Thursday, December 13, 2007

Free Resume Writing?

What the hell is free resume writing?

Well, namely it’s of course writing a resume for free, but of course this question means rather “Where can I find someone to do free resume writing for me?” Well, it’s not so easy to avoid resume writing by getting some free resume help, but there are a few possibilities to get a good resume without paying quite a few bucks.

Friends as free resume writing machines.

The first option is to find some friend to write a resume for you. This might be an excellent solution – you can control the whole process and, of course it is usually free – if this didn’t cause some additional problems which drastically limit its usefulness. The first one can be presented in a form of a question: “How do you know that your friend is any better than you?” The second is connected to the quantity of free resume writing you need – how many resume cover letters can you get from your friends before you lose them? Two? Five? Ten? Maybe even twenty – but you have to be prepared to send at least fifty of them if you intend to get a good job.

The only other way I can think of is to seek the government help or some welfare foundations. Most of them offer free resume writing for unemployed as a part of their mission. In most of such places you can find a resume writer who will probably help you to create your own resume. If only you are so desperate, you can look for some help there. But if you’re out-of-luck manager who wants to get some better job all you can get is throwing you out.

“How to make a resume for free?” The best answer to this question is: “Write it yourself!” There is simply no other way. It’s too important to your future. Not to spare a few dollars on writing a good resume will end only on losing a few thousand of them – money you could otherwise earn.

Copyright 20007 Jay Tokarz

Resume Writing

Resume writing – a few useful tips.

How to write a good resume? Tip number one is simple: if you really can’t do it, employ some experienced resume writer. They will do this job well enough – you surely can’t expect a masterpiece, but it will be much better than your own resume. Writing such piece of text is usually too difficult for inexperienced employees-to-be.

But what to do if you’re sure you can handle this, but you don’t know where (and how) to start? Here’s tip number two: look for some resume writing help. There are plenty of websites on the Net where you can find a free resume writing sample and/or not too bad cover letters. Just remember that they are of no use in actually finding a job – all you get from such sites is some resume writing help, nevertheless what their authors may claim.

OK, but how can you use the free resume sample you’ve acquired? Tip number three is simple enough: think when you do. Don’t even try creating your resume mindlessly by simple re-writing of resume writing example. The danger of leaving some inadequate information is too great; what’s more re-writing your resume basing on inadequate example may result in getting into some joke only, but it will never get this job for you.

Remember that it is impossible to get anything from the resume you’re writing if you don’t put something there first. You have to know who you are and why you are writing this piece of text in the first place. Resume writing is the first and the only occasion to advertise yourself to your future employers. It’s not only some stupid work you have to do in order to spend your free time in such way that your wife wouldn’t complain. Resume writing is the ONLY way to get a job nowadays – the only way to be noticed by employers… In short: the only way to get your money.

So what are you waiting for? Get to work – find a free resume sample and re-work it into your own one, better than anything created by web content writers. Or just employ a professional – if all you want is to avoid trouble.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Cover Letter Template

A cover letter template is a great tool that can guide the job seeker in the process of creating a cover letter that entails everything that an employer is looking for in a prospective employee. It gives samples of what should be included in a cover letter such as education, prior experience and skills that have been learned throughout the applicant’s career. A cover letter template also guides a job seeker through presenting their qualifications in a way that fits the job for which they are applying, even if their experience or education may not be in the same field. A job seeker can extract something from their resume and present it on the cover letter in a way that will let the employer know they are qualified to do the job.

Cover letter template formats also illustrate to the applicant how to capture the manager or human resource director’s attention with an example of the level of professionalism and tone that are required to make the cover letter and resume stand out from the crowd. Employers are inundated with resumes whenever they post an opening within their organization. This is especially true if the organization is a Fortune 500 company, a locally well-known company for which to work, or if the current job market is in a lull and jobs that pay well and offer good benefits are rare.

By using a cover letter template, the job seeker has a better idea of not only what to include in their cover letter, but also what not to include. This is sometimes unclear to someone who either is new to the job search or has been out of the market for a while. The process of writing a cover letter can be confusing. Most job seekers assume that a good resume is all they need. This may have been the case twenty years ago, but today employers expect to see a detailed cover letter along with a professional resume.

