WHAT IF I'M NOT SURE OF MY JOB TARGET?

If you are hunting for a job but are not sure you are on a career path that is perfect for you, you are probably going to wind up doing something that doesn't fit you very well, you are not going t find f lfilli t i to fi d fulfilling, and that you will most likely leave within five years. Doesn't sound like much of a life to me. How about you? Are you willing to keep putting up with pinning your fate on the random turnings of the wheel?

NOW Imagine If you will :::: that you are the person doing the hiring, not some anonymous paper hiring pusher deep in the bowels of the personnel department. This person who makes the hiring decision is also the person who is responsible for the bottom line productivity of the project or group you hope to join. is a person who cares deeply how well the job will be done. You need to write your resume to appeal directly to them. Ask yourself: What would make someone the perfect candidate? What does the employer really want? What special abilities would this person have? p p What would set a truly exceptional candidate apart from a merely good one?

REMEMBER If you are seeking a job in a field you know well you probably already know well, what would make someone a superior candidate. If you are not sure, you can gather hints from the help-wanted ad you are answering, from asking other people who work in the same company or the same field. You could even call the prospective employer and ask them what they want. Don't make wild guesses unless you have to. It is very important to do this step well. If you are not addressing th i real i i t t t d thi t ll t dd i their l needs, they will not respond to your resume. Putting y g yourself in the shoes of the p person doing the hiring is the first, and g g , most important, step in writing a resume that markets you rather than describes your history or her story. Every step in producing a finished document should be part of your overall intention to convey to the prospective employer that you are a truly exceptional candidate.

Resumes What are they and Why are they Important

THE NUMBER ONE PURPOSE OF A RESUME The resume is a tool - to win an interview A resume is an advertisement interview. advertisement, nothing more, nothing less. A great resume doesn't just tell them what you have done its your advertisement to say : If you hire me, this is what you get. It presents you in the best light. It convinces the employer that you have what it takes to be successful in this new position or career. It is so pleasing to the eye that the reader to be enticed and to pick it up. It stimulates the interest in meeting you and learning more about you. It inspires the prospective employer to pick up the phone and ask you to come i f an interview. in for i t i

Resumes In a Nutshell
Resume

Good Resume

Bad Resume

Selected / Shortlisted

Not shortlisted

Functional Chronological Combination

Inadequate Insufficient Bad layout Too wordy

Resumes What are they and Why are they Important

Having a good CV is essential for full-time jobs, part-time internal, external jobs part-time, internal external, promotions, new jobs, career changes, internships and work experience placements - wherever an employer or decision-maker is short-listing or interviewing or selecting applicants. Short-listed and successful candidates are invariably the people who provide employers with the best CV's and best covering letters. These are the CV s candidates who will ultimately get to the interview stage. There are many modes t d t submit a CV : Th d today to b it 1. 2. traditional text document, video, (the technology exists now for anyone to create a video CV ) ,( gy y

Did you know ???????

1. Only one interview is granted for every 200 resumes received by the average employer. Ten to 20 seconds is all the time you have to persuade a prospective employer to read further. 86% of interviewers think CV' and application f fi i hi k CV's d li i forms are not wholly truthful. t h ll t thf l In most cases they believe only 35% of CV's is actually factually correct . 8% of interviewers believe that academic qualifications reliably indicate future performance in the job. 66% of interviewers say that they check up on professional qualifications 56% check academic qualifications and hardly any interviewers regard qualifications as the most significant factor.
Statistic gathered from Rockport Institute, USA

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So Where are you at Today!!!!

The Good News
With a little extra effort, you can create a resume that makes you stand out as a superior candidate for a job you are seeking Not one resume in a seeking. hundred follows the principles that stir the interest of prospective employers. So, even if you face fierce competition, with a well written resume you should be invited to interview more often than many people more qualified than you.

