Basic Rules of Writing a Resume - Formulas For an Excellent Resume

Basic Rules of Writing a Resume - Formulas For an Excellent ResumeThe basics of writing a resume will include the basic rules of writing a resume. These fundamentals of resume writing include grammar, punctuation, spelling, and proper sentence structure. Additionally, it will also include how to craft a good cover letter as well as the etiquette to use in your communications with the employer.The first thing that most people take for granted when writing a resume is the grammar and punctuation. Many people will not even know what the standard formatting for a resume because they do not write resumes that regularly. However, even if you do not know how to write a resume to impress your potential employer, you can easily learn all of the basics of resume writing to make your resume stand out from the competition.When learning the basics of resume writing, remember that all of the rules apply to both sides of the resume. First, you must always have your name written at the top of the re sume. This means you do not want to put your full name on the first line of the resume. Also, be sure to write the name of the company or job you are applying for on the first two lines of the resume. Lastly, you will want to avoid any abbreviations or special characters.One of the most important things that you must consider is spelling. You must always spell your name correctly. Never use any initials or your middle initial. It is also extremely important to check the grammar of your resume. Many people think that they do not need to check the grammar of their resume, but it is very important.On the subject of sentence structure, remember that you are using a resume to sell yourself to the company. Remember that the goal of a resume is to get you a job. So it is necessary to use the correct structure so that you present yourself as a professional who would be the perfect fit for the position.The etiquette in your cover letter also goes along with the guidelines of resume writing. You will want to send an impressive letter, but you should not send a tepid letter. You will want to be more enthusiastic about your letter than you will to the job itself. It is imperative that you demonstrate your enthusiasm in your letter. You will want to make a point of thanking the company for the interview and then you will want to thank them for giving you the opportunity to work there. You will want to stress how much they value your skills and experience and why you are the perfect person for the job.Finally, you will want to never leave the job part out of your letter. If you are looking to get hired for a job you might want to be as brief as possible, but if you are looking to get hired to fill a specific position, you will want to make a point of explaining that you will be coming in to do an excellent job and that you would be happy to work under their direction.

