6 VITAL TIPS FOR CREATING A SUPERIOR RESUMEWritten by Rita Fisher
6 VITAL TIPS FOR CREATING A SUPERIOR RESUMECopyright 2005 by Rita Fisher, CPRW / Career Change Resumes http://www.CareerChangeResumes.com 1, Keep It Short Considering that initially HR personnel only spend approximately 10-20 seconds on a resume, shorter your resume, most desirable it is. Aim for one page. Of course, it is sometimes impossible to create such a short resume. You might have to include a second page because you have way too much information regarding your work experience, accomplishments, etc. In this case, make sure that you list most relevant information within upper half of first page because that is section that gets looked at first. This way, these important insights will surely be noticed. 2, Spelling, Spelling, Spelling It is not enough to run word processor's spell checker on your document. Proofread your resume at least 3 times, once backward (sometimes that is how you notice mistakes.) Remember, a sloppy presentation is almost a guarantee that your resume will end up in circular file even if you have all qualifications in world. 3, Start Your Resume With A "Power Statement" Many resume writers suggest starting a resume with an objective. I object to that (no pun intended). Objectives are useless because they are self-centered. Here is a typical objective: "Challenging position in social services." My suggestion is that you start your resume with a power statement such as: "Experienced Social Worker with 10 years of proven client counseling and support background along with enthusiasm for working with children and their families." Whereas objective tells employer only what you want to do, power statement goes further in highlighting not only job you are seeking but also your major achievements. The power statement showcases what you can do for company.
| | How Beneficial is a Sample Cover Letter ?Written by Roger Clark
You can benefit from sample cover letters as they can help you learn about constructs of a high quality cover letter. However, there are some dangers in doing this ...If you have been sending out tons of resumes and cover letters and are not getting interviews you are probably wondering why. After all, you have requisite education and work experience required in job posting. You are sending in both a resume and cover letter as requested, so why aren't you getting any calls for interviews? The answer to this probably lies in type of cover letter you are sending. A lot of job seekers believe it is quite acceptable to copy and paste a sample cover letter and insert their name. There are certainly innumerable sites on internet that can provide you with a cover letter example; however there are a few things you should consider before you simply cut and paste a sample letter and make it your own. The Purpose of Sample Cover Letter The purpose of a successful cover letter is to make employer want to know more about you, to feel need to meet you in person and discuss job opening, to get you an interview! A sample cover letter is really only meant to provide you with inspiration to create your own. A cut and pasted sample resume cover letter will not highlight your unique skills and experience. In fact, a sample cover letter simply inserted with your name and address can have appearance of a 'canned' letter. Prospective employers can spot a cut and pasted cover letter and it often ends up in trash instead of 'call for an interview' stack. What a Sample Cover Letter Can't Do You do not have much opportunity to give any hints of your personality in a resume; after all it's just a recitation of your education and work experience. In today's competitive job market, many people share similar certifications and occupational backgrounds; what sets them apart is their work ethic, personality, and yes; even passion for job! Prior to interview, your unique qualities can only come through in cover letter. A generic sample cover letter just isn't going to give employer an idea of what sets you apart from hundreds of other job applicants vying for same job.
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