Posts Tagged ‘Employment History’

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.

A resume is a one- to two-page document summarizing your career objectives, professional experiences and achievements, and educational background.

While there are numerous ways to format your resume, there are two main resume styles: chronological and functional.

As its name implies, a chronological resume is one that lists your experience and education in order, starting with the most recent jobs or achievements. This type of resume is sometimes also referred to as reverse chronological resume, because the order of the listing starts with your current employment. This type of resume preferred – employers will want to know what job you currently hold so that they can better asses your qualifications for the job of your interest. The same is right for your education; your the makings employer would very know your most recent scholastic achievement. Listing your experience and education in reverse chronological order also shows your the makings employer your overall career progress. It also helps in determining the length of employment at each organization, and indicates any gaps in your career (in case of gaps, make sure to address them in your cover letter as to not lead your employer to believe that you are omitting information on purpose). Chronological resume must list your current job, as well as two to four earlier held positions. Don’t skip any employment information on purpose; if your employment history is long, or if you have held jobs further in the past that align well with your current career objective, you can address these qualifications in your professional profile or in your cover letter. Chronological resumes are the most commonly used style, and work best for anyone who has had some professional experience.

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 recommended for college students seeking internships or their first jobs out of college, for those with no professional experience, those who have not worked for some time, or for career changers. While the makings employers will appreciate the overview of your skills, if you hold any professional experience, consider using the chronological resume, or a combination resume, over the functional format.

A combination resume, even if not often discussed, has become a well loved format in recent being . As its name implies, it is a combination of chronological resume style and functional resume style. This hybrid style allows professionals to highlight the qualification they have that are critical for the job of their interest, while at the same time listing employment and educational history in reverse chronological order. A word of caution – don’t try to do too much when using a combination resume by going over board with the type and number of sections you include in your resume. It is best to keep the information plotted , even in the combination format, to what is relevant for the job.

Same rules apply for each style. Don’t exceed two pages, tailor your resume to your career objective and place your best foot forward in order to get the interview, and eventually the job.

Being self-employed comes with many challenges – determining your niche, finding clients, having adequate insurance, hiring additional help, etc. To succeed as a freelancer, contractor, or a new business title-holder , you have to have determination, passion and patience, much of the same characteristics you need to successfully hunt for a new job. So why is self-employment on a resume a concern for your the makings employer?

Listing self-employment on your resume when looking for full-time job can raise questions for your the makings employer. They will question questions such as:

- Were self-employed because you were in between jobs, or because you wanted to start your own business very than work for a corporation?

- Are you still working on your own, as a freelancer or a consultant? If so, do you intent to continue this work in addition to your full time job?

- Is your self-employment presenting a conflict of interest for the company?

- Are you working as a freelancer or a contractor on part-time footing , and never intend to have this replace full-time employment?

- Does your long-term career goal include owning your own business?

All of these questions are valid from your the makings employer’s point of view. Companies do not want to hire you, train you and provide you with benefits only to have you quit after a year to start your own business. This is the main reason previous or current self-employment raises red flags for the hiring organizations. The best way to address any self-employment on your resume is to highlight the positives of working as a freelancer or managing your own business. It is valuable that your resume includes employment history that is honest and relevant to your career goals.

If you pick up a freelance project infrequently and do not intend to make this a full time career, you can omit any such experience from your resume. The only time you would list occasional freelance work on your resume is if it allows you to fill any gaps in your professional experience. If you have worked as a contractor for a cycle longer than three months, or if you have ever owned your own business, it is valuable that you indicate that on your resume. Highlight those attributes of the job experience that qualify you as a perfect candidate for the job that you are seeking. Your job responsibilities must be plotted in the same way as they are for any other full-time job you’ve held; focus on those responsibilities which best meet your career objective and place a figure on your achievements when possible. Exemplify your self-starter attitude under the Qualifications part of your resume. Make sure to list any employability skills you have bought or strengthened while you were self employed.

As a final indication of your commitment to the job you are seeking. Make sure that your cover letter or email addresses anticipated concerns of your the makings employer. Make references to anything on your resume that may raise questions. If you still own your own business, but are looking for full-time work, for example, make sure to let your employer know what your long-term professional goals are and how you intend to balance your roles at both businesses. Don’t apologize for being self-employed. Your resume and cover letter must present you as a credible and passionate professional. Focus on the positive experiences and skills you have bought as a freelancer, and make sure to let the employer know how these will benefit the company if you are their chosen candidate.

