Top Ten Reasons Why You Need a Cover Letter

by Career Adviser
Your cover letter presents your intentions, qualifications, and availability to a prospective
employer in a succinct, appealing format. It's your first chance to make a great impression, a
personalized letter indicates you are serious about your job search. Your resume can give the
nitty-gritty of dates, places of employment, and education but your cover letter must entice
the reader to take the extra few minutes to consider you when faced with hundreds and
thousands of candidates for any one job opening.
1. Do you really need a cover letter?
You bet! Just as you would never just show up unannounced at a prospective employer's
door, your resume should Never just appear solo on a decision- maker's desk. Your cover
letter is your first opportunity to introduce yourself, present your qualifications, and show
the search committee you are a potential candidate for the advertised position.
2. Personalize it to the company.
Anyone can reproduce a "canned" cover letter and hope for the best. Instead, take a few
minutes to personalize your letter by showing that you are really serious about working for
the companies you are contacting. State the reason that you are interested in working for
that particular company. Mention a department, a new project the company is involved in,
an acquisition the company has made. Show that you have done your homework. Address
the cover letter to a specific individual whenever possible.
3. Why are you sending your resume and cover letter?
Cover letters should be clear and to the point. Include the specific job title, two to three
reasons why your experience makes a good fit, and a brief outline of career highlights.
4. Highlight your strengths!
You may be a great person and never call in sick, but prospective employers really want to
know why they should consider you for this position. Brag a little! Give a few facts, list
relevant skills, and state accomplishments on your present or most recent jobs that will be
impressive. Increased overseas sales by 93%? Negotiated new financial leases/loans?
Implemented new training programs which reduced staff turnover by 15%?
5. State your intentions and qualifications right up front.
If you expect a senior personnel manager or recruiter to wade through a mish-mash of
information on your cover letter before understanding why you are sending your resume,
chances are, it will never happen.
6. What makes you different?
Emphasize your skills, talents, and experiences to show how you would be a valuable
addition to the team. If you have relevant volunteer or professional experience include it

briefly in your cover letter. Example: An accountant who serves as volunteer treasurer for a
nonprofit community health organization; an international sales rep who has lived in Europe
and Asia and speaks several languages.
7. No negative information!
Never include personality conflicts with previous employers, pending litigation suits, or
sarcastic remarks in your cover letter. If you are bad-mouthing your present place of
employment, interviewers may fear a repeat performance if they hire you.
8. When should you include salary/relocation information?
The rule of thumb is to always include salary requirements and/or salary history in the cover
letter if a prospective employer requests it. For example: My salary requirements are
$60,000-$75000 (negotiable). Or: My current salary is $53,000 at XYZ corporation. To
eliminate this information from your cover letter may justify your resume getting tossed out.
Never include salary and relocation information on your resume, only address this
information in your cover letter.
9. Action Steps to Take
Take a proactive approach in your cover letter. State the fact that you are available for a
personal interview; give your home, work, e-mail, and/or cell phone numbers where you can
be reached; note that you will follow up by phone (where possible) to provide any
additional information required.
10. Be direct!
A professionally written cover letter and resume can open the doors to your next position on
the corporate ladder, as well as a new career in a different field. A clean, error-free
presentation combined with strong phrasing and solid facts will encourage the reader to
review the attached resume and call you in for an interview.

Avoid the Top 10 Interview Mistakes

by Career Adviser
The best way to avoid the most common and dangerous interview mistakes is to think ahead
and decide not to make them... Read on for a whistle-stop tour of the top ten interview
clangers!
1. Lying
Although it's tempting, it doesn't work. By all means gloss over the unflattering things. But
out-right fibbing NEVER pays.

