The expression “curriculum vitae” originated from a Latin phrase meaning “course of life.” It can be described as a concise review of an individual’s academic qualifications, professional experience, and skills and is usually attached to a job application when seeking a job. Whereas a curriculum vitae or CV is used particularly to apply for academic, educational, scientific, and research positions, or even for fellowships and grants in the United States, it is used to apply for all kinds of white collar jobs in other parts of the world.

CVs can be anywhere from 3 to 20 pages and more (we’ve seen them all!)– that describe you and your career. Especially in academia, a CV can actually be several pages long, since educators will list all of their published papers, any speaking engagements,workshops, professional development, volunteer info and more. Employers use CVs to screen candidates for personal interviews and to aid in the final employee selection. Therefore, it is important for a CV to be catchy, attractive and interesting. Good CV writing thus becomes an important part of finding a good job.

In spite of CVs being so popular, there are a few organizations that prefer to have job seekers apply for a job using a format designed by the company itself. The reason is simple: these businesses rate job seekers based on their answers to a series of standardized questions. A custom format ensures that all candidates provide the desired information, as opposed to a CV, which is somewhat flexible and makes it more difficult to compare two individuals.

Internationally a CV is actually what people in the United States refer to as the resume. CV writing could be divided into groups based on the purpose for which a CV is written. General or all-purpose CV writing is when a CV is written to suit all general purposes. Graduate CV writing is when a new graduate writes a CV for his/her first job. Various forms of CV writing can be difficult and has to be done skilfully.

Good CV writing is not something everyone can do. As a result, a huge number of professional CV writing companies have cropped up in recent years, each promising a better CV than the other. You could approach a company in person in order to get your CV made, or you could simply hire a CV writer online, from the comfort of your home. The choice is yours. Each CV designing company makes different promises and claims. As always, to your homework and research any company you are interested in.

Job hunting isn’t easy, which is reason enough to get it right the first time. Whether you are looking to change jobs or you need a new career because you are unemployed, it makes sense that you try to get a job as quickly as possible. You don’t want to spend months trawling job hunting websites and applying for jobs, instead you want to be as successful in your job hunt as quickly as possible.

When it comes to job hunting, many of us go about it in the same way and this means that we make the same mistakes. If you are searching for jobs but are being unsuccessful, then it is time to rethink your job hunting strategy and look at ways of helping to make your job hunt as successful as possible.

One of the most common mistakes when it comes to job hunting is applying for too many jobs and spreading yourself too thin. You need to decide what career you want to follow and the jobs you want to apply for. It isn’t going to work for you just to apply for as many jobs as possible. You also need to make sure that your resume is suitable for the jobs you are applying for – sell yourself! Don’t just have a resume that is generalized rather than being tailored towards a particular industry. That will do you no favors.

Don’t just assume that the longer your resume is the better. Remember that potential employers are likely to be reading a number of resumes so they are going to scan them quickly rather than paying major attention to them. This means that if your resume seems too long or full of too much text, then they will be put off at first glance – which is something that you want to avoid at all costs!

Remember as well that job hunting isn’t easy for everyone, so make sure that you don’t give up at the first hurdle. There is a perfect job opportunity out there for everyone so you need to keep up the hunt in order to be successful in your quest for a brand new job or step up the career ladder.

The resume gets you in for an interview, but what gets that resume in the door? The cover letter. The cover letter serves as an introduction to a prospective employer, much like a handshake. Make sure that you make a good impression with your cover letter. If the cover letter is not a good one the process stops there. A cover letter is often overlooked, but is definitely something that needs as much consideration as the resume.

There is never a question of whether or not you need a cover letter. It is always necessary. Remember, first impressions are key. A cover letter is the first thing the hiring manager reads in the actual resume submission process.

Good cover letters will convey to the person reading it that you are in fact qualified for the potential position and send everything to the specific hiring manager for the position. That will be the person you need to follow up with later. A basic description of your personal experience that covers any qualifications of the specific job will make a cover letter stand out.

