Resume writing for those re-entering the workforce after an extended absence is different than writing for someone who has been consistently employed for a number of years. No matter the reason for the absence, potential employers will sometimes notice gaps in employment history; do not let this be a reason for them not to choose you, or at least offer you an interview. You can minimize these gaps, or if needed use your cover letter to offer a succinct explanation about your absence and how eager you are to re-enter the workforce. Here are a few suggestions on how to minimize, include, or even capitalize on your time away from employment.
Though chronological resumes are the most common, this style is not the best in this circumstance; a functional or skills-based one allows you to direct the attention towards your skills and abilities rather than focusing on the times that you were not employed (in the traditional sense). This type begins, as all do, withcontact information and an objective statement; after that, however, instead of a listing of previous work experience, you should write one or two short paragraphs about the skills that you have used during your time away. For example, if you were president of the PTA, a member of a planning committee, or even a room parent, you can include transferable skills that you gained from those experiences.
Certain industries do not accept functional or skills resumes. Do some investigative work before writing one. Not all employers do the math or notice employment gaps. You can also use only years without months on your chronological resume. This will rarely count against you. I personally have never turned down interviewing a qualified candidate who did this.
Something you should keep in mind while you are not traditionally employed is that any continuing education that you can get will help you should you plan to re-enter the working world at some point. If you know that, for example, you will go back to work when all of your children are in school, taking classes or keeping current on information relating to your chosen career will demonstrate to potential employers that you not out of the loop.
Resume writing for those who have been out of the workforce for an extended period of time does not have to be daunting; the key is to focus attention away from gaps in employment and on to you and your qualifications. Focus on writing accomplishments statements that make you shine.
Using power words when writing accomplishment statements can help you stand out from the crowd and get interviews. A great source for creating these statements and resume writing is the ResumeDictionary.com. The dictionary contains power words and actual example statements. This article is copyright 2010 Phil Baker.
Labels: cover letter, job seeker, resume
Thursday, January 28, 2010
How to Send Your Resume Using Today's Technology
Sending Your Resume Via E-Mail the Right Way
When submitting your resume to a company for employment consideration, it’s become almost a rule to do so over the Internet. Many companies use software and other electronic methods to evaluate some resumes, and as such they’ll refuse resumes received via any other method.
So now that you know that you will very likely continue to be required to submit your resume online, it’s a good idea to learn how to do so the right way. Here are a few tips to consider:
Attachments
There is a little bit of a debate going on about whether you should add the resume as an attachment when submitting it or placing it in the body of the e-mail. Some say that attachments aren’t a good idea, as they take up space in the employer’s inbox and may possibly contain viruses. It’s also worthwhile to consider that a company’s email security might block the message, or the hiring manager might avoid the message altogether if he doesn’t want to take the time to open it.
On the other hand, depending on what e-mail program you’re using (and the employer is using) cutting and pasting your resume into the body of an email could look ill-formatted. Spacing could be weird – and worse, the fonts you worked so hard to choose could change. It is for this reason that many pros suggest doing both. This method pleases those who dislike plain text formatting as well as those hiring managers who detest opening attachments. You should consider using the PDF format for your attached resume, since it’s very clean, it looks clear and concise, and PDFs can’t be changed after they’re created.
If You Are Cutting and Pasting…
If you’ve decided that you want to go ahead and paste your resume into the body of an e-mail, it’s good to consider a few rules of cutting and pasting. First, remember to add a brief introduction of yourself, something that would do the job of a cover letter. You should also limit your introduction to two paragraphs or less, and limit each paragraph to two or three sentences.
Third, use text for the e-mail instead of HTML. Word processing programs can wreak havoc with the layout of your resume text when you use copy and paste, as pointed out earlier. If you don’t know how to change your emails into simple text, try writing your resume out in a text only program like Notepad (under Accessories on the Windows menu) and then copying and pasting into your email. You’ll have to offset text with special characters (for instance, ====Introduction====) or use capitals in order to differentiate between sections, since plain text removes formatting like bold or italics.
