Enhancing your Resume / Presentation
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Create A Resume That Gets You The Interview
Your resume is your personal representative to a potential employer. You need it to clearly communicate the skills and attributes you have that make you a good fit for the position you want. Remember, though, that the purpose of a resume is to generate interest in you as a job candidate so that the employer will want to meet you in person and conduct an interview.
In other words, your resume should not contain every piece of information you want the employer to know about you. It only needs to contain the pieces of information necessary to convince them that you should receive an interview.
The right information
So what is the right information? The answer to that depends on the job position and the employer. Look through the posting very carefully to determine exactly what skills and attributes are required and what skills and attributes are desired. These are the key points you need to include in your resume.
Do not use the same resume over and over for different jobs. You must tailor the resume to fit the specific position of interest so that the employer can see at a glance that you are a good candidate.
The right format
The format you use to present your key information points will depend on several things. If you have a great deal of experience in the same field as the potential job, a straightforward chronological resume is usually sufficient to effectively communicate your qualifications to the employer. If you are changing job fields, have gaps in your work history, or otherwise would not appear as qualified with a chronological format, opt instead for a combination format.
The right length
In most cases, your resume should not exceed two pages, and one page is usually even better. This does not mean using narrow margins and a small font size to get as many words on the page as possible. This does mean, however, editing and polishing your words to be concise and precise so that you can convey information with maximum impact and minimum number of words
The right follow up
As nice as it would be to just send your resume and wait for the phone to ring, in the real world that rarely happens. Even the best resume needs to be accompanied by appropriate follow up from you. Make a point of contacting the recipient in a timely fashion to ensure your materials were received, and make a personal connection that leaves a positive impression with the potential employer.
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Five Reasons Why Plain Text Can Help Your Job Search
1. It makes HR's job easier
When an employer requires you to submit a plain text (or ASCII) resume it means that their system is set up to allow HR to process and evaluate submissions more quickly. When HR's job is easier, they are better able to give your resume the consideration it deserves.
2. It keeps your e-mails out of the junk mail folder
SPAM filters look for several characteristics to determine if a message is junk or legitimate, and HTML is one of them. When you send your resume in plain text it is less likely to get flagged as SPAM.
3. It lets you use keywords to highlight your qualifications
Any company that uses a computerized system to collect resumes also uses that system to analyze submissions and pull out those with the correct qualifications. When your plain text resume includes keywords that relate to the job requirements, you are more likely to pass the screening process.
4. It makes your job search easier
So many employers are now using software to collect and analyze resumes that having a plain text version of your resume is a real necessity. It is easier to submit, easier to customize for the job posting, and costs you less than printing a lot of hard copies of the document.
5. It's what the employer wants
The bottom line is that if the employer wants you submit your resume in plain text format, you have to do so in order to be considered for the job. There's no sense fighting it because you are so proud of the great layout and formatting of your printed resume. Just do it.
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Professional Resume Service - Presenting your resume
Professional Resume Service - Everything about your resume should say that you are a smart professional person with a positive attitude.
Within two pages you must convey the image of an efficient and polished performer.
The following are some tips in how to do exactly that:
Resume Length
Two pages is the optimum length of an effective resume, however in the case of
technical people such as IT for example this can extend to three in order to incorporate
relevant technical information. An important point to note is that if you have
relevant information that will be useful in your job hunt, add it as an attachment
to your resume rather than filling your resume with technical or professional
information that will only be understood by a person familiar with your field.
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Format
Do not cramp information into your resume in order to meet the two-page requirement. If your resume is illegible it will be canned on sight. Legibility is the key. Use bullet points, indents and margins to good effect, producing a document that is well presented, detailed and targeted.
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Gaining Attention
Place your information within your resume in order of importance. Recruiters are busy people; they need to see something immediately within your resume to ensure that they continue to read. The best strategy to employ is to begin with a strong objective, declaring your intentions. Then follow that by telling an employer what you can do for them. Move directly into your work experience and achievements and don't waste time.
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Resume Presentation: The Important Facts
There's a saying that goes like this: "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." While this is true in many areas in your life, it's a completely inaccurate statement to apply to resume presentation.
In resume presentation, beauty is NOT in the eye of the beholder. There is a standard set of presentation guidelines every resume writer should keep in mind when getting your resume ready for hiring managers to read.
