Writing a Resume That Gets You Noticed

Writing a Resume That Gets You Noticed
By Lauren Danver

As the old saying goes, "you never get a second chance to make a first impression." In today's business world, of course, that first impression usually does not come from a face-to-face conversation, but from whatever you can tell your future boss about yourself on paper: your resume.

But knowing what information to put on your resume is a challenge. You want to tell your future boss about every noteworthy thing you've ever done, but your future boss only has a precious few seconds to look at your resume and the countless others that pass their way. How do you create a resume that makes a first impression that counts?

Of course, there are the basic things that any employer is going to want to know:

• Job objective, telling what kind of position you are looking for
• Work experience, with employers, positions, and dates listed
• Formal education, with schools and degrees or certificates listed
• Training and skills, really any ability that will set you apart from the rest

But in order to get beyond the boss's circular file, you are going to need to go beyond the basics. Let's start by talking about the forms that your resume might take.

The Chronological Resume

This is a resume where you tell your future employer what you've done over the course of your life that makes you the best choice for the position. The basic categories listed above form the skeleton of this resume, with lists for every school you've attended, job you've held, and training you've received, in chronological order.

The basic data is pretty standard. You can't really change where you've worked, when you went to school, and what degrees you received (at least without risking being found out as dishonest and unethical). Where you can set yourself apart from the pack is in how you present that data.

The words you use to describe the tasks you've performed in a job can communicate much more about you and your capabilities than a bland description ever could. For example, using action words to describe your job tasks can say to your future boss that you are someone who can take initiative rather than someone who simply responds to circumstances.

Some examples of good, action-oriented ways of phrasing things are:

• "Implemented company business directives," rather than "followed my boss's instructions."
• "Diagnosed and corrected problem," rather than "figured out what was wrong."
• "Promoted company products nationwide," rather than "went on sales trips."
• "Coordinated the activities of teams of employees," rather than "received reports from different company departments."

As you present the jobs you've held, the degrees you've received, and the training you've acquired in your chronological resume, remember to use action words and phrases to communicate that there is more to you than just the sum of your activities.

The Skills Resume

A different type of resume with different goals, the skills resume seeks to communicate the capabilities you bring to a job rather than what training and experience you have. The best course to take here is to show yourself in the best possible light.

The main sections of a skills resume are:

• Position: the job for which you are applying.
• Skills and Abilities: the traits and skills you have that make you the person for the job.
• Education and Training: the short version of your formal education and/or training for the job.
• Other: anything and everything that makes you stand out from the rest.

Sometimes, you may have traits that you consider negative, but that can be framed in a positive way for your future boss. Character traits that are complete opposites of one another can both be portrayed as positives. For example, do you think you're "pushy"? In your skills resume, put that you are "assertive". Are you a "push over"? In your skills resume, put that you are "easy to work with".

But even more than discussing character traits, a skills resume tells your prospective employer what you think your best qualities are and why you should be given the job. The keys to this are identifying your most important skills and giving examples of how you've used them in the workplace.

These descriptions should always be kept short and simple. Remember, your future boss only has a few seconds to size you up. A short sentence that communicates the basic facts is far more important and helpful than a paragraph that gives every single detail of the story.

If you can think of positive ways of looking at the things you've accomplished in your life, there is no reason that you cannot communicate those things in exciting ways! Even if you don't think your life has been all that thrilling, you can definitely make it sound that way by using the right words and phrases. The right words can make the qualifications you have sound absolutely indispensable to your future boss and can serve to draw their attention to the areas in your experience and character that will make you the obvious person for that position.

Lauren Danver was formerly a Human Resources Manger for ten years. During that time, she accepted and rejected countless resumes based on their merits. She is now the owner and webmaster of ResumeWizzard.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lauren_Danver

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The New Secretarial Jobs

The New Secretarial Jobs

If your idea of a secretary is someone who answers the telephone, types a letter,
and brings the boss coffee, it's time to update that image. Today's secretary
is a highly skilled, educated individual with a promising career path.
"Secretarial jobs are more critical now than ever before," says
Tim Fisher, president of Nancy Adams Personnel.




"These people are really responsible for making the whole show go." According to
Mr. Fisher, advances in office technology have given rise to a
need for staff members who have sophisticated skill levels.
"Secretaries today are an office's automation," he asserts.
"You can do without an accountant before you can do without a
secretary." Linda Burton, vice president of Office Mates, agrees.
"Secretaries are responsible for so much these days," she explains.
"They're really an integral part of a business' operations.



"Because of the downsizing that many companies have been forced to undergo in the
past few years," Ms. Burton adds, "today's administrative support worker
wears more hats than ever before." In addition to a strong word processing
background, says Ms. Burton, secretaries must know how to spell, punctuate,
and write grammatically correct documents. They are also being called
upon to perform a variety of middle management duties such as purchasing
and customer service.



