Resume Killers Exposed

Your resume is a crucial career document that markets your credentials to a prospective employer. A necessary tool that introduces you to your prospective employer, it is vital to ensure that your resume records only facts about you and reveals information that will induce the reader to call you for an interview. Here are some fundamental rules that you can follow to make sure that your resume gets you the interview that you've always hoped for.

Leave-out the self-centered objective
Considered the practical heading for a resume not so long ago, the objective statement is now not really the best way to begin a resume, unless it clearly specifies the way in which you think you can add value to an organisation. Over the years objective statements have only included an individual's aims and career aspirations. However no employer in reality wants to know what a jobseeker aspires for, since they are more concerned about what you as a jobseeker have to offer and what difference you bring to the table, rather than your dreams. So cut the seemingly selfish objective to include a great profile summary that consists of information about your skills and how it can eventually benefit the company you work for, thereby positioning you as a must-hire candidate.

Skip the Pronouns
A common mistake that jobseekers make is referring to themselves and their accomplishments in first person. Words like "I' and "me" are considered improper in a resume. A resume should contain only short sentences that include action words. Always ensure your resume does not have sentences that begin with "I was instrumental..." etc. The better alternative would be to directly begin the sentence with "Instrumental in ..."

Nix the personal information
Don't waste precious space including personal interests and hobbies. Anything that is not related to your work and employment definitely do not belong on a resume.

Don't include family
Your marital status and size of your family are not really needed in a resume. You'll anyway be asked about it during your interview, so save that information for then.

Don't make your resume your biography
Always ensure that discriminatory information is not mentioned in your resume. most often people forget that resumes are skimmed-through initially not to select but to eliminate the inappropriate candidates. So make sure your resume does not include details that could induce a reader to eliminate you. A resume should contain only those details that would make it easier for recruiters to gauge your skills and experience. Do not reveal any personal information or even your age since sometimes even that can go against you, though as a rule candidates are supposed to be short-listed based on credentials.

Never state your reasons for leaving in writing
A resume is supposed to be a written account of your accomplishments not your platform for giving explanations. If you left an organisation in difficult conditions or had problems with any of your past employers, don't include that in your resume.

Add more substance not art
Fundamentally a resume should be a written account of what value you can add. Never make it a graphical representation with artwork and multiple variations in fonts and font sizes, since it will only make you seem like an amateur who cannot be taken seriously.

It is a fact that no resume can be absolutely perfect and flawless. However what you can achieve with a great resume is a chance to open more doors to opportunities. A professional and effective summary of your skills and accomplishments always creates a better impression instantly making it easier for you to land an interview. The first step to finding a great job is to be able to get yourself called to be interviewed for that position, which makes it vital for you to get a resume that works. Certainly a difficult task but not impossible, a great resume just has to include certain key elements that make it searchable in a database of equally talented jobseekers. Hence if you're hoping to increase the number of interviews you get called for, it is important that you make sure you get yourself a resume that has fewer flaws and only includes those details that can set you apart from the rest of the pack.

5 Must-haves of a Resume

Writing your own resume can be a difficult task, especially if you are not familiar with the style and format that is being used today. As it is often an employer's first introduction to you, think of it as a marketing document and make sure that it effectively reflects your qualifications and credentials.

Given below are five standard details that every resume should provide if it has to make the right impression.



Resume Checklist

Contact Information:
1. This should be in a prominent place so that an employer will be able to reach you for an interview.
2. Your name should appear on the top of each page.
3. Your email id can create an impression about you; so do not give frivolous ones like this- I_love_madhuri@yahoo.com.
4. Create email ids with your complete name - arun_gupta@gmail.com

Education Details:
1. Always give complete details about your educational qualifications - Course Name, Subject, College Name, University, time period
2. Do not mention your marks or percentage if it is lesser than 60%.
3. Do not use acronyms for your college names. Mention the complete name of the institution.

Experience:
1. Work experience should always be listed in the 'reverse chronology'.
2. Always mention the time period for each work experience that you state in your resume.
3. Mention your designation, name of the company and the city as well.

Special Certifications / Training:
1. If you have received special certifications / training, you can mention these after your work experience details.
2. Mention the full name of the certification / training program, institution name and the period of training

Project Details:
1. If you are a fresher then the closest work experience that you would have is your project, so make sure to mention it as elaborately as possible.
2. Always mention the name of the project, Company Name (if it was done in external premises), time period and most importantly your role in the project.

The rules for writing a good resume are endless, but you can always get a perfect and convincing career document by just letting a professional craft it for you.

Happy Resume Writing!

