June Campbell asked:




Learning how to make a resume or curriculum vitae is a skill that will serve you well for your entire working life. This indispensable document is your means, sometimes your only means, of showing a potential employer what you bring to the table. You may have only one chance, so put considerable thought into how to make a resume that demonstrates your accomplishments in the best possible way.

Always remember you are competing against other job seekers. As an employer sorts through perhaps dozens of resumes, how can you ensure your resume stands out and get noticed?

It goes without saying that your resume must be neat, attractively formatted, easy to read and free of punctuation errors, spelling errors and typos. Anything less tells the employer that you do sloppy work and have put little to no effort into learning to how to make a resume.

When you develop your resume, you want to write it in such a way that the employer immediately can identify your skills, abilities and work history. There are two accepted approaches to how to make a resume. The first involves listing your jobs in chronological order, starting at the present and working back. The second approach to how to write a resume involves listing and describing your skills. The best type to use is the one that will present you to the best advantage. This will differ from employer to employer. For best results, plan to modify your resume to accommodate each job you apply for. This requires a little extra effort, but it is not a huge challenge when you use a computer and Word Processing software.

If you have been out of the labor force for a period of time, this will require some particular thought when you plan how to make a resume.

Homemakers who have taken time away from the workplace to raise children will want to give some thought to how to present this. Remember that raising a family and caring for a home require skills that can generalize in the workplace. Undoubtedly, you have organizational skills, budgeting skills, communication skills and more. Your task is to find a way to present these facts in your resume.

Have you done any volunteer work while you were out of the paid work force? Did you organize a bake sale or car pool? Did you participate in clubs, organizations, church groups, community organizations or similar? In what capacity? Did you find a way to bring in extra money while you were a homemaker? Did you have any part time jobs?

Think about these things carefully, always remembering that the skills you needed to carry out these activities are skills that are valued in the workplace. This is not the time for false modesty. If you can chair a darned good meeting and you know Robert’s Rules of Order like the back of your hand, find a way to portray this when you decide how to make a resume.

Learning how to make a resume requires more than writing skills. It requires some soul searching and the willingness to acknowledge your hidden talents.

When preparing your resume or CV for potential employers you may find that the hardest part to write is the “Objective”.

Although it is difficult to write, the objective is a very important to your resume. It is also considered to be important because it is what the employer will see first and you know what they say about first impressions!

In this article you will find some tips for creating a successful resume objective. Take your time with this section so you do not ruin your chances of getting that interview.

What is the Resume Objective?

This is the small, three to five sentence paragraph that is traditionally at the top of the resume directly under the header. The objective needs to include:

- the job you are applying for

- why you would be great in this position. and

- what assets will you be able to bring to the company if you should get hired.

You will always want to make sure that your objective is tailored to fit the job that you are applying for. It should never be too general or vague – employers do not like to see this. They need to know that you are interested in and qualified for the position you are applying for.

Here are three examples of what a successful resume objective should look like.

“I am interested in the Service Manager position you recently advertised. I am confident that while in this position I will be able to make the most of my management and leadership skills along with my abilities to create work schedules for employees and deal with any complaints that customers may have.”

“I am a retired elementary school teacher and am interested in the day care staff position that has recently become available. I held a kindergarten teaching position for more than 25 years and early childhood education is my passion. I would be a great asset to your center because I love being around young children and helping them discover and develop.”

“I am a certified RN who has used my skills for the last five years as head of nurses at a local assisted living facility for the elderly and disabled. I am interested in the nursing position you have available in your hospital and would love to become a part of your staff. I am very confident in my nursing abilities because it is my life and my passion. I believe that with all that I have achieved and learned throughout the decade I spend at the assisted living facility that I will be a great addition to your nursing staff.”

There’s more resume objective help here including 5 more resume objective examples.

