Why You Need To Use A Resume Instead Of A Job Application

Free Resume Example Articles : Why You Need To Use A Resume Instead Of A Job Application by Ann Baehr

A resume is needed over the job application is because it is a presentation of who you are. In short, it is an advertisement. You are the product.

It includes achievements instead of just "duties" and provides a lot more room for your information compared to the small section found on a job application form.

A job application includes information that would not be appropriate to list on a resume such as references, reasons for leaving a job, salary information and mailing addresses for each employer, to name a few.

Resumes have been in existence for several decades, probably right after WWII, and were certainly a lot less complicated than they are these days. They were not as much of a critical part of the job search process as they are now.

Many jobs, such as blue-collar trades, nurses, and hairstylists required a brief conversation with a supervisor or to complete a job application at the business location in response to a simple job ad or a walk-in-off-the-street effort to explore job opportunities.

The fact that people went directly to the company to complete the application meant minimal competition unless the country was going through a recession and the lines for even the lowest paying jobs wrapped around the block.

The 1980's changed all of that. Companies felt the financial pressures of the economy and emerging competition, both in the U.S. and globally reaching. To survive, major companies merged with other companies or were acquired in leverage buy-outs.

When two companies merge it creates duplicate positions down the line. It usually takes about a year for the newly formed company or acquiring company to figure out who is staying and who is going.

When the dust settles, there ends up being a rise in unemployment and fewer job openings. Since the reason companies underwent a merger or acquisition is financial, restructuring their company and its workforce was necessary and keep costs down.

To achieve that goal, companies began hiring candidates who were well rounded and could perform more than one job function. That way the company could increase productivity and reduce payroll expenses. The proverbial dedicated employee who stayed in the same job for thirty years and retired with a gold watch became a thing of the past and more of a risk to companies looking for candidates who could multitask.

This put a lot of pressure on job seekers to develop resumes that highlighted how well rounded they were. The chronological resumes weren't really working well to achieve that goal, so the functional resume was designed to showcase a job seeker's functional skills rather than their chronology.

The functional format seemed like a great idea at first, but hiring companies disliked it because it allowed job seekers to hide gaps in employment and it made it difficult to understand a job seeker's career path.

The solution was the combination format, which combines the elements of the chronological and functional formats to achieve flexibility and focus. In short, it satisfied the needs of both parties. To this day, the chronological resume is the most preferred because it is straightforward. The trick is to have it mostly chronological with elements of the combination format to break things up and add interest. Just make sure it is well organized.

During the 1980's, the World Wide Web as we know it today began to take hold and exploded by the 1990's making it very easy for job seekers and hiring companies to communicate. This meant exponentially more job seekers applying to job ads online than ever before. No longer could companies pick up the phone or read an email to qualify a potential candidate.

Companies do not have the resources to read a general letter or email covering the basics of a job seeker's employment history. They need to see a resume because a resume, although creatively written and designed, is still a technical presentation of a candidate's background, breaking it down into universally recognized sections that we all have grown to know and expect.

These all-familiar categories include Objective (or Title Statement / Heading), Summary of Qualifications (or Profile), Professional Experience (or Work History), Education and Computer Skills. Other categories include Community Involvement, Military Background, Internship Experience, etc., depending on the job seeker's unique background.

This makes it a lot easier for companies to scan through hard copies of resumes coming in over the fax or in the mail. In fact, so many resumes are sent to companies on a daily basis in response to job ads (print and online) or exploring opportunities that companies have implemented the use of resume scanning technology. The software uses Optical Character Recognition to convert hard copy to text and stores it in a database. Then when the company has a vacancy, they go to their resume database and search for possible candidates.

Embrace the resume. It is an effective way for you to showcase your skills and achievements in a way that an email or letter could not. That said, you need a cover letter to because a cover letter is not technical and will allow you to establish a rapport with a hiring manager in a way that you could not with just a resume.

