Resume Writing - Get That Job

Looking for a new job, whether it is with a new company or a promotion within your own organisation, requires time and effort. To make your job search more effective you need to take five fundamental steps on the road to success:

· Analysing your skills

· Writing a winning Resume

· Managing your job search

· Coaching for interview success

· Negotiating your job offer

Step 1: Analysing your Skills

The most crucial step in the job search process is to assess what skills you have to offer to your future boss. At an interview you will have to tell your story. An interviewer will not remember your precise details, but they will remember your story, once it is filled with practical examples. This means that you have to be able to explain the four 'what's' of your job:

· What do you do?

· What skills do you require to successfully carry out your role?

· What have you achieved?

· What benefit did your company get from employing you?

The answers to these questions can be used to draft a one-minute sound bite of the skills that you have to offer to your future boss. This sales pitch should incorporate details about your role, your achievements and your personal qualities and should be tailored to the position you are applying for.

For example, 'experienced Software Engineer who has worked in a multinational telecommunications environment; part of a team that developed an innovative process for a groundbreaking platform; proficient in all aspects of the development life cycle; used a variety of languages particularly C++ and Java; excellent organisational skills combined with a practical and resourceful approach to problem solving'.

Step 2: Writing a Winning Resume

This summary of your skills becomes the cornerstone of your resume. Your resume must be tailored to the needs of your future boss so customise it accordingly.

Here are some guidelines to assist you to write a winning resume: Aim for a two-page resume - page one should be devoted to how your skills match the position with a emphasis on your recent career details. Page two to your less recent career history, education, training and relevant personal details. Decide on your key selling points. Provide evidence of this experience. Include quantification - reduction in costs, increase in efficiency, improvement in processes, saving in time, etc.

Use simple, jargon free words - if techno speak is required, explain it! Decide on the style after the structure and content have been finalised.

Step 3: Managing your Job Search

The third step to securing your job search success is to manage the process. There are three elements to effectively managing your job search process:

· Controlling channels

· Analysing jobs

· Constructing compelling cover letters

Controlling channels

There are four distinct job search channels. Draw on all four to maximise your success:

1. Contacts - use (in a positive sense!) all of the people that you know, both professionally and personally.

2. Media - this includes newspapers (both national and local) and professional/trade magazines.

3. Agencies - access both online sources and the more traditional recruitment agencies.

4. Direct approach - get in touch with companies that require your skills set.

Analysing jobs

Each job that you apply for is different, so you have to analyse its requirements to ensure a match between you and the role. This entails assessing the job description, the person specification and the environment within which the role operates. Draw up a checklist of the skills required for that job. If you have at least a 60% match, apply!

Constructing compelling cover letters

Your cover letter (typed!) should contain three paragraphs:

· Why you are applying for the job

· How your skills match the requirements of the position

· What outcome you want to achieve (an interview!)

Step 4: Coaching for Interview Success

Your interviewer wants to know two things - can you do the job and will you fit in. Your RESUME prompts the interviewer's questions in relation to 'can you do the job'. These questions revolve around the who, what, when, where, how and why of your current job (the technical details of your job).

The issue of whether you will fit in is crucial to your interview success. You may be technically superb, but if your interviewer believes that you will 'upset the applecart', he/she will not hire you. This means that your interview preparation should also concentrate on the non-technical aspects of your role. For example, how you relate to your colleagues and boss, how you have contributed to your team, how you have resolved potential interpersonal difficulties, etc.

Regardless of whether you are talking about the technical aspects of your job, or the non-technical elements, use real life examples to illustrate your point. Provide a picture in the interviewer's mind of the competent, capable person that you are.

Step 5: Managing your Job Offer

Following a successful interview, build on your success by negotiating an attractive job offer. This involves maximising your remuneration package and ensuring that your contract of employment exceeds the legal minimum. Know what you own requirements are but make sure that they are in line with the reality of today's labour market. You also need to ensure that all of your referees give you a glowing reference and that they emphasise the skills that you want highlighted.

About the Author
Martin Smith is a successful freelance writer providing advice on a variety of subjects, Visit his website Resume Writing for more tips and advice.

---

Get Off Your Butt and Out of the Rut

It's amazing to see so many people who are prepared... Read More

Change Your Career, Change Your Life!

Lots of times I see and talk to people who... Read More

A Day in the Life of a Freelance Copywriter

Ever wanted a job where you could spend all day,... Read More

Resume Success Factors--What Exactly Is A Resume Anyway?

You know you're good...real good. The problem, though, is that... Read More

Get Your Dream Job!

Anyone who is a jobseeker knows that looking for a... Read More

5 Ways to Combat Job Burnout

Job burnout happens when the stress or prolonged frustration of... Read More

Take This Job and...Re-staff It

Deciding to leave a job isn't easy. In fact, quitting... Read More

How People Really Explore New Careers: What Does A Real Career Search Look Like?

The traditional model of career choice suggests a linear pattern.... Read More

Ask Me No Questions, Ill Tell You No Lies

If only there were no questions involved in getting a... Read More

How to Transform a Boring Note Into A Killer Cover Letter - Part I

The AIDA formula is as old as dirt. It was... Read More

Top 10 Resume Writing Tips to Get You the Interview

There are many reasons why you could be in the... Read More

Seven Ways to Stand Out in a Sea of Applicants

Is your résumé getting lost in a flood of résumés?... Read More

Ask the Recruiter

We all have career goals, big or small. Here are... Read More

Job Offer Negotiations: Getting What You Want

You have worked hard at finding your next job. You... Read More

7 Tips to Deal With a Bad Performance Review

Q. "I wasn't happy with my last performance review. Should... Read More

Confidence Is Critical to YOUR Success....

Make EYE contact when you look at another person. Look... Read More

Cross Cultural Interviews

At this moment in time, the increase in cross border... Read More

Yesterdays Hero

Wonder Woman makes it looks so easy. She gets up... Read More

Dont Forget to Say, Thank You

One of the biggest mistake for job seeks is to... Read More

Building a Solid Network

A client who has a fine arts degree wanted to... Read More

Does Your Resume Have What It Takes To Survive The First Cut?

Qualifications" or "Personal Profile") uses bullets and succinct wording to... Read More

The Perils Of Employment: Are You About To Be Let Go?

From the moment you are born and you take your... Read More

For My Second Career, I Want to Do Nothing!

Q. For my second career, I'd like to know "What... Read More

Tips For Successful Job Hunting: How To Get A Job Without A Resume

I am in my mid-thirties, and, as you can imagine,... Read More

Seven Success Tips For Recent Graduates Entering the Professional World

1) Build a Relationship With Your BossLike it or not,... Read More

How to Answer The Most Difficult Interview Questions

The following 'difficult' questions are common to most tricky or... Read More

Seminars: Why Are They Popular, and What Advantages/Disadvantages Are There to Attending One?

Seminars dealing with "special topics" have actually been around for... Read More

Become an LPN, the Fast Path to a Nursing Career

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) CareersLicensed Practical Nurses provide the most... Read More

Unemployment Survival: Taking Back Control

One of the most emotionally crippling aspects of unemployment is... Read More

Serious Business Networking

As they always say "It's not what you know, it's... Read More

How to Get Paid More Without Being Pretty or Good Looking

Guess what. The results are out they are ugly. Pretty... Read More

Out Recruit The Competition

We hear from our clients that they "hope the candidate... Read More

My Career is in the Doldrums - Do I Need a Coach or a Therapist?

Is Monday the worst day of your week? Can you... Read More