dental articles from 2 Dental.com

by: Rita Fisher

1, Keep It Short

Considering that initially HR personnel only spend approximately 10-20 seconds on a resume, the shorter your resume, the most desirable it is. Aim for one page.

Of course, it is sometimes impossible to create such a short resume. You might have to include a second page because you have way too much information regarding your work experience, accomplishments, etc. In this case, make sure that you list the most relevant information within the upper half of the first page because that is the section that gets looked at first. This way, these important insights will surely be noticed.

2, Spelling, Spelling, Spelling

It is not enough to run the word processor’s spell checker on your document. Proofread your resume at least 3 times, once backward (sometimes that is how you notice mistakes.)

Remember, a sloppy presentation is almost a guarantee that your resume will end up in the circular file even if you have all the qualifications in the world.

3, Start Your Resume With A “Power Statement”

Many resume writers suggest starting a resume with an objective. I object to that (no pun intended). Objectives are useless because they are self-centered.

Here is a typical objective: “Challenging position in social services.”

My suggestion is that you start your resume with a power statement such as: “Experienced Social Worker with 10 years of proven client counseling and support background along with enthusiasm for working with children and their families.”

Whereas the objective tells the employer only what you want to do, the power statement goes further in highlighting not only the job you are seeking but also your major achievements. The power statement showcases what you can do for the company.

4, Use Action Verbs

Begin your sentences with action verbs for added punch and to express a sense of accomplishment.

For a FREE list of action verb, please e-mail Rita Fisher at RitaFisher33@comcast.net with “Action Verbs” in the subject line.

5, Use Specifics

Use specifics such as numbers, percentages, figures and facts.

Example: “Exceeded sales quotas by 50% for 4 consecutive years.”

Numbers stand out and communicate clearly and openly about not only the results you produced by also about what you can do for the company (can’t repeat that enough.)

6, Answer The “What’s In It For Me?” Question

What every employer wants to know when reading your resume is what’s in it for them.

Employers are looking for people who will solve their problems. You have to present your case accordingly.

How?

By answering these questions and including the answers in your resume:

What kind of problems did you solve on the job?

How did the company benefit from your performance?

How did you do the job differently and better than the person before you did?

Did you introduce a new program or system?

If yes, what were the results of it? (Be specific regarding the results.)

What were you most proud of in your job?

What would your supervisor and your co-workers say they would miss most about you when you leave?

How did you make a difference in your job?

How did you affect the company’s bottom line?

Did you save money for the company? How much?

Did you earn money for the company? How much?

Good luck to you! Go get them!

Copyright 2000-2006 by Rita Fisher, CPRW http://www.ResumeWritingForPros.com

About The Author

Rita Fisher, an award-winning Certified Professional Resume Writer and Owner of http://www.ResumeWritingForPros.com offers a free Job Hunt eBook ($28 value) at her site. Her work with job seekers has been mentioned in a book on the Oprah Winfrey Show. She develops powerful resumes and offers a 100% money-back guarantee on all of her resume services.

RitaFisher33@comcast.net

by: John Mehrmann

The rules have changed. Shopping for employment is a hybrid of automated filter applications, on-line search engines and good old fashioned human interpretation. To be effective you need to make sure that your resume is designed to perform in all of these areas. In the hunt for a new job, a better job, or just keeping your Resume current, use these ten simple steps to draft a stellar resume.

1. Create a Personal Portfolio

This is the easy part. Begin by making a list of accomplishments, education and previous positions. This is your own private list. Do not be concerned with the order or the appearance. You can use scratch paper, word processor or collection of documents. Gather, create, collect and document your history with important facts, figures and milestones. Collect the relevant highlights from your life, education and career.

2. Choose a Standard Outline

Select a standard Template to use as your outline. Resist the urge to be creative or unique in the format of your resume. Do not waste time with colorful bullets, images or watermarks. Why? Web sites like Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com provide the option to upload a resume in standard format and can automatically identify job titles with associated accomplishments. Your resume gets cut and spliced into pure text data and loaded into a “Monster” database that can be accessed by recruiters, human resource departments and agencies. Many companies and organizations either use the on-line database application or have similar software for managing the pure text from resumes. These filters do not support colorful bullets, images, icons or watermarks. If you do not want to spend your time copying and pasting pure text for every on-line opportunity, then make your life easy and use a standard template.

