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Resume Tips – 5 Ways to Circulate Your Resume For Job Search Success

Too many people are out of work now, and many are giving up on the chance of finding a job. Sometimes, having a different mindset of how to market yourself can open the possibilities for job search success. There are a number of ways to use your resume, and trying one of these methods might make the difference in finding your next job. If your job search plan is diversified, you will have a better chance of obtaining an interview because your resume will have been circulated to a larger audience of people.

Networking

Networking is one of the best ways to distribute your resume. Networking is getting someone you know to introduce you to somebody that you haven’t met before. While there may not be an obvious job opening, networking could prove valuable at introducing you to that position before it becomes public. This might give you the leverage needed in today’s job market. It certainly can improve your chances at securing an interview.

You don’t need to know a million people to network. Start with the obvious – friends, immediate and extended family members, club or association members, service professionals you’ve hired, and even your hair stylist might know someone who knows about a position that you fit.

As you speak to these individuals, or communicate with the contacts that they provide you, make sure they have a copy of your resume. It’s natural for people to help each other; however, it’s not always natural for us to be comfortable asking for help. Practice asking, “Would you hold onto my resume in case you hear of someone who needs my skills?” Chances are, you will get a friendly yes more often than not.

Advertisements

It is expected that, when answering a classified ad, you will need to submit a resume. Make sure that your resume and cover letter are tailored for the specific requirements of the advertisement. And, read the entire classified section. Sometimes, a job posting appears under a different title than what you might think as normal.

Understand the requirements posted in the advertisement, and be sure your resume fits those requirements. Adjust keywords and critical elements to make sure your resume sells you for that specific position. After all, you wouldn’t try submitting a resume for short-order cook when answering an advertisement for catering and event planner! Although there are similar functions in both positions, the level of your qualifications should fit the position you are competing for.

Employment Agencies

Employment agencies are another place to circulate your resume. If you’ve been out of work for a while and need to start finding something for income, try a temporary agency. Their positions can sometimes develop into permanent placement, and you have a chance to prove your loyalty by working through an agency.

Other employment agencies utilize a fee structure approach to placement. Check the fee arrangements and distribute your resume if their business practices would be beneficial to your job search. Many of these agencies work under a fee structure where the employer pays a finder’s fee for the position opening; and these are often for jobs requiring specialized skills or hard-to-fill positions.

Recruiters

Executive recruiters typically work with companies to find qualified candidates for senior-level positions, and work with the company on either a fee or a retainer contract. Submitting your resume to an executive recruiter may not see immediate results, but it is a chance to get exposure to some of the higher-level positions that wouldn’t be advertised in the classified sections.

Make sure you have a top-class resume for the recruiter to use, and that it is specific for your professional position. Recruiters have a better chance of matching you to a company when you are very clear about your accomplishments and the expertise that you can bring to the next company.

Bold and Direct

The direct approach is still a popular way of circulating your resume. Perhaps you have identified a company or industry for which you’d like to work. Although they haven’t posted any job openings, you can drop off your resume with a good cover letter. Sometimes, this will result in a request to complete an application, or even an immediate interview! At the very least, they will keep it in their candidate file for a short while, and an opening may come up that you are qualified for.

Think about the many different ways to circulate your resume. Don’t wait for opportunity to knock at your door; you need to get your resume out there to find the best opportunities! Follow guidelines when preparing your resume that ensure you end up with a quality, professional document. Once you have polished and perfected it, try some diversified ways of circulating your resume for job search success.

Tips to Enhance Communication Skills

Effective Communication Tips: –

For any effective communication following factors must be considered: –

• It is important to make worthwhile contribution to the conversation so have clear purpose and objective of the conversation.

• Develop effective non verbal communication skills. Right smile, eye contact, posture, handshakes do create a positive impact.

• Make appropriate gestures with hands and face.

• While speaking and listening making an appropriate eye contact and looking into the eyes of the person with whom we are conversing can create a significant impact and make the interaction more successful as it coveys interest and courage.

• Being confident is vital.

• Try to break down barriers that exist in the communication process.

• Be clear and concise.

• Be firm about your opinions, views, ideas and suggestions so that it can be confidently conveyed.

• Ensure that your words, gestures, facial expressions and tone match with each.

• Analyse the audience before communication.

• Conveying right message to right person is important because what is critical or worthwhile to one individual may not be to another.

• Develop effective probing skills by asking the right questions.

