Resume Writing Strategies for New Graduates

Resume Articles : Resume Writing Strategies for New Graduates by Surranna Sandy

Resume Writing Strategies for New Graduates By Surranna Sandy, CPRW, CEIP, President ResumeSolutions.ca As the President of ResumeSolutions.ca, I have worked extensively with new graduates with degrees and diplomas in a myriad of fields, from Information Technology, Marketing, Business Administration, Education and Liberal Arts to engineering, mathematics, statistics, science, zoology, fisheries and environmental programs just to name a few. Many new graduates rely on the notion that their degree or diploma major is enough to convey to a potential employer the depth of their skills and qualifications. A carefully designed resume, through strategic presentation of key program elements and your personal areas of focus, will quickly demonstrate to an employer the skills you bring to the table; this in turn allows you to stand out from other candidates. Many new graduates do not include vital details such as volunteer and work experiences on their resumes because they do not think they are important. Remember an effective resume needs to engage a new employer within 30 seconds or less. As such, it needs to be strategically designed with powerful content and presentation. The most important resume writing strategy for new graduates is to identify and leverage the core competencies that they have gained through their work experiences, extracurricular activities, and their studies to help craft a high impact, powerful resume. For new graduates, employers are looking for three things: Academic results This means that you should have chosen the right degree and completed it successfully. Work experience It is imperative that you have work experiences in a job that provided experience looking after customers, working in teams and developing good work habits such as punctuality and initiative. Part-time jobs provides the new graduate with experience handling responsibility whether it is opening or closing the store or helping to train new employees. My consultations with 1000s of new graduates have demonstrated that they do not rate their work experiences they have gained unless that experience is in their specific field. However, they are wrong. In their chosen field, employers greatly value the work that graduates have done, whether as a labourer or as a summer intern. New graduates must understand that employers value their experiences because it could provide them with referees, a potential track record of accomplishments, teamwork, problem- solving skills and people skills such as customer service. Many new graduates undervalue the strength of these transferable skills that have built up during their work experiences. These core strengths can provide the new graduate with a distinct advantage in creating a targeted qualifications summary and keyword section for their resumes. Extracurricular & Leadership Experiences Extracurricular activities can provide an employer with a sense of a person's initiative and drive. A new graduates' hobbies, volunteer work, and personal interest are things they chose to get involved in and are not focused to do. As such , they can provide insight into a new graduates' values, energy and interest in the world at large, such as their willingness to get involved and achieve results. Relying solely on a complete degree is not a smart choice for new graduates in the writing of their resumes. Remember unless you are in a highly saught-after program, there will be competing with both new graduates and experience professionals for the same positions. Therefore, well-created resume is an important tool for the new graduate career management toolbox. For examples, click here to visit the "Student/Recent Graduate" section on Resume Solutions sample resumes page. You have worked to complete your degree, now pair it with a ResumeSolutions.ca high impact resume. Visit Resume Solutions New Graduate Site further information.

About the Author

Surranna Sandy is the President of Resume Solutions, http://www.resumesolutions.ca, a Certified Professional Résumé Writer, Certified Employment Interview Coach and former Human Resources Management Professional with fortune 500 companies. Resume Solutions offers advanced resume writing, career coaching and interview coaching services from entry level, mid-career through to executive clientele in the global marketplace.

Source: Resume Writing, Cover Letter Writing, Resume Samples and Templates information at goarticles.com

The Basics of Resume Writing

Resume Articles : The Basics of Resume Writing by Surranna Sandy

Your résumé as a marketing tool, tips to effective résumé writing Surranna Sandy, CPRW, CEIP, President, RésuméSolutions.ca

What is a résumé?

A résumé is a marketing document that outlines your unique core competencies, achievements and work experiences presented in a way that encourages potential employers to call you for an interview.

As part of your overall career marketing toolkit, your résumé serves as your personal marketing brochure. The goal of a well-written résumé is to get the attention of the hiring manager to secure a job interview. The skill in preparing an effective résumé lies in the art of marketing yourself on paper concisely, yet with imagination and originality. Your résumé should be a summary of specific skills, educational background, paid and unpaid work experiences related to the role (s) you are targeting - not a list of everything you have ever done. Be selective, be succinct and keep the target market in mind when writing your résumé.