The resume offers the main course to the prospective employer but the cover letter is the appetizer. Just as you wouldn’t want to go to a restaurant and order chips and salsa for an appetizer when you are planning to have lobster or steak for the main course, you also do not want to present a thrown together cover letter with a well-written resume. The two just do not flow together and the lever of professionalism that is presented in a resume should be matched in the cover letter. A cover letter template offers a guide to create the ideal balance.

Free Cover Letter Example

A free cover letter example can be used as a guide for how to write a cover letter that will be ideal for the position the that job seeker is pursuing. Cover letters are almost as important as the resume itself. Unfortunately, very few people know what a proper cover letter is or even how to write one. By using a free cover letter example, the job seeker will have a format to guide them through the cover letter creation process.

Free cover letter example formats are great tools. Although they may not write the cover letter for the job applicant, they offer a guide to follow. Most job applicants have no idea what to include in a cover letter and what to avoid mentioning. That is why a free cover letter example can assist in the cover letter writing process immensely. The free sample gives an idea of how to market skills, education and experience to correlate directly with the job for which the applicant is applying.

The free cover letter example also illustrates to the applicant how to market himself or herself as the perfect candidate for the position. A well-written cover letter will not only summarize their skills, education and experience and present them as exactly what the organization is seeking in a future employee, but it will also give the manager or human resource personnel an introduction to the applicant and give the reason “why” they want the job. Employers already know that an applicant wants to be chosen for the position, but by explaining the “why,” the employer has a better idea of what the applicant has to offer the organization and why he should choose them over all the other applicants.

The cover letter sells the applicant for the job. The applicant could have the highest level of education as well as the greatest amount of experience in the field for which they are applying, as well as impeccable references and achievements. Without the appropriate cover letter that highlights his or her qualifications, the resume may never be seen. Applicants who send out resumes without a cover letter or with weak cover letters are automatically tossed aside. Employers want to see that the applicant has an attention for details and takes their job search seriously. The cover letter is what ties that all together for the manager or human resource personnel.

Resume and Cover Letter Help

A resume and cover letter help center can guide a job seeker in properly preparing a resume that will not only summarize their past experience, education and skills, but will also be appropriate for their desired job. They also assist the job seeker as well in developing a cover letter that is equally as suitable. Resume and cover letter help, unfortunately, does not come from any of the organizations at which the applicant is applying. If the resume and/or cover letter do not meet the expectations of the employer, they simply toss the resume or file it away and then they may or may not send the applicant a letter thanking them for applying for the position and notifying them that they will keep their resume on file. Yeah Right. Most of the time, the applicant never hears back from the manager or human resource personnel and they are left wondering what they could have done differently in order to land the job.

Resume and cover letter help, therefore, is well worth any amount of time or money that it takes to create a resume and cover letter that will sell the applicant and meet all the expectations of the employer. Because employers do not offer any feedback as to what must be done in order to correct any problems within the cover letter and/or resume, the feedback must be sought elsewhere and this is where the resume and cover letter help comes in to play.

Just as a book author cannot possibly edit their own book and catch each and every mistake, a cover letter and resume should be looked over by another party as well. Whenever the person who does the writing glances over what the have written, they most times see what they think they wrote and not what is actually on the paper. This is a trick of the mind. Therefore, such as every good novelist has an editor to double check grammar, spelling and basic flow, a job applicant should also seek resume and cover letter help to ensure that their resume contains all the required elements and their cover letter is properly written. In addition, by obtaining resume and cover letter help, the applicant can also request additional information to insert in the cover letter about them to give the employer a better insight of their personality and work ethic. Frequently, others are better able to define a person’s personality than himself or herself.

Monday, December 10, 2007

Free Resume Outline by Jay Tokarz

When writing a resume, it is very helpful to use a free resume outline. There are many sites on the Internet where you can get such a free resume outline to show you exactly what you need to include in your resume. Many of these sites have free resume templates that you can download to your computer and then just fill in your unique information. They have preset margins the correct font size to use and loads of other useful information for you to use. All you have to do is search for a free resume outline and you will have thousands of resources to choose from.