• Take initiative yourself. Don’t wait for suppliers, customers, buyers etc to call you. Instead call them, take the initiative to start the conversation. It helps to build healthy two way effective communication between both the parties.

• Try to highlight critical points.

• Learn the art of dealing with difficult conversations.

• Ensure that you give and receive appropriate feedback.

• If the message is too lengthy, dis-organised or contains errors it can often be misunderstood, confusing and misinterpreted.

• Practicing good communication skill everyday is important as “Practice makes man perfect.”

In addition to the above attributes a good communicator also focuses on the following factors to enhance his/ her communication skills: –

1. Interpersonal Skills: –

• Such skills are used when engaged in face-to-face conversation with one or more persons. For effective Interpersonal skills not only verbal communication and effective speaking is vital but also our voice, on-verbal signals, gestures, facial expressions, body language, our appearance and active listening skills are significant.

• The advantage of having good Interpersonal skills is that it enables us to contribute effectively in groups and teams and become a ‘team player’.

• It builds a strong relationship with other members of the group and leads to better communication and building better rapport with others.

• Good Interpersonal skills also help to enhance our problem solving and decision making ability.

2. Presentation skills:

o Although we may use this skill infrequently, but for any management student who intends to become future business leader effective Presentation Skill is critical.

o There will be times in your life, when you need to present information to your customers, employees, buyers, trade unions, sellers, government employees, suppliers, agents or even overall community at large.

o They can either be individual or group of people in a formal or informal setting.

o Effective Presentation Skills requires good planning, preparation and practice.

3. Writing skills:

§ For any manager communication skills are not only limited to face-to-face direct verbal/ non verbal interactions with others but also good Written Communication.

§ It involves the ability to write clearly, concisely and effectively.

§ It involves avoiding grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, knowledge of formal and informal writing styles/ techniques, knowing the importance of structure in any business letter or report.

4. Personal Skills: –

ï It emphasis on improving self-esteem, building self confidence, developing positive attitude, knowing anger management and stress management techniques which helps in maintain a healthy body and mind and develop positive feelings about ourselves and helps to enhance our communication skills.

ï Good Personal Skills also helps an individual to deal with difficult situations like dealing with aggression and communicating in difficult situations.

Letter Writing: Confrontational Letter Writing – 12 Tips

A confrontational letter is a letter that confronts a situation, a problem or dispute. It seeks a specific objective from the recipient that will not usually be granted without resistance.

The writer wants a certain objective and the recipient of the letter will not grant that objective unless convincingly persuaded that he should.

Here are some tips as to how to effectively structure a ‘confrontational letter:’

1. Appearance is very important. The letter must be a hard copy and appear impressive and professional. You must use good quality paper and have the letter printed using a good printer on a professional appearing letterhead.

Emails do not project the impressive image that is truly effective.

Emails are unimpressive and these days a hard copy is becoming more and more rare. For that reason the appearance of an impressive appearing hard copy letter signifies that the letter is a serious letter and written by a writer deserving serious consideration. An impressive hard copy letter stands out from the crowd.

Have you ever noticed how much more respect a man in a well-tailored suit receives? The same principle applies and the physical appearance of the letter is very important and must project the writer as a serious, refined, educated individual.

Behind that projected image is implied the fact that the writer has the ability and wherewithal to take the matter further – i.e. to superiors of the recipient and/or to authorities that oversees the conduct of the recipient and his organization.

The serious and impressive appearance of the letter projects the clear understanding that the writer is the type of individual who may subsequently refer the matter to a lawyer for further action if the request for relief is denied.

What must also be borne in mind is the mindset of the recipient of a confrontational letter. That is to say, the greatest fear of a recipient of a confrontational letter is that his decision not to grant your request may be overruled by his superiors.

Therefore, if the recipient has received an impressive looking letter that is persuasively written this basic fear of being overruled will weigh very heavily on his mind. He may grant the request out of fear that the letter looks like ‘trouble’ both in appearance and content. He may therefore decide to quickly grant the request and close the file. The recipient will save negative responses for letters who do not appear to be ‘trouble.’ I personally have experienced this situation many times and that is why I place particular emphasis upon the physical appearance of the letter.

A professionally appearing letterhead can be easily created by a word processor. I recommend a border around the page and that the paragraphs be justified on both sides to give the letter a distinctly professional appearance. If you have a degree or some sort of designation include it on your letterhead.

