Resume writing tips and types of resume

A good job hunter knows that a good resume is the key to an interview invite and ultimately, to employment. Aside from a summary of your abilities, work experience and education, a resume should reveal your unique selling points to entice a potential employer to BUY you. The secret to an irresistible resume is to address the specific need of a specific job. A tailored resume has infinitely more impact than a one-size-fits-all. To write such a resume, first organize information under specific headings such as education, work experience, achievements, skills and activities. When everything is on paper, decide on the proper format to play up your outstanding qualities that fit the jobs requirements. Here are several types of resume for your reference. 1. Chronological resume o Recommended for candidates with solid working experience and a progressive job history in a specific field or history, and who would want to continue along this similar career path. o Most employers prefer this style as it is based on facts, and easily digestible. o Very conventional, emphasizing on itemized employment history. o Important to present career milestones in reverse chronological order, starting with current position and moving backwards. Each position contains a description of relevant responsibilities and accomplishments.

Functional Resume

Suitable for fresh graduates and job hoppers hoping for a career change. Helps to cover seemingly disconnected experiences by displaying transferable skills and related achievements. Organize work history into sections that highlight skills and accomplishments deemed most appropriate for the position applied for. Always include the company name in bulleted description of your accomplishments. Do not miss out at least a brief chronological listing of your work experience.

2. Combination Resume o This format tries to merge the best features of the chronological and functional type resumes by incorporating both a chronological work history and a skills and achievements section. Top focus is on skills and accomplishments, followed by work experience. o Though some employers will find this format long, repetitious and confusing, this type of resume can be good to someone with good editing skills.

3. Electronic Resume o Adopted by many people to send resumes to electronic resume banks and make on-line job applications through JobStreet.com. o The resume is sent by email or can be viewed on the Internet. Specially formatted for scanning and searching by optical scanning systems. o Fast becoming an increasingly popular and acceptable form of job application as it is fast, effective and convenient. o Comes in different file formats but most common are plain text, rich text and hypertext. RESUME WRITING TIPS 1. Know Your Objective o What job do you want? What are the skills and requirements necessary for this job? o Keep them in your mind as you write your resume so that the interviewer reading it will see that you are the person they are looking for.

2. Compile all your information o List down your personal particulars, education history, extra-curricular activities including positions held, employment history, seminars attended, achievements, etc. o Ensure the dates are correct. Leave out hobbies/interests, parents occupation etc. o Sort information under specific headings Education, Work Experience, Achievements, Skills, Activities.

3. Start with your Name and Contact details o Write your full name, postal address, house and mobile numbers, email address. o Leave out your marital status, sex, race, parents name and occupation, birth details, etc.

4. Write your Employment details o Starting with your most recent work, list down all the jobs you have had, company names, dates of employment, position titles. o Using bullet points, write the job description, nature of work and responsibilities held for each position o Use key words: responsible for, coordinating, prepared, managed, monitored, presented, accomplished, achieved, analyzed, delegated, etc . o Highlight your achievements/job responsibilities.

5. List Education details o Lead with your highest education level to the lowest, include grades like CGPA. o State courses or papers studied, e.g. Psychology, Contract Law, Multimedia. o List activities like societies/clubs, position held and accomplishments if they are relevant to the job you are applying to. Otherwise, leave them out.

6. Include your Skills o List down your computer skills, language skills (and different dialects) including proficiency in reading and writing, and soft skills (public speaking, presentation, etc).

7. Reference o Not totally essential but if you need to mention references, choose people who know you personally and can give a good impression of you to the potential employer. o Remember to give your references contact details. o Make sure you inform your referees that they may receive calls from your interviewers so that they can prepare. Send them copies of your resume so that they know who you are and what you did.

8. Miscellaneous o Be short and concise Resumes are usually read in only 30 seconds or less, so you have to be brief and go straight to the point. Resumes should be a maximum of two pages long. Use Size 12 fonts (Times New Roman or Garamond font) for easy read. Use three pages only if you have extensive professional experience. Use italic or bold fonts only to indicate important information or section breaks. Use a good printer, no stray marks, splotches, uneven or blurred letters. Use high quality A4 paper, white only. Do not use flashy colours like pink or red.

Be honest Do not inflate your resume. Make sure you can back up what you claim. Do not cheat/lie.

Check for spelling and grammar mistakes Make sure your resume is free from spelling or grammar mistakes. Ask someone reliable to check it for you. Do not depend on your word processors Spell Check function. Most importantly, proof read until your resume is perfect.

