Creating Resumes Work for You
You might see a hurdle to leap over. Or a hoop to jump through. Or a barrier to knock down. That is how many people think of resumes, application forms, cover letters, and interviews. But you do not have to think of them that way. They are not ways to keep you from a Job; they are ways for you to show an employer what you know and what you can do. After all, you are going to get a job. It is just a question of which one.
Employers want to hire people who can do the job. To learn who these people are, they use resumes, application forms, written tests, performance tests, medical examinations, and interviews. You can use each of these different evaluation procedures to your advantage. You might not be able to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, but at least you can show what a good ear you have.
Creating Effective Resumes and Application Forms
Resumes and application forms are two ways to achieve the same goal: To give the employer written evidence of your qualifications. When creating a resume or completing an application form, you need two different kinds of information: Facts about yourself and facts about the job you want. With this information in hand, you can present the facts about yourself in terms of the job. You have more freedom with a resume--you can put your best points first and avoid blanks. But, even on application forms, you can describe your qualifications in terms of the job's duties.
Know thyself. Begin by assembling information about yourself. Some items appear on virtually every resume or application form, including he following:
Current address and phone number--if you are rarely at home during business hours, try to give the phone number of a friend or relative who will take messages for you.
Job sought or career goal.
Experience (paid and volunteer) -- date of employment, name and full address of the employer, job title, starting and finishing salary, and reason for leaving (moving, returning to school, and seeking a better position are among the readily accepted reasons).
Education--the school's name, the city in which it is located, the years you attended it, the diploma or certificate you earned, and the course of studies you pursued.
Other qualifications--hobbies, organizations you belong to, honors you have received, and leadership positions you have held.
Office machines, tools, and equipment you have used and skills that you possess.
Other information, such as your Social Security or Insurance number, is often asked for on application forms but is rarely presented on resumes. Application forms might also ask for a record of past addresses and for information that you would rather not reveal, such as a record of convictions. If asked for such information, you must be honest. Honesty does not, however, require that you reveal disabilities that do not affect your overall qualifications for a job.
Know thy job. Next, gather specific information about the jobs you are applying for. You need to know the pay range (so you can make their top your bottom ), education and experience usually required, hours and shifts usually worked. Most importantly, you need to know the job duties (so that you can describe your experience in terms. of those duties). Study the job description. Some job announcements, especially those issued by a government, even have a checklist that assigns a numerical weight to different qualifications so that you can be certain as to which is the most important; looking at such announcements will give you an idea of what employers look for even if you do not wish to apply for a government job. If the announcement or ad is vague, call the employer to learn what is sought.
Once you have the information you need, you can prepare a resume. You may need to prepare more than one master resume if you are going to look for different kinds of jobs. Otherwise, your resume will not fit the job you seek.
Two kinds of resumes.
The way you arrange your resume depends on how well your experience seems to prepare you for the position you want. Basically, you can either describe your most recent job first and work backwards (reverse chronology) or group similar skills together. No matter which format you use, the following advice applies generally.
Use specifics. A vague description of your duties will make only a vague impression.
Identify accomplishments. If you headed a project, improved productivity, reduced costs, increased membership, or achieved some other goal, say so.
Type your resume, using a standard typeface. (Printed resumes are becoming more common, but employers do not indicate a preference for them.)
Keep the length down to two pages at the most.
Remember your mother's advice not to say anything if you cannot say something nice. Leave all embarrassing or negative information off the resume--but be ready to deal with it in a positive fashion at the interview.
-
关于毕业生求职信模板汇总7篇
时间过得太快,让人猝不及防,我们找工作的时间越来越近,一起来写一封求职信,为找工作加油吧。那么怎样写好求职信呢?下面是小编帮大家整理的毕业生求职信7篇,仅供参考,欢迎大家阅读。毕业生求职信篇1贵单位是要物色一个优秀的员工或是助手,我要追求一个可以发扬我团体才...
-
服装设计求职信范文汇编七篇
人生天地之间,若白驹过隙,忽然而已,新一轮的招聘又朝我们走来,该为自己写一封求职信了哦。求职信怎么写才不会千篇一律呢?以下是小编整理的服装设计求职信9篇,仅供参考,大家一起来看看吧。服装设计求职信篇1尊敬的公司领导:您好!首先感谢您在百忙之中阅览我的自荐信。我...
-
应届大学生求职信范文集锦六篇
时间流逝得如此之快,眼见着,找工作的时间马上到来,现在的你想必是在写求职信吧。相信许多人会觉得求职信很难写吧,下面是小编精心整理的应届大学生求职信6篇,仅供参考,欢迎大家阅读。应届大学生求职信篇1尊敬的领导:您好!首先感谢您在百忙中浏览这份求职信,我是某某农业...
-
有关毕业生求职信模板七篇
时光在流逝,从不停歇,我们又将打开新的篇章,寻求新的工作机会,这时一封好的求职信可以起到毛遂自荐的作用哦。那么优秀的求职信都是怎么写的呢?下面是小编收集整理的毕业生求职信7篇,仅供参考,希望能够帮助到大家。毕业生求职信篇1尊敬的领导:您好!我的名字叫xx,我是xx...