"In the twelve years I've been here," says Ms. Burton, "I've seen this field really
grow. Today, secretaries are being handpicked for positions,
perhaps even being interviewed two or three times for one job. . .
that's a process that used to be reserved for middle and upper management
slots. That just shows you what a vital function they serve."



Glenda Scherr won't disagree with that. An executive secretary with The Associated:
Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore, Mrs. Scherr began working as a
secretary when she was 17, "let's just say, a long time ago." "I used to
visit my aunt who was a secretary," Mrs. Scherr recalls, "and I liked the
feeling of running an office, of being number one." Though Mrs. Scherr
now regrets not having gone on to college, she has always enjoyed the
fact that people depend on her and that she learns a lot on the job.
Being a secretary today is dramatically different from what it was
when she first started out, says Mrs. Scherr. "Everything is so high-tech now.
In the first place, I only got my first computer three years ago so
I don't have as much computer knowledge as I'd like."




In addition, says Mrs. Scherr, she has had to learn to deal with other sophisticated
equipment, including complex phone systems and fax machines.
"It's been an educational process. Things have changed so much that
I've had to learn everything from scratch."



Mrs. Scherr notes that a large part of her job is organizing meetings for Associated
staff members and their lay volunteers, a complicated undertaking both
because of the number of meetings held throughout the year and the numbers
of people involved on each committee. "Coordinating everyone's schedule can
get crazy at times. You definitely have to be organized. "Basically, though,
my job is to coordinate everything," Mrs. Scherr explains. "I try to keep
the department running smoothly."



Though Mrs. Scherr points out that she loves the people in the department with whom
she works--"we really are like a family and they treat me like gold"--she thinks
that being a secretary today doesn't command the same respect that it
once did. "I've always considered myself a professional," she comments,
"but a lot of others don't. I don't think we're as highly regarded as we
should be." For Mary Ellen Noyes, an executive assistant at Ottenheimer
Publishers, appreciation, rather than respect, is what she looks for on the job.
"Respect is something earned between individuals that has nothing to do with your
job," she comments. "When it comes to my work, I want to be appreciated and
I think that I am. I feel good about what I do and the people I work with make
me feel good too." Like Mrs. Scherr, Ms. Noyes also became an office worker
right out of high school, primarily because she didn't have a clear idea of
what else she might like to do. Now, 13 years later, she is enthusiastic
about her work and recommends it highly as a career choice.




"It's a great option for those who are people-oriented," she says, "as well as for
those who enjoy keeping things running smoothly." That is harder than
it once was though, says Ms. Noyes, because today's office workers are
frequently doing more than one job at a time. Because of technology
as well as the economy," Ms. Noyes says, "many companies use just one
person, where they might have used two or three before. An office
might have had a receptionist, a secretary, and an administrative
assistant, but now you more or less have just one person doing it all."



Career counselors say that more and more people are entering the field of office
work, drawn by the opportunity to handle just such a variety of
responsibilities, as well as by the lure of a high-tech environment
which is seen as a springboard to more lucrative positions. According
to Phil Manzie, coordinator of the Maryland Career Information Delivery
System, there will be approximately 245,000 new job openings nationwide
for secretaries between now and the year 2005, leading to close to
3 million secretaries in the labor force by then. Projected growth
for the field, says Mr. Manzie, is 8 percent. In Maryland, there
will be about 1100 new job openings between now and 2005, a growth of
1 percent. (These figures do not reflect statistics for medical and
legal secretaries.) The U.S. Department of Labor reports that in 1992-93,
annual salaries for secretaries ranged from $15,000 to $39,000. In
Maryland, a beginning secretary earns about $17,000. The average
salary for everyone working in the field is just over $26,000, and
some experienced workers can earn as much as $39,000. "A top-notch
administrative assistant can earn anywhere from $26,500 to $30,000
in the Baltimore area," confirms Linda Burton of Office Mates.
"Companies expect the best from these people and are willing to
pay for their skills."



Where can people find those skills? At Fleet Business School in Annapolis, company
president Carole Nicholson points to a changing curriculum that reflects
the changing times. "We still teach keyboarding on a typewriter,"
Ms. Nicholson says, "but now we also have 100 computers as well.
Everyone learns word processing. Everyone also takes business English,
punctuation, and communications. It's a year's worth of intense
training. . .it's not easy."