Avoid the Top 10 Resume Mistakes

It's deceptively easy to make mistakes on your resume and exceptionally difficult to repair the damage once an employer gets it. So prevention is critical, especially if you've never written one before. Here are the most common pitfalls and how you can avoid them.

1. Typos and Grammatical Errors

Your resume needs to be grammatically perfect. If it isn't, employers will read between the lines and draw not-so-flattering conclusions about you, like: "This person can't write," or "This person obviously doesn't care."

2. Lack of Specifics

Employers need to understand what you've done and accomplished. For example:

A. Worked with employees in a restaurant setting.
B. Recruited, hired, trained and supervised more than 20 employees in a restaurant with $2 million in annual sales.

Both of these phrases could describe the same person, but the details and specifics in example B will more likely grab an employer's attention.

3. Attempting One Size Fits All

Whenever you try to develop a one-size-fits-all resume to send to all employers, you almost always end up with something employers will toss in the recycle bin. Employers want you to write a resume specifically for them. They expect you to clearly show how and why you fit the position in a specific organization.

4. Highlighting Duties Instead of Accomplishments

It's easy to slip into a mode where you simply start listing job duties on your resume. For example:

• Attended group meetings and recorded minutes.
  
  
• Worked with children in a day-care setting.
  
  
• Updated departmental files.

Employers, however, don't care so much about what you've done as what you've accomplished in your various activities. They're looking for statements more like these:

• Used laptop computer to record weekly meeting minutes and compiled them in a Microsoft Word-based file for future organizational reference.
  
  
• Developed three daily activities for preschool-age children and prepared them for a 10-minute holiday program performance.
  
  
• Reorganized 10 years worth of unwieldy files, making them easily accessible to department members.

5. Going on Too Long or Cutting Things Too Short

Despite what you may read or hear, there are no real rules governing the length of your resume. Why? Because human beings, who have different preferences and expectations where resumes are concerned, will be reading it.

That doesn't mean you should start sending out five-page resumes, of course. Generally speaking, you usually need to limit yourself to a maximum of two pages. But don't feel you have to use two pages if one will do. Conversely, don't cut the meat out of your resume simply to make it conform to an arbitrary one-page standard.

6. A Bad Objective

Employers do read your resume's objective statement, but too often they plow through vague pufferies like, "Seeking a challenging position that offers professional growth." Give employers something specific and, more importantly, something that focuses on their needs as well as your own. Example: "A challenging entry-level marketing position that allows me to contribute my skills and experience in fund-raising for nonprofits."

7. No Action Verbs

Avoid using phrases like "responsible for." Instead, use action verbs: "Resolved user questions as part of an IT help desk serving 4,000 students and staff."

8. Leaving Off Important Information

You may be tempted, for example, to eliminate mention of the jobs you've taken to earn extra money for school. Typically, however, the soft skills you've gained from these experiences (e.g., work ethic, time management) are more important to employers than you might think.

9. Visually Too Busy

If your resume is wall-to-wall text featuring five different fonts, it will most likely give the employer a headache. So show your resume to several other people before sending it out. Do they find it visually attractive? If what you have is hard on the eyes, revise.

10. Incorrect Contact Information

I once worked with a student whose resume seemed incredibly strong, but he wasn't getting any bites from employers. So one day, I jokingly asked him if the phone number he'd listed on his resume was correct. It wasn't. Once he changed it, he started getting the calls he'd been expecting. Moral of the story: Double-check even the most minute, taken-for-granted details -- sooner rather than later.

The 9 Rules of Resume Design

Compose your resume on a blank piece of paper and then use the template as a guide to replicate the overall layout.

Follow these 9 free resume design rules

1. Keep it to a maximum of two pages.

2. Use one inch margins all the way around the page

3. Always use left justification

4. Font and size should remain consistent

5. Use the basic bullet point indicators like circles and squares.

6. If you want to you can use all caps in your headlines otherwise all text to remain with default formatting

7. Do not underline any information as this implies an active web link when uploaded to search engine web sites

8. Use a maximum of 14 point font size for headings and 12 point for normal text.

9. Make use of the tab key when creating spaces between the text.

To double check, email it to friends and family asking them to report anything outside of the ordinary. Make a point of printing it out on paper to see that all the margins are correctly set and your content is not crowded.

Once you are happy with with it, proof it one more time for typos, misspellings and errors before submitting it. Now take a breather and stay within arms reach of your phone...

Al D best...

Top 10 tips for producing a better CV

Think of your CV as your shop window - it must effectively display your experience, skills and qualities in a very short period of time. The following tips will help you produce a CV that does just that.