Mark Twain said: "If you tell the truth, you never have to remember anything." Think about
it. They will catch you out later.
2. Slating your current company or boss
Fed up with your current job and would give anything to leave because they've treated you
badly? Your job interview is NOT the time to seek revenge. Bear in mind that the
interviewer will be listening to your answers and thinking about what it would be like to
work with you. Ask yourself: do you like working with people who constantly criticise
others? Isn't it a bit wearing? The trouble is that the interviewer draws massive conclusions
from your answers. So your throwaway comment about your boss or employer may be
interpreted to be your "standard" way of thinking. It makes you look bad, not your
employer.
3. Being Rude
If you find you were accidentally rude, then apologise calmly and genuinely. Then leave it
behind you and get on with the rest of the interview. If you dwell on it, it will affect your
performance. What's "rude"? Well, that depends on your audience. As a rule of thumb, avoid
cracking jokes about potentially sensitive topics and beware of being too "pally" with the
interviewer: polite and friendly is enough. After all, you're not in the pub with them. So stay
professional. Also bear in mind that everyone you meet could be involved in the selection
process. So blanking the receptionist or talking down to the junior members of staff could
cost you the job.
4. Complaining
Ok, so your train journey might have been a nightmare and maybe you thought the tube
would never arrive, or the tailbacks on the motorway were endless. But your interviewer
doesn't want to know that!
Complaining, even in jest, is not a recommended icebreaker. It may be completely harmless,
or it might simply make the interviewer switch off. Don't let complaining set the tone for the
interview!
5. Talking about people you don't get on with at work
These days, it's common to be asked how you deal with conflict. Companies realise the
importance of interpersonal relationships in the working environment. So if they ask you
about difficult people or situations, make sure you hold back from character assassination
and blaming others for problems because it won't do you any favours! If you accidentally do
"break" this rule, apologise and explain what you "really" meant.
6. Not Being Prepared
Re-read the relevant version of your CV and the job advert, just before the interview. You'd
be surprised how many people can't remember what they wrote on their CV. And if you
remember what type of person the job advert was looking for, it's easier to demonstrate that
you have those qualities.
Make sure you've brought with you anything you were asked for. It's fine to bring a note-

pad and pen, but make sure they're tidy. It's even ok to bring notes with you; particularly if
you have any questions you want to ask. It shows you're taking the job application seriously.
Ill-prepared candidates rarely get job offers.
7. Appearing to be too nervous, or too confident
If you appear too nervous they'll think you're not confident enough to do the job. However,
appearing too confident will make them think you won't fit into the team. If interview
nerves are an issue for you, it's worth getting practical help from a professional, such as an
interview coach.
8. Making a weak first impression
Unfortunately, no matter how hard the interviewer tries, a lot of "don't want to hire them"
decisions are made in the first few minutes of contact. If you make a strong first impression,
the interviewer will be more inclined to overlook "imperfections" in your answers.
9. Not having researched the company
As a general rule, the more famous the brand, the more they will expect you to have done
your homework. Researching the company shows you're serious about the job.
10. Putting your foot in it and not noticing
Yes, we know, you didn't mean to put your foot in it. But it doesn't really matter what you
intended. What counts is how the other person reacts. So what can you do? Be prepared to
simply say "sorry, that's not what I meant!" This requires you to actually be paying attention
to the interviewer, rather than your own thoughts and feelings. Once you've apologised,
leave it there, take a deep breath to help you relax and move on with the job interview.
Use Additional Information to Your Advantage
by Career Adviser
Monster Resume Expert
The Additional Information section in Monster's Resume Builder is optional, but you
can use it to help you secure more job interviews. After all, it is the last section in the
Builder -- your last chance to make a strong statement about your credentials.
The best information to include depends on your career goal and background, so the
content varies by job seeker. Keeping in mind that your Monster resume is a marketing

