary2/PRSalary2.html

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=452019

Writing an Executive Resume

Writing an Executive Resume by Sonia

Executive resume formats generally have:

A more conservative appearance. A separate area showcasing Career Accomplishments. A finished length of two or more pages. That said, Executive formats can be used by any job seeker, especially those who have career or academic accomplishments and seek a more comprehensive approach to employment history -- if that comprehensive approach is relevant and enhances their candidacy.

Conservative Appearance

Executive Resume format generally employs the Times New Roman font, which is universal on PCs, easy to read, yet elegant in appearance. Designer fonts, which include BlackAdder II, Castellar, and Broadway, are best left for graphic designers, artists, and those in nontraditional industries. The ample use of white space and underscored section headings are aesthetically pleasing and provide visual cues about where one data area ends and another begins.

Career Accomplishments

This is the hallmark of the Executive resume and what hiring managers most want to see. In this economy, when dozens or even hundreds of applicants with essentially the same backgrounds vie for each opening, the only characteristic that will separate a candidate from all the others is what they accomplished in previous positions. In an Executive resume, these achievements are showcased near the top of the first page. What's more, these accomplishments are generally quantified in terms of percentages, dollar figures, and time periods to specifically indicate what was done.

Finished Length

Executive resumes are usually two or more pages because of the sheer breadth of a candidate's experience. However, a modern resume should be only as long as it needs to be to contain the data relevant to the current job search. It's unwise to expand a one-page resume to two pages to meet an arbitrary page length, just as it is to cram a two-page document onto one page, reducing white space and font size to such an extent that the finalized document is hard to read and not aesthetically pleasing.

Please visit us at http://www.myjobguides.com

About the Author
I'm human resource manager by education. I have been working in various parts of Human Resources in a variety of sectors such as human resource manager, teacher, councilor and employment web site developer.

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=437450

Ten Tips For Writing An Effective Resume Cover Letter

Ten Tips For Writing An Effective Resume Cover Letter by Michael Murray

There are two main types of cover letters - document transmittal cover letters and resume cover letters. Document details the documents attached to the cover letter. This cover letter normally accompanies legal papers, booklets, reports, travel documents, product samples, manuscripts, and the like.

Resume cover letter accompanies your resume to prospective employers. The main purpose of such a cover letter is to generate sufficient interest in the reader to consider your resume favorably. The following ten tips can help you write an effective resume cover letter:

1. An ideal cover letter should not exceed a page in length. It should set a professional tone and the language should be free of all unnecessary jargon and similar high-sounding words. A simple expression through easy and common words can create an impressive cover letter.

2. Your cover letter should project your unique qualities and qualifications that give you an edge over other candidates. All the time maintain a concise description of your abilities.

3. Use quality stationery. Your stationery should match your qualities as expressed in your cover letter. Also, maintain same stationery for both your cover letter and resume. Follow the same font and leave large white spaces in between albeit adhering to normal letter and resume specifications.

4. Address your cover letter to a specific person. Do not address it vaguely. Instead, collect relevant information from the company in question and address it to the particular person concerned with hiring of personnel.

5. Your cover letter need not be a long description of your abilities. Rather proceed into the details right from the start as the reader spends just a few seconds going through your letter. You have to create your impression within that time.

6. An effective resume cover letter is essentially a sales letter of your qualifications and abilities. Therefore, you need to sell yourself through your letter.

7. Your selling should be according to the needs of the company. You have to show how you can make a difference to the company.

8. State all facts in clear terms without any ambiguity or exaggeration. You should be ready with all answers at the interview table. Therefore, do not paint any wrong pictures of yourself.

9. Ideally, you should request for an interview in your cover letter. You cannot be waiting for the employer to give you a call. Therefore, it is essential to have a follow-up plan detailed in your cover letter itself.

10. The last but not the least is to adhere to your follow-up plan. You can give a call to your employer to inquire about your application after giving sufficient time.

About the Author
Michael Murray publishes a site filled with helpful articles about how to write a great cover letter.

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=430798

Tips for Writing an Exceptional Resume

Tips for Writing an Exceptional Resume by Fei Lim

When you are writing a resume, your key goal is to have the resume help you get an interview for the job. It is important to remember that the prospective employer will no doubt be going through hundreds of resumes, so you want to be sure that your resume stands out among the many resumes they are looking at. The following are a few tips to help you write an exceptional resume that will get you noticed by prospective employers.

Tip #1 - Make it Readable - One very important tip for creating a resume that will stand out among the rest is to make it easily readable. Make sure that your resume is no more than a couple pages long, otherwise employers may just skip over your resume if it is too long. You should also be sure that you use a font that is large enough to be easily read. If the employer has to strain their eyes to see your resume, they may just bypass it for one that is more easily read.

Tip #2 - Market Yourself - The whole point of your resume is to make yourself look like a great person for the job. When you are writing your resume, you want to do your best to make yourself look as great as possible without lying or stretching the truth. Make sure that your resume points out your strengths and make sure that you show what sets you apart from the rest of the applicants for the job.

Tip #3 - Avoid Paragraphs - One mistake that many people make when they are writing a resume is using paragraphs. You want to use quick ways to get the reader’s attention, so use bullets to help direct the reader’s attention to important parts of your resume. If you use paragraphs, the important things may just get skipped over when the employer browses over your resume.

Tip #4 - Showcase the Positive - When you are writing your resume you need to be sure that you showcase the positive achievements in your career. If there are negative points or even points that are irrelevant to the job, you may just want to leave them out altogether. Stress important parts of your previous jobs that may qualify you for the job you want. If you are older and you are afraid that an employer may not like your age, then leave out things that may point to how old you are. You want to make a great impression on the employer the first time, so be sure to focus on the positive.

Tip #5 - Use Keywords and Action Words - Often people fall into a rut when writing a resume and use bland and general terms. If you want to get attention, you need to use keywords and action words throughout your resume. You can identify keywords to use by looking at the job advertisement and the job description. Take the terms used and try to incorporate them through your resume to show that you are qualified for the job. Also be sure to use action words as well throughout your resume to give it a powerful feel.

Tip #6 - Show Broad Knowledge - While you may be tempted to only put some of your jobs on your resume that are directly linked to the job you are trying to apply for, it is important that you show a broad scope of knowledge. You want the prospective employer to see that you do have excellent experience in the area of expertise needed for the job, but you also want to show other knowledge and skills that you have acquired that can make you an even better candidate for the job.

Tip #7 - Show Accomplishments instead of Responsibilities - It may be easy to just start listing off the responsibilities that you used to have at a previous job, but these tend to look bland. You want to show what you accomplished and how the previous job may relate to the job you are applying for. Show accomplishments that you made at each job and try to make them relate to the job you want.

Once you use your resume to catch the eye of a prospective employer, you will have a chance to impress them with a resume and you may even get the job. Remember that your resume is the very first step in getting a job you want, so make it a resume that gets the job done.

About the Author
Seek4Jobs.net is the place for employees and employers. Post your jobs with us and let us market for you and find your employees. Employees post your resume for free and let us find the right employers for you.

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=429452

Please Hire Me - Writing a Resume that Gets Results

Please Hire Me - Writing a Resume that Gets Results by Michael Fleischner

Those in the Web business know that optimizing a site page is essential to getting it on the search-results lists of major search engines like Google. Nowadays, with the combined impact of online resume-posting and the increasingly prevalent use of scanning technology, even by small companies, the same principle applies to your resume: optimization is essential!

Changing Standards When resume-scanning software first hit the job market, it wasn't very sophisticated. Keyword summaries were placed at the top of ascii or text resumes to ensure that they were picked up by the somewhat rudimentary software. Similarly, formatting was minimized for fear that it would interfere with the scan.

Nowadays, these rules no longer apply.

Modern scanning software has come a long way and can recognize text in boldface, italics, designer fonts, and bullets. Furthermore, it can scan for keywords throughout your resume, not just in an assigned area. For that reason, a well-crafted "normal" resume can in fact be an optimized keyword resume that's poised to get noticed when electronic filters stand between you and a hiring manager.