Job Application Rejection

Job Application Rejection Spread the loveIf you’re like most people, you’ve experienced the trials and travails of the job search process.   And if you’ve ever had a job application rejected, you have almost certainly found yourself wondering why. We’ve all been there at one time or another! Job application rejection can be frustrating, worrisome, and downright confusing â€" especially when you know you’re a qualified candidate. If your resume doesn’t seem to be doing the job, you deserve to know why. Here are 7 reasons your resume fails to get you that job you need.Top Reasons for Your Job Application Rejection1. Your Resume Is Not Optimized for the ATSMany companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) these days. These systems use complex algorithms to search through resumes and identify specific qualifying factors. These factors are based on keywords, and are used to screen candidates so that hiring managers can review only the most qualified applicants. You need to be able to identify those k eywords, and use them in your resume. If you fail to do that, your application may never be seen by human eyes.Fortunately, you can typically find the ATS keywords by reviewing the job posting. Most companies use words and terms from their job posting in their ATS screenings. Simply select the most relevant keywords, and make sure that they appear in your resume â€" preferably in the skills and/or experience sections of the document.You could see how your resume performs in an actual ATS scan with our Free Resume Review.2. Your Resume Lists the Wrong Kind of Experience or SkillsYou might think that your resume is perfect for the job you were seeking, but how closely did you read that job description? Are your skills a good match for the position?If you failed to properly tailor your resume to meet that employer’s stated qualifications, then that would explain the job application rejection.Never allow yourself to get in the habit of submitting the same resume to different companies . Modify that resume so that it fits the employer’s needs, and you’ll soon have all the interviews you need.3. Your Resume is Too GoodBelieve it or not, it is possible for your resume to be too good. If the hiring manager reads it and sees that you’re overqualified, he or she may assume that you’re out of the company’s price range.That’s why it’s so important to focus on what the employer says he wants. You don’t need to list every skill, or even document every bit of experience. Instead, focus on the most relevant skills and job experience to demonstrate that you’re the best candidate. Don’t price yourself out of the market!4. Your Resume Is Poorly-StructuredFor hiring managers, there’s nothing more frustrating than a poorly-structured resume. You need to ensure that yours is well-organized so that employers can find your skills and qualifications with ease.Use a clear layout, with separate sections for those important details. Use a combination of block text and bullet points to provide clarity and ease-of-reading. Remember, if that hiring manager can’t find what he’s looking for, job application rejection is a certainty!5. Your Resume Has Too Many Employment GapsYour job application rejection could also be caused by too many gaps in your resume. If you were out of work for an extended period or have too many gaps in your employment record, employers might wonder why.Most companies prefer to hire candidates with a solid job history. Review your resume to identify any such gaps, and consider steps to make them less noticeable. For instance, remove the months from your employment record to see if that makes it more attractive. See our post on dealing with employment gaps in your resume.6. Your Resume Doesn’t Solve the Employer’s ProblemWhen employers hire, they aren’t looking for bodies; they’re looking for solutions to existing problems. Does your resume read like a solution to that employer’s pain point â€" or just another dry recitation of skills and experiences.Always remember your audience when you’re drafting any resume, and speak to that audience’s immediate needs. That’s the surest way to ensure that you receive the consideration you deserve rather than just another job application rejection.7. Your Resume is Too Focused on YouRead through your resume with an objective eye. What’s your main message? If the theme seems to be all about your accomplishments with little emphasis on how your skills and experience provide real value, that’s a problem.Try to rework parts of the resume to focus attention on how you can benefit any employer who hires you. You will find that hiring managers are much more receptive to that approach.If your resume suffers from any of these seven concerns, then your job application rejection is easy to understand. Spend some time modifying it, have people you trust review it, or get some help from resume experts. Then, when you submit your next resume, you can do so with greater confidence and just wait for the interview calls to come rolling in! Job Application Rejection Spread the loveIf you’re like most people, you’ve experienced the trials and travails of the job search process.   And if you’ve ever had a job application rejected, you have almost certainly found yourself wondering why. We’ve all been there at one time or another! Job application rejection can be frustrating, worrisome, and downright confusing â€" especially when you know you’re a qualified candidate. If your resume doesn’t seem to be doing the job, you deserve to know why. Here are 7 reasons your resume fails to get you that job you need.Top Reasons for Your Job Application Rejection1. Your Resume Is Not Optimized for the ATSMany companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) these days. These systems use complex algorithms to search through resumes and identify specific qualifying factors. These factors are based on keywords, and are used to screen candidates so that hiring managers can review only the most qualified applicants. You need to be able to identify those k eywords, and use them in your resume. If you fail to do that, your application may never be seen by human eyes.Fortunately, you can typically find the ATS keywords by reviewing the job posting. Most companies use words and terms from their job posting in their ATS screenings. Simply select the most relevant keywords, and make sure that they appear in your resume â€" preferably in the skills and/or experience sections of the document.You could see how your resume performs in an actual ATS scan with our Free Resume Review.2. Your Resume Lists the Wrong Kind of Experience or SkillsYou might think that your resume is perfect for the job you were seeking, but how closely did you read that job description? Are your skills a good match for the position?If you failed to properly tailor your resume to meet that employer’s stated qualifications, then that would explain the job application rejection.Never allow yourself to get in the habit of submitting the same resume to different companies . Modify that resume so that it fits the employer’s needs, and you’ll soon have all the interviews you need.3. Your Resume is Too GoodBelieve it or not, it is possible for your resume to be too good. If the hiring manager reads it and sees that you’re overqualified, he or she may assume that you’re out of the company’s price range.That’s why it’s so important to focus on what the employer says he wants. You don’t need to list every skill, or even document every bit of experience. Instead, focus on the most relevant skills and job experience to demonstrate that you’re the best candidate. Don’t price yourself out of the market!4. Your Resume Is Poorly-StructuredFor hiring managers, there’s nothing more frustrating than a poorly-structured resume. You need to ensure that yours is well-organized so that employers can find your skills and qualifications with ease.Use a clear layout, with separate sections for those important details. Use a combination of block text and bullet points to provide clarity and ease-of-reading. Remember, if that hiring manager can’t find what he’s looking for, job application rejection is a certainty!5. Your Resume Has Too Many Employment GapsYour job application rejection could also be caused by too many gaps in your resume. If you were out of work for an extended period or have too many gaps in your employment record, employers might wonder why.Most companies prefer to hire candidates with a solid job history. Review your resume to identify any such gaps, and consider steps to make them less noticeable. For instance, remove the months from your employment record to see if that makes it more attractive. See our post on dealing with employment gaps in your resume.6. Your Resume Doesn’t Solve the Employer’s ProblemWhen employers hire, they aren’t looking for bodies; they’re looking for solutions to existing problems. Does your resume read like a solution to that employer’s pain point â€" or just another dry recitation of skills and experiences.Always remember your audience when you’re drafting any resume, and speak to that audience’s immediate needs. That’s the surest way to ensure that you receive the consideration you deserve rather than just another job application rejection.7. Your Resume is Too Focused on YouRead through your resume with an objective eye. What’s your main message? If the theme seems to be all about your accomplishments with little emphasis on how your skills and experience provide real value, that’s a problem.Try to rework parts of the resume to focus attention on how you can benefit any employer who hires you. You will find that hiring managers are much more receptive to that approach.If your resume suffers from any of these seven concerns, then your job application rejection is easy to understand. Spend some time modifying it, have people you trust review it, or get some help from resume experts. Then, when you submit your next resume, you can do so with greater confidence and just wait for the interview calls to come rolling in!

