Answer: Anyone who sends out resumes needs resume cover letters! Even though the issue of a covering letter was not mentioned in conversation, or it wasn’t specified in the ad.

It will be considered a sign of laziness or apathy, to send a resume letter that is not customized to the specific organization you are applying to.

But doesn’t it add more anxiety to the already stressful process of looking for a job? Of course it does! But the upside is, your personalized letters give you an opportunity to highlight the things you can contribute to the particular organization in a way your resume cannot. The cover letter is your ‘Sales Page,’ so to speak. YOU are the ‘product you’re selling.’

Many employers are reporting dozens, even hundreds of applicants for every single job opening. With current 10%+ unemployment rates, and relatively few available jobs, there is a tremendous amount of competition out there for every opening. And this just as true with a small, local 3 or 4 person office as it is with huge multi-national corporations.

When the hiring person is almost literally drowning in applications, they do not have time to read every word of every resume. This is where your resume letters come in. Oftentimes, the hiring person scans the cover letter first. If nothing in that letter catches their attention, chances are the actual resume will never get read. So your perfect, beautiful, well thought out and well-written resume ends up in the trash, having never even been looked at.

The main purpose of resume cover letters is to answer the employer’s question: “What can this applicant do for our business?” It is hard to directly answer this question in the resume, which is a formal listing of jobs, duties, experience, training and accomplishments. Your properly crafted cover letter can answer that question in a very straightforward manner.

You should create a new cover letter with every resume you send out, customized to the particular position and company you are applying to. A basic, generic letter will not get you interviews. At all costs, avoid the “blah, blah, blah…please find my resume attached,” format. Employers are looking for knowledge, excitement and focus. If you do not communicate those qualities in your letters, your odds of getting called for an interview fall somewhere between zilch and zero!

A few tips on other issues that can make or break your resume letters, include:

Misspellings or typos: Ask at least a couple of people to review your letter before you send it, watching carefully for mistakes and grammatical flow. (Does it sound right when read out loud?)

Improperly Addressed: Whenever possible the letter should be addressed to a specific individual. If no name is given in the ad, try networking or research to try to find out the name. If that is impossible, just start the letter without a “Dear so-and-so.”

Writing as though you don’t have a clue who they are or what they’re about: If you don’t already know these things, do some research before writing the letter. Visit their website, if they have one. If not, ask around. See if somebody knows somebody that works there, which can give you a heads up.

Well-written resume cover letters can give you a great edge over all those other applicants!

Now go to Winning Resume Coverletters for more great information about writing eye-catching, Interview Getting, cover letters! Give yourself the competitive edge in your job search!

Author: Kathi Harris

You’ve seen them before – free resume cover letters that promise to make your job a lot easier and faster. They’re readily available, they offer you what you need and they don’t cost a dime, so what’s the harm?

The trouble with free resume cover letters

Well, for starters, free resume cover letters do not maintain the same quality as other resume cover letters. If you’re a job hunter who’s been in the job market for too long, you know the kind of pressure you face everyday. Not only are the number of potential employers shrinking, the number of potential rivals for a job position also increases. As more and more people discover the very same job you’re applying for, your chances of getting the job you want gets smaller and smaller.

That only makes using a resume cover letter extremely important. When you’re too stressed out and worried about the competition, there is a possibility that you’ll slip and produce a less than perfect resume cover letter, prime feed for the trash can or the paper shredding machine. That is not the kind of scenario you want. So why can’t you not use free resume cover letters?

They’re not all that bad, these free resume cover letters. Problem is, they’re also not that good. They will do, but only for jobs that you’re really not interested in or for those who have no other applicant other than you. Free cover letter samples are often not as excellently written and not as good as professionally prepared cover letter samples. In a job market where you’ll need all the help you could get, free resume cover letters are simply not good news at all.

Using free resume cover letters

Resume cover letters will say a great deal about you – they will inform your potential employer about your professional capabilities and give them a glimpse of what your personality is like.

Now let’s take a look at how you’ll use a free resume cover letter and see why it has ‘cheap’ written all over it. When you find a free resume cover letter, you’ll usually find one that is written with a general feel of what a resume cover letter should read like. You get the usual greetings, introductions, body of the letter and your closing statements.

Since this cover letter was published to help everyone from a nanny to a chief financial officer, you’ll have to change several elements in order to come up with a resume cover letter that seems tailored for your own particular qualifications. Now all you have to do is to mail it and hope for the best.

