|
|
|
5 Steps To A Successful Resume
1. Choose Your Format Correctly - There are two main resume formats - chronological and functional. If you are seeking a job in a field in which you already have work experience, you will probably want to choose a chronological format where you will...
Flight Technician Resource Guide
Finding employment as a flight technician can be especially
challenging for some as the opportunities are fairly limited
depending on your current residency and your willingness to
relocate. At the same time there are a number of...
Getting the Job thats Right for You.
I'm the type of person that considers a healthy, enjoyable job alot more valuable than a high paying one. This may be as foreign a concept to some people as our society continues to descend into the depths of materialism. Id gladly take a job doing...
Home Healthcare Careers
One of the fastest growing sectors of the medical industry is that of home health. There are many reasons for this growth, but most important are: The number of aging and infirm citizens in the country. The lower cost of care in relation to...
Job Search & The Interview Process
The Job Interview
The second step in getting a job is having an interview with a
potential employer. The first step was sending your application
and after careful review by the company, you are seen as
candidate for the vacant position....
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Does Your Resume Have What It Takes To Survive The First Cut
DOES YOUR RESUME HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO
SURVIVE THE FIRST CUT?
By Ruth Anderson
VANTAGE POINT Coaching & Consulting
To be a success, your resume must have sufficient "scan appeal" to pass a first cut – that initial stage when a busy employer, faced with a stack of resumes, scans each one for about 30 to 60 seconds and rejects most. What can you do to make sure that your resume survives the first cut?
For answers, consider the following analysis of a typical 30-second scan. Then learn how to evaluate your own resume for scan appeal.
The first 5 seconds…
Resume writers spend most of their time thinking about wording. Yet, it is the immediate visual impact of your resume that first influences how the employer feels about hiring you.
Without consciously thinking about it, your reader "decides" within seconds whether your resume is visually pleasing. Consider your own resume from the 5-second perspective… Is there a good balance of text and white space? Is the resume monotonous, or does it use a pleasing variety of visual elements (heading sizes, bold, italic, bullets, etc.)?
Your reader also develops an immediate feel for whether your resume will be easy to read. Make sure that your resume invites the reader to scan by using a clear and consistent format, and by highlighting key points in bulleted lists. Important information should never be presented in long, dense paragraphs.
The next 10 seconds…
After taking in your resume's visual qualities, the employer's eye focuses on the top half of the first page. He or she will be trying to get a quick overview of who you are and what you can do. Much like the computers at employment web sites, the employer will scan quickly for information that suggests you are a good match for the job at hand.
To take full advantage of these 10 seconds, most resumes should start with a headline and a summary section. The headline (typically stating an "objective") declares in one or two lines the essence of who you are and what you are seeking.
The summary section (often titled " Summary of Qualifications" or "Personal Profile") uses bullets and succinct wording to highlight what is likely to most intrigue the employer. Before writing this section, make a list of the 5 to 10 criteria that are most likely to guide the employer's choice – then summarize your qualifications in a way that speaks directly to the employer's interests.
The last 15 seconds…
If your resume is visually pleasing and starts with an effective summary,
your reader will naturally want to scan the rest of it. At this point, the employer will look for: confirmation that you meet the job's requirements, supporting evidence for your summary section, and any intriguing details that add to the picture of what you would be like to work with.
Your job is to consider where the reader's eye is most likely to be drawn, and use these places to your advantage. They include: section headings, subheadings, the first sentence or two immediately under headings, position titles, bulleted lists (especially the top one or two items), words in bold, words in italic, and numerals (i.e. numbers that are not spelled out).
Consider all of these to be tools at your disposal when creating scan appeal. Is there an accomplishment, for example, that you want to highlight? Try putting it at the top of a bulleted list and including one or two numerals (such as "reduced costs by 10%" or "supervised a staff of 12"). If appropriate, use some bold or italic either within the item or in the wording that introduces it.
Testing for Scan Appeal
Your resume should be tested for scan appeal before any copies go out. You must be able to answer two questions… Given just 30 seconds to convince the employer to consider you, what must you bring to his or her attention? And, what does your resume actually convey in a 30-second scan?
To conduct a preliminary test yourself, review your employment strategy – i.e. list the top five things you think are most important for the employer to know about you. Then look at the parts of your resume most likely to be seen in a scan, and make sure each item has been highlighted in some way.
For an even more telling test, give your resume to several people who don't know you well, and time them as they scan it for 30 seconds. When they are done, have them set the resume aside and jot down everything they remember.
Would the information they noticed and remembered provide compelling reasons for the employer to hire you? If the answer is yes, your resume has excellent scan appeal.
