Archive for the ‘Cover letters’ Category

Job hunting can be one of the most exhilarating and yet one of the most agonizing experiences in your life. While you look forward to the new stage in your professional life, finding a way to stand out from other candidates, who are at least equally certified for the spot you want, is a hard task.

Your resume is the first contact your the makings employer has with you. A well formatted and a well-written resume can make a difference between getting the interview and getting the job, and being passed over. Most employers receive a stack of resumes of certified candidates and scan them quickly previous to they choose whether or not hey want to read further. You only have a few seconds to make a lasting impression. Don’t panic. Instead, focus on the design of your resume as it is the first thing your employer, whether on document or in electronic form.

The most commonly made mistake in resume design include using templates that are already available in Microsoft Word. While these templates provide a instant , simple to follow tools to make your resume, they are outdated, and they will make your resume appear generic and uninviting. Additionally, these templates, while well formatted in Microsoft Word, will not translate well when emailed or uploaded to job search engine web sites.

Second most commonly made mistake in resume design is inclusion of graphics on the page. Your picture and/or any other graphics are not appropriate for a resume. Including anything outside of plain text will make you stand out in a way that makes the employer reckon you are not taking yourself seriously as a professional, and this is certainly not the first impression you want to make. You can find samples of resumes on the Internet; search for resumes by your industry to find the templates that make most sense for the job you are seeking. Than work on a bemused page to imitate the look and feel of the resume you like.

The subsequent are basic formatting rules for your resume:

- Limit the length of the resume to two pages.

- The page must have one-inch margins, top and bottom, aptly and left.

- Use left justification only – as a rule, do not center the content of your resume.

- The font and font size must be consistent.

- The bullet points must be basic – use circles or squares, but never any symbols that may not translate well when you email your resume to your the makings employer.

- Headlines can be in all caps; the remaining text must not have special formatting.

- Do not underline any of the information in your resume. In the world of Internet driven job applications, underlining in a document implies a web link.

- The font size for headlines must not exceed 14 points; the remainder of the text in the resume must not exceed 12 points.

- Use the Tab key instead of the Space bar to make spaces between the text in your resume.

As a last formatting check point, question your friends or your family for help in reviewing your resume. Send the resume file via email to a few of your friends – question them to assess the resume and make sure nothing seems out of house . Print out the resume on document and assess to make sure that margins are accurately set, and that the content doesn’t appear crowded on the page. Keep in mind – when it comes to your resume, sleek simple appearance, and fantastic writing, will get you the job you are seeking.

Graduating from college is one of the proudest moments you can experience. Receiving your diploma validates all the hard work you place into your education, all the all-nighters you pulled previous to exams. Your graduation signifies your accomplishments as a student, and opens the door into the world of career choices, job searches, and 40-hour workweeks. All of a sudden, it hits you – how will you get a job that requires experience if you have none?

As a recent college graduate, you are entering the workforce at entry-level jobs. Your the makings employers have very evenhanded expectations. They expect you to have graduated from college and that your foremost is in line with the job you are applying for. They anticipate that you have some experience, a summer job or an internship, but they are not requiring being of professional experience. They want to see some references – from your professors or previous supervisors – so that they can get a better thought of your personality and work ethic. Sound evenhanded so far?

The best way to show your the makings employer that you are a perfect candidate for the job is to make a functional resume. Functional resumes focus on your qualifications, not your career timeline. This style of the resume highlights what skills you have, very than where and when you bought or utilize them. In other words, instead of listing your experiences by your job titles, your resume will contained sections titled by your skills such as verbal and written interaction , customer satisfaction, project management, etc. This resume style is vastly recommended for and most often used by college students seeking internships or their first jobs out of college.

Start your resume by stating your career objective. Make sure that your career goals are personal. Your objective must be specific to the spot you want, and must indicate to your employer how you intend to utilize your education and how this spot will help you renovate your experience. Your education must be plotted next. List the school you attend and its location, your graduation year, and your foremost . It can be helpful to include your GPA, specific courses you have taken, or any honors you have received while in school. Your professional skills must come next. This part will include sub-headings as they relate to specific qualifications you want to promote, such as communications, customer relations, managements, etc. Here, you can utilize any experience you have that relates to the sub-sections, including your part time jobs, internships, volunteer positions, community service work, or school-correlated activities. Only include a work experience/work history part if you have held part time jobs while in school or have had internships you’d like your employer to know about.

