Think of your résumé as a portable version of that billboard. The motorists whizzing by? Human resources professionals and other hiring entities. They don’t have time to read a biography of a jobseeker, and they don’t want to read your job description. (They aren’t interested in knowing that you report to work and do what an employer expects of you – the daily tasks for which you are paid.) They want to know what makes you special; how you add value; how you can make a difference in their organizations. They want to glance at your résumé and say, “Here’s someone I need to meet.”

It’s not always easy or comfortable for people to try to “sell” themselves this way. There’s a fine line between hollow bragging and effective advertising. Professional resume writers know the difference, and ResumeEdge.com’s writers will work with you to turn a so-what list of responsibilities or accomplishments into a powerful marketing tool. Here are some real-life examples:

Before

• Daily processing of portfolio transactions in accordance with department policies and procedures.

After

• Provide investment managers and clients with accurate, time-sensitive portfolio information through diligent processing, analysis, reporting and dissemination of cash and transaction data.

Before

• Inspected, marketed and sold properties to first time homebuyers.

After

• Created home ownership opportunities for low- and moderate-income residents who might otherwise be excluded from the housing market. Provided prospective buyers with inception-through-settlement financial  consulting services and education.

Before

• Presented PowerPoint presentations to civic, photography and hiking clubs around the country with client endorsements.

After

• Increased revenue and brand awareness by making sales presentations to clubs and associations countrywide, incorporating customer testimonials about tour experiences as marketing technique.

Before

• Organized profitable & charitable events.

After

• Organized and ran for-profit and charity events attracting more than 45 musicians of regional, national and international influence in the avant-garde genre, including two-time world DMC champion DJ Klever. Ready to see yourself in a new light? Help is only a mouse click away!

Getting to the point quickly, succinctly, and effectively is what separates a winning resume from one that’s discarded by the hiring manager or recruiter.

To be effective, a Qualifications Summary must:

1. Provide a snapshot of you as the ideal candidate for the position.

2. Be concise and to the point, addressing what expertise you can bring to the job to benefit the prospective employer.

3. Address pertinent qualifications in the job posting.

4. List your most stellar and recent quantified accomplishment that pertains to your current job search.

5. Provide additional data that enhances your candidacy, including:
A. Linguistic capabilities in foreign languages
B. Certifications
C. Licensure
D. Willingness to travel or to relocate for the new position

6. State specific skills, such as computer proficiencies (if applicable)

7. List your past employers if they are well known, eg: Boeing, Wall Street Journal, Macy’s, AT&T, etc.

8. Work Permits or Green Card data for foreign nationals.

How many really do? How many provide a written-for-you-alone critique instead of using a boilerplate to pop in your name and a few random comments before emailing you their ‘opinion’ along with a sales pitch to try their services?

At ResumeEdge, we don’t do that. Because we know there’s nothing magical about resume writing. No one company can boast that only their resumes get results. Competent and professional resume writing services will employ CPRWs (Certified Professional Resume Writers) who will organize and edit your document in accordance with PARW (Professional Association of Resume Writer) standards. It’s as simple as that. Companies may have differing templates and may favor one font over another; however, that’s where their differences end. Resumes are all written in the same fashion, if industry standards are adhered to.

So before you fall for the ‘free’ critique sales pitch, do your homework and check out the countless free articles on the web or on our site about writing an effective resume. Be knowledgeable before you place an order with any resume writing company, and know this – no hiring manager prefers one resume writer’s style over another’s. It’s not style or formatting they’re looking for, but your core skills that will help them fill the position.

How do you do that? Preparation, preparation, preparation.

1. Know how to dress. If you’re not familiar with the company culture, visit their website or their offices during work hours to see how staff dress. No matter how casual they may be, the key is for you to look professional – you’re not on staff yet.

2. Do extensive research about the company. Know what they’re about. Nothing’s worse for a hiring manager than to interview someone who hasn’t a clue what their company produces.

3. Compose a list of questions about the company that indicates your interest in what is produced and how things work.

4. Prepare a list of answers to the most frequently asked interview questions. For example: Where do you see yourself five years from now?

5. Practice, practice, practice. Make certain your voice and body language don’t give away your anxiety.

6. Know how long it will take to get to your interview so you arrive on time.

To assist you in interview prepartion, consider the ResumeEdge.com JobInterviewEdge service. Details at this link: http://www.resumeedge.com/services/jie-home.html

• Be prepared. Know about the organization and the job to which you’re applying. And practice for the interview before you get there.
• Be well groomed. Even if the company employees dress in business casual, err on the conservative side. For men: A jacket and tie. For women: A business suit. Keep the jewelry, makeup, perfume and cologne to a minimum.
• Arrive early for the interview. Fifteen minutes is about right.
• Be respectful of everyone you meet, including secretaries and other office personnel.
• Listen carefully to the interviewer’s name and remember it. Repeat it periodically during the interview when addressing the individual.
• After a question is asked, allow a moment for it to sink in and to phrase your response.
• Pay attention to non-verbal cues. If the interviewer appears particularly interested in what you’re saying, expand upon it.
• Ask how your role in the company can positively influence their bottom line.
• Be friendly, interested, engaged and confident – but not arrogant.
• At the end of the interview thank the interviewer and ask when you might expect an answer as to your candidacy.

