ResumeDump Knowledge base 2007-03-12T14:41:01-05:00 Administrator http://kb.resumedump.com/index.php system@resumedump.com The first online resume/human resource search engine tag:ResumeDump.com-Thefirstonlineresume/humanresourcesearchengine,2007:ResumeDumpKnowledgebase Pivot Copyright (c) 2007, Authors of ResumeDump Knowledge base Last minutes interview guide - top 20 tips 2006-09-05T16:40:00-05:00 2006-09-05T16:40:00-05:00 2006-09-05T16:40:00-05:00 tag:ResumeDump.com-Thefirstonlineresume/humanresourcesearchengine,2007:ResumeDumpKnowledgebase.31 If you get the jitters when you go on a job interview, you need this guide. With the following practical and strategic tips, you'll sail through a winning interview! When you’re in a good interview, it’s like being on a relay team. You and the employer are runners on the same team, and you both have a common goal: to figure out if you and the employer's organization are a winning combination. So think of your interview as a sports event where you and the manager pass a "baton" back and forth. One good question leads to a good answer, which leads to another good question. Before you know it, 30 or 40 minutes have gone by: You’ve both learned a lot about each other and made your selling points. Using this image of cooperation rather than one of opposition will help you have an effective interview. Of course, not all interviews are going to be that fluid. Some managers aren’t skilled at asking good questions. Some may even try to trip you up with tricky questions. This guide is filled with tips about how to turn your interview into a winning relay. Last minutes interview guide - top 20 tips If you get the jitters when you go on a job interview, you need this guide. With the following practical and strategic tips, you'll sail through a winning interview!

When you’re in a good interview, it’s like being on a relay team. You and the employer are runners on the same team, and you both have a common goal: to figure out if you and the employer's organization are a winning combination.

So think of your interview as a sports event where you and the manager pass a "baton" back and forth. One good question leads to a good answer, which leads to another good question.

Before you know it, 30 or 40 minutes have gone by: You’ve both learned a lot about each other and made your selling points. Using this image of cooperation rather than one of opposition will help you have an effective interview.

Of course, not all interviews are going to be that fluid. Some managers aren’t skilled at asking good questions. Some may even try to trip you up with tricky questions. This guide is filled with tips about how to turn your interview into a winning relay.

1. Get clear directions to the interview site and arrive on time—or early—for your meeting.

2. A professional-looking outfit is bound to impress most employers, even if you wouldn’t usually dress up that much everyday on the job. Here’s a rule of thumb: Dress one notch above what you’d wear to a typical day at work. Women should be sure to dress modestly and should not wear perfume, bulky jewelry, or excessive makeup. Guys, stay away from the cologne… although a little deodorant is good.

3. When you pack your bag for the interview, be sure to put in a few copies of your resume, a pen, note pad, and that list of questions you want to ask. Also bring samples of your work, if you have any (such as a brochure you wrote or a design your created), that's relevant to the job you're applying for.

4. Your interview starts the minute you walk in the company's front door and lasts until you exit that door. So, keep your best foot forward from start to finish.

5. Smile, especially when you first meet the interviewer. That first impression will stick in the manager’s mind for a long time.

6. There’s nothing like a confident handshake! The right amount of tension in your grip is important—not too tight, not too limp.

7. Eye contact is actually a form of communication and it has a magical ability to build rapport. So, make eye contact with your interviewer, both when you’re talking and when he’s talking.

8. Try to have good posture that shows you’re alert and focused. Avoid negative body language. In other words, don’t cross your arms over your chest, don’t clench your fists, don’t clutch your purse or briefcase tightly, or do anything that might indicate insecurity, hostility, or resistance to change.

9. Listen carefully to everything the interviewer says, and ask questions when you don’t understand something. Understanding each question will help you give the best response.

10. Answer questions with an appropriate balance of confidence and modesty.

11. Respond with answers based on PAR (Problem, Action, Result): What was a problem you faced? What action did you take to solve it? What was the result?

12. Shift your interview from an interrogation to a dialog by occasionally finishing your answers with a relevant leading question.

13. Once in awhile, answer a question by saying what somebody else has said about you. Something like: “My supervisor always used to say, 'Bob’s the one you want around when it’s time to launch a product.'”

14. It’s OK to be quiet for a minute before you answer a question. It’ll help you gather your ideas and give a good answer. The employer will appreciate the fact that you’re thoughtful.

15. Be honest, even if that means saying you don’t know something or you don’t have a particular experience. At some point, you may need to say something like: “No, I’ve never done that, but here’s why I know I can do it, or why I think I’d be very good at it.”

16. Be prepared to tell stories that demonstrate how you work with people, as the interviewer is undoubtedly curious as to how you'll fit in with his staff. Remember to weave your stories into the answers of pertinent questions.

17. A great way to build rapport is to use your interviewer’s name when you answer a question. So learn his name, and, if it’s a tricky one, practice the pronunciation beforehand so it’ll roll off your tongue during your interview.

18. Delay talking about salary history and expectations until you fully understand what is entailed in the job and you've had time to think about what is fair. (More about salary negotiations coming up.)

19. When introduced to potential co-workers, be friendly. Your interviewer may be watching to see how you interact with his staff and may later ask employees how they liked you.

20. Send a thank you letter as soon as your interview is completed. After all, the employer took a chunk out of his day to give you a chance to win a job, so this is the time for you to say “thanks” —in writing.

]]> admin Guidelines for a better presentation 2006-09-05T16:31:00-05:00 2006-09-05T16:31:00-05:00 2006-09-05T16:31:00-05:00 tag:ResumeDump.com-Thefirstonlineresume/humanresourcesearchengine,2007:ResumeDumpKnowledgebase.30 The resume is visually enticing, a work of art. Simple clean structure. Very easy to read. Symmetrical. Balanced. Uncrowded. As much white space between sections of writing as possible; sections of writing that are no longer than six lines, and shorter if possible. Guidelines for a better presentation There is uniformity and consistency in the use of italics, capital letters, bullets, boldface, and underlining. Absolute parallelism in design decisions. For example, if a period is at the end of one job's dates, a period should be at the end of all jobs' dates; if one degree is in boldface, all degrees should be in boldface.

As mentioned above, the resume's first impression is most important. It should be exceptionally visually appealing, to be inviting to the reader. Remember to think of the resume as an advertisement.

There are absolutely no errors. No typographical errors. No spelling errors. No grammar, syntax, or punctuation errors. No errors of fact.

All the basic, expected information is included. A resume must have the following key information: your name, address, phone number, and your email address at the top of the first page, a listing of jobs held, in reverse chronological order, educational degrees including the highest degree received, in reverse chronological order. Additional, targeted information will of course accompany this. Much of the information people commonly put on a resume can be omitted, but these basics are mandatory.

Jobs listed include a title, the name of the firm, the city and state of the firm, and the years. Jobs earlier in a career can be summarized, or omitted if prior to the highest degree, and extra part-time jobs can be omitted. If no educational degrees have been completed, it is still expected to include some mention of education (professional study or training, partial study toward a degree, etc.) acquired after high school.

It is targeted. A resume should be targeted to your goal, to the ideal next step in your career. First you should get clear what your job goal is, what the ideal position or positions would be. Then you should figure out what key skills, areas of expertise or body of experience the employer will be looking for in the candidate. Gear the resume structure and content around this target, proving these key qualifications. If you have no clear goal, take the skills (or knowledge) you most enjoy or would like to use or develop in your next career step and build the resume around those.

Strengths are highlighted / weaknesses de-emphasized. Focus on whatever is strongest and most impressive. Make careful and strategic choices as to how to organize, order, and convey your skills and background. Consider: whether to include the information at all, placement in overall structure of the resume, location on the page itself or within a section, ordering of information, more impressive ways of phrasing the information, use of design elements (such as boldface to highlight, italics to minimize, ample surrounding space to draw the eye to certain things).

It has focus. A resume needs an initial focus to help the reader understand immediately. Don't make the reader go through through the whole resume to figure out what your profession is and what you can do. Think of the resume as an essay with a title and a summative opening sentence. An initial focus may be as simple as the name of your profession ("Commercial Real Estate Agent," "Resume Writer") centered under the name and address; it may be in the form of an Objective; it may be in the form of a Summary Statement or, better, a Summary Statement beginning with a phrase identifying your profession.

Use power words. For every skill, accomplishment, or job described, use the most active impressive verb you can think of (which is also accurate). Begin the sentence with this verb, except when you must vary the sentence structure to avoid repetitious writing.

Show you are results-oriented. Wherever possible, prove that you have the desired qualifications through clear strong statement of accomplishments, rather than a statement of potentials, talents, or responsibilities. Indicate results of work done, and quantify these accomplishment whenever appropriate. For example: "Initiated and directed complete automation of the Personnel Department, resulting in time-cost savings of over 25%." Additionally, preface skill and experience statements with the adjectives "proven" and "demonstrated" to create this results-orientation.

Writing is concise and to the point. Keep sentences as short and direct as possible. Eliminate any extraneous information and any repetitions. Don't use three examples when one will suffice. Say what you want to say in the most direct way possible, rather than trying to impress with bigger words or more complex sentences. For example: "coordinated eight city-wide fund-raising events, raising 250% more than expected goal" rather than "was involved in the coordination of six fund- raising dinners and two fund-raising walkathons which attracted participants throughout St. Louis and were so extremely successful that they raised $5,000 (well beyond the $2,000 goal)."

Vary long sentences (if these are really necessary) with short punchy sentences. Use phrases rather than full sentences when phrases are possible, and start sentences with verbs, eliminating pronouns ("I", "he" or "she"). Vary words: Don't repeat a "power" verb or adjective in the same paragraph. Use commas to clarify meaning and make reading easier. Remain consistent in writing decisions such as use of abbreviations and capitalizations.

