TP Javeton WebNet

Category: Job Search

A job search, also referred to “job hunt” is basically described as an individual’s desire to work for someone else – usually a large company or corporation – in return for money (wages, a salary, etc.) which can be paid in regular intervals – weekly, bi-weekly – in the form of a pacheck.

  • Joining a Web-based Business Network?!

    Community

    Are you interested in meeting like-minded business people online? If so, there is a good chance that you may have some interest in Web-based business networks. A Web-based business network is, in a way, like a community in the sense that it allows Internet business users to connect and communicate with each other on a regular basis, similar to the local Chamber of Commerce and other such traditional groups, except that the communication is done virtually via Zoom, Skype, Go To Webinar or one of the other Web-based platforms.

    Despite the fact that Web-based business networking have rapidly increased in popularity – during a pandemic which still lingers – and their popularity is only expected to keep rising, there are many business owners, managers and entrepreneurs who use the Internet but are unsure as to whether or not membership in a Web-based business network is something they want to do.

    Why join?

    Depending on your level of interest in determining whether or not you should join a Web-based business network, it may be worth learning about why such groups have gained increased popularity, since doing so may help you determine why other internet users have made the decision to join a Web-based business network. After such an examination you might even find that those are the same reasons why you should, or would, want to join such a network. Among the reasons other business people have joined is the ability to easily meet other Internet users with similar business interests, some of which may compliment each other.

    Before Web-based business networking it was difficult to meet other business people in a comfortable, professional and convenient setting without leaving their offices or home if the business is home-based. Business professionals had to rely on in-person meetings at physical (brick and mortar) locations instead. Are you familiar with, or have you ever been a member of BNI? That organization is a good example of the kind of off-line business networking groups to which I referred and even those meetings had to adopt Web-based (virtual) meetings during the pandemic, and a few chapters may still meet virtually.

    The technology

    Need a little help with what to write? Click here!

    Technology has made Web-based business networks a safe and secure way for business professionals to meet other business professionals online and, in many cases, it also allows professionals like you to meet people who have the same or similar interests as yourself. Most Web-based business networks allow you to create your own profile and many even give you your own webpage. These profiles/pages will allow you to share information about yourself, including your likes and dislikes and since all other network members are likely to have the same pages and profiles, it should be fairly easy for you to meet up with other internet business users, especially those businesses that tend to compliment your business type.

    Another one of the many reasons why you may wish to join a Web-based business network is because membership allows you to literally have a wide variety of different choices because, as Web-based business networks increased in popularity, so did the number of websites that could be found offering such memberships. Although Linked-in is often deemed the most popular Web-based business network, there are others that are just as easy or as much fun to use. You should be able to find those websites easily by simply performing a basic internet search.

    Free and paid

    Perhaps the best reasons to should join a Web-based business network is the fact that most are free to join, free to use and free of overly restrictive rules and guidelines. Popular free networks include Linkedin, Happiness Neighborhood Project, and Alignable. In addition to free Web-based business networks, there are online networks in which you are required to pay in order to join, and although you may not want to pay for something that you can obtain for free elsewhere, you are likely to find that most paid networks offer you more membership benefits when compared to free business networks.

    Due to the fact that most Web-based business networks are free to use or at least free to try, it is recommended that you take a closer look at this type of networking for businesses. If you are dissatisfied with what you see you can easily cancel your membership at anytime; but if you find value in networking with other business professionals, then by all means, upgrade where necessary to maximize the benefits that accompany that action, expand your membership, grow your list of contacts and enjoy the increased profits that are often the result of such business growth.

  • Hiring a Web Marketing Consultant

    Pay for success

    If you are thinking about getting into the world of Web marketing but lack necessary experience or formal training in this type of promotion, it is definitely worthwhile to consider hiring a consultant to help you establish yourself and/or business online and guide you through the many tasks involved in Web marketing. Hiring a consultant is important because s/he can do a great deal to ensure that your marketing effort is a success.

