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Tag: potential employers

  • Resume Review Help and Proofing Parameters


    Resume proofing: A critical task

    Anyone who has ever written a resume will agree that writing, formatting and completing such an important document is a time consuming process; and in order to ensure that a resume achieves the goal for which it was prepared, there is one important step which must be taken before it is sent to designated recipients – potential employers. However, a surprisingly high number of professionals make the mistake of not reviewing their final resume document with fresh eyes before sending it out, thereby relegating it to the recycling bin.

    That having been said, it might seem redundant to emphasize the importance of proofreading what you may believe to be a well-written resume document before forwarding it to potential employers; but reviewing, editing and perfecting such a document is a routine (or even a habit) that you – if you are a job applicant writing your own resume – should adopt, since failing to do so can have an undesired result on your chances of securing the job in which you are really interested.

    With that in mind, you are encouraged to take a look at the following concepts which we hope will help you with the final stages of perfecting your well-written resume and making sure the document is in top shape before it reaches any of the potential employers to whom you intend to send it.

    Check for grammar and spelling errors

    Proofreading your resume document is one of the most critical steps in your resume review process, because it is often hard to catch composition errors after you’ve spent hours writing and re-writing all parts of it, or any other important document; but it is something which must be done and there are two workable methods you can use to effectively catch resume errors

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    One method is to ask someone else to proofread your resume, or give yourself time between writing and reviewing it; and if you ask a friend or a family member for help, make sure that their strengths include spelling and grammar; but they should also be able to edit your resume for content and consistency in style. Asking others to review your resume, however, should be done with parameters. For example, let your friend know what you are struggling with, so that they can help you address those concerns.

    Because personal preferences can come into play when you are discussing resumes, make sure the changes you make are the kind with which you are comfortable in terms of content. Another method you can utilize in proofreading, which should be thought of as a must, is to step away from the document for a day or two, and then revisit it for a final review. This gives you some space from the content, and will allow you to review for grammatical and spelling errors with fresh eyes.

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    Printing out and emailing your resume

    So that you know what your potential employers will receive after you submit your resume, just print out the document and take a look at its appearance, or email it to yourself (if you have more than one email address), or email it to a friend or family member where you will have immediate access to the digital version. However, you must make sure to print your resume from the file in which you are emailing it to your employer; and make sure that the margins are set properly and are not cutting off any content.

    Look for spaces and adjust the text in case of any large gaps on the paper. In addition, if you email your resume to some of your friends, have them open the file and let you know how it appears on their screen, as well as how it prints out. Addressing any formatting issues before your resume reaches a potential employer is ideal, so doing a couple of test runs will only assist you in developing an error-free final resume.

    The resume-to-job requirements comparison

    When you do a comparison of your resume to a particular job’s requirements, it is important to make sure that all requirements are addressed, either in your resume or your cover letter; and a major part of such comparison is to review exactly what the employer is looking for and make sure that your resume addresses all of their needs. Keep in mind that when potential employers receive your resume, they will look for key terms from their job description in order to match your qualifications to their available position.

    If possible, use some of the same terminology on your resume as the employer used on the job description, as this will let the employer know that you are in sync with their needs, thereby making them more interested in you as the ideal candidate for the job. Ask one of your friends to review the job description and your resume as well, and give you their impression on how well the two match.

    Meticulous review = landing a great job!?

    Probably the most important thing you should take away from this article, is the fact that a poorly written and/or formatted resume will – in effect – let most of your potential employers know that you don’t pay any attention to detail; but on the other hand, taking whatever extra time that is necessary to do a final review of your resume document is one of the most important things you can do in getting an employer’s attention, thereby ensuring that you get the job you really want.

  • The Inclusion of References on a Resume


    The references catchall phrase

    When the subject pertains to references on your resume, you would not be surprised to know that the most frequently used phrase is that old reliable standard: “References available upon request.” But whether or not this catchall phrase will continue be the acceptable stand-in for an actual list of references on your resume remains to be seen. In fact there is an ongoing debate among professionals about the inclusion of references on a resume, while some individuals still strongly encourage job applicants to include the aforementioned phrase at the bottom of their resumes.

    In a way the catchall phrase lets potential employers know that, if asked, the job applicant can name at least a couple of people who think s/he is a great asset to any company. However, the opposing side will argue the validity of this line as it doesn’t provide any information with a call to action; and therefore suggests that potential employers and other job search professionals should operate under the assumption that every professional with a resume will be able to provide references from his previous employers.

    Yet another group of professionals will urge you, the job applicant, to not only include the “references available upon request” phrase in your resume references section, but to list anywhere from three to five references, along with their titles, contact numbers and a description of your relationship to them, along with a notation that “more references will be provided if needed.” So, how do you know who to listen to?

