|
|
Archive for August, 2010
August 31st, 2010
Things to know before selecting the format for resume
 Some people find the task of resume writing too difficult. But in reality it is not at all a difficult job. A good approach to tackle the task would be to decide the format for resume first. There are generally three types of resume formats which are used and we will give you a brief description of each one of them so that you will be well equipped to select the right one for yourself.
By resume format we generally mean structure of the resume. The three common types of formats that we will discuss here are chronological, functional and combination resume formats.
A chronological resume format
The most common resume format that you will come across is the chronological resume format. This is the most widely used format which is preferred by most employers due to its simplicity. Check out example resumes to know how this format has been effectively used.
This is a simple format where your experience and educational qualifications are written in reverse chronological order. The professional experience section is given the maximum stress in this format. A chronological resume is best suited in the following cases
• When a person has a steady and consistent career growth
• When he has not changed career tracks and there is no gap in employment history
• The person’s employment history shows progressive growth and he has held impressive positions
• The major accomplishments have been achieved in the most recent position
A functional resume format
A functional resume highlights the accomplishments, key skills and qualifications. All these information are placed at the top and the employment history is given less importance and is positioned at the bottom. The employment history is only listed without describing each position in detail. This format for resume should be used to underscore relevant skills that are directly related to the position for which one is applying.
Employers in general do not prefer this resume format as they believe that it is used to hide deficiencies in ones career. But in certain cases a functional resume format may be effective like
• When you have a gap in your employment history
• If you have held a variety of positions which are unconnected
• When changing career tracks
• If you want to return to a previous field
• If you want to de-emphasize your age
• If most of your accomplishments and achievements have occurred in a past job
The combination resume format
There is another resume format which is known as combination resume format which is actually a combination of chronological and functional formats. This format combines all the best features of both the formats and is widely accepted also.
The combination format for resume can be effectively used in the following cases
• When a chronological resume is expected but you also want to lay more stress on your skills and expertise
• You need an effective way to highlight how your skills match the job requirements
Although the format for resume is very important but you must pay equal importance to the content that you put into it. It is very essential that you arrange the information in such a way that the most important ones get the topmost priority. Click on Best resumes to get some tips on resume writing.
Tags: format for resume, how to select the right format
Posted in Free Tips | No Comments »
August 29th, 2010
Learn how to compose your first resume
 You are fresh out of college, brimming with enthusiasm and eyes full of dreams to make it big in the world. You have thoughtfully created your career goals and want to give your best to it. But to start off, you need a resume. A lot of freshers like you find the task of resume writing quite intimidating because they think they do not have enough to put in their resume. But writing your first resume may not be so difficult at all. Read on to know more about resume writing.
The objective of a resume
You must first understand the objective or the goal of a resume. A resume is not meant to fetch jobs. Rather, a resume is meant to create interest in the reader’s mind about you and answer a very basic question, “will this person be able to add value to my company?”
An effective resume is one that answers this question positively and you can rest assure that you will be called for an interview and eventually offered the job.
,h4>Research on companies
If you have decided on the industry where you want to start your career do some research on companies to develop a better understanding about what they are looking for. Once you figure out what is important to the employers you can compose your resume targeting those issues.
Choose the right format
The format that you choose for your first resume is equally important to what you put inside it. Since a resume manages to get less than 20 seconds to impress a reader, it is of paramount importance that you organize the information in such a way that the reader finds it easy to navigate and find the required information. Click on best resume format to get a comprehensive idea about different resume formats.
The essential elements of a resume
• Your resume must begin with your personal information. So put your name, address, telephone numbers and email address on the top and preferably in a bigger font. Check out build resume to know more about resume writing.
• Develop a career objective that best describes your career goals and is aligned to the requirements of the company where you are applying for a job.
• Since you are a fresher and you do not have much of job experience so your educational qualifications should be highlighted in your first resume. In detail, write about your qualifications in reverse chronological order. Provide all the details like the degrees you have achieved, the name of college or institute, the year of graduation and also the percentage of marks you have achieved.
• You may not have any prior work experience but you can highlight your positive personal characteristics and skills by mentioning the projects you did in school or the summer jobs you held.