Make it look great. Use a laser printer or an ink jet printer that produces high- quality results. A laser is best because the ink won't run if it gets wet. It should look typeset. Do not compromise. If you do, your resume will look pathetic next to ones that have a perfect appearance. Use a standard conservative typeface (font) in 11 or 12 point. Don't make them squint to read it. Use off-white, ivory or bright white 8 1/2 x 11-inch paper, in the highest quality affordable. If you are applying for a senior-level position, use Crane's 100% rag paper and make sure the water-mark is facing the right way. Use absolutely clean paper without smudges, without staples and with a generous border. Don't have your resume look like you squeezed too much on the page.

Shorter is ususally better. Everyone freely gives advice on resume length. Most of these self-declared experts say a resume should always be one page. That makes no more sense than it does to say an ad or a poem should automatically be one page. Your resume can be 500 pages long if you can keep the reader's undivided attention and interest that long, and at the same time create a psychological excitement that leads prospective employers to pick up the phone and call you when they finish your weighty tome. Don't blindly follow rules! Do what works. Sometimes it is appropriate to have a three pager. But unless your life has been filled with a wide assortment of extraordinary achievements, make it shorter. One page is best if you can cram it all into one page. Most Fortune 500 C.E.O.s have a one- or two-page resume. It could be said that, the larger your accomplishments, the easier to communicate them in few words. Look to others in your profession to see if there is an established agreement about resume length in your field. The only useful rule is to not write one more word than you need to get them to pick up the phone and call you. Don't bore them with the details. Leave them wanting more. Remember, this is an ad to market you, not your life history.

Length of consulting resumes. In a consulting resume, you are expected to shovel it as deep as you possibly can. If you are selling your own consulting services, make it sizzle, just like any other resume, but include a little more detail, such as a list of well-known clients, powerful quotes from former clients about how fantastic you are, etc. If you are seeking a job with a consulting firm that will be packaging you along with others as part of a proposal, get out your biggest shovel and go to town. Include everything except the name of your goldfish: A full list of publications, skills, assignments, other experience, and every bit of educational crapola that you can manage to make sound related to your work. The philosophy here is: more is better.

Watch your verb tense. Use either the first person ("I") or the third person (''he," "she") point of view,but use whichever you choose consistently. Verb tenses are based on accurate reporting: If the accomplishment is completed, it should be past tense. If the task is still underway, it should be present tense. If the skill has been used in the past and will continue to be used, use present tense ("conduct presentations on member recruitment to professional and trade associations"). A way of "smoothing out" transitions is to use the past continuous ("have conducted more than 20 presentations...").

Break it up. A good rule is to have no more than six lines of writing in any one writing "block" or paragraph (summary, skill section, accomplishment statement, job description, etc.). If any more than this is necessary, start a new section or a new paragraph.

Experience before education...usually. Experience sections should come first, before education, in most every case. This is because you have more qualifications developed from your experience than from your education. The exceptions would be 1) if you have just received or are completing a degree in a new professional field, if this new degree study proves stronger qualifications than does your work experience, 2) if you are a lawyer, with the peculiar professional tradition of listing your law degrees first, 3) if you are an undergraduate student, or 4) if you have just completed a particularly impressive degree from a particularly impressive school, even if you are staying in the same field, for example, an MBA from Harvard.

Telephone number that will be answered. Be sure the phone number on the resume will, without exception, be answered by a person or an answering machine Monday through Friday 8-5pm. You do not want to lose the prize interview merely because there was no answer to your phone, and the caller gave up. Include the area code of the telephone number. If you don't have an answering machine, get one. Include e-mail and fax numbers, if you have them.

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A FEW MORE TIPS

Try not to include anything on the resume that could turn the employer off, anything that is controversial (political, etc.) or could be taken in a negative light.
Put the most important information on the first line of a writing "block" or paragraph. The first line is read the most.

Use bold caps for your name on page one. Put your name at the top of page two on a two-page resume. Put section headings, skill headings, titles or companies (if impressive), degrees, and school name (if impressive), in boldface.

Spell out numbers under and including ten; use the numerical form for numbers over and including 11 (as a general rule), unless they are the first words in a sentence. Spell out abbreviations unless they are unquestionably obvious.

If you are not sure what sort of job you are looking for, you will most likely wind up in something that turns out to be just a "job." In a "job" you exchange your life for money. It is possible to choose a career that will fit you so well that you do it because you like to go to work. At Rockport Institute we offer career counseling, coaching and testing programs for people committed to choosing a new career direction for a lifetime of satisfaction and success. Our services, available worldwide and consistently commended for excellence since 1981, are for people who realize that choosing the best possible career direction is one of the most important decisions they will ever make. ]]> admin Adding Powerwords to Resume! 2006-09-05T16:27:00-05:00 2006-09-05T16:27:00-05:00 2006-09-05T16:27:00-05:00 tag:ResumeDump.com-Thefirstonlineresume/humanresourcesearchengine,2007:ResumeDumpKnowledgebase.29 Examples of POWERWORDS: accelerated accomplished achieved addressed administered advised allocated answered appeared applied appointed appraised approved arranged assessed assigned assisted assumed assured audited awarded Adding Powerwords to Resume! accelerated accomplished achieved addressed administered advised allocated answered appeared applied appointed appraised approved arranged assessed assigned assisted assumed assured audited awarded

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bought briefed broadened brought budgeted built
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cataloged caused changed chaired clarified classified closed collected combined commented communicated compared compiled completed computed conceived concluded conducted conceptualized considered consolidated constructed consulted continued contracted controlled converted coordinated corrected counseled counted created critiqued cut
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dealt decided defined delegated delivered demonstrated described designed determined developed devised diagnosed directed discussed distributed documented doubled drafted
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earned edited effected eliminated endorsed enlarged enlisted ensured entered established estimated evaluated examined executed expanded expedited experienced experimented explained explored expressed extended
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filed filled financed focused forecast formulated found founded
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gathered generated graded granted guided
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halved handled helped
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identified implemented improved incorporated increased indexed initiated influenced innovated inspected installed instituted instructed insured interpreted interviewed introduced invented invested investigated involved issued
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joined
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kept
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launched learned leased lectured led licensed listed logged
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made maintained managed matched measured mediated met modified monitored motivated moved
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named navigated negotiated
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observed opened operated ordered organized oversaw
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participated perceived performed persuaded planned prepared presented processed procured programmed prohibited projected promoted proposed provided published purchased pursued
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qualified questioned
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raised ranked rated realized received recommended reconciled recorded recruited redesigned reduced regulated rehabilitated related reorganized repaired replaced replied reported represented researched resolved responded restored revamped reviewed revise
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saved scheduled selected served serviced set set up shaped shared showed simplified sold solved sorted sought sparked specified spoke staffed started streamlined strengthened stressed stretched structured studied submitted substituted succeeded suggested summarized superseded supervised surveyed systematized
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tackled targeted taught terminated tested took toured traced tracked traded trained transferred transcribed transformed translated transported traveled treated trimmed tripled turned tutored
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umpired uncovered understood understudied unified unraveled updated upgraded used utilized
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verbalized verified visited
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waged weighed widened won worked wrote
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More power suggestions
ability capable capability capacity competence competent complete completely consistent contributions demonstrated developing educated efficient effective effectiveness enlarging equipped excellent exceptional expanding experienced global increasing knowledgeable major mature maturity nationwide outstanding performance positive potential productive proficient profitable proven qualified record repeatedly resourceful responsible results significant significantly sound specialist substantial substantially successful stable thorough thoroughly versatile vigorous well educated well rounded worldwide

]]> admin How to present your work history , educations etc 2006-09-05T16:25:00-05:00 2006-09-05T16:25:00-05:00 2006-09-05T16:25:00-05:00 tag:ResumeDump.com-Thefirstonlineresume/humanresourcesearchengine,2007:ResumeDumpKnowledgebase.28 Most resumes are not much more than a collection of "evidence," various facts about your past. By evidence, we mean all the mandatory information you must include on your resume: work history with descriptions, dates, education, affiliations, list of software mastered, etc. If you put this toward the top of your resume, anyone reading it will feel like they are reading an income tax form. Let's face it, this stuff is boring no matter how extraordinary you are. All this evidence is best placed in the second half of the resume. Put the hot stuff in the beginning, and all this less exciting information afterward. How to present your work history , educations etc We divided the resume into a "hot" assertions section, and a more staid "evidence" section for the sake of communicating that a great resume is not information but advertising. A great resume is all one big assertions section. In other words, every single word, even the basic facts about your history, are crafted to have the desired effect, to get them to pick up the phone and call you. The decisions you make on what information to emphasize and what to de-emphasize should be based on considering every word of your resume to be an important part of the assertions section. The evidence includes some or all of the following:

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EXPERIENCE

List jobs in reverse chronological order. Don't go into detail on the jobs early in your career; focus on the most recent and/or relevant jobs. (Summarize a number of the earliest jobs in one line or very short paragraph, or list only the bare facts with no position description.) Decide which is, overall, more impressive - your job titles or the names of the firms you worked for - then consistently begin with the more impressive of the two, perhaps using boldface type.

You may want to describe the firm in a phrase in parentheses if this will impress the reader. Put dates in italics at the end of the job, to de-emphasize them; don't include months, unless the job was held less than a year. Include military service, internships, and major volunteer roles if desired; because the section is labeled "Experience." It does not mean that you were paid.

Other headings: "Professional History," "Professional Experience"--not "Employment" or "Work History," both of which sound more lower-level.
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EDUCATION

List education in reverse chronological order, degrees or licenses first, followed by certificates and advanced training. Set degrees apart so they are easily seen. Put in boldface whatever will be most impressive. Don't include any details about college except your major and distinctions or awards you have won, unless you are still in college or just recently graduated. Include grade-point average only if over 3.4. List selected course work if this will help convince the reader of your qualifications for the targeted job.

Do include advanced training, but be selective with the information, summarizing the information and including only what will be impressive for the reader.