Use Power Verbs Action words add oomph to your writing and enables you to describe clearly.

Essential elements of a complete resume

Of course, youd like to make sure your resume stands out, and you wonder if there are any new techniques you can try. The fact is, the rules on what makes a hot resume have hardly changed. Its still knowing the essentials that will do the trick. Make sure yours has these elements in the given order: 1. Job objective. State briefly the kind of job you seek so the employer will know if he has a match. Be specific and to the point. Never write obscure statements. 2. Pertinent skills. If you had work stints while studying, enumerate them here. List the employers name, address, dates of employment, and your job title and duties. Indicate relevant skills acquired and accomplishments made. 3. Education. List down in reverse order your educational attainment, the name of school and year of graduation. Include your G.P.A. (if impressive), honors, special projects and extracurricular activities. Positions of responsibility in school activities and organizations show you have leadership and people skills. 4. Personal background. Disclose only those details relevant to the position. It is all right to omit your parents names and occupations or your hobbies. Leave out something to talk about during the interview. 5. References. Skip this altogether or simply say that this will be available upon request. If you do include references, provide the complete name, title and contact details. (Get clearance from your references first! This way, they wont be caught off guard and can prepare a good testimonial on your behalf.) Some useful tips: Be brief and concise: Youve got about 30 seconds to make your pitch so dont beat around the bush. Be perfect: Proofread ruthlessly. Weed out typos and grammatical boo-boos. Double-check dates and facts. Ensure punctuation marks are correct and in their proper places. Be active: Go for action verbs. Delete personal pronouns and articles. These will invigorate your resume and free up space for more information. Be inviting. Your resume must look attractive to be read. Use conservative fonts like Times New Roman or Arial, at least 10 in size. Include ample white space. Organize items under section headings to give the eyes a break. Print on crisp, white paper.

Remember, a crowded, cluttered, error-laden resume is a big turnoff.

Resume Writing Tips: By job seekers, for job seeker

Nowadays, many employers are seeking people that have the experience to work with their companies. So in your resume, please state clearly your job experiences. Do not feel shy to write about your experiences even though you only have one or two. Alex Lee

Most people think that having a resume that is comprehensively filled with details of their achievements and experiences is the way to go in securing their dream job. This is not always true as executives are busy people who usually glance through resumes as opposed to spending a long time reading them. The tip is to focus on several relevant strengths pertaining to the job you are applying and keep them concise. Remember, quality better than quantity. Ramlee Bin Sulaiman Do not lie about your qualifications. A degree holder should not keep his qualification a secret when applying for a position that needs a lower qualification as the number of unemployed graduates are increasing and the competition to secure a job is high. Fong Hui Hui Limit your Resume to one or two pages. Include only relevant information. Set your objective in the Resume. Use buzz words. Check for spelling accuracy. Be consistent with the layout throughout the entire Resume. Have someone else read and comment on it before printing the final copy. Lim Theen Kin Resume is the first impression of you! A bad resume gives a bad impression. A good resume gives a good impression. Whenever you write a resume, keep your language simple and organized. A good resume must not have any typo error. If you need another person to proofread your resume, get it done. It is better to be cautious than to be sorry. Mazlan Muslim Keep your resume to the point and stress the important facts and figures that relate to the job you are looking for. Include IT-savvy items such as the use of spreadsheet and word processing software and other technical software for the relevant post. One's strength in language(s) and courses attended must be included, besides the academic credentials. Shirley Leong We do not have to be looking for a job to write a resume. A resume reflects our career profile, experience and skills that we acquire daily. Therefore, build and improve our resume as time goes by. At least when we are ready to look for a job opportunity, we already have an up-to-date resume to use. Tan Kok Hong Be precise with your job titles, roles and responsibilities. Do not over-sell yourself. Be short and straight to the point on your work achievements bullet points are recommended. Goh Ching Kai Always prepare a hard copy of your resume and other copies of useful documents. Many interviewers have your documents in their PC but they prefer to glance through those documents during interviews to look for things that they wish to know more from you instead of reading on the PC monitor. Goh Ching Kai Write down something unique about yourself. Some little experience in participating or organising any activity, be it official or just casual among your friends, will help. For example, organising a trip for your friends can be a tough task even if it not official. Just write itdown. Kugendran Shanmuganathan If you want to market yourself right, it begins with a well-drafted resume and honest details of what you have to offer. Kugendran Shanmuganathan Resumes are like brochures of yourself. They have to stand out from the competition if you expect to be sold (recruited) to the best in the industry. Alex Lee When mentioning achievements in a job, make sure the end result is S.M.A.R.T which are Specific, Measurable, Ambitious, Realistic and Time framed. However, do not overdo it and try not to be arrogant.

