for a great resume

8/8/2019 For a Great Resume

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For a Great Resume!

On the Internet usually the CVs are send via e-mail to respective companies, but it

is still important that you carry a copy along with you during your preliminary

interview.

1. Use good quality paper for your CVs. After all you are describing youryears of hard-earned education and experience. Always value yourself.

2.Never send a badly duplicated photocopy of your CV. Even if you have tosend a photocopy ideally use a good copier and executive bond paper or

other similar quality.

3. Always remember to put your telephone no. If possible give an alternatenumber of your pager/mobile or email no

4. The section you should describe most is your work experience. Ideally giveyour job responsibilities point wise with sub headings. This would help to

describe the matter briefly as well as to the point.

5. Ideally restrict your CV to not more than three pages. After all you shouldhave some matter to talk about during your interview.

6. Check for spelling errors and grammatical mistake before you take a finalcopy of your CV as even a small error could cause an embarrassing situationfor you.

7. Remember to mention any awards / promotion or other recognition earnedby you in your previous work experience.

8. If you are a fresher than stress more on your education section and alsomention other additional qualification in detail. Give a brief description

about projects and extra curricular activities undertaken by you.

9.

Include sections like languages known, hobbies and interests, extracurricular activities, your positive points in brief.

10.Remember to include the exact time spent in each company supported bydates. Also give dates of completing each degree.

11.Some companies do ask for photographs so carry at least two-passport size


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photograph just in case you are asked to submit them.

12.Select a simple font with appropriate font size to give clarity and legibilityto your precious CV.

Follow These Basic Standards....

Your resume is the first interface you have with your employer. Make the most of

this opportunity............. The employment market is changing all the time and so

have resumes, evolving from a one-size-fits-all standard. Here are our tips to

convert your resume into a catching one.

Follow These Basic Standards....y Don't overcrowd your resume; allow for plenty of white space.y

Keep your resume to one page whenever possible.y Keep the number of fonts you use to a minimum -- two at the most.y Use a font that is easy to read. Times Roman works well.y Do not justify the lines of type on your resume. Allow the right side of the

page to "rag."

y Do not overuse capitalization, italics, underlines, or other emphasizingfeatures.

y Make sure your name, address, and a phone number appear on your resumeand all correspondence, preferably at the top of the page.

y Print your resume on white or cream paper using a good-quality printer.y Second- and third-generation photocopies must be avoidedy Print on one side of the paper only.

Avoid Mistakes:

SPELLING MISTAKES:To avoid spelling mistakes:

y Don't use words with which you aren't familiar.y Use a dictionary as you write.y Perform a spell check on your finished resume.y Carefully read every word in your resume.y

Have a friend or two proof read your resume for you.PUNCTUATION MISTAKES:Things to look for:

y Periods at the end of all full sentences.y Be consistent in your use of punctuation.y Always put periods and commas within quotation marks.y Avoid using exclamation points.


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GRAMMATICAL MISTAKES:Grammar hang-ups to watch for:

y Do not switch tenses within your resume.y The duties you currently perform should be in present tense (i.e., write

reports)

y Duties you may have performed at past jobs should be in past tense (i.e.,wrote reports).

y Capitalize all proper nouns.y When expressing numbers, write out all numbers between one and nine (i.e.,

one, five, seven), but

y use numerals for all numbers 10 and above (i.e., 10, 25, 108).y If you begin a sentence with a numeral, spell out that numeral (e.g. Eleven

service awards won while employed.).

y Make sure your date formats are consistent (i.e.11/22/01 or Nov. 22, 2001,or 11.22.01. Choose one and stick with it.).

y Choose YourWords Carefully:y Phrase yourself well:y Be on the lookout for the following easily confused words:y accept (to receive), except (to exclude)y all right (correct), alright (this is not a word)y affect (to bring about change), effect (result)y personal (private), personnel (staff members)y role (a character assigned or a function), roll (to revolve).y Use action words (i.e., wrote reports, increased revenues, directed staff).