Organize the documents and thoughts from your personal portfolio into a chronological timeline and type them into a standard resume outline. Be sure to keep track of the accomplishments that best define your ability. Sample Professional and Standard Outlines can be found at http://www.executiveblueprints.com/executive_jobs.htm

3. Work Backwards

The typical resume starts with a short paragraph about you, followed bullet by points of your highlights, and then lists your career starting with your current or latest job. While that is meaningful to a potential employer to see the most current and relevant information first, it is opposite of the order of events. Most people tend to reflect on their life with greater precision in chronological order, like a story unfolding and progressing through the eyes of your memory.

Start at the end of your resume and work toward the beginning. This will enable you to follow your own career path and build up to the current status. It will make more sense to you as you put it together. Like building blocks of personal development, it will make more sense to someone reading the final product and understanding how you got to where you are today.

Start with your education. Then update the bullet points for the first job or oldest career position that you are going to include. Keep working forward in time, from the end of your resume to the beginning. Pay attention to how the responsibility and experience of each position contributed to the success of the subsequent one.

4. Concise, Precise and Measured

Bullet points with short sentences and specific measurements are excellent. For each job, use a series of bullet points to make your statement. Punctuate the highlights with measurements. “Good sales skills” should be “Increased sales 45% in first Quarter”, “Increased sales 15% year-over-year” or “Directed Regional Sales Growth of 7% in Sixteen Months”. Service related measurements may be related to “Improved Customer Satisfaction from 87% to 95%”, or “Managed a Call Center with less than 2% Abandon Rate”. Accounting and Finance may include estimated average size of portfolio managed, outstanding receivables in days, or similar measurements. Dates, Completion and Milestones are also a method of measurement. The bottom line is that every position can be measured. Identify measurements and provide quantitative details.

Do not make up measurements. Include the data if you have it or you are confident in the accuracy. Do not make up numbers if you do not know them. Use bullet points to be concise, do not use paragraphs. Avoid using “I” or “We”. Use personal accomplishments with supporting data.

5. Select Your Highlights

Select highlight from your personal portfolio. These may or may not be included in your career bullet points. You can emphasize specific accomplishments from your career, or you can use this opportunity to highlight outside achievements. For example, this might be your opportunity to mention volunteer work for charitable contributions. Use highlights to draw attention to specific individual talents, skills and experience. Highlights should also be listed in bullet form, above the individual career descriptions.

6. Keywords and Buzzwords

Above the bulleted Highlights, create a section of bulleted Keywords and Buzzwords. What are keywords and buzzwords? These are common words associated with your desired profession. For example, a programmer might include reference to “UNIX”, “LINUX” or “ORACLE”. An administrative assistant might include expertise in “WORD, POWERPOINT, EXCEL”, or the number of “WPM”. If you know which skills, tools, degrees or experience are relative and important for your profession, then be sure to list your capabilities. Do not take this for granted or assume that this is common. The recruiter and employer can not assume that all applicants have the necessary skills, so make sure that you include as many as possible.

Why is this so important? The on-line tools and application filters will search your resume for keywords related to specific jobs, just like search engines search for keywords to identify relevance in a web page or web site. The more matches to keywords, the higher your score. Typically the highest scores are used to select individuals for personal interviews, and the lowest scores are discarded before a human ever reads the resume. To avoid being discarded by an automated attendant, improve your score with relevant keywords.

7. Make Your Own Headlines

Create a short paragraph to define yourself and use this as the opening of your resume. It should only be four or five sentences long, chock full of keywords and buzzwords. Use action verbs like “Managed”, “Directed”, “Accomplished”, or “Achieved”. These are sentences, not bullet points. If you get beyond the automated applications and filters, this will be the first thing that a person reads. You never get a second chance to make a first impression, so summarize yourself in the opening paragraph in such a way that the reader would be compelled to scan the rest of your work history in you resume.

