Golden Job

It's all about Job and Career!

Where do I start?

First and foremost you start with the job advertisement. When looking for jobs, try covering up the job titles and focus solely on what skills, experience and qualities the employer is actually looking for. By doing this, you will be pleasantly surprised at how many jobs you may have overlooked because the title somehow made you think you could not do it.

Resume Writing Guide Tip # 1

Start going through the criteria, highlighting where you experience matches what they are looking for. With essential criteria, if you match at least 90% you should apply for that vacancy. With the desirable criteria, if you match 60% – apply! Alongside the job description you should also have company research you have gleaned from their website or talking to people who already work in the organisation to which you are applying. This too needs to be considered when following the tips below.

Resume Writing Guide Tip # 2

Start at the main body of your resume, the Career Summary and you can fill everything else once this is done. It is easier to compile a winning profile once you realise how well matched for the job you are.

Resume Writing Guide Tip # 3

Starting with the criteria you match and have highlighted, write a bullet point for each one and this must be evidence based. For example, each bullet point should start with a word that ends ‘ed’, i.e. coached, implemented, designed, delivered etc. These are action words. I have seen many resumes that have lots of ‘responsible for’, but what does this tell the reader? You may have been responsible for something in the workplace but did you actually do it?

Resume Writing Guide Tip # 4

Consider some achievements. This is your Unique Selling Point (USP). If there are 3 of you going for the same job and you all have similar experience and skills, what is going to make you stand out from the other two people? Achievements to be considered should be based on what YOU have done and not necessarily what your team did. Examples of these could be:

Ideas you came up with that were implemented and in doing so saved the company money in terms of efficiencies or less staff required to do a specific task

Charity events you have taken part in and raised money for worthwhile causes

Any training courses you attended where you finished in the top 3 and out of how many

Any awards or accolades you were given as a result of your work efforts

Any promotions received ahead of peer group

Resume Writing Guide Tip # 5

Now to the Profile which should be the first paragraph in your resume. This should be no longer than 5 or 6 lines and is basically your 30 second commercial. It needs to be written in such a way that the reader is captured and is interested enough to want to read the rest of your resume. It should contain information around ASQ – Aims, Skills, Qualifications although not necessarily in that order.

Resume Writing Guide Tip # 6

Follow this paragraph up with a set of Key Skills. These key skills should tell the employer more about you as a person. For example:

Flexible approach to working hours

Willing to commute/relocate

Pro-active individual who is results focussed whilst remaining mindful of exceeding customer expectations

IT literate: competent in using all MS packages

Excellent sickness record, no absences in last 10 years

Hands on leadership style with added ability to motivate teams through strong work ethic and consultative approach to all tasks

Willing to accept responsibility for mistakes and learn from them

Resume Writing Guide Tip # 7

Your career summary should follow the Key Skills section and should include a Job Title, Company Name and the dates you worked there. If you are applying for a position that is similar to all your previous jobs, then you should do a reverse chronological resume. This shows your natural progression and experience gained within one industry and that is what you are promoting.

If, on the other hand you have had many varied jobs, you should consider a Functional CV. This is where you are selling your experience under several job title headings, again all bullet pointed and starting with the ‘ed’ words.

Resume Writing Guide Tip # 8

Next section you should focus on is Qualifications. Do not put a whole list of qualifications down there that are irrelevant. Keep them specific but in doing so, refer to your company research and the job description and perhaps you could add some additional ones that although not outlined in the job advert, you know they would be sought after in this company.

Resume Writing Guide Tip # 9

Your final section should be Personal Interests. Keep this very short and be aware of how the reader may perceive your hobbies. For example, if you’re a keen sky-diver or involved in other dangerous sports, could they consider you to be a high risk of injury that results in taking lengthy time off work?

Resume Writing Guide Tip # 10

Never send a duplicate resume or CV to more than one employer. Every resume you do should be targeted to ONE and only ONE specific position. Each employer must feel when reading it that you are the right person for the role and you really want to work for them and only them.

Hard to miss the news these days. Job layoffs, companies downsizing. Could you be next? Or even worse, have you just lost your job? You probably know you should begin creating a resume, but you also realize that you need some effective resume writing help.

So, you type in “resume writing help” or “effective resume writing” into your favorite search engine, and instead of feeling calm and in control, your head is spinning. That’s because – using the search term “resume writing help” alone – more than 27-million results showed up, and once you’ve visited even a few sites, you’re more confused than ever.

