Your CV Content: What to Write and How to Write It

You could have the most elegant and professional looking CV that you believe will stand out from every other CV out there, but the truth is, it isn't all about the aesthetics. What everyone needs to fully understand is: The most important part of your CV is 'The Words.'

So now you know this, it's time to look at just how you can go about improving the wording of your CV to put a smile across any potential employer's face:

Avoid the Cliches

Before we start looking at what it is you should be writing in your CV, let's have a look at what you really need to be avoiding. Time after time, cliches are used throughout CVs. They are unimaginative words that people can easily throw into their CV because they think it is pleasing to employers. The truth is it is not! It's incredibly easy to write any one of these cliches into your CV and it's easy to understand why many people feel it does the job.

But perhaps you don't even realize that they are cliches. To make this easy, we've listed some of the really obvious and most used cliches below. Take a look over them and if you find any of them in your CV get rid of them! Remove them without even thinking about it (don't worry, we will look at what to replace them with afterwards).
"Go to Person""Passion for""Communication Skills""Organisational Skills""Inspirational Skills""Management Skills""Creative""Thrive on Challenges""Team Player""Great with Customers"

There are 10 of the most common cliches that are found in CVs. But I know you are desperate to ask: "What if I am one of these Cliches?" Then that is fine, but you need to find a way of explaining this to an employer without using these short phrases.

That moves us onto our next area when looking at the wording of your CV...

What you do NOT What you are

Sorry if it is taking a while to get that around your head. Let's look at it with an example. Which of the following do you think sounds better on a CV?

"I have management skills."

Or...

"After 3 months working hard on a particular project, I was able to increase productivity by 25% by carefully delegating the right tasks to the right people."

(Hopefully you will pick the second of the two examples!) Yes, it may be longer and will take up a little more room on your CV, but we are looking to tell any prospective employer "What you do and NOT What you are." The second example explains what you do and then subtly suggests what you are. An employer would much rather read this!

The second example also contained numbers which takes us onto our next area...

It's all in the Maths

(...And the numbers!) Numbers mean so much when it comes to your CV. Using phrases such as "I increased sales," "I decreased costs" or "I did it fast," are incredibly non-descriptive. They may sound good in your head, but if you put yourself in the shoes of an employer, they are going to want more than that. 90% of CVs will use these short, dull phrases that really mean nothing:

Saying "I increased sales" could mean "I increased sales by 0.0000001%" or "I increased sales by 50%" Both quite clearly have different meanings and that is why you need to focus on the maths, the numbers and any figures you can throw in there.

There are two main numbers you want to focus on and those are time frames and quantities. Below is a brilliant example of how you can throw numbers into an achievement you have:

"In 6 months, I focussed on increasing sales and succeeded by increasing sales on the companies primary product by 20%."

This is just a perfect example of how you can throw numbers into anything you say in your CV as a way to stand out. This tells any reader of your CV a lot about you.

Write like a Human

And not like a robot... There are far too many CVs out there that are just carbon copies of one another, with no imagination in what they write. Phrases such as:

"Competent user of Microsoft Excel with 10 years of professional use."

If anything is going to put an employer to sleep, this is certainly one of them. These boring, unimaginative and monotonous phrases are used constantly in CVs and that is why you need to look at this as somewhere you can shine. Don't write like a robot.

But how? The simple answer is first of all, use sentences. Look at our example again and you'll notice that it isn't really a sentence. It doesn't have a subject. It just states what you do and that is it. You need to be creative with what you say and really sell yourself.

There's FOUR things you need to look at with regards to the words that you write for your CV.Ultimately, your CV is a Sales Letter for YOU. You are selling yourself therefore the words have a lot to do with it. Get them right, and you'll soon see an influx of Job Offers and Interviews.

Are you someone who struggles to write a perfect CV? Then perhaps you need the FREE " Create the Dream CV " Guide! It's a 100% FREE informative and in-depth guide teaching you just how to write your CV. Click HERE to get it NOW!

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How To Develop Content For A Cover Letter

It's important to remember that there is a fine line between showing pride in your accomplishments, and coming across as a conceited know-it-all when listing experiences and responsibilities from past employment.

You need quality content to put into your cover letters, and this may require a little contemplation. Not to worry, there is a questionnaire included in this post that should assist you with this job. This questionnaire is designed to give you a better understanding of what you have to offer employers, and will provide you with illustrations and insights for your letters. Completing this questionnaire can also help you to sell yourself during the interview process, because it makes you more aware of your marketable assets.

You will need to answer all parts of each question for each position you have had, starting with the most recent job and working backward.