    A prudent use of references

    In answer to the above question, a good rule of thumb will be to mention references regardless of any other phrase or statement being employed, as it is considered proper resume etiquette to include a section for references at the bottom of your resume. This lets your potential employer know that you not only have professional references, but you understand that checking references is an important part of your interview process. Additionally, you will want to have an employer request references from you so that you can let your references know they can expect to be contacted.

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    Listing someone as a reference on your resume without letting that person know, even if s/he has previously provided a reference for you, is not a good practice; because since you don’t want any job you of your reference list to be caught by surprise when they are contacted, it is important that you let each of them know about the job you’re applying for, and any special circumstances – if any – under which you’ve made application so that they know which qualifications they should highlight when they are contacted.

    If you are posting your resume on job search web sites such as monster.com, or you’re working with a head hunter to find the best opportunities for you, it is best that you simply use the line, “References available upon request” at the end of your well-written resume; and as indicated above, you will want to let your references know ahead of time if they will be contacted by a potential employer or other entity associated with your application.

    Resume blast vs targeted position

    Listing references on your resume and making it available to multiple employers for review may result in calls to your references by employers you may not have even been in touch with directly. Obviously, you’ll want to avoid this kind of annoyance to people you are using as references, since you don’t want to abuse your relationship with them. If you intend to “blast” your resume to multiple employers, head hunters and other such parties, it may be prudent not to include a full listing of references on your resume.

    However, if you’re sending the resume to a specific employer after you have been in touch with the hiring manager or someone at the company that will refer you for the job you are interested in, it is suggested that you include references on the resume. This allows your potential employer to have all the information necessary to consider you as a serious candidate for the job. The reference list should include the reference’s name, his/her title and the company s/he’s working for, the person’s relationship to you and a day-time telephone number.

    In fact, the best practice might be to let your references know about a particular job opportunity before you submit the resume, while letting them know that you are passing along their contact information to the potential employer, or better yet, request their permission to do so. And if you have already submitted a resume without references, but expect to meet with the employer for an interview, bring a printed copy of the well-written resume you prepared and make sure it includes a list of references.

    One stop shop to a good job

    Following a good interview, employers typically check references as a best practice, so you will want to provide the hiring manager with a one-stop-shop (so to speak) of your qualifications and your references, therefore you should always bring a printed copy of your cover letter, your resume and references with you to an interview. Vigilance is sure to make a great impression and bring you one step closer to getting that sought after job you really want. Learn more about resumes, cover letters and interviews!

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  • Resume Design Grabs Employers’ Attention


    You, your resume and the job

    Job hunting can be one of the most exhilarating, and yet agonizing experiences in an individual’s life; and while many of us, as young adults, look forward to opening a new chapter in our professional lives, finding a way to stand out from other job applicants who are at least equally qualified for a given position, is often a difficult task. If you’ve been in the job hunt recently, you can probably relate directly to this sentiment.

    You understand that your resume is the first contact potential employers will have with you; and as such, a well formatted and well-written resume will often make a difference between getting an interview followed by getting the job, and being passed over. Most employers receive a stack of resumes from qualified candidates and scan them relatively quickly before they decide whether or not they want to read further.

    Therefore you only have a few seconds to make a positive and/or lasting impression; but don’t panic! Instead, focus on the design of your resume as it is the first impression your potential employer will have of you, whether the resume is on paper or in electronic form.

    Avoid using outdated templates

    The most commonly made mistake in resume design pertains to using ready made templates that are available in Microsoft Word. While these templates are resume tools designed for quick formatting and consisting of easy to follow instructions on how to create your resume, they are often outdated and will make your resume appear generic and uninviting. Additionally, such templates, while well formatted in Microsoft Word, will not translate well when emailed or uploaded to job search engine web sites.

    The second most commonly made mistake in resume design is the inclusion of graphics on the page. Your picture and/or other graphics are not appropriate for a resume, because including anything outside of plain text will make you stand out in a way that could cause the employer think that the seriousness with which you take yourself as a professional is sorely lacking, and this is certainly not the first impression you’d want to make.

    That having been said, however, you might wish to obtain a few resume samples which can easily be done with a quick search on the Internet under the particular industry in which you’re pursuing employment, or under the category that makes the most sense for the job you are seeking. After that you can work on a blank page to replicate the look and feel of the resume you like. Take a look at the following basic formatting rules for your resume:

    The resume features list

    • Limit the length of the resume to two pages.
    • Page margins should be one inch; top, bottom, right and left.
    • Use left justification only – as a rule, and resume content should not be centered.
    • The font and font size should be consistent.
    • Bullet points should be basic. –Use circles or squares, but never any symbols that may not translate well when sent electronically.
    • Headlines can be in all caps; but the remaining text should not have special formatting.
    • Do not underline any of the information in your resume since it could be mistaken for a hyperlink.
    • Headline font size should not exceed 14 points; and font size for the remainder text should not exceed 12 points.
    • Use the Tab key instead of your Space bar to create spaces between the text in your resume.