8. Add Spice

Review the entire document from start to finish. Modify your bullet points with action adverbs and exciting adjectives where appropriate. For example, “In charge of four employees, reduced expenses 12%” can be more effective and exciting worded as “Managed a dynamic department that dramatically reduced overall expenses by 12%”. Which description sounds more appealing and energetic to you?

Read each sentence as if you were the big voice of a radio announcer. If the bullet points sound exciting, then you have written them well. If the description sounds ridiculous in your big announcer voice, then you might need to write the bullets again. Just in case, don’t use that big announcer voice in public until you are really confident about your resume.

9. Check Your Name and Contact Information

Make sure that it is easy to find your name, email address and phone number. It would be a shame to have a stellar resume that is a perfect match for the job of your dreams, and the employer can not get in touch with you. Don’t laugh, it happens. Make sure that your name, email and phone number are prominently visible on both pages of your resume.

Do not include personal or private information like a social security number. Do not use more than two pages for your resume, no matter how many jobs you have worked. If you are using a professional resume format, you will be prompted for placement of your contact information. Make sure that it is your contact information on every page.

10. Review and Repeat

Review your resume for correct spelling, grammar and punctuation. Nothing says careless better than a resume that is full of errors. I have seen managers promptly discard resumes due to spelling or grammar. The resume is a reflection of you, and the employer assumes that you took time to craft this document with great care. Your future opportunities may be based on your resume, so it should be treated that way. If you do not have confidence, then it may be well worth the investment to hire a professional to correct these errors and spice up the document for you. Consider it a one time investment that will bring you continual rewards by earning a better job and better pay.

Once you have a resume that gives you satisfaction and confidence, then it is time to change it. Save that version of your resume, and make another copy that you can modify with a different theme. Use the copy of your resume to change keywords, buzzwords and highlights from a different perspective. In many cases there are aspects of your experience that may be more closely associated with different job markets or industries. Adjust the language of your resume according to different job markets so you can submit a fitting resume to a target position. Do not try to make your resume “one size fits all”, but rather make several variations of your resume with different themes.

For examples of how to use different themes, compare the following on-line versions of these actual resumes:

Sales and Marketing Theme http://www.executiveblueprints.com/resumes/johnmkt.htm

Service and Operations Theme http://www.executiveblueprints.com/resumes/johnsvc.htm

References

Do not distribute a list of references unless asked. References should only be presented during an interview, not distributed in advance.

Ask permission from each person to be a reference for you. Do not ever list someone without prior consent. Employers are obligated to call and verify references, and you do not want it to be a surprise.

Be courteous to the people who are generous enough to be a reference, ask them for a written endorsement or letter of recommendation. This enables the reference to endorse your capability or experience without the interruption of a phone call until it is time for an employer to check and verify references. This is a courtesy to your references as it will minimize the potential number of people who may call. It also gets your endorsement in the hands of the potential employer that much faster. It is a great way to be courteous and build credibility at the same time.

Submit Your Resume

Don’t be shy. Upload your resume to the on-line web tools and be prepared for quick response. Check your email every day and respond quickly to opportunity. Do not think of it as being over-eager, it is being enthusiastic and responsive. Recruiters and employers have a need and incentive to fill positions with qualified individuals in a prompt and efficient manner. They do not have time to wait if you take your time, so be at the front of the line and demonstrate your aggressive and enthusiastic desire.

Prepare for Your Interview

If you took this much time and care to prepare a stellar resume, then do the same preparation for your interview. A professional resume will get you past the on-line filters, the company internal applications and the front-line reviews. If you get to the personal interview, make sure that you are adequately prepared.

You need to be confident in the final versions of your resume. If you are not sure, ask for review from trusted and respected colleagues. If you do not want to do that, you might want to consider using a professional service to assist you. Remember, the time that you spend on your resume is an investment to open new doors to career opportunities that could dramatically change your life. Invest a little extra time for long lasting rewards.

Still looking for a little motivation, inspiration or guidance?