Why write a résumé? In the Canadian job market, résumés are written for many reasons: • To generate job interviews for the opportunity to work. • To give focus to your job search, to clarify and identify the skills you have to offer an employer, and to understand the diverse job opportunities available to you. • For executives, it is used for board appointments and corporate websites. • For application to graduate school. Keep in mind that your résumé is not static, and is subject to change as you grow within your career. Another key factor when writing your résumé is to ensure that your résumé is targeted to meet the requirements of potential employers. In this competitive Canadian job market, having a good résumé is essential for full-time jobs, part-time, internal, external, promotions, new jobs, career changes, internships and work experience placements - wherever an employer or decision-maker is short-listing or interviewing or selecting applicants. When writing your résumé, start with the basic principles of marketing: • Know the product - which is you • Know the buyer or the market - the potential employer • Know how to research the market - gather employer and industry information • Know how to package the product for the target market - an effective strategy and format

Résumé writing guidelines: • Write your résumé in the third person • Keep your résumé to a maximum of 2 pages • Write a career summary to position your skills • Incorporate achievements in your résumé writing

Make sure the outcomes of your achievements and the benefits to the organization are clearly outlined and quantified when writing your resume. A résumé that is not well written wanders aimlessly without giving direction to your skills and abilities. Think about it. Where do résumé go? They go to potential employers, so write your resume with their needs in mind. The most effective résumé makes the link between your skills and experience and how they could contribute directly to the employers' needs. So clearly articulate how you fit the employer's requirements. It is also a great idea for you to have your résumé appraised by someone else to ensure that it is easily understood and appeals to Canadian employers. Résumé Solutions offers résumé writing and assistance with job search skills. Visit www.résumésolutions.ca for further information.

About the Author

Surranna Sandy is the President of Resume Solutions, http://www.resumesolutions.ca, a Certified Professional Résumé Writer, Certified Employment Interview Coach and former Human Resources Management Professional with fortune 500 companies. Resume Solutions offers advanced resume writing, career coaching and interview coaching services from entry level, mid-career through to executive clientele in the global marketplace.

Source: Resume Samples, Resume Templates, Resume Writing, Cover Letter articles at goarticles.com

Top Five Tips To Get A Job Next Week

Resume Cover Letter Articles : Top Five Tips To Get A Job Next Week by Bob Stanley

1. Cover Letter: You MUST have one. It must be professionally written and reinforce your experience and value proposition to the hiring company. It needs to be to the point and precise. In today's market your cover letter is what will either get your resume additional consideration or the fast track to the "Do Not Call" list. The cover letter is you being able to speak to the potential employer and tell them why they should hire you versus your competition. Not having a cover letter or a less than perfect cover letter will put you at a distinct disadvantage in today's job market. Get a cover letter professional written from a resume writer; it will be the best investment you make in your job search.

2. Resume: Is you resume up to date, is it correctly and consistently formatted, does it have key points? Most of all is the spelling correct and the punctuation? Are you reviewing your own resume? If so, have a friend or family member conduct a "Resume Stress Test" for errors and areas for improvement. Ideally, have a professional resume writer create for you a resume from your career experience. With the vast amount of resumes being submitted for open positions, yours has to be outstanding! Get professional help from a resume writer. Every recruiter will only give about 10 seconds to scan your resume; do your key points stand out, does it call attention to the main points of what you can do for the company? Does it have the proper structure to keep the attention of the recruiter?

3. Preparation: The first step as in anything is to be prepared, just like preparing for an exam. Also consider the following questions to focus your preparation. What job are you looking for? Do you know where to search and find the job that you want? Once you decided the direction you are going, have you studied the companies that lead in that industry? Don't do just a Google search; you need to be well prepared and ready. For example, if it's a retail company, visit a few of their stores, observe the customers, and even strike up a few conversations. Talk to existing employees--ask them what it's like working there. Become familiar with the history of the company. Who started it? Where? Who runs it now? Be creative, and do whatever you believe the other candidates don't have the guts to do.

