What Not To Put On Resumes

1. Remember not to share the negative aspects of your previous work history; you don’t have to share everything with your potential employer unless specifically asked. While you should not lie, you must make an effort to always protray yourself in the best possible light. That’s what your resume is all about.
2. While employers like seeing a well rounder personality, you don’t need to give them your whole life story. Don’t list too many hobbies. Yyou can list a couple of interests but don’t get too carried away. A resume is meant chiefly to highlight your professional experience, so concentrate on this.
3. Generic objectives must be avoided. Always remember to tailor your career objective according to the company and position that you are applying for. This will show the prospective employer that you are keen about the role at their company and not just applying to any and everyjob that comes your way.
4. Don’t list too many short lived jobs as potential employers might worry about your level of commitment. Short stints at jobs cause employers to worry as they believe you might not stick around for too long if offered a poition in their company either.  If these short stints of work was through a temporary agency then list the agency as the employer and any work for them on a short term basis list as projects or assignments.
5. If your GPA is particularly low, you need not mention it in your resume. This is only relevant for the first couple of years after you graduate from college, after which it becomes irrelevant and your work experience gains more importance. However if the position you are going for relies heavily on education then it might be in your best interest to include your GPA unless of course it is very low.
6. Don’t list any information that could be even remotely controversial, this included things such as religious beliefs, sexual preference or anything to do with political beliefs.
7. Don’t list more experience than the position you are applying for needs. If the employer is asking for 5 years of experience then make sure you list 5 years of good positive working experience. If you have more experience, simply describe this in brief.
8. Details of your high schoolresults are almost never needed especially if you have gone onto further education such as college so you can safely leave this out of your resume.

Create your resume such that it portrays you in the best light possible. Never lie on your resume but it is wise to avoid unnecessary negative details as well.

A resume is the most vital part of any successful job hunt, it is the only link between you and your potential employer, and the resume could make the difference between getting the interview and losing it. Your resume has to have something to catch the employer’s eye and make it stand out from others as this is the only contact you will have between you and the employer at this stage and it is the deciding factor to gaining the interview.

The potential employer will probably receive hundreds of resumes for the job so of course it is better if you stick to the facts and highlight your best features keeping the resume as short as you possibly can. Always keep in mind the main aim of the resume is to get you the interview and then you can impress the employer in person.

Essential things your resume should include

• Your name in full, no shortening of first names
• Landline and mobile telephone numbers for contact
• Any work experience that you have had
• Any qualifications that you have achieved
• Any references from previous employers
• Any professional memberships
• Any technical or language skills you haven’t

Important points to remember

Try to keep your resume to just a couple of pages in length, quite often an employer will not even attempt to read a long resume and could even just leave it to one side with barely a glance if it is long. Always start with the present and you most recent history this is what the employer will be more interested in then work back through the years, try and keep your style of writing consistent for example the way you write dates.

The way you present or layout your resume is very important, it has to be easily readable, you should leave plenty of space and good size margins at the top, bottom and sides is essential to the layout.

Presentation of your resume can make a big impact and if you are going to be printing several copies then make sure you print them on the highest setting available and that you use the best quality white paper.

If you decide to email the resume take into account the formatting and use as little formatting as possible when writing your resume, this way it will look as good when your employer receives it as it does on your computer.

For each previous job you had mention what you liked about the job, what you learned from it and what you contributed to it, Include any special software or programs that you have skills in and duties you were assigned that show an advancement over time. Remember not to over inflate your achievements as this could sound like you are being big headed and always remember your reference will be probably be checked should you be successful in gaining an interview.

Overcoming lack of work experience

Point out your other strong selling points such as achievements, awards, tasks done in school, college and in the community. The skills you gained are more important than whether it was paid or voluntary work and where and when they were achieved. Remember over a period of time you may gain new skills that could benefit you so keep your resume up to date.

Resume banks can be a winner for everyone they can match those looking for jobs with jobs offered by employers, the employer gets a list of potential candidates that meets the requirements for the job without too much stress and the job seeker finds a job matching his/her requirements from their resume.

When thinking of listing your resume in a resume bank you first have to evaluate the site that will be storing your resume in their bank.

Resume banks vary some offer a free service while others charge and will give you software with which to enter your qualifications through a strict system, this however promises a better chance of matching you with the job you want.

As a job seeker you will have to decide if the right kind of employers you are looking for will be searching the bank you are using.