Being polite is crucial. Be sure to thank the reader for their time in reviewing your information and mention your experience in terms of their needs, not yours. Mention only your qualifications that best match the position for which you are applying. Show off your manners. Make your mom proud.

End the cover letter with an action plan such as you’ll follow up with them next Tuesday.

Bad cover letters will be impersonal and easy to ignore when you address the cover letter “To Whom It May Concern.” Put more time into it. Find out the name of the person handling this hire. Call around and use your resources. This will make a big difference.

Keep it simple. A cover letter shouldn’t be more than one page. Stay on subject and think of the letter in terms of the reader, not yourself. Talk more about things you can do for the company rather than only what you’ve done successfully throughout your career.

Negative information about the companies you’ve worked for or any layoffs have no place in a cover letter. Very little about your personal life also does not need to be mention. Remember, this is not a social networking site where you mention your wonderful spouse and awesome kids. You may just alienate someone immediately with that if they are having personal problems.

So you now have the information necessary to draft an intelligent cover letter that should not be overlooked. Start researching the companies you are interested in, locate the names of the people you will be sending resumes to and begin to draft your work of art.

Whilst many people are happy to create their own resumes and are able to write a perfectly good resume, there are times when you have to go the extra mile. We know that the type of job that you have will make a big difference to the resume that you submit. It is important to make sure that your resume matches the job you are applying for.

There are times when a normal resume isn’t enough and this may be when it is time to consider professional resume creation. If you are going for a high flying job, for example, or one that is at the top of the career ladder, then you’ll want to make sure that your resume is up to the high standards that a job of this level would expect.

If you aren’t sure how to go about this, then you can contact a company to create a professional resume for you. There are different services and add-ons that you get with these services depending on who you go with for your resume creation and the package that you choose. Of course, you can expect a fantastic resume that sells all of your best bits, your skills and your experiences to make sure that they know who you are, why they should hire you and what you would bring to the table if they were to hire you.

On top of this you get a variety of other services including help with creating the perfect resume and even a digital copy of your resume which is going to allow you to email in your job application rather than post it.

One of the dilemmas that many people are now finding out is that maybe they took a job too fast. This is simply because so many have been out of work a long time and needed a job. While this is true, many finding out that maybe they said yes too fast. Something about the job is now a hardship for them. So, be careful and don’t say yes too fast.

It is completely understandable to take the first job offered when you have been out of work a long time. However, for those who are just wanting to get out of a present job, be careful. The grass is not always greener on the other side.

It is very easy in the early stages of job interviews to disregard the little voice in the back of your head that is saying “wait a minute, I don’t like the fact I won’t have any time off for a year,” or “I’m not very good at sales pitches.” Once you disregard your misgivings, accept the job and go to work, you just may be in the same boat or worse than the one you left.

Before you start applying for jobs, take a look at your resume. See where you can make improvements. Make sure all information is up to date. Then, be sure to apply to positions that are really interesting to you and in the field that you are looking for.

Another consideration is that there are a lot less jobs on the market today so it will be hard to use new positions as stepping stones to success. It may be better that you stay where you are, keep looking for the right one and don’t say yes too fast.

I’m sure most people remember the song “Working 9 to 5″ by Dolly Parton (that song is in your head now, isn’t it?). Not too long ago, that was the perfect job position, to work nine to five with weekends off. Everyone wanted to work those hours. But today, can you even find many positions like that? Are work environments changing? How, and is it for the better?

With the advancing use of the internet, more jobs are offering telecommuting and work from home positions. Some of the older generation does not understand this concept because they can’t walk by and see an employee at work. They feel that it will hurt business by working from home. In fact, studies show that the opposite is true. More work is actually getting accomplished and at all hours of the night and day. The eight hour shift is not the norm any longer.

The companies who are embracing new technology are seeing more loyalty out of their employees. There is less absenteeism as people can schedule their day to have time with family and still work. There is not a log of turnover in employees who can telecommute or have the freedom at a workplace to stay in contact with family while at work.