How To Write A Winning and Marketable Resume

"Your resume is the first point of contact with a prospective employer; so make sure it gives a good first impression" Do you know that a typical executive job advertisement in Saturday's The Straits Times Recruit page can easily attract an average of 100+ job applications? How would you like to stand out among the crowd and be selected for the interview? As a HR professional and certified resume writer, I have had the opportunity to vet thousands of resumes and sat in several recruitment interviews. What became obvious was that those outstanding resumes usually get the attention of the HR Manager faster and therefore put them ahead of the rest in terms of getting an interview and of course, the job offer. But what makes a resume outstanding? Basically, it answers the following questions, which most resumes do not: "Why should we hire you?" "What can you value add to our organisation?" "How can you best contribute to our company?"

Here are some additional tips which you may wish to consider before you submit another resume: 1. Start your resume with a summary of qualifications, which consist of three to five statements of your career experience. Unless you are a fresh graduate or intend to switch career, it is not appropriate to start your resume with an objective. I have observed that many executives, including senior management tend to overlook this, and miss out on the opportunity to highlight their best attributes right upfront, for example, " 15+ years of product marketing experience". 2. List your professional strengths next. Don't just give general statements but use keywords or buzzwords that companies and recruiters need to see, for example, "Marketing management", "Cost controls", and "Product training". 3. Highlight your achievements. Be clear and specific about what you have accomplished under different job positions or titles. Don't just state your job duties and responsibilities but go a step further to show the impact or results of what you have accomplished for the organization. Wherever possible, quantify your achievements, for instance, "increased sales turnover 80 percent through new product launch and innovative pricing strategies". 4. Having written your job responsibilities and achievements, you should then present your educational qualifications and training. The most common practice is to state the degree earned, name of university and year of graduation. Be true to what you say. For example, if you complete a three-year course but did not graduate, do not say that you have gotten the qualification. 5. Put some effort to make sure the overall layout or presentation of your resume gives a good visual appeal. Format your resume well. Choose the correct font size and layout to avoid too much white space. Also avoid cramming too much on one page. The overall effect should be that your resume projects a touch of class and professionalism. Do remember that your resume ought to be a "marketing masterpiece" and not just a mere collection of past histories. Your resume is the first point of contact that determines if you should be granted an interview. It is therefore important to put your best effort in creating a good first impression. For a free resume critique, please email your resume to steven@resumeasia.com. Confidentiality guaranteed and absolutely no obligation. by Steven Ho

Writing a Career Objective in a resume

If you must include an objective in your resume, make sure its not an afterthought-or a mere garnishing that does nothing to increase your chances of landing that job. "Shoot for the moon, and maybe land among the stars." This is the way most career objectives sound in the resume of inexperienced job seekers. Vague. Uncertain. Aiming for everything and nothing. That is why, some experts warn, "If you cannot say it clearly, don't say anything at all." Why is this problem so common? For most of us, a career objective is something thrown in-almost as an afterthought-when cooking up a resume. Something like a garnishing. An extra ingredient to spice things up. We think of it simply as an optional blank field we may choose to fill up with standard words in a standard format. Or, worse, with copied words from someone else's resume. But if a career objective is just garnishing, as some people think it is, then why is it always placed on the crucial first line of the resume? This is the first statement the recruiter reads, after your name and contact numbers. Is that strategic placement just an accident? On the other hand, if this line is so important, then why the cavalier treatment? The One True Objective This attitude-and the resulting vagueness-seems to come from the fact that most of us don't really know what we mean by career objective. Reading between the lines of expert opinions, we begin to see that they may really be talking about two different kinds of objectives: 1. A career objective for your life; and 2. A career objective for your resume Come again? Focus those glazing eyes, and let's take a closer look. The dictionary defines "career" as "a person's advancement through life, especially in a profession." Job-hunting guru Richard Nelson Bolles is probably one of the staunchest proponents of the idea that we should aim for our one, true desire in life-and state that as our career objective. No two minds about it. For him, that objective is the whole point of the job hunt. "Forget what is available out there. Go after what you really want," he advises boldly in the best-selling, annually updated book, What Color is your Parachute? Does he differentiate between one's objective in life and the objective stated in the resume? Since Bolles is one career expert who does not think that a resume is a necessity, a statement of career objective specifically for a resume is not even a relevant issue to him. In effect, he is saying that a resume is just an optional tool that a job seeker may choose not to use in the hunting process. It seems that if he has his way, he will do away with it completely. Go, figure. Still, he maintains that should a job hunter use one, he must make sure that he, the job seeker, "shines through" all the words he puts in his resume. In short, the resume should be tailored around the job hunter's career objective-his life objective-not the other way around. "Don't be a job-beggar," he says. "Be a resource person." Developing one's career objective in this vein is a hunter-driven process, which begins and ends with what the hunter is truly seeking. Tailor-Fit Your Objective to Your Resume On the other hand, other experts take off on the common and very practical perception that we have to work with "what is available out there." What are the jobs on the market that a job hunter can apply for? Which jobs can fit, more or less, with his general direction in life? Which jobs can help him, in a step-by-step way, move toward his life objective. For these experts, having several versions of a resume with several versions of a career objective is a real job-hunting necessity. Make sure that your career objectives will match the particular needs of the target employer, they advise. Makes a lot of sense, right? You do want a job, pay those bills. Hence, it is important to clearly identify the parameters that the job seeker can work around-certain combinations of the following key elements, depending on what he wants to stress: * The position (accounting, nursing) * The field (publishing, computer technology)