Spend some time on this activity and thoughtfully go over your past jobs. If you type out the answer to these questions, you'll be able to cut and paste your answers to the questions from the questionnaire into your cover letters. This will add personalized content, creating a unique and remarkable cover letter.

The completely original portions of your letter will be your knowledge of the employer and the position, your contributions, and your accomplishments. This means that you need to spend a significant amount of time in preparation and jotting down ideas. This is the beginning stage of the writing process, so worry less about writing complete sentences and more about capturing your thoughts and ideas. It is easiest to do this with the whole letter than it is to worry about every idea that crosses your mind.
Collect Information

The following steps are for information collection and self-examination:

Step One: Determine Your Desired Job

Your job hunt, and the resume and cover letters that go with it, will be considerably more beneficial if you start by identifying a desired job that you can land and in which you can excel. Begin by identifying the title of this desired job. Then take out a piece of paper and write it down.
Step Two: Research The Desired Job

Go search online for an hour or two and compile as many job descriptions as you are able with this desired job title. Once you have an assortment, deconstruct them to a series of bullets, and write below your desired job title as the answer for Step Two.

Any assessment of your background has to begin with an appreciation of what potential employers will be looking for in your resume and cover letter.
Step Three: Go Through Your Past Work History

Once you are familiar with the kind of information that employers are looking for, it's time to start going through your work history. This action is not only useful for collecting the data needed for a resume, it also helps you remember all sorts of information that organizations are likely to request in various stages of the selection cycle. Carefully contemplate the following three pieces:

A. Current or Most Recent Employer

Identify your current or most recent employer by name and location, and follow it with a concise explanation (five or six words) of the organization's business/products/services.

Note: This includes volunteer and part-time work if you recently graduated or are re-entering the workforce after an absence. Try thinking about your school like an employer and see what new information you discover about yourself.

Write down the following information:

Starting date: ______________________

Starting title: ______________________

Starting salary: ______________________

Leaving date: ______________________

Leaving title: ______________________

Reason for leaving: _______________________

Possible references for this job: ______________________

Leaving salary: ______________________

B. Deliverables

Make a bulleted list of the responsibilities/duties/deliverables of this job. Then arrange that list by level of importance of each duty.

C. Required Knowledge and Skills

For every one of the determined deliverables, answer these questions:

What special skills or knowledge were required for you to satisfactorily carry out this task?
What educational background and/or accreditation aided in preparing you for these responsibilities?
What are your accomplishments in this area?

For each area of responsibility, you should think about the daily problems that occur as well as major projects/problems you handled that you consider significant accomplishments. Consider each as an investigative challenge, and recollect the analytic procedures and following actions you took to correct the issue.
Step Four: Think About Teamwork and Your Professional Profile

Ask yourself these questions:

What written or verbal feedback did you receive from peers or managers regarding your contributions in each area of your job?

What different levels of people were you required to interact with to achieve your job tasks? How did you work effectively with colleagues, reports, and management?

What features of your personality were drawn upon when carrying out these tasks?

Step Five: Add Your Past Work History

Now, repeat Steps Three and Four for your past positions.

It is fairly common for a person to have held several different titles with a single employer. This type of professional growth speaks to your capability and promotability. You should repeat Steps Three and Four for each succeeding title, and make certain these steps are communicated on your resume.
Step Six: Amass Endorsements

Review each of your main areas of responsibility throughout your work history, write down any positive verbal or written comments others have made regarding your performance. Comments relating to you and your performance, that come from someone else, frequently have a significantly greater impact on employers than anything that you could come up with yourself.

Now, you should have a better understanding of what employers are looking for in your cover letters, so you can begin the process of answering the questions and generating content to include in your cover letters.

James Crocker is the Owner and CEO of Casual Robot Media. He writes informative articles to aid job seekers with tips for job searching, cover letter writing tips, resume writing tips, tips on professional networking, tips for interviewing, and tips for getting promotions on his website http://employmentgenius.com/

Read more ...

How To Develop Content For A Cover Letter

It's important to remember that there is a fine line between showing pride in your accomplishments, and coming across as a conceited know-it-all when listing experiences and responsibilities from past employment.

You need quality content to put into your cover letters, and this may require a little contemplation. Not to worry, there is a questionnaire included in this post that should assist you with this job. This questionnaire is designed to give you a better understanding of what you have to offer employers, and will provide you with illustrations and insights for your letters. Completing this questionnaire can also help you to sell yourself during the interview process, because it makes you more aware of your marketable assets.

You will need to answer all parts of each question for each position you have had, starting with the most recent job and working backward.

