It is not easy to write a resume, but you’d already know that if you have tried making one for yourself or for another person. There are some critical tips for resume writing that you must know before you begin. One of the most important things is to know what information to include, primarily your career objective and your qualifications, and what should be left out. Then you have to deal with the structure of your resume to make it personal and try to present yourself in the best light so your prospective employer will take notice. It may be difficult but you can readily create a winning resume if you put your heart into it. The following resume writing tips will help you get that all important interview:

1. Never refer to your personal web sites.

It will be a mistake to include any reference to your personal web sites. If you want to show your prospective employer great samples of your graphic design work posted on the site, do so only if your web site contains purely work-related material. Many enthusiastic applicants unwittingly refer to their personal web sites despite the presence of irrelevant or inappropriate information. Employers deem it a waste of their time to skim through your numerous posts just to get to the entry you want them to read or see.

Make it a rule not to include your personal web site if you have posted jokes, clean or otherwise, and pictures that may be considered unbecoming. You would not want your prospective employer to read your blog and learn about details of your emotional roller coaster. So, if your web site has anything that is too personal, do not even mention it in your resume.

It’s a different story if your web site serves as your online portfolio to showcase your talents. By all means, provide the link to your web site that contains a copy of your updated resume, letters of reference, past presentations you made, professional photos you took, or the landing pages of the web sites you created.

2. Use appropriate font size.

Other than the content and writing style, the difficult part of making a resume is formatting it to fit a single page. The general rule of keeping a resume to two pages at most has become quite a challenge to many job seekers especially those who have switched jobs a number of times and therefore need to list their past experiences. Then, there is the statement of one’s career objective, a rundown of academic preparation and other qualifications as well as the list of references. Think how you can fit all that in one or two pages only.

Do not reduce the font size just to accommodate all your information. The smallest font size you should use must be 10 points. Remember to use a basic type of font, nothing fancy. Either Arial or Times New Roman will be acceptable. If you think your contents are too long, review and re-write your resume using more concise statements.

3. Do not abbreviate names of schools and employers.

Job applicants often list down erroneously the names of the schools they attended and former employers. This includes the use of abbreviations and variations of school and company names. Remember, resumes are formal documents that require a formal style of writing. Hence, you should use abbreviations only if they are part of the name like J.C. Penny for instance. But if you went to University of California, Los Angeles, do not write it as UCLA even if it is widely known as such. Instead, write the name completely. Failure to do so will reflect on you as being sloppy if not lazy.

4. Keep past experiences brief and relevant.

An effective way to list your responsibilities in past or present job positions is by the use of bullet points. Remember to begin your description with action verbs like developed, managed, etc. Complete sentences are not required and you do not have to form paragraphs. Doing so will only create excess verbiage making your resume more difficult to read. Remember to keep your statements brief, clear and direct to the point.

5. Avoid typographical errors.

You might have a remarkable content and a good-looking lay out but grammatical lapses or misspellings are bound to ruin your otherwise great resume. Make sure to proof read your resume. You are likely to miss certain errors so run a spell check and ask for help from friends and family members. If necessary, consult a career counselor. Exert every effort to perfect your resume. It may be your first and only chance to impress your prospective employers.

Take your time to make your resume shine. With today’s highly competitive job field, the slightest mistake can cost you the job. By following these tips for resume writing you will set yourself apart from the competition.

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Electronic Resume Writing Tips That Boost Your Interview Appointment Success

Before you write your resume in a word processor, print it, and hand out copies to prospective employers, you should consider formatting it for easy scanning and retrieval from a computer database.

As you can imagine, dozens, maybe hundreds of resumes bombard employers for a position they would like filled. To sift through each of these manually would probably be too time consuming even for the largest of organizations.

To make the search for ideal candidates more efficient, some employers scan and store resumes into a computer database. From there, employers can search the database to retrieve the name of individuals whose resumes contains the keywords or terms they are looking for in a candidate.