    You may pay more for their services than you would to handle your Web marketing activities on your own but the results you will get from his/her involvement would likely be significantly better. Hiring a consultant to help you jumpstart a Web marketing campaign is a worthwhile investment even if you have some experience in this vocation, because if you are competing in a niche that proves to be one of the more competitive you’re really going to need professional help to accomplish marketing goals, if not objectives.

    Hiring options

    The key to hiring a consultant to help you navigate any Web marketing campaigns you want to start is to make sure you hire the right consultant because, if you haven’t already, you will find there are many different options available to you since Web marketing has become a huge and very specialized industry; and not all consultants are created equal. You may also find that some consultants can create significantly better results than other consultants, but this is true in just about any industry in which you do business.

    There are however a few characteristics to look for when looking to hire a qualified Web marketing consultant and, surprisingly, cost is not among the most important considerations. Experience and past performance are much more important and since you can compare costs among consultants who are similarly qualified, using cost as a primary method of evaluation is not recommended.

    The experience factor

    Experience may be one of the top two qualifications to consider when selecting a consultant to assist you in a Web marketing campaign. In fact it is critical because consultants who have a great deal of experience is expected to have an excellent to superior knowledge of which techniques are most effective and those that are not as effective or simply get poor results. This can save you a lot of time and money due because the need to experiment in order to determine what works will be greatly reduced or eliminated, unlike the case with a consultant of less experience.

    More experienced consultants will also be more skilled in dealing with clients and will likely answer your questions more quickly and keep you better informed about the progress of your Web marketing campaign(s). These are all important factors which must be considered and since you are paying for this service you’re probably going to be very interested in receiving progress reports and staying up to date on everything that is going on with your Web marketing campaign(s).

    The resume

    Searching for and finding a consultant in the Web marketing industry with an excellent resume and great reputation is most important because consultants who have had a great deal of success in the past will likely have a great deal of success while assisting you as well. Needless to say, past performance is considered one of the best indications of future performance.

    This does not to say that new consultants are necessarily going to perform poorly, but there is some risk involved in selecting a consultant who does not have a great deal of experience or who has not performed well in the past. You can feel much more confident putting your Web marketing campaign(s) in the hands of a consultant who typically generates the type of results you are looking for; results that will be more in line with the goals and objectives you wish to accomplish.

    Pricing
    Get started today!

    Once you have evaluated consultants on the basis of experience and past performance, it is time to start thinking about price. Considering price early in the process of seeking a consultant may cause you to be influenced by price over performance. Some consultants may be incredibly affordable but if they are not capable of producing the desired results, it may end up being a complete waste of money.

    However, once you have narrowed your list of potential consultants down to a few qualified candidates, it is definitely time to start comparing prices. Once you are confident each of the candidates on your list is well qualified, choosing the least expensive candidate from among them is an easy decision. However it is important to note all of the fees involved to ensure you are making an accurate cost comparison.

  • Seven Swiping Secrets

    Meet the guest writer

    Get started today!

    Today’s post is brought to you by our esteemed friend at the Copywriter’s Rountable. So without further ado, here are the words of Copywriter, John Forde…

    I guess first I should define terms…

    “A swipe file is a collection of tested and proven advertising and sales letters. Keeping a swipe file (templates) is a common practice used by advertising copywriters and creative directors as a ready reference of ideas for projects.
    “Copywriters are not the only ones who can benefit from having a swipe file. As book publishing coach Diane Eble points out, authors and publishers can benefit from creating a swipe file of best-selling titles to give them ideas for their own titles.

    “Publicists can create a swipe file of great press release headlines. Swipe files are a great jumping-off point for anybody who needs to come up with lots of ideas. Swipe files are also commonly used by Internet Marketers who need to gather a lot of resources not only about products but also about marketing methods and strategies.”
    Well, that clarifies things a little, yes? Try this, too…

    “There is nothing better or more productive a copywriter can do – and this applies to experienced copywriters as well as novices – than to read (almost to the point of memorizing) the best work of their fellow writers.” The first is just from Wikipedia, and not so much swiped but copied and pasted. The second from my old friend and mentor, as well as master copywriter, Michael Masterson.