Look for “Executive Jobs, A Guide to Managing Your Career”, a free eBook from www.ExecutiveBlueprints.com
About The Author

John Mehrmann is President of Executive Blueprints Inc., an organization devoted to improving business practices and developing human capital.

http://www.ExecutiveBlueprints.com provides resource materials for trainers, sample Case Studies, educational articles and references to local affiliates for consulting and executive coaching.

by: Scott Brown

Based on today’s ever-changing and tight job market, it is not unusual to see short term jobs on a resume. Short term jobs might raise a red flag for employers. Short term jobs could be contract positions or permanent jobs.

Don’t Lie

The first rule of thumb when applying for a job is to never lie on your resume. If you put information on a document and submit it for consideration for employment, it better be valid information. There is nothing worse than being offered a job only to have that offer rescinded when your background is thoroughly checked.

Don’t Bad Mouth

The second rule of thumb when applying for a job is to never bad mouth a previous employer or company. Bad mouthing creates negative feelings in an interview or conversation and will almost always cost you the job offer. Keep your negative opinions to yourself.

Leave it off

With these rules in mind, let’s look at the various ways you can allay an employer’s fear about short term positions on your resume. One oft forgotten method of avoiding concerns over short term employment is to leave that job off of your resume. While not always the best solution, this is one possible way to avoid any concerns.

If asked about the gap in employment you can say that you worked a short-term contract job that did not contribute to your overall experience and you did not want to record it on your resume.

Short term contracts

Short term contracts are easily explained by either mentioning that you took the position to get experience in a certain area or by explaining that no matter what, you must always work and this was the only position available at the time. You can further qualify the second reason by saying that you are responsible for providing for your family and will do that no matter what. While not the greatest way to explain a short term contract, it does allow you to demonstrate to the prospective employer that you are willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done.

Short term permanent jobs

While these types of jobs are harder to explain away with a simple statement, there is almost always something you can come with about the job that would warrant you leaving. Things like software piracy, illegal activities and sexually abusive superiors are reasons that any employer will understand. However, do not use them lightly.

You can also use reasons like: after evaluating their business model, I was sure they would be out of business in six months, the corporate culture was one that did not coincide with my attitude of teamwork and mutual achievement, and my job responsibilities did not match what I was hired for and I did not sign up for a secretarial position.

All in all, you need to evaluate the position in question and find the most viable and least offensive reason why you left the company. Once you decide, use that excuse consistently in all of your correspondence with potential employers. You never know when one hiring manager might know another from a different company.

About The Author

Scott Brown is the author of the Job Search Handbook (www.JobSearchHandbook.com). As editor of the HireSites.com weekly newsletter on job searching, Scott has written many articles on the subject. He wrote the Job Search Handbook to provide job seekers with a complete yet easy to use guide to finding a job effectively. To download your own free copy of the Job Search Handbook, visit http://www.JobSearchHandbook.com.

by: Laura Adams

Your resume is a marketing tool that should effectively sell your skills, experience, and educational qualifications to prospective employers. When developing your resume, there are two different types of resume formats you should consider: a chronological resume and a functional resume. Your decision to choose one format over another should be dependent on your career background and personal circumstances. The ultimate decision will be based on that format that allows you to most effectively present your qualifications.

Chronological Resumes

Q. What is a chronological resume?

A. In a chronological resume format, your employment experience history is organized in reverse chronological order so that your most recent job position is listed first. This type of format emphasizes your job titles and employers, as well as your dates of employment with each employer. Your responsibilities and accomplishments should be described in detail for each individual position.

Q. What are the advantages to using a chronological resume?

A. Chronological resumes are easy to read, use a logical flow, and can effectively highlight career growth. Since this type of resume emphasizes the details of each position, using a chronological resume will draw attention to impressive titles and prestigious employers.

Q. What are the disadvantages to using a chronological resume?

A. Because of the format of a chronological resumes, this style easily undercover gaps in your employment history and frequent job changes. It also draws attention to the fact that you may be relative experienced in the workforce or in a particular career.

Q. What types of candidates should choose to use a chronological resume?

A. Chronological resumes are best suited for those individuals whose job history reflects steady career growth, those who are remaining in the same field, and those whose career goals are clearly defined and in alignment with their work history. This type of resume is also suitable for candidates who have prior employment with a prestigious employer that they want to highlight.