Problem is, once the hiring manager reads this so-called cover letter of yours, what will he see? A cover letter that looks so familiar he probably has read it before. In fact, he must have, considering that it must have been written using a free resume cover letter that has been available on the internet for the past five years.

Worse, it’s probably been seen and used by thousands of other job hunters before you, some of which may have sent their applications using the very same free resume cover letter that you yourself used! Imagine how badly that will reflect on you.

Avoid this type of pitfall that is so common among job hunters that it should have been outlawed by now. It’s hard enough to compete in a cutthroat job market. Actually ruining your chances with a badly written free resume cover letter is not just a mistake, it’s a crime.

Mario Churchill is a freelance author and has written over 200 articles on various subjects. For more information on free resume cover letter checkout his recommended websites.

Author: Mario J. Churchill

If you have spent hours creating the perfect resume that you targeted to the company and job you were applying for only to receive a standard rejection letter, you may have neglected the importance of cover letters for resumes.

Cover letters for resumes provide the first impression of you to a prospective employer. If the employer doesnt like your cover letter, the resume may not even get a look.

So how do you write cover letters for resumes that grab the attention of readers and maintain their interest? First, your cover letter needs to be concise, short, have an easy to read layout and be error free.

The goal of cover letters for resumes is to create enough interest in the reader that your resume will be read and hopefully short-listed. A good cover letter addresses the job requirements outlined in both the advertisement and any selection criteria provided. This makes the job of the employer or human resource department a lot easier and makes it less likely that you will be culled.

Since the purpose of your cover letter is to support your application by providing evidence that you are qualified for the position and would fit in well with the organization, it is essential that you understand all the requirements of the position and learn as much as possible about the culture and circumstances of the company.

This needs to be broadly conveyed in the first paragraph of your covering letter. You also need to identify the position you are applying for in your opening paragraph as there may be a number of positions being simultaneously advertised.

You can be more specific in the following paragraph, outlining your qualifications for the position. In this paragraph, you need to explain how your work experiences, skills, education and training not only meet the requirements of the job, but make you the best person for the job.

Only include relevant details that will be of interest to the reader. If you have extensive experience and skills that meet the requirements of the company for the position, you may need another paragraph to detail them.

Once you have specifically addressed the requirements of the job, spend a paragraph discussing why you want to work for this particular organization. Show you have researched them and explain how you would fit well into their culture, contributing to the organization on a number of levels.

Finally, proofread and edit your cover letter a few times before sending it. If necessary, have someone else read it to make sure it is free of errors. Having grammatical or typographical errors in a cover letter is likely to totally ruin your chances of getting an interview.

Cover letters for resumes can make or break your job application, so it is essential to treat them seriously and make every effort to create an excellent first impression.

Author: Freddie Johnson

The idea of a resume is a, seemingly, simple one; we all understand the purpose. The problem doesn’t appear until you actually start writing it. Then, the purpose seems to fade away in a series of clichs and odd phrases. Few people can write a good resume. Most can craft a serviceable one and some… They cannot craft anything. For those unable to create anything remotely resembling a resume, the best hope for success is to use a resume writing service.

A resume writing service can provide anything form helpful tips to actually forming your resume. They offer professional staff members, ones accustomed to catching the attention of employers. These men and women understand how difficult it is to stand out amongst the mass of applicants, so they help you create a resume that is the ideal showcase for your talents.

Of course, there are two disadvantages to using resume writing services. One is obvious: it is a service and, therefore, costs money. Some can be expensive, especially if you have them create your resume. The other is less obvious: you set yourself up to be scammed. Yes, even resume writing services have their problems. You must be certain that a deal that sounds too good to be true…. isn’t. This requires research. Be sure that, before you commit to any site or business, you understand what you are getting for the charge.

A resume writing service can be a helpful thing; it can also be an expensive one. Rates vary and cost changes from service to service, but the basic principle remains: you are not going to get something worthwhile for a little price. This is business, something you–as one looking to enter the business world–should appreciate.

The resume is an essential part of the interview process. No matter how wonderful you may sound, when the employer asks for a resume and you don’t have it, your appeal diminishes. It’s just that simple. So, you have to be ready with the best resume you can give. And, if you are like many who lack a flair for words, then you need to turn to other options to get that
resume.