The Importance of the Right Resume Keywords It may be daunting to realize that your success in scoring an interview could hinge on a few carefully selected resume keywords, but with keyword-based scanning, this is the case. Employers who use this technology (up to 80 percent of them, by some counts) determine a set of mandatory keywords that reflect the duties of a given job. For example, an accountant's resume keywords would be 'general ledger', 'AP/AR', payroll, 'reconciliations', etc.

Based on the number of "hits" your resume achieves when it is scanned, your resume will be ranked and submitted to a hiring manager for further review...or not. So how do you determine the appropriate keywords?

Finding Your Golden Keywords Finding the right resume keywords takes a little work, but it's completely achievable. If you're applying for a particular position, a great place to start would be the job listing -- but be careful. A hiring manager is savvy enough to detect when their own listing is being regurgitated back to them. That said, the clever use of words that speak to their requirements is always appropriate, as long as it aligns with your professional experience.

If you're conducting a broader search by posting your resume on an online job board like HotJobs.com, then your resume will be seen by multiple potential employers. How do you then choose the right keywords? Consider how your goals align with your experience. For any resume, the trick is to use what you've accomplished to paint a picture of what you want to do next.

You can determine the keywords most likely to be on an employer's must-have list by: * Analyzing job postings that are in step with the type of position you want to land. * Taking a look at the career listings of employers in your target industry. * Remaining up-to-date on the latest buzzwords in your field. By optimizing your resume, your will be able to successfully emerge from the resume-scanning process (or online job search), while also creating a document that makes a compelling case for your candidacy.

Be sure to follow this guidance and realize that your resume is a living, breathing document that will most likely be created, posted, and reviewed in an electronic format. You want to 'optimize' your resume for all formats. Be sure to follow our guidelines and let your resume stand out from the crowd!

About the Author
ResumeEdge.com is one of the nations leading resume writing service providers, offering professional resume writing, editing, and guidance. Visit http://www.resumeedge.com for access to free sample resumes and much more.

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=414804

Resume writing of ProfEssays

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Resume writing of ProfEssays by Andrew Sandon

Custom essay writing service ProfEssays offers a new service of resume writing. At the same time this custom essay writing company intends to raise awareness of resume writing among job seekers. Our recommendations are the following: Your Resume Should Be: A concise and factual presentation of your credentials Focused on your education, accomplishments, strengths, employment history and goals An invaluable marketing tool Your introduction to a potential employer Brief, easy to read, and grammatically well-constructed.

Chronological resumes document work experience and education in chronological order, with the most recent dates first. Major categories are: Work Experience, Education, Professional Affiliations, and Awards. This format is generally used by candidates applying for jobs in "traditional" organizations or for those who are staying in the same field. This type of resume is best used when your job history reflects growth, when prior employment has been with a prestigious employer, and you want to emphasize that work experience, or when a prior job title may be considered impressive to the reader. This format may not be the most appropriate to use when your job history is irregular, you are changing careers, you have changed employment frequently, or you have little employment history.

Functional resumes intend to highlight your specific skills and accomplishments which have been demonstrated through specific work related achievements. Note that your skills do not necessarily have to be presented in the order in which they were accomplished; list them by order of importance as they relate to the job for which you are applying. Major categories are: Technical Abilities (skills), Work History, Education, and Professional Affiliations. This format is best used when you want to change careers, when you are returning to the job market after a long absence, when your career growth has not been good, or when you believe extended work experience is not needed or desired for the job for which you are making application. The functional resume should be avoided in traditional fields such as teaching or government or when continuous growth is important to demonstrate .

Combination Chronological/Functional resume is being used increasingly by candidates to highlight special accomplishments while giving employment history in chronological order. The combination resume also seems to be popular with employment offices. Major categories are: Professional Objectives, Education, Honors, Work Experience, and Summary.

Targeted resume focuses on a specific position that you are seeking. Major categories are: Job Target, Capabilities, Achievements, Work Experience, and Education. This format should be used when your job goal is clear. Since this type of format is focused on one career field, it may not be useful to you if you are exploring multiple job options and do not have time to develop more than one resume.

Curriculum Vitae format is used for academic positions. The brevity required in a resume for business type employment does not necessarily apply in academy It is important in a curriculum vitae to include all published works, presentations made at professional meetings, awards, professional achievements, and more detail about educational studies.

The Cover Letter should amplify points that you may or may not have covered in your resume; it serves as your introduction to an organization. It should be brief and informative. Several things should be addressed: Explain why you are writing to the organization. Whenever possible, the letter should be addressed to a specific person. with the full name and title. Make sure the name of the person addressed is spelled correctly. This person could be the Chief Operating Officer, the Human Resources Director, or one of the line managers. If responding to an advertisement, give the date of the ad, the publication in which the ad was run, and the title of the position for which you are enclosing an application. Analyze your skills, acquired both on the job and in volunteer work, and make every effort to match your skills with those emphasized in the ad. If sending an unsolicited resume, make every effort to explore the goals of the organization, its regular and continuing job needs, and the climate of the organization to permit you to match your accomplishments with the goals and objectives of the organization. In closing, express a desire to arrange a time for an interview and state that you will telephone to request a time for an appointment.

However much a student learns in college, one more skill is usually ignored before he or she begins the serious task of looking for full-time employment. In order to ensure that all those years of schooling and other experiences will pay off in the job hunt, even before contacting employers, one must be able to write a catchy, impressive and well-structured resume. If you lack experience in resume writing, feel free to contact the writers of custom essay writing service Professays who will help you to compose a masterpiece of your resume. On the whole ProfEssays completes custom essays, custom academic papers, custom research papers, custom term papers, custom admission essays, compositions, book reports, case studies and this list is far from being full. To order custom essays or papers visit our site.

About the Author
In order to ensure that all those years of schooling and other experiences will pay off in the job hunt, even before contacting employers, one must be able to write a catchy, impressive and well-structured resume. If you lack experience in resume writing, feel free to contact the writers of custom essay writing service Professays who will help you to compose a masterpiece of your resume.

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=403703

Resume Writing Mistakes - Make Them and You'll Regret

Resume Writing Mistakes - Make Them and You'll Regret by Mr Benrick

Here on Free-Resume-Samples.blogspot.com, I try to make every of my resumes as perfect as possible. Many people have asked me how I do it. Well, I always tell them to avoid the top 10 mistakes when writing their own resumes.

1. AVOID THE "FRESH GRAD" FORMAT - The old resume, or block style, with "Objective" and "Education" listed on top are not appropriate for anyone with more than two years of work experience. Try to include a 3- to 5-line summary of your professional strengths.

2. NOT PUTTING DATES ON RESUME - If you think you can escape explaining why you have been job hopping all this while by not putting a date beside your job description, you're wrong. Leaving dates off your resume will surely cause eyebrows to raise and make people wonder what you've been up to lately.

3. NOT BRAGGING ABOUT ACHIEVEMENTS - A great resume should include not only include plain general facts, but also glittering numbers to show off your achievements. Increased sales by 50% in five months! Brought in new contracts worth $255,000 for company! Don't be afraid to brag a little -- but remember to be honest.

4. AVOID "JOB CLUTTERING" - I've seen people who have changed fields more than models changing outfits at a fashion show. His resume looks like a messy clutter of job listings. If you have experience in more than one field and it needs to be included on the resume, consider grouping the types of jobs together under specific headings such as "Instructional/Training" or "Customer Service/Sales."

5. STOP COMPLAINING PLEASE - Don't include the reasons you've left or are leaving your job. Don't mention about sexist environment, low salary, or "boss is no good." Some situations are better explained during an interview, if at all.

6. PERSONAL INFO - No one cares if you are single, married, play the trombone, or enjoy league bowling. Personal information does not belong on a resume. Do not include your age, race, gender, or blue ribbons for gardening.

7. LONG-WINDED HISTORY - Hiring managers only have time to skim through the first 2 pages of your resume. All they want to know is the relevant experience you've had in the past 10-12 years. Try to highlight the most recent jobs and consolidate the past into several lines on a strong 1- or 2-page resume. I would not advice writing a resume that is more than 3 pages long.

