Monthly Archives: May 2010

White Space On A Resume Can Help (Readability/ Emphasis)

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White space on a resume can help! The problem is that most resume writers seem to fear the use of white space simply because they believe that white space tells an employer that they don’t have a lot to say about themselves and their skills. However, the use of white space on a resume can help you greatly when it comes to the presentation of your resume. There are two main functions that white space can play in the creation of your resume.

These two functions will go a long way in assisting you in creating a more functional and effective resume that will be able to provide you with the type of employment that you desire. These two functions are: readability and emphasis. Herein, you will quickly and easily discover how these two elements are greatly improved upon when it comes to the use of white space to your benefit. You will also quickly discover how the use of white space can actually make your resume more professional and effective at gaining a potential employers attention.

The Importance Of Resume Readability

One of the biggest complaints amongst employers who are hiring is readability. Most people who write resumes never use proper or effective spacing. This results in every line and section of a resume all running together, which presents a problem for employers who may be reading your resume. They can quickly be distracted and lose their place when reading your resume and then will have to search through the text in order to find the place where they stopped reading.

When you use white space in order to separate one section from another in your resume, you are making it much easier for an employer to read. If an employer becomes distracted while reading your resume and has to deal with a situation they can quickly turn back around and easily find their place on your resume due to this use of white space. This is just one such way that white space on a resume can help improve the readability of your resume.

The Importance Of Emphasis In A Resume

In the same general regard, white space on a resume can help when it comes to providing emphasis on specific sections of your resume. Chances are you want each and every section of your resume to stand out from the rest so that an employer can easily and quickly determine your skills, experience, and education. You will want each section to be surrounded by white space so that a sense of emphasis is put onto each section of your resume.

In short, this white space can be used as a spotlight to emphasize important information that you want your potential employers to take notice of. The more white space that your resume has around each section the more it will stand out to those people who are reading your resume.

However, you should not overdo it when it comes to using white space on a resume. You simply need to ensure that you have in place effective margins and settings with a few white spaces between each section in order to easily distinguish one section from another.

More Resume Writing Tips…

When Was The Last Time You Updated Your Resume?

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When was the last time you updated your resume? If you are like most people, chances are you would only have updated your resume when you last sought out new employment. However, this could be a crucial mistake!  You should update your resume on a regular basis regardless of whether or not you are currently employed or seeking out a job. There are numerous reasons for this.

First and foremost, you never know when an opportunity could prevent itself to you wherein you may consider leaving your current place of employment in order to move to another company that offers higher pay and benefits. Several of these opportunities could present themselves so quickly that you wouldn’t even have time to update your resume. This is why you always need to be sure that your resume is updated; if and when any opportunity presents itself you will be completely ready to throw your resume in the ring and obtain the new employment opportunity that you desire.

Secondly, many companies that promote from within will require you to resubmit your resume when you are being considered for a promotion. You need to make sure that your resume includes your current position and the job skills that you have learned since being employed with this company. Consider that many promotions happen at the “speed of light.” Therefore, if you can provide your current employer with an updated resume immediately, you may be setting yourself ahead of your competition. This shows your employers that you are ready for anything that is thrown at you without any down time.

Other Reasons Why Updating Your Resume Is So Important

Seriously ask yourself this question: when was the last time you updated your resume? If a great deal of time has passed by since the last time you updated your resume you may run into some very common problems when you first sit down to update your resume. For example, let’s say that you have been employed by four different companies in three years. Let’s also say that you haven’t updated your resume during this time but you are anxious to apply for a new job.

Most people will face the common problem of not remembering or being able to recall all the facts from their previous employers. This may include addresses, phone numbers and even supervisors. This means you will have to go back and waste your time doing pointless research in order to obtain the information and facts that you need in order to ensure that your resume is completely accurate. Along with this common information most people struggle with remembering their dates of employment with companies which they have worked for.

However, you could easily avoid all of these problems by simply updating your resume every few months and not just when you are applying for a new job. When you take on this constant attitude of updating you are less likely to forget important facts and will have a more accurate and complete resume than other people around you.

Remember, you never know when a better job or career opportunity may present itself to you! Therefore, you must always be prepared to present an accurate and honest resume to these potential employers at the “drop of a hat.”