How to Get Employer’s to Read Your Electronic Resume

The element of your resume that makes it easy to find in a computer database is the keywords written on it. The particular keywords that should be on your resume are the ones that your prospective employer will use to find you in their database.

A little research will help you determine the right keywords. Scan a few of your targeted job descriptions from online job sites. These online postings are loaded with the keywords that should be on your resume.

The hiring manager probably wrote those job descriptions and he will probably be the same person who searches his database of scanned resumes.

Some general examples of keywords most employers will search on are “education,” “skill-set,” “experience,” “talents and abilities.”

Successful Electronic Resumes Includes These Elements

Beyond the importance of having the “right” keywords on your resume, the other words on your resume are also important.

For instance, your resume should contain nouns. Your resume should have descriptive words like software programmer, project manager, or Acme Corporation.

Try not to use abbreviations of words if it is not common. For example, you could assume people know that BA spelled out means Bachelor of Arts.

When you write your resume, be sure it contains words most people will understand. In other words, write it using normal language.

Successful Electronic Resumes Follows These Formatting Guidelines

You understand what your prospective employer is looking for in a job candidate and you have loaded your resume with targeted keywords that should turn up on a search.

However, you still need to make sure your resume is easy to scan and OCR software can capture the data accurately. OCR or Optical Character Recognition software extracts the words off a scan of your resume. The computer database stores the scan results.

Here are some resume formatting tips for the best scans:

- Avoid using fancy style fonts that some OCR software may have trouble interpreting. In other words, stick with conventional fonts such as Times Roman.

- Resist the urge to emphasize words using underlines or italics. Those words may show up as gobbledygook.

- OCR software reads text and not graphics, so do not include anything too complicated like tables and leading dots.

- Use white space between sections of your resumes so the OCR software can determine the start and the end.

- Make sure you include a separate line that has your name first, then your contact information.

After you have incorporated the formatting suggestions listed above, print your resume with black ink on either white or beige colored paper for the best scan result possible.

Last Thoughts

You might be the most qualified candidate for a job opening, but if your resume does not meet the standards of an Electronic Resume, your prospective employer will never read it. Do your self and your prospective employer a favor by making your resume scanner friendly and he will discover that you are the perfect candidate for the job.

To learn more about writing resumes that grab the employer’s attention, visit:

[http://www.How-To-Write-Impressive-Resumes-and-Cover-Letters.com]

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The IT job market is still one of the hottest markets and commands the highest resume response from job seekers. Given the sheer volume of resumes that a hiring manager has to sift through for each position, only the strongest resumes actually get past the initial 30 second screening. The national average for resumes received for each IT position advertised is 300 and increasing.

1. Make Your Resume Searchable: Using the right keywords is the key for making your IT resume web searchable. It is not enough to mention the skill sets you have, but you must also use them effectively. For example, if ORACLE and VB.NET is your forte, then you should use phrases such as “database programming” and “testing”. Another thing about keywords is that resumes these days are simply being scanned electronically for inclusion into company databases. If you are not using the right IT keywords for the position advertised, your resume may not even see a human being.

2. Choose The Right Format: Although different formats have pros and cons, for IT positions, the functional resume format is ideal for its effectiveness in highlighting your skills and experiences. This saves time for hiring managers and you stand a better chance of getting shortlisted.

3. Emphasize Your Skills: The key to cracking the IT job market is really your skills. Emphasize your skills with short sentences such as “programmer with 8 years experience in COBOL and Oracle, and last three yeas as team leader”. Another example could be “eight projects in 6 years in C++, SAS, HTML, CAD, and TCP/IP”. This also showcases your additional skills in areas such as leadership, management and interpersonal skills (which are sometimes lacking in IT candidates).