I am not suggesting that if you have a weak argument that an impressive looking letter will in itself be effective. However what I am suggesting is that an impressive letter, in every sense, shall likely ensure that the persuasive argument contained within that letter gets the serious attention and careful treatment it deserves. And that objective is more than half the battle!

2. The letter must be well-researched and well-organized. If there is background and supporting information that must be conveyed to the recipient then that information must be included, accurate and complete. In order to keep the letter itself to a minimum consideration should be given to putting supporting information in an attached appendix to the letter.

The package put in front of the recipient must be total so that the reader does not have to secure other records in order to confirm or understand the situation correctly. This too is the mark of a professional and will have a positive impact upon the recipient. The recipient will feel that he is dealing with a professional who has his act together and that feeling shall increase his concern.

3. The letter must be entirely professional in tone and content and must project a distinct tone of civility and respectfulness. To deviate from this standard gives the recipient an excuse to place the request into the category of an unreasonable request. After a request has been characterized as ‘unreasonable – whether justified or unjustified – it is very difficult to rehabilitate that request.

4. If there are facts that have to be stated make sure that they are stated clearly and in short paragraphs of one or two sentences at the beginning of the letter. Short sentences and paragraphs are easier to read and the information contained is easier to digest. You want to make your factual case very clear and consideration should be given to numbering these paragraphs so that the recipient may easily refer to them by number.

5. State the request as briefly as possible and give justification for why the recipient should grant the request. Make your argument as short and simple as possible. Your letter should be as brief as possible because if you digress and add more detail you may put something in that an unscrupulous recipient may seize upon to unfairly deny your request. The touchstone – make things as clear and simple as possible.

6. End the letter in an up-beat manner. Indicate that you hope that the reader recognizes the merits of your position and invite him to respond if anything is unclear. I find the following sentence particularly effective: ‘If you are unable to agree to my request or if I am in error on any of the facts or, on any other aspect of the case I have outlined, please specifically advise.’

If the recipient gives you a detailed explanation as to why he is refusing your request it shall be your road map to further attempts to persuade him that he should agree to your request. It may also put him on the spot in a close case when his response is inappropriate and may be reviewed by a superior.

If the recipient does not give you a detailed explanation as to why he is refusing your request then that fact can be seized upon to suggest in a subsequent letter that the recipient is not being reasonable in considering your request.

7. Never refer to your ‘request’ as a ‘demand’. It should be respectfully framed as a ‘request’.

8. Always end the letter with ‘Respectfully Yours’.

That ‘respectful’ ending further and emphatically confirms that the letter has been respectfully submitted which is crucial.

If the recipient responds in a disrespectful or less than respectful professional manner then the contrast between his approach and your approach stands in stark contrast. This fact will be to your advantage when the letter and the entire situation is reviewed by someone else… i.e. someone in authority to the first responder, a regulator, another interested third party, etc.

Many of these confrontational situations are won only narrowly and can easily go one way or the other. The fact that your letter(s) is reasonable and respectful may be the crucial difference. I have seldom seen a disrespectful, unreasonable letter secure its objective. It is much more difficult to deny a request in a polite, respectful well-written letter.

9. Do not end the letter with a ‘cc’ to the regulator or any other third party that may stand as an authority to the recipient. It is completely inappropriate, unprofessional and the mark of an amateur.

Reference to a third party may be appropriate at a later stage but the first letter should stand entirely on its own and the recipient should not be made to feel that he has a gun to his head.

The recipient well knows that you may appeal to a higher authority and does not have to be reminded. Most first responders are very sensitive to this issue and so why antagonize him by waving that threat in his face? Do you really want to antagonize the person whom you are trying to convince?

10. A demand in the letter that there be a response within a specific time frame is completely inappropriate and unnecessarily irritating to the recipient and should not be inserted within your first letter.

True professionals fully understood that a timely response should always be provided and some responders take the request for a quick response as an indication of desperation or impatience and a weakness to exploit. For that reason many first responders will purposely delay their response in order to exasperate the writer and perhaps provoke an intemperate letter which is usually always to the recipient’s advantage.

Forget about asking for a quick or timely response – you have no control over that fact so why mention it?

In fact a tardy response can be a plus in your favor at a subsequent stage. A slow response can look bad when reviewed later and will tend to indicate that perhaps the recipient to your letter is being unreasonable, unnecessarily dragging his feet and acting inappropriately.

11. Make sure that there is nothing in your letter that can be criticized. Do not allow your anger to show through. Remember at some point your this letter is very likely to be reviewed by others and it should be completely beyond reproach. An understandable temperate expression of exasperation may be in order to prove a point but not anything more.