Avoiding Spam Folders
As mentioned previously, your resume can sometimes get lost in a company’s security efforts. So to help you avoid spam folders and other issues, you could consider keeping punctuation (especially exclamation marks) out of the subject line and avoiding any other words that might be misinterpreted as something inappropriate by spam folders.
The last thing that you want is to create the perfect resume only to not have it reach its destination appropriately. It doesn’t make sense to spend hours and hours on your resume, only to submit it incorrectly via email and ruin your chances of getting a job, so be sure to consider the above tips before clicking that send button.
Article written by Heather Eagar. Need a job? Be sure your resume is the best it can be. Review resume services and choose the best one for you and your situation. Do it today at http://www.ResumeLines.com
Sending Your Resume Via E-Mail the Right Way
When submitting your resume to a company for employment consideration, it’s become almost a rule to do so over the Internet. Many companies use software and other electronic methods to evaluate some resumes, and as such they’ll refuse resumes received via any other method.
So now that you know that you will very likely continue to be required to submit your resume online, it’s a good idea to learn how to do so the right way. Here are a few tips to consider:
Attachments
There is a little bit of a debate going on about whether you should add the resume as an attachment when submitting it or placing it in the body of the e-mail. Some say that attachments aren’t a good idea, as they take up space in the employer’s inbox and may possibly contain viruses. It’s also worthwhile to consider that a company’s email security might block the message, or the hiring manager might avoid the message altogether if he doesn’t want to take the time to open it.
On the other hand, depending on what e-mail program you’re using (and the employer is using) cutting and pasting your resume into the body of an email could look ill-formatted. Spacing could be weird – and worse, the fonts you worked so hard to choose could change. It is for this reason that many pros suggest doing both. This method pleases those who dislike plain text formatting as well as those hiring managers who detest opening attachments. You should consider using the PDF format for your attached resume, since it’s very clean, it looks clear and concise, and PDFs can’t be changed after they’re created.
If You Are Cutting and Pasting…
If you’ve decided that you want to go ahead and paste your resume into the body of an e-mail, it’s good to consider a few rules of cutting and pasting. First, remember to add a brief introduction of yourself, something that would do the job of a cover letter. You should also limit your introduction to two paragraphs or less, and limit each paragraph to two or three sentences.
Third, use text for the e-mail instead of HTML. Word processing programs can wreak havoc with the layout of your resume text when you use copy and paste, as pointed out earlier. If you don’t know how to change your emails into simple text, try writing your resume out in a text only program like Notepad (under Accessories on the Windows menu) and then copying and pasting into your email. You’ll have to offset text with special characters (for instance, ====Introduction====) or use capitals in order to differentiate between sections, since plain text removes formatting like bold or italics.
Avoiding Spam Folders
As mentioned previously, your resume can sometimes get lost in a company’s security efforts. So to help you avoid spam folders and other issues, you could consider keeping punctuation (especially exclamation marks) out of the subject line and avoiding any other words that might be misinterpreted as something inappropriate by spam folders.
The last thing that you want is to create the perfect resume only to not have it reach its destination appropriately. It doesn’t make sense to spend hours and hours on your resume, only to submit it incorrectly via email and ruin your chances of getting a job, so be sure to consider the above tips before clicking that send button.
Article written by Heather Eagar. Need a job? Be sure your resume is the best it can be. Review resume services and choose the best one for you and your situation. Do it today at http://www.ResumeLines.com
Labels: job seeker, resume
Monday, January 18, 2010
5 Critical Mistakes in a Job Interview
Don’t Arrive Late (or Too Early)
Don’t Trash a Previous Employer
Don’t Question Pay and Benefits Too Soon
Major Mistakes That Ruin Your Chances at a Job Interview
However, it’s quite common for a valid, potentially hirable job candidate to get into an interview and “fumble the ball.” If you’re not careful, you can easily make some minor mistakes that will ruin your chances at a position. So before going on your next interview, take a look at these mistakes that could definitely ruin it.There’s no doubt that going on a job interview is a critical portion of a job candidate’s application process. If you were lucky enough to have a resume that got you through the door, the interview will provide you with an opportunity to further prove that you’re right for the position.