Spend some time on this activity and thoughtfully go over your past jobs. If you type out the answer to these questions, you'll be able to cut and paste your answers to the questions from the questionnaire into your cover letters. This will add personalized content, creating a unique and remarkable cover letter.

The completely original portions of your letter will be your knowledge of the employer and the position, your contributions, and your accomplishments. This means that you need to spend a significant amount of time in preparation and jotting down ideas. This is the beginning stage of the writing process, so worry less about writing complete sentences and more about capturing your thoughts and ideas. It is easiest to do this with the whole letter than it is to worry about every idea that crosses your mind.
Collect Information

The following steps are for information collection and self-examination:

Step One: Determine Your Desired Job

Your job hunt, and the resume and cover letters that go with it, will be considerably more beneficial if you start by identifying a desired job that you can land and in which you can excel. Begin by identifying the title of this desired job. Then take out a piece of paper and write it down.
Step Two: Research The Desired Job

Go search online for an hour or two and compile as many job descriptions as you are able with this desired job title. Once you have an assortment, deconstruct them to a series of bullets, and write below your desired job title as the answer for Step Two.

Any assessment of your background has to begin with an appreciation of what potential employers will be looking for in your resume and cover letter.
Step Three: Go Through Your Past Work History

Once you are familiar with the kind of information that employers are looking for, it's time to start going through your work history. This action is not only useful for collecting the data needed for a resume, it also helps you remember all sorts of information that organizations are likely to request in various stages of the selection cycle. Carefully contemplate the following three pieces:

A. Current or Most Recent Employer

Identify your current or most recent employer by name and location, and follow it with a concise explanation (five or six words) of the organization's business/products/services.

Note: This includes volunteer and part-time work if you recently graduated or are re-entering the workforce after an absence. Try thinking about your school like an employer and see what new information you discover about yourself.

Write down the following information:

Starting date: ______________________

Starting title: ______________________

Starting salary: ______________________

Leaving date: ______________________

Leaving title: ______________________

Reason for leaving: _______________________

Possible references for this job: ______________________

Leaving salary: ______________________

B. Deliverables

Make a bulleted list of the responsibilities/duties/deliverables of this job. Then arrange that list by level of importance of each duty.

C. Required Knowledge and Skills

For every one of the determined deliverables, answer these questions:

What special skills or knowledge were required for you to satisfactorily carry out this task?
What educational background and/or accreditation aided in preparing you for these responsibilities?
What are your accomplishments in this area?

For each area of responsibility, you should think about the daily problems that occur as well as major projects/problems you handled that you consider significant accomplishments. Consider each as an investigative challenge, and recollect the analytic procedures and following actions you took to correct the issue.
Step Four: Think About Teamwork and Your Professional Profile

Ask yourself these questions:

What written or verbal feedback did you receive from peers or managers regarding your contributions in each area of your job?

What different levels of people were you required to interact with to achieve your job tasks? How did you work effectively with colleagues, reports, and management?

What features of your personality were drawn upon when carrying out these tasks?

Step Five: Add Your Past Work History

Now, repeat Steps Three and Four for your past positions.

It is fairly common for a person to have held several different titles with a single employer. This type of professional growth speaks to your capability and promotability. You should repeat Steps Three and Four for each succeeding title, and make certain these steps are communicated on your resume.
Step Six: Amass Endorsements

Review each of your main areas of responsibility throughout your work history, write down any positive verbal or written comments others have made regarding your performance. Comments relating to you and your performance, that come from someone else, frequently have a significantly greater impact on employers than anything that you could come up with yourself.

Now, you should have a better understanding of what employers are looking for in your cover letters, so you can begin the process of answering the questions and generating content to include in your cover letters.

James Crocker is the Owner and CEO of Casual Robot Media. He writes informative articles to aid job seekers with tips for job searching, cover letter writing tips, resume writing tips, tips on professional networking, tips for interviewing, and tips for getting promotions on his website http://employmentgenius.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_B_Crocker

Read more ...

Content Is King When Writing Your Resume

Have you ever been to a restaurant and ordered a dish that looked appetizing on the menu, but once you actually tasted it you were disappointed? This is probably what a hiring manager experiences when an eye-catching resume with irrelevant content comes across their desk, and it shows just how important it is to pay attention to both the look and the actual content of your resume. Sure, your pretty resume graphics might grab their initial attention. However, once they actually read the resume, it becomes clear by your content that you may not be a good fit for the position.

We should remember that a resume is essentially a marketing tool. Therefore, it needs to deliver a strong impact upon the reader. This is where your actual content comes in. Your content is what compels the reader to keep reading, and to possibly consider you for the position. Next, we'll discuss exactly how this is done.

