Tips for College Student Resume Writing

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Tips for College Student Resume Writing

If you are a college student, you may not yet be accustomed to writing resumes and cover letters. However, the time will soon come where you’ll need to learn in order to secure an on- or off-campus job, internship, or job after graduating.

You’ll be happy to know that the process is not difficult. It’s just a matter of gathering your experiences and organizing them effectively. So to give you a jump start on the writing process, let’s look at some ways you can utilize your current skills and talents to create great cover letters and resumes for the jobs you want.


Think of the Purpose of Your Resume

Though you may feel like a novice resume writer, if you set your sites on the purpose behind creating your resume, you’ll find that even your first one can be very successful. So what is the purpose? To engage the hiring manager by displaying the many ways you are qualified for the position you want.

Of course, if you are new to the workforce, you may not have a great deal of experience to list on your resume. However, you can list other information, like volunteering efforts or community service projects, technical or computer skills, coursework and GPA (if over 3.0), skills acquired through internships and summer jobs, awards, and any positive personal characteristics that show the employer you are a good fit for their company. Highlighting this information showcases your strengths, and offers insight into your potential as a great employee.

Research, Research, Research before Writing Your Cover Letter

The most important thing you can do when writing your cover is research the job and company you’re applying with. This way, you can not only get the inside track on what the company is looking for in an intern or employee, but also tailor your skills and experience to match the position you want.

For instance, let’s say you are applying for an internship with a design company because you are pursuing a degree in fashion. First, you’ll want to research the company’s mission to learn their organizational culture. Then you’ll want to make sure the skills you have match that culture, as well as the job you want. If you’ve tailored outfits for your friends or sewed costumes for your church’s play, tell them about it. You can use your experiences to date, alongside an explanation of your passion for the field, to illustrate a great picture of why you’re qualified for the position.

Consider the Layout Design

Because you may not have a lot of information to include on your resume, it is that much more important that you consider the layout design. If you don’t want yours looking like everyone else’s, you may want to avoid MS Word templates. You can look for really creative designs at your career center or on the Internet to help you organize your information. That way, your resume will not only be informative, but eye-catching as well.

While you may not have a lot of work experience, you still have plenty to offer. So gather everything that you’ve accomplished in your high school and college years for your resume and cover letter. You’ll be surprised to find that you’re a much stronger candidate than you could have ever imagined.

Customer Manager Resume: What It Takes To Get a Perfect Customer Manager Resume

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Free Resume Articles : Customer Manager Resume: What It Takes To Get a Perfect Customer Manager Resume by Pete Miguel


In the corporate world, there is one undeniable truth you need to realize: the higher up the ladder, the harder it is to climb. But the way is always open for anyone who dares to do so - and that includes you. It is for this reason that a Customer Manager should always go for the best


Resume Service out there to help him prove his skills and expertise on the position.
Just how important is a resume anyway? And how hard is it to come up with one? You have to realize that your resume is all that your prospective employer will know of you - your purposes for applying for the job, your educational background, your related work experience, and your personal characteristics that render you fit for the nature of the work you wish to be considered for. Do you really want to make the wrong impression? Of course not - especially when you are aiming for such a position as a Customer Manager - and this is why you need to have the best Customer Manager Resume you could ever come up with and present during your job or business interview.

Not everyone is born having the natural gift of being a good sales person. A person who has good talent for sales can easily give you a 5 minute long talk and then squeeze the selling part of his short speech right in the middle of your interesting conversation. If he is that good, then usually you will end up having very important questions in mind that you just couldn’t resist but to get relevant answers for. Asking questions in the middle of a conversation is an obvious proof of interest. Having these questions answered for you will most likely lead you to buying what you are being offered at that moment. This is what you really want to happen during an important interview, get that other person to become deeply interested and intrigued with what was written in your resume.

But how hard could that be, right? Perhaps you've been able to pen your own resumes in the past, and maybe they have gotten you the job you want. But again, do not forget how much tougher it is up the corporate ladder - do you really want to leave your chances to maybe and perhaps? What you need is professional help that will do the job for you.