No degree received yet? If you are working on an uncompleted degree, include the degree and afterwards, in parentheses, the expected date of completion: B.S. (expected 200_).

If you didn't finish college, start with a phrase describing the field studied, then the school, then the dates (the fact that there was no degree may be missed).

Other headings might be "Education and Training," "Education and Licenses," "Legal Education / Undergraduate Education" (for attorneys).

AWARDS

If the only awards received were in school, put these under the Education section. Mention what the award was for if you can (or just "for outstanding accomplishment" or "outstanding performance"). This section is almost a must, if you have received awards. If you have received commendations or praise from some very senior source, you could call this section, "Awards and Commendations." In that case, go ahead and quote the source.

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PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

Include only those that are current, relevant and impressive. Include leadership roles if appropriate. This is a good section for communicating your status as a member of a minority targeted for special consideration by employers, or for showing your membership in an association that would enhance your appeal as a prospective employee.
This section can be combined with "Civic / Community Leadership" as "Professional and Community Memberships."


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CIVIC / COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP

This is good to include if the leadership roles or accomplishments are related to the job target and can show skills acquired, for example, a loan officer hoping to become a financial investment counselor who was Financial Manager of a community organization charged with investing its funds. Any Board of Directors membership or "chairmanship" would be good to include. Be careful with political affiliations, as they could be a plus or minus with an employer or company.

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PUBLICATIONS

Include only if published. Summarize if there are many.

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COMMENTS FROM SUPERVISORS

Include only if very exceptional. Heavily edit for key phrases.

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PERSONAL INTERESTS

Advantages: Personal interests can indicate a skill or area or knowledge that is related to the goal, such as photography for someone in public relations, or carpentry and wood-working for someone in construction management. This section can show well-roundedness, good physical health, or knowledge of a subject related to the goal. It can also create common ground or spark conversation in an interview.

Disadvantages: Personal interests are usually irrelevant to the job goal and purpose of the resume, and they may be meaningless or an interview turn-off ("TV and Reading," "Fund raising for the Hell's Angels").

You probably should not include a personal interests section. Your reason for including it is most likely that you want to tell them about you. But, as you know, this is an ad. If this section would powerfully move the employer to understand why you would be the best candidate, include it; otherwise, forget about it.

May also be called "Interests and Hobbies," or just "Interests."

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REFERENCES

You may put "References available upon request" at the end of your resume, if you wish. This is a standard close (centered at bottom in italics), but is not necessary: It is usually assumed. Do not include actual names of references. You can bring a separate sheet of references to the interview, to be given to the employer upon request.

]]> admin Knocking the socks off a prospective employer 2006-09-05T16:20:00-05:00 2006-09-05T16:20:00-05:00 2006-09-05T16:20:00-05:00 tag:ResumeDump.com-Thefirstonlineresume/humanresourcesearchengine,2007:ResumeDumpKnowledgebase.27 Research shows that only one interview is granted for every 200 resumes received by the average employer. Research also tells us that your resume will be quickly scanned, rather than read. Ten to 20 seconds is all the time you have to persuade a prospective employer to read further. What this means is that the decision to interview a candidate is usually based on an overall first impression of the resume, a quick screening that so impresses the reader and convinces them of the candidate's qualifications that an interview results. As a result, the top half of the first page of your resume will either make you or break you. By the time they have read the first few lines, you have either caught their interest, or your resume has failed. That is why we say that your resume is an ad. You hope it will have the same result as a well-written ad: to get the reader to respond. Knocking the socks off a prospective employer To write an effective resume, you have to learn how to write powerful but subtle advertising copy. Not only that, but you must sell a product in which you have a large personal investment: you. What's worse, given the fact that most of us do not think in a marketing-oriented way naturally, you are probably not looking forward to selling anything, let alone yourself. But if you want to increase your job hunting effectiveness as much as possible, you would be wise to learn to write a spectacular resume.

You do not need to hard sell or make any claims that are not absolutely true. You do need to get over your modesty and unwillingness to toot your own horn. People more often buy the best advertised product than the best product. That is good news if you are willing to learn to create an excellent resume. With a little extra effort, you will usually get a better response from prospective employers than people with better credentials.

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FOCUS ON THE EMPLOYER'S NEEDS, NOT YOURS

Imagine that you are the person doing the hiring. This person is not some anonymous paper pusher deep in the bowels of the personnel department. Usually, the person who makes the hiring decision is also the person who is responsible for the bottom line productivity of the project or group you hope to join. This is a person who cares deeply how well the job will be done. You need to write your resume to appeal directly to them.

Ask yourself: What would make someone the perfect candidate? What does the employer really want? What special abilities would this person have? What would set a truly exceptional candidate apart from a merely good one?
If you are seeking a job in a field you know well, you probably already know what would make someone a superior candidate. If you are not sure, you can gather hints from the help-wanted ad you are answering, from asking other people who work in the same company or the same field. You could even call the prospective employer and ask them what they want. Don't make wild guesses unless you have to. It is very important to do this step well. If you are not addressing their real needs, they will not respond to your resume.
Putting yourself in the moccasins of the person doing the hiring is the first, and most important, step in writing a resume that markets you rather than describes your history or herstory. Every step in producing a finished document should be part of your overall intention to convey to the prospective employer that you are a truly exceptional candidate.

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PLAN FIRST

Focus your writing efforts. Get clear what the employer is looking for and what you have to offer before you begin your resume. Write your answers to the above mentioned question, "What would make someone the perfect candidate?" on notebook paper, one answer per page. Prioritize the sheets of paper, based on which qualities or abilities you think would be most important to the person doing the hiring.

Then, starting with the top priority page, fill the rest of that page, or as much of it as you can, with brainstorming about why you are the person who best fulfills the employer's needs. Write down everything you have ever done that demonstrates that you fit perfectly with what is wanted and needed by the prospective employer.

The whole idea is to loosen up your thinking enough so that you will be able to see some new connections between what you have done and what the employer is looking for. You need not confine yourself to work-related accomplishments. Use your entire life as the palette to paint with. If Sunday school or your former gang are the only places you have had a chance to demonstrate your special gift for teaching and leadership, fine. The point is to cover all possible ways of thinking about and communicating what you do well. What are the talents you bring to the market place? What do you have to offer the prospective employer?
If you are making a career change or are a young person and new to the job market, you are going to have to be especially creative in getting across what makes you stand out. These brainstorming pages will be the raw material from which you craft your resume. One important part of the planning process is to decide which resume format fits your needs best. Don't automatically assume that a traditional format will work best for you. More about that later.

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A GREAT RESUME HAS TWO SECTIONS

In the first, you make assertions about your abilities, qualities and achievements. You write powerful, but honest, advertising copy that makes the reader immediately perk up and realize that you are someone special.
The second section, the evidence section, is where you back up your assertions with evidence that you actually did what you said you did. This is where you list and describe the jobs you have held, your education, etc. This is all the stuff you are obliged to include.
Most resumes are just the evidence section, with no assertions. If you have trouble getting to sleep, just read a few resumes each night before going to bed. Nothing puts people to sleep better than the average resume.
The juice is in the assertions section. When a prospective employer finishes reading your resume, you want them to immediately reach for the phone to invite you in to interview. The resumes you have written in the past have probably been a gallant effort to inform the reader. You don't want them informed. You want them interested and excited.

In fact, it is best to only hint at some things. Leave the reader wanting more. Leave them with a bit of mystery. That way, they have even more reason to reach for the phone. The assertions section usually has two or three sections. In all of them, your job is to communicate, assert and declare that you are the best possible candidate for the job and that you are hotter than a picnic on Mercury.
You start by naming your intended job. This may be in a separate "Objective" section, or may be folded into the second section, the "Summary." If you are making a change to a new field, or are a young person not fully established in a career, start with a separate "Objective" section.

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THE OBJECTIVE

Ideally, your resume should be pointed toward conveying why you are the perfect candidate for one specific job or job title. Good advertising is directed toward a very specific target audience.

When a car company is trying to sell their inexpensive compact to an older audience, they show grandpa and grandma stuffing the car with happy, shiny grandchildren and talk about how safe and economical the car is. When they advertise the exact same car to the youth market, they show it going around corners on two wheels, with plenty of drums and power chords thundering in the background. You want to focus your resume just as specifically.

Targeting your resume requires that you be absolutely clear about your career direction--or at least that you appear to be clear. If you aren't clear where you are going, you wind up wherever the winds of chance blow you. You would be wise to use this time of change to design your future career so you have a clear target that will meet your goals and be personally fulfilling. Even if you are a little vague about what you are looking for, you cannot let your uncertainty show. With a nonexistent, vague or overly broad objective, the first statement you make to a prospective employer says you are not sure this is the job for you.

The way to demonstrate your clarity of direction or apparent clarity is to have the first major topic of your resume be your OBJECTIVE.
Let's look at a real world example. Suppose the owner of a small software company puts an ad in the paper seeking an experienced software sales person. A week later they have received 500 resumes. The applicants have a bewildering variety of backgrounds. The employer has no way of knowing whether any of them are really interested in selling software.
They remember all the jobs they applied for that they didn't really want. They know that many of the resumes they received are from people who are just using a shotgun approach, casting their seed to the winds. Then they come across a resume in the pile that starts with the following:

"OBJECTIVE - a software sales position in an organization seeking an extraordinary record of generating new accounts, exceeding sales targets and enthusiastic customer relations.
This wakes them up. They are immediately interested. This first sentence conveys some very important and powerful messages: "I want exactly the job you are offering. I am a superior candidate because I recognize the qualities that are most important to you, and I have them. I want to make a contribution to your company." This works well because the employer is smart enough to know that someone who wants to do exactly what they are offering will be much more likely to succeed than someone who doesn't. And that person will probably be a lot more pleasant to work with as well.

Secondly, this candidate has done a good job of establishing why they are the perfect candidate in their first sentence. They have thought about what qualities would make a candidate stand out. They have started communicating that they are that person immediately. What's more, they are communicating from the point of view of making a contribution to the employer.