Use a 10 to 12 point font size for the body copy of your resume, and 11 to 14 point font for the headers. Use an 11- point (not 14 point) header font with a 10-point body copy. Use a 14-point header copy with 12-point body copy.
Keep font type consistent. Don't switch font styles halfway through your resume. A good font to use is Times New Roman for print resumes. It's easy to read and popular in newspapers and magazines for that very reason. Electronic resumes can look polished and professional with Times New Roman, Courier, Monaco, Arial and Verdana fonts.
Bold your headers, but never bold the body copy of your resume.
Make sure your printed resume copy is dark and clear. Companies often copy resumes to distribute to other management professionals. If they can't copy your resume, it probably won't be read.
Avoid underlining and italics. Both don't work well if a company likes to scan resumes to keep them in electronic databases.
Keep paragraphs short for ease of reading.
Make your margins 1 to 1.25 inches all around.
Mix up short and long sentences in your resume for ease of reading.
Headers can be aligned to the left or the center. This aspect of resume presentation is one of the few that's completely up to you!
Keep your resume paper clean and crisp. No smudged fingerprints. No water stains. No wrinkles, unnecessary folds or creases.
Match your paper to the envelope if you send your resume by surface mail.
Use white or ivory, high-quality paper. That nifty fluorescent orange construction won't make your resume stand out and it definitely won't make it more likely to be read.
Following basic resume presentation tips isn't difficult. It takes just a few minutes to make sure your resume looks as polished as possible. Plus doing so really increases your chances of your resume being read.
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Select The Correct Resume Format
The first step to creating a dynamite resume is to select a format that effectively communicates key information about you. Remember that your resume must speak for you and generate interest in you as a job candidate, so the format is important for clearly showing your strengths and attributes.
There are three major resume formats in common use today:
Functional
Chronological
Combination
We'll take a look at each of these in turn.
The Functional Resume
As the name implies, this format is set up to highlight your skills and abilities rather than the specific jobs you have held during your career. It is a very effective format for communicating your strengths if you have limited work experience, are looking for work in a different industry or profession, have a time gap in your work history, or have developed your skills through life experience, volunteering, or some other non-job related activity.
Start by making a list of your achievements, big or small. Examples might include:
Volunteered as a reading tutor at the local elementary school for over ten years, resulting in an average improved reading score of at least one full grade level for each student.
Designed and implemented marketing campaigns for a new product line, leading to first year growth that exceeded launch estimates by 15%.
Led a team of employee volunteers to write, produce and distribute a branch office newsletter, contributing to a 10% increase in employee satisfaction as measured by an annual employee survey.
Each statement should be very specific, describing your action and a measurable result. Write and re-write your statements until they are clear and concise, then group them into categories based on the skill or attribute they illustrate. Examples of categories might include:
Leadership
Communication
Budget Administration
Community Involvement
Management and Supervision
One of the best things about a functional resume is that you can tailor it very easily to highlight the skills and attributes you possess that match up with the skills and attributes needed for a specific job posting. Be prepared to change up the order of statements or the order of categories as needed to better highlight why you are a good fit for a particular position.
The Chronological Resume
This resume format is very traditional and the most commonly used. With this format, list your experience in order, starting with the most recent and working your way back. This format is excellent if you have a strong work history, no gaps in employment, and are applying for a position in the same or similar field.
For each position you list, include several bullet points that indicate your primary functions and responsibilities while in that position. It is important to focus on accomplishments and achievements, clearly identifying your potential as a candidate and indicating the contribution you can make if successful in your application.
The Combination Resume
More and more, resume-writing experts recommend using a combination resume because it includes elements from both, the functional and chronological resume formats. It is an effective way to highlight your unique skills and clearly show a potential employer why you are qualified for a particular job, while still showing your work history. This is very reassuring to employers who are not as comfortable with a straight functional resume.
You can still tailor and customize a combination resume to fit a specific job posting. Perhaps you want to list chronological items first followed by functional items, or perhaps you want to reverse that order. In some cases you might want to list each position you have held, followed by the functional skill statements that describe your achievements while in that position.
The bottom line is that there is no one set format that each person must follow. The purpose of a resume is to communicate key information about yourself to a potential employer, so don't be afraid to move information around and create your own format that does the best job of showing your qualifications.
