Practice is the key word to come up with the right resume that gets noticed. Compose your resume unique and make it distinctive from the other ones.

Employers are likely to spend only about 10-20 seconds on the initial pass. Your objective is to capture his or her attention by posting the information they are looking for so as to make an impression that you could be the person they are looking for.

Design your resume suitably and post first things first. You need not always stick to a one page resume. For middle management jobs a two page resume can be nice-looking. For higher posts they will be looking for more of your previous accomplishment.

Earlier, the management was in the hunt for Executives with only success behind them; but now they are more interested in persons who have stood the pressure of failures and after that fought their way back to success using their own pioneering strategies. If you are able to quote any such instances in your career that can be your trump card.

As you are aware of, there are three formats of resumes: chronological, functional, and combination. According to me a chronological presentation of your resume will be more acceptable and truthful. On the other hand if you find another format more suitable for you, go ahead and use it. You need not include interests or hobbies unless they relate to the particular job and position.

Use key words carefully and try to post as many key words as they mentioned in their advertisement. In cases where a lot of applications are received, a candidate tracking database methodology might be used. In that case you may have the advantage if the key words are used expertly.

The idea is that you need not be concerned about keeping your resume to one page. It is more important that you present your most relevant qualifications and strengths in a clear and concise manner that maximizes the impact.

1. Be Comprehensive, yet Succinct.
While your resume should contain a detailed account of your qualifications and accomplishments, you need to keep on topic specific to the job you are applying for. If you are applying for a position as an office manager, for example, you don’t need to include references to your stint as a rodeo clown. The prospective employer will likely be interested only in the skills and work experience that relates directly to the position they are trying to fill. Give them what they are looking for. Take a thorough account of your work history and skillset and choose to highlight what is relevant, and eliminate or downplay the items that are irrelevant. This strategy of niche resume writing keeps your resume focused and gives you the advantage of appearing to be the most qualified candidate for the job.

2. Your Resume Should be Formatted Nicely
Kooky fonts and such may be okay for personal communications, but your resume should be more “standardized”. You want it to appear as neat and tidy as… well, yourself, right? A typewritten resume using standard fonts such as Times New Roman and Arial on high quality plain white paper will be a winner every time. You also need to pay close attention to your spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Nothing would be more embarrassing than a resume with typos, grammatical errors, and misspellings. Not only embarrassing, but presenting a resume with errors will not impress potential employers and will likely land your resume in the trash can. Don’t rely on computer based spelling and grammar checks. Check it yourself, and if possible, get someone else to check it for you as well. Also be wary of the reformatting that sometimes happens when you upload your resume to an Internet based resume submission service. Allot of times, you will loose your careful formatting only to find it replaced with the wrong margin, strange fonts and worse. Before you send it, check it!

3. Show Enthusiasm
Your resume and cover letter should not be something that you write begrudgingly. You are excited about the job you are applying for, correct? Well, then show it! Your excitement will come across in your resume and cover letter and will impress perspective employers. Whenever it makes sense to, use action words to describe your career history and goals.

For more information on Resume
Writing and how to write a winning resume,
visit: http://www.CareerVolt.com and http://www.ResumeTip.info

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Why do people lie on their CV?

People lie on their CVs, resumes and job applications because they think everyone does it — and that to look as good as their competitors, they must do it too.

Most think resume lies are ‘harmless’ and believe the benefits of lying outweigh the risks of being caught.

After all (they tell themselves) there’s tough competition for most jobs and it’s only natural to feel pressurized to enhance your profile so as to present yourself in the best light.

How big is the problem?

Research suggests that as many as 3 in 4 people deviate from the truth on their CV, mostly about qualifications, dates of employment and salary.

According to The Risk Advisory Group (TRAG) 65 per cent of CVs submitted in 2007 contained false information, a rise of 16 per cent on the previous year’s amount.

According to TRAG, women in their early 30s were the biggest culprits, with 77 per cent of resumes containing some kind of untruth.

Even among the statistically most honest group, men in their early 20s, half of all CVs featured misleading information.

TRAG, which screened over 3,000 candidate CVs for discrepancies, said that job seekers misled firms over everything from gaps in employment to fraud committed against previous employers.

The most common inaccuracies were in employment history, with 55 per cent of candidates inventing a more impressive career. A further 36 per cent lied about their qualifications.

Bill Waite of TRAG, said that many of the discrepancies they uncover are simple errors of omission but that around one in ten are more serious, such as failure to disclose criminal convictions, fraud against previous employers or even terrorist links.

He warned employers to be far more rigorous in checking out new potential employees.

What could happen if I tell CV lies?

Although exaggeration is widespread and generally accepted, we would not advise you to resort to outright lies. It’s not so much a moral issue as a legal one. If you are offered a job on the back of information contained in your CV or resume which the employer believes to be correct, then the employer is legally entitled to withdraw the job offer if they discover the CV contains false information. So employees found guilty of lying can lose their job and worse still, receive a reference that refers to the reason why! It could cost you your future career.