One fatal error that could hurt your chances of acquiring the position you desire is to arrive to the job interview late. The time of the hiring manager is very valuable, and you’re showing disrespect and confusing his plans. If you show up late, you give an indication of what the employer could expect from you as an employee – not a good thing.
However, it’s also good to keep in mind that arriving too early could work against you too. While arriving 15 minutes prior to the interview is perfectly acceptable, arriving 30 minutes early could also through off the interviewer’s schedule and is generally frowned upon.
If you had a bad experience with a previous employer, don’t tell the prospective employer about it. If you left your last employer because you constantly clashed with your boss, simply say that your goals weren’t in line with your old company. But to say that the manager “sucks” will likely leave a bad taste in the interviewers mouth.
Don’t Get Too “Familiar”
Some hiring managers have complained that job applicants often get too familiar or friendly with them during an interview. If you’re talking about your bad kids or mentioning the wart on your back, you may not get called back for the position.
Don’t Dress Inappropriately (or Sloppy)
We all know that wearing a t-shirt or provocative attire is unacceptable during an interview, but many employers also frown upon attire that looks cheap, or even you not ironing your suit or having scuffs in your shoes. Remember, if there’s ever a time to look your best, it’s during a job interview.
You may be anxious to know whether the position you’re interested in will pay will or offer health insurance benefits, but the time to ask is not when you walk through the door for the interview. If during the interview, you’re offered the position then it’s good to be prepared to negotiate. Hold your tongue until that point, though, if you don’t want to appear to have a sense of entitlement.
If you think in terms of what you should and should not do in an interview, you can strengthen your chances of getting the position you want. Besides, what’s the point in working so hard on a resume if you’re just going to sabotage the efforts in your interview?
About the author: Need a job? Be sure your resume is the best it can be. Review resume writing services and choose the best one for you and your situation. Do it today at http://www.ResumeLines.com.
Labels: interview, job seeker, jobs, resume
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Ringing in the New Year
Happy New Year! Belated Happy New Year to you all! It's time to wipe the mud off our boots from 2009 and step into 2010 with our chins up and a smile on our face...we've got a lot to be proud of and thankful for!
Ring, Ring, Ring. The 'ringing' in this new year has been our phones. Yes, the candidates who have been put out on the street continue to call and send resumes, but the better news for all in our industry is that hiring managers are calling! Now, not to say things are back to normal, that will take more than a few years from what we can tell--however the level of employer confidence to hire is up. Very good news.
You are out of a job and saying "where are all these companies that are hiring?" Well, much of the activity is still talk--but they are planning on making changes in these first two quarters. The jobs will come, but you must be prepared for the competition.
Polish your resume. It is the first look that a hiring manager has and first impressions mean everything. Ask us for a free evaluation of your resume, and we'll tell you how to stand out in the crowd.
Hone your skills. Interviewing, whether face-to-face or on the phone, is what will get you the fluid power job you are wanting. We have many articles on interviewing and offer our candidates free advice on how to best prepare to meet the hiring manager and any others in the hiring process. It does make a difference, we're here to help.
Our candidates and employers work in these areas: mobile hydraulics, industrial hydraulics and pneumatics, robotics, motion control, power transmission, bearings, and fluid sealing. Typically, they are selling, designing or manufacturing components and systems comprised of pumps, motors, valves, cylinders, manifolds, seals, hose and fittings, or filtration.
A unique benefit of pursuing a career in fluid power is that our industry encompasses many fields. These include construction, agriculture, entertainment/simulation, automotive, material handling, biomedical, automation, machine tools, utilities, wood processing, packaging machinery, plastics machinery, military, marine and offshore, and aerospace.