REFERENCES:

In most instances it is not necessary to include names and address of references on

the resume. If you include a reference, make it sure that the referenced person

knows very well about you. It is also advisable to add the persons as references,

whom the employer can contact easily. If possible add the phone number and e-

mail ID of the reference. Never add a person as a reference, about whom you know

nothing

STICKTO THE POINT

Employers have a busy schedule, so don't expect them to read through a long

resume. Ideally, resumes should be of one page, or of two pages only if absolutely

necessary, to describe relevant work experience.


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WORDS COUNT

Use of language is extremely important; you need to sell yourself to an employer

quickly and efficiently. Address your potential employer's needs with a clearly

written, compelling resume. Avoid large paragraphs (five or six lines). If you

provide small, digestible pieces of information, your resume will be read. Use

action verbs. Verbs such as "developed", "managed", and "designed" emphasise

your accomplishments. Don't use declarative sentences like "I developed the ..." or

"I assisted in ...", leave out the "I". Avoid passive constructions, such as "was

responsible for managing". Just say, "managed": that sounds stronger and more

active.

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR EXPERIENCE

Employers need to know what you have accomplished to have an idea of what youcan do for them. Don't be vague. Telling someone that you "improved the

company's efficiency" doesn't say much. But if you say that you "cut overhead

costs by 20 per cent and saved the company Rs 20 lakh during the last fiscal year",

you are more specific.

HONESTY IS A GOOD POLICY

Employers will feel more comfortable hiring you if they can verify your

accomplishments. There is a difference between making the most of your

experience and exaggerating or falsifying it. A falsified resume can cost you theob later.

DOUBLE-CHECKFOR MISTAKES

Check your resume for correct grammar and spelling - evidence of good

communication skills and attention to detail. Nothing can ruin your chances of

getting a job faster than submitting a resume filled with preventable mistakes.

Make your resume easy on the eye. Use normal margins (1" on the top and bottom,

1.25" on the sides) and don't cram your text on the page. Allow for some space

between the different sections. Avoid unusual or exotic fonts. Preferred fonts:Arial and Times Roman & Verdana

15 Golden Tips


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The thought of writing a resume intimidates almost anyone. It's difficult to know

where to start or what to include. It can seem like an insurmountable task. Here

are 15 tips to help you not only tackle the task, but also write a winning resume.

1. Determine your job search objective prior to writing the resume. Once youhave determined your objective, you can structure the content of your

resume around that objective. Think of your objective as the bull's-eye to

focus your resume on hitting. If you write your resume without having a

clear objective in mind, it will likely come across as unfocused to those

that read it. Take the time before you start your resume to form a clear

objective.

2. Think of your resume as a marketing tool. Think of yourself as a product,potential employers as your customers, and your resume as a brochureabout you. Market yourself through your resume. What are your features

and benefits? What makes you unique? Make sure to convey this

information in your resume.

3. Use your resume to obtain an interview, not a job. You don't need to gointo detail about every accomplishment. Strive to be clear and concise. The

purpose of your resume is to generate enough interest in you to have an

employer contact you for an interview. Use the interview to provide a more

detailed explanation of your accomplishments and to land a job offer.

4. Use bulleted sentences. In the body of your resume, use bullets with shortsentences rather than lengthy paragraphs. Resumes are read quickly. This

bulleted sentence format makes it easier for someone to quickly scan your

resume and still absorb it.

5. Use action words. Action words cause your resume to pop. To add life toyour resume, use bulleted sentences that begin with action words like

prepared, developed, monitored, and presented.

6. Use #'s, Rs. and %'s. Numbers, dollars, and percentages stand out in thebody of a resume. Use them. Here are two examples:

* Managed a department of 10 with a budget of Rs.1,000,000.

* Increased sales by 25% in a 15-state territory.


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7. Lead with your strengths. Since resumes are typically reviewed in 30seconds, take the time to determine which bullets most strongly support

your job search objective. Put those strong points first where they are more

apt to be read.

