Resume & Cover Letter Writing: Guidelines

Showing posts with label Guidelines. Show all posts

7/5/12

Expert Guidelines To Create A Good Resume That Gets Results

A good resume--one that wins attention and generates interviews--is an important aspect of a job search. Your resume provides a potential employer an overview of not just your qualifications, but when well written, also the factors that set you apart and that illustrate your potential to produce results and benefits as an employee of their company. On the other hand, a poor or even average resume can be a stumbling block and the cause of missed opportunities and an extended, costly job search.

Considering the immense importance of a good resume, it's no wonder that many job seekers become anxious at the thought of preparing their resume. And this anxiety only increases when they realize there are no strict rules to follow as much of what goes into writing a good resume is actually quite subjective. Fortunately, while it is true that resume prep rules are subjective, there are some guidelines that can be followed to strengthen a resume.

Guideline #1: Tailor your resume for the position being sought. In other words, a good resume shows a potential employer that you will be an asset to his or her team and aligns your qualifications with the requirements for the position. Keep on point and cull all the irrelevant details. Additional details can be mentioned during an interview, but a good resume focuses on your ability to excel at the position your are applying for. Besides nearly guaranteeing your resume will win attention, creating a focused resume also shows the potential employer that you understand the nature of the position and have given thought to the needs of the company, and how you can add value in relation to these needs.

Guideline #2: A good resume will set you apart from your competitors for the same type of position. Yes, your resume must outline how you meet the basic qualifications for the job, such as education or experience. However, many other applicants will also meet the same requirements. You can stand out by highlighting additional qualifications that will be beneficial to the position, but are not required for it. In other words, going above and beyond what is expected for the job. Promote those aspects of your background that show how you are differentiated from your peers and present them in a way that illustrates that you are a better, potentially more profitable pick for the position than other applicants.

Guideline #3: Don't just write about job responsibilities, a good resume includes achievements and results of those achievements. Examples that show how you saved a company money, increased efficiency, or another positive result, especially those that include numbers, can help set your resume apart. To create a really compelling resume, think and write in terms of succinct success stories that include challenges faced in previous positions, the actions taken to meet the challenges, and then the results of those actions. These stories illustrate to the potential employer how you benefited past employers and provide an indication of how you might benefit your new employer.

Resumes are critically important in your job search and can even make the difference between success and failure. Following the above guidelines will help ensure that you go to the job market with a good resume that outshines those of your competitors. Still, this is not a time to skimp and cut corners. Consider seeking the services of a professional resume writer. While this is an investment, it is an investment that will almost surely pay you back many times over.

Michelle Dumas runs of one of the longest-standing and most respected professional resume writing firms on the internet. Since 1996, Michelle has empowered thousands of professionals with resumes that get results and win jobs fast. Get insider resume writing tips that you won't find anywhere else at her website. Go now to http://www.distinctiveweb.com/

6/13/12

Expert Guidelines To Create A Good Resume That Gets Results

4/23/12

Guidelines for Writing That Perfect Entry-Level Resume

You're a recent graduate and ready to craft your first resume. As you embark on your journey to craft the perfect resume, it becomes quickly apparent that a typical resume format for a recent graduate (or entry-level candidate) may be quite elusive. Contrary to popular opinion, there are no rigid rules for college graduates when structuring a resume.

Since each graduate has unique requirements, backgrounds and attributes - even crafting a two-page resume is no longer taboo. The rationale is quite simple: Attempting to incorporate too much content into a confined, traditional one-page resume may result in an unappealing cluttered document littered with bullets.

The importance of visual appeal

If your resume lands in a stack on the desk of a hiring manager, instinctively he will scan and gravitate to the resume that is uncluttered and visually appealing (even if it spans two pages). If the initial judgment call is "too cluttered and cumbersome to read," your hard work may be redirected to a circular bin. To err on the side of caution, if employing a second page, make certain your resume covers at least half of the second page.

Provide a glimpse of yourself

The archaic "Job Objective" has gone the way of the dinosaur. Near the top of your resume, under your contact information and branding ("Accountant," "Registered Nurse" or "Project Manager"), incorporate your "Profile" section. This paragraph is a combination of tangible and intangible characteristics that defines your unique image, differentiates you from other candidates and demonstrates your value to the organization. Each company has its own distinct set of problems that require addressing. Your profile statement is your sales pitch, which underscores how you solve these corporate issues through your leadership, technical proficiency and expertise.