    Check and recheck resume for errors

    As a last formatting check point, ask your friends or family members for help in reviewing (critiquing) your resume. Simply email resume file via email to a few of your friends and– ask them to review it resume to make sure nothing seems out of place. Print out the resume and review it to make sure that margins are accurately set, and the content doesn’t appear crowded on the page. Keep in mind –that when it comes to your resume, a sleek simple appearance, and great writing will help you obtain your sought after job.

  • Work History Gaps Must be Dealt with Smartly


    Fill in all resume gaps

    Listing your professional experiences on a resume can be a difficult task, especially when considering the many elements a resume preparer must incorporate into the document, if it is to adequately serve the purpose it is meant to serve. Items like job titles, time frames, key responsibilities, transferable skills, and other such descriptions and attributes must be included and properly listed where and when appropriate. The process becomes even more difficult when these elements are in an individual’s work history.

    Potential employers will not have a way of knowing why there is a three and a half year gap in an applicant’s professional experience just by reviewing his/her resume. Moreover, the employer might wonder if you – in the case where you are the applicant – skipped over one of your past jobs because it does not meet the career objective you listed.

    It is also not unreasonable for a prospective employer to assume that you did not work at all during the omitted time frame; so it is not in your best interest to intentionally skip any information in your jobs history. Simply (honestly) explain any gaps. There are a few general rules about resume gaps that could help to guide you through:

    Rules of the ‘resume gaps’ road

    1. Any unaccounted-for time that is shorter than three months does not need to be explained. Having a 60-90 day period between jobs is not very unusual, and often goes unnoticed within the structure of a resume anyway. However, any gaps extending beyond three months should be addressed in your cover letter or an e-mail. Whether you had personal or professional reasons for not working, the gaps in your employment history need to be explained as you don’t want to leave the employer to make their own assumptions.
    2. Be honest! We can’t stress this recommendation enough. If you are honest with your potential employers, you might not have to worry about them checking your references, doing a background check, or surprising you with questions in an interview.
    3. 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, and you’ll likely discover that honesty is really the best policy when it comes to your resume.
    4. If you have held jobs that are not applicable to your career objective, list them on your resume anyway. Rather than create gaps in your resume, explain why you held jobs outside of your chosen field in your cover letter, or in an email to your potential employer. Again, whether the reasons are personal or professional, explain yourself honestly and don’t leave room for assumptions on the part of your potential employer.
    5. Regardless of the reasons for the gaps in your professional history, it is important that the tone of your cover letter and your resume remain positive. Do not sound apologetic!– Life happens and you don’t need to be sorry for taking time off from work for good and/or justifiable reason(s). Be positive! And show your potential employer that you never lost focus on your career.

    Diligence, honesty and education pays off

    While we all agree that life often takes unexpected turns and understand that there will be circumstances which result in resume, we can always consider the following actions in order to stay competitive in our field:

    • Apply our time and experience to volunteer positions, community projects, consulting and/or freelance work.
    • Take a class at a community college or at the community center that improves your work-related skills and allows you to interact with people of similar professional backgrounds.
    • Read about new developments in your field, get a subscription to a professional publication/magazine, or get the newly published books that discuss changes or improvements in your profession.

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

  • Resume writing from scratch


    Getting started

    Facing a blank page when you are trying to write a resume can be very scary. You may think that you don’t have enough to say about yourself to fill a page; you may be wondering just how to list all of your skills and experience within a single sheet of paper. To get started, ask yourself some questions about your past jobs and your career goals.

    Before you even begin writing a resume, define the exact reasons why you need one. While this may sound simple, it takes more than saying, “I want to get a new job.” Consider your career objective first. Make sure that your goals are specific in terms of industry, position title, and future professional achievements. Once you are clear on the type of job you are seeking, it will be much easier to compose a resume that highlights your expertise in the area of your interest.

    Research on format

    Once you have your career objective developed, do some research on a resume format that is most commonly used and may be most appropriate for your industry. Search the Internet or check out the books in your local library to get a better idea of what well-written professional resumes look like. Once you find a format that best suits your field and your career objective, use the same layout to get started.

    When listing your personal information at the top of the resume, include your address, home and/or mobile phone number, and your email address. A helpful hint about listing your email address make sure that it contains your name, as this helps you appear more professional. You can create a free Yahoo email account; it also maybe helpful to have one email address as a point of contact for your job search.

    Experience & education

    Before you begin listing your experiences, make sure to list them out on a separate sheet of paper, in chronological order, starting with the most recent job you had (possibly the job you are presently holding). List up to five previous jobs you have held, although make sure that your resume does not exceed two pages in length. Make sure that are listed in order; don’t skip any of your employments as this will create gaps in your professional history.