Ok. Calm down for a moment. Before you go out and buy the first 5 resume writing help books you see, or sign up for an expensive resume development seminar, take stock of what you REALLY need, and what also might be available right in your back yard.

Although I am not a fan the types of resumes that I see come out of local employment agencies, I do believe that the agencies themselves are a good place to start, especially if you will be targeting a job in your region (in other words, you’re not planning on leaving the area).

Here is why: By browsing the listings that are submitted to the agency, you will get a feel for the skills that employers in your area are actually looking for. I’m not saying that you will necessarily FIND a job that you want to target there at the employment agency, but you’ll get a “finger on the pulse” of what’s going on in your area.

You’ll also gain knowledge of certain keywords and language that employers are using. When you see certain nuances in different employers’ language, make a note of what stands out – it will come in handy when it’s time to write your resume.

While you are at the employment agency, it doesn’t hurt to speak with a counselor – and if you are offered resume writing help, by all means, go for it.

It’s not a bad starting document. And, it doesn’t cost you a cent. It does cost you time – but again, it’s nice to at least have a starting point, and making connections at the agency certainly can’t hurt!

Now, because I believe you will still need resume writing help, it’s time for you to ask yourself a few questions, and carefully ponder your answers. Before we get to these questions, however, it is critical that you understand this:

The purpose of your resume is to grab the attention of the reviewers, and intrigue them so much that they must bring you in for an interview.

In other words, your resume is an advertisement. Ok? It’s an advertisement for YOU. That is it. So think “advertising.” End of discussion!

So. Let’s move on.

#1: Do you have money to spend on creating a resume or hiring effective resume writing help? If so, how much can you afford? It is not unusual for personal resume development services to cost more than $100 – or even $200 (depending on how much work your resume needs). Some resume writers charge by the hour.

Again, determine whether this is the route you feel you need to go before taking out your credit card! Pros and cons! Someone who can be objective about you is an asset.

However, what if the resume writer is using old-fashioned techniques (think: “Chronological and Boring”)? If this is the case, your resume may not catch anyone’s eye to begin with.

Before you commit, look at samples of the writer’s work, and see if it fits your style and personality. Does the resume developer know that you are looking for a great advertisement about you?

#2: Do you feel like you have the ability to write your own resume? Obviously, there are dozens of books in any given bookstore for you to choose from that can offer effective resume writing help.

If you are a confident writer – and you can be totally objective about yourself – then this might be the way to go. The drawback here is that you are likely to produce a resume that does not have the “flare” that your “advertisement” needs to catch anyone’s attention.

Please don’t get me wrong. Books are excellent tools! Most of the books out there have excellent tips and advice that will be very helpful in your resume development efforts.

However, it has been my experience that most resume writing help books don’t look at creating a resume in quite the same way as an advertising copywriter might.

Also, if you are going it on your own (even if you THINK you are being totally objective about yourself) you’ll need to be very careful that angry or upset emotions about a job loss or threat of a job loss are NOT reflected in your resume.

#3: Do you feel that you would like to try resume writing help software? Somewhere between hiring a “live” coach and doing it all yourself? If so, again, it is critical that you think about what you are trying to accomplish here before you pull out the credit card.

If you DO decide to go this route, ask yourself if the software is billed as using marketing and copywriting techniques. If not, you might wind up with another ho-hum, old-fashioned, standard looking resume that didn’t need to cost you anything to begin with.

Look for an energetic approach that can bring your resume to life. Make sure it feels right to you – just like finding the right fit in a job!

Finally, no matter how you choose to proceed with creating a resume, every step you take with resume development should be done calmly, and without any negative emotion – even if you just lost your job! This is critical! Do not take a chance that any bad feelings or negative emotions show in your resume. The only emotions you want to have showing in your resume is that you are confident, happy and excited about this whole thing. Ok?

Now that you have pondered these ideas, and done a little research in a calm and methodical manner, finding effective resume writing help that’s right for you will (hopefully!) have just gotten a lot easier!

Unemployment is rising these days. There are so many applicants but jobs are getting lesser. Every year thousands and millions of student’s graduates but the jobs doesn’t increase plus competition is high. Losing hope? This time is the right time to pick up those old resumes and we’ll make it better for the sake of your career. If you wanted a resume creator you can seek help from Amazing Resume Creator.

Here is some of the useful resume writing tips:

1. Use the design that catches attention. An employer wants a resume that stand out among the rest. A resume that even at the first glance, it catches their attention. Do not put any information that is unrelated to the job position you’re applying for. Put all the necessary information that qualifies you on the position.

