Your resume is one of the most important documents you can create when you are job hunting; it can mean the difference between getting the interview and been rejected right from the start. Your resume should be clearly written and polished to perfection with a good clear style and format which showcases your positives  and all your achievements. There are however some things that you should not put on your resume.

Job interviews

Choosing when to talk about a disability can be a problem when attending interviews; if the disability is obvious then the only issue is when to bring it up and talk about it. If the disability is hidden then you have to decide at which point during the interview if any do you make it known. Points to think about before you attend the interview are:

If your disability is hidden

If your disability is hidden then this poses a different set of problems, most of us would probably be tempted not to disclose the disability before attending the interview or even during the interview itself. Interviewers are required by law not to ask if you have a disability but this doesn’t mean they can’t bypass this and find out in a round about way.

Job Hunting

Most people will have basic knowledge of where and how to look for a job but here is a basic guide to helping you get the most out of your job search:

• Job/career centres – Job centres will usually provide a wide variety of different types of jobs and new openings are posted on a regular basis so it is well worth visiting on a regular basis if you are serious about looking for work. Staff working in the centres is there to assist you in looking for your particular line of work and to help you arrange interviews and offer advice and support in your search.

Career centres differ in that they usually help people searching for work up to the age of 21 though some now also help older people, career centres will usually have jobs that are specifically aimed at younger people and which are not advertised by the job centre.

Job interviews

You chances of being hired are increased greatly if you come across as being confident, successful and competent at your interviews yet you are been placed at an unfair advantage for people to see you in your best light because the interviews are usually stressful and nerve racking.

There is not much that can be done about that other than try and remain calm and collected and don’t get flustered, for your interviews to be a success you have to learn how to manage them comfortably and remain in control. Here are five key strategies to help you achieve success:

Job resumes

What is a resume?

A resume is a short one or two page summary of the achievements, skills and experience you have, it is a step towards getting an interview for a job. In order for you to write a successful resume it is helpful to know what employers look for, how to prepare your resume and what action words to include in it for maximum benefit.

An effective resume

The resume should clearly state your name, address and contact phone numbers clearly in bold on the top of the page, it should then include a brief objective about the kind of work you want and are qualified to do. The degrees or awards you earned in education should then be listed followed by your work experience. Lastly any other information you think is relevant should be listed such as, any special skills, leadership experience or participation in sports or events.

Curriculum vitaes & resumes

The big difference between a resume and a CV is the length, content and general purpose. A resume should be one or two pages long and include your achievements, skills and education while a CV is two or more pages and is more detailed and should include details of your educational background, experience, publications, achievements, awards and any other details relevant to the position you’re seeking.

When you would use a CV?

You would generally use a CV instead of a resume when applying for jobs in the academic, educational, and scientific or research fields. Just as with a resume there are different types of CV’s depending on the position you are going for.

Electronic resumes

An E-resume is an electronic version of your resume specifically to be used and read online using a computer, because e-resumes are so versatile they have become very popular with both job seekers and employers alike. The benefits of an online resume are:

• It can be read from a computer anywhere
• It can be saved on your hard disk or a removable disk
• It can be sent anywhere over the internet
• It can be found by search engines when it is online with a e-resume service
• It can be converted into different file types for use in different applications, such as databases
• It can be printed out when needed

Why are e-resumes successful?

Online resume databases are essentially online filing cabinets which vary in complexity from simply being stored online to allowing potential employers and recruiters to:

Job interviews

Dressing for an interview just requires a bit of common sense and a little knowledge of fashion, when asked what to wear to an interview most people will say to dress a little on the conservative side.

What you wear however should relate to the person you are and shouldn’t really be the focus point of the interview, having said that there are a few unwise choices and clothing or accessories that should definitely be avoided.

Job searching

Most employers will doubt that you can back up claims you make of your skills and achievements, they will have probably looked through thousands of portfolios when recruiting for jobs and have been let down more than once. When your resume lands on the employer’s desk they aren’t likely to give you the benefit of the doubt no matter how good your claims are so the best way to go is by producing a portfolio which can back up any claims you make in your resume.

What does a portfolio consist of?

A portfolio is simply a collection of your achievements and work which includes classroom, volunteer and internship all neatly put together and presented in a three ring binder which you can then bring with you to interviews that you attend. During interviews you can then present your portfolio to the interviewer to back up what you said in your resume about any experience, skills and education that you have.

Job interviews

What is a behavioural interview and how do you know if your interview is or will turn into a behavioural interview? The answer is simple and a clear guide to a behavioural interview is when the interviewer says to you “so tell me about a time when…”

The interviewer will use the behavioural interview technique as a guide to your future success based on your past experiences. Simply put this means that if you have done well in past experiences then the chances are that you will do so again in the future. An example would be if you told the interviewer you saved the company you’re working for now money by cutting back on certain aspects then he/she will think there’s a good chance you could do the same for them.