The best obvious option is to come up with a Professional Resume Service. Someone who knows how the industry works; knows how employers think; and knows exactly what you need. When choosing a service provider of any kind, your choice should always be whichever one seems to look and feel professional the most. This is most advisable in finding a service that will help you sell your own skills and promote your values in the most professional manner possible. Every step is crucial now, and every misstep could mean a notch down the ladder, not up. Of course we all know which way you want to go.

About the Author
Do you want to learn and discover how to create a professional resume almost instantly?

You don't have to try every professional resume maker out there just to come up with your own perfect resume.

Pete Miguel has good passion of helping other people in achieving their goals toward career advancement.


Source: Free resume samples information at goarticles.com

Resume for Fresh Graduate - How to Craft an Impressive One?

Free Resume Articles : Resume for Fresh Graduate - How to Craft an Impressive One? by CK Tan

How can you craft an impressive resume if you don't have any work experience? This is a problem that is shared by all job hunters who recently graduated from a training program in their field. Even if you don't have that much information to include, you can craft an impressive resume for fresh graduate.

Granted, recent graduates do not have much work experience, but they have a lot of education. And that education is fresh and relevant to their field. Recent graduates often know more about state of the art technology and new ideas than veterans in the field. Use what you've learned to your advantage. Be sure to highlight the skills that you have learned in school.

Hobbies and interests can also be included on your resume. Be careful, though, to only use those hobbies and skill sets that are relevant to the position for which you are applying. Avoid creating an entire "hobbies" section. Instead, include the skills that you have gained from your hobbies and highlight those skills throughout your resume for fresh graduate.

Always include volunteer work. Volunteer work proves to your employer that you can work with others and that you can make a commitment to a cause and an organization. Many people try to do pro bono work while they are in school in exchange for references and job experience that they can use to get a head start in their career.

Want to demonstrate how well you work with others? Include group activities and particularly tough class assignments on your resume. For example: If you had to create a product or perform a case study as part of your grade, you can include this if it is relevant to the job duties you will be required to perform if hired.

Even if your resume is noticeably lacking, you can make up for it in your cover letter. Your resume letter is your one chance to prove why you are the right person for the job. Show your potential employer why you can perform the job better than others regardless of how much experience you have. Use persuasive language, but avoid sounding pushy and arrogant.

Most colleges and some vocational schools offer employment services, meaning that they will help you prepare for a job interview. If your school offers this service, take advantage of it. Do not be afraid to ask for help writing a resume for fresh graduate.

About the Author
CK Tan is the owner of JobAsiaSearch.com, a web site dedicated to assisting job seekers secure a job in Asia. If you need help in your Asia job search or looking for a job opening in Asia, visit http://www.jobasiasearch.com

Source: Free resume samples information at goarticles.com

Developing the Right Resume and Attitude For an Uncertain Economy

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Resume Articles : Developing the Right Resume and Attitude For an Uncertain Economy by Heather E.

There is no doubt that our current economy is a little scary to say the least. Companies are laying off in mass numbers while gas, food, and energy costs are reaching record highs. It can be very difficult to maintain sanity in the midst of such uncertainty, let alone think about finding a job. But with responsibilities like bills and family always present, one must learn to keep pushing forward.

If you're trying to find a job in our unsettling job market, you may feel less than excited about your prospects. However, you can find a job...and a good one at that. You just have to develop the right attitude, and an even better resume.

Make Yourself More Marketable

With layoffs on the rise, more people are competing for the same job. So in order to make yourself more marketable, you'll need to perfect your resume. This means, no spelling or grammatical errors. You'll also need to make sure your skills stand out above the rest.

One way you can do this is by conducting thorough research on the company and position to illustrate how you can enhance their goals. When describing your skills, try using action-oriented words like designed, marketed and researched, instead of phrases like "responsibilities included." And also focus on specific achievements, like how much money you made at your previous company, and on which projects, to help employers assess your skill level.

Consider Economic Growths, Declines, and Specific Regions

Before you even apply for a job, it's good to look at which business areas are growing, which are declining, and how your region is fairing economically. For example, a May 2008 Newsweek article reported that finance and accounting, engineering, technology and science are seeing growth, while construction, manufacturing, and automotive seem to be declining. In the same article, it noted that Midwest jobs may be on the decline due to its strong construction focus, while cities like New York, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, and Dallas may see a rise due to their professional focus.

