Resume Writing Advice

After you’ve decided what it is that you REALLY want to do with you life and you have the education you need, now’s the time to go out and get that new job and get well on your way to a new and exciting career. Luckily, it’s not as difficult as it might seem!

You literally have hundreds and hundreds of resources at your fingertips when it comes to the job hunt! If you are willing to relocate, your options are multiplied, but even if you want to stay put, you can either face commuting or even find something right where you live.

Start by looking in your local newspaper as well as papers from the towns surrounding you. Employers generally concentrate on the weekend editions of the papers to advertise job openings – especially the Sunday paper. You’ll be able to see what’s available out there and narrow down your search based on these ads.

Another great resource is the Internet. We live in the Information Age, and there are many, many websites dedicated to the job seeker. These sites allow you to post your resume online and to search available jobs all over the country and even all over the world.

When I was looking for a sales job, I posted my resume on monster.com and had a phone call within an hour of posting, so these websites can be extremely valuable to the job seeker. Here are some of the more popular sites:
* www.monster.com
* www.career.com
* www.job.com
* www.yahoohotjobs.com
* www.careerbuilder.com
Your Resume

Once you’ve found a job you are interested in, it’s time to submit your resume. Here are some valuable tips on creating your resume for the best impression.

* Your name and contact information should appear at the top of the page with your name being larger than the rest of the typestyle. Include your physical address, your home phone, your cell phone, and your e-mail address.
* If you are making a career change, the next section should list your job experience starting with your most recent job and working backwards. Then you follow up with your education. If you are a new graduate, start your resume listing your education including degrees earned and any honors you achieved and follow it with any jobs you’ve worked in the next section.

* You will want to have a section that lists any special talents you have (that pertain to the job) and things like software programs you can use, office machines you can operate, etc.

* Be sure to list any organizations you belong to and any honors that have been bestowed upon you. Employers like to see people who are involved in activities outside of work.

* The very last section will be for references. In almost all cases, you should state on your resume that “References are available upon request.” When you get the interview is when you should present them with your reference list.

* Consider printing your resume on demurely colored paper. I’ve used a light green marble, cream, even blue tinted paper. This makes your resume stand out in a stack of white paper and increases your chance to have your resume noticed first. The paper should be heavier than regular paper as well. Generally, a 20# paper is best to use.

* It’s almost always best to take your resume to the prospective employer in person and ask to speak with the person doing the hiring. You want to get as much exposure as you possibly can as well as letting that person put a name to a face. If you will be mailing your resume, do so in a manila envelope. Don’t fold it and stick it in a regular #10 envelope. You want it to look nice, so keep it flat when mailing.

* Try to keep your resume to one page if possible. However, if you have some important information that you think will put you in the running for the job and it spills over into two pages, that’s fine, but you should NEVER have a resume longer than two pages!

* No personal information should be on your resume at all. Employers don’t need to know your height, weight, and marital status.

* Be sure to proofread over and over and over again. And then do it one more time. Nothing makes you look more unprofessional than typographical errors on your resume. It makes you look sloppy and like you don’t care. If you have typos on your resume, you won’t get called for an interview.

* The resume is used to represent you and sell you to a potential employer before you meet face to face. It should represent you and reflect you in an extremely positive light. It should make you stand out among other applicants and urge the person in charge of hiring to want to call you first!

The Cover Letter

You will also need a cover letter to accompany your resume. In general, the cover letter should be as concise and to the point as possible. Don’t ramble on and on, let your resume do the talking. The cover letter is just a basic introduction to your resume.

Use very positive language and be concise. If you are responding to an advertisement for a job, always include where you saw the ad (i.e. Newspaper, online, etc.). Here’s an example of a brief cover letter:
==============================================
Ladies and Gentlemen:

I am writing in response to your ad that ran in yesterday’s edition of The Tribune in which you advertised for a research assistant. As you can see from the attached resume, I have the qualifications you asked for in the ad and would like to be considered for this position.