• Do not simply boast about yourself but substantiate your claims with real life examples. As for example, being the captain for the school football team for consecutive three years and wining several championships definitely proves your leadership skills. Similarly, being the accountant of the local voluntary association shows your numerical skills.
• Think of such unique examples to make your first resume an interesting one to read.
• You should provide references in your resume for the employer to cross check the information you have put in or to know more about you as a person.
• Nowadays, employers want the applicants to email their resumes. If you have no idea about it then click on emailing resume and learn the tricks of the game.
Your first resume should show you as a professional who is ready to put in the hard work and be an asset to the company. Use words to create a positive impression and see how it elicits positive response from employers.
Tags: First Resume, how to write a resume
Posted in Free Tips | No Comments »
August 27th, 2010
Guide to an effective financial resume
 Jobs in the finance sector are found in plenty. Be it for entry level jobs or for highly experienced ones like financial planner, financial analyst or investment consultant you will always find a plethora of choices available to you, that too in a variety of industries. But unfortunately it is often found that best professionals do not land the job they dream of. The reason behind this failure can be attributed to lack of an effective resume. So, to grab the job you always coveted for, you first need to have an effective and powerful financial resume, otherwise no matter how much experience you possess you will find yourself being offered mediocre jobs.
Steps in developing a resume for financial jobs
A well composed resume is the one which is divided into sections and sub sections enabling the reader to locate the necessary information readily. So, you must develop your resume keeping this in mind.
The header
Any reader who gets your resume would like to know you as a person. So, the first section of your resume must be on your personal details. You must provide information like your name, your contact phone numbers and address and an email address.
It is better to put this information in a bigger font than rest of the resume. You may centre align it also.
The objective
In a sentence or two assert what type of finance job you are looking for. Avoid vague statements like “I wish to be employed in a position where I can apply my skills”. Instead, express your goals which should be tailored to the post you are applying for. It is ok to express your career aspirations as employers prefer candidates who are ambitious. So, go ahead and write what you really want to achieve in your career in your financial resume. Click on resume advice to know more about resume writing.
Summary of qualifications
Your objective must be followed by a section on summary of your qualifications. List three to five finance skills that you want to highlight which must correspond to the demand of the employer regarding the post you are applying for.
Employment history
A section on your employment history must follow the summary of qualifications section.
Write this section in reverse chronological order with your most recent position at the top. You must furnish details like the title of the post, the tenure of service, the name of the company and location. Write at least two or three skills or responsibilities against each job position and always mention in details those positions which are related to the position you are applying for.
Use keywords and action verbs wherever suitable in your financial resume to underscore your skills and expertise in the field of finance. Check out career resume example for more tips.
Educational qualifications
Along with relevant experience you need a strong educational background in finance to secure good positions.
Mention your educational qualifications in a separate section with details like the name of the degree, year of graduation, percentage secured and name of college or institute. If you have participated in any professional training or got certifications related to the position you are applying for then mention those also.
Reference
The last section of your resume should be on references. Mention “references will be available upon request” and prepare a list of references in a separate sheet.
A well written financial resume must be accompanied by a well composed cover letter. Click on effective cover letter to know more about writing covers letters that will impress your employer.
Tags: financial resume, how to write a winning resume
Posted in Free Tips | No Comments »
August 25th, 2010
Some useful tips on writing a financial analyst resume
 A financial analyst helps people in deciding how to invest their money. A financial analyst needs to have updated information about the financial markets and the mergers, joint ventures and buyouts that happen. He has to analyze and predict how these events will affect the price of the stocks so that his clients can take sound financial decisions. A financial analyst may work in a specialized field also. The life of a financial analyst is a tough one and needs special set of skills and expertise. While looking for a job, a financial analyst has to prepare a financial analyst resume which must reflect these skills.
Financial analysts’ jobs are found in abundance as there is huge demand for these professionals and the future is quite bright also. But there is stiff competition as more and more people are finding this a lucrative career option. So, for an aspiring financial analyst it is very important to lure his potential employers with an effective resume.