12. If you have the luxury of time then sleep on the letter and come back to it when you are fresh.

It is amazing what a fresh set of eyes can see and it also amazing what other points may occur to you as you go about your regular schedule.

Review the letter critically and tweak it so that it is as concise as possible and flows smoothly. Remember the key to good writing is ‘re-writing’.

If possible get a friend who has good judgment and good writing skills to review it. A good second opinion together with constructive criticism can be invaluable.

Tips To Choose A Good Digital Printing Company

When looking for quality prints for your brochures, posters, calendars, flyers, letterheads and even business cards, then you need to find a company that can effectively handle the digital printing project on your behalf. All these printed products are important because they will be representing your brand and company out there in the market and you want them to paint the best image for your brand. A few helpful tips will make it easy for you to choose a digital printing company you can trust.

1. Choose a company that can handle any project size to cater to your large and small consignments depending on your current needs. It should offer you good turnaround and high quality regardless of how big your printing project is.

2. Find out how easy it is for you to make online enquiries and place printing orders. A company with a pleasant online presence and great customer service will give you an easy time going through the process and getting prints you truly deserve.

3. A company that has in-house designer will be more advantageous because you can have your designs handled professionally even when you have no idea what is best for your products. You should get assistance when you are not very sure of what to choose or what you are looking for.

4. The company you choose should be innovative enough to offer you print solutions that are adaptable in your business environment. It should offer ongoing support recommendations and consultation to help evolve the business.

5. Check how technically competent the printing company is in terms of machines and personnel. It should have good organized printing process to deliver the best of services to you.

6. Ask to see samples of previously done work to help you gauge the quality of work you are about to get. It also helps to find out what your printing options are to make sure that you are not limited to an option you might not like on your products.

7. Choose a company that has experience in digital printing. Experience is important because it could mean that the company can handle other projects and services such as data management and marketing campaigns. Find out what other services you can enjoy from the company because they could be important to you in the future.

8. Check out the reputation of your service provider. You can go through client feedback and reviews on the company to find out how good it is in offering the printing services.

9. If possible, ask about the financial stability of the company just to be sure that it will not go out of business before completing your printing project. You should work with a company you can fully trust with your needs and financial stability is important.

10. Consider the printing charges. Even though you should never compromise quality because of the price, you want to ensure that you don’t end up being overcharged. Some companies offer discounts for bulk printing so check around and choose what you find most affordable.

How to Write an Effective Resume – Top Ten Tips From a Recruiter’s Perspective

Your resume is one of your most important marketing tools. But remember, no matter how great it is, your resume will NOT get you a job. If it if written properly, however, the odds are much greater that you may gain a recruiter’s interest and be invited to interview.

As a Senior Recruiter for both small firms and large corporations, I have reviewed thousands of resumes during my 15+ years of recruiting and HR experience. My experience is that applicants often tend to miss these most important aspects that could make their resume more effective in attracting the attention and interest of recruiters and hiring managers.

Resume purpose: to market and sell your background, skills, accomplishments, and experience to those who have a need for your expertise or a problem that you can solve.

Resume role: to create interest, to show that you indeed have the requisite skills and experience, and to get a recruiter and/or hiring manager interested enough to invite you to interview.

Top Ten Tips for Writing an Effective Resume (from a recruiter’s point of view):

1. You can (and should) have more than one resume! Create a separate resume for the top two to three main areas of your expertise. (For example, one resume for marketing, one for sales, one for engineering). Each resume should highlight specific examples of your accomplishments, skills, and experience from your current and previous roles that directly relate to that particular area of expertise.

2. Two Pages in Length, Max. Condense, condense, condense! Pretend that each word costs you $100 and you will write less, enabling you to fit your most important information on two pages. (Exception: doctors and other published professionals often need a few more pages to list their credentials and published works. But even they should keep it as short as possible). Have someone whose opinion you trust proofread your resume and edit where necessary before sending it out.

3. Choose an Appropriate Format. The best and easiest resume format to review is chronological (starting with most recent job and date and working backwards through your job history). However, a functional resume format is often suggested as an option especially for those who have been out of the job market for a while or who want to change careers. But it can raise red flags that could stop your resume from being reviewed further. Recruiters know that a functional format is often used to hide gaps in employment dates. In addition, details for skills and experience are lumped together into separate functional areas, instead of under each particular job held in the past. In many cases, because of the time and difficulty involved in reading a functional resume, recruiters often pass them over and move on to the next one.