8. Play Match Game. Review want ads for positions that interest you. Use thekey words listed in these ads to match them to bullets in your resume. If

you have missed any key words, add them to your resume.

9. Use buzzwords. If there are terms that show your competence in aparticular field, use them in your resume. For marketing people, use

"competitive analysis." For accounting types, use "reconciled accounts."

10.Accent the positive. Leave off negatives and irrelevant points. If you feelyour date of graduation will subject you to age discrimination, leave the

date off your resume. If you do some duties in your current job that don't

support your job search objective, leave them off your resume. Focus on

the duties that do support your objective. Leave off irrelevant personal

information like your height and weight.

11.Show what you know. Rather than going into depth in one area, use yourresume to highlight your breadth of knowledge. Use an interview to

provide more detail.

12.Show who you know. If you have reported to someone important such as avice president or department manager, say so in your resume. Having

reported to someone important causes the reader to infer that you are

important.

13.Construct your resume to read easily. Leave white space. Use a font size nosmaller than 10 point. Limit the length of your resume to 1-2 pages.

Remember, resumes are reviewed quickly. Help the reader to scan your

resume efficiently and effectively.


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14.Have someone else review your resume. Since you are so close to yoursituation, it can be difficult for you to hit all your high points and clearly

convey all your accomplishments. Have someone review your job searchobjective, your resume, and listings of positions that interest you.

Encourage them to ask questions. Their questions can help you to discover

items you inadvertently left off your resume. Revise your resume to

include these items. Their questions can also point to items on your resume

that are confusing to the reader. Clarify your resume based on this input.

15.Submit your resume to potential employers. Have the courage to submityour resume. Think of it as a game where your odds of winning increase

with every resume you submit. You really do increase your odds withevery resume you submit. Use a three-tiered approach. Apply for some

jobs that appear to be beneath you. Perhaps they will turn out to be more

than they appeared to be once you interview for them. Or perhaps once you

have your foot in the door you can learn of other opportunities. Apply for

jobs that seem to be just at your level. You will get interviews for some of

those jobs. See how each job stacks up. Try for some jobs that seem like a

stretch. That's how you grow -- by taking risks. Don't rule yourself out.

Trust the process. Good luck in your job search!

7 steps can change your future

Step 1 Summarize your Qualifications.

Step 2 Education

Step 3 Work Experience

Step 4 Additional Information

Step 5 References

Step 6 PowerWords

Step 7 The Cover Letter

Step 1 Summarize your Qualifications.

Summarize your qualifications by writing a summary paragraph that highlights

your professional background as it relates to the needs of the company. Hiring

managers need to see immediately that you have the skills and experience they

need. If an employer has to figure out what you can do for him, the odds are you


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won't get an interview.

Over 15 years of diverse and challenging experience, combined with powerful

presentation skills, a disciplined approach to the task at hand and the innate

ability to anticipate potential obstacles are attributes that contribute to a strongrecord of excellence and acknowledgement for "getting the job done."

An accomplished senior executive with outstanding credentials and a proven

record of resultsConstantly progressed in an organization that demands a

broad business perspective to achieve accelerated growth in sales and profits.

Fourteen years experience with a major international organization on a career

path which supported increased levels of responsibility in the areas of

management, communication and training.

Over 12 years of technical sales and marketing experience including: electroniccomponent sales knowledge of Unix, Pascal, Sun work station, Fortran new

software business start-up and market presentation international marketing

penetration.

The Objective

There is much debate regarding the inclusion/exclusion of a job objective-use

your judgment. It is usually placed right under the heading. The job objective is a

targeted, brief description of the specific kind of job you are seeking: legaladministrator, bookkeeper, medical transcriber, diesel mechanic, etc. Avoid

vagueness here, if you can't be specific leave it off the resume. It should be

specific to the point of repeating what the advertisement/announcement stated.

Since you may need a different resume for each opening you locate, you may also

need to change the job objective. You can always discuss your objective in the

cover letter.