    Okay, now it’s my turn to try my hand at an original thought…

    A swipe file defined

    A swipe file is that place where you store those dazzling promo pieces that not only worked… but that are so good they make you sick with envy. Because you wish you’d written them yourself. In other terms, it’s the stack of stuff you go through, to help jump-start your creative engine… because you know that most everything you’re looking at, in those “swiped” samples, is something that worked.

    Back in my earliest days, my swipe file filled a green milk grate. And then another. And then seven or eight more, until somebody made me get a filing cabinet. And then a second filing cabinet.

    These days, thank merciful God for the Internet. Because now my swipe file — and yes, I still keep one — is a folder on my desktop labeled “Promos to Study.” In it lands links to VSLs, PDFs of magalogs somebody else has generously scanned, black and white ad clips the ‘70s and ‘60s, even back to the 1920s (thanks to the excellent InfoMarketingBlog.com), covers and screen captures I’ve used in presentations, and more. 
    Thanks, merciful Zeus as much or more for the iPad, which I also use every morning to markup whatever promo I’ve set aside to review.

    The way it goes, most mornings, is that I load up any oft-seen sales letter that comes with a transcript. Then I “print” it to a PDF that gets stored on my iCloud account. From there, I open an app called “Goodnotes” and import the file, where it gets circled, scribbled upon, and partitioned into what seem the best bits. And yes, I do try to do that daily. More so now than before. And yes, it’s eye-opening. Every time.

    But the real reason I’m writing this… or rather, updating this old CR classic… is because I recently got a question from a CR reader about where and how to swipe from other sales letters. So I thought I would go ahead and provide some answers. And away we go, starting with… 

    Reach wide. No easy answers

    1) Reach wide – Before you can “read” the secrets buried in a swipe file, you need to fill it. And when you do, naturally you’ll want to start with the kinds of ads you expect to write most yourself. But don’t stop there. Reach way back to the classics. You’ll be surprised what Claude Hopkins and John Caples ads, Ogilvy, Schwartz and others still have to teach.

    If you’re lucky enough to have the courier typed sales letters of the ‘70s and ‘80s… or magalogs and bookalogs of the ‘90s… read them too. Almost everything we know works now, they knew then times ten. And then, yes, do keep it current with the working VSLs. Just make sure you click and get the “transcript” where it’s offered too. Print it to a PDF. Some of the copywriters today do some of the most enviably good stuff I’ve seen yet, anywhere.

    2) Don’t expect easy answers – What’s the right question to ask for any piece of copy you’re about to study? Assuming you’re only studying stuff that worked, the right opener — obviously — is “Why?” Unfortunately, it’s also the most unanswerable question. You won’t know, for sure, why anything worked. Because it will always remain a guess.

    3) Look past the copy – That is, remember that it’s not so much that the copywriter sold something well… as that there were lots of readers out there that wanted to receive the message he used to sell it. What’s the distinction?

    The twist & style

    When you look at swipes, especially the most current ones in your market, what you’re looking for first is every clue you can get about the prospect, not so much the product. If there’s a promise that you see working everywhere, it’s because it promises to fix a problem that’s keeping target readers everywhere up at night. Isolate the single biggest promise the copy makes and flip it — what problem is it solving?

    4) Find the twist – More and more, we see copy make a promise or throw out a solution-demanding premise… and then up the ante with an extra “twist” to the message. That is, a kind of early “but it gets [an] even better” or “gets [an] even worse” turn in the message, just at the moment the reader was thinking “I’m kinda hooked already…”

    Of course, this is classic storytelling. Our hero struggles. And just at the moment you thought it couldn’t get any worse… or better… the drama dial clicks up another notch. Just about any sales message could benefit from a twist, both in the lead and the close. Look to your swipes to see how it’s done.

    5) Soak up the style – All writers in all genres pick up a style. Dense. Lean. Even. Excitable. Some copy drips with adjectives but works in spite of itself. Other copy undersells, yet manages — somehow — to hit hard. This is one of those things you can absorb best by just copying out a good piece of copy a few times until the secrets of style sneak into your subconscious.

