August 2015 – Page 2 – TP Javeton WebNet

The basics of resume headings

The first and most prominent item on your resume is 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 made by many professionals is trying to emphasize their name in a special font type. As it is difficult to anticipate which software and version your potential employer is using, you run a risk of not knowing exactly how your name will appear on their screen.

In view of the above it is advisable to stick with basic font types like, Arial and Times New Roman which are two of the most commonly used, and are least risky when it comes to formatting your resume, and you should also be mindful not to go overboard on the font size. For example, your name should be in point size 14 or 16 and all other headings should be in 12 or 14 point font, while the remaining text of your resume should be in the range of 10 and 12 point font.

Along with your name, the very top of your resume should contain 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 instead of a P.O. Box, whenever possible; and you should never include an email address at your current place of employment (yes, it happens). A helpful hint about listing your email address is to make sure that it contains your name, as this helps you appear more professional.

Resume inclusions reflect professional image

You can create a free email account with one of the leading providers of such service, e.g. Gmail, MSN, Yahoo, etc. and it might be helpful to have one email address as a point of contact for your job search. At least one phone number should be listed; but make sure to indicate if you are listing a home or a mobile number. If you have a professional website, the site address can also be included along with your contact information.

Please note that you should only provide a website address if the website does not contain anything that is personal, or any personal identifiable information (PII) because the only reason a potential employer may want to look at a website is if your professional portfolio or a copy of your resume can be found there.

Whether you decide to create a chronological resume or a functional resume, you will need to separate the information by with the use of headings; and the best advice you’ll get anywhere is to keep the section headings professional and stick to the basics. Don’t try to come up with creative titles for your professional summary, or for your qualifications. If you use a chronological resume the following sections/titles should be featured:

Contrast in resume heading styles

career objective
professional summary (optional)
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 choose will really depend on the skills you’re trying to highlight. Features should include:

career objective
education
professional skills/professional qualifications (this section will include sub-headings as they relate to specific qualifications you want to promote, such as communications, customer relations, management positions, etc.)
work experience/work history (if applicable; should only include dates, titles, companies and locations without listing responsibilities)
volunteer work/activities (if applicable)
references

To conclude with…

The above mentioned features are typically those that are found in chronological and functional resumes; but you might want to do a little research on resume styles to find sample resumes of professionals in your industry; and if the need arise, simply adjust these headings based on your field, but be mindful of keeping the content consistent across industries.

Stick to the basics, and don’t try to be creative in order to stand out, because a professional and polished resume will get you noticed. So do your best to create a resume that is error free, and which best supports your career objective.

From the J-O-B to your H-BB

The monotonous exercise of going to the office day after day to do a routine 9-5 shift – seems more like a chore at times – can often feel like an arduous task to those who have lived all their lives doing these jobs that have, at times, been described as being “in a rut.” This is why the convenience of working at home under amazingly flexible working hours is a alluring proposition to them.

Doing work from home that is as fulfilling as having a career working from a computer on the 19th floor of a skyscraper, is already a possibility in today’s technology-driven world. This is because the super accessible, super competitive, super connected, multi-faceted network we know as the internet has given birth to a business type that has provided some people with practically new lives as home-based business (H-BB) owners.

This particular business type allows people to work at home under flexible working conditions, and in an atmosphere where there is no boss to scream at, and put pressure on, them and all their co-workers about deadlines that must be met. In addition, working at home eliminates the clutter of messy paperwork which would otherwise need to be completed in the soonest possible time (ASAP?).

The affiliate marketing option

Conveniences such as those described above as being enjoyed by home-based business owners are being experienced by many in the affiliate marketing business, a business which is considered one of the newest ways to earn money without having to go through all sorts of uninspiring and laborious routines that exist with regular office jobs.

Those who have been in the affiliate marketing business long enough can attest to the fact that it can be a lucrative business. Indeed, one that can actually provide people with possessions (both luxury and of necessity) that they could not possibly have obtained or experienced under previously described workplace conditions.

The business known as affiliate marketing involves an affiliate marketer’s promotion of a merchant’s product site pursuant to an arrangement under which a website owned by the affiliate is used to advertise and market websites owned by the merchant through the affiliate program they use to automate their businesses.

Growing from basic affiliate to super affiliate

Under this scenario, whenever a visitor to the affiliate’s site clicks on a product link (which leads) to merchant’s website that affiliate is paid a commission in recognition of his/her efforts in helping the merchant make a sale. That having been said, it is important to point out here that systems employed to automate affiliate marketing make it seem easy, but doing it right and achieving success often take a lot of time, diligence and perseverance.

Those who want to get into this type of business should possess the skills necessary to be able tread through the industry with confidence and determination. And while there may be other factors new affiliates must deal with in order to really break through, knowledge of the affiliate marketing business, in general, and the chosen product/service in particular, is very important as it dictates the activities and level of success of those who participate in the business.

Those who have achieved success as affiliate marketers are considered leading figures in the business and are casually referred to as super affiliates. Essentially, a super affiliate marketer is basically a commercial e-mail communicator (marketer?) who has collected, and still collects, large databases of e-mail addresses through previously sent and ongoing newsletters.

Knowledge and tools of the super affiliate

But make no mistake, s/he has a thorough knowledge of the affiliate marketing business and industry, a knowledge which even exceeds that of affiliate managers. Anyone wanting to become a super affiliate should know that such an objective is not easy to achieve, since so much enormous sacrifice of time, energy and resources involved; this should not be a deterrent however, because proper focus and commitment should help any affiliate to master his/her marketing craft.

Of course an affiliate should have the proper tools if s/he expects to attain a super affiliate status; and foremost among these tools is your own website and autoresponder, if you are that aspiring affiliate. These tools will help a lot in facilitating the business: The website for promoting product links and banners; the autoresponder for building your own subscriber list.

Creating a loyal customer base and taking care of it is one of the secrets that successful super affiliates have protected for many years; in addition to that, establishing and maintaining good customer relations practices are among the most important activities (characteristics?) that would-be super affiliate must adopt.

Attributes of the super affiliate

Continuing to market to the people on your list is another critically important action an affiliate must take if s/he wants to succeed as a super affiliate. Sending out quality content in lieu of ads is an advantage, as products are marketed better whenever enough information is provided about them.

You’ve probably heard how important traffic is to any online marketing objective, and building traffic to an affiliate’s website is really no different. Traffic is one of the most essential requirements in the affiliate marketing business; and getting maximum exposure to affiliate links/banners will allow the affiliate to build a strong relationship with visitors as well as customers, enabling him/her to market to them over and over again.

The most important thing a new or recently established affiliate marketer should remember if s/he wants to become a super affiliate s/he must treat affiliate marketing as a business first and foremost. If he is capable of doing this, then s/he will never have to go back to the dull and monotonous existence of the 9-5 shift. As super affiliate, an individual will have created the kind of business that will change his life forever, replace any existing job and be a model for others.