They are not writing from a self-centered point of view. Even when people are savvy enough to have an objective, they often make the mistake of saying something like, "a position where I can hone my skill as a scissors sharpener." or something similar. The employer is interested in hiring you for what you can do for them, not for fulfilling your private goals and agenda.

Here's how to write your objective. First of all, decide on a specific job title for your objective. Go back to your list of answers to the question "How can I demonstrate that I am the perfect candidate?" What are the two or three qualities, abilities or achievements that would make a candidate stand out as truly exceptional for that specific job?

The person in the above example recognized that the prospective employer, being a small, growing software company, would be very interested in candidates with an ability to generate new accounts. So they made that the very first point they got across in their resume.
Be sure the objective is to the point. Do not use fluffy phrases that are obvious or do not mean anything, such as: "allowing the ability to enhance potential and utilize experience in new challenges." An objective may be broad and still somewhat undefined in some cases, such as: "a mid-level management position in the hospitality or entertainment industry."

Remember, your resume will only get a few seconds attention, at best! You have to generate interest right away, in the first sentence they lay their eyes on. Having an objective statement that really sizzles is highly effective. And it's simple to do. One format is:

OBJECTIVE: An xxx position in an organization where yyy and zzz would be needed (or, in an organization seeking yyy and zzz).
Xxx is the name of the position you are applying for. Yyy and zzz are the most compelling qualities, abilities or achievements that will really make you stand out above the crowd of applicants. Your previous research to find out what is most important to the employer will provide the information to fill in yyy and zzz.

If you are applying for several different positions, you should adapt your resume to each one. There is nothing wrong with having several different resumes, each with a different objective, each specifically crafted for a different type of position. You may even want to change some parts of your resume for each job you apply for. Have an objective that is perfectly matched with the job you are applying for. Remember, you are writing advertising copy, not your life story.

It is sometimes appropriate to include your "Objective" in your "Summary" section rather than have a separate "Objective" section. (Examples to follow.) The point of using an "Objective" is to create a specific psychological response in the mind of the reader.
If you are making a career change or have a limited work history, you want the employer to immediately focus on where you are going, rather than where you have been. If you are looking for another job in your present field, it is more important to stress your qualities, achievements and abilities first.

A few examples of separate "Objective" sections:

Vice president of marketing in an organization where a strong track record of expanding market share and internet savvy is needed.
Senior staff position with a bank that offers the opportunity to use my expertise in commercial real estate lending and strategic management.

An entry-level position in the hospitality industry where a background in advertising and public relations would be needed.
A position teaching English as a second language where a special ability to motivate and communicate effectively with students would be needed.

Divemaster in an organization where an extensive knowledge of Carribean sea life and a record of leaving customers feeling they have had a once-in-a lifetime experience is needed.

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THE SUMMARY

The "Summary" or "Summary of Qualifications" consists of several concise statements that focus the reader's attention on the most important qualities, achievements and abilities you have to offer. Those qualities should be the most compelling demonstrations of why they should hire you instead of the other candidates. It gives you a brief opportunity to telegraph a few of your most sterling qualities. It is your one and only chance to attract and hold their attention, to get across what is most important, and to entice the employer to keep reading.

This is the spiciest part of the resume. This may be the only section fully read by the employer, so it should be very strong and convincing. The "Summary" is the one place to include professional characteristics (extremely energetic, a gift for solving complex problems in a fast-paced environment, a natural salesman, exceptional interpersonal skills, committed to excellence, etc.) which may be helpful in winning the interview. Gear every word in the "Summar"y to your targeted goal.
How to write a "Summary"? Go back to your lists that answer the question, What would make someone the ideal candidate? Look for the qualities the employer will care about most. Then look at what you wrote about why you are the perfect person to fill their need. Pick the stuff that best demonstrates why they should hire you. Assemble it into your "Summary" section.
The most common ingredients of a well-written "Summary" are as follows. Of course, you would not use all these ingredients in one "Summary." Use the ones that highlight you best.

A short phrase describing your profession
Followed by a statement of broad or specialized expertise
Followed by two or three additional statements related to any of the following:
breadth or depth of skills
unique mix of skills

range of environments in which you have experience
a special or well-documented accomplishment
a history of awards, promotions, or superior performance commendations
One or more professional or appropriate personal characteristics
A sentence describing professional objective or interest.
Notice that the examples below show how to include your objective in the "Summary" section. If you are making a career change, your "Summary" section should show how what you have done in the past prepares you to do what you seek to do in the future. If you are a young person new to the job market, your "Summary" will be based more on ability than experience.

A few examples of "Summary" sections:

Highly motivated, creative and versatile real estate executive with seven years of experience in property acquisition, development and construction, as well as the management of large apartment complexes. Especially skilled at building effective, productive working relationships with clients and staff. Excellent management, negotiation and public relations skills. Seeking a challenging management position in the real estate field that offers extensive contact with the public.

Over 10 years as an organizational catalyst/training design consultant with a track record of producing extraordinary results for more than 20 national and community based organizations. A commitment to human development and community service. Energetic self-starter with excellent analytical, organizational, and creative skills.

Financial Management Executive with nearly ten years of experience in banking and international trade, finance, investments and economic policy. Innovative in structuring credit enhancement for corporate and municipal financing. Skilled negotiator with strong management, sales and marketing background. Areas of expertise include (a bulleted list would follow this paragraph.)
Health Care Professional experienced in management, program development and policy making in the United States as well as in several developing countries. Expertise in emergency medical services. A talent for analyzing problems, developing and simplifying procedures, and finding innovative solutions. Proven ability to motivate and work effectively with persons from other cultures and all walks of life. Skilled in working within a foreign environment with limited resources.

Commander - Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Navy, Atlantic Fleet. Expertise in all areas of management, with a proven record of unprecedented accomplishment. History of the highest naval awards and rapid promotion. Proven senior-level experience in executive decision-making, policy direction, strategic business planning, Congressional relations, financial and personnel management, research and development, and aerospace engineering. Extensive knowledge of government military requirements in systems and equipment. Committed to the highest levels of professional and personal excellence.

Performing artist with a rich baritone voice and unusual range, specializing in classical, spiritual, gospel and rap music. Featured soloist for two nationally televised events. Accomplished pianist. Extensive performance experience includes television, concert tours and club acts. Available for commercial recording and live performances.

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SKILLS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

In this final part of the assertions section of your resume, you go into more detail. You are still writing to sell yourself to the reader, not to inform them. Basically, you do exactly what you did in the previous section, except that you go into more detail.
In the summary, you focused on your most special highlights. Now you tell the rest of the best of your story. Let them know what results you produced, what happened as a result of your efforts, what you are especially gifted or experienced at doing. Flesh out the most important highlights in your summary.

You are still writing to do what every good advertisement does, communicating the following: if you buy this product, you will get these direct benefits. If it doesn't contribute to furthering this communication, don't bother to say it. Remember, not too much detail. Preserve a bit of mystery. Don't tell them everything.

Sometimes the "Skills and Accomplishments" sections is a separate section. In a chronological resume, it becomes the first few phrases of the descriptions of the various jobs you have held. We will cover that in a few minutes, when we discuss the different types of resumes. When it is a separate section, it can have several possible titles, depending on your situation:

SKILLS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
SUMMARY OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS
SELECTED ACCOMPLISHMENTS
RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS
AREAS OF ACCOMPLISHMENT AND EXPERIENCE
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
ADDITIONAL SKILLS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

There are a number of different ways to structure "Skills and Accomplishments" sections. In all of these styles, put your skills and accomplishments in order of importance for the desired career goal. If you have many skills, the last skill paragraph might be called "Additional Skills."

Here are a few ways you could structure your "Skills and Accomplishments" section:

1. A listing of skills or accomplishments or a combination of both, with bullets

Example:

SELECTED SKILLS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Raised $1900 in 21 days in canvassing and advocacy on environmental, health and consumer issues.
Conducted legal research for four Assistant U.S. Attorneys, for the U.S. Attorney's office

Coordinated Board of Directors and Community Advisory Board of community mental health center. Later commended as "the best thing that ever happened to that job."

2. A listing of major skill headings with accomplishments under each. The accomplishments can be a bulleted list or in paragraph form. The material under the headings should include mention of accomplishments which prove each skill.
Example:

SELECTED ACCOMPLISHMENTS
National Training Project / Conference Management.

Director of "Outreach on Hunger," a national public education/training project funded by USAID, foundations and all the major church denomination. Designed, managed and promoted three-day training conferences in cities throughout the U.S. Planned and managed 32 nationwide training seminars and a five-day annual conference for university vice-presidents and business executives.
Program Design: Universities.

Invited by Duke University President Terry Sanford to develop new directions and programs for the University's Office of Summer Educational Programs, first Director of Duke's "Pre-college Program," first editor of "Summer at Duke." Designed and successfully proposed a center for the study of creativity at The George Washington University.

3. A list of bulleted accomplishments or skill paragraphs under each job (in a chronological resume).

Example:

Director of Sales and Marketing

DELAWARE TRADE INTERNATIONAL, INC. Wilmington, DE

Promoted from Sales Representative within one year of joining company to Director of Sales and Marketing. Responsible for international sales of raw materials, as well as printing and graphic arts equipment. Oversaw five sales managers. Was in charge of direct sales and marketing in 17 countries throughout Europe and the Middle East.

Recruited, trained and managed sales staff. Developed marketing strategy, prepared sales projections and established quotas. Selected and contracted with overseas sub-agents to achieve international market penetration.

Negotiated and finalized long-term contractual agreements with suppliers on behalf of clients. Oversaw all aspects of transactions, including letters of credit, international financing, preparation of import/export documentation, and shipping/freight forwarding.
Planned and administered sales and marketing budget, and maintained sole profit/loss responsibility. Within first year, doubled company's revenues, and produced $7-9 million in annual sales during the next eight years.