 



By: Catherine Z Jones

About the Author:

Nell Taliercio asked:

If you are a creative, but concise writer, then being a resume writer could be the perfect job for you. Many people have a good deal of job experience, but don’t know the best way to present it to a potential employer. With just the right polish and editing, their resume could put them at the top of the pile. While there are programs out there that can “help” write a resume, nothing beats the human touch. If you add helping with cover letters, you could have a business going in no time.

Where to find a job as a resume writer: You could hang signs on college campuses. Students who are facing graduation and job hunting are always worried about writing a good resume. There are websites that offer resume services, so you could contact them and see if they hire freelance writers.

Skills you need: You should be able to convey the crucial information in a way that highlights the job seeker’s strengths. You should be able to creatively represent the information without embellishing in a way that misrepresents the skills.

You need to be able to write the different styles of resumes: Reverse Chronological, Functional, or a Combination. You also need to be aware of the current trend of people writing a CV (Curriculum Vitae), rather than a standard resume. A CV tends to focus on education, writing, and research experience for academic fields.

Tools you need: A reliable computer, internet connection and basic word processor program are all you really need. Although, if you are doing work for local customers, you may need a printer as well.

How much money can you make? Some resume services charge around $250 for a resume, CV and cover letter package.

As they say, first impressions count.

What you say in the opening lines of your resume or CV can determine whether an interviewer reads the whole CV or resume or only skims through the information.

You see most interviewers only spend 10-15 seconds on each resume or CV and reject between 84-92% within this time. So you must make a good impression and make it quickly to stand a chance of winning an interview.

The most effective way to do this is to write a good CV or resume objective.

A lot of people think the following example is acceptable as a resume objective:

“A senior management position within a leading multinational firm”.

We see this sort of statement a lot – a simple description of the role the person is seeking when sending out their resume. This person figures that their resume ‘objective’ is, after all, to win a senior position within a leading multinational firm so why not just say so!

But as interviewers this tells us nothing about why you want the job and why you’re suitable. In most cases we already know you want this job because you’re replying to the advert so this line adds nothing and is simply taking up good space and making no impression (and even a bad impression).

Instead, make your CV or resume objective work for you. Use it to highlight to the interviewer that you’re the ideal candidate so that they are interested enough to read the rest of your resume or CV.

You CV or resume objective should be between 3 and 5 sentences and include some or all of the following:

- The job you are applying for, particularly

- Why you want the job

- Why you are a suitable candidate including what benefit you bring to the role

Here are 2 good examples:

“I am a talented salesperson with 8 years experience in personal insurance sales and believe I’d be ideal for your Senior Sales Advisor position. I’m very keen to broaden my sales experience and make a greater contribution to a growing business. Already I am beating my annual sales targets by 12-26% and am confident I can use my skills and knowledge to make a real difference to your Company’s sales results.”

“As a results-driven Team Leader with a track record for delivering projects under budget and ahead of schedule, I was thrilled to see your advert for Project Team Coordinator. I believe I can use my proven management methods to make a significant contribution to your project success and will benefit personally through exposure to more complex and varied tasks. My resume outlines my achievements so far and I’d be happy to explain these further at interview”.

Can you see that these resume objective examples are so much more engaging, relevant and informative? Why waste the opportunity to make such a great impression so early on?

Here are more resume objective examples together with general advice on writing great CVs and resumes.

 



By: Catherine Z Jones

About the Author:

Cecile Peterkin asked:




Job searching is never fun, nor is it something that is particularly comfortable for the majority of people out there. It can be frustrating, but ultimately, it can prove to be an extremely rewarding experience. There are additional challenges that exist, however, when it comes to job searching in a recession.

The term recession is likely to be as frightening to many as a job search. Because of this, it’s important to remember that there are ways to simplify job searching in a recession. Whether you are currently employed and concerned about the possibility of a layoff or you are unemployed and eager to find work, the following tips will help with job searching in a recession.

1.Take an inventory of your skills. Whenever you are searching for a job, it’s important to make sure that you know your strengths and that you are able to identify the areas where you could be stronger. While job searching in a recession, if you are aware of the potential for growth in a given area, you may want to make an effort to develop those skills – particularly if they will make you more marketable to employers.

