Job Search and Resume Tips for Perth and WA Jobseekers
|
 |
WestJobs is compiling a list of top job search and resume tips to assist Perth and WA jobseekers create great resumes, covering letters and find work or employment in Western Australia. The list of resume tips will build weekly and hopefully assist in steering your career in the right direction.
Please note the advice offered is of a general nature. For a more personalised, professional service and help with your resume, please visit our resume tips.
Once you have a great resume, search for your next great job or career move. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
So how do you prepare yourself for an interview? You’ve researched the company and the role, you’ve estimated how long it will take to get to the interview on time, you’ve decided what to wear. Now you should role-play. Prepare what your answers will be when questioned, being honest. Here are some generalised questions commonly used in an interview.
- What job would you like if you had a completely free choice?
- Why are you seeking a position with our company?
- Why do you want to be a *****
- How do you cope with pressure situations?
- Be ready to give an example. Have you come across a situation like this?
- How did you handle it? What was the outcome?
- What are your greatest achievements to date?
- What objectives did you set yourself at the beginning of your career or study?
- Have you achieved those objectives?
- What interests you most/least about this job?
- Describe your own personality.
- Describe a situation where you have... (This is the style of questioning used in competency based interviewing, asking for examples of previous situations is fairly commonplace so have some relevant examples at the ready.)
- What salary are you looking for? (Do your homework beforehand!)
|
|
|
More and more agencies and employers are searching online for suitable applicants. If you do not have an online presence you may be missing out on opportunities.
- Promote yourself in a positive manner online, utilising the various social media tools available (LinkedIn, create your own blog, Facebook, Twitter, Xing…etc.)
- Is your online image a consistent positive demonstration of your value adds?
- Are you ensuring SEO for your online image - will agents and employers find you?
- Take an active role in relevant groups and online discussions, whilst displaying positivity and consistency.
- Set job alerts for relevant job boards – this means that appropriate adverts will come in to you.
- Work proactively with a limited number of high quality agents who will promote your expertise to relevant companies.
- Attend relevant webinars, online seminars, and online events, asking credible and positive questions.
|
|
|
Your resume has to make a powerful sales pitch within 20 seconds. If it does that, you will get the interviews you want. If it doesn't, you will continue to wonder why the phone isn't ringing.
Your resume is probably one of the most important documents you will ever write - at least in terms of its impact on your career. What other document plays such a crucial role in your happiness and/or your financial security?
The old saying "you never get a second chance to make a first impression" is never truer than during a job search. When you send your resume out, it must speak articulately for you. You can't explain inconsistencies, clear up confusion or fill in things that are missing.
Pass it on to friends and family for critique and ask yourself these 6 things:
1. Is your unique value proposition clearly expressed? What is it? Will the reader see and understand it within the first few seconds of looking at your resume?
2. Does your resume address the needs of your target employers by showing that you have solved problems similar to the ones they are experiencing?
3. Does your resume convey your ability to make an impact by outlining your accomplishments in a clear and compelling manner?
4. Have you used context to tell a compelling story that shows how you have helped former employers?
5. Does the resume design draw the eye to key information? Is the page clean and uncluttered? Is your resume easy on the eye?
6. And most important, when you read your resume, are you impressed?
|
|
|
So you’re finally happy with your resume and after hours of sweating over your cover letter, you quickly attach both documents and finally send it away with your fingers and toes crossed.
One of the quickest ways a Recruitment Agent or Human Resource Officer will shortlist the huge pile of applications in front of them, is by sifting through those applicants who have read the application instructions carefully. Something so simple can be quickly overlooked.
- Did they request your resume to be sent in Microsoft Word 2003 format?
- Did they ask for a 2-page covering letter that explains each of the questions in the selection criteria?
- Have you listed contact details for 2-3 referees?
- And let's hope you’ve check the closing date of the application…
For some roles requiring attention to detail or accuracy eg: advanced administrational positions or reading off plans in the building industry, Recruiters have been known to deliberately specify actions to be taken when applying, only to quickly detect those that lack attention to detail.