Do not assume that any job objective is better than no job objective. If your

objective is vague or unfocused, you will appear unable to decide what you want

to do with the next part of your life. Target it to the specific kind of job you areseeking, e.g., secretary, bookkeeper, sales representative, medical transcriber,

backhoe operator, etc.

Example: Position teaching science and/or math at the secondary school level.

Position within a financial institution requiring strong analytical and

organizational skills. The profile is an alternative to an objective statement. It


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gives you the opportunity to present your strengths at the very beginning of the

rsum.

Example:Profile Marketing...Finance...Management

Eager to contribute to the growth of a progressive company with quality products

or services. Qualified by business education, customer service and administrative

experience. Professional appearance and advanced interpersonal communication.

Highly motivated, strong work ethic; available as needed for training, travel,

overtime, etc. Financed 80% of college tuition and expenses; additional 20%

through scholarships. In writing the major areas of your rsum, it is important to

emphasize your abilities and accomplishments more than past duties. You may

also want to indicate how well you performed. This will help infuse personal

qualities such as character and personality into your rsum.

Step 2 Education

This category is particularly important if you have not had a great deal of work

experience. Remember, your most recent educational experience should be listed

first.

Include your degree (A.S., B.S., B.A., etc.), major, institution(s) attended, date of

graduation, minors or concentrations, and any special workshops, seminars,

related coursework or senior projects. A G.P.A. of higher than a 3.0 (either

overall G.P.A. or G.P.A. in major) should also be noted here.

Step 3 Work Experience

If you are a student, recent college graduate or have limited paid work

experience, but have been involved in volunteer, internship, practicum or student

teaching work experiences, be sure to point this out to the employer. This is what

your skills are and what you can do on the job. Be sure to include all significant

work experience in reverse chronological order.

Note to teacher candidates: Be sure to include your student teaching experience

on your rsum.


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You should include:

1. The title of your position2. The name of the organization3. The location of work (town, state)4. The dates of jobs held

You should describe your work responsibilities with an emphasis on

achievements using action words to communicate your skills. List the most

important and related responsibilities first. Identify the most relevant work

experiences and describe them fully. Be brief with the irrelevant experiences or

omit them. It is sometimes useful to divide your work experience into two

categories: Relevant Experience and Other Experience. You may want to add that

work was performed to earn a certain percent of college expenses.

Example: Earned 75% of college expenses through the following part-time jobs

Step 4 Additional Information

This category is useful for displaying information that doesn't fit in any other

category. Although Interests, ComputerKnowledge, and Activities can be

separate categories, especially if they are very strong, they can be listed here as

well. Languages spoken, or any extra, relevant bit of information can be placed

here as well.

InterestsThis is sometimes used to evaluate your suitability to a geographic area or to

understand your "personality type". Include this section if you have available

space. Include social or civic activities, health and fitness or sports activities, or

hobbies which indicate how you spend your leisure time. ComputerKnowledge:

If using computers is a necessary skill for the job you are seeking, be sure to

highlight your knowledge in this section.

Example:

Databases: Oracle 8.x, SQL Server, Sybase

Client/Server: PowerBuilder 3.x/4.x/5.x/6.x/7.x,

Visual Basic Oracle Skills: SQL, PL/SQL, Replication, Database

Administration, Oracle Web toolkitWeb skills: HTML, XML, Sybase EA Server, PowerDynamo, Power Site,

Jaguar Component Transaction Server, Oracle Application

Server Data modeling: ErwinObject modeling: Rational Rose, BPWin


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Hardware: Sun Workstations Operating Systems: Windows NT,

UNIX Programming Languages: Java, C, C++, Perl

Activities, Honors, and Leadership are also important categories to include. If the

activities involved work responsibility, note it in some detail. The employer is

interested in the skills you have developed whether through volunteer or paid

experiences. If you were elected to offices or committees, mention it. Recognition

and demonstration of leadership roles are valuable.

