How To Create a Great Resume

How To Create a Great ResumeHow To Create a Great ResumeAn effective resume is one that gets results. The purpose of a resume is to obtain an interview and ultimately to get the job or internship. All the effort spent on writing a good resume is worth it and the tips below will help you write a resume that gets results. Be selective in the information you share on a resume and include only the details that are relevant to the employer and the stelle. Be concise and succinct in all descriptions and avoid the use pronouns and articles (a, an, the) whenever possible. Take a look at this resume template for ideas on what to include on your resume. Choose a Format The formatting of a resumeis very important and provides the necessary information in a logical, easy to read sequence. The use of underlines, italics, bold, and all caps can guide the employer through the resume with ease. Consistency is key when developing a resume and helps make the information on the resume simple for em ployers to read. How to Start Start by including your personal information. The employer wants to know your name, address, phone number, and email address on the top of the first page of your resume. Personal information such as marital status, age, religion, and political affiliation are not included on a resume and are illegal questions for employers to ask. An Objective is Optional Including an objective or summary of qualifications is optional. An objective (optional) can immediately help identify the position to which you are applying. A Summary of Qualifications (optional) can offer a list of your skills and accomplishments right at the very beginning of your resume. You can also include why you are writing in the cover letter if the employer asks for one. Learn How to Market Yourself Be sure to first list the most relevant experiences related to the internship or job to which you are applying. You may entitle this section Relevant Experience, Business Experience, Leadership Experience, etc. Maintain consistency in your resume by presenting your information in a logical consistent format utilizing boldface, italics, and capital letters to emphasize headings and important pieces of information. Avoid using several different type sets within the resume. Action Verbs Are Important Use action verbs to describe your responsibilities and accomplishments. Creating effective verb statements highlighting your skills and accomplishments will make your resume strong and create a favorable impression with employers. By including only relevant information with just enough detail to demonstrate your skills, you will be illustrating your attention to details along with your ability to communicate and organize your thoughts. Include Relevant Information Include all relevant education, honors, degrees, and certifications. When applying for internships, Education, Honors, and Awards will usually go at the beginning of the resume and will move to the en d once you have developed some professional experience. As a student, Education will be the first major category (after Objective or Summary if you include one), since student is your most recent full-time role. White Space Is Important Maintain white space. Try to keep margins to 1 all around the edges of the resume and include some spacing within the resume to give it a fresh, professional look. You want to create a resume thats easy to skim. Prepare Several Resumes Be prepared to change your resume based on the position in which you are applying. You may choose to change the information provided or you may just change the order in which you present the information. Focus on the Employer or fleck Focus on the qualifications of the position and the needs of the employer. Each resume should be the result of researching the employer and reviewing the position description if possible. Be sure to include certifications, achievements, volunteer, internship, employment experi ences as well as any special skills such as computer, foreign language, music, art, etc. Keep It Short Try to keep it to one page. For internships and entry level positions, one page is sufficient. Once you have been in the workforce for ten years or more or if you have had extensive lab experiences or publications, two pages may be required. Be sure to put your name and page 2 at the top of the second page of the resume. Do not staple and avoid folding if possible. Use laser bond paper and you may select a matching 10 envelope or large 9 x 12 envelope. Make Sure It Looks Good Review the overall format and how the resume appears visually. Once you have included all the information and have checked for consistency and formatting, take a good look at how the resume looks and if it is professional. The overall look and appeal of the resume will provide the employer with a lasting first impression of you as an applicant. Proofread This is the time you will want to be a perfe ctionist. There is no room for grammatical and/or spelling errors in a resume. Set it down and come back to it, have someone critique it, do whatever is necessary to ensure that your document is absolutely perfect. You will not get a second weg to create a good impression if you send out a resume that includes errors. Congratulate Yourself Congratulations You have prepared a resume you can be proud of. Every couple of years you will probably need to update the information on your resume, but the hard work is behind you.

Different Types of References You Can Use to Land a Job

Different Types of References You Can Use to Land a JobDifferent Types of References You Can Use to Land a JobWhen you are applying for jobs youll need to have alist of referencesready those people who are familiar with your talents and work ethic and are willing to vouch for you. There are different types of references you can use to help you land a job, depending on the circumstances. You may have both professional and personal references that you can call upon, depending on their expertise, how they know you, and the job for which you are applying. These references should be able to attest to your skills, abilities, and qualifications as they relate to the jobs you apply for. Types of Job References Professional References.Individuals who can provide a professional reference for a job include previous employers, managers, colleagues, clients,business contacts, college instructors, and others who know your workplace skills and are willing to recommend you for the position. Per sonal References.If you havent worked before or if you have been out of the workforce, you can usecharacter or personal referencesfrom people who know your skills and attributes as an alternative toprofessional references. Good sources to use as personal references include high school teachers, coaches, pastors, or people for whom you have done volunteer work. LinkedIn Recommendations.Keep in mind that you can also provide references on LinkedIn. If you have recommendations on yourLinkedIn Profile, prospective employers will be able to see, at a glance, who is recommending you and what they have to say. Heres advice on how to getLinkedIn recommendations, who to ask for references, and how to manage the recommendations youve received. Who to Use as aReference Who you ask to give you a reference will depend on your personal and professional circumstances. Its important to be sure that the people you choose to recommend you are willing to give you agood reference. You might be surp rised that this isnt always the case. Ive heard some things from reference providers that ensured that I didnt hire the candidate they were representing. Thats why its important to check before you use someone for a reference - you want to be sure that there isnt anything negative in what they have to say about you. Giving the person the opportunity to bow out of providing a reference can save you from a potentially embarrassing situation. The Best Way to Ask for a Reference elend sure who you should ask to give you a reference or how to ask them to recommend you for employment? Hereshow to ask for a reference, along with a samplereference request letteryou can tailor to fit your personal circumstances. Be sure totake the time to follow upand keep the people you use for references updated regarding your status. You should also write a thank you note to show your appreciation for their willingness to serve as your reference. When you ask for a reference, you should also provide t hem with the information they will need to speak or write persuasively about you. Good documents to send them include your resume, the job descriptions for which you are applying, and lists of your volunteer and / or team activities. Create a List of References Its important to line up your references ahead of time. Before placing someone on your list, make sure they are willing and able to provide you with a glowing recommendation. Create a separatereference list, using the same header you have used for your resume, and have it ready to give or send to employers upon request. Im seeingmore job postingswhere employers ask for a reference list along with a resume andcover letter. In those cases, the company may check your references in advance, before contacting you for an interview. What to Include on a Reference List Your list of references should include at least three people, along with their job title, company, address, phone number, and email address. How to Share Yo ur References With Employers There is no need to includereferences on your resumeor to give references to an employer before they ask for them. However, you should be prepared to provide references to potential employers when requested. You may be asked to provide references when you apply for a job, or you may be asked for them further along in the application process. Also, bring a copy of your reference list (along with extra copies of your resume) to give to companies when you interview.