Functional Resumes

Q. What is a functional resume?

A. Functional resumes have often been referred to as problem solving resumes in that they allow you to organize your resume by functional skills as opposed to purely chronological order. This allows individuals to make sense of their work history by matching up skills and accomplishments from different jobs that might otherwise be overlooked by an employer in a more traditional chronological formatted resume. The goal is to highlight specific key qualifications which have been demonstrated through a variety of work-related achievements. As opposed to a chronological resume, skills do not have to be presented in the order of accomplished in a functional resume, but instead may be presented in order of importance and relevance to the job for which you are applying.

Q. What are the advantages to using a functional resume?

A. Using a functional resume keeps the emphasis on key relevant skills you possess that make you a good fit for a position. It allows candidates to align accomplishments from several different positions for a more powerful impact, since these skills might otherwise be lot in the shuffle in a traditional resume. Functional resumes also minimize the impact of inexperience in the workforce or field, frequent job changes, and any gaps in your employment history.

Q. What are the disadvantages to using a functional resume?

A. The presence of a clear career progression can easily be lost in a functional resume, as can extended experience in your targeted industry or field. Impressive employers or job titles are de-emphasized, which is a disadvantage if these are strong selling points in your experience. Additionally, some recruiters and managers dislike functional resumes due to their perceived lack of logical flow.

Q. What types of candidates should choose to use a functional resume?

A. A functional resume is a solid option for individuals who are looking to change careers, returning to the job market after a long absence, trying to minimize fair-to-average career growth. This format is also appropriate for new graduates, candidates with limited work experience, and individuals whose work history is a mixed bag of unrelated experience.

Copyright 2006 by David Green
http://www.powerfuljobsearchtips.com

About The Author

Laura Adams is a qualified careers advisor with 11 years experience. Teaching Jobs Information - Resources, News, Tips and Views to help Teachers find their dream jobs. http://www.Teaching-Job.info.

Copyright Teaching-Job.info. This article may be reproduced as long as the resource box and live links remain intact.

info@cinneide.net

by: David Green

Writing a good resume is a big deal, especially with today’s competitive job market. There are hundred’s maybe thousands of people looking to get the same job that you are, and it is important to stand out from the crowd. But how can you do a resume that gets recruiters attention? By using the five key words that catch their eye.

Teamwork - this little phrase is important in today’s job market. Creating a resume with this word in it, will show that you understand how important cooperative work really is. It shows that you can get along with others and help achieve a harmonious workplace. And what employer doesn’t want harmony in the workplace? Set up your resume to show how you can work in a team and help manage projects and outcomes. Don’t forget to show results and figures, to get your message across.

Flexibility - you are open to new things and ideas. Creating a resume with this word in it shows that you are able to juggle multiple tasks simultaneously. This word makes you valuable to any employer, because they know that can give you just about anything and you will produce quality results. Plus, adding this word to your resume will not only help you land a good job, but it will help you keep that job should layoffs occur.

Detail-Orientated - showing that you pay attention to every last detail. Creating a resume with this word in it shows that you are able to handle a project from start to finish and won’t leave any loose ends. It means being organized and meticulous in everything that you do. This word in your resume also shows that you are able to work independently, which is a major commodity in the work force.

Self-Motivated - or being a self starter. Most businesses today like to see employees that are able to come up with their own ideas and follow through. Creating a resume with this word shows that you are able to take the initiative and get things done with limited or no supervision. This is turn frees up management to do others. Including the word self-motivated into your resume will also show that you often take on tasks that are above and beyond the call of duty- for your own personal growth and satisfaction.

So in conclusion, keep it simple but don’t forget to include some of the 5 key words into your next resume. You will be happy that you did!

Copyright 2006 by David Green
http://www.powerfuljobsearchtips.com

About The Author

David Green

Right now, you can get David Green’s special report on “The 6 Secret Keys To UnLock The Career You Desire In 2006″ for FREE if you hurry, visit this resume help tips website. http://www.PowerfulJobSearchTips.com.

articles@forcareersuccess.com

by: Kathi MacNaughton

There are many reasons why you could be in the market for a new job right now. Perhaps…

==> You just graduated from high school–or even better, college–and you’re ready to strike out on a quest for your first “real” job.