    Structure & closings

    Even now, I keep a piece of the latest, greatest copy open on my screen or a second desktop (on the Mac, at least, you can move between multiple desktops). When I’m stuck, I swipe over to it and read for a little, then come back and try to trot out my message in the same mindset. Be careful here, because you’re not stealing words. At least, not mindlessly so. You’re trying to get a “feel” you can transfer back to your writing.

    6) Study the structure – This is something else that writing out a full promo — by hand — can help you do. If not that, at least try to re-outline a finished copy control. You want to see how long they took to get through the lead, where they first started laying out the benefits or naming the offer, how they packaged up the testimonials and how long they spent on proof.

    Build your own library of promo outlines and use them as templates, next time you’re getting started. This isn’t stealing. It’s just good sense.
    Also, look for the segments that seem to show up across several different samples. Just about every sales piece, for instance, is going to have testimonials and a close and some freebies with the offer.

    But do all promotions have “Imagine this outcome” sections, transcendent mission statements, a personal story, show-me-the-money examples, etc.? Probably.

    7) Collect closes – Copywriters sure do love to talk about headlines and leads. And with good reason, of course. It’s where we put flame to powder. Still, if the lead is what sparks prospect interest, the close is where we pile up the dynamite. And you’ve got to pile it up just so if you want the right result.

    Let the swiping begin!

    It’s worth pulling closes from a lot of working promos and studying just those, one next to the other. A little tweak to your guarantee, your price rationalization, your push for urgency, can make a huge difference in your results.

    Hope that helps… now get swiping!

  • When Email Marketing Efforts are Ineffective…


    Help with email marketing

    Most savvy business owners understand the importance of email marketing even if they lack the know-how to run an effective email marketing campaign. Simply put, these business owners realize the imperative to run email marketing campaigns to help them meet the needs and expectations of their target audiences, but they might not possess the skills, or have the time required to orchestrate an email marketing campaign that could yield truly effective results.

    Fortunately for these business owners, they don’t have to know a great deal about email marketing because there are many Internet-based marketing consultants who can assist them in planning and running an effective email marketing campaign. So in this article, we will provide a few tips for locating a capable consultant to assist business owners and companies of all sizes – including your business, if you lack the time or required skills – in the creation, administration and completion of an email marketing campaign.

    One of the most important criteria in any consultant you seek out and hire to assist you with your email marketing campaigns is experience, which must specifically pertain to results and degree of past success s/he can demonstrate (or document). This is important because one of the best indicators of how well a consultant will perform for you is how well s/he has performed in the past; meaning that if a consultant was able to help multiple past clients to attain their company goals through email marketing, that consultant will likely be able to assist you in achieving similar results.

    EMC hiring criteria

    Another important criterion which should be taken into consideration when hiring a consultant to assist you in your email marketing efforts is the opinions of that consultant’s past clients; so before making a commitment to work with a particular consultant you should request references from past clients, with the understanding and intent to contact each of the past clients provided and question them about their experiences with the consultant. Follow through at this stage is vital in order to to obtain accurate feedback, so you should not just site on these references, you must contact them and get their opinions about the consultant’s work.

    An important point to keep in mind is the fact that most consultants will likely only provide references whom s/he is confident will offer positive opinions of services s/he provided. That having been said, you can still learn a great deal about the consultant’s style, personality and techniques through the references you obtain. This is important because the consultant’s personality, as well as his/her skills and abilities are also as important as any other aspect of the of the Email Marketing Consultant (EMC) hiring process.

     

    Keep in mind that – like anything else in life, or any other relationship – there is the possibility that you do not get along with the consultant, or you may have difficulty communicating with him/her, a situation which could make it difficult to work with him/her altogether. On the other hand, if you are not providing the consultant with enough information, or offering feedback which could help him/her to adjust proven email marketing strategies to better meet your expectations it might be hard for you to meet your stated business goals. So a good working relationship (chemistry) with your chosen consultant will also be very important.

    Qualified, objective reviews

    While it is true that skills, knowledge and experience are all important characteristics of a good email marketing consultant, sometimes none of these factors matter if personality conflicts prevent you and the consultant from communicating adequately. Therefore your personal opinion of the consultant should always be carefully considered before making a hiring decision; and one way to influence your personal opinion is to contact the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to get objective independent reviews of the email marketing consultant you are considering hiring.