* The hunter's marketable skills (human relations, mathematical abilities) So as not to turn off those recruiters, heed these general guidelines for writing career objectives: * Be concise (but not so specific that you limit yourself too much). * Use verb phrases rather than sentences (Example: Seeking . . . rather than I seek). * Be sure the objective is compatible with the resume. * Demonstrate your value as a candidate and as an asset, not what you will get. In short, it is a market-driven process of developing objectives. The main aim is to make a hit with at least one of the available positions, in one of the open fields, with some of the hunters' marketable sets of skills. The lay of the land is defined by what the employers offer and the hunter must fit his objective(s) within this topography. Assess Yourself The trouble with most career objectives we read is that they wobble between these two kinds of objectives, undecided. It is probably better for a job seeker to approach the job hunt one way or the other, but not somewhere in between. That is the surest path to vagueness and awkwardness. In any case, though the experts differ on many things, they seem to agree on one thing. Always start with a comprehensive self-assessment. They are one in saying: Clarify your career objectives (whichever kind they mean) by clarifying who you are. So, lets get to the crux of the matter. After youve carefully assessed yourself, specifically your strengths and abilities, along with the tasks you have performed in previous jobs and how you intend to use them in the next one, what do you do next? The next logical step, of course, is to labor at phrasing your objective well, making sure it does not sound I-centered. Consider this example: A position as a sales engineer requiring superior skills in managing and monitoring sales and promotions of equipment to clients. Now, contrast this with: A position as a sales engineer, where I can enhance my skills in managing and monitoring sales and promotions of equipment to clients and eventually advance to higher positions. The difference between the two is obvious: the first is targeted at meeting the prospective employers needs; the second emphasizes what the job seeker hopes to gain from, not contribute to, the prospective employer. Keep in mind that similar positions could vary from one company to another. Therefore, you would do well to refrain from using job titles in career objectives. That way you dont limit your chances of being considered for the job that you want. This is not to say that very specific objectives have no use. If you really want a job that requires very specific skills, then, by all means, make your objective specific-but not limiting. This means your objective can apply to other jobs even if you must specify the skills that you think make you the perfect fit for the job youre applying for. In the end, it is the job hunter's call what to aim for and how to state his or her career objective. Helpful resources are everywhere, specifically on the Internet. And the market is out there for the hunting. by Adora C. Balmes

13 Tips to Writing the Right Resume

Coming up with a resume that makes jaded HR people sit up and take notice isn't as difficult as it sounds. The trick is to make sure it's worthwhile reading anytime. How to come up with a resume that works--now there's a dilemma shared by fresh graduates and working stiffs alike. What exactly do you put in and leave out to convince the HR manager that you will be a wise addition to their company ranks? It's a tough set of decisions to make, akin to those you make when going on a blind date: You worry yourself sick over what to wear, what perfume to use, what to say to make the other person like you. Writing resumes is, after all, fundamentally a marketing act. It's a way to advertise yourself and stand out in the marketplace crowd of similarly competent, qualified workers. Forget about being modest. As career specialist J. Michael Farr, writing in the online magazineVidBook.com, says, "Your resume is no place to be humble."