BASIC RESUME FORMATS

There are three basic types of resumes: Chronological, Functional, and "combined" Chronological - Functional. To see what these styles look like, get a resume book. They are usually terrible guides for how to write an excellent resume, but they are good to see different formats. We would love to show you what complete resumes look like but your web browser would probably do unspeakable things to the formatting.

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CHRONOLOGICAL

The chronological resume is the more traditional structure for a resume. The Experience section is the focus of the resume; each job (or the last several jobs) is described in some detail, and there is no major section of skills or accomplishments at the beginning of the resume. This structure is primarily used when you are staying in the same profession, in the same type of work, particularly in very conservative fields. It is also used in certain fields such as law and academia. It is recommended that the chronological resume always have an "Objective" or "Summary," to focus the reader.
The advantages: May appeal to older, more traditional readers and be best in very conservative fields. Makes it easier to understand what you did in what job. May help the name of the employer stand out more, if this is impressive. The disadvantage is that it is much more difficult to highlight what you do best. This format is rarely appropriate for someone making a career change.

FUNCTIONAL

The functional resume highlights your major skills and accomplishments from the very beginning. It helps the reader see clearly what you can do for them, rather than having to read through the job descriptions to find out. It helps target the resume into a new direction or field, by lifting up from all past jobs the key skills and qualifications to help prove you will be successful in this new direction or field. Actual company names and positions are in a subordinate position, with no description under each. There are many different types of formats for functional resumes. The functional resume is a must for career changers, but is very appropriate for generalists, for those with spotty or divergent careers, for those with a wide range of skills in their given profession, for students, for military officers, for homemakers returning to the job market, and for those who want to make slight shifts in their career direction.
Advantages: It will help you most in reaching for a new goal or direction. It is a very effective type of resume, and is highly recommended. The disadvantage is that it is hard for the employer to know exactly what you did in which job, which may be a problem for some conservative interviewers.

COMBINED

A combined resume includes elements of both the chronological and functional formats. It may be a shorter chronology of job descriptions preceded by a short "Skills and Accomplishments" section (or with a longer Summary including a skills list or a list of "qualifications"); or, it may be a standard functional resume with the accomplishments under headings of different jobs held.
There are obvious advantages to this combined approach: It maximizes the advantages of both kinds of resumes, avoiding potential negative effects of either type. One disadvantage is that it tends to be a longer resume. Another is that it can be repetitious: Accomplishments and skills may have to be repeated in both the "functional" section and the "chronological" job descriptions.

]]> admin Write a resume that generates results. 2006-09-05T16:11:00-05:00 2006-09-05T16:11:00-05:00 2006-09-05T16:11:00-05:00 tag:ResumeDump.com-Thefirstonlineresume/humanresourcesearchengine,2007:ResumeDumpKnowledgebase.26 This award-winning guide to resume writing will teach you to write a resume equal to one done by a top-notch professional writer. It offers examples, format choices, help writing the objective, the summary and other sections, as well as samples of excellent resume writing. Write a resume that generates results. Writing a great resume does not necessarily mean you should follow the rules you hear through the grapevine. It does not have to be one page or follow a specific resume format. Every resume is a one-of-a-kind marketing communication. It should be appropriate to your situation and do exactly what you want it to do. Instead of a bunch of rules and tips, we are going to cut to the chase in this brief guide and offer you the most basic principles of writing a highly effective resume.

Who are we to be telling you how to write your resume? As part of our career consulting practice, we wrote and produced resumes for several Fortune 500 C.E.O.s, senior members of the last few presidential administrations, and thousands of professionals in nearly every field of endeavor. We also wrote resumes for young people just starting out.

We concentrate on helping people choose and change to careers that fit them perfectly. We have not employed resume writers for several years. If you are trying to decide what to do with your life, we can help you. That is our one and only specialty. Please don't ask us to write your resume. We offer this resume writing guide to you because most of the resume books out there are so primitive.
This guide is especially for people looking for a job in the United States. In the U.S., the rules of job hunting are much more relaxed than they are in Europe and Asia. You can do a lot more active personal marketing here. You may have to tone down our advice a few notches and follow the traditional, conservative format accepted in your field if you live elsewhere or are in law, academia or a technical engineering, computer or scientific field. But even when your presentation must fit a narrow set of rules, you can still use the principles we will present to make your presentation more effective than your competition's.
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THE GOOD NEWS AND THE BAD

The good news is that, with a little extra effort, you can create a resume that makes you really stand out as a superior candidate for a job you are seeking. Not one resume in a hundred follows the principles that stir the interest of prospective employers. So, even if you face fierce competition, with a well written resume you should be invited to interview more often than many people more qualified than you.

The bad news is that your present resume is probably much more inadequate than you now realize. You will have to learn how to think and write in a style that will be completely new to you.

To understand what I mean, let's take a look at the purpose of your resume. Why do you have a resume in the first place? What is it supposed to do for you?

Here's an imaginary scenario. You apply for a job that seems absolutely perfect for you. You send your resume with a cover letter to the prospective employer. Plenty of other people think the job sounds great too and apply for the job. A few days later, the employer is staring at a pile of several hundred resumes. Several hundred? you ask. Isn't that an inflated number? Not really. A job offer often attracts between 100 and 1000 resumes these days, so you are facing a great deal of competition.
Back to the fantasy and the prospective employer staring at the huge stack of resumes: This person isn't any more excited about going through this pile of dry, boring documents than you would be. But they have to do it, so they dig in. After a few minutes, they are getting sleepy. They are not really focusing any more. Then, they run across your resume. As soon as they start reading it, they perk up. The more they read, the more interested, awake and turned on they become.

Most resumes in the pile have only gotten a quick glance. But yours gets read, from beginning to end. Then, it gets put on top of the tiny pile of resumes that make the first cut. These are the people who will be asked in to interview. In this mini resume writing guide, what we hope to do is to give you the basic tools to take this out of the realm of fantasy and into your everyday life.
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THE NUMBER ONE PURPOSE OF A RESUME

The resume is a tool with one specific purpose: to win an interview. If it does what the fantasy resume did, it works. If it doesn't, it isn't an effective resume. A resume is an advertisement, nothing more, nothing less.

A great resume doesn't just tell them what you have done but makes the same assertion that all good ads do: If you buy this product, you will get these specific, direct benefits. It presents you in the best light. It convinces the employer that you have what it takes to be successful in this new position or career.

It is so pleasing to the eye that the reader is enticed to pick it up and read it. It "whets the appetite," stimulates interest in meeting you and learning more about you. It inspires the prospective employer to pick up the phone and ask you to come in for an interview.

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OTHER POSSIBLE REASONS TO HAVE A RESUME

To pass the employer's screening process (requisite educational level, number years' experience, etc.), to give basic facts which might favorably influence the employer (companies worked for, political affiliations, racial minority, etc.). To provide contact information: an up-to-date address and a telephone number (a telephone number which will always be answered during business hours).

To establish you as a professional person with high standards and excellent writing skills, based on the fact that the resume is so well done (clear, well-organized, well-written, well-designed, of the highest professional grades of printing and paper). For persons in the art, advertising, marketing, or writing professions, the resume can serve as a sample of their skills.

To have something to give to potential employers, your job-hunting contacts and professional references, to provide background information, to give out in "informational interviews" with the request for a critique (a concrete creative way to cultivate the support of this new person), to send a contact as an excuse for follow-up contact, and to keep in your briefcase to give to people you meet casually - as another form of "business card."

To use as a covering piece or addendum to another form of job application, as part of a grant or contract proposal, as an accompaniment to graduate school or other application.

To put in an employer's personnel files.

To help you clarify your direction, qualifications, and strengths, boost your confidence, or to start the process of commiting to a job or career change.

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WHAT IT ISN'T

It is a mistake to think of your resume as a history of your past, as a personal statement or as some sort of self expression. Sure, most of the content of any resume is focused on your job history. But write from the intention to create interest, to persuade the employer to call you. If you write with that goal, your final product will be very different than if you write to inform or catalog your job history.
Most people write a resume because everyone knows that you have to have one to get a job. They write their resume grudgingly, to fulfill this obligation. Writing the resume is only slightly above filling out income tax forms in the hierarchy of worldly delights. If you realize that a great resume can be your ticket to getting exactly the job you want, you may be able to muster some genuine enthusiasm for creating a real masterpiece, rather than the feeble products most people turn out.
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WHAT IF I'M NOT SURE OF MY JOB TARGET?

If you are hunting for a job but are not sure you are on a career path that is perfect for you, you are probably going to wind up doing something that doesn't fit you very well, that you are not going to find fulfilling, and that you will most likely leave within five years. Doesn't sound like much of a life to me. How about you? Are you willing to keep putting up with pinning your fate on the random turnings of the wheel?