Analyze your skills first
While developing a resume for the position of a financial analyst you have to first analyze your marketable skills. These may date back to the significant achievements you made in school. You have to ask yourself about your strengths as a financial analyst. Make a list of these strengths in areas like financial issues, analysis skills and problem solving skills. The employer will be looking for these skills in the most suitable candidate. You may have earned a variety of financial qualifications and experience which you want to boast of in your resume.
Career objective
Establish a career objective in your resume which will strike a chord with the employer. You may research a bit on the company where you will be applying for a job to find out the requirements and expectations of the company. The career objective in your financial analyst resume must be in accordance with those expectations.
Select a suitable resume format
The way you present information will go a long way in determining whether the employer will call you for an interview. Make sure that you choose a resume format that best suits your case and gives you ample scope to highlight your skills and accomplishments. Your resume will establish you as a promising candidate so be very careful about the format you select.
You may check out best resume format to know more about the formats and also to select the right one for yourself.
The right perspective of the resume
When composing your resume keep in mind the role you are applying for. As a financial analyst you have to explain complicated things lucidly to your clients. This approach should be followed in your resume also. Organize the information in such a way that the employer can easily locate what he is looking for. Your intention should be to make your financial analyst resume easy to read, follow and understand. Click excellent resume to learn more about resume writing.
A well structured and well organized resume will definitely receive positive response from the employer.
Always proofread resumes to check for errors that may tarnish your professional image. Lay stress on the keywords and action verbs to sell your marketable skills. A well written and well edited financial analyst resume will definitely catch the attention of the employer and elicit positive response.
Tags: financial analyst resume, how to write impressive resumes
Posted in Free Tips | No Comments »
August 23rd, 2010
Fill in resume- first step towards resume writing
 A resume is an integral part of a job application. When applying for a job you have to begin by writing a resume and then sending it to the potential employers along with a cover letter. There are several options available for developing a resume. You may search online and get hold of sample resumes or you may study a friend’s resume to get some idea about resume writing. Another option is fill in resume where you can adhere to a blank resume format. This type of resume is best suited for new comers who do not have much knowledge on resume advice. Moreover, such fill in blank resumes can be created very easily and can work as a fast resume if you are in a hurry.
What is a fill in blank resume?
A fill in blank resume is a file that you can use to create an impressive resume. This is actually a blank document which you have to fill up with your personal details and your qualifications. Many websites host such blank documents and you can download them easily and use for your purpose.
If you are not familiar with such resume formats then we will quickly guide you through the sections that a fill in resume must possess.
The must have sections in the fill in blank resumes
Resume Heading
A good resume must have a good resume header. This section will contain your personal details like name, phone numbers, email address and your residential address. This section must be placed at the top and centered to catch immediate attention of the reader.
Career objective
Although experts have diverging views regarding the presence of a resume objective yet it is generally advised to have a resume objective in your resume.
This objective should be used to express your career aspirations and goals and would define the entire tone of your resume. It is also used to let the employer assess your skills and expertise. You must indicate the job title here and also let the employer know how you are going to benefit the organization, if hired.
Educational details
An education section is used to provide details about your professional qualifications. You must provide your entire job related qualifications. Remember, a fill in resume must be submitted only when you are fully qualified for a job.
If you have undergone any training that relates to the job then you must mention that also.
Work experience
Your work experience can work as an excellent tool to showcase your skills and prove to be vital in getting a job. Your future employer will gauge how well you suit his requirements from your work history.
So, it is of paramount importance that you mention in details all your previous employments in reverse chronological order and also underscore your accomplishments.
Reference
You must prepare a list of references and include them in your resume.
Using a fill in resume is not difficult. You would only require to fill the necessary information. After acquiring hands on experience in writing resumes, you must prepare yourself to write best resumes so that when opportunities come your way you can quickly grab them.
Tags: fill in resume, how to write a resume
Posted in Free Tips | No Comments »
August 21st, 2010
Important tips on writing a federal resume
 Federal jobs provide security that many people yearn for. To apply for a job with the federal government, you need a federal resume. A resume meant for federal jobs is quite different than resumes meant for private jobs. Firstly, your resume must contain additional information which you do not have to generally include in normal resumes and you should follow a particular format also. If all these seems to be intimidating to you then go through this article which will guide you in preparing a resume for federal jobs.
