sabrina j asked:


I am just looking for a job in no specific field and I am trying to write a resume. What should I put in the objective section?

Orden

Michelle Dumas asked:


ve been conducting a job search recently, you know how incredibly competitive the job market is right now. To really stand out from the masses, to win interviews, and to get the job offer, you have to give yourself every available edge possible. For those job searchers truly interested in conducting a fast, successful search, that includes a professionally written resume. Especially right now, when unemployment is so high, promoting yourself with a professionally written resume has become almost a necessity-not a luxury! But, how do you hire a professional resume writer? Not all resume writers are equal in talent and experience. How do you make your choice? Here are a few guidelines to help you. Review work samples — Would you commission a custom painting without ever having seen the artist’s work? Would you hire an advertising agency to promote a new product without having reviewed examples of past ad campaigns? Of course not! Resume writing is a craft that requires a very unique blend of creativity, writing skills, and current knowledge of the job market and constantly changing trends. True professional resume writing firms never use templates. Each and every resume they create is as unique as the individual client. While it won’t be identical to your future resume, you can still tell a lot about the quality of work produced by viewing examples of past projects. Many resume writers publish examples of their work online and a handful are contributors to published books on resume writing. Before selecting a resume writer, review their work and be certain you are comfortable with the quality, general style, and diversity of the examples. Check credentials — There are several national organizations devoted to the education and professional development of resume writers. Each of these organizations offers their own version of training and certification programs. While there are good writers who remain uncertified, choosing a certified resume writer ensures that you will be working with a trained, experienced, tested professional. Do be aware that some certifications are more rigorous than others. The best have prerequisites for writers, test various areas of competence, use a blind grading process, and have CEU requirements to maintain certification. Check references — There is a very valid, honest reason that many professional resume writers will hesitate when asked to provide references. Professional ethics and client confidentiality concerns prevent those of us who care about such things from providing the names of past clients. However, most professionals who are able to will provide testimonial letters written by past clients, using just the clients’ initials, location, and job title or industry to help protect their clients’ identities. LinkedIn profiles are another great place to look for references from past clients. If the writer you are thinking of working with has a LinkedIn presence, past clients may have voluntarily written references, and in these cases, the references are linked to a real person by name. Be extremely wary of working with a professional resume writer who is unable to provide you any references. Have a written agreement and understand what is included — The agreement doesn’t need to be fancy or written in legalese, but it is always a good idea to have a written agreement. That way, you can be sure that you clearly understand the resume writer’s process and policies, and be sure that there are no misunderstandings about what is to be delivered and what the charges will be. Does the writer offer other services? Is he or she able to assist you with job search letters or other documents? Are they included in the fee or separate? Will you be given access to the computer files so that you can send your resume electronically or make minor updates yourself? Are there any other value-add services bundled with the project? Can the writer assist with future resume updates? Does the writer offer any other services that you might need, such as resume distribution or job search coaching? How does the writer gather information to write the resume? What if corrections or changes are needed before you can use the resume? What are the fees associated with all of this and what is the payment schedule? Make sure you know the answers to these questions before you hire a writer. Understand the guarantee — Remember that a resume is a tool, and even the best tool in the world will be ineffective if it is used inappropriately. Once a resume has left the resume writer’s office, it is completely out of that writer’s control how that resume will be used-or not used. If a writer claims to guarantee a job or even interviews, be wary and read the fine print closely. While some might try to offer this guarantee with good intentions, most know it isn’t a realistic guarantee and will make you jump through hoops to prove how you have used the resume before allowing you to collect. Others more realistically guarantee that you will be satisfied with the quality of the service and the deliverables. Whatever the guarantee, if any, just be sure you understand it. Think and plan ahead — It is not a good idea to procrastinate! If you are currently in a job search or are expecting to conduct a job search soon, don’t put off hiring a professional resume writer until you have a job that you want to apply for or have a recruiter requesting it. Quality takes time and the truly good resume writers are in demand and usually booked in advance. Give yourself time to research and select the best writer for the job and then plan for at least an additional two weeks for turnaround of the finished project. And finally… Understand that you will get what you pay for — In discussing certifications and the need to check work samples, I alluded to this issue. In most states there are no licensing requirements for a resume writer. Anyone with a computer can put up a website, and start calling himself a professional resume writer. Sadly, there are many examples of unqualified people doing this and unknowing job seekers who have been “burned” by them. Does the person you are thinking of hiring have a credible web presence? Do they belong to professional associations? Attend regular trainings and conferences? Have articles they have written or example resumes that have been published? In short, not all resume writers are equal, and those who are the experienced, respected experts in the field charge appropriately for their craft. The fee range is pretty broad, but it would not be uncommon to pay somewhere in the $400-$1200 range to have a professional resume written. Generally, the complexity of your project will have an impact on the fee charged. Some charge more and some charge less, but if it is significantly less, you might want to ask yourself why that is. Does the writer really have the experience he or she claims to have? Be especially wary about working with some of the high-volume companies that outsource all the work to inexperienced writers to whom they usually pay ridiculously low wages to produce resumes of questionable quality. Some even outsource the projects overseas, to writers who do not speak English as a first language. It is your career and all your career dreams at stake! Your resume is not the place to cut corners. It is well worth the extra money to pay for the quality and experience of a true professional resume writer.