2. Information should be focused on the qualification of the job you’re applying for. Put in the all information that your employer needs to know. Never lie in your resume.

3.Important details must be prioritized. As mention earlier, important details must come first. Because if you’re employer won’t see the needed qualifications right away, your resume, your effort is useless. Your resume must stand out.

4. Sell yourself and your related work experiences in the content. Enumerate and elaborate every skills and abilities which you think makes you qualify in the position.

5. There should be no grammatical errors and misspelled words. Never get lazy on checking your resume before submitting. That is a total turn off to any employer.

There are so many resume writing tips and resume resources online like Amazing Resume Creator. Make a perfect resume and get a wonderful job.

The purpose of any resume is to display your qualifications in a positive, organized and precise manner that not only gets the prospective employers attention but makes them want to know more about you. When applying for a government job, using the free Federal KSA resume writing could mean the difference between getting a job interview and them passing over you. If this is your first time applying for a government job and are wondering what KSA’s stand for, it is knowledge, skills and ability.

When using a free Federal KSA resume writing service, along with the resume, most Federal jobs require you to write KSA’s or knowledge, skills and ability statements. These KSA’s are specific to the job position applied for within each area of government and reflect the job experience you have in each area specified. The government grades each KSA individually so using a free Federal KSA resume writer is extremely important. This could very likely mean the difference between them noticing you and contacting you for an interview or them passing you over.

Unlike applying for other jobs in corporate America, applying for a position with the Federal government is entirely different. This is where free Federal KSA resume writing is extremely important, as the government requirements can confuse even the sharpest people. When applying for a government position, you have to meet their individual eligibility requirements, supply the required documents and submit them when requested. You must meet the posting position requirements or they will pass over your resume. That is why free Federal KSA resume writing is so important.

In addition, unlike other resumes, you must submit your resume to the Federal government using a special format and realize that the information required is not typical to a resume you send to other prospective employers. To improve your chance of the government calling you in for a job interview, use a free Federal KSA resume writing service.

There are quite many professional resume service providers who could help you with planning your resumes well. When you plan to approach any professional resume services you need to ensure that certain pointers are taken care of. Quite many places, be it online or even otherwise would help you get in touch with professional resume services.

However, you need to ascertain that you are going to have your resume done through the most professional one. So pick the skilled service which would deal with the idea that you are hunting for, consequently giving you the best of all jobs within your field.

It is vital that you know that different professional resume writing services work solely on the jobs you suggest them and hence you need to take care of your specification about the employment you narrate these agencies. Only then would they essentially know what exactly you are looking for in any employment and structure the resume proportionally. This would also assist you in getting the right kind of business or employment by having a well organized design of a resume that would take you towards your dream job.

Choose the right service

There are certain fundamentals to be kept in mind before you conclude which professional resume writing service you wish to rely upon. Most importantly, one should understand that there are a number of companies in the market offering you with professional resume services. However, you need to ensure that you hit upon just those agencies which would write in a way fetching you the job you desire.

Most agencies would undoubtedly give flawless services. However, finding the right place for your resume structuring could be found easily only by checking the history of the concerned firm. Different places would also help you collect data about the professional resume services you can get in touch with. You need to make sure you don’t miss on this before you start. This would exactly give you what you are looking for.

View the Samples

Furthermore, when you go about the resume writing service hunt, make sure you request for a sample resume. The simplest way to know the agency and check what they have got to offer you is by flipping through their sample resumes. This would help you to not just get an idea about how you want your resume to look like, but also make the decision about choosing your professional agency. Every agency would be more than pleased to show you their samples; if they refuse to do so, you can always stop by the next.

Let me ask you: If you don’t know what you want and where you are going, what makes you think a busy employer will take the time to figure it out for you?

Very frankly, they won’t and they shouldn’t!

While I hear it every day, I still cringe when I pick up the phone and prospective clients tell me that they “just want to find a job – any job.”

Using this hit-or-miss, anything-will-do strategy, even if by some stroke of luck you land a position, the job you land would very likely be one that you would be miserable in! You may have the ability to do the job, but it wouldn’t be in line with your interests, your values, and your passions.

When individuals come to me and are not able to express a focus, I tell them very frankly that until they are able to articulate a clear career target, hiring a professional resume writer will be a waste of their time and money. If I am unable to assist them in narrowing down a focus, I will refer them to a career counselor and suggest that they spend some time defining a focus and setting career goals before we work together on the resume. And yet, so many people TRY to write a resume without a clear focus. Are YOU guilty of this?