Recruiters may interpret these small errors as a flaw in your communication skills or ability to follow direction. This is not a time to step outside the perimeters of instruction.
|
|
|
Video interviews can be a little unnerving. Whether you are being interviewed on Skype, over the phone or in person, all the general rules of a job interview apply. Research the company, read the job description thoroughly, know your resume inside out and have a few answers for common interview questions prepared.
Fix yourself up!
Look presentable. Ensure your head and shoulders are clearly visible throughout entire interview. Wear a suit, not just the shirt and jacket and your Homer Simpson boxers, you wouldn’t want to get caught out.
Clean up your room
Clean up the room, whether it is your home office, patio outside, or sit in your hallway if needs be with a plain background, don’t use your kitchen bench to Skype. You don't want anything in the background to distract the interviewer from what you have to say.
Keep the noise down
Finding a quiet place to do the interview is vital as the microphone picks up more background noise than you might think. Dogs barking, children crying, mobile phones are not welcome distractions when being interviewed. Nor are other people walking in and out of the room
Get the technology right
Getting the technology right is crucial. Allow plenty of time before the interview to test all equipment. If possible, try to Skype a friend beforehand and get them to give you some feedback checking picture, sound light and background noise.
Practice makes perfect
Try recording yourself before the interview to make sure everything is working and practice answering some imaginary questions. While you might feel silly, it will help build up your confidence for the real thing.
Lights, camera, action!
The golden rule with a Skype interview is to treat it like any other face-to-face meeting. Smiling is a big one. Eye contact, look straight into the camera. Speak loudly and clearly though don’t shout. But most of all, relax. By the time you have done your research, know your stuff and look great, all you have to do now is work the camera, baby!
|
|
|
Congratulations! You just got an offer for a wonderful new job. There's just one catch. You have to say good-by to your current employer.
1. Give the correct amount of notice required by your company's written policy. ??
2. After you leave, do not accept any job-related calls from your company unless you have a written consulting contract. ??
3. Study your current and future company policies regarding disclosures and no-compete agreements. ??
4. Resign to your boss in person, tell the boss before you tell anyone else, you know how word travels
5. Follow up in writing to confirm dates, send a copy to the human resource department as well.
6. Thank your boss and your coworkers, even if you hate them all and can't wait to leave. ??
7. Decline a counter-offer. ??Recruiters consistently tell me, "Sixty percent of those who accept a counter-offer are gone in six months."
8. Treat the exit interview as a business formality, be upbeat and positive about your reasons for leaving and heading towards an new opportunity."
9. Resist the temptation to share the details of your future position with anyone, including increased salary packages. ??
10. Focus on your new opportunity - not your past experience.
|
|
|
A rather common resume writing error is to focus solely on job responsibilities, rather than your achievements.
Achievements should be highlighted above your responsibilities. This demonstrates what you accomplished above and beyond your set job description, or general requirements.
Achievements hold more impact if you can offer specific figures or statistical facts demonstrating how you made improvements within the business.
If you did not manage to personally achieve anything significant, then perhaps emphasis a highlight within that role such as: attended world trade show as sales representative held in Perth in 2010, demonstrating new model vacuum cleaners to over 20,000 attendees. An employer wants to hire you because you will add value to their company. This is best demonstrated through specific examples you can offer.
If you are a sandwich maker, what makes you different or better than every other sandwich maker applying for a role? Well you catered for 100 people during a business lunch function, accommodating all the client’s requests within 2 hours notice. Immediately, this is a highlight or achievement that demonstrates flexibility, efficiency and excellent customer service.
|
|
|
So you’re a Jack-of-all-Trades, or you’ve had numerous jobs in a variety of roles over the years, or you have more than one occupation that you’ve spent considerable time in.
It would be advised that you create multiple versions of your resume that highlight the particular skills you require when applying for different roles.
This is a good way to avoid looking as though you “can’t hold down a job” and without fabricating the dates, just enter years not the months. This way you can eliminate any role that are not particularly relevant or that you’ve not kept for longer than 6 months (as this may raise questions from an employer’s point of view)
If you have years of experience as a software engineer, and also have project management expertise, have two resumes: one highlighting your software engineer experience and another highlighting your project management experience.