In a word, yes. Work environments are changing, for the better for everyone involved. If you are looking for work, now would be a good time to overhaul your resume to reflect the flexibility and work ethic that you can bring to the table. Even if it doesn’t mean telecommuting, but flexibility in a managerial position that you would do what it takes to keep employees happy and willing to work.

Expert resume writers will help you fine tune your executive resume so that you will be reflected in a more powerful light for the new workplaces.

Resumes have been used for many years now. Some businesses want a resume in addition to a completed application. And, if you have been in the job market a long time, chances are your resume could easily become 10-12 pages. And that, my friends is too long.

Several years ago, when resumes first began, potential interviewers wanted to see what was on a job application but in paragraph form. So, it came to pass that resumes ended up with a lot of personal information that employers today could care less about. In addition to that, the identity theft issue has raised many concerns about personal information that is freely given.

In today’s world of resumes, less is more. It will depend on the type of job you are seeking. College graduates and entry level positions are not going to have much to put on a resume so one page usually suffices.

For executive level positions, resumes could be as long as four pages. The information on executive resumes needs to encompass all the past years’ experience in a management position. Some individuals in this capacity still may not need more than two pages as they might have been with one or two companies for several years. But it will be debatable if even this will work.

For those seeking an executive position, it is important to not only list experience, but employers are going to want to know other things such as problem solving skills, hiring/firing skills, management style and education.

Since the job market is so tough today, it’s very important to fatten your resume so you will stand out from the rest. At the same time, some information does not need to be included. Things like hobbies, interests and family do not need to be on an executive resume. If the employer wants to know these things, it will be asked during a face-to-face interview. Additionally, it is acceptable to put your phone number and city and state. You no longer have to put your address or website on a resume because of the increase in identity theft.

It is also important to use a cover letter. Cover letters are only one page detailing the job position you are applying for and a quick synopsis of why you would be the ideal candidate. Remember, this cover letter is the first visual someone will have about you and you want it to capture their attention.

 

 

There’s a fine line between over using keywords in your resume and having just the right touch. It’s trickier than you think to create a effective and dynamic resume, so what do you have to do in order to get the right about of keywords that balance out the resume?

A lot goes into finding the right way to encode your resume. You need to be able to entice HR managers into reading your resume without rehashing the same old thing. Over the past few years, more and more software programs have been designed in order to minimize the time it takes hiring managers to read through the mountain of resumes they receive. Employers’ are dependent on keywords to find candidates that they want to interview. The key is having the right amount of keywords on your resume. Most companies, including Fortune 1000 companies and smaller companies, know how to use these technologies to assist in finding new hires, so you have to know how to take advantage of the same processes that they do. According to the National Resume Writers’ Association, more than 80 percent of resumes are searched for job-specific keywords.

How do you determine the right keywords?

In most cases, job-specific keywords are nouns. Resume writers have long used action verbs in their resume creation, and that same model is still used. But, what are the action nouns that you need? They depend on the type of position you’re applying for, your field and the type of career you seek. Still, there are many words that will work for a standard, first draft resume.

Say for instance that you’re applying for a customer service job. Some keywords for that job could be “customer database” or “upgrading software”. Review the job description in order to find keywords that match potential employers searches. The typical keywords are often related to the skills and experience each employer will be seeking in new candidates. Other times keywords are precise keywords that HR managers are looking for in order to eliminate a wide swath of candidates. If you do not have “IT Administrative Privileges” as part of your keywords, you will be overlooked for that specific position.

Narrowing down your keyword choices.

You do not want to load up your resume too much with keywords. Instead, sprinkle the right keywords throughout your resume.

One idea to add more keywords is by creating a “Areas of Expertise”  or “Core Competencies” section. This way you can add in keywords that represent the bulk of your qualifications in a space that is acceptable to the majority of HR managers. This does not penalize you, but instead enhances what you’ve accomplished.

Because you do not know all of the keywords HR managers will use, it’s a good idea to make use of synonyms or jargon words that will appeal to more specific searches. There are a lot of options available so get some help from a professional resume writer.

