When you start to look up hints and tips on resume writing online, you will find a number of websites and support guides that claim to help you write the perfect resume. Most of us are aware of the fact that your resume is extremely important and can be make or break when it comes to an employer deciding whether to invite you in for an interview. Most of us know what to include on a resume when it comes to job hunting, but it also means we fall into the same traps of including information that we don’t need.

1. Out Of Date Information: A lot of us just use the same resume when it comes to applying for different jobs. This is fine as long as the information included in the resume is generic and not too specific. For example, if you have a list of objectives on your resume, then you need to make sure that it matches the job you are applying for because it if doesn’t this is going to be detrimental to your job application.
2. Head Shots: Don’t include photos in your application because they are simply not needed. Whilst people shouldn’t judge on appearance (and probably won’t admit that they do) it is easy to do so, so you really don’t want to give them an excuse to write off your application purely on the way you look.
3. Personal Information: Information such as your date of birth, where you were born, name of your partner, etc. is information that they don’t need and simply serves to make your resume longer than it needs to be. Make sure that the information on your job application and resume is only the information that needs to be included in order to help them make up their mind as to whether or not to invite you in for an interview.
4. Why You Left Your Last Job: Unless your last job was temporary or for a set contract, don’t include any information regarding the ending of your last job on your resume. If your potential new employers need to know this, then they will ask you at the interview stage. There is no need to include this on your resume.
5. Unfinished Information: Any decent word processing program with have a resume template that you can use to create a professional looking resume on. This is great, but make sure that you don’t leave any of it incomplete (ie “your name here” instead of replacing it with your own name).

This is just a short look at things you should leave off of your resume in order to give yourself the best chance of job success and to help you create the perfect resume.

There is no denying that job hunting is tiring. When you are looking for a job and being unsuccessful it can be hard to keep going. However you need to stay motivated in order to get the job of your dreams because otherwise you are going to be stuck in a job you don’t like forever.

The truth is that an online job search is probably the easiest way for you to go about looking for a job. Searching online for what you want means that you can search at a time that suits you. One of the hardest things about finding a job is often finding the time to do so – especially if you already have a job and are working long hours. The internet is ‘always open’ so the time in which you can search for new jobs isn’t restricted.

However, if you are receiving rejection letters (or no response at all) you can become easily disheartened and wonder why you are even bothering at all, especially if you are already in paid employment. The truth is that if you want a job, then you have to go out and get it. You need to bear in mind that the job market is tough - keep thinking about the job that you want and use this as motivation to keep going when it comes to applying for jobs and submitting your resume.

Another great tip is to only apply for jobs that you are suited to. It can be tempted to simply apply for as many jobs as possible in the hope that one of them will throw you a life line and employ you. This probably won’t do you any favors and instead will just increase the chances of you receiving a rejection letter – not great for your morale or your motivation.

Also, make sure that you pay attention to any feedback that you get from people who are telling you that they aren’t going to employ you at this time. They know what they are looking for, so by paying attention to what they tell you, you can use these hints to improve your chances of success when you come to conduct an online job search next time.

Your resume objective is the first part of the resume and appears just below your name and address. It’s the first thing – after your cover letter – that a potential employer will read. So you want it to be good.

The purpose of your objective statement and/or career summary is to get your interviewer to read further. After all, if your objective statement doesn’t capture their attention, then nothing else will. You will lose your chance for an interview with that company. So your objective statement should follow these three rules really well.

1. Must be brief. One paragraph max. If you use a bullet list to make your statement, make each bullet single sentences or phrases and do no more than 3-5. Keep it short.
2. Centered on the benefit of the employer in hiring you. Don’t use “I” statements and don’t tell what you want. Present your statement so that the interviewer sees himself or herself benefiting from you working for them.
3. Concise. Make your objective statement express precisely what you hope to achieve.

A good objective statement does all three of these things well. Take a look at some sample resume objective statements to see how others have written theirs. Pay particular attention to the language and the style of each objective statement.

For instance, take a look at Savannah Varner’s entry level resume. See how she starts with a statement that tells specifically what position she is seeking, then follows that up with her strongest skills. A potential employer can see right off the bat what Savannah has to offer.

When you write your resume objective statement, keep these three things in mind: Brevity, Benefits, Conciseness.

Most job applicants today believe that they should first write their resumes in order for them to land a career. Yes, resumes are truly important and highly critical in one’s professional/corporate success. It plays a significant role for someone to achieve their career goals. But, writing your resume is not the first step.

What you should do first is to look for the most appropriate job for your skills, competencies, and needs. After listing down the job opportunities you found that fits your needs and skills, it is then when you move on to writing your resume.