Do you have a resume? If so, what I would like to request is that you pull it out and take a look at it with a fresh eye – try to look at it objectively as someone receiving it for the first time might look at it. Is your career focus immediately clear? Within seconds – because that is REALLY all you have – will the recipient come away with an understanding of your job target -of the level and type of position you are seeking – and of exactly where you would fit in their organization and add value? Be honest with yourself? This is really important! If you have trouble being objective, it may help to ask a friend or acquaintance for their impressions after a 10 second scan.

Assuming that you do need to refine the focus of your resume – as most people do – you may be wondering just how to do that.

Is an objective statement the best way to focus your resume? In the past you were probably taught that objective statements were an essential part of the resume. Happily, this is no longer true.

Today, profile or summary sections are used to set the tone and focus for most resumes. Why? Well, think about it: objectives tell the reader what you WANT from them. Profiles or summary sections tell the reader what you OFFER them. This is a subtle but really important difference.

Your resume needs to be employer-centered and focused on how you will meet the employer’s needs, solve their problems, and add value to their organizations. Your resume must be focused, but the more modern way of doing this than an objective statement, is to create a headline statement that is incorporated as part of your summary or profile. Are you having trouble envisioning what a headline statement is? Or, even what a resume profile or summary is? There are dozens and dozens of examples for you to review in the resume samples section of the Distinctive Documents website.

The best job target, of course, is the well-defined one. At the very least, you should be able to articulate and succinctly state the job function that you want to perform and the professional level you are targeting. But even these two criteria are quite broad. To be really effective you should pair those criteria with one or more criteria. For example, other criteria might include the industry you plan to target, the company size or type you are interested in, or maybe the type of product or service developed or sold by the company.

You’ll be using all of this information to create a really strong and focused headline statement and summary profile. But don’t stop there. Your resume is a marketing document! It is not an autobiography. Your resume is, at its very core, an advertisement of the specific benefits you have to offer in relation to a specific type of position. Every word and element in your resume should serve a purpose and should support your job target. If irrelevant or extraneous data that does not support and promote your job target is left in your resume, you will dilute your focus and will almost certainly confuse the reader. Don’t let that happen and don’t make the mistake of thinking you need to include everything about yourself in your resume. Once you know your focus, carefully review the body of your resume and eliminate or reframe everything that doesn’t serve your job target.

And, here is another really key tip: Remember that you are writing to the future in your resume, not about the past. Your resume content should be guided by who you want to be and how you want to be perceived. You need to know your goals and write from those perspectives. If you are involved in a career transition, you need to be absolutely honest and truthful while re-evaluating, re-weighting, and reframing past experience to bring the transferable qualifications to the forefront.

A well-defined target will guide you in your entire job search – in how you prioritize your skills and past experience as a focus for your resume and other job search documents, the people that you contact and network with, and the companies that you research and ultimately apply to.

So, go ahead. Take some time right now – today – to make certain that your resume is clearly, accurately, and immediately conveying your focus and your job target to the reader. This simple step will dramatically enhance your resume and the results it generates.

Resume writing software are available at a variety of prices. The price depends on the features offered by the program. Study various components of a resume writing software to determine if it is worth purchasing and whether it is within your budget. Consider the following features that will assist you in making the right choice of software. Do you intend to write just one resume, your own, or are you a professional resume writer who has to write a number of resumes in the course of your career?

While writing a resume, you should be aware that there are basically two types of resumes: the functional resume and the chronological resume. The chronologic resume, which makes a list of work experiences according to dates, is more popular among prospective employers and employees alike. However, freshers and those who have large gaps in their work histories rely on the functional style, which focuses on skills rather than a chronological record of work experiences.

Usually, a resume writing software offers anywhere between 90 to 300 various types of fonts. While considering fonts, you have to remember that you don’t use decorative fonts to write a resume. Most resumes are written in standard fonts.

Not all resume writing software come with a thesaurus; however, most of them comprise a spell-check facility. If you want to write a single resume, you don’t really need a thesaurus, but people who write a number of resumes require a thesaurus and had better purchase a package that offers a thesaurus.

Several resume writing software comprise links to job portals, which enables you to easily create online profiles, upload your resume online, and search jobs.

Usually, resume writing software comprises a set of key phrases that you can use when you are writing about your educational qualification, skills, and other aspects of your resume. You can select and modify these phrases as per your requirement.