 

A recruiter once gave me an excellent tip when she said to change my resume every time I applied for a  job. Why I asked? She told me that company recruiters will often use a keyword search to select the candidates that they feel matches the position. This keeps them from having to sort through the hundreds of resumes they receive. She said that if the resume does not have the keywords that they look for, then they typically go into the rejected pile.

Depending on the position you’re applying for, you should use words that will notify HR managers about your qualifications. For example, if you’re looking for a position as the Vice President of an accounting company you might want to include words such as:

• Tax Accounting
• Reconciliations
• Profit and Loss Statements

It can be very difficult to find a job in today’s economic climate, and looking for high level or executive work requires a keen eye, and often, knowing someone whose already in the organization. After updating your resume, send it to your friends in the industry and see if they are able to direct it to the appropriate HR managers.

If you’re looking for a job as an administrative assistant you should use the following words when updating your resume:

• Ability to type 80 wpm
• Microsoft Office
• Mac office
• Reception
• Phone support

No matter the type of work you’re looking for make sure you ask past colleagues or friends if they know of any open positions within their companies. It’s always an excellent decision to put your feelers out and see what kind of work is available. And always change up your resume to meet the requirements of the job. It may be a entry-level position, but as long as you can turn it into something down the road, it may be worth looking into.

Tips for Working with Keyword Search Software
Many companies will use a type of software that identifies keywords in resumes. But what can you do to beat these machines?

Revise your resume so it includes keywords included in the job description during your opening. Take for example, if the job description says, “Coordinate and develop websites and blogs,” your resume must include keywords such as “websites” and “blogs”. But only if you have the experience, of course…

Update your multipurpose resume with frequently used keywords so that you do not have to revise it every time you have another job interview. One idea is to revise it every six months in order to stay current. Newer keywords may be used in the future, so stay current with them.

Add the most important keywords to your cover letter. Don’t over do it though. You just want to have a few of the choice words that HR managers are looking for.

 

 

Instead of getting discouraged by the lack of response to your resume….get busy!

There are a myriad of tactics and tools you can use to improve your resume and not all are painful or require a lot of redo to your resume. The thing is – they can help you get a job and isn’t that what you want?

So how do you go about fixing your resume quickly?

1. Delete your objective.  Many companies do not care what you want. It’s a sad truth but one that have to live with. Removing your objective gives more space for you to focus on skills that the employer craves.
2. Add a straightforward statement that explains why you are uniquely qualified for the position.  Such as:Proven Marketing Leader with Far Reaching Corporate ExperienceMake sure that your statement is true and matches your job description. The last thing you want to do is make yourself out to be something that you’re not. HR Managers hate this, especially if you use a headline in your resume. But, if done correctly a statement helps recruiters immediately see that you are what they’re looking for in a candidate.
3. Include a summary of skills (keyword bulleted list) -especially if you have skills related to the open position. But, also include things like certifications, features you have, language skills and any technical abilities that would set you apart from your peers. Do you understand Linux or can you program C++? Then add that on your resume. Any skills that you possess should be showcased because it gives you extra value to the employer. You may not need those skills but it’s good to have them on your resume.
4. Look through job descriptions in order to identify keywords companies are looking for on your resume. This sounds trickier than it actually is but there’s a site called www.wordle.net. There you can copy and paste the job description and it will give you a simple, easy to read explanation about the keywords that your prospective employer is looking for. Keywords help your resume stand out and if a company sees that your resume has the needed keywords, you stand a better chance of landing the job. Adjust your resume according to the keywords and to match the description of the job.
5. Replace weak words and statements with Power Words. Instead of saying “Contributed to the company newsletter,” write, “Managed the award winning Vista monthly publication, the flagship magazine of Made-Up Company, the world’s largest manufacturer of silicon diodes.” Both statements may be true but the second one carries a lot more weight and showcases your talents. Make sure your statements are said with power.

The job market is tough right now, so you have to take advantage of any opportunity. Do not let one slip by because your resume is not up to par. Next month check out more tips on how to improve your resume and get noticed!