Remember that you must keep your resume truthful at all times, but the way you emphasis what is relevant is a skill you may need professional assistance with.
|
|
|
Ever been surprised by entering an interview, only to find there are other people being interviewed aswell? This is a deliberate strategy from an employee known as Group Interviews.
Group interviews are used by an employer to see how you react amongst a group. They will want to see if you help or hinder the group reach its objectives.
An observer will be watching to see how you take criticism, whether you take on leadership roles and involve less communicative group members.
If you chair the meeting the observer will be checking on how you plan and keep control of the meeting.
If you are leading a group activity the observer will be interested in seeing how good you are at delegating tasks and how much of the work you keep for yourself.
Who will be first to volunteer for a role play of a ‘customer service dispute” for example. Who is willing to put themselves forward even if it means making an error in front of others?
All these things cannot be faked, as it is your natural tendencies and personality they are observing. Dependent on the role, it is hard to assume you know what they are looking for. The only way to prepare yourself for these situations is briefly understand what the employer is observing.
The best way to shine through the crowd is to be you, act naturally. And if it’s not what they are looking for – it’s probably not going to be the best suited role for you anyway.
|
|
|
Most companies now days are already using digital databases to search for candidates. This means that the HR department will run searches on specific keywords. This automatically scans all the resumes they’ve received and pulls out only the ones that are relevant. Guess what, if your resume doesn’t have the keywords related to the job you are applying for, you will be out even before the game starts.
These keywords will usually be nouns. Check the job description and related job ads for a clue on what the employer might be looking for.
For example:
Our firm has a Project Manager position opening in its Professional Services group.
Duties/Responsibilities:--Work with the prospective professional services customer to define the scope of work and provide it to the customer for approval.?-- Identify the external resources and if appropriate, internal resources with the necessary skills to develop a detailed Statement of Work.?--Manage the Professional Services team to execute on and complete the deliverables called out in the Statement of Work. --Manage the client relationship.
Qualifications:?--Demonstrated management, leadership, communication, motivational and influencing skills.?--Must have a thorough understanding of the software development process, preferably from a system (hardware/software) perspective.?--Must have a proven record of managing.
Key Words are:
- Scope of work
- Identify the external resources
- Execute on and complete the deliverables
- Client relationship
- Management
- Leadership skills
- Communication skills
- Motivational skills
- Influencing skills
Remember, your resume and cover letter need to position you to stand out from the crowd and grab the employer or hiring manager’s attention.
|
|
|
Everyone would agree that an Interview is very important in securing a job, as a potential employer will need to learn about you, your skills and values. That also works in reverse, as you will also need to be confident about the company and the position is one that you understand, only that way can you deliver what is expected of you. Below are some questions that may help you find out more about the company and the position.
Examples of questions:
1. What will I do on a day-to-day basis?
2. May I have a look where I will be working? (if appropriate)
3. Why is the position vacant?
4. What exactly does the job involve?
5. What are the performance objectives / expectations?
6. What are the opportunities for advancement?
7. What is the company’s policy on various key topics?
8. Can you tell me about the company’s future?
People:
1. Who do I work for?
2. Why did the last person in this job leave?
3. May I meet the people I will work with?
4. How would you describe the atmosphere?
5. To whom do I report?
6. How many people work in the section / department?
Pay, Working location, Working Conditions:
1. What are the dress requirements?
2. What else is the department responsible for?
3. What are the hours?
4. Is a uniform provided?
5. What are your training programs?
6. In which area would I be located?
Remember, your resume and cover letter need to position you to outshine your competition and grab the employer or hiring manager’s attention.
|
|
|
1. Excessive smiling – It is always a good idea to be pleasant, but don’t go overboard into seemingly dopey. If you smile too much, it can make it evident to your interviewer that you are overly nervous.
2. Exaggerating or lying about past performances – Nobody likes an exaggerator. And your potential employer will be able to sniff out your lies. And if you get the job based on the lies you told in the interview, chances are you will end up being over your head. So don’t do it. Period.
3. Jokes – You may think it would be a good idea to lighten the mood with a few jokes, but humor is very subjective and is way too risky to attempt in an interview.