tool, you should incorporate information that will help market you to the employers
who can help you achieve your career goal. Think of it this way: If you had one last
chance to sell yourself to a potential employer, what would you say?
Here are some ideas to get you started:
Qualifications Summary
You may use the Additional Information section to present a summary of your
qualifications or career profile. A qualifications summary highlights your key selling
points and may include examples of your top accomplishments that are related to your
objective.
Awards
End your resume with a strong statement of your past performance by including a list
of awards, honors or recognitions.
Testimonials/Endorsements
Have you received letters of recommendation or performance evaluations that contain
compelling quotes about your work performance? If so, consider adding the best
excerpts from these documents to your Additional Information section.
Publishing Credits
If your work is published, you may include a publications list here.
Patents
Include a list of patents (including patents pending) to which you contributed, if you
have any.
Public Speaking
Public speaking is a desirable skill for many occupations. Impress potential employers
by including a list of your speaking engagements, such as keynote speeches, workshop
presentations and seminars. You may also include participation in work-related forums.
Computer Skills
The Resume Builder's Skills section allots 50 characters per skill. If you're in a
technical field and would like to provide a longer list of computer skills broken down
by category (e.g., networking, operating systems, hardware, etc.), use the Additional
Information section to provide your list.
Training Completed
You may list professional development/continuing education in this section.

Portfolio or Writing Samples

Availability of a portfolio or writing samples is important for some occupations.
Mention that these are available on request, or provide a Web site link for immediate
access.
Target Location
The Resume Builder includes fields for your target location and willingness to relocate,
but your Additional Information section is a good place for you to include a strong
statement of your geographic preference. For example, if you are definitely moving to
Vancouver, add a statement such as "Relocating to Vancouver in September 2005."
Willingness to Travel
If your availability to travel domestically or internationally would help sell you to
potential employers, mention this in the Additional Information section.
What to Omit
Omit personal information such as marital status, age, number of children, etc. Also,
avoid listing hobbies unless they are related to your goal or reveal character traits
employers would find desirable.
Complete Guide on CV Preparation
by Career Adviser
CV's are called a variety of things (eg, curriculum vitae, resume). There is no
universally accepted format. The most important attribute of a successful CV is
that it clearly explains to the reader what it is that you can do for them. Your CV
should be:
- A well-presented, selling document
- A source of interesting, relevant information
- A script for talking about yourself
The purpose of your CV is not to get you the job. Its purpose is to get you an
interview, and after your meeting to remind the person you met with about you.
Remember: you are not writing a CV for yourself, you are writing it for the reader.
So, as you write your CV, put yourself in the shoes of the intended reader.

This section takes you through the content and detail of effective CVs:
- A standard two-page printed CV
- A one-page summary CV
- An online CV
The decision to recruit is like a buying decision on the part of an employer. This
creates a very clear picture of what a CV must include:
1. It must meet the needs of the target organisation where possible. This means a
single generalist CV is unlikely to be sufficient.
2. It must highlight your achievements and how they relate to the job you are
applying for. It must give the reader a clear indication of why you should be
considered for this role.
To decide what to include in your CV and where, follow these principles and
guidelines:
1. Generally, the document should contain no more than 2 pages. Sometimes, a one
page summary is all that is required.
2. Your CV should be honest and factual.
3. The first page should contain enough personal details for a recruitment
consultant or potential employer to contact you easily.
4. Choose a presentation format that allows you to headline key skills, key
achievements or key attributes.
5. Your employment history should commence with your current or most recent job
and work backwards.
6. Achievements should be short, bullet-pointed statements and include your role,
the action you took and a comment on the result of your action.
7. Where information clearly demonstrates your suitability for the vacancy you're
applying for, and enhances your chances of being short-listed, include this
information near the beginning of the CV.
8. Leave out information that is irrelevant or negative.
9. Include details of recent training or skills development events you have attended
which could be relevant.
10. List all your professional memberships and relevant qualifications.
As we work through examples in this section, we will continually refer back to
these principles and guidelines.