Interview Don’ts

• Don’t behave as if the job is already yours or beneath you. Be confident, not arrogant.
• Never interrupt the interviewer.
• Don’t ask about salary or benefits unless the matter is brought up by the interviewer.
• Don’t trash your current or former employers.
• Don’t mistake an interviewer’s politeness for more than it is. You are not friends. Don’t be too familiar or chummy. Remain professional.
• Don’t bring up anything negative about the company you’re targeting, even if they’ve gotten bad press.
• Use appropriate English and business language. Avoid slang.
• Don’t let your body language (squirming in your seat) give away the fact that you’re nervous. Try to calm down and focus on your attributes.
• No matter how desperate you are for the position, don’t make it obvious to the interviewer.
• Don’t dwell on your deficiencies – we all have them – concentrate on your strengths and convey them to the interviewer.

Our JobInterviewEdge service offers one-on-one mock interview training with our certified editors. For more information, please click this link

Government jobs are plentiful even in a down economy. They are also good career-oriented positions with advancement opportunities. Landing a government job is a complex process, but it is well worth the effort if you desire to work in the public sector. Many private-industry job applicants use a standard resume thinking it is the same or just as effective as a Federal resume when applying for a government job. This is not the case. There is certain information that needs to appear on a Federal resume that you would not include on a private-sector resume. The human resource professionals need to see certain information in your application materials in order for you to be considered for further review as an applicant.

Federal Résumés Require More Personal Information

The information you need to provide for a government application (often called a vacancy announcement) includes your full name, complete mailing address, social security number, and your country of citizenship. Vacancy announcements contain a list of what to include in your résumé. If you leave any information out such as your social security number, you might not be considered for the job.

Federal Résumés Need to Align with the Job Announcement

With a standard resume, you might use a qualifications summary to outline your skills and experience that relate to the job you are applying for. With a federal résumé, you use an objective statement that needs to include the job title and department, the position’s grade level (the job’s level of difficulty), and the job announcement reference number. Following the objective statement you include a list of your qualifications that apply to the requirements listed in the job description.

Adhere to all Application Guidelines

Each vacancy announcement includes a “How to Apply” section that tells exactly what application process you need to follow and what information you need to include. It is critical that you provide information for every category in this section because most résumés are electronically scanned before a hiring manager reviews them. The required information often includes your past supervisor’s name and phone number and if that person can be contacted. This section often asks for your highest employment grade level whether you are a veteran or a civilian employee. You won’t be able to provide this information if you are transitioning from the private sector so you could enter N/A. Do not leave any categories blank.

Standard resumes are commonly one-to-two pages. Federal résumés can range from two-to-six pages and must comply with the guidelines required by the government personnel offices. Federal employment can be a good career opportunity if you are prepared and willing to produce a Federal résumé package that promotes you as the “best qualified” candidate for your selected government position.

To request David Jensen for your federal resume product, simply select his name in the drop-down menu of the ’select your editor’ field.

My client has been invited to interview for a network technician job. He’s not quite done with his CCNA, so that’s a wonderful thing. The catch is it’s about 70 minutes from his home where his wife owns a business. He lives in a place where winters mean blizzards and bad roads. Can he afford to commute or rent a studio apartment to reduce driving time and in case of storms?

He needs to find three pieces of information to be prepared to negotiate:

   1. His personal wants and requirements.
   2. The range the company will pay.
   3. The average salary paid in the geographical area where he plans to work.

First, he gets out the household budget and figures out the minimum he will accept. This process should also define and prioritize the benefits he needs and wants and what he is willing to negotiate away.

Second, if there is no salary range listed on the job posting, he calls the company’s HR Department and asks what the salary range is for the job. If they say there is none, or it depends on experience, he asks what the current employee in that position earns. If that is not forthcoming, as well, he networks his way to someone else in the company who may know or can find out.

Third, he determines what the average salary is in the company’s geographic area. The best place to look for that is www.Indeed.com. On the main page, he clicks the salaries link in the upper left corner of the screen. He fills in the search fields and scrolls down to see the average salary, national salary trend, and average salaries of jobs with related titles (with links back to those jobs).

Other places to search include:
• http://online.onetcenter.org/
• Compensation.BLR.com (offers free trial)
• Salary.com
• www.payscale.com
• Library Resources

Research companies and job search specialists are also available to complete research. They often require completion of a form or a phone interview to define the desired position.

What is JobInterviewEdge?

It’s a job interview coaching service that will prepare you for the daunting job interview process by providing computer-based interviewing skills training and a personalized mock interview with a certified interview professional.

Personal coaching will be conducted by our editors who have been awarded CEIP (Certified Employment Interview Professional) certification through the PARW/CC (Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches) and those who have reached certification through ResumeEdge.com. The standards are high, the training intense. Each certified editor is an expert in interview counseling and will shepherd their clients through the arduous interview process.

The Personal Coaching element will include:

1. Job Interview Preparation Sheet to provide your coach with information to prepare your mock job interview

2. Consultation with your coach to review your job interview preparation sheet

3. “Mock” job interview by telephone with your certified coach

4. Immediate Telephone Critique of the mock job interview with your coach

5. Formal Written Critique of your mock interview delivered within 24 hours

Each mock interview is recorded, providing you with an opportunity to play it back and review it at a later date.

In upcoming blogs, I will detail the service offerings and the intricacies of an interview.

To make this service truly valuable, we want to hear your thoughts on what else you’d like to see and how we can improve on what’s provided.