1. Keep it short and clear

Before you start, choose the right structure for your CV. The most important information, such as your key skills and recent experience, needs to be near the top, where it can be seen straightaway. Sections you usually need to include are your Profile, Achievements, Experience, Special Skills (languages / computers), Education, Training, and (if you wish) Interests. Your CV should normally be two pages in length (unless you have a very long career or you are a contractor or the recruiter asks for a longer CV). If you haven't caught the recruiter's interest by page two then they probably won't read any further pages anyway.

2. Make it look good

Clear, attractive presentation is also important if your CV is to stand out. Ensure that it's uncluttered, with key points easy to spot. Use bullet points and keep the sentences relatively short. Plenty of 'white space' around the borders and between each section keeps the document easier on the eye.

3. Most recent first

Put your employment history in date order, starting with the most recent first. Avoid leaving any gaps, so if you've had time out for some reason, do mention this. Don't go into detail about positions you held over 10 years ago. Include details of holiday or temporary work only if it's relevant to the job you're applying for.

4. Include many facts

List your job duties beneath each position. List your achievements, responsibilities and results. Talk about results - what difference did your presence make? Use numbers for achievements wherever possible, e.g. "Boosted sales by 20% in first year". And always write in a slightly formal manner and never use the word "I" - e.g. "Supervised the team" rather than "I supervised the team". Use the past tense for previous jobs and the present tense for your current job.

5. Not too many lists

Include specific skills, such as languages, administrative or computing skills, in a separate section in your CV. Don't relist them for every job you've used them in. This is particularly so for IT work - lists of tools and packages make dull reading and won't make you stand out from other people with the same abilities.

6. Breath some life into it

Remember the employer wants a sense of the kind of person you are, as well as what you can do. Are you punctual, conscientious, or motivated? Do you rise to a challenge? With each point you write, ask yourself "What does this say about me?"

7. Be accurate

Always check for errors. Run a spelling and grammar check and ask someone else to read it for you. Read it aloud to the dog. The employer isn't going to believe you're a good communicator if your CV is full of mistakes.

8. Adapt it

You don't have to use the same CV every time. You can have two or three versions, each for a different kind of job. Or you can tailor your CV to suit the job you're applying for. It isn't a case of one size fits all.

9. Send a covering letter

Unless the advert tells you not to, always send a covering letter. This should highlight the two or three areas of experience from your CV that are most relevant to the advertised job. Never send your CV out on its own.

10. Be truthful

Although you obviously want to present yourself well, don't go too far and embellish the truth. It can easily backfire on you.

Ten Things to Leave out of your CV

1. Photos

The only people who need to include photos in their CVs are models and performers.

2. Any sort of failure

This covers exams, marriages, businesses, etc.

3. Every vacation and Saturday job you've ever had

Some of these may be relevant while you're looking for your first job, but after that they're meaningless. This doesn't apply to solid work experience breaks.

4. The words 'I', 'he' or 'she'

Your CV should normally be written in the first person ('I'), but you never actually need to write 'I' in a CV. Some people used to write their CV in the third person ('he' or 'she'). Again, you don't need to include the 'he' or 'she'.

5. References

These needn't be mentioned in your CV. Don't include names, addresses, emails and phone numbers. The phrase "References are available upon request" should be left out too.

6. Reasons for leaving each job

These are often negative points and leave you open to being misunderstood.

7. List of all your schools

This isn't necessary or of any interest to the employer. But do include your most recent educational establishment.

8. Salary information

This can only be used to reject your application. If an advertisement specifically requests this information, you can always include it in your cover letter.

9. Patterns, borders and graphics

These give your CV a cluttered appearance. Besides, what you think is tasteful may not be to the liking of the employer.

10. Binders and folders

These will often be discarded straight away, as your CV will be photocopied, scanned, faxed, etc.

Ten more things to leave out of your CV

1. Lists of publications

If you're a scientist or academic, include these only if they are asked for. However, significant publications may be included as achievements.

2. Very personal information

Don't include your age (although your date of birth is OK), weight, height, health, sex, race or marital status. It's irrelevant and some facts could be used in a discriminatory way.

3. Jargon and abbreviations

Avoid using any information that won't be understood by someone outside your job or organisation. The exceptions to this are abbreviations recognised industry-wide.

4. Poor photocopies

Always use good original laser prints. Poor quality copies suggest you're sending the CV out to lots of companies because you're desperate.

5. Mistakes and typos

Always check your CV for incorrect spellings and factual errors. Then check it again. Then ask someone else to check it. Errors make you look careless and disorganised.