Step 5 References

Be sure to ask individuals if they would be willing to be a reference for you prior

to mentioning their names to prospective employers. Names of individuals are not

usually listed on the rsum (unless there is space available at the end), but you

should prepare a typed list of three references to provide at the interview. This listshould include name, title, employer, address, business and home telephone

number. You may also state at the bottom of your rsum "References furnished

upon request."

Step 6 Power Words

Employers today want to know concrete things about you, and what you can

produce. Most rsums today are filled with empty generalizations, failing to be

distinguished in any way from the crowd of respondents. By beginning sentences

with Action orPowerWords, you are showing employers you are capable oftactical strategic thinking and have proven results. Here are some PowerWords

to get you started:

y acceleratedy accomplis

hed

y achievedy adaptedy

administered

y analyzedy approvedy conceivedy conductedy completed

y masteredy motivatedy operatedy orderedy originatedy

organizedy participate

d

y performedy pinpointedy plannedy prepared


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y controlledy coordinate

d

y createdy

delegatedy demonstrat

ed

y designedy developedy directedy earnedy effectedy eliminatedy establishedy evaluatedy expandedy expeditedy facilitatedy foundy generatedy implement

ed

y improvedy

increasedy influencedy initiatedy inspectedy instructedy interpretedy launchedy ledy lecturedy maintainedy managed

y producedy programme

d

y proposedy

provedy providedy proficient

in

y purchasedy recommen

ded

y reducedy reinforcedy reorganize

dy revampedy reviewedy revisedy scheduledy simplifiedy set upy solvedy streamline

dy structuredy supervisedy supportedy surpassedy taughty trainedy translatedy usedy utilizedy wony wrote

Step 7 The Cover Letter


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Never send a rsum without a cover letter. The purpose of a cover letter is to

express your interest in an organization and to request an interview. The opening

paragraph must get the reader's attention and interest in your employment

potential. This paragraph should also refer to the specific position sought and

areas in your background that make you an attractive candidate for it.

The development section (usually one or two paragraphs) highlights specific

aspects of your education, training, and experience that relate to the position or

organization to which you are applying. It also refers the reader to your enclosed

rsum for further details.

The concluding paragraph should request action by the reader. You should

request an opportunity to meet with the person to discuss your qualifications and

employment potential in greater detail. Include information on how you can be

contacted by providing both day and evening phone numbers.

Important: If you are expecting a prospective employer to contact you at home

and you have an answering machine, this may be a good time to review your

outgoing message. This is the employers first contact with you. Be sure your

outgoing message is respectable

Email - Makes it easier .. !!

Email was a differentiator at first (mid 90's).W

hen you emailed your resume, youstood out from the crowd as "net savvy." By the late 90's, email became the

"standard" way to reach someone.

Now, email is largely a nuisance unless someone is expecting a message from

you.

So, what should you do?

1. Follow the employer's directions, if any are given.

If they specify a "receiving" address on the job posting or the Website, send your

resume to that address. If they have specified what goes into the subject line of

the message (like the job posting number), be sure to do that, too.

This isn't limiting your ability to do some "guerilla marketing" in addition to the

following-the-rules process to help you stand out from the crowd. However, it is


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demonstrating that you are capable of following directions and have some respect

for their processes. So follow the directions and also use your other approaches, if

appropriate. (See #7 for another idea)

2. Don't use your current work e-mail address (if you are still employed) for

sending your resume to a new employer.

This is a very good way to become unemployed (most employers monitor email

traffic, so they'll see that resume go out)! And, it doesn't show a new employer

that you are very loyal or respectful of your current employer. Doesn't make you

a very appealing applicant.

3. Send a separate message to each potential employer. Even though it may

be easy to do, don'tdo mass emailing.

Messages with multiple addresseees are a sure way to trip a spam filter's alarm

and very bad 'netiquette to boot. If you're not careful, it can reveal all the other

employers you are courting and demonstrate that you are not willing to spend

much effort on any of the employers listed.

