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By Jennifer Anthony, Resume Expert

You may already have a suspicion that your resume is not very effective or you would not be reading this article right now. It could be that you are not getting a response from your resume at all, or perhaps the responses you are getting seem inappropriate (i.e. you are continually contacted for sales jobs when you are an IT professional).

Here are the top three clues that it’s time to send your resume to the paper shredder.

1. Typos

This one should be obvious. If you are serious about job hunting, you should proofread your resume. Don’t get so excited about a job that you just throw something together and send it off.

Furthermore, proofreading does not mean relying on your spell checker. The Word spell checker doesn’t know that you meant to type “from” when you actually typed “form”. When you skip this vital step, you’re putting your career at risk. Dump it!

2. Irrelevant information

If you have your hobbies listed, marital status, or any other personal information listed, toss it! Honestly, it has nothing to do with how you will perform on the job, so no one really cares.

Additionally, if you have jobs that are not related to your career goal, your hiring manager might have doubts about your dedication to your career. For instance, if you are in real estate, there is no need to list a job in a completely different career like graphic design, it won’t help you.

3. Poor layout and design

Take your resume, print it off, and look at it from a distance. Can you see a definite layout, or does it all look inconsistent? When your information is poorly presented, it makes it hard to concentrate on. You want people to be interested in what they are reading. An appealing presentation is key!

Take another look. Could a hiring manager see your most valuable skills in a glance? If not, time to toss it.

Don’t try to revive it – just scrap it and have a “do over”. A fresh perspective will most likely fuel your creativity.

If you need ideas, check out the following pages:

Monster.com resume center – good ideas here and TONS of up-to-date information.

NothingButCoverLetters.com – awesome articles and cover letter samples from a former professional resume writer

And should you decide that it’s all too much of a headache, utilize the services of a professional resume writer to help you. You will rid yourself of the problem and get a resume that will get you results!

By Jennifer Anthony, Resume Expert

You probably read the title and decided I was crazy.

Well, perhaps I am a little overly passionate about resumes, since I am a resume writer, but it’s mostly true. Your resume is the most important document you will ever write in your professional career.

Most people write a resume to initially get a job and they forget that the document doesn’t just disappear after that. Consequently, there isn’t enough importance given to the document.

Not only does this little document get you called for interviews, it also determines what types of questions an interviewer is going to ask you during your interview and it even gives the potential employer an idea of what he or she will offer you for a salary.

Additionally, if you make it through the process and get hired, your resume will stay in your employee file for later review and it might help your manager or a future manager determine how much of a raise you are eligible for when it’s time for those annual or semi-annual reviews.

So, make sure you invest some time and effort into this document and give it some thought while you are preparing it — unless you are actually happy with the status quo.

Looking for a resume writer? Come visit me at http://www.resumeasap.com/

Don’t Forget the Basics of Cover Letter Writing
By Heather Eagar

What do employers want to see in your cover letter? That seems to be the question a lot of job seekers ask. Here are some basics that will help you start writing your cover letter and propel you into applying for new jobs. Ask yourself the following questions so that your job search is off to a good start.

What Job Are You Applying for Anyway?

It’s a basic step but sometimes it’s left out on a cover letter. The hiring manager is left to wonder what the cover letter and resume they have in their hand is for. If they have to guess, then you can forget about getting a call for an interview. They are too busy to spend that much time on one candidate.

Include the job you’re applying for towards the beginning of the cover letter. You could even make it a header to your letter. Make it apparent so the hiring manager doesn’t have to spend time looking for it.

Can You Fulfill Their Requirements?

If you’re applying for an advertising position, don’t go and talk about what great administrative skills you have. You have to demonstrate how you meet their requirements. If the job posting says they require a four-year degree and you only have a two-year degree, don’t mention it at all. Let your strengths speak for you instead.

As you review the posting, take note of what you can specifically point out to the reader. You don’t want to mention every point, but if there’s something unique about the position and you either have the experience, training or skills that suit that job to a tee, then you should make a point to mention it in your cover letter.

How Can They Reach You?

Make your contact information easily accessible. Include it in your header and your closing paragraph as well. Some even suggest adding your phone number below your signature. You want to be sure that when an employer is so impressed by your cover letter package that they just have to call you for an interview, they don’t get frustrated looking for a phone number or email address.

How Professional Are You?

How you present yourself on paper speaks volumes about who you are as a professional. Are their typos? Is the format correct? Do you have too much white space? Not enough? All of these little things add up to a very important impression on the employer.