6. Excessive wordiness

This is a working document, so keep it factual and don't go over the top with conversational descriptions.

7. Negatives

Don't be apologetic over what you believe may be missing from your CV. Focus on your positive attributes.

8. Irrelevancies

Don't include your gap year travel history, previous managers' names, the middle name that you never use, etc.

9. Cheap paper

If you post a printed copy of your CV or you take a copy of your CV to an interview make sure your CV is printed on good quality paper. This will make your application stand out and it costs very little to buy quality paper.

10. Exaggerations

Stick to the truth. You never know when misleading statements might backfire.

How to write a winning resume ???

Where to start? Winning resume strategies vary dramatically depending on the job seeker’s background, career level, goals, even geographic location. It would be impossible to give the recipe for a winning resume and wrap it in a pretty bow. But I like a challenge, so I decided to break it up into a list of do’s and don’ts. So here goes…

Do’s

• Do state your career goal. Your objective should be clear from the very beginning of your resume. You can incorporate your goal into a bold headline, or weave it into your Qualifications Summary. Thinking about using a “one-size-fits-all-jobs” resume? You could be in for a long job search.

• Do include a Qualifications Summary. If you’re diving right in to your work history without a brief introduction, you’re missing the opportunity to spoon-feed your strongest credentials or “value proposition” to the resume reviewer — right at the top of your resume.

• Do include your important skills. Hiring managers are looking for specific skills when filling a job opening. So create a bulleted list of your industry-related skills. Relevant job-related skills (such as “vendor negotiations”) hold more weight than general skills (like “communication skills,” which everyone claims to have).

• Do include accomplishments. Most resumes are heavily focused on job duties, but employers want to see how well you’ve done your job. Include specific examples of the main ways you contributed to your employers, and hiring managers will see the value that you bring to the table. Use quantifiable accomplishments whenever possible.

• Do pick the right length. If you’re a new grad with minimal experience, chances are you need one page. If you are an experienced professional with lots of experience, two pages should do the trick. If you’re a top-level executive with an extensive track record or a techie with many relevant projects, you might need three pages. Professionals who require a longer resume are in academia and need a CV, not a resume. A resume is a brief “snapshot” of your qualifications — you want to have something to discuss in an interview.

• Do create an attractive design. Your resume needs to stand out from the pack of resumes, and a distinctive (yet conservative) design can help your resume get noticed. Make use of your word processing program’s formatting features, like font size, bold, italics, etc. But don’t overdo it –- it’s a careful balancing act to make sure your resume looks nice, and not like a three-ring circus!

• Do give kudos to team accomplishments. Did your department generate $2.5 million last year? Then give credit to the team instead of claiming the accomplishment as your own, unless you want to look like a braggart who likes to steal the limelight.

• Do use a readable font size. I’ve been seeing more and more resumes with teeny tiny fonts — apparently people are trying to squeeze in as much information on a page to avoid starting a new page. Not good. Your font should be easily readable on-screen. It’s better to go to a new page or edit some of the content and use a font that doesn’t make your reader squint (or just delete your resume to avoid a migraine headache). Along the same lines, make sure you have plenty of white space to make your resume reader-friendly.

• Do include related hobbies. The emphasis is on related. If your hobby shows some aspect of your personality that would be desirable or an interesting talking point with the interviewer, include it. Avoid including anything that is kind of “out there” or would reveal something about you that you wouldn’t want your next employer to know.

• Do proofread. Your resume should be error-free. Sending a resume with typos is the equivalent of showing up to a job interview with food stains on your shirt.

• Do keep your resume updated. A resume that’s frequently updated and revised is more effective than one that is out-of-date and neglected. Make a point to update your resume when you have a new accomplishment, and take a good look at the document at least every few months.

Don’ts

• Don’t use a functional format. It’s almost never the right answer, and only raises red flags and doubts about your work history. Plus, if you’re trying to hide dates, a functional resume may do the opposite and draw attention to dates. A “combination” resume (a reverse chronological resume that leads with a Qualifications Summary) works for almost all professionals.

• Don’t be a copycat. Don’t use a resume template (unless you want to blend in with the crowd) and don’t copy your friend’s resume. You can use resume samples to inspire you, but don’t copy!

• Don’t lose sight of your career goal. When writing your work descriptions, always keep your career goal in mind. Highlight the accomplishments that are related to your next career move, and downplay unrelated career information. Remember, you can’t include everything you’ve ever done, so you might as well include the skills and accomplishments that will grab your reader’s attention.

