Essential Job-Hunting Tips
(How To Get The Right Job)
If you have ever been in the position of searching for a new job, you probably know what a frustrating and difficult task it can be -
preparing your resume, finding the right companies with hiring needs that match your expertise and career objectives, making contact with them, securing interviews, following up, deciding whether or not to accept an offer, etc.
There have been many books and articles written which focus on various aspects of the job hunting process. Our focus, here, will be on two particular elements of the process which, through experience, we have found to be most important - a well written resume and solid interviewing skills.
The Resume - Helping To Get Your Foot In The Door
Your résumé's job is to assist in the following:
Getting you noticed
A well written resume presented to the right companies is your personal marketing tool - your advertisement, which essentially points to the benefits a company can receive from hiring you. As with most forms of advertising, your resume will generally only have a few seconds to capture the attention of the reader. It's easy to understand why, when you consider the high numbers of resumes most hiring managers receive each week.
Generally speaking, a resume which neglects to clearly highlight your career objectives, specific expertise, major accomplishments, and most recent positions held, as quickly as possible, runs the risk of being ignored. There just are not enough hours in a day for most managers to read every page of every resume they receive.
With this in mind, consider the following resume format which is arranged to help you highlight that information ( in order of importance) that many hiring managers find the most useful in determining whether or not to follow up with a candidate.
1) Write your personal and contact information
at the top of the page (name, address, all
phone numbers and e-mail addresses where you can
be reached).2) Next, write a summary paragraph including your main career
objectives and primary skills.3) A bulleted list of your major career accomplishments (list those
items that you feel could be of benefit to a prospective
employer).4) A paragraph outlining specific technical skills and knowledge
(particularly important for technically focused positions).5) Next, list your employment experience in chronological order,
starting with your last/ present position first. Include the
following information in this section:
Company name / city and state location
company's products or services focus.
objectives
which are directly attributable to you (particularly
in your most recent two to three positions held.
6) Your education (list all colleges / universities attended, with
earned degrees and dates of completion. Include any industry
seminars, certifications, etc.7) Additional information (e.g. languages, specific knowledge,
computer skills, professional memberships, etc.) which are work
related.8) Interests (basically non-work related)
Some "Do's And "Don'ts" In Preparing Your Resume
Resume Length
As a general rule, limit your resume to two pages. Remember, your resume's job is to help get your "foot in the door." Long-winded essays rarely hold the attention of the reader.
One exception to this rule would be a position that is of a complex technical nature, where detailing your technical proficiencies is required to qualify you. If this is the case, try to limit your resume to three pages, which should be sufficient to include your various technical expertise.
Always be truthful. Highlight your "positives", but be prepared to substantiate any and all statements you make.
Use a single-spaced typeface and easy to read fonts. Avoid fancy colored paper and bindings (difficult to photo-copy). Highlight your headings, but don't over-format. In summary, make it as easy to read as possible.
Check your resume thoroughly for spelling, typing and grammatical errors. Have someone proof-read your final version. A resume that is filled with errors is often viewed as an indication of the candidate's poor "attention to detail" and inferior presentation skills.
E-mail your resume, when possible. Most recruiters and companies prefer e-mailed resumes over faxes or snail mail.
On the next page, we'll discuss "The Interview"
(Preparation, Meeting and Follow-up)