4. Focus Your Attention on The Most Important “Real Estate” on Your Resume: the top half of the front page. Why? Because recruiters today are inundated with resumes, especially in these tough economic times when so many are out of work. Often, recruiters are managing anywhere up to 50+ jobs at one time, with each one having hundreds and hundreds of resume submissions. The average time an experienced recruiter spends initially scanning a resume to determine if it is relevant to the position is approximately 7 to15 seconds. If the top half of your resume does not quickly differentiate and sell you as a viable candidate with recent and relevant skills and experience for the specific job for which you are applying, the recruiter will simply move on to the next one.

5. Develop a Keyword Rich Resume. Be sure to add the main keywords for your skills and experience as well as your industry and organizational keywords all through your resume. Recruiters use various types of search tools in ATS (applicant tracking systems) where they type in main keyword terms for the specific job and position qualifications to search for related resumes. They also conduct similar keyword searches online on major job boards and even some social media sites. Only resumes that contain those keywords will appear in their review box and those are the only resumes that they will scan for consideration. If your main keywords are not in your resume, it is very likely that your resume will not be reviewed, even though you may be very well qualified.

6. Create a Brief Bullet Point Summary. At the top of the front page of your resume, list 5 to 7 bullet point phrases that highlight your most compelling skills, experience, accomplishments, training and education. This summary should be located somewhere within the very top third section of the resume underneath but close to your name and contact information. Critical: avoid “fluff” or trite phrases such as “Good at multitasking” or “Detail oriented”, etc. The reader’s eye should be able to quickly scan the summary section and determine at a glance that your resume is one worth continuing to read through to the end.

7. Quantify and Qualify Your Experience. Recruiters and hiring managers highly value proven accomplishments and results. The more you can quantify or qualify your bullet point statements under each of your position listings, the more strongly you will be perceived as a person of action and results. After each statement, ask yourself, “What did I accomplish?” or “What was the result?”. Try to tie a quantifiable result to the end of each statement if possible, such as, “and as a result, saved the company $X” or “increased revenues by X%”, or “sold the most widgets on the team and was selected as employee of the year”.

8. Focus on Your Most Recent and Relevant Job Information. Recruiters and hiring managers want to know what you have done most recently that is relevant to the position for which they are hiring. Write the bulk of your resume information about your skills, experience and accomplishments for the most recent 5 to 7 years of your job history. Unless your experience past that point is unusually helpful for stating your case, minimize that information to save valuable resume space. Beyond 7 to 10 years of job history, you can just list one or two line entries for each position held. Save the rest of the details of those positions for the application form and interviews.

9. Place Your Key Credentials, Certifications, and Educational Experience Sections In a Conspicuous Place. A bachelors degree should typically be located near the end of the resume under the educational section heading. However, do you have a job-related advanced degree such as an MBA, PhD, or other certifications or credentials that you want to make sure a recruiter or hiring manager sees? Place them toward the top front section of your resume, right before or after the summary section. Why? If you bury them at the end of your resume, they may never be seen. (See Tip #4)

10. List Organizations, Associations and Affiliations of which you are a volunteer or member. Often overlooked, this information can be a great way to show an employer that you stay current with information and contacts in your industry. If you volunteer for positions, especially leadership roles, be sure to list those as well. This information is especially important for those applying for roles in financial services and sales and marketing firms who need to show that they already have an established network. Place this section of information near the end of your resume.

This final tip is a bonus. However, it is THE single most important tip of all in writing an effective resume.

Always tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth on your resume…always! Never, ever misrepresent what you did or be tempted to tell a “little white lie” on your resume or to a recruiter – period! Be especially careful with job titles and job responsibilities you list. Make sure that the job title and responsibilities you put on your resume can actually be verified if someone were to call your current or former employer or colleagues and ask about you. Untrue and misrepresented statements, no matter how innocent they may seem, are a breach of integrity and can come back to haunt you many years later. You could even be fired as a consequence! It just isn’t worth it.

Use these ten tips to tighten and refine your resume and then you can submit it with confidence!

Tips to Write a Good CV for Your Dream Job

Introduction: Occasionally, you may find yourself wanting to apply for a job, but the question you should ask yourself is, does my CV provide all the required information? Probably your CV has been doing you a disservice because it is shallow and the only question ringing in your mind is ‘How to write a good CV?’ Well, worry no more as I take you step by step and giving you some tips that will add some spice to your CV. These tips will make potential employers impressed and they will take note of your CV. You should keep in mind that your CV is your first line of defense when it comes to employment, therefore, you should take ample time to write down your CV to perfection.