    The BBB can provide you with a great deal of information regarding the past performance of most email marketing consultants who have been in business for a number of years and does not have any unresolved complaints with the BBB. This additional research will be a good indication the consultant performs adequately and treats clients fairly. Conversely a consultant with a number of unresolved complaints against him/her is not likely to be a good choice.

    Drawing conclusions

    Similarly a consultant who has a number of independent reviews raving about the quality of services s/he has provided to past clients will likely be a good choice to assist you in your email marketing efforts, while a consultant who has a number of poor reviews on the Internet is not really a good candidate for the job. Obviousdly you can draw your own conclusions based on reviews of the consultant’s historic profile; but if past clients were not happy with the services s/he provided, you will likely also not be happy with these services.

    As a token of our appreciation the free ebook titled, Storytelling Marketing can be yours if you have any interest in the art of storytelling. All you have to do is download it here, enjoy the reading and learn how storytelling can be a powerful ally in any business or marketing pursuit!

    Digital & Electronic Products – Unbeatable in Quality and Price!

  • Use Goal-Setting to Achieve Email Marketing Success

    Goal-setting parameters

    As has always been a widely accepted truism about goal-setting, the task of setting clearly defined short-term and some long-term goals, often enables the goal setter to measure his/her progress, achieve personal satisfaction and, after successfully meeting the goals set, establish parameters for future goals and objectives. Charting one’s progress will also enable him/her to actually see the stages of completion leading to actual realization of goals, thereby eliminating that sense which always seems to sneak into a goal setter’s thinking, that the journey towards achieving such goal is a pointless grind.

    The act of charting the progress of a particular goal or objective also instills within the goal setter, a sense of self-confidence and a level of competence which will go a long way to improve goal-setting skills and refine the process, while heightening awareness of the goal setter’s capabilities as s/he complete or achieve the set goals. Keep in mind that the basics of goal-setting is an open secret known and adhered to by top-caliber athletes, successful business people and numerous other high achievers in all different fields.

    Breaking down goals

    In other words, the basics of goal-setting provide you – if you are the goal setter – short-term and long-term motivation and focus. Goals help you to focus, and maintain that focus, on the acquisition of critically important knowledge needed to help you plan and organize your resources, as well as your time, so that you will be able to get the best out of both your personal and professional life. Goal-setting basics often involve decisions pertaining to what you really want to do with your personal life, and what short-term and long-term goals you need to achieve in order to get it.

    Of course, you always have to reduce goals into smaller, more manageable targets which you must complete on your way to achieving your lifetime targets; and once your list is complete, you should waste no time in tackling the overall goals you’ve set. One effective manner in which you can have a manageable list is to create daily and weekly sets of goals; and by doing this you will always be in a position of going towards you life plan goals. Everyday will give you the opportunity to fulfill a certain goal, thereby creating within yourself, the feeling of accomplishment.

    Following are a few tips that should help in the goal-setting/process.

    Attitude • Time • Education •

    Attitude – This controllable characteristic plays a very big role in setting and achieving your goals and, as such, you must ask yourself if any part of you or your mind could be impeding the progress in completing your simplest goals. And if you can identify any part of your behavior that is a hindrance to your plans or throws them into disarray, it is important that you immediately address this problem. Some solutions may include a visit to your doctor or psychiatrist in an effort to control your emotions.

    Time Management – Many a career have been made as a result of good time management practices, while failing in a career have often been attributed to bad time management. Most successful business people will attest to the fact that a career requires a lot from the individual; and the kind of commitment an individual must make in order to achieve a successful career can become a consuming force in the life of that individual. To avoid this destructive side of “commitment to your craft,” make sure to plan how far you want to go into your career and stick to your plan.

    Education – This is key to achieving your goals, especially if those goals require you to have a certain kind of degree, require a certain specialization or demand a certain skill to be developed; so make the necessary plans to get the appropriate education where and when applicable.