About the Author
Ann Baehr is a CPRW and President of Best Resumes of New York. Notable credentials include her former role as Second Vice President of NRWA and contribution to 25+ resume and cover letter sample books. To learn more visit http://www.e-bestresumes.com or http://www.annbaehr.com

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=826463

Building a Strong Resume with the Right Accountancy Jobs

Free Resume Example Articles : Building a Strong Resume with the Right Accountancy Jobs by Asc

A professional who wants to build a career as a successful accountant needs to know where to find good accountancy jobs. The growing number of accountancy graduates hitting the job market each year makes it difficult for qualified accountants to find well-paid positions. Your ability to hunt down accountancy jobs in the right industries at the right time will help you find work that is fulfilling over the long term.

One of the areas where accountancy jobs hold steady despite economic problems is local government agencies. There is always a need in Parliament, local governments and other bureaucratic agencies for experts in sound accounting practices. The creation of an annual budget along with supplement budgets and accounting reports means that accountancy jobs are always available in government agencies. You need to decide whether the bureaucratic difficulties of government accounting balance out the benefits of public service.

A natural extension of accountancy jobs in city government is high salary positions in county, state and national agencies. The fiscal crunches at lower levels of government in the United Kingdom make accurate ledgers important to track expenses and revenues. Your work in accountancy jobs within city government can help save public dollars and direct government spending with constant reminders about keeping books straight.

The largest wages for accountancy experts are available in the private sector. National and international corporations use accountants to manage tax documents, monitor expense reports and act as a watchdog for improper spending. These positions are ideal for accountants who can handle a high workload and understand the multiple layers of ethical practices involved in private bookkeeping.

You can take a higher cut of clients’ fees and other revenues when you start your own accountancy practice. The barriers to starting your own accountancy firm include locating qualified employees, obtaining business licenses and developing a reputation in your community for quality work. It is important to take a sober look at starting an accountancy practice by reviewing the high expenses incurred in the first few months after opening your doors.

A final venue for accountancy jobs for young professionals is the non-profit world. Advocacy groups, legal aid services and other groups that are registered as non profits need intelligent accountants to monitor daily expenses and revenues. The work of non-profit accountants is muddied with strict spending guidelines for grants, donations and other unique revenue. You can use your talent for numbers and close observance of detailed information for good when you work with non-profit groups.

About the Author
ASC Connections are a leading Recruitment Solutions Provider, providing permanent, temporary and contract/interim Accountancy Jobs

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=825310

How to Write a Resume Fast

Free Resume Example Articles : How to Write a Resume Fast by Woody

If you need a guide on how to write a resume fast, then this article will provide that.
If you are like the rest of us, then you would probably have jumped from one employment to another trying to find that job satisfaction we all desire. By then, you would have come to a realization that knowing how to write a resume that is effective is important.

As a matter of fact, knowing how to write a resume that highlights your skills can help you get that position you've always wanted. Knowing how to write a resume is not very hard once you learn the basics. If you think writing is difficult, you are not alone. A lot of people feel the same way. Just calm down. Learning how to write a resume that is effective is not as difficult as it seems.

How to Write a Resume Quickly

1. The first thing that you need to do is write down your employment history for the last 5 years. Try to analyze the positions that you held and check whether it suits the new position that you want to apply for. Your job record will be your guide on how to write a resume easily.

2. For every position that you held, write down your detailed duties and responsibilities. Prospective empolyers will obviously give this a thorough consideration to decide whether your are the right candidate for the position so analyze it thoroughly. To effectively know how to write a resume that sells needs your careful analysis.

3. Tell the truth. If you blatantly lie with your credentials, it will be discovered. Then you will have to live up with your embarrassment if you get interviewed and the employer finds out. To learn how to write a resume also requires you to be honest.

4. Write down your achievements. This is another important criteria on how to write a resume to get you the job. With this, employers will know that you have the desire and drive to be successful in your career. However, remember rule number 3.

These are the points you need to take into account when you like to know how to write a resume fast. You do not need to be a professional to learn how to write a resume that employers want. But it will need your patience and time.

However, there will sometimes be obstacles on how to write a resume quickly. Some will eventually find it hard and takes up too much time. If that happens, then get an expert to do the job or let a resume maker program sort out your employment details. These are a last resort on how to write a resume that recruiters will chose from all the rest.

About the Author
Learning to write a resume that gets the employer's interest and gets you that needed interview shouldn't be that hard. Read more Tips on How to Write a Resume that guarantees success.

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=823566