To Be The Best, You Have To Know The Best

I have found that many clients are not capable of composing a resume that adequately highlights their abilities. They usually have problems drawing out their strengths and matching them with what employers are looking for (i.e. organizational, teamwork, communication skills). Very often, I have had clients contact me with a resume they themselves composed which did not get results in the job market. After working with them to restructure their resume – incorporating and illustrating viable skills and utilizing more professional jargon – the difference in the number of interviews offered has been notably significant.

Choosing a professional resume writer is really no different than hiring a professional in any industry. Hiring the cheapest writer is likely no bargain; but hiring the most expensive writer will not necessarily guarantee the best resume either. A professional resume writer can take all of the information you provide about your career objective, skills, educational background, and previous work experience, and then create your resume using the format the writer believes will best showcase and market your abilities.

Although it may seem like there are a lot of questions, keep in mind that by working with a professional resume writer, you are hiring someone to create a document that represents you to potential employers. This document will be the first impression you make when contacting companies. The quality of the writer's work could easily determine whether or not an employer will consider you for a position and how highly a company will value you.

Only use a resume service that can provide you with personalized service – one where you can have direct communication with the resume provider though the creation cycle by both e-mail and phone. It’s important to have this interaction so that your resume truly puts you in the best light. You have to feel comfortable with the service.

The fees that some resume writers charge are a bargain, whereas others charge entirely too much for what you get. Few regulations or requirements exist for setting up business as a resume writer, and the quality and pricing of services vary widely. In reviewing a resume writer’s capabilities, you need to have a good idea of the services you want and buy only those you need. For example, some resume writers have substantial experience and skills in career counseling and can help you clarify what you want to do. Helping you write your resume may be the end result of more expensive, time-consuming career counseling services that you may or may not need.

Most professional resume writers will ask you questions about your skills, experiences, and  accomplishments so that they can use this information to improve your resume. This expertise benefits almost everyone. But, in some cases, the writer is essentially a keyboarder who takes the information you provide and puts it into a simple format without asking questions. This service does not have the same value and obviously should cost less.

Some resume writers provide additional services. These services include printing a number of resumes and matching envelopes, putting your resume on a computer disc (for future changes you can make), putting your resume into an electronic format for Internet posting, or posting your electronic resume on one or more Internet sites. As mentioned earlier, writing a good resume helps you clarify what you want to do in your career. That process is not simple, and you might benefit greatly from the help of a true career-counseling professional who also happens to be a resume writer.

No Skills, No resume, No job

The Skills Triad
There are three major types of skills to consider when creating a great resume template. Analyzing the skills needed to perform even a simple task can become quite complicated. A useful way to organize skills is to divide them into three basic types:
First you have your adaptive skills or personality traits. Then you have your transferable skills and lastly you have job-related skills. These three are sometimes known as the Skills Triad system.
The system of dividing skills into three categories is not perfect because there is some overlap between the three skills categories. A skill such as being organized can be considered either adaptive (a personality trait) or transferable (a skill you can use on many different jobs). For our purposes, however, the Skills Triad is still a useful system for identifying skills that are important in the job search. The following sections explain each skill type briefly. The rest of this chapter helps you identify your own key skills.

Adaptive Skills/Personality Traits
Adaptive skills are skills you use every day to survive and get along. They are called adaptive or self-management skills because they allow you to adapt or adjust to a variety of situations. Some of them also could be considered part of your basic personality. Examples of adaptive skills that employers value include getting to work on time, honesty, enthusiasm, and interacting well with others.

Transferable Skills
These are general skills that can be useful in a variety of jobs. For example, writing clearly, good math skills, and the ability to organize and prioritize tasks are desirable skills in many jobs. These are called transferable skills because they can be transferred from one job— or even one career—to another. As a result, these are skills that you need to focus on when you’re planning a career change. Your resume should emphasize them, and you should be able to give examples in interviews of how you have used these skills.
Job-Related Skills
Job-related skills are the ones people typically first think of when asked, “Do you have any skills?” These skills are related to a particular job or type of job. An auto mechanic, for example, needs to know how to tune engines and repair brakes. An accountant needs to know how to create a general ledger, use computerized accounting programs, and perform other activities related to that job.

