Resume Writing Dos and Donts
Do these things
Include your full name - don't use nicknames or abbreviations
Use a telephone number that you can always answer - use a cell phone if possible or make sure there is an answering machine at the listed phone number
Use bullet points to highlight information - it is much easier for an employer to absorb relevant information while scanning your résumé
Print your résumé and cover letter on high quality paper - when printing your résumé you should use paper with at least 50% cotton content
Be concise and get to the point - say what you need to say and nothing more
Use action words and descriptive phrases - be creative when trying to get your point across using as few words as possible
Target your résumé - address your résumé to the position you are applying for to show that you are really interested in working for that company
Focus on relevant facts only - list skills, accomplishments and personality traits you know the employer is looking for
List quantitative support for statements made - back up your skills and experiences with real scenarios, facts and figures
Begin statements with action verbs - action verbs demonstrate your importance to the achievement or experience being described
Don't do these things
Have any grammatical errors - always have someone else proofread your résumé for errors and flow
Have any spelling mistakes - always spell check your résumé, your contact's name, and the company's name
Misrepresent your background or experience - employers oftentimes verify this information and can fire you if it is discovered that you were dishonest
Fill in employment gaps with unrelated information - wait to discuss this information in person to put a positive spin on it
Use lengthy paragraphs - employers notoriously skip over paragraphs in résumés
Use long sentences - just like paragraphs, the reader easily skips over long sentences
Use personal pronouns - keep your résumé impersonal for a more professional image
Forget to list basic skills - all employers want to see that you are a team player, take charge of situations and are reliable John Williamson is a Career Development specialist and spokesperson for Vision-Resume.com | | | | RELATED ARTICLES Network Now Have you ever been to a networking event that was awkward, frustrating and nothing more than a business card exchange? The Myths of Career Change Chances are you already have many ideas about what it takes to successfully transition into a new career, even if you have never done it before. Some of those ideas might be useful ? most probably are not. In this article I would like to expose The Myths of Career Change, which might actually be holding you back. Get Dressed and Get Hired Tying a tie properly may tie you to your next employer. A properly tied tie is essential to a good first impression. With the recent outcry regarding athletes wearing flip-flops to the White House, it's apparent that a review of socially acceptable fashion rules is needed. Can You Actually Fail A Personality Quiz? Q. I didn't get a job that I interviewed for. The employer told me that I had "failed" the personality quiz. How is that possible? Does this mean that I have no personality? Career Discovery - Pinpoint Your Ideal Career Determine your ideal career--one that's in alignment withyour values, passions, and talents--and discover the workyou were born to do Top Ten Guidelines For Working With Executive Recruiters 1. Select the right type of recruitment partner The Top 10 Ways to Achieve Balance in Your Life 1. Define Success for Yourself Job Search Campaign Tip: An Activity Diary Looking for a job involves a wide range of responsibilities: preparing a resume, looking at ads, contacting employers, calling and visiting friends and acquaintances, follow ups, interviews. While none of us ever plan to be out of work for very long, it can be very useful to immediately start documenting your activities and your feelings to provide a road map of where you have been and where you want to go. It helps to have a central location for recording your daily actions so you don't miss anything important or forget a critical deadline. It is also reassuring to have somewhere to go when you're feeling blue and too lethargic to go anywhere or do anything you consider "productive." Waiting for Lightening to Strike Author and management guru, Peter Drucker says, "People adjust to the level of demands made on them." I would add, we also adjust to the level we demand of ourselves. At some point we grow up and pass for adults by how we look. To match that look with action requires both discipline and determination. 60 Hour Work Weeks - Can You and Your Career Survive Them In the 80s while I was an account executive for AT&T most people in my organization worked normal (for then) business hours. By that I mean they arrived close to 8 or 8:30AM and left between 5 and 5:30PM. By 6 PM the office was empty. No one seemed to notice or care how many hours people worked. I had a boss nicknamed "Dry Cleaner Sam" because they joked he was "in by 10, out by 4". Finding a Career in Harmony with Your Life Path Which of the following would you chose? Doing your lifework as a permanent occupation or a regular activity performed in exchange for payment. The first is the definition of a career and the second that of a job. Both involve physical or mental effort or activity directed toward the production or accomplishment of something, but in a career you are self directed and at choice. In a job you are generally following orders and passive. How to Give Job-Winning Answers at Interviews Human Resources personnel, professional recruiters and various other career experts all agree: one of the best ways to prepare yourself for a job interview is to anticipate questions, develop your answers, and practice, practice, practice. The Perfect Resume The perfect resume offers Logical Proofs:    Facts Quantifiable data Logical conclusions Achievement and success statements Relevant professional goals/accomplishments Limits the use of jargon Maximizes use of occupation/industry-specific key words Your capabilities and skills Clear, specific, measurable, and quantifiable words and phrases Sells you based on your achievements to date Culture Shock Today we hear much talk of the 'global village'. People are have more opportunities to travel and live abroad than ever before. However, when you leave a familiar environment and go for an extended stay somewhere quite different, you could experience a whole range of unexpected and unfamiliar feelings. Many of these emotions can be very strong, making you feel out of control and confused: just the sort of problem you could do without as you try to cope with a new job, a new way of life. This is the experience we call 'culture shock' and its course is well understood and documented. So, the first thing to remember is that culture shock is normal, that it has clearly defined stages and that, provided you understand what is happening to you, you should be able to cope with it. Stacking The Deck In Your Favor Many people do not bother to look at their own magnificence and without that view it is not likely that we will recognize the need for strategies to maximize our strengths. When we buy an outfit for a special affair, we automatically try to coordinate each piece so that they enhance one another and amplify our sense of "looking good" from head to toe. A man will make sure his socks and tie are in sync while a woman will adorn herself with color coordinated makeup, jewelry, nail color, etc. But when it comes to our gifts and talents, we get extremely casual or sloppy and so we stack skills on top that don't bring out our best and sometimes we are so off kilter, our skills are actually a tacky appendage that detracts from our gifts and talents. Common Résumé Mistakes Using a general résumé. Are You Ready For A New Career? Is your current or most recent job truly what you want to do? Hiring Managers: Preventing ?Fall-Off?s? and Counter Offers "Bill, thanks so much for your assistance with this search. We're very happy that Robert has accepted the position. He will be a great addition to our organization". At this point, while most would consider the placement complete from both the candidate and employer's side, I would put forth that you are not quite at the finish line just yet. How To Find A Job As A Copy Editor Jobs for copy editors may seem like they are hard to find, but really you can find them and you can do so with many of the qualifications you already have. But, if you do not have any qualifications, this may be the first step in finding the copyediting job that you have been looking for. Jobs in this field are available, but it takes a good, solid portfolio and set of skills to get them. Here are some things to get you going in the right direction though. Careers-Changing Jobs: The Fantasy of the Ideal Job Most people would agree that the concept of a job today is vastly different from that of 20 years ago. Organisations are changing at speed, technology has changed the face and pace of work, and globalisation is pushing every business to examine it's operations in a totally different context.
|