]]> admin Typical interview questions 2005-10-17T01:21:00-05:00 2005-10-17T01:21:00-05:00 2005-10-17T01:21:00-05:00 tag:ResumeDump.com-Thefirstonlineresume/humanresourcesearchengine,2007:ResumeDumpKnowledgebase.25 Not every interviewer will ask you every one of these questions. However, if you are prepared to address these questions, you will leave the impression that you were prepared for your job interview, even if additional questions take you by surprise. Typical interview questions On this page:
Typical interview questions
What the interviewer is looking for

Typical interview questions:

What are your long-range goals and objectives?
What are your short-range goals and objectives?
How do you plan to achieve your career goals?
What are the most important rewards you expect in your career?
Why did you choose the career for which you are preparing?
What are your strengths, weaknesses, and interests?
How do you think a friend or professor who knows you well would describe you?
Describe a situation in which you had to work with a difficult person (another student, co-worker, customer, supervisor, etc.).
How did you handle the situation? Is there anything you would have done differently in hindsight?
What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort? Describe a situation in which you did so.
In what ways have your college experiences prepared you for a career?
How do you determine or evaluate success?
In what ways do you think you can make a contribution to our organization?
Describe a contribution you have made to a project on which you worked.
What qualities should a successful manager possess?
Was there an occasion when you disagreed with a supervisor's decision or company policy? Describe how you handled the situation.
What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction? Why?
Describe your most rewarding college experience.
What interests you about our product or service?
Why did you select your college or university?
What led you to choose your major or field of study?
What college subjects did you like best? Why?
What college subjects did you like least? Why?
If you could do so, how would you plan your academic studies differently?
Do you think your grades are a good indication of your academic achievement?
What have you learned from participation in extracurricular activities?
In what kind of work environment are you most comfortable?
How do you work under pressure?
Describe a situation in which you worked as part of a team. What role did you take on? What went well and what didn't?
In what part-time, co-op, or summer jobs have you been most interested? Why?
How would you describe the ideal job for you following graduation?
Why did you decide to seek a position with this organization?
What two or three things would be most important to you in your job?
What criteria are you using to evaluate the organization for which you hope to work?
Will you relocate? Does relocation bother you?
Are you willing to travel?
Are you willing to spend at least six months as a trainee?


What the interview is looking for:

Interviewer: Tell me about yourself.
You: Remember, this is a job interview, not a psychological or personal interview. The interviewer is interested in the information about you that relates to your qualifications for employment, such as education, work experiences and extracurricular activities.

Interviewer: What do you expect to be doing five years from now? Ten years from now?
You: The interviewer is looking for evidence of career goals and ambitions rather than minutely specific descriptions. The interviewer wants to see your thought process and the criteria that are important to you.

Interviewer: Why should I hire you?
You: Stress what you have to offer the employer, not how nice it would be to work there or what you want from the employer.

Interviewer: What are your ideas about salary?
You: Research salaries in your field before your interviews so that you know the current salary range for the type of position you are seeking.

Interviewer: Why do you want to work for our company/organization?
You: Not having an answer is a good way to get crossed off the candidate list, and is a common pet peeve of interviewers. Research the employer before your interview; attempt to find out about the organization's products, locations, clients, philosophy, goals, previous growth record and growth plans, how they value employees and customers, etc.

]]> admin Ten Tips for an Interview Winning Resume ! 2005-10-11T14:26:00-05:00 2005-10-11T14:26:00-05:00 2005-10-11T14:26:00-05:00 tag:ResumeDump.com-Thefirstonlineresume/humanresourcesearchengine,2007:ResumeDumpKnowledgebase.24 Employers usually only spend 30 seconds or so reviewing each resume, therefore, that first impression needs to be the one that counts. Ten Tips for an Interview Winning Resume ! Four Tips for a Winning Resume

An employer can receive hundreds of resumes in response to an advertised position. For every hundred resumes an employer receives, only a few resumes stand out from the crowd. Want your resume to shine in the eyes of the employer you want to attract? Start by including a well-written resume cover letter with the resume.

  • Formatting and feel, on a mailed-in resume, matter. Your resume, at first glance, can impress or depress the employer. Lots of open space, a clear, easy-to-read font such as 12 point Arial, and easy-to-find and skim information, entice the employer to read on. With electronic publishing, every mailed resume should be freshly printed on high quality paper. And don't even think of sending your application to my company in your current employer's envelope, or with metered postage. Think about what this says about the integrity of the candidate. I receive, at least, one of these a week. Envelopes do matter.
  • You will likely grow tired of hearing this but correct spelling, appropriate grammar, no missing words, and no typing mistakes make your resume an employer-pleaser right out of the starting gate. An error-free resume is rare. Indeed, some hiring managers will not further consider your candidacy if they find even one mistake. Every mistake makes me pause and think. Every mistake makes me question your carefulness, care, and attention to detail. Don't make me pause; don't make me think.
  • Contact Information: In this era of instant messaging, email, and cell phones, there is absolutely no reason to make contacting you difficult for the potential employer. Yet, over half the resumes I receive have no contact information except a home phone number. And guess what? You're never home. Give the potential employer your cell phone number, even if you have to buy a mobile for your job search. Avoid the dreaded phone tag that may make you miss out on an interview altogether.
  • Write and customize an "objective" for each job and employer. The objective is your opportunity to connect your skills, experience, traits, and job requirements with those the employer is seeking. Read the job posting carefully and you can pick out exactly what the employer believes he needs. Don't settle for a lame, "I seek a challenging opportunity to utilize my skills with a progressive employer who will provide opportunities for growth."

In response to an ad for a marketing specialist, I received this customized objective: "I am seeking a position as a marketing specialist in a growing, environmentally conscious company that will utilize my current skills in the development of advertising and other marketing materials and website design and writing. At the same time, I hope to gain experience in market research, Internet competitive analysis, and market segmentation." Who do you think I called?

Here are six more tips for an interview winning resume.

  • Include a customized section called "Career Highlights / Qualifications." This section of the resume is usually a series of bulleted points that emphasize your most important career experience, your skills, your personality traits and characteristics, and some key accomplishments from your work history as they relate to the job for which you are applying.
  • For each former employer, clearly indicate the company name, your position, and the dates of your employment. Provide a brief overview statement that tells me about what the company does, its sales, products, and customers. This helps me assess your experience. Then, tell me exactly what you did for the company in a brief statement. Don't make me look for information, read between the lines, or try to guess.
    I won't and your resume will end up in the dreaded job file for the required year. (You don't really think anyone takes the time to sort through all those aging resumes, do you?)
  • For each employer, include a list of "key contributions" or "key achievements." Don't make the mistake of stating, "I answered a multi-line phone system. I provided customer service." You want to highlight key measurable achievements and successes such as: "I reduced the time for order fulfillment from 2 days to 12 hours." "I reduced accounts collectible by 80 percent." "My marketing campaign for the new product won two industry awards for effectiveness."
  • Education statements matter. State dates of attendance, majors, minors, and degrees. Don't make me guess whether you have a degree or just took a few classes. I will figure it out and it ticks me off to have to figure it out.
  • Do include a section that lists awards and other recognition. President of the Junior Class, Secretary of the Synchronized Swim Team, four year merit scholarship winner, or college economics prize winner will catch my eye much faster than a resume without awards and recognition. (Of course, you'd include this section on a resume only if you have an award or recognition to list.)
  • Do include a personal section that highlights accomplishments, and anything else that will raise the value of you, as a potential employee, in the eyes of the employer. In this section, catching my eye recently are: volunteerism; involvement with philanthropic causes; publications; team and individual sports participation; leadership positions in school or community organizations (especially in resumes without an "Awards and Recognition" section) or even, "I self-funded my college education by working part-time during all four years of school."


Well, this is my best advice about what catches my attention - positively - in a resume. I can't speak for every employer, but know that you can't go far wrong - and you may go far in the right direction - if you heed these recommendations. When your resume is competing with hundreds of others for attention, you need to do the right things right to be heard above the noise. You can create a winning resume.

-----------------------------------------------
Witten by Susan Heathfield

Susan Heathfield is a management consultant specializing in human resource related systems, issues, and opportunities. Susan has 30+ years of experience in human resources, training, organization development, consulting, facilitating, coaching, and writing. For the past 18 years, Susan has operated her own consulting company. In this capacity, she has served 150+ organizations. She is the editor and writer for the About Human Resources site.

]]> admin Words to Avoid in Your Resume ! 2005-10-11T14:07:00-05:00 2005-10-11T14:07:00-05:00 2005-10-11T14:07:00-05:00 tag:ResumeDump.com-Thefirstonlineresume/humanresourcesearchengine,2007:ResumeDumpKnowledgebase.23 Most resume-writing guides focus on "power words" -- words that promise to grab the attention of recruiters as they scan hundreds of resumes -- but few tell you what words to avoid in your resume. Words to Avoid in Your Resume ! Below is a list of words and word types that your resume would be better without.

Abbreviations and Acronyms

AFPCA, CHIGFET, FIPL, MRSRM, ZWE: Looks like a fresh game of Scrabble, doesn't it?

Too many abbreviations and acronyms in a resume make it unreadable.

As a rule, avoid using abbreviations and acronyms unless they are commonly recognized. If you work in an acronym-heavy industry, such as technology, use acronyms sparingly.

Personal Pronouns

It seems odd to avoid personal pronouns (I, me, my) in your resume -- a document that is all about you.

But, it actually does make sense.

Since your resume is all about you, the addition of "I" or "me" is redundant. Since a resume should contain no unnecessary words, there is no place for the personal pronoun. Your resume, after all, is not a memoir but a concise summary of your skills and experience.

Negative Words

These words spell death for a resume.

Words like "arrested," "boring," "fired," "hate" and "sexist" catch a recruiter's eye like to a two-ton magnet catches a paper clip.

If there are difficult issues you want to raise, save them for the interview.

Keep These Words to a Minimum

There are other words that are sometimes necessary in a resume, but that should nevertheless be kept to a minimum.

Among these:

  • Abused words: a, also, an, because, the, very
  • Any word you can't define: You may think using these words make you sound smart, but if you use them incorrectly they could kill your chances of landing the job.
  • Words that can be embarrassing if spelled wrong: assess, skills
]]> admin How to Answer These Tricky Interview Questions ! 2005-10-11T11:09:00-05:00 2005-10-11T11:09:00-05:00 2005-10-11T11:09:00-05:00 tag:ResumeDump.com-Thefirstonlineresume/humanresourcesearchengine,2007:ResumeDumpKnowledgebase.13 Does the thought of going on a job interview cause your palms to sweat and your body to break out in hives? Stop itching; you're not alone. How to Answer These Tricky Interview Questions !
First, take the proper amount of time to prepare for your interview. Being well-prepared will boost your confidence and lower your anxiety. Experts recommend that you spend at least three hours preparing for each interview.

You should draft answers to the most common interview questions and practice speaking them out loud. You also should read up on the company with which you will be interviewing and prepare some questions of your own. This lets the interviewer know that you are truly interested in the company and the position.

