submit your resume – TP Javeton WebNet

Sources of job listings

In today’s technology driven society most job seekers search for work on the Internet whether they’re looking to change jobs; in between jobs and looking for a new opportunity; or fresh out of school and brand new to the job market. There are two ways a job seeker can find job listings on the Internet: company websites and resume banks; the former is evidenced by the fact that most companies now have a special area on their websites which is dedicated to careers.

These days the perusal of a typical company website mentioned earlier will reveal listings of available positions from entry level to higher management, with the exception of executive positions which are often filled through head hunters and/or personal recruitment. And larger, more sophisticated companies allow a job seeker to create a professional profile on their website and upload his/her well-written resume.

This allows you – if you are in search of employment – to apply for an available position in which you are interested, while allowing the company’s recruiting team to match your resume to an available position they are looking to fill. Most companies list contact information for their available positions, so that you can reach out to the appropriate person and submit your resume for consideration.

Resume banks fill the job void

However, unless you are targeting a handful of organizations, consider the amount of time it would take you to review web sites and job postings of all the different companies in your area of interest. You would probably get frustrated and give up before accomplishing the goal. It is for this reason that resume banks – more commonly known as resume databases – have grown in popularity and are considered the better resource for job seekers.

Curricula Vitae

These databases have two functions: first, they allow you to search a comprehensive listing of available jobs from a large number of companies; and second, they provide the facility by which you can upload your current resume and make it available for many of the same same employers you would have applied with to find you.

Popular resume databases such as monster.com and careerbuilder.com have been successful in building their online presence because they responded to the growing needs of companies looking for qualified personnel and professionals to fill their openings, as well as meeting the needs of busy professionals looking to expand their careers. Resume databases are usually free, and although you will be asked to register with the website, you should not have to pay any membership fees.

Register • Upload • Search

Of course there are a few sites that will allow you to search through a resume database without having to register; be mindful though, that these sites may restrict the number of jobs you can view, or the amount of details you can get from a job posting. In terms of convenience it can be said that registering with a resume bank has its benefits, in the sense that the amount of time, effort and frustration which many job seekers experience will be greatly reduced, because making your resume available to a large number of employers will no doubt, speed up the process.

When registering, include your contact information and your most up to date resume; but do not post a sample cover letter. Although they are mostly discarded from resume banks, cover letters are meant to be personalized, so posting a generic cover letter along with your resume doesn’t help you get noticed. More important than the cover letter is If you are seeking a new job while still working, which would justify any concerns you have about your employer finding your resume in one of these databases.

Some people recommend leaving current job information off the resume, but many professionals don’t want to do so because it is their current job that serves as that stepping stone to the next point in their careers, so it can create a dilemma in that respect. You can however, include a title and omit the company name, which would serve both purposes at the same time. Also, consider posting a functional or chronological resume, and make a note in your profile that a detailed and well-written resume can be emailed upon request.

Keeping your undated resume current

Make sure that the resume you have posted in the database is current; and make sure not to date your resume; this way it will not appear outdated to potential employers. Log into the website once every few months and update your profile and your resume if you are actively looking for a job (always provide most up-to-date contact information, even if you don’t have time to update the complete profile).

about resumes, cover letters and interviews

Resume banks, or databases as they are called, can help you gain access to a large number of job postings, so don’t avoid utilizing them; but make sure your profile and your resume are posted on reputable sites such as monster.com. If you are unsure of the credibility of the site, do a little research online and see what others have to say about it; and don’t rely on employers to find you. If you are actively searching for a new job, review the listings regularly and seek out the opportunities that best meet your career objectives.

The resume tone and style

It is often said, and sometimes repeated over and over again, that a well-written resume is a winning resume; and some might ask, what does that mean? And how can it be determined whether or not a resume is written in a tone and style that employers will respond to? Synthesizing educational achievements, years of professional experience, the numerous qualifications acquired since entering the job market and other inherent employable skills is not easy to document, I’m sure you will agree, if you have been in the position of having to do such synthesizing.

Every phrase or statement you write has to convince your potential employer that you are the candidate best suited for the job s/he is offering; and to do so, you would have had to use appropriate action and/or power words. Such action and power words are described as keywords (verbs) that add strength and positive implication to your job experience, performance, responsibilities and qualifications.

That having been said, however, if you are not familiar with such words, phrases and keywords, it is important to make a note of the following: When you submit your resume to a potential employer, there are two scenarios that will occur. First, your application will be ran through a computer software program that searches your resume for key terms as indicated by that employer; and if your resume contains those key words, it will be pulled aside for further review, as it could be deemed a well-written resume per that employer’s criteria.

Effect of action words on the resume

Second, a hiring manager – or sometimes a human resources associate – will receive a stack or resumes and scan through them quickly to pick out those that stand out most acceptably, based again on certain key words. It seems clear, based on such computer scans and separation of certain resumes containing specific keywords, that these action words in the resume are critical to your success in obtaining a particular job.

In view of the above you should be cognizant of the manner in which your employment history is listed on any resume document you’re sending to potential employers. In other words, your resume should list each job’s responsibilities in bullet point form with each statement starting with an action word.

Under this scenario, the use of power verbs and/or phrases will indicate to your employer that you are the type of individual (job candidate) who is driven by action and results; and that you can effectively articulate your professional experience, thus showcasing your communication skills. Such articulation of power verbs and phrases could look similar to this small sample of action words which might be helpful when formulating your own list:

Action words to personalize your resume

created
developed and implemented
managed
delivered
designed
facilitated
negotiated
coordinated
budgeted
acted
communicated
consulted, etc.

This is a very short sampling of action words, but there are many resources on the Internet containing extensive listings of action words and phrases which can be obtained with a little research; but be careful to use only those terms that are relevant to your field of experience. Your best bet would be to locate resume samples provided by professionals in your industry.

Review these resumes for ideas on how to list your responsibilities, but be mindful that you do not copy exact statements from another person’s resume; and while you can do your own research, you will want to make sure that your resume is personalized to your own professional experience.

Evaluate and review your resume action words

Also avoid falling into the trap of using the same action word(s) over and over; and 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 communication liaison in one project, while you were the project manager for another. If this is the case, simply begin the first bullet point with “communicated,” and the second bullet point with “managed.”

However, be aware of the words you are using and consider their value in your resume; but do not get carried away with the use of varying terms, especially those that may change your role or your responsibilities. Additionally, you can find key action words in job descriptions. Review your resume against a job description and make sure that all required qualifications are addressed in your statements.

The review 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 your responsibilities and qualifications, and make sure that your statements exude positive attitude and focus on actions and results. By doing so, you are guaranteed to create a winning resume that will get you noticed.