2.Identify your long term goals. When you are searching for a new job, you have a great opportunity to get a fresh start. If you’ve always felt that you aren’t doing the right type of work, you have the opportunity to explore other options – and what you would need to be able to break into a new field – rather than just looking for more of the same.

3.Step up your confidence. When you are frustrated and down about your circumstances, it is going to show. The more that you are able to overcome the stress that you’re experiencing and exude confidence, the better the position that you will be in to go in for the interview.

Ultimately, confidence is one of the strongest factors out there; when you are committed to doing your best work, when you are focused on learning about the companies that you apply to and you are able to focus on developing the full skill set that they are looking for, you will have an advantage.

Staying marketable is something that you can focus on whether or not you currently have a job and regardless of whether you are starting into a new field or looking for a similar position. When there are strains on the economy, there will be more applicants for various positions and that means that there will be more competition; remember that competition can be a good thing – provided you let it drive you to be your best.

Job searching in a recession, in other words, is really just a matter of ensuring that you are at the top of your game – that you have all of the necessary skills, that you know what you are working toward and that you know that you’re able to accomplish all of the things that you set out to do.

Copyright: Copyright 2009, Cecile Peterkin. All rights reserved.

cib0385 asked:


I am currently handing out my resume to a few people who may help me find a job. My question is, since I am not sure what sort of positions there might be, what sort of default objective can I put? I don’t want to put any specific job interest incase it minimizes opportunities. Or do I have to put one at all?

Daan Theron asked:




If you are serious about getting an oil field job, then you may consider it now. The price of oil is going up and oil exploration is booming. However, this will not last for the rest of this century. Oil as an energy source is on the way out. It is a dirty job and the technology belongs to the industrial age. The use of renewable energy sources on a global scale is still a few decades away, so take advantage of vacant oil field jobs quickly.

Petroleum company employers browse through online personnel databases to find new recruits and experienced oil workers alike. They search for workers using specific search criteria such as location and level of experience. Workers looking for oil field jobs make use of industry databases by opening a free or paid account and uploading their personal information and job history. With a little luck, you might be next.

Petroleum workers looking for oil field jobs also check out the job directories of oil and gas companies. The companies list their phone numbers, fax numbers and email addresses and you may contact them about the job vacancies. Employment information can also be found there.

Oil field jobs are generally high paying and challenging. Hundreds of people fill these kinds of positions in the petroleum industry every year. Even if you have no previous experience, you can start a career in this global energy industry. You can start at the bottom as a helper and work your way up the ranks until you manage your own crew. You will get paid handsomely for your hard work. If you like traveling or working in the great outdoors, you may just love doing oil field jobs.

You do not want to live and work outdoors? No problem, there are other oil field jobs you can apply for. You can apply for an office job. The petroleum industry also needs people to handle the business and financial end. Crunching the numbers and doing the paperwork is also necessary and you can create a career in this type of position.

Other jobs you may think about doing includes cooking, cleaning, medical personnel, driving tankers and steering boats. The petroleum industry offers such a wide range of possibilities that it is unlikely that you cannot find a job suitable to your wants or experience level. Trade jobs for electricians, mechanics and technical workers are available as well.

Just to give you a general idea, here are some of the common categories of job vacancies.

Seismic exploration and geological data collection. Onshore and offshore drilling. Petroleum refinement and engineering. Oil and gas pipeline construction and maintenance. Transportation of petroleum, natural gas, drilling equipment and personnel.

There are some basic requirements you may need to have before applying for oil field jobs. These may include a having a valid driver’s license, first aid training and general knowledge of the petroleum industry. You might have to read up on the subject of petroleum exploration, extraction and refinement. No use applying for a job you know nothing about.

You may also consider joining one or more of the online petroleum industry databases or oil job placement services on the world wide web. This can dramatically increase your chances of getting one of those oil field jobs that are vacant right now. Submit you curriculum vitae to the job site and start building a lucrative career in the oil an natural gas industry.