A writing service is a practical alternative to continually writing and rewriting. They are done quickly (often within one business day of contact) and are able to catch the attention of employers. If you do not have the time, or ability, to keep reworking and rearranging your resume, then this could be the best option for you.

Just remember to be wary of easy deals and never agree to a service before fully researching it. If you do, then you should have no problem finding a writing service that will provide you with useful suggestions and professional work.

Author: George Rogers
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

For one, sales cover letters are pretty much identical to business cover letters in their format or rules, but differ crucially in their content. Your cover letter reflects directly on your ability to make the sale.

Sales Cover Letter Basics

So here are the basics of sales cover letters. Sales cover letters must be written on a clean bright white paper and must be delivered to the addressee in an equally decent, stiff envelope. It must have contact information and three paragraphs neatly typed in their designated places. Cover letters are completely devoid of trivial things such as spelling and grammatical errors. So, it goes without saying that the letters must be proofed and edited a couple of times to thrash the trash. So if you think the language or tone of the letter needs drafting and redrafting just go ahead and do it. But at the same time, remember that the cover letter must be limited to less than a page long to ensure complete reading.

Selling Ice Cream To Eskimos

Making the big bang with HR is the fundamental quality of sales people. The fact is, all companies need sales people, all the time the question is why they should hire you. In the body of the sales letter, usually the second paragraph, including a couple of examples of selling under trying, extenuating circumstances to hesitant/unwilling customers and making it the focus point of the entire cover letter will turn the tables in your favor. But this should be done with aplomb without throwing off the balance of the rest of the letter.

Dedicate a few lines to explain how you beat the competition – which eventually becomes the point of discussion among every company executive. Employers will be only too happy to invite you for an interview if you can prove that you can bring in money regardless of the circumstances. Sales cover letters should exhibit the character traits of successful sales people – friendly and pushy in nature and being able to effectively convince others into buying their products. Sales people are some of the most prolific speakers with a good command of language skills and voice modulation. They also get friendly with people easily and love to talk.

The bottom line is that landing a sales position is all about the money. If you can show in your cover letter good sales figures and compare and contrast positive figures before and after your tenure, then you will have a good shot at landing the interview. Balance this with examples of your aggressiveness, determination and ability to outwit the competition, and you will be well on your way to landing your next sales position.

Author: Heather Eagar
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

A Resume Cover Letter has only one purpose – to stimulate the recipient of your resume to review your resume. This free resume cover letter tutorial assumes that you will be sending your resume and resume cover letter by email.

In the age of e-mail your Cover Letter should go in the message of the e-mail and not as an attachment. Hiring managers and recruiters receive too many resumes to open and read each and every cover letter that comes as an attachment to an email. The chances are very good that a Cover Letter sent as an attachment will not be opened and read and it fact the email will simply be deleted.

Keep your resume cover letter brief and to the point. Assume that the person receiving your resume is busy – very busy. They are reviewing other resumes – many. Your cover letter is introducing you to the person who could be hiring you.

So be thoughtful – keep it brief and to the point. You are not writing an essay or a novel. You are trying to communicate with someone who is very busy and you are competing for their attention. You need to help them see that opening your resume many lead them to the person – or persons – that they are looking to find.

The following pages take you step by step through the nine components necessary in a cover letter including a sample cover letter.

Maximizing your e-mail impact

For the most part, as an IT professional, you will be sending your Cover Letter and resume by e-mail. Your e-mail will be one of many in the inbox of a recruiter or employer.

Meeting you for the first time

Your e-mail represents you walking into the office of the recipient. They are meeting you for the first time.

Make it easy to read your e-mail

Remember the goal is to make it as easy as possible for the recipient of your e-mail to decide to open your e-mail, read your e-mail and then open and read your resume.

Your Cover Letter is going into the message or body of the e-mail delivering your IT resume.

Let’s take the example of an employer or recruiter who is looking to fill the position of a “SCO UNIX Support Technician”.

Be clear and concise

Be clear, concise and specific in the Subject Line and use the Job Title found in the advertisement or job posting plus your name:

Subject line :

SCO UNIX Support Technician job application by J. Itguru

Now let’s look at the nine (9) components of a Cover Letter that goes into the Message or Body of the e-mail.

Writing a good Cover Letter requires following some basic steps such as the 9 steps that follow.

