It is also a good idea to tell the reader how you heard about the position particularly if you are applying as the result of information other than a recruitment ad such as from reading a website or say on a tip off from a family friend who works at the organization. It is appropriate to mention the name of someone who suggested that you write.

The information you provide in the cover letter should be information that is not supplied in your resume. The cover letter’s role is to entice the reader to take a serious look at your resume. If anything in your cover letter is repeated will be seen as redundant, it is likely to be off putting to your busy reader.

Always talk about what you can offer the employer, do not be self serving and talk about what you want from the company. Guess what, they at this stage of the process do not care about you, they just want their needs satisfied.

Using a “generic” cover letter is useless other than perhaps a basic template to get you started. As with your resume each letter needs to talk about the specific position (based on what was in the employment ad) that addresses the “wants” of the employer.

The cover letter must contain a statement as to when you will contact them for an appointment. Typically cover letters use the old phrase “I look forward to hearing from you”, this must be avoided. It is important that you take the initiative on setting the time and date for the next contact. You should finish with,… “I will contact you on (the date 7 days from sending date) so we can arrange for an interview”.

Always address your cover letter to the person and title that is shown in the ad. If they don’t state who the letter is to go to ring up and find out.

Use friendly/formal language, nothing too gushy, overly emotive or flowery. Don’t get into long winded highly descriptive explanations, of what you have done in the past, keep it short concise and punchy. You cannot however sound boastful.

Make sure there are no “typos” or grammatical errors. Have someone who is well educated proof read your cover letter.

Finally, not bothering to send a cover letter at all means you have wasted your time sending your resume, A cover letter is a must.

Great resume sample interactive form for free at resume sample.

The “orglearn” site in addition to career success, management, leadership and teamwork articles provides information on how to write job resumes to match different employer requirements, resume templates and resume statement examples for you to use to when setting out your skills and competencies. This approach has been take as a one off sample resume can be too restrictive and because resumes and cover letters need to be tailored to each employers specific requirements. There are also some sample phrases that can of creating a section on the scope of the positions you have held in the past.

Hope you find the new resume information valuable.

By the way you may wish to visit the original Sample Resume | Resume Blank | Resume Form | Resume Examples | Resume Sample page to fill in the free online blank resume form (even if you’re not actively looking for a job), which is designed as a handy self-analysis to evaluate the commercial realities of what you have to offer current or potential employers.

Social media choices are vast and it can be a bit confusing in a busy life as to where to concentrate your efforts and which technology to use.

FREE DEMO PROGRAM

Can I suggest a four pronged approach.

1) Start a Facebook page that is separate from your personal account. Form relationships through groups that discuss work/business issues you are interested in. If you are in sales for example find the appropriate sales or marketing groups to join with a view to making a contribution and of course networking. Do some research on relevant topics and add value to the groups by posting useful articles to your timeline.

2) Start a Twitter stream and only tweet on your professional interest. Be careful with the name you set up with. If you are say a graphic designer, try to get that fact in your Twitter name. e.g. BillsGraphicDesign For research on your topics you can use “Google Alerts”, this can take much of the hard work out of the research for your tweets.

3) Write a blog. Warning writing a blog is lots of work and if you can’t consistently write on a topic you’re passionate about don’t start. As a bare minimum you will need to post one 600 word article a week. Again you can use Google to do your research. For your blog WordPress seems to have a little more credibility however Blogger (blogspot) can have ads and activity can be monitored through Google.

4) Build your profile on Linkedin and again join discussion groups and befriend others in your area of expertise or in similar careers.

You can automatically link/publish both your blogs and twitter streams to Facebook and your Linkedin profiles.

Finally what programs/widgets to use. This of course is primarily for Twitter and Facebook. I suggest you use Tweet Deck to manage your posts and TweetAdder3 to manage your audience/followers. I also recommend you start with both programs from day one. One is free and the one advertised above and below has a free demo to try it out.

1.   Saying something like “wow it took me two and a half hours to get here.”
2.   “I had a problem finding your business premises.”
3.   “Of course I’ll take the job.  How much does it pay?”
4.   Answering a cell phone during an interview.
5.   Placing your hands behind your head during an interview.
6.   Folding your arms during an interview.
7.   Turning up in dirty shoes or an un-ironed shirt.
8.   Getting too “familiar” during the interview is a no no.
9.   Getting carried away with detailing every magnificent moment in your previous work.
10. Not rehearsing how to explain a personal area of weakness and being able to sell what you are doing about it.