Shine Music asked:




8eva – an octave higher

A tempo – resume the normal speed after a diversion

Accelerando (accel.) – gradually becoming faster

Adagio – slowly, leisurely

Ad libitum – at pleasure, quite freely

Agitato – with agitation

Allargando – broadening out, often with an increase of tone

Allegretto – moderately fast; slightly slower than allegro

Allegro – lively and reasonably fast

Andante – at an easy walking pace

Andantino – a little slower (or a little faster than Andante)

Animato – with animation

Arco – (for string players) with the bow

Attacca – go on at once

Ben marcato – well marked

Brilliante – sparkling, brilliant

Brio – vigour

Calando – getting softer and slower

Cantabile – in a singing style

Capo – the beginning

Con anima – with feeling

Con brio – with spirit

Con forza – with forza

Con grazia – with grace

Con moto – with movement

Con sordini – with the mutes

Crescendo (cresc.) – gradually becoming louder

Da Capo (D.C) – from the beginning

Dal capo al fine or D.C. al fine written under the last bar of apiece of section – the music is to be repeated right from the beginning until it reaches the word ‘fine (the end).

Dal Segno – from the sign ; the music is to be repeated from where the sign occurs earlier in the piece, then carrying on to the end.

Decrescendo (decresc.) – gradually becoming softer

Diminuendo (dim.) – gradually becoming softer

Dolce – soft and sweet

Forte (f) – loud

Forte-piano (fp) – loud then immediately soft

Fortissimo (ff) – very loud

Forzando (fz or sfz) – with a strong accent

Giocoso – gay, merry

Grave – very slowly

Grazioso – gracefully

Largo – slowly and stately, broad

Larghetto – slower than Largo

Legato – smoothly

Leggiero – lightly

Lento – slowly

Loco – at the normal pitch (generally after playing an octave higher)

Maestoso – majestically

Main droite (M.D.) – right hand

Main gauche (M.G) – left hand

Marcato – marked, accented

Meno mosso – slower, less movement

Mezzo forte (mf) – moderately loud

Mezzo piano (mp) – moderately soft

Mezzo staccato – moderately short and detached; shown by dots covered with a slur

Misterioso – mysteriously

Moderato –at a moderate speed

Molto – very, much

Morendo – dying away

M.M – Maelzel’s metronome

Opus – a work or group of works

Ossia – or (an alternative version)

Ped. – depress the sustaining pedal of the pianoforte

Perdendosi – dying away

Pesante – heavily

Piacevole – pleasing

Piano (p) – soft

Pianissimo (pp) – very soft

Piu mosso – quicker

Pizzicato (pizz.) – plucked (in string music)

Poco – a little

Poco a poco – little by little (gradually)

Presto – very fast

Prestissimo – extremely fast, or as fast as possible

Rallentando (rall.) – gradually becoming slower

Risoluto – with resolution, boldly

Ritardando (retard.) – gradually becoming slower

Ritenuto (riten. or rit.) – immediately slower or hold back

Ritmico – rhythmically

Scherzando – playfully

Sempre – always

Senza – without

Sforzando (sf) – a strong (sudden) accent

Simile – in a similar manner

Sostenuto – sustained

Staccato – detached, short; note sustained for half the written length (shown by a dot above or below each note)

Stringendo – gradually faster

Subito – suddenly

Tempo – the speed of the music

Tenuto (ten.) – hold

Tranquillo –quietly, calmly

Tre corde – release the left, soft pedal of the pianoforte (with three strings)

Troppo – too much

Une corda – depress the left, soft pedal of the pianoforte (with one string)

Vivace – lively

Vivo – lively

Signs:

- accent; give prominence, play with force

[Respectively, strong accent marcato, normal accent, and tenuto]

- the music or passage between the dots is to be played again

(fermata) – musical symbol placed over a note or rest to be extended beyond its normal duration

- tie or bind, indicating that the note being played or sung sustained, unbroken, through the total time value of the notes