This list must only include dates, titles, companies, and locations without listing any of your responsibilities, since you are covering them in the previous part . If you belonged to any clubs in school, include a part for activities and list only those that support your career objective. For example, if you were an editor of your school document , and you are trying to get a job at a publishing company, make sure that you include this experience in your resume. Your last part must list references. As a new graduate, it is to your benefit to include references on your resume, and give your employer everything they need to consider you as a certified candidate for the job. You have nothing to lose by providing this information ahead of being questioned for it.

Previous to you start applying for jobs, take advantage of your school’s career center and have one of the mentors there assess your resume and help you perfect both the content and the format. With a well-written resume, you are prepared to take the professional world by storm.

With every resume submission, you must have a cover letter that accompanies it and presents you as a positive and certified candidate for the job. A cover letter must highlight areas of your resume which promote your professional experience, and must address any questions an employer may have about hiring you for the job. There are five common cover letter mistakes outlined below that you must avoid in order to get through the first round of resume assess and go one step quicker to getting the job that you want.

1. Addressing the cover letter using a generic salutation , or misspelling the name of the personal contact or the company. The address line is the most prominent part of the cover letter; it must be included even if the cover letter is sent via email. Generic greetings are not favored; they make it seem like you have a template for your cover letter and you simply send it to all employers you are interested in working for. Do the investigate and find out who the appropriate contact is for the cover letter. But , make sure that they name and the company name is spelled correctly. If your address line contains errors, your cover letter is liable to never make it to the hiring manager.

2. Telling the company what they can do for your career. Simply stated, employers care about your qualifications and what you can do for the company. Do not spend your time telling the company how working for them can be fantastic for your career. While that could be right , it certainly is not what the employers want to hear. Your the makings employers want to hear how you can benefit their team; they want to know what you can result in to the table that is innovative, and focused on consequences . Make sure that your resume lets your employer know just why you are the best candidate for the job.

3. You re-state your resume. Do not go over the information that is in your resume in your cover letter. Your cover letter is meant to beguile , and provoke the employer to assess your resume in fantastic detail. Re-stating the information in your resume doesn’t address what the employers want to know, which concerns reasons why you are the best candidate for the job. Highlight certain areas of your resume but do so in the context of your career goals and how such qualifications benefit the company.

4. Starting every sentence with “I”. While your cover letter is about you, starting each sentence this way will make your employer believe that your interaction skills are not up to the level of your professional background. Discuss your qualifications, your goals and what you result in to the table in terms of the company, and your professional attributes.

5. Asking the employer to call you at their convenience. The most generic closing statements in cover letters question the employer to contact you at their convenience. If you are truly excited about the chance with the employer, you won’t want to wait for them to call you back whenever they feel like it. What you must do instead is let them know when you want to follow up – and then do follow up. Close your cover letter by let your the makings employer know that you will contact them, as well as the manner in which you will do so. This shows your interest, and your take-charge attitude.

As a society, we pride our selves in our diversity and make conscious effort to appreciate each other’s cultures and backgrounds. In any given company in America, you can find training teams conducting inclusion trainings, and openly discussion diverse work environments. Diversity has become a part of our culture, both in and outside of work, and it is something that we seldom stop to appreciate.

A sizeable part of the American workforce has bought at least a part of their education in a unknown country. If you are in that group, one of the main challenges you will face when composing your resume is transferring your education and any experience you may have from another country in a way that shows your qualifications and achievements in a way that is relevant to your American employer.

When it comes to your scholastic achievements, make sure that you know the education system in the US. Familiarize yourself with various levels of college degrees; make sure that you know the difference between trade schools, colleges and universities, as well as the various degrees you can buy at each of these educational facilities. Do not translate your degree directly – make sure that the terminology you are using is appropriated to educational achievements in the US.