Happy New Year! Belated Happy New Year to you all! It's time to wipe the mud off our boots from 2009 and step into 2010 with our chins up and a smile on our face...we've got a lot to be proud of and thankful for!
You are out of a job and saying "where are all these companies that are hiring?" Well, much of the activity is still talk--but they are planning on making changes in these first two quarters. The jobs will come, but you must be prepared for the competition.
Polish your resume. It is the first look that a hiring manager has and first impressions mean everything. Ask us for a free evaluation of your resume, and we'll tell you how to stand out in the crowd.
Fluid Power Jobs and Bosco-Hubert & Associates, LLC are continually working to find the best talent in our industries, including; fluid power, motion control, power transmission, and automation. If you have experience working for a fluid power manufacturer or distributor, we can give you an objective view of the conditions in the industry that can directly affect your income and lifestyle!
Our candidates and employers work in these areas: mobile hydraulics, industrial hydraulics and pneumatics, robotics, motion control, power transmission, bearings, and fluid sealing. Typically, they are selling, designing or manufacturing components and systems comprised of pumps, motors, valves, cylinders, manifolds, seals, hose and fittings, or filtration.
A unique benefit of pursuing a career in fluid power is that our industry encompasses many fields. These include construction, agriculture, entertainment/simulation, automotive, material handling, biomedical, automation, machine tools, utilities, wood processing, packaging machinery, plastics machinery, military, marine and offshore, and aerospace.
Labels: economy, interview, job seeker, jobs, openings, resume
Saturday, November 14, 2009
10 Tips For a Reader-Friendly Resume
Your resume must capture the reader’s attention within the first 15 seconds or risk being lost in the reject pile. One key success factor for your resume is its readability, that is, how easily and quickly the reader can absorb your information without loosing interest. To help you gain maximum attention, here are ten tips to keep eyes focused on your resume.
1. Avoid small font. Nothing in your resume should be smaller than 11 point. If your reader has to squint, he’ll end up skimming over the important parts of your resume.
2. Keep your font simple. They may not be the snazziest, but the two easiest-to-read fonts are Arial and Times New Roman. Anything in your resume that causes eye strain de-motivates the reader to keep reading.
3. Don’t write large blocks of text. A resume reader’s attention span just isn’t up to more than three consecutive lines of text. Beyond four lines and your block of text gets ignored completely.
4. Use white space to separate bullet points. The purpose of bullet points is to visually separate text so that your information stands out in easy-to-digest bits. Without white space your list of bullet points takes on the look of an extended block of text.
5. Don’t try to squeeze too much onto the page. A densely packed resume carries a 0% motivating factor-nobody wants to read it! Never sacrifice readability in order to keep your resume to a certain page length.
6. Write concisely. The best way to insure your resume isn’t too dense is to keep your words to a minimum. Keep the fluff out so that your important key words stand out loud and clear.
7. Keep your bullet points to two lines each. Bullet points are a shortcut method of giving your reader a lot of information quickly. If your bullets are longer than two lines you’re probably trying to give more information than necessary.
8. Use bolding to visually direct the reader’s eye. Not only does bolding break up the gray space, it helps draw attention to specific critical skills and quantified information. It also helps slow the speed of reading to avoid fast skimming of your information.
9. Use lines to separate resume sections. Simple lines work as a visual break between the different types of information within your resume. They help the reader make the transition between sections without taking up too much valuable white space.
10. Don’t get fancy with design elements. Multiple styles of bullet points, line thicknesses and font styles can detract the reader’s attention away from what you want to say. Additionally, with electronic document transmission, you can never tell if your design elements will be read correctly or if they translate into non-readable coding.
Once you’ve implemented these ten strategies your resume will gain stronger interest from potential employers and recruiters as they actually spend more time reading your resume. The result is more interview requests. Improve your resume’s readability and improve your odds of getting hired quicker.
