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If you're applying for a job, you should know that your resume can often be the most important piece of the puzzle. Your resume often decides whether or not you're called in for an interview and from there whether or not you're offered a job.

If you're having trouble writing your resume, there are a few resume templates you can use. According to an article by JobStar, the most common forms of resumes are chronological resumes and functional resumes.

A chronological resume is the most effective for job seekers who have lots of experience and a logical job history. People who are changing careers or who lack formal on-the-job experience, such as new graduates, often find this type of resume the most difficult to write.

Here is an example of a chronological resume:
























Usually those who have less experience opt for a functional resume, which can be thought of as a sort of problem solving format. This type of resume gives you room to make sense of the work history you have and match skills and accomplishments that might not be obvious to a potential employer in another format.

Here is an example of a functional resume:

Labels: Resume templates

If you're wondering how to write a resume, you should focus on the technical aspects of the document.

While many people try to make their resume into a type of narrative or creative document, employers will make hiring decisions based on the facts of your career more than the stories. According to an article by Examiner, the most effective and powerful resumes provide analytical and precise details about your background and achievements.

Most employers will assume that what you show on your resume correlates to what you can do for them. That means if your resume lacks key metrics and quantifiable information, it will fail to demonstrate proof of your performance to a potential employer.

There are three steps you can follow to make sure your resume has enough detail:

• List all the major tasks and projects you have been involved with at work. These can be formal initiatives that required an entire project team or subtle assignments that you decided to complete yourself.
• List the results each project or effort had on the company or your department. You should think in terms of money saved, the number of people affected or the amount of business generated. This can include efficiencies gained during a business process improvement effort, costs cut while implementing a new system, or new business gained by creating customer relationships.
• Show precision by putting percentages, dollar values or other metrics with results. The more analytical your resume is, the better.

Following these steps will allow you to show what you can do for a potential employer.

Labels: How to Write a Resume

If you're a recent college graduate, you should know by now that the job market is tough. However, there are some steps you can take to make the job search process a little easier on yourself. Perhaps the most important step of all is knowing how to write a resume.

While there are fewer companies hiring new workers, there are more people searching for jobs. This means employers will receive hundreds of resumes for open positions, all the more reason to make your resume stand out.

Your resume should include the basic information - your name and address, the college you graduated from, the degree you obtained, what you're looking for and what kind of experience you have, whether it's internships, full-time jobs or classwork.

When putting your resume together, you should make it visually stunning. It should look clean and easy to read, but it also should stand out. You can do this by using a different font, using unique symbols to separate different sections of your resume, or aligning the font in an unusual but neat way.

When writing your resume, keep in mind that you should: list technical skills first, customize your qualifications, quantify your past results, use action words, give yourself credit, be short and concise while being clear, don't give more information than the reader needs and make sure there aren't any mistakes.

Once you have a resume you're satisfied with, there are other steps you can take to make your job search more successful. You can expand your network, use your college career services center, create an inexpensive business card, join a professional association, prepare for interviews, think about all the opportunities outside your comfort zone you could apply for and, most importantly, don't give up.

Labels: How to Write a Resume

The Resume Bay, a career consultant company and group of professional resume writers, has launched an Internet radio show to offer resume tips and career advice to the millions of college graduates and unemployed workers throughout the country.

The show, called "Resume Bay Radio," will focus on providing career insight to candidates searching for a job, including interviewing tips, salary negotiation, creative ways to network, why networking is important, the importance of a customized resume, proper follow-up after an interview, how to convert a phone interview to a face-to-face interview and how to leverage Web 2.0 during the job search.

During the past month, the show has aired a strong series of interviews, including one with David Horne, author of Career Secret Sauce. Horne detailed the specific challenges facing recent college graduates.

The show also interviewed Dr. Debra Condren, author of Ambition is Not a Dirty Word. In the interview, Condren explained how freelancing opportunities are a good way to come out of unemployment.

"By acting like a professional, rather than someone who is willing to give his or her services away by low-balling prices, you can work with companies to receive up to half of your fees upfront," Condren said. "Even in this market, people want to make sure that they are hiring the very best talent - the very best experts and freelancers."