I would recommend seeking help from a translating service or from a resume writing service that may have someone on personnel that speaks your language or is familiar with your country and its culture. This will assure that the education and employment information you bought in another country is properly plotted in your resume. Do not make a mistake of exaggerating the spot you have held or the degree you received in another country. Consider the fact that your the makings employer has very limited resources in order to verify the unknown education or employment you list on your resume. This doesn’t mean you have a free pass to make things up; instead, draw together any documentation you may have that shows your achievements. If you have any transcripts or degrees from your school, or any awards from your previous employment, take them to a translating service that will recreate and notarize these ID in English. Make a note on your resume or in your cover letter that you can show such documentation upon employer’s request. Additionally, if English is your second language, under your qualifications make sure to list any additional languages that you converse in fluently. Having a resume free of typos and grammatical errors will indicate to your employer that you have taken the time to learn the language and that you house high emphasis on your interaction skills.

As a best practice, if your resume includes education or work experience you bought in a unknown country, your cover letter must address any concerns that may be brought up by this information. Your employer may have questions on why you left the country where you earlier work, or if you intend to go back after some time (if you came to the United States to further your education, indicate the length of time you are staying). Keep these things in mind – place yourself in a spot of your the makings employer who is reviewing your resume and anticipate any questions they may have about your professional history. Addressing any concerns about your resume ahead of time will assure that you are taken seriously as a certified and credible candidate.

If you have ever tried to enter a resume, for yourself or for someone you know, you are already familiar with the fact that this is not an simple task to take on. So much information goes into a resume; from your career objective to the list of your qualifications, your resume must be personal, convey confidence and set your best foot forward in order to impress a the makings employer. But , making a winning resume is not simple . The subsequent are the most commonly made mistakes in resume composition:

• Including references to personal web sites.

You may marvel why referencing a personal web site may be a mistake. What if you have a sample of your graphic design work on your site that you want your the makings employer to see? It sounds like a fantastic thought , if the site you are referencing only has work-correlated information available. Many people make a mistake of including their personal web sites that may control information the makings employers may find irrelevant (and now you are wasting their time) or inappropriate.

As a rule, do not include your personal web site if it contains your photo or other photos that may be viewed as inappropriate, if it contains jokes (even if they are clean jokes), or your blog. In other words, if the site you have is entirely for personal purposes, you are best leaving it off your resume.

Include a link to your web site if the pages are set up to show case your professional portfolio, a copy of your resume, reference letters, presentations, photos taken for professional use, or your web development skills.

• Using very small fonts in order to get everything to fit on one page.

One of the most common challenges is making a resume that formats well on a single page. As a rule, a resume must not exceed two pages. But , in recent being , it has become typical for professionals to change jobs frequently, and listing all the experiences, in addition to your career objective, education, qualifications and references, can certainly take up a lot of space.

Do not use a small font in order to fit everything into your resume. There is not a single area in your resume that must have a font size of less than 10 points. Keep in mind the font type you are using – stick to the basics, Arial and Times New Roman are your best bet. Instead of changing the font size, assess and revise your resume to make your statements more concise.

• Incorrect company and/or school listings.

The largest mistake people make, without realizing that they are making it, is not referring to the past employers and/or the school(s) they’ve attended by their full names. Do not use variations of company and school names. Don’t use abbreviations unless they are in fact part of the name. If you have attended New York University, list the complete name, not just NYU (even though it’s commonly known and your employer will liable recognize it). You don’t want to appear sloppy or as if you don’t pay attention to details.

• Lengthy paragraphs describing your experiences.

To list the responsibilities you’ve had in your past professional experience, you are best off using bullet points that start with action verbs, such as managed, urban , etc. You do not need to use full sentences, and you certainly do not need to use the paragraph format. This makes the information in your resume overwhelming and hard to assess quickly. Make your statements brief and clear; don’t add words to fill in space.

• Typos.

The most valuable thing in achieving a winning resume is proof reading. You want to place your best foot forward. If your resume contains grammar and spelling problems, your the makings employer will get an impression that you are not detail-oriented. It is hard to proof a document you have been working on so closely – use denote check (but be ware, it will not catch everything), question your friends for help, meet with a career counselor. Do your best to present the most polished resume to your the makings employers.

There are many industries where publication of your own work is a critical part of your career development. As professionals in industries that require us to actively circulate investigate studies, essays, articles, textbooks, etc. we have to find ways to account for such publications on our resumes. There are a number of things to consider in respect to publications as you renovate your resume.