4. Paint your past employers in a negative light – You may have intensely disliked your time at a certain company or organisation, but painting your employer in a negative light can make you come across as a whiner and may make your interviewer want to dig deeper into the situation by calling your employer to find out the truth.
5. Sweating – If you have a problem with controlling your nerves and are prone to sweating when nervous, remember to wear lighter clothing. An interviewer will not want to shake your clammy hand or see your sweat stains. Wear a light undershirt that is designed to soak up excess perspiration.
As a potential candidate, you need to come across in the interview as confident, in control, and friendly. These five no-no’s will sabotage your actual worth by taking attention away from your skills and abilities
Remember, your resume and cover letter need to position you to outshine your competition and grab the employer or hiring manager’s attention.
|
|
|
1. Keep the text simple. Use a basic and easy-to-read font such as Arial, Times New Roman, Helvetica, or something similar. Styles such as Comic Sans and Papyrus might look nice, but they become quite an eyesore and hard to read.
2. Use a similar alignment. All paragraphs, bullet points should also appear in the same format.
3. Make your contact information stand out. Your name should be the first thing a potential employer sees. Your contact information such as your address, phone number, and email should follow in smaller font.
4. A simple border can do wonders for a resume. It draws the eye and adds a nice polishing effect to the document.
5. Insert a graphic or icon. Depending on the position you are applying for, a small graphic in the corner also helps grab the reader’s attention. I photo is not necessary and usually don’t do you no favours.
6. Use a little bit of color. Color can also make your resume stand out. Don’t use coloured paper.
7. Incorporate testimonials, either after your introduction or at the end of your document. Italic the quote, include the name and position of the person who said it, and use a light background color such as grey.
8. Highlight areas of expertise. There are also called your core competencies and a quick way to sum up your relevant skill sets and are also used to incorporate keywords.
9. Ensure there is white space. Though you may have much to say, do not cram everything in to your resume.
10.Keep everything looking crisp and tidy. Do not go overboard with formatting your resume. Get someone else to read over it a proof for spelling etc.
Remember, your resume and cover letter need to position you to stand out from the crowd and grab the employer or hiring manager’s attention.
|
|
|
Instead of creating a long (and boring) list with all your qualities, try to connect them with real life and work experiences. In other words, you need to back these qualities and strengths up, or else it will appear that you are just trying to inflate things.
Most people possess the obvious behavioral qualities ie: honest, reliable, and punctual. Think creatively and highlight the unique qualities you pride yourself in that are different than everyone else. Ie: Initiative, Had to help in controlling a crisis/argument situation, with good effect
Remember, your resume and cover letter need to position you to stand out from the crowd and grab the employer or hiring manager’s attention.
|
|
|
1. Ask informed questions - When you are given a chance to ask your interviewer questions, don’t come at him/her with boring or off-target subjects. Don’t ask questions about routine elements or functions of the job, but do ask intelligent, well prepared questions. You don’t want to make your interviewer think you will waste valuable company time on unimportant matters.
2. Do your homework - The interview is a chance for you to put your best foot forward and to impress your potential employer with your skills and knowledge. Don’t waste the opportunity with random chit-chat. Instead, talk about subjects related to your field, the specific position and your past related experiences.
3. Bring your portfolio – A great way to show proof of your performance excellence is to bring examples of past work successes. A portfolio or full C.V. complete with Certificates, Achievements, Awards, Media clippings and written references, is an incredibly important selling feature for you. Make sure to organize it and have it in excellent condition – this will show that you take pride in and take good care of your own work.
4. Dress for success – As this is your first impression, what you wear says a lot about how seriously you take the opportunity and the company. Shine your shoes, dry clean your suit, dress modestly, and look professional.
5. Be pleasant and have a positive attitude - Your interviewer is looking for someone who will take on challenges with aplomb; don’t disappoint them with a nay-saying attitude. Watch your tone of voice as well. If your interviewer asks you a question, which you think is common knowledge don’t answer it with exasperation, answer it with authority. If you have a bad attitude in the interview, a hiring committee will sniff this out a mile away. Nobody wants an employee with a bad attitude.
|
|
|
It is very important that you keep a somewhat narrow focus in your job search because once you start looking down multiple avenues, you can become lost and your entire job search can veer off course.