4. Avoid Mistakes In Terminology: There are job seekers that still write industry terminology incorrectly, which usually has disastrous consequences on their job search. Example, “data warehousing” is often written as “dataware housing” or worse, “data wearhousing”. Proofread your resume thoroughly, then have a friend do the same.

5. Cut Down Lengthy Paragraphs: Summarizing your resume will definitely score points over writing long paragraphs. You don’t want your extraordinary skills to get lost in a maze of words. Certifications such as MCDBA, MCP+1, & MCSE should be listed in a stand-alone fashion.

6. Highlight Accomplishments. Mention your responsibilities and specific accomplishments in your current position, giving examples of the platforms used for both back-end and front-end operations.

7. Omit Personal Information. Avoid unnecessary personal details; they will only be distractions.

8. Summarize Your Resume At The Top: Summarizing key elements at the top makes more impact and encourages the employer to continue reading. An executive summary, well written, can do an excellent job at keeping the reader engaged.

9. Avoid The Temptation To Overdo: Treat your resume as your calling card. You must be able to substantiate everything that you have written. For example, if you are applying for an Oracle Financial position when your specialty is really database management, you will be exposed. Additionally, you will lose your chance to be considered for any other position that the employer may have available.

10. Proofread The Resume: Nix grammatical and spelling errors. There is no excuse for typos or misspellings in a resume. Because IT resumes have highly technical words, you have to proofread them more closely.

Getting your resume just right for the initial shortlisting is not hard if you stick to IT resume writing basics. By following these 10 tips, you will be able to write and market your IT resume successfully and land that job.

About The Author

Heather Eagar is a former professional resume writer who is now dedicated to providing job seekers with resources and products that promote job search success from beginning to end. Visit http://www.ResumeLines.com to read reviews of resume writing services of the top companies in the industry.

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The Benefits Of Going For A Professional Resume Writing Service

Looking for a job? Frustrated of not getting interview calls? It may have something to do with the way you write and post your resume. Sometimes, even if you have the right credentials, you may not get the interview call just because your resume is either irrelevant or poorly presented. One good way of getting more interviews is by writing a top notch resume that can make the right impact on prospective employers.

The Signs of a professionally written resume

A professionally written resume will contain the following key data: career objective, details of professional skills & Strengths, work history, education background, professional affiliations, and any specialized certifications or training. A professional resume provides relevant, compelling information in a clear and concise manner. It will focus on addressing the needs of the potential employer and provide accurate and consistent information.

Signs of a sloppy resume

A sub par resume will get subpart results. It oftentimes has poor formatting that is unattractive and/or doesn’t highlight the most compelling data. Grammar and spelling are also “resume-first-impression-killers”. These fundamental errors are common problems in resumes written by amateur writers. Although you can do the spell checking part yourself with software, grammatical accuracy and the flow of the wording are more involved and may require help from a professional resume writer.

Why you need a professional Resume Writing Service?

Your resume gets written by certified and professional resume writers. These experts know what employers look for.

A professional resume writing service will study your employment history and accomplishments and create a resume that highlights these achievements and draws less attention to any gap in employment, poor academic record or other negative points.

Your resume gets customized to your personal requirements.

Your professionally written resume package has a better chance of getting you more interview calls.

Employers have to sort through scores of resumes for each and every open position. If you want to beat the competition, you must do what it takes to make the optimal first impression. The best way to do this is
1000
get noticed in the initial resume-filtering process is with a professionally written resume that is attractive, relevant, and compelling. Keep in mind, you get only a single shot at creating a good first impression. Making a small investment in an affordable resume service to craft and optimize your resume will pay dividends.

By: Kenith yoel

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

About the Author

Verybestresume.com is the official website of Very Best Resume, a firm that offers professional resume writing services and editing services for job seekers from diverse industries and age groups. Apart from resume writing and editing, the website also offers useful resume tips, job search advice and consultation on resume writing.

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Resume writing can be a daunting task to those unfamiliar with the process, and even to those who are familiar with it. It is important to do your research and make sure your resume writing skills are up to par, but never fear, for there are several ways to accomplish this.