Certain resume writing software enables you to easily convert your file to a PDF file; however, not all software have this facility. If you want to e-mail your resume, a PDF format is the best. You can convert a word file into a PDF file even without a resume writing software.

Some resume writing software are not compatible with newer versions of Windows, such as Vista, or with MacIntosh. Most of them are, however, compatible with any operating system.

Do a little research to find out the best resume writing software for you. The Internet is the best source of information regarding this.

A job seeker has a 25-year sketchy background that includes several career transitions. Career choices range from her early beginnings as a music education teacher to her business partnership in video production which is ongoing and sporadic to her more recent experience in retail sales. In between, she raised her children and obtained a bachelor’s degree in media production. Additional experience includes office managerial positions and part-time evening work as a dispatcher for an alarm company that she is not sure about listing it on her resume.

She is now looking to leverage her career in a position with a TV video production company so she can explore a position where her eclectic background in managing a similar business will be utilized and developed. So how should she do her resume? She has decided to target a position as a senior technician and work her way up the ranks. She is very confident and knows that this foot-in-the-door position will launch her new career. The emphasis will be placed on her work producing independent films, her technical expertise, (retail) business management and music education experience.

First section: OBJECTIVE STATEMENT (Title Objective)

Unlike an objective statement, a title objective consists of a few words that serve as a headliner to brands the job seeker and express their objective.

This is done best if the job seeker is experienced in that occupational discipline. Using a title objective rather than a sentence-style objective statement is much more direct and very powerful.

If a job seeker is transitioning to a new career, the use of a title objective can be initially misleading. It is helpful to preface the title objective with a statement such as “Target Position” or “Position of Interest”. This is how this section should look:

TARGET POSITION: SENIOR TECHNICIAN, TV PRODUCTION

Second Section: PROFILE

Unlike the Summary of Qualifications section, a profile is a paragraph that is more of a bio rather than a few simple sentences. It tells a story and is much stronger in language. The goal is the same, in that it still conveys the scope of experience, skills, credentials and attributes relevant to the position of interest. You do not need to use the actual word Profile as you would use Summary of Qualifications in our first example. This is how the first two sections should look when combined:

TARGET POSITION: SENIOR TECHNICIAN, TV PRODUCTION

Multi-talented business management professional with a strong career path that combines music education, business ownership in media and video production, and business management. Strong team leader and client consultant known for ability to develop scalable solutions that dramatically improve efficiency and productivity through management of project specifications, timelines, resources, and budget requirements from point of planning through production.

Third section: PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Sometimes a chronological resume will not work because the most recent experience is not the most relevant experience. So, a combination resume is the strategy that should be used. The combination format combines the elements of a functional (skills based) and chronological format. Professional Experience will be the main category, followed by sub-categories that are appropriately named according to the function or job title. These will be Video Production, Music Education, and Business Management (Retail).

Notice how the category is not called Retail Sales Management. Rather, “retail” is given a backseat because it is not the focus as much as the business management end of what this job seeker does. But, before we even get to that point, a chronology of employment will be listed first. This is how the section should look:

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Managing Partner, Video Production Studios, Town, X/XX – Present

Video Production Operations

VIDEO PRODUCTION

* Direct the hiring, training, supervision, and evaluation of a production staff and volunteers.

* Fully coordinate the logistical operations of program productions.

* Conceptualized, developed, and produced 30-minute interview and music shows.

* Supervised and approved show format, host, theme song, and casting.

* Plan and organize the scheduling of program channels and the casting of community events.

* Oversee the implementation of all technical requirements and conduct group-training sessions.

* Manage projects and technical teams and program schedules.

* Direct stage productions, conduct orchestras, create, edit, and produce videos.

* Build and administer system networks and handle all aspects of creative technical writing.

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

* Served as a team member responsible for developing and implementing business plans.

* Executed the distribution and promotion of all new product lines.

* Led the market push of six new products from conception to completion.

* Coordinated the design of graphics to created product branding.

* Directed product production, achieving a year-over-year cost savings of 25 percent.

* Produced voice-overs, audio calls, and on-camera product introductions.

* Trained video editors and operations staff in the delivery of scripts.

* Managed weekly status meetings to instill uniform vision of product development.

* Reduced defect reductions from 15 percent per unit to less than 4 percent per unit.