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Resume Format - Selecting the right position.
Resume Format - Before you even begin to prepare for your interview and resume format, research your prospective company and give some thought to what you want from the interview.
Maybe it seems very obvious; you want to receive a job offer. But before you even put yourself forward for interview, you need to perform the following research.
* Learn about the company, products, services and performance.
* Who will you report to, and what type of approach do they have?
* What responsibilities are involved in the job?
* What performance criteria will you be measured against?
* What opportunities are there for advancement?
It is a complete waste of time to research answers to interview questions, prepare and sit the interview and then realise that it is totally at odds with your needs.
Resume Format Tips by Profesisonal-Resumes.com
In addition to this, take a close look at the job requirements and match them to your experience.
* Are you capable of performing the job?
* Do you have the relevant experience and ability?
* Do the organization goals and culture match your requirements?
* Will the job challenge you?
* Can you see future progression in line with your career aspirations?
* Will the role motivate you?
Resume Format Tips by Profesisonal-Resumes.com
If after performing this task you feel strongly that this is the position you desire, then the really hard work must begin. Performing thorough and exhaustive preparation will provide you with information that will enhance every aspect of your interview. The knowledge gained will be vital to your chances of success and will positively enhance your profile as a candidate with initiative and enthusiasm. You can then go on to get the best resume format possible to get noticed.
Resume Format Tips by Profesisonal-Resumes.com
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Resume Template - Selective Editing
Resume Template - So you were anxious that you wouldn't be able to provide enough information to offer a prospective employer and now you are thinking that you have the opposite problem.
Don't worry it happens to everyone, what you need to do now is some selective editing to your resume template.
You now have a very comprehensive listing of information that covers every aspect of your career to date, personal and professional successes, qualifications, skills, personal characteristics and so forth. Now you must adapt this information to suit your resume template so that it fits within the scope of the position you are seeking.
Your resume template must provide clear and concise information, avoid waffle and repetition. If a point doesn't add value remove it. State the facts and delete information that is likely to get you into trouble at an interview.
Answering an interview question when it is clear that you have embellished your information on your resume template will demonstrate insincerity and even worse appear as though you have something to hide, quickly rendering you defunct in the eyes of an interviewer.
Be hypercritical of your completed resume template, check, and check again, edit and proofread.
Keep editing and revising until your resume template meets with your complete satisfaction and you are happy that it is an accurate representation of your work history and experiences.
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What A Resume Makeover Can Do For You
Has it been more than six months since you updated your resume? Do you even remember the last time you updated your resume? Or have you been diligently job-hunting but your resume is just not generating the responses that you would like? Then it is time to think about what a resume makeover can do for you.
Keep it current
One of the biggest mistakes most people make it to let their resumes become out of date. Even if you are happily employed and have no plans to change jobs in the near future, you should update your resume every six months. Updating does not necessarily mean putting your resume into a polished, finished form each time, but it does mean keeping a notes/additions page handy for adding information as it occurs.
Why? Because the best time to capture clear, concise information about your achievements and job responsibilities is while you are actually performing them. For example, you have just participated in a successful project for your employer and you are proud of the role you played. Capture that information now, while it is still fresh in your mind, and add it to your resume file. Include important dates, actions, results, and achievements associated with your participation.
Think of this process as sort of like keeping a `resume diary' for yourself. It is easy to keep, easy to reference later, and will be invaluable to you if you find yourself in the unfortunate position of being laid off, downsized, or otherwise out of a job.
Freshen it up
What if you have been looking for a job but have not found one so far? There could be many reasons why this is the case, but one of the most common reasons is a resume that does not effectively communicate to potential employers.
It is common for employers to receive a large number of resumes for each job posting, and even the best human resources person gets tired of looking at them after a while. What can you do to make your resume stand out and be noticed? Here are a few ideas:
Check the basics - It is easy for typographical, grammatical, or stylistic errors to slip by unnoticed by you, but you can bet that the potential employer will catch them right off the bat. Try reading your resume backwards - yes, backwards - one word at a time in order to catch spelling errors. Use grammar and style-checking software (included in most word processing programs) to look for things like passive verbs, wordiness, clichés, or other common problems.
