How to write a resume that lands you the job!

A resume can be defined as a "chronicled account of your academic and employment history" that is of interest to potential employers. Since your resume is your initial contact with any employer, it can either make you or break you. You need to present a good impression in order to get the best chance at the job!

The first step in writing an effective resume is to make a rough draft of it. You'll need to first write down your personal information. This information will include your full name, home address, phone number with area code, cell phone number, (if applicable), and email address. This information will be included in the heading of your resume.

The second step is to write down your employment objective. Your "employment objective" states what type of position you are looking for. It also lists some of your talents. You may choose to write is as simply as, "Human Resources Manager" or "Entry Level Data Operator." However, these examples don't give the potential employer much information. It would be better to make your objective more detailed. A good example would be, "Seeking a position as a Human Resource Manager in a growing organization where my excellent supervisory skills can be utilized."

The third step is to make a list of every job that you have had that pertains to the position you are applying for. Mark down the employer's name, street address, phone number, the name of your supervisor, and a description of your duties. Use descriptive words when you describe your duties and talents. Instead of saying, "my organizing skills", say, "my efficient organizing skills", for example.

You'll also need to include awards, achievements, and accomplishments for each job. And, don't forget to mention any professional memberships you have that run parallel with the job you're applying for.

The fourth step is to mark down your education. This would include high school graduation, business colleges, technical schools, universities, et cetera. You don't need to include any education that doesn't pertain to the current position you're after.

The fifth step is to make a list of all of your skills, talents, and professional strengths. These could include organizational skills, supervisory skills, et cetera. This section is very important, so, leave no stone unturned! Can you program a computer? Are you efficient at certain computer programs such as Microsoft Word, Excel, or Corel's Quattro? Are you good at negotiating? Selling? Writing up proposals? Think of all of the skills that you possess and mark them down. Remember to use descriptive words to describe them too!

This section will be listed as "Professional Skills" on your resume. It will come before your employment history and your education.

The sixth step is to make a list of references and reference letters that you have. Before you use a person's name as a reference, you should check with them to make sure it's okay to do so. If you're at a loss for names, why not ask your minister, friends, and neighbors? If contacted by your prospective employer, these people will need to tell him or her about your character.

Ideally, a resume should be no more than two pages long. So, if you can fit a list of three names and their contact information, (street address and phone number) in your resume, that's fine. If not, then place this important section on your account. But, instead of making a list, simply write, "References Available Upon Request" beside the heading.

Finally, you'll need to proofread the information you have collected. Make sure the sentences aren't too long. Make sure that your resume is not too wordy. Be as descriptive as possible! Check for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors too.

Your header comes first, then your employment objective, skills, employment history, education, and references. But, if you have more education than employment history, emphasize that by placing it first. On the other hand, if you have had more jobs than class room learning, then emphasize your employment by placing it first.

Print your resume out on professional looking white paper. Stay away from flowered paper, smiley faces, and other "cutesy" tricks that will make you look like an amateur! Good Luck!

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Resume Cover Letter Example

Written by Gen Wright Jun 07, 2009 www.jobsarticle.com

In hiring applicants for a vacant position in the organization, employers look for substance in the application documents, and these include a complete and impressive resume attached to a well written and well thought off cover letter. Resume cover letters can make or break your application as it highlights all your best assets and skills and make you part of the shortlist and worth calling in for an interview.

It is considered proper business etiquette to attach a cover letter to your resume even if the employer or organization accepting applicants for a certain position does not require or need one.

Resume cover letter examples are everywhere online. There are cover letter samples for sales and marketing, internship, teacher, student, accounting, education, nursing, IT, legal, business, technical, engineering, paralegal, entry work, social work, administrative assistants; regardless of the position you are applying for, any resume cover letter example would show you that it is comprised of four major sections. These are the header, introduction, body of the letter and the closing. The header contains the date the cover letter was written and the information on the recipient, including his or her contact information and complete address, and the salutation, "Dear Sir.". The introduction briefly states how the applicant found out about the specific job opening and the specific position he is applying for. You can start with, "I am ____, an engineering graduate from the University of ____," or "I have seen through our bulletin boards in campus that your company is in need of mechanical engineers, I would like to apply for the position of____." The body of the letter contains the skills, the experiences and educational background of the applicant. The purpose of this section is to impress and make a good first impression on the employer or reader of the cover letter. "I have recently graduated with the degree in ____," or "I am recently the general manager for ____." Then the last section is the closing. Here you tell the reader your next steps in the application process ? if you will be calling them back or if you will just be waiting for their call. You can say, "I will be waiting for your kind response," or "I will contact you within this week to follow up on the status of my application." This section also contains the signature line and information about yourself including complete name, complete address and contact information ? you may opt to include your email address.

Here are some tips on how to write a good cover letter. In any resume cover letter sample that you will find, you will notice that there are no typing errors, as these can give a bad impression that you did not prepare well enough. You should do a background research on the company prior to writing the cover letter so you can incorporate your knowledge of the organization, which is a good plus for you as compared to an applicant who has no idea as to what company he is applying to. And most importantly, be yourself, make sure that you sound like you in the letter.

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Why Your Resume Isn't Working

by Mike O'Brien, Climber.com


If you're like most job seekers, you're probably satisfied with a resume that does a good job of positioning you and presenting your skills and experience.


Unfortunately, "good" isn't good enough anymore. Climber.com recently polled its entire national database of recruiters, and that poll shows that these one- to two-page documents have never been more critical to the professional job-search process.


The primary reason is sheer volume: recruiters are now reviewing at least 300 resumes per posted position, and taking approximately 10 to 30 seconds per document to decide whether or not a candidate is worthy of further review. Now more than ever, resumes are being used as reasons to say no to a candidate, not yes. What used to be considered minor errors--typographical issues, lack of scanability, or incomplete or poorly executed job-experience descriptions--are now enough to get your resume discarded.


To keep this from happening to you, consider the following tips:


Use generic 12-point fonts. Climber.com's recruiters became visibly frustrated when they had to increase the font size so they could read it.

Save your resume as a Word or PDF document--nothing else. A number of resumes that cross recruiters' desks are saved as CSV or RTF files--but this approach can be dangerous. More than one recruiter said that they are unable to open odd files due to their company's policies.

Create an easily scanned document. Experienced recruiters can scan a resume in less than 30 seconds. They have trained themselves to process a resume quickly, and then sort it into the "yes" pile or the "no" pile. Resumes that appear confusing or too dense don't fare well in this system.

Optimize your resume with the appropriate keywords. Research the companies that interest you the most, and see what keywords they utilize over and over again in their website content. If those keywords aren't present in your resume, you may not pass the automated review process many employers now use to weed out non-viable resumes.

Provide context for little-known companies. If you've worked at a company that isn't top-of-mind for a recruiter, explain a bit about the organization within your resume. For example, the following description not only names the organization but also positions it well for a recruiter's consideration:

"Medical Device ABC, a $30,000,000 leading manufacturer of medical equipment, located in New York, with approximately 300 employees"

Your resume is often the first opportunity you have to share yourself and your experience with a prospective employer--and you often won't get a second chance. If you don't feel confident enough to make changes to your own resume, many career-management sites offer resume-analysis services that provide feedback and guidance. Whether you seek outside guidance or do it yourself, however, take the time to create the best resume you can. It will help get you noticed by the people who matter.

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