Sunday, August 22, 2010

How to Create the Perfect CV or Resume

Given the financial climate and the increased competitiveness for jobs it is essential that you do everything in your power to give yourself the best possible chance of succeeding. CVs are what get you the interview, so make them as perfect as they can be. If you are to create a positive impression then your grammar, punctuation, spelling and expression must be perfect to show to the potential employer that you can be relied upon in the workplace, that you have a close attention to detail and that you really want the job. Writing your CV takes much longer than most people think, therefore try to spend 10 hours at the very least on making sure that it is faultless. You will probably need many more hours of research before you actually start writing it, however, when you have a completed document that really showcases your skills you will realise that it has been worth it and will inevitably open up a lot more opportunities for you.
CV Effectiveness
You can only really know how effective your CV is when looking at it in relation to the sector you are hoping to break into. There are many things that you can do to ensure that your CV is targeted well to your industry, for example, you should mention the key skills needed for being a winner in that particular sector. For a CV to perform for you it should not be general but must completely highlight all of the relevant skills that each job involves, this will make you a success. If you decide to target another industry then your CV would need to be rather different and I would suggest re-writing the whole thing. A good idea is to write up to 3 different CVs if you want to apply for three slightly different jobs. This is to optimise your probability by being specific and using existing experience in a manner that can illustrate your suitability for the job. They basically have the majority of the same information but it is written in a completely diverse way and some skills were emphasised for a distinct role. This will serve to make all of your experience and education as relevant as it can be to the job in question.
Does the business have a website? Have a look at it and ask yourself these questions.
· What is their ethos?
· Who do they employ?
· Would you feel comfortable working for them?
· Do you have the required skills and experience?
· Are you able to talk about the business?
· Are you excited about their plans?
Another tip is to look at the job advertisement and the things that the company expects from an employee. You must note that it is essential not to make things up as this is dishonest and will catch up with you in the end. You must always be truthful about your qualifications and experience, but this method of checking all job requirements on an advertisement is effective as it may have mentioned some things that you wouldn't have thought were important, but you know you can do. It may additionally inspire you to think about more of your attributes that would tie in with that particluar role.
You should not copy and paste the job requirements into your CV either in an struggle to be the most appropriate candidate, this will become glaringly obvious to an employer and make you seem lazy and like a fraud. If you find it difficult to express yourself in a different way and are trying to say the same thing, you could try a good thesaurus to make your sentences 'active' and full of buzzwords. Or perhaps you could get one of your friends or your family to read over it and give you their opinions. Having lots of criticism here will be of great benefit to you as you can see what ideas and methods will work. Try to not take advice personally or to heart, it will only do you a disservice. Look at it like it is something that you must pick apart thoroughly, be as negative as you can as this will only help you enhance it and be of better advantage to you in the end. Omitting as many weak points as you can at this stage will guarantee that your chances of gaining an interview have increased substantially. Be as critical as you can with yourself to succeed.
When asking friends or relations to read over your CV, get them to answer a few questions that will help you to comprehend the strengths and weaknesses of your CV better.
· In what respects is this CV different to others that you have seen?
· How would you make it stand out from hundreds of others?
· What are the negative and positive aspects of my CV?
· What was your initial impression of my template?
· How relevant is it to my chosen industry?
Fashion sentences that really appeal to an employer and illustrate your passion for the vacancy. There is nothing a potential employer hates more than picking up a new monotone and predictable CV, especially if they have over 300 of them to read! Show the reader that you are confident, enthusiastic and proficient. display that you are someone that they would love to work with and be part of their team. If the overall tone of your CV represents someone who has no self confidence an employer will likewise have no confidence in you. Don't supply them with reasons to doubt your passion or sincerity, make them realise that you are a extraordinary candidate that they must hire before someone else does.
Kathryn Peters

Move Up in Your Career With a Resume That Says "Can Do!"

Do your career ambitions include a promotion to greater responsibilities? Are your efforts to move into management getting you no where in the job market? You are not alone. One of the most common career challenges is moving up the corporate ladder. As a career coach, one of the most frequently asked questions I get is "how can I make my resume convince employers I can do the job when I don't have management experience?" Let me share with you three tips for transforming your resume into a tool to help you move up in your career.
1. Emphasize strategic activities.
Transitioning into management generally means going from tactical responsibilities to strategic planning. Meaning those in management plan the work of others. Employers want to know how closely you have been involved with strategic activities. Perhaps you've worked with a team that came up with strategic solutions. Maybe you've assisted your boss in devising a better way of doing something. It could be that you took initiative to develop a more efficient system of operations. Use these examples in your resume to show that you understand what it takes to be a strategic thinker.
2. Emphasize your accomplishments.
Employers are always looking for individuals with drive and initiative to promote into management roles. What better way to illustrate your potential than through your accomplishments. Think back on the challenges you've met on the job. What problems did you fix? How did you contribute to corporate bottom-line objectives? Can you prove your worth by the time you've saved or the costs you've cut or procedures you've streamlined? How well have you contributed to the income or revenue growth of your company? These are issues on the minds of all hiring managers. Include accomplishments in your resume that illustrate your ability to solve the problems of potential employers.
3. Emphasize your leadership skills.
The hallmark of great management is the ability to lead others. You don't have to have had the role of manager to have opportunities to lead. Challenges represent opportunity to exercise leadership. Anytime you were able to motivate others, you practiced leadership. Mentoring is another example of leadership. Training others is yet another form of leading. Taking part in a team that solved significant problems is a great way to show your leadership potential.
So, you see, there are many ways to illustrate in your resume your ability, skills and drive toward management. Remember, employers look for potential as well as actual management experience. Write your resume with these three tips in mind and you'll soon see career growth opportunities knocking at your door.
Deborah J Walker