If you’ve asked yourself: when was the last time you updated your resume, and you can’t come up with an answer, chances are that you need to sit down and get busy making the updates now!

More Resume Writing Tips…

Read Your Resume (Spell Checker is not Enough)

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Read your resume, spell checker is not enough! The problem is that oftentimes, people who craft their resumes will not focus on the editing of their resumes. This will generally result in poorly crafted resumes that are shoddy and ineffective. You can be sure that a resume that is filled with spelling and grammar mistakes will thwart any chance you have of being employed. The same can be said when it comes to sentences or sections that don’t make sense due to the manner in which they are worded. 

With that in mind, you cannot simply use spell checker on your favorite document writing program and expect for your resume to be perfect! You must go the extra mile in order to ensure that your resume is as professional and effective as it should be. This way you can present yourself to your future employers in a professional manner that truly reflects your skills and work effort.

If you fail to correct your resume of common mistakes a potential employer may believe that you are not a thorough individual. They may believe that this may reflect on your general work if they were to hire you. Therefore, they may simply pass up on you and choose someone else who is less qualified but who has no or limited mistakes on their resume.

No matter how skilled you are for the position which you are applying for, you must be sure that your resume is 100% grammatically correct and free of spelling errors.

What Can I Use Apart From Spell Checker To Assist Me In This Task?

There are numerous ways that you can go about ensuring that your resume is free of common spelling and grammar mistakes. As stated before: read your resume, spell checker is not enough! Most mistakes can simply be found when you read your resume back to yourself.  Most experts will tell you to actually read your resume out loud. When you read your resume out loud, slowly, you can generally catch common spelling and grammar mistakes. If you have to stop and read over a sentence or section more than once, then chances are that you need to apply a few corrections or small changes in order to make that section flow better.

This can’t be stressed enough: read your resume, spell checker is not enough! You have to be aware that all spell checker programs are not 100% accurate. They make suggestions and changes that may not be correct. If you use an automatic spell check program with changing capabilities it could completely change the meaning of a sentence of your resume. This could have detrimental consequences when it comes to being effective at assisting you in gaining the employment you desire.

Finally, take this entire process one step further and ask a friend or business acquaintance to read over your resume for you! They may be able to find other mistakes that you may have missed on your own. This will give you added protection and peace of mind that your resume is truly free of spelling and grammar mistakes.

More Resume Writing Tips…

How To Properly Use Industry Keywords In Your Resume

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You need to look at your resume in a manipulative manner. The purpose of your resume is to gain employment by getting noticed by potential employers. With that in mind you need to work your resume in such a way that it operates as a personal infomercial that truly sales you to the potential employer. One of the easiest ways to take this idea to the next level is to use industry keywords. When you use industry keywords you will truly be able to reach your employers on a powerful and effective level that will truly cater to their personal needs.

Consider this, when an employer is looking through resumes of potential employees they are doing so in a selfish manner. They are looking at each resume to determine your worth and value to them. They honestly don’t “care about you.” They simply want to see what it is that you have that will truly benefit them in a great way. If they don’t see this in your resume and they don’t see a purpose or role or need that you would fill in their company, then chances are that they will never call on you.

How Does The Use Of Industry Keywords Improve My Employment Chances?

There are certain words and phrases that have been embedded in your employers minds. These are general words that speak to them when they consider their company. When you begin to use these words it will signal something in the employer’s mind that will lead them to believe that you are on the same page as them. Though these are not subliminal words, they work in much the same way. When you use these words, they truly grab the attention of the employer who may be reading your resume.

When you use industry keywords, you will need to make them specific to the type of company that you are seeking out employment through. For instance, if you are attempting to gain employment at a computer company that deals with technology and software, then you need to target a few well chosen relevant keywords such as: software, computers, and technology.  Some of these words may already be in your resume. Therefore, much of the work will already be done for you. However, you need to make sure that there types of words are used all throughout your resume in order to maintain a potential employers attention throughout your resume.

Other Ways In Which Companies Use Industry Keywords

Many companies will actually run all resumes they receive through a computer system that actually searches for industry specific keywords. If your resume fails to be flagged for such words the chances of you gaining employment through that company are slim to none. With that in mind you can truly see the dire importance in using industry keywords in your resume.  In some cases they are absolutely necessary to ensure your success.