In addition, a cookie-cutter message will not be focused on that specific

opportunity (the requirements of the job, the employer's situation, etc.). So, it

may not get through, and if it does get through, it won't be effective.

4. If possible, send your email on Tuesday or Wednesday.

The weekends, Mondays, Fridays, and late Thursdays are typically times with a

high volume of spam, and your message may get lost in the junk.

5. Use plain text format.

If your email software lets you choose a font face, do bolding, and add a pretty

background to your outgoing messages, you are using HTML email. Not good.

HTML email can trigger the spam filters and often looks different on someoneelse's computer, so use plain text. It's safer from both a technical and a usability

perspective.

So, change the format of your email to plain text when you are sending out a

resume or corresponding with an employer.


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[With Outlook Express, be sure that the black dot is beside the words "plain text"

when you look at the drop-down list under "Format" in the New Message

window's toolbar.]

6. Copy the plain text version of your resume into the body of your email.

Unless directions from the employer specify otherwise, this is the safest way to

send a resume via email. You need to copy the plain text version of your resume -

not the Word (or other word processing software) document. See Job-Hunt's

"Converting a Word Resume into ASCII Text" article for step-by-step directions.

7. Look for alternative ways to reach people.

Use the Internet to reach the employer, and then follow up offline.

For example, if you want to work in the sales department of a company, find the

VP of Sales on the company Website, and then call the company to verify that the

person is still there and still VP of Sales.

Once you know the name of the person in that key position, send a "beautiful

resume" (Joyce Lain Kennedy's term from her latest resume book) via snail mail -

NOT email. Your "beautiful resume" is the one in word processing format, with

bullets and bolding and a fancy layout - designed to showcase you and your

capabilities.

Tips on e-mailing - from my Experience

an HR who receives thousands of resumes daily

Today sending resumes through e-mails is the most effective & fastest way of

job hunting. If you notice your resume getting rejected frequently and

inadequate responses to your emails, go through the following ten tips to

increase the effectiveness of your resume.

1.While applying for a job, as far as possible try to put the company's mailID in

the 'TO' column instead of keeping it in the 'CC' or 'BCC' column.

2.Do not keep any other company's mailID in the 'CC' of the same mail.


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3. If necessary you can keep your own mailID in the 'CC' of the same mail.

4.While sending resumes to many E-mail Ids at the same time, keep all the

addresses in the 'BCC' of the mail which will not be visible for the recipients.

Also put your own mailID in the 'TO' column.

5. You can paste your resume in the mail Text or can be attached as a document

unless it is specifically mentioned.

6.While applying for any company's notifications, do follow the instructions

word by word.

7.When you are asked to write any particular 'subject line', write exactly what is

being asked to do. This is Very very important because today all the mail boxes

are attacked by spam & virus mails and the recipient will be filtering your mailsautomatically/manually based on the mail subject only.

For eg. When you are asked to write the subject 'Software Engineer-Bangalore",

write exactly that and do not write "I am applying for the post ofSoftware

Engineer - Bangalore"

8. Also try to write the important part of your subject at the beginning because

in the recipient's mail box the longest subjects will be truncated and only the

first part will be displayed.

For eg. Instead of writing 'My Freshersworld.com registration no. is cse12345'

try writing 'cse12345 - Freshersworld.com Registration no.'. Please note here

that the company will be looking only for your registration no. and it is better if

you write just " cse12345 ".

9.Pls note that all your casual mails with the subject 'Freshers Resume' or

'Registration details ' will be summarily deleted and do not spend time on

sending such mails where the notification asks you to put specific 'subject'.

10.Do not send the mail 3 or 4 times in order to make sure it reaches correctlywhich may irritate the recipient. Instead, in the first mail itself put your own

mailID in the 'BCC' and check if the mail is received properly.


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Do's & Dont's of emailing Resume.. !!