As a final step in your preparation, make sure you have good directions to the interview site. Some job seekers make a dry run to the interview site to ensure the directions are correct and to estimate the amount of time they will need to get to the interview on time.

Going into a job interview is often like entering the great unknown. Although every interviewer is different and questions vary from industry to industry, there are some questions that are common across the board. Reading through the following questions and developing your own answers is a good place to start in your preparation. Once you have done that, remember practice makes perfect! Nothing impresses a potential employer like being ready for whatever is thrown your way.

Why should we hire you?
Here's the chance to really sell yourself. You need to briefly and succinctly lay out your strengths, qualifications and what you can bring to the table. Be careful not to answer this question too generically, however. Nearly everyone says they are hardworking and motivated. Set yourself apart by telling the interviewer about qualities that are unique to you.

Why do you want to work here?
This is one tool interviewers use to see if you have done your homework. You should never attend an interview unless you know about the company, its direction and the industry in which it plays. If you have done your research, this question gives you an opportunity to show initiative and demonstrate how your experience and qualifications match the company's needs.

What are your greatest weaknesses?
The secret to answering this question is being honest about a weakness, but demonstrating how you have turned it into a strength. For example, if you had a problem with organization in the past, demonstrate the steps you took to more effectively keep yourself on track. This will show that you have the ability to recognize aspects of yourself that need improvement, and the initiative to make yourself better.

Why did you leave your last job?
Even if your last job ended badly, be careful about being negative in answering this question. Be as diplomatic as possible. If you do point out negative aspects of your last job, find some positives to mention as well. Complaining endlessly about your last company will not say much for your attitude.

Describe a problem situation and how you solved it.
Sometimes it is hard to come up with a response to this request, particularly if you are coming straight from college and do not have professional experience. Interviewers want to see that you can think critically and develop solutions, regardless of what kind of issue you faced. Even if your problem was not having enough time to study, describe the steps you took to prioritize your schedule. This will demonstrate that you are responsible and can think through situations on your own.

What accomplishment are you most proud of?
The secret to this question is being specific and selecting an accomplishment that relates to the position. Even if your greatest accomplishment is being on a championship high school basketball team, opt for a more professionally relevant accomplishment. Think of the qualities the company is looking for and develop an example that demonstrates how you can meet the company's needs.

What are your salary expectations?
This is one of the hardest questions, particularly for those with little experience. The first thing to do before going to your interview is to research the salary range in your field to get an idea of what you should be making. Steer clear of discussing salary specifics before receiving a job offer. Let the interviewer know that you will be open to discussing fair compensation when the time comes. If pressed for a more specific answer, always give a range, rather than a specific number.

Tell me about yourself.
While this query seems like a piece of cake, it is difficult to answer because it is so broad. The important thing to know is that the interviewer typically does not want to know about your hometown or what you do on the weekends. He or she is trying to figure you out professionally. Pick a couple of points about yourself, your professional experience and your career goals and stick to those points. Wrap up your answer by bringing up your desire to be a part of the company. If you have a solid response prepared for this question, it can lead your conversation in a direction that allows you to elaborate on your qualifications. ]]> admin How to Make a Positive First Impression! 2005-10-11T11:06:00-05:00 2005-10-11T11:06:00-05:00 2005-10-11T11:06:00-05:00 tag:ResumeDump.com-Thefirstonlineresume/humanresourcesearchengine,2007:ResumeDumpKnowledgebase.12 When you walk into an interview, remember this: It only takes 30 seconds to make a lasting impression. Research has shown that the first impression you make on an interviewer really sticks. In one study, untrained subjects were shown 20- to 32-second videotaped segments of job applicants greeting their interviewers. When the subjects rated the applicants on attributes like self-assurance and likeability, their assessments were very similar to the interviewers' – who had spent more than 20 minutes with each applicant. How to Make a Positive First Impression!
Research has shown that the first impression you make on an interviewer really sticks. In one study, untrained subjects were shown 20- to 32-second videotaped segments of job applicants greeting their interviewers. When the subjects rated the applicants on attributes like self-assurance and likeability, their assessments were very similar to the interviewers' – who had spent more than 20 minutes with each applicant.Fortunately, there are some actions you can take to help master the first impression:

Timing
Few things give a worse impression than showing up late for an important meeting. Allow yourself plenty of time to get to the interview in case you have trouble finding the office.

But earlier isn't necessarily better. If you arrive more than 15 minutes early and beeline for the reception area, your interviewer might feel rushed and you might appear desperate, according to Emily Post's book “The Etiquette Advantage in Business.” If you arrive early, go to the restroom to freshen up, or have an espresso and muffin at a nearby coffee shop.

Ideally, you should check in five to 10 minutes early, and always be courteous and professional to everyone you meet – you never know how much influence the receptionist may have on the hiring decision.

Appearance
Like it or not, people make judgments on appearances, so it's important to arrive at the interview looking like the seasoned professional that you are. But if you dress too formally, you'll look stuffy, and if you dress too casually, the interviewer may think you're not serious about the job.

Never wear anything sloppy, tight or revealing to an interview. High-quality, tailored business suits are always appropriate for both men and women. And don't forget the details: Make sure your shoes and accessories are clean and polished. Clothes may make the (wo)man, but hair and hygiene are crucial. You never want an interviewer to smell you before they see you, so always bathe the morning of the interview, use a good-quality bath soap and deodorant, and avoid wearing perfume or cologne.

Be sure your hair is clean and well-groomed – nothing spiky or wild – and keep your makeup minimal. Cover any tattoos, and limit visible piercings to one in each earlobe.


Handshake
According to Emily Post's book, your grip speaks volumes. Offer a limp hand and your partner will think you're hesitant or meek. Give a bone-crunching squeeze and you can appear overly enthusiastic or domineering – and it hurts! But when you shake with a medium-firm grip, you convey confidence and authority.

Extend your hand and grip when the webs of your palms touch. Then, pump your hand a couple of times.

Body language
Don't underestimate the importance of your posture and subtle movements. A study by Albert Mehrabian of UCLA found that 55 percent of communication is received from body language.

To ensure your body language signals your confidence, sit up straight with your shoulders back. Avoid crossing your legs, and don't adopt a casual pose – even if your interviewer does.

Even if you're nervous, try not to fidget. Don't play with your jewelry, twirl your hair or cross your arms, and try to maintain eye contact with the interviewer. If staring straight into the interviewer's eyes makes you uncomfortable, look at the bridge of his or her nose instead – it looks like you're still making eye contact, but might be less distracting.

Laura Morsch is a writer for CareerBuilder.com. ]]> admin 10 Dead-End Jobs ! 2005-10-11T09:56:00-05:00 2005-10-11T09:56:00-05:00 2005-10-11T09:56:00-05:00 tag:ResumeDump.com-Thefirstonlineresume/humanresourcesearchengine,2007:ResumeDumpKnowledgebase.10 It's been a long time coming, but signs are pointing to a brighter employment picture. Yet while there are indicators of strong employment and many industries are projected to grow in the coming years, there is also evidence that some occupations are becoming obsolete. 10 Dead-End Jobs !
Here are 10 of the jobs expected to decline between now and 2012 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Farmers and Ranchers
This dwindling occupation will see the largest decrease of all sectors, losing 250,000 jobs by 2012. The complexity of modern farming and keen competition among farmers leaves little room for the marginally successful farmer. Therefore, the long-term trend toward consolidation of farms into fewer and larger farms is expected to continue displacing small independent farmers.

Sewing Machine Operators/ Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Tenders
Apparel workers have been among the most rapidly declining occupational groups in recent years. Increasing imports, the use of offshore assembly and greater productivity through new automation will contribute to additional job losses. Employment in the domestic textile and apparel industries has also fallen in recent years as foreign producers have gained a greater share of the U.S. market.

Word Processors and Data-Entry Keyers
This sector of workers is expected to decline due to the proliferation of personal computers. Employment growth of data entry keyers will still be dampened by productivity gains, as various data-capturing technologies, such as bar code scanners, voice recognition technologies and sophisticated character recognition readers become more prevalent. In addition, employment of these workers will be adversely affected by businesses that are increasingly contracting out their work.

Stock Clerks and Order Fillers
The growing use of computers for inventory control and the installation of new, automated equipment are expected to inhibit growth in demand for stock clerks and order fillers, especially in manufacturing and wholesale trade industries whose operations are most easily automated. Firms in these industries are relying more on computerized inventory systems, sophisticated conveyor belts, automatic high stackers to store and retrieve goods, and the use of automatically guided vehicles.

Secretaries (except legal, medical and executive)
Automated equipment is changing the distribution of work in many offices. Professionals and managers increasingly do their own word processing and data entry, and handle much of their own correspondence rather than submit the work to secretaries and other support staff. Also, in some law and medical offices, paralegals and medical assistants are assuming some tasks formerly done by secretaries and others are "sharing" secretaries and administrative assistants.

Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers
As manufacturers strive to improve precision and productivity, automated machinery increasingly will be used to perform work more economically and more efficiently. Technological advances should continue raising the productivity of assembly workers and adversely affecting their employment. And, many producers send their assembly functions to countries where labor costs are lower.

Computer Operators
Advances in technology have reduced both the size and cost of computer equipment, while increasing the capacity for data storage and processing automation. The expanding use of software that automates computer operations gives companies the option of making systems more user-friendly, greatly reducing the need for operators.

Telephone Operators
Developments in communications technologies -- particularly voice recognition systems that are accessible and easy to use -- will continue to have a significant impact on the demand for switchboard operators. Electronic communication through the Internet or e-mail provides alternatives to telephone communication and requires no operators.

Postal Service Mail Sorters and Processing-Machine Operators
The demand for such clerks will be offset by the use of electronic communications technologies and private delivery companies. The number of these workers is expected to decline because of the increasing use of automated materials handling equipment and optical character readers, barcode sorters and other automated sorting equipment. Advanced sorting systems, longer routes and centralized delivery will also reduce the demand for postal workers.