Other people interviewed on the show have included Frances Coles Jones, author of How to Wow; Jill Spiegel, featured guest on the Oprah Show and the Today Show; Linda C. Thompson, author of I Am My Own Dragon; Dr. Nancy and Randall Bell.

Resume Bay Radio already has several interviews scheduled for May, including interviews with featured career authors Michael Port, Jay Conrad Levinson and Monroe Mann. Once recorded, all interviews are available at the Resume Bay for download.

The Resume Bay also is working on a Webinar, entitled the "Career Empowerment Series." The Webinar, to be presented in four parts, will include: Sharpening Your Axe - Preparing for your job search; Catching the Big Fish - Strategies for getting noticed in a crowded job market; Selling Yourself Without Selling Out - Proven interview methods you can use immediately and Too Cool for School - Negotiating a great job package and how to handle your first 30 days.

Labels: Resume tips

Because the job market is so tough right now - for job seekers, employers and corporations - some companies are going above and beyond by offering free resumes and resume help.

Once you've created your perfect resume, both Staples and Office Depot will allow you to copy that resume for free.

Staples, based in Framingham, Mass., is offering 20 free single-sided resume copies and 40 free instant business cards. The program, dubbed the "Staples Career Stimulus," will last through June 13.

The company also has launched a new Web site as part of the program, which features best practices and career stimulus tips from CareerBuilder, Women for Hire and Southworth Paper.

Office Depot, based in Boca Raton, Fla., is offering 25 free single-sided resume copies and free faxing to five domestic numbers through May 30. Customers also can upgrade their resume paper selection to color or premium paper for a fee. To get the free copies, job seekers should go to one the store's Design, Print & Ship Depot centers.

Both stores are following the lead of FedEx Office, which offered job seekers 25 free copies of their resume on high quality paper on March 10. There are 1,600 FedEx Office locations throughout the country.

"We understand that the economy has affected many people in a very profound way, and we want to help," Brian Philips, president and CEO of FedEx Kinko's, said in a statement. "Printing resumes is one small way we can use our resources to help those who need it."

Other local companies are getting in on the act of helping out job seekers in need. For instance, Office Nomads in Seattle is offering free daily drop in service for one month, which allows people access to a desk and high-speed Internet. People in Spring Hill, Tenn., can get help preparing resumes today through May 16 at Spring Hill Public Library.

These are just a few examples of the help being offered throughout the country. Check out local news sources or local companies to see if any deals are being offered near you.

Labels: Resume help

In a time when many people are searching for jobs, it's more important than ever to make yourself stand out. One way to do this is by creating a top-notch resume that will get noticed by employers.

Those who are job searching may already know how important your resume is, as it can often make or break an employer's first impression of you. A resume shouldn't only be a documentation of your credential and experience, but should be a living document that represents who you are and why someone should hire you.

Here are 10 resume tips you should keep in mind, according to an article by Free-Resume-Tips.com:

• Use titles or headings that match the jobs you want. Because most employers receive hundreds of resumes, it's important to make sure your resume can grab someone's attention within five seconds. You can do this by using job titles and skill headings that relate to and match the jobs you're applying to.
• Use design that grabs attention. You should make a professional, clean looking resume that highlights the most important information about your work experience, skills and education.
• Create content that sells. The content of your resume is what ultimately results in interviews and higher salaries, so you should include strong descriptions of your skills and abilities.
• Quantify and use power words. Using numbers and quantifying positions as well as using words or verbs that match the level of position you want can help employers match you with your ideal position.
• Analyze ads and job descriptions to identify keywords. This is important because many companies use applicant tracking systems that match candidates' resumes to keywords in job ads.
• Identify and solve employer's hidden needs. You can gain an edge on the competition if you're able to identify and demonstrate other needs your potential employer may have that aren't in the job description.
• Sell the benefits of your skills. Instead of only listing what you're capable of doing, explain how what you can do is capable of helping the company.
• Create an image that matches the salary you want. Make sure your resume highlights the skills and abilities that match the jobs you want.
• Prioritize the content of your resume. You should prioritize the contents of your resume, listing the most important and beneficial items first.
• Tweak and target your resumes and cover letters. If you target your resume and cover letter to each specific position you apply for, you will be more likely to get an interview.

Labels: Resume tips