The Cover Letter goes into the body or message of the email attached to your resume and uses the following nine(9) components:

1.Your name, telephone number and e-mail address at the top of the Cover Letter.

2. Address the letter to someone in particular, if you can, or use To Whom It May Concern.

3. Name the position that you are applying for unless a file reference number is requested, then use the file reference number.

4. Briefly give an overview of your experience as it relates to the position being applied for.

5. In point form list the 3 or 4 most career highlights that relate directly to the job according to the ad that you are responding to.

6. Tell them that you have attached your resume that provides a detailed overview of your skills, experience, education, training and achievements.

7. Thank the person reading your resume.

8. Sign the e-mail with your name, home telephone number and personal e-mail address.

9. Add a PS to the note telling the recepient that you check your voice mail and email on regular daily basis.

Take action and write a resume cover letter to introduce your IT resume. Just follow the steps in this tutorial and write a cover letter that works for you.

Let’s review the basics so you can get started:

- use the Job Title found in the job advertisement in the Subject of the email;

- the Cover Letter goes into the body or message of the email attached to your resume;

- there are nine (9) components that make up the Cover Letter.

Resume Cover Letter Action Steps

Now print off a copy of the Cover Letter and write your own using Notepad or some other text editor.

When you are finished you can easily cut & paste into any email that you then send.

Author: Richard Ward
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

OK my friend, you now have completed that resume and it looks great. But what about a cover letter? Is this still a wise business practice or have cover letters gone the way of pet rocks? No sir, if you plan on succeeding in the business world, you must have a great cover letter that serves as a basic introduction to the resume that follows. As with the resume, there are certain guidelines that help to separate a great cover letter from the pack. So without further ado, here are some basic tips to help you craft that introductory document.

1. Cover letters shouldn’t be complicated, in fact, try to keep it short and simple using bullets if possible to structure the document. This also helps the reader keep your strong suits in mind when perusing the page.

2. Get the contact person’s name and title in the company. Avoid if at all possible a generic title such as hiring manager or human resources. Also using “Mr. Jones” instead of “Dear Sir” will give you an advantage over your competition since it is clear that you did your homework on the company.

3. Use the first paragraph to grab the employers attention by putting one of your best accomplishments or positives that you bring to the company. By putting yourself in a favorable light, it is clear that you have the confidence necessary to succeed.

4. The next paragraph should provide example of how you can help the company. Try to cite prior examples of how you turned around a poor situation at a prior stop. This will show that you are willing to work.

5. In the final paragraph, make sure that you list your preferred contact information and state that you would like to make contact as a follow up to the correspondence. This can be done through phone call or email, whichever you prefer.

By constructing a winning cover letter, you are giving your resume an advantage over the others because human resources personnel already have a good idea that you have what it takes to fill the position. Make sure to follow through each of the steps confidently and you too will have a great cover letter. Good luck!

Author: Brian G Chadra
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

While youre revamping your resume or cover letter or constructing your proof-by-example stories for interviews, youll find you need to watch your word choice. Why? Communication is powerful if the words we use to communicate are powerful. Thats not all it takes, but the right words make for a good beginning.

So as you craft achievement statements or write paragraphs that sell your skills or draft interview responses to knock the employers socks off, consider these suggestions:

• Use verbs in active tense, not passive tense.
• Use verbs that convey power and action.
• Use verbs that claim the highest level of skill or achievement you can legitimately claim.
• Use verbs to accurately describe what you have done on the job.
• Use adjectives and adverbs sparingly, but when you use them, use them well.
• Use nouns that are as specific and as descriptive as possible.
• Use numbers whenever possible.
• Use the most impressive (and still honest) form of the number you use.
• Never lie! It IS NOT worth it. It WILL catch up with you.
• Proofread all your verbs and nouns for agreement, tense and appropriateness.