The most common contents of a CV include:

- Personal Details
- Skills and Career Summary
- Key Achievements
- Qualifications
- Career History
Don't forget: The ultimate test of YOUR CV is whether it meets the needs of the
person making the buying decision, and whether YOU feel comfortable with its
content and style.
The next few pages will provide a detailed description of how to achieve this.
When you submit a printed CV to a recruiter or a potential employer, it is likely to
be the first thing they get to see or read of yours. Therefore, you need to present
your CV well and make it user friendly. For example:
* Use a good quality paper, typically 100gsm in weight and watermarked. In most
cases, be conservative and print your CV in black ink on white paper. Covering
letters should use identical stationery.
* Lay your CV out neatly
* Don't make the margins too deep or too narrow
* Resist writing lengthy paragraphs - be concise
* Careful use of bold type can be effective
* Typefaces such as Times New Roman or Arial are fairly standard
* Do not use a type size less than 11pt.
* Check for spelling or typographical errors - whoever actually types your CV,
errors are YOUR responsibility. Don't rely on a spell checker. If you're not sure
about a word, resort to a dictionary. Sloppiness and lack of care could be heavily
penalised.
Key Skills/Competencies/Attributes:
Summarise the things about you that are relevant to this role. You can present the
information as a list of achievements, a summary of skills, or a list of key
competencies (this choice should be made in consultation with your career
consultant). Give as much evidence as you can to suggest that you are suited to the

career that you are pursuing. A reminder: You will find a list of your skills in the
summary pages.
The one-page summary CV may also include one or two of the following sections
if you consider they enhance your application.
CV Dos and Don'ts
by Career Adviser
It takes at least two days to write a superb new application, addressing the
issues and organising the information so that you sell yourself. The biggest
error most people make is throwing away a great chance by rushing a mediocre
CV out at the last minute. Regard your CV and application letter as work in
progress and give it a polish every couple of months. You never know when
you will be asked for it.
As a professional CV writer I have known people return to the same agencies
that had previously refused them, this time with a great application that gets
them noticed. The difference between managing your career and just letting it
happen can be more than the cost of your home over the course of a lifetime.
You need to take this task seriously right from the start.
You do not need to be headlining the trivial details of your life like your
address and what primary school you went to. You do not need to tell someone
that the document is a CV.
For each occupation and each level of each occupation and for changes of
career and country there are key things you need to be saying that recruiters
want to hear. If you already know enough then spend some time listing these
key things before you ever start writing your application. If you need more
information, then start collecting it, start finding out what buzzwords, concepts
and competencies that will carry conviction.
----------------

If you follow a boring format or copy out your job definition it will be dull as
ditchwater to recruiters who have to read lots of applications every day. You
need to reach these people where they get interested. The story of your career
needs to build up expectations that you are worth meeting. You need to tell
them the context in which your achievements have taken place and let them
know what value you offer for the future. Enter the page content here.
Do not pepper your CV with titles like PROFILE, CAREER OBJECTIVE and
SKILLS unless you want to appear like someone who has slavishly followed a
template. You can have an introduction to your CV but there's no need to label
it. All you really need is a few sensible headings such as PROFESSIONAL,
CAREER and PERSONAL - under which you can group your
skills/qualifications, narrative of achievements and necessary details.
Bulleted paragraphs are a great way to save space and add impact but they
need to be congruent. They need to relate to the one before and the one after in
an intelligent way. Lists of superlative claims with no substantiating evidence
cannot be understood in context and cut no ice with anyone.
The medium is in the message. If they have reached the third paragraph of
your letter and glanced at your CV, you have already shown them that you can
communicate. There is no need to tell them you are a GOOD
COMMUNICATOR, a SELF-STARTER or a GREAT TEAM PLAYER in so
many words. It needs to be implicit in your account of yourself, not stuffed
under their nose as a grandiose claim. People who do that look naive; people
who get good jobs come across as mature enough to know how to say things
that matter about the real issues involved.
People cannot help but be impressed by talented design and clever typesetting.
Your choice of fonts and styles, however, is somewhat limited by the
restrictions of email and online CV Builders. You need to find out what these
restrictions are by studying the word processing program you are using and
asking yourself: how can I be sure that my fonts and format arrive on the
reader's computer the same way they left here? If you want to make a subtle
and sophisticated impression you need to start finding out about the
technicalities by actually reading the help files and manuals you have so far

taken for granted.