Always keep in mind that for a resume to be successful and outstanding among all other resumes being submitted for the same position, it should be personalized, specific, and targeted to the job you are applying for. This means, one personalized resume for every job opportunity.

To ensure this, you must first look for the most appropriate job for you and read through the job posting. As you are reading through the posting, make sure your skills, knowledge and ability match that of the posting. Make sure these skills are listed at the beginning of your resume. The person viewing the resumes will see it faster than having to sift through it.

The keywords you use in your resume need to be specific to the job posting. For example, if the job posting is requiring someone with department management skills, make sure these keywords are in several places on your resume and highlighted. And, use them in the cover letter as well.
Standardized resumes and those written using templates no longer succeed to catch the attention of the primary reviewer of resumes. If you want to make your resume stand out among all the piles of resumes submitted for review, it has to be highly specific with contents that have not been seen before by anyone.

Hiring a resume writer to tailor your resume to fit your skills and those of the marketplace is an excellent option. You can then know that your resume will be professional and will take you places.

Everyone needs a resume. However, not everyone is very good at building a very good resume and get overwhelmed. It can be boring trying to get it just right and it never seems to be right. That’s where a professional can help.

Professional resume writers can sit down with you and discuss your resume needs. They can then build an excellent professional resume that will reflect your jobs skills the most.

Yes, there is a cost involved, but you have spent many years cultivating your job skills and expertise. But, with so many looking for jobs in today’s world, it would be in your best interest to invest in yourself so you won’t get lost in the shuffle.

Because resume writing is what they do, they will be able to create your professional resume into something that will stand out from the crowd and get you noticed.

It’s not the same as it was several years ago and a generic resume was all you needed. Today, however, potential employers are looking for that “thing” that will set that particular resume apart from the others. If they don’t see it, the resume gets tossed aside.

Doing research on the internet will give you multiple resources in which to find a resume writer and possible job openings in various venues.

It can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Consider investing in yourself. It is the most important thing you can do to make a change for 2012.

(thanks to coolinfographics.com for use of the sample)

Thanks to a reader for mentioning the 5th type of resume. A new type of resume has become popular just in the last couple of years. It's called an infographic resume.

An infographic is an online visual representation of an idea. It can be a large visual representation that forces the viewer to use the scroll bar to see the entire graphic or it can be a smaller graphic that encompasses a single screen. Either way, it's an effective way to deliver a resume for many people today - especially graphic designers and web developers.

In simple terms, an infographic resume takes your text-based resume and converts it to graphics so that potential employers can see your experience and work history at a glance.

There are no hard-and-fast rules for creating an infographic resume. If you want to see a sample, click here.

That said, there are some rules that you do need to follow when creating your infographic resume:

1. Keep it relevant. Only add information to your infographic resume that is relevant to the job you are seeking.
2. Put the most important information at the top.
3. Keep it sectional for easy reference (though the sections can be side-by-side or top-to-bottom, or both.
4. You can still use text, but make it attractive and visual.
5. Highlight your most important skills.
6. Use color to your advantage.
7. Use links for your contact information - website, e-mail, social media accounts, and even Skype if you have it.

Like a text resume, potential employers should be able to get a glance at who you are with your infographic resume. Its purpose is to get you the interview. After that, getting the job is up to you.

 

When it comes to writing resumes, you’ll have to decide before you start writing just what type of resume you want to have. There are 4 popular types of resumes and each one fulfills a specific function quite well.

1. Chronological Resume – Perhaps the most popular resume type because it lists your work history at the top in reverse chronological order. Employers like it because they can see your work history at a glance. If you have a stable work history, then this is a great type of resume for finding your next employer.
2. Functional Resume – The functional resume focuses on skills and experience. If you have large gaps in your work history, then the functional resume can be your friend. However, many employers/recruiters don’t like these types as they seem to be “hiding” something. Make sure you clearly list your positions and responsibilities to avoid this misconception.
3. Combination (Hybrid) Resume – The combination, or hybrid, resume is more flexible. Your skills and experience are listed first, but you also include your work history below that so that employers can see it at a glance.
4. Targeted Resume – When you are applying for a job and want to highlight the skills and experience that are relevant to that job, a targeted resume might be your best bet.

Each of these 4 types of resumes have their places. People from all different careers and management levels use each one. But another type of resume has become popular in recent years. A mini-resume is not as extensive as a full resume. It can often be presented on a postcard and gives a brief summary of your career highlights. It works as a networking tool and allows you to get your foot in the door where you can get your full resume into a hiring manager’s hands.

Some people get a rise in blood pressure simply by visiting the doctor (me included!). This is called white coat syndrome. For lack of a better term, interview syndrome is when you get extremely nervous before a job interview. Relax! You can do it, you got this. Be confident above anything else.