When you do find a site with a free resume outline you can use, you can choose a functional, chronological or keyword based resume template. Each of these resume types has their own purpose. You would use a functional resume if you have a limited amount of work experience or if you are changing careers. For those transitioning out of the military to the civilian work force, this type of resume is beneficial because it allows them to highlight aspects of their duties that are relevant to a particular job. In a chronological resume, you list all your work experience in a time frame. You can start with your first job and list all the positions you have held until the present. You can also do this in reverse order, if you think the prospective employer will be more impressed by the latest job you held rather than the previous ones. Keyword based resumes are used when posting your resume online. You use strategically placed keywords related to your skills and experiences so that recruiters will pick up your resume when they scan the list of job applicants..

Now let’s get to the basics of a resume outline. The top of the page should contain your name and full contact information. Next you write your objective, which is a summary statement of why you are writing this resume. When you have this in writing, you can include a general statement of your qualifications for the position, but this is optional. The next part of the resume deals with your education. List all the universities and colleges and the degree or certificate you obtained. If you have additional training or certificates, you would list these next.

Your work experience makes up the next section of the resume outline. Here you will list the titles of the positions you held and brief outline of your duties in each. You also need to give employers a snapshot of you as a professional and the way to do this is to include the names of any associations or organizations to which you belong, any awards or citations you have received and any special skills you have that will give you an extra edge in being hired for this position.

Keep you details brief and it is best to list them in bulleted points. From the free resume outline you will see that the resume should only be about 1- 2 pages in length. You have to provide just enough information to make the employers notice you enough to call you for a n interview, where you can then discuss your skills in greater depth.

Sunday, December 9, 2007

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Thursday, December 6, 2007

Resume Samples Don't Hurt

Resume Samples

What’s the right resume style to use? Which fonts work best? What format should I use? How do I make sure the format stays the same when I upload it online? How does the rest of my industry style their resumes? These are just some of the questions you face when writing your resume. Resume samples are a great answer.

What ever the job you are going for, whatever the industry, you can find resume samples online. Just put the phrase “resume samples” in your search engine. There are free resume samples, software that offer resumes samples and even membership sites where you sign up and have access to resume samples.

Many of the same sites that offer resume samples will also have tips on writing resumes and what to watch out for, what to include, and what employers are looking for when they review your resume. Their samples will also give you the appropriate wording.

Things you probably want to look for are resume samples with both an objective and a summary of your skills. Follow the wording style that the resume samples use to write your objective. Compose a different objective for each job for which you apply. Use the employer’s wording and add some value or benefit in hiring you. For example, “Objective – sales director position with a focus of new business development. This shows the company that you plan to add value to them.

The Summary is your place to toot your own horn. Resume samples will give you the style of wording to follow. Do not make this a summary of your skills; make this a summary of your accomplishments. Let the potential employer know what you’ve achieved all the while focused on what their job specifications are. Ask yourself the question, “How and where does what I’ve achieved in the past add value to the company I’m applying for?” and write the summary from this perspective.

As for fonts and style, look at the resume samples. There seems to be some argument about whether to use Times Roman, or a san serif font like Arial or a different font such as Georgia. Here’s where the resume samples in your industry can help. Look at what’s being done in your industry. Formatting is important too, especially if it’s being uploaded. Sometimes when you use tabs, they aren’t read correctly and your formatting will turn out a mess. Better to use spaces. Better still, follow the relevant resume samples.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Create A Resume

Learn How to Create a Resume That Gets The Interview

Even if you have a resume in place that you use for every application, you would be wise to look up information on how to create a resume. Compare the results with your resume and you will likely find places where you can make changes or improvements. The main thing about a resume is that it has to grab the reader’s attention right away. Don’t wait until the reader gets to your work experience to make that pitch. If the reader doesn’t get the sense that you would be a valuable employer right from the beginning, it is likely that he/she will never bother to read your full resume.

It is important to have a strong summary at the beginning of the resume. This is not just a summary of your skills. Here you can use bulleted points or sentences, but you do need to keep it short. The summary is a place where you can show the prospective employer what you have accomplished rather than using words that tell the employer. You do have to use words that pinpoint accomplishments. If you are having trouble writing this part of the resume, think back to the jobs you have held and ask yourself what you are most proud of in each one. This will give you the incentive you need to brag about your performance.

After you complete the summary, then you give details about your work experience. Start off with your most recent job, writing the positions in reverse chronological ordcer. Employers want to know more about your most recent job than the first one you had, especially if that was some time ago. You also need to tailor the skills to suit the job you are applying for. There may be more than one job of the same type, but it is unlikely they are all looking for the same type of skills. Therefore, you should never use just one resume for all of your job applications. A tip that could prove very useful is to have the job posting in front of you so you can refer to it making sure you have all the required skills listed in your resume.