Your letter needs to sing, summarise, promise, capture the spirit of what's best
about you. Safe, boring, over-length, repetitive letters that regurgitate your CV
or try to match every single minor point in the job definition will have one
damaging effect on the reader - they will think you are not very bright.
Professional writers throw away more stuff than they publish; put it all down
and then reduce it until you fit two pages. If necessary group your entire
EARLY CAREER under a separate heading and just give each job a line or
two. Place the focus on the last 5-10 years and the highest levels of activity and
achievement. Cut the minor roles and competencies which are already implied
by the big stuff you do. Write your brief and powerful introduction last; when
you know what you need to say to summarise your offering, and don't bother
giving it a heading anyone can see what it is.

Side Heading For Resume - Document Transcript

Side Heading for Resume
The heading on your resume creates the good impression on you. The
information that you can add is your name since it is presumably
Concern thing in your resume. And write your full name in your
resume. Put your name in block letters. Place your name on every page
of your resume. After your name probably its come to your addresses,
it is very important because it is the only thing to communicate to you
after your interview anyhow in every company we cannot expect the
result of our interview on the same day. Some of them will send
through courier the result.
Another easy way is your phone number most of the company will
communicate through your contact number for result or even their first
round of the interview itself will be only through phone that is
mentioned as telephonic interview. Even if you have two or three
contact numbers try to mention all your contact number in your
resume. And never take for granted one that calls will be circumspect
actions on your intercession. And another important thing is your e-

mail addresses
In some of the company they will schedule your interview time and
date only through the e-mail. And if you are selected for the interview
they will send the offer letter also through your e mail so, dont forget
to mention your e-mail in the resume.
Your education qualification you start this with the priority degree .Put
the strong educational background in resume. Bespeak your area of
specialization in resume .If that is need to them they will hire you for
the interview immediately. Add your education percentage also in your
resume.
They are so many ideas and new things to present the information as
the side heading in resumes some of them will place the phone number
at the right side of the resume and some of them place the addresses at
the side of the resume, some of them place their positive ness at the
observable, to the company. Before submitting your resume see to that
whether you have given all your information correctly.
And if you have any experience in any previous company put
experience background very strong and if you have done any
achievement you can add in this, if it is really a valid and useful to your
interview. Please dont add more on your personal information such as
specifying your height or weight your likes, dislikes etc. And another
main heading is objective. This objective division is a very basic slide
in the resume. It speaks out what exact job you are searching for. If you
use the appropriate and correct words in it, it will really help you to get
the job. Build the objective content with the favorable flow of words.

Resume Format
By By Fred Pinnegar, Resume Coach and
Professional Writer

The resume is nearly always sent with a cover letter as part of the complete job
application package. The purpose of the resume is to convince a potential
employer that you are the right person for the job. This is done by rapidly

summarizing your most relevant educational background and work experience

in a resume format that is quick and easy to read.

Resume Format Guidelines

1. Your resume should look neat and professional. Avoid gimmicks that
will detract from the content. One-page resumes are the general rule,
but individuals with more experience or professionals within certain
fields typically require more than one page to adequately convey
necessary information.
2. The typeface you use should be easily readable. Avoid ornate,
decorative, or script type.
3. Use quality paper for reproduction and keep colors in soft, professional
tones.
4. Leave at least 1 inch margins at the top, bottom, and sides of the
document. The general rule of spacing is single space within sections
and double-space between. Avoid large gaps of dead white space.
5. Use visual strategies to make the resume quick and easy to skim or
read: itemization, indentation, and use of spacing and headings. Use
side headings rather than centering them, and set off headings through
the use of all caps and bolding.
6. Do not send a photograph or discuss race, religion, sex, age, height,
weight, or marital status unless such information is a necessary
qualification of the job for which you are applying.
7. Organize material in all categories using inverse chronological order,
with the most recent information first, or conversely, put the most
important information first.
8. Use noun and verb phrases rather than complete sentences. Use parallel
structure and action verbs in itemized lists. For example, here is an

itemized list of duties and responsibilities for an assistant sales

manager at a clothing store:
o

Supervised activities of all salespeople

Enforced security

Modeled latest fashions

Designed and prepared clothing displays

Deposited daily receipts

Opened and closed store

9. Spell check the resume and have a knowledgeable person proofread it

to catch typos and errors in grammar, syntax, usage, spelling, and
punctuation. Your resume must be flawless.