• Don’t overuse bullets. Professional resume writers refer to this type of resume as a “polka-dot resume.” If you bullet everything, no one point stands out and you dilute the impact of the bullets. Instead, strategically use bullets to draw attention to the key points that you want to emphasize.

• Don’t go way back. If your work history spans more than fifteen years, keep in mind that employers are most interested in what you did recently. So dedicate the most space to your recent experience. You can include earlier work history if you want, but consider summing up the highlights in an “Early Career” section.

• Don’t use a funky font. Most resumes are being emailed and opened on computers, so it’s important that your font selection translates properly on the receiver’s end. If not, the receiver’s system will convert to a different font, and there goes all of your perfect formatting.

• Don’t write “References Available Upon Request.” This is not the 80s, folks!

• Don’t include personal information. Marital status, date of birth, salary data, and other personal information shouldn’t be included on most resumes. There are a few exceptions, like resumes going to foreign countries and entertainer resumes in which personal information is relevant to the job. Federal applications also require personal information such as salary history. Other than that, omit personal information.

• Don’t use personal pronouns (“I,” “me,” or “my”). The reader knows you are writing about you. Use an “implied” first-person voice, like “Developed reports…” instead of “I developed reports.”

• Don’t use bad resume lingo. If you’re a “results-proven leader with excellent communication skills looking for a growth-oriented position with a forward-thinking company,” please delete the bad resume lingo right now! This post has more detail on offensive, over-used cliches that should be eliminated from your resume.

• Don’t lie. Whatever you are trying to cover up isn’t as bad as you think it is, and a dishonest approach can get you into all kinds of trouble (even long after you’re hired). And yes, omitting significant jobs is lying. “Honesty is the best policy” — didn’t we learn this lesson in kindergarten?

To your success!


Thanx
All D Best...

Seven First-Time Resume Concerns

When you're a college student or recent grad and trying to write a resume, especially your first one, you'll face questions you typically won't find addressed in the current blizzard of resume books. That doesn't mean your questions aren't valid; it simply means the resume experts often overlook them, because they generally target mid-career audiences.

The following resume-related questions. It's time for some answers.

1. Should My Resume Be One Page or Two?
If you read enough books or talk to enough people who "know" about resumes, you'll come across a rule stating your resume should be only one page long. It's time to let this myth go, along with the resume handcuffing it spawns.
It's great if you can do this. But if you end up leaving out so much good material that you destroy your interview chances, what good have you done?
Remember: A human will read your resume. Some readers demand your resume be one page. Others will read a two-pager without hesitation. You don't know who's who, but the point still remains –- a one-page rule simply doesn't exist.

2. Should the Education Section Go First or Last?
In most cases, it makes sense to put the Education section at the beginning of your resume, since you're a college student or recent grad. But if you've got a lot of great internship, co-op or work experience closely related to your chosen field, position your Experience section ahead of Education.
Here's another resume area where there's no rule: Put it where it makes the most sense for you and your particular skills and experiences.

3. Should I Include My GPA on My Resume?
Yes -- if it's above a 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale). If not, try to make it look better by highlighting your major GPA instead of your cumulative one or calculating your GPA for the last three or four semesters, for example.

4. Should I List My School Address, Permanent Address or Both?
If in doubt, list both -- as long as you can actually be reached at both. If not, use the address where an employer will actually be able to reach you for the next few months.

5. What Can I Put on My Resume If I Don't Have Much Experience?
For starters, don't overlook or ignore the skills you've gained from jobs you've taken simply to get through school. You've also gained valuable experience from:
• Your foreign-language study.
• Alternative learning experiences, like studying abroad or conducting research.
• Your computer and Internet use.
• Extracurricular activities.

6. Should My Resume Include Only Paid Experience?
Employers are interested in your skills, not whether or not you've been paid to learn them. So don't hesitate to highlight nonpaying work and volunteer experiences if they've given you bragging rights.

7. Should I Include Precollege Information on My Resume?
Generally, no -- employers aren't likely to care about it much. There are exceptions, of course. Suppose you won a national award in high school, or you accomplished something extraordinary. Then you should highlight it, especially if it's connected to your chosen field.

Remember: Resume writing is much more art than science, so just as you would with an art project, express yourself the way that works best for you and the information you're trying to portray.

What's Your Objective?

The first step to creating a high-impact resume is determining what you're trying to accomplish. With a clearly defined career objective, you can write a resume that conveys the experience, skills and training that best serve your overall professional aspirations.

Hiring managers are busy folks who can't afford to waste any time trying to figure out what your career goals are. They won't take the time to do this; they'll just move on to the next resume.