Deborah Walker, CCMC is a career coach helping job seekers nationwide. Her clients gain skills in resume writing, interviewing and salary negotiation. See her sampleresumes and read more job search tips at: http://www.AlphaAdvantage.com.
Our candidates and employers work in these areas: mobile hydraulics, industrial hydraulics and pneumatics, robotics, motion control, power transmission, bearings, and fluid sealing. Typically, they are selling, designing or manufacturing components and systems comprised of pumps, motors, valves, cylinders, manifolds, seals, hose and fittings, or filtration.
A unique benefit of pursuing a career in fluid power is that our industry encompasses many fields. These include construction, agriculture, entertainment/simulation, automotive, material handling, biomedical, automation, machine tools, utilities, wood processing, packaging machinery, plastics machinery, military, marine and offshore, and aerospace.
1. Avoid small font. Nothing in your resume should be smaller than 11 point. If your reader has to squint, he’ll end up skimming over the important parts of your resume.2. Keep your font simple. They may not be the snazziest, but the two easiest-to-read fonts are Arial and Times New Roman. Anything in your resume that causes eye strain de-motivates the reader to keep reading.
3. Don’t write large blocks of text. A resume reader’s attention span just isn’t up to more than three consecutive lines of text. Beyond four lines and your block of text gets ignored completely.
4. Use white space to separate bullet points. The purpose of bullet points is to visually separate text so that your information stands out in easy-to-digest bits. Without white space your list of bullet points takes on the look of an extended block of text.
5. Don’t try to squeeze too much onto the page. A densely packed resume carries a 0% motivating factor-nobody wants to read it! Never sacrifice readability in order to keep your resume to a certain page length.
6. Write concisely. The best way to insure your resume isn’t too dense is to keep your words to a minimum. Keep the fluff out so that your important key words stand out loud and clear.
7. Keep your bullet points to two lines each. Bullet points are a shortcut method of giving your reader a lot of information quickly. If your bullets are longer than two lines you’re probably trying to give more information than necessary.
8. Use bolding to visually direct the reader’s eye. Not only does bolding break up the gray space, it helps draw attention to specific critical skills and quantified information. It also helps slow the speed of reading to avoid fast skimming of your information.
9. Use lines to separate resume sections. Simple lines work as a visual break between the different types of information within your resume. They help the reader make the transition between sections without taking up too much valuable white space.
10. Don’t get fancy with design elements. Multiple styles of bullet points, line thicknesses and font styles can detract the reader’s attention away from what you want to say. Additionally, with electronic document transmission, you can never tell if your design elements will be read correctly or if they translate into non-readable coding.
Once you’ve implemented these ten strategies your resume will gain stronger interest from potential employers and recruiters as they actually spend more time reading your resume. The result is more interview requests. Improve your resume’s readability and improve your odds of getting hired quicker.
Deborah Walker, CCMC is a career coach helping job seekers nationwide. Her clients gain skills in resume writing, interviewing and salary negotiation. See her sampleresumes and read more job search tips at: http://www.AlphaAdvantage.com.
Fluid Power Jobs and Bosco-Hubert & Associates, LLC are continually working to find the best talent in our industries, including; fluid power, motion control, power transmission, and automation. If you have experience working for a fluid power manufacturer or distributor, we can give you an objective view of the conditions in the industry that can directly affect your income and lifestyle!
Our candidates and employers work in these areas: mobile hydraulics, industrial hydraulics and pneumatics, robotics, motion control, power transmission, bearings, and fluid sealing. Typically, they are selling, designing or manufacturing components and systems comprised of pumps, motors, valves, cylinders, manifolds, seals, hose and fittings, or filtration.
A unique benefit of pursuing a career in fluid power is that our industry encompasses many fields. These include construction, agriculture, entertainment/simulation, automotive, material handling, biomedical, automation, machine tools, utilities, wood processing, packaging machinery, plastics machinery, military, marine and offshore, and aerospace.
Labels: job seeker, resume