Overview
1.

A resume is, maybe, only 10% of the total marketing/hiring process, but at
the beginning, it may be the only thing you have! Take it very seriously!

2.

Your resume is, first and foremost, a marketing document. It is not your
work history. Your goal is to present yourself to the reader, such that they will
see how you can help their company. Keep this as your baseline theme
throughout the resume development process.

3.

Your resume is never done. It is a work-in-progress. You need to fine-tune it

on a regular basis.

4.

Your resume is not a static document. You may need a slightly different
version for each prospective company so you can emphasize your strengths,
as needed.

5.

Regarding paper color, the most traditional is a white or off-white (cream

color), heavier-than-usual paper. Textured paper, paper with a watermark,

pastel colors, all can work. The goal is to set yourself apart, but regardless,
keep a professional "look".
6.

For most resumes, stick with a Times New Roman or Arial font. Resumes
targeted more toward a "creative" position (marketing, for example) may be
fine with a more unique, yet readable font.

7.

Don't go below a 10 pt. font size in your resume. If you use a very small pt.
font, your reader may become frustrated with all the fine print and never read
your resume. If you can do it, a 12 pt. font is best.

8.

Leave lots of "white space" around the edges and throughout your resume.
No less than a 1" margin is mandatory - up to 1.5". It is better to go two
pages than to have a crowded, difficult to read, one-page resume.

9.

And, regarding the debate over how many pages is appropriate, don't let
anyone tell you that more than one page is unacceptable. If you can
reasonably get all the important stuff on one page, that's great, but it isn't a
crime if you don't. Either way, you shouldn't go beyond two pages.

10.

More and more companies are accepting (and sometimes requiring) an

electronic version or a resume. If this is the case, paper color, type, weight,
quality, etc. don't matter. What you say does matter -- the issue then is your
use of KEYWORDS.

11.

Keywords are those words specific to the position you seek. Most likely,
these will be in your resume anyway, but it is a good idea to make sure that
any industry-specific verbiage you may be aware of is in your resume. Some
companies use computer software that searches resumes that have been
scanned into a database. This software looks for specific keywords so if your
resume has them, you make the cut. But, if it doesn't....... In this instance, it
doesn't matter how qualified you may be. Be sure to get those keywords in
your resume!

12.

Be sure to say the most important things at the beginning. You must grab
the reader's attention within the first two or three inches (15-30 seconds) of
page space. If you don't, you may lose them.

13.

If your strong point is your education, put it first. If your strong point is your
general accomplishments or awards and it is relevant to the position you
seek, put it first. If your strength is your employment, put that first.

14.

Be consistent in your use of numbers. Although there may be exceptions, a

good rule of thumb is, if the number is less than 100, use the word otherwise, use the number.

15.

Use a consistent date format. Don't switch back and forth between 1/1/1999
and 1-1-1999 and Jan. 1, 1999.

16.

Don't staple your resume. Stapling makes it more difficult for the reader to
make copies and the process of removing the staple can damage your
resume. Use a paper clip instead.
[back to top]

Objective vs. Summary

1.

Many people advocate the use of the "Objective" section at the beginning of
the resume. The FacilitatorGuy approach uses, instead, a "Summary". An
"Objective" states the obvious. You want a particular job or to be part of a
particular company or industry - something that can be stated in your cover
letter, etc. Rather than wasting your precious resume space in this way, use a
"Summary".

2.

A "Summary" describes you - who you are, your strengths - what you do.
Think about this...write your thoughts down and come up with two or three
sentences that describe you.
[back to top]

Experience
1.

For each employer in your career, think about those things you did that
helped the company, saved the company money, made a process more

efficient, etc.
2.

Use active verbiage in your resume. Say "directed" or "managed" instead of

"was responsible for".

3.