If you are unsure of where you want to end up, take your credentials into consideration as well as your professional background. This is a great first step to narrowing your job search.
Second, concentrate on your interests and what areas of your field you most see yourself enjoying. For instance, if you are qualified for research, marketing, and the project management, you may decide that your main interest lies in marketing – giving you a great starting point in your job search.
Now within marketing, you have the option of working within various companies and departments that will still give you plenty of variety in your job search, without having it be overwhelming.
The point of focusing your job search is to give you a clear target so that you can develop your resume and cover letters, as well as your whole job search plan around one clear objective. This will not only eliminate much unneeded stress, but will also save you a lot of time and energy spent weeding through a ton of job opportunities that you aren’t really interested in or best-suited for.
|
|
|
If you are currently employed, chances are you don’t want your current employer finding out that you are job hunting. The last thing you need to have happen when job searching is for your employer to accidentally find out that you’re looking for a new job. It could jeopardize both your current position and future references from your employer.
Fortunately, there are some ways that you can keep your job search from being public knowledge. First off, keep your job search as separate from your current job as possible. Don’t use your work email address for job hunting, and don’t use employer’s computer or phone system. Since you can’t job hunt from work, and may not want to leave your hunt to evenings and weekends, you can still conduct your job search over your lunches. Go to a café or bookstore with Internet access or bring your laptop to an area with wireless.
Lastly, be discreet. Be careful who you tell that you’re looking for a new job. If you tell co-workers, you can be sure that it will get back to your boss, one way or another. Do tell your family, so they can take messages for you and so they don’t inadvertently tell your colleagues or leave you a message that someone is calling about a work interview.
Remember, your resume and cover letter need to position you to stand out from the crowd and grab the employer or hiring manager’s attention.
|
|
|
|
Your Cover Letter Should be Brief and Straightforward
Your cover letter is an employer’s very first impression of you as a possible candidate for their open position.
Since hiring managers can sometimes see over 50 applications, it is understandable that they will only scan through them to select the few lucky candidates. This is why it is so important that your cover letter is written in an easy to read format and is also brief in length.
A cover letter should be no longer than 3 or 4 short paragraphs, and no longer than one page. Many people make the mistake of providing lengthy autobiographies within their cover letters, regurgitating much of the information provided in their resume and then some. This is a waste of the writer’s and reader’s time. To avoid this mistake, your cover letter should address four key topics in a succinct manner:
1. Your introduction, the position you’re applying for and where you saw it advertised.
2. What makes you perfect for the position? Highlight key skills you possess that were a requirement in the advertised position.
3. Any additional qualities you posses, making you stand out from other applicants ie: other relevant qualifications or previous companies you’ve gained experience with.
4. A closing paragraph.
By including no more than these four topics, you will not bore your audience with a longwinded letter, and you will cover all the necessary information that a hiring manager is looking for.
Remember, your resume and cover letter need to position you to stand out from the crowd and grab the employer or hiring manager’s attention.
|
|
|
|
Many job seekers have an unrealistic picture of how much time the job search may take them. If you are currently working full-time but want to change jobs, plan to spend around 1 – 3 hours each day on job searching. If you are currently unemployed, your search needs to be your full-time job.
Develop a job-seeking plan. Set daily and weekly objectives.
A suggested plan could look like this:
1. List some job hunting avenues that you’ll check each day ie: local job search websites (WESTjobs), Newspaper. Remember WESTjobs has jobs from over 650 employer and recruiter site, including MyCareer & CareerOne. Targeting jobs as many jobs to go for as you can. Don’t waste time on ones that don’t suit you. Target the ones you’d really enjoy.
2. Remember to register for WESTjobs email job alerts and let the come to you. WESTjobs sources its job ads from direclty posted ads and aggregated content, so there is always a constant stream of new jobs coming online.
3. Research those companies by viewing their website. Look at their location, vision, how it was founded, organistational charts seeing who you’ll be working with and under what management, their services/products.