While my previous career was not in the research field, I have always had an interest in working a job such as this which is why I have obtained additional schooling that qualifies me to do this type of work. Doing research has always been a dream of mine, and I was excited to see that your company has a position available.

I am the right person for this job which will be evident to you with a personal interview. You will see my passion and desire to work in this field when we can speak face to face. I can be reached or a message may be left at (555) 555-5555. I look forward to meeting with you. Thank you in advance for your consideration!

Sincerely,

(You)
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If you don’t have a specific person you are addressing the letter to, you will want to address it to “Ladies and Gentlemen”. DO NOT address it to “To Whom It May Concern”. That is considered unprofessional and very non-businesslike.

Just as with the resume, you should proofread extensively to make sure that there are no typographical errors and that your punctuation and grammar is all correct.

The Interview

A good, solid resume and cover letter will get you an interview which is when it is your job to shine and stand out from other applicants. How do you do that? Preparation is key in the process. Being prepared for a job interview means knowing about the industry, the employer, and yourself. It means paying attention to details like personal appearance, punctuality, and demeanor.

What To Wear

First, you must dress appropriately. Generally, it’s a good idea to wear a suit for a job interview. Go with something simple, in a neutral tone. The more conservative your field is, the more conservative your suit should be. For example, if you’re applying for a job in an investment firm, go with a navy blue or dark gray suit. For women, a dress is also appropriate attire for a job interview.

It’s a good idea to match your interview attire to the prospective job. If you are applying for a job working on a warehouse floor, you will look out of place wearing a formal suit. Keeping that in mind, dress a little better than you would for a day at work and make sure your clothes are neat and clean. Do not wear jeans.

Make sure that whatever you wear is clean and in good condition. That means no tears or stains. It should also not be outdated. A good, classic style and cut for a suit is a good choice since it’s appropriate for many situations.
In all instances, wear closed-toe shoes. Sandals are never appropriate for a job interview, unless you are applying for a job as a lifeguard. Black shoes match everything (yes, even your navy blue suit). Stick with a conservative style. Women should not wear very high heels. Sneakers are not appropriate at all.

Women, don’t wear an excessive amount of jewelry and take it easy on any makeup. You want to make an impression with you, your personality, and qualifications. You don’t want to be remembered as the lady who piled on the blue eye shadow and ruby red lipstick.

You’ll want to bring an extra copy of your resume along with your reference sheet. If you are applying for a job which might require you to provide sample of previous work, you need to bring that as well. You need to have something to carry it all in.

Leave the backpack at home. You want to look professional, not like you’re taking a stroll across campus. A woman can carry a small to medium sized handbag. A man or woman can carry a briefcase if he or she wishes, or a folder or portfolio.

Questions

Once at the interview, you are going to be asked a lot of questions by your potential employer. They will ask about you in particular such as what your strengths and weaknesses are. You might want to prepare for answering questions by listing some of your attributes. Talk to former co-workers with whom you worked closely. Ask them to list some traits about you that they most admired — work related, of course.

Try to find some faults as well. You won’t, obviously, spontaneously tell a prospective employer about these faults, but you may be asked to. One question that sometimes comes up in an interview is “What is something that has been a problem for you at work?” By studying your faults, you will be able to choose one that is somewhat innocuous or could be turned around into a positive.

For example, I’ve always been a very organized person – almost to the point of obsessiveness. However, employers look at organizational skills as assets not liabilities. So in an interview, I would tell them one of my shortcomings was that I wanted to be too organized.

Practice how you will answer possible questions in an interview. You want to seem somewhat spontaneous, but you also want to appear self-confident. The way to do that is to rehearse, not exactly what you will say, but how you will say it.

A great method is to rehearse in front of a video camera. Study your posture, the way you make eye contact, and your body language. If you don’t have a video camera, a mirror will do. Have a friend do mock interviews with you. The more you repeat a scenario, the more comfortable you will begin to feel with it.