Today sending resumes through e-mails is the most effective & fastest way

of job hunting. If you notice your resume getting rejected frequently and

inadequate responses to your emails, go through the following ten tips toincrease the effectiveness of your resume.

1.While applying for a job, as far as possible try to put the company's

mailID in the 'TO' column instead of keeping it in the 'CC' or 'BCC'

column.

2.Do not keep any other company's mailID in the 'CC' of the same mail.

3. If necessary you can keep your own mailID in the 'CC' of the same mail.

4.While sending resumes to many E-mail Ids at the same time, keep all the

addresses in the 'BCC' of the mail which will not be visible for the

recipients. Also put your own mailID in the 'TO' column.

5. You can paste your resume in the mail Text or can be attached as a

document unless it is specifically mentioned.

6.While applying for any company's notifications, do follow the

instructions word by word.

7.When you are asked to write any particular 'subject line', write exactly

what is being asked to do. This is Very very important because today all

the mail boxes are attacked by spam & virus mails and the recipient will be

filtering your mails automatically/manually based on the mail subject only.

For eg. When you are asked to write the subject 'Software Engineer-

Bangalore", write exactly that and do not write "I am applying for the post

ofSoftware Engineer - Bangalore"

8. Also try to write the important part of your subject at the beginningbecause in the recipient's mail box the longest subjects will be truncated

and only the first part will be displayed.

For eg. Instead of writing 'My Freshersworld.com registration no. is

cse12345' try writing 'cse12345 - Freshersworld.com Registration no.'.

Please note here that the company will be looking only for your registration


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no. and it is better if you write just " cse12345 ".

9.Pls note that all your casual mails with the subject 'Freshers Resume' or

'Registration details ' will be summarily deleted and do not spend time on

sending such mails where the notification asks you to put specific 'subject'.

10.Do not send the mail 3 or 4 times in order to make sure it reaches

correctly which may irritate the recipient. Instead, in the first mail itself put

your own mailID in the 'BCC' and check if the mail is received properly.

ASCII Text mail is more acceptable .. !!

Follow these step-by-step instructions and you'll have a perfectly clean ASCII

text resume.

Use this version of your resume for e-mail, unless you have received specific

directions from the recruiter/employer to use another format. This is also the

version of your resume that you will use most often to cut-and-paste into the

resume forms on Web job sites.

Converting a Word document to ASCII text:

1. Spell check and then re-save your resume in your word processingprogram (e.g. Word) before you move to the next step.

2. Open a simple text editor like Notepad (on the PC, under Start >Programs > Accessories > Notepad) or SimpleText (on the Mac)

3. Start Word (or your word processing program if you're not using Word),if it is not already open.

4. In Word (or your word processing program), open the file for yourresume. If you make any changes, be sure to double-check your spelling

and grammar before you save the file.

5. Highlight all the text in yourWord document by -o Clicking on Edit > Select All, oro Using your mouse to run from the top of the file to the bottom, oro On yourPC, holding down the Control and the "a" keys


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simultaneously.

Highlight -- You will know that the text is highlighted because the

background and letters of highlighted content are in reverse from th

normal state (black background with white letters is the highlighted

state for normal black letters on a white background).

Don't let your mouse "touch down" anywhere in the document's

window, or the highlighting will go away, and you will have to start

over again.

o6. Copy the highlighted text into your computer's temporary storage (the

"Clipboard" in a PC) by -

o Clicking on Edit > Copy, oro On yourPC, press the Control and the "c" keys simultaneously.

7. Move to your simple text editor, most probably Notepad (step 1, above),and paste the copy of your resume file into this new editor.

o Click inside the Notepad window, and theno Click on Edit > Paste, oro On yourPC, press the Control and the "v" keys simultaneously.