Begun in 1934 as a secretarial school, Fleet now offers training for administrative
assistant (the politically correct terminology for secretary), in addition
to programs in microcomputer, legal secretary, business and travel,
and small business management. Though Fleet is a co-ed school, says
Ms. Nicholson, and she does see more men entering the field
("primarily because of the computer"), by and large, most office workers
are still women. According to Maripat Blankenheim, public relations
director of 9 to 5, National Association of Working Women, in 1970
97.8 percent of all secretaries were women; by 1988 that had grown
to 99.1 percent. One reason that number is growing, says Fleet's
Carole Nicholson, might be because becoming a secretary is a good
way to get your career going. "The average age of our students is
25," she says, "and many have already been to community college or
even four-year college, and are now coming to us so they can be
trained for a job. "It's hard to find employment these days in your
chosen field," Ms. Nicholson adds. "Being a secretary is a viable,
honorable profession, and a great way to get your foot in the door
before you move on. . .if you want to move on." David Humes, a
supervisor at Jewish Vocational Services, agrees. "Years ago,"
he says, "it was unfortunate, but a lot of women with college
degrees would be put in secretarial positions even if they didn't
want that. Today, women are finding that if they have the right office
skills, they can enter a company at a much higher level than with just a
college degree. There's much more of a career ladder than there used to be."




What secretaries need today, says Mr. Humes, are high-level technical, computer,
and people skills, a good deal of efficiency, and good work habits and
attitudes. "They have to be faster, smarter, and handle a greater
variety of tasks than they once did," Mr. Humes adds. "What were
entry-level skills three years ago would now be unemployable."



Written By: Carol Sorgen

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How to Write Great Cover Letters

How to Write Great Cover Letters

You have an impressive resume, you know how to present yourself well in an interview, you know what kind of position you are best suited for. . .now all you need is a chance to get your foot in the right door. Just what can you do to make that happen?



Make sure you write a knockout cover letter, advise career planning specialists. "A cover letter is your chance to explain to an employer why he or she should consider you for the job," says Jennie Z. Rothschild, Ph.D., executive director of Jewish Vocational Service on Reisterstown Road in Pikesville. "The best cover letters are specific and give examples that directly relate to the job you are trying to get.""Your cover letter is a targeted sales tool which should be tailored to the specific position you are seeking," adds Ann Harrell of the Johns Hopkins University Career and Life Planning Center on Alexander Bell Drive in Columbia.



The cover letter is also a good opportunity to show potential employers your
writing skills, says Jennie Rothschild, and for
those job-seekers whose native language is not
English, a chance to show that you are comfortable
with the language. Whatever your writing and language
skills are, though, make sure that your letter
has no mistakes. "Proofread! Proofread! Proofread!"
emphasizes Ann Harrell. A cover letter, like most
business correspondence, says Ms. Rothschild,
has three basic parts: *Paragraph 1, in which
you state: who you are; how you heard of the position
or the company; why you are writing. "Your goal
in this paragraph," says Ann Harrell, "is to convince
the reader why you are the only candidate to interview."
*Paragraph 2, in which you discuss: why you are
interested in the position and/or company; how
your qualifications fit the specific skills needed
for the job; some specific examples of how your
past experience has prepared you to do the job
for which you are applying; any other relevant
skills, qualities, achievements, and experiences
that make you the best candidate for the job.
"The second paragraph is your chance to shine,"
says Ms. Harrell. "Discuss your experiences and
skills that match the criteria for the position.
If you met your contact through networking, refer
to your meeting notes. Use the company information
you found if this is a cover letter for a direct
mailing." *Paragraph 3, in which you: repeat that
you are hoping to be considered for the job; give
specific information about your plans to follow
up; thank the employer for his or her consideration.
"And then be sure to follow through," says Ms.
Harrell. When closing, "Sincerely" or "Sincerely
Yours" with your typed name and signature will
be appropriate.




Jennie Rothschild suggests these additional DOs and DON'Ts:



DOs...

• In the first paragraph, name the title of the job for which you are applying and be specific about how you heard about the position or company.
  
• Try to find out the name and title of the person who will be able to hire you and use the name, instead of writing "Dear Sir" or "Dear Madam."
  
• Write the letter based on exactly what the ad or job listing says the employer is looking for; try to give an example from your experience for every qualification listed in the ad.
  
• Type the letter and use paper and font that is the same or looks similar to your resume. Don't forget to sign your name.
  
• Reread the letter carefully and check for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. It's a good idea to have someone else proofread the letter as well.
  
• Keep the letter brief--under 1 page. Keep the paragraphs to 2-4 sentences each.
  
• Say that you are enclosing a resume.
  
• Include your phone number in the last paragraph.
  
• Make sure the envelope is clearly and properly addressed.
  

DON'Ts...

• Send a resume without a cover letter.
  
• Discuss salary unless the ad or job listing requires it.
  
• Repeat information that appears on the resume, except in the briefest, introductory manner.
  
• Generalize about personal qualities or past job titles. Instead, give specifics about your skills and experience.
  
• Talk about what the job will do for you.
  
• Give unnecessary personal information.
  
• Include anything that you will not be able to explain in an interview.
  
• Send Xerox copies.
  
• Say you will follow up without having a specific plan to do so.
  
• Staple or paper clip items.
  

Written By: Carol Sorgen

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