The Bad News

Your present resume is probably much more inadequate than you now realize. realize You will have to learn how to think and write in a style that will be completely new to you. To understand what I mean, let's take a look at the purpose of your resume. Why do you have a resume in the first place? What is it supposed to do for you? CV writing is a form of marketing or advertising, when the product is you. you

Your CV must sell you to a prospective employer, and compete i t th li t h l trying to ll themselves. l against other applicants who are also t i t sell th So the challenge in CV writing : is to be more appealing and attractive than the rest, your curriculum vitae must be presented professionally, clearly, and in a way that indicates you are an ideal candidate for the job i e you possess the right job, i.e., skills, experience, behaviour, attitude, morality that the employer is seeking. present your CV effectively demonstrates your ability to communicate, and Writing a great resume does not necessarily mean : W particularly to explainda professional business proposition. ii il you should follow the rules you hear through the grapevine. it does not have to be one page does not have to follow a specific resume format. Every resume is a one-of-a-kind marketing communication. It should be appropriate to your situation and do exactly what you want it to do. Instead of a bunch of rules and ti b h f l d tips, we are going t cut t th chase i thi b i f guide and i to t to the h in this brief id d offer you the most basic principles of writing a highly effective resume.

Here's an imaginary scenario.

You apply for a job that seems absolutely perfect for you. You send your resume with a cover letter to the prospective employer. Plenty of other people think the job sounds great too and apply for the job. A few days later, the employer is staring at a pile of several hundred resumes Several hundred? resumes. you ask. Isn't that an inflated number? Not really. A job offer often attracts between 100 and 1000 resumes these days, so you are facing a great deal of competition. p Back to the fantasy and the prospective employer staring at the huge stack of resumes: This person isn't any more excited about going through this pile of dry, boring documents than you would be. But they have to do it, so they dig in. After a few minutes, they are getting sleepy. They are not really focusing any more. Then, they run across your resume. As soon as they start reading it, they perk up. The more they read, the more interested, awake and turned on they become. become Most resumes in the pile have only gotten a quick glance. But yours gets read, from beginning to end. Then, it gets put on top of the tiny pile of resumes that make the first cut. These are the people who will be asked in to interview In cut interview. this mini resume writing guide, what we hope to do is to give you the basic tools to take this out of the realm of fantasy and into your everyday life

First Rule to Remember :

If you find it difficult to match your own CV description to the requirements of the role, then perhaps the role isn't for you. There's little or no point distorting or falsifying yourself in order to get a job. If you falsify yourself in your CV you'll be unlikely to provide the necessary proof of your claims at interview, and even if you manage to do this and to get the job, then you'll not be able to do the job enjoyably without stress. Obviously lying in a CV is a risky strategy, especially about qualifications, and you should avoid any such temptation. Better to be proud and confident of who you are. Integrity and reputation are more important than qualifications. A CV with a lie is i an embarrassment, or even a di i b dismissal, waiting to h l ii happen, sometimes years i later when you've a lot more to lose. Blow your own trumpet, emphasize your characteristics, your capabilities and achievements - this is all fine - but know where to draw the line. Positive emphasis and strong presentation is good; falsehoods are not.

Heres the Recipe to Start on a Good CV

Knowledge

Good CV

Skills

Passion

On the point about 'blowing your own trumpet (presenting yourself within blowing trumpet' the CV in a very positive light) - many people find this difficult, especially those with strong 'sensing' personalities, who see life in terms of bare facts (Read Jung, Myers Briggs, etc - it will help you understand a lot about yourself). If you are one of these people (in fact many people are) try to get help from someone creative and enthusiastic to assist you in interpreting and writing very positive phrases and descriptions about you for your CV. In your CV it's important to emphasize your attributes in strong, relevant and expressive terms; modesty doesn't work particularly well on any CV. Additionally, th Additi ll there i a widely h ld school of th is id l held h l f thought th t writing such statements ht that iti h t t t - powerful descriptions about yourself, your personality and your strengths and capabilities - actually helps you to become even more like the person you describe. It's related to self-talk, self-belief and positive visualization. , p We tend to live up to our claims when we write them down and commit to them. Creating a positive CV for ourselves helps us to grow and to become how we want to be be.

