Just added some video to the resume site

In an effort to provide the best information possible to my site visitors, I have now added two videos to my resume writing website. Please let me know what you think.

Resume Creation

Cover Letter Tips

I didn't create these videos, but I hope to be doing some on my own very soon.

Carla

Basic Principles of Resume Writing

Basic Principles of Resume Writing

Keep it brief!
Your resume is an overview of your qualifications - not your life story. It is a "preview of coming attractions" which creates the desire to see the rest of the show. One to two pages is the standard for a resume read by the human eye, and up to three pages for a scannable resume. If your resume is more than one page, the first page must capture the reader's attention. If it fails to do so, the remaining pages will not be read.

Focus
Don't try to be everything to everyone. Target your job search and your resume to your specific occupational goals.

Multiple Resumes?
Generally, you should concentrate first on one well-written resume that targets your immediate job search. Make sure this resume represents you well to a wide range of employers and is suitable for scanning. If you have more than one objective, additional resumes may be required. For example, if you are planning to pursue two distinct occupations such as realtor and bookkeeper, you would need two resumes. If you only use the targeted resume approach, you would also write a unique resume to each employer.

Visual Impact
A piece of sales literature has only about two seconds to attract the reader's attention. Similarly, the resume must attract the employer even before it is read. Many advertising techniques apply, including the use of white space, bullets, indentation and varied type style. Professional printing produces high quality, but can be expensive. Laser quality printing is an excellent alternative. Never handwrite your resume! Make sure there are no typographical, grammatical, or spelling errors. Ask someone to proof read your resume to help eliminate errors.

Insure Integrity
Your resume is specifically designed to paint the best picture possible of you. Place the emphasis on the positive, not the negative. It should be an honest statement of your best qualities. Your resume should hold up under scrutiny. Facts and numbers must be believable. The content of the resume should be in harmony. Dates should be consistent while experience and related activities should support your qualifications.

Scannable Resumes
Many employers and employment agencies are using resume scanning systems to screen resumes, a trend that will increase in the future. When writing any resume consider its scannability. Generally, there is little difference between a good scannable resume and one that is effective for the human eye. Since, ultimately, all resumes will be looked at by a person, your resume must work for both.

Overqualified?
If you consistently hear that you are overqualified or are concerned that you will be perceived as such, then you have not effectively targeted your resume. When writing your resume, target it to the level of employment and to the occupation or employer. If you are pursuing more than one distinct level of employment, then consider a separate resume for each. Present the information that you believe is important. You don't have to tell everything. As an example, if you have an advanced degree in a field unrelated to your goal, leave it off.

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A Resume Writing Sample Can Make the Process Easier

A Resume Writing Sample Can Make the Process Easier

How many sites have you searched through looking for a good resume writing sample to help you with your own writing process? Finding the right information at the right time is essential. The sample shown below is a template for a resume in the Chronological Format.

Chronological resumes are good to use in many circumstances. This resume format is great if you have a solid background with continual employment, longevity with an employer (or two) and/or great academic credentials. Employers often prefer this format because it appears to be less subjective (or more “factual”).

It is written in reverse chronological order—with your most recent education and experiences listed first. The focus is typically on the Work Experience section. The Chronological Resume is the most commonly used format and it also the easiest to develop.

Writing a resume does not have to be drudgery. You can learn a lot about yourself in the process.


Sample Chronological Resume

Home Address
Street
City, State ZIP
Phone Number

OBJECTIVE: State your job target in a clear and concise way, emphasizing what
you can do for the company

EDUCATION: List most recent institution first, including dates attended and
subjects studied (or degree if one was conferred). List GPA if it
it over 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

EXPERIENCE: List most recent employer first, including job title, city and state
where you worked, dates employed, responsibilities of the position and accomplishments achieved.

SPECIAL SKILLS: Foreign languages, computer skills, relevant equipment knowledge

HONORS AND
AWARDS: Any certificates received, offices elected to, awards accepted


OTHER: Anything else that will excite the employer about meeting you

REFERENCES: Always list “Available Upon Request”


No resume format can guarantee success, but any one of the most commonly used formats, written well, could secure an interview slot. Which format you use is entirely up to you. Simply take your time to write it with these thoughts in mind:

1. Use active language that energizes the reader to want to get to know you better.
2. Ensure there are no typos or grammatical errors.
3. Only use one font
4. Keep all statements in the same verb tense (i.e. directed, formulated, enhanced).
5. Try to keep the resume to one page or two at the most.