It should also be noted that you can take advantage of many free online keyword utilities that will assist you in determining which keywords are used by specific industries.

See Resume Keyword Examples…

Supporting Your Strengths To Gain Better Results In Your Resume

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When it comes to resume writing many people are “all talk.” The problem with this is the majority of potential employers are aware of this. Therefore, when you are putting your resume together you will have to make an effort to go out of your way to support each and every statement that you make. It’s no point simply telling an employer what your strengths are; you have to show them what your strengths are based on your previous work experience or skills. Supporting your strengths is paramount to successful convincing a potential employer to call you in for an in person interview.

Most employers will ask a very common question during their live interviews. This question is: “What are your weaknesses and strengths?” When crafting your resume, you should have already answered this question by presenting your skills and experiences in a way that clearly reveals this information to anyone who is reading your resume. If you do this in your resume and leave nothing open for questions then you will be one step ahead of your competition.

How Do I Support My Strengths In My Resume?

1. The first thing you need to do is determine what your strengths are. You can do this by writing a list of everything that you consider to be your strengths. For instance, do you feel that you are a good communicator? If so, you would write “communication” down on this list of strengths.

2. Now that you have this simple idea in mind, you need go about finding a way to prove this to anyone who may be reading your resume. You can do this by backing up each of these strengths with facts or instances that would have allowed you to learn perfect communication skills.

3. So the next thing you should do is figure out what it is that makes you say you are such a good communicator. Think of examples from your past employment or any special classes or trainings that you may have undergone that would have contributed to you being a good communicator. These are things that you can use when it comes to supporting your strengths in a clear and accurate way that will be more than pleasing to potential employers.

Where Do You Go About Supporting Your Strengths In Your Resume?

There are numerous places in your resume that you can go about supporting your strengths in your resume. First and foremost, you can take advantage of this in your cover letter. You can provide a brief paragraph where you cover your main strengths and how you acquired these strengths. You can also support your strengths in your employment history when you list any skills that you gained through this employment.

However, don’t just simply list these skills; instead provide a brief example or idea of where these strengths came from. Such as with “communication” you could write something like: “gained communication strengths through multiple communication trainings.”  

There is no right way or wrong way to go about backing up your strengths with a purpose and a reason for how they came about. Just make sure that they flow well with the rest of your resume and that they are not overly “worded” down.

More resume writing tips…

Job Interview Questions and Answers from CareerRush

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Question:  What are three qualities that you feel you would bring to the table if hired?

Answer: The three qualities that I would bring to this position are honesty, respect and responsibility. I am an honest person who is willing to ask for help and who will always remain transparent with my work dealings. I am also a very respectful person who works well with others. I’m the type of person who is very respectful and supportive of my superiors and who is also respectful and kind to those I work with. I am also a very responsible person who is always willing to take on more work and who is willing to go the extra mile to get the job done right.

Question: Why do you want to work for our company?

Answer: Your company has a strong reputation and is the type of company that is fair and honest. I feel that working for your company would be a great benefit to me and my future and I equally feel like I would be a great benefit to your company in return.

Question: What is one negative quality about yourself that we should be aware of?

Answer: Some people say that I am too obsessive when it comes to work. I tend to overdo things while working because I put everything I have into the job. I tend to think about work all the time and am always spending time focusing on how I can do a better job. This may seem like a positive trait but some times I think I need to step back and relax a bit.

Question: Why should we hire you over all our other applicants?

Answer:  Because I am a committed individual who isn’t just looking for a “job.” I am looking to invest all my time, dedication and hard work into the task at hand. I want to do my best to ensure that I am constantly being a benefit for your company, and in return I know that I will receive the benefits of working for such a wonderful company. Others may be more qualified in work experience but I am a dedicated and responsible person who isn’t simply looking for a job, but am instead looking to make this job my career.

Question: What if your long term goal with the position that you are applying for?

Answer:  I want to acquire a position with your company so that I can excel at all things and become a huge asset for your company. I am not just another warm body but am the type of person who goes into a job with the intent to turn it into a career. In the long term I would dedicate myself to every task and duty that you assign me and will strive to obtain perfection when completing these tasks. I want to prove to your company that I am a valuable asset in hopes of slowly working my way to the top. I wish to invest my time and effort with your company, and would like to eventually stay with you long term.