Write from the Reader's Point of View

It is important to write from the reader's (usually the hiring manager's) point of view. When you read the job posting, ask yourself - what type of employee do they really want? What are the company values? What is the company culture? Some job postings will tell you exactly what the company values are, which makes it easy to speak to how your personality and credentials fit in with the company's culture. However, other postings may require that you research the company further and read between the lines of the job posting a bit. Let's decipher a few key phrases that you'll see frequently.

Example 1: "Must be independently motivated and energetic with a drive to succeed."

Translation: We don't want to hold your hand.

Example 2: "We are looking for candidates with excellent interpersonal communication skills, who can maintain confidentiality, who are able to work independently and who can present him/herself in a positive manner. You must have proper business telephone etiquette."

Translation: We want someone with experience in dealing with high - profile clients. You need the professionalism and image to impress.

Example 3: "Handles unusual situations and confidential information."

Translation: We need a front line professional who can think on their feet and handle possible irate or problem clients/customers with minimal supervision.

Keep it Interesting

Since you are writing your resume from the reader's point of view, it's obvious that you do not want to bore the reader. Going on and on about your accomplishments without tying them into the actual position and how your experience can benefit the employer will result in your resume ending up in "file 13". (i.e. the trashcan!) Keep your bullet points succinct and to the point, and don't overuse the verbs. The following is an example of a bland bullet point, and how to fix it.

Before: Managed all branch employees and headed the risk management department.

After: Managed daily operations of a growing branch with a primary focus on driving revenue growth, increasing profit, and managing risk.

See the difference? The first bullet point simply stated what the applicant did - that's it. The second bullet point not only states what the applicant's responsibilities were, but provided the details of how he/she went about accomplishing them and within what context.

Balance is the Goal

I certainly don't want you to come away from this article thinking that nice graphics and borders on your resume are a bad thing - to the contrary. A clean, aesthetically pleasing document is the "bait", but I also want to hit home the point of paying as much attention to your content as you do the look. In other words, there needs to be a balance between looks and substance here. Making sure that you keep an eye on both will increase the possibility of garnering more requests for interviews.

Marsha owns and operates Key Image Resumes in Phoenix, AZ, a professional resume and curriculum vitae writing service. She brings five years of expertise to the table, and believes in the importance of using the ever-evolving talent acquisition trends to better position you for success. She specializes in individuals who have been downsized and who wish to leverage their skills in order to make a transition into a new career. Key Image crafts targeted resumes to help market your skills and accomplishments successfully. Marsha's creativity and desire to help connect people with fulfilling careers helps her stand out from the rest.

For a professional resume or CV consultation and rewrite, visit: http://www.keyimageresumes.com/let_s_get_started.html today.

Read more ...

Content Is King When Writing Your Resume

Have you ever been to a restaurant and ordered a dish that looked appetizing on the menu, but once you actually tasted it you were disappointed? This is probably what a hiring manager experiences when an eye-catching resume with irrelevant content comes across their desk, and it shows just how important it is to pay attention to both the look and the actual content of your resume. Sure, your pretty resume graphics might grab their initial attention. However, once they actually read the resume, it becomes clear by your content that you may not be a good fit for the position.

We should remember that a resume is essentially a marketing tool. Therefore, it needs to deliver a strong impact upon the reader. This is where your actual content comes in. Your content is what compels the reader to keep reading, and to possibly consider you for the position. Next, we'll discuss exactly how this is done.

Write from the Reader's Point of View

It is important to write from the reader's (usually the hiring manager's) point of view. When you read the job posting, ask yourself - what type of employee do they really want? What are the company values? What is the company culture? Some job postings will tell you exactly what the company values are, which makes it easy to speak to how your personality and credentials fit in with the company's culture. However, other postings may require that you research the company further and read between the lines of the job posting a bit. Let's decipher a few key phrases that you'll see frequently.

Example 1: "Must be independently motivated and energetic with a drive to succeed."

Translation: We don't want to hold your hand.

Example 2: "We are looking for candidates with excellent interpersonal communication skills, who can maintain confidentiality, who are able to work independently and who can present him/herself in a positive manner. You must have proper business telephone etiquette."

Translation: We want someone with experience in dealing with high - profile clients. You need the professionalism and image to impress.

Example 3: "Handles unusual situations and confidential information."

Translation: We need a front line professional who can think on their feet and handle possible irate or problem clients/customers with minimal supervision.