After you conduct your research, if you find your field isn't negatively impacted by the economy, you may still want to conduct more research to learn details such as whether managers and administrators, or hourly employees, are keeping or losing jobs. And if things aren't going so well in your industry, you might consider a slight career shift, such as moving from software development to hardware networking, or even switching cities. That is if the prospects for long-term employment seem more promising.

Maintain the Right Attitude

In this economy, it is important to keep a positive attitude about your career prospects. Because the fact of the matter is, if there is a job available, someone must eventually fill the role. So why couldn't it be you? You are just as qualified for the job as you were before the economy worsened. So try not to let the economy's current state negatively affect your job search.

Under stable conditions, getting on track career-wise requires strong determination. But in a weak economy, it takes more. So take time to perfect your resume, conduct extensive research on your field, and keep a positive attitude. You will see that despite the economy, you'll be able to thrive.

Source: Resume information at articlesbase.com

Resume Writing Begins Here

Resume Articles : Resume Writing Begins Here by Sujatha

Resume is a piece of paper that markets your skills, achievements, professional background, academic history, and future potential to a prospective employer.

So pack your resume attractively from the employer point of view because it must provide maximum data by differentiating you from all other candidates.

To make this happen, first have a perfect plan and than start it mapping to you skills and experience and above all analyze how a recruiter might feel by going through your resume.

To the possible extent keep it focused at a particular area rather than projecting it on broad areas because recruiters want skilled people in a definite area.

Finally get it proof read by one of your best friends.

The unemployment was hit badly due to the recession in USA and its showing impact of the number of new jobs added by employers.

The jobless rate, which was at 4.7 per cent in November, jumped to its highest level since November 2005 — the aftermath of the late summer hurricanes that devastated parts of the U.S. south.

The labour report showed that the U.S. economy lost 31,000 manufacturing jobs and 49,000 construction jobs in December. The retail sector lost 24,000 jobs.

Do you think that this has an effect on all sectors of employment or is it restricted to manufacturing and construction jobs?

How about the contract IT jobs which are mostly dependent on H1b visa holders.

Will the government cap the new intake of H1b visa for the year 2008 so that it can increase the opportunities for those who are already on bench??.....

The HR department and Recruiters opinion would really help in having a better understanding about the job market recession so please do keep commenting.....

Source: Resume information at articlesbase.com

How to Avoid the Killer Errors That Get Your Resume Shredded

Resume Articles : How to Avoid the Killer Errors That Get Your Resume Shredded by Nick M.

So you need a new job then? A first job, a dream job, or maybe in credit crunch 2008 any job will do for now). No matter what job you're hunting you need a really sizzling resume in order to get interview invites flooding in. Problem: Creating a hot resume can feel impossible. Believe me, it's not hard at all, when you know what to do. However, it IS easy to make mistakes and mess it up - And messed up means shredded and shredded means no job interview.

Fear not. It's not that hard at all - once you know what to avoid - and that's what I'll tell you now.

So what are the common mistakes that will mess your resume up?

**John Doe - No contact information**

Many people feel that because they're sending a cover letter, they don't need to include their name, address, phone number and email address at the top of their resume.

However it's very common for cover letters to be separated from resumes by HR departments who then pass the resume to various other staff members for review. At this stage your contact information is very likely to be lost forever! And I can tell you that it's very frustrating for a manager to receive a good resume that has all of the qualifications that he or she is looking for in an employee without a name or any contact information.

So - Very important - Include all of your contact information at the top of your resume. Name, address, phone, email.

**What do you want to do? No objective**

Large organizations may have dozens of ads for employees advertised. If your resume goes first to an HR admin person for filtering then how will he or she know what job you're applying for unless you state this in your resume as well as cover letter (again same dangers of lost cover letters apply so put it on the CV header too)

**What do you want to achieve? No goals or ambition?**

Not necessary in all cases. Use common sense. Under your name and contact information should be a heading about your career objective. You can break this into two categories. One should be for the position which you are seeking. The other can be what you hope to attain in the future.

If, for example, you are seeking the position of a newspaper reporter but have ambitions to be an editor or a features writer, then you can outline this in your resume as a career aim. This can be a handy indication that you're a long term strategic thinker as well as a loyal employee who is keen to develop new skills and add value to the business.

As I say use common sense. If applying to small companies it may not be wise to indicate that you want the job of the person who's recruiting you!