First, question yourself how relevant the publications are to your career objective. If you have recent publications that support your career objective, make sure to make a separate bearing on your resume and list the publications in reverse chronological order. Follow the AP style when listing your publication, omitting your name from the listing if you were the only author of the text, as that is implied. Do not list publications that do not support your career objective on your resume; while they may be helpful to mention to your the makings employer via a cover letter, it is not de rigueur to take up space on your resume with information that is not directly impacting to your career. If you have submission in progress, or are working on texts that you know will be in print at the later time, and they support your qualifications for the job, include them on the resume under a sub-bearing of “submitted to (publication name)” or “to be in print in (publication name)”. But , if you choose to include facility in progress, be certain that they will get in print at some point in the future. This is mostly critical for freelance magazine, newspaper or creative writers; do not list every article you have submitted for publication, unless you are certain that it will get in print .

If your list of publication is honestly extensive, do not dismiss it completely from your resume. You want your employer to know that you have either in print or are in the process of publishing your work. You must make a part within your resume dyed-in-the-wool to publications. Don’t go overboard with the number of publications you list on your resume. List three to five publications, in reverse chronological order in this part . This will give your employer an thought of your work, the publications and audiences you have reached. At the end of your publication listing, include a statement that tells the employer a complete listing of publications can be provided upon request. In your professional summary, or cover letter, you can indicate the total number of publications you’ve had in your career. Make a separate document that includes a complete listing of your publications, subsequent the ASP style. You must make sure that the list of your publication credits other authors properly, as well. You must have a print out of this list, along with your resume that you can result in to any job interview, or forward to the hiring manager at their request. In addition, if questioned about your publications, offer your the makings employer a copy of any of your articles for their assess (even if if given the appropriate reference information, your employer, if interested, will be able to locate your publications on their own).

Overall, release any information about publications if it supports your career objective and highlights your qualifications for the job. Assess the information you list wisely and make sure that names and dates of publications are right – even minor mistakes can raise questions about your credibility.

Whether you have chose to change jobs, have been laid off and are looking for a new chance , or groundbreaking new to the job market, you will liable resolve to search for work on the Internet. There are two ways that you can find job listings on the Internet: company web sites and resume banks. Most companies now have a special area on their web site dyed-in-the-wool to careers, listing available positions from entry level to higher management (executive positions are often filled through head hunters, or personal recruitment). Larger, more sophisticated companies allow you to make a professional profile on their web site and upload your resume. This allows you to apply for an available spot of your interest, and it allows company’s recruiting team to match your resume to an available spot they are looking to fill. Most companies list contact information for their available positions, so that you can reach out to the appropriate person and submit your resume for consideration. But , unless you are targeting a handful of organizations, consider the amount of time it would take you to assess web sites and job postings of all the different companies in your area. You would surely get frustrated and give up. Resume banks, more commonly known as resume databases, are a much better store for job seekers. These databases have two functions: they allow you to search a comprehensive listing of available jobs from a large number of companies, as well as upload your current resume and make it available for those same employers find you.

Resume databases, such as monster.com or careerbuilder.com, have been successful in building their online presence because they responded to the growing needs of the companies looking for certified professionals, and to the needs of busy professionals looking to enlarge their careers. Resume databases must be free – while you will be questioned to register on the web site, you must not have to pay any membership fees. You can search through a resume database without having to register on the web site; some sites but may restrict the number of jobs you can view or the amount of details you can get from a job posting.

Registering with a resume bank has its benefits. If you are looking for jobs, you know first hand how time consuming the search can be. Making your resume available to a large number of employers can certainly help speed up the process. When registering, include your contact information and your most up to date resume. Do not post a sample cover letter. Even if they are mostly discarded from resume banks, cover letters are meant to be personalized. Posting a generic cover letter along with your resume doesn’t help you get noticed. If you are seeking a new job while still working, you have valid concerns about your employer finding your resume in one of these databases. Some resources urge leaving off your current job – but , many professionals don’t want to do so, because it is their current job that serves as that step stone to the next point in their careers. We urge including a title, but leaving off the company name. Also, consider posting a functional resume over chronological one, and make a note in your profile that a meticulous resume can be emailed upon request. Make sure that the resume you have posted in the database is current. Do not date your resume – this way it will not appear out dated to employers. Log into the web site once every few months and update your profile and your resume if you are actively looking for a job (always provide most up-to-date contact information, even if you don’t have time to update the complete profile).