Here, then, are 175 powerful verbs and phrases to make use of in resumes, cover letters and interviews:

• abated
• abolished
• accelerated
• accomplished
• achieved
• actively participated
• administered
• advanced
• advised
• aggressively analyzed
• applied
• assumed a key role
• authored
• automated
• built
• hired
• closed
• coached
• co-developed
• codirected
• co-founded
• cold called
• collected
• co-managed
• communicated
• completed
• computerized
• conceptualized
• conducted
• consolidated
• contained
• contracted
• contributed
• controlled
• convinced
• coordinated
• cost effectively created
• critiqued
• cut
• dealt effectively
• decreased
• defined
• delivered
• designed
• developed
• developed and applied
• directed
• doubled
• earned
• eliminated
• emphasized
• enforced
• established
• evaluated
• exceeded
• executed
• exercised
• expanded
• expedited
• facilitated
• filled
• focused
• formulated
• fostered
• founded
• gained
• generated
• ground-breaking
• headed up
• helped
• identified
• implemented
• improved
• increased
• initiated
• innovated
• instituted
• instructed
• integrated
• interviewed
• introduced
• investigated
• lectured
• led
• leveraged
• maintained
• managed
• marketed
• motivated
• negotiated
• orchestrated
• organized
• outmaneuvered
• overcame
• oversaw
• penetrated
• performed
• permitted
• persuaded
• planned
• played a key role
• positioned
• prepared
• presented
• prevented
• produced
• profitably
• project managed
• promoted
• proposed
• prospected
• protected
• provided
• published
• quadrupled
• ranked
• received
• recommended
• recruited
• reduced
• removed
• renegotiated
• replaced
• researched
• resolved
• restored
• restructured
• reversed
• satisfied
• saved
• scheduled
• scoped out
• selected
• self-financed
• set up
• sold
• solved
• staffed
• started
• stopped
• streamlined
• substituted
• supervised
• taught
• tightened
• took the lead in
• trained
• trimmed
• tripled
• troubleshooted
• turned around
• upgraded
• yielded

While you certainly can use the list anytime youre looking to say something in a more powerful way, you can also use it to help jog your memory about accomplishments on present and past jobs that you might otherwise overlook. Also, consider using the list to help you refine your resumes and cover letters to be more powerful in their presentation and communication.

Author: Cheryl Lynch Simpson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Here are some tips and considerations to avoid making resume mistakes that can cost you.

1. Dont obsess about the length of your resume, focus on the content but do keep in mind that most people will get by with a 2 page resume. A third page should really only be used when absolutely necessary.

2. Dont include personal information in your resume such as age, hobbies or things of that nature. The goal of your resume is to get an interview not a date. Keep it professional.

3. Dont include any references to salary your current salary or desired salary in your resume.

4. Dont use personal pronouns such as I or Me or My in your resume.

5. Dont simultaneously email your resume to multiple recruiters or hiring managers in the same email. Send emails to individual contacts, one at a time, addressed to the specific person you are sending it to.

6. Dont forget that you no longer work for a company. If you have left the company, dont make it look on your resume like you are still working for the company. Include accurate start and end dates for each job you have held.

7. Dont embellish (ie. lie) on your resume if youre not prepared to have to explain yourself when youre caught.

8. Dont ask a recruiter to submit your resume for a job that youve already applied to yourself or through another recruiter.

9. Similarly, dont keep sending your resume to the same company over and over again. Observe their rules: if they say that they keep resumes on file for 6 months, then believe them. You dont need to send your resume every 2 weeks.

10. Dont apply for jobs you have no chance getting. There is a difference between submitting your resume to a company for consideration should a relevant job arise, and submitting your resume for a specific advertised job that you are not suited for. Learn to tell the difference otherwise hiring managers will be hitting delete the moment your emails arrive.

11. Dont list your references on your resume. They can be provided to the employer when the time comes. Plus, if you are using recruiters, they will most likely make a note of your references and contact them if they have a job that might suit them.

12. Dont send additional materials when submitting your resume for a job. If you need to supply educational transcripts or other materials, you can supply them when asked.

Author: Carl Mueller
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

What’s the deal with the hidden job market? Why is everyone always talking about it? What is it?

The hidden job market is comprised of jobs that are filled before they are advertised. It is estimated that about 75% of all jobs are in the hidden job market.

Why? Because employers hate to hire. The hiring process is extremely expensive and time-consuming.

They have to advertise the opening, sort through hundreds of resumes and spend weeks, sometimes even months interviewing and trying to select the perfect applicant.

Employers only hire when they have a need to be fulfilled, and even in that situation they will avoid actively seeking applicants as long as they possibly can.

So how does this help you? How can you find jobs that are in the hidden job market? Most importantly, how can you get interviews for jobs in the hidden job market?

One way is to network – which we briefly discussed in Part One of this course.

While that is one very effective way to find jobs both advertised and unadvertised, it’s not necessarily the fastest way to find a job.