Writing your own resume is not rocket science, but it does involve time and thought if you want to develop a marketing piece that sells your qualifications as well as possible.

Will a resume get you a job?

Will a Resume Get You a Job?

That question is asked over and over again in Career Placement Centers, Employment Offices and on forums on the Internet. Will a resume get you a job?

The short answer is “no”. A resume will not get you a job. What a resume will do, if it is done effectively, is pave the way for an interview. Employers use resumes to decide who they think is best suited for the job and typically weed out enough poorly written resumes to narrow the candidate pool to 5-6 good candidates. (Some companies have a higher number than that and others have a lower number. It depends on the organization and how they structure the interview process.)

If you want to be counted among those 5-6 candidates who are called in for an interview, then your resume DOES have to be outstanding.

Will a resume get you a job? Now, let’s answer that question a different way. A resume is a necessary part of getting a good job. Does that contradict the first statement? No, it doesn’t. A resume on its own can only do so much, but without it, at least with most companies, you cannot even get anyone to acknowledge you. You must have a resume in order to get your foot in the door in many companies.

Of course, not any resume will do. Some of the people that you are competing against for jobs are going to spend a lot of time and money crafting excellent resumes. Yours has to be just as good – preferably better.

You don’t need a professional resume service, either. What you need is the right information and the best guidelines to provide you with everything you need so that you can create your own top-notch resume.

It may take more time to write an excellent resume, but a poorly written resume isn’t going to do any good at all, so either write the best resume you can write or don’t bother writing one at all. It’s just that important.

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Cover Letters for Teachers

Cover Letters for Teachers

Why are cover letters so important? They provide the prospective employer with a brief review of your skills and abilities in the form of a letter. These types of letters are written much differently than resumes and can have a potent impact on your future employer.

The best news is that writing one it isn’t that difficult. An excellent teacher is always going to be in demand. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for teachers through 2014 will grow somewhere between 9 and 17% per year.

“Experts predict that over the next ten years the nation will need 2.2 to 2.4 million teachers. That means there will be 150,000 to 250,000 openings for teachers in the nation's elementary and secondary schools. The needs are greatest in urban and rural communities and in curricular areas such as special education, mathematics, science, bilingual education, and English as a second language.” This information comes from www.recruitingteachers.org, a non-profit organization based in Belmont, MS.

What does that mean? It means there will be continued growth in the field of education. If you are a good teacher, you should not encounter problems in finding a great job in a location that you desire.

What about that amazing teaching position at that awesome new school that you have your eye on, though? Do you think the competition for that position will be greater? Of course it will. The great paying jobs always demand the best and the brightest people. That is why your credentials and qualifications will have to be presented in the most incredible way if you are to get the job of your dreams.

One aspect of making a great impression on a prospective employer is to create a fantastic picture of who you are - with words. Let your cover letter show the school administrators just how remarkable you are.

The cover letter has one goal. That is to get the employer excited about the resume. It is a marketing tool, just like the resume is. Sell yourself in a compelling and exciting way.

What makes the best impression on employers? The wise use of accomplishments with anecdotes will win over a principal or school administrator much faster than simply stating what you did and where you worked. Let your best qualities reach the employer through carefully written examples and stories. Don’t just state what you are capable of, show what you have done in the past with vibrant language that attracts and invites the employer to want to know more.

You are a part of a significant sector of the labor market. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Preschool, kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, and secondary school teachers, except special education, held about 3.8 million jobs in 2004. Of the teachers in those jobs, about 1.5 million are elementary school teachers, 1.1 million are secondary school teachers, 628,000 are middle school teachers, 431,000 are preschool teachers, and 171,000 are kindergarten teachers.”

You have to be your very best to get the great jobs. What skills and abilities do you have that you can offer the employer – and – how can you do so in a way that makes the employer want to pick up the phone and call you for an interview?
Let your cover letter generate interest in your resume, then let your resume hold the employer’s attention so that you are invited in for a face to face meeting.