You can do a search on “resume writing” on the Internet and come up with several different websites touting everything from resume writing tips, to resume writing basics, and even common blunders and mistakes to avoid while you are engaging in resume writing.

You will find resume writing services, resume templates, resume examples, resume makers, etc. All will be in the quest to help you perfect your resume writing. You can choose to utilize a template, which will show you step-by-step how to format your resume, or you can choose a service to actually do your resume writing for you.

If you are not of the mind to engage in those services, though, you can simply research the basics of resume writing and choose to perfect your resume writing ability yourself. For even the most fundamental resume, you should know that your name and contact information should be at the top of the page, formatted as a heading, in a larger and darker font than the rest of the resume.

You will then want to list an objective, and here, be sure not to be too general. Use specifics to describe what you can offer the company, and the skills you believe you can bring to the table if you get the position. Also state what you hope to gain from the company, whether it just be some new opportunities to prove yourself, or a hope that you can improve their bottom line. This will be bound to impress the hiring manager. Describe where and how you see yourself fitting in.

A strong employment history will make your resume writing easier, because simply listing your experiences and accomplishments will make a strong impact and won’t require a lot of creativity on your part, though you will want to list your endeavors using verbs and adjectives that show you in the most positive light possible.

Of course, don’t forget about your education. This can be listed after your job history, unless you are a recent graduate, in which case you have the option of listing it first.

It goes without saying that your resume should be free from all spelling and grammatical errors, so make sure you proofread it at least a couple of times, and try and have someone else proofread it for you, as well.

Honesty is also essential, even if you do not have all of the experience or education you wish you did; lying and getting caught is a sure-fire way to lose any job you get.

As far as the length of your resume, it has long been the standard to try and condense everything on one page; however, it is certainly acceptable to have a two-page resume if you have the education and employment history to warrant it.

Resume writing really isn’t that difficult, once you have an idea of what your prospective employer expects to find out when he or she reads it, so do your best and good luck!

About The Author

Mario Churchill is a freelance author and has written over 200 articles on various subjects. For more information checkout http://www.amazingresumecreator.com.

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Nuts and Bolts of Effective Cover Letters
 by: Linda Matias

As a job seeker, you shouldn’t overlook the importance of a cover letter. If written strategically, a cover letter increases your chances for consideration, and provides an opportunity to highlight your individuality.

A cover letter is much more than just a letter stating, “I read the job announcement in Sunday’s classified, please accept this letter as an application of interest”. It is a statement that tells the reader what they can expect from you if hired.

The challenging part of writing a cover letter is determining what information to include. After all, all the juicy information was included in the resume. What could you possibly add to the cover letter that will add substance to your qualifications?

Keep in mind that the resume and cover letter have different purposes. A resume demonstrates that you can do the job, it highlights your past accomplishments, while a cover letter points out the extent to which you match the job requirements for a specific a company and how you will fit in.

A well-written cover letter gives you an advantage over your competition because it provides another opportunity to showcase your experience and qualifications.

Cover letter basics can be mastered by following the pointers below.

Sell! Sell! Sell!

A cover letter is more than just a business letter; it is a sales letter. Begin with a strong introduction, layout the benefits you offer, and establish credibility by showcasing your accomplishments.

Write as you speak.

The cover letter should have a professional conversational tone, but sound as though a real person wrote it. Many people fall in the trap of using big word to communicate their message. Instead, write in a straightforward manner that entices the reader to review the resume. The words you choose should demonstrate enthusiasm for the position, company and industry.

Write from the reader’s perspective.

Action words should not be reserved for the resume. Begin each sentence with a power word. Don’t use a passive voice. Avoid starting sentences with the word “I.” Like the resume, the cover letter’s focus is on the hiring company, and beginning too many sentences with “I” puts the spotlight too much on you.

