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Resume Writing - Tips and AdviceJob-hunting is not the most exciting thing in the world but you can make it easier. The key is organization. Keep a record of companies you have applied and any contacts that may or may not have with them. One of the first things you need to do be creative in your resume writing. The appearance of your resume is of paramount importance. The most obvious fact is it needs to be neat and all items must be spelled correctly. Correct information is of paramount importance especially if the interviewer decides to check out your information. The format should be simple and plain. It should highlight your accomplishments. The quality of the paper you use to send out resumes should be of professional quality. Most job seekers use a paper that is not glossy and is a 20-weight paper. You should use the same paper for your resume, your cover letter, and the envelope. It comes across as being more professional. The font should be clear and easy to read. The size of the font is important. Personally I prefer a font of 12. It is clear and the letters are not blurry as they can be with some fonts. The suggested font to use in your resume is a Sans Serif font such as Arial or Verdana. They are clear and stand out better in faxes. When describing your skills in particular, use strong action words. Instead of starting a sentence with a noun use a strong verb. When using numbers use percentages, dollar amounts when describing money, and the number of people you supervised if this is applicable. Your resume should be one page only. The information should be presented as concisely as possible. There will be a place in the cover letter and possibly an interview to expound on your skills. Resumes that are too long are often put aside because employers simply don't have the time to read through lengthy dissertations. If it doesn't fit on one page try paring it down to the bare minimum. The information must be relevant to the position you are applying for. Do not forget to attach your cover letter. There are two types of resume formats that are used. The functional format will put your skills into categories. Your titles are listed on the bottom. This format is used by people who are changing careers and who don't want to draw attention to gaps in employment or a possible lack of direct experiences. The chronological format is used by those on a career path. Your employment and education are listed in reverse chronological order. Outline your skills to show your best accomplishments. The categories that you include on your resume must be relevant to the position for which you are applying. Your resume will be different if you are fresh out of college and unemployed, if you have been out of the work force for an extended period of time (i.e. to raise your kids), or if you are a teenager going for the first job. A resume is one the most important tools you have to use in your job search. The categories will be similar for all manner of people seeking employment. The purpose of your resume is to give employers the maximum amount of information in as few words as possible. Some companies receive hundreds of resumes at any given time. Your resume should standout but not be outlandish. Professionalism is the key. Below is a figure showing what a professional could look like. Remember the information is to be clear and concise. It should be easy on the eyes and professional. JANE DOE Job Objective: to obtain a position as (name the position) Education: Any School University B.S. in Anything 2000 -2004 Somebody High School High School Diploma 1995 -1999 Employment: Here list your employers putting the current one first.If you haven't had experience let them know that. If youwere a babysitter you can add that to your resume. It atleast will show them your work ethics. Skills: List some of the thing you do reasonably well that are relevant to theposition. Are you going for a position as a teacher's aid? List your duties you had in baby-sitting or if you tutored anybody, list those duties as well Related Volunteer Experiences: Here be as descriptive as possible and be as descriptive and exact as you can. Remember be descriptive but concise. References: Will Be Furnished Upon Request (Be prepared with a list ofthree to five people that have consented to give you a recommendation. Include who is familiar with your work as it relates to the position. Finally the resume is about selling yourself. Give them just enough information to have them come back and want more details. Good Luck! About the Author Visit his website Resume Writing for more tips and advice. |  | | | RELATED ARTICLES Making Yourself More Relevant To The New Workplace Being a current job seeker can be quite a challenging prospect as there are many changes in the workplace. 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You have little knowledge of the laws, let alone the customs and traditions of the society you are entering. All you have is a passport and the goodwill of management as you enter unfamiliar borders. Petite Modeling: is There a Career for You? PEtite modeling is a tough industry to break into. Especially since most modeling agencies won't represent models unless they're 5 feet and 9 inches tall or taller. Have you had people tell you're cute? Do you hear all the time "you should be a model"? But you just don't qualify for the strict standards that most modeling angencies have? Phone Interviews: Prepare to Ace Them! More companies are saving time and effort by doing initial telephone interviews before committing themselves to hours of time assessing and evaluating applicants. They are doing this because, frankly, it's a good way to save a team's time from interviewing obviously unqualified people. From your standpoint, this means that you need to develop an additional interview skill. Surprise! Accounting is the Hot New Major There was a time when accounting was the boring college major that many people regretted signing up for. A constant barrage of numbers, statistics and spreadsheets was none too interesting. |
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