8. AVOID SLOPPINESS - Looks count! Print out your resume on good printers using high quality paper. Avoid creases/stains/marks on your resume. It's all these nitty gritty details that counts towards your success in being called up for an interview.

9. NO APPROPRIATE TARGET - Do not send a resume to every ad that appeared in the Sunday classifieds! Take the time to target the jobs for which you really have a chance of being interviewed. It's better to have three targetted jobs then to have thirty unrelated ones.

10. NOT EXPLAINING WHY YOU'VE SENT IN RESUME - Please, please do not forget one of the most important item besides a good resume - the cover letter. In the cover letter, you have the chance to state why you are sending your resume and for what job position. This would ensure that your resume would not be dumped into the rubbish bin.

About the Author
Mr Benrick is a professional resume writer who has been writing resumes for several years. He has set up a blog to provide free services to people who want to update their resumes - http://free-resume-samples.blogspot.com

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=382997

Two Resume Writing Errors You Might Miss

Resume Writing : Two Resume Writing Errors You Might Miss by Adrianna Kristian

If you're actively pursuing a new career, you have undoubtedly polished your resume to a shine. You used the right kind of paper. You found the right power words. You included the truly pertinent information. You even checked the spelling so many times that you've burned the exact words of the resume into your memory! You've done everything the resume writing experts recommend.

Now it's time to send that resume to prospective employers. Or is it?

People overlook a few resume writing errors regularly. Before you put your resume in the mail, check your work for these frequent blunders.

A Shortage of White Space

White space refers to the portion of a piece of printed material that does not contain text. People find it much easier to read a document when it features plenty of white space between sections and ideas.

Job-hunters often try to cram so much information into their resumes that they create a shortage of white space. The document becomes too dense and its readability is destroyed.

Remember, it's easy for you to read--you wrote it. Someone who isn't quite as intimately familiar with the résumé's contents, however, will respond better to a well-spaced page with sufficient white space to keep things "easy on the eyes."

It may require some tough editing, but it is possible to construct a resume that includes all necessary information while retaining readability. If you neglect white space, a reviewer may not be willing to make the effort to read your entire resume.

A Lack of Parallel Construction

In some ways, a resume is a collection of lists. You offer lists of skills, past jobs, educational experiences, etc. In order to increase readability and make the best possible impression, those lists should feature parallel construction.

Consider an example. You list your past employment as a retail store manager. After the basic information, you write, "Managed twelve employees. Produced 20% annual sales growth. Initiated new inventory control procedure."

You also list another past job as an automobile salesperson. You note, "At Doe Auto, I sold new luxury automobiles and was named 'Salesperson of the Year' three times."

The two list items aren't structured in the same way. They might both look good to you on paper individually, but the difference in presentation is uncomfortable for readers.

If you shifted the sales job language to, "Sold new luxury automobiles. Won 'Salesperson of the Year' three times," it would be structurally consistent with the manager position. That's proper parallel construction and many resume writers fail to maintain it.

Consistency is important in all aspects of the resume. If you capitalize one major section heading, capitalize all of them. If you write in bullet points for one area, do it in all areas. You want to create a clean, consistent look for the entire document.

Before you make your way to the post office, take one more look at that resume. Is there enough white space? Did you use parallel construction throughout the entire document to create a consistent appearance? If you can answer "yes" to both questions and have followed the other suggested resume writing strategies you encountered in your research, you can expect to start scheduling interviews soon!

About the Author
Need help writing a killer resume? Now you can know the "insider secrets" professional resume writers use to write sizzlin' resumes... Best of all, for a very limited time - you can get em' for free! Just visit http://www.resumesecretsexposed.com

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=371497

Professional Resume Example

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Professional Resume Example by Mario Churchill

If you are seeking employment, you will want to build a professional resume. There are many different ways to build a professional resume and for a professional resume example, you can look a number of places online. There are also many different software programs that will show you a quality professional resume example which you can copy and simply add your own information.

Many people choose to build their resumes on their word processors. Most word processing programs have templates that can be used to give one an accurate glimpse of a professional resume example. A professional resume is not difficult to build. It is simply a list of your accomplishments, employment history, skills and education. The biggest mistake people make when building their professional resume is underestimating their skills and knowledge. By viewing a professional resume example, you can see exactly how you should display your knowledge so that it gets noticed by your prospective employer.

When building a professional resume, it is important that you do not use elaborate fonts or fanciful designs. Take a look at a professional resume example and you will see that it is done in a classic style with easy to read fonts on a muted or plain paper. You will not see any fancy designs or symbols. A professional resume should exhibit your accomplishments, not your computer skills. When you view a professional resume example, you will see that it is tasteful, simple and to the point.

It is very important, when building a professional resume, to list all of your accomplishments, knowledge and skills. Many times, people bunch all of these items into one long, difficult to read paragraph. If you take a look at a professional resume example, you will see that most of them use bullet points to highlight skills and knowledge. This makes it much easier for employers to read and understand.

A professional resume example will also show you how to set up your resume so that you are certain that you include everything that you need to put into your resume. All too often, people forget to put in certain facts or do not realize that a major award that they won can be a great asset to them when applying for a job. By looking at a professional resume example, you can see everything that you should list on your resume that will be of benefit to you.

This works both ways. Many people tend to add insignificant information onto their resumes that are not needed. By taking a look at a professional resume example, you can see which information that can be eliminated. For example, you do not need to list all of your employment back to the time when you were 16 years old. Your stint at Dairy Queen is not essential to your new job, unless you are again applying at Dairy Queen, in which case, you will probably not need a resume. It is also not necessary to list where you went to grammar school. If you have a post graduate degree, you should list the name of the school, the type of degree which you received and any honors or awards. Then you should list your undergraduate school and degree. In the case of someone with a post graduate degree, they do not need to list their high school education.

By taking a look at a professional resume example, you can see many different types of resumes for many different occupations. There are examples for those for nurses, attorneys, teachers and other individuals. There are also many different styles from which to choose. This is probably the easiest way to build your own resume. Simply copy the resume to your own word processing program and fill in your own information.

By viewing a professional resume example, you can learn exactly how to build your own professional resume. There are many different examples provided both on the internet as well as in different software programs.

Your resume is the first impression you will make on your potential employer. The importance of a resume cannot be underestimated and should be done correctly. By viewing a professional resume example, you are helping yourself build the best possible resume designed to reflect your own skills and knowledge.

About the Author
Mario Churchill is a freelance author and has written over 200 articles on various subjects. For more information on resumes or for a samples resume checkout his recommended websites.

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=729221

Resume Cover Letter Example Mistakes To Avoid

Resume Cover Letter Example Mistakes To Avoid by Mario Churchill

If there is anything that can be the kiss of death to the job search it can be the use of free resume cover letters. You've worked so hard on that resume and sending a cover letter that you didn't write is only going to show the employer that you are unoriginal, uninventive and probably lazy. Why on earth would they call you in for an interview when no one wants a lazy person working for them?

One of the biggest resume cover letter example mistakes to avoid is simply using one. The whole point of a cover letter is to get you in for an interview while advertising you and your resume. What good is it going to do you if you have a stellar resume accompanied by a mediocre cover letter sample you didn't write? It's amazing how many people believe that an employer will never know that the cover letter is not their own. They believe that they found a letter that will impress employers. The harsh reality is that these employers and hiring managers are trained to spot good cover letters. They know firsthand what their company needs. They know better than anyone else what skills and qualifications are needed to get the job done. Also keep in mind that they sometimes receive hundreds of applications. Do you really think they are going to spend their time reading a dry, bland cover letter you got online? It doesn't matter how good your resume is, using one of those sample cover letters will probably ruin any chance you had of getting in that door.