Attributes of a Good CV: Before I talk about how to use the correct format, it is important that you note your CV should be able to sell your strong attributes. Therefore, as you put down your information make sure you know your strengths and use them to your advantage. Some good pointers that indicate a good CV include:

Accuracy
Truthfulness
It should be concise

The Format and Layout: First of all, you start by writing your name. Below your name write your email address which should be professional, avoid nicknames. Note that an email address should not have capitalized letters. Once you are done with this step you can start entering your personal information. Such information will include:

Your ID number
Date of Birth
Nationality
Language(s)
Drivers’ license code

Next, step involves giving your CV an objective. This will enable a reader to Know exactly what you are looking for and if you are a good candidate for the position being advertised.

Once this is done you can then proceed to step number four. This is where you shall offer information on your educational background. It is Important that you indicate all your educational achievements. You will be required to fill in all the names of the institutions you have attended alongside with the years. Another important point to note is that, as you write down your educational background, write it in an ascending order. Start with the lowest to the highest.

For example:

Primary School
High school
University
Postgraduate studies

You could also note any other relevant information regarding your educational background.

In step five, you will give all the relevant information pertaining to your previous work experience. You will give the job title as well as the period you did a particular job. You should also offer information on what your roles were and the skills you are perfected at your previous job. You can also list a number of accomplishments you achieved at your previous workplace. Remember to also give the name of your previous employer and where the firm you worked for is located. It is the most important section of a good CV.

In step six, you can go ahead and illustrate that you are up to the task for the job being advertised. Demonstrate that you understand the job you have applied for and justify why you should get that job. You can talk about your leadership skills, computer skills as well as any information regarding community involvement. You can list any community projects you have been involved in.

In step seven, you can talk about your conference papers and presentation as well as any publications that you may have, However, it is of great importance that you distinguish any published work from your presentations and conference papers. This step only applies where it is necessary.

In step eight, talk about your interests. This step solely depends on your preferences. However, do not overdo it. Just give a few points.

In step nine, this being your final step, offer a list of three people at most that will act as your referees. Before naming anyone to make sure to get their consent to use them as your referees. Your referees will provide reference letters. These letters will accompany your application.

Conclusion: Once you have followed these vital steps and points you will be able to come up with a formidable CV. You will be able to eliminate common mistakes that tarnish your CV. You will finally be able to answer that ringing question in your mind on,’How to write a good CV?’ Remember to take your time, do not rush. If you rush the more mistakes you are prone to make.

Resume Writing Service – 10 Critical Tips on Picking the Best Writer

When you want a resume that will get your phone ringing with calls from hiring managers who are salivating to interview you for jobs you’d die for — how do you know who to hire?

The resume writing industry is not regulated. The internet is crawling with wannabe and would-be resume writers who’d love to take your cash and give you a garbage resume in return, written in broken English on a template, like thousands of other resumes they crank out daily in resume mills for $99 each.

Or maybe they’ll take one you already have and just re-key it into another format. You may be laughing, but hey, it happens every day to folks who aren’t thoughtful and wary of web advertising and careful how they pick a resume writer. Your resume is one of the most important documents of your life. It should represent you extremely well.

The good news? There are great writers out there, waiting for your resume assignment. You can find one using these steps. Follow these tips and you can’t fail.

1. Read online ads analytically and critically. Don’t believe assertions that aren’t backed up by believable proofs. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Beware especially of pushy advertising based on dark emotions, garish graphics, and strange formatting. And guarantees that are so good they’re obviously ridiculous. Nobody can guarantee you’ll be hired based on a resume, even if a master writes it.

2. Understand what pricing is reasonable and customary in the legitimate resume industry. Be ready to pay a fair price for value received. The most frequent victim of a resume scam is someone whos’s trying to get something for less than it’s really worth. Remember, the cost of your resume is an investment in your future success.

3. Interview the writer on the phone. Listen to how they speak and ask them questions about their background, like how they became a resume writer, who they have written for, and what their process is. Trust your feelings. If the person sounds credible and intelligent, great. If they don’t sound like someone you’d like to introduce you to your next boss, move on.