4. Network: Companies tend nowadays to rely heavily on employee referrals. Make a list of all of your friends, relatives, and acquaintances. Call each one and ask them if they know of any openings that they could recommend you for. Be prepared to send them an expertly prepared resume. Don't be too humble, tell them what you are looking for, but let them know that you're flexible and that if they have any suggestions, you're open to them. A referral name can often open the door and allow you to step in and get a job before it is advertised.

5. Prepare for the Interview: You need to be ready to give solid answers to interviewer questions when asked. Candidates should begin interview preparation well before an interview is scheduled--just take a list of 20 common interview questions and start preparing responses. Then practice with a friend--you as the candidate and them as the interviewer. Record your mock interview and improve your responses. Don't wait to start this preparation! Job seekers can complete interview preparation within 2-weeks for those 20 basic interview questions. Now with interview preparation complete, the candidate should be confident and be able to control an interview. Continue with general interview preparation until a real interview is scheduled then just focus preparation on the specific job opportunity and company.

Follow these five steps and you'll accelerate your job search. You'll quickly find work--even in the worst economy in the last 25 years.

About the Author
Bob Stanley from Best Price Resume, a leading nationwide provider of resume services, is an account executive who helps clients accelerate their job search with expertly designed and written cover letters and resumes. His specialty is getting unemployed candidates interviews immediately.

Source: Resume Cover Letter articles at goarticles.com

Executive Resume Writing Mistakes

Resume Cover Letter Articles : Executive Resume Writing Mistakes by Surranna Sandy

Common Mistakes in Executive résumé s…and How To Avoid Them A special report by Surranna Sandy, CPRW, CEIP, President, résumé solutions.ca

Preparing an effective executive résumé and cover letter requires the job seeker to successfully and concisely market themselves with imagination and originality.

Your executive résumé should be a strong statement of your skills, abilities, experiences and accomplishments presented in a strategic manner to capture the attention of executive recruiters and senior decision-makers. You résumé should motivate them to contact you to discuss employment opportunities.

Executive résumé writing and career marketing is highly subjective, there are few standardized guidelines for job seekers to help them in developing résumé s and cover letters, documents that have significant impact on their career success.

I have reviewed 1000s of executive résumé s during my 12 years of résumé writing and human resources management career and I have come to recognize the key mistakes that most executives make when writing their résumé s. However, executives and senior management professionals make the same résumé writing mistakes as other job seekers, recruiters and hiring decision makers are less forgiving.

Here are some of the top executive résumé writing mistakes:

Duties vs. Accomplishments - Content without results

• Recruiters and hiring decision-makers needs to see the results you achieved in each role that is relevant to the job you are targeting. Your executive résumé needs to demonstrate what you accomplished, the distinct value you added and how you made a difference to your past employers. Your unique successes should be measurable and quantifiable to build credibility. You should also briefly provide the context of your position such as the number of direct reports and the budget that you managed. You should never use words and phrases such as "Duties included," "Responsibilities," or "Responsible for" in an executive résumé. Instead, you should focus accomplishment using action verbs.

Unreadable quantitative data • As mentioned above, your contributions are the most critical component of your résumé. However, your résumé should focus on telling stories of your successes and your results and not just packed with numbers. An executive résumé filled with numbers will only serves to will your résumé's readability and subsequently your job search success. Well-chosen words and phrases will better convey your message.

spelling errors, typos and grammatical flaws • It is cliché but you will not get a second chance to make a first impression. Many people are surprised that executive level résumé s contains spelling and grammatical errors, but they do. Poor spelling and grammar at an executive level will significantly hurt your job search. If you do not take care in writing a résumé that could help improve your personal circumstances, how would you treat documents with less personal significance?