Before proceeding further let me assure you that if you know how to build resume you will find the task quite easy. Following a chronological resume format is expected, so you may check out chronological resume to know more about this format. While applying for a federal job, you have to be careful about presenting certain information, which if left out will render your application useless. So, there is little scope for flexibility and you have to strictly follow the guidelines provided.
What to include
When applying for a federal job, the resume must contain the following sections.
Personal information
Your federal resume must begin with your personal information like name, contact phone numbers and address at the top of the first page. Along with this information you must provide your social security number. You must specify your country of citizenship and provide details like whether you have released from military service or not and your federal status.
Job information
After providing the personal information you must mention the job you are applying for, along with its title, grade, series and job announcement number.
Summary of qualification
Summarize your experience in a way so that your resume stands out from the others. Creatively select words so that your resume becomes an impressive one.
Employment history
In this section, you should chronologically present your entire employment history. You must furnish information like the posts held, the name of the supervisors along with their contact phone numbers, address, tenure of service, salary and average number of hours worked in each week.
You must have realized that the information you have to provide in your federal resume should be in more details than any normal resume.
Provide a brief summary of jobs along with the duties you performed in each position. You should mention four to eight points for each position. Use bulleted list here to make the resume more readable. You can check best resumes to pick up new ideas about how to present your information.
Educational details
The next section in your resume must be on your educational qualifications. Here also, list your qualifications chronologically with the name of school, the type of the degree, year of receiving the degree and the location of the school.
Trainings
A separate section must be provided on the trainings you received. You must include information like the program title, when you acquired the training and other additional information.
Other qualifications
You may provide a separate section for the awards you have won or the certifications you have received or if you have contributed in any presentation or publication.
Writing a federal resume is not difficult albeit time consuming. Since you have to put in a lot of information you must be very careful about their accuracy. Otherwise it is similar to writing any employment resume.
Tags: federal resume, how to write a resume
Posted in Free Tips | No Comments »
August 19th, 2010
How to compose an ideal executive resume
 New job seekers and experienced professionals know the importance of an effective resume in building their career. Most of us take extra care while creating our resume and it is all but expected of us. But for executives things are tougher as the competition is stiffer and jobs are rare. So executives need best resumes to showcase their skills and accomplishments. It is vital that an executive knows how to grab attention through his resume. Let us share some tips on writing executive resume here so that you being an executive know what to put in your resume or more importantly, how to put it.
Some facts about executive level resumes
• Executives are geared for a different type of career and their resumes must reflect that. Normally we sell our education and experience in a resume but executives need to sell their achievements, skills and the personality – all in a neat package.
• You have to highlight your accomplishments like in any other resume but in a resume for an executive it should be done impressively. There are certain aspects of achievements that employers look for in an executive resume and so you must highlight these aspects.
• The aspects that employers look for are how you can solve long term problems, how you can increase productivity and improve morale of the staff and how you can save money and time. Be careful that your resume addresses these issues.
• Along with mentioning your track records of successes make sure that you mention what you can offer your potential employers. Assure them that you can replicate past accomplishments.
• For a successful executive possessing certain soft skills is very crucial. An executive must have excellent leadership and communications skills and be able to work under pressure. He should have control over his emotions and can think clearly. He must command respect from all ranks of staff and be a man of integrity. Be sure that your resume underscores these qualities with the help of real life examples.
After discussing the essential components of a resume for an executive, let us now discuss some myths that people harbor about it.
Myths about an executive level resume
You must keep your resume short and concise
But that does not mean that you have to restrict it within one or two pages as it is almost impossible for an executive to compress his experience in two pages. You cannot afford to leave out important achievements to make your executive resume short. Check our resume advice for more tips.
A better strategy would be to compose your resume with as much details as necessary to convince the reader that you are the best candidate and compel him to call you for the interview.
Every word that you put in your resume must have a purpose and use succinct and action-oriented words to convey your worth to the reader.
You should describe your job responsibilities in details.