Emphasize your scholastics

Your "Education" section (typically located under your profile) is your path to success. This section includes your degree, major, university, academic achievements and volunteer activities. There is absolutely no ambiguity regarding the powerful influence of scholastics when potential entry-level candidates are screened. Seize the opportunity to list honors such as the dean's list and your GPA (if over 3.0). If you participated in a study-abroad program, list it. Incorporate your core course concentration for your major. It serves to underscore the scope of your expertise and adds invaluable keywords that will improve your chances for an interview hit (especially if an Applicant Tracking System is employed).

Work experience

As a recent or pending graduate, ensure you incorporate relevant work experience. Washing floors at a local doughnut chain, although admirable, will not impress a hiring manager unless you're applying for a custodial role. Filling an "Employment Experience" section with irrelevant part-time jobs will not motivate the reader and will only compromise your immediate objective. If an internship has a direct correlation with your major, ensure it's listed on the first page under "Internships" or "Professional Experience," as opposed to "Employment Experience."

Overcome a hurdle - humility

Writing about yourself is not intended to be an easy task. Your resume is a persuasive sales document. Humility is the greatest deterrent to crafting an inspiring resume. By overcoming your humility and emphasizing your achievements, you immediately increase your success rate for a job interview. As a persuasive sales document, the sole purpose of your resume is to open the interview door. Once the door is open, the resume has performed its role.

Lenny Keitel runs Hudson Valley Resumes in Monroe, NY, a premier nationwide Resume Writing Service with a penchant for crafting compelling resumes that motivate the hiring manager through its inspirational content, clarity, and visual appeal. Contact us for a free copy of our 'Interview Tune-Up Guide'.

http://www.hudsonvalleyresumes.com/

info@hudsonvalleyresumes.com (email), (845) 782-6714 (phone/fax), (914) 782-6714 (mobile)

http://www.linkedin.com/in/lennykeitel

9/2/11

Guidelines for Hiring a Professional Resume Writer

It's often difficult for job seekers to consider spending money when they are jobless, their career prospects seem poor, and their emergency funds are shrinking. Rivalry is stiff in the job market these days and it is likely that there are far more professionals applying for positions than there are vacancies. But from a different angle, remember that the more time you are unemployed the more it costs you. If you would usually bring home $50,000 a year you are losing almost $1000 every week that you are jobless. There are professionals available to help you secure a new job, but they necessitate a monetary investment. If spending money is likely to pay returns greater than the amount paid, rather than an expenditure, shouldn't it be taken into account as an investment? When you compute exactly how much it is costing you to be unemployed, would an investment in expert assistance be a smart one? This is a question that increasing numbers of job hunters are asking themselves, especially when it comes to preparing their resume. Many people are surprised to learn that there is such a thing as professional resume writers. So if you are wondering about that, you aren't alone. But, just as there are marketing professionals who specialize in promoting products, there are marketing experts who focus on promoting people within the job market.

The highest quality professional resume writers are serious about their profession, have merited certifications and participate in regular training to make sure that that they are on the leading edge of their profession. While, at first glance, hiring an expert to help you write your resume might seem an unnecessary expense, the truth is that it is usually far more accurate to think of it as an investment with a high potential for excellent returns. Having your resume professionally written could pay you back many times over, as it helps you to increase your competitiveness, get your resume attention, win those interviews, and secure a job faster, many times at a higher salary than you might have anticipated.

Here are some guidelines as you contemplate working with a professional:

* Look for references.

Don't expect to find references from past customers complete with their individual details and phone numbers. Professional ethics and confidentiality agreements prevent resume writers from divulging any personal information about their customers and you should be cautious of those who do. However, the best writers will have letters of reference that have been altered to not disclose the identity of their clients. You can also try to find references on LinkedIn, in which case the cutomer's providing the reference may have voluntarily given up their identity.

* Review some examples of their resumes.

Look for resume writing companies or private practitioners that create a one-of-a-kind resume for each and every client. By looking at past examples you can get a sense of their style and see just how much attention to detail goes in to the finished product. You can also search for published examples on the web and many of the most talented resume writers have examples of their work published in books about resume writing.