The résumé is too general • When reviewing you résumé can a reader immediately tell you who are and your areas of expertise? Do they know instantly your most impressive career achievements? Many executives create broad résumé s so they do not limit themselves during their job search. Unfortunately, broad résumé s lack specific information that would help a recruiter determine if you are a fit for their role. Your executive résumé should tie your accomplishments to that specific employer's needs. Unclear layout, poor formatting and structure • Busy decision makers and recruits have short attention spans. Your executive résumé should be clear, concise and provide the relevant information to engage a potential employer to call you. Instead of clutter, focus on identifying and effectively conveying you are "Unique Selling Points" in format that is easy to read. A crowed résumé may turn of recruiters and hiring decision-makers and can be ineffective in your job search.

Contains lies and exaggerations • A survey by J. J. Keller & Associates of 161 surveyed HR professionals, 55% reported that applicants lied about their employment history, education, certifications and licences on their résumé s. This despite the plethora of media stories of high profile people who have lost impressive positives due to their lies and despite the increasing use of background checks conducted by employees, job seekers still laid on their résumé s. Résumé enhancements of any kind is not recommended. Do not lie, stretch the truth or misrepresent the facts. It does not take an official background check to discover lies. Remember Google. It is that that easy.

Review your résumé thoroughly to avoid the above mistakes. Ensure your executive résumé is concise, organized and compelling enough to gain attention in this crowed and competitive market.

About the Author

Surranna Sandy is the President of Resume Solutions, http://www.resumesolutions.ca, a Certified Professional Résumé Writer, Certified Employment Interview Coach and former Human Resources Management Professional with fortune 500 companies. Resume Solutions offers advanced resume writing, career coaching and interview coaching services from entry level, mid-career through to executive clientele in the global marketplace.

Source: Resume Cover Letter articles at goarticles.com

Resume Cover Letter Templates: Achieving a Professional Result

Resume Cover Letter Templates: Achieving a Professional Result by Harold Carrillo

Any prospective employer will look at cover letters before anything else, so they have to be done well. If your cover letter is badly done, a lot of employers won't even look at it. This means that the resume won't get looked at either

Resume Cover Letter Templates: How to Get Them Right

If you want to write a letter employers will approve of, have a look at the many resume cover letter templates there are around. There is no need to be nervous about writing your letter. Help is available online, at many websites. These websites offer resume cover letter templates and these are a great starting point. A lot of these websites provide the facility to enter your own information into your chosen template on the spot. If not, then the template should be available for download. Either way, these can be edited to include all of your own information and the job opening details. It should not take you long to write your own cover letter by means of a template.
You must, of course, select resume cover templates which relate to your specific field. Different styles and formats are available. Selecting the correct template will mean that the employer is most likely to read it. It's also important that you check the cover letter for errors, including spelling, punctuation, and grammar. It's a highly competitive market these days for jobs, so you want your cover letter stand out, but for the right reasons. You need an employer to notice your letter, for the right reasons, because today's job market is extremely competitive. So take your time and use the cover letter templates to help.

resume cover letter templates?

About the Author
Harold Carrillo writes regularly about business related topics. I hope you enjoy this article.

Source: Resume Cover Letter articles at goarticles.com

Relocation Resume Cover Letter Writing Tips

Relocation Resume Cover Letter Writing Tips by Taoqeer Altaf

As you know how important is to put genuine and true information on your resume with regards to your experience. For example it is even more important to deal with the choice of your preferred job location and your truthful intent to relocate. I saw most of the candidates who apply to jobs out of their state happen to ignore that the guy sitting at the other end, reading the resume or cover letter will have a common thought of asking you, why you consider a relocation from the current location. The former example would be too relevant for any professional seeking an outside employment. Hence it is important to use an effective relocation cover letter sample to your job application. Remember at the other end the hiring personnel think, it is important to have right people at right places. Below are some example tips to handle questions and clear your intent while opting for relocation and writing a relocation resume cover letter.

Tip 1: No employer will be interested to fly in a candidate paying relocation expenses. So give your options to the employer writing a good cover letter that you would like to meet him in person if the situation demands, this will clear your intent and will give him an idea that you are familiar with the location and could adjust yourself pretty soon.