Points to consider before joining a resume bank

• Does the resume bank specialise in the type of work I’m looking for? – There are specialised resume banks that clearly define specific qualifications and requirements attracting certain employers to them.
• Does the resume bank have people from different fields? – General resume banks attract a wider range of employers in general from any industry or field.
• How large a talent pool does the resume bank have? – Is the talent pool in the resume bank large or small, the larger and better qualified the talent pool is the better the chance is that employers will take the time to search it on a regular basis.
• What kind of employers search the resume bank and how many? – The more varied the employers searching the bank the better it will be for you.
• Do the employers have direct access to the resumes in the bank? – Some resume banks have a third party to search the resumes for candidates that match while others allow employers to conduct the search themselves. Resume banks that allow employers to search themselves are better.
• Does the resume bank provide you with feedback? – Look for a resume bank that keeps you informed about how many times your resume has been viewed by employers, that way at least you know they are looking even if you haven’t yet been asked to attend an interview.
• If information you want is not listed on the resume site – Look for an e-mail address or telephone number so you can contact them before signing up.
• Ask others which resume bank service they have used and how successful they were.
• Look around before you sign up for one, the quality of resume banks vary greatly.

Making the decision

Once you have evaluated some resume bank sites then you have to make the decision to go for it or not, a point to remember is that many employers will also be asking themselves the same question.

Hiring and job searching is still a very personal and complex procedure even with advancing technology, the end result is still the same you have to catch the employers eye then convince them that you are the best candidate for the job.

Resume banks are just one tool to help you to improve the odds of getting your foot in the door in the first place.

Another point to remember is that while a resume bank might help in your search it isn’t going to do all the work for you and you should still actively search for work yourself while increasing your chances by using the resume bank.

Here are some helpful tips to remember when you submit your resume online:

Check your resume thoroughly

Before you submit your resume make sure you go over it with a fine tooth comb and check for any spelling mistakes and typing errors, if there are mistakes in it, it will show that you don’t pay attention to detail. Your resume is your chance to impress a potential employer and first impressions count for a lot.

Never use shorthand and acronyms

Avoid any kind of “cute” stuff in your resume such as emoticons, shorthand or acronyms, also never type your resume in all capital letters. The only time when capital letters could be used is in headings on your resume.

Get help writing your resume

If you are unsure about how to write a resume then get help, there are some resume writing services out there that will go over you resume for a small fee and those that will write your entire resume for you including cover letters, of course these are expensive but if you are really stuck then it may be worth the money.

Resume writing software

If you can’t afford to pay to have your resume written for you then you could purchase resume writing software, which is a lot cheaper but makes writing your resume a lot easier. Some resume writing software packages are a complete job searching tool that can help you to search several job banks at once, distribute your resume online and keep track of where you posted it, write cover letters and thank you notes, keep a track of contacts and interviews and give you practice for interviews using virtual reality.

Remember where you submit your resume

Keep a written record of where you submit your resume you don’t want to be submitting to the same place more than once, this will make you look unorganised. By keeping track you can also go back and modify your resume or withdraw it if needed, you will also be able to re visit the sites and find out where you are the getting the most responses from your resume.

Always include a cover letter if possible

If possible when you submit your resume always include a cover letter with it, submitting a cover letter will make you look professional and it should be standard practice. Also follow up any interviews that you have by writing a thank you note a few days after the interview.

Update your resume on a regular basis

Recruiters and employers have been known to overlook older resumes and jump on newer ones that have been submitted, if your resume is being overlooked then go back into the site and update it.

Most sites have an edit option and this usually flags the resume as being updated or new, even if you don’t have any new information to add just change the wording a little it will still be flagged as updated and might draw the attention of employers looking for newer resumes.

Maybe you are just starting out in the job hunting world or have been in a position for many years and for one reason or another you now find yourself having to start job hunting all over again, whatever the reason you have something in common and that is writing a resume.

But how do you know which resume is the right one for you, as you look deeper into resume writing there just doesn’t seem to be a “general” resume. Resumes are something personal they have to show you at your best and the achievements or skills that you have earned.

There are many different styles and formats of resume and only you can decide which the best one for you is. There are however sample resume formats that can help you to decide which one is the best for you, then after made the choice comes the hard part, writing your resume.

The targeted sample resume

Writing a targeted resume will focus on a specific career objective, industry or company. The contents of a resume in this format will highlight your particular skills, qualifications and experience you have in relation with the position on offer.

The inventory sample resume

This type of resume format will have a general objective and can be reused by means of printing several copes for handing out to different companies. This type of resume will highlight your skills, achievements and qualifications in a more general way; you will have a clear general objective then the rest of the resume will be focused on between 4 to 6 of your key skills and objectives.

The chronological sample resume

This type of format will highlight your advancements and growth in your career. This type of format is generally easy and quick to read in regards to your history of employment. It is the most frequently used and also regarded as the most preferred type of resume among those hiring.

The functional sample resume

This format will highlight key skills, achievements and accomplishments at the very top of the resume regardless of if those were made in the present or past. This format focuses on what you have actually done rather than when you did it; it is a format that many of those hiring don’t like as it could hide inadequacies in your career history.

The combination sample resume

This type of format takes parts of all the other resumes together, it summarises your most important skills, achievements and accomplishments and then follows with a section on your employment history and supports statements made in the summary.