An RX For Your Resume

July 14th, 2008

Whether you are an accountant, virtual assistant, or a corporate executive, your job skills are constantly refined. A new sales presentation you’ve organized or the new spreadsheet package you’ve mastered should be included on your r

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Resume Writing Guide

July 10th, 2008

A well written and concise resume can dramatically improve your chances of landing that dream job. Before you write or update your personal resume why not follow this basic resume writing guide to get you started.

Resume preparation is key to success
Sit down in a quiet room with a pen and paper. Jot down a quick self-assement and highlight your skill strengths and abilities, be positive and relaxed and think of why you really want ths job and how this resume will help you get that all important interview.

Resume content - contact information
Your contact information is the most important area of your resume. That’s why it is placed at the top. Remember to include your name, permanent address, telephone number (mobile too if you have one) and an email address that is your primary online contact.

Summary of your Resume
This is your resume sales pitch. Objective targetting to the job your applying for is key to success. For example if you were applying for a job in the I.T. industry you would highlight keyskills as computers, problem solving, working as team etc. At the end of your summary include a short statement on personal goals you set yourself. This shows drive and the will to learn and succeed.

Education and Work Experience
A clear and easy to follow list starting with your most recent qualifications and educational details are included in your resume.
The work experience details are a big hit with employers. Use action words to describe your work duties. Include your work experience in reverse chronological order.

Other information and References
You might want to include any volunteer work or other out of work activities that you might think help your resume template. Pay particular attention to any “team” activities you take part in and give them priority listing, careful not to “waffle”, two or three out of work pursuits is about perfect to list.
Take time to think of usually two people you might want as your referrers. Reference details should never be listed in detail - a good example to use is:
“References are available on request”.

Important: Final check of your Resume
After completing your resume it is time to have it checked by someone else. A family or friend is a good choice, these final checks are of paramount importance. Do not forget to run a spell check of your resume template. Print your resume onA4/Letter white paper and clarity is key, no use of italics or underlined words and ideally keep your font size to about 12-14pt.

By following these guidelines on resume writing you will have a distinct advantage on your competitors and will set you on your way to your dream job.

Free Resume Guides at Resume Template: www.resume-template.co.uk

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Your Interview “Secret Weapon”

July 8th, 2008

Have you ever been on a date where you had nothing in common so you spent your time asking questions about the other person’s past?

“Where did you work before that? Where did you grow up? Where did you move to after that? How many brothers do you have?”

You get the idea. Your brain is in escape mode and your mouth is simply buying time until you can leave.

Many people find themselves in the same situation at interviews and spend all their time talking about the past, trying to defend their resume. This a really bad sign and if you find it happening to you then you’re probably not going to get the job.

But there is a devastatingly simple way you can turn the interview around.

What if you asked this question instead:

“You want to hire someone to make something *happen* - so what is it you want to have happen from this job?”

Asking an employer what outcome or what they want to happen from this job completely turns the interview around and an interviewer or employer will start to tell you what they want… Now you can give them examples from your PAST (your resume) that demonstrate you can deliver the outcomes the employer is looking for.

Now instead of talking about your past, you can now talk about your potential.

Now instead of giving the usual staid examples of how you handled a bad situation with a customer, you can talk about the job itself, and the challenges these guys are trying to overcome. You can then take them by the hand and reassure them that not only is your past not your potential but you’ll show them how your talents, skills and experience can deliver all they’re looking for and MORE.

Not bad, eh?

There’s one caveat on this approach though. When you ask the “what do you want to have happen” question of the interviewer, they may not know the answer!

This can be especially true of HR people who spend their days thinking up hard interview questions and have NO idea that the people they hire are the fuel for their company’s growth and innovation. If you were to ask the manager of a hotel restaurant what they want to happen when they hire a waiter you’ll get a totally different response than if you ask the same question to the HR manager of the hotel.

Nonetheless, asking “What do you want to have happen if you hire me for this job?” gives you a fantastic opportunity to talk about the job and the challenges they’re facing.

Hopefully the person you will be working for will be in the interview as well, but if it’s just the HR people then ask the question and explore their answers. More than likely there will be a second interview in which case you’ll most probably be interviewed by your potential manager. Make sure you ask them what THEY want to have happen and explore the answer with them.

So, before you head off to your next interview, make sure you print a piece of paper with the question “What do you want to make happen” printed on it and space to make notes underneath. (Yes! You are allowed to take notes in with you and to ask questions! Hard to believe I know!)

This simple thing will turn you into a candidate that stands apart and commands respect.

Hi - I’m a marketing junkie who gets off on helping job seekers find their talent at my site http://www.job-secrets-revealed.com. I’m also a paraglider pilot to which people suggest I have a death wish but to me it’s more of a life wish.

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