Tip 2: Keep a reference of relative or friend to increase the employer's interested in your profile, follow up with him or the recruiter with a news article or clip sending him signals that you still have good contacts and are well aware of the events in the city.

Tip 3: The last few sentences in your resume cover letter are especially important; do remember to leave your resume cover letter reader with a good personalized note, that he can recall you when he again opens your email or message.

About the Author
Often job seekers either never come to know or do not realize the proper ways to write a resume and also miss on how to write an effective cover letter by not seeking help on knowing their drawbacks.

Source: Resume Cover Letter articles at goarticles.com

The Good Cover Letter Gets Your Resume Read

The Good Cover Letter Gets Your Resume Read by Melissa Brewer

A dazzling cover will get your resume read - plain and simple. What do I mean by dazzling? I'm not talking about a clean, professional format - although that is definitely a component of a good cover letter. I'm also talking about a confident, intelligent cover letter that hooks your reader, shows your professionalism, and stops your reader dead in their tracks to finish it.

Your cover letter should be properly formatted and the first paragraph should explain the advertisement that you are responding to. Immediately following this information, you should begin to tell the employer who you are and why you are qualified to apply for the job. However, be careful with the language you use in your cover letter - starting every sentence with "I" is a huge turn-off for those who make the hiring decision. A cover letter should be focused on "you" - with "you" being the business you are offering yourself to. Discuss your qualifications, your goals, and your professional attributes and how they apply to the company you want to join as a valuable team member.

The second paragraph is where you should prepare to shine. Show the employer why they need you because you're a super-whiz ready to do anything to get the job done. You love the job so much you dream of it in your sleep. You've read a hundred articles of the company since you were 12. Describe your strengths, passions, and collective experience in your career. You can describe why you entered the field and your major accomplishments at each place you have worked, any awards you have received, your favorite project, or all of the above. Try to keep your sentence concise but make sure you truly convey your passion. If you do any pro bono work or volunteer work in your field, mention this - in addition to any other related side-projects that are not listed on your resume. Don't re-state your resume or go over the information that is in your resume in your cover letter. Your cover letter sells your resume - so highlight certain areas of your resume but do so in the context of your career goals and how your qualifications and passion benefit the company.

In your final paragraph, tell the employer what your interview availability is, and when you would like to meet with her. DO NOT ask the employer to call you at their convenience. Confident professionals are eager to be called, and confident that they WILL be - you don't want them to call you back whenever they feel like it. Give them a date you will follow up if you haven't heard from them - and then do follow up.

It's important to remember that a cover letter is just the first page of your story that's intended get the employer to read your resume. You've got to write the bang-up resume. You've got to ace the interview. Practice writing, speaking, and thinking with confidence throughout your job search process, and you'll not just get the job you need, but the career you want.

About the Author
Melissa Brewer is the author of the Little White Ebook of Homeshoring Jobs, the complete guide to work from home call center employment available at LittleWhiteEbook.com. She has worked as a freelance writer for the past 9 years and currently resides in Washington, DC, three miles from the Obama White House.

Source: Resume cover letter articles at goarticles.com

Graphic Designer's Resume - What Should a Cover Letter Contain?

Graphic Designer's Resume - What Should a Cover Letter Contain? by Juan C. Rivera

A cover letter is designed to express your interest in a certain job. It is used to express your feeling toward the position and highlights a few necessary skills needed for the job. A cover letter does not list all you skills, this is done in your resume. However, a cover letter invites the reader to look at your resume with close attention and may also contain a "call to action" soliciting an interview.

In a world so full of competition, a cover letter helps set you apart from the rest. There are many way to write a cover letter. But keep in mind that it isn't a science, if you can master ADOBE programs, you can successfully write a good cover letter.

Cover letters have many layouts but essentially have the same information and distribution. Note that letters have a left aligned distribution.

* Heading: This is where you put your information. Name, Address and phone number and the date. This goes on the top left hand side. * Addressee: This is where the information of the person or department that will receive your cover letter and resume. * Greeting: The norm is "Dear", but you may write some other greeting. Always remember that it must be in a respectful manner. Also write the person's full name. If it's directed to departments write: Hiring Manager.