Resume banks, or databases, can help you gain access to a large number of job postings, so don’t steer away from them. But , make sure that your profile and your resume are posted on reputable sites, such as monster.com. If you are unsure of the credibility of the site, do some investigate online and see what others have to say about it. Make sure your profile is up to date. And finally, don’t rely on employers to find you. If you are actively searching for a new job, assess the listings regularly and seek out the opportunities that best meet your career objectives.

You’ve heard it over and over again – a well-written resume is a winning resume. What does that mean? How can you determine whether your resume is written in a tone and style that employers will respond to? Synthesizing your educational achievements, being of your professional experience, and numerous qualifications you have bought over the being into one to two pages is not simple to accomplish. Every phrase or statement you enter has to convince your the makings employer that you are the best candidate for the job. To do so, you will need to use action or power word.

Action words, or power words, are keywords (verbs) that add might and positive implication to your job responsibilities or qualifications. When you submit your resume to your the makings employer, there are two scenarios that will occur. One, your application will be ran through a notebook software program, which searches your resume for key terms as indicated by the employer. If your resume contains those key words, your resume will be pulled aside for further assess . Two, a hiring manager, or most often a human resources associate, will receive a stack or resumes and scan through them quickly to pick out those that stand out the most, again based on certain key words. It must now be clear why these action words are critical to your success in job hunting.

When listing your employment history, each job’s responsibilities must be plotted in bullet point form, with each statement starting with an action word. Using power verbs or phrases will indicate to your employer that you are driven by action and consequences , and that you can successfully articulate your professional experience (thus, showcasing your interaction skills).

Here is a small sample of action words:

- made

- urban and implemented

- managed

- delivered

- designed

- facilitated

- negotiated

- coordinated

- budgeted

- acted

- communicated

- consulted, etc.

This is a very small sampling of action words. Many resources on the Internet control extensive listings of action words or phrases. Do some investigate and use only those terms that are relevant to your field of experience. Your best bet would be to locate samples of resumes by professionals in your industry. Assess those resumes for thoughts on how to list your responsibilities. Valuable note: do not copy rigorous statements from someone else’s resume; while you can do your investigate , you will want to make your resume personalized to your professional experience.

Don’t fall into the trap of using the same action word over and over. If you have in fact managed multiple projects, you may want to be a bit more specific about your role in each. For example, maybe you were the interaction liaison in one project, while you were the project manager for another task. Start the first bullet point with “communicated,” and the second bullet point with “managed.” But , be aware of the words that you are using and consider their value in your resume. Do not go overboard with using varying terms, mainly those that may change your role or your responsibilities.

Additionally, you can find key action words in job descriptions. Assess your resume against a job class and make sure that all vital qualifications are addressed in your statements. This will also help you identify action words that the employer uses, which you can in turn use to customize your resume or cover letter to that specific job.

Always make sure that you are consistent in the way you list all of your responsibilities and qualifications, and make sure that your statements exude positive attitude and focus on actions and consequences . By doing so, you are guaranteed to make a winning resume that will get you noticed.

There is a special style of resumes called Internship resume. As its name implies, this style of a resume collected with a goal of getting an internship in a desired field. While Internship resumes are usually chronological in format, they have different goals than a resume made for purposes of acquiring a full-time professional spot . First, your goal is not furthering your career but gaining experience and skills in order to enlarge on your education and later take a spot in the industry. Second, internships do not require professional experience; this is a way for you to gain such experience so that you can later get a full-time job using what you learned during your internship. Third, your resume is more focused on your academic achievements than on your work background, because you have to demonstrate that the desired internship is a logical extension of your studies. With this in mind, college students, new or returning, typically utilize this resume style to get their foot in the door with the companies they may ultimately want to work for after graduation.

Much like any other professional resume, the internship resume must control an objective. Here you must let your the makings employer know how their internship aligns with your studies, what you can result in to the table, what you hope to gain out of the experience and how you will apply your newfound skills once you are out in the professional world. Essentially you are convincing your the makings employer that you are the best candidate for the internship, that you will learn the most and that the experience is critical for your professional growth.

When composing your resume for an internship, you will need to highlight your education first. You must do more than just list your previous degrees or degrees in progress. Point out the classes you have taken that qualify you for the internship. Indicate how your foremost is in line with the internship and how this experience will help you in your future studies.