Let's break the online letter down paragraph by paragraph to show how using a free example is a big mistake. The first paragraph alone should raise a red flag. It's important that you grab the employer's attention in this first paragraph. This is where you make your first impression and show that you have done some research on this company. Essentially you are telling the employer that you are not just applying to them to make money. You are showing that you have a real interest in the company and what you can do for them. That's really all the employer wants to know is what you can do for them. There are no online examples that can do that for you. Only you know what you can do for them.

The second paragraph is your resume paragraph. You recap the highlights of your resume that will pertain to the position you are applying for. Now while some of those examples online can sound really fancy and professional, take a minute to reread them. Ask yourself this important question, "does this pertain to you?" Unless you wrote the example yourself, the answer is probably no. Here is where you prove why you are such a perfect match for the company. You have your resume to back it up. Using a cover letter that has nothing to do with your resume is a huge mistake and will almost guarantee your resume and letter a trip to the shredder.

Another resume cover letter example mistake to avoid is not asking for that interview and not telling them you will follow up. The whole point of the letter is to get the interview and you are making it even easier for the employer by telling them your availability and even promising to call them to set it up. Not many examples follow this point. You'll find that a lot of these free examples will state when the applicant is available to start work, but that means nothing to the employers. Make sure you own cover letter states when you are available to interview. Another mistake is not mentioning when you will follow up with them. Even worse, you do say you're going to follow up and you never do.

The completion for jobs can be very stiff. With so many applicants competing against each other, it's essential to have a cover letter that stands out amongst the rest. A cover letter with personality, flair and obvious knowledge of the company and what they expect is going to grab their attention. The biggest mistake you could make in your job search is taking a cover letter example and just adding your name to it. The best thing you can do for your job search is to avoid cover letter examples all together.

About the Author
Mario Churchill is a freelance author and has written over 200 articles on various subjects. For more information on resume cover letter example checkout his recommended websites.

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=690726

Tweaking The Resume Cover Letter Example To Get The Job For You

Tweaking The Resume Cover Letter Example To Get The Job For You by Mario R. Churchill

The Internet has made life easy for everyone. It has allowed job seekers to look for job openings quickly, so that you can find all the listings you want with a single click of the mouse button. It has given work-at-home people the chance to earn money, what with telecommuting. E-mail has turned the world into a paperless mailroom, and has made job finding and employment almost hassle-free.

This ease, however, has made life too easy for the job seeker, so that many things can be taken for granted. E-mail does not give anyone the license to respond curtly to inquiries from prospective employers. Downloadable resume cover letter examples do not give job seekers the license to simply cut and paste as they please. In fact, resume cover letter examples do exactly the opposite of their intention: instead of giving someone the chance to be interviewed for a job, they can turn prospective employers off with their dry, dull tone.

Don't fall for the ease of the Internet and the downloadable resume cover letter example. Don't knock the resume cover letter example, however: it can give you tips on how to best format your cover letter, so use it as the basis of your letter. Don't let it dominate your style. The best cover letter has personality, and reflects the passion of the person who sends it. A resume cover letter example, if abused, can show that you lack resourcefulness and that the prospective employer is only one among hundreds that you applied to blindly. If you show that a prospective employer is not special enough to be treated with exclusivity, then why should you be treated any better?

Your resume cover letter has power that even your resume does not have. Your resume will simply list your educational background and work experience, but it will not show how much you learned in school or how much passion you have for your chosen career. Your resume cover letter, therefore, is your chance to show personality: it is your voice in the midst of dull documents, and your platform on which to build a potential relationship with your prospective employer.

That said, your resume cover letter should use conversational, but not overly informal language. Write your cover letter as you would talk to your employer during your interview: be tactful and polite, exuberant but not childish, and direct to the point. Remember, your prospective employer has little time to read through your entire letter, so you have to catch his or her attention within the first few lines.

Make your resume cover letter brief and active. Indicate that you are available for an interview, and provide information that the prospective employer can use to contact you. Address the prospective employer by name, avoiding any generic address that might make your letter appear like a shot in the dark; sign your letter as well, adding one last personal touch to the sheet before you finally send it off.

Don't eschew format in favor of creativity, however, as some companies still favor formatting standards in resume cover letters. This is where the resume cover letter example comes in: you still need your standard heading, body, and ending, all in a brief billet designed to show off your personality. Your cover letter should show you as a potential employee of the company, so bring all your great cards to the table and don't sell yourself short: you're a great person, and your resume cover letter should show exactly that.

About the Author
Mario Churchill is a freelance author and has written over 200 articles on various subjects. For more information on resume cover letter example checkout his recommended websites.

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=551841

Common Examples Of Resume Cover Letter Mistakes

Common Examples Of Resume Cover Letter Mistakes by Mario Churchill

Job seekers are everywhere; you can find them on the busy streets and even on the Internet. Times have greatly changed, and without a job, you can't live a normal life.

All the essential necessities needed to survive have their prices soaring high, and how else can you answer this but to have a good-paying job. The fact is that there are many job hunters out in the market and the question whether to get employed or not depends entirely on how you market yourself to prospective employers.

The key to a successful resume application is with the use of a cover letter. This type of letter is the most effective tool to obtain a job interview.

Since this is just a simple letter that many job seekers make every time they apply for a job, they might not be aware that mistakes are often committed in writing one. Cover letters have a powerful impact, and if it has fundamental errors, it might cost you a number of job interviews.

Here are several common letter mistakes:

1. typos and spelling 2. information overload 3. specifics 4. company needs versus personal needs 5. design 6. addressing employers 7. other little things

Your letter may be excellent, with good content and copy. But the most common mistake is spelling. Spelling errors instantly give negative impressions among employers; it shows how careless you are being an applicant. They might even think that you're not serious at all. It would be wise to use grammar check and word spelling. After you've finished writing, you need to re-check the letter, and afterwards, have a friend or family member double check your work. Take a small amount of your time to make sure that you don't commit this mistake.

Conduct a little research about the employer's company. A personalized letter is much more effective than specific and standardized letters that you've copied.

Your resume is distinct from your cover letter, so make your letter concise and short. Sell yourself through the letter, be direct, straightforward, and include other details such as the information about the company.

The company is not interested in your particular needs, what they focus more is on what applicants can do for their company. You should never outline your needs in the cover letter. One sentence that says why you want that certain job is enough.

Most applicants want to look creative, and they do so by experimenting in the design and fonts of the letter. To make a professional letter, you need to stick with the standard format.

Personalize your address to the employer. Don't start with a 'dear sir' or 'dear madam'. And check for the correct spelling and title of the addressee.

Little things like faded ink, misspelled names, disjointed content, smudges on the letter, omitted information and unneeded creativity will impede your chances of getting that job interview.

You can't please each and every employer. As long as you're a positive thinker and with a great amount of self-confidence, you can create the desired impression from your employer.

Just remember that common errors, though very little, can have a big impact on your application. If you are serious with your letter writing; and devote effort and time, you can effectively avoid these errors and make a good letter to impress your employer.

About the Author
Mario Churchill is a freelance author and has written over 200 articles on various subjects. For more information on cover letter or cover letters checkout his recommended websites.

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=317577

Basic Cover Letter For Resume Samples

Monday, December 24, 2007

Basic Cover Letter For Resume Samples by Mitch Kono

Crafting a cover letter might seem like a tantamount task for some people, but you can find some basic cover letter for a resume samples in many places on the Internet. There are all sorts of web sites that are dedicated to helping people get jobs just with their resumes and cover letters. You should really take advantage of their services so that you can put your best foot forward when applying for a job. When you have a great resume and a great cover letter, you will have a better chance of getting the call for an interview.

You do not have to have a magic formula to make a great resume and a great cover letter. You just need to know what to include in both of these documents. That is why you may want to find a basic cover letter for a resume samples to help you along your way. When you have a sample resume as well as a sample cover letter, you have a better chance of getting your foot in the door of the place where you want to work.

It does not matter how much experience you have in making resumes or cover letters, you can always learn new things that will make you stand out above the crowd. Perhaps things have changed since the last time you had to put together a resume. Maybe the cover letter is much more important than it ever was. If you are wanting to find a basic cover letter for a resume samples, you can find all sorts of places that will give you the help you need.