How then do you design yours so that it comes off not as a pompous recitation of accomplishments the way a politician may do his, but as a compelling summary of your most attractive qualities? Remember what your resume is not for: It's not meant to get you a job. Not yet, anyway. Its mission is to get you a job interview--which would hopefully lead to a job offer. But think of that as a long-term goal. First, your resume should be able to get your foot in the door by attracting the reader's attention enough to wangle an invitation for that first big looksee. HR practitioners thumb through countless resumes in the course of their work. How do you make yours so fetching it warrants a face-to-face encounter? Here's a 13step guide to constructing a professional resume that gets your foot in that all-important door. Gather your materials. Begin by putting everything down on paper--contact details, work history and accomplishments, academic background, seminars attended, honors received, skills and proficiencies, personal details, etc. Don't worry about organizing them at this point; just make sure you don't leave out anything major, substantial, or relevant. Pay particular attention to dates and places--say, periods of employment--as mistakes in these areas may leave an impression of sloppiness, or worse, fudging on your part. Start with your name and contact details. Your contact information should come right at the top of the resume after your name for easy and convenient reference by the reader. Include all possible contact details: postal address, landline and mobile phone numbers, fax numbers, and e-mail address. The last one is particularly important, because in these tech-savvy times, an email address shows that you are, at the very least, computer literate. State a job objective. A well-developed job objective statement "can be a useful way of demonstrating yourself to be a focused individual," says VirtualResume.com, an online job placement company. If you're responding to an advertisement, your job objective can be as simple as the position title (e.g., "Finance Manager"). But if you're aiming to keep your options open for other positions within a broad range of expertise, you can write a more general description of the work and corporate environment you want to focus on (e.g., "To apply my extensive experience in finance and administration to senior management positions in a highly motivated, forward-looking multicultural company"). Beware of generic objectives such as "employment in a position commensurate to my qualifications" or "to secure a regular position." Write a brief summary of qualifications. Cynthia Buiza, an HR and corporate communications officer at a Thailand-based NGO, says she appreciates resumes that provide upfront a concise summary of the applicant's qualifications. "I get the impression that the applicant knows his strengths very well, but more importantly, that he can help me evaluate his credentials in a paragraph or so." Such small gestures of consideration, she says, go a long way toward distinguishing a thoughtful resume from the run-of-the-mill. Your summary of qualifications should include: o o o o number of years of professional experience areas of expertise and career highlights (e.g., "at 26, youngest officer promoted to manager in bank history") unique skills and competencies (e.g., "part-time financials instructor at the SAP Academy") other information underlining your particular qualifications for the job

The summary's task is to make your credentials a cut above the rest. But make it brief; two or three sentences should do. Lead with your professional experience. Unless you are a new graduate, you should begin the body of your resume with an outline of your employment history, starting with your most recent work. List down all the jobs you've had, the company names, dates of employment, titles and responsibilities. "Don't censor this list; include everything," advises VidBook.com. A fairly straightforward rundown of your