How To Answer Interview Questions About Job Hopping - Work It Daily

How To Answer Interview Questions About Job Hopping - Work It Daily Are you a job seeker with a lot of different jobs on your resume? It’s true that lots of people switch jobs more frequently than we used to, and so it’s less of a big deal than it used to be. However, there is a point where having a certain number of jobs over X years appears to an employer that you are a job hopper. Related: How To Answer 5 Tricky Job Interview Questions If you’ve changed jobs a lot, employers may be a little nervous about hiring you. They may see you as someone who doesn’t know what you want, can’t make a commitment, isn’t dependable, or isn’t mature. On top of that, it’s expensive to take the time to conduct interviews, onboard a new hire and get them up to speed, only to lose them in a short time and have to go through the whole process again. It’s important to calm any fears or doubts that employer may have about you. So what’s the best way to explain your situation in a job interview? Give an answer that makes sense and isn’t personal. “The company went out of business.” “My department was dissolved” or otherwise disbanded. “Those jobs were contract jobs” and so had an expiration date built in. “My spouse had to move for his/her job” and so you had to move with them. Answers like these show that circumstances were out of your control. Explain them in a neutral way. If you can add something positive about what you learned that’s made you better now, that’s a plus. If you’ve changed jobs because you’ve been laid off a few times, it can be more difficult, but you can still show that you couldn’t really help it: “I wish I hadn’t been forced to change jobs. With the economy, I was laid off from two jobs [then give a few details about what happened]. I wish that hadn’t happened, but it is what it is.” When you explain the layoff, it’s great if you can point out that it was a company decision that had to do with circumstances rather than you personallyâ€"such as they had a mass layoff to reduce workforce, or they restructured and your position was eliminated. Employers don’t hold those things against you. Be careful to stay away from explanations that could cast you in a negative light: “Every job has been an increase in pay.” Even if it’s true (and understandable), it makes you seem like a money-chaser rather than an invested, dedicated employee. “I keep ending up in hostile work environments.” This will say more about you and how you react to situations and get along with people than about your past jobs. “I’ve had a run of bad luck with jobs.” Again, this says more about you than the jobs. “I got fired a couple of times.” Getting fired once can be explainable (see interview answers about getting fired). Getting fired 2-3 times a lot more difficult for employers to understand. Even if your answer is a simple, “I’ve been looking for the right position,” follow it up with at least three reasons why this job is a great fit for you professionally, culturally, and personally. This brings the conversation away from the past and back to the present and future where it belongs. It puts you back on a positive note, focusing that hiring manager on why you’re a great fit for the job. Do you have a difficult situation in your job history? You may need to spend a few minutes with a coach to help you craft a positive explanation: Job Search, Interview, and Career Coaching with Peggy McKee. Related Posts How To Manage Without Being Mean (Is It Possible To Not Be Pushy?) 5 Things To Consider Before You Take That Management Job #1 Key To Becoming An Effective Leader About the author Career Coach - Peggy McKee is an expert resource and a dedicated advocate for job seekers. Known as the Sales Recruiter from Career Confidential, her years of experience as a nationally-known recruiter for sales and marketing jobs give her a unique perspective and advantage in developing the tools and strategies that help job seekers stand head and shoulders above the competition. Peggy has been named #1 on the list of the Top 25 Most Influential Online Recruiters by HR Examiner, and has been quoted in articles from CNN, CAP TODAY, Yahoo! HotJobs, and the Denver Examiner. Disclosure: This post is sponsored by a CAREEREALISM-approved expert. You can learn more about expert posts here. Photo Credit: Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!