Second Rule to Remember :

It is a mistake to think of your resume : i i t k t thi k f - as a history of your past, - as a personal statement or - as some sort of self expression. p Sure, most of the content of any resume is focused on your job history. But write from the intention to create interest, to persuade the employer to call you. you If you write with that goal, your final product will be very different than if goal you write to inform or catalog your job history. Most people write a resume because everyone knows that you have to have one to get a job. They write their resume grudgingly, to fulfill this obligation. Writing the resume is only slightly above filling out income tax forms in the hierarchy of worldly delights. If you realize that a great resume can be your ticket to getting exactly the job you want you may be able to muster some want, genuine enthusiasm for creating a real masterpiece, rather than the feeble products most people turn out.

Writing CV's With No Career History or Work Experience

The tips and examples in this article still apply if you have little or no work experience. Experience is in everything we do - especially in the most important areas such as maturity (grown-up attitudes) and emotional intelligence, communications, creativity, responsibility, determination, integrity, compassion, problem-solving, etc. These are the qualities employers really seek - so if you are leaving school or college or university and putting together your first CV, then look for the relevant transferable learning in your life experience and use these examples within the structure provided on this page. You'll not have a career history, but you can certainly illustrate and prove th t you have qualities gained and learned from your life experience, th t that h liti i d dl df lif i that employers will recognize and want. It is true that many employers need experienced p p Some are firm about this; y p y p people. ; others can be persuaded to consider an applicant who has special qualities but no experience - it depends on the job and the needs of the employer. There are some employers who will be interested in fresh young people who are keen to learn and who are highly committed and who can demonstrate that they possess other committed, qualities that perhaps more experienced people do not.

Writing CV's With No Career History or Work Experience - Co

This is why you need to write a good letter accompanying your CV that explains clearly and concisely your strengths and values, and relevant life experience, to an employer, and then to send the letter, and follow up with phone calls to as many employers as you can. l Be persistent and determined, and you will find in time find an employer who j you. Meanwhile take advantage of every opportunity to g y pp y wants someone just like y learn and gain experience in your chosen field: join discussion groups, read journals, attend courses, lectures and exhibitions, study the newspapers and news websites business pages, perhaps work part-time for a school and/or a voluntary organization or group who need your skills This will enable you to skills. build useful and relevant experience that will definitely be seen as transferable to employed situations, and it will also demonstrate to employers that you are enthusiastic and willing to invest your own time in making a positive contribution to help others and to help yourself.

How to Structure Your CV

Presentation and sequence of items with your CV are very important, as it is in advertising, and most people get it wrong, which makes it easier for you when you get it right. When you are selling anything you need to get to the key points quickly. The quicker the reader can read and absorb the key points the more likely they y are to buy. Well presented and well-structured CV also indicates that you are professional, business-like and well organized. The structure suggested below sells your strengths first and provides personal and career history details last - most people do it the other way round which has less impact. Structuring a CV like this you can immediately stand out from the others and make a much better impression.

RESUME FORMATS
Chronological The emphasis is on a chronological listing of employment and employment-related experiences. the h th chronological resume i a good f l i l is d format f th t for those with a consistent ith i t t employment history, no gaps in employment and whose past employment experiences are related to their current employment goals. it effectively showcases a steady work record with increasing upward responsibilities. This may not be the best for new graduates individuals with job gaps graduates, or persons changing careers. Functional The functional resume : highlights skills, experiences and accomplishments without identifying specific dates, dates names and places places. this format is organized by functions or skills, which advertise the specific qualifications needed for an occupation. this resume works well for people changing careers.

Combination The combination resume : brings together the best of both the chronological and functional resumes. it features a functional section that highlights skills, accomplishments and experiences. it also includes a chronological listing of employment, education and employment-related experiences. this is a very effective format for many job seekers. the b t h th best chronological resume is enhanced with a section highlighting skills, l i l i h d ith ti hi hli hti kill accomplishments and experiences. the best functional resume is strengthened with a chronological listing of p y p employment experiences. Points to Consider Keep your resume brief (one to two pages) Use only 8 1/2" x 11" paper Use white or off-white quality paper Emphasize your skills and accomplishments Don't use abbreviations Arrange the resume so it's pleasing to the eye Avoid fancy fonts, exotic colored paper, photographs and graphics

How to Summarize Your CV

The most common ingredients of a well-written Summary are as follows. Of course, you would not use all these ingredients in one Summary. Use the ones that highlight you best. A short phrase describing your profession Followed by a statement of broad or specialized p expertise Followed by two or three additional statements related to any of the following: breadth or depth of skills unique mix of skills range of environments in which you have experience a special or well-documented accomplishment a history of awards, promotions, or superior performance commendations One or more professional or appropriate personal characteristics A sentence describing professional objective or interest interest.