Most of the web sites that we have seen that offer up a basic cover letter for a resume samples are made by professionals in the business, so you know you are getting a quality product - all for free! All you need to do is tailor the sample to fit your job experience, your education, and your skills and abilities. Samples are great to have as reference guides so you know that you are doing everything you can to get the job of your dreams.

You do not have to get fancy with your resume and cover letter. That is why you should look online for a basic cover letter for a resume samples and then take and make that sample something you can be proud of. When you send out your resume and cover letter, all you have to do after that is to sit back and wait for the interview call.

About the Author
Mitch Kono runs a website to help people writing a resume that gets them a job interview. Check out his site at: ResumeWritingTips.eliv.info

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=630254

The True Cost of Using Online Resume Samples

The True Cost of Using Online Resume Samples by August Mac

Wouldn't it be great if you could search for a resume sample online and find an example of a resume that had everything you have done in your career just the way we would have written it?

Okay, so you're not that unrealistic. You know we're not living in a perfect world. All you really want is some inspiration and to find a few good sentences to borrow to make your life easier.

Ten years ago, the prospect of finding a good resume sample online was a daunting task, and too a large extent still is with the exception of a few. Many of the websites offering resume samples charged a non-refundable fee for the privilege before seeing the product. These sites are still around, but have some stiff competition - free resume sample sites such as http://www.sampleresumetemplates.com offering hundreds of free resume samples for many job titles. When you think about it, why would anyone pay for 250 resume samples when they only need a few good ones? This is obviously a better resource for a resume writer than it is for a job seeker.

The good news is that the dozens of free resume samples and resume templates sites on the Internet provide a good selection of sample resumes for many occupational titles that you can view, take or leave. Some are certainly better than others. Some are in plain text so you can copy and paste the resume sample directly into your word processor. Other samples are in image format, allowing you to view only and require that you retype the information if you can use it. Other free resume samples sites go as far as offering a built-in program that allows you to upload the sample right into MS Word, formatted and all!

Why are these free resume samples sites giving the store away? In a word, Google Ads (okay, two words). This is a win-win situation for job seekers and publishers (the site offering free resume samples that you visited). The idea is that upon visiting, you will click on a Google Ad so the publisher gets paid for their overhead expenses in maintaining a quality website that is constantly being improved and hosted each month. Some free web sites of all types actually go as far as asking for a donation to kept the site running. It costs money to purchase a domain, develop a website, ad fresh content daily, correct problems, handle the marketing so people can find the website in the first place, and host it on a server so it is actually up and running on the world wide web.

So what's in it for you if you click on a Google Ad, you might ask? More resume samples! You see, each Google Ad is targeted to the visitor and the subject of the content on the page. If you were on a page that contains a resume sample, there is a strong likelihood that the Google Ads on that particular page will be about resumes and resume samples!

To keep the love going the next time you visit a free resume samples site, take a moment to visit their advertisers (those boxes of text or text listings that have Google Ads right next to them or at the bottom). You do not need to buy anything. The simple act of clicking on the ad will compensate the publisher. At the same time, you might just get lucky and find the perfect resume sample!

August Mac is the manager of http://www.sampleresumetemplates.com - a rich online resource of free resume samples for many job titles including finance, sales, marketing, nursing, drivers, engineers, scientists, teachers, and many more. The site also has a directory of professional resume writers at http://www.sampleresumetemplates.com/careerlinks.html as well as career articles.

About the Author
August Mac is the manager of http://www.sampleresumetemplates.com - a rich online resource of free resume samples for many job titles including finance, sales, marketing, nursing, drivers, engineers, scientists, teachers, and many more. The site also has a directory of professional resume writers at http://www.sampleresumetemplates.com/careerlinks.html as well as career articles.

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=511504

Pharmacist Resume Samples Will Help You Create An Unmistakable Resume!

Pharmacist Resume Samples Will Help You Create An Unmistakable Resume! by Robert Goldsmith

Pharmacist resumes must have information of your experience relevant to the position in a quick and clear format. Employers are interested in a highly qualified person and customer friendly attitude. Apart from highlighting your qualifications, contact information, experience etc, the following points will provide a hint on how to prepare the resume for a Pharmacist position.

A clear cut career and job objective which shows your sense of direction to the employer. Your resume should have the names of each of your employers and your corresponding job titles. Give a brief description about the employer like what they are doing, if they are not well known. Mention the number of staff that you manage (if applicable). List your educational qualifications with name of the institution, city, state, degree, major, year awarded and GPA. Use important keywords in your resume in skills sets like pharmacology, dispensing and compounding, medication therapy, pharmaceutical research, MedE America Pharmacy System etc. and in specialty areas like acute and critical care, ICU, nuclear pharmaceuticals and retail etc. Narrate some of the main reasons why you should be called for the interview. For example: thorough knowledge of computerized drug distribution systems, drug utilization evaluation, complex equipment and delivery systems, emerging medications, inventory management and regulations governing pharmacy services. Licensed clinical pharmacist with acute care and hospital experience. Serving and maintaining an effective communication between the community to improve drug usage and therapeutic outcomes and healthcare teams. Mention how you have reduced costs and saved money in your department or the organization in general. Highlight any other achievements that have benefited your department and obviously your organization in general.

About the Author
Robert is a Freelance Writer For ResumeHowTo.com. They Specialize In All Kinds of Different Resume Issues. They have information on various Types Of Sample Resume, Also thay can connect you with companies that are dedicated to Resume Writing So You Needn't Worry.

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=194229

Administrator Resume Samples Will Give The Edge When Applying For A New Position

Administrator Resume Samples Will Give The Edge When Applying For A New Position. by Robert Goldsmith

Being an administrator, you may have to interact with the CEO one minute and the next minute a floor cleaner. What is expected from an Admin, varies from organization to organization. But overall, an admins role is to be very flexible and friendly, approachable with good inter personnel skills. Also, as an admin you are expected to learn quickly. Having said that, make sure your resume conveys this message if you posses these skills. Apart from the basic resume contents like contact information, employment history, qualification etc, following additional tailored information could be helpful to you.

Mention How flexible you are. This is a plus for any role. But, for an admin, it is a required soft-skill. How good you are as a people friendly person? How do you handle others' egos? If you can speak CEO language as well as layman's office language, do mention it. As an admin, you might have to learn new processes and undergo new training programmes. Mention your quick learning skills. Mention how you have reduced costs and saved money in your department or the organization in general by any means. Narrate in brief why you should be called for the interview. For example Oracle certified database administrator with 5 years of experience, experienced hospital administrator with relevant skills etc. Mention any technical or computer qualifications and personality development, diploma in office administration or hospital administration etc done as a course with its content in brief, the duration, institute and also its results. Mention how you improved the efficiency and productivity within your department or the organization in general. Highlight any other achievements that have benefited your department and obviously your organization in general.

About the Author
Robert is a Freelance Writer For ResumeHowTo.com. They Specialize In All Kinds of Different Resume Issues. They have information on various Types Of Sample Resume, Also thay can connect you with companies that are dedicated to Resume Writing So You Needn't Worry.

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=193711

Free Resume Templates - A Much Needed Resource When Creating a Resume

Friday, December 21, 2007

Free Resume Templates - A Much Needed Resource When Creating a Resume by Jeff Melvin

The average employer spends approximately 30 seconds reviewing each resume. Therefore, it is critical for a resume to present its information in a clear, concise, and easy-to-read format.
Job seekers need all the tools they can use in today's competitive job market and free resume templates are one of those tools. Templates are pre-existing forms or formats that often include preset margins, graphics, fonts, and other information pertaining to the layout of a page. They are a valuable resource to use when creating a resume. Many of them are simple to use, just fill-in-the-blanks and your resume is ready to print.

Free resume templates have received their fair share of negative press with many critics stating they are too common and present a cookie cutter appearance. These critics are in the minority with the bulk of employers stating they are more concerned about content than they are about style and flare.

A person can have the best looking resume and still not be qualified. Content matters!