==> Your worst fears finally manifested and you’ve been downsized.

==> You’re bored with the career path you’ve been on for the past few years, and you’re ready to strike out in a new direction.

==> You want to change jobs (within your field) for better salary, benefits, or chance at promotion.

Whatever your motivation, a powerful resume is essential. In truth, a resume alone won’t get you that dream job you’re craving. Not even if you implement every resume writing tip you can get your hands on!

But a great resume will get you in the door for an interview. It will make you stand out as a superior candidate for the job you’ve applied for. And that achievement is huge, given the fierce competitive nature of today’s job market. Not only that, but a well-crafted resume will put the decision-maker you meet with in a hiring frame of mind. As long as you don’t blow the interview, you’ll have a great shot at that job!

Digest and apply each resume writing tip below as you craft a powerful resume that will make all the difference in your adventure to land a job!

POWERFUL RESUME WRITING TIPS: 10 Steps to Success

Resume Writing Tip #1: Gather your background materials. To complete your resume, you’ll need to know your dates of employment at each of your previous jobs and when you went to school. You’ll also need to be able to describe your skills and accomplishments on the job, so put some thought into those areas.

Resume Writing Tip #2: Decide on a format. Before you can start writing a resume, you’ll need to decide if the functional or chronological format will work best for you. Remember, you want to put yourself and your abilities in the best light.

Resume Writing Tip #3: Put together a general outline. A resume outline will help you get organized and will prevent you from overlooking any essential pieces of information that should be included.

Resume Writing Tip #4: If your resume is targeted at a specific employer or career path, learn all you can about what they need. Spending time on this research will help you with your resume, with the cover letter that goes with your resume, and with the upcoming interview. Make sure you know what qualities will most benefit the employer and think about how your abilities match those qualities. (Read another resume writing tip on how to target.)

Resume Writing Tip #5: Plan, plan, plan. Before you actually start writing, spend time just thinking about how you’ll present yourself in the resume. What is your objective in seeking a job? This objective should serve as a sort of bull’s-eye to structure your resume around. What have been your most significant accomplishments? You’ll want to highlight them. What unique qualities do you bring to an employer? Think in terms of benefits. Also think about the resume design you’ll use, the fonts within, and the resume wording .

Resume Writing Tip #6: Start writing, following your outline. Take your time. Use a lot of action words . Be concise. Don’t use “responsibilities included” or “responsible for.” It’s a waste of space. Use bullets, rather than long paragraphs.

Resume Writing Tip #7: Cut and paste your content into your resume template. If you’re at this site, you’re probably not an experienced, professional resume writer. So, take a resume writing tip from a pro. Use a resume template . There is no reason why your resume must look amateurish.

Resume Writing Tip #8: Review, edit, and proofread like a maniac. One of the biggest resume mistakes is typos or grammatical errors. These errors may seem trivial, but they can cost you the interview, and ultimately the job. After all, if you can’t be bothered to make sure that your resume is 100% accurate, what guarantee is there that your job performance will be high caliber?

Resume Writing Tip #9: Get someone else you trust to look at it. It can be really helpful to get someone who knows you to look at your resume. Not only are they more likely to catch simple errors, but they may point out strengths you’ve missed or underemphasized. Tell them you want their honest opinion and you’re open to questions. Use their input to clarify your resume. Even if you write your own resume, you may want to think about getting a professional to do a resume critique .

Resume Writing Tip #10: Send it out into the world. The more resumes you submit, the more likely you are to get an interview. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket by applying for only one job. And, don’t be afraid to take some risks and apply for a job you’re interested in, even if you don’t quite match all the qualifications. Most employers ask for many more qualifications than they absolutely require.

Hopefully, at least one resume writing tip on this page has given you some food for thought. But don’t stop your training here!

About The Author

Kathi MacNaughton, a freelance writer and editor, has years of management and recruitment experience. For tips & advice on writing powerful resumes, see http://www.powerful-sample-resume-formats.com.

Copyright 2004 Kathi MacNaughton. All rights reserved.

kathi@powerful-sample=resume-formats.com