It’s important to understand that if you exhibit extreme jitters and can’t form your sentences correctly, it’s going to show during the interview and really hurt your chances of landing the job. Prospective employers are going to wonder why you are so nervous in the first place.

Now, you’re asking how to calm yourself before an interview. First of all, don’t rush yourself and be late at the same time. If your interview is in the morning, get up earlier than normal. Keep your mind occupied and try not to think about the upcoming interview. About an hour before the interview, start forming your thoughts and think about what your demeanor should be. And, by all means, NEVER be late for an interview. That tells them straight out that you could possibly be a late arrival for work. Already a ding on your part.

Dress professionally, even if it for a casual atmosphere. Remember, this is their first visual of you. You certainly don’t want to go in to an interview with baggy pants and a sweatshirt. Make yourself presentable. Square your shoulders, hold your head up and have a confident demeanor. Be sure to address yourself, look the interviewer in the eye and shake their hand. Do not sit down before the interviewer does.

These tips may seem silly to some. However, you need to consider that you are selling yourself. Don’t you want to be proud of yourself? Don’t you want to come across as clean cut, professional, friendly and prompt? If yes is the answer to any of these questions, relax! You got this.

 

With many college graduates unable to find full time employment and a new crop ready to come up, many of them are starting to wonder where they will find a job. It wasn’t long ago that a college degree all but guaranteed you a stable career and higher earning potential. Now, many are not seeing the same returns they once did. So is a college degree worth it in today’s economic terms?

How do you quantify who earns more?

One area to look at is recent graduates from the past 5 years when the Great Recession began. The data shows that of those people who graduated college – nearly 90% were employed – when compared to people who did not graduate college who were employed at 64%. These figures do not show whether these graduates were employed in a field related to their degree or not. But, another telling fact is that college graduates are earning almost double that of people without college degrees. This advantage will likely stick with them throughout their working careers.

Another Option

Another way that we assess the value of receiving a college degree is to compare the rate of return from investing in a college degree versus using the same amount of money for investment opportunities. College degrees are obviously expensive. Tuition, books and housing all add up to well over $100,000 for a four year degree. This is only average as some colleges cost considerable more.

So let’s say you have a recent high school graduate who has $100,000 to invest in their future. Is college the right option or would you use that money for something else? Would investments such as stocks and bonds outweigh the lifetime earnings that a college degree would bring?

The correct answer is, technically speaking, investing in a college degree. A college degree has a rate of return of 15% a year for $100,000 invested. Compare this with the average returns on the stock market  at 6.5%, along with the rate of corporate bonds at 3% and other stable investments and you’re not even close.

Higher Rates of Return

A better rate of return translates into higher lifetime earnings as well. Over their lifetime, the average diploma holder will earn over $550,000 more than the average person with a high school diploma. So the incentive to receive a college education is high.

Some high school students would do well to invest in technical or trade schools that offer specialized skills which will keep them employed throughout any recession. There are opportunities out there for everyone and remember – many people who never graduated college have become successful in different fields. Think of the Bill Gates’, the Paul Allen’s and the Larry Ellison’s of the world. Not having a college degree never stopped them and it should not deter anyone from achieving their dreams.

 

Today’s Guest Post is by Medical Sales Recruiter, Peggy McKee

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The era of the thank you note after a job interview is over.

Well, not the actual “thank you,” just the delivery system.

It’s critically important that you thank the interviewer for the opportunity, but it’s also critically important that you get it to him within 24 hours. And a handwritten, snail-mailed note just won’t do that. Send an email.

Many people still extol the virtues of the handwritten thank you note as a way to demonstrate your good manners and set yourself apart in the interview process. But while that’s nice, it’s not necessarily effective. A well-written thank you note already demonstrates your good manners and excellent communications skills. You don’t need to put a stamp on it to do that.

But there’s something else that comes into play here: As a recruiter, I know that many hiring decisions are made quickly. You can’t wait to send your thank you just in case this window of opportunity is one that will close quickly.

What should you make sure you include in your message?

In your thank you email, you should talk about how much you appreciated the opportunity to meet with them, how much you enjoyed learning more about the organization, how you think your x, y, and z skills will really help their company with a, b, and c issues, and how you’re looking forward to talking with them further about this process.

If you meet with 4 people, you need to send 4 thank you emails.

But here’s one note of caution: While I’m all for sending your note quickly, don’t go too far and try to send it with a text from your phone. There are too many opportunities for mistakes-and they have been made. Stick with your email-and spell check it.

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Peggy McKee has over 15 years of experience in sales, sales management, sales recruiting, and career coaching. She has one of the best blogs I’ve ever read and it is jam-packed with information you need to get into medical sales or increase your sales. Go to  http://www.phcconsulting.com and see for yourself.