professional experience emphasizes a strong and consistent work history. A choppy one, on the other hand, where you jump from one company to another within fairly short periods, or have unaccounted pockets of unemployment, will inevitably lead to questions about your work ethic, your sense of stability, company loyalty, etc. That's why it's best not to leave a gap. Account for everything, even for time spent outside of professional work (e.g., "1990-1993Full-time parent," or "1998-1999--Study and travel"). Highlight concrete achievements. When you describe your professional experience, don't just enumerate your job responsibilities. A comprehensive job description will only pad up your resume; save it for the interview. Instead, emphasize any major accomplishments you had chalked up in the job. Use numbers, figures, percentages if possible. At the September 1994 Professional Association of Resume Writers' Annual Convention in St. Louis, Missouri, USA (yes, there is such a thing), invited HR panelists were one in saying they searched for certain key words and phrases that provided a barometer of a potential candidate's qualifications. These words were active verbs that described the applicant as a results-oriented, dynamic individual, such as "accomplish, achieve, analyze, delegate, establish." In other words, describe your job in the active, not the passive, voice. Why say, for instance, "Directly responsible for coordinating community programs" when you can say "Managed community programs with P12-million annual budget, 4 employees, and 3 office branches; streamlined program operations, increasing revenues by 20% over a period of 3 months." Emphasize your educational preparedness. If you are a new graduate with no professional experience, lead with your academic background, honors, and extra-curricular activities. Don't believe the fillip that grades don't matter in the real world; in the beginning at least, they do. As Fred Damian, HR partner of Ernst & Young-Manila, explains, potential employers understandably give hiring priority to young people who have more or less proven themselves in academic tasks and school-related activities. Positions of responsibility in extra-curricular and community organizations are also reliable indicators of leadership and social interaction skills, he says. Thus, make sure they're all in your resume. Leave off the negative points. If you made it to the dean's list in the first semester of your first year and never made it again, it might be prudent not to include the details anymore. That is, unless you're prepared to admit during the interview that after a glowing start, you sputtered to a lame finish. Your educational background should always be positive and purposeful, to encourage the thinking that you are well prepared for the rigors of the corporate world. Include special skills and competencies. This is important, particularly in a highly competitive knowledge-based industry such as IT. In your resume, include the titles, dates, venues, and agenda of all your training activities and further education, whether formal or informal. Begin with the most relevant seminars. Be specific: don't just say "assorted computer training," when you can say "training in Visual Basic, SAP," etc. If you are fluent in more than one language, mention that fact, too. Either include references--or don't mention them. There are two schools of thought on this: One says it's necessary to include references. The other says this only lengthens the resume, and should therefore be available in another sheet of paper only upon request. Damian, however, advises against using the standard "References available upon request" line. "It's either you mention references, or none at all," he says. "What's the point of putting in a header for 'References' only to say 'Available upon request?'" But if you do include references, include as well their complete contact details especially telephone numbers and email addresses, and also the best time to get in touch with them. Use personal details sparingly. In the US where job-discrimination laws are wide ranging and explicit, "a potential employer has no legal right to request information about age, sex, race, religion, marital status, health, physical appearance, or personal habits," explains The Writing Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Such statutes have yet to find root locally, but it is best to leave out as much extraneous (read: personal) information as possible from your resume, to free up limited space. These include names and occupations of parents, hobbies and interests, birthplace, etc. Reserve them for the interview proper. Be concise. Resumes are often read in 30 seconds or less so be brief, straightforward and to the point. Use bullet points to underscore important information. Employ paragraph breaks, lines, and numbers. A standard resume should be no more than two pagesthree at most if you have extensive professional experience. Beyond that, your resume needs serious editing.

Proofread! There should be no typographical or spelling errors in your resume. When using numbers, re-check decimal places or the number of zeros. Punctuation and date formats should be consistent. For example, if you write "2 February 2000" in one section, don't write "March 5, 2000" in another. Make it an easy read. Your resume should also be visually appealing; a carelessly printed, sloppily designed resume will reflect disastrously on you. Thus, make it easy on the eye with lots of white spaces, a font no smaller than 10 in size, and at most two conservative typestyles (such as Times New Roman or Garamond). Underlined and bold text should be used sparingly--only to highlight significant information or to indicate section breaks. Another crucial point: Use a laser printer. With cheap laser printing services available even in neighborhood computer shops nowadays, there is no excuse for jet ink-printed resumes, which easily smudge or run off. Make sure that the printing is even, with no stray marks, splotches or blurred letters. Finally, use only high-quality bond paper--either white or off-white. Don't experiment with flashy colors such as blue or green, or with fancy graphics and visuals; stick to the simple and straightforward.

One more suggestion: Once written up, show your resume to friends or colleagues. Listen to their comments and suggestions, especially on how easy or difficult it is to find important information at a glance. Then consider all that when rewriting the final draft of your masterpiece. by Gibbs Cadiz