Fourth Section: EDUCATION

Often, highly experience or more senior-level professionals have graduated over ten years ago. They do not want to emphasize their age or to show that their education was so far back. So, the best thing to do is omit the date. Since their experience far outweighs their education, they do not need to list their GPA either. The best approach is to keep it as simple as possible. This is how the section should look:

EDUCATION

Music Conservatory, Town, XX

Bachelor of Arts in Music

Fifth Section: COMPUTER SKILLS

In some cases, there is specialized software in addition to the usual MS Word and Excel. It is a good idea either list them first or use subcategories so the technical software stands out.

If there is a series of applications that all start with Adobe, Microsoft or Apple, it is a good idea to list Adobe or Microsoft once, followed by the specific software from that company. When using this approach, keep the group together on their own line or separated by a semi-colon. This is how the section should look:

COMPUTER SKILLS

Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Image Ready;

Apple Final Cut, Live Type, Motion, and Soundtrack; MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

Your chances of securing interviews is likely to increase by up to 50% if you skilfully articulate these points However only include these qualities if you genuinely have them.

Industry Targeted/Job Specific Qualifications or Training -Recruiters and employers absolutely love this, candidate that do not require extra training and already has a catalogue of relevant job specific qualifications always stand out.

Evidence of adding to the bottom line of a company or business – If you can prove this and it is clear in your career track record, you will stand out.

Prove that you have always met and exceeded your job targets – If this is clearly show and outlined, you will be a winner in the job hunting market.

Figures, Figures, Figures! – Have you made money for past employers or companies, have you sold products or services, won contract or tenders, state this clearly on your CV particularly if you are in a sales, marketing, retail, real-estate or similar sectors. Stating Figures explicitly can make you stand out above the rest.

Industry Awards and Prizes for work achievement – Listing these (if you have any), always goes a long way in proving you are different, dedicated and special!

Staff Management Abilities – Skills and expertise related to dealing with people, this includes any experience of training, interviewing, company presentations, coaching, work delegation, appraisals etc. If you have these skills, summarise and list them for maximum results.

International, National or Local exposure – If you are going for a local Job in a particular area, a previous track record of working in that same area always appeals to Employers and Recruiters. Similarly if you have international exposure in a specific job market, for example the building and construction industry, this looks good too, Mention such valuable information and stand out.

Consistence Track history with fewer employers – Stable Job Seekers that have worked in a company for a years, always get their CV or Resume noticed – if this can be said of you (you have stayed in one firm for 6-10 years or similar), then bring this to the for front of your application, Recruiters and Employers favour such candidates.

Accuracy and relevancy to job post advertised – This is critical, if you have all or even some of the above criteria’s, don’t forget to reflect your experience and abilities in line with the post you are pursuing, all these qualities can make you an immediate winner.

However l must admit, from experience l know it takes skills and someone with a recruitment HR background to skilfully assess job seekers expertises and help them put together the ultimate industry CV /Resume to secure interviews. If you fall into this category its worth getting your CV / Resume professionally written by an expert who knows how to help you.

Mistake 1: Listing Your Job Duties Instead of Your Accomplishments

Avoid statements such as “Job Duties” or “Job Responsibilities”. Employers want to know about your specific accomplishments and contributions to your previous employer. Did you save money, improve a process, solve a problem? By listing your accomplishments you are letting the employer know you can accomplish the work. This will certainly set you apart from the competition. When listing your accomplishments use bullet statements and action words instead of a narrative paragraph. Remember you have 30 seconds to get your point across, so make it easy to read.

For example, instead of:

• I wrote down my duties in a job manual

• I reorganized the publications and forms department

Use this instead:

• Constructed a procedure manual giving step by step instructions on how to bill a client

• Completely restructured a failing publications and forms department into a model department

Mistake 2: Not Using Key Words

Do you know that 80% of resumes are scrubbed through a database looking for key words? Those resumes where key words are identified get noticed by employers. Use key words in your qualifications and accomplishments. Think of them as encoding your resume with powerful words. Another tip is to read the job posting closely; key words employers are looking for are usually in the posting. There are many websites that list key words, one of my favorites is resumebuzzwords.net.

Mistake 3: Sending the Resume as an Attachment without Knowing how it will look

Have you ever opened an attachment and found it completely messed up? Somehow in the transmission the layout became distorted, the bullets were out of alignment, or the top of page 2 ended up on the bottom of page 1. The same thing can happen to your resume if you don’t do a test run. Email your resume to a few friends as an attachment and confirm how it looks on their computers. If it looks good, send it off to the employer. If there are problem you want to know about it now. You may have to save your resume in a text format with a .txt file extension. Making a .pdf version of your resume is another option. A variety of software applications are available to this.