The use of a template helps to minimize some of the extraneous tasks associated with creating a resume and allows the writer to focus on the content.

A resume template is a valuable resource because:

• it can save a person time
• it presents their information in a standardized, professional manner
• it is easily customized to the individual's unique skills & qualifications!

Hundreds of free resume templates are available that can be used to create a resume that clearly outlines a person's skills and qualifications. A search at Google returned over four million listings.

One of the best places to download a free resume template is at Microsoft's website located at www.microsoft.com. Click on "Office" located on the left side menu panel under the heading "Product Families," then click on "Templates,," scroll down and in the main body of the website will be a heading named "Your Career." There you can download a variety of free resume templates formatted in Microsoft Word.

Save yourself time and the frustration of trying to format your own document and use a template to create an effective resume today!

About the Author
Jeff Melvin graduated with an MBA and is a highly experienced resume writer with over 10 years experience. Jeff created www.Effective-Resume-Writing.com as a free online resume resource center providing information on how to write a free resume, free resume formats, free resume templates, resume cover letters, and a list of job search engines.

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=157405

Resume Shooting You in the Foot? . . . Take this FREE test!

Resume Shooting You in the Foot? . . . Take this FREE test! by Paul Megan

If you're serious about finding another job, then you have to pay attention to your resume. Is it working for you . . . or is it shooting you in the foot!

We've come to expect a lot from a resume. Yet, in reality it plays only a peripheral role in your job search. Think of it more as a business card that introduces you to an employer.

In fact, no one is going to hire you on the basis of it. An employer has to get to know you before making a decision. So, how does your resume stack up? It's easy to find out. Get out a piece of paper and take this test. Just answer "yes" or "no". It will show you whether your resume passes muster in today's sophisticated job marketplace. The old-fashioned methods of putting a resume together are OUT! Have you met the criteris expected of a sharp, assertive resume that's expected of you these days? You can click in the link below to see how you've done.

DIRECTIONS: For your convenience, print this test out. Indicate either "true" or "false" if you agree or disagree with a statement. When you've finished, CLICK on the answer/scoring link. The scoring formula will help you evaluate your current state of readiness for the job marketplace.

1. A good resume should state your age.
2. Most employers prefers a multipage resume.
3. It's OK to leave out salary information.
4. Employers want you include references in your resume.
5. Resumes are carefully scrutinized by employers who expect to find in-depth and detailed information.
6. Attaching a flattering recent photo of yourself enhances your chances.
7. A well-prepared resume leads to an early job offer.
8. It's better to be upfront about a firing or other job history problem.
9. A resume should ideally be thought of as a personal advertising brochure.
10. Mailing your resume directly to an employer is the fastest way to land an interview.
11. Showing your compensation for each job builds your credibility.
12. Employers appreciate knowing what your salary requirements are.
13. For the best results direct your resume to the Personnel Manager.
14. If an employer never sees your resume, you'll never see a job offer.
15. Most traditional resumes tell employers why they shouldn't hire you.

About the Author
Paul Megan writes for EEI, the world-class pioneer in alternative job search techniques and non-traditional career advancement strategies . . . since 1985. Grab our stunning FREE REPORT. Click here for resume test answers! http://www.fastest-job-search.com/job-search-resume-answers.html

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=139524

What to Look for in Free Resume Writing Software by Yulin Peng

What to Look for in Free Resume Writing Software by Yulin Peng

plug itIf you are feeling as though you have a serious case of resume writer's block, don't feel alone. This is the case for many people, especially those who are re-entering the workforce or who are new at job searching. Fortunately, free resume writing software can help to relieve a significant amount of your stress and make it possible for you to create an effective resume and have it in the hands of prospective employers in no time.

Free resume writing software services vary in terms of what is offered and how the information you create can be accessed. Therefore, it is extremely important that you research these factors when considering the use of any free resume writing software. For example, some free resume writing software services are very basic in nature. This type of resume writing software provides only a basic template in which you must fill in all the information and provides no help on wording, etc.


More advanced forms of free resume writing software go a step beyond and also offers suggestions and tips on wording. In addition, some types of free resume writing software may only offer one format. Depending on your personal situation, that format may not be the most suitable to highlight your unique skills and abilities and detract from anything that could hinder your chances at gaining employment. Whenever possible, look for resume software that offers you a choice in format.

About the Author
Yulin Peng is a recruiting researcher and the founder of http://www.job-employment-guide.com. The informative website provides job search and employment guide to job seekers and recruiting reserch services to recruiters.

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=82500

Job Fairs

Friday, December 14, 2007

Job Fairs

Whether you call them job fairs, career expos, or hiring events...they're all the same. And they are a good opportunity to meet with a lot of companies who are are hiring...and to do so in a concentrated period of time.. For the corporate recruiter, they offer an opportunity to reach interviewing terminal velocity--the highest possible number of prospects in the shortest possible amount of time. For many students, job fairs provide a "freebie" opportunity to meet with hiring employers.

Usually free for job applicants, job fairs are held in a convention center, hotel ballroom or other large facility. You'll find large cities hosting several job fairs per year.

Usually a full 50 percent or more of the attendees at job fairs are "window shoppers" who are just browsing to see what is available. While this approach may seem valid, take note that job fairs are not a "get acquainted session" for you to meet prospective employers. They are multiple interview sessions where the plain vanilla candidates are stepped on and over by those who are targeted and prepared. Yes, even the two to three minute greeting and exchange of sound bites is considered a real interview. You are being evaluated, whether it is for thirty seconds or thirty minutes. You always need to be at your very best. If you are to succeed at the job fair of the new millenium, you have to take a very aggressive yet structured approach.

Source: http://www.freeresumesamples.org/samples/jobfairs.asp

Choosing a Job

Choosing a Job

You have the fortunate problem of having to decide which job offer to accept. You need to evaluate the site, first, to determine if it has the jobs you want before you register. This should be a BIG red flag that the site is not seriously interested in helping you find a job, particularly if the site does not have a Privacy Policy posted telling you what they do with your information.
First of all, make sure you know enough about the organization For example be Suspicious of a site that won't let you perform a job search before you

Register your profile or resume., the job, and the details of each offer to weigh one offer against another. If you lack information, seek it out by asking the employer, researching the organization, and talking to others who work at or are familiar with the organization or job.

Critical Criteria for choosing a job

1: Keep your word. Once you make a decision, stick to it. Do not accept one job, planning to break your word if the other job comes through for you. Journalism is largely based on trust, and if you can't keep your word, people will hear about it. In one case, a reporter who accepted a job at a new paper then accepted a job at a third paper she liked even better. She last both of those offers when editors at those two papers, in different regions of the country, compared notes.

2: Remember what you want. Don't get so caught up in the high drama and flattery of the competition for your services that you forget what you want and sour the better employer or pursue a job that is not right for you. If your preferred paper has made an offer, take it. Don't drag out the other employer just to see what they'll offer. Don't go through a sham interview just because the process has already started. Call, explain and politely withdraw yourself from consideration without wasting of their time.

3: Be careful about playing one against the other. If you seem to be using one offer to leverage the other, one newspaper will feel used by you and the other will be less excited about having you come.

4: Be judicious about how much you share. You do not have to tell the editors where the other offer is or might be coming from. They certainly will not tell you who else they've considered. You may, however, tell them. You might even find it is useful to tell them in explaining your difficulty.

5: You should be able to easily find a way to search for the jobs you want - specifying the location and the type of job (by keyword or some other method of choosing). When you've found a job you like, it should be easy for you to apply for it. If you want to post your resume, that should be an easy process, too. And there should be easy-to-follow directions in case you get lost or confused.