Of course, these are just very broad aspects of your cover letter that you should include. However simple as these may seem, they are vital to getting interviews. If you overlook the obvious, then the employers will obviously overlook you.

Heather Eagar is a former professional resume writer who is now dedicated to providing job seekers with resources that promote job search success from beginning to end. Grab your free cover letter tips ecourse at http://www.CoverLettersMadeEasy.com

For one, sales cover letters are pretty much identical to business cover letters in their format or rules, but differ crucially in their content. Your cover letter reflects directly on your ability to “make the sale”.

Sales Cover Letter Basics

So here are the basics of sales cover letters. Sales cover letters must be written on a clean bright white paper and must be delivered to the addressee in an equally decent, stiff envelope. It must have contact information and three paragraphs neatly typed in their designated places. Cover letters are completely devoid of trivial things such as spelling and grammatical errors. So, it goes without saying that the letters must be proofed and edited a couple of times to thrash the trash. So if you think the language or tone of the letter needs drafting and redrafting just go ahead and do it. But at the same time, remember that the cover letter must be limited to less than a page long to ensure complete reading.

Selling Ice Cream To Eskimos

Making the big bang with HR is the fundamental quality of sales people. The fact is, all companies need sales people, all the time – the question is why they should hire you. In the body of the sales letter, usually the second paragraph, including a couple of examples of selling under trying, extenuating circumstances to hesitant/unwilling customers and making it the focus point of the entire cover letter will turn the tables in your favor. But this should be done with aplomb without throwing off the balance of the rest of the letter.

Dedicate a few lines to explain how you beat the competition - which eventually becomes the point of discussion among every company executive. Employers will be only too happy to invite you for an interview if you can prove that you can bring in money regardless of the circumstances. Sales cover letters should exhibit the character traits of successful sales people - friendly and pushy in nature and being able to effectively convince others into buying their products. Sales people are some of the most prolific speakers with a good command of language skills and voice modulation. They also get friendly with people easily and love to talk.

The bottom line is that landing a sales position is all about the money. If you can show in your cover letter good sales figures and compare and contrast positive figures before and after your tenure, then you will have a good shot at landing the interview. Balance this with examples of your aggressiveness, determination and ability to outwit the competition, and you will be well on your way to landing your next sales position.

Heather Eagar is a former professional resume writer who is now dedicated to providing job seekers with resources and products that promote job search success from beginning to end. If you need samples of cover letters and tools, go to http://www.NothingbutCoverLetters.com

P.S. Don’t forget…if you are looking for a stellar resume writer, come to ResumeASAP! Are you a telecommuter? Consultant? Executive? A techie? No matter what career level you are at, we’ve got you covered.

By Jennifer Anthony, Resume Expert

Every day someone else enters the technology job market. Due to the ever-growing popularity of this field, technical jobs are getting more and more competitive. In order for your resume to be noticed above all of the others’ who are competing for the same position, it must stand out. Here are some tips to help position your resume at the top of the potential employer’s stack.

Create a Tech Section

Summarize your technical skills apart from the rest of your resume. You should also break this section up into separate categories such as software, hardware, networking, systems, etc. By doing this, you are allowing the hiring manager to easily find and scan your job specific skills.

Include Your Transferable Skills

Just because an employer is hiring for a technical position, doesn’t mean they aren’t looking for certain transferable skills as well. Let them know your strengths in areas other than technology. If you are a team player and have a track record of meeting deadlines, be sure they can see that in your resume. Summarize skills such as quick to learn and taking initiative, in another section of your resume.

Find a Happy Medium

Don’t make your resume too long winded, but don’t over summarize your experiences either. Find a middle ground by getting to the point while giving yourself ample credit by showcasing your accomplishments.

Gain Experience by Volunteering or Freelancing

If you are a newbie and lack experience, offer your services for free or deeply discounted rates to others. This will give you “hands on” experience that can be included in your resume. You can propose your services to charity organizations, local businesses, and friends if necessary. When you have completed the work, ask for a written critique so that you can add some of their feedback to your resume.

Focus on Results

Make sure to focus on measurable results and accomplishments you have achieved. Numbers tend to bring forward a more positive reaction than just descriptions in this case. Therefore, if you have percentages or dollar amounts, use them. Include things such as how you overcame challenging circumstances and how your work has been a benefit to past employers.

When applying for a technical position, your resume needs to present you in a way that gives the employer an idea of how adding you to their team will benefit their organization. Remember, it is not about what the employer can do for you, but instead what you can do for the employer. So while you are compiling your resume, always keep in mind the main question on the hiring manager’s mind, “What can this person do for me?”