This is why you shouldnt accept a stretch assignment

This is why you shouldnt accept a stretch assignmentThis is why you shouldnt accept a stretch assignmentFour Rules for Accepting a Stretch AssignmentWant to connect to a bigger, bolder vision for your career? Try taking on a stretch assignment A new project, role or task that is beyond your current expertise. Whether its turning around a struggling product or team, automating an inefficient process, or delivering a big presentation to a VIP client, youll rapidly develop new technical, business, or leadership skills.There is towering evidence confirming the power of stretch opportunities. Just ask any experienced leader. Egon Zehnders survey of 823 grenzberschreitend executives found that71% of senior leaders said stretch assignments had the biggest impacton unleashing their potential. Also, research from Korn Ferry identifies stretch or rotational assignments asthe most valuable leadership skill-building experience, ahead of action learning, mentoring, relationships, 360 assessments, exposure to more senior leaders, and formal classroom training.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreRecently, my colleague Selena Rezvani and I conducted original research about stretch assignments. What we discovered after surveying 1,500 professionals is detailed in our report,Out of the Comfort Zone How women and men size up stretch assignments - and why leaders should care.What makes a stretch assignment yes-able?We found that women and men factor in similar motivations and roadblocks when deciding whether to accept a stretch assignment. For both genders, the top criteria for saying Yes to a stretch are having the personal influence to drive a successful outcome, and alignment with their career goals. Women and men agree that office politics, not lack of time, is the biggest practical challenge to taking on a stretch assignment.There are also some differences. When deciding wh ether to say yes to a stretch assignment, women are more likely than men to prioritize exposure to key mentors and sponsors (18% vs 11%.) Meanwhile, men are 3.5 times more likely than women to cite pay as a factor that makes a stretch assignment appealing.Make no mistake A stretch assignment is no small commitment. One exec jokingly referred to them as night jobs. You wouldnt want to accept, or overextend your stay in, a thankless job. So why accept a thankless stretch assignment? One survey respondent, a senior manager with a cloud-based software firm said he looks for a balance of challenge, risk, and reward when evaluating whether to accept a stretch, and you should, too.Ready to tackle a high-intensity, high-profile project? Go youHere are four rules for assessing whether an assignment is the right fit.1. Dont be afraid to take a riskStretch assignments come with tradeoffs. Its risky to commit to high-stakes, work that adds to your workload. But its a mglichkeit to develop new s kills, discover new strengths, and build influential networks. I ask myself,Am I ready for change? Am I ready to be uncomfortable? Am I ready to make a mistake and learn from it?wrote a woman working as a senior manager in consumer goods manufacturing.2. Define your directionThe ideal stretch fuels your passions, plays to your strengths, and allows you to make a measurable business impact. Scan your orgs landscape for business opportunities that match the challenges youd like to solve.I look for a complex challenge so that I can learn and grow, make impactful change, and prove my abilities, said one survey parteicipant with ambitions to make her mark within a multinational manufacturing conglomerate. Once you have ideas, find evidence to support why they are helpful. Show your management whats needed and why youre excited about the part you could play.3. Go after a project no one wantsSure, everyone wants the stretch assignment associated with the cutting-edge trend or cool new clie nt. But what about the assignment that makes people uneasy or nervous? One male senior manager at an e-commerce company said, Thinking about it has to make me feel uncomfortable. A person who volunteers for riskier stretches shows unique confidence in his or her abilities and commitment to the organization. Although management may have lower expectations for these assignments, such opportunities are proving grounds for problem-solvers, change agents, and fledgling leaders.4. Negotiate for what you need to be successfulGather as many details as possible about the opportunity, including compensation, recognition, and career options. In addition, prior to starting a new role or assignment, negotiate the authority, resources, and support needed for success. Then, enlist mentors and influential allies to help navigate office politics. One entry-level woman in the medical devices field weighs the following criteria Do I have a manager and colleagues who agree that I am ready for the next step and who are confident in my abilities? Finally, dont be afraid to ask, If I do an excellent job on this project, what can I expect as a result?Taking on a stretch assignment is not for everyone. But if youre ready to place a bet on yourself, a well-chosen stretch assignment can pay off, making your skills, value, and work ethic known beyond your immediate workgroup. Stretch assignments are proven shortcuts to advancement, so dont underestimate their career-making potential.This post first appeared atForbes.com.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people