**You don't many or any skills, bye bye! They're not psychic you know!**

In any job no matter how junior there are skills required even if it's just a summer job selling ice cream on the beach (hey that's customer facing with a bit of sales you know!) Way to many CVs are thin on evidence of relevant skills.

To many applicants lump all their tasks in a short paragraph, which will not impress many possible employers.

So don't understate your past experience ' Include all of the tasks you performed at your old job, or know how to do, that concern to the position which you are seeking.

It's good to list all of the tasks and knowledge in bullet point format so that it makes it easier for the employer to see just what you can do. This is not the time to be shy or modest. Highlighting your accomplishments, knowledge and past experience can not be too underestimated when it comes to your resume.

**Got fired or saying my current job and company are rubbish - Writing why you left or are leaving**

Not necessary at all and looked at unprofessional. You will most likely be asked why you left your prior employment during your interview. Don't badmouth your last place of employment, even if your boss was a reincarnation of the Devil! Just say that you are seeking an opportunity for new development.

**I want, I want! Talking money right off the block**

NEVER put down how much you are making at your current job or how much money you expect to pull in at the new job.

While some employers will ask that you state your salary qualifications in your cover letter, this is never acceptable on a CV.

Many employees who ask that prospective employees state their salary requirements in their cover letter tend to pay low wages and do not want to waste their time with anyone who expects to be paid enough money to make a living.

**Your resume looks like a 5 year olds "art" project**

For a 5 year old it's cute. For a resume it's death. Coloured paper, fancy fonts and pics may look really nice but is generally considered to be amateurish. Use white paper. Black ink. Standard fonts. Standard upper and lower caps and make it easy to read.

**Uneducated barbarians need not apply**

You didn't spring into existence from nowhere so make sure that you put down your educational experience from the last college or university that you attended to the first.

If you have a post graduate degree, that should come first under the Education heading, along with the degree and any awards.

Your undergraduate university or college should come second along with degrees and accomplishments. If you have a post grad degree you don't have to put down high school information ' That's a given.

**No autobiographies please!**

Pages of life story filler are a sure way to get round filed fast. With that said, it's a context thing. Don't hesitate to make your CV more than one page if your accomplishments, experience and education warrants this in the context of the position applied for.

It's better not to underestimate yourself than to keep your resume short and sweet. On the other hand don't pout down long lists of hobbies, and non work related achievements, your junior schools, places lived in, travel done and so on. It's filler and recognised as such right away. Black mark.

**Summary**

So, avoid these clangers and you'll be well on your way to creating an interview magnet of a resume that will reflect all of the reasons why you are the best person for the job as well as a resume that reflects your personality.

Source: Resume information at articlesbase.com

Writing a resume - Don't forget its role in the process of finding a new job

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Job Resume Writing Articles : Writing a resume - Don't forget its role in the process of finding a new job by Mark Walton

Too many would be job applicants get overly worried about the quality of their resume. Although I'm not advocating a sloppy document, in my experience, too many people spend a disproportionate time on it.

Most would-be candidates I speak to will spend 10% of their time looking for jobs, 10% preparing for the interview and 80% making their resume look perfect.

Worst still, once they've perfected the resume, they keep it static, regardless of the role they've applied for (but that's another story).

At the risk of sounding like I'm talking to a dog, I'll spell this out as simply as I can.

A resume won't get you a job.

Don't confuse yourself. Nobody got a job just by applying. Ok, I'll admit maybe one or two have, but for 99.999% of roles, it simply moved them one step along the process.

Recruitment is a numbers game.

Simply put, the more applications you make, the more interviews you will get. The more interviews you get, the more job offers you will receive.

You could strike it lucky and submit one application, get interviewed and offered the job. This is rare and not to be relied upon. The more applications you put out there, the better your chances of being interviewed.

It sounds so obvious, doesn't it? Yet most job seekers would rather rely on the immaculate resume that does all the work for them. One application, a killer resume and the job is theirs before they even turn up for the interview. Meeting the employer is just a formality.

Despite the numbers aspect, I would like to add that if you have a choice between 100 standard applications for jobs or 50 tailored applications, I would say your chances of getting an interview would be greater with the 50.