A FEW GUIDELINES FOR A BETTER PRESENTATION

1. The resume is visually enticing, a work of art. Simple clean structure. Very easy y g, p y y to read. Symmetrical. Balanced. Uncrowded. There is uniformity and consistency in the use of italics, capital letters, bullets, boldface, boldface and underlining Absolute parallelism in design decisions underlining. There are absolutely no errors. No typographical errors. No spelling errors. No grammar, syntax, or punctuation errors. All the basic, expected information is included. A resume must have the following key information: your name, address, phone number, and your email address at the top of the first page a listing of jobs held in reverse chronological page, held, order, educational degrees including the highest degree received, in reverse chronological order. Jobs listed include a title, the name of the firm, the city and state of the firm, and the years. Jobs earlier in a career can be summarized, or omitted if prior to the highest degree, and extra part-time jobs can be omitted

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A FEW GUIDELINES FOR A BETTER PRESENTATION - Contd

6. 6 It is targeted A resume should be targeted to your goal, to the ideal targeted. goal next step in your career. First you should get clear what your job goal is, what the ideal position or positions would be. Strengths are highlighted / weaknesses de-emphasized. Focus on whatever is strongest and most impressive. Make careful and strategic choices as to how to organize, order, and convey your skills and background. It has focus. A resume needs an initial focus to help the reader understand immediately. Don't make the reader go through the whole resume to figure out what your profession is and what you can do. Think of the resume as an essay with a title and a summative opening sentence ith titl d ti i t

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10. Use power words. For every skill, accomplishment, or job described, use the p y ( ) most active impressive verb you can think of (which is also accurate). 11. Show you are results-oriented. Wherever possible, prove that you have the desired qualifications through clear strong statement of accomplishments, rather than a statement of potentials, talents, or responsibilities. potentials talents responsibilities

A FEW GUIDELINES FOR A BETTER PRESENTATION - Contd

12. 12 Writing is concise and to the point. Keep sentences as short and direct as point possible. Eliminate any extraneous information and any repetitions 13. Vary long sentences (if these are really necessary) with short punchy sentences. Use phrases rather than full sentences when phrases are possible, and start sentences with verbs, eliminating pronouns ("I", "he" or "she"). Vary words: Don't repeat a "power" verb or adjective in the same paragraph. 14. Make it look great. Use a laser printer or an ink jet printer that produces high- quality results. A laser is best because the ink won't run if it gets wet. It should look typeset. Do not compromise. If you do, your resume will look pathetic next to ones that have a perfect appearance. th ti tt th t h f t 15. Shorter is usually better. Everyone freely gives advice on resume length. p y y p g Most of these self-declared experts say a resume should always be one page. 16. Break it up. A good rule is to have no more than six lines of writing in any one writing "block" or paragraph (summary, skill section, accomplishment statement, statement job description, etc.). If any more than this is necessary, start a new description etc ) necessary section or a new paragraph.

A FEW GUIDELINES FOR A BETTER PRESENTATION - Contd

17. Experience before education...usually. Experience sections should come first, before education in most every case. This is because you have more qualifications education, case developed from your experience than from your education 18. Telephone number that will be answered. Be sure the phone number on the resume will, without exception, be answered by a person or an answering machine ill i h i b db i hi 19. Try not to include anything on the resume that could turn the employer off, anything that is controversial (p y g (political, etc.) or could be taken in a negative light. , ) g g 20. Use bold caps for your name on page one. Put your name at the top of page two on a two-page resume. Put section headings, skill headings, titles or companies (if impressive), degrees, impressi e) degrees and school name (if impressive), in boldface. impressi e) boldface 21. Spell out numbers under and including ten; use the numerical form for numbers over and including 11 (as a general rule), unless they are the first words in a sentence. Spell out abbreviations unless they are unquestionably obvious. CAUTION :
If you are not sure what sort of job you are looking for you will most likely wind for, up in something that turns out to be just a "job." In a "job" you exchange your life for money. It is possible to choose a career that will fit you so well that you do it because you like to go to work.