* Check out credentials.

There are several credible, well-established professional associations for resume writers. Membership shows that the writer takes their profession seriously and is dedicated to excellence. These organizations offer education and credentialing programs. The most stringent exams have preconditions, assess various areas of skill, use a blind grading system, and have CEU requirements.

* Take time to review and understand the contract.

Many professional resume writers use written project contracts that explain policies and procedures as well as outlining the bounds of the project. This will help you to grasp the depth and breadth of services provided and what you can do if you aren't happy. You will also find out how change requests are processed, the turnaround time, and what the payment process is.

* Finally, don't disregard that your professionally written resume is an investment and you should remember this when you consider the payment terms.

Be cautious of resume writers who have little or no experience. Look for membership in professional associations, connections, established web presence, proof of training, and solid examples.

While fees vary, with more experienced and accomplished resume writers able to ask for more for their expertise and quality, generally the range should be somewhere between $300 and $1200, frequently depending on the complexity of your project. Keep in mind, a bargain is not a bargain if the quality of the delivered document is not what you hoped for and your job search suffers as a result. Your career is at stake here and you shouldn't cut corners! Done properly, your professionally written resume is an investment that can produce extraordinary results.

8/27/11

Guidelines for a Well Written Cover Letter

A Cover letter is undoubtedly the most important thing for a job seeker. Although your hiring depends upon many factors bur a well written application and resume will always lead to an interview call and consequently maximize the chances of your hiring.

As your application letter is the foremost thing which prospective employer will see, so it must be impressive. In case it is poor written, most probably your resume will not be seen by employer and might be found in a trash bin. You have to avail yourself of every possible chance to make out your qualifications, credentials, and working experience. In the current extremely aggressive job market, a creative, attentively composed, well-written cover letter can make a large impact on your employer to move your resume from the stumble stack of various to the proportionate stack of a few. The cover letter is, indeed, your first writing illustration read by a potential employer.

While writing your letter, bear in mind that it must be:
1. Well-reasoned
2. To the point
3. Well-structured
4. Grammatically perfect
5. Persuasive

The pet effects of your application letter are to give the reader with information about your career-related intentions to make out and catch the attention to something regarding you which is unique, interesting, and attractive in the context of prospective employment.

Your job application letter must be completely faultless, with no typographical mistakes or misspellings. It must be written in the way of a business letter. Craft your letter as though you're sitting in front of the employer. Portray and endorse yourself graciously and clearly. Inspire the reader to scan through your entire letter using suitable words and examples.

Besides, your letter is supposed to be designed particularly for every purpose outlined above in addition to each position you look for. Do not make a form letter and send it to every potential employer because it will be treated as a junk mail.

Well-written cover letters make clear the reasons for your interest in the particular organization and classify your most related skills or experiences. There are quite a few types of cover letters. Ensure to pick a type of cover letter that is a sign of how you are applying for the job or the kind of job. Your cover letter must be designed exclusively for the purpose you are writing and tailored for every position you are liking for.

coverlettersandresume.com is your online solution of well-written Cover Letter and Resume Samples.

12/20/10

Guidelines On Finding A Professional Resume Writing Service

An immaculately written resume can make huge first impression for any applicant whether you are looking at an ordinary placement or executive level placement. Thus, it is crucial to locate a professional resume writing service that can produce your resume in such a way that it leaves a mark on the hirer in just a few moments in time that he scrutinizes your resume. Seeking a qualified and professional resume writer can confirm that the applicant gets the interview call every time he/she applies for job with any hirer with no trouble it follows that you should hunt for the one that can write a high-quality resume for you. A professional resume writer can think in proportion to the state of mind of person hiring, this can make it uncomplicated what to fit in and remove and where to declare your different achievements. Listed below are a few guidelines on how to locate an online professional resume writing service.

1.The first thing to mull over while signing up with professional resume writing service is that you ought to examine a few of the previous work samples of that resume service, you are in view of engaging. If it is efficiently written, well laid out, and effectual and akin to what you desire your resume to be, it can be a superb indication. Even though the resume service possibly will have a small number of superb ideas still there might be one or two odd ideas and particular needs that you might be thinking as well, be forthright and ask if they can fit in.