The quickest and most powerful method for accessing jobs in the hidden job market is cold-calling.

Employers love a candidate who is bold and assertive enough to go this route. Cold calling may seem scary at first, but it really isn’t as bad as you think. Many people are afraid of cold-calling for two reasons:

They feel like they are intruding; they think the employer doesn’t want to be bothered. We’ve already learned this isn’t true. Employers like to be “bothered” by someone who can solve their problems or fulfill a need in their company – that way they don’t have to actively seek out prospective employees.

What’s the best way to find out if they have a need?

Call them up and find out!

The second reason people generally don’t like cold calling is because they are afraid of rejection. This is a logical fear, nobody likes to be rejected.

The bad news is, there is no 100% rejection proof method for you to use.

The good news is, in my ebook Resume Writing Secrets Exposed, you will discover a little known psychologically persuasive phrase that, when used properly, almost never fails.

Author: Adrianna Kristian
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: How Electric Pressure Cookers Work

What resume format should you use when putting your job accomplishment bullet points together?

Specifically, how should you structure the text in your resume to get the best and biggest positive impact that will result in more interviews?

Hiring managers hire someone because they have a problem that they need solved. Therefore your resume needs to clearly illustrate your accomplishments, proof of the problems that youve solved.

When you are putting your resume together and are typing your bullet points describing each job youve held, remember that youre not putting together a job description.

You need to type your bullet points to describe your accomplishments and achievements, not simply state what you did in that position.

A good way to accomplish this is to structure each point with the following format:

Problem, Action, Result.

Here it is explained in more detail:

Problem: Explain a problem or situation that arose in your job.

Action: Explain the action that you took to deal with and solve the problem or situation described above.

Result: Explain the result of the action you undertook to solve the problem or situation described above.

Specifically, lets say you are a sales manager and you have a group of sales staff who arent meeting their sales quotas. You decide to retrain the staff in sales techniques to improve their sales skills and as a result profitability increased by 15%. Here is how you could structure the bullet point in your resume:

The problem you faced was underachieving sales staff, the action you took was to retrain the staff, and the result was an increase in profitability of 15%.

Doesnt this sound better and more impactful than simply saying Managed sales staff or something similar to this?

Not only does the first example contain far more detail, it uses action verbs such as upskilled and uses specific numbers to describe the number of staff in question and the specific result of the action, an increase in profitability of 15%.

In short, your bullet points should include as much detail as possible and should use action verbs that explain not what just what you did in the job, but what you accomplished.

Hiring managers want to read about your accomplishments not simply a rehash of your job description.

Author: Carl Mueller
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Guest blogger

The first point to make is that the terms “CV” and “Resume” (with or more often without the French acute accents over the e’s) are virtually interchangeable in the UK; they mean the same thing, but if anything the norm is CV. In the USA and elsewhere, the CV (Curriculum Vitae to give it its full title – literally “Life Study”) is a different animal – a dry listing of qualifications and experience more suited for a university faculty listing for example.

This short article by Stephen Thompson, Managing Director and CEO of Top Professional Resumes Limited in the UK (http://www.top-pro-cvs.com), is a brief introduction to writing such a document yourself.

It is a fairly obvious truism that a good CV alone won’t get you a job. However a bad CV will prevent you from getting an interview. Since your Resume is primarily a tool to help find a better job or career change, time spent on its proper preparation is a good investment.

There is room for some creativity, but not for gimmicks. What works today is a professional, business-like style and a focus on key achievements.

We believe the best way to explain the ‘rules’ of CV writing is to explain what you should always do and what you should never do.

Do’s:

1. Always print your CV on good quality white or cream/buff paper or vellum. The size should be A4 for the UK, and Letter Size for the USA, Australia and most other countries or territories. The point is that it should be the size that, unfolded, will fit a standard file folder or lever-arch file.

2. Have your Resume typed or word-processed, with plenty of space between paragraphs, and allow for adequate margins. There’s no need to have it professionally printed.

3. Use short paragraphs – preferably no longer than five or six lines

4. Proof read your CV and Covering Letter (another essential document) thoroughly to check for any errors, then get another pair of eyes to give it the once-over. It is surprising how easy it is to miss obvious spelling and other mistakes when you are immersed in it for a few hours. Somebody else will see it straight away.