Instead of saying "saved the company money", think of a specific thing you
did to reduce costs or make things more efficient. If you came up with a
program to reduce overtime, for example, think of how many hours times the
number of employees times the number of occurrences or days. You will end
up with a tangible dollar amount. This may only be an estimate or projection,
but it at least shows that you put some thought into it and can back up your
statements! Here are some examples of savings that employers like to see:
- Increased sales, productivity, performance levels, safety
- Reduced errors, injuries, product rejects
- New products, programs, policies,
- Effective management ($ savings), budgeting ($ savings)

4.

Spend more time on your more applicable work experiences and less time
on your less applicable ones. You don't have to do a "memory dump" on
everything you ever did. This wastes time and space on your resume.

5.

Let your first "bullet" be the typical "job description" section and let each
subsequent bullet describe specific contributions you made or significant
projects you worked on.
[back to top]

Management/Team-building Philosophy
1.

This is a section you may never have seen on a resume and that may be
just the reason it works so well. Almost no one ever talks about the
intangibles, their personality, work ethic, motivational style, attitude, etc.

2.

You don't have to ever have managed anyone to have a philosophy (and you
can take the "team-building" approach if it makes more sense to you).

Awards

1.

In this section, include nominations received for awards as well. Also, if you
were selected to participate in a special organization, include that as well.

Education
1.

Expand on those areas of education that are relevant to the position, but
include them all.

2.

Some say only include your GPA if the average is better than 3.0. Following
that reasoning, if you include them for some education and not for others,
what message are you sending. Except for graduating college students with
a real strong GPA and no work experience, etc., it is best just to leave the
GPA out altogether.
[back to top]

Personal Development
1.

Use this section for self-improvement courses taken, technical training, etc.
Briefly describe those items that may not be easily understood by the reader.

References
1.

Just like the "Objective" section, it is assumed that you have references.
The oft-used phrase, "references available upon request" is a given and just
wastes space. If you are short on space, you are just as well served to
balance your items over the document or try to expand a section.
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Shale Paul's resume tools and tips article begins here...

CAREERS Updated Your Resume Lately?
Since the last issue was usurped by the piece on the economy, this will get us back on
schedule. In recent weeks, Ive been asked to assist several clients in preparing or

updating their resumes. Cant tell you why the traffic in this area has increased, but it
suggests that the readership might benefit from a discussion of the subject.
When I began working with John Crystal in the career field in 1974, the approach was
to urge clients NOT to prepare a resume at all. Instead, to help them develop entire
career-planning strategies. Thats changed somewhat in the intervening twenty years
plus. Today, you have vast internet based resume bins, extremely sophisticated
sorting mechanisms, and tons more people in the job market. Even though
unemployment is low, turnover in many industries is highan indicator perhaps of the
decline in organizational loyalty and the take-charge attitudes that many have been
forced to develop.
So, today, in most situations, you need a resume but, how it is developed and
subsequently used is critical. Here are ten guidelines you may want to consider:
1. Where possible, avoid sending your resume to Personnel. Their role is to
exclude rather than include. They get hundreds of resumes for many positions, and
their task is to winnow the huge numbers down to meaningful size. Some use
computer scanning/sorting for a first cut, many rely on largely invisible sorting criteria
to weed out those who are unacceptable, and some (only a few, we hope) are
motivated by their desire to submit only those applicants who, they feel, will make
them look good. (I should say that there are organizations where the HR/personnel
types dont fit this description but, in my experience, they are definitely in the minority)
2. Treat your resume as a leave-behind rather than a send-before. Believe it or not,
YOU are more important than your resume, so it only makes sense that the
prospective employer meet you first, not your resume. (How you accomplish this
miraculous feat is what strategy is all about)
3. Write your resume with one thought in mind: the reader (prospective employer)
has little time and very specific interest. Every word should be carefully orchestrated
accordingly. Example: the first and only thing at the top of your resume (center
heading) should be your name, not your address and phone. Think about it. When will
the interviewer call or write you? Only when he or she has made a decision to follow
up, and thats not when you walk in the door. Your contact information is the next-tolast item on your resume.
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4. After your name, the most important item is your Objective, typically set-off as a
minor side head (initial caps only) followed two-spaces below with a sentence that