Career Ambitions and Objectives

Working on with Career Ambitions and Objectives means necessarily arranging and evaluating one of the most profound and important aspects of starting and continuing with a career. There will be several things that will come up in front of you when you start deciding your career objectives and working parameters. However, it is very important to hold the planning of objectives at the beginning of everything else. One small wrong step can really change a lot, so try to focus on your own interest and passions and thereby access the job scenario and try to overlook the future just to find out the coming economic situations. The best way to plan your career on objectives is to find out your own inclinations and focus on the job that you want to do by keeping all the factors considered as best as possible.
The primary focus should be on you
While deciding on the career ambitions and objectives try just to keep in mind that you are opting for a job. Thus, it should be based on your own interest and natural urge. You should first evaluate what you like doing the most and what you have actually wanted to do since childhood. Your satisfaction holds the key to how you will possibly do in a job. When you are unhappy, it is very natural to fail and not achieve anything at all. Try not to compromise with your interest rather try to suit and frame other factors within this to build up better job objectives.
Work on your strengths and learning capabilities
When it comes to finding out objectives in a career it is better to keep yourself focused and hold on to your patience. Just do not jump into a job and rather try to clear out all doubts and build up on the various factors in a slow way to fit the jigsaw better. Sometimes though you work hard and find out a very suitable job, which actually considers your skills there still might be some requirements left. You actually would need some career help then that is just trying to get in touch with a few good places and thereby acquire a training to be placed better on the job. Thereby you must possess quick learning capabilities and get all geared up to learn fast and get what you deserve through proper career ambitions and objectives.
The economy and your financial needs
Deciding on the career ambitions and objectives also includes an assessment of the future from before hand. Once you are working with your skills and various other work objectives be sure to keep an eye on the future. Analyze the past and the present and thereby chalk out how the economy is going to turn out in the future. You are definitely working for job satisfaction, but money is really a big requirement so focus on this area and try to plan for a good paying job that will look after your future whatever circumstances may come.
When you are deciding the career ambitions and objectives be sure of every aspect and try to cross check every detail. There is no place, where you can go wrong, from your skills and strengths to the other governing factors everything is to be given equal weight age to achieve better jobs and successful careers in the future.
Silas Reed

What Skills Do I Need For Career Planning?

When you are looking forward to plan a career for yourself the first and the most important thing that you will need is to highlight your strengths and skills and thereby plan projecting on them. Understanding your own interests and inclinations will help you plan the career better and more judiciously. Firstly, you will have to work with the factors that govern your career choice or your decision. Then just work on the suitable skills that you feel will help you work the best and attain great heights in the path you choose. Just sort things within yourself, as to what career you want for yourself then just put forward the skills that will help you.
Assessing yourself and others
When you are thinking of career planning just remember following a few steps will help you to not only assess and plan your own career but help others as well once successful. There are definitely a few skills needed for career planning that will help you work better irrespective of the path you choose. That is assessing your skills and the requirements of a particular job. Firstly, you will have to work on the skills and the strengths that you possess thereby deciding on the job that you want to work in. once you have chosen the job and the position that you want to apply. You will have to concentrate now on your positive points once more to see how well you will fit intro the position you are considering. This is the primary assessment to begin with.
Leadership qualities and the ability to handle situations
Just wondering -what skills do I need for career planning, is not going to help you achieve anything. You will have to possess certain job planning skills as well to help you work better on the day-to-day basis and achieve better results. This is the leadership skills that you need. To be organized and present yourself in the best possible way, where you are ready with your strengths every time will help you achieve better with the subordinates and even the superiors. Practical knowledge is thus very necessary to bring out the best in you on the regular basis rather than a very high educational background.
Communication is the key to success
When you have worked on the main two parameters of career planning, you will still ponder over the question of what skills do I need for career planning? Never mind there is still quite a bit left before you can say you have actually perfectly handled the planning part. This is the employment planning skills, which becomes important in a moment. Yes when you are looking forward to a regular job the most important skill in fact, that will surpass and cover up all other strength of yours is the communication skills. Being able to talk to people with confidence and handle the worst of personalities in minutes and also speaking and sorting the best way is the key to success when it comes to handling a proper position.
When you have worked exactly with these ways in the best possible way there is no loopholes left to keep wondering, what skills do I need for career planning. You have almost most successfully handled your career and planned it the best way to get a job and survive in th9s competitive professional world. Once you have worked, the best for yourself try to plan for others and who knows soon you will become a successful career planner yourself.
Silas Reed