Keep it Interesting

Since you are writing your resume from the reader's point of view, it's obvious that you do not want to bore the reader. Going on and on about your accomplishments without tying them into the actual position and how your experience can benefit the employer will result in your resume ending up in "file 13". (i.e. the trashcan!) Keep your bullet points succinct and to the point, and don't overuse the verbs. The following is an example of a bland bullet point, and how to fix it.

Before: Managed all branch employees and headed the risk management department.

After: Managed daily operations of a growing branch with a primary focus on driving revenue growth, increasing profit, and managing risk.

See the difference? The first bullet point simply stated what the applicant did - that's it. The second bullet point not only states what the applicant's responsibilities were, but provided the details of how he/she went about accomplishing them and within what context.

Balance is the Goal

I certainly don't want you to come away from this article thinking that nice graphics and borders on your resume are a bad thing - to the contrary. A clean, aesthetically pleasing document is the "bait", but I also want to hit home the point of paying as much attention to your content as you do the look. In other words, there needs to be a balance between looks and substance here. Making sure that you keep an eye on both will increase the possibility of garnering more requests for interviews.

Marsha owns and operates Key Image Resumes in Phoenix, AZ, a professional resume and curriculum vitae writing service. She brings five years of expertise to the table, and believes in the importance of using the ever-evolving talent acquisition trends to better position you for success. She specializes in individuals who have been downsized and who wish to leverage their skills in order to make a transition into a new career. Key Image crafts targeted resumes to help market your skills and accomplishments successfully. Marsha's creativity and desire to help connect people with fulfilling careers helps her stand out from the rest.

For a professional resume or CV consultation and rewrite, visit: http://www.keyimageresumes.com/let_s_get_started.html today.

Read more ...

How To Develop Content For A Cover Letter

It's important to remember that there is a fine line between showing pride in your accomplishments, and coming across as a conceited know-it-all when listing experiences and responsibilities from past employment.

You need quality content to put into your cover letters, and this may require a little contemplation. Not to worry, there is a questionnaire included in this post that should assist you with this job. This questionnaire is designed to give you a better understanding of what you have to offer employers, and will provide you with illustrations and insights for your letters. Completing this questionnaire can also help you to sell yourself during the interview process, because it makes you more aware of your marketable assets.

You will need to answer all parts of each question for each position you have had, starting with the most recent job and working backward.

Spend some time on this activity and thoughtfully go over your past jobs. If you type out the answer to these questions, you'll be able to cut and paste your answers to the questions from the questionnaire into your cover letters. This will add personalized content, creating a unique and remarkable cover letter.

The completely original portions of your letter will be your knowledge of the employer and the position, your contributions, and your accomplishments. This means that you need to spend a significant amount of time in preparation and jotting down ideas. This is the beginning stage of the writing process, so worry less about writing complete sentences and more about capturing your thoughts and ideas. It is easiest to do this with the whole letter than it is to worry about every idea that crosses your mind.
Collect Information

The following steps are for information collection and self-examination:

Step One: Determine Your Desired Job

Your job hunt, and the resume and cover letters that go with it, will be considerably more beneficial if you start by identifying a desired job that you can land and in which you can excel. Begin by identifying the title of this desired job. Then take out a piece of paper and write it down.
Step Two: Research The Desired Job

Go search online for an hour or two and compile as many job descriptions as you are able with this desired job title. Once you have an assortment, deconstruct them to a series of bullets, and write below your desired job title as the answer for Step Two.

Any assessment of your background has to begin with an appreciation of what potential employers will be looking for in your resume and cover letter.
Step Three: Go Through Your Past Work History

Once you are familiar with the kind of information that employers are looking for, it's time to start going through your work history. This action is not only useful for collecting the data needed for a resume, it also helps you remember all sorts of information that organizations are likely to request in various stages of the selection cycle. Carefully contemplate the following three pieces:

A. Current or Most Recent Employer

Identify your current or most recent employer by name and location, and follow it with a concise explanation (five or six words) of the organization's business/products/services.

Note: This includes volunteer and part-time work if you recently graduated or are re-entering the workforce after an absence. Try thinking about your school like an employer and see what new information you discover about yourself.

Write down the following information:

Starting date: ______________________

Starting title: ______________________

Starting salary: ______________________

Leaving date: ______________________

Leaving title: ______________________

Reason for leaving: _______________________

Possible references for this job: ______________________

Leaving salary: ______________________

B. Deliverables

Make a bulleted list of the responsibilities/duties/deliverables of this job. Then arrange that list by level of importance of each duty.

C. Required Knowledge and Skills

For every one of the determined deliverables, answer these questions:

What special skills or knowledge were required for you to satisfactorily carry out this task?
What educational background and/or accreditation aided in preparing you for these responsibilities?
What are your accomplishments in this area?