Source: http://www.freeresumesamples.org/samples/choosingjob.asp

Looking For A Resume And Cover Letter Sample

Saturday, December 8, 2007

Looking For A Resume And Cover Letter Sample by Mario Churchill

There is a lot riding on having that perfect resume and that perfect cover letter. It could mean the difference that perfect job or a mediocre job that you aren't really that happy at. It's no wonder that the pressure of writing a good resume and cover letter is a little intimating to job hunters everywhere. Millions of job hunters turn to books promising to provide them with the tools to write that perfect resume. People spend hundreds of dollars on computer software that is guaranteed to produce a resume and cover letter that will get them hired to the job of their choice. For those who don't' want to spend money there is a whole network of free samples and articles right at their fingertips every time they log into the internet. Some people actually become obsessed with finding the perfect sample of what their resume and cover letter should be like.
While these job hunters are headed in the right direction, something that needs to be kept in mind is it's a strong and personalized cover letter that will get them that interview. As great as these samples might sound, people should not be tempted to pass them off as their own cover letters. Each cover letter needs to be customized to the position and the company they are applying for.

A resume can be a little easier to write than a cover letter. Essentially a resume is a history of your work experience. It's not uncommon to have only one resume on file instead of multiple ones, because let's face it there is only so many ways you can list your experience. You can use the same resume to apply to company ABC and company XYZ. A good resume simply shows employers that you have the skills and experience that meet their criteria. The key to a good resume is to let your abilities and skills shine through.

However it's not advisable to use the exact same cover letter for both companies because as we all know, no two jobs are alike. In fact no two companies are alike. Each company comes with its own sets of needs and you cover letter needs to state how you meet their specific needs. Why you might be a perfect match for one company might not hold true to another. Because of this it's unadvisable to use a sample cover letter that you might find online.

That's not to say using these examples you find as a guideline or even "tweaking" the samples to make it fit YOUR skills, YOUR personality, and show that YOU understand what the company is looking for is a bad idea. In fact these types of resumes and cover letters are very specific and could help demonstrate that you fully understand the company's needs. Even more importantly they could help you get across the point that you are a perfect match for them.

There are many avenues for you to pursue while looking for a resume and cover letter. As was mentioned before, you can always hire someone to help you write your resume and cover letter. Or even better they will write your resume and cover letter for you. This is a costly service though and not one that I would recommend. You don't really know these people, you only spend a small amount of time with them so why trust them with the most important tools you need for a job.

An easier less expensive route is to check out your local book store. There is usually a whole section dedicated to books geared toward people looking for help writing that perfect resume. While these books will offer samples, they also arm you with the knowledge you need to write a good resume and cover letter yourself. To me this is the greatest advantage with a how to book, it educates you. You can't put on price on that sort of education.

Lastly, the easiest way to look for resume and cover letter samples is your computer. Walk into any computer software shop and you will find a variety of programs that will help you with your resume. It's almost like having a professional resume maker but without the expensive cost. These programs guide you step by step through the process. If you really don't want spend the money on software, don't worry. There are plenty of sites dedicated to helping you write that perfect resume. Most of the time they will cost you either a small subscription fee or nothing at all. The only downside to this is that sometimes they don't go into as much detail as say a book would. They are not always as organized as a book would be either.

As long as you are looking for resume and cover letters samples to assist you in your job search, which can only benefit you. However looking for them to copy and pass off on your own could mean sudden death in the job hunt.

About the Author
Mario Churchill is a freelance author and has written over 200 articles on various subjects. For more information on Looking for a Resume and Cover Letter Sample checkout his recommended web.

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=703484

Writing A Free Sample Resume Cover Letter Worth Sending

Writing A Free Sample Resume Cover Letter Worth Sending by Mario Churchill

You have probably heard that you should be careful when taking free advice or using free samples. The understanding is that more often than not when you get something free you are getting exactly what you paid for. There are, however, exceptions to every rule. This means that there are times when a free sample resume cover letter is very well worth sending with only a few minor adjustments to make it suit your specific needs.
The very first thing you are going to want to do is make it personal to the person you will be sending it to. While it is all nice and good, not to mention time saving, to send a generic greeting it also shows lack of preparation on your part when a little bit of research could very well result in you knowing the name of the hiring manager for the company to which you are applying and adjusting your greeting to include that person by name. You also should make an effort of mentioning the company by name at some point in the cover letter so that the potential employer doesn't feel as though you are in fact using a form cover letter. We now live in the information age. It is difficult to imagine that you can't find out to whom the cover letter should be addressed. Failing to do so only makes you appear as though you were not willing to make the effort, which in many companies will land you in the toss rather than the keep pile.

Be sure to take the opportunity to ask for an interview in the course of the cover letter. If that question isn't included in the free sample resume cover letter then it truly isn't worth sending. The only way to get what you want in this day and age seems to be by asking for it. If you want the interview you are much more likely to get it by asking for it than not. Make sure you add that to the form cover letter and keep it in every incarnation of this particular cover letter you use during your job search.

Fill the cover letter with action works but keep it simple and to the point. Do not inundate the hiring manager with big words that are difficult to understand. Write as though you were speaking and make sure that the form cover letter sounds natural and appropriate for your 'voice'. You do not want the interview process to seem like a complete 180-degree turn from the person that wrote the cover letter. The best way to do that is by adjusting some of the language to sound more comfortable to your ears and use words that roll off your tongue nicely. This will appear more natural to the hiring manager and will often result in a better opportunity for the interview when combined with the other steps that have been mentioned.

Offer a brief summary of skills that you have that are relevant to the job for which you are applying as a parting note or a P.S. While you do not want to rehash your resume in your cover letter you do want to remind the hiring manager of the highlights you mentioned in the body of the cover letter. This should also be in your own words to provide yet another glimpse of your personality to shine through and further convince the hiring manager that you should at least interview for the position in question.

Taking these steps won't guarantee an interview from your free sample resume cover letter but it will make it much more worth sending and likely to achieve the desired result--an interview--than if you neglected to make these minor changes in the first place. While the steps above require an essential rewrite of almost the entire free sample resume cover letter it also allows you to follow the existing form while making it your own. Writing a convincing and persuasive cover letter is no small accomplishment and the final product when following the steps above is one you should definitely feel proud to call your resume cover letter. Most importantly, make a concerted effort to keep your resume cover letter upbeat and positive.

About the Author
Mario Churchill is a freelance author and has written over 200 articles on various subjects. For more information on free sample resume cover letter checkout his recommended websites.

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=677648

Free Sample Resume

Free Sample Resume by Jay Tokarz

A free sample resume is a wonderful resource to help you learn how to craft the perfect resume. There are many sites where you can download free samples that you can use as guides to help you get started. This is especially helpful for recent graduates who do not have work experience to detail in the resume. For one thing, you will see how you should format your resume. You will also be able to see how the writer of the resume used words and phrases to be specific and concise about his/her skills to directly relate the resume to the skills required in a job posting.
With so many free samples of resumes online, it is quite possible that you will get one for the type of job you want to attain. This will show you where to place the information. One thing you will see id the value of writing a strong profile summary right at the beginning. For recent graduates, this section should focus on strengths gained through studying. Since this will be the first thing employers read about you, after your name and contact information, you need to word it in such a way so that they will continue reading.

Along with providing details of your educational background, as a recent graduate, you should think about your time in college or university to come up with activities you engaged in that would make you an asset in this position. The marketplace is constantly changing and today employers are looking for employees who can work with others and have strong communication skills. Activities in school that you can provide details of to show you have these skills include such things as being part of a team, such as a sports team or a debating team. If you have won any awards or commendations for outstanding work, then you should also provide brief details of this in your summary and in more detail in your resume. Did you demonstrate any leadership skills in your courses? This is another quality that today’s employers are looking for in the many applications they receive for open positions.

You do have to make sure that the information you provide about volunteer and extra-curricular activities directly relates to the position you are applying for. If not, the employer doesn’t really need to read that information because it will not have any impact on the job.

Copyright 2007 Jay Tokarz

About the Author
This Resume Article is brought to you by Jay Tokarz recruiting expert and career author in conjunction with Professional Resumes. Visit Free Resume Example to view free resume samples.