4. Then draft a relative cover letter identifying the name of the person to send it to if possible. Alter your career objective on your resume. Confirm all your relevant skills are highlighted, and then apply.
5. Cold call targeted companies you’ve researched that perhaps aren’t currently advertising any positions, but whom you’d like to work for. Try and target one company each week.
You will find that organising and structuring your job search will make it much easier, more pleasurable and will give you a greater sense of accomplishment each day. By giving yourself set goals each day, you will be less likely to get discouraged. Finding a rewarding job is a process, so by creating and following the necessary steps to complete the process, you will find yourself in new employment much more quickly.
Remember, your resume and cover letter need to position you to stand out from the crowd and grab the employer or hiring manager’s attention.
|
|
|
|
Ensuring that you have a great resume and cover letter is a very important first step in your job hunt. An important factor in determining their success is how personalised your documents are toward each individual job posting.
You should always try to avoid generic cover letters. Personalised cover letters work much better for providing an outstanding first impression. ‘To whom it may concern’ is not a very catchy way to open a marketing letter about your qualifications. It would be equivalent to marketing attempts that come in your mail addressed ‘dear occupant’. You know this is not an effective form of marketing on you. However, when you receive mail with your name on it, it is more appealing from a marketing standpoint.
The same holds true with your cover letter. You want to have the more appealing marketing strategy. So personalize it, and you will market your skills and qualifications more effectively.
Remember, your resume and cover letter need to position you to stand out from the crowd and grab the employer or hiring manager’s attention.
|
|
|
|
It is important both in your job search and in your everyday life, to surround yourself with happy and positive people. If you’ve had a few knock-backs in your job hunting, it is easy to feel disheartened and negative.
Staying positive can help you walk into an interview confident and happy, reflecting a very content and uplifting disposition. This is very attractive to an employer. You don’t want to come across stressed or desperate.
Plan something to do after your interview, something you enjoy. Reward yourself, and looking forward to that will keep you positive throughout your interview.
Dress well and stand proud. Know you look good (even if it just means wearing your best lingerie that know one else will see but you) this can also give you a secret confidence.
If you are happy and positive, you are more likely to be successful both in your personal life and in your job search. The more positive the people are around us, the more positive we will be. Our moods have a lot of control over our outward achievements and success in life.
Remember, your resume and cover letter need to position you to stand out from the crowd and grab the employer or hiring manager’s attention.
|
|
|
Your resume should be written to spark the interest of the employer, so they will ask for an interview so they can find out more about you. Some people write a resume as if the purpose of the document was to land a job. As a result they end up with a really long and boring piece that makes them look like desperate job hunters. Highlight your skills and achievements without writing your life story, but be careful not to be too brief either.
Remember, your resume and cover letter need to position you to stand out from the crowd and grab the employer or hiring manager’s attention. |
|
|
It is a good idea to update your resume on a regular basis. This is a must if you are actively searching for new employment, as your resume should always be ready to be sent. But even if you are currently employed, you never know when that perfect opportunity will arise, so you need to have your resume updated and ready to use when needed.
By consistently adding to, and updating your resume, it will end up being a much simpler task than having to completely overhaul the document when you realise it is incredibly out-of-date.
Add all the information that you think is relevant, as well as courses, training programs, and other academic qualifications that you might receive along the way. Also remember to take out any old information or qualifications that may not apply or be valid anymore. This is the best way to keep track of everything and to make sure that you don’t miss out on a job by sending your resume after the application closing date.
Remember, your resume and cover letter need to position you to stand out from the crowd and grab the employer or hiring manager’s attention. |
|
|
So how do you prepare yourself for an interview? You’ve researched the company and the role, you’ve estimated how long it will take to get to the interview on time, you’ve decided what to wear. Now you should role-play. Prepare what your answers will be when questioned, being honest. Here are some generalised questions commonly used in an interview.
"Tell me a little about yourself."
The employer is interested in both personal and professional. Without going into your life story, briefly explain your previous work history highlighting any achievement. Try not to veer off on tangents. Only talk of the positive things about yourself.