begins: To Your objective should be specific to the type of work and position you
are applying for, and it should focus on the benefits to the employer (e.g.- your
objective is NOT to develop your skills on the employers time!)
5. Once youve stated your objective, everything else follows directly from that
objective. Does this mean that you may have a different resume and objective for
each employment prospect? YES! The objective is to make your campaign rifle-like in
its specificity.
6. Following your objective, the next minor side heading should be:
Relevant Experience. The word, relevant, is critical here, because it enables you to
get away from the current-employment-first listing requirement. What you write under
this heading (typically as bulleted paragraphs) is ordered in relation to your objective,
not according to history. That is, the first itemphrased in terms of measurable results
where possibleshould be the most important contribution you can offer towards
reaching your objective. The second item should be the next most important, and so
on. Now, the reason for the word, Relevant, is that it enables you to list these items in
order of their importance rather than their chronology. This is critical, because you
may have worked in a job that does not contribute to your objective, so you want to
avoid highlighting it.
7. Your next heading (minor side) would be something like: Education &
Extracurricular, or Education & Military. Here you would list your degrees, highest
first according to: type of degree, concentration, college, and year. (e.g., MBA,
Finance, Cornell University, 1991). You would also list military experience and any
activities that help describe you as the kind of person who could/would accomplish
your stated objective.
8. Now we pay homage to chronological order. This is your Chronology section in
which you list the organizations (and positions, if you like, though its often
unnecessary and unwieldy if youve held a number of different positions in a single
organization), and inclusive dates (years only, e.g.,1992-94). This section protects you
from being accused of having left anything out. The word, Relevant, allows you be be
selective in the most important section.
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9. Publications. If youve written books or articles that are relevant to your objective or
that tell much about you as a person, list them here (title, publisher and date of
publication plus any co-authorship). If youre applying for work in an academic,

scientific, or technical environment, you may want to be fairly inclusive here. The key
measure is: is this item pertinent in relation to my objective and experience?
10. Contact information. This is the next-to-last item and, as per above, it includes
your address, phone, fax, e-mail, etc. The last item is a single statement, set off as a
separate line: References available on request.
Now, lets say youve followed the outline above, prepared your resume with proper
fonts and sizing. How do you use it? Well, for starters, you try to use it as an item
that you present to the interviewer AFTER he/she has had a chance to meet and talk
with you. With personnel types, this is hard, but with an operating manager/executive
if you set it up rightits much easier. The key point here is that the most important
impression is YOU, not your resume. And incidentally, while the precise figures vary,
there seems to be general agreement that you have about two minutes to make a
favorable impression. Longer than that and its an up hill battle.
A second point regarding use of the resume. Use it as a checklist for spotting
weaknesses or gaps in your experience, strengths, job history, etc. As in the old sales
maxim: meet the objection head-on, you want to think ahead about any or problems
your resume might reveal. For example, if you are applying for an accounting position
and, somewhere between your accounting degree and your present position, you sold
cars, have an explanation for the discrepancy! Dont expect that it wont be noticed,
because it will. Dont initiate discussion about it, but if questioned or challenged, be
ready to respond in a way that seems reasonable to the interviewer.
Finally, use your Relevant Experience section as the basis for developing talking
papers. These are papers you write, one for each item, which you virtually memorize
so that you can talk without them fluently and with apparent spontaneity. In these
talking papers, you focus on your accomplishments, the challenges you faced, the
growth you experienced, and the insights you gained. This last item is extremely
important, because its your way of demonstratingin the give-and-take interview
discussionyour capability.
I hope I havent discouraged you, but a resume is (or should be) more than just a
nicely formatted personal history. In a way, its the evidence on which the impressions
you create are based. Its also (with your talking papers which the interviewer never
sees) your script.
One final note. Even if you arent looking for a job, preparing a resume, a la the above
can help focus your interests and effort. Have fun!

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