After the greeting come the paragraphs that state you desire and qualifications. This part consists of 2 to 4 paragraphs. I recommend a three paragraph system, one paragraph for a specific purpose.

· Paragraph one: Why you are writing and which position you are applying for? Employers also like to know how you heard about the position, to see which medium was the most successful. Write a bit about the company and why you are interested in this position or organization. This demonstrate to you future employer that you know about them and that you are sincerely interested in working with them.

· Paragraph two: This paragraph is designed to explain why you are qualified for the job. In the job description there is usually a list of tasks that the person applying for the position must do. Highlight experiences that demonstrate your capacity in fulfilling those tasks. If the paragraph seems too long, divide it into two. Please consider the following in order to make this second paragraph effective.

* The first sentence should be a good opener. A quick introduction directed at the skills and qualifications needed for the job. * The body of the paragraph should provide evidence to back up what you've just claimed. Describe specific jobs, projects and accomplishments associated with those experiences. * The final sentence is a summary of what you've discussed above. Mention the position title and company name to bring the reader back to the specific job in question.

· Final Paragraph: It should be a short paragraph, from 2 to 4 sentences. Use a call to action such as "Please schedule a date and time convenient to you for me to come show you my extensive portfolio..." or something else that invites you for an interview. Finish the letter with thanks to the reader for his/her time and consideration.

Finish the body of you cover letter with a good bye. Then with your signature and below your name in print.

Remember that a cover letter is to invite a person to read your resume and invite you for an interview. The cover letter should be well written and error free. Have people read it in order to spot any syntax error. All the cover letters in the world won't help you land a job if your resume is bad. So brush up your resume; write a good cover letter and good luck on your job hunting.

Source: Resume Cover Letter articles at goarticles.com

Resume Cover Letter Example

Resume Cover Letter Example by Gen Wright

In hiring applicants for a vacant position in the organization, employers look for substance in the application documents, and these include a complete and impressive resume attached to a well written and well thought off cover letter. Resume cover letters can make or break your application as it highlights all your best assets and skills and make you part of the shortlist and worth calling in for an interview.

It is considered proper business etiquette to attach a cover letter to your resume even if the employer or organization accepting applicants for a certain position does not require or need one.
Resume cover letter examples are everywhere online. There are cover letter samples for sales and marketing, internship, teacher, student, accounting, education, nursing, IT, legal, business, technical, engineering, paralegal, entry work, social work, administrative assistants; regardless of the position you are applying for, any resume cover letter example would show you that it is comprised of four major sections. These are the header, introduction, body of the letter and the closing. The header contains the date the cover letter was written and the information on the recipient, including his or her contact information and complete address, and the salutation, "Dear Sir.". The introduction briefly states how the applicant found out about the specific job opening and the specific position he is applying for. You can start with, "I am ____, an engineering graduate from the University of ____," or "I have seen through our bulletin boards in campus that your company is in need of mechanical engineers, I would like to apply for the position of____." The body of the letter contains the skills, the experiences and educational background of the applicant. The purpose of this section is to impress and make a good first impression on the employer or reader of the cover letter. "I have recently graduated with the degree in ____," or "I am recently the general manager for ____." Then the last section is the closing. Here you tell the reader your next steps in the application process - if you will be calling them back or if you will just be waiting for their call. You can say, "I will be waiting for your kind response," or "I will contact you within this week to follow up on the status of my application." This section also contains the signature line and information about yourself including complete name, complete address and contact information - you may opt to include your email address.

Here are some tips on how to write a good cover letter. In any resume cover letter sample that you will find, you will notice that there are no typing errors, as these can give a bad impression that you did not prepare well enough. You should do a background research on the company prior to writing the cover letter so you can incorporate your knowledge of the organization, which is a good plus for you as compared to an applicant who has no idea as to what company he is applying to. And most importantly, be yourself, make sure that you sound like you in the letter.

Source: Resume Cover Letter articles at goarticles.com