Resume Help Blog

Archive for the ‘Advice and Articles’ Category

Given below are some ideas that can help you give better job interviews and make a big impact on recruiters. They may seem simple, but it takes lots of practice to follow them:

1. Avoiding the phrase, ‘I think’

Many people use the phrase, ‘I think’ while answering questions. Instead of using this, try to use phrases like ‘I can’ and ‘I know’, because it makes you sound more confident.

2. Learn to listen

It is also important to develop your listening skills and avoid rambling, because it takes the interview into a completely different direction. Listen to the interviewer and answer the question directly.

3. Give credit to yourself, but fairly

Of course, you should take credit for your accomplishments in your career. In any other situation, this would be bragging, but it is required during an interview.

Are you all set for the job hunt? You must be aware about the methods to find a job- how and where to post the resume, how to prepare for the interview, etc. However, that is not enough for you to get the best job. Here are a few tips to get the right job:

Use your personal contacts

You must use your personal contacts to get a job. Companies get hundreds of resumes every day. They tend to ignore your resume even if you are well qualified for the post. If you know someone in the organization, follow up with them and ask them to refer you for the particular job post. This will help you get enough attention for your resume. Always keep yourself updated with the latest policies of the company. Ask your friends who work in the company to inform you about the job opportunities and postings. You must also network with more people who are in the field. Ask your friends to introduce you to senior officials in the company and keep in touch with them.

Always be prepared

Many employers prefer telephonic interview these days. You can expect a call at any time of the day. You must be well prepared for the interview. Prepare a good introduction about yourself. Make sure that it is short, crisp and to the point as the employer will not have time to listen to you for minutes at a stretch. Always be prepared to answer these two questions: “Tell me something about yourself?” and “why should we hire you?” You must be very pleasant and positive during the interview. Don’t make the interviewer feel you are not so keen to talk to him/her.

Talk about your skill sets

Never forget to mention your extracurricular activities and the experience and knowledge you gained from various activities outside the academic sphere. Employers give more importance to soft skills and thus, it is very important to mention them all in the resume. Today, most companies prefer Emotional Quotient (EQ) over Intelligence Quotient (IQ). As such, don’t forget to mention your experience in community services and the work you have done for non-profit organizations, if any.

Practice every day

You must go through the description of every job and note down the key skills they require. Practice the skills every day and brush up on them. If you feel that there are more skills needed for certain jobs, go for extra classes and short term courses. This will be an added qualification in your resume.

Know the job market and salary packages

You must keep yourself updated about the market trends and salaries offered by various companies. Once you get an acceptance letter, you must be in a position to negotiate the salary according to your ‘value’. Remember that it is a very competitive world out there, so you must be confident enough to show the interviewer/s that you are well aware of your potential worth to the company.

Increase your knowledge

You must increase your practical knowledge by attending professional meetings that are related to your field. This will not only increase your experience, but also helps in building up new relationships and foster better networking. 

When you are job searching these days, whether it is for jobs in retail, banking or the leisure industry, knowing how to put together a CV or resume is a vital skill.  Here we will use the example of jobs in retail as we look at the difference between a CV and a resume, and how you can adapt a CV to resume format.  The main reason for using this example is that there are still plenty of vacancies in this sector – just take a look at the jobs in retail on the reed.co.uk site.  While many of these jobs don’t require formal training, you are nonetheless only going to be in the running if you present well, and the very first introduction that you make to a potential employer is going to be through your CV or resume.

But just what is the difference between a CV and a resume?  Well, the most basic difference is the length of each document, and what it is used for.  A resume is basically a short summary of the longer CV.  A good resume should be tailored to include only the details that are relevant when applying for the post, and so returning to our example of jobs in retail, the resume will generally be the most suitable format for entry level positions.

Wherever you are in world, the CV does not really differ in the type of content that it contains.  However, the way that the CV is used is slightly different in the U.S. to the way that many European countries, including the U.K, use the CV.  In the U.K, many employers will ask for a CV, regardless of the type of job, and so both a qualified manager and an entry level shop assistant will often be asked to submit a CV when registering interest for a post.  In the U.S, the longer CV format is generally only used for applying for education, academic, research, or scientific positions, or applying for grants or fellowships.

Quite simply, the CV contains everything about your professional and academic life, as well as extracurricular activities.  From high school through to college or university, and then on to professional training, the CV will have details of not just qualifications, but any publications or major presentations that you have produced.  Awards and honours should also be included, as well as affiliations.  Every job that you have ever done will be listed and described in your CV, as well as voluntary work and hobbies.  This is why the resume format is more applicable to the job market, especially when applying for jobs that require no formal qualifications.

So why do employers require the full CV in the U.K?  Well, the fact is that many don’t – this is actually something of a definition issue.  The term CV is used a bit more loosely in the U.K, and can describe what is in effect a resume, as well as meaning the full story of your academic and professional life.  The type of job determines which version is required.  For more information on the difference between a CV and a resume, try looking at:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curriculum_vitae.