Charlie

Kathy R asked:


I don’t have a lot to put on a resume. I’ve only had one job in the past, I worked there as soon as I was out of high school until now. I didn’t go to college. I’ve looked at tons of websites but every example they show, is nothing like me.

Vrinda

js_frey asked:


Is my work resume the same resume I would submit with my law school application? Or do I need to alter it, and how? Any advice would be appreciated.

Yvan

Stephen M asked:


Do I add the “cover letter” in the body of the email? or do I include the cover letter and resume as one document with multiple pages as an attachment?
If:
1. The instructions say “resumes only”
2. The instructions don’t say “resumes only”

Thanks for the input

Kristel

simone m asked:


I have been planning to live and work there for a good while now before the recent global recession began to been planning I hoped to live work there for a year possibly longer, so now I am wondering whats happening over there on the job front since this dark recession, I am in the UK and the jobs have been hit very hard Over here just like America, How is it for Vancouver and the rest of Canada? I was over in Vancouver last December- January 2008 and the jobs there were plentiful, how so now?

Carlos

Aimers asked:


My spouse has to move every 3 - 6 months for work as a travelling RN. We get free housing and it’s very fun to see different places. The only problem is that I have to try to find a new job constantly. I want an actual career where I don’t have to start from scratch every time we move. Any ideas? By the way, I have a BA & a strong sales background, but am looking for any options.

Almeda

Gen Wright asked:


logy and the web evolves, resumes evolve as well, moving more towards profiles on sites like LinkedIn with resumes that are preformatted, personal sites and bios that are narrative. Still, it’s best to have a normal resume at your disposal, to use when trying to get a job.

I, as many other freelancers, use a site to represent me in front of possible employers. Still, there are plenty of occasions when people still want a regular resume from me, and I have one for just this type of occasion. Get a basic resume together, that you can work with, whenever you want to give it to another company. Below you can read some of our tips on building the best resume:

When it comes to writing resumes, everybody seems to think that they’re an expert at it. Universities think that their name should be first on your resume, while left column headers that look good are liked by career counselors. While universities would like people to put their names before degrees, companies want the opposite. You can probably get resumes as examples from colleagues as well. Nobody is right though. You need to look at the resume as a recruiter would. Take into consideration the fact that the resume represents you and needs to convince the recruiter to hire you.

There are two main things that you should be concentrating on if you want to prepare a resume to be seen by a recruiter or company, and those things are the content and the formatting. Formatting the resume is the easy part. When you do that, you need to try making it easy to read, even if it’s scanned on a computer. This happens usually, since companies will scan the resume and keep it on their computers. Since there is so much competition out there, the content part of the resume is harder, since you need to differentiate yourself from other people that want the same job. Below are some tips you can use to improve your resume:

1) All Left Justified

Don’t use templates, fancy bullets or headers in left columns. Just try to keep it as simple as possible. Use left justify for your text. If your resume gets printed or forwarded by the recruiter, using left justify will make sure that it’s easy to read. Try reading the resume in rtf format to check how it works, and change it if it doesn’t work well.

2) Title and Profile

Make sure you put a title on your resume. You don’t need to use the title you currently hold as the resume’s title. Just specify the kind of professional you area, like “I am a marketing manager with experience”. After the title, add the profile, which should be modified to fit the job you’re trying to get. When a recruiter reads your profile, they need to find out what you can do and what you expect from the job. To test the resume, give someone your resume and give them 10 seconds to read it. If they can’t determine in that period of time what type of job you’re trying to get, the recruiter will not be able to do it either.

3) Personal and Professional Development

It doesn’t matter if you’re a champion scrap booker or of squash, you should show off your accomplishments if they show that you can commit to something and stick with it. Don’t put the personal accomplishments first though, as professional ones are much more important for those looking at your resume. Mention the professional things first, and the personal ones only after that. You can also make a special section in your resume, that will hold the things related to the profession. Add the personal stuff only if you have room for it. No need to make the resume longer than needed. A full triathlon can be mentioned as it can impress someone, but running only a few miles will not interest anyone. Read the resume and see if your skills are all over the place and if they are move them in a single part of the document.

4) Positions Broken Out

You should mention your promotions, as they are important to show off your successes and possibilities. Don’t use titles that other people don’t understand easily. Simplify them if they can’t be understood by everyone. Use a title like Accountant instead of the longer Junior L-Accountant II, which is harder to remember or understand.

5) Overall Differentiation

When a position opens, the recruiter will receive a lot of resumes for the job that is offered. The recruiter will pick 20 on his shortlist, and these people will pretty much have the same qualifications and skills. If all you write in your resume is the skills you have, than you don’t stand out compared to the other 20 people. So, try explaining everything, like the way you reached the positions you have and why you did it. Try to avoid putting too many keywords in your resume, as it can make it harder to read. You should choose jobs that you are perfect for, then modify the resume to fit them.

Kesley

Kai L asked:


My homeroom teacher would be really honest about me in a recommendation (even though we’re not on lovely terms), because she’s known me and my habits/mannerisms the longest, but I overheard her asking for a resume from my classmate when he asked for a recommendation.

I’m not sure how to format/begin/write a non-job resume. Help?

Jackquelin

mynames.secret asked:


I have only worked in the fast food industry and in retail stores. I know there are the high class resumes that people pay to make, but I want a resume style that will look the most professional for only having worked for fast food and retail, but I don’t want to pay for a resume.

Tsugio