When listing your work experiences focus on your accomplishments. Think about times when you exceeded the requirements of the position and how you preformed at these times. This is what employers want to read about. They want to see how you added value to the company because that is what they want for their own company. When describing these times, use descriptive words and phrases. Instead of saying “I was in charge of”, using words such as “directed” or “supervised” has a greater effect.

How To Create A Resume

How to Create a Resume

When you want to apply for a posted position, you want to know how to create a resume that will get you the interview you need. First of all, you have to grab the reader’s attention. If you already have a resume written, you should review it according to resume writing guidelines to make sure you have everything included in the resume that a prospective employer would be looking for.

Your resume should begin with a summary of your accomplishments. This should be wordy. Choose words that give the full effect of your accomplishments without being lengthy. You can showcase two or three accomplishments by using either bullets or by combining sentences – whichever you think would provide the greatest effect. This way you will show the reader that you are good at what you do instead of just saying that you are good.

The next section of your resume should deal with your experience at this type of job. List your work experience in chronological order starting with your most recent position. Most employers are more interested in your most recent experience rather than what you did when you first entered the job market. You also need to tailor the experience to the duties that would apply to the job you are applying for. Therefore, you should avoid including unnecessary details that employers for a particular position would not be interested in.

If there are two or more similar jobs posted, you should not submit the same resume for each position. It is unlikely that all of them will require the same skills, so you have to tailor each resume to fit the job posting. It is beneficial to have the job posting in front of you as you create your resume so that you can include all the skills that the position requires, that is, if you have these skills.

Focus on details that highlight your accomplishments in this type of work. Don’t focus on what your responsibilities were in the job, as this doesn’t tell the employer how well you preformed. They want to know what value you added to the company in your work. Ask yourself what you did in this position that you are proud of and this will give you an idea of what details to include in your resume. Try to think of times when you went above and beyond what was expected of you.

When describing the details of the duties, use descriptive nouns and verbs. Don’t say things like “I was in charge of”. Instead use words, such as “directed” or “supervised”. They have a greater effect on a resume.

Using Resume Examples

When you want to apply for a job, whether it is your first or your fifth, you should look at examples of resumes to help you write the perfect one for you. Make sure that you include a cover letter, because this is an important component of any job application. It tells the employer the specific position you are interested in. Look at examples of resumes to find what other job applicants have written and emulate the ones you think are the best.

Finding an example of a resume to use as a guide is important. If you have used the same resume for years, and just add work experience to it, the employer will notice this fact. A resume is a chance for you to show off your skills and talents, so don’t be modest or humble when you write yours. Write a short introduction of 1 – 3 sentences detailing your greatest strengths. This will catch the attention of recruiters and prospective employers. It will give the reader a snapshot of you that will make them want to read on and call you for an interview.

If you have been employed at several companies, use subheadings for each one. Under each subheading, use bullets to highlight the work that you did for each company. Don’t forget any volunteer work you do because you can gain valuable work experience by volunteering in your field. Even the fact that you did volunteer work is impressive because the employer will see that you are willing to go the extra mile.

While there are many types of examples of resumes you can look at, you have to look at your individual experience and skills and build this into your own resume. You have to highlight your strengths and make note of any accomplishments you are proud of. Think of the answers you would give to these questions if you are having difficulty coming up with solid accomplishments that you can include on your resume:

What impact did I have in my last job?
Would another person have the same impact?
What part of the job I did makes me proud?

Use any job evaluations where employers made positive comments about you. You can specify that you have these evaluations for the prospective employer to read or you can copy phrases from them to show the good work you did and can do.

Resume Writing Help

Need a Free Resume Outline?

Your work experience makes up the next section of the resume outline. Here you will list the titles of the positions you held and brief outline of your duties in each. You also need to give employers a snapshot of you as a professional and the way to do this is to include the names of any associations or organizations to which you belong, any awards or citations you have received and any special skills you have that will give you an extra edge in being hired for this position.

Keep your details brief and it is best to list them in bulleted points. From the free resume outline you will see that the resume should only be about 1- 2 pages in length. You have to provide just enough information to make the employers notice you enough to call you for an interview, where you can then discuss your skills in greater depth.

Jay Tokarz