Jennifer Anthony is the Director of ResumeASAP, offering professional and affordable resume writing services. If you have comments about this article, or if you are interested in learning more about professional resume writing, please contact Jennifer Anthony by e-mail.

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By Jennifer Anthony, Resume Expert

Hiring managers, recruiters, and business owners conduct numerous searches on career sites each day. The words they use to

search for possible candidates are known as keywords. If your resume doesn’t include these keywords, it can’t be found

very easily.

The bad news is that there are as many, if not more keywords as there are job openings. You can find many different

keyword lists online with possible words that are highly searched for, but that doesn’t necessarily mean those particular

keywords will match the position for which you are seeking. Just like performing a search on an internet search engine, no

one person, or hiring manager, searches for the exact same phase each time.

So, what can you do to increase the chances of getting your resume found? Here are a few suggestions to help you find the

right keywords to include in your resume.

Put Yourself in the Hiring Manager’s Shoes

When trying to decide what keywords will provoke the best response, think as if you are the one doing the hiring. What

would you search for if you wanted to hire someone for the opening you are applying for?

Here’s another idea. If you know anyone who works in a hiring or human resources department or someone who owns

their own business, ask them what they look for when searching for potential employees. Professional resume writers can also

offer a good deal of insight into how employers think.

Pay Attention to the Ad

This is probably the best way to determine what keywords will get you noticed.

Look at the advertisement for the position you are applying for. Chances are the person doing the hiring is the one who

wrote the ad and you will find the most important keywords right in the ad. Does the ad list specific qualifications,

software knowledge, or experience that is required? If so, add those words to your resume where appropriate. Don’t forget

about ads for similar positions, even if you are not applying for them. Those ads may highlight other important keywords that

might be missing from other ads.

Resume Banks

If you add your resume to resume banks or employer databases with hopes of landing the perfect job, you must include

certain keywords to get your resume in front of hiring managers.

No matter how qualified you are, if your resume doesn’t pop up in their search list, the hiring company may not even know

you exist, let alone that you are interested in a position with their company. Do your research and make sure you have as

many of the appropriate keywords included in your resume as possible for each job you apply for.

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Jennifer Anthony is the Director of ResumeASAP, offering professional and affordable resume writing services. If you have comments about this

article, or if you are interested in learning more about professional resume writing, please contact Jennifer Anthony by

href="mailto:resumeasap@gmail.com" title="mailto:resumeasap@gmail.com">e-mail.

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By Jennifer Anthony, Resume Expert

The internet makes it possible for job seekers to apply for several job openings in a click of the mouse. Consequently, the competition is fierce in many job markets because the internet has opened doors to candidates that before might not have otherwise even known about the position.

Due to the ease of applying to several positions at one time, many job seekers are tempted to use a generic cover letter for each position they apply for.

If you’re one of them…STOP!

They do not work and they will not get you noticed. What is more likely to happen is that it will be obvious that you did not take the time to sit down and really think about the position and how you can bring something worthwhile to it. Employers see so many cover letters that they can instantly tell the difference between one that has some thought put into it and one that has been created for multiple jobs.

When creating your cover letter, visualize what the hiring individual will see. Put yourself in their shoes and stay there the entire time. Keep in mind what they go through during the hiring process. Imagine a stack of cover letters and resumes on your desk that you need to review and narrow down to only a handful.

Now imagine if nearly every cover letter that you read says nothing about the job and simply gives an overview of what is already on the resume. It doesn’t tell you how the applicant plans to use those experiences for the benefit of the company. It just summarizes the information in the resume…BORING!

Are you asleep yet?

Suddenly, you pick up a cover letter that sparks your interest and lists position specific information and portrays a sense of excitement from the candidate. You are more apt to continue reading this one right?

When applying for any job opening you must sell yourself. The first chance you have to grab their attention and let them know your resume is worth reading is with your cover letter. First impressions play a big part in the hiring process and that impression might be the only chance you have. Take the time necessary to really consider what your cover letter should reveal about you and the position you are applying to. Research the company and combine any information you find fitting with your experiences and qualifications to fill your cover letter with relevant information.

By doing your research, you are showing the hiring manager that you are willing to take the steps necessary to go the extra mile. The fact that most people never do this will put you one-step ahead of your competition.

Jennifer Anthony is the Director of ResumeASAP, offering professional and affordable resume writing services.

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