One of us employed a sales person who exaggerated their basic salary by 35%. They had an impressive CV and did a good interview. When our payroll department processed the tax details from his former employer his deceit was discovered. Six hours after arriving at his desk he was marched from the building.

What about the case of Neil Taylor who produced a bogus degree certificate to land the position as head of the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust in 2003? After admitting the offence of obtaining a financial advantage through deception, he now faces the possibility of prison.

Perhaps you don’t think you’ll be as unlucky as these two but is it worth the risk? Employers are wising up to applicant lies and doing more checks than before. Many outsource application checking to other companies, set up for this very purpose. They only charge between £75 and £300 to check the details of the CV. The penalties vary from being refused the job to being fired if the offender has already started work. Or as Mr Taylor’s case demonstrates, the punishment can be even stronger.

Our advice?

It’s possible to look better than your competitors without lying on your CV or resume - trust us.

It’s simply a case of selling yourself properly - making sure your CV or resume is professional, relevant and persuasive.

You can do this yourself if you have a talent for good writing and presentation.

If you don’t, use a professional.

They really are worth the money. You’ll get more interviews and perhaps even land your dream job without having to resort to exaggerations or lies.

Read more about honesty in your CV or resume here…

If you are sending your CV to a perspective employer by post or fax it is essential that you send with it a covering letter. You need to use the CV covering letter to create a good impression so that the employer or recruiter will want to read your CV. It will have more impact if it is individually written in response to a particular role or advertisement.

In the case of email applications it is acceptable to write a brief paragraph of a few sentences explaining where you heard about the role and why your qualifications and experience are a perfect fit for the job. You should ensure the tone of the text is formal as would be the case with a paper CV cover letter. It is a mistake to be too informal as this can be seen as unprofessional.

When making any sort of job application either Speculative, where you are sending your CV to an employer/agency with no specific vacancy in mind or, specific, where you are sending your CV in response to an advertisement for a particular role, the overall CV cover letter format is the same.

Here are the top ten tips to remember when writing a CV Covering letter
The CV covering letter should consist of 1 page on plain white A4 paper.

You should use a font that offers a clean and clear appearance. My advice is to use Arial.

Aim for a maximum of three paragraphs. Remember simple is best.

Use upbeat and positive language and avoid exaggerated statements.

Ensure there are no spelling, grammar, or punctuation mistakes.

Always use black ink.

Express yourself with confidence.

Where possible, write to a named individual.

Your CV or Resume cover letter should be tailored specifically for each application.

Be concise and to the point. Try to avoid repeating what’s in your CV.

CV or Resume cover letter format

Your contact details
This should include your name, address, telephone number and email address if you have one. Remember make it easy for the employer to contact you.

Employer/agency details
This should include whom the letter is going to, company name and full address. If you know the name of the person e.g. if it is mentioned in the advertisement then use it. If no particular name was mentioned use a department title e.g. Personnel manager or Managing director

Date
You should use long date format in full e.g. 27th April 2006 and not 27/4/06

Salutation & Opening
If you know the name use it e.g. Dear Mr Smith. If you don’t know, use Dear Sir/Madam. It is preferable to use a name. The company’s web site is often a good place to search for the appropriate individual.

Letter title
Centre and bold the text. This will enable the addressee to know immediately that this is an application

Paragraph 1 – Why you are writing
You want to try & get the interest of the Employer. You should start the letter with the reason for writing and indicate the position that you are applying for along with how you heard of the vacancy. This is also a good place to tell then why you are interested in the position and convey a genuine interest in the company. The company website will be a good source of background information.

Paragraph 2 – What you can offer them
Here you describe briefly why you think you should be considered for the role. You should summarise relevant qualifications for the position along with your experience and skills. Also give a brief example of one or two jobs you have worked in that relate to the position. Try to make sure that it is not just a list of what is in your CV but is individualised to the job application.

Paragraph 3 – Summary and next step
Refer to your enclosed CV and also ask for the interview. You may at this point suggest that you will be making a follow up call. It is also important that you thank the reader for their time and consideration and tell them that you look forward to hearing from them.

Closing
Use “Yours sincerely” if you are sending the letter to a named person, otherwise use “Yours faithfully”. Add a few blank lines and finish with your name. The space between is used for your signature once printed.

Finally you may want to add your telephone number and email address beneath your name. Remember you want to make it easy for them to contact you.

In addition, well designed resumes have these characteristics in common:

1. Visual appeal, easy to read layout, and high quality reproduction;
2. Highlights strengths and links them to employer’s needs; minimizes or

excludes irrelevant experience;
3. Presents the most important information first;
4. Entirely free from any errors: spelling, typographical, punctuation, or grammatical;
5. Succinct and organized; does not exceed two pages.

point out that the categories of information you include on your resume should provide answers to these questions:

1. Contact section: Who are you and how can you be reached?
2. Objective statement: What do you want to do?
3. Education section: What have you learned?
4. Experience/Employment section: What can you do? What have you done?
5. Professional activities and accomplishments: How have you been recognized?
6. Miscellaneous: What else do they want to know about you?