More Job Hunting Tips…

Job Interview Questions to Ask

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When attending a job interview, you will most likely be given the opportunity to ask any questions that you may have pertaining to the job for which you are applying or about the company that you are interviewing for.  You should always be prepared to ask a couple of short and brief questions. 

Most people will simply say that they have no questions and will walk out the door. However, when you ask a potential employer questions, you may be showing them that you really value the opportunity that you have been given and that you are very interested in the position that they have to offer.

Most people will simply ask questions like, “how long before I know if I got the job or not,” or “I have a wedding to go to in 2 months. Will that be hard for me to get off?” Asking these types of questions is out of place during an interview. You are best suited to gain your answer to question number one by calling back in a few days after your interview and asking. As for question number two, it is best to put it on hold until you have gotten the job and know who your supervisor is so that you can speak to them directly.

Examples Of Questions To Ask During A Job Interview

One question to consider asking is “what is the dress code?” This allows a potential employer to know that you are thinking about the way in which you must present themselves while working for them. 

Another good question to ask is “How many hours can I expect to work a week?” Once again this shows that you are curious and excited about the possibility of working for their company and that you are concerning yourself with scheduling.

There is another question that you may wish to ask once you have gauged the personality of the person interviewing you. One question that actually turns the tables on the interviewer is to ask them this: “Why should I work for your company?” If asked in the right tone, this question can be a great conversation starter. This allows the interviewer to see that you believe in yourself enough to actually question what their company can do for you.   This question has been used to the success of numerous people who have attended job interviews of all types in all industries.

Finally, one other great question to ask is “what do you personally value in your employees and what qualities do you look for in your employees?”  This once again shows an interviewer that you are curious about exactly what they are looking for and that you are also willing to learn these things and take notice of them so that you can make yourself a better employee.  Questions like this are questions that your interviews may ask such as, “what are your 3 best qualities?” However, now you are turning the question around on them in order to get their opinion on the situation.

More job hunting tips…

Explaining Gaps in Employment History

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There may have been a time when you were unemployed for a large gap of time. These are simply referred to as “gaps in employment.” The problem is that the industry standards of resume writing do not feature a default location wherein you can explain or express the reasoning for your gaps in employment history. Therefore, you will need to find a way to justify these gaps using your cover letter.

It is crucial that you explain these gaps in employment, else a potential employer may consider that you were simply lazy and didn’t want to work for a period of time. Other employers may believe that you have on-going health issues which prevented you from working or that your personal life is so chaotic that you were unable to work. These are general concerns that an employer is likely to imagine if you do not explain to them upfront why you have gaps in your employment history. You can immediately put their thoughts to rest by simply explaining in your resume upfront why they will notice gaps in your employment history.

As previously stated, your cover letter is the perfect place to do this. You can include a paragraph like this, for example:

“You may notice while reviewing my resume that there is a gap in my employment history from January 2008 to March 2008. During that time, I was recovering from an operation to correct my vision. The surgery was successful and I am 100% recovered and am ready to commit myself to employment with your company. There are no future surgeries needed for my vision problems and I will not need time off work for such matters in the future. I wanted to inform you of this up front so that there are no concerns in regards to my brief gap in employment.”

Keep in mind that this is simply a rough example of one way in which you can go about explaining your gaps in employment history. You may additionally want to include a note in the Work Experience section of your resume where the gap is to refer to your cover letter for an explanation for your gap in employment history. This way if the employer skipped over your cover letter before reviewing your resume that they can quickly go back and review it to obtain answers.

Won’t My Gaps In Employment History Make It Harder For Me To Obtain Employment?

This is a legitimate concern and in some cases gaps in employment history may make it harder for you to obtain employment, especially if these gaps are continually appearing in your resume. However, you should never mess with or manipulate employment dates in order to hide your employment gaps. When you do that you are simply setting yourself up for disaster when an employer begins to check your past work history.

Honesty is the best policy when it comes to resume writing. If you are fearful about the gaps in your employment history just be prepared to express reasoning for your gaps otherwise you will be mumbling your way back to the unemployment line.