Do You Need an Objective Section?
While it's important for your resume to include a clear career goal, you don't have to convey it through an Objective section. The majority of job seekers may incorporate their career goals into a Qualifications Summary instead.
For example, a candidate led her qualifications summary as follows:
Talented and dependable secretary, skilled in all aspects of office management within nonprofit environments.

Her summary continued to relay her key qualifications for an administrative position, but her introductory line enabled hiring managers to immediately recognize her goal. If you are on a steady career track, incorporating your objective into a summary sends the message "this is who I am," rather than "this is who I'd like to be when I grow up."

When you build your resume on Monster, you can use the Objective field to present your qualifications summary.

When Is a Formal Objective Required?
Career changers and entry-level workers should consider incorporating their objectives into their resumes, because their goals may not be clearly defined by their work history alone. If you're targeting a particular position, add a formal objective statement and reference the job opening. The hiring manager will see you took time to customize your resume and that the opportunity is important to you.

Sample Objectives
For Career Changers: Accomplished administrator seeking to leverage extensive background in personnel management, recruitment, employee relations and benefits administration in an entry-level human resources position. Extremely motivated for career change goal and eager to contribute to a company's HR division.

Entry-Level Workers: Dedicated CIS graduate pursuing a helpdesk-support position.
When Targeting a Specific Position: Elementary teacher for ABC School District.

Tips for Writing Your Own Objective Statement
• Focus on how you would benefit the employer, not on how the employer would benefit you. Stay away from objectives that state your working preferences, such as "seeking a team-oriented environment that fosters professional development."
• Don't be vague. Steer clear from statements that say nothing substantial about your career goal (e.g., "seeking a challenging position with potential for growth and advancement").
• Keep it concise and targeted. Hiring managers often sort through hundreds to thousands of resumes to fill one job opening. Make it easy on them by keeping your objective short and to the point. The best objectives contain a desired job title or target.

Thanx
All D Best

Customize Your Resume for Best Results

You have a resume, but it's not working as well as you'd like it to. What can you do to increase the number of calls you receive for job interviews?

Customize your resume.

Submitting the same resume for every position can't possibly meet each employer's individual requirements. If you want to grab hiring managers' attention, you need to give them what they want. You must take the time to tailor your resume to each employer and its goals to strengthen your chance of getting noticed.

Before responding to a job posting, review the job description to see what credentials are important. If you're submitting your resume to an employer that doesn't have an advertised opening, research the company and find out how it would benefit from bringing you on board. Once you determine your top-selling qualifications, you will be ready to customize your resume to meet the employer's needs.

The most efficient way to create customized resumes is to develop one general resume and then tweak it for each particular job opportunity. Follow these steps:

Duplicate Your Monster Resume

Before you apply for your next job on Monster, log into your My Monster account. Go to My Resumes, and find the resume you'd like to copy. Click on Duplicate below the resume's title. A copy of your resume will appear at the bottom of the resume listings, ready to customize specifically for the job you're applying for.

Title

Your Monster resume title should state your career goal, along with one or two of your top credentials. These credentials should be tailored to the employer's needs. For example: "Sous Chef - Culinary Degree & 5 Years' Fine Dining Experience."

Objective

The purpose of this section is to show that you're perfectly suited for the open position. Opt for a concise, targeted statement instead of a general objective that could be for any employer or job. An Objective like, "To become a software engineer for 123 Company's Web services group," makes the hiring manager's job much easier and brings you closer to getting called for the interview.

Qualifications Summary

Once you've researched the employer's requirements, use the summary section to match these requirements with your qualifications, thereby proving you are the perfect candidate for the position. Modify the Qualifications Summary in your duplicate resume as follows: omit statements that aren't important for the position's specific goals, reorder the summary so statements relevant to the position are listed first and add information about your credentials that's uniquely applicable to the position and employer.

Job Descriptions

Many employers go directly to the Employment History section to assess your qualifications. Review your job descriptions and modify your duties and accomplishments to pertain to the opening. Present an honest account of your employment history, but describe your experience to highlight your work tasks and achievements that relate to the job you're applying for. Place these pertinent qualifications at the top of the description, or use bullets surrounded by white space to make them stand out.

Skills

You've already reviewed the job posting and determined what skills the employer wants in an ideal candidate. Emphasize your matching skills in your Monster resume's Skills section. Begin your list with the skills that would be of most interest to the employer.

Thanx
All D best

Does Your Resume Answer These Key Questions?

Most people, no matter what job they seek or how long they've been part of the working world, make the same mistake when it comes to the résumé-writing process. They forget -- or simply don't know how -- to develop their resume from the employer's point of view.