Don’t rehash your resume.

Be creative when presenting your qualifications and accomplishments. You don’t want to bore the reader by simply repeating the information you included in your resume. Find different ways to communicate the same message. The best way to do this is by selecting three to five major selling points and highlighting them in the body of the cover letter. Doing so will entice the reader to do more than just glance at your resume.

Ask for an interview.

Be proactive. In the last paragraph tell the reader that you will be contacting him or her to setup a meeting time. After all, the purpose of applying for a job is to be invited in for an interview, so don’t be shy, go for it.

You should use every tool at your disposal to secure an interview. Targeted cover letters add to your portfolio of qualifications and deserve as much consideration as a resume.

About The Author

Recognized as a career expert, Linda Matias brings a wealth of experience to the career services field. She has been sought out for her knowledge of the employment market, outplacement, job search strategies, interview preparation, and resume writing, quoted a number of times in The Wall Street Journal, New York Newsday, Newsweek, and HR- esource.com. She is President of CareerStrides and the National Resume Writers’ Association. Visit her website at www.careerstrides.com or email her at careerstrides@bigfoot.com

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Applying for A federal job requires you to take a different approach and adhere to a different set of rules and techniques. Unlike private sector recruitment, the procedures followed in federal recruitment goes by certain criteria and rules. The basic idea here is to provide every applicant an equal opportunity. Of late, the OF-612 form, or Federal Resume, is the accepted resume form for federal jobs. Here are 10 key tips to writing a Federal Resume that works:

1. Don’t forget to include information specific to the job as advertised. Information such as the job number, grade and title of the jobs you are interested in applying for.

2. Include personal information such as your full name, mailing address with ZIP code, any phone numbers, Social Security Number, reinstatement eligibility and civilian grade, including the job series and dates that you held the previous position.

3. Write your educational qualifications in chronological order, starting from high school to college. Include the name and city of each institution, and the type and year of diploma/degree received. Don’t forget to highlight the grades that you received and any awards. Make detailed descriptions in the KSA.

4. You must specifically mention the major subjects and total credits you have earned. While writing these points, you may be tempted to make use of bullet points – however, while these work well for resumes targeting civilian positions, they may not be well received when applying for federal jobs.

5. You should explain things in great detail. The underlying reason for this is that education counts a lot more in federal recruitment than in the private sector. Therefore, you should use this format to show (read: market) how well you qualify for the job through your education.

6. Even if your education does not exactly match the qualifications as advertised, you can still qualify through equivalent experience. In this case, you can get over this hurdle by explicitly spelling out your previous experience and how it relates to the job at hand.

7. Federal Resumes are not scanned by machines in most cases, which in itself must be a welcome relief. Since your resume will most likely be read by an actual, live human, make sure that you make the most of it by being as descriptive as possible.

8. If you have previous work experience having relevance to the job in question, include it with full details. Give the telephone numbers of employers, position(s) you held, numbers of hours per week and salary. Writing your accomplishments and duties (to a lesser extent) is important. You should also indicate whether it is OK to contact the previous employer.

9. Don’t forget to write about any other qualifications that may be even slightly related to the job. Explain why you think they are similar by giving concrete such as software used, etc. Memberships, certificates or awards also count heavily in federal job applications.

10. Don’t forget to enclose the KSA and mention it in the resume. Avoid the KSA becoming a verbatim copy of your resume. Write the KSA in your own style, without borrowing from samples and use lots of examples to justify your application. Always type your full name and sign it.

The bottom line here is that you cannot follow the same rules for federal resumes as for civilian ones. By following the tips above, and writing your KSA’s descriptively and succinctly, you will be well on your way to landing that federal job.

About The Author

Heather Eagar is a former professional resume writer who is now dedicated to providing job seekers with resources and products that promote job search success from beginning to end. To read reviews of resume writing services of the top companies in the industry go to http://www.ResumeLines.com.

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