Tips on Crafting that Online Resume

The difference between the electronic resume and the printed version is who -- or what -- gets to see it first. The job hunter wanting to post online must first understand this difference before he can prepare a resume suited for an electronic medium. Without question, the Internet has revolutionized all aspects of modern living -- business operations, information gathering, the communication process, even how we pay our bills. Now, the Internet is even reshaping the hiring landscape. Just as you can now conveniently use the computer to shop or pay online, so can you use it to send your resume to potential employers. The electronic resume does not differ from the traditional printed version in purpose: Both are powerful selling tools that outline your work skills and experience so an employer can see, at a glance, how you can contribute to the company's growth. A marked difference There is, however, a marked difference in who -- or what -- gets to see it first: While the old-fashioned resume is written for quick skimming by the human eye, the Web -- or scannable -- resume is written to be searched by the digital eye. The job hunter wanting to post online must first understand this difference before he can craft a resume suited for an electronic environment. You may well ask: Is there really a need to prepare an electronic resume? With almost everything now being done via the Net, it would be foolish not to do so. An electronic resume is vital in today's times because an increasing number of businesses have started using the Internet for hiring purposes. In fact, about 80 percent of Fortune 500 companies reportedly already have a Web hiring presence, and the US-based research firm Internet Business Network estimates there are about 100,000 job-related sites online. And online recruitment isn't likely to fade away anytime soon either. For hiring managers, it represents convenience, efficiency and 24-hour connection to the job market. With automated resume submission, we are sure that we get the maximum number of applicants. We can reach out to as many prospective applicants as possible, stresses Dona Yap, the personnel head of a computer firm. With an electronic resume, therefore, you are well poised to take advantage of this boom in Internet hiring and send your

e-resume instantaneously to any potential employer in any part of the world. That is exactly what Singapore-bound freelance writer Vernie Reyes, who has been accepted as editor of a technical magazine there, did. The Internet is truly amazing. I just filled in my resume details and applied online. To my surprise, they contacted me, and eventually hired me for the job, she narrates. Still need convincing? Jobstreet.com, the leading e-recruitment site in the Asia-Pacific region, receives many success testimonials from jobseekers, saying they were able to land a job after registering their resumes with the website. Making a Web-compatible resume Okay, you're finally sold to the idea. Your next question: How do I make a Web-compatible resume that will impress the digital recruiter? Reyes, a veteran at online job application, says there are two ways of submitting your electronic resume: by direct e-mail to a hiring firm or by filling an electronic form and entering it in an online resume bank. Most companies rely on Internet career sites to help them make jobseeker matches. What's important to remember is that well-established websites usually have automated recruitment-management software that winnows the resumes against predetermined employment standards. At JobStreet.com, for instance, SiVA does automated searches and segregates resumes based on keywords that indicate the candidate's skill, education, knowledge levels and other specific standards set by the hiring employer. This enables the employer to save a sizable amount of time traditionally spent going through each resume and separating the qualified from the unqualified. Focus on nouns Programmer Ruby Alcala says that knowing this, you must remember to focus on nouns, not verbs. Computers do searches by scanning your resume for keywords and phrases describing skills and work experience needed for the job -and most of these are nouns, Alcala says. But while buzzwords are important don't forget the human aspect of your resume as well. Buzzwords help a lot in the initial scanning stage, but make sure you balance this with a description of your personality and attitude intended for human eyes, says recruitment officer Tristan Ocampo. This is because after the computer has done an initial search and drawn up the shortlist of qualified applicants, an HR officer will be the next to handle your resume. So be sure to include in it as well your competitive human qualities such as dependability, responsibility and initiative. If you wish to increase your selection chances, highlight relevant and related accomplishments, Ocampo says. Avoid potential screen-out elements such as unrelated work experiences or a list of brief jobs giving the impression you're a job hopper. Save as plain text On the file format, job seekers are enjoined to send their Web resumes in plain ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Exchange) text format to ensure all operating systems can read your resum. Some job seekers also develop resumes in HTML format so they can exist as a web page, and rather than submit an online resume, the applicant can just direct the employer to its URL address. When you are asked to submit by e-mail, always paste your resume into the body of an e-mail message. Attachments are not recommended, not only because the recipient's operating system may not be able to read it, but also because most employers are wary of them for fear of contracting viruses. Protecting your privacy

Now you know what it takes to tailor-fit a resume for the electronic medium. But one last thing before you hit that send button: Be warned that once released on the Web, your resume is fair game for browsing by anyone. So if you feel the need to protect your privacy, career counselor Pinky Madrigal suggests indicating only your e-mail address, withholding your personal address and phone number. Remember that once posted, your resume becomes a public document whose readership is beyond your control, Madrigal says. Or, you can choose a career resource website that asks your permission first before your resume is released for viewing. JobStreet.com, for instance, has the Truste seal which guarantees privacy and confidentiality for registered resumes. In essence, the jobseeker has the final say on who to send the resume to or who shall have access to its contents. With that in mind, start posting those online resumes!