    When listing your education, start with your college attendance and move to your most recent accomplishments. If you never attended college, make sure to include any courses, even if they were taken as training at your previous jobs, which will help in showcasing your qualifications. In terms of skills, make sure to list, in bullet point form, all of the abilities that confirm that you are the best candidate for the job you are seeking.

    References upon request

    You can omit references from your resume, but let your potential employer know that you can provide them if necessary. You can do so in the cover letter or by including a line at the bottom of your resume that simply states, “Professional references available upon request.”

    As your final check point, ask a friend or a family member to review your resume, and give you feedback. Having a second pair of eyes can help you correct any typos, or even bring to your attention anything that appears unclear or confusing. A well-written, error-free resume will help you put your best foot forward and get the job that exceeds your career goals.

  • Job Hunting Tips


    Hunting for jobs nowadays is a very competitive, and sometimes, cut-throat affair. That having been said we have provided a few ideas we hope will help you in getting the edge when searching out and landing the job that will be most suitable for you.

    The Curriculum Vitae (CV)

    As an applicant for certain specialized positions, your CV is the first – and in some instances – the most important part of applying for one of those positions. Since potential employers have to whittle down practically hundreds of applications to a few valid ones, they will have to base their narrowing down efforts on the CVs they have collected.

    Studies have shown that about half of all employers decide to accept or reject employment applications based on an applicant’s related work experience listed in the CV. A third of the employers decide to reject or accept these employment applications based on their layout and design.

    A concise and relevant CV

    Make Your CV Stand Out – When preparing your CV, make sure it stands out from the rest. It should be the type that is appealing to the eyes, making the evaluating personnel want to read it. Step two is for you to make sure your CV highlights all related work experience you have had in relation to the position you are seeking.

    Make your CV concise and relevant – Avoid making your CVs too long since such a document that is too lengthly could make it irrelevant (boring?) to the evaluator. Remember that the employer is a person to whom time is important. If your CV shows that you value his/her time while showing the most relevant information in the least amount of time, you will have won one important battle.

    A tailored CV

    Always tailor your CV to the position – You may have had previous experience that might not be related to the position you are seeking. Some people keep many different versions of their CV for different employment opportunities.

    Make sure your CV is appropriate for the available position. A one-size-fits-all CV may not be the best way to go since an employer might get the impression that your previous efforts have not been focused enough to produce any specialization on your part.

    A polished & storied CV

    Write about your achievements – You may add your achievements, but make your statements factual and relevant. It does not do any harm to advertise yourself, but make your advertisement matter-of-fact and not just hot air (so to speak). You may want to skip on listing your weak points as a CV is not the vehicle for such discussions.

    Polish Your CV – Your employer will know if you have put enough time producing your CV. If s/he sees that you have put sufficient and thorough effort into your CV, s/he will assume that you will do the same in your work. This is a big plus for you. It is not uncommon for some people to spend days or even weeks polishing and buffing their CVs.

  • Entry-Level Jobs 101: 4 Must-Know Tips


    For most people, aiming for a higher position at once is the key to job search success. However, some people know that in order to succeed in the job market, they have to, literally, start from scratch.

    This means that people who want to grow positively in the working world; they have to learn the basics and fundamental principles of working, how it is to love the work most people do, and how to establish a good working relationship with his or her colleagues.

    In order to enjoy all of these, one must submit himself or herself to an entry-level type of job. This refers to a job that requires minimal skills and expertise with no experience requirement needed.

    Because of its nature, entry-level jobs are characterized by low salary, require physical work, and sometimes need field work.

    Most often than not, people who are into entry-level jobs have very low hourly rates and may or may not entail insurance. This would mean that any hospital expenses caused by accidents that happened while the worker is at work may or may not be compensated by the employer, meaning there is no guarantee or whatsoever.

    What’s more, most entry-level jobs are on a part-time basis. Examples of entry-level jobs are receptionist, apprenticeship, those who are working in a fast food restaurant, customer service, cashiers, etc.

    Contrary to popular belief, entry-level jobs should not be ignored. What people do not realize is that entry-level jobs offer more than just low wages. These jobs are the foundation of all other positions available in the job market.

    In most cases, people who start to work on higher positions right after they graduate from college are easily bored from their work. What is even worse, there is no room available for personal growth and career advancement.

    Entry-level jobs are the stepping-stone to success in careers. So, for people who wish to grow and be promoted to a higher position, here are some tips that they can use:

    1. Workers who are in the entry-level position should show enthusiasm, efficiency, caring, and love for his work.
    2. They should master their skills and hone their craft.
    3. They should be an expert on customer service.
    4. They should know how to impress a customer who happens to be seeking an employee who knows optimum customer service.

    These are just a few of the qualities that must be employed by an entry-level worker in order to advance to a higher position. And once he reaches the top, he knows that work is definitely something worth valuing for.