The cover letter builds on the resume and leads the employer toward it. Make it glow. While it may not persuade an employer to grant you an interview by itself, it is a vital part of the whole package that sells an employer on YOU.

Cover Letters for Graphic Designers

Why are cover letters so important? They provide the prospective employer with a brief review of your skills and abilities in the form of a letter. Letters are written much differently than resumes and can have a lasting impact on the reader. The best news is that writing one it isn't that hard.

If you are wondering whether you need a cover letter or not, the answer is "yes". Employers are expecting a cover letter, but more important than that, you have an extra page to sell yourself if you write one. Even if you are an excellent Graphic Designer, you still need to convince the employer that you are worthy of a job.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Among the five design occupations, graphic designers are expected to have the most new jobs through 2014; however, job seekers are expected to face keen competition for available positions."

What does that mean? It means there are design positions available, but you are going to have to work hard to get the really great jobs.

One other note of interest: "Many talented individuals are attracted to careers as graphic designers. Individuals with a bachelor's degree and knowledge of computer design software, particularly those with Web site design and animation experience, will have the best opportunities." That is also according to the BLS.

Graphic Designers, generally speaking, are in a good labor market right now. That's wonderful news, certainly. You should not encounter difficulties in obtaining work.
What about that awesome position with the top salary that you have your eye on, though? Do you think the competition for that position will be greater? You bet it will. That means your credentials will have to be presented in the best light possible if you are to get the job offer.

So, how do you write a great cover letter?

The cover letter builds on the resume and leads the employer toward it. Its goal is to get the employer excited about the resume. It is a sales tool, just like the resume is. Sell yourself in a compelling and exciting way. Inject energy and let your best qualities reach the employer through carefully written examples and anecdotes. Don't just state what you are capable of, show the employer what you have done in the past with vibrant language that attracts and invites the employer to want to know more.

You are a part of a significant sector of the labor market. You have to be your very best to get the great jobs. What skills and abilities do you have that you can offer the employer – and – how can you do so in a way that makes the employer pick up the phone and call you for an interview?

Be personable, but professional at the same time.

Let your cover letter generate interest in your resume, then let your resume grab the employer's attention so that you are invited in for a face to face meeting.
A cover letter isn't likely to persuade an employer to grant you an interview on its own, but it is part of the whole package that WILL encourage an employer to want to get to know you better. Make it an exciting and enjoyable read and you will find yourself being offered the Graphic Designer position you apply for.


For more information on cover letters, click here: Resume Cover Letters

A Hiring Manager Has a Tough Job

This is what it looks like from the Human Resources side.

A hiring manager has to work long hours, interview job applicants regularly, make hiring decisions that are sometimes very difficult and they have to meet with managers throughout the company in which they work to learn more about job vacancies. Hiring managers are not in an enviable position.

Have you ever thought about what happens when a hiring manager makes a bad hiring choice? Their whole job relies upon them making good hiring decisions.
That’s why a hiring manager has to be diligent about the resumes they select and the candidates they interview. Their job can be on the line if a candidate does not work out – especially if the position is a high-level executive.

For every open position at a company, stacks of resumes can be received for consideration. If an individual had to read each of those resumes, it would take far more time than any Human Resource Department has. That
s why the initial screening of each resume is a quick process – usually merely seconds. Anything that stands out (in a bad way) will cause the resume to be purged from the resume pile.

During the initial resume review, the screener is also looking for keywords that attest to your having knowledge of and/or experience handling the responsibilities of the position. Some of those keywords may reflect accomplishments while others define your ambition. You have to do the research to know what the employer is looking for in a candidate.

Do you think a hiring manager is going to give you the benefit of the doubt when he or she has over a hundred other resumes to consider? There is no incentive to do that. It's easier to simply grab another resume from the stack.

It is because the hiring process is handled in this way that your resume has to be excellent. It has to be professional and it has to be targeted to the position you are seeking.

The best thing you can do is to make sure your resume is blemish-free and includes the appropriate keywords for your field/industry. Make it easy for the hiring manager to want to read your resume.

If you can make it past that initial resume review, you have a much better chance of being called for an interview. That's the whole purpose of the resume. You can do this!