Know Which Resume Type Suits You Best

Find out which of these resume styles suits most your particular job-seeker profile. Dont take your resume for granted! Any job-hunter worth his salt knows a good resume is the key to a job interview and, ultimately, to employed status. Aside from being a summary of abilities, experience and education, a resume should reveal your unique selling point to make a potential employer want to get to know you better. The secret of an irresistible resume -- it is suited to a specific job offer and addresses the positions requirements. A tailored resume carries more impact than a one-size-fits-all. If your resume is in need of a makeover, the first step to take is to organize information under specific headings such as education, work experience, honors, skills and activities. When you have it all on paper, decide on the proper resume format to play up outstanding qualities that make a perfect fit for the job opening. Take a look at the different kinds of resumes below and choose the one that suits your particular job-hunter profile: This format is the most conventional and puts emphasis on an itemized employment history. A job seekers career milestones are presented in reverse chronological order, starting with the current or last position held. Each position should contain a description of responsibilities and a few bullet points of accomplishments. This resume type is best for candidates with solid experience and progressive job history in a field or industry. It lends itself well to those with accumulated work experience relevant to the job offered and who want to continue along a similar career path. Below is the suggested format, but be sure to customize it according to the jobs requirements: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Objective Summary Employment History Education Professional affiliations Community Affiliations

Resume authorities agree that most employers prefer this resume style because it is based on facts and is easily digestible. It clearly demonstrates at a glance your career movements and progress over the years.

The functional resume is one that organizes work history into sections that highlight areas of skill and accomplishment. This resume variety allows candidates to give prominence to the set of skills and experiences they deem most relevant to the position. It may be a good choice for job hoppers, career changers and fresh graduates. Job hoppers can use it to help make sense of seemingly disconnected experiences and show correlation between skills and accomplishments not made obvious in a traditional chronological format. On the other hand, career shifters and recent graduates can utilize this resume type to display transferable skills and related achievements to convince employers of their suitability for the post.

This resume type often takes this format: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Objective Summary Skill Areas Employment History Education Professional Affiliations Community Affiliations

Be warned, however, that a functional resume could raise concerns that it hides information gaps and covers up spotty employment records. Employers might also encounter difficulties matching skills and accomplishments with actual job titles, dates and responsibilities. To avoid this, include the company name in the bulleted description of your accomplishments. Moreover, dont omit at least a brief chronological listing of your work experience in your functional resume. As the term implies, the combination resume tries to merge the best features of both chronological and functional types -incorporating both a chronological work history and a skills and achievements section. In this format, skills and accomplishments get top billing followed by employment history. However, experts caution that the combination resume may not sit well with some employers, who may find these longer resumes particularly repetitious and confusing. This format can be a good tool, however, for someone who possesses strong editing skills. Curriculum vitae The curriculum vitae is sometimes used interchangeably with resume. But by formal definition, curriculum vitae refers to a detailed, lengthy and structured outline of educational background, publications, projects, awards and work history. It could run up to 20 pages and is usually suitable for educators and scientists boasting extensive academic and professional credentials and seeking positions in education or research. Here is the recommended format for the curriculum vitae: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Education Publications Projects Awards Employment History

Electronic resume Simply put, the electronic resume is one that can be sent by e-mail or on the Internet, and is specially formatted for scanning and searching by optical scanning systems. This format is the one frequently used when sending resumes through electronic resume banks and job sites like JobStreet.com. The electronic resume can come in different file formats, but experts recommend the use of ASCII (or American Standard Code for Information Interchange) file formats as they are universally recognized by PC, Macintosh, UNIX workstations and mainframe terminals. The three most common ASCII (pronounced ASK-ee) file formats are plain text, rich text and hypertext. Each format has its own advantages and disadvantages. Plain text is the most popularly used format for resume transfers across computer systems and is identified by the .txt file extension. Its main drawback is, of course, its no-frills, plain-look format, which can be remedied with the use of asterisks and other special characters to achieve a bulleted effect. Rich text, identified by the .rtf file extension, provides more formatting options and is gaining grounds for its compatibility across word processors. Rich text is very convenient to use for existing resumes that are in word document or are sent as an email attachment. However, some destination computers may have email browsers that do not recognize this file format. If you are unsure about the read capability of a recipients e-mail system, you would do better applying plain text formatting. Hypertext, also known as a web page, is identified through the file extension .htm or .html. This file format requires a web

browser (like Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator) to view your resume. A major setback to hypertext resume is that it relies on self-promotion rather than on the support of a large recruitment site.