Sequence the categories according to what is most important to the employer and your career objective. A recent college graduate with limited experience should usually put the education section first since it is the most significant qualification. Education should also be listed first when, as in the case of teaching, law, medicine, or engineering, education is a qualifying requirement. In a situation where an applicant wants to
emphasize significant work or extracurricular experience or when an employer seeks to fill jobs in fields such as sales, public relations, or merchandising, the experience or work history category may be listed first.

1. Contact Information

Begin your resume with your name by capitalizing or using bold type. Include street address, city, state, and zip code. Include phone number(s) where you can be reached weekdays, 9am-5pm. Designate your home phone with an “H,” and work number with “W,” or a “Messages” number.

2. Career/Job Objective

This is recommended only for recent graduates or entry level personnel. Experience and professional job seekers rarely include it. This component of the resume can be very challenging to write. The purpose of the objective statement is to inform the reader of your career goals and qualifications. The statement should be written specifically enough to let the reader know that you have a focus to your job search. If you are considering a variety of objectives, you may want to relay the relevant objective in an accompanying cover letter.

3. Educational Highlights

This section is most effective when you have experiences from your education that are impressive and/or directly relate to your objective. Adding this section is useful when you have developed skills and specific knowledge through your education rather than work experience. This section can be used to highlight coursework, research, or special knowledge that complements your objective. This information is useful in a resume of entry level candidates and recent graduates.

An alternative to highlighting courses is to list the skills and knowledge acquired through important courses and research.

Examples: Developed model investment portfolio for Fortune 500 company. Analyzed revenue and expense history using state-of-the-art computer simulation programs. Designed promotional campaign for new service a targeted market.

Summary information about your undergraduate and graduate education should be included in your resume. List the name and location of the school, time period or date of degree, the degree received, and academic honors, e.g. Phi Beta Kappa, significant scholarships or fellowships. You may also list any continuing education and significant professional training but do not list every course or seminar you have attended. In general, the more recently you have attended college, the more education related information you may want to provide as you will most likely have relatively less work experience.

Start with your most recent degree or the program in which you are currently enrolled. List other degrees or relevant education in reverse chronological order.

Highlight your degree by using bold type, capital letters or underlining.

If the degree is relevant to your job objective, begin with degree and emphasis, followed by university, location of university, and date of graduation or anticipated date of graduation. Example: M.P.A., Masters of Public Administration, Annamalai University, Annamalai nagar, TN, India, May 1995.

If degree/program is not directly related to current job objective, begin with the university, followed by the location, degree and emphasis, and graduation date.

If you are within two semesters of graduation, do not use “expected” or “anticipated” with month/year of graduation.

If you are an entry level candidate or recent graduate and have a high GPA, include it on your resume. You may want to highlight your GPA on a new line, or in an educational highlights section. Note: Some employers believe no GPA on a resume indicates an poor GPA. Employers hiring experienced professionals generally care only that you have the degree.

If your education relates to your objective and is within the past three years, it should be the first section. If not, education should follow the work experience section of your resume.

4. Employment and or Experience Summary

A brief summary of qualifications can condense an extensive background by emphasizing experiences and accomplishments in brief phrases. The qualifications summary is accomplishment-oriented and provides an overview of your work experience. A summary is most appropriated for someone with substantial experience, for someone who is changing careers and wants to demonstrate transferable skills, or for someone with an eclectic background.

In general, you should list, in successive order for each position you have held, your employer, position title, dates (year to year), a brief description of your position, and accomplishments. You need to devote little space to explain commonly known responsibilities for positions such as city manager, police chief or public works director. You will probably devote more space for positions such as assistant city manager, city engineer, and similar jobs. You should also indicate the size of the budget and number of employees for whom you were responsible. Give brief, illustrative examples of your responsibilities and accomplishments. This is where you have the opportunity to tailor (while being accurate and truthful) your resume to what the employer is seeking. At least for your current position, indicate your base salary, not the top of your range.

Begin with your current/most recent position and work backward, chronologically. Devote more space to recent employment.

If your job titles relate to your current job objective, start each position description with job titles. If not, begin with the organization.

Follow job title and organizational information with the organization’s city and state.

Use the first and last month and year to describe dates of employment.

Describe the last three to five positions in detail. Summarize earlier positions unless relevant to your objective.

Do not show every position change with each employer. Only list the most recent and describe promotions.

Do not repeat skills that are common to several positions.

Within each listed position, stress the major accomplishments and responsibilities that demonstrate your competency. It is not necessary to include all responsibilities, as they will be assumed by employers.

Tailor your position descriptions to future job/career objectives.

One-page resumes are preferred for entry-level positions.

Two-Three page resumes are preferred for experienced persons.

5.Professional Activities and Accomplishments

This part of your resume offers you the opportunity to provide insight into your career development. You should be selective and complete, listing such items as memberships in professional associations and offices held, professional registrations, honors received, and major articles or publications you have written. Do not list every article or every speech you may have given or every conference you have attended. Emphasize quality - this section of the resume should help you to demonstrate you are current and active in your profession.