WHAT NOT TO PUT ON A RESUME The word "Resume" at the top of the resume Fluffy rambling "objective" statements Salary information Full addresses of former employers Reasons for leaving jobs A "Personal" section or personal statistics (except in special cases) Personal section, Names of supervisors References Photo f Ph t of yourself lf

CV Template

Sample CV

Tips for Cover Letter

Sample CV 2 p

Ensure you lay the letter out neatly on your own good quality letterhead paper, with your own address top right or centre-top. Avoid fancy f t and upper case ( f fonts d (capital l tt ) U a single font 10 12 t it l letters). Use i l f t 10-12pt size, maybe bold or underlined for the reference or heading if you use one. Full F ll name and address details. d dd d t il Date Reference if required. Dear (Mr/Mrs/Ms Surname) ( / / ) (optional heading, bold or underlined - normally the job title and or reference if they've asked you to quote one) I enclose my CV in respect of the above vacancy/position (or state position advertised and when it appeared). You will see that I have the required skills, capabilities and experience for this position, notably (state two or three attributes briefly). I look forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely (Sign) (And below print your name - not hand-written) hand written)

Full F ll name and address details. add ess details Date Dear (Mr/Mrs/Ms Surname) ( p (optional heading, bold or underlined - in this example y g, p you would normally refer to a job title, and include with the word 'opportunities' or 'openings', for example: 'commercial management opportunities') I am interested in any openings in the above area and enclose my CV. You will see that I have skills and capabilities that enable me to make a significant contribution to an organization such as your own, notably (state two or three attributes briefly). I look forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely (Sign) (And below print your name - not hand-written) hand written)

Words and Phrases - personal profile, capabilities, etc results-driven, logical and methodical approach to achieving tasks and objectives , g pp g j determined and decisive; uses initiative to develop effective solutions to problems reliable and dependable - high personal standards and attention to detail methodical and rigorous approach to achieving tasks and objectives entrepreneurial and pro active - strong drive and keen business mind pro-active identifies and develops opportunities; innovates and makes things happen good strategic appreciation and vision; able to build and implement sophisticated plans determined and decisive; uses initiative to meet and resolve challenges strives for quality and applies process and discipline towards optimising performance extremely reliable and dependable - analytical and questioning, strives for quality methodical approach to planning and organising - good time-manager strong planning, organising and monitoring abilities - an efficient time-manager self-driven self driven and self-reliant - sets aims and targets and leads by example self reliant good interpersonal skills - works well with others, motivates and encourages high integrity, diligent and conscientious - reliable and dependable self-aware - always seeking to learn and grow seeks new responsibilities irrespective of reward and recognition f emotionally mature and confident - a calming influence

Words and Phrases - personal profile, capabilities, etc detailed and precise; fastidious and thorough p ; g decisive and results-driven; creative problem-solver good starter - enthusiastic in finding openings and opportunities creative and entrepreneurial networker - effective project coordinator reliable and dependable in meeting objectives - hard-working hard working emotionally mature; calming and positive temperament; tolerant and understanding seeks and finds solutions to challenges - exceptionally positive attitude great team-worker - adaptable and flexible well-organised; good planner; good time-manager seeks and finds solutions to challenges exceptionally positive attitude great team-worker - adaptable and flexible well-organised; good planner; good time-manager seeks new responsibilities and uses initiative; self sufficient self-sufficient solid approach to achieving tasks and objectives; determined and decisive excellent interpersonal skills - good communicator, high integrity energetic and physically very fit; quick to respond to opportunities and problems active and dynamic approach to work and getting things done financially astute - conversant with accounting systems and principles tactical, strategic and proactive - anticipates and takes initiative systematic and logical - develops and uses effective processes critical thinker - strong analytical skills; accurate and probing good researcher - creative and methodical - probing and resourceful