4. Review some sample resumes. Start with the writer’s own resume. Then check out a couple they have written for others. Would you hire the individuals who are represented by the samples? If not, why expect someone to hire you based on that writer’s work?

5. Don’t use an online resume mill. You are not like everyone else. Your resume can’t be done well by someone who pops them out like biscuits. Get a real writer — someone who makes a living by writing based on specific research. Probably someone with a degree in English or writing.

6. You can’t really completely hire out the responsibility of creating your perfect resume. Expect to stay involved and provide lots of answers to the writer’s questions.

7. The writer should be doing research and you are the only source of all the detailed data they will need to represent you well. Expect (and check for) a rational, organized process. The writer should have you fill out forms and send any old resumes. They should also interview you by phone and ask you a lot of relevant questions. They should be able to explain what they do and why they do it.

8. What questions are they asking you? To write well for you, the writer needs to gather specific kinds of information. They should be asking you questions like these:

What important qualifications does the job require?

What are your best and highest qualifications?

Tell me about the high points of your career.

Is there anything we should keep in the background?

What about you stands out that will help win the job?

Describe your best skills and greatest expertise.

Do you also have minor qualifications that are relevant?

Are there personal traits that make you a good fit?

What have you accomplished that you’re proud of?

Can we express any of your qualifications numerically?

How did you develop your particular skills?

What do people in your field find impressive?

Have you accomplished things in those areas?

Is there any special language that is frequently used in your field?

And so on.

9. Does the writer offer all the documentation and help you need? There’s a lot more required to get a job than just a resume. Do they also write your cover letters, follow up letters, references sheet, and salary history? Do they offer you an elevator speech to help you promote yourself? Do they coach you on how to use all parts of your job change documentation to your best advantage?

10. What are the writer’s special qualifications? Have they written for people like you? Do they have experience with writing persuasively, perhaps with some form of marketing? Do they speak about resumes to groups? Do they have experience as a hiring manager so they understand how people who make staffing decisions think?

When it comes to your resume, quality control is up to you. The best assurance of quality in your resume is in the skill and integrity of your resume writer. You deserve a writer who’s a cut above — the kind who’d be chosen by a CEO or other executive. Check your writer out carefully. Don’t settle for less than one who truly captures exactly who you are professionally and how you’re qualified for the job you want.

Resume Writing Tips – The Things to Include in a Resume

Resume is the document that makes the employer aware of your career goal, skill set and experience. Any job seeker whether a fresher or an experienced person has to write the resume. Resume writing tips are beneficial as one gets the idea about how to document the talent or relevant work history in a compact format.

Writing an appealing resume needs understanding of various pros and cons. First and foremost important thing while writing the resume is to understand the job profile and write the resume according to that. Some companies ask to enter your details in the customized format. So no need to write the resume separately in that case
There are three types of resume formats such as, chronological, functional and combination. You decide what and how you want to highlight your skills and experience and write the resume accordingly
‘Work experience’ is most important section of your resume and always remember that the employer is keen to know about how you have handled the tough situations. So highlight the profile of your previous jobs thoughtfully
If a person is having extensive experience, say more than 15 years, then no need to write the experience section in detail as it will be too lengthy. The employer will definitely not spend time reading pages and pages of your resume. So you can divide the experience section as ‘Relevant work history’ and write one paragraph about the previous work history or allied work history
Always proof check your resume before sending it to the concerned person. Write a resume cover letter that will clearly indicate the purpose of applying for particular job
Write the detailed personal information in the later section of your resume. You can mention your name, contact details and e-mail address at the beginning.
As far as hobbies are concerned, no thumb rule exists. You can mention your hobbies if they are relevant to the job profile you are looking for. If your hobbies demand dedication, strategic approach, creativity and consistency, the employer may look at it when he/she analyzes your interpersonal and inherent skills
The resume writing guides help you in writing a resume in a professional manner. The resume writing service providers are also there which provide the best services.

With a focused study about resume writing you will also for sure master resume writing

How to Make a Resume – 3 Vital Tips to Make Your Resume Stand Out

Whether you’re fresh out of the university or someone who’s hoping for a career change, it’s important that you learn how to make a resume. The resume contains all of your achievements and work experiences. It tells the employer what you have to offer the company.

A lot of people actually don’t know how to make a resume. Most of them just copy it off from a standard format. While this is not exactly a negative thing, it keeps them from understanding the purpose of the resume and does not give them any room for creativity.

It is always in your best interest to know exactly how something works and innovate it to your advantage.

1) The Basics.