5. Include your contributions at each one of your jobs. Give the more significant ones greater emphasis.

6. Allocate the largest amount of space to your most recent job.

7. List your activity with professional associations – but only if they’re appropriate.

8. Keep a permanent file of your achievements, no matter how inconsequential they may appear to be, and update it regularly. This will be the source document for a good CV or Resume, whether you do it yourself or have it written professionally.

9. Before applying for any positions, ensure you send each of your referees a copy of your CV.

10. Send a brief, customised Covering Letter with each CV. This is an absolute must, but writing the Covering Letter needs to be very carefully done and is another topic in itself. Email us (info@top-pro-cvs.com) for advice.

11. Send your Resume within a week of a position being advertised, and in any event well within any stated timescale.

12. Re-read your CV before the interview as part of your final preparation. The likelihood is high that the interviewer will have done this just before he or she sees you, so the fresher it is in your mind the better.

Don’ts:

1. Never give reasons for leaving a job. In almost all cases, the reader can find negative connotations to even the best reasons. You’re better off explaining in person, if you feel it appropriate, or of course if you’re asked.

2. If the subject comes up, never use negative language about your former employer, rather emphasise your ambition and desire to move on to a more challenging environment.

3. If you feel they need to be mentioned, say to “humanise” your Resume, then do not take more than two or three lines to list hobbies, sports and social activities. If in doubt “leave them out”. As a professional resume writer, I would very rarely include them at all. Nor would I include any other personal information such as your spouse’s occupation or your personal philosophies – they can too easily provide a reason not to see you, the exact opposite of your intention!

4. There is no need to state ‘References Available on Request’. It is assumed, so just clutters up the CV and uses space that could be put to better use.

5. For the same reason, never list references on the CV.

6. Do not give exact dates. Months and years are sufficient (ie May 1998 to December 2002 – always use 4 digits for the year, give it in full).

7. Never include the date your Resume or CV was prepared. If your search takes longer than a few months, (and it can if you don’t invest in a professionally-written CV from Top Professional Resumes )the document will appear outdated and give entirely the wrong impression.

8. Never include your work phone number unless your immediate boss knows you are leaving .

9. Never state your personal objectives unless they are relevant to the position applied for.

10. Do not use professional jargon, and NEVER slang or colloquial terms.

11. Do not provide salary information on the CV. Save it for the interview, and only give it then if directly asked. If this information is requested before interview, state it in your Covering Letter.

The Interview-Winning Resume or Power CV
- what recruiters look for.

What do people receiving them want to see, and in what format? And what do they not want?

Most of this section is really elaboration of the points listed as Do’s and Don’ts above.

The majority of recruiters want to see personal details appearing immediately below the name. Most selectors prefer the date of birth to age, but if you think your age might be an issue (ie too young or too old), then leave it out altogether. A high percentage like to see some personal information, but they are not generally interested in age of children, religion or a photograph. Neither are they interested in the candidate’s view of their own characteristics. Indeed, as these views are entirely subjective, they are often viewed with scepticism, which can have a negative effect.

Practically all recruiters like to see details of further education, degrees and professional qualifications. A surprising number are also interested in numbers of ‘O’levels, ‘A’ levels and GCSE’s(UK), or Grades and Statistics in the USA. Most want details of work related training, particularly those courses which are of reasonable length and lead to a formal qualification. The inclusion of foreign languages is important at all levels, and this trend is increasing.

Names of employers, dates of employment, appointments and responsibilities are obviously essential, whilst many recruiters also want a brief description of the company and its business. Employment history should be in reverse chronological order beginning with the most recent job. Responsibilities and Achievements should be listed under each appointment rather than on a separate sheet.

There is a preference for the two page CV, although a significant number of recruiters find three pages acceptable, particularly for senior level appointments.

Top Professional Resumes also provide a completely FREE, no-obligation CV and Resume review service. If your present CV or Resume is not working for you, email it (mailto:review@top-pro-cvs.com) or fax it to us (+44 if outside UK, and drop the leading zero) to (0)7813 125606. We will respond as soon as possible.

Shameless marketing plug.

Top Professional Resumes (http://www.top-pro-cvs.com) prepare resumes and other job-search materials specially designed to grab an employer’s attention and COMPEL him to give you an interview. Visit the website to see our Time Limited Special Offer, and take advantage of our Unique Risk Reversal Scheme.

Copyright Stephen Thompson and Top Professional Resumes Limited 2005.

Author: Stephen Thompson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com