For each area of responsibility, you should think about the daily problems that occur as well as major projects/problems you handled that you consider significant accomplishments. Consider each as an investigative challenge, and recollect the analytic procedures and following actions you took to correct the issue.
Step Four: Think About Teamwork and Your Professional Profile

Ask yourself these questions:

What written or verbal feedback did you receive from peers or managers regarding your contributions in each area of your job?

What different levels of people were you required to interact with to achieve your job tasks? How did you work effectively with colleagues, reports, and management?

What features of your personality were drawn upon when carrying out these tasks?

Step Five: Add Your Past Work History

Now, repeat Steps Three and Four for your past positions.

It is fairly common for a person to have held several different titles with a single employer. This type of professional growth speaks to your capability and promotability. You should repeat Steps Three and Four for each succeeding title, and make certain these steps are communicated on your resume.
Step Six: Amass Endorsements

Review each of your main areas of responsibility throughout your work history, write down any positive verbal or written comments others have made regarding your performance. Comments relating to you and your performance, that come from someone else, frequently have a significantly greater impact on employers than anything that you could come up with yourself.

Now, you should have a better understanding of what employers are looking for in your cover letters, so you can begin the process of answering the questions and generating content to include in your cover letters.

James Crocker is the Owner and CEO of Casual Robot Media. He writes informative articles to aid job seekers with tips for job searching, cover letter writing tips, resume writing tips, tips on professional networking, tips for interviewing, and tips for getting promotions on his website http://employmentgenius.com/

Read more ...

How To Develop Content For A Cover Letter

It's important to remember that there is a fine line between showing pride in your accomplishments, and coming across as a conceited know-it-all when listing experiences and responsibilities from past employment.

You need quality content to put into your cover letters, and this may require a little contemplation. Not to worry, there is a questionnaire included in this post that should assist you with this job. This questionnaire is designed to give you a better understanding of what you have to offer employers, and will provide you with illustrations and insights for your letters. Completing this questionnaire can also help you to sell yourself during the interview process, because it makes you more aware of your marketable assets.

You will need to answer all parts of each question for each position you have had, starting with the most recent job and working backward.

Spend some time on this activity and thoughtfully go over your past jobs. If you type out the answer to these questions, you'll be able to cut and paste your answers to the questions from the questionnaire into your cover letters. This will add personalized content, creating a unique and remarkable cover letter.

The completely original portions of your letter will be your knowledge of the employer and the position, your contributions, and your accomplishments. This means that you need to spend a significant amount of time in preparation and jotting down ideas. This is the beginning stage of the writing process, so worry less about writing complete sentences and more about capturing your thoughts and ideas. It is easiest to do this with the whole letter than it is to worry about every idea that crosses your mind.
Collect Information

The following steps are for information collection and self-examination:

Step One: Determine Your Desired Job

Your job hunt, and the resume and cover letters that go with it, will be considerably more beneficial if you start by identifying a desired job that you can land and in which you can excel. Begin by identifying the title of this desired job. Then take out a piece of paper and write it down.
Step Two: Research The Desired Job

Go search online for an hour or two and compile as many job descriptions as you are able with this desired job title. Once you have an assortment, deconstruct them to a series of bullets, and write below your desired job title as the answer for Step Two.

Any assessment of your background has to begin with an appreciation of what potential employers will be looking for in your resume and cover letter.
Step Three: Go Through Your Past Work History

Once you are familiar with the kind of information that employers are looking for, it's time to start going through your work history. This action is not only useful for collecting the data needed for a resume, it also helps you remember all sorts of information that organizations are likely to request in various stages of the selection cycle. Carefully contemplate the following three pieces:

A. Current or Most Recent Employer

Identify your current or most recent employer by name and location, and follow it with a concise explanation (five or six words) of the organization's business/products/services.

Note: This includes volunteer and part-time work if you recently graduated or are re-entering the workforce after an absence. Try thinking about your school like an employer and see what new information you discover about yourself.

Write down the following information:

Starting date: ______________________

Starting title: ______________________

Starting salary: ______________________

Leaving date: ______________________

Leaving title: ______________________

Reason for leaving: _______________________

Possible references for this job: ______________________

Leaving salary: ______________________

B. Deliverables

Make a bulleted list of the responsibilities/duties/deliverables of this job. Then arrange that list by level of importance of each duty.

C. Required Knowledge and Skills

For every one of the determined deliverables, answer these questions:

What special skills or knowledge were required for you to satisfactorily carry out this task?
What educational background and/or accreditation aided in preparing you for these responsibilities?
What are your accomplishments in this area?