"What do you feel has been your greatest work-related accomplishment?"
Give an honest answer. Rehearse this one and have it ready up your sleeve.
"What are your strengths?"
Give one or two of your greatest strength that are relevant to the role, and follow up with an example.
"What is your greatest weakness?"
This is an opportunity to turn the question into a positive. Don’t give a negative weakness, instead say “I tend to involve myself in the task at hand and get too focused sometimes” or “I used to be computer illiterate but I’ve recently taken evening classes to improve my skills”.
"Why do you want this position?"
Emphasise your skills that suit the requirements for the position. Give specific examples of things that attracted you to the company, this way it shows you’ve done your research on the company and eagerness to work for them.
"Why are you the best person for this job?"
Give strong examples of your skills and career achievements. Beyond your skills, show examples of your keen, positive, willing attitude and how you best work within a team and so on.
Remember, your resume and cover letter need to position you to stand out from the crowd and grab the employer or hiring manager’s attention. |
|
|
- Each resume you send out should be modified and reworded to reflect the position that you are seeking.
- Is your resume format outdated and uninspiring? Resume formats go through fads and fazes. For example, these days most employees like to see your Career Summary or Career Objective and on more than just one page. You need to make yours clearly formatted so the employee can find what they need to know at a glance.
- Have you added new employment, skills and accomplishments? Your resume needs to be kept current, ready to submit within the application closing date. You don’t want to miss out on a job because you want to get your resume professionally written. Have it ready to go now.
Remember, your resume and cover letter need to position you to stand out from the crowd and grab the employer or hiring manager’s attention.
|
|
|
So you’ve already moved to a new city without lining up a new job before you got here. Not a big deal. Trying to find a job in a new place means that you are going to have to rely a little more on your social skills and networking. This means that if you are shy, it’s time to learn how to become more outgoing.
Your key to success lies with your ability to put yourself out there and sell yourself. So get out of the house and hang out in places that attract the types of people you like. Talk to them, get to know them, and ask them what they do. Not only is this a great way to meet potential new friends, but it’s also a great way to build your network and find potential leads. This will help you to shed your self-consciousness as well. A new town can mean a new you.
And of course, don’t forget to do the regular, time-tested job search methods. Check out newspapers, local websites and job sites. Rather than making cold calls, go face-to-face and introduce yourself showing your eagerness. And apply, apply, and apply some more. Even though this may seem daunting, your hard work will pay off in the long run, and you will probably come out of it with some new friends as well.
Remember, your resume and cover letter need to position you to stand out from the crowd and grab the employer or hiring manager’s attention. |
|
|
|
Learning how to analyze the key words that employers provide in help wanted ads and job descriptions is a key element in creating powerful resumes. For example, read the ad Peter found for an Accounts Receivable Manager below and see how many key words, phrases, or skill descriptions that it includes.
Accounts Receivable Manager
Seeking experienced A/R Manager to oversee accounts, manage billing and collections, train accounting and clerical staff, develop status reports for management and prepare monthly balance sheets. B.A. Degree or A.A. Degree with minimum of 2 years experience required.
Even though this ad is small it contains 12-13 key words or phrases that should be addressed in Roger's resume. Roger can also use key words from an ad like this to create headings for his resume such as:
Key Word Skill Headings
- Management of A/R Accounts
- Billing and Collections
- Supervision of Accounting and Administrative Staff
- Balance Sheet and Management Status Reports
|
|
|
|
Things to do:
- Research the company
- Research the role
- Google map how to get to the interview location to ensure you can arrive 5 minutes early. Even drive it if you need to so you can time yourself.
- Find out the name of the person interviewing you
- Research rate of pay
- Contact your referees if necessary to inform them that they may be contacted soon.
Remember, your resume and cover letter needs to position you to stand out from the crowd and grab the employer or hiring manager’s attention.
|
|
|
If you are just starting out or are transitioning into a new field, you may feel that your relevant work experience and skills are lacking. This is not necessarily true. It is instead about finding your related skills, responsibilities, and attributes in other experiences that you’ve had.