If you want to discover how to make a resume that sells, it’s important for you to know about the basics first. The resume should obviously contain your name and your contact details. It should also contain your educational background, your work experiences and your achievements.

All of these details should begin at your most recent; and try to include only those that are actually relevant to the company you’re applying for.

Unless you’re applying for a position in the creative department, stick to the standard fonts (Arial and Times New Roman) and font size (10 or 12).

2) Use The Active Voice.

When trying to make a resume, always use the active voice. Employers like people who are doers and not just watchers. Avoid sounding pompous and arrogant though.

3) List Down Your Other Strengths.

Once you have all the basics down, it’s time to figure out how to make your resume more interesting. If you are fluent in any other languages, it is to your advantage to include them in your resume.

Many companies have sister businesses in other parts of the globe; and if you can speak in other languages, they’ll immediately see that as an asset.

Be mindful of the other strengths you have. Being the top scorer in an online video game should not be included here, unless you’re applying for the position of video game tester. Stick to those that you think might be of use to the company.

Learning how to make a resume is important. While there is a standard format to be followed, there is still room for creativity and other strengths. By simply changing your sentences into the active voice, you already have an advantage over the other applicants

Mortgage Sales Letter Tips

A good mortgage sales letter that produces leads from a cold list or generates new business from your old client list is worth 1000 times it’s weight in gold.

Lets say you have a list of 50 clients and 50 leads that you haven’t converted. If you send one letter at a cost of just .42, and $100 for printing. That’s just $142 in total costs for a basic mortgage sales letter.

One new loan can generate several thousand dollars in commission. If you get just one new loan from a mortgage sales letter, you are going to be profitable (assuming you aren’t mailing to an enormous list).

As a result, it’s important to create an effective mortgage sales letter to maximize your lead generation efforts.

The key is to write an effective mortgage sales letter that people read and respond to. Most mortgage brokers don’t know the power of effective writing and rely upon hype and trickery in their letters.

The good news is you don’t need to hype up your letter, and you don’t need to rely on tricks like the old ‘fake looking check in the window’ letter (by the way, this does work, but only if you do it without fooling the recipient).

If you want leads and referrals here are the three most important parts of a successful mortgage sales letter that will help you boost response rates and build your book of business:

1. A Compelling Headline. Almost every mortgage sales letter must have a headline. Why? I’ll let the late great David Ogilvy explain it to you:

“On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.” -David Ogilvy

The job of a headline is to get people interested and excited about what you have to say. For example, a poor headline might say, “Introducing Your Local Home Loan Specialist!”

A better headline would be, “Susan Johnson Saved $498.95 Per Month On Her Mortgage Payment — Here’ How You Can Save This Much or More!”

That headline needs a little work, but it’s light years ahead of the average mortgage brokers marketing letter.

2. Stories Sell. Nothing gets people more involved and motivated to take action than a good story. Instead of cramming a pitch about your products and services down your prospects throat (which puts them into the defensive mindset), tell them a story about a client who saved money instantly. And as a result of saving this money she could pay for child care or get a mini van, or go on a vacation that she has been putting off for a few years.

They key is to write a story that fits into the mindset of your audience. If you are targeting subprime mortgages, tell a story about how a down and out client with no hope. How he brought his family out of a rental in a bad part of town to owning a nice home in a wonderful school district.

3. Call To Action. The next important area of an effective mortgage sales letter is the call to action. You want your prospect to take action and call you or fill out a return reply card.

For example, a weak call to action would be, “Call me at 555-555-5555 between the hours of 8am and 4pm Monday through Friday.”

A stronger call to action would be, “For a free no obligation consultation to see how much you can save on your mortgage payment call me now: 555-555-5555. We can schedule a time to meet and discus your financial situation, or do it on the phone. You can reach me at 555-555-5555 anytime during normal business hours. Or, you can call my toll-free 24-hour voicemail at 1-800-555-5555 and leave your contact information and I’ll send you more information.”

In addition to a headline, a story, and a strong call to action, your mortgage sales letter should include a Post Script (PS), and testimonials. Studies show that up to 80% of your readers will read the PS first. This is where you restate your benefit in a conversational way. Testimonials are very effective in establish credibility, and they reinforce your claims.

If you follow these simple guidelines to a more effective mortgage sales letter, you will generate more qualified leads and referrals.

Sit down and write a mortgage sales letter tonight instead of watching Fringe or Dancing With The Stars. Send it to your current clients, and old leads. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.