More job hunting tips…

Job Hunting Tips: Matching the Needs of An Employer

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When most people sit down and create their resume, they only have their personal needs in mind. They use their resume in order to obtain a job or career that matches up with their personal needs and goals. Though this is the purpose of obtaining employment, it is not always the best way to go about obtaining a job. You have to realize that all companies great and small are looking to match their own needs, and the majority of them don’t care about your personal needs. All they want is to ensure that you as an employee will meet their expectations and their needs.

This is where you must decide how you will present your resume. If you want your resume to more effective and want it to have the ability to secure you a job that will meet your needs, then you will need to be sure that your resume is not “self-directed.” Instead, you will want your resume to be what is known as “employer directed.” This also means that you will have to watch the way in which you word and list things throughout your resume in order to make sure it is directed at your potential employers needs.

For example, most people who put their resume together will create a dynamic objective that details why they personally want the job they are applying for and what their goals are with the job. Many applicants will go as far as saying that they are using a job as a “stepping stone” to bigger things. What you truly need to do with your objective is tell the potential employer what you will do for their company, rather than what you hope their open position will do for you.

You need to immediately show these potential employers that you are hoping to fill a need that they have for a strong-working and dedicated employee who is willing to do whatever is asked and is willing to excel at everything they do. Your objective is your sales pitch to these potential employers. You need to use these short few sentences to show them how you will not only match their needs but you will excel at filling them.

How Can I Ensure That My Objective And Cover Letter Are Geared Towards Company Needs?

You can easily determine if your resume is self focused or company focused by simply reading over it. You should read over your resume as if you were preparing to interview yourself and consider each sentence and section of your resume and determine if that section convinces you that you would fill a need at the company, or if that section instead is self-focused. You may also wish to ask an outside third party such as a friend or a family member to assist you with this. That way you can have a second set of eyes and a fresh mind break down your resume for you.

Remember, you are attempting to get a job to fill your own needs, but at the same time you need to truly convince a potential employer that you are going to fill their needs above all else. If you can do this with your resume then you will quickly acquire the job you want and can begin to fulfill your personal needs.

Read more job hunting tips…

Be Careful with Sample Resume Templates

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The popularity of using sample resume templates to create personal resumes has risen manifold in recent years. More and more people are discovering how simple it is to use sample resume templates when putting their own resumes together. In fact, using such templates can greatly decrease the total amount of time that it takes the average person to create their resume.

However, in their eagerness to get their resumes done, many people make the basic mistake of using the sample resume templates without giving it careful consideration. They do not make the necessary changes in order to personalize these templates and make it their own; instead they simply use the pre-plugged in information and attempt to pass it off on their own. This is especially true when it comes to drafting objectives and cover letters for their resumes. Many people are flat out plagiarizing these sections of their resumes and are unknowingly violating copyright laws in doing so.

Most applicants are not aware that employers will actually scan their employee’s or applicant’s resumes and will run them through copyright checks in order to determine if the content included in them is original or if it has been taken from a website. If this happens to you, you could lose your current job for dishonesty or may be turned down for a position which you are applying on grounds of dishonesty. This is why, you must be very careful that when using sample resumes. It is crucial to ensure that you only use them as an outline for your own resume but do not blatantly rip these templates off.

How To Be Certain That Your Information Is Original When Using A Template

When creating your resume, download at least two copies of the particular template that you are looking at. When you do this, you are less likely to make common mistakes that result in copyright violations. With the first copy of the template you have downloaded, go in and delete all the pre-plugged responses to each section. Then use the second section as a general outline as you compose the rest of your resume.

It is more than okay for you to draw inspiration from the objectives and cover letters of these sample resumes. However, you should be sure that when you read your version of these sections that they don’t match up.  They should be different enough and unique enough even after borrowing ideas for no one to be able to tell that your version was inspired from the first.

People who only download one version of a sample template will also make the mistake of accidentally forgetting to delete a sentence or word from the template. When they do this, their resume will not appear professional and will include wording or phrases that have nothing to do with them or their skill sets. You need to be very careful to avoid these kinds of errors when using such sample templates.

Just use sample resume templates as a springing board for ideas and formatting assurance. Other than that, delete what is included within the template and you should be fine.

Use one of CareerRush’s free resume samples or take advantage of our free resume wizard and build a professional resume from scratch.