Rather than describing your accomplishments and job responsibilities, your resume must stress on your executive profile. Instead of writing a career objective and summary of qualifications it is desirable that you present an executive profile to the employers. This profile will sell your key skills and show that you have what the company is actually looking for.
Move beyond your achievements and set the focus on yourself both personally and professionally in your executive resume. An excellent resume will help you to do that. Present yourself as complete package which any company will yearn to acquire.
Tags: executive resume, how to write a winning resume
Posted in Free Tips | No Comments »
August 17th, 2010
How to compose an example of cover letter for resume
 A cover letter is an important and integral part of job application. It is a document that will fetch you job interviews and will be referred to by the employers even after your interview. Since a cover letter is of such paramount importance, it is quite natural that you should devote much time and attention to developing it. You should not rush into writing a cover letter and take as much time as you require in composing one. Your only objective should be to write an effective cover letter that will win you interviews. Here, we will compose an example of cover letter for resume for you and also share some tips on writing cover letters.
124 Green Avenue
Apt 432
California 83654
09878685654
August 16, 2010
Mr. Bob Jones
Personnel Manager
ABC Corps
White Street
California
Dear Mr. Jones,
I am responding to your advertisement in The Daily (dated 13th August, 2010) for the post of Sales Manager. Please regard this letter as my application for the said post. Please find enclosed my resume showing my education and experience.
I have over 8 years of experience in the field of marketing and sales and three years of experience in accountancy.
In my career in sales, I have won several awards and broken the sales records of past three years in my previous company. As an assistant manager in marketing I have trained several sales representatives and mentored them to be a part of a highly motivated sales team. My sales team has been nominated as the best sales team for consecutive three years. I enjoy communicating with people and love taking challenges. I believe I can excel in software sales as I have in-depth knowledge of computers and its various applications and I truly find sales a fulfilling and challenging career.
I will call you in the last week of August and try to set up an appointment. I am looking forward to talking to you.
Yours sincerely,
Jane Smith
You can use this example of cover letter for resume as a guide to compose your own cover letters. We would like to draw your attention to some pertinent points.
Points to remember
- Always address an actual person. Take time to browse through the website of the company to know to whom your letter must go and then address that person.
- Never use same cover letter for applying to different jobs. Try to lend a personal touch to each letter. If you want rewards you have to put in efforts. So write individual letter for each job application and show that you actually know the organization where you want a job.
- Beware of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. Employers judge people by their writing abilities and a single mistake will make your CV and cover letter land in the bin. You may check out CV Tips to get some important tips on writing CVs.
- Your example of cover letter for resume must have a focus and express your personality. Employers look for clues which will give meaningful insights into the character of the applicant. Showing your passion for the career will go a long way in securing that dream job.
- Subtle humor can make your cover letter stand out from the rest. It shows your confidence in your skills and writing too. It gives a feel of your character also which is a big factor in some companies.
A cover letter is your first contact with your employer. So setting the right tone is very vital. Same holds for your resume also. Click on excellent resume to learn more about writing resumes. Keep your example of cover letter for resume short and mention one or two best examples of work which must be interesting enough.
Tags: example of cover letter for resume, how to write cover letters
Posted in Free Tips | No Comments »
August 15th, 2010
How to write an effective example cover letter resume
 It is always suggested to attach a cover letter along with your resume when applying for jobs. A cover letter is used to sum up the skill sets and achievements which are relevant to the advertised post. An effective cover letter should specify why the applicant is best suited for the job and provide examples of past performances. Writing a cover letter is not an easy task. You need to pay a lot of attention to composing in an interesting way so that the employer is enticed to call you for an interview. To make your task easier we will provide you pieces of advice on writing a cover letter and we will develop an example cover letter resume.
Give an individual look
When you will be applying for jobs, treat each application separately and write separate cover letters. The cover letters must vary according to the post, company and industry where you will be varying.
Moreover, an experienced person’s cover letter should be different from that of a fresher’s and must have a different approach.
Experienced personnel can strategically draw attention towards his skills and qualifications whereas a fresher has to showcase his natural personality to get an interview call.