    Family! Finances! Physicality!

    Family – Your family should never be left out of any plans you make pertaining to your career choices. If you are just starting out then you have to decide if you want to be a parent, or when you want to be a parent. You should also considerable thought to whether or not you would really be a good parent, and how well you would relate to extended family members.

    Personal Finances – An individual’s personal financial situation will probably always play a major role in achieving his/her goals, since almost everything s/he does, or is able to do, is predicated upon affordability. That having been said, if you are that individual it is important that you have realistic goal on how much you really want to earn. You also must be able to create plans or stages by which you will be able to reach your earning potential.

    Although it is not something most of us can control, physical ability is another characteristic that can be categorized when setting goals; meaning that physically gifted individuals are also able to achieve sports-related goals, whether they compete in the NBA (National Basketball Association), NFL (National Football League) or MLB (Major League Baseball; so determining your physical capabilities should be one of your priorities, since physical limitations could sometimes be conquered with proper planning.

    Plan good and work hard

    While it is important to plan good and work hard, it is just as important to rest and have a little fun along the way. According to the old adage, which you’re probably familiar with, ‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’, or something to that effect; and which this saying is probably true down to the last the letter, giving yourself a little pleasure (rewarding yourself for accomplishing your goals?) should be included in all your plans.

    A good way to start achieving your lifetime goals might be to set a quarter of a century plan, then break it down to 5 year plans, then break it down again to 1 year plans, then 6 month plans then monthly plans, then weekly, then daily. After that, create a things-to-do list for the day; but always review your plans and prepare for contingencies, and the basics of goal-setting should really not be as difficult as some folks make them out to be, once you become familiar with the process.

  • A Few Words About Resume Writing Services


    The resume writing pro

    If you’ve never written a resume, you may wonder if it is easier to learn how to write a well-written resume and complete such a task yourself, or hire someone else to do it for you. Resume writing services concentrate on developing and writing resumes for professionals in any industry, with any caliber of experience. These services consist of professional resume writers who are skilled in formatting resumes; but they are also skilled in creating winning statements and cover letters that draw attention, and they know how to customize a resume to the industry or field in which you are interested.

    In addition to their writing skills, resume writing professionals are familiar with the scanning software used by most companies for reviewing resumes to detect certain key words. If you are unsure of whether or not a resume writing service will be a worthwhile investment for you, consider the following circumstances and how the job/position you’re seeking will be impacted by the quality of your resume:

    • If you have never written a resume and you don’t know anyone who can assist in the process;
    • If you have not written a resume in years and are unsure of the appropriate format that translates well online
    • If English is not your first language, or if you know that you typically have problems with spelling or grammar.

    How a resume writer can help

    A resume writer can be of assistance by first collecting your information and understanding your career objective; and if you have an existing resume, even if it is not the most up to date, you should make sure that you give it to the writer as a starting point. When you work with a professional resume writer you can expect that they can help you in composing your career objective statement, listing your responsibilities in a concise manner, and perfecting the final document.

    Additionally, a resume writer will be able to help you address any concerns a potential employer may have about your resume document, such as explaining a change of career or gaps in your professional history. There are really no downside to using a resume service to compose a well-written resume for you, but there are certainly some things you should consider in order to get the best service for your money.

    While some people recommend writers who are accredited or certified as professional resume writers, this is not the key to finding someone who will do a great job on your behalf. Make sure that you speak with the writer, and have him/her address any concerns or questions you have about composing your resume. They should be able to provide you with a sample of a “before and after resume” they have recently completed for a client, as well as professional references.

    To hire a resume writing service

    Don’t be afraid to ask questions about their writing process; and ask about their background also (e.g. what other writing services do they provide?), as well as their writing and editing process, turnaround time and a detailed explanation of their fees. If you receive a draft of your resume, and you are not satisfied with the format, or there are discrepancies, ask for the writer to address your concerns before accepting the final document.

    The costs will vary, depending on the professional’s experience; but make sure that you understand what is involved in the cost. It is also in your best interest to talk to a couple of different professionals, so that you can get a better idea of the cost range. Most importantly, however, make sure that you feel comfortable with the writer and the terms of your agreement with him/her before you decide to hire that service to work on your resume.