8. Save as plain text.o Select File > Save As, and theno Name the file resume.txt (or whatever.txt), witho in Notepad, Text Documents selected as the "File of Type"

9. You aren't done yet! You need to adjust the text to make it more readableand interesting

You will notice that your resume, in Notepad, is not as "pretty" as it was

before. That's because it is now plain text. All special formats, like

bolding and italicizing, have been removed, as have any graphics or other

non-text elements. (Now you know why it is called "plain" text!) This is a

good thing! At least, for e-mail, it is. You can, and should, take some

steps to improve the way ASCII text looks. It still won't be beautiful, but

it will be more acceptable.


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.

How To Write a Good Cover Letter

Your resume should always have a good COVER LETTER attached, as a

personal communication between you and the individual who receives the

resume.

Many job hunters are intimidated by the task of writing a cover letter, but it's

not that hard if you think of it as just a friendly, simple communication from

one person (who's looking for a good job) to another (who's looking for a good

employee). It is in the interests of both parties to make a good connection!

1.Be sure to address your cover letter --by name and title -- to the personwho could actually hire you. When it's impossible to learn their name, use

their functional title, such as "Dear Manager." You may have to guess ("Dear

Selection Committee") but never say "To whom it may concern" or "Dear Sir

or Madam"!

2.Show that you know a little about the company, and that you are aware of

their current problems, interests, or priorities.

3. Express your enthusiasm and interest in this line of work and this

company. If you have a good idea that might help the employer resolve aproblem currently facing their industry, offer to come in and discuss it.

4.Project warmth and friendliness, while still being professional. Avoid any

generic phrases such as "Enclosed please find." This is a letter to a real live

person!

5.Make a personal linkto a specific individual in that company, if at all

possible -- also called "name dropping." For example, "My neighbor, Phil

Lyons, works in your research-and-development department, and from what he

tells me about the company and its current directions, I think I could be a good

fit for your team."

6.Set yourself apart from the crowd. Identify at least one thing about you

that's unique -- say a special talent for getting along with everybody at work, or

some unusual skill that goes beyond the essential requirements of the position -


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- something that distinguishes you AND is relevant to the job. (Then, if several

others are equally qualified for the job, your uniqueness may be the reason to

choose YOU.)

7.Be specific about what you are asking for and what you are offering.Make it clear which position you're applying for and just what experience or

skill you have that relates to that position.

8.Take the initiative about the next step whenever possible, and be

specific. "I'll call your office early next week to see if we could meet soon and

discuss this job opening," for example. OR -- if you're exploring for UN-

announced jobs that my come up -- "I'll call your office next week to see if we

could meet soon, to discuss your company's needs for help in the near future."

9.Keep it brief-- a few short paragraphs, all on one page.

Fivetips for an effective cover letter:

You need an effective cover letter. Your resume can be impressive. But if

your cover letter isn't impressive, it's entirely possible that your resume will

never get read. First impressions are lasting impressions. The cover letter you

attach to your resume and send to an IT company or public sector firm must

make the very best impression possible. If you do it right, your resume will beread and you might get an interview. Do it wrong and your resume won't be

looked at all. That's how important a cover letter is. Most people spend about

thirty seconds reading a cover letter, so it has to make your case clearly and

effectively.

1. Emphasize the skills required. Your cover letter should make very clear

that you have the skills and the experience for the position you are applying

for. State this in the first paragraph.

2. Make no mistake about it The most important caveat in a cover letter?Absolutely no errors! Your cover letter must be perfection itself. A typo, a poor

printing job, a misspelling - mistakes will make a poor impression because

they imply that you don't care. Never hand write a cover letter. Never!

3. Use a word processor. Prepare your cover letter on a computer using

MicroSoft Word. Don't have a computer? Borrow a friend's or go to a business


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center and rent one for an hour or two!

4. Avoid fancy fonts. You are not creating a flyer or a poster. So use a

business font such as Arial. No colors. Black on white reproduces easily. Use a

plain white paper. No deckled finishes or colors either. Print your cover letterand resume on a laser printer. DeskJet printer ink smudges.

5. Keep it short. Your cover letter should be one page in length and perfectly

centered. The cover letter and resume are never folded. They are placed in an

envelope large enough to accommodate them unfolded.