© 2005 Ruth Anderson
About the Author
About the author:
Ruth Anderson is the owner of Vantage Point Coaching & Consulting and author of WRITE RESUMES WITH CONFIDENCE: How to Create Outstanding Resumes and Have the Confidence to Use Them with Success. Learn more about her products and services, including the unique INTRODUCTION TO COACHING and JOB SEARCH TUNE-UP programs, at http://www.vantagepointcoaching.com or write mailto:ruth@vantagepointcoaching.com.
|
|
|
|
|
| Jobs, Careers, Education - Careers.Org |
| careers.org, jobs, careers, employment, If it's about your career OR education ... it's here!!! Today is Wednesday, December 06, 2006 Bookmark Careers.Org! ... |
| www.careers.org |
|
| Hispanic employment service for jobs, workforce diversity, free ... |
| Hispanic employment service with free resume postings. |
| www.saludos.com |
|
| Job Search PositionsVACANT - Australian jobs, careers, employment ... |
| Australian Job Search since 1999. Find your future with us! |
| www.positionsvacant.com.au |
|
| NationJob, Employment Job Search Engine & Careers |
| NationJob.com, Job search, careers, employment, and resume services for job seekers. Find A Job. Keywords:. Category: ... |
| www.nationjob.com |
|
| Business - Careers-Employment Ezine Articles |
| EzineArticles.com allows ezine or email list publishers to upload or download free expert content that can be used within email newsletters or websites. |
| ezinearticles.com |
|
| Thomson Delmar Learning - Browse Catalog |
| Careers / Employment · Civil Litigation · CLA Exam Review · Computers and the Law ... Thomson Delmar Learning : Paralegal : Careers / Employment ... |
| www.delmarlearning.com |
|
| SWANA - The Solid Waste Association of North America |
| SWANA Logo · Join SWANA · Forms, Applications & Brochures · Solid Waste Career Center, search. GO. educate innovate communicate ... |
| www.swana.org |
|
| JOB SERIES 2152 |
| Job Series 2152. Informational Pamphlets for Entry Level Air Traffic Control Specialist (ATCS). ATCS · Medical Standards · Suitability and Security ... |
| www.faa.gov |
|
| The Dispatch |
| Careers / Employment Ads · Garage Sale / Announcements · Home Service Ads · Legals - Gilroy · Legals - Hollister · Legals - Morgan Hill · Legals - Pinnacle ... |
| www.gilroydispatch.com |
|
| careers employment page |
| cooljobs.adobe.com/frameset.html?goto=er-joblist - Similar pages |
|
|
| National Geographic Jobs, Careers, Employment |
| Get a job with the National Geographic Society. Search our employment listings and apply online. |
| www.nationalgeographic.com |
|
| SeeMeResumes.com - Resume distribution, jobs, careers, employment |
| Resume distribution service geared for professionals to meet professionals. |
| www.seemeresumes.com |
|
| .:: Nonin Medical, Inc. - Careers/Employment ::. |
| Careers/Employment Nonin was founded and continues to grow as an employee-focused company. Our most valuable assets are our people and the teamwork derived ... |
| www.nonin.com |
|
| Computer, Tech & IT Jobs Search, Careers, Employment, Postings ... |
| Search Computer jobs, Tech jobs, IT Employment postings & hot IT careers @ Tech-Centric.net. Use the advanced technology job board to find information ... |
| www.tech-centric.net |
|
| KONICA MINOLTA EUROPE: Careers / Employment |
| Home>Company: Careers / Employment ... Konica Minolta's Business Areas; Careers / Employment; Map to Headquarters · Environmental Activities · Home ... |
| www.konicaminoltaeurope.com |
|
| Environmental careers, employment opportunities |
| Site provides information on jobs and careers in the environment. |
| www.ualberta.ca |
|
| The Beaufort Gazette: Jobs - Careers - Employment |
| Jobs - Careers - Employment · Cars - Trucks - SUVs · Real Estate · Place an ad · Shop Locally · Early Birds · Announcements · Building/Home Improvement ... |
| www.beaufortgazette.com |
|
| About Us - Careers/Employment |
| Careers/Employment. Do You Want to Make a Difference in People's Lives? Join a dynamic, growing high-tech/high-touch healthcare organization that makes a ... |
| www.lifemasters.com |
|
| National Network of Regional Disability Liaison Officers and ... |
| Money Matters · Access Technology · Teaching Support · Careers/ Employment · Legislation/ Policy · Disability Information ... |
| www.adcet.edu.au |
|
| Search Results |
| job. ... Altera Home Page. Literature · Licensing · Buy On-Line · Download. Entire Site, Part Number. Home, |, Products, |, Support, |, End Markets ... |
| www.altera.com |
|
|