    Trust and understanding will result in the best working relationship you can expect to establish with any resume writing service, which will ultimately result in producing the best resume for your career objective. So do your research, ask your questions and, most of all, make sure you are comfortable with the particular service, and then put your chosen resume writing service to work on your behalf and in your best interest.

    As a token of our appreciation the free ebook titled, Storytelling Marketing can be yours if you have any interest in the art of storytelling. All you have to do is download it here, enjoy the reading and learn how storytelling can be a powerful ally in any business or marketing pursuit!

    Digital & Electronic Products – Unbeatable in Quality and Price!

  • Avoiding Some Typical Resume Mistakes


    Resume information complexities

    If you have ever written a resume for yourself or tried to write one for someone else, you’re probably fully aware of how difficult such a task can be; made even more complicated by the large amount of information that often goes into a resume. From the individual’s career objective to listing his/her qualifications, a resume should be personal, it should convey confidence and it should be presented in the best possible way to impress a potential employer.

    About resumes, cover letters and interviews

    However, in view of the fact that creating a winning, well-written resume is not easy, it is of crital importance that the resume writer pays special attention to some of the most typical mistakes made in resume composition, and take the necessary steps to avoid and/or eliminate them. Some of those mistakes are elaborated upon in the following paragraphs.

    Including references to personal web sites

    You may wonder why referencing a personal web site may be a mistake, since you might have a sample of your graphic design work on a site that you want your potential employer to see; but this is a good idea only if the site you are referencing is limited to work-related content.

    Unfortunately, many people make the mistake of including their personal web sites, most of which contain information that a potential employer may find irrelevant and therefore, in his/her view, is a waste of company time if not inappropriate altogether.

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

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

    Using small fonts to compress content

    Sometimes you just cannot squeeze all the information required on a resume into a single page, especially if you are presenting twenty or thirty years of education, experience and skills; because it will not format will and can otherwise be very challenging.

    As a rule, well-written resume should not exceed two pages; but in recent years it has become commonplace for professionals to change jobs frequently, and if you’re a member of this group, you know that listing all your experiences, as well as your career objective, education, qualifications and references, can certainly take up a lot of space.

    However, you should refrain from using a small font in order to fit everything into your resume; because there is not a single area in your resume that should have a font size of less than 10 points. Keep in mind what font type you are using and stick to the basics.

    Arial and Times New Roman are the standard font type for resume writing, and are therefore recommended for use in writing your own resume. So instead of changing the font size, review and revise your resume to make sure that statements made are more concise.

    Employer and school listing errors

    Some critical errors that are sometimes made on a resume without the realization that they’re being made is the preparer’s failure to refer to past employers and/or school(s) they attended by their full and correct names; and this should be avoided in all instances; so do not use variations of company and school names; and don’t use abbreviations unless they are in fact part of the name.

    In other words, if you have attended New York University, list the complete name, not just NYU – even though it’s commonly known and your employer will likely recognize it. You definitely do not want to appear sloppy, or unable to pay attention to details.

    Lengthy descriptive paragraphs and typos

    In order to list those responsibilities you’ve had in your past professional experience, it is best to use bullet points that begin with action verbs; such as managed, developed, etc. You really don’t need to use full sentences, and you certainly don’t need to use a paragraph format.

    Using full sentences in a paragraph format make the information in your resume overwhelming and difficult to review quickly; so make your statements brief and clear; and don’t add words simply to fill in space.

    What may be the most important factor in achieving a winning and well-written resume is proof reading; and since you want to put your best foot forward it is absolutely unforgivable for your resume to contain grammar and spelling problems which by themselves are enough to give your potential employer the impression that you are not detail-oriented, or even negligent.

    About resumes, cover letters and interviews

    Of course it is understandable the difficulty in proofing a document you have been working on so closely; so use spell check – but be ware, it will not catch everything – and ask your friends/family for help, or meet with a career counselor. Do your best to present the most polished resume to your potential employers, and begin with eliminating simple mistakes.