Give a personal feel
You should never use a generic greeting like “to whom it may concern” in your cover letter. Take the initiative to know to whom the letter will reach and address that person by his last name. This will give a personal touch to the example cover letter resume.
Opening of the letter
Open your letter by specifying how you came to know about the particular job opening. It can be newspaper ad or online website. If you came to know about the vacancy through a mutual contact then mention that name.
Body of the letter
Relate your skills to your qualifications in the second paragraph and do not simply copy verbatim from the resume.
End of the letter
Close your letter by asking for a suitable time for interview and also express your intent to follow up through email.
Use a professional closing and sign your name.
Since we have shared all the tidbits of a cover letter let us now compose an example cover letter resume.
Date: 13th August 2010
From: Bob Mathews [bobmathews@it.com]
Subject: Regional Sales Manager
To: bob.smith@hudson.com
Dear Mr. Smith,
I have come across information of Regional Sales Manager post lying vacant in your esteemed organization through your website.
I would like to reveal that I have over 10 years of profound experience in sales and marketing and I have recently completed my MBA in Marketing from University of California. My outstanding sales records and achievement of sales quotas in all my previous employments places me as the ideal candidate for the regional sales manager position in Hudson Software.
As the leading sales representative of B4 Software, I have developed key sales material and trained sales representatives. As a sales team, we have doubled our revenue within a span of two years.
I am convinced that coming from a pure sales background I can contribute significantly in the growth of Hudson Software.
We should meet to discuss the position. I will mail you within next 7 days to fix an interview.
Yours sincerely,
Bob Mathews
I hope the example cover letter resume will help you to compose one for yourself. If you want more information on resume writing then click on build resume.
Tags: example cover letter resume, write an effective cover letter
Posted in Free Tips | No Comments »
August 13th, 2010
Essentials of an effective cover letter
 A cover letter is an indispensable part of a job application. Whenever you will be applying for jobs you have to send a resume or a CV accompanied by a cover letter. A cover letter has several purposes. It must make the reader feel interested towards your application and explain why you are writing and also signify how you can benefit the company and request for an interview. A cover letter is equally important and will help in creating a positive impression about you. So it is imperative that you know how to write an effective cover letter along with best resumes. Each cover letter must be written individually and with care. If you find this too intimidating then here are some tips on writing cover letters.
Let us discuss here the different parts of a cover letter and show you how you can create an effective one.
The salutation
To create a proper first impression it is important that you address the right person. You should address the person with whom you want to talk by name. Make sure that you know the right name and the spelling also. If possible call the company and check the name and its spelling but never make a mistake.
Opening of the letter
A cover letter is like a sales pitch and hence the opening of the letter is very important. The opening must be appealing and catch the attention of the reader. One way of making the letter interesting is by writing about the company. You may find this advice astonishing but it often impresses an employer that an applicant knows so much about the company. Actually, you can create an effective cover letter by being creative from the opening itself. You can mention the projects that are under development or the awards that the company has received recently or some encouraging comments you came across in the newspaper or business magazine.
This will not only create a good impression about your knowledge but also show your keen interest in the preferred industry and the company also.
If you are applying against an ad or someone’s suggestion, you can mention that also.
Body of the letter
In the body of the letter continue with your sales campaign and provide a brief anecdote of your qualifications and refer to your resume. While writing this part, ensure that you do not repeat the resume here. To create an effective cover letter, try to be creative.
Closing of a cover letter
The closing of the letter is equally important. Remember the basic purpose of writing a cover letter and a resume- an interview. So close your letter by requesting for an interview. You can suggest the time and also state that you will confirm the appointment.
Use a complimentary close like “sincerely yours” and leave a few lines and then write your name. You may mention your phone address and email id below your name if you are not using your own letterhead in which case your personal details will be present on the top of the page.
An effective cover letter will open several windows of opportunity for you. Make sure that it is accompanied by an effective resume also. You may follow up your application through a phone call or a thank you letter also. All these will ensure that you get interview calls which are the first step towards getting that dream job.
Tags: effective cover letter, how to write a resume
Posted in Free Tips | No Comments »
|