For each area of responsibility, you should think about the daily problems that occur as well as major projects/problems you handled that you consider significant accomplishments. Consider each as an investigative challenge, and recollect the analytic procedures and following actions you took to correct the issue.
Step Four: Think About Teamwork and Your Professional Profile

Ask yourself these questions:

What written or verbal feedback did you receive from peers or managers regarding your contributions in each area of your job?

What different levels of people were you required to interact with to achieve your job tasks? How did you work effectively with colleagues, reports, and management?

What features of your personality were drawn upon when carrying out these tasks?

Step Five: Add Your Past Work History

Now, repeat Steps Three and Four for your past positions.

It is fairly common for a person to have held several different titles with a single employer. This type of professional growth speaks to your capability and promotability. You should repeat Steps Three and Four for each succeeding title, and make certain these steps are communicated on your resume.
Step Six: Amass Endorsements

Review each of your main areas of responsibility throughout your work history, write down any positive verbal or written comments others have made regarding your performance. Comments relating to you and your performance, that come from someone else, frequently have a significantly greater impact on employers than anything that you could come up with yourself.

Now, you should have a better understanding of what employers are looking for in your cover letters, so you can begin the process of answering the questions and generating content to include in your cover letters.

James Crocker is the Owner and CEO of Casual Robot Media. He writes informative articles to aid job seekers with tips for job searching, cover letter writing tips, resume writing tips, tips on professional networking, tips for interviewing, and tips for getting promotions on his website http://employmentgenius.com/

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Are You Making These Mistakes With Your CV Content?

By Sarah Jaggers Sarah Jaggers
Level: Platinum

Executive Coach and Coaching Psychologist at Managing Change. I work with companies and individuals to help them achieve their performance, development and career goals.

When I am asked to assist job seekers who are struggling to get invited to interview, I frequently find that their CVs or resumes are selling them short. The purpose of a CV is to get you an interview - no more, no less. It is your 'shop window' and the first look a prospective employer has of your skills, experiences and approach. If they like what they see they will invite you in for a meeting - a job interview. If you are applying for existing jobs and not getting interviews there is a strong likelihood that your CV is not working for you. Look out for:

Sending a 'vanilla' CV which has not been tailored to reflect the needs of the job you are applying for. Do not expect the prospective employer to work out how you fit the role - you must do this yourself!Profile/Personal Details section which merely contains a list of what you are looking for, eg "I am seeking roles in which I can use my... skills", etc. This section should promote you, what you do, your achievements and the value you add - concisely. In other words what you have to offer the employer, not what you want the employer or job to provide you!Career History/Employment - many CVs contain just a list of responsibilities in this section. This is a wasted opportunity as it doesn't give any indication as to the standard with which they were carried out, the value you added to the company, or provide an opportunity to sell yourself. While you should always briefly state what your responsibilities have been and state their scope and size, your emphasis should be on stating your achievements (ie., what you did, the skills you used and the benefit that resulted).Tucking the most relevant or impressive aspects of your candidature to the end. For example if your qualifications are particularly relevant/impressive make a feature of them and place them early on in the CV document after the Contact Details and Profile sections. On the other hand if your qualifications are not a particular sales point, put them at the end.An Interests section is not essential. If you include one it should be brief. It is intended to give the reader an indication of your interests particularly in terms of the picture they present of you. These can be very valuable for those newly entering the job market. Remember that your CV is a business document and resist the temptation to expand at length on your family, pets, hobbies, etc.Leaving unaccounted for gaps in your career history.Putting your date of birth on your CV. It is not necessary, and presents a particular risk to you in terms of identity theft if the document is stored electronically.

Finally, after the time and effort you have put into creating your CV, it is madness not to check:

For spelling, grammar and continuity errorsThat it does you justice - is this a clear, honest and comprehensive summary of your skills, aptitudes and achievements?

Sarah Jaggers is a coaching psychologist at Managing Change, Cambridge, UK. We provide dedicated and expert support for individuals and organisations through periods of job change, helping people successfully transition to a new employer or career.

We work to help you gain clarity over your career direction and aspirations, understand and exploit your strengths, values and needs, and achieve your career goals. See our website http://www.managingchange.org.uk/ for details or sign up for new articles and offers http://www.managingchange.org.uk/contact-us.html#news T: 01954 718037 E: sarah.jaggers@managingchange.org.uk

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_Jaggers

This article has been viewed 29 time(s).
Article Submitted On: February 04, 2011

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Which Is Most Important In Your Resume - Content or Presentation?