- slur; a group of notes are played under a single bow stroke (string), or without retonguing (wind), or in one breath (singing), so that the notes move smoothly with no perceptible break

- metronome mark, indicating the speed at which a piece is to be played; 60 crotchets to the minute

- up-bow (bowed instrument – bow is pushed across the string); up-stroke (guitar – the string is plucked with the hand moving upwards)

- down-bow (bowed instrument – bow is pulled across the string); down-stroke (guitar – the string is plucked with the hand moving downwards)

- a less strong accent placed above or below the note meaning that it is to be stressed but not as strongly as when marked as > or

written by Janet Yun from www.shinemusic.com.au teachers of piano, saxophone, violin, singing, drums, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, flute and clarinet

Roberto Sedycias asked:




Self-help to job application may be necessary as you must know certain etiquette regarding web applications. A perfect resume will not necessarily guarantee you a job, but it certainly should call the employee`s attention. The electronic style of mailing application saves time and cost, besides it is convenient to you as well as to the prospective employee. The protocol of using the web for application is now wide-spread, yet a few self-help tips to job application is required to make it self-sufficient as the main aim to get an invitation for the job interview.

Using appropriate language, perfect grammar and correct spelling should be ascertained and the job application should be strictly business oriented. Similarly, avoid embedded graphics and do not use addresses that are comical or too vague so that you do not end up in any of the spam folders.

Self-help to job application is a must today as the changing technology and the economic recession has made the employers to look for more particular things. An email should be convincing comprising of all the usual regular information such as a short cover letter, your curriculum vitae or resume and certificates, if any. The information should be sharp and precise and should not flip to pages as it takes more reading time and remembering the best is difficult. Remember to add everything important so that it is perfect and nothing significant is left out.

Self-help to job application involves things that the current trend follows and is widely accepted as a norm. Sending files in PDF format is the standard process to send applications online and is recommended to send in this format so that it is not changed afterwards, besides being convenient and readable on the majority of computers. It has become essential so that your application also receives the same response that other applications receive, and this makes following the procedures mandatory.

Creating PDFs should be learned. If you do not know about it, ask someone to assist in creating a PDF file. Conversely keeping an eye on the file-size is a must so that they do not go beyond 3 megabytes. Using a single PDF implies that it should contain everything including scanned certifications, and in case you are including pictures, it should be a part of the PDF too.

The subject line should be purposeful in your application such that it reaches the appropriate person. Moreover, self-help to job application recommends applying to fewer companies by researching individually and also by writing a unique cover letter for each application, while sending mass applications is reprimanded as it decreases the chances of finding jobs.

Finally, look for technicality such that on creating word documents or PDFs, the programs insert the metadata on its own, so ensure the documents properties are clear and precise and do not add anything to cause disadvantage. It is mandatory to keep in mind that the digital applications bear the same standards as their counterparts, but of course a little trick may be required to secure a job.

Jane Sumerset asked:

In the corporate world of the modern era it is vital to have the idea of writing a resume because it is the means which helps a prospective employer to select an employee for his organization or institution. In other words the resume or the curriculum vitae is the source of presenting your personal and professional details which will act as a tool for marketing you to the employer. These details should be put forward in such a manner that it will draw the attention of the employer and open the doors for an interview with the prospective employer.

Method of Writing a Resume

Writing a resume is an art which requires the proper skill and the knowledge of setting the entire data in an order which will help the employer to get the required information within the first few lines of the resume. The formatting of the resume can be done either chronologically or in the reverse order that is first you put the details about your objectives and achievements and then the other qualifications.

It is desirable that the relevant information about the achievements in connection to the position for which you want to apply should always be given in the forefront. This will help the employer to shortlist you for the interview. The formatting of the resume should be attractive and flawless. The layout of the resume is the attention catcher so it should start with proper header consisting of the personal and contact details. The other details should be put under the sub-headings. If you lack the resume writing skills needed, a resume writing software may fill the gap.