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=677293

Get A Free Sample Of A File Clerk Resume And Cover Letter

Friday, December 7, 2007

Get A Free Sample Of A File Clerk Resume And Cover Letter by Dwayne Garrett

Do you want to get a free sample of a file clerk resume and cover letter? It might be easier to just make your own resume and cover letter, but there are many people who just do not know where to start. Beginning at the bottom of a large corporation as a file clerk is a very competitive area to start because the job really does not require a whole lot of skills or expertise. However, that is the very reason that you need to get a free sample of a file clerk resume and cover letter to set you apart from all the rest.

The key is to tailor that cover letter and resume reflecting you as well as your abilities. You are competing in a very full field, so standing out in the stack of resumes that are on the personnel directors desk is extremely important. That is exactly why you will want to get a free sample of a file clerk resume and cover letter so that you take it an "make it your own". When you can change the sample you get, you will have a better chance of being noticed.

There are a lot of web sites where you can get a free sample of a file clerk resume and cover letter. Basically, a file clerk is an entry level position. It is a job that any high school graduate can do, so you will be competing with others with little to no experience willing to work for a pittance of a wage. However, being a file clerk in a large company can lead to bigger and better positions, so there are perks to starting in a position like this.

For you to shine and get your foot in the door as a file clerk, you will really want to concentrate on making your cover letter and resume reflect where you want to go and how you plan to get there. You will want to tell your prospective employer why you are qualified to move up through the ranks and how you plan on going about that. This is where the cover letter comes into play!

Look online to get a free sample of a file clerk resume and cover letter, as we have said before. This is your best resource for free help in your job hunt. Look for web sites that are reliable and have experts who know how to craft cover letters and resumes. Then make it your own and go out and get that job!

About the Author
Dwayne Garrett is the author of several eBooks and popular software applications, he also offers an affordable Employment Resource that will teach you how to craft a professional resume to find your dream job easily. Visit: http://www.ResumeWritingSecret.com

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=662168

Looking for a Sample Resume Cover Letter?

Looking for a Sample Resume Cover Letter? by Thomas Williams

You shouldn't be..

Using a sample resume cover letter written by someone else is like telling the HR managers that you're not serious about getting the job! It's like asking a person you've never met to write a poetry about what you feel for the one you love. It just won't work. You can't expect a sample cover letter downloaded from the internet to impress the person reading it. It will look just like all the other cover letters in the pile.

But I'm about to show you something better...

Would you like to flood your calendar with more hot job interview requests and top job offers this month than most of your competition will land all year?

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All you have to do is to answer a few questions, and the "Amazing Cover Letter Creator" will automatically choose the perfect template for you.

For a limited time only, the author has made it available for a one-time investment for only $39.95. That's a $10 discount.

Get it today, and you are guaranteed to triple your interview requests in 30 days or less!

--> Click here to learn more about the "Amazing Cover Letter Creator".

About the Author
Jimmy P. Sweeney, the author of the "Amazing Cover Letter Creator", has helped 19,946 job-seekers (and counting) in over 25 different countries, land more quality job interviews and job offers in dozens of highly competitive professions and markets using his breakthrough, step-by-step cover letter system.

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=581508

What To Look For In A Resume And Cover Letter Sample

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Resume Sample Articles : What To Look For In A Resume And Cover Letter Sample by Mario Churchill

If you are looking for a job, chances are, you are probably looking out also for ways to amplify your cover letter and resume. One of the popular ways of doing this is by looking for a resume and cover letter sample to guide you with it. There are many types of resume and cover letter samples in the Internet, but there are certain characteristics that make it a real winner. You will have to be the only judge to determine which resume and cover letter sample is the best for you.

The resume and cover letter sample you should obtain should be free of grammar errors, sophisticated in its layout, formal and at the same time, engaging to the eye. The sample must be catchy, unique and tailored to suit your specific needs. It would also be preferable if you are able to land yourself a cover letter and resume sample that will really help you.

Certain resume and cover letter samples are targeted to fit your needs. If for example, you are applying for a writing job, you will need a sample of a writer's resume and not a spin off from an unrelated field. Different jobs have different needs. If at all possible, you can also do research on the company you are applying for and detect what type of resume and cover letters clicks with them. This may be some information that is difficult to obtain but well worth all the sacrifice and hassles.

Your chosen resume and cover letter sample must be flexible and something that you can easily customize to suit your needs. This is one of the best ways to ensure that your final submission will not just be the usual resume that do not get past the screening and shortlisting of applicants. You have to make sure that you will not copy that resume and cover letter sample word for word. You cannot expect your application details to stand out if you are just a chip off the familiar block. You still have to mull it over, strive and make use of the resume and cover letter sample as a guide and not an ultimate means to your end.

Ultimately, the resume and cover letter samples should be synchronized and not appear as if it were disjointed from each other. Coherence in the cover letter and resume sample is very vital since the cover letter somewhat acts like an usher to your resume. Your cover letter should not be too flashy or it will overshadow the details of your resume. On the other hand, you must not deprive your cover letter of vital information that will give you the good attention that you deserve.

If at all possible, you must try your best not to rely on resume and cover letter samples no matter how good they are. You will have to express yourself individually when it comes to these things. Even if a cover letter and resume sample claims to be competent enough in itself, a little bit of brain work to make sure you maximize the opportunity to express and introduce yourself in the most creative ways is also something that can spell the difference between getting a job and not getting past the screening processes.

About the Author
Mario Churchill is a freelance author and has written over 200 articles on various subjects. For more information on resume and cover letter sample checkout his recommended websites.

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=542742

Top 7 resume sample words and phrases to instantly improve your resume

Resume Sample Articles : Top 7 resume sample words and phrases to instantly improve your resume by Dr. Sander Marcus

Make no mistake about it, writing an effective resume has to be a highly individualized matter, since no two people are alike. Nevertheless, it is such a constricted and standardized format, that we resume writers find ourselves adopting certain phrases or words that each of us tends to prefer and that in fact help our clients get jobs. Every resume writer has his or her own list. Here is mine:

1. "$3,000,000" (vs. "$3M") - To a skimmer's eye, "$3M" looks like three dollars. If you are dealing with big numbers and write out all the zeros, the reader's eye will find it anywhere on the page, no matter how fast they are skimming.

2. "Created a database for..." (vs. "Developed a database for...") - "Developed" is an overused and nondescript word. Often databases, procedures, lists, or whatever other job activity you are writing about is something you actually put together (even if you used a standard software program to do it, for example). "Created" is closer to the truth and is certainly much more impressive.

3. "Applied xyz methods..." (vs. "Learned xyz methods....") - Many people list important skills or knowledge that they learned on a job. But that isn't going to impress a potential employer. The potential employer wants to know if you actually used those skills. How and where you learned them is immaterial.

4. "College courses include..." (vs. "Took courses in...." or "3 years of college) - If you went to college years ago and did not complete your degree, you look like an underachiever. Starting with "College courses include..." sends the message that you are a high school graduate who went to school to take courses (not just get a degree) or that you have been motivated to keep your education ongoing.

5. "All..." as in, "All human resources responsibilities in the office..." (vs., for example, "Human resources responsibilities include all functions...") - Sometimes a key word isn't what you'd think. "All" is a great key word to start a descriptive item in your resume. "All" instantly paints a picture of comprehensive responsibilities and a more rather than less important role.

6. "References available upon request" (vs. nothing) - Now, I know that many experts do not consider this phrase necessary because they believe that most readers assume that you will have references. But I'm not so sure. Unfortunately, there are potential employers out there (hopefully not too many) who may conclude that if you do not say anything about references, it must mean that you don't have any, and therefore they can throw out your resume and have one less to read. So, keep it in.

7. "Value to an organization:"... (vs. "Career Summary") - Who cares what your career summary is? In my humble opinion and extensive experience, deep down inside the first thing a potential employer really wants to know is if you can help their bottom line. Otherwise, I don't really think they're that interested in reading yet another career summary.

About the Author
Sander Marcus, Ph.D., is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Certified Professional Resume Writer. He has over 3 decades of experience in providing career counseling, aptitude testing, job search coaching, and resume writing. He is the co-author of 2 books on academic underachievement, various tests, and numerous articles. Contacted him at marcus@iit.edu, 312-567-3358. www.center.iit.edu

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=469710