When it comes down to it, isn’t this the main point of the interview? Speak slowly and clearly. I tend to speak very quickly, so this is something I must pay careful attention to when I am on an interview. Pause before you answer a question. Your answers will seem less rehearsed and it will give you a chance to collect your thoughts. Keep in mind that a very brief pause may seem like an eternity to you. It’s not.

Since the interviewer’s job is to make sure that not only your skill, but your personality as well, is a good match, you must establish rapport with the person or persons interviewing you. That begins the instant you walk in the door. Let the interviewer set the tone.

Nothing is as awkward as offering your hand and having the gesture not returned by the other person. Therefore you should wait for the interviewer to offer his or her hand first, but be ready to offer your hand immediately. Some experts suggest talking at the same rate and tone as the interviewer. For example, if the interviewer is speaking softly, so should you.

It’s alright for you to show your true personality, but be careful not to go too over-the-top. I am a very bubbly, naturally outgoing person who tends to get a little hyperactive in stressful situations. I also have a gift for humor which tends to make people feel comfortable with me.

In job interviews, I’ll try to tone down the excessive energy that I usually have and inject some humor into the conversation. This helps relax both me and the person doing the interview and we’re able to communicate much easier.

They say that body language gives more away about us than speech. Eye contact is very important but make sure it looks natural. A smiling, relaxed face is very inviting. Hands resting casually in your lap rather than arms folded across your chest also is more inviting. If you normally move your hands around a lot when you speak, tone it down some. You don’t want to look too stiff, but you don’t want to look like you’re a bundle of nervous energy.

So what kind of questions can you expect during your job interview? Here are a few to think about along with some possible answers:

* Tell me about yourself. (They are not looking for personal information here)

My background to date has been centered on preparing myself to become the very best _____ I can become. Let me tell you specifically how I’ve prepared myself…

* Why should I hire you?

Because I sincerely believe that I’m the best person for the job. I realize that there are many other college students that have the ability to do this job. I also have that ability. But I also bring an additional quality that makes me the very best person for the job–my attitude for excellence. Not just giving lip service to excellence, but putting every part of myself into achieving it. In … and … I have consistently reached for becoming the very best I can become by doing the following…

* What is your long-range objective? Where do you want to be 10 or 15 years from now?

Although it’s certainly difficult to predict things far into the future, I know what direction I want to develop toward. Within five years, I would like to become the very best _____ your company has. I would like to become the expert that others rely upon. And in doing so, I feel I will be fully prepared to take on any greater responsibilities that might be presented in the long term.

* How has your education prepared you for your career?

As you will note on my resume, I’ve taken not only the required core classes in the _____ field, I’ve also gone above and beyond. I’ve taken every class the college has to offer in the field and also completed an independent study project specifically in this area. But it’s not just taking the classes to gain academic knowledge I’ve taken each class, both inside and outside of my major, with this profession in mind. So when we’re studying _____ in _____, I’ve viewed it from the perspective of _____. In addition, I’ve always tried to keep a practical view of how the information would apply to my job. Not just theory, but how it would actually apply. My capstone course project in my final semester involved developing a real-world model of _____, which is very similar to what might be used within your company…

* What is your greatest weakness?

I would say my greatest weakness has been my lack of proper planning in the past. I would over-commit myself with too many variant tasks, then not be able to fully accomplish each as I would like. However, since I’ve come to recognize that weakness, I’ve taken steps to correct it. For example, I now carry a planning calendar in my pocket so that I can plan all of my appointments and “to do” items. Here, let me show you how I have this week planned out…

* What attracted you to our ad over others?

I approach my Job Hunting strategy pretty much like I approach my work. I took some time to think about the skills I want to use on my next job, the industry I’d like to work for and the location I want. I did some research on companies that were advertising and knew this company had the qualities I am looking for in my career and future.