If you’ve never had any real working experience yet, just include your summer jobs, volunteer work, or school related activities. If you haven’t finished your degree yet, mention the title and the estimated date of completion. As long as those points are relevant to the position it does not matter if they are official or not.
Remember that you are selling yourself, so make the most of what you have. Sell your current experience, skill level, and education the best you can. And illustrate your eagerness to gain experience and your ability to learn quickly.
Your resume and cover letter need to position you to stand out from the crowd and grab the employer or hiring manager’s attention. |
|
|
You may have heard somewhere along the way that your resume needs to be no longer than one page. This is not necessarily true. Your resume needs to be long enough to provide hiring personnel or recruiters with all your key information necessary to get your foot in the door for an interview. To achieve this, your resume may need to be one, two, or even three pages. Recruiters and hiring managers don’t care how long your resume is. What they care about is whether or not it is easily readable and if they can readily find your key relevant information.
If you’d like a rule of thumb for the appropriate length for your resume, remember that the length has to do with what is appropriate to you. What that means is your years of experience will ultimately determine the length of your resume. If you have less than five years of work experience, the general rule is that you should only need one page. More than five years, and you will likely need two pages. If you’ve had a long career, or have a lot of extra information you need to include like presentations, community involvement, and professional development courses, you may need three pages to list it all.
Ultimately, you should not be overly concerned about page numbers. It is much better to have a two page resume that is easily readable and clearly laid out, than to have a one page resume that has lots of information jammed into a confined space.
Remember, your resume and cover letter need to position you to stand out from the crowd and grab the employer or hiring manager’s attention. |
|
|
When you set goals for your professional and personal life, make them with what you believe you’ll enjoy. Keep this in mind in your job hunt. Make sure the position you are pursuing is something that will make you happy and you’ll feel satisfaction from.
Test this out by offering to volunteer in a job for a day a week if you can, just to see for sure if this is a career you’ll really enjoy or not. Give it a good 3 months to get a feel of the work to really see if it’s worth pursuing. If not, then volunteer somewhere else. Chances are you will be more likely to be offered a job when one becomes available because you’ve shown dedication, hard working ethics and a willing attitude during those voluntary days.
There is nothing more deflating than having gone through years of study, only to realize at the end of it all, that you don’t enjoy that job as much as you thought you would. Give volunteering a go; most jobs would love to take someone on board for free.
Remember, your resume and cover letter need to position you to stand out from the crowd and grab the employer or hiring manager’s attention. |
|
|
|
It is not usually required these days to send numerous written references with your resume. Instead list the name, phone number, position and company of 3-4 referees. Try to use the most recent of your employers and steer away from personal referees if possible.
References are usually done over the phone so that the potential employer can ask specific questions regarding your work ethics and skills.
Contact these referees, tell them that you are applying for a particular job and that they may expect a call from a potential employer.
Let them know what the job description requires and encourage them to highlight these skills that you have, during the phone call.
Remember, your resume and cover letter need to position you to stand out from the crowd and grab the employer or hiring manager’s attention.
|
|
|
33. Finding Success within the Hidden Job Market
The number one way to achieve success within the hidden job market is through contacting potential employers. Focused on a target position, then identify a list of companies that are a good match, you are ready to make contact with the employer. Your goals at this step are to learn as much as you can about the employer’s needs, to identify the hiring authority within the company and to get an interview.
Use the call-write-call method for contacting employers. First, call and verify the name of someone in the company who might be able to hire you. You don’t need to speak to the actual decision maker on this first call. You are simply calling to find out the information you need in order to write and send your career documents.
Next, send a cover letter and resume to the decision maker. In the letter, be sure to specify your desired position and then state that you will be calling them within 48 hours. Finally, call again, this time asking for the decision maker by his/her name and title. If anyone asks why you’re calling, you can truthfully say, “they’re expecting my call”. By using this call-write-call method, every time you call a decision maker, it will be a warm call, not a cold call.
Remember, your resume and cover letter need to position you to stand out from the crowd and grab the employer or hiring manager’s attention.
|
|
|
| Related topic pages: Resume and CV Writing Tips - WestJobs Resume Service - Resume Service Providers |
|
|
|