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Everyone knows that you need a resume in order to apply for a job. In most cases, typical resumes serve as a place to showcase your work experience. But what if you're an entry-level worker who doesn't have a lot - or any - job experience?

In this case, you should use an entry-level resume template. Even if you haven't actually held a real job yet, you can still make your resume stand out by focusing on things like schoolwork, relevant classes and internships.

There are several things that should always be included, even in the most basic resume. The first section should include information on how a potential employer can contact you, including your first and last name, address, landline or cell phone number and e-mail address.

The next section of your resume should focus on any education you've had. This is a good place to list the colleges you attended, degrees you earned and any special awards or honors you received.

The final section of your resume should focus on any experience you have. This is the place to list any companies you've worked for, dates of employment, the positions you held and a list of your responsibilities and achievements. This also is the place to list any internships or summer jobs you've had.

Here is a sample entry-level resume template. The person lists their contact information, education and relevant courses, professional experience, additional experience and examples of leadership.

Labels: Resume templates

If you think you know how to write a resume, think again.

The typical way of writing resumes is in the past. In today's world, job seekers have to focus on writing a resume that caters to the cyber world that most employers depend on. According to an article by The Seattle Times, the algorithm for resumes has changed significantly.

Before the beginning of the economic recession, it was common for job seekers to write resumes for actual people, when in fact, humans don't usually read resumes anymore. Instead, resumes are handled by online software systems programmed to look for specific keywords.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when writing resumes:
Don't focus on length - It used to be that resumes should be short, about one page, maybe two. However, software often processes how many pages are in your resume and associated fewer pages with less experience.

Don't focus on a career objective - In the past, it was common form to start your resume with a statement about what the applicant wants in a career and a list of past experience and job skills. Today, resumes should list technical skills first, because that's what software will look for.

Get certification whenever possible - While having a college degree is still essential, it most likely won't make your resume stand out. However, job training or certification in certain skills that are applicable to your career might be picked up on by certain software.

Present a professional online profile - Your resume should include links to online sources where employers can find out more information about you. Most software automatically looks up your LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter profiles.

"After LinkedIn, the next place the resume software will look will be Zillow to look up your address find out the value of your home," the article notes. "There's a lot that can be learned from this. Are you carrying a very high mortgage? Will you want to relocate to their office in Boston if you just bought a new house? Do they want to hire someone from Marysville if the candidate has to commute to Redmond every day? They'll use a lot of this information to second-guess your application."

Labels: How to Write a Resume

If you're looking for freelance and temporary work, it's important to remember that your resume should look different than that of a typical job seeker.

While most HR departments or job placement agencies are looking for a specific type of resume, they don't always know what to do with resumes from freelancers. These workers often have lots of employment experiences that don't fit on a standard resume.

Following are some resume tips from Examiner that you can follow to make the process easier on yourself and on potential employers.

First, don't focus on standard job listing requirements. These are often too vague or too limited can require you to constantly rewrite your resume. You should instead focus on how to communicate your qualifications for a project, company initiative or request for expertise.

Second, make sure the design of your resume is simple and articulate. Your resume should focus on skills, project work and successes and list contracts, assignments and projects. You also should include any education you have.

Your resume should have a small section dedicated to skill keywords. These can be specific skills you have and use regularly, such as advanced software use or project management with the specific number of people involved. You should list a total of six to 10 key projects you have worked on.

Finally, put most of your focus into an accompanying cover letter. This is the place to convey that you understand the assignment, contract or project you are pitching. You should clarify why you are the candidate to handle the client's needs. You can list similar successes and verbalize why the opportunity appeals to you.

Labels: Resume tips

It's easy to find information about what you should put on your resume, but what information should you leave out? There are a few simple resume tips you can follow to make sure your potential employer doesn't find out too much - or too little - about you.

First, you should make sure your resume is free from results-focused information. According to an article by the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, if your resume looks like anyone else's resume, then you won't stand apart from competitors. You can differentiate yourself by talking about different projects you've worked on and how they "saved the day."

Second, you should make sure your resume doesn't include useless information and that it's not more than two pages long. Your resume should only talk about things that are important to the particular job that you're applying for.

Third, don't use resume styles that don't fit the position you're applying for. Your resume should reflect what the company says it wants for the particular position in the job posting. That means you should only include information that's pertinent to that specific job.

Fourth, don't make your resume too hard to look at. You can make your resume easily readable by eliminating small margins, small font and long paragraphs. Use bullet points and other characters to divide information.

Finally, leave personal information off your resume and only include information about your career history. While there are some exceptions, most resumes look more professional if they're void of personal information.

Labels: Resume tips