After you indicate your objective and your education, list your qualifications. Make a list ahead of time of all skills that qualify you for the internship. Assess the list and prioritize it. Most commonly made mistake in resume writing is not prioritizing the information included, so you that your strongest skills fall at the bottom of the list. Consider what qualifies you for the internship. List those qualifications first so that your employer recognizes that you are a fantastic fit for the spot .

Your work experience can help, but is typically not a breaking point in getting an internship. If you have any work experience, include it in your resume. Make sure to prioritize your responsibilities as they relate to the internship. Make sure to indicate any experience you have in sharpening your employability skills, those skills that extend beyond your education and technological abilities such as interaction , customer relations, team work, taking charge, etc.

Applying for an internship is somewhat different than applying for a full time job. Along with your internship resume, you will want to submit references. For any employment experience you’ve had to date, include your supervisor’s name, title and contact information so that your employer can take recommendations. In addition, it is of fantastic benefit to you to have recommendation letters from your professors. Your professors can identify your skills in terms of your dedication, worth ethic, enthusiasm, interpersonal interaction and interaction with others in your classroom. Employers look for these skills because they want to assure that you will be a excellent fit for their team, even if your role is a small term one. Question two or three of your professors for their recommendation. Provide them with the contact information of your employer, including an email and a physical mailing address, so the letters can be mailed to your the makings employer directly. Or, question your professors to house their recommendation letters into sealed envelopes previous to giving them to you to assure that the information is confidential. If possible, include your transcripts with your resume. This will be a fantastic indication of your commitment to your education, providing your grades are excellent . Your transcripts can only help in getting you the internship.

As a final step, proof your application materials. Feel free to seek help from your school’s career center. You have only one chance to make a fantastic first impression – do it well, and you are sure to get the internship of your choice.

The first and most prominent item on your resume if your name and contact information. Your name is typically in the largest font, standing apart from all other text on your resume. A common mistake professionals make is trying to emphasize their name in a special font type. As it is hard to anticipate the software and its version your the makings employer is using, you run a risk of not knowing exactly how your name will show up on their screen. Stick to the basic font types – Arial and Times New Roman are most commonly used and are least risky when it comes to formatting your resume. Don’t go overboard on the font size either. Your name must be in point size 14 or 16; all other headings must be in 12 or 14 point font, while the remaining text of your resume must be between 10 and 12 points. Along with your name, the very top of your resume must control your mailing address, your email address, and at least one phone number where you can be reached. It is best to include a physical mailing address over a P.O. Box, whenever possible. You must never include an email address at your current house of employment (believe us, it happens). A helpful hint about listing your email address – make sure that it contains your name, as this helps you appear more professional. You can make a free Yahoo email account; it also maybe helpful to have one email address as a point of contact for your job search. At least one phone number must be plotted ; make sure to indicate if you are listing a home or a mobile number. If you have a professional web site, you can include the address to it along with your contact information. Please note, only do so if there isn’t anything on the web site that is personal; the only reason your the makings employer may want to look at a web site is if your professional portfolio or a copy of your resume can be found there.

Whether you choose to make a chronological or a functional resume, you will need to separate the information by headings. The best advice we can give you is to keep the part headings professional and stick to the basics. Don’t try to come up with creative titles for your professional summary, or for your qualifications. Your chronological resume must have the subsequent sections/titles:

- career objective

- professional summary (discretionary )

- professional experience/work experience/experience

- education

- publications/special achievements (if applicable)

- qualifications/skills

- references/references and portfolio

A functional resume is slightly different, and the headings you chose will truly depend on the skills you are trying to highlight. You must include:

- career objective

- education

- professional skills/professional qualifications (this part will include sub-headings as they relate to specific qualifications you want to promote, such as communications, customer relations, managements, etc.)

- work experience/work history (if applicable; must only include dates, titles, companies and locations without listing responsibilities)

- volunteer work/activities (if applicable)

- references

These are the typical sections of chronological and functional resumes. Do some investigate on resume styles and find sample resumes of professionals in your industry. You may need to adjust these headings based on your field, even if the content must be consistent across industries. Stick to the basics; don’t try to be creative in order to stand out. A professional and polished resume will get you noticed, so do your best to make a resume that is error free and best supports your career objective.