Me? I'd go for 100 tailored applications. Cover the numbers and the quality. Unfortunately, we live in an age where we want something for nothing. We all want to be millionaires and work only a few hours per week. In reality, fortune favours the hard worker.

So how would I recommend the division of labour? Well as the recruitment process is a funnel i.e. wider at the top than the bottom, you need to spend most time looking for jobs. You'll need to find more jobs to apply for than potential interviews. And in turn you'll need plenty of potential interviews to generate the job offers.

I wouldn't like to be prescriptive about percentages, but if you spent 50% of your time job-searching and then 30% of your time tailoring your resume, that would leave you 20% to spend preparing for interviews.

This is some way away from my prediction of a typical job seeker at the beginning. Yet the numbers make sense. Armed with this knowledge, the question is, what will you do with it?

My father used to laugh at my shyness with girls. He once told me that if I asked 100 girls out, at least a few were bound to say yes. A simple numbers game.

I agreed with his logic but, do you know what, I never followed his advice. The question is, will you be as stubborn as I was?

About the Author
Mark Walton is the author of 21 Ways to Build the Perfect Resume, a self-help guide for people looking for a new job. If you want to improve your chances of getting a job offer then go to: http://www.jobhuntingresults.com/Resumes.htm to see how you can ensure you'll get short-listed for an interview.

Source: Job resume writing information at goarticles.com

Seven Steps to Successful Resume Writing

Free Resume Articles : Seven Steps to Successful Resume Writing by Abegail

HOW can you get a good job if you take resume writing for granted?

If you don't know the ABCs of resume writing, how would you be able to prove to your prospective employers that you are what they are looking for: Imagine, you can't even present or advertise yourself through a resume?

Believe it or not, but learning the intricacies or resume writing can make a big difference in your career path. The resume that you make not only tells who you are in a nutshell�"it has also the power to magnetize job interviews or totally ruin your chances of having a brighter future!

Remember that resumes determine who among the hundreds of applicants that are applying for a particular position would get a job interview. If you don't want a human resource staff to either screen you out or throw your resume over the paper shredder again, then now is the right time to become skilled at resume writing.

The first rule in resume writing: What you think, you shouldn't only speak it out eloquently, but be able to write it down clearly as well. Use nothing but effective and understandable words possible.

Follow the KISS principle, which could either stand for Keep It Short but Striking or Keep It Short Stupid! Make your resume very readable as possible: Pack it with aplenty of white spaces to comfort the eyes of the recruiter who would read it. When it comes to resume writing, remember that "less is more."

Get rid of highfalutin words. Resume isn't a venue to be humble, but it's also not the proper place to inform an HR staff that your intelligence quotient is superior or above superior. Do not use terms or jargons that even a high school student won't understand.

Avoid the "I disease." One of the important protocols in resume writing is never include "I" from your sentences. Removing this pronoun prevents wordiness and saves space. But write from the first-person point of view, as if you are giving a direct report towards your target employer.

Be precise in describing work experiences and/or achievements. Stand out from the hundreds of candidates�"do not just be one of them! In resume writing, you can include facts and figures. Why say "supervised proofreaders when the supervisor isn't around," when you can tell "supervised 10 proofreaders in the absence of the supervisor?" The hiring staff must get to visualize your feats. Using words like "few," "many," "a couple of," "very," "much," "some," and so on is also a big no-no.

Use the active voice form of verb instead of passive voice. The former is shorter and more direct than the latter. What more, the active voice is more effective and forceful and tends to keep all the sentences clear and concise. Deleting helping verbs such as has, have, had, may and might as well as articles a, an and will also strengthen your resume writing skills. Be watchful of your verb tenses. It's common sense to say that all your previous duties and responsibilities should be in the past tense, and your current tasks and feats in the present tense or form. Wrong verb tenses are eyesores on resumes.

Proofread, proofread and proofread! Detect and correct all kinds of mistakes�"grammatical, misspelled words and typographical errors. If you aren't sure of your final output, you could ask a friend to proofread your resume for you.

About the Author
Abigail is a 26 year old who really loves writing. Experienced, versatile freelance editor able to transform lackluster writing into polished, effective communication tools. Skilled in Resume Writing, copy editing, developmental editing, proofreading, copywriting, and editorial production.

Source: Free resume writing, job resume information at goarticles.com