Identify Your Skills
Because it is so important to know your skills, this chapter includes checklists and other activities to help you identify the skills that are most important to highlight on your resume. Completing the activities will help you develop a skills language that can be very useful during interviews and throughout your job search—and your life.

Identify Your Adaptive Skills
Following is a list of adaptive skills that are important to employers. The ones listed as The Minimum are those that most employers consider essential for a person to keep a job. Employers usually won’t hire someone who has problems in these areas. The remaining adaptive skills are important to employers for a variety of reasons. Look over the list and put a checkmark next to each adaptive skill that you have. Put a second checkmark next to those skills that are particularly important to use or include in your next job.

Identify Your Transferable Skills
Key Transferable Skills are those that are most important to many employers. These key skills are also those often required in jobs with more responsibility and higher wages, so it pays to emphasize these skills if you have them.

Identify Your Job-Related Skills
Many jobs require skills that are specific to that occupation. An airline pilot obviously needs to know how to fl y an airplane. Thankfully, good adaptive and transferable skills aren’t enough to be considered for that job. You might have gained your job-related skills in a variety of ways, including education, training, work, hobbies, or other life experiences. Chapter 6 reviews your education, work, and other experiences and helps you use them as a basis for identifying your key job-related skills, which you can then present in your resume and interviews.

Created by GreatResumeTemplate.biz

“We don’t need no stinkin resume”

There are many career professionals that suggest that resumes aren’t really needed when looking for a job. Let’s consider the reasons that resumes may not be good job searching tools. First of all, resumes don’t do a good job of getting you an interview. Other methods, such as networking are far more effective. Secondly, some jobs don’t require resumes. Employers seeking to fill office, managerial, professional, and technical positions often want the details of your experience provided in a resume. But for many jobs, particularly some entry-level, trade, or unskilled positions, resumes  typically aren’t required. Simply completing an application is all that’s needed. Thirdly,  some job search methods exclude resumes from the process. Many people get jobs without using a resume at all. In most cases, these people get interviews because they are known to the employer or are referred by someone the employer knows. In these situations, a resume might help but the employer might not even ask for it.

These arguments lead us to a couple of conclusions. The first is by understanding that a resume has a limited role on the impact of getting a job it can lead us to appreciate that there are more things within the job searching process that we must focus on the achieve success. The second thing we must understand is that since we don’t know when a resume is needed or when a recruiter or interviewer will ask for one it becomes imperative that we not only have one but several resumes readily available. And letting our skills and experience culminate onto a piece of paper it just not enough. We must strategically and systematically include the relevant and appropriate information on each resume we create for each job we are interested in. By doing this we are more likely to be considered for each job we apply for.

Written by greatresumetemplate.biz

The Video Resume

There will be many candidates that may apply for any given job, sometimes as many as a hundred or more and it is up to each applicant to find a positive and professional way to shine above the competition. A brief, tailored video that summarizes your strengths, knowledge and determination might be just the thing to stand out from the rest.

Video resumes are becoming very popular. If you are thinking about using this method of securing a job you are not alone. Just make sure that your video resume is of high quality, that you dress appropriately, and that you act genuinely. You are taking all your new knowledge about what makes a great resume and applying it to a video format. Try to keep the video around 2:00 min and make sure not to exceed 2:30 min.

1. Introduction (15 sec)
Introduce yourself and state what position you are applying for right away in your introduction.

2. Tell Your Story (30 sec)
When describing your work history you are going to use some of the keywords from the job description when explaining how you have used your skills in your previous employment. In a simple and concise manner explain how you can be an asset to their company by means of your skills and experience.

3. Shine The Spotlight (15 sec)
Here is where you want to highlight your greatest accomplishment or something you excelled at. Mentioned something that made you stand out in your current or last role.

4. The Perfect Match (30 sec)
Describe why you are perfect for the position, while being brief and to the point. Refer to the requirements and qualifications portion of the job description. Be sure to include specific items from the job posting that matches your work ethic and skill set.

5. Brand Yourself (15 Sec)
Take 15 seconds and brag about yourself. Describe what makes you unique. You are trying to explain how you are different and better than the rest of the candidates but be sure not to compare yourself to anyone. Use your power words and keep it about you.

6. Closing( 15 sec)
Show enthusiasm about the prospect of working for them. Thank the interviewer or recruiter for their time for viewing the video and let them know you look forward to hearing from them and that you will be following up in the next few days.

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