"I'm well qualified. I have extensive experience. Why does no one ever call me for an interview?"

I'm hearing this a lot these days, but I saw it in action recently at a job fair. Employers and Recruitment Agencies go to job fairs looking for qualified people, and qualified people go to job fairs to find jobs, so it should be a great place to match them up - but that isn't always the case.

I watched people at the booths talk to candidates with interest, receive their resumes, glance at them, and put them away for filing; I even talked to a few of them. "Yes, she's a great candidate," the interviewer would say, "Excellent experience, but I doubt if she'll get a call." More questions elicited the observation that her Resume would get lost in the pile.

Like many aspects of twenty-first century life job-hunting is increasingly about presentation. Perhaps this is why older candidates with substantial experience are being passed over. Their Resume's list solid achievements and experience, but employers wonder if they have the verve and willingness to learn the new media so that they can contribute and compete. In a world of headlines, tweets, video blogs and other technologies that focus on the brief and startling, the conventional resume is at a disadvantage.

A friend of mine conducted an experiment for me. Chrystal had formal qualifications, some experience, and was doing well at her job, but was interested in moving on. We went to a job fair in Minneapolis with two versions of her resume - her original resume and a revamped version which she was worried was 'too flashy' and not informative enough - and she went around the booths talking to people, and passing out one version of her Resume. In each case the original version was well-received and politely set aside, but the new version received enthusiastic responses each time she handed it over, and ultimately each of the interview calls she received came from the new version.

You may think, with Chrystal, that an eye-grabbing resume might work for creative positions, but surely not for professions like accounting or management, but the reality seems to be that it does work.

What are some of the techniques that can make your resume stand out? Graphics, Testimonials, and highlighting skills rather than qualifications. If your old resume is not bringing in calls for an interview, why not try redesigning it to include some logos and quotes today?

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How to Write a Strong Cover Letter - Associated Content

Are you having difficulty finding a job, earning interviews, or getting hired? If you are like most applicants, then take a look at your cover letter. Yes, cover letters are important  and necessary. I only hire candidates who submit cover letters. Why? Well, let me tell you. As a business professional, hiring manager, and person of many hats my time is limited. Cover letters give me another bit of valuable data about you before we meet. Most of the mistakes I see are easily avoided and can be lumped into three categories: Unprofessional, Inattention to detail, and Unmotivated. Do any of these categories sound flattering? I certainly do not think so. I review hundreds of applicants for each of my job postings and cover letters are great barometers of the total package.

Unprofessional

I am in the service industry and our customers expect and deserve excellence. Therefore, professionalism is a hallmark and cornerstone to our success. Your cover letter needs to reflect this characteristic or it will be filed accordingly.

1. Inappropriate email address
a. Do not use mustangsweetie@yahoo.com if you want me to contact you.
b. An inappropriate email address gives me the impression of immaturity and lack of wherewithal, both of which do not help to convey professionalism.
c. You need to create an email account specifically used for job hunting. Primarily, it is used to keep emails from getting lost in the sea of Facebook notifications and the latest offerings from your local retailer.

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3 Vital Cover Letter Tips - Associated Content

Succeeding in today's job market requires you to make all of your applications perfect. Employers receive thousands of applicants for each position, and hiring managers do not have time to go over every single word  just to see if you make a good applicant. Cover letters are part of the application, which means that you need to adhere to the following cover letter tips in order to make sure your application is acceptable.

Cover Letter Tips

• Keep it Short

Cover letters should be limited to one page for all basic cover letters (cover letters for non-executive/management jobs). This is one of the most forgotten cover letter tips - many applicants like the idea of going on and on in order to convince the employer they make a great applicant, but hiring managers rarely read every word of the cover letter and that increased length is going to scare them away.

• Keep it Limited to Important Information

Young applicants tend to overvalue their life experiences. If you are applying for a job at Microsoft, the employer doesn't care that you worked at McDonalds or that you had a blog about how cool the Zune is. They care about relevant work experience that truly makes you qualified for the role. Make sure that everything you place in your cover letter is important to the job, not just important to you.

• Follow Standard Cover Letter Tips and Setup

There was once a day where playing around with cover letter style could get you noticed. However because there are so many thousands of applicants in today's economy, it is extremely difficult to get your cover letter to stand out. Instead, the best course of action is to follow standard cover letter setup exactly as it is described. Stand out with your resume and qualifications, not your cover letter.

Utilizing Cover Letter Tips

Published by Mike Abe

As a professional copywriter, I have written over three million words in the past two years alone for clients all of the world. My extensive experience writing about job interviews, dog training, relationshi...   View profile

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