Composing a resume is a hard task, as we all know. It takes time and patience to fit your whole professional history within one or two pages, and present yourself as the best candidate for the job. While we focus so much of our energy on what to include in our resumes, we forget to stop and reckon about the information that must never be included. The subsequent five items are at the top of the Resume Don’ts list:

1. Do not get personal. Any information that discloses your demographics must not be plotted in your resume. Your age, race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, marital status, physical appearance, or your personal philosophies are not critical to your job routine , and therefore must never be plotted on your resume. Present yourself as a professional to your the makings employers. Your resume is not a list of your leisure activities or wellbeing ; it is a listing of your education, your qualifications and your employment history. Stick to the information relevant to the job and your career objective.

2. Do not list salary information or requirements on your resume. This is a strict rule, and you must follow it. Your employer is concerned with what your desired salary is, not what you earned in your first job out of college. If you are questioned to provide salary requirements, do so in your cover letter not your resume. As a best practice, always list a minimum you are willing to accept for the job, and avoid using a salary range. Do your investigate and know what the acceptable salary is for the job of your interest. Whenever possible, leave all salary conversations to for the interview with your the makings employer.

3. Do not use jargon or too many “huge words.” Unless you are unquestionably certain that the person reading your resume will know the terminology you are using, avoid using jargon in your resume. Gear your resume toward recruiters very than an immediate hiring manager, because the human resources friends are usually the first to scan your resume. You must show case your information of a fastidious field through your education and experience; thus, jargon doesn’t have any house on your resume. In addition, avoid using too many “huge words.” Don’t hide behind your vocabulary; making your resume overbearing is sure to lose the interest of your employer. Use the action words that are relevant to your career level.

4. Do not list your personal web site. 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. Only 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.

5. Do not have any 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.

Listing your professional experiences on your resume is a hard task. There are so many elements to consider: job titles, time frames, key responsibilities, manageable skills, etc. The process becomes even more hard if you have gaps in your work history. Your the makings employer will not have a way of knowing why there is a three and a half year gap in your professional experience just by reviewing your resume, for example. The employer may marvel if you skipped over one of the jobs you held because it doesn’t meet your career objective, or they may assume that you didn’t work at all during the time frame that is unaccounted for on your resume. Any gaps in your employment history will need to be clarified in writing; thus, don’t skip any information on purpose.

There are a few general rules about resume gaps:

- Any unaccounted time that is shorter than three months doesn’t need to be clarified . Having 60-90 days in between jobs is not too unusual, and often goes unnoticed within a resume. But , any gaps extending beyond three months must be addressed in your cover letter or e-mail. Whether you had personal or professional reasons for not working, the gaps in your employment history need to be clarified as you don’t want to leave the employer to make their own assumptions.

- Be honest! We can’t stress this matter enough. If you are honest with your the makings employer, you will not have to worry about them checking your references, doing a background check, or surprising you with questions in an interview.

- Don’t exclude months of your employment from the job listing. You are better off explaining the gaps in your resume than trying to cover them up. Honesty is really the best policy when it comes to your resume.

- If you have held jobs that are not applicable to your career objective, list them on your resume anyhow . Very than make gaps in your resume, give reasons for why you held jobs outside of your field in your cover letter or in an email to your the makings employer. Again, whether the reasons are personal or professional, give reasons for yourself honestly and don’t leave room for assumptions on the part of your the makings employer.

- Regardless of the reasons for the gaps in your professional history, it is valuable that the tone in your cover letter and your resume remains positive. Do not sound remorseful – life happens and you don’t need to be sorry for taking time off of work. Be positive, and show your the makings employer that you never lost focus on your career.

While we all agree that life takes unexpected turns and respect that there will be circumstances that make gaps in our resumes, we can always consider the subsequent actions in order to stay competitive within our field:

- Apply our time and experience to volunteer positions, community projects, and consulting or freelance work.

- Take a class at a community college or at the community center that improves your work-correlated skills and allows you to interact with people with similar professional backgrounds.

- Read about the new developments in your field. Get a subscription to a professional publication/magazine, or get the newly in print books that discuss changes or improvements in your profession.

Most of all, be honest and stay positive. You can’t change your work history, so do your best to show your employer you are a perfect candidate for the job by focusing on your experience and your education, highlighting your achievements and your qualifications.