According to BNET hiring managers say the most common and detrimental mistakes candidates have made during an interview are:

51 percent; dressing inappropriately
49 percent; speaking negatively about a current or previous employer
48 percent; appearing disinterested ranked
44 percent; appearing arrogant
30 percent; not providing specific answers
29 percent; not asking good questions

Having interviewed many individuals I would like to add, deferring interview appointments, being late, smelling badly of body odor and a wet or limp handshake. When you are going for and interview leave time to have a quick freshen up in the company’s bathroom so you can look fresh and ready. It is also best if your stand while you wait rather than lounging in reception. A polite smile when you are greeted can’t hurt either. Oh yes… please… no perfume or aftershave.

**Link for direct page viewers return to main career success blog to check out other posts!

While you’re here take a look at the free blank resume form!

Finally… a resume may get you the interview however many times I have said and will say it again here… you must research the company you are applying to and at least have a rudimentary knowledge about what they do when you get to the job interview otherwise it is likely you will mess it up.

These are questions asked by Phil Rosenberg of “reCareered” sometime back, the answers are however probably even more pertinent in today’s business climate. I receive many resumes on my free resume form page and I am astounded by the lack of understanding that most resume writers have about the purpose of their resume and how a resume needs to be presented.

Phil’s main points:

FACT: ‘IF your resume gets seen by human eyes (97% get pre-screened by a database search), you have an average 15 seconds to capture the reader’s attention.’

So how do you grab your reader’s attention? Write about what is important to them. [You need to read the advertisement and match what you offer to what the ad and employer are seeking!]

FACT: “Most resumes don’t address an employers’ problems? Most are written for the job seekers own pride or ego.” [My own research unfortunately bears this out, even when the advice on my free blank resume form specifically states what bad practice it is.]

Phil then asks: “Do you think it matters much to your audience what you are most proud of? Will your reader care enough to read your resume in detail to get an idea of who you are and what you can do? Or does your audience care more about rapid solutions to their problems?”

If you want even half a chance at getting an interview you will need to heed Phil’s advice.

So: WRITE FOR YOUR AUDIENCE – the hiring manager.

What’s important to hiring managers? Hiring “people who can solve their problems without much ramp-up time or training.”

The full original article is at:

http://www.recareered.blogspot.com/2008/02/your-resumes-audience-cheers-or-silence.html

ONE MORE TIME “Please for your own sake remember if you ‘write your resume to solve an employer’s problems you’re likely to get interviews. Discuss how you can an solve employer’s problems in an interview, and you may even receive a job offer’

ps from Yahoo hotjobs: (http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/career-articles)

What to leave off your resume:

The Unquantifiable Accomplishment

e.g. “I am the most talented employee my company has ever had.”

The Not-So-Notable Accomplishment

e.g. “I get along with coworkers.”

Offbeat Accomplishment are also a waste of space:

e.g. “Set record for eating 45 eggs in two minutes.”

“Make sure any accomplishments you place on your resume will impress a potential employer. Your ability to do average work or fulfill the most basic requirements of a job does not warrant special mention.”

Ric (orglearn) **Link for direct page viewers return to main career success blog to check out other posts!

While you’re here and this post is fresh in your mind take a look at the free blank resume form and perhaps start to build yourself a better resume!

Applying for a job, resume sin number 1. Not including a cover letter with your resume. Obvious really!

Resume sin number 2. Including an objective statement. “Point blank objectives are bad form.”

Sin number 3. “Use headings like profile and career summary versus a powerful sales pitch.” Well I think the writer means the content needs to be a “powerful sales pitch”

Number 4. ‘Leaving out industry specific keywords’. A deadly sin indeed!

and finally… resume sin number 5. Small (big?) mistakes or grammatical errors. ‘Have someone [intelligent] review your resume’.

Read the full article at:

http://www.careerrocketeer.com/2009/09/5-best-ways-to-land-your-resume-in.html

Ric (orglearn) **Link for direct page viewers return to main career success blog to check out other posts!

While you’re here take a look at the free blank resume form!

To quote the writer:

“As organisations (or organizations if you prefer) become more sophisticated, they start using CV reading software and web sites that filter us out long before a human even reads the CV. We need to learn these techniques to give us an edge over other candidates. This is a little like getting a website Google friendly. This means using key words. For example, using “competency” in your CV as a description is fine but if the software is looking for “competencies” your CV will be rejected. Software is stupid. It can only look for what it has been told to look for. Another good example of this is “training and development” and “learning and development”; a human looking at these will know that in many organisations these mean the same thing – software does not. carefully look through job adverts and look for the current appropriate language to use and include.”