Travel Agents
An increasing reliance on the Internet to book travel, as well as industry consolidation, will continue to reduce the need for travel agents. Also, airlines no longer pay commissions to travel agencies, which has weakened revenues and caused some agencies to go out of business.

Kate Lorenz is the article and advice editor for CareerBuilder.com. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues. ]]> admin 10 Tips for a Focused Job Hunt 2005-10-11T09:50:00-05:00 2005-10-11T09:50:00-05:00 2005-10-11T09:50:00-05:00 tag:ResumeDump.com-Thefirstonlineresume/humanresourcesearchengine,2007:ResumeDumpKnowledgebase.9 You're not sure what you want to do, but you know it's not this. When you're searching for a new career, the possibilities are nearly endless. Experts say there are more than 20,000 job titles out there. 10 Tips for a Focused Job Hunt
1. Know yourself.
Do some soul searching to identify what interests, motivates and excites you. Use these attributes as your guide for exploring career paths and opportunities.

2. Take career assessments.
Career tests can give you a wealth of information about your skills, core competencies, motivators and work preferences – and many are now available online.

3. Get feedback from others.
It's hard to see yourself the same way others see you. Ask your friends, family and co-workers about your skills and abilities. Understanding what they see in you, what they like about you and what needs work can be instrumental in helping you determine your professional persona.

4. Understand what motivates you.
Are you motivated by prestige or a seven-figure salary? By making a difference in the world or contributing to your company's bottom line?

5. Control your own career destiny.
“Twenty years ago, you could accept a position with a large corporation and know, to some degree, that you would work there throughout your entire career,” Enelow and Goldman write. Back then, the company drove your career, advancing it as the company saw fit.

Times have changed. Now, you will likely work for at least five companies (likely even more), and you are responsible for driving your career. Determine which track you want, and be sure that track takes you where you want to go professionally.

6. Consider the organizational fit.
In today's streamlined, productivity-focused workplace, organizational and cultural fit are more important than ever. Consider your values and principles to determine whether you'll be a good fit and feel comfortable working for a particular organization.

7. Find a mentor.
Mentors will be your allies and provide you with great insight to help you plan and advance your career. It's important to find the right mentor – one who will guide you and has the contacts to make things happen. Consider current or past supervisors, college professors, industry contacts, business leaders and other people you admire and respect.

8. Be open-minded.
Your career is all about change, growth and new opportunities, but you have to be open to exploration and discovery.

9. Remember to have a work/life balance.
In your 20s and 30s, when you are still establishing your career, it's OK to devote a huge percentage of your life to work. But when you're in your 40s, your personal life and issues may become more important to you, it's important to find a company that will give you a work/life balance.

10. Let yourself off the hook.
If you're unsatisfied with your career, do something about it. Take control and start paving the way to a fulfilling, satisfying career today.

Laura Morsch is a writer for CareerBuilder.com (This article is copyrighted to her.) ]]> admin Quiz: Are You in the Right Career? 2005-10-11T09:45:00-05:00 2005-10-11T09:45:00-05:00 2005-10-11T09:45:00-05:00 tag:ResumeDump.com-Thefirstonlineresume/humanresourcesearchengine,2007:ResumeDumpKnowledgebase.8 Are you wondering if you are in the right job or career? Nothing is more draining or less motivating than staying in a position because of inertia or fear of the unknown. Wouldn't it be better to find out and decide whether or not to take action? Then you can plan what steps you need to undertake before you start your job search efforts. Quiz: Are You in the Right Career?
Wouldn't it be better to find out and decide whether or not to take action? Then you can plan what steps you need to undertake before you start your job search efforts.The career quiz below will help you judge whether your career is on track. Answer yes or no to the following questions. Each yes answer counts as one point. Compare your point total to the scoring key at the bottom.

1. I look forward to going to work.

2. I talk about my work in a positive way.

3. I have mentored a junior colleague or want to.

4. I don't fear layoff or termination, as I have a portfolio of skills to draw upon.

5. I know how to network and market myself to my best advantage.

6. People seek me out to ask career advice.

7. I've achieved a good balance in my life between work and play.

8. Money is not the driving force in deciding my next career move.

9. I am learning from, and enjoy working with, my team or co-workers.

10. If self-employed, I have a network of professionals who I can turn to for advice and encouragement.

11. I feel excited about my upcoming projects, as they engage me creatively.

12. When I face a setback at work, I am able to recover quickly as I have a reserve of energy and self-confidence.

13. I am self-motivated and generate much of my “to do” list at work.

14. I have a well-written, up-to-date résumé.

15. I feel positive about my future job prospects.

16. I know where I'd like to be in five years.

17. I know where I'd like to be in one year.

18. I'm being compensated fairly.

19. I respect my boss.

20. I am able to work productively with my co-workers (or clients), even those who are difficult.

21. I know how to deal effectively with office politics.

22. I have the training I need to do my job well.

23. My boss is supportive and has provided me with opportunities to learn and grow.

24. I'm working with a company (or client) that has integrity.

25. I attend professional/trade association meetings to stay up-to-date in my field.

Scoring Key:

21-25 Points
Wow. Congratulations, you love your work! Never stop improving. Consider taking a seminar or learning a new language.

16-20 Points
You're doing well; this is a very good score. Speak with your boss about new opportunities or challenges you might undertake.

11-15 Points
You're doing okay, but there's room for improvement. Join a professional organization to grow your network and get information about other opportunities that may exist in your industry.

6-10 Points
Yes, there's work to do. Tap into your network of colleagues and friends to discuss other career areas of interest. Seek out a mentor
to get support and a broader perspective.

0-5 Points
You are not alone. It takes time and desire to find the right livelihood. Use this quiz as a starting point to pinpoint the changes you want to make. Consider taking a career assessment and/or working with a career coach to help you clarify your career goals. Know that many have successfully transitioned to careers and jobs they love.


Dale Kurow, M.S., is an author and a career and executive coach in New York City. Dale works with clients across the U.S. and internationally, helping them to survive office politics, become better managers, or figure out their next career moves. Visit Dale's Web site at http://www.dalekurow.com to sign-up for her free Career Essentials e-zine, chocked full of career tips and strategies. ]]> admin Job Interviewing Do's and Don'ts 2005-10-11T05:13:00-05:00 2005-10-11T05:13:00-05:00 2005-10-11T05:13:00-05:00 tag:ResumeDump.com-Thefirstonlineresume/humanresourcesearchengine,2007:ResumeDumpKnowledgebase.7 Here are the keys to successful job interviewing. Follow these simple rules and you should achieve success in this important phase of job-hunting. Job Interviewing Do's and Don'ts Here are the keys to successful job interviewing. Follow these simple rules
and you should achieve success in this important phase of job-hunting.


  • Do take a practice run to the location where you are having the
    interview -- or be sure you know exactly where it is and how long it takes to
    get there.


  • Do your research and know the type of job interview you will be
    encountering. And do prepare and practice for the interview, but
    don't     memorize or over-rehearse your answers.


  • Do dress the part for the job, the company, the industry. And do
    err on the side of conservatism. If you're not sure, you should consider
    reading our article, When Job-Hunting: Dress for Success.


  • Do plan to arrive about 10 minutes early. Late arrival for a job
    interview is never excusable. If you are running late, do phone the
    company.


  • Do greet the receptionist or assistant with courtesy and respect.
    This is where you make your first impression.


  • Don't chew gum during the interview.


  • If presented with a job application, do fill it out neatly,
    completely, and accurately.


  • Do bring extra resumes to the interview. (Even better, if you have
    a job skills portfolio, do bring that with you to the interview.)


  • Don't rely on your application or resume to do the selling for you.
    No matter how qualified you are for the position, you will need to sell
    yourself to the interviewer.


  • Do greet the interviewer(s) by title (Ms., Mr., Dr.) and last name
    if you are sure of the pronunciation. (If you're not sure, do ask the
    receptionist about the pronunciation before going into the interview.


  • Do shake hands firmly. Don't have a limp or clammy
    handshake!


  • Do wait until you are offered a chair before sitting. And do
    remember body language and posture: sit upright and look alert and interested
    at all times. Don't fidget or slouch.


  • Don't tell jokes during the interview.


  • Do make good eye contact with your interviewer(s).


  • Do show enthusiasm in the position and the company.


  • Don't smoke, even if the interviewer does and offers you a
    cigarette. And don't smoke beforehand so that you smell like smoke. And
    do brush your teeth, use mouthwash, or have a breath mint before the
    interview.


  • Do avoid using poor language, slang, and pause words (such as
    "like," "uh," and "um").


  • Don't be soft-spoken. A forceful voice projects confidence.


  • Do have a high confidence and energy level, but don't be
    overly aggressive.


  • Don't act as though you would take any job or are desperate for
    employment.


  • Do avoid controversial topics.


  • Don't say anything negative about former colleagues, supervisors,
    or employers.


  • Do make sure that your good points come across to the interviewer
    in a factual, sincere manner.


  • Don't ever lie. Answer questions truthfully, frankly and
    succinctly. And don't over-answer questions.


  • Do stress your achievements. And don't offer any negative
    information about yourself.


  • Don't answer questions with a simple "yes" or "no." Explain
    whenever possible. Describe those things about yourself that showcase your
    talents, skills, and determination. Give examples.


  • Do show off the research you have done on the company and industry
    when responding to questions.


  • Don't bring up or discuss personal issues or family problems.


  • Do remember that the interview is also an important time for you to
    evaluate the interviewer and the company she represents.


  • Don't respond to an unexpected question with an extended pause or
    by saying something like, "boy, that's a good question." And do repeat
    the question outloud or ask for the question to be repeated to give you a
    little more time to think about an answer. Also, a short pause before
    responding is okay.


  • Do<