2. A professionally written resume will take in all the applicable terms written in plain vocabulary, wonderfully arranged and emphasizing all your achievements making it a wonderful sales brochure. Whereas you can indeed write your own resume, a professionally written resume possibly will not only save your time nevertheless the outcome will be significantly better in addition. Professional resume writer service with outstanding history, understanding, beliefs, and status will cost a tad more still it will be worthwhile in the end.

3. It must not take more than 48 hours to write a great resume, nevertheless there are a small number of resumes which comprise more finer points for instance Executive resume, Technical resume and Military resume that possibly will entail extra time because of very intricate nature of work. If the resume service has a small number of certified resume writer that could be writing for you then hire it immediately.

4. A well written resume is as well required to be attention-grabbing. Even as the resume ought to be frank regarding your qualifications as well as achievements, the presentation of it has to be in such a way that it does not include any obvious gaps and anything that can lead your recruiter to any doubt and all at once helps you.

5. To end with opt for a resume service that is honest. In view of the fact that you need to give in several confidential facts for instance your name, address, career, bank account, and on occasion credit card facts too, hence rummage around for a reputed and dependable professional resume writing service.

12/6/10

Guidelines on Creating Nursing Resumes

A well written nursing resume is the key to success for Nurses in finding work that rewards them appropriately. And yet, I find that many resumes for nurses do not include basic information.

A recent survey of the resumes of 16 Nurses identified a number of issues with these resumes. The concerns were:
? Use of Pre-prepared Templates - Most of the resumes surveyed used a template. This type of structure is commonly in use. The use of such templates makes all candidates' resumes similar. The effect is that all such resumes look similar, fail to convey all skills of a candidate and therefore fail to impress the reader. The reader is left to either read such boring resumes or to discard them.
? Career Goals - All resumes looked at during this survey commenced with a career goal. Some comments in resumes in this area are very common to all resumes. An example is "To expand my knowledge, clinical skills and obtain sound practical experience". Where an experienced candidate is applying for a nursing role which requires the candidate to have the relevant skills, this type of career goal acts against the candidate. Furthermore specifying career objectives is a better alternative. Most organisations are looking for a candidate that wants to work for them and a clear career goal is helpful.
? Skills and Competencies - In most resumes, this is not clearly defined. When one reads a resume, they have to search for the skills a candidate has. No one has the time to read through a full resume to then identify the skills a candidate has relevant to a role.
? Clinical Placements - The survey found that many candidates include Clinical placement but provide very little detail. Details of where the placement was and what the placement covered are not included. This provides limited information. Where candidates have been rotated between areas for example, providing information on rotation provides a greater understanding of skills.
? Previous Experiences - In many cases, previous experiences recorded have several issues. These include:
o Gaps in period of employment - I feel that one must have few gaps and explanation of gaps must be included.
o Name of an organisation without any explanation - Many organisations are named but there is no explanation as to the complexity of the organisation, the number of Hospital beds, and the type of organisation.
o The role of the candidate - This was often not included in the resumes reviewed as a part of this survey.
o List of Duties - All resumes included a list of all duties of a candidate. Key responsibilities had not been clearly defined and none of the resumes included any achievements of the candidate.

The above are but some of the issues identified through a survey of 16 resumes of Nurses who had applied for work. There obviously are a range of other issues.

To briefly guide nurses in the preparation of their resumes, it is important that some of all of these headings are included in their future resumes:

? Career Objectives
? Key Skills and competencies
? Key Strengths
? Educational Qualifications
? Accreditations and Registrations with Professional Bodies
? Work Experience which should include:
- Position Held
- Dates employed
- Name of organisation
- One sentence on the organisation
- Three dot points on key responsibilities.
- Key achievements

Follow this guideline and you will not go wrong in your resume. A resume prepared by a professional is always important as it covers several areas you have not covered to highlight you

Kris Varma is an Expert in creating Resumes. Working in Sydney Australia, his resumes are well researched and written. He has previously written other articles on resumes such as "Common Errors in Resumes". He is highly qualified and competent not just in writing resumes and cover letters but also in providing valuable advise on the current employment climate.

To consult Kris, visit his website, http://www.solvedgroup.com/

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