Just ask - In many cases, the human resources professional who evaluated your resume and application may be willing to offer you some feedback. Call and ask him or her to give you their input on what they found lacking in your resume. Be prepared that some HR departments are very cautious about doing this for legal reasons, but quite often, you can find someone who will at least let you know if they spotted any glaring errors or omissions during their review of your resume.
Attend a class - Many local job placement services, chambers of commerce, or other professional organizations offer free or low-cost resume classes. It may be worth your time to attend one to get some fresh ideas for your resume.
Look for helpful resources - Your local library is bound to have numerous books on resume writing, plus the Internet abounds with web sites on the topic of resumes. Check with your local Small Business Administration office to see if they have any programs that could match you up with an experienced executive or human resources person who could offer you some insight and guidance.
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Why Volunteer Work Can Enhance Your Resume
Just because work is not paid, that does not mean it is not valuable. In fact, listing volunteer work on your resume can be a savvy thing to do. Of course, there are a number of ways to approach this. However, the most important thing is that you refer to your volunteer work in some way. This is particularly important if your volunteer work is directly related to the type of job you are seeking.
Community service section
Some job-seekers place a community service section in their resume. This shows that the job applicant is a well- rounded individual who cares deeply about community. It also shows a level of dedication that would be highly prized in an employee. By listing your volunteer work in a separate section, you can really highlight it, making it stand out from the rest of the resume. If you are applying for a job in the public sector or with a non-profit organization, this might be a particularly effective way of showcasing your talents.
Integrating your volunteer work into your experience section
While you should certainly not indicate that you held a paid position when you were actually a volunteer, there is nothing inherently wrong with listing your volunteer work in the experience section of your resume. Certainly, volunteer work requires skills, training, and, in some cases, educational qualifications. An internship is a perfect example of volunteer work that can help you immensely in your career.
However, resist the urge to list "volunteer" as a job title. Instead, if you volunteered as an editorial assistant, list "editorial assistant" on your resume. If you coordinated volunteers, write "volunteer coordinator." In the description that follows the job title, you can explain that the position was unpaid. Such a technique focuses attention on what you've accomplished, rather than whether you were compensated for it. The job titles are what will capture the attention of the resume reviewer, and so you should craft your resume accordingly.
Don't hide your achievements
Be sure to spell out exactly what you achieved as a result of your volunteer efforts. For instance, did you expand a volunteer force of five to thirty? Did you prepare a news report which aired on broadcast television? Did you raise $10,000 in a fundraising campaign? The more specific you are in talking about your achievements, the more likely you are to impress the individual who reviews your resume.
Highlight what you've learned
Serving as a volunteer can be an incredible learning experience. Therefore, you should consider listing the skills you learned while volunteering. For example, you might have learned how to run a computer program or how to edit videotape. In this way, you can demonstrate how your volunteer work expanded your knowledge base.
Don't stop volunteering
Don't stop volunteering, once you've found a paying job. Donating a few hours a week to volunteer work can help to sharpen your skills, further preparing you for the next job down the road.
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Words That Make Your Resume Stand Out
You have most likely read in numerous articles and "how to" resume books that you should use active words rather than passive words when you create resume content. How do you know if the words you have used are active?
We have put together an example list of active words that can make your resume stand out.
Accomplished Analyzed
Conducted Developed
Directed Earned
Edited Established
Formulated Generated
Identified Implemented
Installed Instructed
Launched Maintained
Managed Organized
Planned Presented
Provided Quantified
Reengineered Revised
Spearheaded Supervised
Taught Trained
Upgraded Wrote
This is certainly not an exhaustive list, but it should give you a better idea of what an active word looks like and how to use it in your resume.
Beware, though, that even these words can be put into a passive form inadvertently if you are not careful. A few examples:
.was accomplished
.had conducted
.edited by me
.have installed
.generated by
.was implemented
.was supervising
.had written
.quantified by me
Check for passive language
Most spell check programs also include a grammar check component, so use it. No software is perfect so you should not rely on it completely, but a good grammar check program will point out most common grammatical issues and suggest changes that will improve the text.
Practice
Here is an opportunity for you to practice looking for passive language. This article contains two passive statements that were left in deliberately. See if you can find them, and then re-write the passage to be more active.
Answers
In the 4 th paragraph - "can be put" is passive
In the last paragraph - "were left" is passive
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