If you are interviewing for a sales job, it’s entirely possible that the interviewer will ask you to sell him or her something. For example, I had one prospective boss who laid a pen on the table between us and told me to “sell” him the pen. What he wanted was to see how my persuasive skills were and if I could point out the great aspects of that pen to motivate him to “buy” it.

Usually toward the end of the interviewer, the person conducting it will ask you if you have any questions. You should have some. As in every other aspect of the job search, you are trying to show the employer how you can fill their needs. By asking certain questions, you are putting yourself in the job and showing the employer how you will satisfy the employer’s needs. Here are some questions you may want to ask of the interviewer:

* Why is the position open?
* Are there any special projects I will be working on?
* How often will my performance be evaluated?
* Is pay tied to performance?
* What qualifications do you look for in a person who will be doing this job?
* What type of potential is there for upward mobility?

Don’t ask about salary, benefits, or vacations, as those all imply “what will you, the employer, do for me?” However, the interviewer may bring up the question of money. He or she may ask what salary you hope to earn.

You must prepare for this question before the interview. Find out what others in the same position are earning. Always give a range, not an exact number. This will help keep you from pricing yourself out of a job. You don’t want the employer to think they can’t afford you, but you also don’t want them to think you are a cheap commodity.

There are some questions that the interviewer cannot ask you. That’s right – they CANNOT ask you certain things and you are in no way obligated to answer them. Of course, if you want to tell them how old you are how many children you have, you can, but you don’t have to do so if asked. Essentially, employers cannot ask questions related to any of the following:

* Race
* Color
* Sex
* Religion
* National origin
* Birthplace
* Age
* Disability
* Marital/family status

The reason they are considered illegal is because if they base their decision to hire you or not hire you on any of these factors, it is discriminatory which is against federal law. So how do you handle it when you are asked an illegal question? You have a couple of choices.

Answer the intent of the question instead of the question itself. For example, if you are asked whether you are a United State citizen (not legal to ask), reply that you are authorized to work in the U.S. which is a question the employer can ask you and which is appropriate to answer.

Since you are not required to answer the question, it is well within your rights to refuse to answer it. If you refuse to answer the question, do so in a non-confrontational way that doesn’t make you sound uncooperative.

You may want to say something like “With all due respect, I don’t think that has anything to do with my qualifications for this job.” If you refuse to answer the question, it could cost you the job, but would you really want to work for a company that would ask questions of you that are irrelevant and inappropriate?

After The Interview

After the interview, it is essential to follow up with a thank you note. This serves two purposes. First, it tells the employer that you are grateful for their time and want to do the polite thing by sending out a note thanking them for that. But, a thank you note also brings you back into their mind which can be good if they are close to making a decision on who to hire. It is also your chance to reiterate something you mentioned on the interview or bring up something you forgot to mention.

You should try to send a note to each person who took part in your interview. If you don’t remember the name of each person, call the receptionist for some help. Keep your note brief. Make sure it is typed. Sending a formal thank you note sets you apart from everyone else who forgot to or chose not to do this, so it’s a good idea to always send one.

And then, you wait. Sometimes you’ll be asked to come in for a second interview with a different person before a decision is made. If you are chosen for the job, you will get a phone call during which time you can discuss salary and starting time or set an appointment to come in and do so.

If you are not chosen for the job, you will most likely receive a letter in the mail that won’t give you a specific reason why you weren’t hired, it will probably just say something along the lines of “We’ve chosen someone else for the position”. That’s the worst part is not knowing what you could have done different to improve yourself the next time.

If you’re comfortable enough, you may want to make a phone call to the person who interviewed you and ask just that – why weren’t you chosen for the position? When you ask this question, don’t ask in an arrogant or whiny way so that it sounds like you have “sour grapes”. Simply explain to the interviewer that you are looking for ways to improve yourself and want his or her input.

You may also find yourself yearning to turn a beloved hobby into a business. Many people have done this and have realized great success.

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