"Employers want to know several things about you within seconds of glancing at your résumé. Your job, then, is to be hit-them-over-the-head obvious about who you are, what job you're seeking and what you have to offer them. When sifting through resumes, most employers and recruiters know exactly what they're looking for. Resumes that meet their expectations are ones that respond to all nine of the following questions:

Who are you?

To determine how well your résumé addresses this, have your friends or colleagues read it. Within five seconds of them looking at the resume, snatch it back from them and quiz them on what they know about you as a job seeker based on what they read. If they can't offer a quick answer that truly describes you, your resume's summary needs some work.

What can you do for me? The most effective way to show employers the value you offer is to show them how you've contributed to an employer's success elsewhere. Examples must be specific, measurable accomplishments that cite numbers and other details.

Do you have the skills I'm looking for? Scan job ads and job descriptions to discover which skills are most relevant to the employers and recruiters receiving your resume. Then strategically place them throughout your resumeto ensure it makes it past computer scans and into the hands of employers and recruiters.

Where have you worked before? This one should be simple. Employers want to know where you worked, for how long and which job titles you've held that may indicate how prepared you are for a role at their organization.

Is your experience relevant to my needs? Sometimes it's necessary to expand upon a job title or job description to truly demonstrate that you have experience that applies to the job you're seeking. Consider using bullets to present brief and interesting information that is relevant to the employer.

Do you have the right education and credentials? If you have the education, credentials and training needed to qualify for the job, be sure to say so! Use commonly accepted terminology and keywords in this section to ensure your information isn't misinterpreted or overlooked by employers or resume scanners.

What kind of person are you? "Adding insightful information about what makes you special can be a definite plus on your resume and help decision-makers discriminate between you and another candidate, even before you've met in person. include "extras," such as a branding statement and relevant information about foreign languages you speak, computer proficiencies, etc.

Do I see any "red flags" in your background? Gaps in employment (an indication of job hopping), spending too much time in the same job or resume errors may alert employers and recruiters that you are not the type of candidate they're looking for in their organization. To avoid drawing attention to "red flags" on your resume, make sure you make your accomplishments and skills stand out as strongly as possible.

Can I easily get in touch with you? After all your hard work in putting together a powerful resume, don't forget the essentials! It doesn't matter how great your resume is, if you don't include a phone number, address and e-mail address somewhere on the resume, you'll never hear from the employer or recruiter.

25 Words That Hurt Your Resume...

So, you're experienced? Before you advertise this in your resume, be sure you can prove it.
Often, when job seekers try to sell themselves to potential employers, they load their resume with vague claims that are transparent to hiring managers. The most successful job seekers avoid these vague phrases on their resumes in favor of accomplishments.
Instead of making empty claims to demonstrate your work ethic, use brief, specific examples to demonstrate your skills. In other words, show, don't tell.

Here are a few examples:

Instead of... "Experience working in fast-paced environment"
Try... "Registered 120+ third-shift emergency patients per night"

Instead of... "Excellent written communication skills"
Try... "Wrote jargon-free User Guide for 11,000 users"

Instead of... "Team player with cross-functional awareness"
Try... "Collaborated with clients, A/R and Sales to increase speed of receivables and prevent interruption of service to clients."

Instead of... "Demonstrated success in analyzing client needs"
Try... "Created and implemented comprehensive needs assessment mechanism to help forecast demand for services and staffing."

The worst offenders
It's good to be hard-working and ambitious, right? The hiring manager won't be convinced if you can't provide solid examples to back up your claims. Be extra-careful before putting these nice-sounding but empty words in your resume.

• Aggressive	• Ambitious	• Competent	• Creative	• Detail-oriented
• Determined	• Efficient	• Experienced	• Flexible	• Goal-oriented
• Hard-working	• Independent	• Innovative	• Knowledgeable	• Logical
• Motivated	• Meticulous	• People person	• Professional	• Reliable
• Resourceful	• Self-motivated	• Successful	• Team player	• Well-organized

Tips for Writing a Better Resume...

Having a strong resume can change your life. Your resume is your gateway into a new job. You want it to look professional and you want it to stand out to the person who will be reading it. Here are some tips to make your resume a little better.