Now this was the really good resume or CV (if your not in the USA) writing tip:

“The most successful candidates now include a list of keywords on the resume / CV. This can be a small section at the end of the resume / CV. Your keywords section should contain the types of words that recruiters might be looking for in your industry. This way if you do not cover all the bases in the main resume / CV the keyword list will contain them. Also, in the same way search engines look for key words and word density, some software looks for key word frequency – so having this helps your resume / CV to be seen.”

http://rapidbi.com/management/2009/09/the-perfect-resume-cv-to-get-you-through-to-interview/

Whether you use the term “resume” or “curriculum vitae” (depending on your local traditions) I think you must always include a section on keywords. Read the rest of the blog this is not the only good advice the writer gives, this is however a great resume form or format tip.

Ric (orglearn) While you’re here take a look at the free blank resume form!

* Link for direct page viewers return to main career success blog to check out other posts!

Six keys to winning during change.

Acknowledge that things continually change. Simple and obvious however many will delude themselves into believing life is stable, secure and constant. (Maybe not so much anymore!)

Accept that now is the only time you ever really have and live in the present rather than sitting around relishing the past.

Understand that worrying about the future is useless. If you don’t believe me… what where you worried about on the same day last year?

Realize that the best way to cope with change is to approach it as inevitable and use it as an opportunity to satisfy the priorities and desires we have set and pro-actively seek out opportunities to do so.

Insert yourself in the change process so you can influence to the outcome, don’t wait find out what is going on and get involved.

Commit yourself productively to others who are trying to solve problems or capitalise on new opportunities, associate yourself with those leading the new direction and find a way to help.

“MAY YOU LIVE IN INTERESTING TIMES” (ACTUALY NOT REALLY AN OLD CHINESE CURSE)

…and do your resume just in case… resume form

One issue that seems to be overlooked by many is their email address. Now for personal correspondence your email address, or the style of your email address, is probably relatively immaterial. This is not the case I suggest for those seeking employment. Strange or frivolous email addresses can leave the recruiter wondering about the seriousness  or maturity of the owners. On this website there is a free blank resume form with the option to send the document to me for backup and I receive between eight to fifteen resumes a day. Here are some of the email address examples (slightly changed to protect the owners) to give you some examples.

sillyoneme, igotitall, bigboy, godwoman, thedawg, footballfan, clumbsy

As I say the names have been slightly changed to protect the innocent (guilty) however they were all listed as contact addresses on resumes. Can I suggest that if you are seriously seeking employment for something other than a comedian you take a look at your email address and if it is not appropriate set up one that is.

I mean would you consider hiring into your serious business someone known as “iwantmoney@….”

Can I suggest you read “Top 30 Executive Resume Pet Peeves of Hiring Decision-Makers” - by Katharine Hansen, Ph.D. before you use the free blank resume form at orglearn!

Some of the peeves are:

1. Resume has spelling errors, typos and grammatical flaws.

2. Resume is too long.

3. Resume is too wordy, contains too much information.

4. Resume is written in third-person.

5. Resume does not list phone number, only an e-mail address, or has inappropriate e-mail address.

6. Resume contains the personal pronoun “I.”

….and more, well worth a read…

Link:

http://www.quintcareers.com/executive_resume_pet-peeves.html

Remember you can go here for the free resume form

Resume tip B – Dumb Interview Questions – Funny or Sad

Well the whole idea of writing a great resume is to get an interview. So when you do get one don’t mess it up!

On first read of this article I thought it was funny… then I realized it was a bit sad.

“You know enough to bring a list of questions to a job interview. When the interviewer asks you, “So, do you have any questions for me?” the last thing? You want to say is “No.” however that could be the best option if you’re at a loss for words, because some interview questions are better left unasked.”

Here are 10 highly unsuitable interview questions that should never make an appearance, unless you don’t want the job:”… the rest of the article and the list is here

The free blank resume form is sponsored by orglearn

ps from my last post “resume, resumé or “résumé” it is most correctly “résumé” Spell it as you wish however you really need to do it. Update now, use the…

free blank resume (résumé or resumé) form, fill in the blank

…sections by editing/personalizing the sample statements.

When times are tough your resume must be perfect! Visit the Free blank resume form page!

You may wish to visit

Management Articles & Free Resume Template Resume Examples

As well as the resume template the rest of the site has articles on what we as managers need to do & the issues to consider in the soft skills area of our role. Tips on behaviour, motivation, selling skills, competence development, teamwork, communication, negotiation, value adding & leadership.