1. Design each resume to fit each particular job. Make sure you are tweaking each resume that you send out so that it pertains to the job you are applying for. Sending out a generic resume does not stand out to a future employer.
2. Be specific. Use numbers, dates and names when describing something in your resume. The absence of dates on your employment history can raise some red flags.
3. Present information that is most impressive first. This will help you decide if you should put experience or education first on your resume.
4. Use everyday language and short, concise paragraphs. You do not want to sound like you used a thesaurus for every word in your resume. People can tell when you do that.
5. Get someone else's reaction to your resume before you send it out. Sometimes that person may catch a mistake that you did not see or they can help you improve the format of the resume.
6. Proofread for spelling and grammar before you type of the final copy. You do not want to submit a resume that has errors in it, as it does not look very professional.
7. Use boldface type, underlining and indentations to make your resume easy to read.
8. Make sure that you include all of your experience. You want to include all volunteer work, achievements, extracurricular activities (related to your job) and awards. But when doing so, do not put ridiculous things on here just to fill up space. If you got highest honors back in your junior year of high school and you are now 40 years old, don't include that. The employer will not care about something you did back in high school over 20 years ago.
9. Make sure that you have good references. You do not always have to include references on your resume, but it is a good idea. That way, the employer can see that you are willing to give them up front and will not have to call you for them. Make sure that your references are people that would be professional if they got called by one of your future employers.
10. Make sure that your resume reflects what the employer wants and not what you want. You want something that will be noticed by the employer, Look at from their point of view and then write.

10 Commandments of Resume Writing...

Here are the Ten Commandments that you must absolutely follow for a winning resume-

Title the Resume Imaginatively
Be imaginative in naming the resume document. A resume titled "Your Name-5 Years Sales Experience.doc" is much more noticeable than a resume titled Resume.doc or YourName.doc

Use Keywords
Nowadays employers use career sites like Monster and Hot Jobs to search for suitable candidates. The search is made the same way you search for a topic using search engines like Google or MSN. Use of relevant keywords will make it easy for the search engines to find you.

Objective of the Resume
The objective of the resume tells what you can do for your employer. It saves the employer the trouble of reading the whole resume, and then reaching his or her own conclusions. Does the employer have the time to do this?

Focus on results, not responsibilities
The prospective employer is more interested in specific results that you achieved, rather than a broad description of your responsibilities. Do not say- "Responsibilities included interacting with dealers..." Instead, say- "Worked with dealers X and Y to increase sales by 25% in 3 months..."

Customize you Resume
Go through the job advertisement and customize your resume to address the needs of the employer. Align your resume as per the job description. Keep in mind what the employer wants.

Be Focused and Professional
A resume is not a literary document. It is meant to showcase your professional skills and qualities. Therefore, avoid verbosity; avoid being humorous and giving unnecessary information. Do not showcase you hobbies and interests, unless they are very relevant to the position that you have applied for.

Give Practical Examples of Qualities and Strengths
Don't just make a plain list of your qualities, skills and strengths. Go on to tell the employer what you have actually achieved using them. Don't just say you have "initiative", tell them that you "convinced leading dealer ABC to switch from the competitors' product to your product".

Be Honest
Your resume should contain the truth, and nothing but the whole truth. Do not get creative in exaggerating your achievements and skills. Employers can, and usually do, run checks with your references. Even if you get away with it, you will always live in fear.

Proofread the Resume
Go through your resume to check for spelling and grammatical mistakes. These mistakes can create a bad impression in the mind of the employer. Do your own proofreading. Also get a friend or a colleague to double check.

KISS
Oh yes, go ahead and KISS! Keep It Short and Simple. Don't make it too long by sharing your hobbies and interests with the employer. Remember, the objective of an effective resume is to get the employer to call you for an interview. Your resume gets only a few seconds to arouse the interest of the employer. Follow the Ten Commandments of effective resume writing, and you cannot go wrong.

Resume Styles...

Chronological Resume
The most common style used by Recruitment Agencies.. Perfect for someone maintaining their career in the same field. Experience focused with each position described in detail.

Typical Chronological Resume Flow:
1. Profile
2. Career Highlights
3. Experience & Achievements
4. Training & Professional Development
5. Areas of Expertise
6. Result
7. Proficiencies
8. Education

Functional Resume
Resume style highly focused on skills and accomplishments. Perfect for someone who wants to highlight a broad range of skills or accomplishments.

Typical Functional Resume Flow:
1. Profile
2. Areas of Expertise
3. Career Highlights
4. Selected Achievements
5. Result
6. Proficiencies
7. Experience
8. Education

Combined Resume
A combination of Chronological and Functional resume formats. Perfect for someone with a wide range of work experience and a broad range of skills or accomplishments.

Typical Combined Resume Flow:
1. Profile
2. Areas of Expertise
3. Career Highlights
4. Training & Professional Development
5. Result
6. Proficiencies
7. Experience & Achievements
8. Education